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Goblin Ruins of Gaming: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Goblin Ruins of Gaming: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Goblin Ruins
Of Gaming
Or: A Young Lady’s Illustrated Fuck-Up Of A Good Ruleset
AKA The Worst Hack Yet, Bye Vayra
Version 1.0
With Apologies to the GLOGfather, Arnold Kemp
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Core Rules
How To Roll Derived Stats
“Roll” means roll equal to or lower than the target and Level: You start at 1. The maximum is 4. Levelling up
higher than t he difficulty on a d 20. beyond 4th lets you reroll your HP and swap out a level in a
class for a different one, but grants no other bonuses.
Rolls that exactly equal the target are a critical success,
causing the best possible outcome. Rolls of 20 are a critical Hit Points (HP): 8 + STR at first level. Every level beyond
failure, causing the worst possible outcome. first, roll (1d8 + STR) per level (max. 4) and take the new
total if it’s higher.
Failing due to difficulty often has different effects than
failing due to rolling above the target. Most rolls should Armor Class (AC): DEX + Shield and Armor (if any). Added
have a difficulty of 0. For opposed rolls, the difficulty is as difficulty on attack rolls made against you when you’re
equal to the opposing character’s relevant m odifier. not surprised. Represents moving to catch a strike on your
armor or shield, roll with the punches, or otherwise negate
If a target is ever 1 9 or higher, count it as 19 for rolls. the damage of a blow—it still hits, and some forms of
attack ignore or lower AC.
Base Stats
Roll 5d3 for each in order. Modifiers are the stat minus Attack: 10 + Level + the higher of STR or DEX. Roll Attack
ten, divided by two, round toward zero and are written as with the target’s A C as d
ifficulty t o hit with an attack.
the capitalized first three letters of their stat; for example
if Charisma is 13, CHA is +1. Once all stats are rolled, you Initiative: 10 + CHA for players and anything on their side,
can s wap two or i nvert (subtract from 20) one. or CHA for others. Roll Initiative with others’ initiative as
difficulty to act before they do in combat.
Strength: Strength is toughness, brawn, stamina and
general health. Roll Strength to break stuff, move heavy Encumbrance: Based on armor, shield, and inventory.
things, sprint, resist disease or poison, climb, leap, swim, Added as difficulty on actions that weight or bulk would
etc. STR is added to damage with melee weapons, thrown make harder. Encumbrance from worn armor or shields
weapons, and bows, hit points, and (if higher than DEX) doesn’t affect attack rolls.
Attack.
Skills/Backgrounds
Dexterity: Dexterity is agility, grace, coordination, and A skill is something you’re an expert at. Backgrounds are
reflexes. Roll Dexterity to dodge, roll, tumble, sneak, pick the same thing as skills but worded differently, and imply
locks or pockets, or perform other delicate tasks. DEX is skill in all the associated areas. You have one skill plus one
added to armor class, damage with light weapons, and (if more for each point of INT (if positive).
higher than STR) Attack.
You don’t need to roll skills unless you’re trying to do
Intelligence: Intelligence is general perceptiveness, logical something especially hard—if you have the “street urchin”
and spatial reasoning, memory, and learning ability. Roll skill you’re good enough that you only roll if you’re trying
Intelligence to “recall” knowledge about things, identify to lift an item that’s secured to your target, and if you have
items, decipher languages, or comb through a pile of the “armorer” skill you don’t need to roll to repair armor
trash. INT is added (if positive) to the number of but might need to roll to recognize a legendary sword from
languages and n umber of skills or backgrounds you have. a lost kingdom.
Charisma: Charisma is force of personality, willpower, If a roll is required, roll the highest stat you can justify
and mental fortitude. Roll Charisma to resist with an additional bonus equal to your level. If a roll is
mind-affecting or magical effects, or convince another opposed by a skill, use the highest modifier you can justify
person of something. CHA is added to initiative and plus your l evel.
hireling limit.
