Quick & Dirty RPG System PDF

This playtest document includes everything needed to play and run tabletop roleplaying sessions using
the Quick & Dirty RPG System.

Seeing as this is a playtest document, I would greatly appreciate feedback regarding the following:
❖ Presentation – Is it eye-catching or do your eyes roll to the back of your head as you read through the
text? How useful did you find the conversational style of the document? What changes would you like to
see regarding presentation?
❖ Ease of Understanding - Is the content easy to understand? If not, what parts don't you understand or
how would you prefer the content to be delivered?
❖ Playability and Enjoyment – How playable and enjoyable was it to use the system, both on the player's
end and the MC's end? What parts of the system did you find that hampered your ability to use in your
game or to enjoy your game?
Please feel free to send me your feedback at ronwisegamgee@gmail.com. I would greatly appreciate it
so that I know what changes I need to make so that the Quick & Dirty RPG System can be at its best.
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QUICK & DIRTY
RPG SYSTEM: Playtest Edition v1.0
by Ronwise Gamgee
PLAYER'S GUIDE
For personal use only. Do not
distribute without written
permission from the author,
Ronwise Gamgee.
PLAYER'S GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Subject Matter Pg. Subject Matter Pg.
For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

What is the Quick & Dirty RPG System? 5 Q&A on Invigorated and Unfettered states 16-18
What is the Quick & Dirty Player's Guide? 6 What the player can do in-game 19-27
What are tabletop roleplaying games? 7 Modifying dice beyond d12 or below d4 28
The role of the player 8 Scale: Explanation and Applications 29-32
Do's and Don’ts at the Gaming Table 9 Dealing with rules jargon in-game 33
Quick & Dirty Basics 10 Character Creation (example included) 34-46
from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

Dice used in Quick & Dirty 11 Character Change and Advancement 47-49
What dice to roll and when 12 The Structure of Conflict In-Game 50-58
Traits that compose the dice pool 13-15 Example of Play 59-80
4
The Quick & Dirty RPG System (or simply Quick &
Dirty) is a ruleset comprised of some of the most
innovative rules and procedures found in other tabletop
roleplaying games, arranged in a manner that lets the
group get right to the good stuff in their gaming

sessions.
The goals of Quick & Dirty are twofold:
WHAT IS THE ❖ To incentivize a tabletop RPG group to engage with

the narrative as if it were a real place (as opposed to
a video game) and...
QUICK & DIRTY ❖ to facilitate conversation between the players and
the Master of Ceremonies (the MC, a "Game Master"

RPG SYSTEM? in other TTRPGs) in order to determine which
procedures make the most sense to use at the
moment.
Whereas more traditional RPGs (like the most popular
RPG) focus on "looking up the correct rules," the robust
ruleset in Quick & Dirty and emphasis on conversation
provide a highly flexible framework the group can use
to try whatever they want in their tabletop roleplaying
game sessions with no math involved, other than
comparing numbers. 5
The Player's Guide contains the core rules

and procedures that are used in the Quick &
Dirty RPG System.
More importantly, the Player's Guide teaches
WHAT IS THE Players (those who control Player Characters,
or PCs) what to do in a tabletop roleplaying
QUICK & DIRTY game that uses the Quick & Dirty system as
well as the basic flow of a tabletop

PLAYER'S GUIDE? roleplaying session.
There is also a Quick & Dirty MC's Guide that
teaches the player designated as the Master
of Ceremonies (the MC) how to run a tabletop
roleplaying game (or TTRPG) session.
6
A tabletop roleplaying game is a game where at least
two people (but preferably between four and six) gather
together and play a structured version of make-pretend
through conversation, typically around a table. Players

take on the role of imaginary characters to interact with
a shared imaginary world.
The structure comes in the form of procedures the group
follows to determine what happens in the narrative
during a game session.
WHAT ARE What separates this activity from storytelling is that
TABLETOP events are not predetermined and there are procedures
that everyone follows to determine the outcome of
ROLEPLAYING uncertain events. While everyone's imaginary
characters are entitled to their actions, they are not

GAMES? entitled to the outcomes of those actions.
Typically, one of the players in the group takes on the
role of narrator/referee/supporting characters. In Quick
& Dirty, this player is called the Master of Ceremonies
(or the MC). The MC and the players talk about what's
happening in the game to move the narrative forward.
When the outcome of an event is uncertain and may
change the narrative in interesting ways, dice are rolled
to incorporate unpredictability into the outcome of the
player character's actions.
7
You create an imaginary character that is appropriate to the setting where the narrative takes place.
Character creation is typically done with the help of the MC or with the group as a whole.
When you want your character to do something within the narrative, tell the MC what you want your
character to do, either in the first-person or third-person perspective. When you want information
about what is going on in the narrative, tell the MC or other players what you want to know.

Each group will have a list of "do's and don'ts" at the gaming table: respect those boundaries and let
the MC know when a boundary (yours or another's) is violated in a respectful manner.
Many of the actions you want your character to take will require dice rolls in order to determine the
outcome of those actions. Through describing your intent and your methods to the MC, they will
determine which dice you need to roll.
The main theme of what to do as a player is that you're conversing with the MC and your fellow
players at the table about what is happening in the narrative, both in-character (via roleplay) and
out-of-character (as yourself).
8
Each gaming group should talk to each other about the type of
content they don't want to deal with and the type of content they
want to gloss over rather than go into detail at the gaming
table. Everyone at the table has their preferences and sensibilities
and they should be respected, because you all deserve to enjoy
yourselves while having your boundaries respected!

Keep in mind that everyone in the group is not only a participant of
the game, but an audience member as well. You're all sharing an
imaginary space, so for the love of all that is good, don't act like a
creep at the gaming table!
DO'S AND DON'TS Anyone in the group is able to declare, at any time, whenever the
subject matter occurring in the game is making them
AT THE uncomfortable. They can state how much attention they want given
to said subject matter (off-screen, vague description, or not at all)
and everyone in the group should respect that. If someone in the

GAMING TABLE group can't abide by a boundary set by someone else in the group,
they should leave and find another group willing to accommodate
their behavior.
The MC should be the main (but not sole) role model and enforcer
for what is or is not considered acceptable behavior at the gaming
table. Though silence is not consent, the MC's behavior does
contribute to setting a precedent regarding the group's code of
conduct.
For more information on this subject, check out Consent in Gaming
at https://www.montecookgames.com/consent-in-gaming/ (it's
free).
9
Grab three dice, roll
Got a 4 or Got a 3 or
them, and look at Got a 6, 7, or
When you do 5? Things...kinda less? Things didn't
the middle number 8? Things went your
something risky... went your way, but it go your way! You got
to determine your way!
result! was kinda dirty, too! done dirty!

Got a 9 or
Were the odds Use the highest Use the lowest
higher? Things went Were the odds
stacked in your number as your number as your
your way and then stacked against you?
favor? result! result!
some!
10
d4 d6 d8 d10 d12

Four-sided die Six-sided die Eight-sided die Ten-sided die Twelve-sided die
You should have three of each type of dice so that you can roll up to three of the same
dice, if necessary. As an alternative, you can use dice rolling apps (I recommend RPG
Dice Roller, which should be free).
The MC should have two d10s on hand so that they can roll percentile dice (or d%) on
tables or when they need to generate narrative content on the fly.
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Die
Rating Approach Tool Well-Being
Most disfavored, Ill-suited for the

d4 unreliable task at hand
Crisis State
Not favored,
Could be better,
You roll dice when the MC tells you to roll dice, d6 somewhat
but it works
Distressed
which is usually when you're performing a risky unreliable
Good quality or
action that produces interesting outcomes in the d8 Reliable
reliability
Stable
narrative.
Strongly favored or Great quality or
When it's time to roll dice, form a dice pool by d10 very reliable reliability
Invigorated
getting one die from your current well-being,

The most favored Ideally suited for
one die from the most relevant approach, and d12 or reliable the task at hand
Unfettered
one die from the tool you're using.
Dice Pool:Well-Being die, an Approach die, and a Tool die
The dice associated with these three traits are

their die ratings.

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee. 12
Your "stats" are called approaches: they are BOLD,
CAREFUL, CLEVER, FORCEFUL, QUICK, & SNEAKY.

The way you describe your action determines what
approach you use!
• When you're trying to steal the spotlight or grab someone's
attention, you're using a BOLD approach!
• When you're taking your time to get it just right, you're using a
CAREFUL approach!
WHAT STATS ARE • When you're trying to do something outside of the box or outsmart
someone, you're using a CLEVER approach!
PART OF MY DICE • When you go brute force, you're using a FORCEFUL approach!
• When you're trying to get there first or get out in the nick of time,
POOL? you're using a QUICK approach!

• When you're trying to not get noticed or get someone by surprise,
you're using a SNEAKY approach!
Some situations favor certain approaches, while

others discourage them.
• If a situation somewhat favors or discourages your approach,
upgrade or downgrade the approach's die rating once (d8 to d10 or
d6 to d4).
• If a situation tremendously favors or discourages your approach, the
odds improve in your favor or are stacked against you.
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You're always using a tool of some kind when you're
trying to get something done. Tools come in many
forms, such as...

❖ An actual tool, like a wrench!
❖ Your clothing, so that you can make a good
first impression or to protect yourself from the
cold.
❖ Some part of your body (like your hands) to
WHY ARE TOOLS substitute for a lack of a more useful tool.
❖ A superpower that you can manifest to affect
PART OF MY DICE your environment, such as heat rays!
POOL?

❖ A clue or a piece of incriminating information
to gain the advantage on a political rival.
❖ Your mind or your senses!
Sometimes the same tool can be very helpful in one

situation (a d10 or d12 rating) and ill-suited in
another (a d4 rating). A three-piece suit can help you
out big-time in an interview, but when you're trekking
the desert, it's not going to do much against heat
stroke.
14
Your default state of well-
Well-Being describes your When you undergo physical
being is stable, meaning
overall condition, or mental trauma, your well-
nothing is wrong and all
incorporating both physical being worsens to distressed
systems are go. When
and mental states. When (d6), crisis (d4), or out of
you're stable, you include a
one part of you suffers, you action (loss of character
d8 into your dice pool from
suffer overall. agency).

your well-being.
Achieving the invigorated Achieving the unfettered

state (d10) usually requires state (d12) means that you
Recovering from trauma
being stable first, followed have no physical or mental
requires time and
by taking actions that impediments holding you
appropriate action, until you
invigorate you! This state of back OR you are enhanced
reach the stable condition.
well-being lasts as long as it beyond the invigorated
makes sense. state.
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Think about what it is to be invigorated as opposed to
simply being in a stable state of well-being, not so
much in rules jargon but as part of a
narrative. Someone who's invigorated has pep in

their step or is feeling supercharged. What would
cause that change in one's state in real life? Here are
some examples:
❖ Stimulants, like cocaine, Adderall, or nicotine.
HOW WOULD ❖ A marked increase in morale or determination.
SOMEONE GO FROM ❖ A stark reminder of a purpose greater than

yourself.
STABLE TO ❖ An invigorating, daily exercise routine or a

INVIGORATED? meditation practice.
Now throw in some fantastical elements found in
fiction that can provide the same benefits:
❖ A magical spell, like Bless.
❖ Charging up your chi or aura.
❖ A transformation into a more powerful form.
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The unfettered state represents the pinnacle of

being, one of maximized effectiveness of body
and mind. In the real world, this state is achieved
only by the most dedicated individuals and
usually when they're in a state of flow. Thought
and infirmity does not hamper someone in an
HOW WOULD I unfettered state: action emerges as needed and
only as much as is necessary with no wasted
ACHIEVE AN excess.
UNFETTERED It's much harder to achieve this state in the real

world than it is in fictional worlds, especially
STATE? when there are ways of really powering up. In the
case of fictional enhancements, characters can
achieve an unfettered state by means of super
invigoration, ala Steve Rogers becoming Captain
America through the Super-Soldier program (his
natural state is probably unfettered, as opposed to
the default stable state of regular humans.)
17
Those states last as long as it makes sense for

them to do so. After that, characters would go
back to be stable or whatever other state of well-
being they were in that makes sense in the
narrative.
HOW LONG DOES For example, if a character's well-being were to

reach a crisis state and they had a special ability
BEING INVIGORATED to change into a rampaging monster for the
OR UNFETTERED remainder of the scene when they initially hit a

crisis state, they may jump straight to an
LAST? unfettered state but can only act to eliminate the
cause of their transformation. When they revert
back to normal, it could make sense for them to
being rendered unconscious (an "out of action"
state) until they recover in a manner that makes
sense (three days of sleep, a blood transfusion, an
herbal medicine, whatever).
18
Your character can attempt to do just about anything within their power! However, it doesn't mean
they always get want they want!
When you want your character to do something in the narrative that is within their power, tell the
MC what your intent is and describe the way your character achieves this objective.
The MC can say you did what you set out to do, you're unable to do it under the current

circumstances, or you have to make a dice roll to determine the outcome.
The way you phrase your intentions and methods informs the MC on what approach you use, what
tool you use, what die rating to assign the tool you're using, and whether or not the odds are in your
favor, risky,or stacked against you.
Once the dice are rolled and the outcome is determined, the narrative unfolds in a manner that
makes sense and it moves forward from there. No takebacks are allowed: when a thing happens, it
happens!
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❖ Overcome Adversity
❖ Gain or Grant the Upper Hand
❖ Manipulate Your Surroundings

❖ Impose on Another
YOU CAN DO THE ❖ Investigate
FOLLOWING
❖ Maximize Victory
❖ Minimize Losses
BASIC ACTIONS Everything a PC does that involves risk as well as the possibility of
producing interesting outcomes will fall under one of these basic
actions.

IN THE The MC is the final arbiter of what is considered risky and whether or
not using a procedure for one of the basic actions will positively
NARRATIVE:
contribute to the narrative. If the answer to these points is "no," then the
MC either lets the PC do what they wanted or not, depending on what
makes sense in the narrative.
Each one of these has a requirement that must be triggered by a PC's

actions in the narrative before their procedures can be enacted. Most of
these procedures will require a dice roll to determine the outcome of
the PC's actions, herein referred to as making a basic action roll. More
specifically, the basic action used will be specified, such as "making an
Overcome Adversity roll" or "making an Investigate roll."
20
When someone or something is in the way of you accomplishing an
objective and it's within your power to overcome this obstacle OR if
there is an imminent threat coming your way and you want to avoid or
withstand it, roll your dice pool to see if you get what you want. This

will probably be the most used basic action.
On a 3 or less, things did not go as you intended! The MC tells you

what happens (something always happens).
BASIC ACTION:
OVERCOME On a 4 or 5, you have a hard choice to make so that you get what you
want OR you don't get what you want but there's a silver lining.
ADVERSITY

On a 6, 7, or 8, you get what you want.
On a 9 or higher, you get what you want AND a side-order of an

additional perk! Some example perks include a beefed-up result, you
save time, you get additional amounts, you get something extra, or you
get a roll-over benefit for later.
21
When your intent is to gain the upper hand for yourself
or for someone else, roll your dice pool to see if you can
get some sort of leverage on the situation at hand.

