FAST 5E
A simplified version loosely based on the 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game rules by Jeremy Crawford and Mike Mearls, an update to the original work of Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
PLAYING THE GAME
* The Game Master (GM) describes a scene, including people, places, and things seen and heard.
* Players take turns describing their characters’ responses and asking for more details.
* The GM controls the responses of non-player characters (NPCs).
* Interesting and uncertain outcomes are determined by rolling a 20-sided die (1d20) and adding one of a character’s six ability modifiers.
* If a task involves a character’s specialty, roll two d20 dice, use only the higher result, and ignore the lower result.
* Rolling equal to or higher than an opponent’s roll or a difficulty number means success.
* Rolling below a target number means failure, or success at a cost.
* In combat, successful attack rolls cause damage that lowers a target’s current hit points.
* X-Card Safety Tool: Anyone may tap or hold up an “X” card to skip or modify a scene without explanation.
WHAT’S NEEDED
* A space to gather and share a story around a table or an online meeting space.
* One character description per player.
* An adventure story outline for the Game Master.
* Several 20-sided dice to share.
* One X-card per player.
* Items to track Luck Points (cards or coins).
* Pens, pencils, writing paper, or electronic tables to take notes.
ABOUT THE NUMBERS
* Dice: All rolls are made with 20-sided dice (d20s).
* Rounding: Unless noted otherwise, round all numbers down.
* Multipliers: If an effect (such as damage) is doubled twice, treat it as x3, not x4.
* Conversions: Notes about Imperial and metric measurements favor simplicity over accuracy.
CREATING A CHARACTER
* Make up a character name and brief backstory.
* Assign a range of modifiers among six abilities. (Use +10, +8, +6, +4, +2, +0 for action heroes, or +6, +4, +4, +2, +0, -2 for gritty realistic characters.)
* Determine Armor Class and Hit Points.
* Roll for Luck Points (1d20/4).
* Describe a specialty occupation or nature, and its related skills.
* Note any specific gear carried.
ABILITIES
* Strength (STR) (physical prowess, melee weapons)
* Dexterity (DEX) (agility, reflexes, ranged weapons)
* Constitution (CON) (health, fortitude, concentration)
* Intelligence (INT) (knowledge, memory, reason)
* Wisdom (WIS) (awareness, empathy, willpower)
* Charisma (CHA) (appeal, communication, leadership)
ABILITY MODIFIERS
* -2 or less: Poor (weakened capability)
* +0: Fair (about human average)
* +2: Good (trained or talented)
* +4: Excellent (experienced professional, high talent)
* +6: Remarkable (elite, veteran, 1 in 10,000 talent)
* +8: Great (best in the region, 1 in a million talent)
* +10: Amazing (master, genius, among best in the world)
* +12 or more: Legendary (mythic ability, superhuman)
ARMOR CLASS (AC): 10 + half Dexterity (round down) + Protection
* If a target gains protection from different sources, only the highest protection counts toward AC.
* +0 no protection
* +2 light protection (leather, ballistic vest)
* +5 medium protection (chainmail, ballistic suit)
* +7 heavy protection (plate mail, bomb disposal suit)
* +10 massive protection (advanced battlesuit, mecha)
* +1 small shield (buckler)
* +2 large shield (full shield)
HIT POINTS (HP): CON x 5 (minimum 5 hp)
* Per hour of rest, living beings recover hit points equal to Constitution (at least 1 hit point). Medical care (hospitalization, rejuvenation tank) doubles this rate of recovery.
* Damaged devices and vehicles recover hit points equal to a task roll total made each hour that a character or team performs repairs.
* Living beings at 0 or less hit points are dying, drop prone, cannot take actions, suffer disadvantage on saving throws, only move at a 5 ft. (1.5m) per turn crawl, and talk at a whisper.
* Dying characters must succeed at a Constitution saving throw versus Hard difficulty (15) at the end of each turn. Any failed save means death. (Emergency medical aid grants advantage on this saving throw.) A d20 roll of a 20 (“natural 20”) means the character immediately recovers with Constitution number of hit points. A roll of a 1 (“natural 1”) means instant death.
* If hit points are reduced to a negative value equal to a character’s maximum hit points, the character instantly dies.
* Minor non-player characters are dead at 0 or less hit points.
* Devices and vehicles at 0 or less hit points reduce speed by half each turn until stopped, and any use of the disabled device is done with disadvantage. Full negative hit points means the device is permanently ruined beyond repair.
SPEED (SPD): 30 feet (10 meters) per move
* Half speed over difficult terrain (icy surfaces, uneven ground, through crowds).
* Double speed to run, attempting no other actions.
* Movement caused by another creature or vehicle still counts toward a character’s movement for a turn. A character cannot be carried or ride a transport and then make another move using the character’s Speed during the same turn.
LUCK POINTS: Use to re-roll dice results.
* Each player character starts game session with 1 to 5 Luck Points, determined randomly (roll 1d20 / 4).
* Spend one Luck Point at any time to re-roll the most recent 1d20 result for yourself, a friend, or a foe. Choose to use either result.
* Resting for at least eight hours grants a character a new Luck Point, up to a maximum of 5 held at once.
* Special events, magical items, or curses may automatically add or remove to a character’s Luck Point total.
SPECIALTY: Some occupation, topic, or action grants a character advantage on related task rolls. These specialties may also include supernatural traits, such as seeing in darkness up to 60 feet (20 meters) or the ability to cast magical spells.
