THE RULES

ABILITY SCORES

Characters are defined by 6 abilities. Assign 6 bonus points among the six abilities in any combination you wish. These bonuses will be added to your Ability rolls for that Ability.

• STRENGTH (STR): Melee rolls to hit, being strong

• CONSTITUTION (CON): Extra Life points, stamina

• DEXTERITY (DEX): Dodging attacks, sneaking, being nimble

• INTELLIGENCE (INT): Spellcasting, skill, focus, knowledge

• WISDOM (WIS): Ranged attacks, perception, willpower

• CHARM (CHA): Luck points, NPC reactions, charisma, Luck

LIFE

PCs begin with 1d6 plus 1 point per CON bonus in Life points. When a PC takes damage, their Life points are reduced.

LUCK

PCs get 1 Luck point per Level plus 1 point per CHA bonus. Luck points refill when the PC gains a Level. Luck points can be spent to:

• reroll a failed roll or add +5 to a roll,

• take an extra movement or action, or

• re-use a spent spell or item.

COIN

Coins are used to Level up, purchase items, hire retainers, and are often found as treasure in dungeons or given as a reward.

GEAR

Gear refers to the tools and items that PCs use for adventuring.

• All items, weapons, armor, rations, spells, and treasures require one gear slot to carry

• PCs have 10 gear slots

• PCs may not carry more items than they have gear slots

LEVELS

As characters adventure and overcome challenges they increase their level. When gaining a level:

• spend 500 coins per Level to represent training and rest

• gain +1 maximum Luck and refill Luck points

• reroll Life points at d6 per Level plus CON bonus

• add +1 to any single Ability score

ABILITY ROLLS

If a PC tries to do something under duress they make an Ability roll by rolling a d20 and adding their related Ability bonus. If the total is greater than the target number (TN) set by the GM, the roll succeeds. If not, they fail at the task. If in doubt, use a TN of 13.

• EASY: Target = 10

• MODERATE: Target = 13

• CHALLENGING: Target = 15

• DIFFICULT: Target = 18+

COMBAT

Roll 1d6 at the start of every round for PCs and enemies. On a roll of 1-3 the PCs attack first. On a roll of 4-6 the enemies attack first.

On a character’s turn, they may take one action and move up to 25 feet. As an action a PC can:

• make a melee or ranged attack

• attempt to cast a spell

• attempt a daring feat

• use an item

• dash an additional 25 feet

MELEE ATTACKS

• Strike only adjacent enemies

• Hit and deal 1d6+ STR bonus on a successful STR roll

• Unarmed melee deal 1+ STR bonus damage

• Improvised weapons deal 1d3 damage

• Critical Hit: deal an additional +6 damage

• Critical Fail: weapon breaks

RANGED ATTACKS

• Strike only distant enemies

• Hit and deal 1d6 damage on a successful WIS roll

• Critical Hit: deal an additional +6 damage

• Critical Fail: weapon breaks

DEFENDING

To defend against an attack a PC makes a DEX roll versus 10 + enemy level and:

• Avoids being hit on a success

• Suffers damage determined by enemy Level on a failure

• Critical Success: avoids being hit and may roll a counterattack

• Critical Fail: suffers damage and gains a wound

ARMOR

If a player has armor, they may negate half the damage of an attack. A PC may do this once per armor item per session.

• the PC makes a CHA roll versus TN 10

• on a success the armor may be used again next session

• on a failure the armor is destroyed

DARING FEATS

Characters may attempt a daring feat as an action during combat. The GM will decide the Target Number (TN) and Ability to roll if the feat is deemed possible.

HEALING

A PC may regain +1 Life points by resting safely for a night and consuming rations. Characters receiving magical healing may be able to regain Life points in other situations.

