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Mario World is a /tg/-created system for a Super Mario RPG, using simple mechanics based on D6s, low numbers, and a Stat-system based on the Mario game series. It borrows somewhat from the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game and Dark Heresy PnP games.
[[category:Homebrew Rules]]
<div style="float:right; margin:2em">__TOC__</div>


Note that the game is in it's very beginning stage; it is at this point very fluid. Nothing is concrete yet, as we are laying the framework.
==I. Introduction==
'''Super Mario RPG''', also known as '''Mario World''', though not to be confused with the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_RPG SNES vidya game of the same name], is a [[/tg/'s_homebrews|/tg/-created system]] for a Super Mario [[RPG]], using simple mechanics based on D6s, low numbers, and a Stat-system based on the Mario game series. It borrows somewhat from the [[Warhammer_Fantasy_Roleplay|Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game]], [[Dark Heresy]] and [[Shadowrun]] PnP games. The game is currently maintained by Mr. Blue Sky, who also does work on [[VeloCITY]].


Thus far, the game assumes the players are minions in Bowser's army; while this isn't as restrictive as it sounds (especially based on your DM), there's no reason you have to run your game that way. At this time, all content simply supports this method of play; we hope to encompass all the awesome aspects of the Mario World.
Players take on the role of intrepid souls exploring the world, be they wanderers, soldiers, adventurers or anything in between. As mentioned, the game is designed to be stupendously simple, just like the Mario games themselves. The game is also meant to be highly customizable, permitting many more different templates, characters, items and so forth than are shown here. Game Masters (GMs) and players are encouraged to be imaginative and creative.


For those who need references to and information about anything involving the Mario universe (especially if you plan to add it to your game or to elaborate on items currently listed), check the [https://www.mariowiki.com/Main_Page Super Mario Wiki].


== Stats ==
Those interested in meeting other players and talking shop about the system are welcome to join the game's Discord channel, located [https://discord.gg/Wf9RgrBSa2 here].


==II. Character Creation==


Characters have 6 basic stats. Characters begin with 2 in each stat (modified by their race) and have 7 points to use in building their character, with a limit of 5. Alternatively, roll a d6 for each Stat, with the following modifications: -2 Defense, -1 Speed, to a minimum of 1 in either. The stats are:
Like most tabletop pen-and-paper games, each player controls a single character. This is their "player character," or "PC" for short.


*Heart - Represents physical health, but also guts, determination and spirit.
This section details everything needed to make a character. You'll need a single d6.
*Smarts - Intelligence; used for operating machines, casting spells, and being perceptive.
*Coolness - A combination of charisma, looks and so on. Helps convincing people to do things your way.
*Power - Raw, physical strength. Used to determine damage, how much you can carry, and other feats of force.
*Defense - Toughness, stamina: separate from Heart, this represents how thick-skinned you are. Used to resist pain, and reduces damage from attacks.
*Speed - How fast you move, but also physical dexterity; used for running, jumping, dodging and sneaking.


These are then used to determine:
The steps are as follows:
* Health Points - equal to Heart + Defense. When you take damage, these go down: at 0 HP, you are KO'd.
* Flower Points - equal to Heart + Coolness. Used to activate abilities, cast spells, and gain bonuses.


Some Class Abilities and Perks can modify HP and FP.
* Design your concept.
* Choose your race.
* Determine your Stats.
* Record your racial features.
* Roll up your Hometown.
* Choose your two Perks.
* Spend your chargen resources towards starting equipment, items and unique character traits, and determine your starting pocket change.
* Play!


== Basic Mechanics ==


Subject to change.
=== Concept ===
A character is only as unique as her premise. Even in the simplistic and colorful Mushroom World, there are equally colorful characters that truly bring out and highlight how lively the world is. One's character is more than just numbers and items on a page; she is a (usually) living, breathing person with ideals and ambitions. The simplest way to come up with a character is to make a short blurb about who and what she is, such as "Treasure-loving Archaeologist," "Hammer-for-Hire," or "Trickster Wizard" to name a few. This will be the character's foundation to be based and built upon. Nothing's stopping you from writing a full history of a character; do whatever you feel is necessary. '''This step is strictly optional, but it never hurts.'''


To accomplish an action that requires some luck or skill, a character rolls 1d6 plus the most appropriate statistic, versus a DR (difficulty rating) set by the GM. If their result is equal or higher than the DR, they succeed; lower, and they fail. Extremes of low and high in the result can mean more extreme failure and success. All characters can expend a Flower Point before making their roll to add +1 to the result for every point they spend. Characters facing off against each other (for example, arm wrestling) both roll and compare the results to each other. And most of the time, that's it!
=== Races ===


=== Combat ===
The Mushroom Universe is full of bizarre and interesting creatures, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The following is an overview of each playable race. More races are always present and can be created at anyone's discretion, but these are the "core" races.
As always, combat is somewhat more complex. Characters begin combat by that gaming staple, rolling for initiative! Each player rolls a d6 and adds their Speed for their Initiative. In the occurrence of a tie, the character with the highest Speed goes first; failing that, dice off.


Characters may take one action per turn, and unless otherwise specified (by a particular ability, for example) can move up to double their Speed in feet as well. Once a character has taken an action, resolved the effects and moved (if they want), the initiative goes to the next character.
====Koopa====


==== Attacking ====
One of the most common races in the Mushroom World, Koopas (known in some circles as ''Nokonoko'') are humanoid (evolved from quadrupeds, though some still exist) reptiles, turtles in particular; the biggest and baddest of them all is the infamous King Bowser Koopa himself, the aptly-named "Koopa King." Koopas walk all paths of life, and while Koopas make up the vast majority of the Koopa Troop, Bowser's personal army, many others live independently, be it in peaceful hamlets, as brave adventurers, and even as citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. Arguably their greatest strength is their adaptability, for rarely is a Koopa pigeonholed into any one role. Of course, this doesn't preclude them from becoming extremely specialized; some of the greatest warriors and magic wielders are Koopas, among numerous other occupations.
The most commonly used action in combat is to Attack. Every creature, large and small can Attack. Attack is the basic, well, attack action.  


When you attack, you roll a d6 and add your Speed, to get your Hit Rating. If you Hit Rating is the same or better than your victim's Dodge Rating (Speed+Defense), you hit.
====Toad====


To calculate damage, add your Power and Weapon Bonus (and any other bonuses, such as from equipment, Power-Ups, or even special circumstances) for your Damage Rating; subtract your target's Defense Rating, and they take that much damage.
The other most common race in the world alongside the Koopas, Toads (''Kinopio'' is an alternative designation) are the mushroom-headed humanoids of the Mushroom World, known for their speckled "hats" and overall short stature. While the Mushroom Kingdom boasts unmatched diversity, Toads are the face of the kingdom, though to live and travel abroad are not uncommon occurrences. Opposed to the Koopas and Goombas of the warlike Koopa Troop (not to be confused with other Koopas and Goombas), most Toads are peaceful. However, many are insufferable gossips, and certain individuals have a bit of a reputation for habitual cowardice. While not necessarily as hardy as the Koopas, Toads are an adaptable people, boasting a vast intellect and remarkable agility, despite their stature. Most adventurer Toads become scholars, magic-users or thieves, but that doesn't stop the braver ones from gaining martial prowess.


Example:
====Boo====


''Kenny Koopa Attacks a Goomba! He rolls a 5 and adds his Speed (4), making his Hit Rating a 9. The Goomba's Dodge Rating is only 6, so he hits! Kenny's Damage Rating is 5 (Power 5 + 0, as he has no weapon), and subtracting the Goomba's Defense Rating (A flat 3, as this little guy has no armor or special abilities), the Goomba takes 2 damage.''
Boos (also known as ''Teresa'') are marshmallow-like ghosts, the spirits of the dead that remain in the realm of the living for a variety of reasons, willing or otherwise. Often inhabiting abandoned estates and the dark places of the world, Boos tend to be either very shy or very bold. That is to say, many exalt in scaring the wits out of hapless passers-by; however, they've yet to shake their reputation for being notoriously shy. Being semi-incorporeal, they do not boast fine motor control, but they can exert some force on the world. They can also fade in and out of sight -- possibly between the lands of the living and the dead -- and fly. Boos tend towards being magic-users or socialites, due to their difficulty in handling physical objects.


==== Abilities ====
====Goomba====
There are three kinds of Abilities: Attack, Power-Up, and Passive. Attack abilities are resolved as above: not all attacks deal HP damage, though! Some deal damage to other stats. Thus, all abilities that give penalties to other characters are attacks of some kind. Some attacks have secondary effects that come into play when they successfully deal damage. Some attacks can be used for free, and some require FP. Power-Ups, on the other hand, are beneficial abilities that temporarily increase stats, regain FP or heal damage. They always cost something to use, usually FP but occasionally something else. Finally, Passive Abilities are permanent upgrades to a character's capabilities, often gained


Example:
Goombas (alternately known as ''Kuribo'') are tiny sapient mushroom -- or acorn, depending on who you ask -- creatures, essentially mutated mushrooms/acorns with feet. Their size varies mildly, but most come waist-high to a Koopa. Alongside Koopas, Goombas are the most iconic of soldiers in the Koopa Troop, the "gruntiest of grunts," so to speak, while many others live in independence, often as full-fledged citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. Stature aside, their most striking detail is their lack of arms, although they are known to fine-manipulate objects as if they had limbs (a mystery of the universe). In open defiance of their build and lot in life, Goombas are among the most steadfast and fiercest of all sapients. They are capable of very high jumps, and some varieties have small wings. Some are martially adept, while others become scholars.


''Kenny Koopa is still fighting that Goomba. He decides to pull out the stops and use a Shell Manuever (A kind of Koopa Troopa ability), Shell Spin! Shell Spin costs 2 FP, but seeing as Kenny has 10 FP (6 Heart + 4 Coolness), he's not too worried. Shells Spin dictates that you add your half your Speed to your Damage Rating. Kenny rolls a 3, and added with his Speed of 4 again beats the Goomba's Dodge rating. Kenny adds half his Speed to his Power, making his Damage Rating 7, and subtracts the Goomba's Defense Rating, dealing 4 points of damage. As Kenny skids to a stop, the Goomba flops over, entirely out of Hit Points.''
====Shy Guy====


Abilities are gained two ways: as Class Abilities, at first level and every other level thereafter, and as Perks.
One of the grand question marks of the world, Shy Guys (''Hei-Ho'' by another name) are squatty humanoids whose most striking detail, regardless of their garb, build or environment, is an unsettling white -- sometimes decorated -- mask to hide their true identity, hence the name; only a truly select few have ever seen beneath the mask, though they refuse to say what is there. Note that a Shy Guy may choose to emulate the appearance of emotion via subtle swapping of various masks to that which is most appropriate to the occasion. One of the most mysterious and enigmatic races in the world, Shy Guys are thought to originate from the dream world of Sub-Con, though like most things about them, it is not truly known. It doesn't help that their society, however it manifests, is almost exclusively insular. What is known is that apart from being nearly unrepentant tricksters, they are one of the most technologically savvy races, employing all manner of tools they find or make.


=== He Knows About Timed Hits! ===
====Yoshi====


Players Characters, and certain Non-Player Characters (known as Bosses), have access to a mysterious, little-understood force called Timed Hits.
Yoshis, either named for an individual or the entire race, are intelligent, bipedal dragons/dinosaurs that come in all colors of the rainbow -- and then some! -- with large snouts and smiles. Hailing from mostly tropical regions, most notably Yoshi Island, their claim to fame is being omnivores of the highest caliber: with long, sticky, prehensile tongues and a seemingly bottomless stomach, Yoshis will eat almost anything and everything. Their digestion is almost instantaneous, and often, they excrete an item they eat as a speckled egg they either use for storage or to throw as explosive projectiles. Depending on what they eat, they can gain abilities ranging from growing wings to breathing fire. Sometimes serving as mounts or protectors, they possess their own, tribal society.


Timed Hits allow a character to increase their chances of success and to regain their spent Flower Points if they do succeed. The character gains the bonus depending on how well their players describe their actions: the more entertaining, interesting, funny or cool the description is, the bigger the bonus and regain. The bonus is added to the result of a roll: if the roll is successful, the character then regains FP equal to the bonus.
====Bob-omb====


*A simple 1-point Hit results when the description is simply not boring. Sprinkling a few adjectives around, or speaking in-character, can qualify an action for this bonus.
With a fuse on the top and an individual-designed turnkey on their backside, modern Bob-ombs are, put simply, sapient bombs with feet. Like Goombas, they have no immediately discernible arms, yet they can manipulate objects with little issue. Intelligent and living as full citizens of their nation of choice, most are stoic and tough, often moving with military precision, though as the colloquialism implies, many suffer from -- pardon the pun -- a short fuse. As expected of any bomb, a Bob-omb's special ability is to self-detonate in an admirable explosion; while one may think such an act as suicide, modern Bob-ombs have perfected the art of blasting to where it is no longer an issue. Their explosions, outside of functional use, are seen as the highest form of expression for Bob-ombs.
*2-point Hits' descriptions are much the same as 1-point Hit descriptions, but the action itself is somehow clever or imaginative, making use of the scenery or doing something very original.
*3-point Hits are rare and powerful things. The only guideline for awarding a 3-point Hit is for almost all the players and the GM to agree that the action is awesome or funny enough to qualify. A description that makes all the players sit back a moment in awe, or burst out laughing, is probably a 3-point Hit.


==== What does it mean? ====
====Human====
In the Mushroom universe, humans as we know them are actually an overall rarity compared to other races. They are not built much differently from other humans, but compared to Toads, Koopas and their ilk, humans are fewer and further between than others. The only areas on record with a significant human population are the unsurprisingly modern metropolises Diamond City and New Donk City. That said, the few humans of notable renown are among the greatest and most powerful sapients in the universe. Apart from Mayor Pauline, famed pirate Captain Maple Syrup, the eccentric Professor Elvin Gadd, and those who work for WarioWare Inc., there are only seven humans (or human-esque beings) of substantial note in the setting: the mystical Princess Rosalina of the stars, the wily Wario Bros., Wario & Waluigi, the strong Princess Daisy of Sarasaland, the fair Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the superstars among all superstars themselves -- the Super Mario Bros., Mario and Luigi. As those names prove, humans may be few and far between, but they have among the greatest ambition of all sapients and reach for the stars in all things.


