SOME KEY ELEMENTS
• Clean STATS: There are NO SKILLS, derivative number formulae, feats or talents. This game system just uses a character's SIX CORE STATS to call for rolls, make CHECKS and ATTEMPTS.
ADVENTURE IN TURNS
The Dungeon Master (DM) describes a situation, looks over the party and says the words that have launched a thousand epic tales: "It's your TURN, what will you do?"
All tabletop role-playing games find common roots at this moment. When it's your turn the scene, as it stands, becomes yours to change, yours to explore, and yours to embellish. This could be as simple as asking "How many enemies are attacking us?" or as complex as "I will draw my saber, grab hold of a mast-rope, and kick loose the reel-crank, sending me flying into the enemies, steel blazing!"
No matter how you choose to use your TURN, the 'game' occurs when the DM helps you resolve your effect on the scene, and then passes the spotlight to the next player.
WHO GOES FIRST? (OR INITIATIVE)
When a new action scene begins, everyone (including the DM -who plays all the enemies and NPC's-) at the table ROLLS JUST A D20. The highest roll goes first, then clockwise. Players... pray the DM doesn't win!
ALWAYS TURNS?
Turns give a session structure, but if it feels weird to play in turns, maybe during role play, just go freeform!
THE DICE START ROLLING
Sometimes during play, things are feeling loose and narrative. Story is being told, silly accents are being used, or maybe the players just are arguing how best to dispatch a hill giant. When this happens, dice don't have much to contribute.
Then, all hell breaks loose. Enemies attack! The hill giant comes crashing into town! Time becomes terribly limited, danger is everywhere, and no mere words are getting you out of this alive. As told before: everyone (including the DM) at the table rolls just a D20. The highest roll goes first
It's time for action on your turn, and roll dice to see what happens.
DESCRIBE WHAT YOU WANT TO DO
Most turns you make start with a description of something you're trying to do, curious about, or want to affect in some way. Ask for details about what's going on.
ROLL THE DICE
Once the DM hears what you're imagining, he'll let you know what kind of roll is needed, and let you know. Roll for it! (normally a single D20 roll).
GET RESULTS
Based on the outcome of your roll, you and the DM will both describe how things change, according to your success or failure.
THREE KINDS OF TURNS
Unless you spend your TURN just talking, it will take one of three forms every single time. Not only will you get used to this formula. Here are the three types of TURNS in our D&D:
ACTION ONLY (ROLL DICE):
Sometimes, you're exactly where you want to be this TURN to do something, like an attack, equip an item, cast an spell or so. You can do a free action too if you have some ability that provides it. When you take an action, you can't move afterwards.
MOVE NEAR + ACTION (ROLL DICE):
Move to get where you're needed at a NEAR distance, then make a roll to do something afterwards. You can do a free action too if you have some ability that provides it.
MOVE FAR:
Use your ENTIRE TURN just to move twice as far as normal. You just want to move to a FAR distance.
THREE KINDS OF ACTIONS
There are three types of ACTIONS, differentiated by how much work they take to succeed.
SIMPLE:
Some things are just a piece ofcake. They take a moment of time, but no rolling is required.
CHECKS:
Instantaneous but uncertain ACTIONS that require a single D20 roll. They either succeed or fail in a split second.
ATTEMPTS:
Larger tasks can take time to complete. ATTEMPTS involve a D20 roll, and rolling EFFORT to complete a task or destroy a foe.
CRITICAL AND BLUNDER
If a player rolls a natural 20 on a Check or Attempt, it's always a success. Additionally it will be a CRITICAL SUCCESS with effects better than planned. In the case of Attempts, there will be added a CRITICAL ULTIMATE ROLL for Effort!
On the other hand, if a player rolls a natural 1, it's always a terrible fail. It will be a BLUNDER and things will go really wrong:
• Magic effects will have opposite their intended effect.
• Melee attacks backfire, damaging the attacker.
• Ranged attacks ricochet and hit an ally.
• Strength fails, a joint pops, and an injury is sustained.
• A climb attempt results in a very, very long fall.
• A deception becomes a bald-faced lie
• A lock is fused, melted, or ruined rather than picked.
• Ranged weapons jam, explode, or come up totally empty-
THE TARGET DIFFICULTY (TD)
In Our D&D, ALL THE ROLLS IN A SCENE (PC'S and NPC's) are rolled against a single number: The TARGET DIFICULTY (TD).
