Delves and Drakes
PLAYERS, THE DELVERS
1. Roll Stats
You have two stats. DELVING (for exploration, stealth, avoiding danger), and DRAKE (combat, intimidation, resisting ailments). Roll 3d6 (or take 8 & 16) and assign to each each stat.
| Stat | 3 | 4-7 | 5-8 | 9-11 | 12-14 | 15-17 | 18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mod | -3 | -2 | -1 | 0 | +1 | +2 | +3 |
2. Choose a class for your character
At Level 1, Hit Points (HP) equal the max of your Hit Die (HD).
| d4 | Classes | HD | AC | Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mage | d4 | 13 | Cast a # of spells equal to level +1 |
| 2 | Expert | d6 | 15 | Add level +2 to non-attack d20 rolls |
| 3 | Healer | d8 | 15 | Healing pool equal level x 10 HP |
| 4 | Warrior | d12 | 17 | Add level +1 to attack & damage rolls |
3. Choose a species for your character
| d6 | Species | You are ... | fallacy is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dwarf | meticulous & hardy, can see in dark | stubborn |
| 2 | Elf | refined nature fey with keen senses | arrogant |
| 3 | Human | social, organized & wont give up | self-serving |
| 4 | Gnome | short & cunning, can smell magic | aloof |
| 5 | Orc | athletic, survivalists | fierce |
| 6 | Outsider | plane touched with magic resistant | mysterious |
4. What motivates you?
| d8 | Motivation | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avenge friend or family | 5 | Prove I am the best |
| 2 | Cloistered thrill seeker | 6 | Find my family heirloom |
| 3 | Seek lost knowledge | 7 | On a bounty for my patron |
| 4 | Be rich, make a fortune | 8 | I'm from another reality |
5. Choose a profession
| d20 | Profession | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alchemist | 6 | Gambler | 11 | Merchant | 16 | Ruffian |
| 2 | Charlatan | 7 | Investigator | 12 | Noble | 17 | Soldier |
| 3 | Entertainer | 8 | Knight | 13 | Pirate | 18 | Tinkerer |
| 4 | Historian | 9 | Linguist | 14 | Priest | 19 | Thief |
| 5 | Hunter | 10 | Mercenary | 15 | Ranger | 20 | Urchin |
6. Choose a name
Choose a cool name, or mysterious nickname for your hero!
Leveling up
After each successful delve you gain a level. Roll a Hit Die and add the total to your maximum HP. Will you reach epic level 10?
CONFLICT RESOLUTION
In conflicts characters can take basic actions such as Parlay, Move, Attack, Cast a spell, Use an item, Support an ally; or any other actions you can imagine like grapple, hide, play music, intimidate, tumble out of danger, open a door, light a torch, etc...
The conflict resolution process is done in rounds, with phases. Characters can choose to take 1 or 2 actions, but cannot take the same action twice in a round. The phases go in the following order:
- Any player taking a single action goes first.
- then any enemy taking a single action goes.
- Any player taking two actions goes,
- then any enemy taking two actions goes.
- Environmental effects occur, and GM checks morale if needed.
- Repeat from the top until the conflict is resolved.
ROLLING THE DICE
When performing an action in which success or failure is uncertain, the Game Master (GM) will tell you to roll a d20. Before you roll, the GM will give you a target number to match or beat in order to succeed. Then roll the d20 add your relevant stat modifier, and if the roll is something you are good at due to your class, species, or profession, add your level (expert & warrior features improve on this) to the roll. If your roll and all modifiers is equal or larger to the target number you succeed. If you fail something bad happens. A roll of 1 on the d20 always fail, a 20 always succeed and the next d20 roll on the same task rolls with advantage.
| Target | Challenging | Hard or Risky | Heroic or Deadly |
|---|---|---|---|
| # | 10 | 15 | 20 |
Advantage and Disadvantage
If you have Advantage (high ground, allies help, retrying, etc) while performing an action, roll two d20s and keep the higher result. If you are in Disadvantage (tripped, lack the tool for the job, surrounded by foes, etc) roll two d20s and keep the lower.
Additionally during a conflict or challenge, you can ask for Advantage to a roll aligns with the character's motivation.
Rolling to hit, attacks
Roll against a target number equal to the target's Armor Class (AC). If you hit, roll your Hit Die (HD) plus your Drake modifier worth of damage (a weapon is only as dangerous as its wielder). On a roll of a 20 on the die, deal max damage. A character that reaches 0 HP is dying or knocked out.
