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Rules Table of Contents
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Welcome to Guilddom Adventures Made Easy (GAME), a tiny yet delightful "paper and pencil" fantasy role-playing game specifically designed for a narrator and a single player. To play a RPG, people cooperatively tell a story. The story's main character(s) are each controlled by a player. The person leading the game is the narrator, who describes the setting and controlls everything else in the story besides the player characters. The narrator is called the Game Master (GM), the main characters are called "player characters" (PCs), and all characters controlled by the GM are called "non-player characters" (NPCs). The GAME rules are fun, succinct, easy to use, and can be adapted to many settings. Playing the game requires these rules, paper and pencil, two people, and some eight-sided dice (preferably at least three matching dice and a fourth in a distinct color). Design notes are initially hidden from view and can be shown or hidden with a button. These explain why the rules and sample setting were constructed as they are, which may aid adapting GAME to other settings. Thanks go to Nathan Brown for many enjoyable afternoons playtesting the combat rules. |
All characters have four characteristics that rate how gifted the character is in four broad areas. Each characteristic governs a category of four skills.
Brawn measures his or her physical strength and endurance.
Brains measures a character's education, awareness, and social graces.
Balance measures a character's coordination and nimbleness of body.
Build measures a character's skill in the sample setting's four fantasy crafts of Alchemy, Chemstry, Machinery, and Transmutery. In a different setting this category of skills might be very much changed or altogether absent.
A normal character is not especially gifted in any of these four characteristics. But PCs are notable in one of these characteristics, granting a great advantage when using the four corresponding skills. This is marked with an asterisk next to that characteristic on the character sheet. A rare and significant NPC may also be notable in one of the four characteristics.
GAME uses "skill-based" game mechanics. Unlike many RPGs, characters do not advance through "levels" but instead increase their proficiency with sixteen skills and twelve talents.
The small number of skills mimics the exaggerated prowess of classic "heroic opera" pulp stories and films in which the protagonist demonstrates expertise at broad categories of real-life skills. For example, Yu Shu-lien fights expertly with any melee weapon, James Bond uses all pisols with equal mastery, Benedict of Amber optimally leads any army on any battlefield, and Buckaroo Bonzai can expertly drive any vehicle he comes across.
Each of a character's sixteen skills is rated between 0 and 8 to show how experienced the character is with that skill. Here is a summary of what a certain rating means for its skill:
| Skill | Meaning | Easy Success Rate | Challenging Success Rate | Hard Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | You are trying to mimic what you have seen others do. | 13% | 2% | 0% |
| 1 | You use this skill monthly. Sometimes you need help. | 25% | 6% | 2% |
| 2 | You use this skill weekly. You understand it poorly. | 38% | 14% | 5% |
| 3 | You use this skill regularly. You are considered proficient. | 50% | 25% | 13% |
| 4 | You use this skill daily. You understand it deeply. | 63% | 39% | 24% |
| 5 | You use this skill as a professional to earn a living. | 75% | 56% | 42% |
| 6 | You are the best in your town at this skill. | 88% | 77% | 67% |
| 7 | You are the best in your region at this skill. | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| 8 | Your use of this skill is unprecedented. | 100% | 100% | 100% |
A new PC has 35 points to distribute among his or her sixteen skills, with no skill starting above a rating of 5 and only one skill rated at 5.
A special kind of expertise may be developed with each Brawn, Brain, and Balance skill. This talent is also given a numeric rating, the talent level (TL). Every TL starts at zero and may never be increased beyond the skill's normal rating. A new PC has no talents.
Although there are no official rules for how much a character can carry, the GM may impose limitations based upon the character's Lift/Smash skill rating.
Talents are skill specializations that allow characters to master a skill beyond normal proficiency.
In most other role-playing games the primary differences between a knight, a woodsman, and a thief would a represented through a set of bonuses and restrictions called a "character class". In GAME the talents serve the same function in a more natural manner.
Skills may be freely and automatically used for trivial applications. A player does not need to actually "use" the Lift/Smash skill to lift a reasonable weight and carry it a reasonable distance.
When a player wishes his or her character to attempt to use a skill in a non-trivial application then a skill check is needed.
After the player declares his or her intent to do a skill check the GM assigns the task one of three difficulty ratings: Easy, Challenging, or Hard. The player then rolls 1, 2, or 3 eight-sided dice, corresponding to the difficulty rating of the task. For the skill check to be successful the sum of the skill's rating and the value of the lowest die must equal or exceed 8.
For example, an archer trying to shoot an enemy would use an Easy (one die) skill check. The skill check would be Challenging (two dice) if the distance was great, or visibility was poor, or the wind was strong, or the enemy was hiding behind cover. The skill check would be Hard (three dice) if more than one of these difficult circumstances were true!
The amount by which a successful skill check exceeds 8 is called the excess of the skill check. (If the sum of the skill rating and lowest die equals ten the excess is zero.) In certain occasions a skill check with a high excess has a more dramatic and successful result.
In most RPGs when multiple dice are rolled the player sums the dice. In GAME only the smallest die matters. For players used to other RPGs ignoring the sum will initially slow things down, but it becomes quicker once the new habit is formed.
Similarly, counting how much a number exceeds eight is a habit players would not start with but which is quickly developed.
Why eight-sided dice, anyway? They are my wife's favorite!
Note that a skill rated at either 7 or 8 will always succeed, but not equally well. This is intentional, to mimic the classic "heroic opera" pulp stories and films in which the most skilled among heroes and villains always succeed until they are opposed by a peer of their caliber.
Many skill checks situations happen within a competitive skill check, when two or more characters attempt skill use in direct opposition and one's success means the other's failure.
Examples of a competitive skill check would be a merchant and customer both using the Bargain/Appraise skill to haggle over a price, wrestlers using the Lift/Smash skill to try to throw the other from the wrestling ring, witnesses using the Social/Etiquette skill in an effort to make a more favorable impression when telling a judge their account of an incident, or two swordsman trying to wound each other.
