GENERIC IMMEDIATE SYSTEM FOR TABLETOP HACK

CC BY 4.0

2022 BY BARAKIEL THE ARCHANGEL

VERSION BETA 0.1

Presented by #OSR Pizza ; Playtested at COSMO (Convention Old School Mensile Online)
 INDEX
WHAT IS "GIST!"? 3

GLOSSARY 3

GAME RULE SYSTEM 4

SCORES 4

SKILLS 4

ANCESTRIES 5

CHECKS 6

CHARACTER GENERATION 7

COMBAT 8

DAMAGE 9

HEALING 10

AMMUNITION 11

DOWNTIME 11

ADVANCEMENT 12

SPECIALIZATIONS 13

EQUIPMENTS 15

WEALTH AND TREASURES 16

FREEFORM MAGIC 17

MISHAPS AND DOOMS 19

CREATURES AND NPC 22

REACTION 23

I KNOW A GUY 24

HIRELINGS 25

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 27

2
 Party: A group of PC's that take on an adventure.
WHAT IS "GIST!"?
GIST! is an abbreviation which means “Generic D4 - D6 - D10 - D12: This system is used to
Immediate System For Tabletop" relate to the number of faces a certain dice must
have to perform an action. For example if you
'
WHY IT S CALLED THIS WAY? find 2d6 somewhere, it refers to the action of
Generic: The basic system of rules was designed throwing two 6 faced dices and sum the result.
to adapt to any
situation - fantasy or historical, Saves: is a roll to avoid danger from a risky
past, present or future. action or situation. Roll 2d6. If you roll equal or
Immediate: The rules are meant to be used to higher
the appropriate Skill or Stat requested.
start playing as fast as possible, even for people you pass. A double 6 is
always a success and
who have never played Tabletop RPG's before. double 1 is always a failure.
System: The GIST! starts with simple rules, but
you can build up
all the optional details you want.
They are complete enough to be used as is.
for Tabletop. This is meant as a Tabletop RPG
Game System.
The GIST! is a game in which you
take on the role of a person and for a while
pretend to be that character.
This GIST! is called The Archangel GIST! (AGIST)
because it is a Hack of an already existing GIST!
(You will find more information about this in the
Acknowledgement section).
GLOSSARY

A role-playing game is a particular type of board

game in which a Referee guides some players
through an adventure in which they interpret the
part of imaginary people. As with any other hobby,
this too has its own language. To help you to
understand the concepts and terms used in this
game (and other RPGs), let's start with some
definitions:
Role Playing Game (RPG): a game
in which the
players impersonate the per
imaginary
individuals or
Characters, in a game world
imaginary or historical, trying to act
how their
"alter-egos" would act.
Refree: the Referee is the one
who help creating
an adventure, guides people inside and judges
the results
of their actions in the game.
Character: every being (person,
animal or other),
played by the Referee
or by a player in an RPG.
Non-Player Character
(NPC): each character Credit:
Nika Benedictova - on Unsplash
played
by the Referee. The Referee
can control
many characters,
importants or marginals.
Player Character (PC):
each character played by
one
of the players. Typically, every player controls
a single character.

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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 GAME RULE SYSTEM

STATS SCORES SKILLS

The Stats represent the psychophysical state of a Any useful Skill, in a situation that requires a Check,
character, ranging from 0 to 17. This value indicates grants a roll modifier equal to its value. If characters
the current state of the character. A Stat value of 0 attempt something out of their competence, they are
means that the character is incapacitated in some Unskilled and suffer a Roll Modifier of -1.
way and cannot act anymore.( for example a value 0
to Agility might indicate that the character is A character need 1 point to move from Unskilled to
crippled and unable to act).
To determine a Stat Skilled.
Modifier take the score divided by 3, truncate The tone and the granularity of the skills list is
decimals and then subtract 2.
Usually, a normal determined by the Referee, consistently with the
human being is limited to the maximum score of 17. chosen setting and genre. The following is a generic
Other beings may exceed this limit. list which can be modified and expanded as seen fit:
STATS
Athletic (agility, stamina, strength, sports)
Artistic (creativity, artist, musician, singer, actor)
1. Might (MIG): physical prowess, power and Intellectual (knowledge, wisdom, medicine)
strength. Mechanical (use, repair, build, sabotage)
2. Agility (AGI): the ability to move quickly and Sacred (faith, piety, miracles)
easily. Hacking (control, monitor, overload)
3. Shape (SHA): physical resistance and ability to Magical (rituals, supernatural abilities)
sustain strain and damage. Martial (brawling, wrestling, combat, warfare)
4. Mind (MIN): mental strength, common sense Accuracy (shooting, spotting, finding, throwing)
and spiritual power. Primal (will, insight, tracking, fortitude, sixth
5. Knowledge (KNOW): the measure of logic, sense)
learning and experience. Deftness ("hands stuff", burglary, sailing)
6. Personality (PER): emotional stability, strength Social (speaking, carousing, gossip, etiquette)
of character and social standing
SKILL SCORE LEVEL
STAT SCORE ROLL MODIFIER
Value Description
Value Modifier Description
-1 Unskilled
0-2 -2 Abysmal
0 Skilled
3-5 -1 Poor
1 Competent
6-8 0 Mediocre
2 Professional
9-11 1 Good
3 Veteran
12-14 2 Great
15-17 3 Superb

TEMPORARY SCORES

If circumstances negatively impact a character Stat,

its score may temporarily drop to a lower Level. For
example, when a character with a Good Personality
loses a social contest, their Personality could drop
to Mediocre Level for some time until the stain on
their reputation is cleansed.

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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!

