After repeatedly referencing the homebrew ruleset our group played with, I figured I’d best get around to posting it.
I realize that the fantasy tabletop RPG community needs another ruleset like it needs another hole in the head. Like Arnold K said on Goblin Punch:
“Everyone has a homebrew ruleset, and everyone wants to show it to other people, or at slap it around until it's presentable. But no one is interested in your fantasy heartbreaker. This is because everyone is up to their ascending colon in retroclones and besides, they're busy writing their own. It's like trying to tell other people about your dreams. No one cares. Give them content, not another retroclone. I know these things, and yet here I am.”
However, I find it ironic that Arnold said that before posting his ruleset, but so many people (including myself) have found inspiration from his magic system. He seemed to assume that no-one would care, but in reality he gave ideas to many folks who read his rules system ❤️️
In the same way, I realize that few people will likely
read this ruleset, and even fewer will find a table to run it. But I have it –
so why not share it, right? The chance that someone might find a valuable idea here outweighs the cost.
I’ll provide a link to the full ruleset at the end of
this post. First, a bit of background:
What is this ruleset?
It’s basically a combination of Ben Milton’s Knave and
Arnold K’s GLOG.
The game derives its ability score system from Knave.
Each ability score provides a bonus to d20 rolls equal to the ability score
minus 10. For example, an ability score of 14 provides a +4 bonus to d20 rolls, while an ability score of 8 provides a -2 penalty. This modifier replaces to-hit and saving throw bonuses from character
class.
From the GLOG, this system takes the use of “templates”
for the first four class levels, as well as the system of “magic dice” with
mishaps and dooms.
Besides these two influences, there are also nods to a
dozen other systems throughout – such as usage dice from the Black Hack,
Labyrinth Lord’s character sheet, mighty deeds of arms from Dungeon Crawl
Classics, and magic item sale rules from 5e.
Why is it called “Glaive?”
It’s a mix of the GLOG and Knave. So, Glaive 😉
 |
| Glaives (from Handbook of Weapon Knowledge: Weaponry in Its Historical Development from the Beginning of the Middle Ages to the End of the 18th Century by Wendelin Boeheim, c. 1890) |
I can think of several things that might draw you to this game:
·
If you desire an exploration-focused,
rather than a combat-focused, game. This was my primary reason
for designing this system. Pathfinder and D&D 5e both emphasized
high-fantasy, “action-hero” style gameplay built around combat encounters. In
this game, combat is swift, high-stakes, and generally undesirable (as experience
comes from treasure, rather than combat). While dropping to 0 hit points is rather forgiving compared to the death rules of many retroclones (to
offer the referee a chance to have the PCs be captured, rather than killed), this
game is not about killing monsters. It is about acquiring treasure.
·
If you’d like magic to be dangerous and unpredictable. Another
thing that irked me about modern d20 systems is the safety and reliability of
magic. Spells reliably went off “as intended,” and PCs had access to so much
magic that magic no longer seemed magical. This game therefore “scales back” the
magic PCs have access to and, in the way of the GLOG, makes any second- or
third-level spell run the risk of negative consequences. Importantly, cantrips do
not exist; magic is an inherently limited resource.
·
If you desire more player options than
B/X or AD&D. One of the reasons I didn’t want to play Labyrinth
Lord, Basic Fantasy RPG, or Old School Essentials straight “out of the box” is
because of the linear mechanical progression for player characters; in other
words, all mechanical decisions are made about the character at first level. From ability scores to class templates, this system offers more
ways to customize and mechanically differentiate player characters from one
another, still without the overwhelm or saturation of options that come from other modern systems.
·
If you’d like to use ability checks to
resolve actions. I realize ability checks are something of a
controversial topic within the OSR sphere – some folks disdain them as “roll-playing,”
rather than role-playing – but I personally think they’re integral to the game.
