I'm designing a character development system for my game, and this section focuses on

enhancing gameplay. Each one-word response to these questions serves as a key factor that
can provide advantages to skill rolls during the game. For example, if your response for
"Domain" is "Urban City" and your character is participating in a chase event set in an urban
environment, you'll gain an advantage in that situation due to your urban city expertise.

Kin (Species and Race): Kin represents the species or race of your character. It determines
your character's base statistics, health, and special abilities. For example, if your Kin is
"Dwarf," your character might have higher endurance and be resistant to certain
environmental effects or poisons.

Domains (Knowledge of the Land): Domains reflect your character's deep understanding of a
particular type of environment or terrain. It could be a natural setting like forests, deserts, or
tunnels, or a man-made environment like dense cities. This knowledge can grant advantages
when navigating or surviving in these areas.

Origin (Cultural Background): Origin represents your character's cultural background or

upbringing. It could be a monarchy kingdom, an imperial empire, a rural frontier, or any
other societal structure. Your character's origin can influence their beliefs, values, and social
standing in the game world.

Alignment (Worldview): Alignment reflects your character's fundamental worldview and

moral compass. It can be categorized into various philosophies, such as "me first" (self-
centered), "others before myself" (selfless), "law and order" (strict adherence to rules), or
"chaos" (embracing unpredictability and freedom). Alignment can guide your character's
decisions and actions.

Youth (Family Background): Youth describes your character's family background and their
early life experiences. It includes your family's business or occupation, which can provide
your character with knowledge or skills related to that trade. This aspect helps shape your
character's backstory and abilities.

Adult (Occupation): Adult represents your character's primary job or profession during their
early adulthood. This is the occupation your character pursued to make a living. It can grant
specific skills, resources, or connections that your character developed over the years.

Aging (Character Development): Aging reflects your character's progression in life. It

signifies what your character mastered or if they changed their job or focus as they grew
older. This element allows your character to evolve and adapt based on their experiences.

Ancient (Character Advancement): Ancient represents your character's further development

or transformation as they age. It signifies what your character mastered or if they changed
their job or goals again, but this time at a more advanced stage of life. It adds depth to your
character's journey.

Calling (Motivation for Adventuring): Calling explains what inspired your character to leave
their previous life behind and embark on adventures or dungeon-delving. It could be a
personal quest, a sense of duty, a thirst for knowledge, or a desire for wealth and fame.
Bonds (Connections and Relationships): Bonds represent the interpersonal connections your
character has with other individuals or groups in the game world. They can be friends, allies,
mentors, or rivals. The ranking (1-3) signifies the strength of these bonds, with higher ranks
indicating closer and more influential relationships.

Rolling Mechanic: In my game, when a situation calls for a skill check, the player rolls 1d20.
The goal is to roll under the corresponding attribute score for that Attribute. Success or
failure depends on whether the rolled total is less than the attribute score.

Primary Stats (Attributes): These are the core characteristics that define your character's
capabilities and aptitudes in various aspects of the game. Here's a breakdown of each
attribute:

Warfare: Description: Warfare encompasses your character's skill in melee combat and their
ability to lead or command in tactical situations. Use in the Game: Whenever your character
engages in melee combat or needs to make decisions in a command or leadership role during
war/combat.

Survival: Description: Survival represents your character's proficiency in skills such as

hunting, tracking, and ranged combat, making them adept at surviving in challenging
environments. Use in the Game: When your character needs to track or hunt prey, engage in
ranged combat, or navigate the wilderness.

Discreet: (skullduggery) Description: Discreet measures your character's ability to sneak,

hide, steal, and carry out acts of burglary with finesse. Use in the Game: When your character
engages in stealthy activities like sneaking past guards, hiding in shadows, or attempting
theft.

Spirit: Description: Spirit represents your character's connection to the divine or arcane, as
well as their mental fortitude and willpower. Use in the Game: When your character interacts
with the supernatural, resists mental manipulation, or taps into their own spiritual or magical
abilities,

Awareness: Description: Awareness reflects your character's keenness of senses, including

sight, smell, hearing, and general alertness. Use in the Game: When your character needs to
spot hidden objects or creatures, listen for distant sounds, or maintain a heightened state of
alertness.