On a 3 or less, things did not go as intended and you've
exposed yourself to danger or suffered some sort of
setback! The MC tells you what happens.
BASIC ACTION: On a 4 or 5, you get or can give a minor, short-lived

GAIN OR GRANT advantage of some sort (upgrade a die once for one
action).
THE UPPER HAND

On a 6, 7, or 8, you gain the upper hand as intended for
as long as it makes sense.
On a 9 or higher, you've gain the upper hand in ways

greater than intended! This could be an improved
action (step up a die), the odds stacking in your favor, a
new opportunity, or a benefit you can confer to an ally.
22
When your intent is to restrict someone else's ability

to act and it is within your power to do so, roll your
dice pool to see how well you restrict their agency.
On a 3 or less, things did not go as intended and

you've exposed yourself to danger or suffered some
sort of setback! The MC tells you what happens.
BASIC ACTION: On a 4 or 5, you impose a minor, short-lived setback
IMPOSE ON that you or an ally can take advantage of for the next
action (upgrade a die once for one action).
ANOTHER

On a 6, 7, or 8, your target is forbidden from
performing a particular action for as long as it makes
sense in the narrative.
On a 9 or higher, you've restricted your target in

ways greater than intended or for much longer than
anticipated!
23
You can use some part of the environment
around you in a manner that is justified by the

narrative. The MC may choose one or more
stipulations that happen as a result of your
actions:
❖ The thing will break quickly or is usable only
once.
BASIC ACTION: ❖ The thing is dangerous to yourself, to others,
MANIPULATE YOUR and/or to your surroundings.
SURROUNDINGS

❖ The thing is particularly effective – this can
be good or bad for you.
❖ There will be an unexpected side effect of
interacting with or using this thing.
If there is a risk in attempting to interact with or
make use of something in your surroundings,
make an Overcome Adversity roll to determine
the consequences of your actions.
24
When seeking information that is hidden
or that requires great effort to discover,
roll your dice pool to determine the

circumstances that occurred during your
investigation.
❖ On a 3 or less, your investigation introduces a major
threat or reveals an unwelcome truth that undermines your
mission. The MC determines the fallout.
❖ On a 4 or 5, the information complicates your mission or
BASIC ACTION: introduces a new danger. Work out what this could be with
the MC.
INVESTIGATE ❖ On a 6, 7, or 8, you discover something useful and

specific. Your next course of action is made clear. The
next time you perform a basic action where you can apply
the information you've learned, upgrade your Approach
die rating for that dice roll.
❖ On a 9 or higher, your investigation is extremely
fruitful. Not only is your next course of action made clear,
the information you learned puts you at a massive
advantage. The next time you perform a basic action
where you can apply the information you've learned, use
the next highest roll as your result (from auto-fail to low,
from low to middle, from middle to high, from high to auto-
success).
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When you've gone in way over your head and it's not about
"do I achieve my goal" but "how badly do I lose," roll your
dice pool to see how hard the hammer falls!

❖ On a 3 or less, the MC tells you how badly you lose (oh, it's
bad!) and you suffer long-lasting and debilitating
consequences, up to an indefinite loss of character agency (go
over the details with your MC).
❖ On a 4 or 5, the MC tells you how you lost and you must make a
tough choice of long-lasting or debilitating consequences. You
still retain agency of your character.
❖ On a 6, 7, or 8, you tell the MC how you lost. You still retain
BASIC ACTION: agency of your character.
MITIGATE LOSSES ❖ On a 9 or higher, you've discovered that success is indeed

probable and you can engage in meaningful action against

your adversary, but with the odds stacked against you! (That
means when you make a basic action roll against your
adversary, the low roll will determine your result.) That, or you
can retreat with everything intact.
When it doesn't make sense in the narrative for you to know that
you're in way over your head, the MC can have you make an
Overcome Adversity roll only to reveal that it's actually a Mitigate
Losses roll after the fact.
Want to avoid having to make a Mitigate Losses roll?
SET REASONABLY ACHIEVABLE GOALS!
26
When victory is a forgone conclusion and you want to
find out how awesome your success is, roll your dice
pool to determine the outcome.

❖ On a 3 or less, you did not achieve victory unscathed! Tell the
MC how you won, but the MC presents a tough choice as the
cost of your victory.
❖ On a 4 or 5, you tell the MC how you won, as if you rolled a 6, 7,

or 8 on Overcome Adversity.
❖ On a 6, 7, or 8, you tell the MC how you won as if you rolled a 9
BASIC ACTION: or higher on Overcome Adversity.
MAXIMIZE VICTORY ❖ On a 9 or higher, your victory is so spectacular that you can

indefinitely change your adversary in some meaningful way
(ex: from hated enemy to trusted ally) as well as create
significant long-lasting change to the narrative.
When it doesn't make sense in the narrative for you to know that
victory is a foregone conclusion, the MC can have you make an
Overcome Adversity roll only to reveal that it's actually a
Maximize Victory roll after the fact!
Want to make Maximize Victory rolls more often?

STACK THE ODDS OVERWHELMINGLY IN YOUR FAVOR
THROUGH THE NARRATIVE!
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If a circumstance in the narrative calls for an upgrade to one of the dice in your dice
pool that is already a d12, you can upgrade another non-d12 die instead.
❖ 3d12 is the best possible dice pool to have: any further upgrades improve your
scale instead.

If a circumstance in the narrative calls for a downgrade to one of the dice in your
dice pool that is already a d4, you can downgrade another non-d4 die instead.
❖ 3d4 is the worst possible dice pool to have: any further downgrades worsen your
scale instead.
28
Scale refers to the difference in "weight class"
between two opposing forces.
A man racing a cheetah? Difference in speed

scale (favoring the cheetah).
SCALE:
An adult fighting a child? Difference in size and
mass scale (favoring the adult).
A professional competing against a
layman? Difference in competence scale
THE DIFFERENCE (favoring the professional).
Dagger vs. Spear? Spear (in open spaces) or
THAT MAKES

Dagger (in close-quarter combat).
Scale is specific and relative to the situation at
THE DIFFERENCE hand. It's not all-encompassing and absolute!
The scale that is relevant depends on the context
of the contest as well. Being three times as fast
isn't going to help if the contest in question is
about overpowering your opponent with sheer
muscle strength!
29
Scaling can be applied to just about anything! Here are some example categories:
❖ Size ❖ Mass ❖ Fame ❖ Social Status

❖ Distance ❖ Volume ❖ Quality ❖ Rank
❖ Speed ❖ Area ❖ Quantity ❖ Threat Level
❖ Time ❖ Wealth ❖ Force ❖ Spiritual Attunement
❖ Weight ❖ Information ❖ Skill ❖ Specificity
A good rule of thumb is that whenever a quantity in a category doubles or is cut
in half, go up or down in scale by one tier.
For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission from the author,
Ronwise Gamgee. 30
Situation in the Narrative How to Determine the Outcome
Success is assured or there's Describe how you accomplished your

insignificant pressure on the intended goal OR make a Maximize
character. Victory roll to see how well you
succeed.
Odds are in the character's Use the highest roll as the result to
favor (a favorable situation). determine the outcome.
Odds are 50/50-ish (a risky Use the middle roll as the result to
When the MC determines that the scale of a situation). determine the outcome.
particular thing contributes to the challenge, it Odds are stacked against the Use the lowest roll as the result to
applies as follows: character determine the outcome.
(a desperate situation).
First, consider the risk the character will put Success is impossible or the The MC describes how you failed OR
themselves in ("risky" or "50/50-ish", "odds in character is in way over their make a Mitigate Losses roll to see how
their favor", "odds against them", or whether or head (beyond desperate). badly you fail.
not success is assured or impossible).

When scale is a factor, the character's risk in the
narrative changes accordingly, either in their
favor (such as "risky" to "odds in their favor") or
against them (such as "odds against them" to
"success is impossible").
After factoring in scale, apply the new narrative
risk factor to the situation and use the
appropriate basic action to determine the
outcome (including Mitigate Losses or Maximize
Victory, if needed).
31
"Star Rank" on Power Scale Description
No stars Nuisance
Troublesome
The Power Scale is shorthand for how powerful Dangerous
your character is, similar to character level or
tiers of power in other tabletop RPGs. Formidable
Depending on the theme of the setting or on Extreme
what the group decides, Power Scale can simply
refer to a PC's threat level in combat or it can Legendary
indicate their level of competence in what they Mythical
did for a living and the kind of adventuring life

they lead.
The PCs refer to their Power Scale when
comparing themselves to their opposition and
every scale factor that matters in the contest at
hand. To determine what adjustments need to be
made to the net risk factor of the task at hand, go
to the section titled "How does scale apply in-
game?" and refer to the sidebar.
The sidebar here describes the threat level of X
amount of stars on the Power Scale. Remember:
two opposing forces with the same Power Scale
are on roughly equal footing.
32
No, you don't. In fact, describing what you want your character to do in rules
jargon misses the point of engaging and immersing yourself in the
narrative. Instead, say what you want to do your character to do in the
narrative and the MC will handle the in-game procedures.
DO I HAVE TO

Here are two scenarios:
TELL THE MC THE

❖ Player: "I want to use Overcome Adversity to attack my target with a d10
steel longsword, my d8 Well-Being, and my d10 Quick approach." MC: "If
you fail this roll, your Well-Being will go from d8 to d4 from your target's
counterattack." OR...
BASIC ACTION ❖ Player: "I want to slay the hobgoblin by driving my steel longsword into
their unprotected belly just as they're raising their weapon to strike
I WANT TO USE
me." MC: "Sounds like a risky plan that will require you to strike quickly
to take advantage of that short window of opportunity. Use your Quick
approach die, your current Well-Being die and, since a steel longsword is
great for puncturing exposed bellies, a d10 tool die. I consider this a

WHEN MY risky action, so we'll use the middle number as your result. Keep in mind
that, based on the way you're describing your action, you're leaving
yourself open to a world of hurt if things don't go your way."
CHARACTER DOES The first scenario is completely devoid of narrative. The player is also
assuming how their dice pool will be formed without the MC's input: the MC
determines how the dice pool is formed, not the player. In the second
SOMETHING? scenario, the player is describing what their intention is (slay the hobgoblin)
their method, and the tool they're using to accomplish that objective. The MC
then takes in that input and uses rules knowledge and common sense to
determine what the most appropriate dice pool should be, what roll to
determine the result based on the riskiness of the endeavor, and what the
most likely consequences would be if things don't go as intended.
33
First and foremost, talk to your group about the
kind of setting you want to play in. It doesn't make

sense to create a wood elf ranger when the setting
is far future sci-fi, where the group is part of a
starship exploring the deep reaches of space!
HOW DO I After that, your character needs a

background. We'll get into more detail on how to
make a robust background later on.
CREATE A Once your background is done, the MC will give

CHARACTER? you a dice array and you're going to assign dice to
your approaches. You assign one die per
approach based on what would make sense for
your character.
Last but not least, write down signature tools that
your character would use frequently or that are an
iconic part of their identity.
34
That is correct. The paragraph below is an example of a Character Profile, the thing you'll fill out as
your character's basic background.
"My name is (character name), but people call me (nickname). I was born a (race, species, social position, or
whatever else makes sense) in the (place you were born). Growing up, I learned to (insert skill or profession
here) from (insert your instructor or learning circumstances here). As an adult, I (insert skill, profession, or
activity here) for a living. The defining moment that led me to the life of (insert your calling or adventuring

profession here) was (insert the circumstance that forced you into the hero's journey, so to speak). My main
motivation to act is (insert your core motivation or purpose here) but (insert a character flaw or a persistent
mitigating circumstance) gets in my way."
Filling out the blanks in the character profile provides a narrative foundation for your
character. The details you fill in make them distinct from every other character more than the dice
ratings you assign to them. They provide circumstantial cues that can be used to determine the
most appropriate procedures to apply in a given situation. Last but not least, each background
element not only adds onto the setting itself, but can be explored by both the players and the MC
through their implied social and setting connections.
35
Autonomy
Building a Legacy Caregiving Efficiency
Achievement You live life by your own
rules and question You want to make a long- You're here to help as You want to min-max as
You want to be recognized lasting difference in the many people as possible, much as possible via
for your accomplishments. anything that asserts itself
as some kind of authority. world. in the best way you know. informed decisions.

Leadership Networking
Hedonism Idealism
Why wait for someone You realize that the power Redemption
The purpose of life is to You have a vision of how else to take charge and of connections allows you
enjoy its greatest the world should be and You screwed up royally
make something happen to accomplish that which and you're trying to set
pleasures, by yourself or it's up to you to see that when that person could be no single person can do
with others. vision come to fruition. things right.
you? by themselves.
Preservation
Survival
You seek to protect that
which you deem precious Life is hard, but you do
whatever it takes to keep
from a world full of
danger. going.
36
The MC provides an array of dice for you to assign to each of your approaches.
• This dice array typically consists of one best approach, one worst approach, two good approaches, and two okay approaches.
• A heroic dice array will consist of one d12, two d10s, two d8s, and one d6.
• A more grounded dice array will consist of one d10, two d8s, two d6s, and one d4.

When assigning die ratings to your approaches, think of your character's personality and how they respond to
challenging situations in their life.
• Attention-seeking and extravagant people favor a BOLD approach.
• Deliberate and cautious people favor a CAREFUL approach.
• Creative people and flexible thinkers favor a CLEVER approach.
• Headstrong and stubborn people favor a FORCEFUL approach.
• Sharp and hyperactive people favor a QUICK approach.
• Deceitful and secretive people favor a SNEAKY approach.
Keep in mind that these approaches are on a spectrum, as is reflected by the different dice types (d4 to d12).
37
If it makes sense for your setting and your MC agrees to it,
then yes!
These notable traits are recorded in the Notable Traits

section of the Auxiliary Sheet. This is where you'd write
down any notable traits (like special abilities) that are not
obvious characteristics from your background nor abilities
that simply provide tool dice (though they can perform that
function if need be).
Notable traits generally provide one or more of the following
DO I GET COOL benefits:
❖ Do things you can already do but on a higher scale (like
SPECIAL ABILITIES Enhanced Strength or Keen Hearing).
FOR MY ❖ Do things that normal people can't do at all (like fly or

read someone's mind).

CHARACTER? ❖ Alter the way certain procedures work (like a weapon
master that can make the most use out of their favored
weapon, thus granting a die upgrade when wielding that
weapon in combat).
❖ Connections or social perks not mentioned in your
background (like being part of the Hunter's Association
or a member of the nobility).
The MC's Guide has more in-depth information on creating
notable traits, so talk to them about the kinds of special
abilities you would like during character creation.
38
In case you haven't noticed, a notable trait isn't excluded to traits
that are purely beneficial to you. The key word here is "notable,"
meaning "something of note or out of the ordinary."
The character background example mentioned earlier has a

section where you would jot down something that is holding the

character back. A notable trait that is a hindrance can also be
recorded in the Notable Traits section of the auxiliary sheet.
Notable traits that hinder you inflict one or more of the following
setbacks:
❖ Do things you can already do but on a lower scale (like

Diminished Musculature or Hard-of-Hearing).
HINDRANCES ARE ❖ Unable to do something that typical people can normally do
NOTABLE TRAITS, ❖
(like walk without crutches or see).
Alter the way certain procedures work (like a klutz that is

TOO!

completely inept with hand-to-hand weapons, thus imposing
a die downgrade when wielding those weapons in combat).
❖ Being hunted or infamous in a way not mentioned in your

background (like having a bounty on your head or being
known as the person who ruined Christmas).
This is one of those gray areas where you should REALLY talk to
the rest of your gaming group about. If this stuff offends anyone
to some degree, don't implement mechanical penalties and just
stick to narrative ramifications. But if even that may be offensive
to someone in the group, ask them how they would like to
address this subject matter. Above all, treat each other with
respect and dignity and don't use "the narrative" to do otherwise.
39
Michael wants to create a character for a game that Ronwise is
running. The setting is in the aftermath of a worldwide
cataclysm that has devastated the surface of the planet and the
only habitable regions are floating landmasses in the sky.