In my mind, they add stakes and impartial adjudication to dangerous actions. I acknowledge
that ability checks, when rolled too often and at inappropriate times, detract
from the game. But when used correctly, I think they offer a streamlined way to
resolve player character actions and offer twists or consequences for failure.
Where did these new ability scores come from?
Perhaps the biggest divergence this game offers from
other RPG systems is the use of new ability scores. If you’re reading this,
you’re likely familiar with D&D's sacred Big Six: Strength, Constitution, Dexterity,
Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. When designing a new rules system,
I decided early on I didn’t want to stick with these.
First of all, Dexterity seemed superior to other ability
scores (especially in Pathfinder or 5e). It modified AC, ranged attacks, saving
throws, skills, and initiative, among other things. “Dexterity” seemed to
describe a lot of things about a character – not only how quick they were, but
also their overall coordination – and therefore had many mechanical benefits.
Therefore, I decided to split Dexterity into two new stats: Finesse and
Agility.
Secondly, Wisdom seemed to vague and ill-defined for me.
It seemed to generally indicate some sort of magical aptitude, due to modifying
clerical and druid spells. But it also modified Perception, and will saves. And
defining the difference between Wisdom and Intelligence is a hair-splitting exercise,
even if you try to explain it with tomatoes. So I split Wisdom into another two
stats: Awareness and Willpower.
 |
| Early on, I decided I wanted to diverge from the standard "Big Six." Image sourced from here. |
What do these new ability scores do?
Finesse governs things requiring care and precision. It
covers ranged attacks and rolls made to hide, move silently, or steal things
unnoticed. Agility governs things requiring speed and quickness. It covers
rolls made to dodge, evade, or otherwise move nimbly. Agility also modifies
defense rolls, though armor limits the bonus available from Agility.
Awareness is basically the “Perception” skill from modern
d20 games, extrapolated as its own ability score. Besides finding &
noticing, it also governs d20 rolls made to use divine (clerical) or primal
(nature) magic. The idea is that Awareness reflects a broader “attunement” to
the world at large.
Willpower is the “defensive” aspect of Wisdom, used for
what would typically be Will saves in Pathfinder or 3e. It’s used to defend
against mind-affecting spells. A character’s Willpower also affects the amount of
magic dice they have; a character’s maximum number of magic dice per day is
equal to their Willpower bonus. This means spellcasting characters will want to
invest in their spellcasting stat (either Intelligence or Awareness) and
Willpower.
Side note: I developed the idea to make Awareness its own
stat last year, but recently saw Perception as its own stat in Low FantasyGaming just a month ago. Funny how things like that happen 😂
Is there anything else I should know if I
plan to use this rules system?
First of all, you need an old-school treasure table and
monster manual to run it. I would recommend the free ones from Labyrinth Lord
or Basic Fantasy RPG, or the one from Old School Essentials if you have it. Any of those would
work. The bestiary from Low Fantasy Gaming would also be good. Since it gives ability scores to the creatures, it allows for more
differentiation than Knave’s approach of giving each creature a Target Number
of 10 + HD.
Secondly, this game is not “balanced.” Though the system
works well within itself, I make no guarantees that class abilities and spells
are “balanced” against one another. If there are players in your
group who care about min-maxing, character builds, and “exploits,” they will
probably find something to take advantage of. So just be mindful of
that. This game is not designed with that kind of play in mind.
Thirdly, just let me know how it goes. I’d be excited to hear that someone actually uses this rules system. I certainly enjoy playing with it, and I hope you experience the same if you find a table willing to give this a shot 😊
Here’s acknowledgements for many of the rules systems I read
as inspiration for this one:
- · Maze Rats and Knave
- ·
GLOG
- ·
Rats on Sticks / Many Rats on Sticks
- ·
The Black Hack
- ·
Dungeon Crawl Classics
- ·
Old School Essentials
- ·
Labyrinth Lord
- ·
Basic Fantasy RPG
- ·
Dungeons & Dragons 5e
- ·
Pathfinder
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