Art by Ashley St.lawrence . Why is so hard to find art involving dice that isn't awful/cringy? 90% of it says shit like "this is how I roll" or "when the DM rolls dice and doesn't say anything :0"
The Peril System is a bit of homebrew schlock I've been using to run my home games: essentially The Hazard System taken to its logical extreme and used as the sole resolution mechanic. Now, this works a-okay for the most part, but as I've been running it for a while I've started to grow peevish about a few things: namely, that using the encounter die as the resolution mechanic makes it extremely difficult to implement "success at a cost" "failure with a benefit" "failure with additional disaster" and all sorts of other enjoyable success and fail states, since the die used to create the interesting stuff (the costs and the benefits and the disasters) also has to determine the success/failure binary.
The second thing was that my players wanted to use GLOG classes, and while not impossible, converting GLOG to the Peril System involved more math than I liked, namely because it's hard to map d20 probability to d6 probability and I get obsessive about that kind of thing.
The last thing was that I had a few more ideas I'd been waiting on implementing, and since I had sort of resigned myself to retooling the system for more interesting success/fail states and higher compatibility anyway, I figured I'd get it all over with in one fell swoop. So without further ado, and not that any of you had asked for it, I give you:
The Peril System v.02
The Core Mechanic
When a player wants to attempt a task that can't be resolved through fictional positioning or negotiation with the GM, they roll a d20
If they roll 13+, they succeed.
If they have a Trait that would make the task easy for them, they succeed on a roll of 10+
If they have a Trait that would make the task harder for them, they succeed on a roll of 16+
If there are other circumstances that would help or hinder their chance of success, the GM may apply advantage/disadvantage, boons/banes or bonuses/penalties at their choosing, just as they would for any other d20 game. (The odds of success and failure in the Peril System are nearly equivalent to any OSR type game of your choosing)
The Peril Die
In addition to the d20 roll, the player must roll a Peril Die for each dangerous factor present in the situation.
If there are no dangerous factors present, the player should not have to roll to attempt to succeed the task at all.
The Peril Die is a d6 that represents a single dangerous factor about the task the player is attempting or the situation it is being attempted in. Peril Dice are interpreted by applying the following key to the dangerous factor they represent.
1: Disaster - (major mishap)
2: Setback (encounter, other mishap)
3: Fatigue (exhausted or some other negative status effect)
4: Loss (lose some resource)
5: Locality (something about the environment changes)
6: Glimmering ( a hint about something hidden or unknown, an opportunity)
If a player has a skill that would help to neutralize a dangerous factor, the player does not have to roll the Peril Die that represents that danger.
For example: if a character has made camp and wants to go forage for food and there are no dangerous factors present, no roll should be made. The character simply spends however much time the GM decides is needed to find food. However, if the player has unknowingly made a camp near an owlbear's den, and night is soon approaching the GM will have the player roll a d20 and two Peril Dice: one for the owlbears, one for the nighttime. (Note: the player does not have to know what danger the Peril Dice represent. In this example the GM would probably tell the player that nighttime is coming, but they do not have to mention the owlbears.) Let's say this character has Keen Eyes, a trait which would help them forage. Because of this, the player only needs to roll a 10+ to succeed, which they do. They roll a 4 (Loss) on the Peril Die representing Nighttime, and a 1 (Disaster) on the Peril Die representing the owlbears: the character easily spots enough food, but as they head back to camp, night begins to fall. In the dusk, they stumble, losing a portion of the food they collected. As they recover and continue on, they realize they no longer know where they are. Ahead of them, two lights glint in the dark. They raise their voice to call out, only to realize in the last flash of sunlight that those lights are the eyes of an owlbear whose den they have just stumbled into.
Combat
Melee
When a PC or NPC wishes to make a melee attack, both the Attacker and the Defender roll their respective damage dice, adding their Might to the roll.
Traits can alter damage rolls: if you have a helpful trait, you may increase or decrease your damage die by a step, if you have a hindering trait, your opponent may increase or decrease your damage die by a step.
Both parties take the damage that the other rolled to their Defense.
Defense represents one’s combined experience, luck, combat ability, and willpower. It’s basically HP. Damage dealt to Defense represents near misses, dodges, parries, etc.
At 0 Defense, all further damage causes Wounds, and any new Wounds you suffer are permanent.
Defense can be restored by resting out of combat for about 10 minutes. In addition, by taking an turn doing nothing but rallying yourself, you may spend any number of Defense Dice to roll them and regain that much Defense. Defense Dice spent like this are recovered after a full meal and rest.
Both the attacker and the Defender also roll 1 or more Peril Dice, assigned and interpreted by the GM based on circumstances, weapons, armor, combat maneuvers, etc. For example, if your opponent has a spear, and you are charging them, you would roll 2 Peril Dice: the default 1, and another for charging a foe who has a spear.
Combat maneuvers are handled through Peril Dice: declare what you want to do: if you roll higher than your foe, they must roll a peril die for your combat maneuver, if they roll higher, you must roll a peril die.
Just like normal, appropriate combat Skills can negate Peril Dice in combat.