Ronwise tells Michael to start on his character profile. Michael
EXAMPLE OF fills it out as follows:

"My name is Sidney Crosswind, but people call me Syd. I was
CHARACTER
born a demi-human with a monkey tail in the (hasn't decided
where his place of origin is). Growing up, I learned to work
with ancient magical relics from an old archaeological
professor. As an adult, I fix armor, weaponry, and other tools
CREATION: for a living. The defining moment that led me to the life of
fusing magic and mechanics was when I tapped into magical
energy using a self-made gauntlet, despite being born unable

CHARACTER
to use magic. My main motivation to act is to create inventions
to allow anyone without the gift of magic to use it, but kingdoms
unwilling to accept the advancement of magi-tech gets in my
way."
PROFILE Ronwise is very impressed with this character profile and tells
Michael that not being unable to come up with a place of origin
at this time is not a problem; that's something they can work out
later on during the game. Michael tells Ronwise that his
character resembles the alchemist from Torchlight.
Next, it's time to assign some dice to approaches.
40
Ronwise tells Michael to distribute the following dice to his
approaches as he sees fit: one d10, two d8s, two d6s, and one
EXAMPLE OF d4, one die per approach.

Thinking about Syd's background and how that would reflect
CHARACTER about the ways he prefers to approach challenges, Syd

allocates his dice in the following manner:
❖ Clever at d10, since his ingenuity is his strongest suit.
CREATION: ❖ Careful and Quick at d8, since he recognizes the value of both
taking your time to get things right and of working quickly when

APPROACH DICE
time is of the essence.
❖ Sneaky at d4, since his inventions are often noisy and call
attention to themselves and to him.
ASSIGNMENT ❖ Bold and Forceful at d6, as those are neither his strong suit nor his
glaring shortcoming.
Next, it's time to determine what tools Syd possesses.
41
Ronwise asks Michael what tools would be iconic for Syd to
have, reminding him of his limit of 12 tools. Michael decides
that Syd would have the following tools:
❖ His self-made runic gauntlet

❖ Smithing tools
❖ Archaeological journal
EXAMPLE OF ❖ Runic research journal

❖ Magicite-powered hand torch (a flashlight, basically)
CHARACTER
❖ Spare magicite (to power his magi-tech gear)
❖ Archaeologist outfit
❖ Climbing gear
CREATION: ❖ Adventurer's pack

❖ PO-TAY-TOES
TOOL SELECTION Ronwise reminds Michael that the die ratings of his tools are
circumstantial to the situation at hand. Last but not least, his
body, mind, and senses are considered tools as well and
typically have either a d4 or d6 die rating, because they are
either functional at best or ill-suited for the task at hand when a
more fitting tool would apply.
Michael wants to tell Ronwise about the special abilities he
wants for his gauntlet, so they cover that next.
42
Michael tells Ronwise that his gauntlet is what allows him to
produce magical effects. They both work out that the gauntlet
uses rune combinations to activate specific magical effects and
that magicite provides the energy necessary to manifest them.

To keep things manageable and to allow for growth potential,
Ronwise tell Michael that Syd's gauntlet can hold up to three
EXAMPLE OF
rune combinations at a time and that Syd knows how to
produce three different magical effects. If he learns more rune
combinations and wants to use those, he'll have to erase an old
CHARACTER
rune and etch in a new rune.
Michael decides to have the three following magical abilities:
❖ A magical tether that can drag and lift objects up to 100 lbs., like
CREATION: the Magnesis ability from Breath of the Wild.

❖ A kinetic wave blast.
❖ A magical barrier that encases around him and protects him from
NOTABLE TRAITS
kinetic phenomenon but does not move while active.
They also both decide that Syd can use his monkey tail like a
limb that has the strength to keep him suspended on things like
branches and pipes, while having enough manual dexterity to
turn keys to open locks.
Last but not least, Ronwise tells Michael to mark two stars
under "Power Scale" to indicate his general level of power. And
with that, Michael is done with character creation!
43
MICHAEL'S QUICK & DIRTY CHARACTER SHEET
Character Profile Approaches
Sidney Crosswind Syd Bold 4
6 8 10 12
My name is _______________________________, but people call me __________________________.
(hasn't decided yet)
demi-human with a monkey tail in the _________________________________________. Careful 4 6 8 10 12
I was born a ____________________________
Clever 4 6 8 10 12
Growing up, I learned to _______________________________
work with ancient magical relics from ___________________________.
an old archaeological professor
fix armor, weaponry, and other tools Forceful 4 6 8 10 12
As an adult, I ________________________________________________________________ for a living.
fusing magic and mechanics Quick 4
6 8 10 12
The defining moment that led me to the life of _________________________________________ was
Sneaky 4
6 8 10 12
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
when I tapped into magical energy using a self-made gauntlet, despite being born unable to use magic
My main motivation to act is _________________________________________________________,
to create inventions to allow anyone without the gift of magic to use it but Well-Being
kingdoms unwilling to accept the advancement of magi-tech
_________________________________________________________________________ gets in my way. Unfettered 12
Invigorated
Tools (default max of 12) 10
Stable 8
Ideal 12 Great 10 Good 8 Functional 6 Ill-suited 4
Distressed 6
Self-made runic gauntlet Magitech-powered hand torch Adventurer's pack
Crisis State 4
Smithing tools Spare magicite PO-TAY-TOES Out of Action
Archaeological journal Archaeologist outfit
Power Scale
Runic research journal Climbing gear
My body, mind, & senses 4 or 6
44
MICHAEL'S QUICK & DIRTY AUXILIARY SHEET
Noteworthy Traits Beneficial & Detrimental Conditions
I can inscribe up to three rune combinations onto my runic gauntlet to
For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission from the
activate their magical effects.
Magnesis: I can magically tether an object weighing up to 100 lbs. The
tether lets me drag and lift the object.*
Kinetic Wave Blast: I can knock people and some beasties off their feet
about 10-15 feet back.*
Kinetic Barrier: I can encase myself in a barrier that wards off kinetic
attacks, but it's rooted in place while it's active and it goes both ways.*
My monkey tail is basically a limb that can keep me suspended on
things like bars and branches. It's dexterous enough to turn keys to
open locks.
author, Ronwise Gamgee.

*Magical effects I have on the gauntlet, up to three max.
45
Beneficial and detrimental conditions are things that happen to your character over
the course of play. As the name implies, these conditions can be beneficial or
detrimental to you in some way.
The thing that typically makes these conditions different from notable traits is their
duration. Beneficial conditions are usually temporary, while detrimental conditions

are usually persistent, meaning that they stick around unless you deal with them in a
way that makes sense in the narrative.
For example, ingesting a dangerous stimulant can upgrade your Forceful and Quick
approach dice, but may prevent you from using Careful and Clever approaches
while it's in your system (which lasts for one hour). After the duration expires, you're
exhausted as all hell, putting you in a crisis state until you get some restful sleep.
46
If you want your character to change or grow in some manner, you have to earn it within the narrative. Talk to your MC about how
you want to change or improve your character so they can implement a path to improvement.
After each session, write down a sentence in 15 words or less about an event that occurred in the narrative that contributes to your
change or growth. This is called a character growth entry or character change entry (depends on the intention). Make each entry
relevant to the narrative. The MC has veto power regarding whether or not your entry is valid; work with them on this.

Depending on the severity of the change or growth, it can take from one to five character growth or change entries before the MC
determines that you've put in enough work.
Keep in mind that your character can get stronger in many different ways, not just through personal power. They can find awesome
gear, make new connections, rank up in their organization, gain wealth, land, and title, etc.
• Characters can also get temporary improvements that go away after they've been used X amount of times or whenever it makes sense in the narrative.
• Last but not least, rather than slogging for a long time to get a powerful improvement, characters can shortcut their way to power, but with a drawback and/or a
significant sacrifice. This makes for very intriguing character development as well as for spicier game sessions as the character makes use of this ill-begotten
power.
47
WAYS OF CHANGING OR IMPROVING YOUR
CHARACTER AND THEIR GROWTH RATES

❖ Add a very specific skill, ability, or acquire a very ❖ Permanently upgrade an approach die rating to the
useful tool: two entries. next highest die type: five entries.
❖ Add a specific skill, ability, or acquire a powerful ❖ Can only be done once per approach.
tool: three entries. ❖ Can only have ONE approach at d12
❖ Gain proficiency in a set of related skills (like a
maximum. FOUR other approaches are
profession) or abilities (like a thematic set of restricted to d10 maximum. ONE approach is
powers): four or five entries.
❖ Acquire an extremely powerful or epic tool: four
restricted to d8 maximum. In essence, there
or five entries. must be a best approach and a worst approach,
❖ Change something minor or moderate in your while the rest are somewhere in the middle.

background to something of relatively equal worth: ❖ Swap two approach die ratings (must be one die type
one entry. apart): one entry.
❖ Change something major in your background to ❖ Must wait at least two sessions to make another
something of relatively equal worth: two entries. swap in this manner.
❖ Change something in your background to ❖ Improve scale of influence, competence, or power of X
something noticeably or tremendously better: two
to the next tier: the same number of entries to
to four entries.
❖ Acquire a semi-reliable/very reliable contact:
acquire X.
one/two entries. ❖ Acquired improvement is limited in a significant
❖ Gain membership in an organization: one entry. manner or comes with a significant drawback:
❖ Rise to middle/high/top rank in one fewer entry than normal.
the organization:two,then three, then four entries. ❖ Acquired improvement comes at a significant,
indefinite sacrifice: two fewer entries than normal.
48
Generally speaking, a PC's Power Scale doesn't really
change unless the overall tone of the game changes
to one where they operate on a greater tier of overall
power and influence.

This may or may not happen after the end of a long
story arc and only if it makes sense in the
narrative. Throughout their adventuring career, if it
does happen, the PCs will increase their Power Scale
by one star and likely no more. The most common
arcs where this occurs are when the PCs undergo the
CAN I PERMANENTLY Hero's Journey (look up Joseph Campbell's work on
IMPROVE MY POWER the Hero's Journey). If it was a setting like Dragon
Ball Z or Naruto, on the other hand, it would make
SCALE RANK?

sense for the PCs to go up in Power Scale after each
arc, since those shows are all about the main cast
getting stronger.
In more grounded settings, a PC's Power Scale rating
doesn't change at all or only for the worst as they
grow older or succumb to injury and infirmity. It's
more likely that they become more diverse in their
skills or their signature skills improve by one or two
tiers on the competency scale.
49
Combat works just like any other challenge:
❖ You state your intention and describe how you wish to
achieve your goal.

❖ The MC determines which traits are applicable so that
you can form your dice pool. If it would be reasonable
for your character to accurately assess their level of
risk, the MC will inform you beforehand. Otherwise,
they'll tell you your character is unable to gauge the
HOW DOES riskiness of their action.

❖ The MC will then reiterate your intention and method
just to get a confirmation. Afterwards, roll your dice
COMBAT WORK? pool. If your character was unable to accurately assess

their level of risk, the MC will now tell you what it is
and which roll will be used to determine the outcome
(low, middle, or high roll). If you happen to find out
that either you or your opposition are way out of their
league, the MC will tell you that you automatically
failed/succeeded or will use the Mitigate
Losses/Maximize Victory procedure.
❖ The outcome is then applied to the narrative and play
continues from there.
50
The same way you would determine who would
go first in any other kind of conflict or challenge:
analyze what is happening in the narrative and

talk it out with the group to determine who goes
next, not first.
To ask who goes first is to imply that there will be
a second, third, and so on. There are no combat
HOW DO I rounds and there is no turn order to determine
when a particular combatant can act. The
DETERMINE WHO narrative and the group will help inform you who
GOES FIRST IN A acts next, BUT the MC makes the final decision.

If you're in a group that is indecisive, then feel
CONFLICT? free to implement a more structured and simple
turn order. For example, once the outcome of one
player's action is determined, the player to their
left or a player of their choice is next, and so on,
until everyone (including the MC) has acted
once. Do this as needed and behave in a way
that's conducive to both the narrative and to the
group's enjoyment.
51
Taking turns to act is a practical way of structuring play; there is typically only one MC and there
are limits to their ability to manage their attention (i.e. one thing at a time.") However, in the
narrative, this doesn't mean that things always happen in the same order of events that take place at
the table.
Depending on the needs of the narrative, events in the narrative can occur in the same order as they

do at the game table or not. The events that happen in a combat scenario can occur as follows:
❖ A player declares their intention and method, but the MC tells them to postpone their dice
roll every other player does the same.
❖ The MC then tells the players to make their dice rolls for the actions they declared. If NPCs
take proactive action against the PCs, the MC tells the affected players to make Overcome
Adversity dice rolls to mitigate or avoid these effects.
❖ After all of that is done, the MC analyzes the results and, with the help of the players, narrates
all of the outcomes that occur in the scene as if everything was happening simultaneously or
close to it, taking relative distances into account.
52
Combat, like any other form of conflict, takes
place in the collective imagination of the group
(Theatre of the Mind). However, having some

sense of where people and things are in relation
to each other is very useful information.
Keep in mind that, by default, your character's
point of view is from their first-person
perspective, not some bird's-eye view that lets
them see the combat zone on a grid of 5-foot
DOES QUICK & squares. Don't expect exact measurements when
you ask the MC, "How far am I from X?"
DIRTY USE MAPS What do you want to do with X? What is your
FOR COMBAT?

intent and how do you think interacting with X
help you achieve your goal? With this information
at hand, the MC can better determine how to help
you get what you want so the narrative will move
forward.
Otherwise, if you want to know the exact distance
you are from X, tell the MC the method you're
using of getting that measurement as well as the
tool you'll use to help make that determination
and go for it.
53
One way to chunk a "combat arena" when using Theater of the Mind is to imagine
what the arena would look like (or refer to a picture that represents it if one is
available) and break it down into distinct zones.
Each zone would typically cover the area of a living room and would likely have the
appropriate amount and type of clutter one would find in that zone's environment.

A zone is a useful unit of measurement when there are in-game effects that affect
multiple targets at the same time or that traverse a significant but not-exact amount
of distance. Having the capability to affect someone or something else across more
than your own zone is a great way of increasing your area of influence and keeping
yourself out of harm's way.
54
When you want to interact with something

or someone else and distance is a factor,
consider these useful units of distance:
❖ Within Reach: You can touch or hit it from
where you stand.
❖ Nearby: You are within the same zone and
can move within reach in a moment or
CAN I HIT IT? two.

❖ Within Range: You can hit something at a
distance determined by whatever
methods are available to you.
❖ Too Far: If you have no means of hitting
something at a particular distance, you'll
have to get closer until you are within
range or within reach.
55
The default assumption of violent conflict in tabletop RPGs is of two groups pitted against
each other: the PC group vs. a group of NPC adversaries. If we mentally zoom out,
however, we can apply Quick & Dirty's principles and procedures to large-scale battles.
In a large-scale battle, there will still be sides pitted against each other: only this time,
since the scope is grander and our perspective is "zoomed-out" from the group vs. group

scale, zones will also be expanded to cover larger areas.
Time will also be expanded as well, so that hours or days of warfare occurring within the
narrative will take the same amount of game time as the seconds or minutes that occur in
group vs. group combat. The lives of tens, hundreds, or even thousands of combatants
are at stake in large-scale battles, so attention is focused more on the bigger picture than
on each individual involved (though exploring the cost of that level of conflict could be a
fascinating avenue to explore).
56
The "zooming-out" of the perspective of battle that was previously mentioned for large-
scale battles call also be applied in reverse for one-on-one duels (i.e. zooming in).
In a one-on-one duel, each combatant is jockeying for position so that they can land the
metaphorical (or literal) killing blow on the other. To do that, however, they have to get
past their defenses so that they can reach a vital spot, all while preventing the other
combatant from doing the same to them first. Often times, both sides will find themselves

deadlocked while trying to out-think, out-maneuver, or outlast the other.
We can zoom-in and apply the principle of zones to each combatant's vulnerable areas,
defensive areas, and the space in-between both combatants. Advancing to make contact
with the opponent, getting past their defensive areas, and striking at the vulnerable areas
are all challenges in and of themselves, as are preventing your opponent's advances of
reaching your vulnerable areas.
At this level of conflict, seconds can feel like an eternity and the consequences of victory
or defeat are decisive and have long-lasting impact throughout the narrative.
57
A big challenge is something that the PCs cannot hope to succeed by dealing with it as if it were on their
personal playing field. Doing so would call for a Mitigate Losses roll: that's how difficult this challenge is.
Think of a big challenge as a Transformer composed of many individual challenges. Identify what these
individual challenges are and how they contribute to the big challenge at hand. These individual
challenges are more manageable, meaning that they can be dealt with via the appropriate basic actions,
such as Overcome Adversity or Manipulate Your Surroundings.