Skill challenges
Personal challenge You need typically 3 to 6 successes, before 3 failures, to complete a complex challenge, like opening a lock.
Party challenge Everyone in the party takes an action usually a skill or spell. If everyone succeeds its a complete success. If there is 1 failure, the party succeeds, but with complications. If half the party fails it is a complete failure, and the party suffers a setback.
MAGIC & SPELLS
When casting a spell roll on a target of 10 + spell level x2. If you fail the spell does not go off and you can retry next time. If this is the only action on your turn you have Advantage on the roll.
| Level | Spell | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bolts | Level +2 bolts hit for d4+1 damage each. |
| 1 | Charm | Charm non-violent target to be friendly. |
| 1 | Sleep | Foes with HD equal or less to level sleep. |
| 1 | Mage sight | Detect and understand magical effects. |
| 2 | Invisibility | A target becomes invisible until it attacks. |
| 2 | Telekinesis | Create a force equal to level x 100 lbs. |
| 2 | Fear | Foes with less HD than your level flee. |
| 3 | Dispel | Dispel a magical effect. |
| 3 | Blast | Level x d6 damage to all in blast. |
OPTIONAL RULES
Damage riders
On a successful action that causes damage, if the result is 20 or over, you can choose to add a damage rider to the effect.
| Damage | rider effect | Damage | rider effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clobber | Addle or push | Acid | Damage item or gear |
| Grapple | Pin target | Fire | Next round d4 hp |
| Hack | 2 armor damage | Flow | Push, pull or trip |
| Pierce | Stab +3 hp | Ice | Slow, then Freeze |
| Reach | Halt or trip | Mental | Fear or Madness |
| Slash | Disable limb | Poison | Ongoing 1 hp a turn |
Encumbrance
It is assumed a delver has armor, a melee and ranged weapon, tools of their trade, as well as basic gear like rations, torches, wineskin, rope, pitons, and things they pick up exploring. If you want to track encumbrance, you can carry as many portable items as your Delving stat, if you go over you are at physical Disadvantage.
Quantum Gear
Make a Delving roll, using modifiers and target numbers as usual, to determine if someone has the right tool or item for the job.
Smiting with healing
Healers can blast unnatural scourge with healing. They can deal 2 HP of damage to all nearby targets, or 4 HP to a single target for each HP spent from their pool (up to a max equal to level).
Corruption & Insanity
When rolling a 1 on a d20 for a spell, being scared, or under an unnatural effect, a character suffers a one point of corruption and spends the rest of their turn writhing. Each time one suffers corruption, roll a d20 plus their corruption points. On a result of 20 or over they are changed, and develop a long term corruption, insanity, or mutation. Corruptions have benefits and drawbacks.
THE DELVE & DRAKE
What type of Drake lurks in the Delve?
| d6 | The Drake is a ... | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | True Dragon | 4 | Lindwurm |
| 2 | Wyvern Nest | 5 | Hydra |
| 3 | Dragon Turtle | 6 | Dracolich |
| d8 | And its Minions are ... | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Doesn't need any | 5 | Swarms of goblins |
| 2 | Devious Kobolds | 6 | The Undead |
| 3 | Dragon Cultists | 7 | Half Dragons |
| 4 | Ancient Golems | 8 | Its Champion |
DELVING DUNGEONS
The Delve turn
A delve turn is around 5-20 minutes. Each turn the party can attempt something together, such as exploring a room, carefully cross a chasm, get into a fight, parlay with the locals, etc...
During a turn the party is being careful, examining their environment for threats, while trying to stay relatively quite.
Random Encounters
Dungeons are living places and there are several factions moving through these places. Not all encounters lead to immediate danger, and some encounters might be a boon for the party, but the longer you are in the dungeon the more risky they become.
If the area the party is in a safe haven the GM may roll two encounter dice and take the lower result, on the contrary if the area is dangerous or the party is making a ruckus, the GM may want to roll two dice and take the worst result
Morale
To see if an NPC will continue to challenge a party roll 2d6. If the result is over their morale score, they will try to withdraw. Some good moments to check morale are: After the side's first major loss, when half the NPCs have been incapacitated, and right before total failure.
Resting
Once during a delve (or every 8 hours) the party can spend a delve turn to rest to recover hit points and replenish spells and healing pools. When resting delvers roll a number of hit dice equal to their level. If the total is higher than their current hit points their HP now equal the new total; and recover one spell or 10 HP of healing pool.
By KameBit's DrFugue https://kamebit.wordpress.com/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License