Note that most combat is not done with competitive skill checks, since it is quite possible that two fighters hit each other simultaneously: the success of one attack does not mean the opposing attack fails.
In a competitive skill check all participants attempt their skill checks simultaneously.
If one participant is successful and the other is not then the successful participant wins and is successful at the skill use attempt. If the result is a tie (either both participants succeeded or both failed) then the contest is a draw or continues on with more skill checks, as circumstances require (sometimes this represents the passing of time within the game, sometimes it does not).
On two occasions there is a special way to succeed in a skill check, using an extra eight-sided die.
First, when the character is notable in the characteristic governing that skill then an extra eight-sided die is rolled. The skill check is considered successful if this die rolls a 1.
Second, when a group of characters all attempt the same thing (for example, attacking the same target during combat) they make a single skill check using their highest skill, to represent their combined attempts at using a skill. Again the extra eight-sided die is rolled, now with the skill check considered successful if the extra die rolls equal or lower than the number of cooperating characters. For example, if five archers all attempt to hit a common enemy, a single arrow hits if a normal skill check using their highest skill succeeds or if the the extra die rolls 5 or less.
If a skill check that would have negative excess succeeds because of the extra die then the excess is considered to be one.
The restriction that a group of NPCs attempting the same action combine all their efforts into a single skill roll is key to allowing a lone PC to boldly adventure and fight as the classic "heroic opera" pulp stories and films.
For example, Han Solo can out-shoot two Storm Troopers without any trouble but dives for cover when opposed by three or four, and he flees when confronted by a larger group.
Hack/Slash: This skill is used to attack with any bladed melee weapon.
With TL points this skill can also be used as a defensive skill (parrying). The TL denotes the maximum effective excess of a parry skill roll (excess beyond the TL is ignored).
Lift/Smash: This skill is used to attack with a blunt melee weapon, carry a heavy object, bash open a door, wrestle, etc.
With TL points blunt melee attacks may "sweep" and hit one additional adjacent opponent per TL. (It us the GM's choice if all the opponents suffer the same Damage Dice or a distinct set of Damage Dice is rolled for each opponent.)
Throw/Ensnare: This skill is used to attack with a thrown weapon (knife, javelin, spear, big rock, etc.) or to ensnare a foe with a wrestling move or thrown device (net, whip, bolo, etc.). When used as an attack to ensnare, a successful attack excess is matched as a competitive skill check with the target's Wilderness/Escape skill. A few characters are rumored to know styles of unarmed martial artists that allow talent in this skill to simultaneously ensnare (pin a humanoid opponent) and damage FP.
With TL points the Throw/Ensnare skill may be used for unarmed martial arts attacks. These aim for "vital points" and thus ignore 1 AR per TL against humanoids. Also, an opponent "stunned" by a martial arts attack is pinned (ensnared with intensity equal to FP of damage, maximum of 3). A character who has pinned another may not use defensive skills (Block/Dodge or Parry).
Shoot/Fire: This skill is used to attack with a missile weapon or operate a siege weapon.
With TL points an "interrupting shot" may be attempted. By aiming precisely one additional damage die per TL is rolled, which deals no damage but might roll 1 to cause a stun.
Bargain/Appraise: This skill is used in a competitive skill check when people haggle over prices (potentially changing prices by 5%). It is also used by people determining the value of items, with the situational difficulty rating for an Appraise attempt depending upon the person's familiarity with the type of item. (For example, a gladiator-slave would appraise weapons well but would have difficulty with the prices for wagons and pack animals.) A skill check with excess might reveal additional details about the item. (For example, a mercenary might recognize armor as used by the employees of a certain company.) This skill can also be used to forge documents.
With TL points haggling becomes more effective: prices potentially change by an additional 5% per TL
Perception/Track: This skill is used to notice hidden things or follow someone's trail. A competitive skill check is needed to notice someone trying to hide or to track someone trying to sneak. A skill roll with excess often notices more details.
With TL points a character who is not surprised may attempt to start combat with a "free surprise attack". Before the first turn of combat, a normal attack is made with up to this TL in effective skill rating; the opponent has no opportunity to use a defensive action.
Social/Etiquette: This skill is used to successfully navigate social situations. A skill check with excess may provide additional social success or influence. A competitive skill check may be needed if someone else is competing to impress someone, earn social esteem, or play a gambling game. This skill can be used to "fast talk" someone, who will not realize he or she is tricked until five to ten minutes have passed. This skill is also used to do impressively well any domestic tasks such as cooking or gardening.
With TL points fast talking is more effective: people "fast talked" do not realize this for one additional hour per TL.
Wilderness/Escape: This skill is used to apply first aid, swim, fish, locate food, set snares, and otherwise and survive in the wilderness. It is also used to escape from ensnarement as a competitive skill check against the opponent's previous Throw/Ensnare (for a wrestling hold) or Wilderness/Escape (for a trap) successful skill check.
With TL points a character may help others survive comfortably in the wilderness. One additional person may be helped per TL.
Block/Dodge: This skill is used defensively during combat to give up an attack and instead act defensively. It also is used for appropriate last-ditch attempts at heroism or escape: characters are granted a "free" avoidance attempt when targeted by damage or threat that affects a large area. For example, a character should be allowed a Dodge attempt if he or she would realistically have a chance to jump away from an explosion, or throw himself or herself out of range of a dragon's breath attack.
With TL points each dodge attempt may simultaneously apply to one additional specified opponent per TL.
Leap/Tumble: This skill is used to safely and successfully jump or fall (normally 2 meters or less). It also is used for appropriate last-ditch attempts at heroism or escape: characters are granted a "free" avoidance attempt when targeted by damage or threat that affects a large area. For example, a character should be allowed a Leap/Tumble attempt if he or she could realistically leap to safety before a ladder collapses, or tumble from a vehicle before it careens off a cliff.
With TL points falling farther is safer: the character may safely fall an additional 1 meter per TL.