Discovering how to break down a big challenge into manageable individual challenges is part of the
process and the PCs' job. This is where Investigate typically comes into play.
Saying "how do I overcome this challenge" or "what are the manageable individual challenges we need to
overcome" are not sufficient to justify using Investigate: the PCs have to take appropriate narrative actions
first.
Once enough manageable individual challenges are established, the PCs take appropriate actions, roll
dice, and discover what happens.
58
Ronwise, Wes, Nellie, and Louis get together over Discord for a tabletop roleplaying
game session using the Quick & Dirty RPG System. They already went through the
process of making a Setting Profile and they each created their characters. (Their full
character write-ups will be shown afterwards.) This session lasts for about one hour.
❖ Ronwise is the MC for this game session.

❖ Wes's character is Smokey Ace, a hobgoblin ice mage from the high mountains of
Izenvard. Smokey wants to become strong enough to be an overseer and protect his territory, but
his thirst for power gets in his way.
❖ Nellie's character is Kina, an orphan demolitions savant from the realm of Thoros. Kina is driven to
find a family of her own, but her psychotic tendencies get in her way.
❖ Louis's character is Chabuwu, a shortkin con artist and all-around criminal from the gutters of the
sultanate of Gul'dah. Chabuwu is driven to control a crime syndicate, but "those damned puritans"
get in her way.
59
Ronwise presents the quest starter to the group:
"Overseer Frostfang has fallen ill and is sure to die without help. The illness itself is
unknown to the village healer; poison or foul magic is suspected. The families in
Smokey's community are now at each other's throats as they position their preferred
candidates to take up the crystal circlet, a symbol of authority. The overseer's

disciple, Smokey, sets out to discover the truth of her illness to restore her to health."
At this point, the PCs have not met yet. Ronwise looks over the backgrounds of
Chabuwu and Kina and tells Louis and Nellie:
"You're being transported on a wagon from Gul'dah to an exile's prison somewhere
close to the high mountains of Izenvard. You were charged with being accomplices to
a criminal mastermind who sought to overthrow the sultana by an elaborate scheme
of discrediting her rule. The carriage, however, is attacked by hobgoblin
bandits near the base of the mountains."
60
Ronwise: "Chabuwu and Kina, in the interest of expediting you two to meet with
Smokey, how did you manage to evade the hobgoblin bandits?
Nellie (as Kina): "I still have some remaining explosive components hidden on my
person. I used them to set off an explosion that would topple the wagon and create
enough smoke so that we can escape."

This action seems like Kina is trying to Overcome Adversity, the adversity being the
encroaching hobgoblin bandits.
Ronwise (as the MC): "This could either be a bold or clever plan, so you pick which
approach you prefer to use. Your current well-being is stable, so grab a d8. Since you
only have spare components, grab a d6 as your tool die, since it would be functional
for the task at hand. This seems like a risky plan and you would be aware of that, so
when you roll, use the middle roll as your result."
61
Nellie: Okay, I'm going to use my d8 from Bold, since that's higher than my d6 from Clever. My dice
pool is a d8, a d8, and a d6 and I rolled a 3, a 4, and a 6. You said the middle roll is my result, which
is 4. Hmm.
Ronwise: "On a 4 or 5 for Overcome Adversity, you have a hard choice to make so that Kina gets
what she wants OR she doesn't get what she wants but there's a silver lining."
Nellie: "How about this? My hard choice is that Chabuwu is knocked senseless due to the force of

the explosion and I have to drag her ass out of the wagon, which will slow me down. Are you okay
with that, Chabs?"
Louis (as Chabuwu): "I'm okay with that. Just don't leave me here to die."
Ronwise: "Smokey, you notice an explosion off in the distance. Near the explosion site, you see
some members of the Titanite hobgoblin tribe. You also see a girl with bright pink hair in rags
pulling an unconscious girl or short person in rags by her shoulders away from there. You get the
impression that the hobgoblins were trying to ambush the wagon."
Wes (as Smokey): "I want to interpose myself between the girls and the hobgoblin bandits and
channel ice magic with my frost wand to create a respectable snowslide to keep those hobgoblins
from catching up to them."
62
Ronwise: "It seems like you're trying to prevent the encroaching hobgoblin bandits
from reaching Kina and Chabuwu. This plan sounds like it could either be clever or
forceful, your choice of either approach. Your current well-being is stable, so grab a
d8. You're using your frost wand, which is a very suitable tool for channeling ice
magic, so use a d10 as your tool die. You're near the base of the mountain, which is
snowy, so I'll say that you're at an advantage here, so when you roll your dice, use the

highest roll as your result."
Wes: "Yeah, that's what I'm trying to do. My dice pool is a d10 from Clever, a d8 from
my well-being, and a d10 from my frost wand. I rolled a 2, 3, and 8. You said high roll
is the result, which is 8! Hell yeah, brother!"
Ronwise: "Nice! On a 6, 7, or 8 for Impose on Another, your target is forbidden from
performing a particular action for as long as it makes sense. In this case, your target,
the hobgoblin bandits, are blocked off from reaching Kina and Chabuwu due to the
snowslide that you summoned with your frost wand."
63
Wes (as Smokey): "That snow should occupy them for now. C'mon, let's get the hell outta there. I
wanna find a safe place for us to hide and recuperate. Chabs looks like she's hurt pretty bad."
Ronwise: "You're familiar with this area and I think it makes sense that the safe place you're looking
for is some out-of-the-way cave you've used as a sanctuary to just get away from it all for a
while. Keep in mind that the snowslide won't hold off the hobgoblin bandits forever."

Wes: "Oh yeah, we're definitely in a hurry. I want to go find this place as soon as possible."
Ronwise: "Okay, so since you're under pressure from being rediscovered or just general exposure to
danger and the elements, we'll see how this turns out. This place is familiar to you, so you have a
big advantage there, meaning that you'll use the highest roll as your result. Grab your Quick
approach die, your d8 for stable well-being, and since you're relying on your senses, grab a d6 tool
die."
Wes: "My Quick approach die is a d8. So my dice pool will be a d8, a d8, and a d6. I rolled a 2, a 2,
and a 3. Shit."
64
Ronwise: "Yeesh! On a 3 or less for Overcome Adversity, things do not go as
intended and the MC decides what happens. Okay, so you did manage to find your
hidden sanctuary, but you all encounter a hobgoblin in shamanistic garb. Smokey,
you recognize him as a Titanite shaman! You recall that the Titanite hobgoblin tribe
worship the earth esper, Titan, who grants them power over earth and stone. The

Titanite tribe seeks to establish supremacy over the high mountains of Izenvard by
stamping out any other esper worshippers. Their main competition are the
worshipers of the ice esper, Shiva."
Ronwise makes his voice more gruff to imitate the Titanite shaman's accent and
addresses Smokey as the Titanite shaman: "Foolish Shiva worshipper! Did you think
that we would not discover your hideout? Through my devotion, I will show you that
the high mountains of Izenvard belong to Titan and the Titanite tribe!"
65
Ronwise: "The Titanite shaman is ritualistically gesturing and chanting. Jagged
stones protrude from all over his body. He kind of resembles someone infected with
the Doomsday virus from DC comics. Smokey, you realize that this shaman is actually
a Conduit, a being that has bonded to an esper (in this case, Titan). A Conduit can
be so in-tuned with their esper that the esper can manifest itself from its Conduit into

a hybrid form. Chabuwu, you are no longer knocked senseless. What do you and
Kina do?"
Louis: "Seeing as all we're wearing are rags, I want to find a place to hide."
Nellie: "Me, too. I'll follow Chabs."
Ronwise: "If this were a movie scene or a comic book page, describe to me what
trying to find a hiding place looks like."
66
Louis (as Chabuwu): "I'm being really sneaky about it, tip-toeing my way to some
bushes or some similar type of concealment around here."
Nellie (as Kina): "I'm following his lead, since she's sneakier than I am."
Ronwise: "Okay. I think it makes sense that Chabuwu leads the effort and will share

the outcome with Kina. The way you described your efforts points to a Sneaky
approach, which is d10 for you. You're not at your baseline well-being because of the
explosion from the wagon, so we'll say that your current well-being is Distressed, so
a d6 for that. Last but not least, you have no special tool to help conceal your
presence, but your body is small, so let's call that a d6 tool die. I get the impression
that you think you're playing to your strengths, but you're not in a position to get an
accurate assessment of your level of risk, so I'll let you know which roll to use as your
result after you've rolled."
67
Louis: "Sounds fine by me. Okay, so my dice pool is a d10 and two d6s. Let's see if
the dice gods are on my side...a 6, a 5, and a 3."
Ronwise: "Alright. Despite the fact that the two of you are small, trying to find a place
to hide by tip-toeing across from him while in line of sight is an act of
desperation. Your result will be your lowest roll, which is a 3, so I, as the MC, tell you

what happens. The Conduit notices this and telepathically rips two stone chunks
from the ground in front of you two and violently smashes them together. The rocky
shrapnel knocks both of you off your feet and onto your backs."
Louis: "Of course! Why would it be any other way?"
68
Wes (as Smokey): "I take out my magical crystal and harness its power into the frost
wand. I want to turn that shaman into a popsicle with a powerful beam of frost and
shatter him into a million pieces like Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat!"
Ronwise: "That sounds wicked! Okay, this is going to take some time, so you'll be
exposing yourself to the danger of a pre-emptive strike before you can get your

attack out first. Let's call it risky. Since you're making a grand show of power, I'll let
you pick between a bold or forceful approach. Your well-being is still stable, so that's
a d8. Finally, you're using your magical crystal to power up your frost wand in a
snowy environment, so let's say that these are the ideal tools for the job: a d12! Form
your dice pool and make that roll."
Wes: "Okay, so my Bold die is better than my Forceful die, so that's a d6. My dice
pool is a d6, a d8, and a d12. My roll is 1, 5, and 5."
69
Ronwise: "Okay, so you've got two choices here: you can either blast him with the full
force of your attack, but get skewered in the process, or you can notice him rush
towards you and you let out your attack prematurely for a less powerful effect."
Wes: "I think I'll let out my attack prematurely so that I don't get a hole in my
stomach."

Ronwise: "Smokey, you notice that the Titanite Conduit starts to rush at you with the
intention of sinking his forearm stone spur into your gut. In a wild act of self-
preservation, you launch the ice beam from your wand before it has gathered
enough ice magic to make him into a popsicle. The beam manages to catch him on
his left shoulder area, knocking him on his back and shattering the jagged stone
from that part of his body."
70
Louis (as Chabuwu): "I want to shank him while he's down. Shit, I don't have anything
on me, do I? Like a shiv or something?"
Ronwise: "I think it would make sense for you to have some sort of shiv on you,
seeing as you're a career criminal and this was actually your first time being caught."

Wes: "I want to give Chabs my ice dagger and I tell him to use this instead."
Louis (as Chabuwu): "Nice. It's time to get to work, boys! I want to rush at the
hobgoblin and go at his belly, Navy Seals style."
Ronwise: "Seems like you're trying to be quick about it and since he's on his back,
you have the advantage. 'You have the high ground, Anakin!' j/k. Anyways, Quick
approach, Distressed well-being, and let's say the ice dagger is great for the job, so a
d10 tool die."
71
Louis: "Okay, so that’s a d10 for Quick, a d6 for Distressed, and a d10 tool die. Rolling...a
4 and two 5s. High roll is the result, which is a 5. Let's see what happens, shall we?"
Ronwise: "Okay, so you manage to rush him with the ice dagger that Smokey tossed you
and you got one good stab at the hobgoblin's upper leg before he rose up and gave you a
massive backhand! Church bells are ringing in your head as your little shortkin self flies

back a good 10-15 feet! For now, you're in a Crisis state of well-being. The good news is
that the shaman is in massive pain!
Nellie (as Kina): "I want to scrounge up what few explosive components I have left and
blow up his face with makeshift grenades!"
Ronwise: "Okay then. After this, you'll have run out of explosive components until you can
gather up some more. Also, seeing your friend getting smacked like that has really
angered you: you're well-being will be considered Invigorated for this next roll."
72
Ronwise: "The hobgoblin shaman is distracted from the pain of the ice dagger
plunged into his upper leg, so the advantage is yours. Are you trying to get the most
bang for your buck or you want to use your makeshift grenades as fast as possible?"
Nellie: "As fast as possible."

Ronwise: "Okay, so you keep the time advantage but the effect won't be as big as you
want it to be. Grab your Quick approach die, your Invigorated well-being die, and a
d6 tool die, since this is the last of your meager explosive components."
Nellie: "Okay, so my dice pool is d10 from Quick, a d10 from being Invigorated, and
a d6 from my tool. I roll a 5, a 5, and a 6! Having the advantage means I use the
highest roll as my result, right?"
Ronwise: "Yes, ma'am! Describe what this looks like."
73
Nellie: "Okay, so since I chose speed over power, I didn't blow up his head, but I did
manage to blind him with my makeshift grenades when I tossed them at his face. I
also screamed, 'Nobody smacks Chabs like that!' I think it's time we got away while
the getting's good."
Wes and Louis: "Let's do that."

Ronwise: "You managed to get away from the injured Titanite shaman and you head
towards Smokey's village. I think this is a good stopping point here. We'll pick it up
next time from where we left off. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves, I certainly
did. Also, if there's anything you want to see for next time or if you have any
questions or concerns, just let me know so that I can address them."
The Players: "Thanks, man. This was awesome! I can't wait to do it again!"
74
WES' QUICK & DIRTY CHARACTER SHEET
Smokey Bold 4
6 8 10 12
My name is _______________________________, Ace
but people call me __________________________.
hobgoblin high mountains of Izenvard Careful 4 6 8 10 12
I was born a ____________________________ in the _________________________________________.
Clever 4 6 8 10 12
Growing up, I learned to _______________________________
wield ice magic through deep concentration from ___________________________.
my former overseer, Frostfang
Forceful 4 6 8 10 12
As an adult, I ________________________________________________________________
use my magic to help preserve supplies that need to be kept at cooler temperatures for a living.
Quick 4
6 8 10 12
The defining moment that led me to the life of _________________________________________
seeking out the highest forms of ice magic was
when my parents and sister were killed by an Efreet from another land Sneaky 4
6 8 10 12
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
My main motivation to act is _________________________________________________________,
to become more powerful so that I can protect my territory but Well-Being
reckless behavior due to my thirst for power
Invigorated
Stable 8

Distressed 6
Frost Wand
Crisis State 4
Ice Dagger Out of Action
Magical Crystal
Power Scale
Suit of Frost Armor
My body, mind, & senses 4 or 6
75
WES' QUICK & DIRTY AUXILIARY SHEET
I can channel cold magical energy through my frost wand.
I can use the magical crystal to supercharge cold magical energy
through my frost wand, but that takes time. It also takes time to
recharge.
The sacrifices that I made to master cold magic have caused me to be
extremely sensitive to temperatures hotter than very cold (the hotter,
the worse). My suit of frost armor keeps by body temperature to be
low. In essence, I'm kind of like Mr. Freeze.

