2025

FREE
RPG DAY
 Basic Roleplaying
Quickstart

Greg Stafford officially founded The Chaosium on Friday October 31st, 1975.

While working from his crowded two-bedroom apartment, Greg kit-bashed the
company name by combining references to that house of chaos and its location near
the Oakland Coliseum. While Chaosium originally published wargames such as
White Bear & Red Moon, within a few years it shifted to creating roleplaying games, starting
with RuneQuest in 1978. As additional games, such as Stormbringer, Thieves’ World, Call
of Cthulhu, ElfQuest, and Pendragon debuted, they all shared a common rules system
adjusted to work best for each genre. Chaosium published a generic 16-page version of
those common core rules as Basic Roleplaying (usually referred to as BRP) in 1981.

More than 400 of Chaosium’s products have featured the BRP rules over the last
40+ years. The D100-based BRP system is one of the most adopted rules systems in all
of gaming.

In 2016, Chaosium first participated in Free RPG Day with the scenario ‘The Derelict’ for
its Call of Cthulhu horror RPG. For Free RPG Day in 2017, to kick off the new edition
of its RuneQuest fantasy RPG, the RuneQuest Quickstart debuted. The Call of Cthulhu
scenario ‘Scritch Scratch’ followed in 2018 to complete a trifecta of offerings.

In 2025, as part of Chaosium’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, this BRP Quickstart you are
reading gets added to that list. It provides a rapid introduction to an intuitive and fast to
learn rules system suitable to any genre or setting. As a company that loves playing out
stories at the gaming table, we hope you enjoy this opportunity to use our rules to tell your
own stories, hopefully for many years to come.

January 2025

Rick Meints, President, Chaosium

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

chapter one: Introduction ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3

chapter two: characters ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 6
chapter three: system ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 17
chapter four: time ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 21
chapter five: combat ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 23
chapter six: spot rules ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 28
chapter seven: adventures ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 33

Based on Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine by Jason First American Edition, 2025, Version 1.00
Durall & Steve Perrin and the Basic Roleplaying system
created by Steve Perrin, Steve Henderson, Warren James, Greg Published in the United States of America by Chaosium Inc.
Stafford, Sandy Petersen, Ray Turney & Lynn Willis 3450 Wooddale Court, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Scenarios: Anthony Warren (“The Prisoner of Richelieu”), chaosium.com
Nick Middleton (“Footsteps in the Dark”) & Troy Wilhelmson
(“The Lost Temple of Garthoon”) BASIC ROLEPLAYING
Special Thanks: Ken St. Andre, William Barton, Bill Dunn, UNIVERSAL GAME ENGINE QUICKSTART
Sam Johnson, William Jones, Ben Monroe, Gordon Monson, Copyright © 2025 by Chaosium Inc. All rights reserved.
Sam Shirley, Mark Morrison & Richard Watts, et al.
Basic Roleplaying is copyright © 1981, 1983, 1992, 1993,
Editors: Mike Curry, Christina Howell & Neil Robinson 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2023, 2024,
Basic Roleplaying Line Editor: Jason Durall 2025 by Chaosium Inc.; all rights reserved.
Cover Art: Loïc Muzy
Producer: Neil Robinson Basic Roleplaying is the trademark of Chaosium Inc.
Design & Layout: Adam Szelążek
Internal Art: Giorgio Baroni, Grzegorz Bobrowski, Manuel Chaosium Inc. and the Chaosium logo are registered
Castanon, Charlie Creber, Shen Fei, Andrey Fetisov, Nicholas trademarks of Chaosium Inc., 2025
Grey, Ossi Hiekkala, Loïc Muzy, Naomi Robinson, Mark
Smylie & John Sumrow ISBN: 978-1-56882-542-7
Maps: Glynn Seal First Printing January 2025, Printed in Poland
Character Sheets: Dan Zappone
 Chapter One:
Introduction
Welcome to the Basic Roleplaying quickstart, a playable M https://www.chaosium.com/content/orclicense/
introduction to Chaosium’s D100 game system. Basic BasicRoleplaying-ORC-Content-Document.rtf
Roleplaying (BRP) powers some of the most influential
roleplaying games published in the past 45 years Anyone can use these online versions of the rules for
(Call of Cthulhu, Pendragon, RuneQuest, Questworlds, and free and can modify them as much as desired, using them to
others outside those published by Chaosium). develop their own games, without restriction or any fees.
BRP’s rules are usable in nearly any setting you can imagine.
This quickstart includes basic character creation, the game
system itself, combat, basic equipment, and three ready-to-play What is a Roleplaying Game?
sample scenarios complete with ready-to-use player characters. This is a roleplaying game, a rules framework that allows players
The Basic Roleplaying: Universal Game Engine book is to enact stories of adventure, portraying the main characters.
a setting-free version of the BRP rules, with optional rules to These rules guide you with what can or can’t be done, and dice
allow gamemasters and players to customize any BRP-based rolls determine whether your characters succeed or fail at what
game as they see fit. Gamemasters can even use rules from BRP they try to do. In roleplaying games, one player takes on the
to modify their existing games, or vice versa, with ease. role of the gamemaster (GM), while the other players are the
Once you grasp the simple and intuitive mechanics of player characters (PCs). The GM also portrays the characters
the system, it’s easy to move between them, making it easy not guided by players—nonplayer characters (NPCs).
for players of one game to play the other with a minimum Roleplaying is a social game, like stage improv, as it can be
of time spent re-learning the system. Each BRP-based game largely made up as you go or more carefully planned. Player
has some differences, but they use the same fundamental game characters are the primary participants in an RPG: their PCs
mechanics at their core. are the protagonists the stories revolve around. A PC might be
Basic Roleplaying has been released under the ORC License a swaggering gunfighter, depressed private eye, mighty sorcerer,
and is available in full, for free, here, in text or .pdf format: brightly clad superhero, or a humble spacefarer trying to make
ends meet. The GM devises and presents the situations that
M https://www.chaosium.com/content/orclicense/ the players adventure through, describing the world where
BasicRoleplaying-ORC-Content-Document.pdf they roam and how that world is affected by the PCs’ actions.
While each player plays only one PC, the GM presents the

3
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

The PC’s character sheet is a cross between a résumé and

a report card: it defines what they can do and how good they
The Basic Roleplaying are at it. Roleplaying is what brings the character to life.
Core Rulebook The purpose of roleplaying is to have a good time. It’s
fun to deal with dangers that are not truly dangerous, threats
that vanish when everyone leaves the table, and monsters that
Chaosium, Inc. has used the Basic Roleplaying evaporate when the lights go on. If play goes well, the players
system in its games for more than 45 years. These feel that they’ve been to an exciting new world for a while, find
cover a range of settings, from period horror, heroic strength in coping with it, and may even know victory.
fantasy, super heroics, science fiction, sword-and-
sorcery, and others. One game, Worlds of Wonder,
contains fantasy, super heroics, and science fiction in Length of Play
one box, demonstrating the ease by which the system How long does roleplaying take? The short and easy answer is it
handles different genres. All games using BRP add takes as long as you want it to. In most cases, the experience of
or alter elements of the rules to best align with that play is measured in three ways: the game session, the scenario,
setting’s themes and tone, as required. and the campaign.
Since BRP is setting-neutral, it is easy to adapt and A session is a single instance of play, typically between two
used to tell stories of any style or setting you like. Any and six hours and can be done face-to-face or online. Some
world you can dream up can all be modeled quickly players prefer shorter game sessions, while others enjoy playing
and easily with Basic Roleplaying, whether a dark longer. Each group should discuss how much time they’ will
sci-fi space opera; a tale of gritty street-level survival dedicate to playing the game, and respect that not everyone is
in a dystopian city dominated by corrupt authorities available for the same amount of time.
and shady corporations; classic tales of sword-and- In the context of a television show, a session is a single
sorcery adventure of slaying dragons and saving episode. In the context of a book, it’s one chapter, and like
captured nobles; or even a modern-day superhero episodes of television or chapters in a book, the length can vary.
epic of invading aliens and dimension-destroying A scenario is a single-story arc, usually lasting several sessions.
gods from ancient myths. A scenario could involve multiple minor plotlines that weave
together but are unified by a single shared theme, villainous
plot, or the completion of a goal. Within the context of
entire game setting—representing all its people, places, a television show, a scenario is a full season, and in the context
monsters, and even gods. of a book, it’s several chapters or perhaps even the entire book.
The GM has a story to present, an interactive scenario in A campaign is the culmination of all the scenarios with the
which the PCs are challenged to interact with NPCs that the same cast of characters (even if some leave or join at different
GM personifies. Play is mostly conversation: the GM outlines points). Campaigns often include recurring villains or themes,
some situation or encounter, and players say what their PCs dramatic character change and growth, and can even include
say or attempt to do. Rules provide impartial guidelines for world-altering events. In the context of a television show,
successes and failures of the actions everyone attempts. a campaign is the show’s entire run from start to finish. In the
Players announce what the PCs will do within the limits of context of books, it is the entire series.
the rules and roll dice to determine what happens. If needed, If you are new to playing or running roleplaying games,
the GM interprets how their actions affect the game world you don’t need to worry about running a complete campaign.
and the NPCs within it. The PCs use their skills and abilities Just think about the story that you want to tell right now, and
to face any challenges the GM presents. During games, PCs work on telling it. When you finish that one, tell a new one.
will likely run into conflict with others, whether monsters or Then a new one. You’ll have a campaign before you know it.
other NPCs, as they experience and explore the setting the
GM has created.
Players create their PCs by defining their capabilities in Materials Required to Play
quantifiable terms. This information is recorded on a character Players need little other than this rulebook, a pencil, paper, and
sheet. Information on the character sheet includes things a set of gaming dice. Dice are available at most gaming and
like strength, intelligence, speed, education, skills, and other hobby stores, and come in a variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and
abstract elements that make up a person—though ‘personality’ materials, and there are many dice-rolling apps. If you prefer to
is evoked by how the PC is played by the player. play online, there are also many online dice-rolling applications
and websites to use; most virtual tabletops (VTTs) include the
For example, though there is no numerical value for “irritable” ability to roll dice. See the following for more information on
the player may act and speak irritably when roleplaying. dice and dice rolling methods.

4
 introduction

Some gaming groups use miniatures or tokens to represent

the characters: if so, players might each bring a miniature Measurements
or token resembling their PC. The GM usually prepares any
maps or provides a drawing surface to make maps during
play. The primary requirements are creative energy and BRP uses the metric system for convenience
a willingness to participate. and ease of conversion. If desired, yards can be
The GM needs to provide a little more than a player, but substituted for meters, rounding off the remaining
not much more. A copy of this quickstart and more blank paper inches. One kilometer is 0.6 of 1 mile and 1 kilogram
for notes is the minimum, but one may also bring additional equals roughly 2.2 pounds.
copies of the character sheet provided on pages 8–9 (and online
at www.chaosium.com). The GM will need at least one full set
of dice or an equivalent app. If the group likes to use miniatures,
the GM should bring miniatures or tokens to represent the Responsibilities of the Gamemaster
various NPCs and creatures the PCs encounter. Sometimes, the GM has the most fun playing, but has the
largest share of responsibility. The GM narrates the game
universe using a published scenario or one they have created.
Dice and Reading Dice Results The trials the PCs face should be dangerous and dramatic,
Basic Roleplaying uses polyhedral dice to obtain random results. involving multiple PCs at a time whenever possible.
To play, a group will need at least one set of these dice (or an Sometimes a single PC stands in the spotlight, but the GM
app), though it is easier and more convenient if each player has should always endeavor to make sure that each PC gets their
a set. A set of gaming dice includes the following: D4, D6, D8, own chance to shine.
D10, D12, and D20. The GM should read and be familiar with these rules.
The most important dice roll in Basic Roleplaying is the Know the general procedures for combat and powers, but it’s
percentile dice roll (called a D100), which is represented by not necessary to memorize everything—most questions can be
a roll of two ten-sided dice (or a ten-sided die rolled twice). answered as they arise.
In a D100 roll, the first value is the “tens” while the second is As for scenarios, there are a vast range of scenarios for many
the “ones”. You may wish to have a “10s” die (labeled 10, 20, different settings and games. Chaosium, Inc. has published
30, etc.) or different colored D10s to keep them distinct. There many adventures for Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, and other
are even D100s with 100 faces! games using the Basic Roleplaying system. Other games are
plentiful—and converting a scenario to Basic Roleplaying is
For example, a roll of 3 and 7 on percentile dice means easy. Ideas for scenarios are also readily available—almost any
a result of 37. film, book, or video game with some aspect of danger and
excitement can be turned into a roleplaying scenario.
With percentile dice, the lower you roll, the better. Ultimately, all that’s required is to come up with a story
Other dice rolls involve multiples, combinations, or dice and potentially to write up some foes or encounters. Invite
results that are modified. some friends over and have them create characters. Summarize
the rules for everyone, and you’re ready to play!
For example, 3D6 means roll three six-sided dice. D10+D4
means roll a D10 and a D4 and add the results. D8+1
means roll a D8 and add 1 to the result. D6–2 means
roll a D6 and subtract 2 from the result. Die rolls are
never modified to below 0, however, so the example
of D6–2 with a roll of 1 or 2 will just equal 0.

5
 Chapter two:
characters

Each player must have a player character (PC). This is The Character Sheet
their representative in the game world and does not have to Each player needs a copy of the character sheet (presented on
be anything like the actual player. Your character can be the pages 8–9). It’s possible to just write everything onto a blank
exact opposite of you: strange species, exotic and dangerous sheet of paper, but the character sheet makes things a lot easier.
professions, or a different gender are only some of the The character sheet presented here is a simplified version of the
possibilities. The gamemaster (GM) may ask you to create normal Basic Roleplaying character sheet, which has additional
PCs suitable for a particular setting, so if the game is set in information not covered in this quickstart. The character sheet
the Old West, no spaceship captains, medieval wizards, or includes the following sections:
cavemen. (On the other hand, quite a bit of fun can be had
trying to get these wholly inappropriate characters into this M Identity: The character’s basic information, aspects
setting and seeing how they react to it.) that don’t have any game effects but help detail who the
The three sample adventures in this quickstart have character is.
pregenerated ready-to-play PCs, so they can be simply printed M Characteristics & Rolls: These values describe qualities
or cut out of this quickstart. They’re also available to download of the character, such as how strong, smart, fast, or
at www.chaosium.com. charming they are. Rolls are based on characteristics and
This section covers the process of creating a player are percentage values, rolled to see if the character succeeds
character. The full Basic Roleplaying book covers rules for or fails at a task.
creating nonplayer characters (NPCs), but the adventures in M Hit Points: A value measuring how many points of damage
this quickstart do not require them. a character can take before they die. Bigger and/or healthier
characters have more hit points (HP), while smaller and/or
frailer characters have fewer.
M Skills: The abilities the character has some innate
knowledge, training, or education in. Each is expressed as
a percentage chance, rolled to see if the character succeeds.