THE EXCEPTIONS are: when enemies or NPC's or monsters try to hit to the players (DM rolls against player's DEFENSE +10) and confronted / opposed rolls: higer result wins.
Whether it's to hit an enemy, scouting in heavy fog, or try reading symbols of a dead language. In one scene, there is only one TARGET DIFFICULTY, and all rolls must meet or beat that number to succeed.
The TD refers to the environment and defense of the enemy NPC's and monsters. TD is used to factors such as doors, traps, surrounding challenges, general inquiries, casting spells (trying to request favor from deities or just altering the physics and space-time of the environment), research, and all those numbers that in other versions of D&D are different numbers.
The TARGET is usually somewhere between 10 and 18.
No matter what roll you're trying, you'll need a few pieces of info:
1) IS THIS A CHECK OR AN ATTEMPT?
Sometimes it isn't clear if what you're trying will be instant or take repeated work. Either way, you'll need the next two answers before you roll.
2) WHAT STAT AM I USING TO DO MY ROLL?
Characters have a set of STATS that describe their capability in different areas. Depending on what's being tried, you'll almost always get to add the value of one STAT to your D20.
3) WHAT IS THE TARGET DIFFICULTY?
Every scene will have a number that's always in view: The TARGET DIFFICULTY (TD). That's how difficult everything is in that scene. Roll your D20, add your STAT, and meet or beat that TD to succeed! This simple process will be 90% of your rolls.
TARGET DIFFICULTY GUIDE
TD 10: Beginner encounters, easy conditions, home base, clear weather or high ground. Players will dominate the situation with this TD.
TD 12: The supreme AVERAGE TD, to be USED IN ALMOST ALL ENCOUNTERS. A level playing field that just always feels right.
TD 15: For a group with experience or good gear. Rough enviorment conditions, low light, smoke, cramped spaces or frightening situations.
TD 18: Brutal. This will be almost impossible for players, but force them to find a way to lower the number immediately. This TD is reserved for most difficult, most confusing or obscured conditions including magically-induced obstacles or obfuscation.
REDUCING TD
Players can reduce the current TD. Some of the abilities directly mention how a player can reduce TD, but everyone can also work from custom cases that fit the scene, encounter or situation.
Example: the catacomb tunnels are dark and cramped, so the DM says the TD is 15. But a torch held by the heroes could reduce this TD by 1. Now they're rolling against a 14, just barely able to see into the shadows. Some light spell by the wizard may illuminate even more, reducing the scene's TD to 13.
The TD is dynamic, even allowing the environment or enemies to INCREASE or even RANDOMIZE the TD with volatile quakes, bad visibility, wind, smoke or fear!
TARGET MINIMUM: Players can never reduce a TD by more than 3 points. So a TD 15, can never go below 12.
EASY AND HARD
(ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE)
In the numerous possible situations of play, you will encounter rolls that are HARD or EASY. If the roll is EASY, you will have ADVANTAGE (SRD terminology). If the roll is HARD, you will have DISADVANTAGE (SRD terminology) .
If a roll is EASY, roll 2D20 and use the higer of the two rolls. If a roll is HARD, roll 2D20 and use the lower of the two rolls.
If multiple situations affect a roll you NEVER roll more than one aditional D20.
If a circumstance causes a roll to be EASY and HARD at the same time, you don't have either of them and roll just a single D20.
Here are examples of how and why rolls can be EASY (grants ADVANTAGE).
• If you are using tools or implements that assist you
• If you tried the exact same action last turn but failed.
• If another character is helping you.
• If equipment
you are using makes certain actions always easy.
Here are examples of how and why rolls can be HARD (imposes DISADVANTAGE).
•
If you are pushing for extra results from your action, like trying to do double damage.
• If what you're trying to do is extraordinary or hard to believe possible.
• If enemies or effects nearby are disrupting your focus or senses.
THE ROLL FOR EFFORT
EFFORT simplifies all kinds of variations in the outcome of successful ATTEMPT rolls. It classify types of outcomes into dice categories and lends new detail to tasks that aren't just doing damage.
Once you have made a successful ATTEMPT roll, it's time to roll for EFFORT!