Ride/Pilot: This skill is used to control a mount or pilot a vehicle. A competitive skill check is used when two riders are racing, or when a rider is trying to shake pursuit. This skill applies to both land and water vehicles. It is also is used to navigate by geographical landmarks or the stars, and to do maintenance on wagons, boats, and riding animals' tack.
With TL points a mount or vehicle can be used to attack, using the Ride/Pilot skill. Such attacks ignore 1 AR per TL.
Sneak/Hide: This skill is used to try to hide or to move unnoticed and traceless. Note that a skill check for this skill usually only happens when the character hiding or sneaking risks detection, and then is a competitive skill check against Perception/Track. Thus a character hiding or sneaking does not know how successful he or she is being until failure is a potential risk. If the appropriate materials are available this skill can also be used to disguise one's self.
With TL points a character may help others hide or move stealthily. One additional person may be helped per TL.
Build skills do not have talents. Instead, they can be used together and have greater potency when combined.
Alchemy: This skill is used to create potions and gasses that enhance a friend or incapacitate an enemy. Potions and gasses commonly work for healing, vigor, sleep, hallucination, glue, acid, poison, poison antidote, speed, and paralysis.
Chemstry: This skill is used to create and control golems. It includes knowledge of golem construction and also the use of the papers (chems) that give a golem life and purpose.
Machinery: This skill is used to create clever clockwork and steam powered devices and vehicles, and also electric lamps and weapons. It also is used to create or bypass mechanical locks and traps.
Transmutery: This skill is used to manipulate an elemental material (earth, air, fire, or water) using only willpower and mental command. The four elements can be detected, softened, stretched, shaped, purified, heated, cooled, solidified, made mist-like, etc., but not created from nothing, duplicated, destroyed into nothing, or made to levitate or otherwise move around unassisted.
The GAME sample setting includes four fantasy crafting skills which allow the creation of inventions which behave like fantastically enhanced versions of real life constructions.
Using any of the four Build skills requires the character to have both hands free. The character using a Build skill constructs his or her creation by hand: Build skills have no range.
The four Build skills are part of what adds flavor to the GAME sample setting. If the GAME game mechanics are used in a different setting the Build skills should be changed or removed.
For example, in a futuristic setting the four Build skills might instead involve computers, robotics, vehicle maintenance, and bioengineering.
Alchemy is used to create potions and gasses that enhance a friend or incapacitate an enemy. Potions and gasses commonly work for healing, vigor, sleep, hallucination, glue, acid, poison, poison antidote, speed, and paralysis.
Using alchemy requires knowing a recipe, having the ingredients prepared, and successful skill at following the recipe. The duration that the resultant potion or gas remains potent depends upon the skill of the alchemist. The intensity of the resultant potion or gas only depends upon the quality of the recipe and ingredients.
Using alchemy also requires a laboratory, and all potions and gasses must be stored in glass containers. These are the main disadvantages of alchemy for adventurers: before an expedition begins all the potions and gasses to be available during the adventure must be created or purchased, and then the glass bottles, vials, and spheres must be kept intact throughout the adventure's perils. (A set of healing potion vials worn on a bandolier might seem handy, but more potions will survive a combat when stored in a padded box.)
To use alchemy, a character with a recipe and ingredients ready makes a normal skill check.
The difficulty of the skill check only depends upon how advanced is the recipe. For example, following the recipe to create a healing potion that restores 1 FP is an Easy task, but the more complicated and tricky recipe that creates a healing potion that restores 8 FP is a Hard task.
If an Alchemy skill attempt fails then the ingredients are ruined and a substantial amount of time is wasted.
The excess of a successful skill check measures the number of days that the potion or gas is potent. After this duration has passed, the potion or gas has no effect.
The intensity of the potion or gas is determined by the recipe. A character that desires to make a more intense version of a potion or gas must find a more advanced recipe.
Consider poisons as an example. The simplest poisons always cause 1 damage die. Slightly more advanced poisons are especially effective when inhaled (if a gas) or absorbed into the bloodstream through a wound (if a liquid) and in such cases cause 2 Damage Dice. Both of these kinds of primitive poisons are quite noticeable by sight, smell, and taste. A novice alchemist studying poisons would know both recipes. That alchemist would need to find, purchase, or steal increasingly advanced recipes to create better poisons that do more damage or are less noticeable.
Alchemy is a Build skill that allows the player, based on rumors and guess about the upcoming adventure, to create a "bag of tricks" for his or her PC.
A new PC with Alchemy skill will know only low-intensity recipes that are made from inexpensive and commonly available ingredients. As the PC adventures, he or she would find new alchemy recipes and gather rare alchemy ingredients. Thus the player would gain options about how the PC can be prepared at the start of a new adventure, and the PC would gain a different type of power than measured by skill ratings or talent levels.
Note that the GAME rules are purposefully vague about whether alchemy can cure disease, paralysis, broken bones, maimed or missing limbs, dementia, and other afflictions that are more than simple wounds. If the GM desires then advanced and expensive potions can provide such cures. Either option works for adventures with a lone protagonist: if injury is more permanent then a hero with a crossbow is more of a threat to a group of enemies because any deep wound might develop into a life-threatening infection; if any non-fatal injury is always curable then the hero can afford to take extra risks.
Chemstry is used to create golems or change their orders. Golems are not intelligent and have no creativity. They obey, as much as circumstances permit, the step-by-step instructions written on the chems (papers) inside them.
A golem is a hollow humanoid made from a single mass of material. The oldest golems were made of clay. More recently, since the invention of thermometers for furnaces, sturdy metal golems can be reliably created. Transmutery allows the construction of golems of dirt, rock, glass, fire, water, steam, or even solidified air.
Due to limitations inherent on how a chem works, golems must be at least 18 centimeters tall. The smallest golems are usually "clockwork golems" used to power machines by turning cranks or pedaling.
A chem is a paper on which are painted mystical symbols that can give a golem step-by-step instructions. For example, a golem could guard a hallway with a chem whose symbols say, "Attack anyone who does not wear a red hat. Until you see someone, repeatedly walk straight forward until you reach a wall and then turn around 180 degrees."