6
 characters

M Weapons: These are weapons the character uses, along with Strength (STR)
descriptions of how they do damage. Strength is essentially how strong one is. It doesn’t necessarily
M Armor: Any armor worn by the character, which may mean raw muscle mass, but how effectively the character can
reduce any damage from an attack. exert that muscle to accomplish a strenuous physical feat.

Constitution (CON)
Identity Constitution is a measure of how tough and resilient one is.
The character’s basic information is fleshed out here, covering It helps aid in resisting diseases, but the most significant aspect
aspects of their existence, though with little (if any) game of CON is determining how much injury a character can suffer
effect. These are roleplaying aspects—they define the character before dying, in the form of hit points (see page 10).
and are not characteristics or skills.
Fill this information out now in full or part, and skip to Size (SIZ)
characteristic and skill generation, or wait until you know Size is a measure of how large one is. It doesn’t necessarily
more about the character’s game aspects. translate to raw height—it’s instead a general guide to physical
Identity includes the following: mass. A high SIZ character could be very tall (and thin), or
short and thick, or average height and overweight.
M Name: A suitable name for the character. You can wait
until you’re done to do this, seeing how they come out first. Intelligence (INT)
M Species: “Human” (or a human equivalent). Nonhuman Intelligence is how smart one is, not necessarily as a measure of how
characters are not covered in this quickstart edition. much information the character has memorized but as reasoning
M Gender: Write your character’s gender, if desired. power, intellectual acuity, problem-solving ability, and intuition.
M Height and Weight: These can be specific, like actual
pounds/kilos and feet/inches/centimeters, or a general Power (POW)
build, like “tall”, “average”, or “heavy”. Use the Size (SIZ) Power is an almost intangible measure of willpower and
characteristic as a guideline, with higher SIZ ratings being spiritual energy. A high POW character is a beacon of energy,
larger/taller. is lucky, and is forceful in presence.
M Description: A brief physical description of the character,
which might include coloration (hair, eyes, skin), attitude, Dexterity (DEX)
style and mode of dress, etc. Dexterity is a measure of hand-to-hand coordination, physical
M Age: Pick an appropriate age based on the plan for the speed, and overall agility. DEX determines how quickly one
game. The effects of aging are not covered in this quickstart. may act in combat.
M Distinctive Features: Use the Charisma (CHA) characteristic
as a guide. Does the character have any notable features such Charisma (CHA)
as an impressive scar, a broken nose, an exotic hairstyle, or A measure of several aspects, from charm, grace, and beauty.
an unusual mode of dress? Make up a few as desired. The A high CHA character is noticeable in a crowd because of an
higher or lower your character’s CHA, the more and the intangible combination of presence and presentation.
more distinctive the features should be.
M Profession: The character’s career or occupation prior to or
during the adventure(s) (see pages 14–15). Determining Initial Characteristics
Characters are heroic, above average, and can even be
superhuman. To determine your character’s ratings in each
Characteristics characteristic, roll 1D4 or select one of the following sets of
Characters are measured in a variety of ways. The most numbers. An 18 is best, and 9 is slightly below average. Assign
fundamental are their characteristics—innate abilities such as them to the desired characteristics, to suit your preferences:
how smart they are, how tough, how charismatic, etc. These are
not learned abilities but can sometimes be increased through 1. 17, 16, 14, 13, 13, 12, 10
training and successful practice. 2. 16, 16, 15, 13, 13, 12, 10
Normal humans have characteristics ranging from 3. 16, 15, 15, 13, 13, 12, 11
3 (abysmally low) to 18 (the pinnacle of human potential), 4. 18, 17, 14, 13, 13, 11, 9
averaging at 10 or 11. The higher the characteristic, the more
potent the character is in that ability. The characteristics are Think about the numbers when assigning them. Is the
Strength, Constitution, Size, Intelligence, Power, Dexterity, character strong and clumsy? Small and fast? Average? Are they
and Appearance. All humans have all these characteristics, more a thinker than a physical sort? If the numbers just don’t
while nonhuman NPCs might lack some. match the type of character you want, ask the GM if it’s all
They’re described in more detail in the following section. right to start over and pick a different set of characteristics.

7
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

Characteristic Rolls Derived Characteristics

Many capabilities of a character are measured in skills These characteristics are derived from other aspects of the
(see pages 10‒14). There are times, however, when a simple roll characteristics or species. This is an abbreviated list of derived
is needed to determine whether a character is successful or not characteristics; others used in Basic Roleplaying are not covered
at an activity based on a characteristic. If there is an opposing in this quickstart.
value, use the resistance table (see page 19).
Each characteristic roll is a characteristic multiplied by 5, Damage Modifier
expressed as a percentage chance. Bigger, stronger characters do more damage when hitting their
foes with hand weapons. Add STR+SIZ and consult this chart:
For example, a STR 10 creates an Effort roll of 50%.
Damage Modifier
Effort Roll STR+SIZ Damage Modifier
The Effort roll is used for forceful manipulation of an object 2–12 –1D6
of environmental aspect and is based on STR×5. Pushing
a crashed car out of a ditch or bashing open a jammed door 13–16 –1D4
would require an Effort roll. 17–24 None
25–32 +1D4
Stamina Roll
33–40 +1D6
The Stamina roll is used for prolonged physical exertion and
tests of fortitude and is based on CON×5. Avoiding getting 41–56 +2D6
a cold in an office full of sick workers or staying awake during
a long night drive would require a Stamina roll. The damage modifier is applied to the damage rolled for any
hand-to-hand attack the character makes.
Idea Roll
The Idea roll is used for a flash of inspiration or to determine Move (MOV)
if the character “knows” something and is based on INT×5. Move (MOV) determines how far your character can move
Deducing the solution to a complex riddle or suddenly in a combat round. All humans have a MOV of 10. MOV
remembering an important clue would require an Idea roll. is a flexible value, but generally each point of MOV equals
The gamemaster may sometimes use this roll to help prod the 1 meter of movement.
players when they don’t know what to do next (but when the
PCs would). Hit Points
Hit points (HP) are equal to a character’s CON+SIZ, divided by
Luck Roll 2 (rounding up). A character loses hit points as they take damage
The Luck roll is to determine if fate gives the character a break from injury or other sources. When a character reaches 1 or 2 hit
or if they manage to just squeak by in a situation where points, they are unconscious. At 0 hit points, the character is dead.
randomness may be a deciding factor (a game of pure chance
such as roulette, for example). It is based on POW×5. If trying Power Points
to determine the winner of a random outcome, use a Luck roll Power points are equal to POW. Characters spend power
to see who gets picked, rolling against one another until only points to activate magic or other powers. When a character
one player is successful. reaches 0 power points, they are unconscious. All power points
regenerate after one full day, including a night’s rest.
Agility Roll
The Agility roll is useful for determining issues where natural
hand/eye coordination are more important than any training, Skills
such as running on a slippery surface or catching a dropped This is a list of the skills your character might be able to use.
item before it hits the ground. It is based on DEX×5. Use the Skills are rated as a percentage, which is their chance of success.
Agility roll if the character is catching something thrown at This is a value somewhere between 0% (no chance whatsoever)
them with a “Think fast!” warning. to 100% or more (meaning it will almost always succeed under
normal circumstances). The base chance of using that skill is in
Charm Roll parenthesis after the skill name, so if the skill number is higher
Raw charisma, being able to rely on good looks and personal than 01%, your character always has at least a 1 in 100 chance
charm to gain attention or sway others, is based on CHA×5. of using the skill successfully. Any skill points in a skill are
A character trying to catch the attention of a bouncer to be let added to the base chance. Skill base chances may be adjusted
into an exclusive club would use a Charm roll. by the gamemaster based on the setting, representing different
education and opportunities.

10
 characters

Some skills have specialties, as noted in parenthesis. Drive (by vehicle) (20%)
Specialties are specific sub-skills that define the skill. Piloting a ground vehicle, either motorized or drawn by
animals. Each type of vehicle (Automobile, Cart, Chariot,
For example, a character may have Knowledge (Law) 70%. Truck, etc.) is a specialty.
This does not mean they know all Knowledge skills at 70%, but
instead know Law at that percentage. Energy Weapon (various) (% by weapon)
Pointing and shooting an energy weapon at a target. Each type
All other skill specialties, unless skill points are spent on of Energy Weapon skill is a specialty, such as Energy Pistol and
them, are at the base percentage chance. Energy Rifle.
A character with 05% or below in a skill is a hapless novice.
Someone with 06–25% in a skill is a beginner with an amateur Etiquette (05%)
level of proficiency. Skill in the 51–75% range indicates Knowing what to say and how to behave in a particular
a competent professional. Experts have skills in the 76–90% situation, as well as understanding the various niceties of
range, and 91+% indicates mastery of a skill. This does not a particular social class.
mean that someone with 25% in a skill will on average fail
three out of four attempts at using the skill—it means that Fast Talk (05%)
under stressful situations (like adventuring, combat, etc.) the Talking one’s way out of a rough situation or bluffing when
character will succeed only 25% of the time. there is no time for a reasoned argument or debate.
If desired, the GM should modify the skill list to make it
more appropriate to a particular setting. Feel free to eliminate
skills, rename them, or introduce new skills.

For example, a medieval fantasy setting probably won’t utilize

Energy Weapon, Heavy Machine, or Technical Skill.

Beginning skill levels can also be adjusted for a specific

campaign or setting.

Appraise (15%)
Judging the value of an item or determining some aspects of its
capabilities that are not immediately apparent.

Artillery (various) (% by weapon)

Using mounted heavy weaponry such as catapults, cannons,
missile launchers, etc. Each type of artillery weapon is
a specialty. Some specialties for Artillery include Cannon,
Rocket Launcher, Siege Engine, etc.

Bargain (05%)
Negotiating financial matters successfully. A successful use of
this skill lowers the price of an item from one value category to
the one below (at the gamemaster’s discretion). Value categories
are discussed in the Basic Roleplaying core rules.

Brawl (25%)
Hitting someone in hand-to-hand combat, whether with
a punch, head butt, kick, or a even bite. A successful Brawl
attack by a human does 1D3 points of damage to an opponent.

Climb (40%)
Scaling a wall, rope, or other difficult surface.

Dodge (20%)
Getting out of the way, essentially avoiding being struck by
a weapon or physical attack.

11
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

Fine Manipulation (05%) Specialties include Anthropology, Archaeology, Folklore,

Finger dexterity, particularly important for disassembling Group (an organization), History, Linguistics, Literature,
things in a hurry or completing complex tasks requiring Mythology, Occult, Politics, Region (an area), Streetwise, etc.
hand coordination.
Language (various) (Own 60%, Other 00%)
Firearm (various) (% by weapon) Speaking and understanding a language. Language (Own)
Pointing and shooting a firearm at a target. Each type of Firearm is your character’s “own” native language, starting at 60%.
skill is a specialty, such as Machine Gun, Pistol, Revolver, Rifle, Generally, player characters do not need to make Language
Shotgun, and Submachine Gun. rolls to converse in their native languages with other speakers
of the same language. Language (Other) is another language
First Aid (30%) and begins at 0%. Each additional Language skill is a specialty.
Treating minor injuries. Each successful use restores 1D3
hit points to a wounded character. A critical success restores Listen (25%)
1D3+3 hit points. Hearing a noise or faint sound, such as someone sneaking by
or a monster approaching.
Fly (10% or 75%)
If the character has a technological means of flying (a jet pack, Literacy (various, identical % to starting Language)
for example), the skill starts at 10%. If it’s a natural ability Understanding and comprehending of written material. Mainly
(like wings) the starting skill is 75%. Basic flight doesn’t require appropriate for settings where education is not commonplace.
a roll—the skill is for use with maneuvers, in combat, and If a character comes from a literate society, their skill is identical
performing complex flying stunts. to their Speak Language (Own) skill.

Gaming (10%) Martial Arts (00%)

Knowledge of the rules and odds of various games of chance Using secret and disciplined fighting techniques to deliver more
(cards, dice, etc.) and winning. powerful blows against an opponent. The GM may restrict
who can use Martial Arts and starting skill levels. Unlike other
Grapple (25%) skills, Martial Arts is not rolled separately: if a character makes
Wrestling or other means of open-handed combat. a Brawl attack and rolls under Martial Arts skill, the damage
die (not the damage modifier) is doubled.
Heavy Machine (various) (05%)
Handling and maintaining a heavy machine, like a factory Medicine (05% or 00%)
press, a thresher, etc. Each different type of Heavy Machine Treatment of serious medical conditions through
skill is a specialty. pharmaceutical, therapeutic, or surgical means. For characters
from the modern or future eras, the base skill is 05%; for
Heavy Weapon (various) (% by weapon) historical periods, it’s 00%. This is a time-consuming process
Pointing and shooting a heavy weapon. Each different type and does not restore hit points immediately.
of Heavy Weapon skill is a specialty, such as Bazooka, Heavy
Machine Gun, Mini Gun, Rocket Launcher, etc. Melee Weapon (various) (% by weapon)
Using a hand-to-hand (melee) weapon in combat, including
Hide (10%) striking a target and parrying attacks. Each type of Melee
Concealing oneself or an item from view. Weapon skill is a specialty, such as Axe, Club, Dagger, Flail,
Hammer, Mace, Polearm, Spear, Staff, Sword, etc.
Insight (05%)
Evaluating another character’s concealed thoughts and/or Missile Weapon (various) (% by weapon)
motives based on subliminal clues. Aiming and hitting a target with a “hand-powered” weapon.
Each type of Missile Weapon skill is a specialty, such as Bow,
Jump (25%) Crossbow, Spear, etc.
Leaping over an obstacle or across a span. Success for most
humans usually equals a jump of roughly three meters Navigate (10%)
horizontally or one meter vertically. Charting and following a path through recognizable landmarks
and constellations, or using a map to find a course.
Knowledge (various) (05% or 01%)
Familiarity in a particular branch of study. For characters Perform (various) (05%)
from the modern or future eras, the base is 05%; for historical Entertaining or performing, with specialties such as Acrobatics,
periods, it’s 01%. Each type of Knowledge skill is a specialty. Acting, Comedy, Dance, Music, Singing, etc.

