ALT RPG

Core Rules

The ALT RPG is a simple, generic roleplaying game that lets you
experience adventure in any genre of play. All you need to play is paper,
pencil, and six-sided dice.

This booklet contains all the information you need to play.

Copyright 2015 LWM

For more information, email tenduril@gmail.com
This rulebook is FREE; if you paid money for it, you were not supposed to.
Do not sell or distribute this booklet without permission from the author A rules-light roleplaying game for any genre
Introduction Attributes Skill RA Description equal to 2 + Agility, or 2 + Fighting skill,
Acrobatics AG Jumping and somersaulting whichever is higher. A shield gives +1 to
This is the ALT RPG; a role-playing game Your character has four attributes: Strength, Archery AG Shooting a bow and arrow Defense.
meant for any genre of play. This can be Agility, Intellect, and Spirit. Awareness SP Seeing and hearing
Climbing ST Climbing Threshold
What is a Role-Playing Game? Your Strength represents your physical power Cooking IT Preparing meals
and stamina. It is abbreviated ST. Crafting* IT Making tools or other things Your character's Threshold is how much
A role-playing game can be thought of as Deception IT Lying, feinting in combat physical punishment it takes to seriously hurt
improvisational theater, with dice for the Your Agility represents your hand-eye Driving AG Drive cars or other vehicles him or her. It is equal to 2 + Strength, plus the
exciting parts. It combines acting, storytelling coordination and reflexes. It is abbreviated Fighting AG All hand-to-hand combat bonus from any armor worn.
and gaming. AG. Grappling ST Grabbing and wrestling
Hacking IT Breaking into computers Carry
At its core, role-playing is a conversation, Your Intellect represents your ability to think, Healing IT Treat injuries and illnesses
between two or more people. One is the learn, and remember. It is abbreviated IT. Influence SP Persuading or intimidating. This is how much weight your character can
Gamemaster, or GM, who controls the world the Inspire SP Inspiring and rousing allies carry comfortably. It is a number of pounds
characters inhabit. The other players each play a Your Spirit represents your willpower, intuition, Knowledge* IT Knowledge of different areas equal to 20 x your Strength. If you carry more
character in that world. and presence. It is abbreviated SP. Perform* SP Any kind of performance than your Carry, you get -1 to Movement for
Piloting AG Piloting aircraft each additional 20 pounds you carry.
As the game is played, characters narrate their Each attribute has a score, between 1 and 5: Profession* IT Doing a job or occupation
actions. This is where the GM comes in, to Roguery IT Lock picking and trap finding Height and Weight
narrate the result of those actions. Usually, this 1. Below-average Running AG Sprinting, chasing on foot
is fairly straightforward. If a character looks in a 2. Average Shooting AG Shooting guns and crossbows You can make your height and weight whatever
drawer or box to see what is inside, the GM tells 3. Good Stealth AG Sneaking and hiding you want them to be, but for a random height
them what is inside. Simple as that. But 4. Great Survival IT Surviving in the wild and weight (for adult humans), start with a
sometimes, there is an element of risk involved. 5. Prodigious Swimming ST Swim, or tread water height of 4'6 for females, or 5'0 for males.
Maybe a character wants to jump a gap as he Throwing AG Throwing weapons Add 3d6 inches to this total, for height. For
flees from enemies. Or try to pick a lock. This is You get 10 points to put into your four Tracking IT Follow or identify tracks weight, multiply the 3d6 roll from above by a
where the rules and dice come in. attributes; effectively, they must add up to 10. roll of 1d6+1, and add it to 90 pounds.
Attributes can't be higher than 5 or lower than 1. * You must pick a subtype for this skill.
Dice Roleplaying Information
Skills Traits and Flaws
This game uses six-sided dice, notated as d6. If Come up with some background for your
you see 3d6+4, that means to roll three six- You get a number of skill points equal to 4 + Traits and flaws are optional ways to customize character. Where is he from? Who were her
sided dice, add them up, and add 4 to the total. your Intellect score. So if you had Intellect 3, your character. You don't need to have any traits parents? How did she learn her skills? Who are
1d6+10 means roll one six-sided die, and add you would have 7 skill points to spend. or flaws; you can skip this step if you wish. her friends? Does he have any enemies? What is
10. 1d6x2 means to roll 1d6 and multiply the he like in person? Is she warm and friendly, or
roll by 2. You can put up to 2 points in any one skill at Each flaw and each trait has a value. For each cold and callous? What are her hobbies? What
character creation. Each skill also has a relevant trait you take, you must take flaws of equal has her life been like up until this point?
Creating a Character attribute; if you have a 4 or 5 in that attribute, value to balance out the benefit the traits give
add 1 to your skill for free. you. You may have up to two flaws. Also think about your character's appearance.
