The Sword Peddler has, without a doubt, done a much more elegant and concise job.
For the purposes of a review, the Sword Peddler's Sword & Backpack rules can be summarized as:
- To do anything, roll higher than a target number (or your opponent) on a d20.
- If the roll relates directly to your job, add 5 to your roll.
- A PC can take up to 5 "hits" – failed rolls – in combat. NPCs and Monsters can take more or fewer "hits" or "rounds" to be defeated.
There's more color and guidance than this, but that's as minimalist and flexible as an RPG can be, while providing a systematic framework for play.