What the Timed Hits system essentially does is:
=== Stats ===
* Reward players for entertaining each other
* Make Player Characters more "lucky".
* Prevent the PCs from ever being completely dry on FP, so long as they keep up their creative energy.
* Lend the players' characters an air of prestige in the eyes of NPCs, should they find out that the PCs Know About Timed Hits.


=== Skills ===
Now that you've chosen your race, you can determine your Stats. Stats represent your PC's raw physical and mental skill. There are six Core Stats and two Derivative Stats.


Skills are organized into three categories: General, Specialized, and Variable Skills.
{|border=0
|-
!align=right|Heart (H):
|This Stat represents your character's willpower, guts, determination and spirit.
|-
!align=right|Power (P):
|This Stat represents your character's raw, physical strength.
|-
!align=right|Smarts (S):
|This Stat represents your character's intelligence and mental fortitude.
|-
!align=right|Coolness (C):
|This Stat represents your character's charisma, looks and and social skills.
|-
!align=right|Toughness (T):
|This stat represents your character's resilience, burliness and overall physical presence and health.
|-
!align=right|Speed (Sp):
|This Stat represents your character's physical quickness, manual dexterity, and reaction speed.
|-
!align=right|Health Points (HP):
|This Stat represents your character's vitality, namely how much damage your character can suffer before becoming KO'd. It is derived from, and is equal to, '''Heart + Toughness''' (unless otherwise noted).
|-
!align=right|Flower Points (FP):
|This Stat represents your character's extra effort, notably the potential to perform Specials (techniques, spells, etc.). It is derived from, and is equal to, '''Heart + Coolness''' (unless otherwise noted).
|}


==== General Skills ====
An average Koopa or Toad civilian would possess a 3 in all Heart, Power, Smarts, Coolness, Toughness, and Speed.


General skills are skills which require no formal training, such as Jump, Climb, and Look. These skills can be performed by anybody regardless of background or perks, and have no limit on success.
Over the course of a campaign, stats can be buffed or debuffed, either permanently or temporarily, but aside from HP/FP, they can never be reduced below the minimum of 1.


==== Variable Skills ====
==== Determining Stats ====


Variable skills are skills that anyone can do to some degree of success, but they cannot truly excel in them without training. Variable skills include most craft skills such as Cooking and skills that require some practice to perfect, such as Sneak. If you have no training in a variable skill, the limit on any roll involving that skill is 5, regardless of stat bonus.
There are two ways to determine Stats: random rolls, or point buy. The methods to each are displayed below.


==== Specialized Skills ====
=====Random Rolls=====


Specialized skills are skills that, to the unlearned, look incredibly difficult to perform and require formal training to use. Specialized skills include Wizardry (for spellcasters) and Shell Maneuvers (for Koopas). Specialized techniques are often restricted to a certain race or class, but not always. If you have no training in a specialized skill, the limit on any roll involving that skill is either 3 (for non-class or non-race-restricted specialized skills) or 1 (on race/class-restricted specialized skills).
For Heart, Power, Smarts, Coolness, Toughness, and Speed, roll 1d6+1 for each in turn (This will result in a number from 2-7).


==== Training ====
'''Bowser's Favor:''' On a single roll where you rolled a one, you may reroll.


To receive training in a skill, your character must go to an area or institution where that skill is taught. Cooking and Blacksmithing, for example, are learned at their respective academies in most civilized townships. Race/class-restricted specialized skills, like Wizardry and Shell Maneuvers, are learned automatically when you change to that class or perform the specified rites necessary to change to that class. Of course, you may have automatic training in certain skills depending on your Hometown: someone who grew up in Isle Delfino would probably be an excellent swimmer by default, for example. Player characters of the Craftsman class automatically receive professional training in whatever they declare their Craft to be.
=====Point Buy=====


== Races And Class ==
You have 7 points to add to your Stats.


Heart, Power, Smarts, Coolness, Toughness and Speed start at 3, and each have a limit of 7. You may shuffle the existing points around before applying your new points, but you cannot reduce a stat below 1 -- even after racial modifiers -- nor exceed the chargen limit of 7.


In the Mario World RPG, a character's Race determines their Class potential. All characters begin at level one with their basic Race Class: as they go up in level and increase their Stats, they can qualify for their racial Sub-Classes, which offer different Abilities.
=== Racial Features ===


A list of the different races, and their classes:
Depending on the race chosen, your character naturally receives the following Stat modifiers and Abilities. If playing a non-standard race, discuss potential modifiers and Abilities with your GM, if any. This also applies towards playing as a variant of a given race, such as the Koopa's Paratroopa (begins with a Winged Shell) and Fire Brother (spits fireballs) variants.


===Koopa===
====Koopa Features====
Koopas do not gain stat bonuses or penalties. They begin with the Withdraw ability, which doubles their Defense and allows their shell to be used as a weapon, but prevents them from performing any other action.
*Paratroopa - Aerial soldiers, trained to better use the mobility of the P-Wing. Like Paragoombas, Paratroopas initially gain the All Look Like Ants ability, which gives a +1 Weapon Bonus to all attacks from above.
*Hammer Bro - Initiates of the Hammer Brotherhood train to use hammers with deadly skill. They gain the Hammer Throw ability, which lets them use their hammers as a 10-foot ranged attack with an extra +1 weapon bonus.
*Dark Koopa
*Koopatrol
*Lakitu
*Magikoopa - Koopas who study in the prestigious Magikoopakademy become Magikoopas, eventually gaining the ability to cast magical spells of various types. They start, however, with the Beat Them With Your Mind ability, which adds their Smarts rating to their FP capacity.


===Goomba===
'''Stats:''' All Koopas come standard with their own, removeable, oft-treasured Koopa Shell (Armor: +1 Toughness, -1 Speed). Shell aside, he also gains one point in Power.
Goombas gain +1 to their Defense, but suffer -1 to their Smarts. They begin with the Sideways Shuffle ability, which for 1FP increases the Weapon Bonus of their Slam attack to +3.
*Spiked Goomba - A Goomba who has proven himself may choose to receive special equipment, whereupon he receives his own Spiked Hat. Goombas wearing this new equipment are resistant to attacks from overhead (nifty for those wandering plumbers who love to jump), giving a +5 defense bonus to overhead attacks and causing 2 damage to foolish foes who try it. In addition, this equipment allows them to perform a Spiky Charge attack for 3FP, which functions like a normal Slam attack, except that it ignores an enemy's Defense rating when determining damage. The spiked hat gives a weapon bonus of 2.
*Paragoomba - Like Paratroopas, Paragoombas gain the All Look Like Ants ability, which gives a +1 Weapon Bonus to all attacks from above. An offshoot of this class, the "Paragoomama", warrants the ability, while in-flight, to create tiny copies or spawns of himself/herself that rain down on the field, jumping on enemies and harrassing them.
*Hyper Goomba
*Gloomba
*Goomboss


===Shy Guy===
'''Abilities:''' ''Bowserkin'' - When a Koopa is at low health (1-2 HP), he becomes more resilient and gains one temporary point in both Power and Toughness. This lasts until either his health is restored from this minimum, or he is KO'd.
*Snifit
*Jungle Guy
*Jester Guy
*Fly Guy
*Medi Guy
*Ghoul Guy
*Spy Guy
*Pyro Guy


===Boo===  
====Toad Features====
Proof that the Mushroom Kingdom has a paranormal division, Boos are the famous apparitions, poltergeists and, well, ghosts of the kingdom, the spirits of those who have passed on and decided to stick around. Generally living in abandoned mansions (or abandoned anything, for that matter), they fly about and play tricks on people, mostly scaring them out of their wits. However, many (not all) Boos, as fits the stereotype, are notoriously shy, hiding their face and disappearing if someone (especially the Mario) makes eye contact. They begin with the Peeka ability, which renders them immune to physical damage as long as their player covers their eyes with both hands; this, of course, prevents them from taking any action that requires a dice roll.
*Blindfold Boo
*Balloon Boo
*Big Boo
*Dark Boo
*Shadow Sister


===Chomp===
'''Stats:''' A Toad receives an extra point in Smarts, reflecting her well-read, peaceful nature.
*Baby Chomp
*Red Chomp
*Stone Chomp
*Gold Chomp
*Big Chomp
*Chomp Shark
*Nibbles
*Flame Chomp


===Raceless===
'''Abilities:''' ''Scholarly Aptitude'' - A Toad makes up for her lack of strength with her cleverness and knowledge, be it in whatever pursuit of her choice. Instead of Heart + Coolness, she may therefore choose to calculate her Flower Points as equal to Heart + Smarts.
Some classes are Raceless, allowing them to be learned by anyone; none of them can be taken at level 1, however.
*Shopkeeper - Canny merchants, uniting the world with trade. Shopkeepers initially gain the Buy In Bulk ability, which doubles the amount of items they can carry. Requires 5 Smarts and 4 Coolness.
*Craftsman - Specialists in skill and knowledge. The first level in Craftsman gives a character the That's My Thing ability: upon gaining it, the character declares their Craft, and from then on gains a +3 bonus to their Smarts whenever they can justify the application of their professional knowledge. Requires 6 Smarts.
*Ninja - Everyone has Ninjas. Their starting ability is Ninja Tricks, which allows them to gain +2 to their Speed for a cost of 1FP. Requires 5 Speed and 5 Coolness.
*Pirate - Colorful rogues known for their swashbuckling ways. They gain the Whar Ye Arr ability, which gives them +2 Coolness when their player speaks in a pirate accent. Requires 5 Heart and 5 Coolness.
*Bum - Homeless, jobless vagrants. Joining this elite group grants a player the Mean Streets ability, which allows them to sacrifice their Coolness for Defense for one day. No requirements.


====Boo Features====


'''Stats:''' A Boo receives an extra point in Coolness; her charisma is otherworldly, not to mention it takes work to make a good scare.


== Perks ==
'''Abilities:''' ''Outta Sight'' - A Boo -- and whoever is holding onto her -- is capable of fading invisible and incorporeal at-will for a number of times per day equal to her Coolness rating. A single use counts as from initiating the fading to the Boo dispelling the invisibility, regardless of length of time.
A Perk is any ability that is not gained as a Class Ability or gained from using an Item. Characters receive one Perk for free at first level, and at second level and every other level thereafter, they gain a Perk Slot which may be used to obtain new Perks. A character collects Perks from their experiences, either through developing them themselves, being taught by someone, or just somehow finding or being awarded them. Regardless of how, Perks are gained instantly when the GM says the character has obtained one. Of course, a character cannot learn a Perk unless they have a free Perk Slot.


Special Perks have specific requirements, such as a certain Hometown, race, or class, and the requirement is specified in the perk description.
====Goomba Features====


'''Stats:''' A Goomba is tough, stubborn and used to taking a fall, so he gains an extra point in Heart.


Perk: "I met Bowser once!!": What a cool dude! When trying to impress others, you gain a +6 bonus to your Coolness check.
'''Abilities:''' '''CHOOSE:''' ''Frenzy'' - A Goomba at low health (1-2 HP) may enter a frenzy and has a 50% chance to make an additional attack. '''OR''' ''Tattle'' - A well-read Goomba has a habit of being able to tell apart what's what. On a sufficient Smarts (1) check, a Goomba can immediately identify an enemy's species, basic stats and general strategy. Note that being able to Tattle is a perk that any character can pick up.


Sub-perks: "I met Bowser Jr./a Koopaling/Kamek once!": For every one of Bowser's major (named) allies you meet, you get a +2 bonus on your Coolness check to impress others. These bonuses stack; if you've met Bowser Jr., two of the Koopalings, and Bowser, you receive a combined bonus of +12 to your Coolness check. If you have not actually met any of these NPCs, you must make a DC 10 Bluff check to convince the other person that you actually met them, and even if you succeed, the total Coolness bonus is halved. Any and all "I met [x] once!" perks occupy the same Perk Slot.
====Shy Guy Features====


Perk: Thought-full: You sure are a brainy guy. Did you eat dictionaries when you were a kid or something? Gain a permanent +2 to Smarts. This can only be taken at character creation.
'''Stats:''' A Shy Guy is inventive and clever, but he is also reclusive and unsettling. He gains two points in Smarts, but he loses a point of Coolness.


Perk: Minion ([Minion Type]): You have a Bully, Bob-omb, or Baby Chomp who follows you around everywhere you go!
'''Abilities:''' ''Gadget'' - A Shy Guy may begin the game with a helpful gadget of their design. Get creative, and discuss with your GM how best to design the item. A Gadget is considered a handy tool that the Shy Guy can employ on a semi-regular basis; with enough justification, it can even count as a weapon or other piece of equipment.


Perk: Speedster: You're fast. Really fast! Other creatures of your race are in fact amazed at your quickness! You receive a permanent +2 bonus to Speed.
====Yoshi Features====


Special Perk (Hometown: Yos'ter Island): Minion (Baby Yoshi): Being born on Yos'ter Island, you've either bought, befriended, or captured one of the enigmatic dinosaur-like Yoshis (in this case, an infant Yoshi). The Yoshi may be a color of your choice (legendary colors notwithstanding; DM discretion). If you take care of it well enough, it could be your own mount!
'''Stats:''' A Yoshi is innately strong and fleet of foot, regardless of the weight he carries. It doesn't change that he's still a dinosaur. He gains an extra point in both Power and Speed, but he loses a point in Smarts.


Special Perk (Race: Koopa): Greased Shell: Your lovingly polished shell gives you a permanent +2 bonus to Speed, and you do an extra two damage to foes when using any Shell Maneuver. A Koopa cannot take both the Greased Shell perk and the Speedster perk.
'''Abilities:''' ''Swallow'' - A Yoshi may swallow nearly any object smaller than himself in range of his tongue. He may hold the object in his mouth for [Heart x 2] turns until he is forced to swallow or spit it out. He can then lay an egg, which he can use to either store an item or make a ranged attack. An egg lasts until it is used, and a Yoshi can possess a number of eggs equal to his Coolness rating.


