So I recently discovered
torchbearer, didn't buy it mind you, but loved the ideas. Resource management! Light! Status effects! Abstraction!
Played a homebrew oneshot with my usual group using said ideas. It was a hit. It was more than a hit. It was
intense.
And then I thought, well, if you strip this down to its bare bones you can play it as a forum game. And so, here we are.
The name of the game is Tomb Raiders. The premise of the game is Tomb Raiding. You are all tomb raiders. You may form parties, or not. You may compete with each other in the same tomb/dungeon/cave or not. You may die, lose limbs, go insane, resort to cannibalism and beg for your mother...sometimes in that order. If you're interested, just generate a character, and indicate which party to join (if any).
Now some basic (meta) ground rules:
1. You may leave or join the game as you see fit; if you quit in the middle of tomb raiding (i.e not in town) you are considered dead and must generate a new character.
2. If you join the game you have to wait until a party comes back to town to join them, or you can go at it alone (not recommended). Until then, you are considered to be waiting in town.
3. A Tomb Raider (henceforth called "Raider") is considered "retired" when he/she has accumulated 35 resource points in his bank. This is equivalent to winning the game. You get bragging rights and little else. After this point you may gen a new character
4. Info for different parties will be spoiler-ed, please don't read the info of other parties. Please don't help other parties while your character has no contact with them. (Don't do things that break the wall, like giving someone the answer to a riddle when you have no way of contacting that person)
Ok. That's out of the way. Lets look at the rules:
Stats: There are 4 stats. They vary from -2 to +3. 0 is average. Your stats must sum to 3. The stats are:
Fitness (F)*: Anything to do with physical fitness/body
Awareness (A): Sensitivity of the senses
Creativity (C): Flexibility of the mind
Reasoning (R): Aptitude towards logic and retention of information
*The letter in parenthesis is an abbreviation of the stat
Skills: There are 13 skills. They range from 0 to +3. 0 is untrained, +3 is master. Of the 13, choose one to be at +3, two at +2 and two at +1, the rest are 0. The skills are:
Arcanist(C): You can use and detect magic and have understanding of magical principles
Athletics(F): You know how to swim, climb and jump
Cartographer(R): You can read maps
Cook(C): Cooking your food may result in additional status effects being lifted
Criminal(A): You have underground connections and access to the black market
Doctor(R): You have knowledge of medicine and herbalism and can treat illness
Fighter(F): You know how to fight with or without weapons
Haggler(A): You can negotiate prices
Hunter(A): You have knowledge of various game and creature. You can use a bow.
Linguistics(R): You can read, write and speak various languages and can be quite convincing with your words
Mechanic(R): You can make, spot, and disable traps and other mechanisms
Ritualist(C): Knowledge of various rituals. If you have arcanist, you use this skill to perform magic rituals
Scholar(R): You have knowledge of a wide variety of things (history, lore, mythology etc.). If you have arcanist, you may use this skill to read spell books and scrolls.
Theologian(R): You have knowledge of the Gods. If you have arcanist you may use this skill to ask for divine favors
*The letters in parenthesis refer to the governing stat
Resources: Resource points represent wealth. You begin with 10 resource points. You may use them to buy starting equipment. Any points not used are stored in the bank.
Experience: Experience points are earned whenever a skill check is successful. You may use experience points to modify any check. Or to upgrade a skill. You start with 3 exp points
Effort: Effort is earned whenever the Raider successfully returns to the town. You may use effort to upgrade a skill. Or to gain an automatic success in any check. Or other things. You start with 1 Effort point.
Reality Threshold: Only applies to magic users. Every time magic is used successfully, add to this counter. When this counter > Arcanist+ Creativity, expend effort every turn to prevent "Reality Whiplash". Resting decrements the counter. The counter starts at zero
Status: Status effects are the "HP" of the game. There are 7 of them. They are not progressive. Having all of them (sans "Fresh") active at any time results in death. Appropriate status effects are given every 4 turns. You start with the "Fresh" status effect.
Fresh: You get a +1 to any check you make
Famished: You are hungry and thirsty. -1/hunger or thirst (i.e -2) to any check you make
Angry: You are PO'd. -1 to any check involving Awareness, Reasoning or Creativity. +1 to any check involving Fitness
Exhausted: You cannot go on. Immediately pay 1 effort or you cannot move. Subsequently pay 1 effort every turn to move
Injured: -2 to all fitness checks. Plus additional effects depending on the injury.
Sick: You have come down with something. Diseases and their effects vary. -1 to all checks you make
Afraid: Fear has taken the heart of you. Spending more than 1 turn in darkness results in fainting. You also flee from all combat.