76
NELLIE'S QUICK & DIRTY CHARACTER SHEET
Kina Tiny Kiny Bold 4
6 8 10 12
human girl realm of Thoros Careful 4 6 8 10 12
I was born a ____________________________ in the _________________________________________.
Clever 4 6 8 10 12
As a child, I learned to _______________________________
blow things up with just about anything from ___________________________.
lots of haphazard experimentation
Forceful 4 6 8 10 12
sell my skills to the highest bidder
Still a child, I ________________________________________________________________ for a living.
Quick 4
6 8 10 12
an underground demolitions expert was
The defining moment that led me to the life of _________________________________________
Sneaky 4
6 8 10 12
surviving the devastation of her home realm
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
to find a family of my own
My main motivation to act is _________________________________________________________, but Well-Being
my psychotic tendencies
Invigorated
Stable 8

Distressed 6
Bag* Stuffed bunny with falling eye*
Crisis State 4
Gunpowder* Old, rusty rocket launcher* Out of Action
Mesh*
Power Scale
Matches
My body, mind, & senses 4 or 6 Tools marked with * were not available at the start, due to initial circumstances.
77
NELLIE'S QUICK & DIRTY AUXILIARY SHEET
I can jury-rig explosives to have a diverse array of blast shapes.
When my well-being reaches a crisis state, everything goes red and my
well-being die rating is d10 until the thing that set me off is gone or
dead.

78
LOUIS' QUICK & DIRTY CHARACTER SHEET
Chabs Bold 4
6 8 10 12
Chabuwu
gutters of Gul'dah Careful 6 8 10 12
female shortkin
I was born a ____________________________ in the _________________________________________.
4
con people Clever 6 8 10 12

Growing up, I learned to _______________________________ Aladji Tadaladji
from ___________________________.
4
rob, hurt, and deceive people Forceful 4 6 8 10 12

As an adult, I ________________________________________________________________ for a living.
crime Quick 4
6 8 10 12
The defining moment that led me to the life of _________________________________________ was
becoming a peddler of "alchemical wonders" with my friend, Monomo Ulnomo Sneaky 4
6 8 10 12
_______________________________________________________________________________________.
acquiring wealth and power
My main motivation to act is _________________________________________________________, but Well-Being
the "puritans" of the Gul'dah sultanate
Invigorated
Stable 8

Distressed 6
"alchemical treats"* Pocket knife Forgery Kit*
Crisis State 4
Cloak of Stealth* Lockpicking set* Injectors* Out of Action
Jacket with hidden pockets*
Power Scale
My body, mind, & senses 4 or 6 Tools marked with * were not available at the start, due to initial circumstances.
79
LOUIS' QUICK & DIRTY AUXILIARY SHEET
Keen hearing
Dexterous Hands
I learned how to hide stuff and myself well through a lifetime of
criminality.
My adorable appearance helps me exploit others' soft spot for me.
I can mix alchemical components to make a variety of "medicines" and
"supplements," though there's always a catch!

80
QUICK & DIRTY
RPG SYSTEM: Playtest Edition v1.0
by Ronwise Gamgee
MC'S GUIDE
For personal use only. Do not
distribute without written
permission from the author,
Ronwise Gamgee.
81
MC'S GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS
Subject Matter Pg. Subject Matter Pg.

The difference between the Player's Guide 83 Note-taking and tips for creating NPCs 118-120
and the MC's Guide
The role of the Master of Ceremonies 84-88 Game flow and escalating tension in-game 121-124
The definition of the narrative 89 Special abilities for player characters 125-132
Setting and Quest Starter Creation 90-95 Handling character change and advancement 133
The structure of a typical game session 96-98 Hacking Quick & Dirty 134-136
Dealing with player vs. character knowledge 99-103 Author's hopes for Quick & Dirty 137

How to adjudicate character setbacks 104-106 Author's Sources of Inspiration 138-142
Randomly generating in-game content 107-117 Special Thanks 143
82
The Player's Guide contains the core rules
and procedures necessary to use Quick &
Dirty as a player (someone controlling a
WHAT'S THE

Player Character).
The MC's Guide, on the other hand, contains
DIFFERENCE advice and procedures on how to run a
tabletop roleplaying session as a Master of
BETWEEN THE Ceremonies (the MC).
PLAYER'S GUIDE Any prospective MC should read the Player's

Guide first before reading the MC's Guide.
AND THE While it's not necessary to do so, players can

also read the MC's Guide to have an idea as to
MC'S GUIDE? what the MC is supposed to do.

Who knows? Maybe someday, a player may
want to be the MC for a change (and that's
awesome)!
83
The term "Master of Ceremonies" or "MC" was chosen in order to emphasize the duties of that role. According to
the American Heritage online dictionary, an MC is...
❖ A person who acts as host at a formal event, making the welcoming speech and introducing other speakers.
❖ A performer who conducts a program of varied entertainment by introducing other performers to the
audience.

While the act of gathering with a group of friends to play a tabletop RPG is an informal event, the rest of the
definition fits quite nicely with the duties of an MC. Creating a welcoming environment and acknowledging the
other players as speakers is something an MC ought to do. The RPG session is a sort of program of varied
entertainment, but in this case, the performers and the audience are one in the same. Last but not least, the MC is
the host of this event and should strive to be the ideal host by ensuring that the game goes smoothly and that
everyone (including the MC) is having a good time.
While other aspects of the MC's duties are not explicit in the term itself (such as being the arbiter of the rules or
the referee that settles disputes), a Master of Ceremonies invokes a more ideal image of what this special player
is more than an "arbiter," "referee," or "Game Master."
Is it pretentious? I don't think so because the title fits the role when performed well.
84
The MC is NOT an author or a storyteller!
A tabletop roleplaying game is NOT a novel!

Players are not there for the ride of a
railroaded adventure!
If you ever feel the need to force the
narrative in a particular direction, RESIST
WHAT THE THIS TEMPTATION!

The rules and procedures are designed to
MC IS NOT!
fight against railroading! Even though the
players may decide what to do and you

determine what dice they roll, the dice roll
determines the outcome. You, as the MC,
interpret the outcome in a way that makes
sense in the narrative.
The process of conversation, dice-rolling,
and outcome interpretation will develop the
story all on its own. Play to find out what
happens!
85
First off, you provide a fictional setting where the narrative
takes place. The players will create characters so that they
can go on adventures in this narrative. Make it seem real!

Second, you provide structure and assistance to the
character creation process. The structure comes in the
form of limitations and an array of dice to distribute
WHAT DO I DO amongst the characters' approaches.

Third, you provide a situation for the player group to get
AS A MASTER involved in, usually in the form of an immediate problem

within the narrative that they can act on. Draw upon the
fictional setting and player character details to make this

OF CEREMONIES? situation more relevant. Make the players' characters' live
not boring!
Last but not least, through conversation, the players tell you
what they want to do and you tell them what happens. If
there is a question of whether or not a character succeeds
and if it matters to the narrative, tell them what dice they
need to roll and interpret the outcome based on the dice
roll result and the narrative. Play to find out what happens!
86
If you were to observe a group of people playing a
tabletop roleplaying game, you would see people
talking with each other. Regardless of the details
A ROLEPLAYING

of the conversation, they're having a conversation.
Technical details are not the only thing to have a
SESSION IS A conversation about in a roleplaying game!

The conversation is not restricted to the linear
CONVERSATION sequence of events occurring in the narrative! You

can jump back and forth from past to present as
needed.
BETWEEN The MC can ask a player about anything from their

character's past and then incorporate those details
EVERYONE AT into the game at any point in time (especially
when the player gets a result of 5 or less on a dice
roll)!
THE TABLE. The MC may even declare scenarios that
happened in a character's past and ask them how
they resolved them. That's a great way into inject
new and relevant content into the narrative!
87
When your players are speaking in rules jargon about what they want to happen, stop them and ask
them what they want to happen in the narrative and how they want to go about it. Ask them to
describe it as if an audience were watching a movie scene and not as a tactical video game.
You decide what rules and procedures are most applicable in this situation. If you're unsure of
which to use because the player's description was vague, ask them to clarify. If multiple approaches

are valid, ask the player how they would like to approach the situation to not only determine which
dice to use, but how the action plays out.
If the player needs to make a dice roll, tell them what dice need to be used based on their
approach, their current well-being, and the tool they're using. When it comes to determining which
basic action to use (like Overcome Adversity or Investigate), for the love of all that is good, don't
say, "This is an Overcome Adversity roll." If you're unsure of which rule or procedure to use, ask
they player what they're trying to accomplish ("Are you trying to do this or that?"). Last but certainly
not least, NEVER replace describing the narrative with rules jargon: this is tabletop roleplay, not a
board game or a video game.
88
"Narrative" refers to the following:
❖ The fictional setting,
THE WORD ❖ The details of the fictional setting,

"NARRATIVE" KEEPS ❖ The way things work in the fictional
POPPING UP. WHAT setting,

DOES IT MEAN? ❖ The events occurring in the fictional
setting, and
❖ The unfolding story occurring in the
fictional setting.
89
That can seem like a pretty daunting endeavor, but
with the right framework and the right mindset,
PROVIDING A doing so is very manageable and can be done in

short order. The best part about this is that you, as
SETTING WHERE the MC, can not only elicit the help of the rest of
your players, it would be even better to do so than
THE NARRATIVE to do this by yourself!
TAKES PLACE You need a foundation from which to plant your

setting's roots in. From this foundation and a quest
SOUNDS LIKE A starter, players will take action and events will

unfold, branching out in ways that no one can
HUGE UNDERTAKING! predict or duplicate. The more time the group
spends watering this "story tree," the more
wondrous (or at least interesting) the group's tale
will be.
90
If you've ever played a real-time strategy computer game like Warcraft or an isometric computer roleplaying
game like Baldur's Gate, you can see their immediate surroundings, but when you move the camera outwards, it's
all black. This is known as the fog of war.
To clear the fog of war and reveal what it's hiding, you have to move your characters in the direction of the fog of
war. Furthermore, just because the characters can't see beyond the fog of war doesn't mean that there's nothing
there. It's just not within the characters' (or players') perception at that point in time.

A tabletop roleplaying game's setting is similar in this manner. However, when making a setting the Quick &
Dirty way, what is beyond the fog of war is not just outside of the players' or the PCs' awareness, it hasn't been
established yet. That doesn't mean that it doesn't exist!
When a player asks for more details about a part of the setting that isn't known to them yet and it makes sense in
the narrative for their character to know, the answers given are akin to dispersing the fog of war for that part of
the setting.
If the players want to keep the fog of war from re-emerging, they should be proactive and take diligent
notes. The MC should most definitely take notes as well, as handling setting details is a vital part of their role.
91
A setting profile is very similar to a character profile: there is
a paragraph that provides the setting's skeleton and the MC
fleshes it out by filling in the blanks with the appropriate
details. Here's what a setting profile looks like:

"Your tale begins in/on/at (starting location), a (punchy
description for starting location). From the (point of interest)
to the (point of interest polar opposite to the first), you'll find
(something big that the area is known for). In this world,
magic is (rarity and/or legality/reputation), danger is (rarity
SETTING
and/or root cause) and daily life is (state of daily life). (It's a
lot like [movie, book, or other fictional work].) People are
hopeful that (insert population's overarching desire) but
(insert reason why population's desire is not
PROFILE
happening). (Insert quest starter)."

You don't need to imagine every detail of your setting when
you begin the game. You just need enough to give the
players a sense of time and place. Change around any part
of the profile that you think is not appropriate for the
setting. For example, if you know that a source of
supernatural power other than magic exists in your setting
(like psionics or nanotech), then replace magic with that
phenomenon.
Last but not least, make sure that everyone is comfortable
with the setting they will be playing in.
92
Your story begins in the heart of The Allegorium, a

beacon of survival and hope. From the Temple of
Aeons to the southern Flood of Light, you'll find
people on the brink of annihilation. In this world,
magic is regulated, danger is otherworldly, and
daily life is always a risk. (It's a lot like Final
Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers.) People here are
EXAMPLE OF hopeful that night will return once more, but the
light plague is spreading.
A SETTING PROFILE
AND A Quest Starter: Having tracked the source of the

QUEST STARTER magical energies suspected of putting your
guildmates in a coma, you successfully manage to
cross from your world into another world
altogether. Upon stepping through, you are in a
forest of lavender leaves. While taking in the
sights, smells, and silence of this forest, you hear a
man screaming for his life not far off in the
distance. What do you do?
93
The purpose of a quest starter is to provide the PC group with a situation that has a call to action on their part.
The situation should be relevant to the narrative and it should happen in their vicinity.
There should be something that requires immediate attention on their part and if they don't do something about it, it will
make their lives worse or more complicated. It's already a given that the NPCs and environment around them will change
as a consequence of inaction.

If they have goals they want to achieve, this situation is stopping them from doing so.
If they have someone or something they want to keep safe or not lose, not dealing with this situation will put their
precious charge in danger or will take it away from them.
If you're not sure what their goals are or what they want to keep safe or not lose, ask the players! They ought to have goals
and things they want to keep safe, otherwise why are they going on these adventures?
Last but not least, inaction is the worst possible response to a quest starter. If they truly don't care about the quest starter
you've presented them, find out why and try to change the quest starter to conform to what they want out of the game. Be
flexible and adaptable.
94
(A threat) wants to (verb) the (noun), which will
(event).

❖ The threat could be anything relevant to the
narrative, but the closer it ties to one (or
more) of the PC's backgrounds, the better.
❖ The event should be the intention of the
threat, which will be bad news for everyone
and everything involved. This event will
SAMPLE also hinder (if not outright prevent) the
possibility of the PC's achieving their goals.
QUEST STARTER ❖ The noun is the thing that the threat interacts
TEMPLATE

with to achieve the stated event.
❖ The verb is the thing that the threat does with
the noun to achieve the stated event. If the
noun is something that the threat covets, then
the verb should be a method of claiming
possession or control over the noun. If the
noun is something that is in the threat's way,
then the verb should be a method of
overcoming or bypassing the noun.
95
The group gathers somewhere at an agreed upon date and
time, whether physically or virtually.
The space where they meet should be comfortable for
everyone and there should be enough table space for

everyone to have their character sheets, pencils, note paper,
WHAT DOES
dice, and refreshments (preferably stuff that will not drain their
energy).
The MC will either commence with setting and character
A TYPICAL creation (if it's the first session) or give/ask for a brief synopsis
of what happened in the previous session.
GAME SESSION
If it's the first session, the MC will then present a quest starter
that the group agreed upon. If it's past the first session, the MC
will then ask the group how they want to proceed from before.

LOOK LIKE? The group tells the MC what they want to do or asks them
clarifying or probing questions and the MC responds with as
much honesty as the narrative demands. The MC can also ask
(PART 1)
probing and provocative questions of the PCs, so that they can
build upon the answers into the narrative. All of this serves to
expand upon the narrative and to move the narrative forward.
When a player faces a challenge and the outcome is both
uncertain and failure would produce an interesting and
meaningful outcome in the narrative, the player describes their
character's intent, the manner in which they wish to achieve
their goal, and the tool they're using to achieve their goal.
96
The MC will then reiterate to the player what was said to
them to make sure they understood the player's intentions
and the player can correct the MC if something wasn't

clearly understood. If it makes sense for the player's
WHAT DOES character to accurately gauge their odds of success, the

MC will also inform the player whether the odds are in
their favor, if it's risky, or if the odds are against
A TYPICAL them. Otherwise, the MC informs the player that their
character can't get a reliable assessment of their odds
unless they take the appropriate narrative actions to do so
GAME SESSION (usually involving an Investigate roll).
Based on this feedback, the MC tells the player to form a

LOOK LIKE? dice pool based on the most relevant approach, the tool
they are using, and their current well-being. The player
rolls the dice based on their die ratings and determines
(PART 2) which roll to use as the result based on their odds (low,
middle, or high roll).
If their character wasn't able to make a reliable assessment
of their odds beforehand, it's at this point that the MC tells
them which roll they're using to determine the result.
97
Once the dice are rolled, the MC interprets an appropriate
outcome for the result of the dice roll. On a 3 or less, the
player's intentions are not realized as they wanted and MC

dictates what happens. On a 4 or 5, the MC and player
WHAT DOES collectively determine what kind of partially-successful

outcome occurs. On a 6, 7, or 8, the player's intentions are
actualized. On a 9 or higher, the player's intentions are
A TYPICAL actualized and the MC helps them determine what other
beneficial side-effect occurs!
GAME SESSION The outcome of the dice roll sticks and the narrative
changes accordingly, moving ever forward.