ANCESTRIES
Each character should have a past. Everything they
absorbed since birth can be summed up by their
Ancestry. What did they do before becoming
murderhobos adventurers? What have they learned
in their previous life? Each ancestry should have:
A set of Skill bonuses (usually 6 total points, with
a max of +1 modifier for a Skill).
A list of possessions.
A special ability.
The following Ancestries are only for example. Feel
free to create your own to embrace the look and
feeling of your settings.
STREET KID
You grew up in the sprawling underbelly of some
megacity. Your mother was the street, your father
the petty crimes you did, your family the other kids
like you.
Skills: Deftiness (2) - Accuracy (2) - Social (1) -
Artistic (1)
Possessions: A collection of trinkets of unknown
origins, a small spyglass, your ex gang necklace
Special: while in a big city, you always know
where to find a safe spot, far from privy eyes.
HERMIT
Hermits are loners, favoring the isolated life of
exploration and contemplation to the thousand
distractions of civilized life.
Skills: Sacred (MIN) (2) - Primal (2) - Deftiness
(1) - Magical (MIN) (1)
Possessions: A strange bauble, a dirk (d4), a
walking stick, a bone necklace
Special: Exhaustion level starts and can be
returned to -1;
HUMAN
Humans are like bacteria: if there is none, surely
they are coming. And they will make themselves at
home.
Skills: Place the 6 points at your leisure
Possessions:A very cool stick you found, a knife
(d6), a very shiny coin, a straw hat.
Special:Pick any Special from another Ancestry;
it’s yours now. At Referee discretion.
MORTICIAN
"What you are now, we once were; what we are now,
you shall be." Those are the words that the
mortician always brings with them. Doesn't matter
where or when they walk, their work is always
welcome. At the right distance.
Skills: Sacred (KNOW) (2) - Intellectual (2) -
Athletic (1) - Social (1)
Possessions: A Shovel (d6), an umbrella, chalks,
an oboe.
Special: Morticians are always needed. In the
Downtime, if you choose the Simple Job option,
you gain +100 coin.
GAMBLER
Living life one bet at a time has resulted in you
repeatedly having to walk away to dodge creditors.
But one of these days you will make the bang that
will take you straight to the top. Wait and see y'all...
Skills: Social(2) - Accuracy (2) - Martial (1) -
Primal (1)
Possessions : A Pistol (d6), a set of dices, a lucky
coin, a set of cards
Special: When in a civilized location, you always
know where the gambling den could be.
STREET FIGHER
After getting your nose broken more times than
you'd like to admit, you've realized that maybe your
skills are better spent on adventure than just getting
beaten up. Are you sure it's a good idea or is it yet
another blow to the head that speaks?
Skills: Martial(2) - Athletic (2) - Deftiness (1) -
Accuracy (1)
Possessions : brass knuckles (d6), a set of
bandages, a leather sack with someone else
teeths, a towel
Special: If you have no armor, you count as being
lightly armored (1).
GONG FARMER
As a proud nightman, you are used to working in the
worst condition for a nice pay. You are always ready
for things to go wrong, and you are not afraid to play
dirty, if the situation arises. If anything, all jobs will
be better than what you were forced to do before.
Skills: Athletic (2) - Deftiness (2) - Primal (2)
Possessions : pickaxe (d6) , a wheelbarrow, a
nose clip, waterproof boots.
Special: You are resistant to poisons and illness.
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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 CHECKS
Everytime the outcome of an action or a task is
unclear or must be completed quickly, the Referee
can call a Check. A check is performed by launching
some dice (in The Archangel GIST! usually 2d6).
Checks are usually not needed when there is no
active opposition to an action or if failing will not
have meaningful consequences.
There are two main types of checks:
1. Target Number Check: performed when the
Referee determines a fixed difficulty, as follows:
A character declares that they want to
perform some action.
The Referee judges if the action requires a
check and suggest the Stat or Skill they
should to use, giving the action they are trying
to perform. 2. Opposition Check: performed when two PC's
The player may change their decision and actively oppose one another. Both of them roll
propose an alternative action. 2d6 and add modifiers, re-rolling ties. Who rolls
The Referee judge if the new choice makes higher wins.
sense in the scene, and may suggest a
different Skill or Stat for the new action.
When a decision has been made the player
rolls 2d6 and takes the sum of the results.
They then Add modifiers granted by the
chosen Stats or Skills, adding gear and
situational bonuses/maluses chosen by the
Referee.
The modified roll is confronted to the target
number: if the result is equal or greater, the
action succeeds.
Checks made with Stat modifier instead of
Skill modifier are treated as 1 level more
difficult (Trivial becomes Easy etc.)
TARGET NUMBER DIFFICULTY

N° Difficulty
2 Trivial
4 Easy
6 Routine
8 Average
10 Hard
12 Very hard
14 Nearly Hopeless
16 Impossibile

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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
ADVANTAGE AND
DISADVANTAGE
If the Referee deems it appropriate and the fiction
recommends it, it is possible to assign an advantage
or a disadvantage to a check to make it more or less
difficult, to take into account any particular
situations that may affect the success or failure of an
action without modifying its difficulty.
Advantage: roll 3d6 instead of 2 and use the two
highest results.
Disadvantage: roll 3d6 instead of 2 and use two
lowest results.
CRITICAL ROLLS
A natural roll of 2 or 12 (without applying any
modifier) is always a Critical Failure or Success. On
a Skill Check, a Critical Failure is always a failure
with major negative consequences, while a Critical
Success will be a success with some added bonuses.
GEAR
Any useful item for a task that requires a Check
grants a +1 roll modifier. Every time an item is used
this way, roll a d4. On a 1 the item is damaged,
broken, or otherwise expended.
Credits: Highland Paranormal Society - Vision of a Forsaken Domain
ENCUMBRANCE
You can carry a number of items equal to your
Shape score. If you exceed that limit you cannot
move until you drop something.
CHARACTER GENERATION
Character generation is very streamlined: you can
start the game within minutes. The same procedure
is used by the Referee to generate NPCs:
1. Roll 2d6 six times and assign to Stats in order or
as you wish. (Alternative) Roll 3d6, take the two
highest values, repeat six times. Assign the
values to stats in order or as you wish
2. Choose an Ancestry and record the Skill points,
possession and special
3. Assign to the PC a total of Hit Points equal to
half of their Shape score rounded down, and the
same amount to the Stamina .
4. Record the baseline possessions that every new
character should starts with:
2d10 of your world currency
a light source
a backpack
6 provisions.
5. Give the character a name.
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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 COMBAT
Combat is a task checked by Target Number, split
up in rounds. Every round a character can move and
use an action to attack, defend, use skill, use a
Special ability. It is possible to perform a double
movement forgoing the main action.
The combat
procedure takes place as follows:
1. At the start of each combat, each PC, NPC,
monster, or group of monsters rolls initiative with
an AGI check. The one who gets the highest
result goes first.
2. After the high roller has finished their turn, they
decide who goes next (PC, NPC, monster, or
group of monsters). That creature or group of
creatures takes their respective turns and then
nominates who goes next. Thus, each and every
PC, NPC, monster, or group of monsters gets a
turn. Once everyone has gone, the last person
who goes gets to decide who starts the next
round. That last person can choose themselves.
3. The round ends. Repeat steps 2-3 until the
combat ends. Credits: Tan Ho Sim - Combatillo in Stars Without Number Art
Stat and Skills Modifiers are situational and depend Pack
From Sine Nomine Publishing - EDITED
also on the attack type. The Referee has to
adjudicate which modifier is adequate to the
situation.
ATTACK AND DEFEND

When attacking, every weapon will show what kind

of Stat Check must be made to confirm the hit (see
Equipment). If it makes sense in the scene, the
Referee can allow a Skill Modifier to be used (for
example Martial in hand to hand combat).
Once
applied to every relevant modifier (if no Critical has
been rolled), an Attack is successful if the result is
Higher than the target Defense.
When defending
from an attack, the Referee will ask how the player
intends to respond. The player will then describe
what they want their character to do. The Referee
will then assign a Defense Save with the Stat or
Skill that have more sense for the action to take
place. Defense is successful if the check result is
Higher than the target Attack. In case of two PC
fighting each other, the fight become a task checked
by Opposition, where the Target Number becomes DUAL WIELDING
whatever the opponent rolled + modifier. While wielding a weapon in each hand, you can
throw both weapons' damage dies and pick the
higher one as damage inflicted. This also counts for
shields.

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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!

