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Year Zero Mini v1.0.5 FREE
Year Zero Mini v1.0.5 FREE
Year Zero Mini v1.0.5 FREE
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• Shipborn Nogov Slicer
You can change your Concept during Downtime (see page 2). *Don’t worry too much about being stuck with a trait - you can change
your Conviction, Impulse, and Friend during Downtime (see page 2).
Luck Points Knowledge Rolls
You start the first (and only the first) session with 1 Luck Point. Recalling information can be very important to many settings
While unused Luck Points carry over between sessions, you never (e.g. investigative horror). At other times, it can be important to
start with a free one if you spent them all last session. test whether you know something relevant to the scene you’re in.
Rolling Dice You gain more Luck Points by acting on your Conviction, allowing Rolling to test your knowledge isn’t handled like standard attrib‐
YZM uses standard six-sided dice (D6s) when you roll. The your Impulse to get you into trouble, or sacrificing something for ute rolls. Instead, the GM will either give you the information or
number of dice is referred to as a “pool” of dice. Roll this pool of your Friend. The maximum number of Luck Points you can have ask you to make a Knowledge Roll to find out if you know.
dice any time you try to take dramatic action, but only when failing at any one time is 3.
The size of the dice pool is based on how obscure or well-known
the roll would be interesting. You can spend a Luck Point to reroll (holding as many dice as you the information is that you’re trying to recall.
The bit in italics above is especially important in YZM, since wish), though this can only be done once per roll.
• Roll 2D if the information is obscure;
rolling dice is tied to advancement. The GM will tell you when to If you fail a reroll, there is a silver lining – you get to mark 2 tallies • Roll 4D if the information is specialist knowledge;
roll, as well as what is at stake if you fail. to advance that attribute instead of 1. • Roll 6D if the information is widely-known.
Building the Pool Chance of Success Once the GM has confirmed the size of the dice pool, add dice if
something in your Concept can help:
When it is time to roll, the GM will tell you which attribute to use. It can be hard to predict the chance of success when you roll a lot
The number of dice in your pool is simply the rank of the attribute of dice. The table below shows the chance of success when rolling • Add 1D if your Concept is a little relevant;
you have been asked to use, plus any modifiers. with 1–10 dice. The third column shows the chance of success if • Add 2D if your Concept is fairly relevant.
+/-1D simply means add or remove one die from your pool. you push the roll using a Luck Point. • If your Concept is extremely relevant, the GM should simply
give you the information.
• If your Concept can vaguely help with a roll (a noble haggling Number of Dice Chance of Success Luck (reroll)
The GM gets final say on whether a Concept applies.
with a market vendor), gain +1D. If your action is perfectly 1 17% 29%
suited to your Concept (a noble charming a crowd), gain +2D. 2 31% 50% You need at least one success to recall the information. Luck
• If your Asset / an item can be used for a roll, gain +2D / 1D. 3 42% 64% Points can be spent on a knowledge roll.
• If anything else could grant an advantage, gain +1D. Any
type of disadvantage causes at least -1D.
4
5
52%
60%
74%
81%
Quick Gear
If your pool is reduced to 0D, roll 2D and keep the lowest. 6 67% 87% If any item in the setting (not just items in the PCs’ inventory) can
be used for what it is made to do, it gives a +1D bonus.
6 Means Success
7 72% 90%
2
You roll 5D – the highest die is a 3. Not only do you fail to pick the Traits to something more suitable during a period of downtime. Despite Kri’s help, Pip can’t grapple the wolf...
locked door, you also make a loud noise which attracts a guard... Run it by your GM first to make sure they update their own
records.
Trauma Climactic Scenes
Each time you take physical or mental trauma, mark the current Some climactic moments in the story might call for more struc‐
number of Trauma on your character sheet with a paperclip. ture, where a single roll of the dice just won’t be enough. In this
case, each PC gets an opportunity to do their part, and the follow‐
Conflict is treated like any other event: the GM passes the spot- Harm is physical Trauma which penalises all physical rolls ing structure is used to enact these Climactic Scenes:
light amongst you, giving each of you a scene where appropriate. (Strength or Agility). Stress is mental Trauma which penalises all
mental rolls (Wits or Empathy). The size of the penalty is equal to 1. Stakes: The GM explains what is at stake if you fail. This
Combat how much Trauma you have. should be a story development, but could include Trauma.