LOOK LIKE? The process of the back-and-forth conversation between
the MC and the players, along with dice rolls to resolve
meaningful challenges, is what moves the narrative
(PART 3) forward. Then, based on what has happened before and

where the players want to go, the narrative continues until
the session ends, either due to the "chapter/episode"
reaching a natural conclusion, the MC ending the session at
a cliffhanger, or real life taking precedence over the game
session.
98
❖ BOLD characters are in-tuned with
the relative confidence level of
others.
❖ CAREFUL characters are in-tuned
with the relative physical, social, and
emotional threat level of others.

If something in their character's background, ❖ CLEVER characters are in-tuned
notable traits, or past gaming sessions with the relative cleverness or
suggests that they're practiced in the kind of
intelligence of others.
situation they're in, then it's appropriate to
tell them "this seems like a risky action, so ❖ FORCEFUL characters are in-tuned
the middle roll will determine your result" or with the relative strength of others.
"your experience in this area tells you this is ❖ QUICK characters are in-tuned with
way out of your league with what you have at the relative physical and mental
this moment in time." speed of others.

❖ SNEAKY characters are in-tuned
Otherwise, tell the player that their character
can't get a reliable intuition as to how difficult with the relative naivete or cynicism
a challenge will be, though you can still of others.
inform them of an emotional intuition. A
character's highest approach die will inform
them of what they're most emotionally in-
tuned with (see sidebar).
99
Even though it's already written in their basic action descriptions, it bears worth repeating for the
MC in particular.
If a PC is trying to do something that's way out of their league but the character isn't aware of that
fact or they think they have a fighting chance, do not reveal to them that you're using the Mitigate
Losses procedure until after they roll their dice pool!

If the PC does nothing in the narrative to demonstrate that they're making the appropriate effort to
learn how risky their action is, neither the player nor their character are justified in knowing their
odds before the dice roll. If the player asks, "What's my level of risk here," they are at least entitled
to: "You don't know. What will you do to learn how risky your action will be?"
The same principle applies when a PC doesn't know that victory is a foregone conclusion. The
great thing about discovering that an Overcome Adversity roll is actually a Maximize Victory roll is
that it's always a pleasant surprise for the PCs when fortune is smiling upon them!
100
The MC and players can ask for more details or
clarification about pretty much anything happening

in the narrative. While it might be ideal for the MC to
be the perfect describer of surroundings
(incorporating all of the senses), each MC varies in
the amount of detail they put into these things. This
may leave some players confused while it allows
others to fill in the details in their interpretation of
DETAILS, CLARIFICATION, the narrative. In any case, communication is key.
AND SUGGESTIONS AS Furthermore, players can make suggestions to the
PART OF THE TABLETOP MC regarding details occurring in the narrative. This

is actually one of the great strengths of not only this
CONVERSATION. system, but of not spelling out every single detail: it
leaves room for input! Many minds can think of more
things than a single mind can.
Likewise, the MC can make suggestions of a player
character's details, like some part of their
background or their motivations. This should be
done sparingly, though, so it doesn't come off like the
MC is trying to control that player's character.
101
This is a tricky situation not only because all dice rolls are made out in the
open for everyone to see, but calling for an Investigate roll presumes that
there is an ambush or a trap to spot in the first place.
SHOULD I HIDE

The style of emergent content generation that Quick & Dirty espouses makes
it so that we don't know if there is a trap or ambush to spot in the first place. If
the player asks the MC "I want to search the area carefully for traps," MC has
DICE ROLLS IF
to first establish whether or not a trap or an ambush exists in the first place
before calling for an Investigate roll. If the MC decides to randomly
determine the existence of a trap or an ambush, they should hide this dice roll
from the players and make note of the result. Regardless of whether a trap or
A PC WANTS ambush exists, the player still need to make an Investigate roll to find out.
If there is a trap or ambush, on a 3 or less, they trigger the trap or are
TO NOTICE AN
ambushed . On a 4 or 5, they spring the trap or ambush, but manage to avoid
the danger at a cost or suffer half of the effect. On a 6-8, they notice the trap

or spot the ambush and avoid it. On a 9+, they not only notice and avoid the
trap or ambush, they can position themselves in an advantageous situation.
AMBUSH OR If there is no trap or ambush, on a 3 or less, ask the player if they expend lots
of time and resources or suffer a hard consequence first: If they do, they find
out, but if not, they don't find out. On a 4 or 5, ask the player if they expend a
A TRAP?
resource or spend enough time to cause an inconvenience: if they do, they
learn that there are no traps or ambushes lying in wait, otherwise, they don't
find out. On a 6-8, they learn that there are no traps or ambushes in place. On
a 9+, not only do they learn that there are no traps or ambushes in place, they
find a clue that helps them with one of their goals, gaining the upper hand
somehow.
102
When the outcome of a character's action would only
become meaningful later on in the narrative, you can
ask the player to hold off on making that dice roll.

The character's action take place in the narrative as
usual. However, the dice roll for the basic action
used is delayed until the outcome becomes relevant
in the narrative, making it a dramatic reveal to both
the characters in the narrative and the group at the
table.
WHEN DOES IT MAKE For example, a PC is trying to save their unconscious
SENSE TO POSTPONE mentor who's in a coma due to a hex placed on them
by administering a rare antidote they went on a
THE OUTCOME OF A harrowing quest to retrieve. However, the PC is in the
middle of trying to stop the archvillain from releasing
CHARACTER'S

a sealed demigod from its prison and the antidote
ACTION? takes anywhere between two to twelve hours to take
effect. The PC can't wait that long, so the MC tells the
PC to delay the dice roll to see if they correctly
administered the antidote. Later on, the PC is
confronting the archvillain and things are looking
dire. The MC decides that this is a dramatically
appropriate moment to see whether or not the
antidote restored the PC's mentor so that they make a
dramatic entrance to help the PC stop the archvillain
from unleashing a great evil.
103
When a player makes a dice roll to try to achieve a goal and the
result is a 4 or 5, that's when you, as the MC, step up and

collaborate with the player on what the outcome should be.
WHAT DO I DO First, recall what their intent was and the method they used to
actualize that intent.
WHEN A PLAYER'S
Then, determine a way to make that goal happen but with a
hitch of some sort. Draw from the narrative, the PC's
possessions, the PC's background details, the PC's approach
DICE ROLL IS A die ratings, the target's abilities or circumstances, and/or any
unresolved narrative threads to muddy the waters, so to speak.

PARTIAL SUCCESS Offering the player one of two tough choices is always a good
technique to use.
(A 4 OR 5)? You can also put them in danger and call for an Overcome
Adversity roll to see what setback they incur as the price of
fully actualizing their intent. They can always get lucky and roll
a 6 or higher on this roll, but the exposure to possible harm is
the price they paid for rolling a 4 or 5 on a previous dice
roll. Think of it like a counter-response or a trap going off.
104
When a player makes a dice roll to try to achieve a goal and the
result is a 1, 2, or 3, that's when you, as the MC, decide what
happens.

First, whatever goal the PC set out to achieve either does not
occur or it occurs at a high price. Offer the player this option
WHAT DO I DO when they express a great desire to see this goal happen and
they are willing to pay the price.
WHEN A PLAYER'S
Then, determine what happens instead. Knowing what ought to
happen is usually determined when you tell the player what the
most likely consequences are if they roll poorly. But when their
DICE ROLL IS A
character wouldn't know what would happen, then you need to
infer from the narrative and determine what consequence(s)
would make the most sense...or would be the most interesting.

TOTAL FAILURE Offering the player one of two tough choices is always a good
technique to use.
(A 3 OR LESS)? You can also worsen their current well-being state by one (or
more) stages and describe the nature of this worsened state as
a detrimental condition. Alternatively, the PC's confidence is
shaken to the point that they're unable to make use of the
approach they used in the challenge they failed for the time
being. Alternatively, they indefinitely lose the tool they used in
a manner that makes sense in the narrative until they take
action to rectify this loss.
105
Here is a handy list of common setbacks to fall back on whenever you're in a lull about what
the consequences of the PC's inaction or unsuccessful actions should be. As always, take the

narrative into account when applying these techniques. As an option, you can randomly
determine what setback occurs on a percentile dice roll.
❖ (1-2) A trusted individual or community acts against ❖ (39-44) The environment or terrain introduces a new
the PCs. hazard.
❖ (3-4) An individual or community a PC cares about ❖ (45-50) A new danger or enemy is revealed.
is exposed to danger. ❖ (51-56) A friend, companion, or ally is in harm's way
❖ (5-7) A PC encounters signs of a looming threat. (or the PC is, if they're alone).
❖ (8-10) A PC creates an opportunity for an enemy. ❖ (57-62) One (or more) of a PC's tools malfunctions.
❖ (11-14) A PC faces a tough choice. ❖ (63-68) A PC's mode of transportation is damaged.

❖ (15-18) A PC faces the consequences of an earlier ❖ (69-74) Resources are wasted.
action or choice. ❖ (75-81) One or more PCs are harmed in some way.
❖ (19-22) A surprising development complicates a ❖ (82-88) One or more PCs are stressed in some way.
PC's quest. ❖ (89-95) One or more PCs are delayed or put at a
❖ (23-26) A PC is separated from something or disadvantage.
someone. ❖ (96-98) A PC is forced to act in their best interest.
❖ (27-32) A PC's action causes collateral damage or ❖ (99-00) Roll twice.
has an unintended effect.
❖ (33-38) Something of value is lost or destroyed. After a setback has occurred, always ask:
"What do you do?"
106
You actually do! It's not mandatory and not for the
same reasons as the players, but the MC can roll
dice to help generate content on the fly to keep
the game moving forward.

Granted, every procedure in Quick & Dirty serves
this underlined purpose, but the way the system
does it for players is different than the way it's
done for MCs.
MCs don't use NPCs the same way as players use
their characters. When an NPC does something to
DO I GET TO ROLL the player or for the player, it is typically as part
of the outcome of a basic action performed by the
DICE AS THE MC? character, such as Overcome Adversity or
Investigate.

However, when NPCs are doing something in the
narrative that doesn't directly involve the players
and the MC wants to leave the outcome somewhat
to chance, they can roll dice to find out what
happens.
This is not restricted to NPCs, either. It could be
anything not involving the PCs where the MC asks
"Does X happen?" Basically, yes/no questions.
107
The answer is yes
Odds
if the roll is...*
When asking a yes/no question about something Almost Certain 90 or less

pertinent in the narrative that you want to randomly Likely 75 or less
determine, you must first assign odds of the answer
being "yes." The way you determine the odds is 50/50 50 or less
based on what makes sense in the narrative. Unlikely 25 or less
The most straightforward way you assign odds is Small Chance 10 or less
with a percentage (from 1% to 99%). However,
percentages cover a HUGE range of numbers to deal *A roll of 00 counts as 100.
with, so refer to the sidebar to the right on which
ones are the most practical.

Once you've determined the odds of the answer
being "yes," roll percentile dice (or 2d10 and read
the result from left to right) and compare it with the
odds you've set. If you roll equal to or under those
odds, the answer is yes. Otherwise, the answer is no.
Framing questions in a yes/no format makes this
technique much easier to employ than with open-
ended questions (though we'll cover those as well).
108
Odds Roll this many d6s
Almost Certain 3d6 (pick highest roll)
This alternate method of producing random

Likely 2d6 (pick highest roll)
outcomes is still focused on answering yes/no 50/50 1d6
questions, but the answers are more nuanced. Unlikely 2d6 (pick lowest roll)
When asking a yes/no question about something Small Chance 3d6 (pick lowest roll)
pertinent in the narrative, you must first assign odds
of the answer being "yes." The way you determine
the odds is based on what makes sense in the
narrative.
Roll Outcome
With the Many Outcomes method, you roll a number
of d6s based on the odds of the answer being some 1 No, and...
form of "yes" by referring to the side bar on the 2 No
right. 3 No, but...
4 Yes, but...
Once you've determined the odds of the answer
being some form of "yes," roll a number of d6s 5 Yes
based on those odds and refer to the outcome 6 Yes, and...
column to see what outcome you get.
109
Before you do this, only resort to this method when the answer to
the open-ended question that you have is not immediately obvious
or something that you can't come up with upon cursory
examination of what's going on in the narrative and with an NPC's

motivations.
If the seed of an answer takes more than 20 seconds or so to sprout
HOW DO I into anything (not just the answer you're satisfied with, but anything
that's even remotely plausible within the narrative), then employ a
GENERATE
procedure for randomly generating an answer to an open-ended
question.
RANDOM ANSWERS
Generating random answers for open-ended questions involves
the following:
❖ Narrative Context: Referencing the narrative setting and

FOR OPEN-ENDED events that have taken place.
❖ Inductive Reasoning: Extracting likely premises from
QUESTION? specific and limited observations.

❖ Interpretation: Being able to explain the meaning of
something.
❖ Idea-Generating Procedures: A method of producing ideas
to interpret and apply to the open-ended question at hand.
110
There are two random tables that can be used in
combination to provide prompts to interpret an

answer to an open-ended question about goals,
situations, and events. These are the Action Prompts
table and the Theme Prompts table.
❖ First, you ask your open-ended question.
WHAT KIND OF ❖ Next, you roll percentile dice for the Action Prompts
PROCEDURE CAN I USE table and match the roll with the prompt listed for
that number.
TO RANDOMLY ANSWER ❖ Alternatively, you can browse through the Action Prompts
OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS table and select a prompt that calls to you.
❖ Then, you select or roll for a prompt for the Theme
ABOUT GOALS,

Prompts table as you did for the Action Prompts
SITUATIONS, OR table.
❖ Afterwards, match the action prompt with the theme
EVENTS? prompt to get a "verb-noun" phrase.
❖ Lastly, come up with an answer to your question by
interpreting the verb-noun phrase that you
rolled. This phrase can be interpreted literally or
abstractly, as the situation demands. Remember to
apply narrative context and use inductive reasoning
to help guide your interpretation.
111
1 Abandon 21 Clash 41 Escort 61 Leave 81 Reveal
2 Acquire 22 Command 42 Evade 62 Locate 82 Risk

3 Advance 23 Communicate 43 Explore 63 Lose 83 Scheme
4 Affect 24 Construct 44 Falter 64 Manipulate 84 Search
5 Aid 25 Control 45 Find 65 Mourn 85 Secure
6 Arrive 26 Coordinate 46 Finish 66 Move 86 Seize
7 Assault 27 Create 47 Focus 67 Oppose 87 Serve
8 Attack 28 Debate 48 Follow 68 Overwhelm 88 Share
9 Avenge 29 Defeat 49 Fortify 69 Persevere 89 Strengthen
10 Avoid 30 Defend 50 Gather 70 Preserve 90 Summon

11 Await 31 Deflect 51 Guard 71 Protect 91 Support
12 Begin 32 Defy 52 Hide 72 Raid 92 Suppress
13 Betray 33 Deliver 53 Hold 73 Reduce 93 Surrender
14 Bolster 34 Demand 54 Hunt 74 Refuse 94 Swear
15 Breach 35 Depart 55 Impress 75 Reject 95 Threaten
16 Break 36 Destroy 56 Initiate 76 Release 96 Transform
17 Capture 37 Distract 57 Inspect 77 Remove 97 Uncover
18 Challenge 38 Eliminate 58 Investigate 78 Research 98 Uphold
19 Change 39 Endure 59 Journey 79 Resist 99 Weaken
20 Charge 40 Escalate 60 Learn 80 Restore 100 Withdraw
112
1 Ability 21 Decay 41 Hate 61 Phenomenon 81 Spirit
2 Advantage 22 Deception 42 Health 62 Possession 82 Stranger