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Adventuring
Light Obstacles
Bright light shows d etail and color. You can climb, leap, or swim up to half your speed as part
Dim light shows silhouettes and movement. Attacks vs. of your normal movement with a successful Strength roll.
targets in dim light have +
4 difficulty. Remember to add your encumbrance as additional
Darkness shows nothing. You are blind when interacting difficulty. You only fall or sink if you fail due to difficulty
with things in darkness. or a natural 1 or are wearing heavy armor.
Torches burn for 1 hour (6 turns). Drowning
Lanterns burn for 3 hours (18 turns) per f lask of oil. You can hold your breath for a number of rounds equal to
your Strength, doubled if not significantly exerting
Most light sources cast bright light out to 30‘ and dim light yourself. Past that, you drop to -1 HP and might be dead.
30’ beyond that. You c an’t be healed until you’re able to breathe.
Inventory & Encumbrance Falling
You have inventory slots equal to your Strength. Out of Falling deals 1d6 damage per 10’. You can make a Dexterity
those, 3 + DEX are fast and the rest are slow. Fast roll with encumbrance as difficulty and/or jump down
inventory can’t exceed your total inventory slots. Items in intentionally to r educe damage by 1 die per option.
fast inventory can be drawn with a move action, anything
else takes an action to extract. Difficult Terrain
Movement through difficult terrain is half speed, and
Worn clothing and jewelry doesn’t take up inventory slots. running and charging are impossible. You can make a
Containers don’t either—they’re not in your inventory, Dexterity roll with encumbrance as difficulty to ignore
they are your inventory. these restraints. Failure means you don’t move at all, and
Armor and shields take up inventory slots equal to the AC failures due to difficulty or a natural 1 cause you to fall
bonus they provide. prone.
Weapons take up inventory slots according to their size;
heavy weapons are two slots, medium weapons are one, Searching & Traps
and l ight weapons can be stacked 3-to-1. The GM should describe trap triggers casually unless
Very small items like scrolls, cutlery, and jewelry can be you’re rushing. You should find what you’re looking for by
stacked ten to a slot, and coin-sized objects can be stacked investigating specific things, or roll Intelligence or use a
three hundred to a slot. relevant s kill to search non-specifically.
Otherwise, a slot can hold about five to ten pounds or
about as much as you can fit in one hand. Eating, Resting & Healing
Every slot of items in excess of your inventory slots gives Perform first aid for a minute to heal 1d4 HP. Can be done
you 1 encumbrance. once per set of wounds. Requires a relevant skill or
background.
Environmental Hazards
Fire does 1d6 damage when entering or starting your turn Eat a meal and rest an hour to heal 1d6 HP plus 1 HP per
in it. Roll Dexterity or catch fire and take an additional 1d6 level, up to twice a day.
damage per round until extinguished. Especially intense Rest for six hours to heal your full HP if you’ve eaten 2
fires deal more damage. meals, half HP if you’ve eaten 1. Requires you to take
armor off and lay down, unless you don’t need sleep. If you
Cold requires a Strength roll every hour or does 1d6 don’t need food, resting is enough.
nonlethal damage. Cold can’t be healed until you warm up
and does lethal damage if unconscious. Especially intense Each day with no food or rest causes +1 difficulty to all
cold adds difficulty and requires rolls more often. rolls until you eat or rest, cumulative over each day.
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Adventuring (con’t.)
Time Travel
Time in dangerous or populated locales (dungeons, places Every watch, you can travel approximately 12 miles or 20
that act like dungeons, other places of adventure) is kilometers. You can travel 2 watches per day without ill
tracked in turns, which last 10 minutes each. Significant effect. Gain 1d4 slots of exhaustion to spend one
actions taken in such a place are assumed to take at least additional watch travelling—you can do this once per day
one t urn each, due to care being taken. at most.
Travel over long distances takes place in 4 hour intervals, Travel through difficult terrain at half speed. Some
which we’ll call watches. terrain is i mpassible.