D4: BASIC
If you are only using your bare hands, mind or wits, roll a D4 after a successful ATTEMPT. This will be the damage you do with a punch, pressure you do to bend bars with raw muscle, or time you take to decipher a block of coded
writing, for example.
D6: WEAPONS OR TOOLS
Any time you are using standard ranged or melee weapon to do damage, roll a D6. Also roll a D6 when using tools to accomplish a task such as using a bar to open a jammed door, using bandages to cure a wound, or using a micro torchto seal a bulkhead hatch.
D8: HEAVY OR GUNPOWDER WEAPONS
Some weapons are considerably heavy, large or lethal. Greatswords, two-handed axes, compound longbows, or heavy crossbows. When you are using this kind of ranged or melee weapon to do damage, roll a D8. Firearms are deadly too (not very common in medieval fantasy, but there is a chance). Any time you're using a gonpowder weapon to attack an enemy and do damage, roll a D8.
D10: MAGICAL ENERGY OR SIEGE WEAPONS
Roll a D10 for effort when you are casting explosive magic or using arcane / holy (or unholy) energy. Healing with magical power? That would also be a D10. Also roll a D10 for any siege weapon or similar devastating effect.
D12: CRITICAL ULTIMATE!
The almighty D12! When you roll a Critical Success on your attempt roll (a natural 20 on the D20 roll) you'll roll the type of effort that fits, and ADD A D12 TO THE EFFORT ROLL! You have excelled at your ATTEMPT with ULTIMATE results!
VERY IMPORTANT: If something is indicated to do CRITICAL ULTIMATE! EFFORT means that its regular EFFORT die is replaced by a D12 die. The D12 ADDED as an extra to another EFFORT die applies only when a Critical Scess is rolled on your attempt roll or when turn in HEROIC INSPIRATION.
HEARTS ♥ AND EFFORT
You will be rolling against all kinds of tasks with EFFORT, not just damage. Anything that can't be accomplished in an instant will need EFFORT to complete.
How much EFFORT do you need to complete a task or destroy an enemy? That is where HEARTS come in.
Our DnD uses HEARTS ♥ to show how many HIT POINTS (HP) an enemy has, or how much EFFORT is needed to overcome a task. One HEART is equal to 10 points of EFFORT (or DAMAGE) needed.
The DM will have all kinds of detail to offer with how many HEARTS a task or enemy has to overcome. Your job is to make those ATTEMPTS and roll as much EFFORT as you can.
HALF HEART ♡
Some tasks, not so strong enemies and most world's common people (farmers, traders, nobles) have just HALF HEART ♡. Of course, HALF HEART is equal to 5 points of EFFORT (or DAMAGE) needed.
Adventurers, monsters and most enemies have at least one full heart ♥
and always increase in one full heart.
HEALTH AND RECOVERY
WHEN YOU REACH 0 HP
As you take damage you'll eventually find yourself at 0 (or less). At that instant, your character drops unconscious. All SPELLS or effects you were creating vanish, and you're bleeding out.
ROLL FOR DYING!
On your NEXT TURN after you drop to 0 HP (or less), roll a 1D4. In that many ROUNDS, without FIRST AID or a MIRACLE, your character will DIE.
FIRST AID
If you are unconscious, counting down precious DYING ROUNDS, you need FIRST AID. If an ally can reach you and make a successful roll with INT or WIS STATS on the current TARGET DIFFICULTY, your DYING timer stops, but WITH NO HP RECOVERY. You're stable, but unconscious.
MIRACLE
On each of your TURNS while you're DYING, you get a chance to miraculously
regain consciousness. Roll a D20. If it's a natural 20 you are back
awake with 1 HP. It's a MIRACLE!
DEATH
If all your DYING ROUNDS pass, no one FIRST AID you, and you don't roll a MIRACLE,
you are dead.
If you take so much damage in one instant to reduce your character to -20 HP, you are dead instantly. There isn't even a body to bury.
RECOVERY
There are ways to recover HP and avoid dying:
RECOVER
At any time during a combat situation (while not dying), spend all your TURN to pause, regain your breath and TRY TO RECOVER. Roll a D20 + your CON STAT, and meet or beat the current TARGET DIFFICULTY. If you can do so, regain your CON STAT + 1 in HP instantly.
HEALING
Be it through magical means (D10) or medical tools like bandages (D6), you or allies can heal you during battle.
