Descriptors: Anything Goes! 

 

Anything Goes 
Your cellphone chimes: new message! 
   

 
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 Descriptors: Anything Goes! 

players have an incentive to work past dangers 

to get to useful sites. 
Playing Descriptors 
DeScriptors is a quick play narrative tabletop  Actions
RPG. This is the game where a ​storyteller ​and 
When a character faces a problem you may bid 
one or more ​players ​will work together to create 
your adjectives to succeed or choose to fail to 
a story. The storyteller sets up ​adventure 
gain new adjectives. Normally a task only 
scenarios​, describes the setting and non-player 
requires a single adjective to overcome, but 
characters, and acts as referee for the rules. 
games with larger player counts may require 
Players create ​characters ​and choose actions 
tougher challenges. 
that best suit their characters in the situations 
presented to them by the storyteller. 
Success​. The player may narrate success, based
on the adjective they spent, another adjective 
Characters  their character has, or the descriptor. 

Your character is a descriptor and a number of  Failure​. If a character picks failure, they gain
adjectives. You may use a sample character  an adjective picked by the Narrator. The player 
below or create one of your own by creating a  may narrate failure, but the narrator may veto if 
descriptor of a noun or two and selecting four  failure isn’t dramatic or interesting enough.   
adjectives. 

Character Sheet Format Locations & Fishing 

Character Name​: ​Descriptor ​- Adjective 1,  Every location has a refresh number, this is the 
Adjective 2, Adjective 3, Adjective 4  number of adjectives you may pick up in a 
location, typically 0-3. 

Sample Characters To fish for a new adjective you must announce 

you are fishing for adjectives and use the 
❖ Were-Collie ​- Wise, Lucky, Charming,
adjective you desire in a sentence you use to 
Colorful
describe the scene or an act your character 
makes. The GM will reward you that adjective 
❖ Robot ​- Bright, Wild, Tough, Sexy
and let you know if any more are available. Note 
you may only have one of each adjective at a 
❖ Bartender ​- Watchful, Insightful,
time, so if you are already clever, you must fish 
Loving, Mysterious
for an adjective other than clever. 
❖ Catgirl Pirate​ - Clever, Fast, Magical,
Puns and synonyms are encouraged, if you pick 
Cuddly
up a “sharp” knife and write ​Sharp o
​ n your 
character sheet you may intimidate someone 
❖ Park Ranger​ ​- Tough, Rugged, Strong,
with words for your “sharp” tongue or dress to 
Resourceful
impress because you look “sharp.” 

What Do You Do? Scenes & Adventures  Combat

Consider a chase!​ One or more challenges may be 
Combat -- any type of physical aggression -- is 
given with narrative time pressure or optionally 
a special type of challenge. Even if you succeed
real time pressure by giving people 30 seconds 
(by bidding an adjective), you will lose an
to respond. 
adjective of your choice: this  represents the
accidental scrapes and bruises  people take in a
Supernatural survival-horror​. The system 
fight. (Succeeding thus costs 2 adjectives.)
encourages avoiding combat: let players know 
that the people who survive are those that run, 
hide, or otherwise trick potential enemies.    Out​. If a character runs out of adjectives they
are out and usually wake up at a (dramatically 
Keep it moving​. Allow fishing in intuitive  appropriate) later time with only a single 
locations. A scene in a gas station might not  adjective, such as “Sore”. 
have very many (if any) adjectives. Let the 

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Descriptors: Anything Goes! 
 

Advancement 
A session ends once the story is complete. If 
your character will continue on in future 
stories, they begin their next session with 
whatever adjectives they had at the end of 
their last session, and can pick new ones 
until they have up to 4 total. (If they have 
more, great! Keep ‘em, but don’t pick any 
new ones.) 

Setting Details & Options 

Gates​. Closing a Gate is a tough challenge! 
 
Bloodsuckers​. If a vampire knocks you out, 
they can steal your descriptor -- taking your 
form (or a similar one) in the process -- and 
replace it with “Vampire!” 
 

Credits 
Written & Developed​ by Matthew Bannock 
Editing & Layout​ by Tim Bannock 
Interior Art​ by Rick Hershey 
 
Publisher's Choice Quality Stock Art copyright 
Rick Hershey / Fat Goblin Games 
 
Find more about DeScriptors online at: 
facebook.com/DeScriptors/ 
 
DeScriptors © Matthew Bannock​. 
 
Version 1 - August 2018 
 
 
Reproduction without the written permission of 
the publisher is expressly forbidden. All rights 
reserved. All characters, names, places, items, art 
and text herein are copyrighted by Matthew 
Bannock. The mention of or reference to any 
company or product in these pages is not a 
challenge to the trademark or copyright 
concerned. 
 
Not for resale. Permission granted to print or 
photocopy this document for personal use only.  
 
