I really, really, really like The World's Most Popular Role Playing Game. Big surprise there, wot wot? But as I've graduated from college, I've had less time to game. Just as much to _imagine_, you understand; just less time to crunch numbers, less interest in getting the stats right, and so on. So, I wanted something like OD&D, really. And I played that for a while, and that was fun, but I'm primarily a DM, I get to create all sortsa stuff; players have to play the character generation minigame, and so need more to engage with. Besides, there's only so rules-light I can get, thus, this game.
It's probably a good idea to ensure your character has an attack of some sort between 2 and 5 and a melee defense in the same range.
Skills:
Knowledge:
- Lore (renamed Academics)
- Art
- Wisdom (renamed Mysteries)
- Alchemy (science + medicine)
Physical
- Alertness
- Athletics (Alertness has reflexes)
- Endurance
- Might
Subterfuge
- Burglary
- Sleight of Hand
- Stealth
Social
- Rapport
- Contacting
- Deceit
- Empathy
- Intimidation
- Leadership (has ships as a trapping)
- Resolve
Mundane
- Craft (renamed Engineering)
- Gambling
- Resources
- Ride (renamed Drive, for animals)
- Survival
Combat
- Archery
- Arms
Skills
Conflict
Races
Weapons And Armor
Talents
Gelatinous Monstarrs
Every character starts with a pyramid of skills, 4 skills high: four +1 skills, three +2 skills, two +3 skills, and a single +4 skill.
For comparison, a vast plurality of the population gets +1 to a very small number of skills (usually 1-3); specialists and experienced members of the population get +2 to a slightly larger number; and particularly well-trained (but still, no-names) individuals get +3. Only extraordinary individuals get +4 or higher, but then, characters tend to interact mostly with extraordinary individuals…
They also get 6 aspects and a refresh of 3+3, that is, a refresh of 3 fate points with a second refresh of 3 at the start of the first personal combat of each day.
Every character has also 6 aspects, short phrases which describe them. These are chosen freeform; some suggestions are:
One should be something your character is or does. (Woodland Warrior, Doctor from Morgengraad U, Student of Maestro Fitzpatrick, Dwarven Cantor, Mysterious Survivor of the Marin Kor). This is called your Identity aspect, and you can't start playing without picking _something_ for it.
Once you've done that, you're ready to play, but if you'd like to pick your other aspects now, here are some suggestions:
One should be something your character fears. (snakes, pits, horses, sea-travel, disappointing others). This is your Fear aspect.
One should be something your character hates. (goblins, getting ripped off, fascism, the French, hurting women). This is your Wrath aspect.
One should be something that brings out the best or ennobles your character. (Love of Amidala, Honor of Castelry Rock, Soul of a Poet, Grace under Pressure, Heart of Gold). This is your Noble aspect.
One could be something your character wants. (knowledge, elven poetry, beer, honor, a nice game of pocketboot, doing smack, remorselessly killing Tokugawa dogs). This is your Greed (or Lust, or Envy) aspect.
They also get 3 free (or, depending on how you look at it, required) stunts.
A character may purchase more stunts by giving up refresh from the left hand side (4 stunts and 3+3 refresh, 5 stunts and 2+3, 6 stunts and 1+3 — they may not go to or below 0+3 refresh, because that makes them an NPC. By the same token, 4-cap NPCs in general get 0-3 fate points for use in an encounter).
A character may make this choice (that is, trade refresh for stunts) at any time, though justification should be provided. It costs 1 fate point to reflect the immediate refresh loss.
At the close of each session, a small number of individuals of the lowest level at the table go up a level. I suggest each character go up a level every 2-4 sessions; backtrack from there, but you probably have one-and-a-bit characters leveling per session. Perhaps every player rolls 1d6, and if they roll a 5 or a 6, they go up a level (for the random amongst you).