12
 characters

Persuade (15%) Science (various) (00%)

Using logic, reason, and emotional appeal to convince Expertise in a field of study from the “hard sciences”. Each
someone to agree to a specific course of action or avenue type of Science skill is a specialty, such as Astronomy,
of thought. Unlike Fast Talk, Persuade takes time and Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Genetics, Geology, Mathematics,
supporting arguments. Meteorology, Physics, Zoology, etc.

Pilot (various) (% by vehicle) Sense (10%)

Operating an air, sea, or space vehicle. Each vehicle type is A combination of scent, taste, and touch— being able to detect
a specialty. subtle or hidden things with these senses.

Repair (various) (15%) Shield (various) (by shield)

Fixing something broken, jammed, disassembled, or otherwise Parrying a blow with a shield. Each type of Shield skill is
inoperable. Each type of Repair is a specialty. Specialties include a specialty, such as Buckler, Energy, Full, Half, Heater, Hoplite,
Electrical, Electronic, Mechanical, Structural, Quantum, etc. Kite, Round, etc.

Research (25%) Sleight of Hand (05%)

Using a source of references (library, newspaper archive, Feats of prestidigitation and misdirection, such as pickpocketing,
computer network, the internet, wizard’s grimoire, etc.) to palming coins, card tricks, and other small illusions.
discover desired pieces of information.
Spot (25%)
Ride (various) (05%) Seeing things difficult to notice or otherwise hidden.
Riding an animal and controlling it in difficult situations. Each
type of animal (horse, dragon, giant owl, etc.) is a specialty.

13
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

Status (15% or various) Detective: Firearm (Handgun), Knowledge (Law), Listen,

Social standing within a particular community, or manipulating Persuade, Spot, Research, and four of the following: Art, Brawl,
a specific social group as desired, such as borrowing money, Disguise, Dodge, Drive, Fast Talk, Firearm (any), Grapple,
gaining favors, impressing others, gainng access to exclusive Hide, Insight, Knowledge (any), Language (Other), Language
locales, knowing things about people or customs within (Own), Medicine, Ride, Science (any), Technical (Computer
that social group, etc. Each type of Status is a specialty, such Use), Stealth, or Track.
as Church, City, Cult, Group, High Society, Species, etc. and
defined with a focus, like Status (City/Athens) or Status (Species/ Doctor: First Aid, Language (Own), Medicine, Persuade,
Elves), for example. Research, Spot, and choose four of the following: Insight,
Language (Other), Fine Manipulation, Science (any), and Status.
Stealth (10%)
Sneaking around to avoid detection or making otherwise Hunter: Climb, Hide, Listen, Navigate, Spot, Stealth, Track,
concealed and furtive movements. This is usually opposed by and three of the following: Firearm (Handgun, Rifle, or
the Listen or Spot skills. Shotgun), Knowledge (Natural History or Region), Melee
Weapon (usually Spear), Missile Weapon (any), Language
Strategy (05%) (Other), and Ride.
Tactical assessment of a situation and constructing an optimal
response. Often utilized in military or political situations. Lawman: Brawl, Dodge, Fast Talk, Knowledge (Law), Listen,
Spot, and four of the following: Drive, Firearms (any),
Swim (25%) First Aid, Grapple, Insight, Knowledge (Region or Group),
Guiding oneself through the water with the intent of movement Language (Other), Martial Arts, Melee Weapon (any), Missile
or prevention of drowning. Weapon (any), Pilot (any), Ride, Status, Technical (Computer
Use), or Track.
Technical Skill (various) (00% or 05%)
Using sophisticated equipment or technical processes. Base Noble: Bargain, Drive, Etiquette, Language (Own), Language
chance varies by setting and is determined by the GM, as (Other), Literacy, and Status, plus any other three skills as
appropriate (people growing up in a high-tech environment hobbies or fields of interest.
might begin at 05%, while low- or no-tech backgrounds start
at 00%). Each Technical Skill is a specialty, such as Computer Sailor: Climb, Craft (any), Dodge, Grapple, Navigate, Pilot
Programming, Computer Use, Electronics, Robotics, Sensor (Boat), Swim, and any three of the following: Artillery (any,
Systems, Siege Engines, Traps, etc. usually Shipboard), Command, Language (Other), Listen,
Repair (Mechanical), Repair (Structural), or Spot.
Throw (25%)
Aiming and tossing something (a football, rock, boomerang, etc.) Scientist: Craft (any), Persuade, Research, Status, Technical
through the air toward a target. Unlike the Missile Weapon skill, (Computer Use) or Heavy Machine, and any five appropriate
this is a catch-all for anything that isn’t specifically a weapon, and Knowledge or Science skills and specialties related to field of study.
a successful roll doesn’t necessarily damage an opponent.
Soldier: Brawl, Climb, Dodge, First Aid, and six of the following:
Track (10%) Artillery, Command, Drive, Firearm (usually Rifle, but any),
Following footprints, spoor, etc. through terrain. Grapple, Heavy Weapon (any), Hide, Language (Other), Listen,
Jump, Medicine, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Weapon (any),
Navigate, Repair (Mechanical), Ride, Spot, Stealth, or Throw.
Professions and Professional
Skills Spy: Dodge, Fast Talk, Hide, Listen, Research, Spot, Stealth,
A profession is essentially a collection of skills useful in a role. and three of the following: Art (Photography), Brawl, Disguise,
When creating a character, increase three skills of your Etiquette, Firearm (any), Grapple, Insight, Knowledge (any),
choice by +50% and six skills of your choice by +25%. Language (Other), Language (Own), Martial Arts, Navigate,
Basic Roleplaying contains 44 professions appropriate to a wide Pilot (any), Repair (Electronics), Repair (Mechanical), Ride,
range of settings; this quickstart provides twelve. Professions using Swim, Technical (Computer Use), Throw, or Track.
powers (magic, for example) are not provided here.
Thief: Appraise, Dodge, Fast Talk, Hide, Stealth, and five other
Cowboy: Craft (usually Knots), Firearm (Rifle), Knowledge skills from the following list: Bargain, Brawl, Climb, Disguise,
(Natural History), Knowledge (Region/The Range), Listen, Fine Manipulation, Firearm (Handgun or Shotgun), Grapple,
Navigate, Ride, Spot, Throw, Track. Insight, Listen, Jump, Knowledge (Law), Persuade, Repair
(Mechanical), or Spot.

14
 characters

Warrior: Brawl, Dodge, Grapple, Melee Weapon (any), Missile Final Touches
Weapon (any), and five other skills from the following list: Any major aspects of characterization or background should
Climb, Firearm (any), Hide, Listen, Jump, Language (Other), be decided at this point. The GM may wish to learn more
Martial Arts, Ride, Spot, Stealth, Swim, Throw, Track. about your character’s background for use in a campaign.
This can include origin, family, education, religion, past
As an alternative to the established professions, the actions, or goals.
gamemaster may allow a player to create a new profession. To Generally, the more someone knows about their character,
do so, pick a suitable title for the profession and ten appropriate the more “real” they become in play, though this is not
skills to allocate the same skill bonuses to them. always necessary. However, it’s just as bad to create too much
background as it can be to create too little. A one-shot scenario
probably doesn’t need a lot of character background, while
Personal Skills a campaign certainly does. Ultimately, though, you can flesh
Not everyone is entirely defined by their profession, and out a character as you play them, learning more about their
a character shouldn’t be so narrowly envisioned. For each background as you improvise details and events in their life.
point of INT your character has, add +10% to any skill of Create as much background as feels comfortable for you
your choice, so for example, an INT of 15 means add +10% and the gamemaster, and let the rest emerge naturally.
to 15 skills.
For this step, you can improve existing skills or even choose
skills not from your character’s profession, if you want to give
them a bit more depth or illustrate an unusual talent or hobby,
such as a cowboy who enjoys singing or a detective who enjoys
sailing in their spare time.
You can choose the same skill multiple times (increasing
it by +10% each time), but no skill modified during this step
may start at a chance above 75%.

Equipment
Now that your character is almost finished, they need some
gear. This can include weapons, armor, or other important
items used for a particular profession. During the course of
adventures, there may be many chances to get more equipment,
but each starting PC will have in their immediate possession
the following:

M A set of clothing appropriate to the character’s profession

and the setting.
M An amount of pocket money; enough to last a little while
without hardship.
M A personal heirloom, keepsake, or some trinket of little
monetary value.
M Any trade tools or transportable equipment suitable to the
character’s profession, if appropriate.
M Any weapon the character has a skill of 50+% in,
if appropriate. See the list on page 25.
M Armor, if the setting and your character’s background
warrants it. See the list on page 26.
M Other items as appropriate to the setting, and subject to the
GM’s approval.
M Wealth and detailed gear listings are not addressed in this
quickstart, but the sample characters already have their
relevant gear. If you wish to know more about these topics,
the Basic Roleplaying core rules cover them in depth.

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 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

An Example of Character Creation

Following is an example of character creation. Here the GM has allowed the player to choose any character they’d like to
play. They can pick from any potential genre, as the plan is for a cross-genre multiverse-style game.
After discussion with her GM and asking some questions about the upcoming game, Lindsay has an idea for her
character. Since the game is set in a sci-fi future, she’s decided to make a tough-as-nails bounty hunter named Adrianna
Adams, more commonly known as “Aces”.
After looking over the available backgrounds, she narrows her options down to Hunter, Lawman, or Warrior. She looks
over those three backgrounds and the skills they offer and decides to go with Lawman. While her character isn’t really a
member of law enforcement, the idea of a bounty hunter tracking down criminals and bringing them back alive fits well
enough, and the skills offered fit her mental image of Aces.
Lindsay decides to use the second array for characteristics, which gives her the following scores to assign: 16, 16,
15, 13, 13, 12, 10.
To begin, she thinks about what Aces needs to be successful in her work as a bounty hunter. She needs to be able
to handle herself against bounties that try to get physical with her, charismatic enough to talk them into surrendering,
smart enough to track them down, and good enough with a weapon in case things get too messy. Lindsay decides to
put her best scores in CON and CHA, so each one gets a 16. After this, she’s a bit torn between DEX and INT, but in the
end decides on INT. She’d rather Aces be a little more street-smart and savvy, relying on wits rather than raw reflexes.
Lindsay assigns a 15 to INT and a 13 to DEX. Aces doesn’t strike her as particularly strong or large, but maybe she’s
a little scrappier than one would think at first glance, so Lindsay puts a 13 in STR and a 12 in SIZ. Her last score is a 10,
which she assigns to POW. She decides that if magic and the supernatural do exist in this world, Aces doesn’t trust them
and keeps away from them as much as possible. Maybe it will even turn into a phobia, a fun roleplaying opportunity!
Next, Lindsay records the skills for Lawman and their starting values. She decides that the most important things
for Aces to know are Track (so she can find her targets), Fast Talk (so she can convince them to surrender), and Grapple
(so she can put them into cuffs when they refuse). She increases each of these by +50%; her Track becomes 60%, her
Fast Talk becomes 55%, and her Grapple becomes 75% (nice one!). Now Lindsay gets to determine what skills Aces
uses to support her job, or when her main plans fall apart. Dodge, Listen, Spot, Knowledge (Streetwise), Insight, and
Pilot (Spaceship) are her choices. After increasing each of these by +25% she has Dodge 45%, Listen 45%, Spot 45%,
Knowledge (Streetwise) 30%, Insight 30%, and Pilot (Spaceship) 45%.
Finally, Lindsay is ready to pick personal skills for Aces. With an INT of 16, Aces picks things up quickly and can
increase any skill of her choice by +10% for each point. Lindsay decides she wants Aces to be a bit better at Fast Talk
(increasing it to 65%) and Track (increasing it to 70%). Next, she wants to know more about the underworld and decides
to increase her Knowledge (Streetwise) twice, to 50%. She wants to be better at reading people, so she does the same
with Insight, increasing it to 50% as well. Next, she decides to pick up another language, one that’s commonly spoken in
the underworld by criminals that she’s likely to chase. Her GM tells her that the Ganymede Syndicate (from the moon of
Jupiter) and the Martian mafia are both powerful fixtures in the underworld, so she assigns +30% to two languages and
adds Language (Jovian) 30% and Language (Martian) 30% to her sheet. Finally, Lindsay decides to assign the last four
bonuses of +10% on Hide, raising it to 50%.
Finally, Lindsay records her derived characteristics. Her combination STR+SIZ of 23 gives her no damage modifier,
but no penalty either. Her MOV, like all humans, is 10. Lindsay wishes that she was a little faster, in order to chase down
fugitives when they try to get away, but maybe she can convince the GM to let her buy a pair of sweet cybernetic legs
after play begins. Her CON+SIZ divided by two gives her 14 hit points, making her just a little bit tougher than average.
As the very last step, Lindsay fills out what equipment Aces starts with: a cool space suit that acts as light armor, several
pairs of magnetic handcuffs, and the keys to her personal spaceship (since she has a decent Pilot score, the GM agrees
to allow Aces to start with a small, no-frills spaceship with a small holding cell for bounties).