Travel at half speed to forage, gaining 1d4-1 rations per
Random Encounters forager. Foragers with a relevant skill or background add
Every 20 minutes (2 turns) in populated areas (dungeons, their level.
cities, and the like), every 4 hours (1 watch) during travel Travel an additional 6 miles or 10 kilometers if everyone
or camping, roll 1d6 to determine if a random encounter has a m ount, double that if you’re also on a r oad.
takes place:
Spend a watch carefully searching to automatically trigger
1. Encounter. Roll on the encounter table for the location. an optional encounter.
The party and the encounter become aware of each other
at approximately the same time, if reasonable. Exhaustion
2-3. Omen. Roll on the encounter table, but receive only an Push yourself too hard and you’ll wind up with exhaustion.
omen—a sign of what the encounter could have been. Exhaustion takes up inventory slots as if it were an item,
4-5. Nothing. Breathe a sigh of relief. and can only be removed by resting in a p roper settlement.
6. Optional Encounter. Roll on the encounter table, but the
party becomes aware of the encounter first—giving you a Each day a mount is encumbered and has at least one slot
chance to avoid or plan for it. of exhaustion, roll 1d12. If you roll equal to or lower than
their exhaustion, they d ie.
If an encounter occurs while camped, roll randomly to
determine when during the camp it takes place. Hirelings
You’ll probably want to hire some people to carry all your
Reaction treasure, post watches while you sleep, deliver messages,
Sometimes, an encounter’s reaction will be determined by test cursed items, walk down hallways that might be
circumstance. Otherwise, the GM can choose to trapped, and all those other helpful things someone could
randomize it by rolling 2 d6 on this table. do—that you don’t want to do yourself. This is a good idea.
If one character in particular is attempting to negotiate or Hirelings are most often “basic adventurers” with no
otherwise manage the reaction, add their CHA to the roll. character class, 12 in one stat related to their profession
and 10 in all others, and HP equal to 4 + CON per HD. A
2 or lower. Violently hostile. Attacks immediately. hireling of this quality will demand 10 coins per day, while
3-5. Unfriendly. Bullies, extorts, or evicts. Attacks if a more skilled hireling—one with a character class—will
defied. demand a half share in treasure.
6-8. Indifferent. Blocks, defends, stands ground. Wary.
9-11. Friendly. Ignores, keeps distance, may talk. A character can control a number of hirelings equal to 3 +
12+. Helpful. S
hares resources or information. CHA directly. Beyond that, they’ll have to start delegating.
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Combat
Initiative and Turn Order Special Attacks
Roll initiative. Combat proceeds through characters that Aid Another: Make an attack roll with 0 difficulty to give
won initiative, then opponents, then characters that lost an ally within reach +2 Attack or +2 AC (your choice) for
initiative, then repeats. Characters can act at any point the next attack they make against or that is made against
inside their block. If one side surprised the other, they get them by an enemy also within reach.
a turn b efore anyone rolls initiative.
Charge: Move up to your speed and make a melee attack.
On Your Turn You can only charge in a straight line.
You can do two of the following on your turn:
● Move up to your s peed (usually 30’) Combat Maneuver: Disarm or trip your opponent, sunder
● Stand up from the ground or grab an item, etc.. Make a melee attack roll with the
● Maintain concentration o n a spell highest of their STR, DEX, or CHA as difficulty instead of
● Pull an item out of fast inventory AC. If you hit, your opponent is tripped, disarmed, the
● Any other move action item you targeted is notched or broken, or you
successfully grab a n item, etc.
Moving out of a space within an opponent’s reach gives
them a free attack against you. Grapple: Roll Strength with the higher of the target’s STR
or DEX as difficulty. If you fail, they get a free attack. If
Once per turn, in place of o ne of those things, you can also: you succeed; you have successfully grabbed them and can
● Make up to one a ttack with each w eapon either enter a grapple, or throw them your height in any
● Make a special attack direction causing them to roll Dexterity or fall prone.
● Use a held item
● Cast a spell Intimidate: Opponents roll Charisma opposed by any
● Try to s tabilize a d
ying ally modifier you can justify. Those who fail are panicked and
● Ready any action to trigger on conditions must flee!
● Pull an item out of slow inventory
● Any other action Parry: +4 AC vs melee attacks. You need to be armed, and
can’t attack in the same round as you parry.
