Back in the 1990s, I made a simplified “universal conversion guide” to various tabletop role-playing games, reducing the core mechanic to a 2d6 + modifiers system. The document also includes a rough live-action rules one-sheet for use with AD&D2e.
While clearly inspired by Traveller, the majority of benchmark examples look to come from the World of Darkness books of the time (Vampire, Werewolf, Mage, etc.).
Click to download stanton_tabletop_roleplaying_minibook.pdf
THE SYSTEM
Roll two six-sided dice, add an ability modifier, add an action difficulty modifier, and find the result on the bottom chart.
For head-to-head challenges, players roll dice, add modifiers and compare end totals. Highest value wins.
| ABILITY MODIFIER +10 … Monstrous +7 … Great +5 … Excellent +2 … Good +0 … Average -2 … Poor -5 … Feeble -7 … Abysmal |
DIFFICULTY MODIFIER +6 … Very East +4 … Easy +2 … Somewhat Easy +0 … Standard -2 … Somewhat Hard -4 … Hard -6 … Very Hard -8 … Extremely Hard -10 … Ridiculous +/- for good or bad role-playing |
OUTCOME RESULTS 12 or more … Strong Success 9 to 10 … Moderate Success 6 to 8 … Mixed Result 3 to 5 … Moderate Failure 2 or less … Strong Failure |
HEALTH
Follows a hit point system (lose X dice of point per damage hit). Using an “average human” example…
* Good condition: 10 points
* Average condition: 5 to 9 points
* Poor condition: 3 to 4 points
* Feeble condition: 1 to 2 points
* Abysmal condition: 0 to -9 points
* Dead: -10 or less points
ARMOR
Deflects damage points from successful hits.
* -20 points per hit … full suit of heavy armor
* -15 points per hit … partial suit heavy armor
* -10 points per hit … medium armor, armor clothing
* -5 points per hit … light armor, heavy leathers