A TTRPG sandbox

system to inspire
creativity
As mentioned above, this system is a sandbox. It is meant to be
by Leona Dawn
used to develop your own game using the sandbox of story
elements and character traits.

Built on Caltrop Core (v1.0), this is a hybrid tarot-based and d4 To determine each element, you will draw a tarot card (or roll).
sandbox system. To use this system, you will need:
*To roll instead of drawing tarot cards, choose two cards
● at least one d4 (preferably 3) from the suit you are drawing from that you do not
● one of the following: want, and subtract them from the table’s possibilities.
○ a tarot deck Then, roll either a d20 for Major Arcana, or a d12 for
○ a random tarot generator (I recommend this one) Minor Arcana.
○ a d20 and a d12
Split your deck into each suit (or filter the random generator).
This document is not itself a game–instead, it contains tables
upon which you can generate a story and characters to test
The genre is simply rolled for with 1d4.
your creativity and improvisational skills!
d4 Result
Gameplay is simply a conversation between the GM and the
1 Post-apocalyptic
players. However, when an outcome is uncertain, the d4 will
2 Fantasy
come into play. In other words, when a player wants to do
3 Modern
something, they will roll for the result.
4 Sci-Fi
d4 Result Description of Result
You don’t get what you want, and First, the GM will draw for the story:
1 Absolute Failure
things get a lot worse.
2 Partial Failure You don’t get what you want. Suit Determines
You get what you want, but things Major Arcana The hook.
3 Partial Success Wands The plot twist.
get complicated.
4 Absolute Success You get what you want–and more. Cups The group’s patron.
Swords The antagonist(s).
You will roll a pool of d4’s, take the highest number, and Pentacles The reward.
discard the rest.
The GM will note each card down, then place them back into
You can roll up to 3d4 in one roll (depending on game type). their respective decks.

Then, each player (noting their cards and replacing them in
the deck before the next player draws) will draw for the
characters. Feel free to show players this table:
Suit Determines
Major Arcana Your personality.
Wands Your imperfection.
Cups Your upbringing.
Swords Your ambition.
Pentacles Your secret.
How do you determine which game style is best for your table?
It’s simple—just ask! Would they prefer a numbers-based game
(stat-driven) or a roleplay heavy game (token-based). Another
way to phrase that question is simply, “do you want combat, or
not?” Stat-driven games are better for running combat, while
token-based games are better for running roleplay-only games.
These types of games are not mutually exclusive, and you
could use both, but OR4CLE leans more heavily towards stats.
Token-based games are mechanically simpler than stat-driven.
The GM should decide, perhaps after rolling the story:
• What tokens are represented by
• How they are earned (and the frequency).
• What area of gameplay they help resolve
• What a character can expend tokens to do
• What these tokens say about your values
Tokens are earned and expended to increase the dice pool.
Instead of rolling as many dice as stat points you have, you
can roll up to 3d4 (3 expended tokens). For example, a token
you could give your players in a sci-fi setting is a tech boost.
They are earned through teamwork, extraordinary roleplay, or
creative solutions. They help resolve tough situations like
needing to hack a terminal. This token suggests that through
teamwork, anything is possible.
The stats for each adventure will vary based on the adventure
itself. Detailed below is a basic stat-driven system that is vague
enough to work with each of the genres provided in this
document. Included on the itch.io page are two PDF files for
character sheets using this system. One is fillable and the other
is printable.
There are three stats in this system.
1. STRENGTH: Physical actions— “body.”
2. JUDGEMENT: Mental actions— “mind.”
3. TEMPERANCE: Emotional actions— “soul.”
You will start out with 1 in each stat, and you cannot go above
3. This number represents how many d4s are in your pool for
rolls based on those stats.
You will have +1 in one stat of your choice, based on some
facet of your character. For example, a person who enjoys
working out may have a high STRENGTH score, where a person
who enjoys reading would have a high JUDGEMENT score,
where a person who enjoys socializing would have a high
TEMPERANCE score.
□□□ | □□□ | □□□
2
 Class Description Example based on genre Skill
Class Description Example based on genre Skill Modern: someone who Roll
Post-apocalyptic: is very technologically TEMPER-
someone who uses an Try to skilled. ANCE.
improvised weapon. grab Sci-fi: someone who has
Hands-on telekinesis
Fantasy: someone who someone
fighter. Post-apocalyptic:
uses a sword and shield and hold
Your someone who can
Fighter or a club. them in
STRENGTH patch up a wound quick
Modern: someone who place for
increases by You can
uses martial arts. others to What it says and dirty.
1. heal those
Sci-fi: someone who hit. Roll on the box. Fantasy: someone who
who are
prefers to fight face-to- STRENGTH. Your uses magic to heal.
Healer harmed.
face. JUDGEMENT Modern: someone who
Roll
Post-apocalyptic: increases by is probably a doctor.
JUDGE-
someone who uses a You have 1. Sci-fi: someone who has
Hands-off MENT.
makeshift gun. a keen the power of
fighter. nanotechnology on their
Fantasy: someone who eye for
Your side to heal quickly.
Shooter uses a bow and arrow. trick shots.
JUDGEMENT
Modern: someone who Roll
increases by Combat will be resolved with the base d4 system. There are 4
uses a rifle. JUDGE-
1. possibilities to roll from for each outcome to resolve the extra
Sci-fi: someone who MENT.
uses a laser blaster. flavor for combat.
Post-apocalyptic:
What Combat is also a conversation between the GM and the
someone who wears
The doesn’t players—take turns describing one thing your character attempts
scrap metal as armor.
vanguard. kill you to accomplish the most during that fight, and then roll the stat
Fantasy: someone who
Your makes that most closely encompasses that action. For example, the
Tank has chain or plate mail.
STRENGTH you Healer wants to attempt to stop as much bleeding as possible,
Modern: someone with a
increases by stronger. so he rolls JUDGEMENT to resolve how well he achieved that
bulletproof vest.
1. Roll goal. Or, the Tank wants to, well, tank, so she rolls STRENGTH.
Sci-fi: someone with an
STRENGTH.
energy shield.
You can Combat roll pools are rolled by the GM and are determined by
Post-apocalyptic: the amount of successful combat actions by players. 1 successful
Powerful. perform
someone who develops action=1d4 for the pool (starting at 0—if everyone fails, combat
Your powerful
powers from radiation. automatically fails). (Consider changing this to a 2:1 ratio if you
Adept TEMPERANCE attacks
Fantasy: someone who have more than four players).
increases by based on
was born with magic in
1. your
their veins.
skillset.