Once per turn if not moving otherwise, you can also move
5’ w
ithout provoking free attacks. Grappling
When grappling, choose (instead of normal action):
Attack Rolls Roll opposed Strength to deal damage using an
Roll Attack to hit. Add enemy AC as difficulty unless unarmed strike or close quarter weapon; grab an object
they’re s urprised or flanked. from an opponent; move the grapple up to half your speed;
or throw an opponent up to your height in any direction as
A roll of 20 is a critical hit, deals double damage, and on a successful grapple combat maneuver.
notches the defender’s armor. Roll Strength opposed by STR or DEX to pin
your opponent. If you’re pinned, you’re helpless and the
A roll of 1 is a critical miss, gives a free attack to anyone in only action you can take is trying to e scape.
melee range of you, and notches your weapon. Roll Strength or Dexterity opposed by STR to
escape from the grapple or a pin. If you escape being
If you will make more than one attack on your turn, every pinned, you’re still in the grapple.
attack gets +2 difficulty per attack that turn.
Armor and Movement
Touch attacks ignore AC. If they mention a range, it’s Medium a rmor reduces speed b y 5’.
maximum range. Heavy armor reduces speed by 10’ and causes swimming
to a utomatically fail.
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Combat (con’t.)
Weapon Size Ranged Weapon Types
Light weapons can be wielded in any hand. Light melee Thrown weapons have 10’ range and add S TR to damage.
weapons add the higher of STR or DEX t o damage. Bows and Slings add STR to damage, and are free to
Medium weapons must be wielded in the main hand or reload as long as the ammunition is in fast inventory.
with two hands and add STR to damage. If you’re small, Crossbows ignore 1 point of AC and notch armor on hit
you must use two hands. within range. They take varied actions to load.
Heavy weapons must be wielded with two hands and add Firearms notch armor on hit within range. They take
STR to damage. If you’re small, you can’t wield one. three a ctions to load.
Pistols can be fired within enemies’ reach without giving
Notches and Materials them a free attack.
Weapons have +1 difficulty to hit and deal -1 damage per Long guns ignore AC within their r ange.
notch. Minimum damage is 1. Carbines can be wielded by small characters such as
Armor gives -1 AC per notch—broken armor is worse than goblins despite being heavy weapons.
wearing nothing, since it restricts movement.
Every notch reduces value by 2 0%. Morale
Bronze costs 2x and armor has -1 encumbrance. Non-player characters roll Charisma the first time they
Steel costs 5x as much, does not gain notches when used take damage in combat, and again when reduced to half
vs. softer materials, and armor has -1 encumbrance. strength (by numbers in a group, or by HP if alone). Failure
indicates they flee or surrender, as appropriate.
Melee Weapon Types
Improvised: B reak when n otched. Condition Summary
Blunt: Can deal nonlethal with n o difficulty. Prone: Can’t use most weapons, count as surprised in
Throatcutter: M aximum damage to s urprised targets. melee combat.
Swordcatcher: +1 AC. Surprised: N oA
C, can’t make f ree attacks.
Spike: I gnore AC and notch armor on hit. Helpless: As above, can be e xecuted with an a ction.
Close quarter: Can deal damage in a grapple.
Crushing: N otch armor on hit, even AC hit. Shaken: +2 difficulty until you take a minute to calm
Brace: D ouble damage against c harging. down. This is a f ear effect.
Chain: Ignore AC from shields and difficulty on combat Panicked: As above, and must flee source of p anic.
maneuvers, but critical fails d amage you.
Headsplitter: Add STR x 2 to damage in place of S TR. Stunned: Surprised and can’t act.
Finesse: May add DEX to damage in place of STR. Paralyzed: As above, and h elpless.
Reach: Double reach, + 4 difficulty vs. melee targets. Unconscious: As above, and fall prone.
Warblade: +1 damage and count your Attack as 1 higher.
While parrying, if an opponent’s attack fails due to your Slowed: Take only one action each turn.
AC you get a free attack. Blind: Surprised, c an’t see, and move at half speed.
Attacking while blind has an extra 50% miss chance.
Ranged Attacks
Ranged weapons add +2 difficulty for every increment Dying
past their range. Making a ranged attack within reach of At 0 HP you’re disabled and take only one action each
an enemy gives them a free attack. turn.
