In some manuals and editions this game may also be referred to as Crea. It is a table top role playing game taking inspiration from a myriad of games and fandoms.
I hope to make a game along side my friend OneEyedGM that respects all of our favorite media sources that is fun for us and includes our own ideas.
We also aim to include more healthy writing but admit we do not always do so. Contacting us with the tag "Game Problem" in an email or direct message will make it a top priority so we can address it.
All of the content necessary to play the game will be on the site and some of our more detailed and extensive add-ons will be available for purchase on our store. (which will go live when the game is complete)
If you are already familiar with how TTRPGs run, this should be very familiar.
For 1. "The Party Members" and For 2. "The Game Master" who is also known as the GM.
This section also includes an introduction to ability scores, proficiency, and dice.
There will be a pretty simple pattern that will rinse and repeat after the GM has done some work. For the information in prepping and GMing will be on the page labeled "GM's Additional".
2) The GM creates a scenario and setting through description for the players
1) The party will describe the actions they wish to choose back to the GM in order of whoever speaks. If players wish to act at the same time they must roll a d20 and the higher roller goes first.
2) GMs may ask the players to roll for their actions to see how successful they are in their attempts. Then, the GM narrates the consequences of the actions the players chose and acts for all NPCs.
Keep in mind when being asked to roll how you describe what you are doing as a big impact. An example is requesting to roll intimidation with strength if you are showing muscles and trying to look scary instead of with charisma which would be using your words and how well you know people.
Then you start over and keep going. It seems to be bland but just try it. TTRPGs bring my friends together on a regular basis and have created impactful memories.
There are a few major dice one will be using to roll in TTRPGs. They are the d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20 and d100...
They are used for quite a lot and it is good to be familiar with each dice and what they do when they are rolled. It is most important to be familiar with a d20. The d20 is used for a majority of rolls in the game including all "Dice Checks" which from here on out will be referred to as a DC or DCs. DCs include skill and ability checks, saving throws, attack rolls, and a select number of other rolls.
The results of a DC is the result of the rolled d20 + your proficiency + the corresponding ability score + other modifiers.
Other modifiers are bonuses granted by conditions, features, and other creatures. Lets quickly cover ability scores and proficiency before moving on.
Proficiencies are granted by features, such as starting features for a class or background. There are other ways to gain proficiency such as through items or over time. In some cases, they may also be granted conditionally though a spell or some means. Proficiencies are things your character can do well or are very competent at doing.
Being proficient in something grants you a proficiency bonus to d20 rolls for that skill or action. That bonus starts at +1 for all creatures and characters. If you are proficient to any extent your results will be at least a little bit higher. NPCs or Nonplayer characters will have varying proficiencies that may or may not change but that is for the GM. Player characters or PCs on the other hand gain +1 to their proficiency bonus every 4 levels.
So, levels 1-4 have proficiency +2, levels 5-8 have proficiency +3, levels 9-12 have proficiency +4, levels 13-16 have +5, and levels 17-20 have +6. In very rare cases, games may go into what is called "Prestige" which is taking the game past level 20. In that case, PCs earn +1 proficiency every level.
These are the 6 core scores that determine modifiers for your dice rolls. For PCs, they are determined by 4d6 - the lowest d6. (Example: 4d6 = 5 3 4 2. The Score would by 12 = 5 + 3 + 4). After rolling all 6 scores if they player does not have a score over 13 they may reroll until they do. They may also swap scores around until they take a level into a class. Scores may also be altered through features and magic later.
The modifiers for each ability score is based on how far from 10 the score is and have a base modifier of 0 when the score is 10. For every 2 points under 10, the modifier is reduced by 1. (Ex: Score of 6 has a modifier of -2) For every 2 points over 10, the modifier is increased by 1. (Ex: A score of 16 has a modifier of +3).
The 6 ability score are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma.
Strength is a score of one's physical capabilities, such as how athletic they are or how hard they can hit.
Dexterity is a score of one's physical agility, such as how fast they react to action and how quickly they move.
Constitution is a measure of one's endurance and will to live. This impacts hit points (HP).
Intelligence is a measure one's mental reasoning and memory, including their recall.
Wisdom is a measure of perceptive skill, considering other creatures and their environment.
Charisma is a measure of force of personality and mind, such as how charming or intimidating they are.
Now that you are familiar with ability score and proficiencies a dice roll and its result hopeful makes a little more sense. Here are 2 scenarios to hopefully help these make a little more sense.