3
d4 Absolute Failure Result
1 randomly determined party member is
1
kidnapped by the combatants.
1 randomly determined party member is terribly
2
wounded and must roll to fight for their life.
1 randomly determined party member is poisoned
3 2
in the fight and must receive an antidote soon.
1 randomly determined party member suffers a
4 3
grave injury (loss of a limb/appendage/eye)
d4 Partial Failure Result
1 randomly determined party member is knocked
1
unconscious for 3d4 hours.
2 Backup arrives (triggering a second combat).
1 randomly determined party member is targeted
3
unfairly and takes extreme damage.
1 randomly determined party member took
4 damage by a missed weapon or power attack of
another randomly determined party member.
d4 Partial Success Result
One of the combatants begs for their life before
1 fledged campaign that is pre-written. Hell, use a different
you can take them out.
2 One of the combatants gets away.
3 Nobody gets away, but a signal flare is launched.
4 One of the combatants cursed you in some way.
d4 Absolute Success Result
1 The combatants had useful information.
2 The combatants had a decent sum of money.
3 The combatants had valuable items.
4 The combatants had a mount/vehicle.
If you find yourself in a circumstance where you are dying, roll
STRENGTH (you may use a pool for this).
d4 Result Description of Result
1 Absolute Failure You die.
You do not die, but you are too
Partial Failure
unstable to continue.
You survive but require a great
Partial Success
deal of healing to recover.
4 Absolute Success You survive and are stable.
Levelling up is done when the GM believes that the players
have “earned it,” or when it “feels right.” Levelling up grants a
+1 in a stat of the player’s choice.
What follows this page is simply the tables upon which you
can generate your game. While the goal and original idea of
this system is to create a tool for GMs to use when they want
to test their improv skills and make up one-shots on the fly, you
are more than welcome to use any of these ideas for a full-
system if you so choose! Everything here is, all in all, just ideas
that are meant to be seeds—you have to plant and water
them!
If you use anything from this system, I’d love to hear about it!
Feel free to leave a comment on the game on itch.io, or @ or
DM me on Twitter. You can also direct questions to my email
(leonadawnn@gmail.com). If you want to support me, you can
find my Ko-fi here. Thank you for checking out OR4CLE, I hope
it brings you the inspiration you need to have a fun session!
4