Examples…
* Archer (archery, crafting and repairing bows, long-distance vision)
* Bard (storyteller, musician, diplomat, and subtle spellcaster)
* Natural Sciences (biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, planetology)
* Police (law enforcement procedures, arrests, interrogation, patrol tactics)
* Private Investigator (surveillance, deduction, contacts in law enforcement)
* Rock Star (captivating performances, media presence, touring, using fame)
* Rogue (stealth, opening locks, sleight of hand, climbing sheer surfaces)
* Secret Agent (disguise, covert tactics, espionage contacts)
* Warrior (brawling, melee and bow weapons, martial discipline, stamina)
* Wizard (magical study through books, schools, and spell formulas)
TASKS ROLLS: 1d20 + ability modifier vs. target number
* Advantage: Roll d20 twice and use the higher number.
* Disadvantage: Roll d20 twice and use the lower number.
* Instances of advantage and disadvantage on the same roll cancel out.
* Roll totals equal to or higher than the target number succeed as intended.
* Roll totals lower than target fail or succeed at a cost.
* Saving throws are task rolls made to avoid or reduce harm from hazards or powers.
* Teamwork: All roll; use best single 1d20 roll with best ability modifier from among the whole team.
Target numbers
* Easy Difficulty: Roll 5 or higher.
* Hard Difficulty: Roll 15 or higher.
* Extreme Difficulty: Roll 25 or higher.
* Opposed Difficulty: Roll higher than opponent; re-roll ties.
* Extended Tasks: Roll once per minute or hour until sum total equals target number.
* Attacks: Roll equal to or over a target’s Armor Class (AC).
COMBAT
* Each combat round covers about 6 seconds of action.
* For initiative order of turns, each combatant rolls 1d20 + DEX. Higher results act before lower results.
* A character’s turn’s action may be delayed to trigger when something specific happens during another’s turn.
* On a turn, a character may do one action and move, or do a double speed move with no actions.
* If attacking, make one d20 attack task roll “to hit” and one d20 damage roll.
* If attacking multiple targets at once, the attack task roll suffers disadvantage and damage is divided equally among hit targets (round down).
* If an attack hits, subtract damage from the target’s hit points.
* If damage drops a target to 0 hit points, any remaining damage may be applied against another target that has the same or less AC and is within range.
Attack Task: 1d20 + ability modifier (STR or DEX) versus target’s Armor Class (AC)
* Equal to or higher than AC is a hit, below AC is a miss.
* d20 roll of 20 (“natural 20”): Automatic hit with maximum attack damage.
* d20 roll of 1 (“natural 1”): Automatic miss and attacker suffers disadvantage on all tasks and saving throws until end of next turn.
Damage on a successful attack…
* Light Damage: 1 to 2 (1d20 / 10, round up) + either STR (melee) or DEX (melee or ranged)
* Medium Damage: 1 to 10 (1d20 / 2) + STR (melee) or DEX (ranged)
* Heavy Damage: 1 to 20 (1d20) + STR (melee) or DEX (ranged)
* Massive Damage: 2 to 40 (1d20 x 2) + STR (melee) or DEX (ranged)
Example attacks…
* Light Unarmed Attacks: Punches, kicks, grapples, throws.
* Light Weapons: Knives, handaxes, daggers, saps, darts.
* Medium Weapons: Longswords, battleaxes, maces, bows, crossbows, spears, pistols, civilian rifles.
* Heavy Weapons: Greatswords, greataxes, shotguns, assault rifles, polearms, close to a grenade blast.
* Massive Weapons: Direct hit with a grenade blast, boulder thrown by a giant, plasma gun.
SPECIAL COMBAT RULES
* Cover: Targets half behind cover add +2 to their AC scores, while three-quarters cover provides a +5 AC bonus. Characters fully behind cover cannot attack targets they cannot see.
* Aiming: Spending a turn’s action aiming a ranged weapon at a target grants advantage on a ranged attack made during the next round.
* Defensive Parry: Instead of attacking for damage with a melee weapon, an attack roll total may replace Armor Class against melee attack. Such an option is useless against ranged and area effect attacks.
* Two-Weapon Attacks: Treat two light weapons as one medium damage attack. An attacker cannot use a shield if dual wielding weapons.
* Sneak Attack: If a living target doesn’t expect an attack, the first hit causes double damage. Targets expect further attacks the fight ends.
* Power Attack: As an option, an attacker may choose to suffer disadvantage on a melee attack task roll, but any successful hit from that attack causes double damage.
RESISTANCES AND WEAKNESSES: Against specific damage types, a target may be…
* Resistant (Type): Suffers half damage.
* Immune (Type): Ignores damage.
* Vulnerable (Type): Suffers double damage.
* Threshold (Type, ##): Ignores all damage if below a set number; suffers full damage if equal or above number.
DAMAGE TYPES
* Acid: Industrial chemicals, battery acid, corrosive spills.
* Bludgeoning: Vehicle impacts, crowd surges, collapsing debris.
* Cold: Cryogenic exposure, vacuum chill, arctic winter weather.
* Fire: Explosions, incendiary weapons, open flames.
* Force: Shockwaves, kinetic barriers, directed energy impacts.
* Lightning: Electrical power surges, tasers, exposed high-voltage lines.
