Bash&Slash v2 update 1

This rules set is going well, if slowly due to other concerns.  I'm still happy with it, though a bit disappointed that it's not d20 based.  Oh, well.  You follow your nose down the rabbit hole, and you shouldn't be surprised when you encounter strangeness.

I have no idea why the coinage systems seemed so important to detail.  This is intended to be a solo dungeon crawl.  I was originally just going to use "coins".  I'm still not certain if I want to use weight or slots.  With the low starting attribute numbers, using weight in "stones" (16 pounds for simplicity) seems to work well enough, especially when limiting things to 1/2, 1/4, and 1/10.  Weight also includes a measure of bulk.  Note that a starting character with Layman level attributes and no appropriate skills can only carry 4 stone.  A chain shirt (1 stone), a medium shield (3/4 stone) and a spear (1/4 stone) is half of his total carry capacity.

Bash & Slash v2

Attribute or Skill Levels:
Unskilled(0).  Roll with Disadvantage (roll twice and take lowest)
d2(1):  Inept (half a d4 or one third of a d6)
d3(1½):  Novice (half a d6) (round halves up)
d4(2):  Layman
d6(3):  Apprentice
d8(4):  Journeyman
d10(5):  Craftsman
d12(6):  Master

Attributes: When referred to as the first letter or name#, use the (number) value.  When referred to by name, use the die type.  A standard human has a d4 in all attributes.  A grimdark adventurer starts with 1(d2), 2(d3), and 2(d4).  A standard adventurer starts with 1(d3), 3(d4), and 1(d6).  A heroic adventurer starts with 2(d4), 2(d6), and 1(d8).

Skills:  If your characters had useful skills, they wouldn’t be exploring dangerous caves for pennies.  Begin with 4(0), 2(d2), 2(d3), 1(d4), and 1(d6).  Skills can’t be raised higher than two levels above their associated attribute.  An unskilled attempt rolls Attribute with disadvantage (roll twice and take the lowest).

Attribute (hit on):  Skills:
Agility (1):  Fight, Dodge
Brawn (2-3):  Throw, Strong
Cunning (4):  Shoot, Mana
Deviousness (5):  Fiddle, Sneak
Endurance (6):  Grit, Will

Stamina:  B+E+Grit+Will

Carry Capacity is by weight in stones.  (250 coins and the purse they’re in weighs ¼ stone.)  Your carry capacity is B+E+Strong.  Every stone more that you carry increases your Burden by one, which effectively decreases your Stamina by one.  Most items are carried on your belt or in your pack.  It takes d4 rounds to find something in your pack.

Sweat is how much effort you can make (or how many hits you can avoid) before you start taking real injuries.  When sweat equals (Stamina-Burden), you are exhausted.  Each hit while exhausted is applied randomly to your attributes with a d6 roll (hit on).

 

Test:  Roll Attribute and Skill, take higher, opposed by difficulty (a target number, or the highest result of a die roll).  If player rolls equal to or higher than the difficulty, the test succeeds.  If you beat it with both dice, it is a double success.  If you beat the difficulty by 6 or more, it is an extra success.

Combat applies successes (hits) to Sweat, or an Attribute (roll randomly for each) if exhausted.  Each time an attribute is reduced, roll the attribute’s new (lower) die – on a one, you forfeit the next round (take no action and make all rolls at Disadvantage).  When an attribute reaches zero, you forfeit your next d3 rounds, and thereafter all its skill tests are made with disadvantage (and no attribute die, of course).  When any attribute goes below zero, roll Grit & Will against a difficulty of 4.  If both succeed, character stays on his feet, forfeits the next d6 rounds, and all rolls are at disadvantage until healed.  If one succeeds, character passes out. If both die rolls fail, character dies.  A passed out character dies if he receives any further injury.  At the end of each hour that a character remains passed out, roll a d6:  on 1-2, they die; on 3-5 they remain passed out; on 6, they wake up and will survive, but are permanently exhausted until healed.