LIFE POINTS & DYING

At zero Life points a character is KO’d, takes a wound, and makes a CON roll vs TN 10:

• on a failure, the character immediately dies and can only be returned to life by costly magical resurrection

• on a success, the character will die in 1d4 + CON bonus turns unless magically healed or stabilized by an ally using first aid

• if stabilized, the character regains consciousness with 1 Life point at the end of combat

WOUNDS

When a PC takes a wound roll 1d6 to randomly select an Ability:

• subtract 1 point from that Ability score (negative values are possible)

MAGIC

A PC may cast a spell contained in an item once per session:

• make an INT Ability roll each round until success

• the spell is cast successfully when the roll succeeds

• if the PC gives up unsuccessfully, the spell is miscast

MISCAST TABLE

1. The PC turns into a barnyard animal

2. The PC becomes half or twice their age

3. The PC grows a prehensile tail

4. All the PC’s coins become butterflies and fly off

5. A surprised enemy creature appears from a puff of smoke

6. All nearby armor freezes and shatters

7. The PC grows large horns, antlers, or antennae

8. All of the PC’s hair falls out or begins growing rapidly

9. All nearby weapons turn into flower bouquets

10. The PC’s shadow comes alive and runs off with their gear

11. An inanimate object nearby gains a voice and personality

12. The caster is propelled 50 feet in a random direction

13. A different random spell is cast

14. The spell is cast at a random target

15. The PC and another character change bodies

16. A heckgate opens and a demon steps through

17. A swarm of vermin is summoned around the PC

18. The PC can no longer cast that spell

19. The spell gains a body and mind and joins the party

20. A portal opens to an alternate universe

MAGIC SPELL LIST

1. Truesight: Notice all hidden traps, items, and enemies for your Level + 1 in rounds.

2. Blessing: Distribute your Level + 1 in Luck points to allies.

3. Counterspell: Dispel magic for your Level + 1 in rounds. May be cast in place of a roll to defend.

4. Teleport: Teleport a number of targets up to your Level + 1 to a visible or previously visited location.

5. Doppelganger: Create a servile clone of yourself that survives for your Level + 1 in rounds.

6. Dwimmer: Create an illusion of sight, sound, and motion lasting your Level + 1 in rounds.

7. Elemental bolt: Fire - 1d6 damage to Level +1 nearby enemies. Ice - Freeze a target for Level + 1 turns. Earth - Create jagged rocks that reduce movement to 5ft per turn over Level + 1 x 5ft square. Air - Push/lift a target Level +1 x 5ft.

8. Exploding finger: Point at a visible object and say ‘Kerpow!’ to explode it, causing 3+Level d6 in damage distributed to all nearby enemies. On casting the spell successfully, the PC’s finger also explodes, permanently destroying the finger. When the PC has no remaining fingers they can no longer cast this spell.

9. Friendship: Targets become your friends for a number of rounds. The sum of targets and rounds equals your Level +1.

10. Invisibility: A number of willing targets up to your Level in number are made invisible for Level + 1 rounds or until they attack or take damage.

11. Mimic: Look and sound exactly like another person you have met for a number of rounds equal to your Level + 1.

12. Oakskin: Gain oaken armor pieces equal to your Level + 1 in number for 6 rounds.

13. Raise dead: Raise a number of skeletons equal to your Level + 1 to serve you.

14. Rekindle: Return a single target to life that has been dead for no longer than your Level +1 rounds. Eaten or amputated limbs remain lost. Caster and target permanently lose 1 point from ALL Ability scores with each casting.

15. Healing touch: Heal 1d6 + Level Life points to a target or cure poison or remove a curse.

16. Speak with the dead: Ask a nearby corpse your Level + 1 in questions and receive honest answers about its life.

17. Summon demon: Summon a demon of a Level equal to twice the caster’s Level. Roll INT versus 10 + the demon’s level to command it to take an action or dispel it.

18. Ward: Create a 10 foot radius circle for Level + 1 rounds that prevents enemies entering or attacking those within

19. Wildshape: Change into an animal for your Level + 1 in rounds and gain all of its abilities.

20. Wildwords: Speak with plants and animals for your Level + 1 in rounds.