* Necrotic: Radiation sickness, nanotechnology infections, entropy fields.
* Piercing: Ballistics, shrapnel, hypersonic fragments.
* Poison: Nerve agents, contaminated water, synthetic toxins.
* Psychic: Neural overload, mental attacks, extreme stress and trauma.
* Radiant: Nuclear radiation, solar flares, focused particle beams.
* Slashing: Industrial blades, high-speed shrapnel edges, bladed weapons.
* Thunder: Sonic booms, concussive blasts, shock pulses.
CONDITIONS
* Hindered (Ability): Disadvantage on all rolls using a specific ability modifier.
* Immobilized: Cannot move or take take actions.
* Pinned: Cannot move but may attempt task actions.
* Prone: Crawl at half speed or lose half speed to stand up.
* Unconscious: Cannot move, take actions, sense surroundings, or communicate. Melee attacks automatically hit.
RANGES AND ZONES
* A zone is an area roughly 30 feet by 30 feet (10 meters x 10 meters).
* An area or event may contain multiple zones.
* A movement places a character in an adjoining zone.
Personal Scale Ranges…
* Touching: Held, grappled, connected
* Melee Range: Same zone, up to 6 feet (2 meters) (hand-held weapons)
* Throwing Range: Same zone, 50 feet (15m) (hand axes, javelins)
* Short Shooting: About 330 feet (100m) (bows, pistols, shotguns)
* Long Shooting: About 1,000 feet (600m) (rifles, beam weapons)
* Distant Range: About 15 miles (25 km) (artillery, cannons)
SAVING THROWS
* Compare a 1d20 + ability result to a hazard difficulty number or opponent’s power roll.
* Making a saving throw does not count as an action nor affect movement.
Example saving throws…
* Strength Save: Resisting overpowering physical force or knockback, breaking restraints.
* Dexterity Save: Dodging explosions or falling debris, slipping out of grabs, keeping balance.
* Constitution Save: Resisting poison, disease, exhaustion, pain, extreme temperatures, and deprivation.
* Intelligence Save: Resisting mental disruptions and mind control, seeing through illusions.
* Wisdom Save: Resisting emotional and sensory manipulation, fear, hypnosis, and temptation.
* Charisma Save: Resisting possession, domination, and attempts to alter a being’s identity.
STRESS
* Failing to resist trama may cause the hindrance condition (disadvantage) to an ability (usually Constitution for physical stress, Wisdom for mental stress). This condition lasts for a number of hours equal to the difference between the difficulty target number and the failed saving throw total.
* Hours spent carousing with others, staying deep in prayer, or using intoxicants count double toward ending stress.
* One a d20 roll of 20 (“natural 20”), the character becomes immune to stress and gains advantage on one ability for 1d20 hours.
* Easy Save (5): Learning of a loved one’s death. Discovering a corpse. A day of hunger or dehydration.
* Hard Save (15): Witnessing a graphic death. Three days without water. A week without food. Seeing a minor eldritch horror for the first time.
* Extreme Save (25): Witnessing a loved one’s graphic death. Enduring torture. Beyond a week without food. Seeing a major eldritch horror.
CHASES
* Each round, both sides rolls 1d20 + one ability (STR through a crowd, DEX over difficult terrain).
* If one side has better Speed, the faster side’s chase roll is made with advantage.
* The opposed task’s winner closes or increases the distance between pursuer and evader by an range equal to the winner’s Speed.
INVESTIGATIONS
* Requires at least one hour of work (library, evidence lab, local bars, calling around).
* Roll 1d20 + INT (research) or CHA (carousing, networking).
* Total result equals the number of questions to be answered by the GM.
* Impossible information cannot be learned.
SPECIALIZED GEAR
* Grants advantage on specific task actions (disguise kit to pass as another, mountaineering kit to climb rocky surfaces, and so forth).
* Some gear may be licensed or restricted (military-grade weapons, hazardous materials).
* If seeking specific gear, make a task roll. Difficulty is either easy (common and cheap), hard (rare or expensive), or extreme (luxury good or tightly controlled).
HIGHER LEVEL CHARACTERS
* Add Level to total hit points.
* Add additional specialties (one per 3 levels).
* Increase one or more ability modifiers (add +1 per 5 levels).
Level tiers…
* Level 0: Untrained bystanders.
* Level 1 to 3: Initiates, novices, rookies.
* Level 4 to 6: Professionals, adepts, operatives.
* Level 7 to 9: Experts, elites, veterans.
* Level 10 or 12: Champions, paragons, action heroes.
* Level 13 to 15: Legendary heroes, minor superheroes.
* Level 16 to 18: Mythic heroes, major superheroes.
* Level 19 or higher: Epic heroes, immortals, superior superheroes.
POWERS
POWER SCORE
A character’s Power score is equal to a specific ability modifier based on the source or nature of the powers.
* Strength: Berserker rage. Sci-fi battlesuit.
* Dexterity: Monk ki powers. Dance magic.
* Constitution: Dwarven rune magic. Weird science mutations.
* Intelligence: Arcane magic. Active psionics.
* Wisdom: Divine and nature magic. Passive psionics.
* Charisma: Blood and pact magic. Bardic song.
POWER TASK ROLL
* Roll 1d20 + ability tied to power versus a target’s appropriate saving throw.