Card Hook
Someone who refuses to speak otherwise has
Fool been predicting outlandish things will happen.
The thing is, they all come true.
Powers (magical, technological, whatever you
Magician want to call it) have existed for ages, but
suddenly, they're all just… Gone.
Last night, each of you had a dream that told
you the other's names and said, "find them."
High
Today, you just met for the first time, and you
Priestess
were hired in a group to find an ancient artifact
for a museum.
A mother whose child has gone missing has
decided to go after the kidnappers. Your patron
Empress
has hired you to find her and either help her or
stop her.
A father living in poverty wants to make his
daughter's birthday perfect. Your patron has hired
Emperor you in secret to gather three artifacts that can
be combined to grant one wish as a gift for the
birthday girl.
A beloved member of the community recently
passed away. Now, all sorts of weird things are
Hierophant happening around town, and you learn it's
because they were preventing them from
happening.
Your patron suspects their future spouse of
Lovers cheating and hires you to investigate. Turns out,
they are a secret nighttime vigilante! In catching
Card Hook
them in the act, though, you've gotten caught
up between vigilante and criminal business.
There is an upcoming championship. Your
Chariot patron has hired you to assure the victory of a
certain participant by any means necessary.
The Strongest Man in the World is this week's
spectacle. You have all been tasked with finding
out what it is that really makes him so strong—
there's no way he can really lift all of that
Strength weight! In discovering the truth, you uncover one
secret too many: he runs an underground crime
ring! He caught you red-handed, and now you
are locked up somewhere unfamiliar. It's up to
you to escape!
After years of soul-searching, your patron has
decided they no longer should possess an
ancient artifact that they stole. They have tasked
Hermit
you with returning it to its rightful owner by way
of "reverse robbery"—simply delivering it to them
will raise too many suspicions.
Every ten years, a stubborn location that
continues to rebuild is destroyed by a cataclysmic
event. You're on the tenth cycle of this
Wheel of happening, and society has finally figured out
Fortune how to prevent it. The only problem? The clock
is down to three days, and you need to travel a
great distance through uncharted land to
implement the solution.
The law has just unfairly convicted the only
person capable of keeping the portal shut. What
portal, you ask? Oh, just the one that is
impossible to enter, but occasionally, a beast
Justice
beyond human comprehension escapes from it.
That portal. You can't fight these beasts, you
know you're not strong enough, so the best you
can do is find evidence this person is innocent.
5
 Card Hook
You are from a location that relies on an
ancient tree's powers. Every year, a nominated
participant communes with the Great Tree to see
The what its demands are this year. It usually asks for
Hanged a great quest to be completed by the end of the
Man year. Nobody knows what will happen if it goes
unsatisfied, as it has been satisfied for over a
thousand years. While its demands are always
grand, they are never impossible—until this year.
There is a new ruler over your location that the
populace refuses to recognize as their leader—
and rightfully so. They are throwing a party this
Death
weekend, and you happen to have an invite,
and a patron who has hired you to attempt to
force the ruler to resign.
Two nations are attempting to come together in
peace after years and years of war. You are
tasked with delivering the peace treaty. There is
a temporary ceasefire, but you must travel to
Temper-
your opponent's base through a battlefield that
ance
has very well become more of an obstacle
course with how difficult it is to navigate. To top
it all off, intel on your side says this may be a
trap, but your commander was insistent.
You accidentally signed a deal with a devil
(whether it's a literal Devil or just a very tricky
lawyer remains to be seen). You can't get out of
Devil it without losing your soul, so you are obligated
to the devil's service. They've asked you to bring
a certain person back to them—they won't
explain why.
You live in a mobile city or fleet that relocates
often to avoid disaster, by the vote of a board.
There was recently a gigantic upheaval in the
Tower
board and each member was removed and
replaced with new members who have far
different views than the original members. They
Card Hook
believe the mobile city or fleet should become
immobile and stand their ground where they
are, but they are currently stationed somewhere
that is doomed for cataclysm in just a few days'
time.
You live in a world where the deities are in
direct connection with their worshippers. Well,
Star
lived—one day, you all wake up and the deities
are no longer responding.
Overnight, the entire town has been overcome
with such fear that they are all unable to leave
their homes—except you. The townsfolk will not
Moon speak of what frightened them, and you did not
see it. It is up to you to find and combat the
source of their fear before the situation becomes
too dire.
There is a festival coming to town soon that, for
the past three years, has been ransacked by no-
good burglars. You have been tasked with
assuring this does not happen this year, but
Sun
you've just received information that they have
introduced undercover agents to their ranks—you
must find the fairgoers with nefarious intentions
before the festival is ruined.
There will soon be a judgement call on
someone you know to be innocent and whom
Judgement you have evidence proving their innocence. That
call is tomorrow… But tomorrow never comes—
you're stuck in a time loop!
The planet has become unstable, for lack of a
better word. Gravity is wrong and weather
patterns are backwards, and scientists predict it
will only get weirder with land formations
The World
starting to split apart. There is only one team of
scientists that can stop this, but they have been
dormant for hundreds of years and must first be
woken.
6
 ’
Card Plot Twist Card Group’s Patron
The story ended long ago, and the characters 1 of Cups A famous artist.
1 of
are long since dead—this is all a historical 2 of Cups A political activist.
Wands
retelling. 3 of Cups A fortune teller.
2 of There is a prophecy, but it turns out that the 4 of Cups A community elder.
Wands antagonist is the chosen one. A set of twins in constant conflict with one
3 of 5 of Cups
There was a prophecy—it does not come true. another.
Wands 6 of Cups A politician.
4 of Someone who was thought to be dead returns 7 of Cups A rival/competitor in your area of expertise.
Wands to life! 8 of Cups A famous racer.
5 of The "end" of the story is just the beginning in a 9 of Cups A person who has been through great strife.
Wands series of events. 10 of Cups A distraught parent.
Copies of the characters suddenly appear next to Page of Cups An archaeologist.
6 of them—they are from the future! They say not to
Knight of
Wands do what the characters set out to do—it "ruined A runaway.
Cups
everything."
Queen of
7 of A seemingly innocuous object has a special A teacher or mentor.
Cups
Wands power.
King of Cups A noble or heir.
8 of
The antagonist gets away.
Wands
The original hook was a trap by the antagonist,
9 of
and the characters walked right into it. They Card Antagonist(s)
Wands
must now escape. 1 of Swords A mad scientist.
10 of 2 of Swords The law.
The story doesn't have a happy ending.
Wands
3 of Swords The characters' deepest fears, personified.
Page of
Someone seemingly innocent was behind it all. Somebody who asked for help but went down
Wands 4 of Swords
the wrong path anyway.
The original hook is forgotten (or was a cover-
Knight of 5 of Swords A bitter rival, or several.
up) because of the uprising of a virus that turns
Wands 6 of Swords Somebody the characters all used to know.
people into flesh-eating monsters.
7 of Swords A spy.
Early on, the characters receive a psychic
A jailer who is convinced the characters would
Queen of reading. That reading turns out to be an 8 of Swords
be better off behind bars.
Wands alternate reality that they could have
They are impeding their own journeys—they
experienced with different choices. 9 of Swords
must get past their own "demons," so to speak.
King of The antagonist was an ally in disguise, keeping
10 of
Wands up a ruse. A close friend that stabs them in the back.
Swords