Using chemstry to create a golem requires having the material prepared and successful skill at crafting the humanoid shape. Using chemstry to write a chem requires knowing the symbols and successful skill at painting them. Many chem symbols are carefully guarded secrets, requiring the golems using them to also be guarded.
A golem follows the instructions of each of its chems in the order the chems were placed inside it, and then returns to the first instruction on the first chem. Golems are clumsy and not able to do any task requiring small-motor coordination.
Most golems open up so that chems can be added or removed. The nature of this hatch depends upon the particular golem: many golems have small, locking doors to discourage tampering, and some golems are created without an opening. Note that the hatch is usually a second piece of material and this not actually part of the golem: damaging it does not harm or disrupt the golem.
Unlike other Build skills, Chemstry skill use is not measured with duration or intensity.
Golems often accompany adventurers, usually to carry lanterns or bags of equipment. An adventurer who knows chemstry can paint a chem in a only few minutes if he or she has peace and quiet. Crafting an entirely new golem is usually impossible during the middle of an adventure.
To use chemstry, a character with the materials ready makes a normal skill check. If painting a chem, the character must also be very familiar with the symbols to be used.
When constructing a golem, the difficulty of the skill check depends upon the difficulty of the craftsmanship. Forming a hollow shape that is thick, heavy, and flawed with structural weaknessess is Easy. Forming a hollow shape that is thin, light, and sturdy is Difficult or Hard.
When painting a chem, the difficulty of the skill check depends upon the length of the sequence of instructions and the complexity of the most abstract instruction.
The symbols representing completely robotic instructions are Easy to paint: walk forward so many steps, turn so many degrees, raise your arms straight up, pick up the item in front of you, etc.
The symbols representing instructions requiring perception or comparison are Challenging to paint: walk until you reach a wall, pick up the largest item in the room, etc.
The symbols representing instructions requiring judgment are Hard to paint: attack the most dangerous opponent you see, break the bar you expect to be most brittle, etc.
If an attempt to create a golem fails then the golem is either incomplete or the materials are ruined: in either case a substantial amount of time is wasted. If an attempt to paint a chem fails then the paper is ruined and a small amount of time is wasted.
Golems follow their instructions until they are destroyed or get stuck.
Destroying a golem only requires enough damage to make it no longer humanoid (for example, loss of a limb) or no longer hollow (for example, filling it with water).
Normally a chem does not wear out or get used up. The only exceptions are a few very ancient golems that archeologists have been found whose chems were blank because the paint had faded with age.
Within Arlinac City, vandals called "hackers" use hacksaws to open and alter some of the golems working in public, such as those used to maintain public utilities. The hackers are usually not intentionally destructive, but sometimes the sewer system is disrupted when golems that maintain it are instead found playing dice games or writing poetry with sticks of chalk.
The only "intensity" in chemstry is how abstract is the instruction represented by a chem symbol.
Chemstry is a Build skill that creates "robots". Golems may be entertaining to players who enjoy logical thinking, or useful for parents who want to teach logical thinking to their children. If the GM desires, the chem symbols might even include block-structured programming commands such as a FOR loop, IF conditional, or GOTO statement.
The word "chem" seems to be an invention of Terry Pratchett for his Discworld setting. I happily steal it to build an awful pun.
As a child I had a simple robotic toy named a BigTrak. I imagine golems as quite similar simple robots but potentially dangerous and much more expensive.
Machinery is used to create clever clockwork and steam powered devices, toys, and vehicles, and also electric lamps and weapons. It also is used to construct or bypass mechanical locks and traps.
Clockwork and steam powered contraptions come in all shapes and sizes. These have splendid variety because the secrets of their construction are carefully guarded. Any traveling machine must be actively controlled: its springs and engines might propel it across a floor or along a track but no machine has a golem's ability to autonomously follow instructions. Some machines are powered by a small golem instead of using a steam engine or spring for power.
Machinists have not yet invented either wet or dry cell batteries, and thus do very little involving wires. However, with golem-powered dynamos (generators) and/or capacitors Machinists build tasers, flash bombs, rail guns, and lamps.
There are no recipes for machinery: machinists are tinkerers. The duration that a machinery device functions dependends upon the skill of the machinist. Springs, valves, gears, and bearings wear out quickly (much more so than in real life), but a skilled machinist can to some extent compensate by building a more efficient machine.
The intensity of a machinery result depends upon the goal of the Machinist, but not all goals are feasible for all machinists.
To use machinery, a character with the workplace, tools, and materials ready makes a normal skill check. As with Alchemy, adventurers must do their building or shopping before the expedition begins. However, a working machine whose duration expires can be quickly repaired by a Machinist who has a toolbox and is able to tinker without interruption for a few minutes.
If a Machinery skill attempt (including repairs) fails then the materials are ruined and a substantial amount of time is wasted. Sometimes tools are ruined as well.
The excess of a successful skill check measures the number of hours that the machine actively functions. After this duration has passed, the machine does nothing until it is maintained or repaired.
Note that only a machinist may maintain or repair an expired machine. However, many machines are designed specifically so their maintenance is much simpler than their initial construction. (Other machines, especially the pet projects of mad inventors, are intended only for their designer's hands: not only are these nearly impossible for anyone else to use, but they may even hide traps to foil unauthorized tinkering.)
Also note that a machine's duration only measures its active time. Many machines (especially locks and traps) are old yet fully functional, waiting in an idle state until their power is unleashed. Other machines (flash bombs, for example) have a purpose that implies both an extended delay before their use and a nearly instantaneous use of power that depletes their potency.
The "intensity" of a machine is the degree to which it can affect its surroundings. This determines the difficulty of the Machinery skill check. Also, note that constructing machines with greater effects typically requires more and costlier tools and materials.
An Easy skill check creates a machine that only affects the its surroundings in a small manner that is usually easy to undo. These effects are negligible in combat and only apply to a small area in a minor way. Examples of such machines are clockwork toys, small motors, weak lamps, quiet clocks, etc.
