Preview - "Arcane Grimoire"

The Arcane Grimoire - Volume I

 This is just a small preview of what I'm working on, to prove that I'm working on it. It's the absolute bare bone minimum. I still need to setup the Experience, Attack, and Saving Throw Tables for the Character's section. All in all it comes out to less than 4 digest sized pages. I'll probably be able to fit a full game in 30+ digest pages.

MEN & MAGIC (CHARACTERS)

ATTRIBUTES

There are six attributes: Strength (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Constitution (CON), Intelligence (INT), Wisdom (WIS), and Charisma (CHA).

Roll 3d6 and total the dice, allocating the score to one of the attributes. Repeat for the remaining attributes.

Attributes of 15 or higher are often considered exceptional and usually grant a +1 bonus to certain rolls, situations, or statistics. Exceptional strength grants a bonus to attack and damage rolls. Dexterity increases Armor Class and ranged “to hit”, and constitution adds to hit points. Intelligence grants an extra 1st level Magic-User spell, and wisdom grants an extra 1st level Cleric spell. Charisma affects reaction and loyalty checks.

RACES

The four races available are Humans, Elves, Dwarves, and Halflings.

Humans get a 10% bonus to all experience earned.

Elves have a 2 in 6 (a roll of 1-2 on a d6) chance of finding secret doors and other hidden items.

Dwarves have a 2 in 6 chance of finding traps, and other dungeon oddities such as slanting passages or underground construction.

Halflings attack with a +1 “to hit” when using missile weapons.

CLASSES

The classes are Fighter, Magic-User, and Cleric. Characters begin at Level 1.

Fighters can wear any kind of armor and use any weaponry. All Fighters have +1 hit point per level. Against creatures of one hit die or less, Fighters can make one attack per level each round.

Clerics can wear any kind of armor, but can only use blunt weapons. They cast divine spells from the Cleric spell list. A Cleric Smites Undead, adding their level to damage scored against such creatures.

Magic-Users wear no armor, and can only use daggers, darts, and staves. They can cast arcane spells from the Magic-User spell list.

ADVENTURING

There are no pre-defined character skills (except for class abilities). Instead there are some common adventuring tasks described below. Referees and players should use their best judgment to make similar rulings as necessary. Not every situation needs a rule, or a dice roll.

Stuck Doors can be forced open with a 2 in 6 chance, with a 15+ strength allowing a 3 in 6 chance. A reinforced, locked, or steel door has only a 1 in 6 chance of being opened. This can be attempted multiple times, each such time creating a lot of noise, and usually resulting in a check for wandering monsters.

Bending Metal Bars or lifting vertical gates (such as a portcullis) can be attempted by characters with 15+ strength, with a 1 in 6 chance of success. The attempt can be made only once. This roll can also be used for breaking iron chains for example.

Traps have a 1 in 6 chance of being found if a search for one is made. Dwarves have a 2 in 6 chance of finding traps when searching for them. Searching for traps requires 10 minutes for a 10 square foot area, and can only be done once. Traps usually have a 2 in 6 chance of going off if a character passes by or walks over them.

Even if the roll for checking traps fails, players can still describe their character’s actions and find it if they look in the right spot. For example a player may fail the roll to check for a trap, but if he specifies that he checks the ceiling, he will notice vents covered in ash and soot. If the player realizes this is a fire vent trap, and says so, he may avoid the blast of fire if it goes off, or take some other measure to disable it.

Secret Doors have a 2 in 6 chance of being found, and concealed portals a 3 in 6 chance, if a search is made. Just as with traps it takes 10 minutes to search a 10’ area, but multiple attempts can be made. Elves have a 4 in 6 chance of finding secret doors, and a 2 in 6 chance of noticing them even without searching. Note that finding a secret door does not guarantee that the character will know how to open the door.

Listening at doors, or for distant sounds of creatures, has a 1 in 6 chance of succeeding. Halflings have keen hearing and have a 2 in 6 chance of successfully listening. A successful listen check will reveal the noise, but not necessarily what is making that noise. For example characters may hear creaking in a hallway, or growling beyond a door, but will not know what the source of the noise is.

Locks (on a door or chest for example) have a 1 in 6 chance of being picked with a dagger or similar tool, and a 2 in 6 chance with specialized thieving tools. 15+ dexterity increases the chance of success by 1. Doors can attempted to be picked infinitely with each successive attempt taking 10 minutes, but making little to noise (unlike bashing). Chests may only be checked once.