Aura: Description: Aura represents your character's presence, ability to compel others, skill in
trade and negotiation, and capacity to form bonds with individuals or groups. Use in the
Game: When your character persuades, negotiates, or tries to establish bonds. This attribute
reflects their social and interpersonal skills.

Kin (Special Attribute): Description: Kin represents your character's innate health, vigour,
and endurance. Unlike the other attributes, Kin is not determined by rolling 3d6; instead, it's a
variable value. Use in the Game: Kin serves as your character's baseline physical resilience.
It's used to determine your character's health and endurance in various situations, such as
combat or enduring hardships.
Health and Wounds System: In my game, characters have a pool of health or hit points,
which is divided into hits and wounds. The number of hits per wound is determined by the
character's Kin. Each character starts with 2 wounds.
Hits per Wound: Your Kin determines how many hits are required to cause a single wound.
For example, if your Kin provides 15 hp per wound, you would need to accumulate 15
damage before suffering a wound.
Damage Sources: Characters can take damage from various sources, including combat,
delving failures (perhaps related to dungeon exploration), or environmental hazards.
Types of Wounds: Depending on the action that caused the damage, wounds can be
categorized into different types:
Combat Wounds: Result from injuries sustained in battle.
Fire Wounds: Occur when exposed to flames or extreme heat.
Acid Wounds: Happen due to corrosive substances.
Magic Wounds: Are inflicted by magical attacks or spells.
Fall Wounds: Are incurred from falling or high-impact landings.

Tracking Damage: Players keep track of the damage they've taken and tick off boxes or
record hits for each wound type separately. Suffering Wounds: When the accumulated hits
for a specific wound type equal or exceed the hits per wound determined by the character's
Kin, they suffer a wound of that type. The consequences of wounds may vary based on their
type and severity, adding a strategic and tactical element to gameplay.

Dealing Damage: To deal damage in combat or similar situations, players roll under the
appropriate attribute. If the roll is successful, damage is inflicted in that round. Weapon
Damage Levels: Weapons in my game come in four levels of damage: Light, Medium,
Heavy, and Deadly.
Light: Roll two dice and take the lowest result.
Medium: Roll one die.
Heavy: Roll two dice and take the lowest result.
Deadly: Roll two dice and add their results together.

Critical Hits: Rolling a 1 on the dice results in a critical hit, inflicting maximum damage for
that weapon.

Defense: The defense system is player-facing, meaning the players roll dice to defend against
incoming attacks. Players roll under the appropriate attribute for defense. If the roll is
successful, no damage is taken. If the roll is unsuccessful, the player takes damage.

Armor System (Playtesting): The armor system in my game is still under playtesting. Each
point of armor is treated as Damage Reduction (DR) 1, possibly with Sundering (a mechanic
that may interact with armor). Alternatively, each piece of armor provides a 6+ armor save,
indicating the chance of reducing or negating incoming damage.
Push or Doom Mechanic: "From Black Sword Hack" At the start of the game, every
player begins with a 1d6, representing their current state of readiness or luck. Pushing
Yourself: Players have the option to "push themselves" by using this dice to improve their
chances of success in a particular roll or action. When you decide to push yourself, you roll
the dice, and the result is subtracted from your roll. However, if the rolled result is a 5 or 6,
the dice is stepped down to a d4. If you roll a 3 or 4 on a d4, the dice becomes 0, resulting in

DOOM.
DOOM: Having a DOOM means that all rolls are disadvantaged until a long rest or a specific
game event that removes the DOOM. DOOM introduces a significant element of risk, as
players may choose to push themselves for an advantage but risk triggering DOOM, which
can hinder their progress.

Gaining DOOM Dice: Players can gain DOOM dice by stepping up from 1d6 to higher dice,
such as 1d8, 1d10, or 1d12. Regardless of the type of die used, if the result is 5 or higher, the
die is stepped down to a lower type after applying the result. This encourages players to take
calculated risks, as stepping up to higher dice can offer greater advantages but carries a
higher risk of eventually accumulating DOOM.