2. Magnitude: The GM declares the Magnitude – the number
If you have played roleplaying games before, you might be A character suffering 2 Stress has -2D to all Wits & Empathy rolls.
of successes needed to overcome the challenge:
surprised to learn that YZM doesn’t use “Initiative”. Don’t worry - Downed: when all 3 Trauma of one type are marked and you take • Normal difficulty: 2x the number of PCs;
it will run combat just fine in a completely narrative manner, but a 4th Trauma, you become Downed. You are out of action until you
if you really do want initiative, simply use your favourite method, • Hard difficulty: 3x the number of PCs;
can recover at least one Trauma, or are healed. • Nearly Impossible difficulty: 4x the number of PCs.
whether that is having each PC make a test each round, drawing
cards, or rolling a D6 and adding a relevant attribute score. Scars / Disorders: Each time you become Downed, you gain a 3. Plan: The players come up with a plan. The GM can disallow
permanent Scar or an ever-worsening Disorder. Mark this on anything unreasonable.
Attacking & Defending your sheet and roll 2 dice, then discard the lowest. If the remaining 4. Roll: The players enact their plan, acting out their scenes in
die is less than or equal to the number of Scars / severity of turn. Each success rolled counts towards the Magnitude.
Players do all the rolling in YZM - if you are attacked, roll to
defend yourself with each success cancelling out 1 incoming Disorder you now have, you are dead or insane. Time to create a 5. Outcome: Compare the total number of successes against the
damage. If you are attacking, each Success causes 1 Trauma. new character. Magnitude. If you have less than half of the required
Tougher foes may have Special Traits which make them much successes, you fail and the stakes are inflicted. If you have half
You cannot spend Luck Points to retry your Scar roll.
more dangerous (see Special Traits on page 4). If a foe is suffer‐ or more, you can “buy” additional successes by taking Trauma,
ing Trauma, you gain +1D advantage against them. Recovering until the Magnitude is reached. The Trauma should match
the action you took.
Complications in conflict always result in one or more Trauma, Recovery: one of each type of Trauma is recovered between
though additional effects may also be appropriate. If a foe has a scenes assuming some form of rest is taken. Downed characters Climactic Scene Example
Special Trait which can cause damage, they inflict an amount of naturally recover between sessions if they are not healed. You and two friends are trying to put a ghost to rest in the ruins
Trauma equal to that Special Trait’s rank. of an old country house. You’ve got all the supplies you need; now
Healing: Roll Wits to heal Harm and Empathy to heal Stress. You
Range can’t split multiple Successes between different types of Trauma.
Healing a Downed character restores them to action but still
all you need is a plan. Each of you describe how you want to
confront the ghost – one of you will draw its attention, one of you
If you are attacking with a ranged weapon, the difficulty increases leaves them with 3 Trauma. will sneak into the well to recover and salt its bones, and you will
the further you are from your target: attack it with the silver sword you just bought. The GM determ‐
• Point-blank: -2D Chases ines that this is going to be Hard, requiring a total of 9 successes.
• Long shot: -1D Chases can be the highlight of a session. Think of how many films, You take turns narrating how you confront the ghost, each
• Extreme limit: -2D books, and comics feature tense chases. They’re also particularly making a relevant test and tying the results into your narrative:
relevant to this ruleset, since combat is quite harsh and your char‐
Armour acters are not as hardy as they might be in other games. Kri rolls 2 successes to get the ghost’s attention, Pip rolls 2 successes
to sneak into the well, but you only roll 1 success as you step out with
Most armour simply reduces 1 point of incoming damage, though To run a chase scene, the GM simply maps out a number of boxes your silver sword to keep it at bay.
heavy / specialist armour reduces 2 (but never more). equal to how long the chase should go on for – 5 boxes is the
baseline, but this can increase or decrease depending on how long Unfortunately, that is only a total of 5 successes. You discuss taking
Conflict Example the GM wants the chase to last. Trauma and decide it makes the most sense for everyone to take 1
Stress from fear at the sight of the ghost, and for you to take the
You enter the canteen and walk up to the bar to order a drink. A Moving through each box should be a little narrative scene, remaining Trauma as 2 Harm while confronting the ghost head on.
hand on your shoulder spins you roughly around – it’s your nemesis, complete with obstacles, dead-ends, and other interactive scenery.