DAMAGE
Every time an attacks hits, the damage die of the
weapon, spell or skill is thrown and its result is
subtracted to the target Stamina. If the character
Stamina reaches or it's 0, the result is subtracted to
the character Hit Points.
Armor reduces the damage by its score.
A Critical is an automatic success/failure: the
damaged creature's remaining HP are halved
(rounded down).
ARMOR AND SHIELDS
Armor and Shields grant damage reduction ranging
between 1 and 3, depending on their thickness or
technology.
HIT POINTS AND STAMINA
Every character has two values which represent
their state of health:
Stamina (ST): The amount of physical
energy/skill/luck/mental fortitude a character has
to escape damage. When a damage lessens this
value it means the character in the scene should
have been injured, but something happened: a
lucky dodge, a graze, a parry etc.
Hit Points (HP): The amount of physical damage
a character can sustain before dying. When a
damage lessens this value it means a character in
the scene was injured in some way.
When the character HP are halved, that character is
Wounded and is unable to use their Stats modifiers
(they can still use Skills).
When a character is brought by damage at 2 or less
HP they are considered Severely Wounded and are
unable to combat further by taking actions, but can
still use their turn to move. If a character damage a
Severely Wounded opponent, the latter may be
dead or definitely out of combat. The winner
chooses the opponent's final fate.
When the character's HP drop to 0 or lower in a
single attack, they falls unconscious and makes a
Hard SHA Check (10). On a failure the character
gain a Grievous Wound from the following table.
GREVIOUS WOUNDS
# Wound Description
1 Just a scratch You were lucky this time.
2 Damaged Item A random inventory item is destroyed
or damaged.
3 Bloody Mouth Your mouth drools blood and your
speech slurs.
4 Scrambled Disadvantage on MIN saves.
Nerves
5 Teeth Disadvantage on PER saves
Knocked Out
6 Addling Blow Disadvantage on KNOW saves.
7 Stomach Disadvantage on SHA saves.
Wound
8 Weakening Disadvantage on MIG saves.
Wound
9 Crippling Blow Disadvantage on AGI saves.
10 Bloody Gash -d8 Max HP.
11 Major Fracture You cannot use a limb. -d6 MIG and -
d6 AGI.
12 Lost an Eye One of your eyes is gone. -d6 AGI and
-d6 PER.
13 Cracked Skull -d8 KNOW and -d8 MIG.
14 Mangled Guts -d8 SHA and -d8 max HP.
15 Severed Hand -d8 MIG and -d8 AGI.
16 Severed Arm -10 MIG and -10 AGI. You pass out.
17 Severed Leg - 10 MIG and -10 AGI. Cannot walk.
You pass out.
18 Braindead -10 KNOW, -10 MIN, -10 PER. You
pass out.
19 Bloody Mess Roll 3 random wounds. You pass out.
20 FATALITY You are dead.
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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 HEALING
A character Stamina automatically returns to their
maximum amount once the character has enough
time to catch their breath and rest a little.
A Wounded character recovers half of their Hit
Points if wounds are treated with bandages and
medicament.
A Severely Wounded or Grievous Wounded
character needs immediate medical treatment by an
expert in a dedicated facility.
If the treatment is not feasible, the character makes
a Hard SHA Check (10) every hour. On a failure, the
character loses an amount of HP equal to the
difference between the roll and 10. If that character
HP drops to 0, immediately perform the same check.
On failure the character is dead.
This loss can be stopped by treating the wounds
similarly to how you heal a Wounded character, but
no HP recovery occurs.
After an amount of days equal to damage divided by Credits: Highland Paranormal Society - Vision of a Forsaken
4 rounded up, of rest, a Wounded characters can Domain
recover their full HP. A Severely Wounded or
Grievous Wounded character needs a EXHAUSTION
hospitalization period in days equal to damage Prolonged physical efforts and environmental
divided by 2 rounded up. Hazards, such as starvation, dehydration and the
If a Grievous Wound is gained, the only way to long-term effects of freezing or scorching
remove it's malus is to rely on a specialist for special temperatures, can lead to Exhaustion.
care during Downtime. Every Pc has 6 + SHA levels of Exhaustion. A
For example if a character Lose an Eye, it will not Character with levels of Exhaustion subtract that
be sufficient to hospitalize them, but there will also value to every check they made until the exhaustion
be a need for special regenerative magic or a level returns to 0.
technological prosthesis. This kind of healing can be A good night of sleep reduces a creature’s
improvised if the character has been stabilized (for exhaustion level by 1, provided that the creature has
example a character could decide to add a hook in also ingested some food and drink.
place of their fallen hand or replace their maimed
leg with an iron prosthesis to attach a weapon.)

10
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
AMMUNITION
On the Character Sheet you'll find a clock with 6
segments, like a revolver drum. Each time a
character fires a firearm (or fires an arrow, or
launches a throwing weapon, in any case there are
weapons that use resources) it advances the clock
one notch. At the end of the clock the characters'
bullets are finished. Different weapons consume a
different number of notches ( for example: pistol 1,
missile launcher 3).
You can't buy single bullets, but Simple Job: The Player chooses a Stat to employ
Ammunition Packs. An ammo pack occupies one
inventory slot and can be used to empty the ammo
clock. If there are still free segments in the clock,
those are lost. Reloading your weapons, thus
resetting a clock, requires the character's turn. If you
pick up a gun from the ground and shoot, the first
shot doesn't advance the clock. If a weapon requires
more rounds than there are in the clock, that
weapon cannot fire.
Credits: Highland Paranormal Society - Vision of a Forsaken Domain
DOWNTIME
At the beginning or at the end of a session, if the
party is in a friendly populated place with nothing
better to do for a time, they can use that Downtime
actively. Something that the PC's can do include, but
are not limited to:
Train: If a Specialization Level Prerequisites
have been met, a PC can decide to train and gain
the advantages of that Specialization Level.
to gain some cash.
Carousing: Roll 1d6 + PER. On a 2 to 5, the
result is a rousing good time and no harm done.
If the dice shows a 1, the PC makes some
enemies or has to pay some damages. On a 6 or
more they gain a friendly NPC, information or
something else useful. Carousing should cost
some coins.
Healing: Players can recover from Grevious
Wounds such as broken legs.
Shopping: Use the Wealth level or Treasures to
buy or sell something.
Gain Information: Roll 1d6+ KNOW. On a 2 to 5,
some hints can be found, such as an indication of
someone who knows more or a job to loosen
some tongues. If the dice show a 1, the PC has
attracted the wrong kind of attention. On a 6 or
more the information requested is found, with a
little extra.
Explore: Gaining the lay of the land is always
useful. Give some information about the
surrounding areas.
Learn a Focus or a Locus: See the Freeform
Magic section for more information
Looking for Hirelings: See the Hirelings
section for more informations
11
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!