16
 Chapter three:
system
Routine game actions in routine situations almost always Results on page 5. Characteristic rolls are described on page
succeed. The player shouldn’t have to roll to determine if 10 and use the same system as skills and combat (following
their character drove successfully to work or cooked a basic and pages 23–27).
meal. However, when the action becomes dramatic or
extraordinary, players and the GM should roll dice for the
resolution. It is important to know whether characteristics Skill Rolls
and skills succeed when danger threatens, or if they Player characters and NPCs alike have skills as described in this
fail miserably in the face of stress. Dice allow conflicts quickstart (page 10–14), a rating of 00% (no chance of success)
and decision points to be resolved without the constant to 100+% (almost always succeeding). A character’s various skill
intervention of the GM. Dice rolling is what turns Basic modifiers determined during character creation are added to the
Roleplaying into a game system, not just a case of “Mother skill’s base chance for a chance of success. The process is simple: the
May I?” with the GM taking the role of mother. player or GM announces that a character (PC or NPC) will attempt
a skill. A percentage dice roll is made. If the roll is equal to or less
than the chance of success, the skill succeeds (with appropriate
Success or Failure? results). If the roll is over the chance of success, the skill fails.
The most important questions in a roleplaying game are: There are two other conditions to keep in mind when
“Do I succeed, or do I fail?” and “How well do I succeed or attempting a skill roll: difficulty and critical success. These are
fail?” Basic Roleplaying provides an easy-to-understand system described below.
to measure these chances, using dice rolls to determine whether
an action succeeds or fails. Some skills (especially combat skills) Difficulty
are inherently dramatic and dangerous, and always are rolled The use of a skill isn’t always cut and dry. It’s more difficult to
for. Players and the GM will use percentile dice (D100) most drive a car in the dark during heavy rain than it is to drive it
of the time to determine success or failure. in the middle of the day in perfect weather. A wide variety of
When it’s necessary to determine an attempted action’s conditions (weather, distractions, equipment, etc.) can affect
success or failure, the players and/or the GM need to make whether it’s easy or challenging to use a skill. To simulate this,
a percentile dice roll as described in Dice and Reading Dice skills can be modified in the following ways:

17
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

M Automatic: When it’s completely certain that the character Skill vs. Skill
will succeed, and when there’s nothing major at stake Often, one character will attempt a skill that must be countered
(no life-or-death situation, no challenge, etc.), the skill by a nonplayer character. This is known as an opposed skill roll
automatically succeeds. Don’t even bother to roll. and describes a situation such as a PC using Stealth to move
M Easy: Some combination of circumstances, conditions, or undetected versus an NPC using Listen to detect intruders. In
other assistance has made it easier to perform the skill. these cases, both acting characters should make the appropriate
In this case, double the skill chance. Dice should still skill roll and compare the results:
be rolled even if the skill chance is over 100%, as there’s
still the chance of a critical success or a fumble (both are M If both parties fail, neither achieves what they are trying to
described following). accomplish.
M Normal: This is the standard, meaning that any conditions, M If only one party succeeds, the successful skill is
circumstances, etc. are negligible and won’t affect the accomplished without opposition.
chance to use the skill. M If both succeed normally, the highest successful roll is the
M Difficult: If a skill would be made more difficult by some one that achieves the desired result.
circumstance, condition, or other situation, divide the skill M If the rolls tie, the party with the highest skill is successful.
chance in half (rounding up). M If one party succeeds with a critical success and the other does
M Impossible: If it’s simply impossible for the skill to succeed, not, the results are shifted. If the other party rolled a normal
such as a normal human attempting to leap 100 meters success, it becomes a failure, and the critical success becomes
into the air unaided or solve a crossword puzzle in absolute a normal success.
darkness, no roll should be allowed. The skill attempt just
fails, with any appropriate consequences. The GM may Think of levels of success as a three-stage affair: critical
either declare no roll is needed or allow a roll and present success > success > failure, with the “>” meaning “is greater
the chance of a fumble (see following). than”. When comparing levels of success, one level of success
essentially cancels an opposed level of success.
The section on Spot Rules on pages 28–29 cover a few
situations where difficulties are applied, though for the most M Critical Success vs. Critical Success: Each degrades by two
part, these should be obvious and assigned by the GM where levels of success and become failures (though experience is
appropriate. allowed, as the rolls are still “successful”).
M Critical Success vs. Success: The critical success becomes
For example, the GM may announce that fighting in a success; the (normal) success becomes a failure.
near-dark makes all skills Difficult, or half their normal chance. M Critical Success vs. Failure: The critical success achieves
double the intended result (as appropriate) and is
Critical Success unopposed by the failed roll.
Not all successes are equal. Sometimes a skill use is exceptional,
and the result is better than normal. In this case, the result is The Basic Roleplaying core rulebook covers opposed skill rolls in
called a critical success. A critical success is equal to one-tenth considerably more detail. This quickstart presents the simplest
(1/10) the chance of success, rounded up (use the final chance method of resolving opposed skill rolls.
if modified by a difficulty).

For example, a skill of 60% means that any roll of 01 through The Resistance Table
06 is a critical success, as 6 is 1/10 of 60%). If a 60% skill Some actions require more than skill or natural ability:
is Difficult, modified to ½ normal, the chance is 30%, and obstacles must be overcome for the character to succeed. In
a critical occurs on a roll of 01–03. Similarly, a 60% skill with these cases, refer to the resistance table and call for a resistance
an Easy modifier is 120%, so the chance of a critical is on a roll roll. Resistance rolls pit characteristics or other measurable
of 01–12. quantities against one other.

In normal skill use, a critical success means that the skill For example, a heavy rock might be SIZ 15. To lift it,
succeeded especially well and should have an enhanced result. a character will need to roll their STR versus the rock’s SIZ on
The exact result should be left up to the GM to determine, the resistance table.
but as a rule of thumb, it should be twice as good as a regular
success. In combat, a critical success does additional damage To make a resistance roll, cross-index the active characteristic
and is described in Critical Successes in Combat on page 25. to the passive characteristic on the resistance table. The active
characteristic is the party or force trying to influence the passive
characteristic, the one resisting any change. The cross-indexed
value is the percentage chance each acting force has of success.

18
 system

the resistance table

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

1 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

2 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – – – – – – – – –

3 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – – – – – – – –

4 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – –
RANGE OF – –
AUTOMATIC
5 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – SUCCESS – –

6 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – – – – –

7 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – – – –

8 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – – –

9 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – – –
Passive Characteristic

10 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95 – – – – –

11 – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

12 – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

13 – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

14 – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

15 – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95

16 – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90

17 – – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85

18 – –
RANGE OF – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80
AUTOMATIC
19 – – FAILURE – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75

20 – – – – – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70

21 – – – – – – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

22 – – – – – – – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

23 – – – – – – – – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55

24 – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 05 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

For success, roll D100 equal to or less than the indicated number.

19
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

For success, roll D100 equal to or less than the indicated To pick any of these things up, a character would match STR
number. If the passive force is not attempting to resist, then it (the active characteristic) against the object’s SIZ (the passive
does not roll. characteristic). The resistance table isn’t just for picking things
up, however. Use it in a DEX versus DEX race to determine who
For example, a character with STR 13 (the active wins between two characters with an equal MOV characteristic.
characteristic) will have a 40% chance of picking up that SIZ Following are some other ways to use the resistance table:
15 rock (the passive characteristic). The rock doesn’t do anything
to resist, so it’s not going to roll against the character. If the roll is M Arm wrestling is straight STR vs. STR.
40 or below, the rock is lifted. A roll of 41+ means the rock is just M Squeezing through a hole in the wall pits a character’s SIZ
too heavy. The character can rest and try again later. against the hole’s SIZ.
M Drinking someone under the table would be CON vs. CON.
Below is a list of the sizes of average objects: M A psychic battle (or even a stare-down) would use
POW vs. POW.
Object SIZ Examples M Trying to resist a poison would pit the poison’s potency
(as a value) against the poisoned character’s CON.
Object Full SIZ Segment SIZ
Glass window 3 3 The resistance table is invaluable for use when a raw characteristic
Door 4–8 4–8 is pitted against another. The rest of the time, use a skill versus
a skill, opposed characteristic rolls, or best judgment.
Chair 4–9 4–9
Table 4–12 4–12
Manhole cover 5 5 Experience and Advancement
Once an adventure is complete, each PC that participated and
Fire hydrant 5 5
survived may improve any skills they successfully used in that
Potted plant 2–5 2–5 adventure. See the rules covering experience and advancement
Glass door 8 8 for Basic Roleplaying, available for free on Chaosium’s website:
https://www.chaosium.com/orclicense/
Desk 10–20 10–20
Lamp post 30 10
Home interior wall 25–35 8
Home exterior wall 25–45 12
Brick wall 30–50 20
Concrete wall 30–50 20
Concrete and steel wall 35–55 25
Small air vehicle 40 10
Automobile 50 12
Vault door 60 20
Medium land vehicle 60 12
Steel beam 65 30
Air vehicle, jet fighter 80 18
Medium tank 80 30
Heavy tank 90 35
Locomotive 100 20
Air vehicle, jet cargo 100 15
Air vehicle, bomber 105 15
Air vehicle, airliner 110 15

20
 Chapter four:
time
In Basic Roleplaying, time is an important factor, mostly The Turn
to determine what happens in what order, so that game When it’s important to take note of the exact passage of time
mechanics are applied when they should be. Remember that outside of combat, time is measured in turns. Each turn
in-game time is usually not equivalent to time spent playing. equals five minutes (25 combat rounds). Turns are used for
Sometimes, the GM may need to summarize the events of general movement when there is no conflict or event that must
many days in a single sentence, such as “It takes you a week be handled on a moment-by-moment basis. The turn is also
to reach Constantinople”, while at other times, particularly a general measure for how long certain activities will take,
during combat, the actions of only a few seconds of time can such as picking a lock or finding a book in a library. In these
take several minutes or longer to resolve. cases, the GM may rule that a certain task takes several turns
Following are the important distinctions of game time. to complete. See Skill Time (following) for more information.

Narrative Time The Combat Round

This is the amount of time taken when the GM is narrating to A combat round is used during combat sequences, when
the players, or when the players are discussing. Unless there is it’s important to note exactly what happens and in which
a specific reason otherwise, most actual roleplaying takes place order. A combat round consists of 12 seconds of fast-
in narrative time, a highly variable measure of time that can paced activity. If the combat takes more than one combat
equal real-world time or be hugely distorted: a conversation round, then another combat round begins immediately
might take as long to have as it takes to roleplay, or lengthy after. Combat rounds are repeated until the combat is over.
periods of time can be compressed into a few moments of game A character usually gets one attack or other action and
time. The description of travel time to Constantinople in the one defensive action in a combat round. During a combat
paragraph above is an example of this. When “fast forwarding” round, if a character does nothing else, they can move about
time, the GM should allow characters to perform any activities 30 meters and still be able to watch what is going on nearby,
that could reasonably fit into this timeframe, such as research, parry incoming blows, and react to emergencies.
training, repairing items, recovering lost hit points, etc.

21
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

Skill Time 5–30 minutes

Following are examples of the game time required to perform Appraise, Art, Bargain, Climb, Command, Craft, Demolition,
a single use of a skill. Some skills can take a variable amount of Disguise, Etiquette, Knowledge, Language, Medicine,
time and are listed in each appropriate time category. Navigate, Perform, Ride, Science, Sense, Status, Strategy,
Swim, Technical Skill, Track, and some characteristic rolls.
A few seconds to an entire combat round
Most attacks and parries, Artillery, Brawl, Dodge, Drive, First 30–60 minutes
Aid, Heavy Machine, Hide, Jump, Listen, Pilot, Ride, Sense, Appraise, Art, Climb, Command, Craft, Demolition,
Shield, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Stealth, Swim, Throw, and some Drive, Etiquette, Fine Manipulation, Fly, Heavy Machine,
characteristic rolls. Knowledge, Language, Medicine, Navigate, Perform, Persuade,
Pilot, Repair, Research, Ride, Science, Status, Strategy, Swim,
1–5 minutes Technical Skill, Track.
Appraise, Art, Artillery, Bargain, Climb, Command,
Demolition, Drive, Etiquette, Fast Talk, Fine Manipulation, 6 hours to many days
First Aid, Fly, Gaming, Insight, Heavy Machine, Hide, Art, Craft, Repair, Research, Strategy, Technical Skill. The GM
Knowledge, Language, Listen, Literacy, Medicine, Navigate, may require multiple successful skill rolls for extended research,
Perform, Persuade, Pilot, Repair, Ride, Sense, Stealth, Strategy, study, or a complex task.
Swim, Technical Skill, Track, and some characteristic rolls.

22
 Chapter five:
combat
Combat is often an inevitable part of most adventures. In 1. Preparation (DEX)
combat, it is often essential to know exactly what happens 2. Social (CHA)
when, who can act at a particular time, and what actions are 3. Ranged (DEX or weapon length)
possible in the amount of time provided. This section addresses 4. Movement (DEX or weapon length)
the wide variety of actions that occur during a combat round. 5. Close (DEX, INT, or SIZ)

Anyone wishing to hold their action from one phase to

The Combat Round a later phase may do so, if appropriate, with the gamemaster
A combat round is 12 seconds long, and each character determining what actions occur first in the later phase, using either
involved in it can perform actions and react to other actions characteristics to compare (DEX, CHA, etc.) or common sense.
in an order determined by their relevant characteristic (usually If there is ever a question about who goes first for actions
DEX or CHA, from highest to lowest). If there is a need to that can be performed in a combat phase but are not directly
determine who acts first when DEX ranks are tied, use the combat-related, use INT (representing quick thinking) or
relevant skill chance as the tiebreaker. The character with the DEX (representing speed of reflexes) to see who goes first.
higher skill rating goes first. If these are still tied, the actions
occur simultaneously.
A combat round consists of five phases. These always occur Preparation (DEX)
in the same order and are repeated with each new combat The GM and players involved in a combat round must announce
round until the combat is over. The five phases are described what they plan to do. Players or GMs do not need to announce
following, with relevant characteristics in parentheses after. defensive actions (parries, Dodges, etc.) during this phase.
When a combat round begins, start with the Preparation
phase and move through the others until everyone who M Preparations should be handled in order of the DEX
wants to and can act has done so. Then, begin again and characteristic of all involved characters, highest to lowest.
repeat until the combat is resolved and the outcome is The player of a character with a high DEX rank makes
settled. If no one is acting in a particular phase, skip that their statements of intent before a character with a low
phase and move to the next. DEX rank.

23
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

M Drawing or stowing gear, readying a weapon, loading or Attacking

reloading a firearm, or organizing reagents for a magic spell Attacks are typically performed during the Ranged or Close
are all the sorts of actions someone can take during the phase. To resolve an attack, roll percentile dice (D100%) and
Preparation phase. try to obtain a result equal to or lower than the attack chance.
Lower is better. Any roll higher than the attack chance is
Social (CHA) a failure and does no damage to the opponent.
The Social phase gives characters the opportunity to call for
a truce, give an opponent a chance to surrender, mislead M If the roll is less than 1/10 of the attack chance (round up),
or trick them with words or performance, and so on. To a critical success is achieved. Critical successes in combat
determine who goes in what order during the Social phase, are covered in the following section. A critical success on
use the CHA characteristic. an attack is better than a normal success and requires an
equally successful critical parry or Dodge to avoid.
M Characters can speak to one another during any phase,
within reason, but attempts to influence others using skills
occur during the Social phase. Parrying
Parrying is essentially knocking or blocking the attacking
Ranged (DEX or weapon length) weapon out of the way. A parry is determined after the attack
The Ranged phase allows characters to interact with creatures roll is made. If an attack fails, it does not need to be parried.
or objects at a distance, such as by making an attack with If the attack is successful, the attacked character may wish to
a bow, firearm, energy weapon, or a weapon with an extended parry it. To parry, the character must be aware of, and be able
reach (like a long spear), so long as the target is within range. to see the attack coming.
Determine a successful parry just like an attack roll,
M Use DEX to determine who goes in what order in the by rolling percentile dice below the parry skill (equal to the
Ranged phase. weapon’s attack skill). A critical success (described below) means
M If long weapons are being used, use the weapon’s general an especially good parry and is required to fully counteract an
length to determine who strikes first. attack with a critical success result. It is impossible to parry
firearms or high-velocity weapons (energy weapons, etc.) and
Movement (DEX or weapon length) the chance of parrying missile weapons is based on the size
During the Movement phase, everyone involved in a battle has and type of the shield. Weapons and shields occasionally take
a chance to change their position and interact with the physical damage from being used to parry and can even break if their
environment as they move, such as opening a door or swinging hit points are overcome.
on a rope. If an attacker moves into range of someone armed Parrying can be performed during any phase, but characters
with a long weapon, the long-weapon-user can perform their can only parry once per combat round.
attack action during this phase.