Making a ranged attack into melee, a grapple, or through From -1 to -9 HP you’re unconscious and might be dead.
cover adds +4 difficulty. If you miss due to difficulty, roll a When healed, the person who healed you rolls on the Death
new attack against the cover or target you least want to & Dismemberment table (next page).
hit engaged in the combat, without the extra difficulty
from firing into combat or through cover. Below -10 HP you’re d ead. Some wounds aren’t survivable.
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Modifier Effects
Damage -1 per 1 0 damage taken from the event that dropped you below 0 HP.
+2 if treated with proper tools (medicine, sterile bandages), +
CHA or I NT if treated with
Healing
magic.
+1 if treated within 1 round, +0 within 1 minute, -2 within 1 hour, -5 within 1 day, -10 if
Timing
longer.
Strength Add the S
TR of the character being healed, whether positive or negative.
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Magic
Magic Dice Written Magic
As a spellcaster, you get 1 magic die (MD) per spellcaster Spellbooks, staves, or any other objects holding a spell are
level. MD are rolled whenever you cast a spell, and functionally identical, except scrolls.
replenished whenever you t ake a long rest.
Scrolls hold 1 MD, which you can choose to expend along
Preparing Spells with or in place of your own when casting from a scroll. If
As a spellcaster, you have 1 spell slot per spellcaster level. expended, casting the spell doesn’t require a spell
Spell slots can hold one spell each. You can’t prepare slot—allowing you to cast from scrolls even if you’re not a
multiple copies of a spell—in the same way that your pet spellcaster. If a spell with a duration is cast from a scroll it
ferret can’t be in two places at once unless you actually persists until the end of the duration or dawn, whichever
have two pet ferrets. is shorter.
You can move any number of spells between scrolls, If a scroll is destroyed without being expended, the spell
spellbooks, other items that have been prepared to hold inside is automatically released as if cast at the holder with
spells, and spell slots through one hour of concentration. 1 MD. When you take area-of-effect or environmental fire
Spells return to the place they were cast from when their damage, roll Dexterity. Failure means one of your scrolls
spell effect ends. has been destroyed.
Casting Spells Preparing an item to hold a spell costs 100 sp in rare inks
Casting a spell takes an action and requires you to be able and exotic unguents, regardless of what it is. Investing an
to speak and move at least one hand. You can cast spells MD into a scroll requires additional preparation and
from a spell slot or an item with a spell inscribed in it. materials worth 1,000 sp, and you lose the M D until dawn.
Casting a spell from an item requires a free spell slot, both
your normal and move actions, and gives any enemies Acquiring Spells
within reach of you a free attack. Spellcasters can cast any When you gain a spellcaster level beyond first, you acquire
spell they have access to, regardless of “school.” a new spell. If you have an empty item that can hold spells
(for example a scroll), the spell will be caught in it. If not, a
When you cast a spell, invest and roll as many MD as you random object near to you will become able to hold
want from your pool. [dice] refers to the number of dice spells—hopefully it’s portable.
rolled and [ sum] refers to the total result.
You can eat the brain of another spellcaster to move one
If the [sum] is 1, the spell fails, is not cast (and so can be random spell they had prepared to one of your empty spell
attempted again that day), and the MD is returned to your slots.
pool immediately—otherwise the spell takes effect and all
invested MD are removed from your pool until the spell Makeshift Magic
effect ends. MD showing a 4, 5 or 6 are not returned until You can attempt to generate a helpful magical effect
dawn, even if the spell duration is shorter. appropriate to the type of spellcaster you are by pouring
MD into a target and hoping for the best. Your GM will
If you roll doubles, you have incurred chaos—if you roll adjudicate the effects, which should be haphazard and
triples or more, you have incurred doom. The more MD messy. C
haos and d oom apply as normal.
you roll, the greater the chance for chaos a nd doom.
Wizard Vision
Casting with a single MD avoids any chance for chaos or You can detect strong ambient magic automatically as long
doom, but has a chance of f ailure. as you’re not distracted, and can sense magic on an item or
creature by rolling the higher of Intelligence or Charisma.
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