For those of you lucky enough to remember the really old editions of Dungeons and Dragons, before you really knew how to play. You didn't care about the numbers, you probably didn't even understand what they were, the DM told you to roll your dice and he told you what happened. Wow! You have to admit that was fun! How can we bring back some of that old school feel with out totally reverting back to those antiquated rules, well I hope I have a way. The systems we use today are very detailed, but they still all rely on NUMBERS and all the different ways we can get those Numbers higher. One way is to offer Players a vast list of options to increase these Numbers another way is to provide options to Reroll unsatisfactory results, in the end the Role Playing of your character becomes lost in these mathmatical equasions. All this convolution interupts the flow of the game and we lose the emersion of our characters in the story. How about a system that of course still uses Dice to Resolve situations but is so directly to the point that the Player can Role Play the result with a bit of Flair. Yes, a system like this is for Role Players, not someone who studies the rule books looking for clever combinations of options to create the most powerful character he can, this is what most of us veteran players have become, we've lost the "make my character a real person" feel. I've run many, many games here on Roll20, and I have had 100's of players in my games and some who say they are Role Players really are but most of them get caught up in the Rules and how to exploit them routine. So how do we deal with this, first eliminate 98% of the Rules, Options, and Features that slow the game down. If anyone is still here: Here is the Beta version of the Ajax System , which does have rules but they are quite simple and direct. In this system you are your character and from here on will be refered to as a Hero. Heroes come from stock a cut above your average person, you are an Adventurer seeking riches, fame, glory, and perhaps goals of your own. It is a Simple system, all Attacks, Saves, and Checks are based entirely on Abilities and sometimes a Class Feature. Ability Modifiers: All heroes start with a 0 Constitution (CON) and -2 in the other 5 Abilities. Commoners and most npcs start with 0 CON and -3 in the other abilities. Advancement: In this system their are no levels, but you buy training to increase your Abilities. Costs are 100 + 100 X next modifier. Example: Current Ability Mod = 1 to increase it to 2 the cost is 100 + 100 X 2 (the next modifier) or 300 Universal DC: The DC for all checks and saves is 10. Combat differs as the checks are made verse the target's Armor Class (AC). Dice Used: One d20, and several d6's, no other dice are used. Advantage and Disadvantage: One roll is made, if the roll has Advantage a +3 is added to the Total (1d20 + Ability Modifier +3), if the roll has Disadvantage -3 is subtracted from the total (1d20 + Ability Modifier -3). GOLD! Only one coin of the realm is used, that is Gold. Everything bought, sold, stolen, or found is given in Gold value which in turn can be used to buy gear, pay for services, and most importantly INCREASE Abilities. Items Sold by the PCs will bring half of their normal value although clever trading might increased this. CHARACTER CREATION: Start with 6 points to add to their starting ability modifiers, humans start with 7 points. Starting GOLD is 6+6d6. Hit Points are equal to 6 + 6 X CON. Race: Dwarf can see in the dark, they have Advantage on CON Checks and Saves, and their Speed is 30 feet or 6 squares. Race: Elf can see in dim light, they are immune to Charm and Sleep, they do not need to sleep (they can meditate instead), and their Speed is 40 Feet or 8 squares. Race: Halfling have Advantage on CHA and DEX checks and saves, their Speed is 30 Feet or 6 squares. Race: Human