ADVANCEMENT
Every time an Advancement is gained, you can mark
it on the Advancement section in the character
sheet. When the number of Advancement is equal to
the character level + 1, their level goes up by 1.
For example a Level 3 character will need 4
Advancement to advance to Level 4. When this
happen, that character can add 1 Stat point, 1 Skill
Point and
roll 1d8 (or take 4 ) and add the result to
their maximum Stamina.
Once a character has reached the
level 10 it is Acquiring something of great value
considered complete. Each Level Up
will grant them Disbanding a gang
1 extra HP and Stamina but they will not be able to
further increase their Skills or Stat.
GAINING ADVANCEMENT
To gain an Advancement, a party must perform a
worthy feat that has an impact on the game world.
Gives the players an aim to shoot for.
Credits: Highland Paranormal Society - Vision of a Forsaken Domain
12
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
Reduces the arbitrary nature of the game and
takes little math.
Happens in the game, in the fiction, is diegetic,
however you want to say it.
It's right to decide and make clear in advance what
causes an Advancement before the game starts, but
nevertheless more feats may be added as the game
progresses. Some examples of feats can be:
Completing a Heist.
Emerging from an adventure site with treasure
Closing a contract successfully
Restoring lasting peace to an area
Destroying a powerful organization
Overcoming a great foe
Elevating your position in society
Surviving an arena fight
Completing a long journey.
Creating a gang
 COWBOY
SPECIALIZATIONS Tamers of the wilds, silent heroes or terrible
Specializations are the result of the experiences that outlaws, wherever there is a cowboy there is a story
the Pc's gain during their adventures. Unlocking a to tell. At a safe distance. And with something to
Specialization requires the PC to have met some drink.
prerequisites. There are four level for each 1. Quickdraw - Kill a creature with more HD than
Specialization, labeled 1
through 4. you using a firearm.
You gain these in the listed order:
you cannot gain 2. Bottom ups - Win a drinking challenge
Level 2 of a Specialization unless you have the
Level 3. Howdy Ho! - Make a name for yourself in a village
1 . If you want to have multiple Specializations you or town.
can just choose the first
Level from a different 4. You shot first - Organize and Win a duel for
Specialization if you have already met the honor at Noon with another Cowboy
requirements. A character can have only 2 Quickdraw: If your main weapon is a firearm you
Specializations. gain +1 to Initiative Checks
Every Specialization must have: Bottom Ups: Once a day, if you end a fight
Wounded, you can drink alcohol to recover half
4 Levels, each one with is own Prerequisite of your HP.
4 Boons, one for each Level. Howdy Ho!: If you are in a civilized place where
you did some job, you gain advantage on Social
GAINING A SPECIALIZATION
Check.
If a Character is eligible for a Specialization Level, to You shot first: If you hit an enemy before their
gain its benefits they must train in it during some first attack in the combat, you inflict 1d6 bonus
damage.
Downtime (see Downtime for more information).
Here's some Specializations examples:
WITCH HUNTER
Whenever there are monsters, there will be people
who hunt them. Between those, the real committed
ones became more than they were before, ending up
looking like more to their prey than anything else.
But most of them end like monster food so whatever.
1. Dark Past - Find a Witch Hunter and became
their apprentice
2. You got kitty eyes - Kill an enemy while blind or in Credit: No-longer-here from Pixabay
the dark
3. Scent of a prey - Track, find and kill a monster
4. Gold for the Witch Hunter - Pocket a bounty on a
legendary otherworldly creature
Dark Past: You are immune to illness and
poison.
You got kitty eyes: You gain darkvision
Scent of a prey: You gain +1 on Primal checks
to track a prey.
Gold for the Witch Hunter: You gain advantage
on Intellectual checks to identify a creature.

13
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 CYBER SPIDER
There's a cobweb out there. A web made of
information and possibilities for those who are
skilled enough to find them. But you know, there is
always a bigger spider lurking in the dark.
Me? I just deceived, nothing can be real anymore. Want a ticket
try to survive up there.
1. I'm in - Successfully hack a device without being
caught
2. Detach! Detach! - Block an hacking attempt from
an external source
3. Just like the simulation - Disable an enemy unit
during combat
4. Arakno boy - Travel physically through the
cyberspace
I'm in: You gain +1 to Hacking checks in combat.
Detach! Detach!: You can check any device and
know if it has been compromised
Just like the simulation: If you disable a combat
unit you can try to take control of it with a Hard
Hacking check.
Arakno boy: You can hack devices in sight
without going near them.
Credit: Mati Mango on Pexels
14
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
PRESTIDIGITATIONIST
What is reality? It's that lie we tell ourselves every
day to pretend that everything is going according to
our plans. The truth? It is that if the senses can be
to the show?
1. Now you see me - Hide something in plain sight
during a tense situation
2. Ye old card trick - Trick someone in a position of
power over you
3. What is real? - Conquer a crowd with your
prestige tricks
4. The Prestige - Defeat a famous Prestidigitationist
Now you see me: You can conceal an object not
bigger than your hand from every check.
Ye old card trick: You gain +1 on Deftness
Checks to pickpocket or move objects without
anyone seeing while doing a trick.
What is real?: You gain the Illusion Locus. If you
already have it, you gain an additional spell dice
when casting Illusion Spells.
The Prestige: Whenever you enter a major city
you gain the attention of a wealthy benefactor.
For what reason? You can only know if you ask...
Credit: Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels
 EQUIPMENTS
FIREARMS PROJECTILE WEAPONS

Name Damage Stat Ammo Clock Target Name Damage Stat Ammo Clock Target
Hand Pistol 1d4 AGI 1 Single Short Bow 1d6 AGI 1 Single
Heavy pistol 1d6 AGI 1 Single Long Bow 1d6+1 AGI 1 Single
Shotgun 1d6+1 AGI 2 Cone Hand Crossbow 1d4 AGI 1 Single
Assault rifle 1d8 AGI 2 Line Light Crossbow 1d6 AGI 1 Single
SMG 1d6+1 AGI 1 Line Heavy Crossbow 1d6+1 AGI 1 Single
LMG 1d8 AGI 2 Cone Repeating Crossbow 1d8 Agi 2 Cone
Hunting rifle 1d6+1 AGI 2 Single Slingshot 1d4 AGI 1 Single
Sniper rifle 1d8 AGI 2 Single
THROWING WEAPONS
Grenade launcher 1d8 AGI 3 Area
Ammo
Missile launcher 1d10 AGI 3 Area Name Damage Stat Clock Target
Assault cannon 2d6 MIG 6 Area Dart 1d4 AGI 1 Single
Throwing Knives or 1d6 AGI 1 Single
EXPLOSIVE Shuriken
Ammo
Clock Target Javelin 1d6 MIG 1 Single
Name Damage Stat
Chakram 1d6+1 AGI 1 Single
Fragmentation 1d6+1 MIN - Area
Grenades
Flashbangs Special(Blind) MIN - Area
Gas Grenades Special MIN - Area
(Poison)
Smoke Grenades Special (Fog MIN - Area
Cloud)
Claymore 2d6 - - Cone Credits: David Lewis Johnson - CGGEAR in Scarlet Heroes Art
Pack
From Sine Nomine Publishing
ARMOR

Name Armor
Clothing 0

Credits: David Lewis Johnson - CGWEAPON in Scarlet Heroes Art Synth Leathers or Padded 1
Pack
From Sine Nomine Publishing Armored coat or Mail 2
MELEE WEAPONS Body Armor or Plate 3
Ammo
Name Damage Stat Clock Target SHIELDS

