D20 RPG micro-system for play-by-post.
New player reference:
STATS
Life
- Character dies upon reaching 0 life.
Power
- Each point provides +1 damage.
- Consumed for complex actions like mana for spells.
Defense
- Each point reduces incoming damage by 1.
- Negative defense increases incoming damage.
- Character looses 1 defense after being hit.
Item slots
- Character has 3 equipment, and 6 inventory slots.
- Equipment slots — items placed here are considered equipped. They’re accessible in battle and provide passive effects at all times.
- Inventory slots — items placed here are considered in backpack, and can't be used in combat unless equipped.
CLASSES
No preset classes. Character class is shaped by their traits gained based on how they act.
TRAITS
If character performs an action GM may provide that character a trait. Traits permanently increase skill check rolls for the related action group.
PL: Attempts to lift a boulder.
GM: Calls for a d20 skill check.
PL: Rolls a 20, succeeds.
GM: Awards "Strength: +3” trait.
PL: Later tries to throw a boulder at a druid. Rolls d20 and adds +3 from Strength.
TRAIT PASSIVES
Player can pay 5 trait points to unlock a random trait passive that will permanently provide a powerful passive effect to the character.
Chains of Ash: During the night lesser undead obey your orders.
Arcane Shield: Get no damage bonus from power. Swap power and defense.
STATES
States represent effects that affect character due to environment or their actions. For example working a lot, or getting poisoned will apply a state that will apply a particular condition to the character.
Brain damage: Can't use words longer than 5 characters.
Temporary gains of power or defense from items, skills, or consumables are also considered a state, such effects are lost at the end of the any combat.
ACTIONS
Actions are ways for players to act in the game world. There are two types of actions:
-
Predefined — Actions provided by items, skills or trait passives.
GM: You are attacked by orcs.
PL: I attack the closest orc with my sword.
GM: Roll d6 to determine the sword attack damage. -
Improvised — Free form action performed by player via describing what their character does (RP actions). If improvised action is complex or unlikely GM may request to roll d20 to determine the outcome.
GM: You are attacked by orcs.
PL: I jump into the well to escape the combat. GM: Roll d20, you need more than 10 to succeed. Agility trait is added to this roll...
ITEMS
Items provide predefined abilities and passives to character. Here are most common item types:
- Weapons — provide combat related actions.
- Equipment — provide passive effects when equipped.
- Consumables — provide an effect when consumed.
Long bow: Attack for d6 damage. Reduce power by 1 to repeat.
Iron shield: Reduce incoming dmg by 50%. All enemies target you.
Plate armor: Cap incoming damage at 5. Stealth trait: -4.
Purple cape: Charisma trait: +4.
Bandages x1: Recover 4 life and remove bleeding.
Coffee leafs x1: Increase your next die roll by d8 (extra action).
COMBAT
Combat aims to be quick and deadly.
- Fast paced — 3 turns per encounter. If combat lasts longer, enemies become enraged or retreat leaving players with no loot.
- Reactive — Game master lists enemy intent at the start of each turn, players have to counter enemies with their actions.
- Synchronous turns — Players and enemies turn actions are resolved simultaneously.
- Player can perform one main action (predefined or improvised), and multiple extra actions (mainly provided by consumable items) per turn.
- Players can use an improvised action to change their equipment during combat.
SOULS (Experimental)
When character dies their soul leaves the body and remains with the party. Controlled by the player, it can communicate with others, can't interact with the physical world.
Souls can be placed into an object to reanimate it (eg. undead, mech, golem etc.). Owner of the soul control the reanimated character. Reanimated characters have special passives.
PL2: Uses magic to put players 1 soul into a dead frog.
PL1: Reanimated as an undead frog.
Send your questions via:
Reddit: u/ormach
@pav_ormach
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