Die!

Types
By Texaspoet | Terry RW Whisenant |texaspoet@gmail.com | copyright 2010
Basic concepts and ideas for a simple game system, that I am working on. Please email me with
comments and ideas. Thanks.

Statistics
Physical, Intellectual, Mental, Social, Magical

Spread d2 through d10 out through your Statistics: Assign one to be d10, one to be d8, one to be d6,
one to be d4, one to be d2.

Physical = simplified health, strength, dexterity, agility. Intellectual=intelligence, smarts, perception,

wits. Mental= ego, sanity, willpower. Social=charm, magnetism, leadership, influence. Magical=aura,
soul, power.

For purposes of keeping up with what your current effective statistic is, put a different colored dice of
the appropriate die type on the table. Yes, this means this method requires you to have five different
full sets of dice. I use pennies to represent d2s. When you lose an effective dice in a contest, remove
the correctly colored die and replace it with a small die type of the correct color. I use Black for Physical,
White for Intellectual, Blue for Mental, Yellow for Social and Red for Magical.

Occupations
Soldier, Burglar, Con-man, Archer, Telepath, Farmer, Locksmith, Herbalist, Doctor, Merchant, Penny-
counter, Town Guard, Brewer, Fisher, Hunter, Telekinetic, Scout, Nuclear Physicist, Biologist,
Computer Programmer, Mercenary, Energy Projector, Cook, Artist, Musician, Actor, Fire Mage,
Enchanter, Forest Mage, Summoner, Weather Mage, etc. Make up any occupation you like that is
setting appropriate.

Pick One of them to be d10, or pick two to be d8, or three to be d6, or four to be d4.

You can use your dice in an Occupation to roll for any type of activity that you can convince the other
players and game-master that you should be able to do with it. You should pick one specific skill or area
of expertise equal to your die type, for each occupation. Example: Someone who had burglar as an
occupation at d8, should define 8 specific things he can do with that occupation, such as: pick locks,
bully people, climb walls, sneak around, streetwise, pick pockets, fence items, case a joint. You will have
an opportunity to gain more skill definitions in the future.

Rolling a total
Pick the Statistic and Occupation that apply. Roll the die type for each one and then add them together.
If you have no applicable skills, then you only roll a stat dice, unless the GM decides you cannot attempt
what you are trying without training of some kind.

Passive Contests

The Game-master picks a difficulty die for how hard some task is.

2D2 = simple, 2d4= average, 2d6= difficult, 2d8= hard, 2d10= very hard, 2d12=impossibly hard.

The character attempting the action loses an effective die type for that contest, each time he loses. If
his effective stat is reduced to d0, then he has failed the contest.

One of the dice of the contest difficulty is reduced by one die type for each time the character wins. So,
2d6 would become d4+d6, then d2+d6, and then d0+d6 ending the contest, showing it took 3 rounds for
the character to overcome the passive contest.

Active Contests

Active Contests involve comparing two results. If one person rolls higher than another, he has
succeeded in scoring a damaging result. The target lowers the statistic he used in the contest by one
type. If a die type is reduced below d2 that character is out of the contest. The type of contest defines
what losing the contest entails. A debate ends with the winner offering the winning point of contention.
A seduction ends with the loser being seduced. Combat ends with the loser seriously wounded or even
dead. It is entirely possible to use different skills and stats in contests that do not entirely stop a
contest. Taunting your opponent might end in causing him to attack you, instead of whoever he was
attacking, or perhaps he runs away, depending on how things are going, or some other result entirely.

Losing Physical contests means you have been overcome physically. You lose the arm wrestling
competition; you pass out or die from damage, etc.

Losing an Intellectual contest means you’ve been outsmarted, you’ve lost the debate, you’ve been
misled or you can’t figure out the puzzle.

Losing a Mental contest means your mind has been read, your brain is traumatized, you’ve been
lobotomized by a telepathic contest or you’re insane.

Losing a Social contest means you’ve been seduced, bribed, fast-talked, persuaded, or out-orated.

Losing a Magical contest means your aura has been drained, your soul has been burnt away, and you
pass out or die.

Contests that don’t involve dying, losing consciousness, going insane or something similar will reset
between new contestants. If you lose an argument with one person from having your effective
Intellectual stat reduced to d0, you don’t stay at d0, when the gentleman at the door engages you in a
debate as you’re leaving. You reset to what your basic Intellectual dice is, for his purposes. This does
not work the same way for Physical or Magical, or possibly even Mental depending on why you have lost
effective dice.

Losing a contest, round to round

Anytime that someone loses a round, they may choose to become stunned instead. This prevents them
from losing a die type that round, but takes their next round to recover. If they are damaged again the
next round, they remain stunned and have to lose a die type in their statistic. You can only have one
instance of ‘Stunned’. If hit by another damaging attack that round, you have no choice but to lose a die
type from your affected stat. After being Stunned, the next round you roll as normal, but cannot inflict
damage on your opponent. If he again inflicts damage on you, you remain stunned and lose another
effective die type. If you win the contest, you don’t inflict damage, but you successfully become un-
stunned.