Switch Knife 1d4 AGI - Single Name Armor Damage Stat

Knife 1d6 AGI - Single Buckler or Round Riot Shield 1 1d4 MIG
Short Sword 1d6 MIG - Single Tower Shield or Riot Shield 2 Special (Push) MIG
Long Sword 1d6+1 MIG - Single Anti Projectile Body Field 3 - -
Mace or Axe 1d6+1 MIG - Single
UNARMED
Zweinhander or Two 1d8 MIG - Cone
Handed Axe Name Damage Stat
Maul 1d8 MIG - Area Hand to Hand 1 MIG
Taser 1d4 + AGI - Single
Special
(Stun)
Monofilament whip 1d6 MIG or - Cone
AGI

15
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 WEALTH AND
TREASURES
A single PC's or party's wealth (depending on the
judge's willingness to track information) is
abstracted using Wealth levels.
WEALTH LEVEL

Each Wealth level determines what a PC or party

can or can't buy.
Lowest (0): you have nothing, you can neither eat
nor sleep nor get a weapon (e.g. you got out of
prison, you were exiled and you had to escape or
similar traumatic stuff)
Poor (1) food, miserable housing, weapon
maintenance and poor equipment
Medium(2) you can afford a mount, small
property housing, basic equipments and basic
materials
Wealthy(3) you can afford a carriage, medium
property housing, advanced equipments and
uncommon materials
Rich(4) you can afford a wagon, big property
housing, unique equipments and rarer materials
One Percenter (5) you can afford virtually
anything
TREASURES

Everytime the PC's gain a valuable loot or a mission

reward, it can be tracked as a Treasure. A Treasure:
Occupy 1 item slot
Can be lost, stolen or ruined.
Can be consumed to purchase something of 1
Wealth level higher
Cannot be used to purchase something of 2
Wealth level higher
Can be used to upgrade the Wealth Level by 1 by
consuming a number of Treasures equal to the
next Wealth Level
You can also buy something of 1 Wealth level higher Credits: Free Art Assets by Greygnome
than yours by permanently lower your current
Wealth Level by 1. You cannot go lower than level 0.
You can only purchase an item of your Wealth level
once per week. If you ignore this limit (es. if you buy
two item of your Wealth level) your Wealth level
decrease by 1. You cannot go lower than level 0.

16
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 LIST OF FOCUS
FREEFORM MAGIC Name Description
Everyone who possess Skill points in Magical, Conjure Bring something into being that wasn’t there
Sacred or similar mystical skills may try to cast a before.

spell. Spells are invoked by wording a simple phrase Destroy Break or weaken something that was once strong.
composed by Focus (an action to impose) and a Alter Change a feature of something or the thing itself.
Locus (a target for the spell). Mend Repair something or undo a physical or mental
alteration.
Casting a Spell is treated as a normal check Protect Strengthen something against external sources.
Control Manipulate a thing even without the thing
CASTING DICES wanting.
You have a number of casting dice equal to the
selected Skill level. Each Casting Die is a d6. LIST OF LOCUS

Different Skills have different Casting Dices. When Name Description

you want to cast a spell, pick a prepared spell, Body Organic matter except plant matter.
choose how many casting dice you want to invest in Plant That which grows and craves sunlight. Green and
it, and then roll those dice. otherwise.
Mind Emotions and behavior.
CASTING IN ARMOR Spirit Souls and spirits.
Casters can wear armor without penalty. However,
if Liquid Everything in liquid state.
they don't, they get +1 casting dice,
beginning in the Solid Everything in solid state except organic and
morning when they wake up and lasting until they sentient matter.
wear one.
Anyone can get +1 casting die. However Element Elemental energies that cannot exist by
that character cannot cast spells if they have no Skill themselves (ex: fire, lighting, wind).
points spent in Magical, Sacred or similar. Illusion Senses of sentient beings.

LOCUS AND FOCUS CANTRIPS

You can choose a number of Focus equal to your
casting Skill Bonus, and a list of Locus equal to your
casting Stat Bonus. Remember:
Locus: The spell's target. What the spell can
affect.
Focus: The spell' effect. What the spell can do.
Locus can be cast on their own for minimal effect.
Example: You can cast Element to create a
candlelight, but you still need a Casting Die left to do
so. These effects should arguably be useful in
combat. You cannot lose the dice while casting a
Cantrip.

Credits: Joyce Mauriera- Mage Duel in Worlds Without Number Art Pack
From Sine Nomine Publishing - EDITED
17
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 CASTING A SPELL DOOMS

Step 1: Pick one Locus and one Focus you have Every apprentice knows that if they travel down the
memorized. road of sorcery long enough, their doom will
Step 2: Make a Magical Check against the target eventually claim them. It waits at the end of every
Defence or a difficulty set by the Referee. spellcaster's career. (Optional) You can remove
Step 2: If successful, choose how many casting Dooms if you run a game where character retention
dice you want to invest in the spell, and remove is important.
them from your casting pool.
Step 3: Roll however the invested dice. The spell Each Locus has different Dooms.
takes effect. The first time you roll triples, you suffer your first
Step 4: Dice that show a result of 1-3 are Doom.
returned to your casting pool The second time you roll triples, you suffer your
Every casting die that comes up 1-3 returns to your second Doom.
casting dice pool. Every die that comes up 4-6 is The third time you roll triples, you suffer your
exhausted, and only returns to your casting dice
pool third and final Doom.
after a good night's sleep. Once your casting
dice While your first and second Dooms tend to be
pool is empty, you cannot cast any more spells
that survivable, your final Doom usually spells the end of
day. your career (usually through your death).
There are
The more casting dice you roll, the more powerful three ways to avoid your Doom.
the spell. However, the more casting dice you roll, Never use more than two casting dice at a
time,
the greater the chance for mishaps and doom. forever limiting your magical power.
If you roll doubles on your casting dice, you have Seek out a solution to your Doom. These are
incurred a mishap — a small negative magical effect always unique and arduous quests. They are
that spilled out due to the spell's
contortions. usually pretty epic.
If you roll triples, you have incurred a
Doom: a
creeping threat that will eventually destroy
you.
DAMAGE AND TARGETS

A spell can be launched on a number of targets

equal to the number of casting dice used for the
spell. If the spell is also meant to do damage, it
inflicts damage equal to 1d6 + the number of casting
dice.
MISHAPS

When a PC suffers a Mishap, you can inflict some

consequences from the fiction to the PC (for
example a cover gets blown up, or a neutral NPC is
afflicted by the spell etc.) or look up the used Locus
and roll on its Mishap table. Most of them
aren't too
bad. A mishap takes effect immediately.