Greepa, and she’s pointing a lasgun at your belly! You tell the GM The GM narrates how the ghost beats you down just as its remains
that you want to keep the momentum from being spun to chop the Taking it in turns, make a relevant skill test based on each scene, are found and salted. As the ghost prepares a fatal blow on your
lasgun out of the way. The GM asks for an Agility test, which you and take a token if you succeed. If you fail, the GM gets a token. downed body, it suddenly disappears.
3
succeed at! The lasgun goes flying, but the GM tells you that Greepa Each skill test can be pushed like normal.
The last thing you see before passing out from the pain
throws herself at you, trying to grapple you. In the meantime, your When you have gone through all the boxes, you have won if you is Pip punching the air in success.
friends notice what is happening and come to your aid... have 2 or more tokens than the GM.
Quick NPCs Realistic Adversaries
Creating NPCs spontaneously doesn’t have to be hard. The key is Try to play NPCs as if they are real people who actually value their
focused prep. All you need to do is create a list of names, manner‐ lives. If there is a fight and things aren’t going their way, have the
isms, and appearances. When you need an NPC during the game, NPCs flee for their lives or beg for mercy.
YZM is a player-facing game, which means the players roll all simply look at the list and select one of each.
the dice. This frees you up to focus on the story.
Example Mannerisms Example Appearances Cold-Blooded Murder
To Roll, Or Not to Roll Frequently says “you know?” All the piercings Killing a defenceless person shouldn’t be easy to do. If a
PC wishes to murder someone in cold blood, they must
It’s up to you to ensure that players don’t roll for trivial things Whispers when attention is given Dark rings under eyes fail an Empathy roll to do so.
(doing simple tasks when there is no pressure involved). If failure Refers to self in 3rd person Crookedly broken nose
wouldn’t be interesting, simply say “yes” and move on. However, even if the roll fails, there is still a cost!
Loud and confident Ostentatious hat
The PC loses 1 Luck Point and suffers 1 point of Stress.
The Stakes Sticks nose in everyone’s business Dirty, dishevelled clothes
If the player doesn’t have any Luck Points, the GM gets to
Players sometimes need to know the stakes before they roll the Constantly cracking bad jokes Dressed in all black spend a free Complication in the scene.
dice. While this is usually obvious, always tell them how much These two character elements should give you enough meat to A relevant Conviction or Impulse may allow a PC to commit
Trauma will be inflicted before they roll, if any. help you get into character. murder without requiring this roll.
In most instances, you should only inflict 1 Trauma for failing a The final step is to indicate how much Trauma the NPC has, and
roll. However, this can be increased in the case of the PCs being whether they get any Special Traits. For Trauma: Abstracting Wealth
hit with a powerful mental or physical blow. Assume that characters have enough money to afford things at
• Low-Level Mooks: 1 Trauma;
their level of Wealth. This means that you will need to make
Concept Abuse & Clichés • Regular Joes: 2 Trauma;
• Tough Enemies: 3 Trauma;
rulings when asked if they can buy something.
Concepts are central to YZM. They replace skills and can be used Even if your setting is poverty-stricken (a post-apocalyptic land or
• Epic Villains: 4+ Trauma.
in every roll. As a result, it’s important to steer players away from working-class Victorian London), be generous. Remember,
Concepts which are too generically useful. Don’t calculate separate Harm & Stress values for all NPCs. Most
enemies only need a single “Trauma” value to be tracked to take items only give a +1D bonus, which won’t break the game.
A Concept should give you and the player a clear idea of the skills them out. However, you might want to add separate Harm & Also bear in mind that when PCs are seen with items that aren’t
that go with it. If it is vague or open to interpretation, encourage Stress values for Tough and Epic enemies. typical for their Concept, it can be a great source of plot hooks.
the player to try to be more specific.
