how to play

A Game Master (GM) controls and describes the world to players who then describe how their characters (PCs) act in the world. All entities controlled by the GM are known as non-player characters (NPCs).

• Rolls & saves
• Inventory & Stress
• Time
• advancement

Action Rolls & Saving Throws

When the success of an action is uncertain, a player rolls a d20 and adds the score from their relevant attribute. A result over 15 is a success.

The GM can also ask a player to make an action roll to determine if a PC is able to resist an effect or react quickly enough to avoid harm. These action rolls are called saving throws or saves.

Opposed Rolls

Sometimes a PC’s action is counteracted or resisted by an NPC. In that case, both sides make an action roll (NPCs use their Skill score). Instead of the action succeeding on a result over 15, the side with the highest result wins and succeeds at what they are trying to attempt. In the case of a tie, the GM decides the outcome.

Buffs & Breaks

Some situations can give a PC Buffs and/or Breaks on their action roll. These cancel each other out. For example, if PC has 2 Buffs and a Break, the Break cancels out one of the Buffs, resulting in the final roll only being affected by 1 Buff and no Breaks.

When making the action roll, for each Buff or Break the player rolls a d6 (in addition to the normal d20).

If the d6s rolled are Buffs, the highest roll among them is added to the final result.

If the d6s are Breaks, the highest roll among them is subtracted from the final result.

NPCs do not roll Buffs or Breaks.

Inventory & Stress

A PC has a number of inventory slots equal to 10 + their STR score. Most items take one slot to carry but some items, like weapons or armor, take up multiple slots.

Some actions and situations, like pushing the PC (see below), cause a PC to receive Stress. Each instance of Stress takes up an inventory slot.

A PC cannot carry more items or Stress than they have inventory slots.

Spending a day resting in a safe location removes all Stress.

Pushing a character

Before making an action roll, if their character has at least one empty inventory slot, players may choose to push their character to receive a Buff on the roll. If they do so, the PC takes Stress. A player may choose to push their character multiple times on a single roll, as long as they have sufficient empty inventory slots to take the Stress.

Time

Time is tracked using three measurements:

advancement

Once a PC earns XP equal to 1000 x their current Hit Dice (HD), they automatically spend it to gain a HD (i.e. a PC with 3 HD would need to earn 3000 XP, after they gained their third HD, to gain their fourth)
When a PC’s HD increase they may choose one of the following:

A PC cannot have more than 12 HD. If they would gain their thirteenth Hit Die they retire from adventuring.

Rewarding XP

At the end of each session the GM rewards each character XP based on the gold value of the non-magical treasure they brought back safely (1 GP = 1 XP), and 25 XP per NPC Hit Die of each monster they defeated or outsmarted.

combat

• morale
• Damage & Armor
• HD & Death
• Rest & Healing

Combat is played in rounds. Each round:

close combat

To hit in close combat, the attacking and the defending creature make an opposed STR roll. The winner deals their weapon’s damage to the opposing side. In case of a tie, the attacker wins.

ranged combat

Shooting or throwing something at a target works mostly the same as close combat. The difference being that the opposed roll between the two creatures uses DEX instead of STR, and if the defender wins they dodge the projectile, but do not deal damage to the attacker.

critical success

If a creature rolls a 20 on the d20 during their attack, it counts as a critical success. This means the creature deals double their weapon damage to their opponent, even if the opponent still wins the opposed roll. Creatures who are the target of a ranged attack cannot score a critical hit.

worn weapons

If a PC rolls a 1 on the d20 during their attack, their weapon becomes worn. A worn weapon has its damage reduced to 1 until it is repaired.
A worn weapon is repaired after a day of rest, or by spending Supply (see Equipment).

morale

NPCs have a Morale score. The GM should make a Morale roll when something manages to shock the NPCs (they meet more resistance than expected, their leader is killed etc.).

To make a morale roll, roll 2d6. If the result is higher than the Morale of the NPCs, they will flee or attempt to parley.

Damage & Armor

If a creature takes damage while they’re wearing armor, the damage first reduces their Armor points. If no Armor points remain they take the remaining damage as Wounds.

Some attacks or effects may deal Wounds directly and ignore a creature’s Armor.

shields

Wielding a shield reduces incoming damage by 1, but never reduces the damage to below 1.

Hit Dice & Death

Each time a creature receives Wounds they roll their Hit Dice (HD). Each HD is a d6. If the result is less than or equal to the Wounds they have accumulated the creature dies.

Rest & healing

Spending a day resting in a safe location heals all Wounds, repairs Armor, and restores worn weapons.

If a PC wants to restore their weapon or Armor during an expedition, they can do so by using Supply (see Equipment).

character creation

1. Character Attributes

Each player character (PC) has three attributes.

For each of these roll a d3 (d6 halved and rounded up) to determine each of your PC’s attribute scores.

2. Hit Dice & inventory slots

Each PC starts with one Hit Die (HD). These are rolled when the character is wounded to determine if the wounds are fatal.