If the Attacker rolled higher than the Defender and rolls max damage they cause a Wound to the Defender. The Attacker rolls [their weapon’s damage die + Might - the Defender’s Armor] and checks the appropriate Horrible Wounds Table. The Defender writes the Wound they suffer down under their Traits.
If the Defender would suffer a Wound they are already suffering from, they take the next one down that they are not already suffering from.
If multiple Attackers attack a single Defender, the Defender may only roll damage against one Attacker. However, all attackers must still roll higher than the Defender's damage roll (in addition to rolling max damage) to inflict a Wound.
Attacks that do multiple dice of damage can Wound multiple times if the total is greater than the Defenders damage roll and multiple dice come up max damage.
To summarize: when someone attacks, the Attacker and Defender roll [their weapon's damage die + Might] and 1 or more Peril Dice. Both parties take the results of their opponents roll as damage to their defense. If the attacker rolled higher and rolled max damage, they roll [their weapons damage die + Might] and check the appropriate Wound table. The Defender takes the Wound that was rolled.
Range
Ranged attacks are handled like melee ones, but the Defender does not get to roll damage dice, and the Attacker only rolls Peril Dice based on what the Defender is doing to evade them.
Ranged attacks do not cause wounds even on max rolls unless the opponent is at 0 Defense or the Attacker spent an action aiming before attacking
Armor
Armor's value is subtracted from the Attackers Wound roll.
Light: 1
Medium: 2
Heavy: 3
Great: 4
Shields
Shields provide Defense, not Armor - the role of the shield is to take the hit for you. If you've already been hit, it has failed.
Light: 2 Defense
Medium: 4 Defense
Heavy: 6 Defense
Shields Will be Splintered, Swords Will be Sundered
You may choose to have your shield be sundered in order to prevent 1 Wound
You may choose to have you sword be sundered in order to prevent or to cause 1 Wound
Magic
Magic is handled GLOG style. That is: when casting a spell, roll a number of magic dice. The number of magic dice you roll is usually determined by your level and class. If you roll doubles, that's a mishap, if you roll triples, that's a doom (what those mean is also determined by your class, or alternatively I use Do Not Take Me For Some Turner of Cheap Tricks)
Unlike GlOG, magic dice are not refunded on a roll of 1-3.
As per this post, magic in the Peril System is all temporary and can be undone by meeting the correct conditions, but the spell, and the effects caused by the spell, will persist until those conditions are met.
Whenever you cast a spell for the first time, declare and make a note of what must be done in order to undo the spell.
The magic dice you spend on a spell are not refunded until the conditions that undo that spell are met.
In order to offset this, players receive twice as many magic dice as they normally would. Furthermore, it is possible to gain "bonus" magic dice. Using specific rare components grants you magic dice for a particular spell. These "bonus" dice do not return to you when the spell is undone, they simply vanish.
EDIT: I forgot to include my rules for spells going unbroken for a long time - use the same tables that you use for miscasts and catastrophes and apply them to the thing that's been enchanted. So if your wizard casts flight on themselves and gives the spell an undoing condition that's highly unlikely, after a few days they'll start to mutate.
For example: let's say you cast a fireball spell at some bandits. Because this is your first time casting fireball, you must choose the condition that undoes it. You really don't want these bandits coming back anytime soon, so you say that rainfall will undo the ravages of your flame, knowing that you're in a desert and rainfall is unlikely. You have 4 magic dice, and spend 2 on the fireball. In addition, you crush a phoenix egg in your hand, giving you 2 bonus magic dice, for a 4 dice fireball. The bandits are toast. You have 2 remaining magic dice. When, months later, rain falls on the charred corpses of the bandits, flesh knits back together, skin smooths over, and they are restored to life. At the same time, the 2 magic dice you spent return to you, and you once again have 4. The bonus 2 you got from crushing the phoenix egg do not return.
EDIT: I forgot to include my rules for spells going unbroken for a long time - use the same tables that you use for miscasts and catastrophes and apply them to the thing that's been enchanted. So if your wizard casts flight on themselves and gives the spell an undoing condition that's highly unlikely, after a few days they'll start to mutate.
For example: let's say you cast a fireball spell at some bandits. Because this is your first time casting fireball, you must choose the condition that undoes it. You really don't want these bandits coming back anytime soon, so you say that rainfall will undo the ravages of your flame, knowing that you're in a desert and rainfall is unlikely. You have 4 magic dice, and spend 2 on the fireball. In addition, you crush a phoenix egg in your hand, giving you 2 bonus magic dice, for a 4 dice fireball. The bandits are toast. You have 2 remaining magic dice. When, months later, rain falls on the charred corpses of the bandits, flesh knits back together, skin smooths over, and they are restored to life. At the same time, the 2 magic dice you spent return to you, and you once again have 4. The bonus 2 you got from crushing the phoenix egg do not return.
Character Creation
Traits
Traits make tasks easier or more difficult. When you roll the dice, if you have a relevant trait that would make things easier for you, you must only roll 10+ to succeed. If you have a relevant trait that would make things hard for you, you must roll 16+.