M Use DEX to determine the order that characters move in. Dodging
M If long weapons are being used, use DEX, but if tied, Dodging is essentially getting out of the way of an oncoming
use the weapon’s approximate length to determine who attack. A Dodge attempt is determined after the attack roll
strikes first. is made. If an attack fails, it does not need to be Dodged. If
the attack is successful, the attacked character may wish to
Close (DEX, INT, or SIZ) Dodge it. To Dodge, the character must be aware of and be
The final phase of the round is the Close phase, where able to see the attack coming. Determine a successful Dodge
characters have the chance to attack, use First Aid, or otherwise just like an attack roll, by rolling percentile dice below the
do something physical to affect someone else. Dodge skill chance.
A critical success (described in the following section)
M Depending on what characters are attempting to do, use means an especially good Dodge and is required to fully avoid
DEX for combat actions, and INT for actions that are not an attack with a critical success. It is Impossible to use Dodge
directly offensive or defensive. against firearms or high-velocity weapons, although the GM
M For unarmed characters fighting hand-to-hand, use SIZ to may allow the character to Dodge arrows and thrown weapons
determine whose greater reach lets them go first. as if the task were Difficult (½ normal skill level, rounded up).
Dodging can be performed during any phase, but only
once per combat round, and a Dodge attempt takes the place
of an attack, so if a character has already attacked in a combat
round, they cannot Dodge, and if they have Dodged, they
cannot attack.

24
 combat

Combat Summary Melee Weapons

To determine who hits who in combat, compare levels of Weapon Skill Base Dmg Hands HP
success, just as with skills: critical success > success > failure. Axe, Battle Axe 15 1D8+2+dm 1H 15
A success cancels out an equivalent level of success.
Axe, Great Axe 15 2D6+2+dm 2H 15

M A successful attack can be parried or Dodged with Axe, Hand Axe 15 1D6+1+dm 1H 12
a successful roll. If the defense fails, damage is as normal.
M A critical attack roll requires a critical parry or Dodge to
Brawl Brawl 25 1D3+dm 1H n/a
Club, Heavy Club 25 1D8+dm 2H 22
avoid entirely. A normal successful parry or Dodge makes
the critical a normal success but the parrying weapon or Club, Light Club 25 1D6+dm 1H 15
shield takes damage equal to the critical hit’s damage. Dagger Dagger 25 1D4+dm 1H 15
Halberd Polearm 15 3D6+dm 2H 25

Critical Successes In Combat Hammer Hammer 25 1D6+dm 1H 15

In combat, when a critical success is achieved, it means that Hammer, Great Hammer 25 1D10+3+dm 2H 15
the attack was exceptionally well-made, striking deep into the Knife Dagger 25 1D3+1+dm 1H 15
opponent’s body or hitting perfectly, bypassing any armor
Mace, Heavy Mace 25 1D8+2+dm 2H 20
protection. A critical success can often be a killing blow to
most normal opponents. Mace, Light Mace 25 1D6+2+dm 1H 20
When a critical success is determined, roll damage Pike Polearm 15 1d10+2+dm 2H 15
normally (including any modifier for the weapon) Staff, Quarter- Staff 25 1D8+dm 2H 20
and double it, then add the damage modifier (if any).
Spear, Long Spear 15 1D10+dm 2H 15
The resulting amount of damage is then delivered to the
opponent without any armor protection. Sword, Broad Sword 15 1D8+1+dm 1H 20
Sword, Great Sword 05 2D8+dm 2H 18

Weapons and Damage Sword, Short Sword 15 1D6+1+dm 1H 20

Weapons are described in the following manner: Missile Weapons

M The skill used, with the specialties described on pages Weapon Skill Base Dmg Hands HP Range
11–14. Axe, Hand Missile 10 1D6+½dm 1H 12 20 meters
M The base chance, that skill modifiers (if any) are added to. (thrown)
M The damage the weapon does against the target. The Bow, Long Bow 05 1D8+1+½dm 2H 10 90 meters
attacker’s damage modifier is applied to this, and “½ damage Crossbow, Crossbow 25 2D6+2 2H 18 55 meters
modifier” means roll and divide by 2, rounding up.
M The number of hands needed to use the weapon properly.
Heavy*
Crossbow, Crossbow 25 1D6+2 2H 10 40 meters
Characters can’t generally wield more than one 2-handed Light*
weapon or two 1-handed weapons. Using a 2H weapon
Daggar (thrown) Missile 15 1D4+½dm 1H 15 10 meters
one-handed makes the attack chance Difficult.
M The hit points of the weapon or shield if it is parried with. Knife, (thrown) Missile 15 1d3+1+½dm 1H 10 10 meters
A weapon or shield reaching 0 hit points is broken and Pistol** Firearm 20 1D8 1H 8 20 meters
cannot be used again without being repaired.
M The range of the weapon provided in meters: below this
Pistol, Laser** Energy 20 1D8 1H 14 20 meters
Weapon
range, and the attack chance is not modified, while at up
Rifle** Firearm 25 2D6 2H 12 80 meters
to twice the range, the attack becomes Difficult (½ skill
chance, rounded up). At up to three times the range, the Rifle, Laser** Energy 15 2D8 2H 20 100
attack chance is ¼ the normal chance (round up), and Weapon meters
beyond three times the range there is no chance of hitting Rock (thrown) Throw Throw 1D2+½dm 1H n/a 20 meters
the target. Sling Missile 05 1D8+½dm 2H 2 80 meters
* Crossbows are slower to fire than most missile weapons; each takes a full
Basic Roleplaying lists at least a hundred types of weapons,
combat round to reload, so they can only be fired on every other round.
many of which do alternate types of damage, ranging from **Pistols and rifles hold 6 shots apiece; laser pistols and rifles have charges for
explosives, shock, entanglement, armor piercing, etc. Other 20 shots.
than a few instances, advanced/futuristic melee and missile
weapons are not covered in this quickstart.

25
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

Armor Shields
Armor reduces hit point damage inflicted on its wearer, and Essentially, a shield is a movable barrier used to block incoming
is defined by armor points (APs), equaling how many points attacks. Parrying with a shield follows the same rules as parrying
are subtracted from damage, and a skill modifier describing with a weapon, and like weapons, shields are described by base
any effect wearing the armor has while worn. Physical skills chance to parry or attack with, armor points and hit points
are Climb, Dodge, Hide, Jump, Stealth, Swim, and Throw and (AP/HP), and by damage done if used as a weapon (a shield
the Agility characteristic roll, and Perception skills are Insight, bash, etc.). All shields use the Shield skill.
Listen, Sense, and Spot.
Light armor stops a little damage, and heavy armor stops M Shield hit points begin identical to their AP but are reduced
a lot of damage. when they take damage from a critical hit. As a shield loses
HP, it loses an identical amount of AP as it is whittled
For example, soft leather armor stops 1 point of damage, while down and damaged, lessening its ability to deflect and
full plate armor stops 8 points of damage. absorb damage.
M Characters can use shields to parry low-velocity missile
When taking hit point damage, subtract armor points from weapons (thrown, arrows, etc.) if aware of the attacker and
any damage that has been indicated. Damage above and beyond still able to act defensively in the combat round (such as
the armor points bypass it and are suffered by the target. not having already parried during the Ranged phase).
Below is a an abbreviated list of armor types available in M Generally, a target shield has a straight 15% chance to
Basic Roleplaying, which covers other types of armor, ranging parry a missile weapon, a full (heater, kite, or round) shield
from primitive hides to personal energy shields. has 30%, and a large (hoplite or riot-style) shield has 60%.
If a character kneels behind a large shield, the chance
Armor becomes 90%.
Name AP Skill Modifier Shields
Bulletproof Vest 8 –5% to Physical skills Name Base Chance AP/HP Damage
Chain 7 –20% to Physical skills Full Shield 15% 22 1D4+dm
Flak Jacket 4 –10% to Physical skills Heater 15% 20 1D3+dm
Clothing, Heavy 1 None Hoplite 15% 26 1D4+dm
Helmet, Heavy +2 –50% to Perception skills Kite 15% 22 1D4+dm
Helmet, Light +1 –15% to Perception skills Riot 15% 16 1D3+dm
Leather, Soft 1 None Round 15% 20 1D3+dm
Leather, Hard 2 –10% to Physical skills Target 15% 15 1D2+dm
Plate, Full 8 –25% to Physical skills Basic Roleplaying provides many other types of shields from
Plate, Half 7 –20% to Physical skills a variety of historical and genre sources.
Quilted 2 –5% to Physical skills
Riot Gear 12/6 –10% to Physical skills

26
 combat

Damage and Injury

Each character has hit points (HP) derived from the
average of CON and SIZ (rounded up). When an attack
successfully strikes a character (or the character suffers some
other injury), damage points (after armor) are subtracted
from current hit points.

For example, an uninjured character has 12 hit points and is

wearing hard leather armor (worth 2 points). They take 6 points
of damage from an attack. Two points are subtracted from the
damage because of their armor protection, and they take 4 hit
points in damage. This reduces the character to 8 hit points. Any
more damage is subtracted from this new total.

If a character is reduced to 2 hit points, they fall unconscious

for 1D6 hours or until awakened by another character. If the
character is reduced to 0 hit points and remains so at the end
of a combat round, they are dead. See Healing (following) for
information about performing First Aid in combat. Under
normal circumstances, a character heals 1D3 hit points per
week, up to their maximum hit point total.

Healing
Humans usually heal 1D3 hit points per game week, meaning
that at the end of a seven-day period, the GM rolls 1D3,
and each injured character has that many hit points restored
to their total, up to maximum hit points. If the character is
in a hospital under ideal conditions and receiving top-notch
medical treatment, the GM may choose to allow the maximum
healing of 3 points rather than rolling 1D3.
Successful use of the First Aid skill will heal 1D3 hit points
per injury. Keep track of each injury separately; the First Aid
skill can be applied to wounds to reduce their severity, restoring
lost hit points. Successful use of First Aid can only heal the
total hit points in damage for an individual wound.

For example, if a character has taken 2 hit points in damage

from a single wound, a successful use of First Aid can only
heal 2 hit points for that particular wound, even if the dice
indicate more.

An injury may have First Aid applied to it only once. If the

roll is unsuccessful, it is still bandaged and cleaned but is not
overly beneficial.

27
 Chapter six:
spot rules
Spot rules cover a variety of situations that might occur Cover
during or apart from combat. These include environmental Partial cover makes attacks Difficult. If the roll is above the
issues, damage from other sources, or modifiers that may normal attack chance, the attack misses the cover entirely.
affect gameplay. If it hits between the normal attack and the reduced chance
of success, the attack hits the cover. If it makes sense to roll
to see if the cover is damaged or bypassed, roll for damage
Ambush and compare it to the material of the cover, as provided in
Successful Stealth rolls allow surprise attacks. If the would- Object SIZ Examples (page 20). Damage more than the item’s
be ambusher fails their Stealth roll, the intended target can SIZ/HP per segment may penetrate the cover to hit the target.
attempt an Easy Listen, Sense, or Spot roll to detect them.
A successful ambush lets attackers with missile weapons get
free Easy attacks in the first round. Hand-to-hand attacks are Darkness
Easy and Dodge or parry attempts are Difficult if targets fail If fighting in near-total darkness (without any night vision or
their perception rolls. If the attackers are unseen, the targets equivalent), all combat skills become Difficult. In pitch-black
cannot Dodge or parry and may need to wait until the next darkness, all combat skills are Difficult or at a base of 10%
Preparation phase to draw any weapons if they are not already (whichever is lower).
readied. If the target is aware, all rolls are normal.

Disarm
Backstabs To disarm an opponent, make a Grapple roll. If successful, roll
The first attack from behind or from an unexpected source STR vs. STR to wrestle the weapon out of the target’s hand.
during combat is Easy. Targets who make a Difficult Listen or If using a weapon, make a Difficult attack roll. If successful, roll
Sense roll may attempt a Difficult Dodge or parry. Attacking damage and use that in a resistance roll vs. the target’s STR.
helpless targets (unconscious, restrained) is also Easy with no
defense possible.

28
 spot rules

Falling
A falling character takes 1D6 points of damage per 3 meters of
distance, rounded up.

For example, a 7-meter fall does 3D6 points of damage.

Firing into Combat

Firing a missile weapon at a character that is engaged in combat
is at a –20% modifier to the attack chance. Firing a missile
weapon at another character while both the attacker and target
are engaged in combat makes an attack Difficult.

Grappling
The Grapple skill is used to seize, immobilize, or maneuver
an opponent bodily, or even cause them harm. If successful in
an opposed roll, the target can be immobilized with a further
STR vs. STR resistance roll, knocked down if they cannot
make a successful Agility roll, or harmed through brute force
(1D3+dm). Break a grapple with an opposed Grapple check or
a STR vs. STR resistance roll. Up to three people can grapple
a single target, adding their STR together.

Knockout Attacks
It is possible to attempt to knock another character
unconscious rather than killing them. To knock someone out,
make a Difficult attack and roll damage as normal, subtracting
armor. Compare the damage done against the character’s hit
points (total, not current). If the damage is equal to or greater
than ½ the character’s normal hit point total, the character is
knocked out, with no actual damage being done. If the damage
rolled is equal to or less than ½ the normal hit point total, the
attack does minimum possible damage (the lowest the dice can
roll, including the minimum damage modifier) in hit points,
and the target is not knocked out.

Tripping or Knockdown
Use a long weapon, like a spear or staff, to cause a target to
stumble. The attack is Difficult and does minimum damage,
but the target must make an Agility roll to remain upright.
To knock someone down, make a successful Brawl attack
or shield bash against them. Damage is minimum, but the
target must succeed in a roll of their STR vs the attacker’s SIZ
to remain upright.