* Against the local environment or an inanimate object, difficulty is easy (fantasy realms), hard (modern world), or extreme (isolated reality).
* On a result equal to or greater than the saving throw or target number, the power works as intended.
* On a lower result, the effect fails and the powered character loses hit points equal to the difference (saving throw or difficulty total minus power task roll).
* Overpowering: A character may gain +1 to a Powers roll for every hit point lost in the process. This self-inflicted damage must be chosen before the d20 task roll, and it cannot be lessened by resistances or protections.
POWER EXAMPLES
Animate: A nearby human-sized object (or three dog-sized objects) move as if alive for minutes equal to your Power roll. Such objects are AC 14 and have a combined total hit points equal to your Power roll. They obey your commands until the duration ends, after which they either revert to original state or continues without control (equal chance of either outcome).
Afflict: One target within long shooting range suffers hinderance (disadvantage) on one ability for a number of minutes equal to the Power roll. The target uses the same ability saving throw as the one to be afflicted; if the save is successful, there is no effect and you suffer damage equal to the difference between rolls.
Charm: One target whose Wisdom saving throw is under the Power roll considers you a trusted friend for a number of days equal to the Power roll. Causing obvious harm to the charmed target immediately ends this effect. If the target resists on the saving throw, you suffer damage equal to the difference between roll results.
Divination: You make a Power roll against a difficulty set by the number of questions posed to the Game Master: just one question is Easy (5), a number equal to your Power modifier is Hard (15), and a number equal to your Powers roll result is Extreme (25). Questions can include asks for public or hidden knowledge, descriptions of distant places, or speculations on the likely outcomes of specific actions. Answers from the GM may be shared just to you or spoken aloud to a group. If your Power roll fails, you suffer damage equal to the difference between your Power roll and the Difficulty target number.
Elemental Blast (e.g. Fireball): Everything within a 20-foot (6-meter) radius of point within short shooting range takes damage of one elemental type (acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, radiant, or thunder) equal to the Power roll. Targets succeeding at a Dexterity saving throw versus the Power roll total suffer half damage.
Force Field: You create a transparent energy barrier in a 10-foot (3-meter) radius around yourself. This field grants you a protection bonus equal to your Power modifier, and the field has a Damage Threshold equal to your Powers roll result. Each time an attack’s damage equals or succeeds in getting through, the force field’s protection and damage threshold drop by half. When the field gets to 1 hit point or less, it vanishes. You may drop the force field at any time, else it lasts for a maximum of 1 minute per Power modifier point.
Illusion: You create a false image with convincing sights, sounds, and smells, though it has no real physical form nor can it cause damage. The maximum size of the illusion equals a radius of your Power modifier x 5 in feet (or, x 1.5 in meters). Observers who make an Intelligence saving throw recognize the illusion as false. The false image lasts a number of minutes equal to the Powers roll result.
Psionic Blast: All living creatures within a 20-foot radius of point within short shooting range take massive psychic damage. Targets making an Intelligence saving throw versus the Power roll suffer half damage.
Teleportation: You and one other human-sized object or willing creature per Power modifier point instantly disappear and reappear at a described location. This destination can be at a distance of up to 1 mile (1.5km) away per Powers roll result. Else, you can cause a known object from a similar distance to suddenly appear in front of you. If your Powers roll is less than the Difficulty of the surrounding area, you suffer damage equal to the difference between roll totals.
Acid: Industrial chemicals, battery acid, corrosive spills.
* Bludgeoning: Vehicle impacts, crowd surges, collapsing debris.
* Cold: Cryogenic exposure, vacuum chill, arctic winter weather.
* Fire: Explosions, incendiary weapons, open flames.
* Force: Shockwaves, kinetic barriers, directed energy impacts.
* Lightning: Electrical power surges, tasers, exposed high-voltage lines.
* Necrotic: Radiation sickness, nanotechnology infections, entropy fields.
* Piercing: Ballistics, shrapnel, hypersonic fragments.
* Poison: Nerve agents, contaminated water, synthetic toxins.
* Psychic: Neural overload, mental attacks, extreme stress and trauma.
* Radiant: Nuclear radiation, solar flares, focused particle beams.
* Slashing: Industrial blades, high-speed shrapnel edges, bladed weapons.
* Thunder: Sonic booms, concussive blasts, shock pulses.