A Challenging skill check creates a machine that affects the its surroundings significantly. These effects are as significant in combat as a successful blow or strategic positioning and apply to a larger area in a major way. Examples of such machines are clockwork traps, steam powered wagons, flash bombs, rail guns, tasers, etc.
A Hard skill check creates a machine that majorly affects the its surroundings. These effects are often irreparable, significant enough to decide the outcome of combat, and may apply to a huge area in a stunning way. Examples of such machines are frienzied (although blind) clockwork warriors, enormous steam-powered vehicles, lights bright enough to temporarily blind everyone they shine upon, sonic weapons that force everyone in a room to flee with ears covered, etc.
As mentioned earlier, repairing or maintaining a machine may not require as difficult as skill check as the initial construction.
Machinery is a flexible Build skill. Although it does not provide quite as much versitility as transmutery, it helps more with locks and traps.
In many ways the GAME sample setting was inspired by the setting of the two Thief computer games created by Looking Glass Studios; those games modeled well how a single protagonist could survive in fun adventures in a fantasy world. The flavor of steampunk I imagine in Arlinac City strongly resembles that of those two Thief games, but I purposefully leave the details vague enough that other GMs could use a different flavor.
Transmutery is used to affect the four elements in their natural state. An transmuticist, no matter how skilled, cannot manipulate metal instead of earth, smoke instead of fire, gasses instead of air, or liquids other than water. (Steam that is pure water vapor can be manipulated, since it is merely airborne water droplets. Glass can be manipulated because its structure is so similar to sand.) Note that the elements can only be manipulated, not created or destroyed.
There are no recipes for transmutery: transmuters simply impose their will on the elemental material. Both the duration and intensity of a transmutation depends solely upon the skill of the transmutist.
Although transmutery uses no materials it "costs" the transmutist mental effort, which may cause loss of FP. The loss of FP through using transmutery is called Drain. Because of Drain, an experienced transmuticist can create minor effects repeatedly without strain, but one fumble might cause extreme weariness or even cause a loss of consciousness if FP reach zero. Transmuticists know to pace themselves.
To use transmutery, a character with the materials in hand makes a normal skill check.
The excess of a successful skill check measures the number of minutes that the effect lasts. After this duration has passed, the material reverts to its normal state and properties, although if a solid it retains its shape.
A character failing a Transmutery skill check suffers 3 FP in Drain in addition to the Drain caused by the intensity of the attempted skill use.
The "intensity" of a transmutation measures the extent with which it affects its material and the amount of Drain the transmuticist suffers.
An Easy skill check causes no Drain and allows a minor effect. Such effects are negligible in combat and only apply to a small area in a minor way. Examples include expanding a candle flame into a small fire, purifying air to breathe, detecting if water is pure, or making a fist-sized rock as pliable as clay.
A Challenging skill check causes 1 FP of Drain and allows a more significant effect. Such effects are as significant in combat as a single attack. Examples include cause a pot water to quickly heat to a boil, blowing a person over with a gust of wind, transforming a small fire to be as safe to handle and pliable as clay, causing a rock to reshape or stretch itself, sustaining a small fire to burn without fuel, or solidifying a wall of solid air to block a hallway.
A Hard skill check causes 2 FP of Drain and allows a major effect. Such effects are significant enough to decide the outcome of combat and may apply to a huge area in a stunning way. Examples include creating a windstorm capable of blowing many people over, making a small pond extremely hot or cold, having the earth under a foe open into a pit and then close, expanding a torch fire into the size of a large bonfire, or solidifying the air to trap a huge monster or small group of people.
Transmutery is the Build skill that requires no advance planning. The player's creativity is rewarded instead of his or her preparedness.
The restriction against affecting metals is necessary to prevent characters from bypassing locks and door hinges, from trying to catch swords, and from gouging holes in an opponent's armor or smearing a helm's visor into mush.
By combining two Build skills a character can build something of breathtaking scope.
As examples, an alchemy recipe might require an electrical catalyst, and electrical charge might be so large it requires a unique machine to generate it, huge machinery might be powered by a transmutery-enhanced steam engine, or some immense transmutery effect might require an alchemy catalyst.
For this dual skill attempt the character must succeed in both Build skill checks. The skill checks are at Hard difficulty and are made seperately, one after the other.
Effects with such amazing intensity affect a huge area and make combat look silly. Examples include an alchemist mixing enough sleeping gas to fill a castle or brewing a healing elixir strong enough to instantly cure any wounds; an electricist providing light to an entire village; a machinist constructing a mobile steam-powered fort; or a transmuticist causing an earthquake, lighting an entire village on fire, or parting a river.
If a combination Build attempt uses transmutery it causes 3 FP of Drain.
Combinations of Build skills take the place of skill talents: a character that is highly experienced rises to be a league above others.
Each time a character or creature is hurt it loses one or more fatigue points (FP). PCs in Guilddom Adventures Made Easy have a maximum of 8 FP. Other creatures may have values lower or higher than eight for the FP of a healthy individual.
When a character's or creature's current FP decreases to zero then the character or creature is defeated (see the discussion of combat).
FP are also lost with physical exertion. The rate at which this happens depends upon the situation: running with a full backpack up a hill is much more quickly fatiguing than running down a gentle descent with no encumbrance.
If FP are lost only because of physical exertion they recover completely after an hour's rest or sleep. If FP are lost due to wounds, poison, or other bodily damage then they naturally heal at the much slower rate of one per week. First aid and alchemy potions can restore FP more quickly.
Because characters do not advance in "levels" their physical endurance does not change as they gain experience.
For players new to RPGs this is much more sensible than a high-level warrior who can fall a tremendous distance without fear of major injury. For players used to accumulating a dumpload of "hit points" it requires adjusting the mental framework.
Heavy or bulky items have their encumbrance noted by being rated with either 1 or 2 encumbrance points (ENC), usually marked by an asterisk or two after the item's name on the character sheet.
