Ruthless

Another hack - more fun with the Skorne "SRD".


A. Ability Scores
Roll 2d6 in order for strength (STR), dexterity (DEX) and moxie (MOX).

On a 2-3, write -2.
On a 4-5, write -1.
On a 6-8, write nothing.
On a 9-10, write +1.
On a 11-12, write +2.


B. Character Type
Roll a d6 or choose a character type.
In Campaign Play, the Judge will replace or alter character types as they are played. 

1. Knight
Spear, longsword, kite shield, full plate with vizored helm, faithful steed with mail barding
When others would fear and cower, you laugh and smile in the midst of death.

2. Priest
Rapier, repeater crossbow, holy cross, holy water, holy bible, regular garlic
No magic save for stalwart faith and absolute resolution to destroy evil.

3. Bandit
Flintlock pistol, pair of daggers, six knives, smoke bomb, caltrops, lockpicks, scars
You spent years in prison and vowed never to be captured ever again.

4. Dvergr
Smith's hammer and tools, master engineer, runs on alcohol, can wear corpses as disguises
The Work is all that matters. Everything else comes second.

5. Eldren
Bow & arrows, scimitar, bottomless bag, cloak of blackbird feathers attracts darkness
You are so beautiful it hurts. You have grown distant to shield yourself from want.

6. Duck
Two-handed sword, horned helmet, loincloth, bear teeth necklace, berzerk rage
Also you're a four feet anthropomorphic duck.


C. The Game
Judge describes a situation. Players ask questions, Judge gives honest and thorough answers, rewarding curiosity and wits. Players declare their actions, Judge determines outcomes by making calls based on context (the situation, the characters involved including their abilities, equipments, circumstances, etc). Continue until end of session is desired. The Judge's goal is to present a consistent, interesting and dangerous world for the players to explore. The Players' goal is to have interesting experiences without dying.


D. Danger Roll
When the Judge cannot or will not decide the outcome of an action on her own, she will call for a danger roll. She and the player whose character is most at risk both roll a 2d6, possibly modified by appropriate stats or any other factors at the Judge's discretion. If the Player rolls higher, the risk is avoided, the action succeeds, all is well. If the Judge rolls higher, UNSPEAKABLE DOOM.
Establish possible consequences before picking up the dice. Allow players to backpedal if they don't want to commit to a foolish action. In return, be ruthless and uncaring with your consequences.

Characters mark Fatigue after most Danger Rolls involving physical exertion.


E. Violence
There is no initiative - actions are resolved simultaneously, meaning that one can die in a round and still resolve one's action within that same round. Most attacks deal a Hit, no roll - assume that the fighters involved know what they are doing and are making the best out of their weapons while accepting to potentially trade blows.

Characters can mark Fatigue to deal an extra Hit with a Heavy weapon.

Manoeuvers and risky gambits might warrant a danger roll. Judges and Players' alike can present attacks as Dilemmas: X happens OR take a Hit. Good for disarming, pinning, blinding with sand or mud, or even inflicting serious injuries like aimed strikes. Think of Hits as a modular abstraction for fighting capability, ability to withstand punishment and damage, and so on. Contextualize hits in a manner that makes sense within the game world's logic. I like to roll for random horrible injuries and offer them as a "take a Hit or this happens", with a Hit representing a less permanent version of the same outcome. Like "take a Hit or you hand is chopped off", and if you take that Hit we also describe it as your forearm being nicked and hand being bruised.

The only further abstraction within that framework is Armor and Shields which can be sacrificed by the player to impair an enemy attack (dealing 0 Hits instead). Note that the attack doesn't have to be targetted at them, as long as the defender is close enough that they could put themselves in harm's way to protect someone else.

At 0 Hits, a character is down and dying, and in need of immediate medical attention.
Below that, they are dead. Usually this means most mundane enemies will incapacitate but not outright kill a PC, although Heavy or Slow attacks from monsters can still slay you on the spot.

Hits are recovered after a fight unless you are deprived (of food, warmth, water, sleep, etc.)
When carrying more than two Bulky items, you count as having 0 Hits until you unburden yourself and take a short rest (around 10 minutes).

For a more forgiving experience, simply treat 0 or below 0 Hits as a more abstract "out of action", knocked out, captured or otherwise incapacitated. Just please don't go and glorify combat by using the lessened impact as an excuse to go on escapist power fantasy about slaying monsters for the greater good or whatever - the Knight and Priest are crazy and misgiven, if you had any doubts.

F. Fatigue

Characters mark Fatigue when they undergo long or difficult treks through the Wilderness, spend an hour (six "turns") in the Underground, skip a meal or have their night of rest disturbed (such as by an ambush), decide to enhance an attack with a Heavy weapon, make a Danger Roll involving physical exertion, spend a or witness horrors beyond their understanding.

A Character that marks Ten Fatigue crumbles under the pressure, either dying of exhaustion or being turned into an NPC as their spirits are broken. It can be contextualized through the next coherent opportunity for a stupid and uncaring world type of death too. Tied his rope the wrong way and fell down the well, breaking his neck. Choked on her own vomit while carousing at the tavern. Straight up just took their own life after one too many nightmares of their fallen comrades.