   
 

 
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Descriptors: Anything Goes!  Scenes & Adventures 
Your cellphone chimes. Your phone is suddenly  Consider a chase!​ One or more challenges may be 
bombarded with messages, but one draws your eye:  given with narrative time pressure or optionally real time 
“​Subject: While you were gone.​”  pressure by giving people 30 seconds to respond. 
  Supernatural survival-horror​. The system 
Welcome back from vacation!  encourages avoiding combat: let players know that the 
If you are seeing this message it means that you  people who survive are those that run, hide, or otherwise 
made it back from the cottage and into cell phone range. First,  trick potential enemies.   
no need to buy cake for the Thompson boy’s birthday this  Keep it moving!​ Allow fishing in intuitive 
Friday: the whole family became zombies...were zombies, I  locations. A scene in a gas station might not have very 
took care of it. That brings me to the second thing I want to  many (if any) adjectives. Let the players have an incentive 
tell you.    to work past dangers to get to useful sites. 
While you were out, the world as we know it ended.  Options​. Consider using these options: 
About ten days ago the zombie hoard appeared. They are  ❖ Closing a Gate is a tough challenge! 
destroying everything. I was pretty sure they were going to kill  ❖ If a vampire knocks you out, they can steal your 
us all. Then there was the robot uprising, but it is OK they’re  descriptor -- taking your form (or a similar one) 
on our side. That was what eight days ago. The internet kinda  in the process -- and replace it with “Vampire!” 
woke up and started building these bots. She calls herself   
Googletta, and she is pretty sweet, and she has this  Actions 
holographic projection with wonderful...OK I am getting off 
track. So the robots were great and helpful, but too badly  When a character faces a problem you may bid 
outnumbered to help on a global scale. They sent out a  your adjectives to succeed or choose to fail to gain new 
distress beacon, and the catgirl aliens arrived about five days  adjectives. Normally a task only requires a single 
ago. They have zombie kills down to an art, but I kind of  adjective to overcome, but games with larger player 
worry that we are going to get annexed into a pan galactic  counts may require tougher challenges. 
government when this is all over. The tide was finally turning,  Success​. The player may narrate success, based 
and it looked like we were going to beat back the undead after  on the adjective they spent, another adjective their 
all, well until three days ago. Gates started appearing and  character has, or the descriptor. 
weird things pour out. Zombies, Vampires, Ghosts,  Failure​. If a character picks failure, they gain an 
Werewolves, Angels with top hats and tommyguns, a robot  adjective picked by the Narrator. The player may narrate 
T-rex, and a nameless monster only Steve saw. Poor Steve  failure, but the narrator may veto if failure isn’t dramatic 
hasn’t been right in the head since. Well there is a small band  or interesting enough. 
of us holed up at the hospital so if you can get the rifles from   
the cottage and rescue us, that would be great!  Locations & Fishing 
 
Every location has a refresh number, this is the 
With Love, 
number of adjectives you may pick up in a location, 
 
typically 0-3. 
XOXO Pat 
To fish for a new adjective you must announce 
 
you are fishing for adjectives and use the adjective you 
 
desire in a sentence you use to describe the scene or an act 
Playing Descriptors  your character makes. The GM will reward you that 
DeScriptors is a quick play narrative tabletop  adjective and let you know if any more are available. Note 
RPG. This is the game where a storyteller and one or more  you may only have one of each adjective at a time, so if 
players will work together to create a story. The storyteller  you are already clever, you must fish for an adjective other 
sets up adventure scenarios, describes the setting and  than clever. 
non-player characters, and acts as referee for the rules.  Puns and synonyms are encouraged, if you pick 
Players create characters and choose actions that best suit  up a “sharp” knife and write Sharp on your character 
their characters in the situations presented to them by the  sheet you may intimidate someone with words for your 
storyteller.  “sharp” tongue or dress to impress because you look 
  “sharp.” 
 
Characters 
Combat 
Your character is a descriptor and a number of 
adjectives. You may use a sample character below or  Combat -- any type of physical aggression -- is 
create one of your own by creating a descriptor of a noun  a special type of challenge. Even if you succeed you will 
or two and selecting four adjectives. A character sheet  lose an adjective of your choice: this represents the 
looks like this:  accidental scrapes and bruises people take in a fight. 
  Out​. If a character runs out of adjectives they are 
Character Name​: D ​ escriptor -
​ Adjective 1, Adjective 2,  out and usually wake up at a (dramatically appropriate) 
Adjective 3, Adjective 4  later time with only a single adjective, such as “Sore”. 
   
Sample Characters:  Advancement 
Were-Collie ​- Wise, Lucky, Charming, Colorful 
A session ends once the story is complete. If your 
Robot -
​ Bright, Wild, Tough, Sexy 
character will continue on in future stories, they begin 
Bartender -​ Watchful, Insightful, Loving, Mysterious 
their next session with whatever adjectives they had at the 
Catgirl Pirate​ - Clever, Fast, Magical, Cuddly 
end of their last session, and can pick new ones until they 
Park Ranger​ - Tough, Rugged, Strong, Resourceful 
have up to 4 total. (If they have more, great! Keep ‘em, but 
 
don’t pick any new ones.) 
 

 
Words & mechanics​: Matthew Bannock. ​Typos & beautification​: Tim Bannock. D
​ eScriptors © Matthew Bannock​. 
 Like what you’ve seen here?
Check out the Definitive Edition at DriveThruRPG!

DeScriptors: Definitive Edition includes everything in this release plus

a full-length adventure replay to teach the game, an FAQ with creator
Matthew Bannock as well as Worldbuilder’s Anvil podcast creator and host
Jefferey Ingram, and three brand-new settings:

Ethanol Pop: Wondrous Days - A slice-of-life fantasy renaissance world!

Hunters Guild of the Ancient Lands - Hunt monsters, befriend them, train
them, or collect them in this JRPG-inspired fantasy world!

SUPERMAX! - Play as superheroes who’ve won the fight against an

intergalactic menace, unaware of new threats in a secretly dystopian
“utopia”!