Locked chests can be pried open, with a 1 in 6 chance, and 2 in 6 for characters with 15+ strength, however the lock will be permanently broken. Chests can be smashed open like stuck doors, however there is a 50% (3 in 6) chance of destroying or damaging any treasure inside. A reinforced chest has a 1 in 6 chance of being forced open.

Picking Pockets can be attempted with a 2 in 6 chance, with a 15+ dexterity increasing it to a 3 in 6 chance.

Sneaking has a 2 in 6 chance of succeeding normally. Successful sneaking can grant surprise in combat, or allow a character to slip past a guard. Light and noise can prevent sneaking from succeeding. Characters that take care to be stealthy, by removing armor, dropping weight, and moving extra slowly may increase the chance of sneaking (and thus surprise) to 3 in 6. Characters with a dexterity of 15+ increase chances for surprise by 1.

Parties waiting in ambush have a 4 in 6 chance of surprising monsters. This of course assumes the characters are aware of the monsters before the monsters are aware of them, such as after successfully listening at a door.

SAVING THROWS

Saving throws are rolls made to avoid some hazard or dangerous attack, such as dragon’s breath, poison, paralyzation, or even the effects of spells. Successful saving throws result in the effects of whatever hazard either being nullified or reduced (usually halved).

1st level Clerics and Magic-Users must roll a 15 or higher on a d20 to make a successful saving throw, Fighters must roll a 14. This number decreases by one point every level, to a minimum of 5 (4 for Fighters). Certain situations, items, or even race and class, can modify saving throws. This modifier is usually applied to the die roll.

MAGIC

Magic-Users and Clerics must prepare the spells they are going to use at the start of their day. The player may select from whatever spells he knows, an amount equal to their spells available per day. For example a 1st level Magic-User has a single first level spell he can prepare and cast that day. If the character can cast multiple spells per day (of the same level) he can prepare the same spell multiple times, or prepare different spells of the same level.

When the character “casts” their spell, it is considered “used up” and cannot be cast again (hence the value of preparing multiple spells of the same type if available). Spell scrolls can be created at the cost of 100 gold pieces per spell, times spell level, taking a week per spell level. Therefore a 5th level spell would cost 500 gold pieces, and require 5 weeks of time to prepare. Scrolls function just like spells, being “used up” once cast, thus allowing a character to carry extra spells.

COMBAT

Hit Points are determined by rolling a d6 for each level gained; therefore a 5th level character would have 5d6 hit points. A new die can be rolled each level, or the total dice can be re-rolled each level. Characters with 15+ constitution have +1 hit point per level (a Fighter with 15+ constitution then having +2 hit points per level). After 10th level characters only gain +1 hit point per level, adding any bonuses from class or attributes.

Characters are unconscious at exactly 0 hit points. A saving throw is allowed if hit points drop below 0, to save versus death. A successful saving throw bringing the character to 0 hit points.

Surprise is normally achieved through use of sneaking, however the Referee can determine if one side in combat is entitled to surprise. A group, character, or monster with surprise has a free round of combat in which to act; this includes any activity which can normally be performed during combat.

Initiative is used to determine the turn order of combat. Normally 1d6 is rolled for any groups involved in combat, and then each group may decide in what order their participants move. Alternatively 1d6 can be rolled for each participant in combat (however this can become tedious. Whoever rolls higher may go first, or elect to “hold initiative”, declaring their actions after the loser, but taking effects simultaneously. A dexterity of 15+ can grant a +1 bonus to initiative rolls.

Attacks are rolled on a d20, adding bonuses from class, race, attributes, weapons, etc. if the attack roll is equal to or higher than the defender’s Armor Class (AC), it’s a hit and deals damage. All attacks, unless otherwise specified, deal 1d6 damage. A roll of 20 (before modifiers) is a critical hit, automatically scoring maximum damage. If a more lethal or dangerous game is desired, roll an additional damage dice, this is called exploding dice.

LICENSE

Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of the Open Game License Version 1.0a (OGL). This entire work is designated as Open Game Content under the OGL, with the exception of the trademarks “Arcane Adventures,” "Arcane Grimoire," and with the exception of all artwork. These trademarks, and the Trade Dress of this work (font, layout, style of artwork, etc.) are reserved as Product Identity.

OPEN GAME LICENSE

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