A character's maximum energy level is penalized by his or her ENC. When FP ‒ ENC decreases to 2 then the character is exhausted and all of his or her subsequent skill checks have a -1 penalty. When FP ‒ ENC decreases to 0 the character is too tired to stand while carrying so much stuff! Dropping the encumbering items will immediately raise FP ‒ ENC and remove the penalties.
The combat rules in GAME mimic the heroic but unrealistic swashbuckling of classic "heroic opera" pulp stories and films in which the protagonist can confidently duel against two or three foes but must flee a large group of opponents.
For example, Robin Hood can fence with a couple guards, must seek the advantage of a stairway when fighting several, and must flee from a room full of enemies.
Four aspects of the game mechanics work to create this effect. The first has already been mentioned: a group of opponents has their actions pooled together into a single action. Next is how damage is determined by the user's skill, not the weapon type. Third is how some hits stun the opponent, perhaps without causing extra damage. Fourth is how Talents enable a skilled warrior to dominate less-skilled opponents, with different types of skill needed to dominate in different circumstances.
Members of the intelligent races use four kinds of armor: none (normal clothing made of cotton or soft leather), light (hard leather armor or ringmail), heavy (scale or chain armor), or bulky (plate armor).
Armor is given a numeric rating, called the character's armor rating (AR): none = 0, light = 1, heavy = 2, bulky = 3. Creatures with exceedingly thick hides may have a AR beyond 3.
Hard Leather is soft leather armor, boiled in oil and wax, shaped, and dried. Ringmail is soft leather sparsely covered with metal rings, which provides equivalent protection with slightly greater mobility but more weight. These light armors are primarily worn by people living at the edge of civilization, or by adventurers needing freedom of movement. Hard Leather has either 0 or 1 ENC, depending upon its quality (and thus its cost). Ringmail always has 0 ENC, and is much more expensive than Hard Leather.
Scale armor is leather backing covered with overlapping metal scales of various sizes. Chain armor is an entirely metal suit of linked rings, providing equivalent protection to scale while being slightly more comfortable and expensive. These heavy armors are worn by soldiers, bodyguards, and others who fight for a living, with chain used by the wealthy among these professions. Heavy armor has 1 ENC. Because of its stiffness and weight, in heavy armor it is impractical to do tracking, leaping, sneaking, unarmed combat, dodging, parrying, and projectile combat. Scale and Chain armor have similar cost even though they have such different techniques for construction: Scale requires more skill to create, whereas Chain requires more metal and time.
Plate armor is solid plates molded to the body, held together by leather straps which are covered by metal. This is the most protective of armor, but is incredibly bulky and expensive. It is only used by gate guards and other warriors who spend most of their time standing still. Bulky armor has 2 ENC. Because of its extreme stiffness and weight, in bulky armor it is impractical to do any of the actions impractical in heavy armor, and also hiding, escaping, or throwing.
A skill check is of Hard difficulty if the character is wearing heavy or bulky armor but nevertheless attempting an action not suited for that armor type.
Sleep is not restful (or providing of healing) if the sleeper wears armor.
For the sake of simplicity, in Guilddom Adventures Made Easy most weapons do the same damage. The game echoes the types of fantasy setting in which the heroic protagonist regularly defeats his or her enemies because he or she is a little bit quicker, more skilled, and more clever in taking advantage of circumstances, and groups of foes have trouble overwhelming the protagonist. Similarly, victory is usually much dependent on how a PC fights rather than what weapon he or she is wielding.
A few weapons grant an inherent advantage in melee combat, such as a polearm with a long reach or a weapon crafted with Dweorgish tempering. These weapons provide a bonus of +1 to their wielder's attack skill (usually Hack/Slash for a bladed weapon, or Lift/Smash for a blunt weapon). This should be noted on the character sheet beside the weapon's name.
There are siege devices, designed to knock down walls or towers, which do tremendous damage but are not accurate enough to use against moving targets. In typical adventures it is unlikely the PC will ever use siege devices or be targeted by them.
The game setting also has a few weapons and devices that can do much more than average damage (a few legendary magical weapons, a few kinds of explosives, etc.) but these are very rare and usually illegal to possess. Such weapons and devices have a cultural stigma that associates them with butchering pirates and mad inventors who have no interest in survivors. Since the PC is a fledgling hero or heroine, he or she will probably never use such "evil" weapons, and initially has never encountered any.
Although GAME can be played without further rules for missile weapons, it is simple and helpful to assign categories to ranged combat distances using as a measurement of distance how far most characters can run in one turn. Call this running distance the Movement Unit (MU). Most distance attacks are Easy if the range is up to 2 MUs, Challenging at 3 or 4 MUs, and Hard at 5 or 6 MUs. This is especially convenient if the GM and players are using miniatures and a map, for then a MU is simply one or two squares/hexes on the map depending upon the map's scale. If the GM desires, some weapons (thrown nets or daggers) can have smaller range categories whereas others (compound bows, heavy crossbows) can have larger range categories.
Combat is divided into five-second turns during which each participant may attempt one significant action. Using a skill is an action, as is moving more than a meter, switching weapons, etc. The most common behavior during a combat turn is to attempt using an attack skill or a defensive skill.
(Note that one significant action is allowed. Characters in combat are probably doing all sorts of things. An archer leans from behind cover, shoots an arrow, and ducks back behind cover--but GAME simply sees this as a Shoot/Fire attack by someone who is Challenging or Hard for an opponent to hit. A swordsman uses fancy footwork and lunges before his thrust--but GAME only sees the Hack/Slash attack and perhaps Parrying. And so on...)
In each turn the defensive actions happen first.
Then ranged attacks occur simultaneously. After these skill checks are made the results are applied to targets simultaneously.
Next melee attacks happen. Each set of combatants within melee range attack each other simultaneously. However, in some combat situations either the PC or the other combatants surprise the other and get to attack first without suffering counterattacks.
Finally, movement happens simultaneously. A five-second turn is enough time for most repositioning a character might need in a combat. (These game mechanics do not extend to movement speed for a chase situation.)