APPENDIX: FULL RANGE SCALE
* Touching: Held, grappled, connected
* Melee Range: Same zone, up to 6 feet (2 meters) (hand-held weapons)
* Throwing Range: Same zone, 50 feet (15m) (hand axes, javelins)
* Short Shooting: About 330 feet (100m) (bows, pistols, shotguns)
* Long Shooting: About 1,000 feet (600m) (rifles, beam weapons)
* Distant Range: About 15 miles (25 km) (artillery, cannons)
* Orbital Range: 60 miles (100 km) (cruise missile)
* Short Astronomical: 600 miles (1000s km) (low-Earth orbit satellite weapon)
* Medium Astronomical: 10,000s miles (or km) (geostationary satellite weapon)
* Long Astronomical: 100,000s miles (or km) (starship beam weapons)
* Distant Astronomical: 1,000,000s miles (or km) (starship missile weapons)
* Stellar Subsystem: 100s millions miles (or km) (astronomical units)
* Stellar System: Billions miles (or km) (limits of solar system)
* Parsec: Trillions miles (or km) (a few light years)
APPENDIX: FANTASY AND SUPERNAUTRAL SPECIALTIES
Fantasy and supernatural profession specialties…
* Alchemist (transforms matter, crafts potions, binds magic to objects)
* Anagakok (spirit communication, weather magic, healing through trance)
* Apothecary (mixes remedies, cures, and elixirs from rare ingredients)
* Archer (archery, crafting and repairing bows, long-distance vision)
* Archivist (organizes scrolls, arcane tomes, secret treaties, and records)
* Bandit (ambush tactics, survival on the run, ruthless greed)
* Barbarian (untamed strength, tribal tradition, fierce survival)
* Bard (storyteller, musician, diplomat, and subtle spellcaster)
* Beast-Rider (animal bond, mobile tactics, primal command)
* Berserker (battle frenzy, pain resistance, reckless ferocity)
* Blacksmith (creates weapons and armor, may work with rare materials)
* Bowyer (crafts bows, crossbows, and arrows of great precision)
* Cavalier (chivalric code, mounted mastery, shining presence)
* Cleric (serves a deity through prayer, healing, and divine magic)
* Cook / Camp Steward (prepares meals, rations, and morale boosters)
* Court Wizard (serves royalty with arcane counsel and magical protection)
* Diviner (interprets omens, visions, and magical signs of the future)
* Druid (nature, weather, animal, and plant magic, herbal lore, shapechanging)
* Duelist (specializes in single combat, speed, and finesse)
* Enchanter (specializes in imbuing items, charms, and magical bindings)
* Exorcist (identifying possession, banishment rites, holy symbols, sacred texts)
* Gladiator (arena combatant, crowd-pleaser, master of spectacle)
* Herald (messenger of nobility, voice of law, bearer of crests and edicts)
* Inquisitor (roots out heresy, interrogates with divine authority)
* Jeweler (creates decorative and enchanted rings, amulets, and gems)
* Knight (noble warrior code, armored combat, battlefield leadership)
* Monk (ascetic discipline, unarmed combat, inner harmony)
* Monster Hunter (lore of beasts, traps, tracking, supernatural resilience)
* Monster Trapper (using bait, nets, and lore to capture beasts alive)
* Myrmidon (loyal formation fighter, deadly precision)
* Necromancer (animating corpses, commanding dead spirits, defiling rituals)
* Ninja (stealth mastery, sabotage skill, silent lethality)
* Noble (recognized family name, legal privilege, large land ownership)
* Noble Warrior (code of honor, dueling skill, commanding presence)
* Occultist (forbidden knowledge, dark rites, summoning, ritual artifacts)
* Oracle (receives visions, speaks prophecy, interprets fate)
* Outlaw (stealthy escape, ambush skill, hunted reputation)
* Paladin (holy knight sworn to a cause, smites evil, heals the innocent)
* Paranormal Investigator (ghost hunting, EMF detection, spirit communication)
* Peasant Hero (humility, unshakable courage, strength through hardship)
* Pilgrim (wanders in devotion, spreads faith, seeks holy places)
* Pirate (sea combat, cunning raids, rebellious nature)
* Prophet (divine visions, cryptic warnings, voice of destiny)
* Psychic (extrasensory perception, telepathy, precognition, mental resistance)
* Ranger (wilderness scout, archer, tracker, guardian of the wilds)
* Royal Cartographer (maps far lands, old ruins, and magical ley lines)
* Royal Tutor (educates noble children in magic, etiquette, and languages)
* Runesmith (carves magical symbols onto objects, weapons, and armor)
* Sage (learned in many fields, ancient texts, and esoteric knowledge)
* Sailor (navigation, knotwork, weather reading, life at sea, maritime survival)
* Samurai (blade mastery, strict discipline, ancestral duty)
* Savage (wild tactics, survival instinct, fearsome aura)
* Scout (trail awareness, enemy spotting, fast movement)
* Scribe (writes scrolls, maps, ledgers, and magical contracts)
* Shaman (speaks with spirits, heals through trance, crafts wards and omens)
* Sorcery (spell rituals, arcane knowledge, magical constructs, curses)
* Street Magician (performs minor tricks and illusions for coin and cover)
* Summoner (calls forth spirits, elementals, or demons to obey commands)
* Swashbuckler (graceful combat, charming bravado, agile acrobatics)
* Thug (intimidation, street fighting, brute loyalty)
* Tinker (repairs gear, works with clockwork, small tech, and knickknacks)
* Warrior (brawling, melee and bow weapons, martial discipline, stamina)
* Warlock (bargains and pacts with otherworldly beings, invocation magic, hexes)
* Witch (herbal magic, curses, charms, seasonal rituals, coven knowledge)
* Wizard (magical study through books, schools, and spell formulas)
* Wu Jen (elemental mastery, arcane ritual magic, mystical taboos)
Fantasy heritage (species and racial) specialties…
* Angel (delivering divine messages, healing and protection magic)
* Banshee (terrifying wail, ghostly beauty, harbinger of death)
* Bugbear (ambush predator, brute strength, tribal cruelty)
* Cat Folk (seeing in near darkness, stealthy and graceful movement)
* Centaur (horse-bodied, speed, archery, poetry, divination magic)
* Cloud Giant (sky-dwelling nobility, weather magic, long-range vision)