To create a character, first think about the type How long is his hair? What color is it? How is it
of campaign he or she is going to be part of. On the next page is a list of skills, along with the You may not take the same trait or flaw more styled? Any prominent facial features? Eye
Will it be a space opera? Heroic fantasy? A real- relevant attribute for each, and a description of than once, unless the trait or flaw specifically color? Facial hair? Skin color? You should be
world mystery game? A horror game that only the kinds of tasks it is used for. Keep in mind states otherwise. able to describe what your character looks like.
lasts a couple sessions? Talk with the GM, and that some skills might not be appropriate in
the other players, about what kind of characters certain campaigns; for example, the Piloting Movement Think about ways to make your character
you want to play. Most roleplaying games are skill might not be appropriate in a medieval distinct and memorable. Quirks and habits,
cooperative; you want to make sure to create a fantasy campaign. Your character's Movement is his or her favorite sayings, or intriguing motivations, can
character who will fit in well with the other sustainable pace, in miles per hour. It is equal to all make your character more interesting.
characters. For skills marked with an asterisk, you must 2 + Agility.
pick a subtype, such as Science for Knowledge.
Each subtype counts as a separate skill. Defense

Your character's Defense is his or her ability to

ward off blows in hand to hand combat. It is
Equipment Some ranged weapons fire from a magazine, Depending on how much you succeeded or
which must be reloaded (requiring 1 round) once Explosives: Explosive weapons deal damage to failed by, the GM might say you performed the
Consult with the GM for starting equipment, as all the bullets are used up. The magazine holds a all in a radius around them. They use standard task more quickly than normal, or better than
it will depend heavily on the setting and type of number of shots given under the Mag column. ranged attacks to hit, against TN 5. One that normal, or to try again if you didn't fail by a lot.
campaign. A good rule of thumb is to allow a misses, lands 1d6 feet away, in a random
character a character 100 value of items, and to A ranged weapon's rate of fire is how many direction. The Exploding Die Rule
give each weapon a value equal to its maximum times it can be shot per turn. A ranged weapon
possible damage x 5, and each armor a value with ROF 3 or more has automatic fire, and can Explosive Damage Radius Range Whenever you roll a 6 on the die for any roll,
equal to its bonus x 20 (with shields being 20). be shot 3 or more times per turn, but each shot is Flask of Acid 1d6+1 5 ft. 10 ft. the die explodes. This means that you roll the
Good benchmarks for mundane items are a at a -2 penalty to hit. Each attack roll on Alchemical Bomb 2d6 10 ft. 10 ft. die again and add it to your total. Do this again
backpack (5), a flashlight (2), or a used car automatic fire uses 5 bullets, or the equivalent. Molotov Cocktail* 2d6 10 ft. 10 ft. if the second roll was also a 6.
(100). Hand Grenade** 3d6 15 ft. 10 ft.
Weapon Damage Range ROF Mag C4 Explosive 8d6 20 ft. Automatic Failure
Melee Weapons Sling 1d6-2* 30 1 RPG Rocket 5d6 10 ft. 500 ft.
Javelin 1d6-1* 20 1 No matter how skilled you are, success is never
Each melee weapon deals a certain amount of Throwing Axe 1d6-1* 10 1 * Molotov cocktails burn for 2d6 rounds. certain, even if you are an expert. If you roll a 1
damage. If you have Strength of 4 or higher, you Shortbow 1d6 50 1 Anyone who enters the area takes damage as on a check, roll again. If you roll a 1 on the
deal +1 damage with melee weapons. Longbow 1d6+1 70 1 normal, and might catch on fire (see Fire under second roll, you automatically fail at, regardless
Crossbow 1d6+1 50 1 Additional Rules). of your skill.
Two-handed weapons cannot be used with a Musket 1d6+2 70 0.5 ** Most hand grenades have some time before
shield as they require both hands to use. .308 Rifle 2d6+2 100 1 5 they detonate; those in the blast radius can make
.357 Revolver 1d6+3 40 1 6 Agility checks at -2 to run for cover within 10 Cooperative Checks
Weapon Damage Special .45 Pistol 1d6+3 30 1 7 feet.
Unarmed 1d6-3 - 9mm Pistol 1d6+2 30 1 15 At the GM's discretion, two or more characters
Dagger 1d6-2 - MP5 SMG 1d6+2 30 3 30 Rule Zero may work together to try to accomplish a task.
Shortsword 1d6-1 - M-16 Assault Rifle 2d6 70 3 30 They all must make the same kind of check, and
Longsword 1d6 - AK-47 Assault Rifle 2d6+1 60 3 30 The GM's ruling on any situation is final, as he in some cases, characters can't help each other.