The GM states "A challenging assassin is in the trees and to see him you must pass a DC 19" so the player rolls a d20 perception check which is based on their wisdom score. Lets say they rolled an 11, are proficient in perception, are a level 12 character, and have a wisdom score of 14. The result would be 11 + 4 (for level 12 proficiency) + 2 (for 14 wisdom) which equals 17 and the assassin got away.
Critical Success and Critical Failures on all d20 rolls and d100 rolls. When rolling a 20 sided dice (d20) or a 100 sided dice (d100) on a 1 for the 20 sided dice (d20) or the 100 sided dice (d100), a critical failure will occur where something significantly worse will happen during the action the dice was used to roll for. This is always decided by the DM and includes things such as a weapon breaking or falling on a bad performance. When rolling a d20 or d100 and achieving a 20 or 100 respectively, a critical success will occur where the best possible action that one can achieve will occur. Examples of critical successes are on an attack doubling your damage or on an arcana check understanding what a magic item does.
Advantage and Disadvantage are more important conditions you will encounter through playing TTRPGs. Advantage is the ability to roll again and take the higher of the rolls. This can stack. So a double advantage would be rolling your d20 3 separate times and taking the highest face value. Disadvantage is functionally the same but instead taking the lower roll. If you have an advantage and disadvantage condition they cancel out.
Anything can be done with respect to your fellow party members and GM. I suggest completing a consent sheet for yourself to show the group you are in. Doing so can help all players have a enjoyable and happy experience.
The GM is always right (within reason). A part of the GM's job is to be knowledgeable of rules and to make the best judgement calls they can. The players ought to trust the GM wants to have fun and the players to have fun as well and respect the calls they make.
Specific beats general. The more specific a rule or action. The more priority it receives. If one spell doesn't specify and the other does, the one that specifies takes the ruling.
Always round down. The game is not designed to round up nor scale higher. so round down.
Creating Characters...
Not only through game is there hope to see through someone else's shoes, understand a villain, and turn all better... There is special sure attention to characters, social experiences, combat, and exploration. The Journey makes its own lessons and helps the finally hold weight.
The people you all role play as are an important part of the adventure. Their backgrounds, abilities, and dynamics between each other will have a huge impact. You are collaborative story tellers with your GM as characters with the character they will make.
Two important concepts for Characters and Creatures is their Level and Challenge Rating.
Levels are used for players and those that go through stages while challenge rating is used for things that do not develop. Levels are a measure of how strong a character is and are achieved through milestones that characters pass. GMs should make players aware of their milestones or goals and when they have earned a level by passing a milestone.
Challenge Ratings (or CR) are a measure of difficulty for a standard group of adventurers, which is 5 (4 to 6 is common) adventurers. Challenge Rating ranges from 0 to 100. A challenge rating is determined by how deadly a creature or scenario is to defeat. Creatures with challenge ratings are determined for how difficult this is while players have all of their resources after a long rest. I will go through some examples to frame the concept.
CR 0 Creatures pose no threat to characters of any level.
CR 1 poses a great threat to a single level 1 character but not to the entire party.
CR 5 would pose a dangerous threat to a party of level 1 characters.
CR 22 would be somewhat challenging for a party of level 5 characters
CR 23 would be mild challenge for a party of level 6 characters
CR 40 would be a large challenge for a party of level 10 characters but likely that none a killed.
CR 100 would be a grave threat to a full party of level 20 characters
The general idea is that you add the party's level and put it against the CR. If they are equal there is grave danger. If it is under they will not likely die but still have a challenge. If it is over they are very likely to die.
Rarely used but there are some creatures over or well over CR 100. These are often creatures that are not intended to be fought or pose extreme threats for the party and world. Much more than base level 20 characters would be needed to defeat these challenges. An example is avatars of gods are estimated CR 300.
Guilds and certain monster hunters would be aware of challenge ratings and able to give the players information about them. There will also be certain magical items with charges that could identify the challenge of a creature.
This is called interactions by some. It is the non-combative interactions between the creatures and players of the world. This covers everything from standard interactions to languages. This broad point will also have details on the economy, charisma uses, and downtime.
The clash of blade and send of spell.
This first pull down will cover the most basic parts of combat. These are initiative, AC, "To Hit" rolls, Flanking, Sneak Attack, and Opening Rounds. There are other concepts such as grappling that will be covered on the combat details page.
When starting combat, you will be provided with your initiative roll. This will be a d20 with dexterity added to it (and with the use of some features other bonuses). This is used for turn order or what order each creature in combat will go.
