The Cracked Kingdom

All was well in the reign of Curefin the Good, but that reign is over.

Martyn now sits on a contested throne, makes wars, grinds the poor, stirs rebellion.

They Fey Courts have grown dark and unfriendly, and meddle in mortal affairs.

Hedge-wizards and sorcerers bicker, and some finger the dusty covers of books of forbidden lore with a new interest.

And as old treaties fray, familiar enemies press at the borders of the cracked kingdom.

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How often could a campaign, a game, get underway on the back of a few scribbled notes like these, found on a scrap of paper at the back of the desk?

Perhaps all you need to do with these is get ready to play the world:

• Characters have 7 points for attributes and skills (max. +2); 6 Hits
• In danger, roll 7+ to succeed: higher (9+) is better, lower (5-) is worse (negotiate modifiers)
• In combat, everyone rolls and the higher roll succeeds: 1 light damage; 2 solid; 3 heavy (armour provides additional protection, scene by scene, on the same scale)

Freeform, Light Characters

As outlined in the last post on playing the world with freeform, light rules, creating a character becomes a process of developing a description and highlighting only the significant, to play, attributes.

How might this work?

First, come up with a concept around the role you want to play. This can be a profession, a character type, or even a simple background. Later, you'll attach a name and a short title to this role.

Then, come up with a description of a couple of lines or sentences. This description will include the characteristics (such as deft, tough, cunning) and the skills (swordplay, climbing, crafting) that best fit the role you have in mind, and any quirks that make a character unique.

How to come up with a concept or description and pick skills and characteristics? The freeform technique means that this can be almost anything. You can choose from a book or show that you like. You can draw a picture or choose a miniature, and let what you see be your guide. You can pick up any RPG rules and choose character professions and characteristics and abilities that capture your interest and look playable. You can even roll a few dice for the stats in that rulebook (such as strength, dexterity, intelligence, and so on) and shape your concept around the results.

When you're satisfied with the description, then pick out the notable attributes: from 5 to 7 is a good number. Assign a +2 score to two at most, and +1 to the rest. This does not have to be exact, or add up to given number of points, because it's up to the player and the GM to judge how valuable each attribute might be.

Here are two characters, built using this method, with sketches as inspiration.

Gilbert Lurkerer, professional sneak, is extremely quick and quiet, clever, handy with a short blade or a thrown missile, and an affable gossip.
Quick+2, Quiet+1, Clever +1, Short blades +1, Throw +1, Gossip +1

Temerra Quickfoot, woodlands archer, is uncannily deft and graceful as any of her elven kin. She is a deadly archer, skilled hunter, and master of all the woodlands.
Deft+2, Elvish Grace+1, Deadly Archer+2, Hunter+1, Woodlands+1

Play the World

Searching the for insights into the 'free-form" role-playing procedures of some of the earliest GMs and designers, the Tinkerage came across an intriguing series of posts called "Play the world, not the rules" on Darkworm Colt.

This is a method that you can summarize on a page, uses only six-sided dice, descriptive character generation, and just two basic mechanics. And the point of this is that the rules, the "Visible Rulebook" to borrow a term from from S. John Ross, are necessary only to the extent that they facilitate the interaction between the players, their characters, and the worlds they want to explore.

Here's the method for playing the world:

1 - Characters

Briefly describe your character, including notable attributes, like skills, characteristics, or professions (maybe five or so). One or two attributes may count as outstanding (use two words for emphasis like "excellent tracker"). The necessary level of detail is to create a playable role.

If you're stuck, roll dice to help you decide on your attributes, and refer to any work of fiction, rule-set or character generation system for ideas about stats and skills, professions, and backgrounds.

In general, a modifier for a notable one-word attribute is +1, an outstanding two-word attribute (skilled swordsman, talented pilot) is +2, and rare superlative attributes (exceptional swordsman; best pilot in the system) are +3.

2 - Tests

When you need to account for risk or uncertainty, roll the dice. An average roll (around 7) is average, you most likely continue but the situation is not necessarily resolved, high is good (around 9+) and usually decisive, low (around 5-) is bad and entails negative consequences.

Apply modifiers for suitable character attributes and the situation and equipment in the +3 to -3 range.

3 - Opposed rolls

Roll the dice for opposing efforts (such as combat, but also other cases of active opposition) and compare. Highest wins, and the bigger the difference the more decisive the outcome. Apply modifiers, as for tests.

4 - Hit points

Darkworm Colt uses a "three strikes" system: character can take three hits and then they're out. Tougher characters might have more hits at the GMs discretion.

For the sake of greater flexibility, I'd suggest six hits, with stronger characters adding 1 or 2 more as indicated by a suitable attribute. Lighter attacks deal 1 hit. Heavier attacks can inflict 2 or 3 hits. The GM should apply judgement and err on the side of character survival. A character at exactly zero hits is stunned, staggered, dropped, and so on, but not dead.

5 - Play the world

The game isn't in the method; the game is in the sources you choose for inspiration, in the worlds you construct, and in the scenarios the GM devises and the creativity players bring to them.