7
 Card Antagonist(s)
Page of
Someone who always over-explains their plans.
Swords
Knight of
A revolutionary led astray.
Swords
Queen of The following tables are still for GM eyes only, but you will
A private investigator.
Swords obviously share the results of each player’s card draw with
King of Somebody who has unjust authority over the them so they can create their characters. If a player doesn’t
Swords characters. like a draw they get, let them re-draw. It’s more fun like that.

Card Reward Card Personality

1 of Pentacles A moderate amount of money. Fool Free spirited, naïve, spontaneous, forgiving.
2 of Pentacles A personal favor. Focused, resourceful, action-oriented,
Magician
3 of Pentacles A valued ally. adaptive.
4 of Pentacles Property. High Priestess Insightful, mysterious, calm, charming.
5 of Pentacles The bare minimum. Nature-oriented, youthful, graceful,
Empress
6 of Pentacles A generous amount of money. affectionate.
7 of Pentacles One wish come true. Emperor Stable, mindful, doting, willing confidant.
8 of Pentacles An artifact. Spiritual, community-oriented, agreeable,
Hierophant
9 of Pentacles A decent amount of money. hardworking.
10 of Pentacles Someone else's inheritance. Decisive, communicative, loving, "heart-on-
Lovers
Page of sleeve".
Consistent paychecks.
Pentacles Natural leader, determined, assertive,
Chariot
Knight of confident.
A relatively large sum of money.
Pentacles Strength Loyal, dignified, patient, brave.
Queen of Hermit Introspective, wise, keen, self-disciplined.
Enough money to live securely with.
Pentacles Wheel of
Lucky, humorous, sociable, generous.
King of Fortune
A position of power.
Pentacles Justice Honest, by-the-book, diplomatic, composed.
The Hanged
Trusting, open, wiling, vivacious.
GM, note down each card and its result somewhere private. Man
This is your story base. From here on out, it is up to you to test Death Diligent, fearless, persistent, courageous.
your improv skills with this prompt to see what you can do Temperance Genuine, amiable, tolerant, polite.
with it. Since the tables that follow for character creation have Pleasure seeker, quick-witted, evasive, off-
different results, put your cards back into their respective decks. Devil
the-cuff.