* Cyclops (single-eyed sight, crafting prowess, volcanic strength)
* Demon (destructive and corrupting magic, vulnerable to holy items)
* Devil (politics, power plays, crafting wish-granting soul pacts)
* Dragon (iron-hard scales, sensing treasure, flight, breathing fire)
* Dryad (speak with tree spirits, rapidly grow and control plants)
* Dwarf (stonework, metalcraft, brewing, resiliency against magic and poisons)
* Elemental (body of water, earth, air, or fire; control over native element)
* Elf (archery, enchantment magic, nature lore, ancient traditions)
* Ettin (two-headed brute, independent minds, club mastery)
* Faerie (glamour magic, hidden secrets, riddles, binding pacts with oaths)
* Fetch (phantom twin, omen of death, mirror magic)
* Frost Giant (icy strength, towering size, blizzard survival)
* Gargoyle (stone skin, rooftop vigilance, night movement)
* Genie/Jinn (wish-granting fire and air magic, cunning magical contracts)
* Ghost (manifesting visions, passing through solid objects, possessing bodies)
* Ghoul (corpse hunger, paralyzing claws, graveyard cunning)
* Gnome (clever inventions, magical illusions, speaking with woodland animals)
* Goblin (stonework, scavenging, making traps, magical tricks, sneaking)
* Gorgon (petrifying gaze, serpent hair, cursed beauty)
* Gremlin (sabotage magic, tool curse, tech-bane trickster)
* Hag (curse weaving, coven rituals, shapeshifting crone)
* Halfling (stealth, cooking, storytelling, and community-centered resilience)
* Harpy (flight, claws, shrieking song that controls mortals’ minds)
* Hobgoblin (military structure, tactical warfare, conquest-driven)
* Human (adaptable, ambitious, innovative, both compassionate and cruel)
* Ifrit (desert survival, ancient lore of ruined civilizations, fire and fury magic)
* Kobold (trap crafting, tunnel living, cowardly teamwork)
* Leprechaun (trickery and escape magic, gold sense, pacts with mortals)
* Merfolk (ocean magic, rapid swimming, seeing in underwater darkness)
* Minotaur (using horns in battle, navigating flawlessly through mazes and labyrinths)
* Naga (serpentine spellcasters, temple guardians, ancient memory)
* Naiad (breathing underwater, summoning currents, causing or stopping floods)
* Nephilim (supernatural endurance, divine magic tied to angelic heritage)
* Ogre (cannibalistic hunger, brute strength, crude tactics)
* Orc (physical brawn, surviving in wastelands, tribal loyalty and honor)
* Rakshasa (tiger spirit demon, disguises, illusion magic, feeding on flesh and fear)
* Reptile Folk (holding breath underwater, surviving in swamps, fast swimmers)
* Sasquatch (hidden presence, immense strength, forest guardian instinct)
* Satyr (goat-legged stride, music, tricks, panic and pleasure magics)
* Scarecrow (possessed husk, fear aura, stalks in silence)
* Shadow/Shade (two-dimensional form, drains strength, stalker of light)
* Siren (singing enchantress, sea-bound lure, storm caller)
* Spriggan (forest survival, treasure sense, transforms into giant when angered)
* Sylph (elemental control of wind and sky currents, flight)
* Tengu (bird warrior monks, mischief and wisdom, wind magic)
* Titan (colossal strength, ancient power, elemental dominion)
* Treaefolk (ancient tree-being, forest protector, crushing limb strength)
* Troll (regenerates quickly from wounds, adept at living in swamps and caves)
* Unicorn (divine purity, healing horn, elusive grace)
* Vampire (surviving on blood, ignoring physical harm, vulnerable to sunlight)
* Wendigo (flesh hunger, icy aura, cursed madness)
* Werewolf (tracking by scent, using claws and fangs, vulnerable to silver)
* Wraith (draining life force by touch, immaterial form, vulnerable to sunlight)
* Yeti (snowy stealth, bone-crushing power, icy endurance)
* Zombie (never sleeping, ignoring physical injuries unless hit in the head)
APPENDIX: MODERN SPECIALTIES
* Actor (performing roles, embodying characters and emotions, adapting to direction)
* Anthropologist (human societies, languages, rituals, cultural evolutions)
* Antiquarian (historical knowledge, rare item appraisal, museum access)
* Archaeologist (excavating ruins, dating artifacts, interpreting ancient cultures)
* Architect (planning, structural insight, aesthetic judgment)
* Artist (creating visual or conceptual works, expression through various media)
* Assassin (silent killing, poisons, stalking targets, escape plans, disguises)
* Athlete (conditioning, endurance training, competition strategy, discipline)
* Bartender (social intuition, local gossip, calm under pressure)
* Bodyguard (threat detection, defensive positioning, protective escort routines)
* Bounty Hunter (tracking fugitives, restraint tools, negotiating legal loopholes)
* Celebrity (public persona cultivation, media appearances, branding deals)
* City Official (urban infrastructure, zoning, public services, and local policies)
* Clergy (faith, moral authority, community influence)
* Corporate Executive (strategic planning, decision-making, mergers, acquisitions)
* Cowboy (ride skill, survivalist grit, frontier justice)
* Criminal (breaking and entering, fencing stolen goods, forgery, evasion, blackmail)
* Detective (crime scene analysis, deduction, surveillance, suspect profiling)
* Dilettante (wide but shallow knowledge of arts, culture, sciences, and society)
* Diplomat (negotiation, cultural etiquette, conflict resolution, treaties)
* Dock Worker (strength, logistics, rough crowd savvy)
* Engineer (designing structures, machines, or systems with physical mechanics)
* Espionage (disguises, infiltration, intel, surveillance, sabotage)
* Farmer (planting, animal care, weather signs, irrigation, crop rotation)
* Fence (trades in stolen goods, underworld connections, pricing knowledge)
* Financial Expert (markets, accounting, investment, fraud detection, monetary policy)
* Firefighter (bravery, emergency response, physical toughness)
* Gambler (risk taking, odds, bluffing, luck manipulation)
* Gangster (underworld ops, smuggling, protection rackets, criminal alliances)