Clichés should be embraced. Without skills, assumptions have to Special Traits When players come across money in the setting, it is assumed that
they’ll spend the majority of it during downtime. Increasing
be made about what the PCs are capable of. HOWEVER, be Some challenges and NPCs shoud be significantly harder to beat. Wealth Levels is a significant achievement and shouldn’t be
mindful that stereotypes can easily offend, so try to steer players Give them one or more Special Traits, with a score of 2 or 3. accomplished without serious long-term investment.
away from adding them to their Concepts.
A Special Trait only comes into play if it is applicable to the roll at Finally, if any players want to be Well-Off, you should limit it to
Complications hand, which depends on the approach taken by the PCs. only one starting character. It’s even better if none are, as the
When players fail a roll, something goes wrong and the players To overcome that NPC or challenge, players need to roll a number pursuit of wealth is both a great motivator and plot generator.
of successes equal to the Special Trait score.
are at your mercy. The only thing you can’t say is “nothing
happens”. Failure should always have consequences. If the Special Trait is relevant to an NPC’s attack, use its score as
Handling Downtime
the number of Trauma inflicted on PCs who fail their defense roll. Downtime is an important step in a YZM campaign. This gives
Encourage the players to come up with a good Complication the PCs time to not only rest & recuperate, but also to learn from
together. It might be that one of them suffers Trauma, loses some‐ If the players can find a way around this Special Trait, it can be their experiences (and potentially improve their fortunes!).
thing valuable, has to make a detour, or faces a new threat. ignored. Here are some examples of Special Traits:
While Downtime should not happen too often, feel free to add it
Player vs. Player • Fierce Beast 3 (a dragon); whenever the story needs to take an extended break.
PvP is handled by both parties rolling at the same time. Whoever • Master Swordswoman 3 (a famous fencer);
This could be between adventures or following a major event in
has more successes wins and gets to say what happens. They can • Extraordinary Strength 2 (a burly NPC); the setting. You can even treat long periods of travel as
4
even reroll if they want to spend a Luck Point. • Metal Frame 2 (a robot); downtime events, though these can work quite well as
• Wild Currents 2 (a swift river). regular scenes, too!
If it’s still a tie, use the next highest die in the pool to decide.
6a. Delivery Mission Generator 7. Mission Twist!
1. Attractive: Something about the package attracts attention. 1. Ally: An unexpected friend of the antagonist foils the PCs.
2. Deserted: No-one is there to collect the package. 2. Bad Intel: The PCs’ info is bad - perhaps deliberately so.
3. Enormous: The package is larger than a human. 3. Competition: A third party has the same goal as the PCs.
These table can be used to inspire ideas for your adventure. Use as 4. Surprise: The package is deadly, targeting the recipient. 4. Nature: Extreme weather is complicating the mission.
many or as few as you need – or even come up with new tables! 5. Tiny: The package is tiny and easily lost or stolen. 5. Setup: The rival is secretly setting up the PCs to be framed.
1. What is the Antagonist’s main motivation? 6. Unknown: You are forbidden to open the package. 6. Spy: The antagonist has an agent and knows the PCs’ plans.
1. Chaos: to undermine the authorities and sow confusion. 6b. Investigation Mission Generator 8. What’s the hot gossip everyone is whispering
2. Greed: to aggressively seek out wealth. 1. Ambiguous: The intel (when found) is very confusing. about?
3. Infamy: to make their name be widely feared. 2. Anthropomorphic: The intel is a person’s knowledge. 1. Death: A well-known figure died in odd circumstances.
4. Power: to rise to the top no matter the cost. 3. Destroyed: Someone has destroyed the intel you need. 2. Justice: A popular figure is to be executed. Are they guilty?
5. Reform: to zealously pursue change. 4. Guarded: The intel is being watched constantly. 3. Monster: People fear a supernatural creature. Is there one?
6. Revenge: to seek retribution for past wrongs. 5. Obscure: The intel is coded and needs a cipher. 4. Omen: A long-prophesied omen has occurred. Or has it?