Note the number of inventory slots your PC has. PCs have slots equal to 10 + their STR. Inventory slots are used to carry items and to track the amount of stress a PC accumulates.

3. Belongings

PCs start with two Supplies (see Equipment) and a dagger.

Roll d40 three times on the table below to determine your other belongings. Roll a d4 for the first digit and a d10 for the second. Reroll identical results.

Roll 2d6 and multiply the result by 5 to determine your starting gold. You may use this to buy additional equipment if you like.

4. name

Name your character.

d40 Belongings

Spellcasting

• Blunder table
• Some Spells

To cast a spell the caster must have at least one empty inventory slot to receive Stress, one hand free, and must be able to speak.

When a PC attempts to cast a spell they must make a WIL roll. A successful roll means the spell is cast and they take one Stress. If the PC fails the roll, the spell is not cast and the PC gains no Stress.

If the d20 rolled a result of 1, roll on the Blunders table to determine an unforeseen effect.

If a PC takes a full turn to cast a spell, they still receive a Stress but do not have to make a WIL roll and automatically cast the spell successfully.

NPC Spellcasters

Whenever an NPC attempts to cast a spell the GM makes a roll just like a PC would but uses the NPC’s Skill score instead of WIL. The X value of spells they cast is half their Skill rounded up.

NPCs don’t receive Stress and do not roll on the Blunders table.

Unless otherwise stated, NPC spellcasters can only cast each of their spells once each day.

Blunder Table

Some Spells

Here are some example spells you can use in your game, but players and DM’s are encouraged to come up with their own spells.

If a spell description contains an X, that value is equal to half the caster’s WIL rounded up.

Equipment

• Gold
• Supply
• Ammo & Light
• Weapons & Armor

Most items take one slot to carry but some items, like weapons or armor, may take additional slots to carry.

Gold

When treasure is sold, it is converted into gold pounds (GP). These do not take up inventory slots. PC’s are assumed to carry a small amount on their person to spend on small purchases and have the rest of their wealth stored somewhere else.

Supply

Supply is an abstract item representing basic gear a PC brought with them and costs 5 GP. At any time during a session a PC may trade a Supply they carry for any simple commonly available item, which they then note in their inventory. A list of suggestions is given below, but ultimately it is up to the GM which items can be acquired using Supply and which should be bought separately.

Supply can also be used to repair Armor and restore worn weapons during an expedition. One Supply can be used to restore 2 Armor points or one worn weapon; this process takes one turn.

Ammo

Ammo is an abstract item representing the ammunition a PC brought with them for their weapon. Players do not keep track of individual arrows or bullets, but must roll a d6 at the end of combat in which their PC used a ranged weapon. On a result of 1, they only have enough ammunition left for one shot after which the Ammo is removed from their inventory.

Light

To light the way during the night or in dark places below the earth PCs need a light source.

Weapons & Armor

Non-player characters

• Reaction
• Hirelings
• converting monsters
• Some NPCs

The allies and adversaries PCs can encounter are described using the following statistics:

NPCs cannot push themselves and cannot gain Stress.
For more details on how to use these statistics, see Combat.

Reaction

When an NPC’s reaction to encountering the PCs is not obvious, roll 2d6 and consult the table below.

Hirelings

NPCs can be hired to help PC’s during their adventures. To create a hireling roll a d4 to determine their Skill, give them 1 HD and a weapon. A hireling has 10 inventory slots. Experienced hirelings might possess spells and a higher Skill, at the GM’s discretion.

A hireling can be hired for 1 GP per Skill a day. If a hireling is hired to fight alongside the PC’s in combat they also require half a share of whatever treasure the party obtains.

Each PC can hire a number of hirelings up to their WIL score.

Converting OSR monsters

To quickly convert monster stats from another OSR system that uses a Hit Die system similar to the early editions of D&D, do the following:

This is of course a simplified approach so don’t be afraid to tinker with any of these values if it will make encountering the NPC more interesting.

Some NPCs

Here are some examples you can use in your game. You are encouraged to make up your own or borrow from games you like.

Magical Items

• Weapons & Armor
• Scrolls
• Some Magic Items

Items with magical properties are rarely found in shops. The most common way of acquiring magical items is through adventuring and searching for them in places few others dare to go.

Identifying magical items

A PC can feel when an item is magical but the properties of the item can only be discovered by using it or through careful experimentation.

Magical Weapons and Armor

Enchanted weapons and armor grant the wearer a bonus ranging from +1 to +3 or some other magical effect.

Scrolls

A scroll is a spell infused in a piece of parchment. It allows a creature to cast the infused spell without having to make a WIL roll and take Stress. Casting the spell destroys the scroll.

A PC can create a scroll of a spell they know by spending 200 GP and taking a full day to create it.

Some Magic Items

Here are some examples you can use in your game. You are encouraged to make up your own or borrow from games you like.