Melee Weapon:  Agility & Fight vs/ Fight & Shield, then weapon & Strong vs/ armor
Thrown Weapon:  Brawn & Throw vs/ Dodge & Shield, then weapon vs/ armor
Missile Weapon:  Cunning & Shoot vs/ Shield & Shield, then weapon vs/ armor
Brawl:  Brawn & Strong vs/ Brawn & Strong
Magic:  Cunning & Mana vs/ Mana & Will, then check wand and spell effects
Social:  Cunning & Devious vs/ Cunning & Devious, then check Sneak vs/ Will

Enemies (Stamina):  Minions (E), Champions (B+E), drop when out of stamina.  Bosses are treated as characters, but cannot use boosts.  Villains are treated as characters with boosts.

Boosts:  When you really need to succeed, you can sacrifice one level of an attribute or skill to replace its die roll (after the fact) with the roll of a d20.  The level loss remains until the character takes a full rest.  (Only in the room after winning a Boss fight.  Everywhere else is subject to wandering monsters.)  You can also voluntarily damage your weapon, armor, shield, or other item to replace their roll with a d20.  Different items have different amounts of durability before they break and become useless.  (When they reach zero, they roll with disadvantage.  They break when reduced below zero.)

Attribute Improvement:  After defeating a boss, the Dungeon will grant both treasure and the chance to improve one attribute.  (Why else would people voluntarily enter trap laden, monster infested dungeons?)  Pick the attribute that you wish to increase, and roll the next higher sized die.  If the result is the highest number of that die, your attribute increases one level.  If not, better luck next time.  Attributes can at most be raised to a number level equal to the dungeon level plus two.  So, the first dungeon level cannot raise any attribute higher than a d6.

 

Heroic Sacrifice:  If you have a skill or attribute at 0, you can still boost it, even though doing so will probably kill you.  If your skill was reduced to zero, you roll a d12 instead of the usual d20.  If you are untrained in that skill, you roll a d6.  Your fellow adventurers will thank you as they loot your corpse.

Armor (weight): Protection                           Shield (weight): Protection
None (-): Roll weapon with advantage.
Improvised (½): d2                                         Bracers (¼): d2
Cloth (¼): d3                                                  Improvised (½): d3
Leather (½): d4                                               Buckler (¼): d4
Chain Shirt (1): d6                                          Small (½): d6
Mail (2): d8                                                     Medium (¾): d8
Brigandine (3): d10                                         Large (1): d10
Plate (4): d12                                                  Tower (1½): d12

Weapon (weight)[durability]:  Damage         underlined may be thrown
None (-):                                                         Roll Strong with disadvantage
Improvised (-)[1]: d2                                      rock, bottle, stick
Light weapons, 1 hand (⅒)[1]: d3                 knife, baton, throwing knife
Light weapons, 1 hand (⅒)[2]:  d4                dagger, club, hand axe, hammer, dart[1]
Medium weapons, 1 hand (¼)[4]:  d6             sword, war hammer, battle axe, mace, javelin[2]
Medium weapons, 2 hands (¼)[3]: d6            staff, axe, flail
Medium weapons, 2 hands (¼)[5]:  d8           long sword, war hammer, battle axe, mace, spear[3]
Heavy weapons, 2 hands (½)[3]:  d10            pole axe, maul, pike
Heavy weapons, 2 hands (½)[4]: d12             halberd

A poor item rolls two die types lower.  An inferior item rolls one die lower.  A superior weapon rolls one die type higher.  An excellent item rolls two dice levels higher.  Anything lower than a d2 grants disadvantage.  Anything higher than a d12 grants advantage.  Yes, an excellent halberd would roll three d12 (four against an unarmored opponent) and take the highest.

If the weapon rolls at least six higher than the armor, the armor takes one point of damage.  If the armor rolls at least six higher than the weapon, the weapon takes one point of damage.

Coinage:  20 Copeks (commonly called a copper or penny, plural pence) equal one silver Shilling.  20 shillings equal one gold Guinea.  20 guineas equal one platinum Pound.  Twenty pounds equal one mithril Mark.  Each coin is scored to be broken into halves or quarters.  A quarter copek is a farthing.  A quarter shilling is a groat.  A quarter guinea is a florin.