Credits: Luigi Castellani - SORCLIST1 in Silent Legions Art Pack

From Sine Nomine Publishing

18
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 MISHAPS AND DOOMS
3. You became a tree, but maintain your
BODY MISHAPS

1. Gain 1 Exhaustion. consciousness. If the tree is cut or rooted, you

2. Take 1d6 damage. die.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a SHA MIND MISHAPS
save; permanent if you fail. 1. Gain 1 Exhaustion.
4. Require triple the amount of ration for 1 day. 2. Take 1d6 damage.
5. Suffer in Agony 1d6 rounds. 3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a SHA
6. Unable to speak 1d6 rounds. save; permanent if you fail.
4. Fear 1d6 rounds against the target of the spell.
BODY DOOM

One way to escape this doom is to pierce your heart
with a piece of adamantium forged by a fire giant
and blessed by a priest of a god of War. Another way
is to force a mimic to assume its true shape and then
devour it.
1. All your limbs are transformed in different kinds
of appendages for 1 day.
2. All your limbs are transformed in different kinds
of appendages for 3 days.
3. You are turned into a critter permanently.
(the 3. You lose the ability to cast spells permanently.
appendages can be fins, wings, tentacles, flail,
tails etc.)
5. Lose 1 casting dice.
6. Cannot cast spells for 1d6 rounds.
MIND DOOM
One way to escape this doom is to eat the heart of a
high elf. Another way is to marry a high elf, as the
traditional marriage ceremony involves a mingling of
souls.
1. You lose the ability to cast spells for 1 day.
2. You lose the ability to cast spells for 3 days.
SPIRIT MISHAP

1. Gain 1 Exhaustion.
PLANTS MISHAPS

1. Gain 1 Exhaustion. 2. Take 1d6 damage.

2. Take 1d6 damage. 3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a SHA
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a
a save; permanent if you fail.
SHA save; permanent if you fail. 4. 1d6 random nearby corpses raise as zombies
4. Can only feed by photosynthesis for 1 day. 5. A random soul gains control of your body 1d6
5. Rooted in the ground 1d6 rounds. rounds.
6. A flower blossoms on your neck. You die if the 6. A spirit of a since long dead creature will follow
flower is harmed (1hp). After 1d6 days the flower you, unable to harm you but scaring and messing
produces a single fruit. The first time you survive with anyone around you for 1d6 days.
this mishap, you can eat the fruit to regain 1d6
HP.
PLANT DOOM

One way to escape this doom is travel to the feywild

and make a pact with an archfey. Another way is to
drink the sap of a thousand year old tree.
1. You are bound to the nearest garden or groove
for 1 day. You must protect the place at every cost
and can only feed from the garden or groove
plants and fruits.
2. You are bound to the nearest garden or groove
for 1d4 days. You must protect the place at every
cost and can only feed from the garden or groove
plant and fruits. Credits: Earl Geier - JIANGSHI in Scarlet Heroes Art Pack
From
Sine Nomine Publishing

19
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 SPIRIT DOOM
One way to escape this doom is perform a duty for
the Death. Another way is to give peace to a restless
soul without destroying it.
1. You become soulless for 1 day, falling into a
catatonic state.
2. You die and your soul spends the next 1d6 days
in the afterlife. You revive afterwards as long as
your body is intact. Your body will rot after 2 days
unless it is preserved in some way (the
services form, becoming unusable for 1 day.
of an embalmer, freezing, desiccation, pickling).
These preservation methods will not affect your
ability to revive: rot is the only thing that will
prevent it.
3. Your soul becomes lost, becoming property of a
God or an Otherworldly being that will do
anything in its power to kill you and gain control
over you for all eternity.
LIQUID MISHAP
1. Gain 1 Exhaustion.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a SHA
save; permanent if you fail.
4. A random liquid near you evaporates by 1ft cube.
5. For 1 day Every time you come in contact with a
liquid you absorb it like a sponge.
6. Every blood vessel in your body swells, causing
you Agony for 1d6 rounds
LIQUID DOOM
One way to escape this doom is to bathe into kraken
blood for 6 hours. Another way is to pledge your
service to the king of the sea.
1. You become semi liquid for 1 day. (see below)
2. You become semi liquid for 3 day. (see below)
3. Your body liquifies in a pool of blood and water.
You die if the pool evaporates or if another liquid
is mixed with the pool.
If you turn into a semi Elemental Fountain and become an elemental
liquid state, you appear semi translucent, but still
visible. You make a loud sloshing sound every
time you move. Anything that touches you
became wet, included your equipment and your
tools (parchment, scrolls, torch etc)
If you bigger than you, make a MIG check or become
experience any solid impact (a small dog jumping
into your shin, a slap, a sword hit, a fall) you
decrease a size until you reintegrate the liquid
loss. You can walk around, and you can squeeze
and flow into every hole that is bigger than your
fist. You only need to drink.
The only spell you spilling magma and molten rocks in every
can cast as semi liquid is Liquid Locus spells.
20
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
SOLID MISHAP
1. Gain 1 Exhaustion.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then makes SHA
save; permanent if you fail.
4. You merge with the nearest flat surface for 1d6
rounds.
5. Every terrain becomes difficult to traverse for 1
day.
6. Everything you have on you will merge into your
SOLID DOOM
One way to escape this doom is to lick the moisture
from a medusa eye. Another way is to transfer your
soul into a golem body.
1. You become petrified for 1 day.
2. You become petrified for 1d6 days.
3. You turn into a statue, remaining aware of
everything around you. If the statue breaks you
die.
ELEMENTAL MISHAPS
1. Gain 1 Exhaustion.
2. Take 1d6 damage.
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then make a SHA
save; permanent if you fail.
4. A random object near you catches fire.
5. A lightning bolt falls on 1d6 random creatures
around you.
6. You start to glow with increasing intensity every
round. Everyone that has you in sight must make
a SHA check each round or be blinded. Lasts 1d6
rounds.
ELEMENTAL DOOMS
One way to escape this doom is to journey into one
of the elemental planes and eat the core of an
ancient elemental.. Another way is to find the
yourself.
1. Every metallic object near you is attracted to you
like a magnet for 1 day. If the item is metallic and
stuck with it.
2. You become lighter than air for 3 days. If not
anchored to the ground in some way you levitate
away until you exit the atmosphere.
3. The ground around you erupts like a volcano,
direction and continuing to do so until you die.
 It's similar to having Str 0 — you can touch a
ILLUSION MISHAPS

1. Gain 1 Exhaustion. doorknob but are too “weak” to turn it. You are only
2. Take 1d6 damage. affected by visible things. Strong winds and invisible
3. Random mutation 1d6 rounds, then makes SHA stalkers have no effect on you. Illusions are real to
save; permanent if you fail. you. If someone summons an illusory dragon, it is a
4. All sighted creatures are invisible to you for
the real dragon as far as you are concerned (and you do
rest of the day. not pop like a balloon if the dragon bites you). You
5. Blind 1d6 rounds. require food and drink, but can only eat illusory food
6. Eruption of random illusions (dancing brooms, and drink.
The only spells you can cast as an illusion
pink elephants) shoot out of your hands and fill are spells with the Illusion Locus.
the area. It's similar to being caught in a tornado
of butterflies. Everyone must make a Wis check
each round to do anything that depends on sight.
Lasts 1d6 rounds.
ILLUSION DOOMS

One way to escape this doom is to journey into the

mirror-realm and eat one of the eyes of the
beholders found there. Another way is to perform
the Ritual of Prismax: a duel to the death against
three of your mirror selves from alternate universes,
fought in a neutral battlefield.
1. A 10' square mirror appears and you are
compelled to enter it (you have been summoned
by a parallel universe). The mirror disappears
after you enter it. You lose a random item, gain a
random item of approximately equal value, and
your HP is reduced to 1. You return the next
morning, shivering.
2. You turn into an illusion for a day. See below.
3. You turn into an illusion permanently. If you turn
into an illusion, you appear normal, but you have
no smell or taste. You can make no sounds. You
cannot be felt, anyone touching you
feels like they
are touching thick fog. If you experience any solid Credits: Luigi Castellani - SORCLIST2 in Silent Legions Art Pack
impact (a small dog jumping
into your shin, a From Sine Nomine Publishing
slap, a sword hit, a fall) you pop like a balloon,
lose 1d6 points of Constitution that cannot be
recovered as long as you remain an illusion, and
reform the next morning somewhere nearby.
While you can walk around, you cannot pass
through walls, nor can you squeeze under doors.