There are three defensive actions: blocking, dodging, and parrying.
Remember that all defensive skill rolls happen first in each combat turn, before any attacks.
Blocking requires using a shield or wielding one weapon in each hand. Dodging requires wearing no armor or light armor.
A successful block or dodge reduces the number Damage Dice (see below) suffered with each successful attack on the character, perhaps for the remainder of the turn. The excess of the Block/Dodge skill measures how many fewer Damage Dice each attack uses.
Normally each block or dodge applies to only the first attack on the defender that turn, but talent levels in the Block/Dodge skill increase the number of subsequent attacks that turn to which the reduction of Damage Dice also apply.
Note that a character using Block/Dodge does not get to attack that combat round.
For a solo protagonist, Block/Dodge is limited during combat. If a fighter never attacks then he or she cannot be victorious!
However, certain beasts are slow and only attack every other round. A fighter who Blocks or Dodges these attacks can safely do his or her own attacks on the in-between rounds.
Also, Block/Dodge can be useful if the opponent has a limited number of special chances: only one enchanted arrow, only once chance to hit a fleeing PC, etc.
Finally, note that Block/Dodge is used to escape a dangerous situation unscathed, the way "saving throws" are used in other RPGs.
Parrying requires talent levels in the Hack/Slash skill and an appropriate melee weapon.
What differentiates a parry from an ordinary block is the intent to immediately riposte. As with a block or dodge the excess of the parry skill roll reduces Damage Dice. However, the defender specifies which opponent he or she is parrying. Thus a parry always applies to only one incoming attack but this need not be the first incoming attack that turn.
The defender postpones his or her attack until after the chosen opponent attacks (unlike using Block/Dodge, a character parrying does gets to defend and attack in a single combat round). If the parry is successful (either the opponent fails his or her attack skill roll, or the skill roll succeeds but there is no loss of FP or stunning) than the excess of the parry skill roll serves a second purpose and counts as extra Damage Dice when the defender counterattacks (assuming the counterattack is successful).
Failing the parry attempt does not forfeit that turn's attack, but does cause that attack to happen last during the turn. If during the turn the character becomes too exhausted to attack then no action happens (notably, the character cannot exchange the planned attack for drinking a healing potion or using first aid).
Attack skill checks, as with any skill attempt, may have a difficulty modification based on circumstances. For example, the target might be behind partial or complete cover, or there could be strong winds that interfere with a projectile attack.
In certain situations the situation is not of trivial difficulty (it still requires a skill check) but is much easier than usual. For example, the target could be stationary, ensnared but wiggling, or pacing while self-absorbed in thought. In this case a bonus of +1 or even +2 is applied to the skill check sum.
Unlike in most role-playing games, when a group attacks a single target all those attacks for the combat turn are combined into a single skill check.
For example, the three foes attack the PC. The PC makes a skill check with his or her weapons skill. The three foes make a single skill check (using the extra die). If both teams are successful or both are unsuccessful the competitive skill check is a tie and all participants try another skill check. Once only one team is successful then it has successfully attacked that combat turn.
A successful attack might damage the target, causing it to loose FP. The successful attacker rolls as many eight-sided dice as the excess of the attack's skill check. These dice are called Damage Dice. (Remember to roll extra Damage Dice for the excess of a successful riposte.)
Normally each Damage Die represents one FP of damage. But any die rolling a 8 represents two FP of damage: these are called criticals. In addition, if the attack is performed by a group of characters then the range die values that are criticals expands by one per group member (for example, an attack from a group of four will produce a critical if any of the Damage Dice are 5 through 8).
All combat damage is reduced by the defender's AR. Remember that AR is based on armor type (none = 0, light = 1, heavy = 2, bulky = 3).
| loss of FP = excess of attack skill check + number of criticals ‒ AR (minimum of zero) |
Furthermore, if any of the Damage Dice are 1s then the attack stuns the target, who looses its next action.
Context may show that a target called "stunned" is actually knocked down, catching its breath, blinded by smoke, busy focusing on footwork while hastily backing up, etc.
Sometimes a very skilled combatant can "press the attack" and repeatedly stun a less skilled opponent who is thus overwhelmed the entire, brief combat.
An opponent with enough armor may be impossible to kill but still worth fighting if the attacker can accomplish an objective. For example, a Giant Rhinoceros might be able to be kept at bay and eventually herded away from the area by repeatedly hitting it even though its hide might be too thick for the attackers to cause any loss of FP. Many creatures react to stuns even if they do not loose FP.
Damage Dice are also used with attacks that incapacitate without wounding.
For example, most sleep-inducing potions and gasses cause a fixed number of Damage Dice (perhaps increased by the excess of a Throw skill check) that cause sleep damage. Normally a sleep damage Damage Die causes a very temporary loss of 1 FP when a 1-4 is rolled, and nothing when a 5-8 is rolled. A stun still occurs when a 1 is rolled.
This temporary loss of FP will put a target to sleep if the target's FP is depleted. If the target's FP is merely diminished then the target is woozy and less functional, and will hopefully be easy to subdue with a small amount of additional normal damage that takes care of the remaining FP.
Most sleep-inducing potions and gasses are designed to cause a lengthy, deep sleep. Even if without "extra" loss of FP the slumbering target will usually be sleep soundly for the rest of the adventure.
Some unusual weapons cause additional kinds of damage, based on damage die values. For example, some assassins are rumored to use poisoned daggers which cause poisoning if a damage die rolls a 2 or 3. The poison damage might simply be additional loss of FP, or a more complicated effect such as the sleep-inducing potion described above.
An opponent that runs out of FP suffers a defeat.
Normally the type of defeat is chosen by the victor. For example, a swordsman could say he backed his foe against a wall with the sword pointed at his neck, knocked down his foe until he or she was too beat up to rise, fought until his foe was disarmed and exhausted, or simply killed his foe. However, in some situations the GM decides the type of defeat (for example, someone shot by many arrows is usually killed rather than knocked down or subdued).