== Hometown ==
====Bob-omb Features====
The Hometown is a special kind of Perk. As well as giving the PC bonuses or penalties to stats, they provide other interesting benefits (and drawbacks) based on the conditions of living in the Hometown, as well as adding to the depth of the character. Besides any number of roleplaying applications (Your family lives there, you have a reputation, you're joining the Koopa Troop to save it), Hometowns can also determine you starting equipment.


The following are all Hometowns created thus far:
'''Stats:''' A proud Bob-omb is stalwart and rarely backs down from a challenge, and people find that inspiring. However, stubby legs on a walking bomb only let her move so quickly. She receives a point in both Heart and Coolness, but loses a point in Speed.


'''Abilities:''' ''Bomb'' - For breaking down walls or just making an explosive impression, a Bob-omb may self-detonate at-will for a number of times per day equal to her Coolness rating. The force of her explosion is equal to her Power rating. She must recuperate for a turn after exploding.


New Koopsburg: A chilly, somewhat smoggy, and very very busy town. Koopsburgians tend to wear beanie caps and wind breakers to combat the harsh, icy wind-plus they look pretty stylish! Citizens of this busy burg have a +1 bonus to Speed, representing their adaption to the frenetic life that takes place here. They also gain a -1 penalty to Heart, as the Smogg that lives above New Koopsburg is terrible for a Koopa's (or anyone's for that matter) health. Koopsburgians tend to have little patience, delving right to the heart of the matter.
====Human Features====
'''Stats:''' A human is generally versatile and excels at whatever he puts his mind to. He receives a free point in one stat of his choice.


Yos'ter Isle: A tropical paradise among tropical paradises, this island out in the ocean is the ultimate vacation spot. The flora is absolutely beautiful, there are endless beaches, and there's not a care in the world to be had. Perfect for the honeymoon. Oh, and did we mention this is one of the native islands of the Yoshi?
'''Abilities:''' ''Starlike Ambition'' - A human is quick to learn things, and his ambition inspires him to reach for the heavens and become a legend. Unless otherwise noted, a human receives a 1 FP discount on the cost of all specials; this cannot reduce the cost of a special below 1 FP.
Inhabitants of Yos'ter Island live a healthy, happy life, eating delicious exotic fruits, frolicking in the sun, and having boundless fun. For the same reasons, Yos'terans don't experience confrontations very frequently, and so aren't as capable in a fight. They recieve +1 to Heart, but suffer -1 to all attack rolls (not damage). Those who hail from Yos'ter Isle may choose, at character creation, to take the Special Perk "Minion (Baby Yoshi)."


Delfino Plaza - Where the weather's always fine, the water's always warm, and there's enough fruit to go around. Characters from Delfino Plaza get a +1 bonus to any swimming checks, but take a -1 penalty to Heart when in a freezing area.
=== Hometowns ===


Tadpole Pond, home of the legendary Frogfucius and his many pupils, as well as the famous composer Toadofsky. It is a place of learning and arts, away from the strife of the rest of the world. Characters from Tadpole Pond get +1 to smarts and -1 to power.
Everyone was born somewhere! If you don't want to choose your character's origin yourself, then roll 2d6 to determine where you're from on the chart below.


Monstro Town: The home of reformed bandits, resigned soldiers, and those looking for a second chance in life. A veritable mixing pot of creatures, many who live here are those who've made mistakes in their life and had to start over, though the youth population is growing rapidly. A peaceful town (one thing it's citizens make sure of), it is a sort of neutral zone, which makes it very popular to trade, and for activities less appreciated elsewhere.
{| border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5"
! Roll || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6
|-
! 1- Wilderness
| Plains || Forest || Desert || Mountains || Island || Choose your own!
|-
! 2-Farm
| Bean Valley || Flower Fields || Twilight Town || Moleville || Starborn Valley || Choose your own!
|-
! 3-Village
| Petalburg || Dry Dry Outpost || Fahr Outpost || Monstro Town || Koopa Village || Choose your own!
|-
! 4-Town
| Poshley Heights || Seaside Town || Rogueport || Marrymore || Rose Town || Choose your own!
|-
! 5-City
| Toad Town || Nimbus Land || Diamond City || Mushroom City || Shiver City || Choose your own!
|-
! 6-Abroad
| Sarasaland || Beanbean Kingdom || Isle Delfino || Dinosaur Land || Dark Land || Choose your own!
|}


Those raised here have seen a lot of what the world has to offer, whether they've had to start a new life here, or grew up playing in Jinx's dojo. Characters with Monstro Town as their hometown have a bonus to Smarts checks to identify weird stuff.
=== Perks ===
((Idea taken from [[ChromeStrike]]))


Embedded in the side of a nearby mountain to Monstro Town is a not-so-hidden sanctuary. This niche is the home to former enemies and those who prefer a simpler life, be they deserters of the Koopa Army, people just settling down, or anywhere in between. Things can get rowdy, but it's overall a peaceful place. There's also a dojo that belongs to a legendary martial artist (or used to, before you-know-who came and went). There's also a door there no one has opened, but everyone says there is an entity of great legend hidden behind it...
It's not just a player character's exceptional stats or ambition that separate him from everyday inhabitants of the Mushroom World. More often than not, it's a certain quality or ''je ne sais quoi'' that sets him apart from others like him. These are represented as '''perks''': minor qualities or feats that further distinguish a character and make him truly unique. They are bonuses to rolls or stats that occur under very specific conditions, and the best part is that you can make your own! After all, it's one thing to say your character keeps cool under pressure, but it really brings that point home when it's serialized in a perk such as ''"Cool Heads Prevail: +1 dicepool bonus on a spell check to dispel/counter fire spells."''
Those raised in Monstro Town ''and trained in the dojo regularly as they grew up'' receive a +1 to Power and Defense in addition to their +1 Smarts bonus when identifying weird stuff. However, years of strict training have left those raised in the dojo quite stoic and blunt, which looks like snobbishness to most other people, and so you receive a -2 to Coolness.


Sewers: You grew up in the sewers, having to be constantly on wary of your surroundings to avoid getting flushed out in a flood or getting eaten by Belome.
At character generation, a character chooses two perks with which to distinguish their character. Players are encouraged to create their own perks, including naming them; anyone can help, and the GM has final say in approving, tweaking, or disallowing any particular perks, for the sake of balance or otherwise. A rule of thumb is that the larger or more profound the bonus, the less likely it should be expected to come up regularly in-game. The following are common guidelines or ground rules to follow when creating perks, along with examples. Unless otherwise noted, assume that any bonus listed is to a player's dicepool.
Characters from the Sewers receive a +1 bonus to their Sneak, Spot, and Listen skills, but suffer a -1 loss to Coolness.


Mole Mountain: Home of the moles, their motto goes "A hard-working mole is a good mole." Previously working for Bowser, the moles have lately adopted a more neutral stand to world politics, preferring to focus on mining and processing metals.Those from Mole Mountain say they feel at home working inside the dark mountain. +1 Heart from all that hard work, and they get extra bonuses when underground.
* '''+1 bonus to a combat check:''' These require a very specific condition(s) to be met. These should neither add to hit always with a specific type of weapon or spell (e.g. hammers, shells, ice spells, etc.), nor to dodge, defend or resist damage unless under particular circumstances.
**''I Like These Odds:'' +1 to hit when outnumbered 2:1 or more
**''Thunderstruck:'' Ignore debuffs from electric-based damage, such as numbness.
**''Clever Girl:'' +1 to base damage value when sneak-attacking from natural flora
**''Take a Breath, Man:'' +1 to hit when unharassed for a full turn
**''"That's HIGH Archmage to you!":'' +1 to offensive casting and counterspelling checks when directly battling other wizards
**''"Mayday, mayday!":'' +1 to damage resistance against falling damage when shot down from the air


Nimbus Land:
* '''+1 Stat bonus towards a specialty or skill:''' These perks generally should have nothing to do with combat; these are the closest thing to skill bonuses than anything else.
That's a long way down.
**''Mr. Atlas:'' +1 Power when lifting, pushing or carrying something
Scratch that; that's a long, long, LONG way down.
**''Ironshroom:'' +1 Toughness towards tests of endurance
Nimbus Land is the kingdom in the sky, a civilization hidden high in the stratosphere. The prosperous kingdom is led by the king and queen and their brave, albeit temperamental, son, Prince Mallow. Though they are hidden high in the sky, people back on terra firma know its existance and praise it for their proud works of art and other contributions.
**''Horticulturist:'' +1 Smarts when identifying flora or fauna
TBD.
**''"I never said THAT.":'' +1 Coolness when fast-talking/bluffing if there is some truth in the PC's words
**''Every Goomba for Himself!:'' +1 Speed to escape when surprised
**''First Impressions:'' +1 Coolness when meeting someone for the first time, particularly those of equal or greater social standing


Barrel Volcano: A very hot place, brimming with lava and Blargs, it is a harsh place to live and does not support a community, but there lives a mysterious shopkeeper deep within the volcano.
* '''+2 bonus in specific, infrequent scenarios:''' These perks are miscellaneous in nature, almost wholly trade-based. Be it academic study, networking, handyman work or a job at the circus, these apply to careers, hobbies, or some past history of the character.
Characters from the Barrel Volcano gain +1 defense and are not bothered by heat, but are severely weak to cold, having a -2 penalty to Heart in cold areas.
**''Duct Tape & Elbow Grease:'' +2 to repair an item if using secondhand materials or improvising
**''Quality Control:'' +2 to appraise an item of its performance and craftsmanship
**''Queen of the Opera:'' +2 to mesmerize an audience and to subsequent social rolls during and following a singing performance
**''Karry Koop-dini:'' +2 bonus when escaping any binds or cuffs
**''Royal Attaché:'' +2 to social rolls when addressing foreign officials and royalty not of the character's native citizenship
**''Pull It Together:'' +2 to hit when dealing nonlethal damage to an ally


== Items ==
===Money, Equipment, Items & Traits===
Items are a big part of the Mario World RPG. Many grant abilities, serve as effective weapons (effectively granting an attack ability), or are used in dealing with other characters. A character can only carry a number of items equal to their Power, but some items (such as Coins) come in Stacks of multiples that count as a single item. A sample of items:
Your character is almost complete, but if you've been paying attention, you'll notice your character doesn't actually have anything to her name yet; alas, she possesses naught but the clothes on her back right now. Fortunately, this can be fixed with some free money and a pre-existential shopping spree.


*Fire Flower - grants character the Fireball ability until they next take damage; when that damage is taken, the character ignores the HP loss but loses the Fire Flower's effect. The Fireball ability is a ranged attack that costs 1FP, base stat Power, with a +4 Weapon Bonus.
First, add the values of your character's H, P, S and C stats together into a single number. Mark this number down, because this is your character's ''starting pocket change'' in Coins (see ''Currency'' in '''Mechanics''' for more information).
*Super Mushroom - heals all existing damage and doubles the character's size until they next take damage; when that damage is taken, the character ignores the HP loss but loses the Super Mushroom's effect.
*Koopa Shell - Multiple types, based on colour, exist and serve as signs of rank for Koopas; different coloured shells all have different properties, but all shells can be used as a weapon. Any strike against a shell causes it to go skimming over the ground in the opposite direction: this is a ranged attack, base stat power, with a +2 Weapon Bonus. Alternately, a Koopa shell can be worn, for a +2 bonus to Defense.
*Food - eating food restores HP. A character can only regain HP from food three times a day.
*Coins - Filthy lucre. Can be carried in stacks of 10, or up to 100 in a Coin Pouch.
*1-Up Mushroom - When bought or found, the mushroom sits in a character's inventory. When the character is somehow reduced to 0 HP and is KOed, the mushroom is automatically consumed, reviving the character to X HP. Certain types of 1-Up are more potent than others, such as a 1-Up Max, which revives to full HP. Whether this affect's a character's FP is still to be determined.


== Leveling Up ==
Next, divide this sum by 3, rounding appropriately to the nearest whole number. This new number is your character's available '''Purchase Points (PP)'''. Purchase Points can represent several things: the overall resources available to your character, be it monetary, genetic or anything in between, as well as the general worth of your character's gear, income and/or training up to this point. They may not necessarily represent a character's overall quality of living, nor does purchasing something with PP mean they actually bought anything off the open market; a wizard's robe could be a hand-me-down passed down from generations of family, for example. It's a rather nebulous currency that only appears in character generation, but suffice to say, these PP are what you will use to equip and place the last touches on your character before setting off into the wild blue yonder. You don't need to spend all your available PP, but it can't hurt.
Characters in Mario World level up as decided by the GM, typically when they make significant accomplishments. When a character levels up, they gain one stat point to distribute among their stats as they wish; in addition, at odd-numbered levels they get a Class Ability, and at even-numbered levels they gain a Perk Slot. Characters can chose to gain a new Class, if one is available, when they gain an odd-numbered level.


If Heart, Coolness or Defense is improved, the character also gains more FP or HP.
Every 1 PP is good for '''one''' of the following:
*A baseline single weapon (a set of projectile weapons counts as this, e.g. a pile of throwing needles), magic focus or set of armor/magic robe
*A single enchantment/refinement of said weapon/focus/outfit (e.g. a Strong Hammer [+1 P] would cost 2 PP: one for the Hammer, one for +1 Power)
*Two (2) basic consumables, such as a Mushroom, Honey Syrup, Able Juice, etc.
*One (1) additional Perk. This new Perk follows the same rules as those in the '''Perks''' section.
*An extra character trait/quirk. This can be rather broad, but it should be considered that a character is changed on an intrinsic, internal level of some form. The following are common examples:
**A Koopa can trade in his standard Koopa Shell for a different kind of shell, such as a Spiked Shell or Winged Shell.
**A Koopa can get another, separate Koopa Shell altogether. It's not unheard of for a Koopa to own multiple shells, after all. Making it a nonstandard shell still costs another point, though.
**A Koopa can spit fire/ice/whatever from his mouth.
**A Goomba can gain wings, becoming a Paragoomba.
**A Boo can change shape into a more humanoid form. The most common references are to another race (most often their original form in life), a humanoid figure similar to Vivian and the Shadow Sirens, or even the human form itself. "Ghostly beauty" can take on a whole new meaning.
**A Boo can become fully corporeal, providing more appreciable mass and motor control.
**A Bob-omb does not possess a wick and/or triggers explosions through alternate means (remote trigger, timer, etc.).
**A Shy Guy can trade his default white mask for another of varying function. The most common replacement is the Snifit Mask, allowing a Shy Guy/Snifit to spit bullets from his mouth. Shy Guy "emoting" masks count as one mask for this purpose.
**A Shy Guy can gain another, separate basic mask, not unlike a Koopa's shells. Similarly, making the separate mask a nonstandard mask also costs another point.
**A character is a considerable measure larger or smaller than the average.
**A character can weave magic without the need of a focus. Note that this might be achievable through in-game means, though it will take considerable effort.
**A character has some manner of mutation or genetic quirk (e.g. a Toad's spots glow in the dark).