3 Alliance 23 Defense 43 History 63 Power 83 Strategy
4 Authority 24 Destiny 44 Home 64 Price 84 Strength
5 Balance 25 Disaster 45 Honor 65 Pride 85 Superstition
6 Barrier 26 Discovery 46 Hope 66 Prize 86 Supply
7 Belief 27 Disease 47 Humanity 67 Prophesy 87 Survival
8 Blood 28 Dominion 48 Innocence 68 Protection 88 Technology
9 Bond 29 Dream 49 Knowledge 69 Quest 89 Time
10 Burden 30 Duty 50 Labor 70 Relationship 90 Tool

11 Commerce 31 Enemy 51 Language 71 Religion 91 Trade
12 Community 32 Expedition 52 Law 72 Reputation 92 Truth
13 Corruption 33 Faction 53 Legacy 73 Resource 93 Vengeance
14 Creation 34 Fame 54 Life 74 Revenge 94 Vow
15 Crime 35 Family 55 Love 75 Rival 95 War
16 Culture 36 Fear 56 Memory 76 Rumor 96 Warning
17 Cure 37 Fellowship 57 Nature 77 Safety 97 Weakness
18 Danger 38 Freedom 58 Opportunity 78 Sanctuary 98 Wealth
19 Death 39 Greed 59 Passage 79 Secret 99 Weapon
20 Debt 40 Hardship 60 Peace 80 Solution 100 World
113
There are two random tables that can be used in
combination to provide prompts to interpret an
answer to an open-ended question about details of a

location, discovery, or encounter. These are the
Descriptor Prompts table and the Focus Prompts
table.
WHAT KIND OF ❖ First, you ask your open-ended question.
Next, you roll percentile dice for the Descriptor
PROCEDURE CAN I USE ❖
Prompts table and match the roll with the prompt
TO RANDOMLY ANSWER listed for that number.
❖ Alternatively, you can browse through the Descriptor
OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS Prompts table and select a prompt that calls to you.
ABOUT DETAILS OF A Then, you select or roll for a prompt for the Focus

❖
Prompts table as you did for the Descriptor Prompts
LOCATION, DISCOVERY, table.
OR ENCOUNTER? ❖ Afterwards, match the descriptor prompt with the
theme prompt to get an "adjective-noun" phrase.
❖ Lastly, come up with an answer to your question by
interpreting the adjective-noun phrase that you
rolled. This phrase can be interpreted literally or
abstractly, as the situation demands. Remember to
apply narrative context and use inductive reasoning
to help guide your interpretation.
114
1 Abandoned 21 Conspicuous 41 Foreboding 61 Living 81 Rare
2 Abundant 22 Constructed 42 Forgotten 62 Lost 82 Remote

3 Active 23 Contested 43 Forsaken 63 Lush 83 Rich
4 Advanced 24 Corrupted 44 Fortified 64 Makeshift 84 Ruined
5 Alien 25 Created 45 Foul 65 Mechanical 85 Sacred
6 Ancient 26 Damaged 46 Fragile 66 Misleading 86 Safe
7 Archaic 27 Dead 47 Frozen 67 Moving 87 Sealed
8 Automated 28 Deadly 48 Functional 68 Mysterious 88 Secret
9 Barren 29 Decaying 49 Grim 69 Natural 89 Settled
Click to add text
10 Biological 30 Defended 50 Guarded 70 New 90 Stolen

11 Blighted 31 Depleted 51 Haunted 71 Obscured 91 Strange
12 Blocked 32 Desolate 52 Hidden 72 Open 92 Subsurface
13 Breached 33 Destroyed 53 High-Tech 73 Peaceful 93 Toxic
14 Broken 34 Diverse 54 Hoarded 74 Perilous 94 Trapped
15 Captured 35 Empty 55 Hostile 75 Pillaged 95 Undiscovered
16 Chaotic 36 Engulfed 56 Immersed 76 Powerful 96 Unnatural
17 Civilized 37 Ensnaring 57 Inaccessible 77 Preserved 97 Unstable
18 Collapsed 38 Expansive 58 Infested 78 Prominent 98 Untamed
19 Colossal 39 Exposed 59 Inhabited 79 Protected 99 Valuable
20 Confined 40 Fiery 60 Isolated 80 Radiant 100 Violent
115
1 Alarm 21 Debris 41 Illusion 61 Portal 81 Station
2 Anomaly 22 Device 42 Industry 62 Probe 82 Storage

3 Apparition 23 Dimension 43 Intelligent Agent 63 Reality 83 Storm
4 Archive 24 Ecosystem 44 Lair 64 Recording 84 Structure
5 Art 25 Enclosure 45 Lifeform 65 Refuge 85 Supply
6 Artifact 26 Energy 46 Liquid 66 Relic 86 Symbol
7 Atmosphere 27 Environment 47 Machine 67 Remains 87 System
8 Battleground 28 Equipment 48 Material 68 Rendezvous 88 Technology
9 Beacon 29 Facility 49 Mechanism 69 Resource 89 Terrain
10 Being 30 Fleet 50 Message 70 Route 90 Territory

11 Blockade 31 Force 51 Mineral 71 Ruins 91 Transportation
12 Boundary 32 Fortification 52 Monument 72 Salvage 92 Trap
13 Cache 33 Fuel 53 Network 73 Sector 93 Treasure
14 Cargo 34 Gas 54 Obstacle 74 Settlement 94 Vault
15 Commodity 35 Grave 55 Orbit 75 Shelter 95 Vehicle
16 Confinement 36 Gravity 56 Organism 76 Shortcut 96 Viewpoint
17 Container 37 Habitat 57 Path 77 Signal 97 Void
18 Creature 38 Hazard 58 People 78 Sound 98 Weapon
19 Crossing 39 Hideaway 59 Person 79 Spacetime 99 World
20 Data 40 Home 60 Plant 80 Ship 100 Wreckage
116
❖ If the prompt phrase you rolled doesn't make sense
or leaves you drawing a blank, roll up another

prompt or prompt phrase, or drop an unwanted
prompt and pick one that you saw earlier that did
make sense when matched with the other prompt.
❖ Prompt phrases are also great for generating
random events or random loot!
MORE ON ❖ When using the percentile roll method of

answering yes/no questions, whenever you roll
doubles, use that as a cue to generate a random
USING ❖
prompt phrase for extra variety!
Don't spend too much time on rolling for random

PROMPTS prompts. If you're stuck, ask for the group to chip
in. The more minds that are in the mix, the more
ideas you have to draw upon.
❖ If you're still stuck on what a prompt phrase means
after collaborating (or failing to collaborate) with
your group, take a time-out from play to get up,
stretch, and drink some water or grab a nutritious
snack. Hopefully, the reprieve will free up any
blocks to your imagination.
117
First and foremost, make sure you know the names of your
PCs. During the game, address the characters, not the

players. Keep notes on their names.
Keep notes on interesting places, people, things, and current
events. Give them names and jot down two to three bullet-
points for each. These bullet points should be distinguishing
features. Anywhere, anyone, or anything that a PC has taken
interest in falls under this category, even if it doesn't seem
important to you (you're not an author, remember?)
WHAT SHOULD I Keep notes on open-ended threads. An open-ended thread
is anything of importance to the narrative that hasn't been
KEEP NOTES ON? resolved yet. Did one of the PC's rivals flee the scene? Make

a note of that. These open-ended threads are opportunities
that the MC can re-introduce later on, either as a
consequence of a PC's actions, when it's narratively
appropriate, or as seeds for future quest starters.
Keep notes on what has happened to each PC. While each
player has a character sheet and an auxiliary sheet that
helps them record this information, having this information
on-hand can keep you in-the-know. They can also serve as
fuel for open-ended threads or other opportunities.
118
Answer the following questions:
❖ What is their distinguishing physical
feature?
❖ What does their voice sound like?
HOW DO I ❖ What is their base nature?
QUICKLY CREATE ❖ What is their influence in the narrative?
THREE-DIMENSIONAL ❖ What is their Achilles' heel?
NON-PLAYER

❖ What influence does their family or friends
CHARACTERS? exert?
❖ What is their driving passion?
❖ What is their destiny?
❖ What stands between them and their
destiny?
119
The five-factor personality model is a grouping of personality traits
developed from the 1980s onwards in psychological trait theory. We're
going to employ it in a Quick & Dirty manner to quickly create (or roll
for) NPC personalities.

The "Big 5" consists of five broad personality traits:
❖ Openness to new experiences (particularly in artistic and/or
intellectual fields)
❖ Conscientiousness (attention to orderliness and/or emphasis
on due diligence)
THE FIVE-FACTOR ❖ Extraversion (enthusiasm and/or engagement with others)
Agreeableness (compassion and/or politeness)
MODEL FOR NPC
❖
❖ Neuroticism (emotional volatility and/or propensity to
PERSONALITIES, withdraw from conflict)

A.K.A. "THE BIG 5" Each of these five broad personality traits (or the ten sub-traits) is on a
spectrum, from notable absence to overriding abundance of said trait.
To quickly generate a broad-strokes picture of an NPC's personality,
roll percentile dice on each of the five broad personality traits to
generate a scale from 1-100 (00 counts as 100).
Alternatively, you can simply pick a number from 1-100 for any (or all)
personality traits or sub-traits and roll for the rest if you have specific
personality traits for that NPC.
The goal is to be able to quickly generate and eyeball what an NPC's

personality is like using this method. This is an art, not a science.
120
Over the course of a game session, you and the group are working together to tell a story.
The MC paints the initial picture and provides a quest starter. The players may or may not ask
the MC clarifying questions to help paint a more comprehensive picture and provide
direction. The PCs take action and the world responds to them accordingly. Dice rolls are
made to produce outcomes, which are interpreted by the MC and the players. The situation

changes and the world unfolds. New elements are introduced. Tough choices emerge due to
the passage of time and the agendas of everyone involved. Consequences occur from those
choices and the narrative landscape changes. The PCs desires and actions propel the
narrative forward and the dice rolls ensure a degree of unpredictability.
Don't worry about keeping a good flow for your game session. Just paint an initial picture,
provide a quest starter, and the flow will take care of itself. This is not something you can truly
comprehend by only intellectualizing: you have to do this with your group to see for yourself.
Just do it.
121
Take note of the threats that exist in the narrative. These threats should be known to the PCs, even if it's off onto the
narrative's horizon.
Each threat has an agenda they (or it) seeks to fulfill. This agenda could be tied to their motivations or it could simply be
part of the threat's nature (like a natural disaster).
Each threat also has a scope of influence, starting from its center and spreading outward to its limit. These limits come in
different flavors, such as their physical limit, their social limit, their environmental limit, their economic limit, and so

on. Often times, the limits of their influence are undetermined, so take note of that.
Jot down six milestones for each threat, arranged in sequential order. The further down the milestone is, the more severe
it is. From the third to last milestone onward, the situation goes from preventing the threat from occurring to damage
control. The last milestone represents the completion of the threat's agenda.
When it makes sense in the narrative (typically as a consequence of a PC's actions), check off the threat's milestone,
starting from the first one and going down from there. Checking off a milestone means that the threat imposes its will
upon the narrative in the manner specified, so make it juicy and dramatic!
Attempting to stop threats from completing their agendas and restoring what they have changed back to how they were is
a great way of structuring game sessions. It gets even greater when there are multiple threats occurring simultaneously
and the PCs have to make tough choices. Be careful with this and use it sparingly so that you don't burn the group
out...but if they want to tackle those challenges, by all means, have at it!
122
A big challenge is a threat that the PCs cannot hope to succeed by dealing with it as if it were at their
level. Doing so would call for a Mitigate Losses roll: that's how difficult this challenge is.
Think of a "big challenge" threat as a Transformer composed of many separate challenges. Identify these
individual challenges and how they contribute to the big challenge at hand. These individual challenges
are more manageable, meaning that they can be dealt with via the appropriate basic actions, such as
Overcome Adversity or Manipulate Your Surroundings.

Discovering how to break down a big challenge into smaller, individual challenges is the PCs' job. This is
where Investigate rolls typically comes into play.
Saying "how do I overcome this challenge" or "what are the smaller, individual challenges we need to
overcome" are not sufficient to justify making an Investigate roll: the PCs have to take appropriate
narrative actions first.
After as many smaller individual challenges as possible are established, the PCs take appropriate actions,
roll dice, and discover what happens. Whenever a dice roll comes up as a 5 or less, you can choose to
check off a milestone in the threat's agenda, turning a big challenge into a race against the clock!
123
It should last as long as you and your group want it to.
In the tabletop roleplaying hobby, a single game session is
typically assumed to last anywhere between 3-4 hours on

average. That doesn't have to be the case, however, and this
length of time may not suit all groups or all circumstances. A
3-4 hour session is an average, not something to necessarily
strive for.
Sessions with 1-2 players tend to last shorter than sessions
with 3-5 players or more. The less people there are to focus
HOW LONG SHOULD the spotlight on, the quicker the narrative tends to move
along.
A TABLETOP RPG If you find yourself reaching the conclusion of a session
sooner than you'd like, that's okay. Expect this with shorter
SESSION LAST?

groups.
If you find that you can only do a couple of encounters before
you need to rest and recharge, that's okay. Get into a groove
that you're comfortable with and stop when you're tired.
The internet has made it much easier for people to meet up
online and run short (or long) game sessions. This principle
doesn't have to stay restricted to the internet, however. Find
what fits for your gaming group and try to stay consistent,
because nothing makes a gaming group collapse like
inconsistent attendance.
124
First and foremost, listen to what your players want their characters to
be able to do that sets them apart or makes them special and take
notes. They may tell you what these special abilities are in terms of the
setting, in terms of rules jargon (whether it's specific Quick & Dirty

terminology or in more generalized terms, like "buffs" and "debuffs," for
HOW CAN I MAKE instance), or a combination of the two.

This is where intimate knowledge and experience of the Quick & Dirty
SPECIAL ABILITIES RPG system and philosophy come into play. Is the special ability the
player wants for their character already something that they can do but
doesn't realize it yet? Does their character have some background
FOR THE PLAYER'S element that would make it feasible for them to already do what they
want?
CHARACTERS If the answer for these questions is "yes," simply tell the player that they
can already do the special ability that they want and explain how their

background details justify its use as well as any special circumstances
WITHOUT ACTUALLY that may allow them to use their special ability OR that may restrict them
from using their special ability.
MAKING THEM? Show them the procedures that would be most helpful when they want to
use their special abilities. Each basic action is wide in scope, making
them highly versatile with regards to how characters can do stuff in the
narrative. Provide examples of how different basic actions and rules can
be used to manifest different permutations of a special
ability. Hopefully, they will have a moment of clarity and/or inspiration
afterwards.
125
In this case, jot down exactly what it is that the
player wants their character's special ability to
be, how it works, and when it doesn't work. Often

times, a special ability simply grants the
character either something they can do in the
narrative that human beings cannot do (like fly or
turn invisible) or it allows them to do something
WHAT IF THE SPECIAL they can normally do but on a higher scale (like
ABILITY THE PLAYER super-strength or super-speed). These kinds of
special abilities are noted under Notable Traits on
WANTS NEEDS CREATIVE the Auxiliary Sheet.
ATTENTION BEYOND THE
It's also perfectly feasible for some special

CHARACTER'S abilities to have prerequisites that the character
BACKGROUND? must meet before they can acquire them. The loss
of the prerequisite can mean the partial or total
loss of access of a special ability, depending on
how it makes sense in the narrative.
There's more to making special abilities than just
granting extra narrative capabilities and tweaking
around with scale. Read on, my dear MC.
126
❖ Ask the MC certain questions that must
be answered truthfully*

❖ Bypass rolling for certain actions and
succeed automatically instead
❖ Establish truths in the narrative around a
A NOT-EXHAUSTIVE- specific theme
BUT-USEFUL LIST OF ❖ Frame scenes of a certain type*
SPECIAL ABILITY ❖ Improve odds of challenges in specific
circumstances
FUNCTIONS!

