This is my "World of Dungeons".
Name
Give your character a name.
Qualities
You will need two dice to play. The first time you will roll them will be to determine his or her Qualities. Each character is described by two Qualities.
Nimble
Cunning
Tough
Alert
Noble (or Charming)
Mighty
Learnéd
To determine your Qualities, pick one which you hope your character is not. Now roll one die: for each pip on the die, move down the list one step. If you get to the bottom, start again at the top. Whichever Quality you land on, that describes your character. Now roll the second die, starting from the Quality you just earned.
Alternate list: Learned, Nimble, Mighty, Cunning, Noble, Deft (then you just roll twice, and maybe a double gives you some special thing, like making up your own Quality or having a magical ability)
Special Features
Roll once to find out what your special feature is.
1-3: An Expert Skill
4-5: A Unique Implement
6: A Magical Ability
Come up with something interesting for your special feature. An Implement is some kind of special item, treasure, or other unusual object, like a family heirloom.
Equipment
Your character definitely has the clothes on her back, solid traveler's boots, flint and steel (to start a fire), and a small knife. Pick four other things from the list below
| An ancient tome |
Coil of rope |
Five Torches |
A lantern |
A helmet |
| Crowbar |
Whistle, flute, horn, or harp |
Shield |
A horse |
Bandages and poultices |
| Spyglass |
Five iron spikes and a hammer |
A week's worth of food |
An iron chain |
Armour |
| Flask of oil |
A hooded cloak |
Mirror and lenses |
A long, wooden staff |
A knight's weapon |
Luck
Draw five boxes on your sheet, in pen. What is the source of your special luck?
Decide what recharges your luck.
Examples:
When you consecrate a place to your deity and make an offering.
When you lay with another.
When you kill an opponent in a fair fight.
When you rest and have a meal. (Use this as a default, if you're not feeling inspired or particularly interested in exploring dungeons.)
When you do this thing, you may clear one box of luck or remove a condition (if you are suffering from any).
Rolling the Dice
Rolls are made with two dice. Add them together and factor in any modifiers (see below).
- On a 13+, you have some kind of extraordinary success.
- On a 10+, you do as well as you can reasonably expect.
- On a 7-9, you do your best but there is a complication or you are left with a difficult choice.
- On a 6-, there is trouble or even a catastrophe.
Whenever you don't do as well as you can reasonably expect, you may sometimes suffer a Condition, like exhaustion, a wound, the loss of something valuable, or fall under the effects of a poison or magical effect.
Modifiers:
+1 if a Quality applies
+1 if your Implement or Skill applies
+1 if you've made an effort to secure a significant advantage over your opposition
+1 per Luck point spent before the roll
-1 for a significant disadvantage you face
-1 for a Condition you are suffering from
A Sample Character
Bronn is Cunning and Tough.
He carries Storm's Eye, a family heirloom sword.
He has a horse, a shield, a hooded cloak, and a set of mirrors and lenses.
Later he gets into a fight, using Storm's Eye, and uses its tip to throw sand into his opponent's eyes. He rolls 2d6, +1 for his Item (Storm's Eye), and +1 for his Cunning.
If the maneuver works, he may have an advantage over his opponent, giving him a +1 to his next action.
Comments (4)
Paul T. said
at 1:53 pm on Apr 24, 2015
It may be good to bring in the defeat rules from The Silver Dragon's Tear, as well.
Paul T. said
at 4:59 pm on Jan 6, 2016
I also like this list:
Noble
Cunning
Alert
Tough
Deft
Mighty
Nimble
Learned
Paul T. said
at 11:31 pm on May 5, 2020
Alternatives for "Noble" include: Persuasive, Impressive, Compelling, Charming, Slick, Smooth
Paul T. said
at 11:35 pm on May 5, 2020
And Suave, Confident, Commanding
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