Roll 1
A customizable Tabletop Role-Playing Game system for all ages and experience levels!
About
- a quick overview -
My name is Eric and I've been running tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) for over 10 years.
Throughout this time I've realized that what separates the TTRPG medium from others is one fundamental concept: improvisation with a chance of failure.
In other words, "let's see if you succeed or not" is at its core, and this simple mechanic is what enables countless stories, adventures, and legends to be born from the creativity of friends around a table, virtual or in-person.
Experiencing the joy this medium brings to others over the years, I wanted to contribute to the community by developing a system that:
1) highlights this simplicity
2) is customizable to many different themes, settings, and worlds
3) is accessible to all ages and experience levels
What resulted after many playtests and tweaks is a system that hopefully accomplishes this, and at the very least, celebrates the heart of TTRPGs.
I look forward to hearing about the stories you create with Roll 1 RPG!
-Eric
How To Play
MAIN CONCEPT:
PLAYERS roleplay characters through conflicts and scenarios created by the GAME RUNNER. To see if characters succeed at tasks or attempts in these scenarios, they roll dice. Anything can happen, and every story told through roleplaying and rolling is unique!
ROLLING DICE
(the foundation)
• When a character attempts to overcome a challenge: roll a pool of six-sided dice
• Success = you roll a 1 on any die
• Failure = you don't roll a 1 on any die
Each character has Traits (Physical / Mental / Social), Skills, Items, and Specialties. A specific amount of six-sided dice (d6s) is assigned to each.
When a character attempts to overcome a challenge (anything that has the potential to fail), a dice pool is built with the most applicable Trait (is this a Physical, Mental, or Social challenge?), Skill, and any Items.
Once the dice pool is built, roll to find out what happens! This is the time to be creative and roleplay what the outcome looks like.
BUILDING DICE POOLS
(what it all means)
1) TRAITS: the natural potential of a character
The three foundational Traits:
PHYSICAL
MENTAL
SOCIAL
What the dice mean:
• Below Average = 1d6
• Average = 2d6
• Above Average = 3d6
• Prodigy = 4d6
• Legendary = 5d6+
Once decided, these dice rarely (or never) change.
2) SKILLS: a list of learnable qualities that every character can improve over time
The list of Skills depends on the setting/world you're playing in. See character sheet example near the end of this page.
What the dice mean:
• Some experience = 1d6
• Familiar = 2d6
• Trained = 3d6
• Advanced = 4d6
• Expert = 5d6
• Master = 6d6+
3) ITEMS: disposable objects that characters can acquire over time
* In order to use all the dice of an Item, it must be "used as intended," meaning the most common way to use it. If not, it's reduced to 1d6 or unusable, determined by Game Runner.
• NOT used as intended = 1d6
• Used as intended = 2d6
Better versions of the Item:
• High quality = 3d6
• Exceptional quality = 4d6
• Legendary = 5d6+
4) SPECIALTIES: a very specific quality unique to a character, usually related to a specific Skill, Item, or situation
* This adds flavor and customization to a character.
Example: Skateboarder Speciality (activates when using a skateboard)
When a Specialty activates, change entire dice pool to four-sided dice (d4).
This further increases the probability of rolling a 1.
5) AIDING: when other characters help with a roll
Other characters can give as many Boost Points as they want to another character's roll at any time.
Characters can also combine their applicable dice pools to see if they succeed together. However, this means they can also fail together.
6) BOOST POINTS: rolling extra 1s
* Any additional 1s rolled become Boost Points.
Example: rolled 1 / 1 / 1 / 3 / 5 = 2 Boost Points
Boost Points can be used to:
• Add dice to any roll at any time
(1 Boost Point = +1 die)
• Save a dying character (see below)
• Grow your character (see below)
This is the foundation to all characters and rolling. The Game Runner will work with you to build dice pools for any challenge or task, which always starts with the most applicable Trait, then adds a Skill, then any Items.
OPPOSED ROLLS
(combat, wounds, resisting)
• COMBAT: when you're in a fight and could get hurt
1) Decide who's actively in this fight or this round of fighting. These will be the characters who will roll.
2) Everyone (including all opponents) creates a dice pool with the most applicable Trait and Skill as usual, and adds any and all Items that would be applicable in this fight. This could include weapons, shields, armor, etc.
3) Everyone rolls their dice pool - all 1s rolled cancel out the opponent's 1s, and any remaining 1s is the amount of damage the losing side takes (spread out amongst the characters or focused on one character - the winning party decides)
EXAMPLE:
• Party A rolls 16d6 total and gets 4 1s.