* Grifter (deception, quick thinking, fast exits)
* Hacker (interfacing with devices, software manipulation, electronics)
* High Society (etiquette, social networking, wealth, patronage, status hierarchies)
* Historian (research, knowledge of past people, places, and events)
* Hunter (tracking, marksmanship, knowledge of prey)
* Journalist (investigating leads, interviewing sources, identifying public interest)
* Judge (authority, discernment, lawful presence)
* Laborer (endurance, practical tools, get-it-done mindset)
* Lawyer (argumentation, legal knowledge, influence networks)
* Librarian (research skill, information networks, quiet observance)
* Linguist (speaking, decoding, and learning multiple languages or dialects)
* Mechanic (tool use, repair knowledge, problem solving under pressure)
* Medical Science (first aid, diagnosis, healing, medicines, diseases, surgery)
* Mercenary (weapons handling, contracts, field survival, combat experience)
* Military (battlefield tactics, logistics, chain of command)
* Miner (endurance, geology basics, underground instincts)
* Missionary (persuasion, language fluency, cultural crossover)
* Musician (composing or performing music, mastering instruments or vocals)
* Natural Sciences (biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics, planetology)
* Nomad (adapting to varied environments, resourceful and mobile survival)
* Photographer (observation, framing, capturing truth or beauty)
* Pilot (aircraft instruments, navigation and maneuvers, airport procedures)
* Police (law enforcement procedures, arrests, interrogation, patrol tactics)
* Politician (public speaking, deal-making, influence networks, reading crowds)
* Private Investigator (surveillance, deduction, license to carry concealed firearms)
* Professor (advanced teaching, academic research, publishing scholarly work)
* Psychologist (empathy, insight into behavior, mental resilience)
* Religion (lore and rites about various deities and their followers)
* Rock Star (captivating performances, media presence, touring, using fame)
* Scientist (experimentation, data analysis, lab work, scientific literature)
* Secret Agent (disguise, covert tactics, espionage contacts)
* Secretary (organization, access to info, underestimated leverage)
* Shopkeeper (haggling, local knowledge, personal relationships)
* Sleight of Hand (picking pockets, using ropes, and performing simple tricks)
* Social Sciences (psychology, economics, politics, anthropology)
* Soldier (military discipline, combat training, squad tactics)
* Stealth (moving silently and remaining unseen from observers)
* Street Punk (street smarts, social defiance, improvised battle tactics)
* Survivalist (foraging, hidden shelter building, tracking, weather prediction)
* Taxi Driver (aggressive driving, city map knowledge, overheard secrets)
* Teacher (curriculum planning, explaining complex topics, guiding development)
* Teamster (operating large vehicles, freight logistics, route planning)
* Technician (tools, machines, diagnostics, repairs, engineering basics)
* Trade (assessing value of goods, finding buyer in markets, negotiating prices)
* Valet (etiquette, access to high society, network of connections)
* Waiter (grace under fire, people reading, constant movement)
* Zealot (conviction, relentless drive, unshakable worldview)
APPENDIX: SCIENCE FICTION SPECIALTIES
(Many modern specialties still work for sci-fi as well.)
* Agent (cover identities, alien intel gathering, tech infiltration)
* Asteroid Miner/Belter (zero-g labor skill, vacuum survival, ore detection tech)
* Colonist (habitat construction, environmental control, terraform tools)
* Communications Officer (signal decoding, languages, diplomatic protocol)
* Drone Operator (combat drones, recon bots, remote piloting, swarm tactics)
* Engineer (FTL drives, emergency repairs, power optimization)
* Exogeologist (alien mineralogy, tectonics on foreign worlds, excavation tech)
* Explorer (planetary navigation, survival, xenoecology fieldwork)
* First Contact Expert (alien diplomacy, semiotics, universal translator tech)
* Genetic Engineer (cloning, mutagenics, designing synthetic lifeforms)
* Mecha Pilot (neural reflexes, cockpit mastery, urban warfare tactics)
* Medic (trauma response, zero-g surgery, alien biology treatment)
* Memetic Engineer (culture-shaping ideas, viral concepts, ideological warfare)
* Merchant (cargo appraisal, trade negotiation, cross-species etiquette)
* Noble (galactic diplomacy, elite education, command presence)
* Operations Officer (system monitoring, crisis management, crew logistics)
* Orbital Farmer (hydroponics, algae vats, nutrient cycles, food chain maintenance)
* Red Shirt (minimal survival odds, unwavering loyalty, expendable bravery)
* Robotics Expert (automaton repair, AI behavior tuning, drone command)
* Rogue (ship hacking, smuggling networks, fast-talking escape)
* Scholar (ancient knowledge, alien languages, artifact analysis)
* Science Officer (sensors expertise, anomalies, xenotech theories)
* Scout (long-range sensors, system navigation, planetary survey)
* Security Officer (threat analysis, personal combat, passenger screening)
* Ship’s Counselor (psychological insight, stress mitigation, cultural empathy)
* Soldier (ranged combat, vacuum tactics, squad coordination)
* Space Marine (orbital assault, powered armor training, boarding tactics)
* Starship Captain (command presence, strategic decision-making, crew loyalty)
* Starship Navigator (star charts, FTL plotting, course correction instinct)
* Starship Officer (ship operations, faster-than-light navigation, sensors)
* Street Cyborg (urban combat, illegal bionic enhancements, and drugs)
* Tactical Officer (target analysis, ship weaponry, space combat strategy)
* Terraformer (climate engineering, atmosphere seeding, ecological controls)
* Uplift Coordinator (working with enhanced animals, post-sapience ethics)
* Xenobiologist (alien ecosystems, physiology, field sampling, biosafety)
APPENDIX: EXAMPLE CHARACTERS
CON x 5 plus Level as total hit points.