8
 Card Personality Card Upbringing
Competitive, self-confident, driven, Both parents; 1d4-1 siblings. Paycheck-to-
Tower 3 of Cups
passionate. paycheck.
Star Hopeful, joyous, inspired, dazzling. 4 of Cups Single father; only child. Stable.
Introverted, spitefully optimistic, emotionally 5 of Cups Single mother; 1d4 siblings. Impoverished.
Moon
intelligent, kind. 6 of Cups Adoptive parents; only child. Wealthy.
Sun Friendly, creative, gregarious, energetic. Adoptive parents; 1d4 siblings. Comfortably
7 of Cups
Judgement Sincere, capable, elegant, knowledgeable. wealthy.
Well-traveled, accomplished, ambitious, 8 of Cups Single mother; only child. In debt.
The World
compassionate. Single adoptive mother; only child. Paycheck-
9 of Cups
to-paycheck.
10 of Cups Both parents; 1d4+1 siblings. Rich.
Single father; 1d4 siblings. Newly stable (was
Page of Cups
poor).
Card Imperfection Knight of
1 of Wands Overemotional. Both parents; 1 sibling. Stable.
Cups
2 of Wands Easily attached. Queen of
Single mother; only child. Comfortable.
3 of Wands Overbearing. Cups
4 of Wands Apathetic. King of Cups Single father; only child. Comfortable.
5 of Wands Ruled by grief.
6 of Wands Ruled by childhood trauma.
7 of Wands Too optimistic.
8 of Wands Cracks under pressure. Card Ambition
9 of Wands Overly self-indulgent. 1 of Swords Have a breakthrough.
10 of Wands Overconfident. 2 of Swords Find inspiration.
Page of Wands Gossipy. 3 of Swords Move on from heartbreak.
Knight of Wands Childish. 4 of Swords Comfortably retire.
Queen of Wands Empathetic to a fault. 5 of Swords Defeat a rival.
King of Wands Generous to a point of self-detriment. 6 of Swords Complete a rite of passage.
Get away with something you shouldn't
7 of Swords
have done.
8 of Swords Break free of self-imprisoning thoughts.
9 of Swords Get rid of the nightmares.
Card Upbringing 10 of Swords Get revenge.
Both parents; 1d4+1 siblings. Comfortably Page of Swords Meet friends.
1 of Cups
wealthy. Knight of Swords Become a leader.
2 of Cups Both parents; only child. Comfortable. Queen of Swords Organize a guild.
King of Swords Gain more knowledge.

9
 Card Secret
I had an opportunity for a well-paying
1 of Pentacles
job, and I blew it.
I was late one too many times and I
2 of Pentacles
lost my long-time job.
I was part of a group that committed
3 of Pentacles
immoral acts. I'm reformed now.
I stole something that someone valued
4 of Pentacles
highly. I still have it.
5 of Pentacles I went bankrupt gambling.
I emancipated myself from my family
6 of Pentacles at a young age. They're on the verge
of finding me.
There's a reason I don't tell people
7 of Pentacles
who my parents are.
8 of Pentacles I just got out of jail.
I saw someone who needed help and
9 of Pentacles didn’t stop to help. I learned that
person died.
I'm the reason one of my family
10 of Pentacles
members is dead.
Page of Pentacles My family left me.
Knight of Pentacles I'm on the run from the law.
Queen of Pentacles I cheated on my ex.
Someone took the fall for a crime I
King of Pentacles
committed.

This work is based on Caltrop Core, published by Titanomachy

RPG. The Caltrop Core SRD is licensed for use under a Creative
Commons Attribution- ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Titanomachy RPG is on Twitter and Itch.io.

10