29
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING SYSTEM

An Example of combat

In an unlikely turn of events involving time travel, dimensional wormholes, and alternate realities, the charismatic starship
captain Taiwo finds herself a sudden ally of convenience with the elf scout Jonan. After investigating their strange
surroundings, they realize they are trapped within some sort of prison. It seems advanced and futuristic to Jonan but
downright ancient in Taiwo’s eyes. During their investigation, they raise the ire of the prison’s guards. Upon spotting two
strange people wandering around their jail, the guards move in to attack.
The first round starts with Jonan and Taiwo facing off against two prison guards. The two groups are about ten
meters apart, at either end of one of the prison’s cell blocks.
Jonan’s DEX is 19, Taiwo’s DEX is 09, and the guards’ DEX is 12.
With the highest DEX, Jonan declares his action first in the Preparation phase. The guards go second, and Taiwo
third. Jonan draws his bow and readies an arrow. The guards have their weapons already drawn, so they don’t need to
prepare for anything and declare their intention to charge at the heroes. Taiwo unslings and readies her laser rifle.
No actions are declared for the Social phase, so it’s skipped.
Next is the Ranged phase. Jonan acts first. He shoots his bow at one of the guards, with a 60% chance to hit using
his bow. He makes a D100 roll and gets a 79—a miss.
The guards are wielding clubs and swords and are out of range (they will move in the Movement
phase), so they cannot attack just yet.
Taiwo acts next. She levels her laser rifle and pulls the trigger. She has a 55% chance to
hit and rolls a 26, a hit! The guard tries to Dodge the shot with a 25% chance of success, but
fails with a roll of 77. Taiwo rolls 2D8 damage for her laser rifle and gets 11. The guards
are wearing armor that reduces the damage they take by 1, so Taiwo deals 10 damage to
a guard. A telling blow, but the guard is still up!
In the Movement phase, the guards draw near to the heroes and engage them with
their hand-to-hand weapons. As the heroes do not have long hand-to-hand weapons
and have already acted in the combat round, they are unable to attack the guards
before they draw near.
The Close phase begins. The guards both swing their swords at the two unlikely
allies, with a 40% chance using their rapiers, dealing 1D6+1 if they hit.
Each guard attacks one hero, rather than doubling up on them. The
one facing off against Jonan rolls a 08, a success! Jonan decides
to try to Dodge and has a 40% chance to succeed. He rolls an 18,
so he nimbly avoids the attack. The second guard attacks Taiwo and
rolls a 30, another hit! Taiwo attempts a Dodge and fails. The guard
rolls poorly for damage, however, and only deals 3 points, entirely
deflected by Taiwo’s futuristic 8-point armor.
None of them have any actions remaining in the Close phase, so the
first round ends.
At the start of round 2, everyone returns to the Preparation
phase. Jonan plans on shooting at the guard attacking him so
he readies another arrow. The guards declare their intention
to continue to attack the heroes, and Taiwo draws her sword,
anticipating hand-to-hand combat. Though her laster rifle is used
two-handed and her sword takes up another hand, the GM allows her to
draw her sword and use it, as she will not be firing the rifle this turn.
As no actions were declared for this round’s Social phase, it’s skipped.
In the Ranged phase, Jonan fires his bow, though the attempt is Difficult (half
normal chance, rounded up) for shooting while both attacker and target are in

30
 spot rules

close combat. He rolls a 02, a critical, and the guard fails to Dodge. A lucky damage roll total of 8 means the guard takes
16 points of damage, without armor protection, and falls back, dead.
No actions are declared for the Movement phase, as everyone is in close combat range at this point.
For the Close phase, the remaining guard attacks Taiwo, still considering her as the real threat. He rolls a 03, a critical
hit! Taiwo tries a desperate parry with her laser rifle. It’s not typically used for this and is a two-handed weapon being
used one-handed, so the GM says the parry attempt is Difficult, half her skill. She fails with a roll of 83.The guard rolls
a 6 for damage, rolls a 1 on 1D4 for his damage modifier, with a total of 7. Then, because the attack was a critical, the
result is doubled for a staggering 14 damage, bypassing Taiwo’s armor. She is reduced from 18 hit points to 14 in one hit,
but she survives. She can’t take another critical hit, though.
For the Preparation phase for Round 3, Jonan decides to create some space between the guards and himself. Taiwo
looks like she’s almost out, and decides to only perform defensive actions this turn. The guard declares his intention to
try to finish off Taiwo, as he doesn’t know how badly she’s hurt.
For the Social phase, no actions were declared, so the phase is skipped.
In the Ranged phase, Jonan fires his bow, achieving another hit. This guard fails his Dodge and Jonan inflicts 6 points
of damage, minus 1 for the guard’s armor. In the Close phase, the guard misses and Taiwo attacks with her sword.
The guard’s parry is a miss and thus Taiwo’s blade strikes true, finishing off the guard after damage is determined.
The round ends.
The heroes hear more guards approaching. Time and numbers are not on their side.
They need to get out of this prison quickly!

31
 Basic Roleplaying is the easy-to-use, intuitive,
UNIVERSAL GAME ENGINE and accessible game system used in acclaimed
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Roleplaying in the Icelandic Sagas

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you to medieval Iceland—a vibrant land on the edge of the

Q Includes a 17”×22” pull-out map of Iceland.

Hear the call of glory and honor, journey proud across your land free
from the tyranny of kings and queens—enter the Age of Vikings!

known world, where Vikings seek honor and fame through

adventure. Age of Vikings includes rules for character creation, What is BRP?
Introduced over 40 years ago, Basic Roleplaying is the
engine that powers games like Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest,
Pendragon, and countless others. BRP-powered games

magic, combat, magic, seafairing, raiding, and adventure;

all use a roll-low skill-based system, so you don’t have to
learn a brand new system with each game.

a guide to a mythic version of Iceland full of monsters, elves,

dragons, and trolls; a starting adventure; and a lovely map
displaying Iceland in the age when Vikings ruled the seas. https://www.chaosium.com/age-of-vikings/
 adventures

Chapter seven:
adventures
This chapter presents three scenarios to illustrate the breadth of Basic Roleplaying. Each provides a glimpse into what could be
a longer campaign, a succession of adventures played out over several sessions. Use these vignettes to gain experience playing BRP,
or use them as seeds to craft further adventures of your own.
The GM should read each in full, taking note of the Gamemaster Tips sections at the end of each. Copy and/or download
and print the character sheets, and let players pick the one they’d like to play.
Read or paraphrase the small section at the beginning of each adventure to set the stage, and let the game begin!

The Prisoner of Richelieu

Read the following boxed text to the players:

France, 1626: The Queen’s messenger, Monsieur

Treville, has been arrested by the evil Viceroy Renault.
King’s musketeer, Henri Casaux, and his associates are
sworn to rescue Treville and recover a secret message
in his possession before it can be used against the
Queen. You must enter the prison tonight and rescue
Treville before his execution at dawn! tomorrow!

Further complicating matters, the prison hides a terrifying

and unbelievable secret: it is the lair and feeding ground of
a vampire, Viceroy Renault. Cardinal Richelieu is in league with
the undead! The vampiric Viceroy uses prisoners the Cardinal
sends as feeding stock, and the Cardinal has a convenient way
of disposing of political rivals. A win-win for the pair of villains.
Discovery of such a supernatural threat could change
everything that the PCs believe about the world… or merely
confirm long-held suspicions about the Church’s secrets and
conspiracies. Either way, the truth behind the identity of the
Cardinal’s closest ally changes the situation from a rescue
operation to a desperate fight for survival against a never-
before-encountered threat.
1. Prison Gate: Four of the Viceroy’s guard are here; Fast Talk
or Persuade rolls allow PCs to pass without suspicion.
Failure or attack means combat!

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 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

Viceroy’s Guard Vampire Viceroy Renault

DEX 12, Hit Points 12, Armor 1 STR 28, DEX 20, POW 16, MOV 10,
Attacks: Rapier 40%, 1D6+1 Damage Modifier +1D6, Hit Points 15, Armor 0
Skills: Dodge 25%, Listen 45%, Stealth 55%.
Attacks: Bite 50%, 1D4+1+½dm (victim loses 1D6 STR
2. The Courtyard: Filled with crates, barrels and long shadows, or CON); Claw 50%, 1D6+1+dm
it echoes with the sound of partying from the barracks. Six Skills: Climb 75%, Command 60%, Dodge 50%, Jump 75%,
guards are here. If they hear fighting, they will be alert. Listen 60%, Persuade 75%, Sense 50%, Spot 75%, Stealth 80%.
Stealth rolls may evade them, but failure requires a Luck
roll: success means the character is only attacked by one Abilities:
guard, failure means the guard raises the alarm and the M Hypnosis: If he spends a round locking eyes with a target,
entire courtyard fills with guards in the next combat round! he can make a POW vs. POW roll to enthrall them, forcing
See the stats for the guards, above. them into a lethargy for 1D4 combat rounds or until someone
snaps them out of it. The Viceroy can use his Command or
3. The Barracks: There are 20 guards here carousing. Upon Persuade skill to order enthralled victims around.
entering, the guards think PCs are friends—if Etiquette, M Blood Drinking: If the Viceroy successfully bites and
Luck, Charm or similar rolls are successful. If threatened, drains blood, he immediately gains that many hit points,
the guards draw swords, giving enough time for PCs to up to his maximum.
escape... but the entire prison is alerted! With care, PCs M Unnatural: As a supernatural creature, he can climb upon
can steal two rapiers (1D6+1 damage) and two pistols walls or the ceiling, jump great distances, and seemingly
(2D6+1 damage / one shot only, 45%) from sleeping soldiers. disappear in shadow.
M Cursed by Heaven: As a vampire, the Viceroy takes 1 point
4. The Stables: Six horses and two stable-hands. Bargain, Fast of damage per combat round while in the sunlight. Crosses
Talk, or similar rolls result in the hands telling the PCs wielded by the faithful force him to flee, causing him 1D3
about the party at the barracks and the new prisoner in damage if he is contacted by one.
the cellblock nearby. If attacked, they flee, returning with M Nearly Immortal: If the Viceroy is reduced to 0 hit points
1D3+1 guards in two combat rounds. The stable-hands do for more than 3 subsequent combat rounds, pierced
not fight and Dodge at 30%, and have 10 hit points each. through the heart with a wooden stake, or beheaded, he is
slain forever.
5. Gallows: Three guards are lazing here, drunk. If Persuaded,
Bargained with, or beaten in combat they surrender their 7. Cellblock: Eight guards are stationed here. The cell with an X
uniforms (SIZ 12). These can be used to enter and move is Treville’s. Six other prisoners beg to be freed. Before being
around the prison with Easy Fast Talk rolls if confronted. defeated, the last guard throws the cell key down a grate.
Player characters can lift the grate (Effort), use Sleight of
Drunken Guard Hand to pick the lock of Treville’s door, or blow open the
DEX 11, Hit Points 11, Armor 1 cell with a grenade (Demolitions)! Once rescued, Treville
Attacks: Rapier 35%, 1D6+1 tells them the message to the Queen is in the Viceroy’s
Skills: Dodge 20%, Listen 15%, Stealth 25%. bed-chambers. The other prisoners will join in fighting the
guards.
6. Viceroy’s Home: A fine building filled with expensive
furniture. There are also two guards here. The Viceroy Treville
is wandering the building and can be found either in STR 11, DEX 13, SIZ 11, Hit Points 14, Armor 1
his study, the main sitting room, his “bedroom” on the Attacks: Rapier 50%, 1D6+1; Brawl 60% 1D3
second floor, or the chamber containing his coffin in the Skills: Disguise 65%, Dodge 30%, Listen 45%, Ride 65%,
basement. Treville’s belongings (including the message) Stealth 40%.
are in the Viceroy’s bedroom. Stealthily breaking in from
outside to steal it requites a successful Climb (or Agility) Prisoner
and Stealth rolls, with a Spot roll to find the still-sealed STR 11, DEX 12, SIZ 11, Hit Points 12, Armor 1
message. If these fail, the Viceroy discovers the intrusion, Attacks: Brawl 55%, 1D3; Rapier 45%, 1D6+1
and the PCs must flee or fight! The Viceroy tacitly ignores Skills: Disguise 30%, Dodge 25%, Listen 30%, Ride 35%,
any alarms raised before the players arrive at his house; after Stealth 45%.
all, what good are cannon-fodder human guards if they
can’t deal with a simple jail break? If one of the PCs has died in the prior combats, give them
Treville or a prisoner to play as a PC upon their rescue.

34
 adventures

Once the message and Treville are recovered, the PCs must
escape. They could use Stealth to sneak out or fight their way
through the guards. Maybe they could steal a horse and Ride
away. If the guards realize the PCs are trying to escape, they
may lower the prison gate, needing Demolitions or two PCs to
lift the gate with Effort.
Whatever happens, success brings the Queen’s gratitude,
along with the enmity of Cardinal Richelieu (and Viceroy
Renault, if the PCs didn’t destroy his coffin, stake him, or
otherwise deal with him with finality).

Gamemaster Tips
Look for opportunities to give your players hints as to the
Viceroy’s true nature. When the PCs rescue Treville, point
out that he seems weak and feeble, much more so than
a royal messenger should. If Balizarde samples any food in the
Viceroy’s house, point out that it is stale, rotting, bland, and
is clearly not being consumed on a regular basis (it’s only for
show). Describe mirrors in the home covered with sheets or
conspicuous in their absence, and if the PCs eavesdrop on any
guards, make certain that they understand the guards are afraid
of the Viceroy. Have one of the guards even call him a monster;
they could be using it as a euphemism for a particularly evil
man, but in this case, they are being literal.
If the PCs escape without dealing with the Viceroy, have
him appear on a balcony as they ride away with glowing red
eyes, simply watching them. Try to make the Viceroy a part of
the atmosphere even when he isn’t present; describe a shadow
that passes in the corner of their eye, but when they look
more closely there is nothing there. Tell the PCs they can hear
footsteps around every corner, or that they feel as if they’re
constantly being watched. Feed into Frederic’s sense of secrets
and paranoia by singling him out to hear strange noises or see
things he cannot explain, giving the other PCs an opportunity
to tease or comfort him.
In combat, the Viceroy is extremely difficult to kill, but he
enjoys playing with his victims and tries to draw things out.
He might climb the walls and ceiling, using Stealth to come
out of unexpected places and ambush the PCs. He recoils
from D’Agneau’s cross if confronted with it, giving the PCs
a potential means of fighting him off. Ultimately, he flees if
faced with destruction, perhaps to strike back another day.
Perhaps Treville has been turned, and suddenly hungers for
blood... just as the PCs are in the midst of their escape!
Don’t worry about keeping the fact that the Viceroy is
a vampire a secret from the players; it’s far more important that
their characters are surprised and thrown into a situation that
they’ve never encountered before. Use your judgment on when
to clue the players in on Viceroy’s identity, but don’t worry
about the players figuring out it early, as it will only heighten
the potential for suspense.