RESTING
A REST is a period of extended downtime at least 8 hours long during which you sleep for at least 6 hours and perform no more than 2 hours of light activity, such as reading, talking, eating, or standing watch. At the end of a Rest, you regain all your HEARTS ♥ (Hit Points).
You can't benefit from more than one REST in a 24 hour period, and must have at least 1 Hit Point at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.
INTERRUPTING THE REST
If a REST is interrupted by combat or by 1 hour of walking, casting spells, or similar activity, the REST confers no benefit and must be restarted.
MOVMENT AND DISTANCE
Our DnD solves all unnecessary detail about movment and distance with a simpler treatment. Whatever it may be, it's either CLOSE, NEAR, FAR, VERY FAR or OUT OF RANGE.
CLOSE
If you can reach it with your hands, just standing there, it's CLOSE. Melee range, sword-fighting distance, and no move is needed to use or interact with CLOSE things.
NEAR
A few big steps get you to NEAR things. Imagine NEAR as being a few seconds away. It's how far you can move in a TURN and still have time for an ACTION. it's the distance of a hand thrown weapon too.
FAR
Beyond NEAR, FAR takes you several seconds to run. The distance of a basic bowshot. If you want to move FAR on your TURN, it will take the entire TURN.
VERY FAR
It's impossible to get a VERY FAR distance in a turn by normal ways . To do so, it could require magical or mechanical means. Longbows or heavy crossbows could reach this distance, but hit the target would be HARD.
OUT OF RANGE
Beyond VERY FAR, is a distance you can't reach by any ways in one TURN of movement, and none of your effects can reach. OUT OF RANGE appart you from where the current action is happening. This will move you OUT of enemy fire but even your allies cannot help you if you are OUT OF RANGE.
MEASUREMENTS
During play, the DM will help describe and answer questions about whether something is CLOSE, NEAR, FAR or VERY FAR. It isn't about exact measurements, it's about what is within reach of your character.
In Our DnD the real focus about movment and distance is on time, not exact distance. But, if you are usig some squared grid (asume each square as 1 meter x 1 metar.)or need some kind of guide, this a reference:
CLOSE: from 0 to 1 meter. (adjacent squares in a 1 mt. x 1 mt. grid).
NEAR: 10 meters approximately (10 squares in a 1 mt. x 1 mt. grid).
FAR: 20 meters approximately. (20 squares in a 1 mt. x 1 mt. grid).
VERY FAR: 40 meters approximately (40 squares in a 1 mt. x 1 mt. grid).
OUT OF RANGE: beyond 40 or 50 meters (beyond 40 or 50 squares in a 1 mt. x 1 mt. grid).
TIME
There are three essential and simple ways to measure the time that passes during a game session.
TURN
When a player takes the stage for a few brief moments, moving and doing a few rolls, that is 1 TURN. A TURN is 10 seconds of action approximately.
ROUND
When EVERY PLAYER AT THE TABLE, including the DM, has taken a TURN, THAT IS 1 ROUND. ROUNDS are often used to measure lasting effects, countdowns, or other things that last more than a few seconds. A ROUND is something like a minute in the game world.
FREEFORM
When something takes several minutes, hours, or even days to play out, there is less and less reason to sweat the details, or firmly enforce playing in TURNS.
It's still smart to keep moving around your table, addressing each player's decisions during this stretch of time, but you won't be accurately measuring movement or damage output. Things get more descriptive, and your DM will be introducing more ways to use dice to keep the story moving.
HEROIC INSPIRATION
GAINING HEROIC INSPIRATION
Your character gains HEROIC INSPIRATION when you roll a natural 20 on a D20 roll (check or attempt) . The DM can also award HEROIC INSPIRATION to a character who's done something that is particularly heroic or amusing.
You can only have one instance of HEROIC INSPIRATION at a time. If something gives you HEROIC INSPIRATION and you already have it, you can give your HEROIC INSPIRATION to a player character in your group who lacks it.
LOSING HEROIC
INSPIRATION
If you have HEROIC INSPIRATION when you start a REST, you lose your HEROIC INSPIRATION.
USING HEROIC INSPIRATION
Here are the rules for the coveted HEROIC INSPIRATION:
• Turn in your HEROIC INSPIRATION to re-roll any D20 roll.
• Turn in your HEROIC INSPIRATION
to add an D12 to any EFFORT roll.