Inventory: Every body-part has a certain amount it can carry. These are called "slots". Items such as bags or satchels allow more slots. Every item, including gold, takes up slots. You may never carry more than what your slots allow.
Head: 1 slot
Neck: 1 slot
Torso: 3 slots
Arms: 2 slots (1 for each arm)
Hands*: 2 slots (1 for each hand)
Belt**: 3 slots
Feet: 1 slot
*These two slots represents grabbing something with the open hand and can carry more than two slots when appropriate (e.g carry a treasure chest, drag a body etc.)
** Two of these slots are specialized for specific items: a water-skin, and a weapon
Checks: There are no dice. All checks are made through comparison against a difficulty score (DS). I may tell you the DS or I may not. The DS ranges from 0 to 7. A check value (CV) equal to or greater than the DS is a success. The rules for calculating the CV are:
0. Use an effort point to automatically succeed
OR
1. Determine the stat the action falls under
2. Add one relevant skill to the stat
3. Add any experience (optional)
4. Add any pertinent modifiers (status, items etc.)
Time: Time is inconstant. Time passes in turns. Every time a check is made a turn passes. Any action which does not use a check, does not use a turn. Turns are universal, meaning they apply to the party as a whole and not per player.
Light: Light is everything. Without light (i.e in complete darkness) every check takes -3. Light comes from various sources (torches, magic, candles, lanterns etc.). Light distance is measured in players. E.g a torch provides enough light for two players. Three players? You need two torches. There is dim lighting and full lighting. Dim lighting gives -2 to all checks involving Awareness. Inadequate lighting (e.g 1 torch but 3 players) results in dim lighting for the players not covered. A torch lasts 2 turns, a lantern 3, a candle 4. A torch provides enough light for 2 people, as does a lantern; the candle provides enough light for one person.
Combat: Combat is descriptive and takes one turn, regardless of the number of checks. Combat takes place like so:
1. Players always go first, except when surprised. Order is irrelevant.
2. Players choose to fight or flee, majority rules
-In case of a tie, players flee
-A time limit may be set for the vote (in days)
3. Players describe their action then do a fighter check
4. Damage = 1 + CV-DS + Weapon
- Damage is decremented from Resistance
5. Enemy takes their turn
6. If damage is done past Resistance, the player/enemy takes the Injured status. A second hit results in the Afraid status.
7. Resistance = Fitness + Armor
Camping: You may camp in the tomb if you are safe. Camping immediately uses a turn. If someone has Doctor or Cooking, they may use these skills only when camping with the normal cost of 1 turn/check. Other skills may be used with the normal penalty of 1 turn/check. You may rest while camping. Resting eliminates certain status effects. You may rest to eliminate multiple status effects, at the cost of one turn per additional effect.
This is important enough to need its own section. The town is the place you're in when you're not raiding. There are several things you can do in the town and most things cost resources:
Tavern: Hear Rumor (1), Drink (1), Hire Help (1-3)
Shack: Recover (1) -1 negative status
Inn: Recover (2) -2 negative status
Hotel: Recover (3) -3 negative status
Market: Buy (0), Sell (0)
Guild Hall: Use Facilities (1), Find Work (1)
Temple: Religious Services (0), Pray at Shrine (1)
Bank: Store Money (0)
Other Activity: Haggle (1), Personal Business (1), Dig for Leads (1), Do Research (1), Other (1)
*The number in parenthesis represents resource point cost
Weapons/Armor: A weapon has just two numbers, its damage modifier and its slot count. The damage modifier ranges from -3 to +3. This number may change in the course of the game. The slot count always remains the same. Armor has two numbers also, its resistance modifier and its slot count. The slot count doubles as encumbrance which subtracts from Fitness. The total armor slot count may never exceed the Fitness stat. (Yes, that means if your fitness is zero, you can't wear armor)
Other items: Each item has at least 1 number, its slot count. Consumables will have a number representing the number of uses per unit-item.
Cost: Everything costs resource points. Generic consumables cost 1 point. Other items vary in cost.