35
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

The Player Characters

Henri Caseaux, Witty Swashbuckler

The very picture of a hero, Henri is young, handsome, dashing, and charismatic. He always has a quip on the tip of his
tongue and a villain at the tip of his blade. Henri relishes the opportunity to perform heroic exploits and thumb his nose at
corrupt authority.

STR 11 Effort 55% M Move: 10

M Hit Points: 12
M
CON 13 Stamina 65%
Armor: 2-pt. leather
SIZ 11 Damage Modifier None M Attacks: Rapier 50%, 1D6+1
INT 11 Idea 55% M Skills: Bargain 55%, Dodge 50%, Disguise 55%,
Fast Talk 45%, Listen 35%, Ride (Horse) 65%,
POW 16 Luck 80% Spot 30%, Stealth 35%.
DEX 15 Agility 75%
CHA 15 Charm 75%

Josee Balizarde, Clever Musketeer

As the group’s de-facto second in command, Balizarde is always cool and composed. She is pragmatic, calm, and reserved,
but no less clever or daring than her companions. Balizarde has a particular enjoyment for fine food and drink and relishes
any opportunity to partake in the finer things in life.

M Move: 10
STR 13 Effort 65% M Hit Points: 14
CON 16 Stamina 80% M Armor: 2-pt. leather
M Attacks: Rapier 40%, 1D6+1+dm
SIZ 12 Damage Modifier +1D4
Musket 55%, 3D6+2 (1 shot only)
INT 17 Idea 85% Musket (swung) 55%, 1D3+2+dm
POW 12 Luck 60% M Skills: Dodge 35%, Disguise 50%, Etiquette 50%,
Listen 45%, Persuade 55%, Ride 40%, Spot 35%,
DEX 12 Agility 60% Stealth 50%.
CHA 11 Charm 55%

36
 adventures

The Player Characters

Frederic Marbot, Sneaky Thief

Frederic is jumpy, suspicious, and shrewd. He prefers to be unnoticed in most situations, socially and otherwise. Frederic
is a conspiracy theorist, believing in all sorts of outlandish theories regarding the Church, the Crown, international secret
societies, supernatural creatures, and nefarious globe-spanning plots of influence and corruption.

STR 10 Effort 50% M Move: 10

M Hit Points: 11
M
CON 12 Stamina 60%
Armor: 1-pt. leather
SIZ 09 Damage Modifier None M Attacks: Blackjack 50%, 1D6 (if attacking
INT 10 Idea 50% opponent by surprise, can knock unconscious with
Difficult Luck roll)
POW 18 Luck 90% Brawl 60%, 1D3
DEX 19 Agility 95% M Skills: Climb 60%, Disguise 75%, Dodge 50%,
Listen 65%, Ride 45%, Sleight of Hand 55%, Spot
CHA 09 Charm 45%
55%, Stealth 60%.

Rosny D’Agneau, Imposing Grenadier

As the group’s eldest member, Rosny believes it is her responsibility to keep the rest of her companions out of trouble. Rosny
(“Roz” to her friends) is a grizzled army veteran, tough as nails and sturdy as an ox. She serves as the group’s “mother” and,
though she isn’t the leader, no one would ever dream of really arguing with her when she puts her foot down. She is a devout
Catholic and wears a cross beneath her leather doublet.

M Move: 10
STR 17 Effort 85% M Hit Points: 16
CON 14 Stamina 70% M Armor: 2-pt. leather
M Attacks: Musket 35%, 3D6+2 (1 shot only);
SIZ 15 Damage Modifier +1D4
Grenade 55%, 4D6 all nearby (6 carried)
INT 12 Idea 60% Rapier 50%, 1D6+1+dm
Headbutt 65%, 1D3+1+dm
M Skills: Demolition 50%, Dodge 30%, Fast Talk
POW 13 Luck 65%
DEX 11 Agility 55% 65%, Listen 15%, Ride 40%, Spot 30%,
CHA 16 Charm 80% Stealth 40%, Throw 65%.

37
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

footsteps in the dark

Read the following boxed text to the players:

Sirius System, 2844 AD: While on a routine interstellar

run, your crew picked up a distress signal from the
planet Nayan. Upon arriving in orbit, however, you
were shocked when your ship came under fire from
energy weapons from the planet’s surface, critically
damaging your vessel and forcing an emergency
landing. Now your crew must venture across a harsh
alien landscape to the source of the distress signal
in search of supplies and materials needed to repair
your vessel and to disable the gun emplacements
that shot you down.

What awaits our intrepid explorers at the site of this distress

signal, however, is more complicated than they imagine:
a secret research facility, now occupied only by security robots
trying desperately to keep the PCs out… or perhaps to keep
something else in.
At the heart of this research base waits Chimera, the one-
of-a-kind artificial intelligence (AI) that was stranded here
when the base was abandoned. The distress beacon was sent
out by Chimera, knowing that anyone who answered it would
be shot down. If they survived, they would be forced to venture
into its prison for repair supplies. Chimera hopes to cut a deal
with the PCs and convince them to allow it to download itself
onto their ship’s systems so it can escape this otherwise empty
planet. Chimera cares for nothing except its own escape, which
is precisely why the security drones were programmed to keep 2. The PCs identify one obvious route to their destination
it imprisoned here. Chimera is intelligent, convincing, and (route A), a largely direct course through the flatlands
utterly ruthless. to their south, skirting around the large mountain spire
The characters’ shipwreck is at point X on the map. They that separates them from the signal base. Successful use of
have supplies and survival and are at least three days on foot a relevant Knowledge or the Navigate skill identifies two
away from the distress signal source (S), a station that their additional possible routes. One leads directly through the
sensors read as a research station of some sort. A robot sentry mountain and its foothills, while the other curls east and
station (located at point Xk on the map) detected their crashed traverses a deep valley that may offer cover from any storms.
ship and has already dispatched drones to eliminate any a. Route A is the closest to the sentry robot base, and thus
survivors; news of Chimera cannot be allowed to leave this will be more likely to come under attack. However, it
world, let alone the AI itself. also offers the PCs an opportunity to discover what
1. Using their ship’s sensor data gathered while they were is happening a bit earlier and even grants access to
crashing, the PCs have a rough map of their surroundings a land vehicle that they could commandeer for their use.
and know the coordinates of the signal’s source. Readings Successful use of the Track skill reveals tire tracks in the
indicate a base of some sort, large enough that it likely has rocky and sandy ground, pointing the characters to an
supplies and materials needed to repair their vessel. old transport skiff. If the PCs defeat the robots guarding

38
 adventures

it, the skiff can be fixed with a Repair roll and driven with If the players defeat the sentry robots, they can gain access
a Drive or Pilot roll. Traversing Route A takes 3 hours, or to Chimera’s station. Under normal circumstances this would
1 if the players successfully repair and drive the skiff. be difficult, as the facility (despite being abandoned) is top
of the line. Once its guards are defeated, however, Chimera
Robot, Utility (4) happily allows the PCs entry. Inside, they find plenty of the
DEX 11, Damage Modifier +1D6, Move 8, Hit Points 10, supplies and materials they need to repair their own vessel.
Armor 4 They also find the computer banks storing Chimera itself,
Attacks: Brawl 30%, 1D3+dm; Power Tools 50%, 1D6+dm a charming and intelligent AI with one goal: to survive at all
Skills: Listen 75%, Stealth 75%. costs. It is otherwise defenseless and the computer bank it
is stored in can be easily destroyed. What they choose to do
b. Route B is the most direct but leads over extremely regarding the AI is entirely up to them.
hostile and difficult terrain. Successfully traveling
Route B requires a Climb roll each hour and a Stamina
roll every other hour. Failing a Climb roll causes 1D3 Gamemaster Tips
damage to the character as they become exhausted The first time the players encounter enemy robots, make sure
and succumb to minor injuries, bumps, and bruises. to point out that they look high-tech but old and in disrepair.
Succeeding a Stamina roll allows them to heal any PC Some players may even try to negotiate with the robots; let
for 1D3 hit points, as they quickly bounce back from them try and honor their successes if they get them. Perhaps
exhaustion, share their supplies, offer encouragement, the players might Bargain with the robots trying to repair the
etc. Traversing Route B takes 4 hours. skiff or trick them into thinking that they’re a repair team sent
c. Route C is the farthest route but holds the least obvious to help. The robots may even try to convince the players to
threats. Hazardous gasses pool in the valleys here, leave or offer them the repair materials they seek in return for
which the PCs space suits identify once they are close simply leaving the planet.
enough. Finding their way through the valleys without Chimera will do anything, promise anything, in return for
suffering any ill effects requires a Listen, Science, being rescued from Nayan. Many of the promises it makes are
or Spot check each hour. Failure causes 1D3 damage lies. Chimera cares nothing for anything or anyone but itself,
as the character’s space suit is damaged and they and allowing it to leave Nayan will surely lead to no good.
breath in toxic fumes, are burned by superheated gas, There is little stopping the PCs from choosing whatever course
or experience some other natural hazard. Traversing of action they desire. Chimera has no robot guards under its control,
Route C takes 3 hours. and, in truth, can offer nothing of concrete value. It promises to
serve the PCs as their resident AI and digital assistant, as their
When they reach the signal station, the PCs are confronted ship’s navigator, as as anything it believes they want. Successful use
with a small contingent of security robots, clearly better armed of skills such as Bargain, Fast Talk, Insight, Persuade, and Science
and in better repair than others they may have encountered. These can offer the PCs information about Chimera, what it wants
robots attack the players, desperate to keep them from meeting with (freedom), and if it can be trusted (it can’t).
Chimera. In the end, however, the decision is left entirely up to them.
Chimera could certainly prove to be a powerful and knowledgeable
Sentry Robot (3) ally, gifted in Science, Strategy, all manner of Technical skills,
DEX 13, Damage Modifer +1D4, Move 8, Hit Points 11, Knowledge skills, and Navigation… but at what cost?
Armor 4
Attacks: Stun Rifle 45% 2D8+3* rng 60m; Vibroknife 50%
2D4+1D4
Skills: Dodge 35%, Listen 50%, Spot 45%, Stealth 40%,
Track 50%.
* Roll for stun rifle damage, then have the target make a resistance
roll with their CON vs. the rolled damage (minus any armor). If
the stun roll is successful, the target is knocked out for 1D3 combat
rounds and takes 1 HP damage (no armor protection). If they
resist the roll, they only take the 1 HP of damage.

39
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

The Player Characters

Captain Taiwo
Taiwo is easy and approachable, popular for her reliability and charm, oozing an effortless likability that wins her no shortage of fast
friends. As Kehinde’s older twin, Taiwo is extremely protective of her “little brother”. She has been augmented into a massive apelike
form and moves either upright or on all fours, though slowly.

STR 19 Effort 95% M Move: 6 (upright), 4 (quadruped)

M Hit Points: 15
M
CON 13 Stamina 65%
Armor: 6 (3-pt. hide, 3-pt. vest)
SIZ 17 Damage Modifier +1D6 M Attacks: Sword 65%, 1D6+1+dm
Laser Rifle 55%, 2D8, rng 60m
M Skills: Bargain Climb 25%, Sense (Scent) 60%,
INT 12 Idea 60%
POW 07 Luck 35% Listen 35%, Spot 40%, Stealth 35%, Throw 45%.
DEX 09 Agility 45%
CHA 12 Charm 60%

Kehinde, the Pilot

The explosive firecracker to his sister’s unshakable calm, Kehinde is a bold and brash pilot with an eternal chip on his shoulder.
He is aggressive and eager to prove himself, never backing down from any challenge. Kehinde is loyal, passionate, outspoken,
loud-mouthed, and absolutely, unquestionably a good man.

M Move: 10
STR 11 Effort 55% M Hit Points: 13
M Armor: 1-pt. leather
M
CON 14 Stamina 70%
Attacks: Blaster Rifle 60%, 2D8+3, rng 60m
SIZ 12 Damage Modifier None M Skills: Climb 45%, Dodge 50%, Pilot (Grav Car)
INT 14 Idea 70% 50%, Repair (Grav Vehicle) 45%, Navigate 50%,
Listen 65%, Spot 45%, Stealth 40%.
POW 12 Luck 60%
DEX 16 Agility 80%
CHA 10 Charm 50%

40
 adventures

The Player Characters

Natalia, the Scientist

Natalia’s mind is sharp enough to cut diamond, but this is well-hidden behind her bubbly, excited demeanor and the almost
childlike glee she displays when encountering something new or interesting. Unapologetically girly, Natalia’s traditionally
stark-white lab coat has been replaced with a bright multi-colored version, dominantly fuchsia.

STR 10 Effort 50% M Move: 10

M Hit Points: 13
M
CON 13 Stamina 65%
Armor: 1-pt. environment suit
SIZ 13 Damage Modifier None M Attacks: Blaster Pistol 45%, 1D8+2, rng 15m
INT 16 Idea 80% M Skills: Climb 35%, Dodge 35%, Fast Talk 50%,
Science 60%, Hide 35%, Listen 40%, Repair 40%,
POW 13 Luck 65% Spot 60%, Stealth 30%.
DEX 14 Agility 70%
CHA 11 Charm 55%

Sven, the Scout

Sven is no-nonsense and long-suffering. A man of few words, when Sven speaks his voice can move mountains. He is highly
respected by his colorful crewmates as the consummate voice of reason and practicality, and Sven takes this responsibility
seriously. Surprisingly, his most trusted friend in the entire galaxy is the brash and outspoken Kehinde, and they’ve saved
each other’s lives so many times that neither of them keeps count anymore.

STR 12 Effort 60% M Move: 12

M Hit Points: 17
CON 13 Stamina 65% M Armor: 3-pt. ballistic mesh
SIZ 21 Damage Modifier +1D6 M Attacks: Laser Crossbow 75%, 1D10+1D3, rng 90m
Long Knife 75%, 2D6+1+dm
M Skills: Climb 65%, Dodge 40%, Knowledge
INT 14 Idea 70%
POW 12 Luck 60% (Outback) 55%, Hide 65%, Listen 55%, Spot 55%,
DEX 13 Agility 65% Stealth 65%, Track 55%.