21
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 CREATURES AND NPC SPECIAL

Creatures are divided by size, having a different All information that cannot be abstracted with a
impact on their physical characteristics. Sentient simple numerical value or that requires further
beings are effectively NPCs, and can be created the explanation is placed here.
same way as a PC. Those instead are guidelines on For example: a flashbang does not cause
how to design a creature. Obviously this is not an all quantifiable damage (a numerical value) but has the
encompassing scheme that is always right, but possibility of blinding the target. How does it work
should be enough to get you started. Creatures mechanically?
should have no limitations on characteristics and
abilities. Not everything should be killable. This is one possibility:
CREATURES AND NPCS REFERENCE Special: The enemy launches a flashbang at a
Size Health Dices Attack Defence ML target; the player must make a SHA save to resist
Tiny 1 Hp(0) 6 10 6
the effect (Very Hard) or a AGI save to shut their
eyes in time (Average). If they fail, they cannot see
Small 1 6 8 6
for 1d3 rounds until the flashbang effect ends.
Medium 2 8 8 8
Large 4 8 6 8 This is another:
Very Large 10 10 6 10 Special: The enemy launches a flashbang at a
Massive 8 10 4 10 target causing a normal Defence Check from the
Colossal 10 12 4 12 player. If the check fails, the target in an area
cannot see for 1d3 rounds until the flash effect
HP: (Max HD result)/2 rounded up ends.
ST: Same as HP In the first method, as the example above, you can
Skill bonus (SB): HD/2 rounded down ask for different kinds of checks, where one may be
easier or more difficult to pass depending on the
CREATURES DAMAGE
defending character action. You can even have two
To decide how much damage each attack does, identical enemies with the only difference that one
compare the attacks with common weapons. uses the first method and the other uses the second
Depending on the type of weapon, the damage may to use it's Special.
be 1d4, 1d6, 1d8 or 1d10 (although some enemies
may include other specified values). MORALE (ML)
d4: Switch Knife, cane, mini handgun The morale value is a number between 2 and 12.
d6: Knife, short bow , pistol When you need to know if an enemy surrenders,
d6+1: Standard sword, battle axe, shotgun tries to flee, or if they continue to fight during an
d8: Two-handed sword, maul, assault rifle encounter (usually when they have suffered more
Let’s say a creature uses a tendril to hit like a whip, than 50% of their HP as damage or their party has
how much damage does a whip do? 1d4 damage. suffered many casualties), the Referee will make a
morale check, rolling 2d6. If the result is equal to or
less than the creature’s ML, they keep fighting; if the
result is higher, the creature tries to flee (or
surrender, if its the case).
It’s impossible to get more than 12, so a ML of 13
means that a creature cannot fail this roll, meaning
it is unaware and will fight to the death, or has lost
all interest in its own well-being.
To understand it clearly, morale means “will to
fight”. Passing the morale check means that the will
to fight is still intact, failing means that it has lost it.

22
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 WHAT CAUSED THE EMOTION?
PERSONALITY (PER)
Result (1d6) Emotion
Give each NPC a Personality score (from 0 to 12), in 1 Something that the PC have
addition to the Morale score. This is used as a target
number for attempts at persuasion, deception, or 2 Something that the PC did

otherwise personal interaction (unless it's to 3 the PC's Ancestry

discourage / intimidate, in which you can also use
the Morale value, whatever is higher), similar to
Attack and Defense in combat.
REACTION
Some creatures always act in the same way (a
mindless undead will always attack). However, the
reaction of most creatures is not always the same.
When a PC meet a character, may it be in a crowded
city or in a isolated dungeon, the Referee can choose
the creature's reaction to fit the mood of the fiction
or they can use the following reaction tables to
determine their reaction (roll 2d6 + present PC's
highest PER)
REACTION TABLE
Result Reaction
2 Immediate Attack
3-4 Hostile, Immediate Action
5-6 Uncertain, prone thorward negative
7 -8 Neutral, uninterested
9-10 Uncertain, prone thorward Positive
11-12 Friendly, immediate action
13+ Widely Friendly, immediate acceptance
4 the PC's Class
5 the PC's Language
6 the PC's Backstory
7 the PC's Sex
8 Something that the PC Doesn't know
I KNOW A GUY... (OPTIONAL)
At any moment during the session, a PC can declare
that they know the perfect character to help them in
a situation. roll 2d6 and choose one dice for each
table: Loyalty and Connection, each rating from 1 to
6. These stats don't have direct mechanical
implications but they summarize the two most
important aspects a contact would need in a simple
way, where Loyalty is how much the NPC will be
trustworthy and Contacts how much soft power they
will have. Use the next tables to generate that NPC
on the fly. You can add or remove 1 or more points
from the dice's result if the PC's actions have
impacted the NPC in the past in some way or
another. A PC can have only 1 + PER NPC's tied to
this mechanic, but can gain more during the
adventure at the Referee discretion.
LOYALTY

Value Description
EMOTION
Result (1d8) Emotion
1 Angry
2 Fear
3 Disgust
4 Sadness
5 Bored
6 Interested
7 Trusting
8 Joyful
1 Disloyal. Will try to betray the PC for personal gain
2 Treacherous. Will help the PC, but with a High price
3 Neutral. Will help the PC if it doesn't cost them
anything
4 Dependable. Will help even if it cost them
something of minor value
5 Trustworthy. Will call in some favor to help
6 Loyal. Will put themself in a difficult situation to
help

23
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 CONNECTION WHAT CAN THEY DO?

Value Description 1d12 Description

1 No one. They can only provide with their personal 1 Fence item
ability
2 Carry stuff
2 Personal. Can call someone they know
3 Give work
3 Local. Has some friends in the neighborhood
4 Retrieve information
4 Area. Has some people that will work for them
5 Spread word
5 City. Can put a good word with powerful people
6 Teach skill
6 Network. Has an entire network of worker at their
disposal 7 Give shelter
8 Give advice
WHO ARE THEY? 9 Sell item
1d20 Description 10 Guide to something
1 Childhood Friend 11 Steal something
2 Classmate 12 Retrieve item
3 Drinking buddy
4 Ex WHAT IS THEIR STRENGTH

1d10 Description
5 Landlord
1 Well known
6 Coworker
2 Trusted
7 Ex Boss
3 Respected
8 Family Member
4 Well mannered
9 Bartender
5 Cautious
10 Cellmate
6 Learned
11 Mentor
7 Physically strong
12 Teacher
8 Wise
13 Noble
9 Lucky
14 Merchant
10 Expert in a Job
15 Sex Worker
16 Apprentice
WHAT IS THEIR WEAKNESS
17 Old Commander 1d12 Description
18 Gang Member 1 Owe money to someone
19 Dealer 2 Addicted
20 Fixer 3 Proud
4 Hunted
5 Dumb
6 Coward
7 Mad
8 Busy
9 Stingy
10 Paranoid
11 Lazy
12 Rough

24
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!