gain 1 extra starting ability point (mentioned above), and their Speed is 40 feet or 8 squares. Class: Fighters have a Fighter Bonus (FB) of +1, Can wear any Armor, can use any weapon (Note: using a two hand weapon lowers AC 1 point due to no Shield) see Weapons for Damage info. Starting weapon is a Longsword, starting armor is leather AC 12+DEX. Fighter Class Features: Devastating Blow : Attack with Disadvantage, add 1 extra d6 to Damage and Spread damage to anything you threaten, i.e. fighting three Goblins (6 HPs each) using a longsword (2d6) add a d6, Damage rolls out to 3d6 let's say 14, two Goblins are killed and another takes 2 Damage! Power Attack : Attack with Disadvantage, an Extra 2d6 to Damage! Class: Clerics have a Fighter Bonus (FB) of 0, can wear any Armor, can use One Hand Bludgeoning Weapons only, can Cast Divine Spells, and can Banish Undead. Starting weapon is a Mace, starting armor is leather AC 12+DEX. Cleric Class Features: Banish Undead : Roll WIS vs DC 10, if successful, Closest Single Undead with in 30 feet must Save or be Destroyed! Does not work on Undead with More than 12 Hit Points Touch of Life : Touch a Dying Hero (at 0 Hit Points) and Roll WIS, restores Hero to 1 HP. (see Death and Dying below). Class: Rogues have a Fighter Bonus (FB) of 0, Can wear leather armor can use any One Hand Weapon. Starting Weapon is a Short Sword, starting armor is leather AC 12+DEX. Rogue Class Features: Backstab when flanking an enemy (this does an extra 1d6 Damage to the Target on a hit). Trap Sense : Can Roll WIS to sense any Trap encountered before Triggering it and on a Fail can Roll DEX to Avoid the Trap's effect, On success can attempt to Disarm the Trap. Use Tools : Can use tools to affect Locks and Traps. Class: Wizards have a Fighter Bonus (FB) of -1, have an Armor Class (AC) of 10 + DEX they cannot wear Armor, can only use Quarterstaffs or Daggers as weapons. Can Cast Arcane Spells (see Spell and Spellcasting below). Starting Weapon is a Dagger. Wizard Class Features: Devastating Spell : Can increase a Damaging Spell's effect by 2d6 by doubling the Mana Cost, this does not work with Cantrips. Effective Attack : Can Use 1 Mana Point to Grant Advantage to their own or another hero's Attack. Weapons and Damage: Daggers do 1d6/2 (half a d6) cost 1 gold, weight 1 pound Quarterstaff does 1d6 cost 10 gold, weight 3 pounds Short Sword does 1d6 cost 10 gold, weight 3 pounds Mace does 1d6 cost 10 gold, weight 5 pounds Rapier does 1d6 cost 10 gold, weight 2 pounds Longsword does 2d6 cost 50 gold, weight 5 pounds Battleaxe does 2d6 cost 50 gold, weight 8 pounds Morningstar does 2d6 cost 50 gold, weight 8 pounds Warhammer does 2d6 cost 50 gold, weight 5 pounds Greatsword does 3d6 (requires STR +3 2 hands) cost 100 gold, weight 10 pounds Greataxe does 3d6 (requires STR +3 2 hands) cost 100 gold, weight 10 pounds Crossbow does 2d6 cost 100 gold, weight 8 pounds Bow does 2d6 cost 300 gold, weight 3 pounds (see Ranged Attacks and Missile Weapons) *Magical Enhancement adds +1 to FB (fighter bonus) and 1d6 to Damage, cost is 1000 gold per Enhancement Armor: Leather (AC 12) cost 10 gold, weight 10 pounds Studded Leather (AC 13) cost 20 gold, weight 15 pounds Chain Shirt (AC 14) cost 40 gold, weight 25 pounds Chainmail (AC 15) cost 80 gold, weight 40 pounds Partial Plate (AC 16) cost 160 gold, weight 30 pounds Shield (add +1 to AC) cost 10 gold, weight 5 pounds *Magical Enhancement adds +1 to AC, reduces weight by half, cost is 1000 gold per Spells, Spellcasting, and Mana: Arcane and Divine Spell casters use a Mana based magic system, mana points are INT (arcane) or WIS(divine) X CON. The spells used are from 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons but are modified to use d6's when applying effects. Examples: Magic Missile does 3 missiles each doing 1d6 rather than 1d4+1, Sacred Flame does 2d6 rather than 