6. Unknown: The exact nature of the intel is not clear. 5. Return: Someone long thought dead has just turned up.
2. What problem faces the Antagonist?
6. Romance: Two popular figures are very publicly courting.
1. Authority: they operate on the wrong side of the law. 6c. Protection Mission Generator
2. Competition: many strive for the same goal. 1. Bumbling: The target is clumsy and/or dull-witted. 9. What unrelated event is happening right now?
3. Incompetence: their lackeys are somewhat lacking. 2. Child: The target is very young, maybe even a baby. 1. Disaster: Mother nature has just struck, or is about to strike.
4. Resource: something is needed to realise their goal. 3. Dying: The target is injured and needs medical attention. 2. Famine: Strange weather means that food is very scarce.
5. Time: there is a finite window of opportunity. 4. Reckless: The target frequently takes unnecessary risks. 3. Oppression: New taxation is crippling the working class.
6. Vice: a bad habit keeps them from success. 5. Unlucky: The target has the worst possible luck. 4. Pestilence: A deadly, infectious plague is sweeping the land.
6. Unwilling: The target does not want your protection. 5. Rebellion: The land is split, with a civil war brewing.
3. Who is the Antagonist’s main rival?
6. War: Conflict with a neighbour has broken into a war.
1. Associate: a trusted partner secretly plots their fall. 6d. Rescue Mission Generator
2. Mentor: a teacher is ashamed at what they have become. 1. Condemned: Target will be executed at a specific time. Example Spark Rolls
3. Old Friend: a discarded companion now sees their flaws. 2. Hunted: Target escaped, but current location is unknown. 1. ③ The antagonist’s motivation is infamy.
4. Opponent: an opportunistic rival wants them ruined. 3. Mobile: Target will be transported to a secure facility. 2. ② The antagonist’s problem is competition.
5. Ruler: a figure of authority wants them stopped. 4. Ruined: Target will be publicly exposed, ruining reputation. 3. ⑤ The antagonist’s rival is a ruler.
6. Unknown: someone is working against them in secret. 5. Scapegoat: Target will be framed for a heinous crime. 4. ⑤ The rival is the PC’s representative.
4. How do the PCs know the rival? 6. Transfer: Target will be collected by a mysterious stranger. 5. ④ The rival wants the PCs to rescue someone.
1. Benefactor: the rival is wealthy and offering a contract. 6e. Theft Mission Generator 6. ② The target escaped and is on the large.
2. Employer: the rival employs one of the PCs. 1. Guarded: The item is under very heavy protection. 7. ⑤ The rival is actually setting up the PCs.
3. Friend: the rival is an acquaintance to one of the PCs. 2. Inaccessible: The item is extremely hard to get to. 8. ① The gossip is all about someone dying recently.
4. Relative: the rival is somehow related to one of the PCs. 3. Kidnapping: The item you are stealing is, in fact, a person. 9. ⑥ War has broken out with a neighbouring land.
5. Representative: the rival is the PCs’ authoritative deputy. 4. Mobile: The item is frequently being transported. Let’s put this together: Vlad is the son of a recently deceased ruler
6. Stranger: the PCs have no idea who the rival is. 5. Uncertain: The item’s exact location isn’t actually known. and has seized power (rival). Meanwhile, Sophia, a powerful underworld
6. Watched: The item is in a very public place. boss, is using the transition to destroy her rivals (antagonist). Violent
5. What mission does the rival have for the PCs? gang wars have forced Vlad to take action, using the city watch to pursue
1. Deliver: Something important needs to be delivered (6a) 6f. Torment Mission Generator the gangs. In retaliation, Vlad’s sister Mara (who has a stronger claim)
2. Investigate: Information needs to be obtained (6b). 1. Beloved: The target is very popular with the locals. has been kidnapped. However, she has managed to escape and is being
3. Protect: Someone important needs to be kept safe (6c). 2. Dying: The target is already close to death’s door. aggressively hunted by Sophia’s gang. Vlad is offering a handsome
4. Rescue: An important person has been kidnapped (6d). 3. Guarded: The target has a heavy protection detail. reward for the PCs to rescue his sister. Unbeknown to the PCs, Vlad is
5. Thievery: Something important must be stolen (6e). 4. Inaccessible: The target might as well be inside a fortress. sending an agent with them, instructed to murder Mara and pin it on the
PCs. This will free him of his rival while also giving him
5
6. Torment: The antagonist is to be harried and harassed (6f). 5. Mobile: The target is frequently on the move.
public support to bring Sophia to justice. Vlad is keen to
6. Uncertain: No-one knows where the target currently is.
gain the public’s favour, as war is breaking out and he needs
to conscript the proletariat for additional troops soon.