❖ Upgrade a specific die rating in certain
(PART 1) circumstances
❖ Gain access to a useful location or faction
❖ Create temporary bonds at a certain level
❖ Gain a permanent, specific bond
127
❖ Gain temporary or permanent additional

buffer slots at certain states of well-being
against certain types of trauma
❖ Reduce the amount of time it takes to
A NOT-EXHAUSTIVE- recover from the Distressed, Crisis, or Out
of Action states of well-being from a
BUT-USEFUL LIST OF specific category of trauma, for yourself or
SPECIAL ABILITY others (i.e. accelerated recovery)
FUNCTIONS! Change the die type of a specific state of

❖
well-being in specific circumstances
(PART 2) ❖ Allow one or more uses of plot armor
against specific types of trauma
❖ Gain a valuable tool
❖ Bestow temporary access to a skill or
special ability
128
❖ Gain benefits in the narrative with no

specific mechanical change*
❖ Keep the d8 die rating when your well-
being goes to Distressed and/or Crisis
A NOT-EXHAUSTIVE- states
❖ Remove certain kinds of detrimental
BUT-USEFUL LIST OF conditions
SPECIAL ABILITY Click to add Improve an existing tool by increasing its
❖ text
quality or expanding its uses
FUNCTIONS!

❖ Put off or delay detrimental conditions
(PART 3) until later
❖ Increase a specific category of scale in
certain circumstances
❖ Confer one of the above functions onto
another character, rather than to yourself
129
Those special ability functions require further elaboration.
❖ Ask the MC certain questions that must be answered truthfully: This function is designed to skip long
scenes where your character uncovers information – especially information that may not be crucial to
the progression of the narrative. The information gathered will be specific (such as, "What's the
quickest way out of here?") and is often tied to some element in the PC's background.

❖ Frame scenes of a certain type: When a player is given license to frame a scene, that means that they,
rather than the MC, set up the elements and the core motivation of it, though they'll have certain
restrictions. For example, a "Cut a Deal" trait allows a player to establish that they have access to an
NPC that can sell them anything they desire, but it doesn't define the cost or the NPC's willingness to
trade.
❖ Gain benefits in the narrative with no specific mechanical advantage: This broad function allows players
to define things about their character that don't directly increase their mechanical input to the
system. A character who becomes a police officer can make arrests, enter a police station, and
command some deference from the majority of civilians. These benefits are purely of a narrative
nature and don't fiddle with procedures or dice ratings.
130
Special abilities may have costs or limits
associated with them too, such as:

❖ Usable once per session
❖ Useable once per situation/scene
❖ Use requires an Overcome Adversity roll
and can result in the degradation of well-
WHAT ABOUT being, temporary restriction of an
RESTRICTIONS ON approach, or loss of a tool.
❖ Usable once only (rare)
SPECIAL

❖ Not usable again until a certain condition
ABILITIES? has been met
❖ A trigger condition that must be fulfilled
to activate the ability
❖ Use requires time be spent preparing or
activating, leaving you in danger
❖ Incurring a specific detrimental condition
131
Just say "No." Or rather, say "no" to that iteration of the special ability and try to work out something
more manageable.
Special abilities that provide total immunity to every form of harm or let the character act with
impunity suck. Suffering and consequences are necessary for character and narrative
development. If a character can't suffer or is exempt from the consequences of their actions, even

the person playing that character will eventually get bored and everyone's time will be wasted.
If, for some reason, an overpowered character were to run roughshod over the narrative and it led to
everyone having a miserable time, feel free to rewind the clock and tell that character's player, "you
no longer have that ability and everything that happened from X onward has been retconned."
Afterwards, talk to them about how they can adjust and integrate their character in a more
productive manner that will not ruin everyone's fun.
Handle it like adults.
132
PCs can grow and change in two ways:
❖ As a consequence of events that occur in the narrative.
❖ By cashing in character change and growth entries.

The changes and growth that happens to a PC as a
HOW DO I consequence of events that occur in the narrative ought to be
respected, because players put in the work to engage in the
narrative. That's always something to look forward to as an
HANDLE MC. However, if the PCs do things in the narrative that cost
them the things they earned beforehand, that's just how it goes.
CHARACTER When players devote their one change or growth entry per
session to develop their character into something they desire,
this is a sign that the thing they're working towards and

IMPROVEMENT spending limited resources on matters a great deal to
them. Treat this with even more respect.
AND CHANGE? Players have a 15-word limit per entry: this means that they
should make each word count. Help them out generously in
this regard. These entries should reflect what is going on in the
narrative. Be flexible with these change and growth entries,
but make sure that the player is not taking this lightly. If the
entry has no effort put into it or is just purely power-gamey in
nature, feel free to veto it and offer a more relevant suggestion.
133
Quick & Dirty is extremely hackable, but before you start tinkering away, here are the fundamentals
of Quick & Dirty's game mechanics that are intended to remain the same.
❖ Rolling three polyhedral dice (from d4 to d12) and picking either the lowest, middle, or highest
roll to determine your result based on the riskiness of your action.
❖ The four outcomes: things didn't go your way on a 1-3, things went your way (but with a
complication) on a 4 or 5, things went your way on a 6-8, or things went your way and then some

on a 9-12.
❖ Significant risk factors affect the roll you pick for your result (low, middle, or high).
❖ Overwhelming odds in your favor means you do your thing without rolling. Overwhelming odds
against you means you fail to do your thing automatically.
❖ When traits with die ratings need adjusting, stick to changing the polyhedral die used instead of
numerically altering the roll with modifiers like +1, -2, etc. Not only does that mess with the way
outcome determination is set up, it also makes the game slower by involving addition and
subtraction (some people just don't want to deal with it).
❖ You need narrative justification before you can roll dice to make stuff happen. Interaction with
the narrative and MC collaboration are not optional in Quick & Dirty games!
134
With those fundamentals kept in mind, everything else is largely
window dressing.
❖ Approaches can be changed to Attributes, Values,

Relationships, Skills, or whatever else you deem are core traits
that matter in your game.
HACKING THE ❖ Well-Being can be substituted with a second set of traits or

another core trait that represents your character's status. If
Well-Being is replaced, have a condition track in place to
QUICK & DIRTY determine when a PC is out-of-action or when their agency is

limited or hampered in some manner.
❖ Tools can be substituted with another set of traits if you don't
ROLEPLAYING want them to play such a prominent role in your game. Tools
will still be needed as a way to justify whether specific actions

are possible or not in the narrative.
SYSTEM ❖ Basic actions, such as Overcome Adversity, Gain or Grant the

Upper Hand, etc., are the most fundamental procedures for
PCs to affect the narrative when the outcome of their actions is
(PART 1) uncertain. If you want to create more nuanced procedures to

better fit your game, such as a procedure for checking the
effects of an injury or a procedure for pushing your powers
past their limits, start with its root basic action and build from
there. Remember, the more procedures there are, the more
stuff you'll have to remember, but if it makes the game richer
as a result, then go for it!
135
❖ You can change the format of the character profile to
better fit your setting. The default one is pretty generic,

but it's useful enough to serve as a baseline for a diverse
HACKING THE
range of settings. However, if you really want to
distinguish your setting from others, changing up the
format of the character profile is a great way of doing that.
QUICK & DIRTY ❖ I would strongly advice against forgoing a character profile all
together. Character profiles provide a narrative foundation for
your character, they provide lots of narrative justification for
ROLEPLAYING
PCs to do certain things better (or worse) than others, and they
are a great source for introducing new and recurring elements
into the narrative.

SYSTEM
❖ You can change the way character change and
advancement works. This was honestly one of the last
things I incorporated into the Player's Guide, because
(PART 2)
character advancement in other RPGs turns out to be
largely pointless when the opposition grows in power
alongside them. While character advancement is not
really necessary, character change should definitely be
encouraged so that they don't feel static throughout their
adventuring career.
136
For both players and MCs, I hope I've provided a tabletop RPG

system that cuts through the clutter so that the group can get
right to the exciting stuff with whatever setting they come up with
in a collaborative manner.
For MCs, I hope I've provided a clear understanding of the MC's

role and duties. I hope I provided a solid methodology to help
your group bring a shared imaginary world to life and, through
MY HOPES FOR THE the course of play, collaboratively create amazing stories in this
unique hobby we call tabletop roleplaying.
QUICK & DIRTY
RPG SYSTEM I also hope I've provided MCs the necessary tools needed to

help alleviate mental blocks to their imagination as well as "MC
anxiety." Just stepping up to the plate to take on the role of the
MC is one that every player appreciates.
With practice and by incorporating the "Quick & Dirty" mindset,

you'll be able to tackle whatever the players throw at you,
because they are your allies, not your adversaries. Everyone
wins when you all enjoy yourselves, both players and MC.
137
❖ Apocalypse World by D. Vincent Baker. This is
the wellspring for a host of TTRPGs to follow that
have brought the synthesis of game mechanics

and narrative engagement to the forefront,
especially with my first peripheral exposure via
Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam
Koebel.
❖ Sentinel Comics RPG from Greater Than Games,
LLC. I derived the dice mechanic and the Well-
Being trait from this game. While brilliant in its
MY SOURCES OF game design, I opted to adapt a simplified
version of their dice mechanics for the sake of
INSPIRATION speed and flexibility.
(PART 1)

❖ Mythic Game Master Emulator by Tana
Pigeon. This was my first exposure to the concept
of GM emulation and it's a fantastic resource for
helping MCs come up with on-the-fly content
relatively quickly and with minimal prep.
❖ Ironsworn by Shawn Tomkin. This synthesized
the Powered by the Apocalypse engine and GM
emulation into something very special and
distinct. Ironsworn also solidified a method of
making PbtA-style characters without playbooks
(character classes).
138
❖ Fragged Empire from Design Ministries. This
game expanded my boundaries on what could
be considered a tool, so I turned it into one of the
core dice pool traits due to its flexibility and
universal appeal.
MY SOURCES OF ❖ Fate Accelerated from Evil Hat Productions,

LLC. The use of approaches rather than attributes
INSPIRATION or skills is a great way getting players to think
about how they tackle challenges and it ports
(PART 2) very well into just about any setting.

❖ Blades in the Dark by John Harper. This is where I
was exposed to taking situational risk assessment
(referred to as "fictional positioning") when
determining the outcomes of character
actions. It's also what brought the concept of
scale to the forefront for me.
139
❖ Hearts of Wulin by Lowell Francis and Joyce
Ch*ing. This game brought the piece that was

absent in Powered by the Apocalypse games
before it: a procedure to see how badly you lose
against overwhelming odds and the concept of
taking steps to have a fighting chance, all without
applying modifiers to the dice roll.
❖ The Burning Wheel by Luke Crane. Among many
MY SOURCES OF other things, this system really emphasizes
determining your intentions and methods before
INSPIRATION making your dice roll, as well as making the
results of those dice rolls stick in the narrative.
(PART 3)

❖ Worlds in Peril from Samjoko Publishing. This is
the first PbtA game I've come across that
demonstrated how to create superpowered
characters without having a massive power list or
using a point-buy system, all without worrying
about "game balance."
❖ Bounty Hunter TTRPG by Guy Sclanders. This is a
great diceless RPG that provided part of the
inspiration for the character profile.
140
❖ Quest from The Adventure Guild, LLC. This game

inspired me to write in a style that was not
traditionally how TTRPG books are written. It's
also where I was partly inspired by the character
profile and where I derived the setting
profile. This work uses material from the
Quest Creators Resource. The Quest
MY SOURCES OF Creators Resource by The Adventure
Guild, LLC is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
INSPIRATION ❖ Dune: Adventures in the Imperium from
Modiphius. This is where I derived the idea of
(PART 4)

using different areas of the body as zones in one-
on-one duels.
❖ The Resistance Toolbox by Grant Howitt and
Chris Taylor. This is where I derived the not-so-
exhaustive list of special abilities, which are a
great resource for creating a wide variety of
character abilities for more freeform, narrative-
focused RPGs like Quick & Dirty.
141
❖ City of Mist TTRPG from Son of Oak Game
Studio. Besides being a fantastic TTRPG, this is

where I learned of the concept of postponing the
outcomes of certain actions until dramatically
appropriate.
❖ Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, 2nd Edition from
TSR. This is my first introduction to the hobby
and where I started by "doing things
wrong." This is also where I found myself
MY SOURCES OF dissatisfied with its rules and wanted to tinker
around with it to have it make more sense. This
INSPIRATION led to spending decades of homebrewing and
exploring what other TTRPGs are out there and
(PART 5)

how they work.
❖ Consent in Gaming by Sean K. Reynolds and
Shanna Germain. This document provides solid
guidelines of taking note of what each player at
the table is or is not comfortable with at the
gaming table. Tabletop roleplaying is a
collaborative hobby, but no gaming is better than
bad gaming.
142
❖ To Sadiq Malik. Thank you for introducing me to AD&D, Ravenloft, and tabletop roleplaying. I'll never forget the
adventures of Humphrey Lepant and Elander, and of Alucard and Jedah. It's a damn shame we drifted apart.
❖ To James Wasson, Gary Lichtler, and Laura Lichtler. Thank you for allowing me to game with your group and to run
Mutants & Masterminds for you all from 2009 to 2012. I miss you guys and I hope you're doing well.
❖ To Brian Delgado. Out of all of my friends, you're the one that has shown the most support for Quick & Dirty. I
truly appreciate that and I thank you for running my earlier drafts with your gaming groups.

❖ To Smokin Ace, Chaboo, and Nellie from our FFXIV Discord group. Thank you for allowing me to demonstrate
what it is to play a TTRPG that just cuts through all the mumbo-jumbo and get to the exciting parts. I hope we get
to game again when our schedules allow it.
❖ To Michael Pardo. Thank you for allowing me into your Curse of Strahd group. Though it was short-lived, I
enjoyed myself and I'm glad I can talk about TTRPG stuff with you. Hopefully, we'll be able to game together again
in the future.
❖ To Ray Balhorn for being the first person to actually read through this e-book from beginning to end and for
suggesting that I move the Example of Play to the end of the Player's Guide.
❖ To Daniel Lago. Thank you for always being supportive of me and of my endeavors. I love you, broski.
143

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This playtest document includes everything needed to play and run tabletop roleplaying sessions using

the Quick & Dirty RPG System.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

WHAT IS THE ❖ To incentivize a tabletop RPG group to engage with

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

Most disfavored, Ill-suited for the

getting one die from your current well-being,

The dice associated with these three traits are

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

POOL? you're using a QUICK approach!

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

Some situations favor certain approaches, while

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

Sometimes the same tool can be very helpful in one

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

Achieving the invigorated Achieving the unfettered

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

HOW WOULD ❖ A marked increase in morale or determination.

SOMEONE GO FROM ❖ A stark reminder of a purpose greater than

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

❖ Charging up your chi or aura.

❖ A transformation into a more powerful form.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

UNFETTERED It's much harder to achieve this state in the real

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

HOW LONG DOES For example, if a character's well-being were to

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

❖ Gain or Grant the Upper Hand

❖ Manipulate Your Surroundings

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

YOU CAN DO THE ❖ Investigate

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

Each one of these has a requirement that must be triggered by a PC's

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

On a 3 or less, things did not go as you intended! The MC tells you

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

On a 9 or higher, you get what you want AND a side-order of an

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

BASIC ACTION: On a 4 or 5, you get or can give a minor, short-lived

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

On a 9 or higher, you've gain the upper hand in ways

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On a 3 or less, things did not go as intended and

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.

On a 9 or higher, you've restricted your target in

For personal use only. Do not distribute without written permission

from the author, Ronwise Gamgee.