1d8. You can have in your starting Spellbook 6 Cantrips, and if your INT is higher than 1 you can have 6 spells of each level you can cast, you can Prepare 2+INT Spells of each level Per Day. Mana Cost and Casting Level: The level of Spell you can Cast is equal to your INT -1, so if your INT or WIS is 2 you can cast level 1 Spells, if your INT or WIS is 3 you could cast level 2 Spells. You must have an INT or WIS of 1 to Cast Cantrips. Mana cost to cast a Spell is equal to the Spell Level, if your Mana is 4 you could cast 4 level 1 spells. (remember Mana is equal to INT or WIS X CON). Resting: Their are three different Rest Options Short Rest: 1 hour, secure location, everyone rests, no strenuous activity, must eat a pound of food and drink quart of water, all regain 1d6 Hit Points, 1 Point of Mana. A party can take 2 Short Rests in a 24 hour Period. Long Rest: 8 hours, secure location (DM's decision on what is secure enough), everyone rests, no Sleeping in Armor (ACs are 10 + DEX only), must eat 1 pound of food and drink 1 quart of water, all regain 2d6 Hit Points and All Mana Points. Full Rest: 1 Week in comfort of a civilized environment. Normal costs unless unusual circumstance. Regain Full everything and can buy Training! NOTE: If Heroes are on a quest where time is a factor DM can shorten the Time. Combat Essentials: Second Wind: All Heroes have an Action called Second Wind, this is a quick Adrenalin fueled Hit Point gain of 1d6. Second Wind must be performed during a Combat or Extremely Stressful situation. This Action resets during a Short Rest. One Move and One Action: is all that is allowed during a Combat Round. You can Move part of your movement, do your Action, and then finish your move (as in the 5th edition rules) Death and Dying: Heroes only, if you are damaged with an amount of damage that would reduce your Hit Points to 0, the damage stops at 1 point. While at 1 point you can either Perform an Action or a Move not both. If you take any damage while at 1 point you drop to 0 and fall unconscious. While unconscious you must Roll CON each round or DIE! If the CON roll is a Natural 20 you regain 1 Hit Point, if it is below 10 you DIE! Other Heroes may be able to Save you before you Die by their Actions. Attack of Opportunity: These are usually granted by the DM on a situational basis or using the standard 5th edition rules, when something moves out of reach. One Flank All Flank, any individual that is Flanked is considered Flanked by anything threatening it, Flanking grants Advantage on Melee Attacks against the Flanked Target. Ranged Attacks and Missile Weapons: Crossbows do 2d6 damage and have a Range of 60/120 (or Disadvantage after 60 feet). Reload is a Move Action. Bows do 2d6 damage and have a Range of 100/200 (or Disadvantage after 100 feet). Reload during a Move Action. Adventuring Gear Costs and How Much can a Hero Carry: Hero can carry 50 X STR pounds (includes Armor, Weapons, and Gear, but NOT GOLD, gold is free weight), Negative STR can carry 20 pounds. Encumbered costs half movement. Equipment: Arrows cost 2 gold for 20, weight 2 pounds Bolts cost 2 gold for 10, weight 2 pounds 50' of Rope cost 5 gold, weight 10 pounds Grappling hook cost 5 gold, weight 5 pounds 1 Days Trail Ration cost 1 gold, weight 3 pounds Waterskin cost 10 gold, weight empty 1 pound, full 5 pounds Torch cost 1 gold for 3 torches, weight 1 pound each Tindertwig (kitchen match) 1 gold for 10, weight nothing Rogue Tools cost 50 gold, weight 1 pound Armor Repair Tools cost 10 gold, weight 2 pounds Weapon Repair and Care Tools cost 10 gold, weight 2 pounds Wax Candles cost 1 gold for 6, weight nothing Lump of Beeswax cost 1 gold, weight nothing Ball of Twine cost 1 gold, weight nothing Anyone who has read this all the way through, thank you. If you are at all interested in helping me test this system send me a Private Message.