Then you are entered into the "Opening Round". This is the first round of combat and combat actions that are taken before initiative is rolled apply to the opening round. An example of something before initiative counting in the opening round is making an attack during a conversation, that would start combat and also count as an opener. There are features that may apply specifically to the opening round.
Sneak attacks are special attacks that come in combat from a hidden location or weapon. Sneak attack feature also work on attacks made during the opening round, so long as you have not been attacked. Sneak attacks (assuming you have no other features) only gain advantage.
Each turn in combat has 4 main portions with more parts to those portions. There are Actions, Bonus Actions, Movements, and Interactions. Other important concepts to combat are Free Actions, AC, To Hit Rolls, and Saving Throws.
(Primary) Actions: These are the primary things you will do during a turn of combat. This includes most attacks, spells, and using features.
Bonus Actions: These are supporting actions to you or allies most often. They are smaller things then actions and a fair number of features. It could be using a feature such as second wind which is a healing for yourself. Bonus actions include using items.
Movements: These are where you move within combat. Each creature has their walking speed or other speeds that indicate the maximum distance they may move. Other movements are dash, dodge, disengage, and alternative movements granted by features. Dash allows you to use an action and move your walking speed or a different speed a second time. Dodge, Disengage, and Alternative movements are all granted by features. Other features may also change how your movements work and when you can take them.
Interactions: These are things done between players or non-combat focused things. This includes Skill checks (such as jumping over an obstacle) , speaking between creatures (such as insulting your opponents), or things done to change how something may appear but not mechanically alter another combat action (such as wiping your blade after killing a beast). All non-combat focused things can be lumped into this category. They are the interaction between two things that are not highly combat relevant. You are limited to 2 interactions per turn.
Other highly relevant concepts that impact your turn.
Free Actions: These allow you to take a second primary action
To Hit Rolls and AC: To hit rolls are also called attack rolls. They are a d20 combined with proficiency if you have it with the weapon you attacking and strength/dexterity with the weapon's to hit score or a d20 combined with a spell attack modifier. This is opposed to AC or armor class / attack check. If it matches the AC it is a glancing strike and if it passes then it will hit and deal damage as you would assume.
Glancing Strikes deal half damage, as the attack is only able to find the opportunity to attack by a slight gap.
Saving Throws: These are rolls you make or you subject others to make. They are attacks that will either guarantee damage or be "life threatening" if hits. You will have statistics and possibly proficiency.
If you must subject a target to a saving throw it is typically 8 + Your Proficiency Score + Your casting / relevant stat.
Flanking / Surrounding Rules: This is an optional rule that the GM may include in any combat scenario. When a creature is surrounding on 2 or more sides and 1 of those sides is not covered by their perception, then the attackers that creature is not facing gain +2 to hit for each creature surrounding them.
More on Combat Here
The movement and interaction with the world of the adventure. This also covers concepts like tracking and resting.
Taking rests come in 3 different forms.
Long Rests: There are rests that go over your entire species entire specified resting period.
Safe Rests: Rests at a safe location clarified by a spell or your GM will set your health and resources all back to full.
Unsafe Rests: Long rests at non-safe locations will restore 1/2 your resources and hit dice. You will take half of your hit dice and roll and regain those hit points
Short Rests: Any rests safe or unsafe that do not take your entire resting period and occur for 1 hour or more, you regain 1/4 hit dice rounded down and half of your resources. Unless specified otherwise.
Taking a second rest within the amount of time you would normally take for a long rest, will grant half the benefits it normally would.
For example, if your resting time is 6 hours and your take a second long rest within 6 hours it will grant half the amount of time.
A few other fun rules and concepts to be familiar with.
These are when multiple creatures roll against each other. The attacking creature will make a d20 + proficiency + relevant score modifier. The defending creature will make a save against of the relevant score.
On rolls of the mind that there are no particular roll that would correspond to the action, such as an educated guess. You will use a d20 + wisdom modifier + intelligence modifier + charisma modifier.
A 35 would be a perfect guess from your character and the GM will give the answer to what you are looking for. A 20 is no more than what you were able to put together with other information or rolls for reference.
These are far less common but when no particular physical roll will correspond to the action. You will roll a d20 + strength modifier + dexterity modifier + constitution modifier.
While there are stated focuses and rules, role playing games are most importantly for your fun and enjoyment. As all should, I encourage you to bend the rules and anything you wish for your enjoyment. Just make sure to do so with warning to the GM. Seriously, Please do play and bend the rules with good communication between all players, GM and Party.