Cost Table
*Note only generic items are available at the start
Weapons - Generic iron weapons cost 2 RP , Bow costs 1RP
Armor - Generic iron armor costs 2 RP, all other pieces of armor cost 1 RP (e.g Helmet, greaves, etc.) and provide +1 Resistance
Consumables - Food, Torches, Flasks of oil, Salves, Balms all cost 1 RP
Special - Empty Spell-books cost 2 RP, Lanterns cost 3 RP, Candles 1 RP, Torches 1 RP, Lockpicks 1 RP
Containers - Satchels cost 2 RP, Backpacks 3 RP, Small sacks (which can be attached to satchels or backpacks) cost 1 RP, Large sacks cost 1 RP but require both hands to carry when full (if empty it takes up 1 slot), Quivers cost 1 RP
This is to jump start things. These characters are generic, use them as templates, modify them, or use them directly
1. Standard Warrior
Stats: F +2, A +1, C +0, R +0
Skills: Fighter +3, Athletics/Hunter +2, Haggler/Cook +1
Inventory:
Head - Iron Helmet (+1/1)
Neck - None
Torso - Iron Plate-mail (+2/1), Flask of oil (1/X2)
Arms - Rations (X2)
Hands - Torch (1)
Belt - Waterskin (1/X3), Iron Longsword(2/2)
Feet - Knife (1)
Exp/Effort/Resources/RT: 3/1/0/0
2. Standard Wizard
Stats: F -1, A +1, C +1, R +2
Skills: Arcanist +3, Scholar/Linguistics +2, Cartographer/Doctor +1
Inventory:
Head - Pointed Hat (0/1)
Neck - None
Torso - Satchel(1/3), Flask of oil (1/X2)
Arms - None
Hands - Wooden Staff
Belt - Waterskin (1/X3), Spiced Tobacco(1)
Feet - None
Satchel- Rations(x2), Spellbook
Exp/Effort/Resources/RT: 3/1/1/0
Magic: Choose one spell to write to your spellbook from below
-Fireball - Costs X RT, does X damage to one target (where X is a number). Range is sight.
-Lightning Bolt - Costs 2 RT, shoots an arc of electricity that paralyzes one target for 2 rounds. Range is sight.
-Telepathy - Costs 2 RT, Speak to the mind or read someone's thoughts. Can work on animals/creatures.
-Telekinesis - Costs X RT, move an object using your mind. Weight of the object determines RT cost (determined by the GM)
3. Standard Thief
Stats: F +0, A +2, C +1, R +0
Skills: Mechanic +3, Criminal/Linguistics +2, Fighter/Athletics +1
Inventory:
Head - None
Neck - None
Torso - Satchel(1/3), Quiver of Arrows(1/1), Bow(1/1)
Arms - Lockpicks(1/X4), Gloves(0/1)
Hands - None
Belt - Waterskin (1/X3), Short Sword(1/1), Smoke Pellet(1)
Feet - Knife
Satchel- Rations(1), Rope(X2)
Exp/Effort/Resources/RT: 3/1/-3/0
3. Standard Priest/Healer
Stats: F +0, A +2, C +0, R +1
Skills: Theologian +3, Arcanist/Doctor +2, Linguistics/Haggler +1
Inventory:
Head - None
Neck - Religious symbol
Torso - Satchel(1/3), Flask of oil (1/X2)
Arms - Gloves(0/1)
Hands - Lantern (2)
Belt - Waterskin (1/X3)
Feet - None
Satchel- Rations(X2), Holy Water (1)
Exp/Effort/Resources/RT: 3/1/0/0
Magic: Choose from one of the following prayers to memorize
-Light - Costs X RT, generate light for X people. Light lasts as long as user is not exhausted, angry, injured or sick
-Mend Injury - Costs 1 RT, removes Injured status from party
-Heal Sickness - Costs 1 RT, remove Sickness from party
-Bless- Costs 2 RT, gives Fresh status to party (does not remove other status effects), or uncurses item
-Banish - Costs 1 RT, banishes summoned creatures or creatures from other dimensions.
-Satiate- Costs 1RT, Removes Hungry and Thirsty status
4. Standard Druid/Shaman
Stats: F +0, A +1, C +1, R +1
Skills: Ritualist +3, Arcanist/Hunter +2, Linguistics/Scholar +1
Inventory:
Head - None
Neck - None
Torso - Rations (X2), Flask of oil (1/X2)
Arms - None
Hands - Torch(1)
Belt - Waterskin (1/X3)
Feet - None
Exp/Effort/Resources/RT: 3/1/5/0
Magic: Choose one ritual to memorize
-Astral Projection - Costs 1 RT, allows the spirit to walk in the world of living. The spirit is not hindered by walls, nor can be damaged by anything physical. The body is in a comatose state while this occurs.
-Clairvoyance - Costs 2 RT, allows a brief vision of a potential future
-Summon ghost - Costs 2 RT, summons a ghost
-Possess- Costs 1 RT, allows the user to possess an enemy and take control. The user's body is in a comatose state while possessing
-Commune with dead - Costs 1 RT, allows communication with the dead
-Mind Control - Costs 3 RT, gives total control over the mind of an enemy.
You don't need to read all the rules (they are very simple though). Just pick one of the pre-genned characters and read the rules of play section.
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Topic: Tomb Raiders: The Forum Game (Need Puzzle-Solvers!) (Read 28173 times)