=== Champion and Hero ===
==III. Mechanics==
===Core Mechanic===
The primary mechanic is a dicepool system similar to [[Shadowrun]]: when performing any sort of test or check, roll Xd6, where X is the character's most pertinent stat to the task at hand as well as any additional modifiers such as from equipment or power-ups (note that total mods cannot exceed the value of the stat). A die that rolls a 4-6 counts as a "success" or "hit," and the successes are totaled and compared against a threshold or an opposing test. If the threshold is met, the check is successful. The more net hits, i.e. the more hits rolled above the threshold or opposing test, the greater the degree of success. As GM, you can decide if you wish to implement the rule of "exploding dice" (a die that rolls a 6 counts as both a success and a free reroll).


At level 10, characters become Champions, and from then on they roll 2d6 for all their rolls, rather than just one. At level 20, they become Heroes and roll 3d6.
'''Example:''' A character finds a strange mushroom growing just outside a power plant, and he wants to know what it is. To identify the mushroom, it would be a Smarts check; if he has 3 Smarts and is carrying a book on flora and fauna, which the GM rules is a +1 modifier for the test, he rolls [3+1]d6 = 4d6. The threshold for the test is (secretly) established at 1. In this case, no successes means the character can't immediately find the mushroom in his book or can't jog his memory enough to remember it at this time. One success means the character properly identifies the mushroom as a Volt Shroom, while two successes would both identify the mushroom and offer more exact information, particularly its function (renders a character or object electrified for a period of time).
 
====Team Tests====
Even Mario rarely works alone, so relying on comrades, friends and partners is a fruitful experience. If a character needs help from another with a test, be it forcing a door open, doing extensive research in a library or forcing a character's opinion, a '''team test''' may be employed. Denote one character to be the primary actor who will perform the test normally. All other helpers roll the same test except against a flat threshold of 1 success instead of the original test's difficulty. For every helper that passes the assistance test, add one die to the primary actor's dicepool. Combine the total numbers of successes afterwards, not counting the one needed to pass the assistance test; for every three successes rolled, add an extra die to the primary actor's dicepool. Then the primary actor may proceed with the test as normal with the extra bonus dice.
 
===Equipment===
There are no strict classes in Super Mario RPG; all a character has to do is literally pick up an item and go. If a character is carrying a hammer, then he can use special melee techniques; if he promptly drops the hammer and picks up a magic wand, he can cast spells as a wizard. Characters have their own inherent techniques, and some weapons can bequeath a unique technique themselves. Armor is somewhat similar: put on a spiked shell, and you both improve your defense and protect yourself from above. Don a caster's robes, and your inherent magic flows more freely, to say nothing of potential enchantments and functions of the robe itself. In many cases, equipment can be enchanted or refined beyond an item's baseline; the refinement can be represented as reduction or improvement of built-in stats, addition of extra stats, spells or features, and so on. Also, a character's gear can be just as individual as the character himself; players are encouraged to describe their equipment and image, how all the pieces fit together to paint the picture of an elegant Boo belle with a glittering rose brooch pinned to her "hair" or a burly, fierce-looking Koopa with a scratched shell and two wicked hammers or anything else in between. In this game, you are what you wear, and there is little to no penalty for changing roles, although some characters will naturally be more proficient at certain roles than others. Of course, your character may not even need equipment when it comes to combat; fists of fury or a good jump or tackle are all a character needs, and perhaps a character can cast spells without the need of a focus (although it can't hurt to use one). It's up to you what you character needs (or wants).
 
Here is a basic list of common pieces of equipment that can be expected. It's not at all comprehensive, but it's a good baseline of what you can wear and use. As with all other things in this system, don't be afraid to make your own equipment and play things by ear with how to apply your gear.
 
* '''Melee Weapons:''' For those who like to get up close and very personal with their opposition, melee weapons will, more often than not, use Power when used against an enemy. The almighty hammer is one of the most popular implements to use, in no small part because it's the favored weapon of a certain mustachioed duo, but other popular items include swords, daggers, axes, pikes, and knuckle-dusters.
* '''Ranged Weapons:''' If one prefers to hang back at a distance and peg her enemies with projectiles, these tools are just the ticket; in combat, their attached attribute is Speed. Common ranged implements include the bow (complete with arrows), slingshots, javelins, even just hucking a rock off the ground if need be.
* '''Magic Foci:''' Most characters in the Mushroom World have an inherent affinity with the latent magic of the world; more often than not, these varied foci can help more easily draw out and emphasize this magical connection, allowing for the casting of spells with either the Smarts or Coolness stat, whichever is most pertinent to the character. The most common focus is a magical wand, but others include staves and books, the latter of which will probably have spells already in them for easy access. In a pinch, even a wand or tome makes for a semi-decent melee weapon.
* '''Armor & Robes:''' Beyond common decency dictating that one shouldn't go trotting about in the nude, it makes practical sense for a character to wear at least ''something'' when adventuring. From the clothes on their back to flexible leathers to chunky fullplate to magical robes and everything in between, people can quickly tell the sort of person a character is not only by the weapon they wield, but also the protection they wear. Magic robes (or equivalent, such as charms) more than likely will provide some bonus to spellcasting, as a rule of thumb; as a baseline, a basic, no-frills enchanted magic robe offers +1 Smarts/Coolness towards spellcasting, with no other bonus. Another rule of thumb is that depending on what sort of armor he's wearing, expect some amount of tradeoff between Toughness and Speed; for example, a basic set of Maple Leather armor grants +1 Toughness in exchange for -1 Speed, while a full suit of Mushroom Fullplate provides +3 Toughness at the expense of -2 Speed for as long as he wears the armor. Also, not every race can wear the same protection as another; for example, only a Koopa can reliably wear a Koopa Shell, and a Toad's Mushroom Fullplate will just look silly on a Goomba (unless the Goomba gets a suit [or helmet] tailormade for him).
* '''Badges:''' That mystical, magical and all-around fantastical Badge is a piece of swag that a character wears on their person that inspires them to greater heights and to do more things (if only because it looks nice and the character in question just has to fit the part). Badges can grant passive bonuses, teach new special abilities, even change a character's clothes in an instant. They can be traded at badge vendors or found around the world; a fair number of people even stake their entire careers on finding -- or stealing! -- Badges, the rarer the better. Any given Badge requires '''Badge Points (BP)''' to be equipped (commonly, a badge is rated anything from 0-2 BP). Wearing multiple Badges adds their BP values together into a single value. A character can equip up to her Coolness stat's worth of BP in Badges; she cannot equip over this value's worth. For example, if Madam Kalypso Koop has 5 Coolness, then she can only equip 5 BP's worth of Badges. She can wear three 0BP, one 1BP and two 2BP Badges all at once with no issue, but if she attempts to wear another 1BP Badge, it won't work unless she either improves her Coolness or removes a badge that would put her over her 5BP budget. Here are a few example Badges:
**''Spiked Shield (1 BP):'' Protects your character from damage from spikes.
**''Power Charge (1 BP):'' Teaches the Power Charge command. ''(Power Charge [1 FP]: Spend the turn supercharging your inner strength, granting a temporary +2 Power bonus towards your next action.)''
**''Flower Power (2 BP):'' +3 FP
**''Brains & Brawn (5 BP):'' +1 Power, +1 Smarts
**''Magic Flower Make-Up! (0 BP):'' You're a magical girl! At least, you're dressed like one.
**''Berserker's Badge (2 BP):'' +3 Speed when you're below 25% HP.
 
===Items===
Aside from equipment, there are also innumerable items to be stored in satchels and backpacks, waiting for just the right time to use them. For the purposes of this section, "items" refers to consumables and triggered items, similar to potions and scrolls in any other game. Some items can be used multiple times, but unless mentioned as such, assume these items are one-and-done. It's up to you just how clever you can be with your items. The following is just a few examples of items you can find and use in the Mushroom World.
 
*''Mushroom:'' Restores 5 HP
*''Honey Syrup:'' Restores 5 FP
*''KeroKero Cola:'' Restores full HP across all party members
*''1-Up Mushroom:'' Upon KO, automatically revives the character with 10 HP
*''Able Juice/Refreshing Herb:'' Cures one character of status ailments
*''Dizzy Dial:'' Renders a single enemy, well, dizzy, stunning them for 1-2 turns
*''Sleepy Sheep Bell:'' Jingling the bell puts all subjects to sleep until disturbed; resist with a Heart (2) test
*''Star Storm:'' 5 damage to all enemies
*''VoltShroom Energy Drink:'' For 2 turns, take two standard actions instead of one
*''Chuckle Blend:'' This special coffee blend from the Beanbean Kingdom permanently improves a character's Speed by 1.
 
===Currency===
Even in the Mushroom World, money can make the world go 'round. In this case, the currency in question is the ever-present '''Coin ($)'''. This shiny chip made of solid gold that jingles ''"da-ding"'' every time you pick one up can be found everywhere, almost literally. They're hidden throughout the world, monsters carry them, selling the spoils of adventure nets a pretty pile of them, to say nothing of working a 9-to-5 to earn a nice bundle of them. The entire Mushroom economy revolves around Coins, and fortunately, it's a very stable currency, despite all the mounds of money that somehow gets injected into the market any time a new treasure trove is discovered. Concerns about counterfiting have come and gone in the past. Many a soul prides himself on his Coin count, to the point where they'll even war against others for them. Exchange rates with other kingdoms can be humbling -- ask about the Mushroom:Beanbean rates -- but it's no less respected abroad. Indeed, Coins are something of a universal currency nowadays. There are other, unique currencies that may come up over the course of an adventure, like the rare, green-colored Frog Coins, but for the most part, one shouldn't have to worry about those too terribly much.
 
Different stores can charge different prices for different items, depending on what they have in stock. A good baseline to keep in mind is that basic restorative items run for $5-10, general aggressive items can run $10-20, and basic weapons and armor can run anywhere between $25-50. Enchantment and refinement of items and equipment can start from the base price of the item and quickly skyrocket from there if you're not careful.
 
===Combat===
There can be no story without conflict, and sagas in the Mushroom World are no exception. Functionally, combat is no different from any other series of checks. The Mario games lend themselves to fast-and-loose, narrative combat, so miniatures and grids shouldn't be required for games, although there is no rule saying they can't be used. A combat round lasts five to six seconds, for the purpose of moderation.
 
====Hearts & Flowers====
A character's Health Points (HP) represents her current vitality and endurance. Unless denoted otherwise, HP is equal to the combined values of her Heart and Toughness stats (e.g. if she has 5 Heart points and 5 Toughness points, then she has 10 HP). If she is reduced to 0 HP, then she is knocked out (KO'd): any effects she was sustaining promptly end, and she cannot move or act unless either a partner revives her somehow or the combat ends, at which point, in the case of the latter, she automatically revives with only one HP. The main ways to restore health are with restorative items (Mushrooms, etc.), finding special places in the world (shrines or springs) or just a good night's sleep. It's worth noting that apart from the supernatural spirits and powers of necromancy, death is a relatively uncommon occurrence in the Mushroom World, despite what the rampages of a certain Italian duo would have you believe. Unless the concept of death is pertinent to the situation at hand, then assume that all encounters are to KO.
 
A character's Flower Points (FP), named for the iconic Fire Flower, represents her energy and knowledge towards using special techniques or spells. Unless denoted otherwise, FP is equal to the combined values of her Heart and Coolness stats (e.g. if she has 5 Heart points and 4 Coolness points, then she has 9 FP). Using a special technique or spell (hereafter known as "specials") costs a certain amount of FP, depending on the complexity and intended effect of the special, regardless of whether or not the special was successful. If the character runs out of FP or does not have enough for a given special's required investment, then she cannot use that special. FP does not auto-regenerate except in special circumstances, and just like HP, the main ways to manually restore FP are with items (Syrups, etc.), special locations in the Mushroom World, and a good night's rest.
 
====Initiative & Actions====
To determine initiative, all participants in the combat roll a Speed check and add the hits to their Speed score for their final initiative. In the event of a tie, the higher Speed wins. Everyone goes once in a single turn, unless a power-up or other bonus permits extra actions or entire turns for that character; in that case, everyone takes their turn, then the character with extra actions or turns goes again until all extra actions are used, after which the turn actually ends and the next one begins.
 
There are two types of actions that a player can take: standard actions and free actions. Move actions are omitted from the game for the sake of simplicity, though a GM may choose to add them for more particular actions like sustaining commands or more specific movement. A standard action is the bulk of significant activities in a combat: attack, defend, use an item, swap equipment, and so on. Every character has only one standard action per turn. Free actions are non-significant actions that take little to no effort, such as talking, activating bonuses from equipment or power-ups, and so forth.
 
====Attacking & Defending====
Depending on the weapon of choice of a character, the primary stat rolled to attack will change. A melee fighter will usually use '''Power''', a caster will use '''Smarts or Coolness''', and a ranged combatant will use '''Speed'''. Whatever the stat used, the attacker rolls a opposed check with that particular stat against the defender's stat of choice (depending on the defensive action taken) and counts the total hits. Regardless of the defense used by the defender, if the attacker scores more net hits, the attacker wins the engagement. The attacker then does damage equal to his primary stat plus any damage modifiers, subtracted by the opponent's total Toughness; note that if the defender's total Toughness is greater than the total attack value, then the attack -- even if successfully hit -- is absorbed and does no damage.
 
A defender, when under attack, may choose one of three defensive tactics as a contextual response (four, if you count "doing nothing"): '''guard''', '''dodge''', and '''counter'''.
*If he chooses to '''guard''', he will attempt to absorb the brunt of the damage with an active defense; he rolls '''Toughness''' as his stat in the opposed test, and if successful (i.e. the defender has equal or more net hits), he reduces the attacker's damage by his Toughness plus his total hits. If he fails, he takes damage as normal. If he chooses to defend as part of his standard action for the turn, then his defense is boosted; his base stat becomes '''[Toughness x 1.5 (round up)]''' for the opposed test.
*If he chooses to '''dodge''', he will try and avoid the attack altogether, be it by darting away or ducking and weaving; his stat of choice for the opposed test is '''Speed''', and if successful (i.e. the defender has equal or more net hits), the attack misses entirely and the defender takes no damage. If the attacker wins, then the defender takes damage as normal. If he chooses to take evasive action as part of his standard action for the turn, his reactions are heightened; his base stat becomes '''[Speed x 1.5 (round up)]''' for the sake of the opposed test.
*If he chooses to '''counter''', then he will attempt to actively respond to the enemy attack with his own. The defender responds with his own attack check against the attacker (using the most pertinent attack stat). If the defender wins the test, then the attacker's attack is deflected, and the defender hits the attacker directly for his net hits' worth of damage, ignoring Toughness. If the attack is a spell or spell-like ability and the defender is a caster himself, he will instead attempt to '''counterspell''' and dispel the offending spell with his own magic; he handles the defense test with his casting stat (Smarts or Coolness) instead of Toughness. If the attacker wins, the defender takes full damage resisted only by his ''base'' Toughness value. Not all attacks can be countered.
 
====Engagements & Enemies====
Because there's not an overt emphasis on movement or exact positioning of individuals in a combat situation, it can get easy to lose track of which enemies you can affect at any given time with a particular action. Fortunately, the game keeps track of individuals or groups of individuals as '''engagements'''. An engagement is a set of individuals in close enough proximity that they constitute a sufficient grouping of individuals for the purposes of targeting, enemy strength, and area-of-effect abilities. For example, the party of PCs in sufficiently close proximity counts as one engagement (the player engagement, for all intents and purposes). The party can be fighting a horde of pirate raiders, but the group of eight pirates may be split up into three engagements (3-3-2 or 4-3-1 or any other mix) that surround the party from all sides. Alternately, there can be an engagement of foot soldiers in front of the party, and directly behind the infantry would be another engagement of just one soldier in a portable Bullet Bill nest. An AoE effect, unless specifically noted to apply to multiple engagements, will work on one engagement of enemies at a time, like a smoke bomb blinding a group of baddies (or even the entire enemy force if the bomb is detonated in the player engagement).
 
Generally, there are three classes of enemy that players will battle against: '''grunts''', '''rivals''' and '''bosses'''.
*Grunts are the rank-and-file mooks that most heroes either run past or stomp on with little effort; they are almost universally weaker than any given PC, falling within one or two, maybe three attacks. However, what grunts lack in power, they usually make up for with numbers. Grunts will try to overwhelm the enemy with volume more than quality. Sometimes, bands of grunts can be lead by a rival or two, maybe even a boss. The grunts are most dangerous because they're very good at playing the numbers game.
**There's a special type of enemy formation known as the '''swarm'''. This is represented by a tight bundle of mooks that count as one unit, attacking all at once, such as a swarm of Mini-Goombas or a pile of Fuzzies bouncing all over the place. Their stats and attack power are generally equal to the number of enemies in the swarm; when they take damage, the swarm weakens as it loses numbers until there's nothing left.
*Rivals are considered the equal of PCs, generally equal in power and capability. They offer an even fight and can test how well a team works as a unit and their overall chemistry. Rivals can be friendly competitors, cutthroat adversaries or glory-seeking wannabes. Rivals are built almost identically to PCs and usually equal the number of PCs present in a fight, give or take. The rivals are most dangerous because the hardest fight to win is a fair fight.
*Bosses are beings of exceptional might that, on a one-to-one comparison, outstrip a PC's powers almost wholesale. Bosses can be huge, very well-equipped, exceptionally clever or otherwise carry an air of authority and power that makes all others tremble. Parties will be forced to work together to outsmart a boss, exploit its weakness(es) and topple the mighty foe before they are overwhelmed. Unless they have lackeys, bosses generally operate solo but make up for it with elevated stats and powerful specials, along with unique tactics and gimmicks that make the fight all the trickier. The boss is most dangerous because their immense strength can overwhelm even the mightiest of heroes if they're not prepared.
 
===Specials and Abilities===
As previously mentioned, a special technique (be it a spell or physical attack) usually costs Flower Points to use. The question is, what exactly can your character do? To put it another way, does your character have a specific list of commands they can use?
 
Well, yes and no.
 
Super Mario RPG permits for modular and freeform play, not just in equipment and changing classes, but also in what a character can do in the world. Unlike the video games, there are no hard limits in what a character can do in a pencil-and-paper game; while Mario may not be able to grab his Bob-omb buddy and hurl them at an enemy to explode on contact via fastball special, you can. A lot of the time, this can happen at no cost to anyone. However, for the purposes of checks and balances, some of the fancier moves you can do will require you to spend FP to do it. If you narrate a particular action that sounds like it can fall under a particular technique, your GM may ask you to spend some FP before you attempt the action. Like all things, this falls to GM discretion and moderation and whatever he/she thinks requires using FP. For the most part, you should only expect to be spending FP in combat.
 
A good way to think of what can cost FP is to start with a basic command tied to your equipment; in this case, we'll focus on the Hammer's Smash -- the basic melee attack. The base command on its own doesn't cost anything -- it's as simple as it gets. However, if you want to add a qualifier to that base command to do something more, that may come at an FP cost. For example, to turn the Smash into the Power Smash -- a Smash with +2 Power -- will add a cost of 1 FP, if only because it's a straightforward, singular improvement to the attack. Another variant you can make is the Piercing Smash -- a Smash that ignores the enemy's Toughness -- also for a cost of 1 FP. By comparison, you can create the Serial Smash, which lets you make successive Smash attacks against a single enemy repeatedly for as long as you keep scoring at least one success at -1 Power per successive swing. It's a potent attack, but that creates a whopping 3 FP cost for the skill; an attack like that is no joke. These "qualifiers" -- prefixes and suffixes to the base command -- are a quick way to judge if an attack you have in mind will cost FP or not. They can also be stacked together, if you choose, for a far more potent attack, but it adds the FP costs together into a cumulative cost.
 
It must also be within reason that the character performing the special can reasonably understand the idea behind a would-be special and not be able to do it just because the player wants to. You can make up attacks as you go, but it should also stand to reason that certain attacks like the previously-mentioned Piercing Smash come only with experience or tutelage.
 
Characters themselves can begin the game with and learn specials of their own, unique of any equipment they use. Most of the time, they have a flat FP cost depending on the ability, though the cost only applies in combat; for example, a Boo's Outta Sight racial special costs 2 FP in combat. Characters can learn all different kinds of specials, from ki attacks to enchanting songs to tattling on their enemies and finding out their abilities to just plain hulking up. If sufficiently justified, a character can begin the game with a number of specials of their own, such as an opera singer with varied songs that buff the party or debuff the enemy, with more songs to be learned in the future. It's usually a feat of note when a character learns a unique special.
 
Also, there can be specials unique only to a particular item or piece of equipment. These specials can't be moved or tampered with (usually) and make a piece of equipment that much more unique. As an example, the fabled Sun-Kissed Claymore, found only in the depths of a temple somewhere in the Dry Dry Desert, has the special power Sun Spit [3 FP], which casts a lance of burning sunlight from the end of the sword at an enemy for 3 unblockable damage; this is in tandem with the sword's latent light-casting glow when unsheathed.
 
====Status Effects====
The following is a short list of example status effects that can be inflicted over the course of a game. Most of these are applicable within the scope of combat and usually wear off after the end of a fight. You have the option of having these effects apply in the overworld as well. In combat, when using an attack that applies a status effect, the number of net hits the attacker succeeds with is the number of turns the victim is afflicted with the status effect. Items, unless stated otherwise, have a default duration of 3 turns. Some status effects are more common than others, and some characters -- player and NPC alike -- may be immune to certain status effects. You can create a special attack that inflicts a status effect, similar to creating any other special attack, but status effect powers usually carry a cost of 2-3 FP, depending on the severity of the status effect. Most status effects can be healed with a restorative item like an Able Juice or Refreshing Herb, or any other method of restoring vitality, such as a good night's sleep.
* [[Lamenters|Blind]] - The character is blinded and cannot see. Apart from any overworld effects, on any attack test, the range on scoring a success is 5-6 instead of 4-6.
* [[Dwarf Fortress|Burn]] - The character is on fire and takes 1 damage every turn for its duration.
* [[Tzeentch|Confusion]] - The character has a 50% chance of targetting a friend with an attack.
* [[Skaven|Dodgy]] - The character's reflexes and reactions are sharper; they may double their Speed further when dodging attacks.
* [[Adeptus Mechanicus|Electrified]] - The character is surrounded by an electric aura of power. If the character is struck, the attacker will take 1 damage.
* [[Chaos|Fear]] - The character is quaking in their boots as their Power and Toughness are halved.
* [[Valhallan Ice Warriors|Frozen]] - Turning into a life-sized popsicle, the character cannot move, attack, or defend.
* [[Dreadnought|Heavy]] - The character's Speed drops to 1, but their Power increases by 2.
* [[Khaine|Huge]] - Become huge! Power is doubled, but Speed is halved.
* [[Grey Knights|Light]] - The character's speed increases by 1, but their Power drops to 2.
* [[Squats|Mini]] - Become tiny! Toughness is halved, but Speed is doubled.
* [[Nurgle|Mushroom]] - The character is turned into a mushroom! They regain 1 HP per turn, but cannot move or attack.
* [[Derp|No Skills]] - The character is unable to utilize any FP-consuming moves, whether from a mental block or some other inhibiting effect.
* [[Blood Ravens|Payback]] - The character reflects half of all damage they take back at the attacker.
* [[Venenum|Poison]] - The character is suffering from debilitating poison, taking 1 damage every turn for the duration.
* [[Empire|S'crow]] - The chracter is transformed into a scarecrow! They cannot move or attack, and they can only use FP to attack or defend.
* [[Dark Angels|Stat DOWN]] - Decreases one of your stats by 1.
* [[Sisters of Battle|Stat UP]] - Increases one of your stats by 1.
* [[Squats|Stun]] - The character is unable to act, whether knocked loopy, paralyzed, or similar.
 
===Character Progression===
If the players successfully complete an encounter or a story arc or any other significant event, they are rewarded with experience. In Super Mario RPG, experience is represented by '''Star Points (SP)'''. Like their Paper Mario namesake, Star Points follow the trend of coins in the platformers: collect one hundred (100) points to gain a level. Depending on the difficulty of an encounter and stage of the campaign, Star Points earned will scale based on said difficulty; you can only earn so many SP from Goombas before it's time to move on to stronger foes. A sufficiently balanced encounter should expect to award 3-5 SP per enemy and anywhere in the range of 15-30 SP per boss encounter, usually 20.
 
With each level, a character's stats will randomly grow in different categories; for every core stat, roll 1d6, gaining a point in that stat on a 5-6. Following the trend of the SNES game, the player also receives one free bonus point that she may spend on any stat of her choice. ''Optional rule:'' every fifth level, a character may also gain a new Perk. See the '''Perks''' rules above for details.

Latest revision as of 04:47, 23 June 2023

I. Introduction[edit | edit source]

Super Mario RPG, also known as Mario World, though not to be confused with the SNES vidya game of the same name, is a /tg/-created system for a Super Mario RPG, using simple mechanics based on D6s, low numbers, and a Stat-system based on the Mario game series. It borrows somewhat from the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying Game, Dark Heresy and Shadowrun PnP games. The game is currently maintained by Mr. Blue Sky, who also does work on VeloCITY.

Players take on the role of intrepid souls exploring the world, be they wanderers, soldiers, adventurers or anything in between. As mentioned, the game is designed to be stupendously simple, just like the Mario games themselves. The game is also meant to be highly customizable, permitting many more different templates, characters, items and so forth than are shown here. Game Masters (GMs) and players are encouraged to be imaginative and creative.

For those who need references to and information about anything involving the Mario universe (especially if you plan to add it to your game or to elaborate on items currently listed), check the Super Mario Wiki.

Those interested in meeting other players and talking shop about the system are welcome to join the game's Discord channel, located here.

II. Character Creation[edit | edit source]

Like most tabletop pen-and-paper games, each player controls a single character. This is their "player character," or "PC" for short.

This section details everything needed to make a character. You'll need a single d6.

The steps are as follows:

  • Design your concept.
  • Choose your race.
  • Determine your Stats.
  • Record your racial features.
  • Roll up your Hometown.
  • Choose your two Perks.
  • Spend your chargen resources towards starting equipment, items and unique character traits, and determine your starting pocket change.
  • Play!


Concept[edit | edit source]

A character is only as unique as her premise. Even in the simplistic and colorful Mushroom World, there are equally colorful characters that truly bring out and highlight how lively the world is. One's character is more than just numbers and items on a page; she is a (usually) living, breathing person with ideals and ambitions. The simplest way to come up with a character is to make a short blurb about who and what she is, such as "Treasure-loving Archaeologist," "Hammer-for-Hire," or "Trickster Wizard" to name a few. This will be the character's foundation to be based and built upon. Nothing's stopping you from writing a full history of a character; do whatever you feel is necessary. This step is strictly optional, but it never hurts.

Races[edit | edit source]

The Mushroom Universe is full of bizarre and interesting creatures, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. The following is an overview of each playable race. More races are always present and can be created at anyone's discretion, but these are the "core" races.

Koopa[edit | edit source]

One of the most common races in the Mushroom World, Koopas (known in some circles as Nokonoko) are humanoid (evolved from quadrupeds, though some still exist) reptiles, turtles in particular; the biggest and baddest of them all is the infamous King Bowser Koopa himself, the aptly-named "Koopa King." Koopas walk all paths of life, and while Koopas make up the vast majority of the Koopa Troop, Bowser's personal army, many others live independently, be it in peaceful hamlets, as brave adventurers, and even as citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. Arguably their greatest strength is their adaptability, for rarely is a Koopa pigeonholed into any one role. Of course, this doesn't preclude them from becoming extremely specialized; some of the greatest warriors and magic wielders are Koopas, among numerous other occupations.

Toad[edit | edit source]

The other most common race in the world alongside the Koopas, Toads (Kinopio is an alternative designation) are the mushroom-headed humanoids of the Mushroom World, known for their speckled "hats" and overall short stature. While the Mushroom Kingdom boasts unmatched diversity, Toads are the face of the kingdom, though to live and travel abroad are not uncommon occurrences. Opposed to the Koopas and Goombas of the warlike Koopa Troop (not to be confused with other Koopas and Goombas), most Toads are peaceful. However, many are insufferable gossips, and certain individuals have a bit of a reputation for habitual cowardice. While not necessarily as hardy as the Koopas, Toads are an adaptable people, boasting a vast intellect and remarkable agility, despite their stature. Most adventurer Toads become scholars, magic-users or thieves, but that doesn't stop the braver ones from gaining martial prowess.

Boo[edit | edit source]

Boos (also known as Teresa) are marshmallow-like ghosts, the spirits of the dead that remain in the realm of the living for a variety of reasons, willing or otherwise. Often inhabiting abandoned estates and the dark places of the world, Boos tend to be either very shy or very bold. That is to say, many exalt in scaring the wits out of hapless passers-by; however, they've yet to shake their reputation for being notoriously shy. Being semi-incorporeal, they do not boast fine motor control, but they can exert some force on the world. They can also fade in and out of sight -- possibly between the lands of the living and the dead -- and fly. Boos tend towards being magic-users or socialites, due to their difficulty in handling physical objects.

Goomba[edit | edit source]

Goombas (alternately known as Kuribo) are tiny sapient mushroom -- or acorn, depending on who you ask -- creatures, essentially mutated mushrooms/acorns with feet. Their size varies mildly, but most come waist-high to a Koopa. Alongside Koopas, Goombas are the most iconic of soldiers in the Koopa Troop, the "gruntiest of grunts," so to speak, while many others live in independence, often as full-fledged citizens of the Mushroom Kingdom. Stature aside, their most striking detail is their lack of arms, although they are known to fine-manipulate objects as if they had limbs (a mystery of the universe). In open defiance of their build and lot in life, Goombas are among the most steadfast and fiercest of all sapients. They are capable of very high jumps, and some varieties have small wings. Some are martially adept, while others become scholars.

Shy Guy[edit | edit source]

One of the grand question marks of the world, Shy Guys (Hei-Ho by another name) are squatty humanoids whose most striking detail, regardless of their garb, build or environment, is an unsettling white -- sometimes decorated -- mask to hide their true identity, hence the name; only a truly select few have ever seen beneath the mask, though they refuse to say what is there. Note that a Shy Guy may choose to emulate the appearance of emotion via subtle swapping of various masks to that which is most appropriate to the occasion. One of the most mysterious and enigmatic races in the world, Shy Guys are thought to originate from the dream world of Sub-Con, though like most things about them, it is not truly known. It doesn't help that their society, however it manifests, is almost exclusively insular. What is known is that apart from being nearly unrepentant tricksters, they are one of the most technologically savvy races, employing all manner of tools they find or make.

Yoshi[edit | edit source]

Yoshis, either named for an individual or the entire race, are intelligent, bipedal dragons/dinosaurs that come in all colors of the rainbow -- and then some! -- with large snouts and smiles. Hailing from mostly tropical regions, most notably Yoshi Island, their claim to fame is being omnivores of the highest caliber: with long, sticky, prehensile tongues and a seemingly bottomless stomach, Yoshis will eat almost anything and everything. Their digestion is almost instantaneous, and often, they excrete an item they eat as a speckled egg they either use for storage or to throw as explosive projectiles. Depending on what they eat, they can gain abilities ranging from growing wings to breathing fire. Sometimes serving as mounts or protectors, they possess their own, tribal society.

Bob-omb[edit | edit source]

With a fuse on the top and an individual-designed turnkey on their backside, modern Bob-ombs are, put simply, sapient bombs with feet. Like Goombas, they have no immediately discernible arms, yet they can manipulate objects with little issue. Intelligent and living as full citizens of their nation of choice, most are stoic and tough, often moving with military precision, though as the colloquialism implies, many suffer from -- pardon the pun -- a short fuse. As expected of any bomb, a Bob-omb's special ability is to self-detonate in an admirable explosion; while one may think such an act as suicide, modern Bob-ombs have perfected the art of blasting to where it is no longer an issue. Their explosions, outside of functional use, are seen as the highest form of expression for Bob-ombs.

Human[edit | edit source]

In the Mushroom universe, humans as we know them are actually an overall rarity compared to other races. They are not built much differently from other humans, but compared to Toads, Koopas and their ilk, humans are fewer and further between than others. The only areas on record with a significant human population are the unsurprisingly modern metropolises Diamond City and New Donk City. That said, the few humans of notable renown are among the greatest and most powerful sapients in the universe. Apart from Mayor Pauline, famed pirate Captain Maple Syrup, the eccentric Professor Elvin Gadd, and those who work for WarioWare Inc., there are only seven humans (or human-esque beings) of substantial note in the setting: the mystical Princess Rosalina of the stars, the wily Wario Bros., Wario & Waluigi, the strong Princess Daisy of Sarasaland, the fair Princess Peach of the Mushroom Kingdom, and the superstars among all superstars themselves -- the Super Mario Bros., Mario and Luigi. As those names prove, humans may be few and far between, but they have among the greatest ambition of all sapients and reach for the stars in all things.

Stats[edit | edit source]

Now that you've chosen your race, you can determine your Stats. Stats represent your PC's raw physical and mental skill. There are six Core Stats and two Derivative Stats.

Heart (H): This Stat represents your character's willpower, guts, determination and spirit.
Power (P): This Stat represents your character's raw, physical strength.
Smarts (S): This Stat represents your character's intelligence and mental fortitude.
Coolness (C): This Stat represents your character's charisma, looks and and social skills.
Toughness (T): This stat represents your character's resilience, burliness and overall physical presence and health.
Speed (Sp): This Stat represents your character's physical quickness, manual dexterity, and reaction speed.
Health Points (HP): This Stat represents your character's vitality, namely how much damage your character can suffer before becoming KO'd. It is derived from, and is equal to, Heart + Toughness (unless otherwise noted).
Flower Points (FP): This Stat represents your character's extra effort, notably the potential to perform Specials (techniques, spells, etc.). It is derived from, and is equal to, Heart + Coolness (unless otherwise noted).

An average Koopa or Toad civilian would possess a 3 in all Heart, Power, Smarts, Coolness, Toughness, and Speed.

Over the course of a campaign, stats can be buffed or debuffed, either permanently or temporarily, but aside from HP/FP, they can never be reduced below the minimum of 1.

Determining Stats[edit | edit source]

There are two ways to determine Stats: random rolls, or point buy. The methods to each are displayed below.

Random Rolls[edit | edit source]

For Heart, Power, Smarts, Coolness, Toughness, and Speed, roll 1d6+1 for each in turn (This will result in a number from 2-7).

Bowser's Favor: On a single roll where you rolled a one, you may reroll.

Point Buy[edit | edit source]

You have 7 points to add to your Stats.

Heart, Power, Smarts, Coolness, Toughness and Speed start at 3, and each have a limit of 7. You may shuffle the existing points around before applying your new points, but you cannot reduce a stat below 1 -- even after racial modifiers -- nor exceed the chargen limit of 7.

Racial Features[edit | edit source]

Depending on the race chosen, your character naturally receives the following Stat modifiers and Abilities. If playing a non-standard race, discuss potential modifiers and Abilities with your GM, if any. This also applies towards playing as a variant of a given race, such as the Koopa's Paratroopa (begins with a Winged Shell) and Fire Brother (spits fireballs) variants.

Koopa Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: All Koopas come standard with their own, removeable, oft-treasured Koopa Shell (Armor: +1 Toughness, -1 Speed). Shell aside, he also gains one point in Power.

Abilities: Bowserkin - When a Koopa is at low health (1-2 HP), he becomes more resilient and gains one temporary point in both Power and Toughness. This lasts until either his health is restored from this minimum, or he is KO'd.

Toad Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A Toad receives an extra point in Smarts, reflecting her well-read, peaceful nature.

Abilities: Scholarly Aptitude - A Toad makes up for her lack of strength with her cleverness and knowledge, be it in whatever pursuit of her choice. Instead of Heart + Coolness, she may therefore choose to calculate her Flower Points as equal to Heart + Smarts.

Boo Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A Boo receives an extra point in Coolness; her charisma is otherworldly, not to mention it takes work to make a good scare.

Abilities: Outta Sight - A Boo -- and whoever is holding onto her -- is capable of fading invisible and incorporeal at-will for a number of times per day equal to her Coolness rating. A single use counts as from initiating the fading to the Boo dispelling the invisibility, regardless of length of time.

Goomba Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A Goomba is tough, stubborn and used to taking a fall, so he gains an extra point in Heart.

Abilities: CHOOSE: Frenzy - A Goomba at low health (1-2 HP) may enter a frenzy and has a 50% chance to make an additional attack. OR Tattle - A well-read Goomba has a habit of being able to tell apart what's what. On a sufficient Smarts (1) check, a Goomba can immediately identify an enemy's species, basic stats and general strategy. Note that being able to Tattle is a perk that any character can pick up.

Shy Guy Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A Shy Guy is inventive and clever, but he is also reclusive and unsettling. He gains two points in Smarts, but he loses a point of Coolness.

Abilities: Gadget - A Shy Guy may begin the game with a helpful gadget of their design. Get creative, and discuss with your GM how best to design the item. A Gadget is considered a handy tool that the Shy Guy can employ on a semi-regular basis; with enough justification, it can even count as a weapon or other piece of equipment.

Yoshi Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A Yoshi is innately strong and fleet of foot, regardless of the weight he carries. It doesn't change that he's still a dinosaur. He gains an extra point in both Power and Speed, but he loses a point in Smarts.

Abilities: Swallow - A Yoshi may swallow nearly any object smaller than himself in range of his tongue. He may hold the object in his mouth for [Heart x 2] turns until he is forced to swallow or spit it out. He can then lay an egg, which he can use to either store an item or make a ranged attack. An egg lasts until it is used, and a Yoshi can possess a number of eggs equal to his Coolness rating.

Bob-omb Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A proud Bob-omb is stalwart and rarely backs down from a challenge, and people find that inspiring. However, stubby legs on a walking bomb only let her move so quickly. She receives a point in both Heart and Coolness, but loses a point in Speed.

Abilities: Bomb - For breaking down walls or just making an explosive impression, a Bob-omb may self-detonate at-will for a number of times per day equal to her Coolness rating. The force of her explosion is equal to her Power rating. She must recuperate for a turn after exploding.

Human Features[edit | edit source]

Stats: A human is generally versatile and excels at whatever he puts his mind to. He receives a free point in one stat of his choice.

Abilities: Starlike Ambition - A human is quick to learn things, and his ambition inspires him to reach for the heavens and become a legend. Unless otherwise noted, a human receives a 1 FP discount on the cost of all specials; this cannot reduce the cost of a special below 1 FP.

Hometowns[edit | edit source]

Everyone was born somewhere! If you don't want to choose your character's origin yourself, then roll 2d6 to determine where you're from on the chart below.

Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6
1- Wilderness Plains Forest Desert Mountains Island Choose your own!
2-Farm Bean Valley Flower Fields Twilight Town Moleville Starborn Valley Choose your own!
3-Village Petalburg Dry Dry Outpost Fahr Outpost Monstro Town Koopa Village Choose your own!
4-Town Poshley Heights Seaside Town Rogueport Marrymore Rose Town Choose your own!
5-City Toad Town Nimbus Land Diamond City Mushroom City Shiver City Choose your own!
6-Abroad Sarasaland Beanbean Kingdom Isle Delfino Dinosaur Land Dark Land Choose your own!

Perks[edit | edit source]

((Idea taken from ChromeStrike))

It's not just a player character's exceptional stats or ambition that separate him from everyday inhabitants of the Mushroom World. More often than not, it's a certain quality or je ne sais quoi that sets him apart from others like him. These are represented as perks: minor qualities or feats that further distinguish a character and make him truly unique. They are bonuses to rolls or stats that occur under very specific conditions, and the best part is that you can make your own! After all, it's one thing to say your character keeps cool under pressure, but it really brings that point home when it's serialized in a perk such as "Cool Heads Prevail: +1 dicepool bonus on a spell check to dispel/counter fire spells."

At character generation, a character chooses two perks with which to distinguish their character. Players are encouraged to create their own perks, including naming them; anyone can help, and the GM has final say in approving, tweaking, or disallowing any particular perks, for the sake of balance or otherwise. A rule of thumb is that the larger or more profound the bonus, the less likely it should be expected to come up regularly in-game. The following are common guidelines or ground rules to follow when creating perks, along with examples. Unless otherwise noted, assume that any bonus listed is to a player's dicepool.

  • +1 bonus to a combat check: These require a very specific condition(s) to be met. These should neither add to hit always with a specific type of weapon or spell (e.g. hammers, shells, ice spells, etc.), nor to dodge, defend or resist damage unless under particular circumstances.
    • I Like These Odds: +1 to hit when outnumbered 2:1 or more
    • Thunderstruck: Ignore debuffs from electric-based damage, such as numbness.
    • Clever Girl: +1 to base damage value when sneak-attacking from natural flora
    • Take a Breath, Man: +1 to hit when unharassed for a full turn
    • "That's HIGH Archmage to you!": +1 to offensive casting and counterspelling checks when directly battling other wizards
    • "Mayday, mayday!": +1 to damage resistance against falling damage when shot down from the air
  • +1 Stat bonus towards a specialty or skill: These perks generally should have nothing to do with combat; these are the closest thing to skill bonuses than anything else.
    • Mr. Atlas: +1 Power when lifting, pushing or carrying something
    • Ironshroom: +1 Toughness towards tests of endurance
    • Horticulturist: +1 Smarts when identifying flora or fauna
    • "I never said THAT.": +1 Coolness when fast-talking/bluffing if there is some truth in the PC's words
    • Every Goomba for Himself!: +1 Speed to escape when surprised
    • First Impressions: +1 Coolness when meeting someone for the first time, particularly those of equal or greater social standing
  • +2 bonus in specific, infrequent scenarios: These perks are miscellaneous in nature, almost wholly trade-based. Be it academic study, networking, handyman work or a job at the circus, these apply to careers, hobbies, or some past history of the character.
    • Duct Tape & Elbow Grease: +2 to repair an item if using secondhand materials or improvising
    • Quality Control: +2 to appraise an item of its performance and craftsmanship
    • Queen of the Opera: +2 to mesmerize an audience and to subsequent social rolls during and following a singing performance
    • Karry Koop-dini: +2 bonus when escaping any binds or cuffs
    • Royal Attaché: +2 to social rolls when addressing foreign officials and royalty not of the character's native citizenship
    • Pull It Together: +2 to hit when dealing nonlethal damage to an ally

Money, Equipment, Items & Traits[edit | edit source]

Your character is almost complete, but if you've been paying attention, you'll notice your character doesn't actually have anything to her name yet; alas, she possesses naught but the clothes on her back right now. Fortunately, this can be fixed with some free money and a pre-existential shopping spree.

First, add the values of your character's H, P, S and C stats together into a single number. Mark this number down, because this is your character's starting pocket change in Coins (see Currency in Mechanics for more information).

Next, divide this sum by 3, rounding appropriately to the nearest whole number. This new number is your character's available Purchase Points (PP). Purchase Points can represent several things: the overall resources available to your character, be it monetary, genetic or anything in between, as well as the general worth of your character's gear, income and/or training up to this point. They may not necessarily represent a character's overall quality of living, nor does purchasing something with PP mean they actually bought anything off the open market; a wizard's robe could be a hand-me-down passed down from generations of family, for example. It's a rather nebulous currency that only appears in character generation, but suffice to say, these PP are what you will use to equip and place the last touches on your character before setting off into the wild blue yonder. You don't need to spend all your available PP, but it can't hurt.

Every 1 PP is good for one of the following:

  • A baseline single weapon (a set of projectile weapons counts as this, e.g. a pile of throwing needles), magic focus or set of armor/magic robe
  • A single enchantment/refinement of said weapon/focus/outfit (e.g. a Strong Hammer [+1 P] would cost 2 PP: one for the Hammer, one for +1 Power)
  • Two (2) basic consumables, such as a Mushroom, Honey Syrup, Able Juice, etc.
  • One (1) additional Perk. This new Perk follows the same rules as those in the Perks section.
  • An extra character trait/quirk. This can be rather broad, but it should be considered that a character is changed on an intrinsic, internal level of some form. The following are common examples:
    • A Koopa can trade in his standard Koopa Shell for a different kind of shell, such as a Spiked Shell or Winged Shell.
    • A Koopa can get another, separate Koopa Shell altogether. It's not unheard of for a Koopa to own multiple shells, after all. Making it a nonstandard shell still costs another point, though.
    • A Koopa can spit fire/ice/whatever from his mouth.
    • A Goomba can gain wings, becoming a Paragoomba.
    • A Boo can change shape into a more humanoid form. The most common references are to another race (most often their original form in life), a humanoid figure similar to Vivian and the Shadow Sirens, or even the human form itself. "Ghostly beauty" can take on a whole new meaning.
    • A Boo can become fully corporeal, providing more appreciable mass and motor control.
    • A Bob-omb does not possess a wick and/or triggers explosions through alternate means (remote trigger, timer, etc.).
    • A Shy Guy can trade his default white mask for another of varying function. The most common replacement is the Snifit Mask, allowing a Shy Guy/Snifit to spit bullets from his mouth. Shy Guy "emoting" masks count as one mask for this purpose.
    • A Shy Guy can gain another, separate basic mask, not unlike a Koopa's shells. Similarly, making the separate mask a nonstandard mask also costs another point.
    • A character is a considerable measure larger or smaller than the average.
    • A character can weave magic without the need of a focus. Note that this might be achievable through in-game means, though it will take considerable effort.
    • A character has some manner of mutation or genetic quirk (e.g. a Toad's spots glow in the dark).

III. Mechanics[edit | edit source]

Core Mechanic[edit | edit source]

The primary mechanic is a dicepool system similar to Shadowrun: when performing any sort of test or check, roll Xd6, where X is the character's most pertinent stat to the task at hand as well as any additional modifiers such as from equipment or power-ups (note that total mods cannot exceed the value of the stat). A die that rolls a 4-6 counts as a "success" or "hit," and the successes are totaled and compared against a threshold or an opposing test. If the threshold is met, the check is successful. The more net hits, i.e. the more hits rolled above the threshold or opposing test, the greater the degree of success. As GM, you can decide if you wish to implement the rule of "exploding dice" (a die that rolls a 6 counts as both a success and a free reroll).

Example: A character finds a strange mushroom growing just outside a power plant, and he wants to know what it is. To identify the mushroom, it would be a Smarts check; if he has 3 Smarts and is carrying a book on flora and fauna, which the GM rules is a +1 modifier for the test, he rolls [3+1]d6 = 4d6. The threshold for the test is (secretly) established at 1. In this case, no successes means the character can't immediately find the mushroom in his book or can't jog his memory enough to remember it at this time. One success means the character properly identifies the mushroom as a Volt Shroom, while two successes would both identify the mushroom and offer more exact information, particularly its function (renders a character or object electrified for a period of time).

Team Tests[edit | edit source]

Even Mario rarely works alone, so relying on comrades, friends and partners is a fruitful experience. If a character needs help from another with a test, be it forcing a door open, doing extensive research in a library or forcing a character's opinion, a team test may be employed. Denote one character to be the primary actor who will perform the test normally. All other helpers roll the same test except against a flat threshold of 1 success instead of the original test's difficulty. For every helper that passes the assistance test, add one die to the primary actor's dicepool. Combine the total numbers of successes afterwards, not counting the one needed to pass the assistance test; for every three successes rolled, add an extra die to the primary actor's dicepool. Then the primary actor may proceed with the test as normal with the extra bonus dice.

Equipment[edit | edit source]

There are no strict classes in Super Mario RPG; all a character has to do is literally pick up an item and go. If a character is carrying a hammer, then he can use special melee techniques; if he promptly drops the hammer and picks up a magic wand, he can cast spells as a wizard. Characters have their own inherent techniques, and some weapons can bequeath a unique technique themselves. Armor is somewhat similar: put on a spiked shell, and you both improve your defense and protect yourself from above. Don a caster's robes, and your inherent magic flows more freely, to say nothing of potential enchantments and functions of the robe itself. In many cases, equipment can be enchanted or refined beyond an item's baseline; the refinement can be represented as reduction or improvement of built-in stats, addition of extra stats, spells or features, and so on. Also, a character's gear can be just as individual as the character himself; players are encouraged to describe their equipment and image, how all the pieces fit together to paint the picture of an elegant Boo belle with a glittering rose brooch pinned to her "hair" or a burly, fierce-looking Koopa with a scratched shell and two wicked hammers or anything else in between. In this game, you are what you wear, and there is little to no penalty for changing roles, although some characters will naturally be more proficient at certain roles than others. Of course, your character may not even need equipment when it comes to combat; fists of fury or a good jump or tackle are all a character needs, and perhaps a character can cast spells without the need of a focus (although it can't hurt to use one). It's up to you what you character needs (or wants).

Here is a basic list of common pieces of equipment that can be expected. It's not at all comprehensive, but it's a good baseline of what you can wear and use. As with all other things in this system, don't be afraid to make your own equipment and play things by ear with how to apply your gear.

  • Melee Weapons: For those who like to get up close and very personal with their opposition, melee weapons will, more often than not, use Power when used against an enemy. The almighty hammer is one of the most popular implements to use, in no small part because it's the favored weapon of a certain mustachioed duo, but other popular items include swords, daggers, axes, pikes, and knuckle-dusters.
  • Ranged Weapons: If one prefers to hang back at a distance and peg her enemies with projectiles, these tools are just the ticket; in combat, their attached attribute is Speed. Common ranged implements include the bow (complete with arrows), slingshots, javelins, even just hucking a rock off the ground if need be.
  • Magic Foci: Most characters in the Mushroom World have an inherent affinity with the latent magic of the world; more often than not, these varied foci can help more easily draw out and emphasize this magical connection, allowing for the casting of spells with either the Smarts or Coolness stat, whichever is most pertinent to the character. The most common focus is a magical wand, but others include staves and books, the latter of which will probably have spells already in them for easy access. In a pinch, even a wand or tome makes for a semi-decent melee weapon.
  • Armor & Robes: Beyond common decency dictating that one shouldn't go trotting about in the nude, it makes practical sense for a character to wear at least something when adventuring. From the clothes on their back to flexible leathers to chunky fullplate to magical robes and everything in between, people can quickly tell the sort of person a character is not only by the weapon they wield, but also the protection they wear. Magic robes (or equivalent, such as charms) more than likely will provide some bonus to spellcasting, as a rule of thumb; as a baseline, a basic, no-frills enchanted magic robe offers +1 Smarts/Coolness towards spellcasting, with no other bonus. Another rule of thumb is that depending on what sort of armor he's wearing, expect some amount of tradeoff between Toughness and Speed; for example, a basic set of Maple Leather armor grants +1 Toughness in exchange for -1 Speed, while a full suit of Mushroom Fullplate provides +3 Toughness at the expense of -2 Speed for as long as he wears the armor. Also, not every race can wear the same protection as another; for example, only a Koopa can reliably wear a Koopa Shell, and a Toad's Mushroom Fullplate will just look silly on a Goomba (unless the Goomba gets a suit [or helmet] tailormade for him).
  • Badges: That mystical, magical and all-around fantastical Badge is a piece of swag that a character wears on their person that inspires them to greater heights and to do more things (if only because it looks nice and the character in question just has to fit the part). Badges can grant passive bonuses, teach new special abilities, even change a character's clothes in an instant. They can be traded at badge vendors or found around the world; a fair number of people even stake their entire careers on finding -- or stealing! -- Badges, the rarer the better. Any given Badge requires Badge Points (BP) to be equipped (commonly, a badge is rated anything from 0-2 BP). Wearing multiple Badges adds their BP values together into a single value. A character can equip up to her Coolness stat's worth of BP in Badges; she cannot equip over this value's worth. For example, if Madam Kalypso Koop has 5 Coolness, then she can only equip 5 BP's worth of Badges. She can wear three 0BP, one 1BP and two 2BP Badges all at once with no issue, but if she attempts to wear another 1BP Badge, it won't work unless she either improves her Coolness or removes a badge that would put her over her 5BP budget. Here are a few example Badges:
    • Spiked Shield (1 BP): Protects your character from damage from spikes.
    • Power Charge (1 BP): Teaches the Power Charge command. (Power Charge [1 FP]: Spend the turn supercharging your inner strength, granting a temporary +2 Power bonus towards your next action.)
    • Flower Power (2 BP): +3 FP
    • Brains & Brawn (5 BP): +1 Power, +1 Smarts
    • Magic Flower Make-Up! (0 BP): You're a magical girl! At least, you're dressed like one.
    • Berserker's Badge (2 BP): +3 Speed when you're below 25% HP.

Items[edit | edit source]

Aside from equipment, there are also innumerable items to be stored in satchels and backpacks, waiting for just the right time to use them. For the purposes of this section, "items" refers to consumables and triggered items, similar to potions and scrolls in any other game. Some items can be used multiple times, but unless mentioned as such, assume these items are one-and-done. It's up to you just how clever you can be with your items. The following is just a few examples of items you can find and use in the Mushroom World.

  • Mushroom: Restores 5 HP
  • Honey Syrup: Restores 5 FP
  • KeroKero Cola: Restores full HP across all party members
  • 1-Up Mushroom: Upon KO, automatically revives the character with 10 HP
  • Able Juice/Refreshing Herb: Cures one character of status ailments
  • Dizzy Dial: Renders a single enemy, well, dizzy, stunning them for 1-2 turns
  • Sleepy Sheep Bell: Jingling the bell puts all subjects to sleep until disturbed; resist with a Heart (2) test
  • Star Storm: 5 damage to all enemies
  • VoltShroom Energy Drink: For 2 turns, take two standard actions instead of one
  • Chuckle Blend: This special coffee blend from the Beanbean Kingdom permanently improves a character's Speed by 1.

Currency[edit | edit source]

Even in the Mushroom World, money can make the world go 'round. In this case, the currency in question is the ever-present Coin ($). This shiny chip made of solid gold that jingles "da-ding" every time you pick one up can be found everywhere, almost literally. They're hidden throughout the world, monsters carry them, selling the spoils of adventure nets a pretty pile of them, to say nothing of working a 9-to-5 to earn a nice bundle of them. The entire Mushroom economy revolves around Coins, and fortunately, it's a very stable currency, despite all the mounds of money that somehow gets injected into the market any time a new treasure trove is discovered. Concerns about counterfiting have come and gone in the past. Many a soul prides himself on his Coin count, to the point where they'll even war against others for them. Exchange rates with other kingdoms can be humbling -- ask about the Mushroom:Beanbean rates -- but it's no less respected abroad. Indeed, Coins are something of a universal currency nowadays. There are other, unique currencies that may come up over the course of an adventure, like the rare, green-colored Frog Coins, but for the most part, one shouldn't have to worry about those too terribly much.

Different stores can charge different prices for different items, depending on what they have in stock. A good baseline to keep in mind is that basic restorative items run for $5-10, general aggressive items can run $10-20, and basic weapons and armor can run anywhere between $25-50. Enchantment and refinement of items and equipment can start from the base price of the item and quickly skyrocket from there if you're not careful.

Combat[edit | edit source]

There can be no story without conflict, and sagas in the Mushroom World are no exception. Functionally, combat is no different from any other series of checks. The Mario games lend themselves to fast-and-loose, narrative combat, so miniatures and grids shouldn't be required for games, although there is no rule saying they can't be used. A combat round lasts five to six seconds, for the purpose of moderation.