Different contests simultaneously

You might be attacking an enemy fighter with your sword, being attacked by a magic bolt, persuaded
not to attack someone and taunted by an enemy fighter all at the same time. Every participant rolls
their die totals and you compare totals, from highest to lowest. You roll the highest with your sword
attack, and hit the enemy fighter, who now doesn’t get an action since you went first and you were his
target. The magic bolt goes wide, and you ignore the guy attempting to persuade you.

If the guy who was attempting to persuade you went first, and the bolt casting wizard went second, and
the taunting fighter went last, then you would lose a die type in your Social stat or be stunned, then lose
a die type in your Magical stat or be stunned. If you choose to be stunned by either one of those, then
you have to lose a die type in the other and your turn is done. If you opt to take the die type damage in
both Magical and Social stats, and you still have positive dice left, you would still get your attack on the
taunting enemy fighter.

Serious Hits

Anytime you roll a multiple of what your opponent rolled, you have scored a serious hit. A serious hit
removes more than one die type in your opponent. You opponent may still opt to become stunned to
absorb ONE wound. Example: Bob the fighter is attacking Bob the archer in melee. Bob the Fighter rolls
a total of 9, while Bob the archer rolls a 4. Bob the fighter inflicts 2 die types of damage to Bob the
Archer’s Physical stat. Bob the Archer chooses instead to become Stunned and only lose 1 die type from
his Physical stat.

Round Composition

1. Each player declares what they are going to do that round from the lowest Intellectual score
going up. Ties roll their die type against each other at the beginning of the contest and that sets
the order of declaration for the rest of the contest.
2. Everyone rolls their dice.
 3. The highest roll goes first, comparing his roll versus his target’s roll. The target loses a die type
or more, or becomes stunned. If he becomes stunned, he is done for this round. If he did not
become stunned and was acting against someone who is slower than him this round, he still
gets to resolve his action, perhaps at a lower effective die type now.

Using different Stats in contests

Suppose Bob the Librarian is being charged by Bob the Fighter. Bob the Librarian wants to try to get Bob
the Fighter to not kill him. Bob the Librarian opts to use his Social stat with his Librarian skill vs. Bob the
Fighter’s Physical stat and Soldier skill. Bob the Librarian rolls a total of 9 and Bob the Fighter rolls an 8.
Bob the Fighter takes a die type of damage to his Intellectual stat, which is only a d2, and can choose to
reduce his effective Intellect to d0, losing the contest, and not attack Bob the Librarian, or he can choose
to be ‘Stunned’ this round. Bob the Fighter opts to be stunned this round, because he thinks he can
successfully come un-stunned against the Librarian the next round, and then attack him again on the
third round. Unfortunately for him, an Archer scores an incredibly high Serious hit on him in round two,
and Bob the Fighter dies. Bob the Librarian hides in a closet.

Special Abilities

These special abilities allow characters to do something that differs from the basic rules.

Dual-Wielder You may attack with melee twice in a round, once for each weapon. You may attack one
person twice, or two different people. Roll your Physical + Skillset twice.

Equipment

Armor

Wearing armor allows you to ignore a certain number of wounds. Any time that you must take a
wound, you may elect instead to take a hit with your armor. Different armors can sustain more hits.
Light armor will absorb a single hit for you in a combat. Medium armor will absorb two hits. Heavy
armor will absorb three hits. This resets between combats. Absorbing any damage from a Serious Hit
will permanently reduce how many hits armor can absorb in a combat, until the character has time to
have his armor officially repaired by an armorer.

Weapons

Weapons come in size categories, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large. A small weapon cannot perform a
Serious Hit on anyone wearing armor. A Medium weapon acts normally. A Large Weapon adds an
additional Wound to any hit. An Extra Large Weapon adds an additional Wound to any hit and
permanently reduces the damage absorption of any armor it hits, by one, in addition to Serious Damage,
and requires two hands to use.

Shields are similar to armor, and allow you to ignore a certain number of wounds. Any time that you
must take a wound, you may elect instead to take a hit with your shield. Different shields can sustain
more hits. A small shield can absorb one hit per combat. A medium shield can absorb two hits. A large
shield can absorb three hit. A gigantic shield can absorb four hit.

Movement

A character’s Move is simplified and is based on their Armor and Equipment.

Basic Move of all characters is based on their Physical. A charging move equals the character’s physical
die type. A person with a d10 Physical can move a total of 10” in a round if they charge. Subtract 1 for
medium armor, or 2 for heavy armor. Subtract 1 for a Medium Shield, 2 for a Large shield and 3 for a
gigantic shield. Subtract 1 for a Large Weapon or 2 for an Extra Large Weapon. So a person with a d10
Physical, wearing Heavy Armor (-2), carrying an Extra Large Weapon (-2), would have a charge move of
6” per round. Divide the Charge Move by two, to determine a character’s base move (round down).

The lowest you can reduce your Physical to is two. Thus, a d6 Physical character, wearing Heavy Armor
and carrying a Large Shield, could not carry a Large Weapon or Heavier. He would have a move of 1,
with a charge of 1. If your effective Physical is reduced to below d2, you can no longer move.

Charging lowers your effective skillset by one, for the round you are charging.

Character Name ___________________

Physical Occupation

Intellectual Occupation

Mental Occupation

Social Occupation

Magical

Special Abilities