During each adventure, each player character has three objectives which are often (but not always) shared with the other player characters. For each objective achieved, the player character immediately earns an experience point (EP).
Often one or two objectives are practical goal (to get, destroy, or defend a specific thing, person, or place) and the third objective is social (to use a certain skill to impress or defeat a certain person).
Accumulated experience points are spent to improve skills:
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A skill rating may be increased by one by spending one more EP than the current skill rating. A talent level may be increased by one by spending one more EP than double the current talent level. |
Remember that a skill's talent level cannot exceed that skill's rating.
During each adventure, the GM should award notable role-playing with Rerolls. The player may spend these awards to take another attempt at an unsatisfactory die roll.
Rerolls are not saved after the end of adventure. Players should spend them wisely but promptly!
Dave Arneson pioneered rerolls as a reward for good role-playing.
To create a character, a player has a few simple things to do. The new character needs a name and background. The context and history of the character will determine its starting armor, weapons, and other possessions. The player must distribute the character's initial skill points as described earlier. All characters start without talent levels, experience points, or rerolls.
Characters in GAME are simple and described with only a few statistics. This enables the GM to readily improvise NPCs and encourages a focus of role-playing through storytelling instead of die rolls.
Optionally, a newly created character may have both one advantage and one disadvantage, but not opposing ones. These traits are personality features that are significant enough to affect the game mechanics. A character is welcome to be slightly absentminded, prestigious, etc., without having the corresponding advantage.
Danger Sense and Absentmindedness: A character with danger sense finds all skill checks that use Perception/Track to detect surprise attacks to be Easy. A character with absentmindedness finds all skill checks involving an ongoing activity (for example, a lengthy social discussion that uses Social/Etiquette, or a lengthy session of Sneak/Hide) to be of an extra level of difficulty.
Pet Owner and Pet Target: A character that is a pet owner has a well-trained pet that travels with him or her and obeys simple commands (in many situations this requires a successful Wilderness/Escape skill check). A character that is a Pet Target is the kind of person whom neutral pets enjoy being affectionate towards in an annoying and sometimes dangerous manner, and whom enemy pets attack first unless ordered otherwise.
Presence and Disdain: A character with presence fills his or her personal space in a startlingly imposing manner, causing others to assume he or she is the leader and the most important and powerful group member. A character that suffers disdain creates the opposite impression: he or she is naturally perceived as weak and wimpy, and unsuitable for leadership or reliability.
Prestige and Shunned: A character with prestige is treated generously by others, and given favors and respect. A shunned character is treated harshly, and denied normal rights. Prestige or shunning may come from society dynamic (for example, a famous or infamous family) or a personal trait (for example, exceptional musical talent or odious hygienic habits).
Prophecy and Weirdness Magnet: Unlike the other pairs, these are not opposites: a character may have both. A character with prophecy receives (uncontrollable) bits of vision and revelation that predict a possible future event, reveal an item or person's present location, or relate the history of an item or person. A character who is a weirdness magnet is the one who always gets befriended by the talking pet, who finds the secretly powerful artifact without realizing it, and who gets noticed by prophets.
Wealthy and Impoverished: A wealthy character starts with much more wealth, which may even include large amounts of property, servants, well-equipped vehicles, etc. An impoverished character will not even start with the armor, weapons, and equipment common to most wandering adventurers. (Note that the dynamic of wealth is totally separate from the dynamic of prestige; someone could be both wealthy and shunned if they are known to have obtained their wealth by oppressing others, or could have prestige while impoverished if they are a member of a recognized religious order that undertakes vows of poverty.)
I think GURPS pioneered using advantages and disadvantages. It used them in a more complicated manner than merely an option to have a balanced pair.
Therions are very flexible as PCs. In an animals' form they can scout or flee a losing combat.
Potions that heal or cause humanoids to sleep are very useful. PCs should create or purchase these. It is best for a PC to carry two types of healing potions: the kind that heals FP instantly and the kind that restore FP for several turns.
A small golem to carry a lantern is a significant help when exploring the caverns within Arlinac Mountain. Having a second pair of golem and lantern is even better.
Make sure your PC's backstory provides a good reason for adventuring. Or more than one reason! This will help the GM provide your character with a place in each adventure's story. After all, if your PC could also be earning money more safely by crafting.
The character sheet prints as its own page. Adjust your web browser settings to remove any header and footer, then print the last page of this document. Alternately, copy-and-paste the text below into your word processor.
A simple character sheet has the advantage of being easily memorized. An eight-sided die can be used by covering one of the die's faces with the thumb when the die is in a pocket, then removing the die to check the covered value. Thus GAME can be played by two people on a walk, in the check-out line at a store, etc.
Name: ________________________ Gender: ____ Race: ___________ Age: _____ Profession: _______________________ AR: ______ Max. FP: ______ FP-ENC: ______ Advantage/Disadvantage: ____________________________ EXP: ______ Rerolls: _____ Characteristics, Skills, and Talent Levels Brawn ___ Hack/Slash: _____ may parry with up to _____ skill Lift/Smash: _____ blunt melee attacks affect _____ more opponents Throw/Ensnare: _____ unarmed attacks ignore _____ AR and stuns may pin Shoot/Fire: _____ interrupting shots use _____ more dice to check for stuns Brains ___ Bargain/Appraise: _____ bargain changes prices by _____ x5% more Perception/Track: _____ free surprise attack at _____ skill Social/Etiquette: _____ fast talking lasts _____ more hours Wilderness/Escape: _____ may help _____ others through the wilderness Balance ___ Block/Dodge: _____ may block or dodge _____ more attacks per turn Leap/Tumble: _____ safely fall _____ more meters Ride/Pilot: _____ attack with mount or vehicle, ignoring _____ AR Sneak/Hide: _____ may help _____ others move stealthily Build ___ Alchemy: _____ Chemstry: _____ Machinery: _____ Transmutery: _____ Armor, Weapons, and other Possessions (remember to mark ENC or skill bonuses): Notes, History, Description, Etc.: