Simple D6 expansion Low Fantasy
Intro
This is an expansion with concepts and ideas usable with the Simple d6 system. This page will not discuss specific rules for the SD6 system but rather give suggestions for skills, qualities, equipment, character concepts, aspects and common themes you might find useful when running a low-magic Fantasy game in Simple D6. Low magic settings are settings like Warhammer for instance. For Planescape or Forgotten Realms you can look into the High Fantasy setting.
The current version of Simple D6 can be found here: http://1d4chan.org/wiki/Simple_D6_-_Third_Edition
Common themes in Low Fantasy
Low fantasy is often very reminiscent of medieval times in Europe or Asia but may be in settings placed in any world. Themes often explored are small people, perhaps outcasts, rising to the occasion to become the heroes the world needs but does not necessarily deserve. It is often a world where everybody knows magic exists but few have access to. Magic items are present but often scarce and wise old crones or noble priests are able to provide supernatural healing.
Inspiration for themes can be found in games, movies and books such as Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd edition, Lord of the Rings, The Legend of Huma, The Hobbit, A Song of Fire and Ice and so forth.
Aspects
Common aspects usable in cyberpunk will be Physical (for combat), Social and Willpower.
Willpower is used to defend against mind magic, supernatural horrors and corruption of the soul. Magic with physical effects like a fireball is a Physical Aspect.
| Race | Quality related to |
|---|---|
| Blessed Sword | Very Sharp, Harm Undead |
| Etas Shield | +1 Physical Defense, Shield Bash, Strong Arms |
| Mag Pie | Heals all lost HP when eaten. 1 use only |
| Oalls Rosary | Healing Hand and Cure Wounds 1/day |
Weapons and Magic Items
Determining what weapons do is determined by how deadly you want your game. If combat should be forgiving, let unarmed deal -1 damage, armed combat have no damage bonus and two handed weapons deal +1 damage. More deadly combat have all weapons deal 1 additional damage. Shields give +1 Physical Defense.
Character Concept Examples
Youngblood Adventurer, Bar Room Brawler, Wizards Apprentice, Run-Away, Nobles Son/Daughter, Street Urchin, Woodsman, Fisherman, Sailor, Soldier, Highwayman, Robber, Pickpocket, Blacksmith, Innkeeper, Minstrel, Bard, Cleric, Paladin, Knight or whatever you can think of.
Skills and Qualities
In Low Fantasy it is convenient to limit magic by demanding that learning magic requires a Quality, which in itself may give a spell, as well as buying each individual spell in the form of skills. Remember to agree what a spell does as it is picked so the GM and the player agree on what is expected from a spell cast.
Examples of Skills and Qualities for Low Fantasy: Woodsman, Folk Lore Fencing, Archery, Spear fighting, Getting by on the Streets, Treat Wounds Hedge Magic, Wizards Apprentice, Witch, Guardsman or Squire. Other qualities may come from place of birth like “Underdark”, “Southern Nomad” or “Northern Berserker” for instance.
Examples of Spells: Levitation, Fireball, Healing Hand, Fireburst, Dispel Magic, Sleep, Daze Opponent, Charm, Stand Still, Fly, Summon Poison Arrow, Cursed Hands, Spiderlegs, Invisibility, Cure Poison, Blessed Weapon, Raise Undead, Destroy Undead and so forth.
| Race | Quality related to |
|---|---|
| Dwarf | Strong, Smithing, Darkvision, Perception, Engineer |
| Elf | Archery, Sneaking, Delicate Worksmanship |
| Halfling | Hiding, Stealing, Charismatic, Digging, Knives |
| Human | You can use the Quality on something else. |
| Kobold | Make Traps, Hide, Steal, Spears, Scouting |
| Goblin | Spears, Darkvision, Hiding, Thievery, Hunting, Bows |
| Orc | Strong, Fast, Melee Combat, Looking Scary |
| Gnoll | Wilderness Survival, Pack Hunting, Keen Smell |
| Giant | Very Strong, Crush Things, Huge, +1 Defense |
| Dragon | Flying, Fire Breath, Strong, Huge, Killing, +1 Defense |
Fantasy Races
Fantasy Races can be chosen as a Quality and for that reason all characters have an additional free Quality. Non-humans must spend it on their race while humans have the benefit of an additional Quality to spend. For NPCs you can combine these (Giant Orc for instance)
Casting Spells
Because there are so many takes on Fantasy, this section will present a few choices which should be made before the game starts:
Mana is used in some settings. If you use that, you can use Willpower as a source of “mana”. Otherwise, ignore casting costs and in exchange, Critical Failure on spell casting can be catastrophic for the caster. If you want Vancian Magic, let casters prepare 1 spell for each point of Willpower spent. Each skill spent on spells give 1-3 spells to pick from when preparing spells.
Casting Time is long in some settings and instant in other settings. You may want combat spells more potent in slow-casting settings
Willpower as Magic Defense may be very good to use against Hold spells for instance, but may break up the pace in the case of spontaneous Charm Spells if you are a group focused on social roleplaying. You should decide if Willpower protects against all mind spells or just against combat mind spells.
Q&A Section
- Those hacking attacks - how do they work?
- You could hack any site if you have a properly powerful computer and the right software but using hacking on the fly or in combat requires special equipment like a Blackbird or a Falcon. If you have such an item, Hacking is just like any other combat - you roll your hacking check, pick a dice, add 1 for remaining 6´s and the target reduces it by his Humanity Defense and the rest is subtracted from Humanity HP. When you reach 0 Humanity HP, the hacker gets to control your implants for a few rounds or minutes. This does not mean that the hacker can control your person though (unless you happen to use an armored exo-skeleton or muscle enhancer for instance). Implants cant (generally) be hacked without such an illigal apparatus. However, with power hungry corporations and governments, you never know what R&D departments are making and what plots are under way for players to disrupt (or help succeed).
- Why does more implants make you easier to hack?
- The simple answer is that more tech means more places the hacking tools can hook on to and therefore it becomes easier to hack heavily augmented opponents. Alternatively, you can say that more machinery makes you less human and therefore more subject to the rules of machinery than free will or the soul. It all depends on what logic you want to apply to your setting. From a technical stand point, the Humanity cost is there to give players a choice between more augmentations weighed up against greater risk of getting hacked by opponents. If you want a ton of augmentation and implants in your game, you can always rule that it´s not possible to hack characters. Note though that few implants are hooked up to the ethernet and even fewer can actually be hacked by a normal computer. It requires special hardware, only accessable in items like the Blackbird or the Falcon, to hack implants at all and even then you have to be very close to your target.
- Is there an easily printable version somewhere?
- Yes, right here to the right
- Can I pass this off as my own?
- No. If you are going to use this, at least give some credit where due. And no permission is given for use in anything which includes anyone making a profit from using this set of rules in any way.