Broadsword 1d6+1 Two-handed M249 Machine Gun 2d6 50 4 100 or she is in control of the game world. If the
Spear 1d6 Two-handed 12-gauge shotgun** 3d6 20 1 5 rules are unclear, rely on the GM for a ruling. Opposed Checks
Club 1d6-2 - .50cal Sniper Rifle 4d6 200 1 5
Quarterstaff 1d6-1 Two-handed, +1 Defense Laser Pistol 3d6 40 1 20 Task Resolution If two characters are competing to do
Greataxe 1d6+2 Two-handed, -1 Defense Laser Rifle 4d6 80 3 50 something, they each make a check, and
Mace 1d6 - Laser Machine Gun 4d6 50 4 200 Whenever a character wants to perform an whoever rolls higher wins. In the case of
Rapier 1d6-1 - action that has a chance of failing, the GM can detection-based opposed checks (like Stealth v.s.
Crowbar 1d6-1 - * If you have Strength of 4 or greater, you deal ask for them to roll a check. Awareness) a tie goes in favor of the active
Machete 1d6 - +1 damage with this weapon. character (the one sneaking, lying, etc).
Chainsaw 1d6+2 Two-handed, -2 Defense ** Shotguns get an extra +1 to hit, but deal -2 Only important actions require checks. Driving
Bayonet 1d6-1 - damage per range increment past its first. down a straight road on a clear day would not, Attribute Checks
Laser Sword 1d6+3 - for example, require a check. Driving down a
Armor narrow alleyway to escape pursuers, however, Sometimes you will have to make an attribute
would require a check. check, such as a Strength check or a Willpower
Ranged Weapons Armor adds to your Threshold, making you check. To do so, roll 1d6 and add your attribute.
harder to kill. How to Make a Check The TN for this check is always 7.
Each ranged weapon has a range increment,
given in feet. Out to that distance, ranged attacks Armor Bonus Special To make a check, roll 1d6. If you have a skill
with that weapon take no penalty. Past that, they Leather +1 relevant to the check, you may add it. Your total
take -1, out to double their range increment, past Chain Mail +2 -1 Movement must be equal to or higher than the target
which they take -2, and so on. Breast-Plate +3 -1 Def., -2 Movement number (TN) to succeed.
Full-Plate +4 -1 Def., -2 Movement
For example, a handgun has a range increment Kevlar Vest +2 +4 against bullets. The standard TN is 6, and represents an average
of 30 feet. Shooting at someone up to 30 feet Power Armor +8 +2 Strength, Movement task in a stressful situation. For a harder or
away, it would get no penalty. Shooting at a easier task, the TN might be lower or higher.
target 31 to 60 feet away, it would get -1 to hit. Shields: A shield gives a +1 bonus to Defense. A However, if a TN is not specified in the rules, it
Shooting at a target 61 to 90 feet away, it would shield used as a weapon deals 1d6-2 damage, defaults to 6.
get -2 to hit. And so on. but does not give its bonus while used as such.
Combat
Turn Order: Combatants act in order of highest threshold, the target loses 2 Wounds. If it is
to lowest Agility. If there's a tie, roll opposed
Agility checks to resolve it; or, in the case of
allies, one character may simply let the other go
first. The GM should keep a record of the
players' Agility order, so that combat order can
be determined quickly without breaking the
tension of an combat encounter.
Rounds and Actions: A round lasts six seconds,
thus ten rounds to a minute. During his turn, a
character can take up to two actions. Actions
include moving, attacking, casting a spell,
drawing a weapon, or something else. Some
things a character might do, such as reloading a
gun, take a full round (2 actions). If an action is
not explicitly covered here, it is up to the GM
whether it is a free action (no action), regular
action (1 action), or full round (2 actions).
A character can delay their turn, or ready an
action to act later if certain conditions are met
(such as shooting as soon as a door opens).
Readying an action costs an action, and the
readied action is lost if the round ends before the
condition is met (but you can ready the same
action again the next round).
Moving: A character can move up to his
Movement x 5 feet as an action. A character can
take this action twice per turn if he wishes.
Attacking: A character can attack before, after,
or during his movement, but he can only make
one attack action. A character might roll more
than one attack roll per turn (such as fighting
with two weapons, or when using an automatic
weapon), but all those are a single attack action.
Melee Attacks: Melee attacks are Fighting
checks made against the opponent's Defense.
You can only melee attack an enemy within 5
feet of you, unless you have a reach weapon,
which allows you to attack out to 10 feet.
Ranged Attacks: Ranged attacks are Shooting
or Throwing checks, against the standard TN of
4. Cover, range, or other factors can modify the
attack roll.
Damage: If you hit, roll for damage. If the
damage is equal to or higher than the target's
Threshold, the target loses 1 Wound.