CHA 14 Charm 70%

41
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

the lost temple of garthoon

Read the following boxed text to the players:

Kingdom of Habitha, Year 353, Era of the Griffon: You

have traveled many kilometers through dangerous
lands following an ancient map to find the Lost
Temple of Garthoon, seeking to recover the treasure
that lies within. You now find your party at the opening
of a mysterious cave, which the map claims is the
entrance to the dark temple!

Garthoon is an ancient, dark god of blood and conquest.

He is no longer widely worshipped, but still his dark temples
of bronze and fire dot the land in hidden enclaves, sometimes
still tended by small and fanatical cults that protect his secrets
and riches from those that would plunder them.
Though no cultists lurk in the shadows here, Garthoon
has other ways of protecting his sacred places. Darker, more
wicked ways involving blood sacrifice and eternal servitude.
A victim of these evil magics is now magically tethered to this
temple, forced to defend one of Garthoon’s final sanctuaries
against her will, longing to be freed.

1. Entryway: Have the players make a Spot roll to find ancient

writings carved in the wall. If successful, have them make
a Knowledge (Ancient Lore) roll to read the following:
“Beware intruders, for you stand at the gate of the Temple
of Garthoon. Those who would dare trespass here face death
itself!”
3. Trapped Tunnel: Knowledge (Caves) or Spot rolls reveal that
2. Centipede Lair: The walls here are covered in insect nests something isn’t right in this area. A trap! A Fine Manipulation
and hives. A large centipede hides on the wall at a place to (Traps & Locks) roll can be used to try to disarm it. If any
be determined by the GM. Have the players make a Spot of these rolls fail, the trap is released, and several spears are
roll to notice it. If they miss the roll, the centipede uses its shot from the wall, each attacking one character with a 55%
Stealth to sneak up on them and attack. chance and doing 1D6 damage. They can be Dodged or
parried if a shield is ready to use (see page 26).
Large Centipede
DEX 15, Move 10, Hit Points 12, Armor 2 4. Open Pit: There is a deep pit that is as wide as the tunnel
Attacks: Bite 30%, 1D6 + Poison (victim rolls Stamina or here. The characters must find a way across. Options
becomes sick: all skills are Difficult until healed) include an Agility roll to jump across or a Climb roll to
Skills: Listen 75%, Stealth 75%. climb along the wall. If any character falls, they may make
a. After the centipede is defeated, the characters are free a Luck roll to grab the ledge. If they fall, they take 1D6
to search this area. A successful Spot roll finds 200 damage and must take 2 combat rounds climbing back up
gold coins and a magic dagger with a hilt made of with the aid of someone above.
bone (does an additional +2 damage, +10% to attack
chance, with an extra +2 hit points).

42
 adventures

5. Guardian Statue: A statue of a brutish man stands here. The treasures that Garthoon’s cultists gathered are also
A Knowledge (Nature) roll shows that this is a statue of an stored here, and the ghostly knight will direct the players to
orc. A Knowledge (Ancient Lore) roll reveals that Garthoon where the riches can be found (a hidden alcove at the base of
is a god of tyrants and conquerors and is known to raise the the statue) before she fades away, her spirit finally laid to rest.
dead to serve him.

6. The Temple: Bones are scattered across the floor of the Gamemaster Tips
domed chamber. At the far end of the room is another Do your best to build an atmosphere of unwelcoming dark
statue of Garthoon. However, there is no sign of a golden magic. This place has long-faded bloodstains in the stones, the
idol. As the players begin to investigate the room, the scent of rot faintly in the air, audible gusts of wind even when the
bones begin clattering and form into several skeletons! One air is still, and unintelligible whispers just at the edge of hearing.
skeleton is a bit larger than the rest and wears a full set of You can also hint at the ghost knight’s plight by having
armor, with a sword and shield. her whisper to the characters, pleading with them to leave
this place. Perhaps she appears to them beforehand, watching
Skeletons (3) silently then moving away, deeper into the temple’s darkness.
DEX 11, Move 10, Hit Points 13, Armor 1 Don’t have the knight make threats, but instead almost beg
Attacks: Sword 55%, 1D8 them to leave, with statements such as “Be gone from this place
Skills: Dodge 40%. and save yourself ”, or “Please just go, you do not know what he
will make me do.” The knight may even beg the characters to
Skeleton Knight leave even as she tries to kill them, hinting that even in death,
DEX 13, Damage Modifier +1D4, Move 10, Hit Points 18, she is not in control of her own actions.
Armor 2 Once the knight has been defeated and its spirit freed, the
Attacks: Sword 70%, 1D8+1+dm; Kite Shield 55%, 1D6+dm characters might try to conduct a ritual or rite to cleanse the
Skills: Parry 50%, Spot 45%. temple. If they do, make sure to reward them with a sense
of calm, peace, and serenity. You could even have the statues
Once the skeletons are defeated, the ghostly image of of Garthoon break and shatter as the darkness holding a grip
a knight appears before them, wearing the same armor as the on this place is broken.
skeleton knight. The knight thanks them for freeing her spirit
from Garthoon, as she was captured, tortured, and sacrificed
in a dark ritual that bound her soul to protect this place. The
ghost knight removes her helmet and offers it to the players in
thanks. The helmet, despite being ghostly and see-through, is
fully functional as armor (see page 26).

43
 BASIC ROLEPLAYING quickstart

The Player Characters

Fenric, Dwarf Warrior

Fenric seeks one thing above all others: passage to the Halls of the Mighty upon his death. He fights bravely, drinks
gluttonously, loves fiercely, and laughs unabashedly. The axe he carries is a keepsake from his brother, who was betrayed and
murdered by a clan rival. Fenric wants to die a glorious death and join his brother again in eternity, but he knows that an
honorable life is one lived well and long.

STR 19 Effort 95% M Move: 7

M Hit Points: 12
M
CON 17 Stamina 85%
Armor: 16
SIZ 07 Damage Modifier +1D4 M Attacks: Great Axe 70%, 2D6+2+dm
Throwing Axe 65%, 1D6+½dm
M Skills: Knowledge (Caves) 60%, Listen 35%,
INT 12 Idea 70%
POW 07 Luck 35% Spot 40%, Stealth 35%, Throw 45%.
DEX 09 Agility 30%
CHA 12 Charm 60%

Aagarth, Human Wizard

Aagarth’s magic is potent, but it comes at the cost of his soul. Every spell he casts, every flame he conjures, and every wound
he mends shortens his own life and further corrupts his spirit. Aagarth is plagued by nightmares sent by the devil that grants
him his power, and he guards the secret of his magic’s source closely lest his allies lose trust in him.

STR 09 Effort 45% M Move: 10

M Hit Points: 12
M
CON 11 Stamina 55%
Armor: None
SIZ 12 Damage Modifier None M Attacks: None
INT 14 Idea 70% M Skills: Dodge 50%, Knowledge (Ancient Lore)
50%, Listen 65%, Spot 45%, Stealth 40%.
POW 18 Luck 90% M Spells: Flame 45%, 3D6 fire damage, rng 50m
DEX 14 Agility 70% Heal 45%, restores 1D6 hit points.
CHA 10 Charm 50%

Each time Aagarth casts a spell, he loses 1D6 POW. If he tries and fails to cast a spell, he instead loses 1D3 POW. If Aagarth
falls to 0 POW, he falls unconscious. He regains 1 POW per hour of rest.

44
 adventures

The Player Characters

Smythe, Halfling Thief

Smythe was an assassin for hire when she was given the contract to eliminate her current allies. Rather than kill them, she
instead sold out her employer and aided the party in defeating them. Since then, Smythe has been a loyal and stalwart
companion, forever grateful to the party for giving her a second chance when they had every reason not to.

STR 07 Effort 35% M Move: 7

M Hit Points: 15
M
CON 24 Stamina 120%
Armor: 1
SIZ 06 Damage Modifier –1D4 M Attacks: Short Sword 45%, 1D6–dm
(minimum of 0 pts.)
M Skills: Appraise 35%, Dodge 35%, Fast Talk 50%,
INT 10 Idea 50%
POW 12 Luck 60% Fine Manipulation (Traps & Locks) 60%,
DEX 19 Agility 95% Hide 65%, Listen 50%, Sleight of Hand 40%,
Spot 60%, Stealth 65%.
CHA 11 Charm 55%

Jonan, Elf Hunter

Jonan is a peerless tracker and archer, though her true talent is as a beast whisperer. She speaks to, and for, the creatures of
nature in a world that often disregards or demonizes them. She can sense Fenric’s grief over his lost brother, can smell the
slow corruption in Aagarth’s spirit, and can taste Smythe’s dedication and loyalty. Her goal is to shepherd not only the natural
world but also to guide her companions through whatever tribulations they face.

STR 12 Effort 60% M Move: 10

M Hit Points: 12
M
CON 13 Stamina 65%
Armor: 1
SIZ 10 Damage Modifier None M Attacks: Long Bow 60%, 1D8, rng 50m
Short Sword 40%, 1D6+1
M Skills: Climb 65%, Dodge 40%, Knowledge
INT 17 Idea 85%
POW 15 Luck 75% (Nature) 55%, Hide 40%, Listen 75%, Sense
DEX 19 Agility 95% 50%, Spot 75%, Stealth 60%, Track 45%.
CHA 14 Charm 70%

45
 Call of Cthulhu
The definitive roleplaying game of horror, mystery,
and investigation!

Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu puts you in the shoes of everyday

people thrust into a world of ancient evil, conniving cultists, and
twisted magic that humankind was not meant to know. With the
help of your fellow investigators, you will thwart evil plots and
solve supernatural mysteries, all while clinging desperately to your
mind as it is steadily frayed by forbidden knowledge!

First published in 1981, Call of Cthulhu has become a staple of

gaming tables all around the world. The innovative BRP mechanics
combined with a unique Sanity system allowed Call of Cthulhu
replicate the visceral experience of horror and stand out against an
industry of fantasy games.

Call of Cthulhu offers an experience unlike most other roleplaying

games. While you play the hero of the story, you are also just a regular
person—such as a student, a waitress, or even a librarian—who
has made the decision to fight back against the darkness. The lore
and worldbuilding in the game makes Call of Cthulhu suited not
just to long-term campaign play, but also one-shot games where
few characters may make it to the end—part of the excitement of
Call of Cthulhu is meeting your (almost) inevitable and grisly end!

Visit After 40 years, Call of Cthulhu

remains the premiere horror
roleplaying game, and is the number
one showcase of the easy-to-learn
and easy-to-teach mechanics of the
Basic Roleplaying system.

The Call of Cthulhu Starter

Set contains the basic rules,
character creation, a set of pre-
made investigators, and three
full scenarios offering many
sessions of play!

https://www.chaosium.com/call-of-cthulhu-rpg/
 runequest
In RuneQuest, you enter a world of Bronze Age fantasy
where the gods are real and everyone can use magic.

First published in 1978, RuneQuest and its signature setting of

Glorantha have captured the imaginations of thousands of gamers
across the globe. In RuneQuest, you take on the role of adventurers
in a world replete with magic and imagination completely unlike
the commonly treaded worlds of western fantasy so often seen in
tabletop roleplaying—Glorantha is a world inspired by the Bronze
Age, filled with fantastic creatures like scorpion men, flying bulls,
dinosaurs, walktapi, and yes, anthropomorphic ducks.

In RuneQuest, the god you worship and the cult you join determine
not just the spells and skills you have, but also how your adventurer
views the world and where they fit in society. Channeling the power
of the runes—the magical building blocks of life itself—you and
your fellow adventurers will fight back against the dread legions of
Chaos, and the wicked military might of the Lunar Empire.

RuneQuest is one of the most pure experiences of the BRP system,

where all your skills and magical powers function on the innovative
roll-low D100 mechanic.

Visit A game where combat tactics

and magic are at the forefront,
RuneQuest will be your gateway to
some of the most fantastical stories
of sword, sandal, and sorcery ever
told at the game table.

Learn more about RuneQuest on

Chaosium.com, or from your
friendly local game store.

https://www.chaosium.com/runequest-rpg/
 pendragon
It is the age of Pendragon! What kind of knight
will you become?

Pendragon is a game of Arthurian legends where each player

becomes a knight in medieval Britain. Your choices in Pendragon
will directly affect the personality traits and Passions of your knight
as you evolve over time, grow old, and pass your legacy and Glory
onto your heirs. Pendragon is a game of high emotion set against
a backdrop of brutal, medieval realism.

Considered the Magnum Opus of legendary game designer and

Chaosium founder, Greg Stafford, the 6th edition of Pendragon
presents the most clean and accessible version of the game ever
printed. Pendragon takes the innovative BRP system and interprets
it with a D20, rather than a D100, with the core mechanic of
rolling low still at the forefront.

Combat in Pendragon is brutal and deadly—with no magical

healing, few knights take up arms unless they have no other
choice, for even a lucky blow from a lowly highwayman could
cause a festering wound that has the potential to undo even the
most famous warrior.

Visit Explore the legend of King

Arthur’s reign with Pendragon
campaign play, where the unique
downtime “Winter Phase” sees
years come and go, characters
wed, portents read, and heirs born.
When your character grows too old,
or dies by the sword, you resume
play as your child, and continue to
forge the legacy of your family.

The Pendragon Starter Set contains

everything you need to start your
adventures in King Arthur’s Britain,
including pre-generated knights,
dice, a solo learn-to-play adventure,
and an entire 3-part campaign.
https://www.chaosium.com/pendragon-rpg/
Powering some of the most influential and celebrated roleplaying games of all time, Basic Roleplaying is presented here in
an easy-to-use, intuitive, and accessible quickstart. The system is at the heart of Call of Cthulhu, RuneQuest, Pendragon, and
many other popular games. This quickstart gives you an easy entry point into the Basic Roleplaying world.

the UNIVERSAL GAME ENGINE

Basic Roleplaying is an ideal beginner’s game, but also appeals to those who wish for clear, concise rules that are easy to
explain in play. Characters are based on what they can do: defined by skills and abilities rather than abstract roles or classes,
and they advance by using their skills successfully in play.

Inside you’ll find:

M Core rules for adventuring, conflict, and combat.
M Rules for creating characters from a variety of settings.
M Three complete adventures spanning three settings: swashbuckling France, a hostile alien planet, and a ruined temple
devoted to an evil god.

This standalone product is an excellent introduction to Basic Roleplaying-powered games, and introduces the fundamentals
of the system in an easy-to-use format. With this quickstart, worlds of wonder and imagination await!

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Try it and find out what gamers everywhere
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