Hearts & Flowers[edit | edit source]

A character's Health Points (HP) represents her current vitality and endurance. Unless denoted otherwise, HP is equal to the combined values of her Heart and Toughness stats (e.g. if she has 5 Heart points and 5 Toughness points, then she has 10 HP). If she is reduced to 0 HP, then she is knocked out (KO'd): any effects she was sustaining promptly end, and she cannot move or act unless either a partner revives her somehow or the combat ends, at which point, in the case of the latter, she automatically revives with only one HP. The main ways to restore health are with restorative items (Mushrooms, etc.), finding special places in the world (shrines or springs) or just a good night's sleep. It's worth noting that apart from the supernatural spirits and powers of necromancy, death is a relatively uncommon occurrence in the Mushroom World, despite what the rampages of a certain Italian duo would have you believe. Unless the concept of death is pertinent to the situation at hand, then assume that all encounters are to KO.

A character's Flower Points (FP), named for the iconic Fire Flower, represents her energy and knowledge towards using special techniques or spells. Unless denoted otherwise, FP is equal to the combined values of her Heart and Coolness stats (e.g. if she has 5 Heart points and 4 Coolness points, then she has 9 FP). Using a special technique or spell (hereafter known as "specials") costs a certain amount of FP, depending on the complexity and intended effect of the special, regardless of whether or not the special was successful. If the character runs out of FP or does not have enough for a given special's required investment, then she cannot use that special. FP does not auto-regenerate except in special circumstances, and just like HP, the main ways to manually restore FP are with items (Syrups, etc.), special locations in the Mushroom World, and a good night's rest.

Initiative & Actions[edit | edit source]

To determine initiative, all participants in the combat roll a Speed check and add the hits to their Speed score for their final initiative. In the event of a tie, the higher Speed wins. Everyone goes once in a single turn, unless a power-up or other bonus permits extra actions or entire turns for that character; in that case, everyone takes their turn, then the character with extra actions or turns goes again until all extra actions are used, after which the turn actually ends and the next one begins.

There are two types of actions that a player can take: standard actions and free actions. Move actions are omitted from the game for the sake of simplicity, though a GM may choose to add them for more particular actions like sustaining commands or more specific movement. A standard action is the bulk of significant activities in a combat: attack, defend, use an item, swap equipment, and so on. Every character has only one standard action per turn. Free actions are non-significant actions that take little to no effort, such as talking, activating bonuses from equipment or power-ups, and so forth.

Attacking & Defending[edit | edit source]

Depending on the weapon of choice of a character, the primary stat rolled to attack will change. A melee fighter will usually use Power, a caster will use Smarts or Coolness, and a ranged combatant will use Speed. Whatever the stat used, the attacker rolls a opposed check with that particular stat against the defender's stat of choice (depending on the defensive action taken) and counts the total hits. Regardless of the defense used by the defender, if the attacker scores more net hits, the attacker wins the engagement. The attacker then does damage equal to his primary stat plus any damage modifiers, subtracted by the opponent's total Toughness; note that if the defender's total Toughness is greater than the total attack value, then the attack -- even if successfully hit -- is absorbed and does no damage.

A defender, when under attack, may choose one of three defensive tactics as a contextual response (four, if you count "doing nothing"): guard, dodge, and counter.

  • If he chooses to guard, he will attempt to absorb the brunt of the damage with an active defense; he rolls Toughness as his stat in the opposed test, and if successful (i.e. the defender has equal or more net hits), he reduces the attacker's damage by his Toughness plus his total hits. If he fails, he takes damage as normal. If he chooses to defend as part of his standard action for the turn, then his defense is boosted; his base stat becomes [Toughness x 1.5 (round up)] for the opposed test.
  • If he chooses to dodge, he will try and avoid the attack altogether, be it by darting away or ducking and weaving; his stat of choice for the opposed test is Speed, and if successful (i.e. the defender has equal or more net hits), the attack misses entirely and the defender takes no damage. If the attacker wins, then the defender takes damage as normal. If he chooses to take evasive action as part of his standard action for the turn, his reactions are heightened; his base stat becomes [Speed x 1.5 (round up)] for the sake of the opposed test.
  • If he chooses to counter, then he will attempt to actively respond to the enemy attack with his own. The defender responds with his own attack check against the attacker (using the most pertinent attack stat). If the defender wins the test, then the attacker's attack is deflected, and the defender hits the attacker directly for his net hits' worth of damage, ignoring Toughness. If the attack is a spell or spell-like ability and the defender is a caster himself, he will instead attempt to counterspell and dispel the offending spell with his own magic; he handles the defense test with his casting stat (Smarts or Coolness) instead of Toughness. If the attacker wins, the defender takes full damage resisted only by his base Toughness value. Not all attacks can be countered.

Engagements & Enemies[edit | edit source]

Because there's not an overt emphasis on movement or exact positioning of individuals in a combat situation, it can get easy to lose track of which enemies you can affect at any given time with a particular action. Fortunately, the game keeps track of individuals or groups of individuals as engagements. An engagement is a set of individuals in close enough proximity that they constitute a sufficient grouping of individuals for the purposes of targeting, enemy strength, and area-of-effect abilities. For example, the party of PCs in sufficiently close proximity counts as one engagement (the player engagement, for all intents and purposes). The party can be fighting a horde of pirate raiders, but the group of eight pirates may be split up into three engagements (3-3-2 or 4-3-1 or any other mix) that surround the party from all sides. Alternately, there can be an engagement of foot soldiers in front of the party, and directly behind the infantry would be another engagement of just one soldier in a portable Bullet Bill nest. An AoE effect, unless specifically noted to apply to multiple engagements, will work on one engagement of enemies at a time, like a smoke bomb blinding a group of baddies (or even the entire enemy force if the bomb is detonated in the player engagement).

Generally, there are three classes of enemy that players will battle against: grunts, rivals and bosses.

  • Grunts are the rank-and-file mooks that most heroes either run past or stomp on with little effort; they are almost universally weaker than any given PC, falling within one or two, maybe three attacks. However, what grunts lack in power, they usually make up for with numbers. Grunts will try to overwhelm the enemy with volume more than quality. Sometimes, bands of grunts can be lead by a rival or two, maybe even a boss. The grunts are most dangerous because they're very good at playing the numbers game.
    • There's a special type of enemy formation known as the swarm. This is represented by a tight bundle of mooks that count as one unit, attacking all at once, such as a swarm of Mini-Goombas or a pile of Fuzzies bouncing all over the place. Their stats and attack power are generally equal to the number of enemies in the swarm; when they take damage, the swarm weakens as it loses numbers until there's nothing left.
  • Rivals are considered the equal of PCs, generally equal in power and capability. They offer an even fight and can test how well a team works as a unit and their overall chemistry. Rivals can be friendly competitors, cutthroat adversaries or glory-seeking wannabes. Rivals are built almost identically to PCs and usually equal the number of PCs present in a fight, give or take. The rivals are most dangerous because the hardest fight to win is a fair fight.
  • Bosses are beings of exceptional might that, on a one-to-one comparison, outstrip a PC's powers almost wholesale. Bosses can be huge, very well-equipped, exceptionally clever or otherwise carry an air of authority and power that makes all others tremble. Parties will be forced to work together to outsmart a boss, exploit its weakness(es) and topple the mighty foe before they are overwhelmed. Unless they have lackeys, bosses generally operate solo but make up for it with elevated stats and powerful specials, along with unique tactics and gimmicks that make the fight all the trickier. The boss is most dangerous because their immense strength can overwhelm even the mightiest of heroes if they're not prepared.

Specials and Abilities[edit | edit source]

As previously mentioned, a special technique (be it a spell or physical attack) usually costs Flower Points to use. The question is, what exactly can your character do? To put it another way, does your character have a specific list of commands they can use?

Well, yes and no.

Super Mario RPG permits for modular and freeform play, not just in equipment and changing classes, but also in what a character can do in the world. Unlike the video games, there are no hard limits in what a character can do in a pencil-and-paper game; while Mario may not be able to grab his Bob-omb buddy and hurl them at an enemy to explode on contact via fastball special, you can. A lot of the time, this can happen at no cost to anyone. However, for the purposes of checks and balances, some of the fancier moves you can do will require you to spend FP to do it. If you narrate a particular action that sounds like it can fall under a particular technique, your GM may ask you to spend some FP before you attempt the action. Like all things, this falls to GM discretion and moderation and whatever he/she thinks requires using FP. For the most part, you should only expect to be spending FP in combat.

A good way to think of what can cost FP is to start with a basic command tied to your equipment; in this case, we'll focus on the Hammer's Smash -- the basic melee attack. The base command on its own doesn't cost anything -- it's as simple as it gets. However, if you want to add a qualifier to that base command to do something more, that may come at an FP cost. For example, to turn the Smash into the Power Smash -- a Smash with +2 Power -- will add a cost of 1 FP, if only because it's a straightforward, singular improvement to the attack. Another variant you can make is the Piercing Smash -- a Smash that ignores the enemy's Toughness -- also for a cost of 1 FP. By comparison, you can create the Serial Smash, which lets you make successive Smash attacks against a single enemy repeatedly for as long as you keep scoring at least one success at -1 Power per successive swing. It's a potent attack, but that creates a whopping 3 FP cost for the skill; an attack like that is no joke. These "qualifiers" -- prefixes and suffixes to the base command -- are a quick way to judge if an attack you have in mind will cost FP or not. They can also be stacked together, if you choose, for a far more potent attack, but it adds the FP costs together into a cumulative cost.

It must also be within reason that the character performing the special can reasonably understand the idea behind a would-be special and not be able to do it just because the player wants to. You can make up attacks as you go, but it should also stand to reason that certain attacks like the previously-mentioned Piercing Smash come only with experience or tutelage.

Characters themselves can begin the game with and learn specials of their own, unique of any equipment they use. Most of the time, they have a flat FP cost depending on the ability, though the cost only applies in combat; for example, a Boo's Outta Sight racial special costs 2 FP in combat. Characters can learn all different kinds of specials, from ki attacks to enchanting songs to tattling on their enemies and finding out their abilities to just plain hulking up. If sufficiently justified, a character can begin the game with a number of specials of their own, such as an opera singer with varied songs that buff the party or debuff the enemy, with more songs to be learned in the future. It's usually a feat of note when a character learns a unique special.

Also, there can be specials unique only to a particular item or piece of equipment. These specials can't be moved or tampered with (usually) and make a piece of equipment that much more unique. As an example, the fabled Sun-Kissed Claymore, found only in the depths of a temple somewhere in the Dry Dry Desert, has the special power Sun Spit [3 FP], which casts a lance of burning sunlight from the end of the sword at an enemy for 3 unblockable damage; this is in tandem with the sword's latent light-casting glow when unsheathed.

Status Effects[edit | edit source]

The following is a short list of example status effects that can be inflicted over the course of a game. Most of these are applicable within the scope of combat and usually wear off after the end of a fight. You have the option of having these effects apply in the overworld as well. In combat, when using an attack that applies a status effect, the number of net hits the attacker succeeds with is the number of turns the victim is afflicted with the status effect. Items, unless stated otherwise, have a default duration of 3 turns. Some status effects are more common than others, and some characters -- player and NPC alike -- may be immune to certain status effects. You can create a special attack that inflicts a status effect, similar to creating any other special attack, but status effect powers usually carry a cost of 2-3 FP, depending on the severity of the status effect. Most status effects can be healed with a restorative item like an Able Juice or Refreshing Herb, or any other method of restoring vitality, such as a good night's sleep.

  • Blind - The character is blinded and cannot see. Apart from any overworld effects, on any attack test, the range on scoring a success is 5-6 instead of 4-6.
  • Burn - The character is on fire and takes 1 damage every turn for its duration.
  • Confusion - The character has a 50% chance of targetting a friend with an attack.
  • Dodgy - The character's reflexes and reactions are sharper; they may double their Speed further when dodging attacks.
  • Electrified - The character is surrounded by an electric aura of power. If the character is struck, the attacker will take 1 damage.
  • Fear - The character is quaking in their boots as their Power and Toughness are halved.
  • Frozen - Turning into a life-sized popsicle, the character cannot move, attack, or defend.
  • Heavy - The character's Speed drops to 1, but their Power increases by 2.
  • Huge - Become huge! Power is doubled, but Speed is halved.
  • Light - The character's speed increases by 1, but their Power drops to 2.
  • Mini - Become tiny! Toughness is halved, but Speed is doubled.
  • Mushroom - The character is turned into a mushroom! They regain 1 HP per turn, but cannot move or attack.
  • No Skills - The character is unable to utilize any FP-consuming moves, whether from a mental block or some other inhibiting effect.
  • Payback - The character reflects half of all damage they take back at the attacker.
  • Poison - The character is suffering from debilitating poison, taking 1 damage every turn for the duration.
  • S'crow - The chracter is transformed into a scarecrow! They cannot move or attack, and they can only use FP to attack or defend.
  • Stat DOWN - Decreases one of your stats by 1.
  • Stat UP - Increases one of your stats by 1.
  • Stun - The character is unable to act, whether knocked loopy, paralyzed, or similar.

Character Progression[edit | edit source]

If the players successfully complete an encounter or a story arc or any other significant event, they are rewarded with experience. In Super Mario RPG, experience is represented by Star Points (SP). Like their Paper Mario namesake, Star Points follow the trend of coins in the platformers: collect one hundred (100) points to gain a level. Depending on the difficulty of an encounter and stage of the campaign, Star Points earned will scale based on said difficulty; you can only earn so many SP from Goombas before it's time to move on to stronger foes. A sufficiently balanced encounter should expect to award 3-5 SP per enemy and anywhere in the range of 15-30 SP per boss encounter, usually 20.

With each level, a character's stats will randomly grow in different categories; for every core stat, roll 1d6, gaining a point in that stat on a 5-6. Following the trend of the SNES game, the player also receives one free bonus point that she may spend on any stat of her choice. Optional rule: every fifth level, a character may also gain a new Perk. See the Perks rules above for details.

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