If it is equal to or higher than double the target's
equal to or higher than triple the target's
threshold, the target loses 3 Wounds, etc.
For example, if a soldier has Threshold 8, then 8
or more point of damage would cause him 1
Wound. 16 or more damage would cause him 2
Wounds. 24 or more damage would cause him 3
Wounds, and so on.
Incapacitation and Death: At 0 Wounds, you
are incapacitated, and die after 1d6 minutes
(starting the round you go to 0 Wounds). There
is a 50% chance they will go unconscious. At
negative Wounds equal to your starting Wounds,
you die instantly. So if you have 3 Wounds, and
went to -3 Wounds, you would die instantly.
You can try to stabilize a dying character with a
Healing check. This check requires 1 minute to
attempt, and can be retried. You need first aid
supplies (if you don't have them, you get -2). A
stabilized character is no longer dying, but is
still unconscious, and might still need further
medical attention.
Natural Healing: A wounded character can roll
Strength once per day for natural healing. For
each success, one lost Wound is restored.
Special Combat Rules and Actions
Aim: You may spend an action aiming when
using a ranged weapon. If you do, you may
roll twice on your next ranged attack roll and
take the best result.
All-Out Attack: Sometimes, landing a blow on
your opponent is all that matters. You may
make an all-out attack against an opponent,
getting +1 to hit on your melee attacks this
turn. However, you get -1 to your Defense
until your next turn. This action cannot be
combined with Charging (see below).
Area Fire: A character using an automatic
weapon might try to do suppressive fire, or
shoot through smoke or brush at an enemy he
can't actually see. Such an attack uses two
actions (the character cannot move that turn),
and at least thirty shots. The character may fire
at any number of unseen targets within 30 feet
of each other, making a single attack roll
against each at -4 to hit. Also, characters who
are shot at by this attack must make a
Willpower check or get -1 on their attack rolls
for 1 round.
Called Shots: You may aim at a specific body
part. The attack is resolved as normal, and
deals damage as normal; but there is a penalty
to hit based on where the attack is aimed.
Arm: An attack against the arm gets -2 to
hit, but if you hit, the target must make a
Strength check or drop whatever they are
holding.
Head: Attacks against the head are at -4 to
hit, but deal +4 damage if you hit.
Leg: Attacks against the leg are at -2 to
hit. If you hit, your opponent must make a
Strength roll or get -1 to Movement for 1
hour. Multiple hits to the leg are
cumulative.
Charging: A character may charge at an
enemy, by moving up to double his Movement
x 5 feet in a straight line, ending adjacent to
his foe. The defender first gets a single melee
attack, at -2 to hit. After that, the charger
attacks, and deals +2 damage if he hits.
Charging requires two actions.
Cover: If your target has cover (such as behind
a rock or tree, or a large shield), ranged attacks
against him get -2 to hit. Superior cover, such
as shooting through a narrow window or slits
in a fence, gives -4 to hit. If your target is
completely invisible to you (prone or crouched
behind a wall so that nothing is visible, you
cannot attack them at all.
Darkness: Dusk or similar dim lighting gives
-1 to hit, and limits visibility to 150 feet.
Regular gives -2 to hit and limits visibility to
50 feet. In pitch-black darkness, combatants
cannot see each other at all; they must attack
areas rather than individual targets, and if they
do manage to locate an actual opponent, their
attacks are at -3 to hit.
Defend: You may forgo all attacks during your
turn to get +1 to Defense until your next
action.
Penetration: You can try to shoot through
cover to hit an opponent. Such an attack is at
-2 to hit if you cannot see through the
substance you are trying to shoot through. The
substance negates a certain amount of damage
based on the material and its thickness; the
rest is dealt to the target normally. Some
different materials are listed below, along with
how much damage they negate.
Concrete: 5 per inch of thickness.
Glass: 2 per inch of thickness
Wood: 3 per inch of thickness
Metal: 7 per inch of thickness
Prone: You can drop prone for free at any
point during your turn. Being prone gives -2
Defense, and costs 2 Movement to get up
from, but can allow you to drop behind cover
and be completely invisible to enemies, if
available.
Push: You can try to push an enemy. You make
opposed Strength rolls: if you win, the
defender is pushed back 5 feet.
Shooting into Melee: If you miss a ranged
attack against an enemy engaged in melee
 with an ally, you must roll again to see if you Additional Rules
hit your ally.
Two-Weapon Fighting: A character can fight Falling: A character who falls takes 1d6 damage
with two weapons, getting 2 attacks per turn, per 10 feet fallen. A character can intentionally
but each attack gets -2 to hit. jump down 10 feet without suffering any
Unaware: If you sneak up on an enemy, and damage; a character who jumps further suffers
attack when they aren't aware of you, you get fall damage as normal.