HIRELINGS
Hirelings are NPCs hired by a PC to perform certain
services. A PC can only have a number of Hirelings
equal to their PER + 1.
Hirelings can be hired during Downtime by posting
a request and waiting for answers. If a Hireling is
hired they will start with 1d4 Loyalty + the paying
character PER. If Loyalty reaches 0, the Hireling
will leave or betray the PC's at the first good
occasion.
There are 3 types of Hirelings:
HENCHMEN
SPECIALIZATION LEVELS
Henchmen will work for a payment of wealth
level Poor (1) per week
SPECIALIST
All types of characters that PCs may wish to hire
for non-combat and non-adventuring purposes
(i.e. not mercenaries or henchmen) are termed
specialists.
Note that as specialists are hired by a character
to perform specific services, they are not treated
as retainers and thus do not count toward a
character’s maximum number of retainers.
A specialist pay per week is decided by the
Referee based on the level of specialization of the
specialist:
Wealth Specialization
level Cost level Examples

Henchmen will not participate in combat, but 0 Lowest Gong farmer, Farmer, Ship's
boy, Thug
they have 10 inventory slots at your disposal.
Their preferred position is wherever is safest. 1 Poor Blacksmith, Guard, Sailor,
Explorer
They will refuse to do anything overtly risky, but
can be coaxed to do moderately risky things with 2 Medium Navigator, Armourer, Driver

a Loyalty check. 3 High Animal trainer, Ship Captain,

Pilot, Spy
Overtly risky tasks: being the first one down 4 Expert Alchemist, Engineer, Exotic
a hallway, pulling an unmarked lever. Animal Trainer
5 Master Sage, General, Admiral,
Moderately risky tasks: standing watch in Treasurer, Spymaster
the hall while the party is in a room.

MERCENARIES

Mercenaries will work for a payment of wealth

level Medium (2) per week
Each mercenary will do their best to stay close to
the person they are attached to. They can give
that person +2 to the Attack Roll or +2 Damage
in combat, but do not take combat turns by
themselves. If you take damage that reduces your
HP to 2 or less, there is a 50% chance that your
mercenary is killed instead.
Mercenaries prefer to stand in the background
whenever possible, but they will not shirk from
combat. They will take as many risks as the rest
of the PCs. If they notice that they are being
asked to take more risks than the PCs (they are
always forced to pull the lever), they will become Credit: Grey Gnome Free Art Assets
as unwilling to take risks as henchmen.

25
THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
 LOYALTY CHECKS
Asking a Hireling to take more risks than the rest of
the party causes them to lose 1 Loyalty, regardless
of whether or not they accept or refuse.
Good treatment causes their loyalty to go up by 1
or 2 points (to a maximum of 10).
Poor treatment causes their loyalty to go down by
1, 1d4, or 1d6 points.
Credit: Grey Gnome Free Art Assets
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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!
HIRELING EVENTS
You can roll on this table during Downtime or when
you think some drama is needed.
DRAMA
1d12 Description
1 Two NPCs are fighting. Describe the fight. If you
allow them both to fight, they both lose 1 Loyalty. If
the rest of the party supports one NPCs but not the
other, the NPC that was supported gains 1 Loyalty
and the other loses 1d4 Loyalty.
2 An NPC becomes demanding. They want
something from the party (more pay / more control
over decisions such as where to go / a magic item).
If they do not get it, they lose 2 Loyalty.
3 Two NPCs have become best friends. They now
share the Loyalty stat, and forcing them to separate
may require a Loyalty check.
4 An NPC has decided that they want to be friends
with one of the PCs. They gain 1 Loyalty and will
attempt to do something nice for you. (A gift /
information / a favor).
5 An NPC gets sick. They and their services will be
unavailable until your next Downtime
6 A random character (NPC or PC) must make a MIN
check. If they fail, they lose a random item (that
makes sense).
7 A NPC discovers shocking information about a PC
(true or slander). They lose 1 Loyalty and try to
discover more.
8 A NPC gets a request from a PC's enemy (hide
something, create an opening, leaving a door open).
If Loyalty is 5 or more, they will refuse, else they will
accept
9 A NPC retires (old age, a wound, a shock,etc). If
their Loyalty was 5 or more, they will get you a
substitute that will start at 1d6 Loyalty
10 A NPC decides to take a journey far away for
personal reasons. Roll 1d6: (1) They will never
return, (2) They will return severely Injured but with
a story to tell after 1d4 days. (3) They will return
alone after 1d4 days, (4) They will return with their
long lost child/spouse/friend, (5) They will return
with a Treasure, (6) They will return with a powerful
Item
11 A NPC falls in love. They will ask your help to court
their beloved. If you refuse they'll lost 2 Loyalty. If
you help, even if the court goes bad, they'll gain 2
Loyalty
12 A NPC discovers some info about a Job, a Heist, or
a Mission of sorts. If you act accordingly they'll gain
1 Loyalty
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The rules presented in this file are mostly inspired by The GIST! by Zeruhur https://zeruhur.itch.io/, a
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licensed product. The GIST! can be downloaded at:
https://zeruhur.itch.io/gist. He's one of the most active Italian OSR Author, so check his blog out
https://zotiquest.zeruhur.space/
Some rules have been inspired by The Glog http://goblinpunch.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-glog.html by
Arnold K, a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licensed product. Check his blog out
http://goblinpunch.blogspot.com, he deserves every ounce of praise I have with me.
The Popcorn initiative is taken from by https://theangrygm.com/popcorn-initiative-a-great-way-to-adjust-dd-
and-pathfinder-initiative-with-a-stupid-name/
Many rules are inspired from Vaults of Vaarn Vol.1, a Tabletop RPG Zine https://graculusdroog.itch.io/vaults-
of-vaarn
by GraculusDroog https://graculusdroog.itch.io a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Licensed
product. If you haven't bought it yet, do it, it's PWYW, has tons of material inside and is a blast to play with.
Truly inspirational in so many ways.
The Ammunition Clock system was inspired by the Italian OSR author Luca Negri https://luca-negri.itch.io/
on the Ruling The Game telegram chat. He's a wonderful author, so check out his work, it's worth it.
The Key Advancement system was inspired by Dada https://write.as/jonnie/ on the Ruling The Game
telegram chat. His work is always great, send him love!
Many big thanks to the Italian OSR scene on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/osritalia/permalink/1587428858315222/ and Telegram
https://t.me/osritalia for their support and inspiration. Their work is the lifeblood of our passion and it's a
wonderful community that deserves to grow and to be loved. A particular thanks to Lorenzo Bertini for the
playtest and useful ideas.
Thanks to BaronMorte and Luigi Castellani for the ideas for the Wealth system
All material published here is likewise presented under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.
Feel
free to remix, copy, hack, and add to the content of this File; I ask only for
credit to be attributed.

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THE ARCHANGEL GIST!