Additional specialties…
* Level 1 to 3: no bonus
* Level 3 to 6: add one specialty
* Level 7 to 9: add two specialties
* Level 10 or more: add three specialties
Ability increases…
* Level 1 to 4: no increase
* Level 5 to 9: increase one ability by 1
* Level 10 or more: increase one ability by 2 or two by 1
Damage (roll 1d20)
* Light: 1 to 4 = 1 damage; 5 to 9 = 2 damage; 10 to 14 = 3 damage; 15 or more = 4 damage.
* Medium: Damage equals half of d20 roll (round down).
* Heavy: Damage equals d20 roll.
* Add STR to melee damage, DEX to ranged damage.
* On a “natural 20,” skip the roll and apply maximum damage.
* On a sneak attack, double the added ability modifier damage.
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SHERLOCK HOLMES (Level 8)
Late 19th century master consulting detective, famous for solving difficult criminal cases across London.
Armor Class 13 (Dexterity bonus, normal clothes), 28 hit points, Speed 30 ft. (10m)
ABILITIES (roll 1d20 + modifier)
* +0 Strength (lean build; capable but not brawny)
* +6 Dexterity (precise, agile with hands and weapons)
* +4 Constitution (wiry endurance, prone to fatigue from neglect)
* +10 Intelligence (genius-level deduction and analysis)
* +10 Wisdom (sharp perception and intuition)
* +2 Charisma (intense presence, socially awkward but commanding)
SPECIALTIES (roll with advantage)
* Detective Mastery (crime scene analysis, deduction, surveillance, suspect profiling)
* Natural Sciences Expert (biology, astronomy, chemistry, physics)
* Social Sciences (psychology, economics, politics, religion, anthropology)
GEAR
Magnifying glass, pipe, notebooks, chemical reagents, and a revolver (short shooting range, medium damage).
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MORGAN LE FEY (Level 7)
6th century Welsh noble, scheming enchantress, both loves and hates her half-brother, King Arthur Pendragon.
Armor Class 12 (Dexterity bonus, courtly dress), 17 hit points, Speed 30 ft. (10m)
ABILITIES (roll 1d20 + modifier)
* +10 Charisma (alluring, commanding, and terrifyingly persuasive)
* +2 Constitution (sustained by inner magic)
* +4 Dexterity (graceful and precise)
* +8 Intelligence (scholarly mastery of lore and enchantment)
* +0 Strength (physically slight)
* +6 Wisdom (insightful, strategic, empathetic when it serves her)
SPECIALTIES (roll with advantage)
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ROBIN HOOD (Level 6)
11th century outlaw, leader of The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, famed champion to the poor and infamous bane to the usurper Prince John, his corrupt sheriffs, and England’s greedy nobles.
Armor Class 15 (Dexterity bonus, light protection), 26 hit points, Speed 30 ft. (10m)
ABILITIES (roll 1d20 + modifier)
* +8 Charisma (charismatic leader of outlaws)
* +4 Constitution (hardy and resilient)
* +10 Dexterity (master archer and acrobat)
* +2 Intelligence (clever tactician and prankster)
* +0 Strength (lean and strong from years in the wild)
* +6 Wisdom (sharp-eyed, intuitive, and perceptive)
SPECIALTIES (roll with advantage)
* Archer (archery, crafting and repairing bows, long-distance vision)
* Outlaw (stealthy escape, ambush skills, hunted reputation)
GEAR
Longbow with a quiver of arrows (short shooting range, medium damage), short sword (medium damage), dagger (melee or throwing range, light damage), a hunting horn, forest-worn clothing.
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APPENDIX: SOME BIG DIFFERENCES FROM SRD 5E
* Ability scores are ignored in favor of just ability modifiers.
* Specialties replace classes, feats, races/species, and backgrounds.
* Proficiency bonus is replaced by more dramatic basic ability modifiers.
* One action per turn; no multiple actions, no bonus actions.
* One attack may damage more than one target on a successful hit.
* No reactions, but a turn’s action may be delayed to trigger when something specific happens during another turn.
* No tactical movement; theater-of-the-mind zones replace counting squares.
* “Natural 20” critical hits do maximum damage, not double dice damage.
* No spell slots; Power task roll risks losing hit points for failure.