+2 to hit and +2 to damage.
Fire: Characters who enter an area that is on fire
Miniatures: Miniatures can be a great gaming must make Agility checks each round they
aid. You do not have to use miniatures to play remain in the area to avoid catching fire. A
the ALT RPG, but they can help to visualize character who is on fire takes 2d6 damage per
combat, determining relative positions, and round, until he extinguishes the fire by either
allowing characters to see the layout of the immersing himself in water, or succeeding on
battlefield. A 1 inch = 5 feet scale is another Agility check to put it out. Rolling on
recommended. You can use a grid map with 1 the ground gives +1 to this check.
inch squares, or simply use a tabletop, with a
ruler to measure movement and ranges. Fatigue: Starvation, cold, long travel, and other
hazards can inflict fatigue. Fatigue is measured
If you do not want to use miniatures, assume in tokens, which have effects as detailed below.
that an area attack (such as a grenade or bomb) Fatigue tokens from different sources are
with a damage radius of 10 feet or less catches cumulative in their effects, but you might want
1d6-1 opponents, a damage radius of 15 or 20 to keep track of the different sources separately,
feet catches 1d6 opponents, and a damage radius as some can only be removed by certain means
of 25 or 30 feet catches 1d6+1 opponents. The (fatigue tokens from travel can only be removed
GM can make a ruling for how many targets are by rest, fatigue tokens from hunger can only be
caught by a larger area of effect. removed by food, etc.)
Fatigue Effect
16
79 -1 on all checks, -1 Strength, -1
Agility
10 14 -2 on all checks, -2 Strength, -2
Agility
15+ Unconscious, dead after 2d6 hours
Hunger and Thirst: You need 3 meals per day,
with adequate fluids for each. Each time you
miss a meal, you must make a Strength check.
On a failure, you gain a fatigue token. Each
meal you eat (with adequate fluids) removes 1
fatigue token; sleep or other rest cannot remove
fatigue tokens gained from hunger or thirst.
Only food and water can remove them.
Chases: Generally, in a chase, the highest
Movement wins. In a case of a tie, however,
opposed Agility checks can be made each round.
The winner gains 5 feet on the other, plus
another 5 feet for each additional success by
which the winner beats the loser.
Travel: A character can travel a number of miles
per hour on foot equal to half their Movement.
Generally, characters can travel 8 hours per day,
without resting. Each extra hour traveled, a Vehicles do not have a Defense score; hitting a
character must make a Strength check, or gain 2 vehicle in melee is against TN 2.
fatigue tokens. These tokens are removed by a No attributes; vehicles either use the skill of
good night's sleep. their pilot or driver to hit, or have a to-hit
bonus listed under their statistics.
Complex Skill Checks: Sometimes, a single Threshold and Wounds are based on vehicle
skill check feels anti-climactic. For more size; see the table below. Multiply the
important, dramatic tasks, establish a number of thickness of armor in inches by 2 for bonus to
successes needed to succeed, and a number of Threshold from armor.
failures needed to fail. The GM should narrate Vehicles similar to airplanes must maintain
the results of each roll to add flavor and build forward momentum to stay aloft. Such a craft
tension. may not move less than half its movement.
Turning a ground vehicle 45 degrees costs 1
For example, a character might have to struggle action. Turning can be done at any point
to repair a spaceship while his allies defend it during a vehicle's movement. For larger
from alien attackers. Each round, the repairing vehicles, it might cost more. Each vehicle has
character makes his check. He needs 5 total a turning time listed, for how long it takes it to
successes to succeed, but only 2 failures to fail. turn 45 degrees.
If he gets 5 successes and 1 failure, he makes it
just barely. If he gets 3 successes, then a failure, Size of Vehicle # of Wounds Threshold
then a success, then another failure, he almost < 1 ton 1 8
succeeds, but at the last minute, something falls 2 5 tons 2 10
apart, leaving the characters at the mercy of the 6 10 tons 3 12
aliens. 11 20 tons 4 14
+ 10 tons +1 *
Mass Battles: Sometimes you may wish to
resolve a mass battle quickly. To do so, give one * Threshold does not increase after 20 tons, and
side a number of dice, each die representing the is only modified by armor past that point.
closest multiple of 10, and the other side a
number of dice proportional to that. For
example, for an army of 30,000 versus an army
of 70,000, give one side 3 dice (one for each
10,000 soldiers) and the other side seven dice.
Also figure out how good each army's soldiers
are, and set a number they have to roll equal to
or higher than to succeed. For example, for a
battle between cavemen and aliens, the cavemen
might need a 6 to succeed, whereas the aliens
just need a 2 or higher. Now, for advantages and
disadvantages, you can give each side more or
fewer dice (such as a successful raid by the
player characters giving -1 to the enemy side).