• Party B rolls 14d6 total and gets 2 1s.
Party A wins the round and Party B takes 2 damage total.
(If there are three characters, one character can take the full hit, or it can spread out between two characters - whatever the winning party decides.)
GETTING HIT:
Every living thing can take 4 damage before getting knocked out, with very few exceptions.
Mark each square below as you take damage, or just subtract from 4:
☐ Minor Wound
☐ Moderate Wound
☐ Major Wound
☐ Knocked Out
DISTANCE:
If a character is using a ranged weapon/attack while everyone else is fighting in close combat, that character still contributes to the party roll but is immune to taking any damage since they're far away.
Characters can change distance and close the gap, but they'll be open to attack and can only use defensive Skills/Items until the next round.
DYING:
In cases where a character starts dying after being knocked out (determined by the Game Runner), they can become stabilized by:
• Succeeding on a Physical Trait roll (no Skills or Items added).
• Another character within reach succeeding on a Mental (plus any applicable Skill/Items) roll.
• Spending all your remaining Boost Points (another player can do this for you as well).
If all of these fail or aren't possible, then the character is retired.
* NOTE: Not all fights or wounds are physical - they can be mental or social "battles" as well.
• RESISTING: when someone or something is resisting against you, or vice versa
This is for situations where it's not necessarily a fight where you can get hurt, but an attempt is actively being resisted against.
Examples:
• Convincing someone to do something they don't want to do.
• Trying to hack into a computer with an active security system.
• Steering a boat through intense waves.
• Arm wrestling.
1) Opposing parties build the most appropriate dice pool as usual.
2) All parties roll - whoever rolls the most 1s wins (in the case of a tie, the "defender" always wins).
CHARACTER GROWTH
(increasing in skill or competence)
At the end of each session, roll any remaining Boost Points you have. If you roll a 1, add +1d6 to any Skill of your choosing.
If you roll multiple 1s, choose that many Skills to increase by +1d6.
OPTIONAL:
The Game Runner can give you a "milestone +1d6" to add to a Skill whenever you pass a certain point in the story, and/or let you increase a Trait by +1d6 (more rare).
QUICK CHARACTER SHEET
SETTING = normal kids finding and exploring a fantastical, magical world
ABILITIES: allocate 1d6 / 2d6 / 3d6 to the main Traits. Example:
• PHYSICAL: 1d6
• MENTAL: 2d6
• SOCIAL: 3d6
SKILLS: allocate 10d6 to the following Skills in any combination (cannot go above 3d6 in any one Skill)
• Climbing
• Swimming
• Running
• Balance
• Aim
• Scuffle
• Research
• Technology
• Art
• Cooking
• Puzzles
• Finding
• First Aid
• Nature
• Intimidation
• Negotiation
• Making Friends
• Listening
• Peacemaker
• Tricking
• Creatures
ITEMS: create 2-4 basic items your character would carry around
1) Define its "Intended Use" (2d6)
2) Choose one Item that's higher quality (3d6)
SPECIALTY: create 1 very specific thing your character specializes (Example: archery, chess, knots, pop culture, etc)
WOUNDS: have this somewhere on your sheet, and check each box as your character receives damage
☐ Minor Wound
☐ Moderate Wound
☐ Major Wound
☐ Knocked Out
THE GAME RUNNER
• Determines the world, including the list of character Skills, discoverable Items, and Specialty possibilities.
• Helps Players create their characters, based on the world.
• Creates conflict/scenarios for the characters to interact with.
• Roleplays everything in the world.
• Guides dice rolls and outcomes.
The Game Runner ultimately guides the gameplay, and operates the world that the Players get to roleplay their characters in (which includes roleplaying everything in the world).
There's a lot that can be said for being the Game Runner, so I've created an ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE section that contains more in-depth guidance for all of the above. I'll also be putting out a "Quick Start Guide" soon to help create your own world.
In short, help Players create their characters based on the setting, place obstacles in their way to build tension and the story, call for rolls as often as you can, and see what happens!
* See the TEMPLATES page to help customize/populate the world during preparation or on the fly.
* To read more about my philosophy of Roll 1 as a system (the mindset, development, reasons for choosing mechanics, and more), click HERE
* For a fun idea, you can buy blank d6s and mark one side with a sticker or marker, so if you see that mark you know you succeeded.