If the relevant trait has a rank (a number written next to it) add that number to the roll of the trait is helpful, or subtract it from the roll if the trait is hindering. Traits can have up to 3 ranks.
If there is more than one relevant helpful or hindering Trait, use the highest valued Trait and then add or subtract 1 from the roll for each additional helpful or hindering Trait beyond the first
Traits can be almost anything that helps to describe your character: Wounds, for example, are Traits. Things your character knows how to do are not Traits, they are Skills.
Characters start out with four traits: roll twice and combine the results on both the Profile and Form tables and once each on the Gifts and Faults tables. If you roll the same result twice write a 1 next to that Trait. If you roll contridictory results, justify them: maybe your character with a Wrathful, Serene Profile has Wrathful eyes but a Serene smile.
Profile: the impression your face gives
- Delicate
- Rough
- Laughing
- Tragic
- Wrathful
- Serene
- Stoic
- Charming
- Scarred
- Soft
- Hungry
- Innocent
- Sly
- Trusting
- Wizened
- Youthful
- Knowing
- Foolish
- Fearful
- Fearsome
Form: what your body looks like
- Willowy
- Wiry
- Contorted
- Hulking
- Gaunt
- Tiny
- Towering
- Wispy
- Brawny
- Stout
- Corpulent
- Curvy
- Fragile
- Sturdy
- Athletic
- Spindly
- Short
- Broad
- Scrawny
- Slender
- Sharp Eyes
- Good Nose
- Quick Hands
- Keen Ear
- Graceful
- Iron Stomach
- Sensitive Touch
- Quick Witted
- Swift
- Strong Willed
- Clumsy
- Dim Vision
- Hard of Hearing
- Poor Sense of Smell
- Fumbling
- Sluggish
- Squeamish
- Dim Witted
- Weak Willed
- Distracted
Defense
Defense is essentially HP: it represents your ability to defend yourself from damaging blows, which is worn down over time as your reflexes begin to slow, your stamina drains, etc.
Everyone starts with a d10 "Defense Die" if you're being silly like me, or "Hit Die" if you're a normal human being. Helpful Traits increase this to a d12, hindering Traits decrease this to a d8. You start with max Defense, so 10, 12, or 8. You may also spend as many Defense Dice as you'd like in order to roll them and regain that much Defense. You need to take a full turn to do this, and Defense Dice spent in this way replenish after a full meal and rest.
You'll need it: attacking always costs you Defense.
Might
Might represents your combat efficacy: it is added to damage rolls. Your Might starts at 0 and increases with each level.
Might
Might represents your combat efficacy: it is added to damage rolls. Your Might starts at 0 and increases with each level.
Inventory and Memory
Inventory is handled through slots: 1 significant item is 1 slot, a large item is 2-4 slots, determined by the GM. 100 coins is 1 slot. You start with 12 Inventory slots, 16 if you have a helpful Trait, 8 if you have an hindering one.
Memory is essentially mental inventory. Skills take up 1 slot, as do most spells. Specific memories or things you want your character to memorize perfectly also take up slots: storing a map or recipe in your mind takes a slot, so does memorizing the layout of a building. Particularly complex skills, spells or memories may take up more than 1 slot. You start with 12 Memory slots, 16 if you have a helpful Trait, 8 if you have an hindering one.
Skills
Relevant skills can cancel out a number of Peril Dice equal to their rank. For example, the Diver Skill could be used to cancel out Peril Dice given from deep or choppy water.
The maximum rank you can normally achieve with a skill is 2, but training from a master may raise that to 3.
Characters start with 1 Skill, rolled either on the backgrounds/failed professions table of your choice, or from their class if you're using GLOG classes (notes on that at the bottom).
Equipment
Roll on whatever equipment tables you like, I'm not your boss.
Abilities/Classes
The Peril System can be a classless or class-ful system, depending on your preference. For a classless experience, have new characters roll on the OSR Ability Table 2 times. When they level up, they can roll on the table again, find someone to teach them a specific ability, or improve the efficacy of one of their existing abilities.
For a class-ier experience, use whatever GLOG classes the GM wants to include. I guess you could technically use other classes, but c'mon. If you're running an OSR game that includes classes and you're not using the GLOG classes, what's wrong with you? It's the 21st century.
Leveling
Use whatever XP system you want. I'm going to be using this one, it looks neat.
Converting Other Stuff to the Peril System
so, having read this, you clearly want to abandon ship on whatever system you've been using up to this point and use the Peril System. Some things to keep in mind:
- HP is Defense: make sure you scale up both PC and NPC HD size or combat will be incredibly quick and lethal, which, you know, is maybe a good thing.
- You can keep bonuses the same: the probability of the d20 roll, Traits and all, checks out as more or less the same as traditional OSR success/fail rates.
- Handle Saves with standard rolls, players can use any Traits that seem relevant: Stout might help you shrug off poison or fear for example.
- Any effects that deal with Crits should be mapped to max damage rolls (rolls that Wound instead). Stuff that increases your Crit range by 1 would increase your Wound range by 1, etc.
- Any bonuses to hit should be made into damage bonuses instead.
- I've probably forgotten stuff, if you have any questions go ahead and ask em!
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