Once you have applied all modifiers, each side
rolls its dice, and each die that comes up equal
to or higher than the number needed to succeed,
inflicts one casualty on the opposing side. After
each round of battle, remove casualties, and the
two sides can either attack each other again, or
one side can retreat, or surrender, or some other
outcome.
Vehicle Combat: Vehicles act much like
creatures do in combat, with a few differences.
Advancement
Over, characters grow in skill and ability. At the
end of each gaming session, the GM awards 1-3
XP to each character. These points can be spent
in between sessions in the following ways:
To improve an attribute: It costs XP equal to
10 x the new value of the attribute to improve
an attribute. For example, to go from Strength
2 to Strength 3, would cost 30 XP. You can
improve an attribute only 1 point at a time (i.e.
you can't go from 3 to 5 for 50 XP, you would
need to spend 40, then 50).
To learn a new skill: It costs 10 XP to learn a
new skill. You must have some sort of in-game
training or exposure to a skill in order to learn
it.
To improve a skill: You may improve a skill
you already have for 20 XP. Write x2 next to
it. That skill now gives +2, rather than +1. You
may spend 30 XP to improve a skill from x2 to
x3, giving a +3 bonus when it is relevant, and
so on, spending a number of XP each time
equal to 10 x the new value of the skill. As
with attributes, you can only go up 1 point at a
time.
To gain a new trait: It costs 10 x the value of
the trait XP to gain a new trait. For example,
gaining the Fencer trait (value 2) would cost
20 XP.
To remove a flaw: If your character could
conceivably overcome a flaw in real life (such
as Illiteracy, through learning to read), you
may spend XP equal to 10 x the flaw's value to
remove it.
To add to your Wounds: You may gain +1
Wound for a number of XP equal to your new
number of Wounds x 5. For example, to go
from 3 Wounds to 4 Wounds would cost 4 x 5
= 20 XP). It is recommended that the GM
disallows this type of advancement in a more
realistic campaign, but it is great for heroic or
pulp games.
Players should track their total XP, spent or
unspent.
If a character who gains a flaw through in-game
events (such as One Eye or One Arm), the GM
might award the character compensatory XP
equal to the value of the flaw x 10. This is not a
required rule, but it is a suggestion to keep one
character in a group from being far less capable
than the others. Do not let characters abuse this
rule, getting hurt on purpose to get extra XP.
When you advance in a skill, you might wonder
what it really means. The bullet points below
show what each level in a skill means, in real-
world terms.
x1: An experienced novice
x2 to x4: A professional
x5: Among the best in the region
x6: Among the best in the world
x7: Superhuman
Adding to the ALT RPG a certain amount of XP to spend on
advancements. Then, begin play, with leftover
You can use the ALT RPG for any type of role- XP kept as normal for later.
playing game you want to run. However, the
traits, flaws, skills, spells, and even rules Skill Flaws: As an optional rule, your character
presented here are just baseline suggestions. may choose up to two skills that he or she is bad
Feel free to add skills if you want a skill that is at; whenever they are relevant to a check you are
not covered by the list. Feel free to create your making, you get -1 to the roll. For each skill you
own traits and flaws, and spells (in fact, you will choose to be bad at, you may learn an additional
likely need to supplement these with your own.) skill. Keep in mind that your GM may disallow
you to be bad at skills that are irrelevant to the
Optional Rules Character Creation campaign.
These are optional rules for characters in the
ALT RPG. Consult with the GM before using
any of these, as the GM decides what rules are
in effect in his or her campaign. Feel free to
invent your own rules and mechanics for the
type of game that you want to play; the ALT
RPG is intended to be expanded upon.
Races: Your character might not be a human.
Different races and species have different
capabilities. A race gives +1 to one attribute, and
-1 to another. It might also grant some minor
ability. Below are some example races for a
fantasy setting.
Elves: +1 to Agility but -1 to Strength. Elves
have low-light vision, which allows them to
see twice as well in dim light or at night.
Dwarves: +1 to Strength but -1 to Charm.
Dwarves have infravision, which allows them
to see in black and white in complete
darkness.
Orcs: +1 to Strength but -1 to Intellect.
Half-elf: +1 to Charm but -1 to Strength.
Catfolk: +1 to Agility but -1 to Willpower.
Starting Specialized: You might want your
character to start out better at a skill; maybe he
focused almost exclusively on sword-fighting,
more so than most characters. For a starting
character, you may choose to give up one of
your starting skills, to start another a x2. For
example, if you had Intellect 3, instead of
starting with 3 skills, you could start with a skill
at x2, and another skill at x1 as normal.
