I needed a little character creation ruleset to test a dungeon I'm writing and I guess I decided to do it here instead of google docs so now all of you can see it.
To make a character,
- Roll some stats:
- Roll 9d4, count the times each numeral appears, and subtract 2 from each count. Those are your four stats (STR, DEX, INT, CHA) in order. For example: A roll of 1, 3, 4, 2, 3, 2, 1, 3, 3 (two ones, two twos, four threes, one four) results in a statline of +0, +0, +2, -1.
- Choose a race:
- Hobgoblins are arrogant and martially minded. They have +1 to-hit and start with hobgoblin samurai munitions plate (5 slots) and other-than-honorable discharge papers (no slots).
- Mannekins were created for our pleasure. They are robots which means they don't have to breathe, sleep, or eat, but they have circulatory systems to make them warm and humanlike so they're not immune to poison, sorry.
- Leeches are predators from the deep rivers. They get by just fine despite being blind, which means they can't read or 'see' anything further than 30' away but don't care about light and dark; they take half (round down) damage from fire and sharp objects; and their slashers deal 1d6 damage but are barely mediocre as hands.
- Wolfmen are standard, in some universes. They have +2 to-hit with thrown objects and +2 HP. They start with a hundred wolfman dollars, which is worth about a hundred real dollars, or 1 GP.
- Choose a class:
- Fighters have an extra +1 to-hit and may attack twice per round instead of but once. They start with a sword (1d6+STR in one hand, 1d8+STR in two, 1 slot) and a shield (2 slots).
- Wizards have an MD and wizard vision which allows them to see leylines, and identify magic when they focus for 10 minutes. They start with a spell of their choice.
- Thiefs are immune to poison and roll with advantage to escape danger or act before others. They start with an crank-powered lantern (30' bright light, 30' dim, works for 1 hour before you must charge it noisily).
- Choose an ability:
- When wielding a lance and charging at least 10', double damage. You start with a lance (1d10+STR, 2 hands, 2 slots).
- You project an intimidating aura. Once per person, by meeting someone's eyes you may cause them to check morale.
- You may animate corpses into unintelligent servants which obey your spoken commands, and sustain a maximum of [level] such animates at a time.
- You may become or unbecome an undead creature of the same [level] as yourself at will. The level one guy is a skeleton.
- You have an MD and a random spell.
- You have an MD, and when performing a feat of physicality may roll MD as if casting a spell to add their [sum] to your d20 roll.
- You may walk on walls and ceilings as if they were floors.
- You may turn invisible for 6 seconds (1 round) with a thought. Each time you do, you must spend at least 6 seconds (1 round) visible before using the ability again.
- You may exhale a 20' diameter cloud of horrible burning glue as an attack. Everyone within it takes 1d6 fire damage and must roll STR or be slowed and take an additional 1d6 fire damage on the next round.
- You can spend 1 HP to jump about 30' or exert non-impacting force (push, lift, pull, throw, etc.) on objects within a stone's throw as if you were standing next to them.
- You have the (free, extra) background of professional chef, and a line cook of a random race who obeys your orders unquestioningly. They have 3 base HP and +0 to everything. If they perish, a new one will be hired the next time you return to town.
- Choose a background or a skill:
- There isn't a list of these, and the setting isn't detailed enough to contradict you, really. Be creative.
Spells
- Conjure Familiar
Open MSPaint, close your eyes, and try to draw a cat. It has [dice] HD and [sum] HP, persists for [dice] hours, and obeys your commands to the best of its ability. - Relieve of Duty
Target loses interest in doing their job for [sum] rounds. If they have [dice] or fewer HD, they are instead permanently dismissed from their position. Doesn't work on hobbyists, the self-employed, et c. - Spylight
Produces a fist-sized hemisphere of glass which projects a near-ultraviolet glow (dim light, 30', fluoresces like a blacklight) when held in your hand, for [dice] hours (the hemisphere remains afterwards, but inert). Within the light, illusions are invisible; traps, buried treasure, and secret doors are obvious; and reaction roll results relative to you are displayed over creatures' heads in block numberals. - Avoid Consequences
Teleports you [sum] rounds into the future, replacing you during the interim with an illusory copy which plays back your last six seconds of action on repeat. You may cast this spell silently and without an action at the cost of expending any MD used for it regardless of their results. - Crown of Brisance
Conjures [dice] golden pearls upon your brow, which cast 10' of bright light and 10' of dim. As an attack you may send one forth where it detonates for [sum] in a 10' radius, DEX halves. Unspent pearls destabilize and detonate on your head after [dice] hours, voiding your save. - Make Big
Target doubles in dimension, which I think octuples it in size if I have my math right, for [sum] hours. This doesn't do anything to the mechanical stats of a creature so affected, but it does vastly increase their reach and it is very intimidating. I guess you could use it on all kinds of stuff, damn. - Childsafe
Closes and seals a portal for [sum] hours, impenetrably so for the first [dice]. If cast on a creature, only affects those with [dice] or fewer HD. - Tubercraniate
Designate up to [dice] body parts. For the next [sum] hours you may detach and reattach them from your body at will and locomote them slowly independently of it even if that wouldn't make sense. Senses and function are transmitted back to you across the intervening space; you can speak and breathe from a detached mouth, see from a detached eye, and so on. - Political Power
Imbue a weapon with magic for [dice] hours or until the weapon is used, whichever comes first. During that time, while pointing it at a creature and speaking authoritatively you may reroll reaction for them with a +[dice] bonus and they must roll CHA to attack you directly. - Gift Wrap
[dice] targets are encased in large cardboard boxes with [sum] HP, layered with wrapping paper, tinsel, ribbons, and packaging tape. You may target the same thing more than once, in which case the boxes are nested. - Eject Magic
The power of target magical effect is reduced by [dice] dice and [sum] sum as it is expelled and focused into an octarine beam of energy, which deals sum damage. If you had directional control of the source, you may attempt an attack with the beam. If used on an item or whatever this will probably require some adjudication. - Identity Theft
For [sum] rounds, you have the exact appearance and character sheet of target (though you each retain your own clothing and equipment). They roll CHA or have yours for the same duration.
No comments:
Post a Comment