Starting More Experienced: The characters
you create for the ALT RPG are generally
assumed to be novices with some training. Your
group might want to start out with more
powerful and skilled characters than normal. To
do so, each player should make a character
normally. Then, before play, give each character
Flaws
Below is a list of flaws. You may have up to two
. You may not select the same flaw more than
once.
Absent-Minded (1): Must make Willpower
checks to remain focused on tasks requiring
concentration.
Blind (3): You cannot see. You get -4 on all
Fighting, Shooting, Awareness, and Acrobatics
checks, and any other checks that require
vision. You also cannot make called shots in
combat. You automatically fail sight-based
Awareness checks.
Charitable (1): Presented with the opportunity
to help others, your character almost always
does so. He must succeed on a Willpower
check to refuse someone help, even in minor
situations.
Colorblind (1): You cannot discern colors. You
get -1 on Awareness skill checks.
Cowardly (2): Whenever outnumbered, or
badly wounded (having lost more than half
your Wounds), you must make a Willpower
check, or do your best to flee.
Deaf (2): You cannot hear, and get -2 on
general Awareness checks. You automatically
fail a hearing-based check.
Frail (2): You get -1 to Threshold
Illiteracy (1): You cannot read or write.
Non-Combatant (3): Your character is not
meant for combat. You get -1 to Defense, and
cannot take the Fighting or Shooting skills.
Obese (1): Your character is significantly
overweight. Multiply your weight by 1.5, and
reduce your Movement by 1.
One Arm (2): In addition to equipment-based
effects (cannot carry a sword and shield, or a
two-handed weapon), you also get -2 on all
tasks that require both arms.
One Eye (2): You get -2 to all Acrobatics,
Awareness, Shooting, and Throwing checks,
as well as any other checks that require depth
perception.
Paranoia (1): You get +1 to Awareness, but
there's a 1 in 6 chance (GM rolls secretly) that
you notice something that's not really there.
Phobia (1): Pick a phobia, such as heights,
wasps, or the sun. Whenever you encounter it,
you must make a Willpower check or flee.
Ruthless (1): Never takes prisoners or leaves
enemies alive. Must make Willpower check to
spare an enemy's life.
Shaky Aim (2): You get -1 to ranged attacks.
Slow Learner (2): You gain XP half as fast.
Slow (1): You get -1 to Movement.
Slow Healer (1): You get -2 on Strength rolls
to heal lost Wounds.
Truthful (1): Must make a Willpower check to
willingly tell a lie.
Unskilled (1): You start with one fewer skill
Traits is required. You can advance a spellcasting
trait (such as Arcane Spellcasting II, Arcane
Below is a list of traits. You may take traits of a Spellcasting III, etc.) by spending 20 XP to
total value equal to the total value of the flaws purchase the trait as normal. See the Magic
you took. You may not select the same trait more supplement booklet for more information on
than once. spellcasting (included with this booklet).
Tough (2): You get +1 to Threshold.
Armored Caster (1): You may cast spells while Unbreakable Will (1): When you make a
wearing armor. Willpower check, you may roll twice and take
Attractive (1): You get +1 on Befriend and the higher result.
Persuasion checks with the opposite sex.
Block Arrows (1): You may make a Fighting
check against a ranged projectile fired at you.
With a shield, you get +1. If you roll higher
than the shooter's attack roll, you deflect it.
Dead Shot (2): The Aim action (see Special
Combat Rules) gives you +2 damage in
addition to its other benefits.
Dual-Wielding (2): May wield two weapons
without penalty (-2 each normally).
Elderly (0): Your character is older, more than
half the normal lifespan for his or her race.
You get -1 Strength and Agility, but +1
Intellect and Willpower.
Fast (1): You get +1 Movement.
Fast Healer (1): You get +2 on your Strength
checks for natural healing.
Fencer (2): You get +1 to Defense when using
a rapier and no other weapon or shield.
Finesse (1): May add Agility to melee weapon
damage instead of Strength, provided that
weapon deals 1d6-1 or less base damage.
Heavy Armor Focus (2): Reduce penalties to
Defense from armor by 1.
Iron Fists (2): Your unarmed damage is 1d6
rather than 1d6-3. Still add Strength 2 to this
total.
Repairman (1): You can repair damaged or
broken machinery or vehicles in half the
normal time.
Sharpshooter (2): Using the aim action (see
Special Combat Rules) also gives +4 damage
on next ranged attack (if it hits).
Skilled (1): You know an extra skill.
Sneak Attack (2): When attacking an unaware
foe, you get +4 to hit and +4 to damage,
instead of +2 in each case.
Spellcasting (2): Requires Intellect or
Willpower 3 or more (depending on type
chosen). Pick a type of spellcasting: Arcane,
Divine, Druidic, or Psionic. For Arcane or
Psionic, Intellect is used, and a score of 3 or
higher is required. For Divine or Druidic,
Willpower is used, and a score of 3 or higher
The Gamemaster
As the GM, you have a very important job;
guiding the players through their adventures,
creating the world their characters exist in,
portraying all of the non-player characters
(NPCs) that they interact with, and helping the
characters create an engaging story.
Rulings, not Rules: The ALT RPG is a rules-
light system; that means that, unlike some other
games,you're going to find the rules lacking
sometimes. This is intentional; it's meant so that
these situations are covered by your own
creativity, rather than dense blocks of rules you
must constantly pore through. If one of your
characters wants to do something not covered,
make something up on the fly. Use common
sense, and be consistent. The Yes, but and
circumstantial modifiers below are tools to help
you make rulings on situations.
Yes, but....: This rule has helped
Gamemasters for years. One of your characters
wants to attempt something unexpected that you
hadn't planned for. Do you say no and leave
that character disappointed? The better option is
to allow the character to try what they want to
do, but they must roll to succeed. With a good
enough roll, even an unlikely solution can
succeed.
Circumstantial Modifiers: If a character wants
to swing from a chandelier, or jump down from
a table to attack an enemy, the rules don't
provide a bonus for that. Similarly, if your
characters are shooting at something with the
sun in their eyes, there are no rules for that
either. Here, you can give circumstantial
modifiers; usually a +1 or -1, but sometimes
more.
Be a Fan of the Characters: This doesn't mean
let them succeed easily at everything that they
try to do; if that happened in our favorite books
or movies, we'd feel let down. We admire when
characters in stories go through adversity;
expose the characters to it as much as you can.
They'll feel accomplished for overcoming
something difficult.
Use Character Motivations: If your players
provide you with back-stories for their
characters, use them to your advantage! A
character has a missing brother who she wishes
to find someday? Hint at his location, or plant
other adventure hooks. Nothing motivates the
characters more than their own motivations!
Motivate Character Development: Set up
scenes where players have opportunity to flesh
out their characters. For example, a character
loyal to his friends, but with a strong moral
compass, might encounter conflict when his
friends do something he perceives as wrong.
Such a character might have to choose between
two strong influences. Such situations make for
fun role-playing, though they should only occur
occasionally, to keep them from losing their
impact.
Using Margins of Success and Failure: If a should give out 1-3 XP to each player. For an
character succeeds by 4 or more and gets an average session, 2 XP is a good benchmark. For
extra success, what does that mean? It is left a short session, or one where the characters did
to the discretion of the GM, but it is assumed not accomplish much, award only 1 XP to each
that the character succeeded more quickly, or player. Likewise, for a long or very successful
accomplished the task extra well. For example, a session, award 3 XP to each player.
character makes an Awareness check to hear a
noise upstairs. A normal success might mean the Also, if a player role-played a flaw very well,
character has heard the noise, but an extra had a very good idea, or did something else
success might mean that the character heard the outstanding, you might consider giving that
noise, and can tell what room upstairs it issued character an extra 1 XP for that session. Be
from. An opposite example is a character who careful about giving out bonus XP too often, or
gets a 4 on his Acrobatics check to jump a gap, giving too much to one player, as it could
when the TN is 5. Because he only failed by 1, unbalance the characters in the group.
the GM might allow him an Agility check to
catch the other edge just barely, then pull
himself up with a Strength check. In this way,
you can make skill checks more interesting than
simple success or failure.
Inventing Traits and Flaws: You might want to
create traits and flaws for your own worlds and
campaigns. Your players might want to as well.
For example, in a campaign featuring shape-
shifters, you might want to create different traits
that allow characters to transform into different
types of creatures. A few guidelines:
A trait should never give a straight bonus to a
check. For example, a trait giving +1 to all
Shooting or all Acrobatics checks, would be
unbalanced. A trait giving a situational bonus
(such as a bonus to Fighting checks when
you're next to a wall) is okay, but should be
balanced. For combat traits, a situational
bonus of +1 to damage is better.
Traits should (usually) not modify attributes
directly. The Old trait is an exception to this,
because it increases two attributes but
decreases two others. Keep in mind that traits
are usually much cheaper than attribute or skill
increases, so an attribute that mimics the
effects of those advances, is unbalanced.
As for flaws, it is best if they have at least
some sort of mechanical penalty or
complication. A fully role-playing flaw (no
mechanical effects) is certainly acceptable, but
should almost never have a value greater than
1. A Willpower check to resist a behavior
(such as the Willpower check required to face
a Phobia, or the Willpower check required to
deny someone help, as per the Charitable
flaw) can help the player better role-play the
flaw.
Giving Experience Points: Each session, you