Low-Prep Sandboxes Trauma scaling with how powerful the spell is.
• A spell is always cast, but it requires a Wits or Empathy roll to
As a Gamemaster of many years, I find that I have the most fun cast as intended.
when doing less prep and giving more narrative control to the
• Failure means the spell is miscast (the GM decides how).
players. They’re going to do their own thing anyway!
• Success means the spell is cast as intended, plus Trauma
Theme & Tone This is a huge topic and rather than providing heaps of advice on can be cancelled out. Each success cancels one point of
When adapting YZM to a setting, the first things to consider are how to run a low-prep game here, I’ll instead provide some excel‐ Trauma (including the first success!).
theme and tone. Identifying these will help determine how many lent resources that cover this in much more depth. • Allow Luck Points to offset Trauma, either at a 1:1 cost or at
starting points to grant at character creation and which character The first is Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Michael E. a cost of 2 Luck Points per Trauma (recommended).
elements (if any) need tweaking. Shea – a great book for GMs all about effectively doing less prep. • Optional: allow very minor active use of powers at no cost.
Let’s take low fantasy as an example. Your themes might be War The second (shameless plug!) is the sandbox episode from my own If you come up with an alternate (and lightweight) magic or super‐
and your tone might be Horror & Gallows Humour. In this case, you podcast which you can find at mbcast.co/6. The final one is the power system, I’d love to hear about it - please get in touch!
might grant the recommended number of attribute points at char‐ Gamemastery 101 series of blogposts at The Alexandrian.
acter creation and change the attribute names to mirror other That said, here are my tips for creating a low-prep sandbox:
Simplifying for Kids
games in the low fantasy genre. YZM came to life originally as an idea for making a game that I
1. Create or find a map for the region you will be playing in; could play with my (then) 3 year old son. While it has grown to
Starting Attributes 2. Populate that map with interesting locations; become a full-blown game in its own right, here are some things
There are two considerations to make before deciding how many 3. Populate each location with at least one interesting NPC; to consider changing in order to make it more kid-friendly:
starting attribute points to grant at character creation. The first is 4. Come up with a handful of factions to create tension; • Rename attributes (e.g. Strong, Fast, Clever, Friendly);
whether you want a more heroic or gritty game. The second is 5. Create 1-3 conflicts to run in the background. • Attributes are advanced between sessions;
how many sessions you are planning to run. The key thing to note here is that each location, NPC, faction, and • Remove all character traits other than Concept and Asset;
The general rule of thumb is this: 10 attribute points for a gritty conflict should be written so that each element fits on a single • Change these trait names to Job and Badge;
campaign; 14 for a more heroic campaign. Add 2 to this number index card. Avoid long sentences, and instead use bullets, tags, and • Start each session with 3 Luck Points;
for a one-shot. keywords to help you quickly grab the info at the table.
• Add portrait box to draw the character;
A good number for most games is 12 attribute points arranged as Organic Villains • Keep Trauma but remove the Scar & Death mechanic.
follows: 4, 3, 3, 2. In other words, players pick one attribute that A child-friendly spin-off of YZM is planned and will basically
One thing that every good game needs is a Villain. After you’ve
they’re good at (4 points), one that they’re bad at (2 points), and include all of the above changes, plus adapted GM advice.
created the sandbox, an NPC might jump out at you as a worthy
the other two attributes get 3 points.
By design, YZM is a gritty game intended for shorter campaigns.
contender. However, you can also simply start playing and pay
attention as your players interact with the factions in the game A Bit More Crunch, Please!
world. As the story progresses, a Villain may organically appear. YZM is deliberately focused on light rules and short campaigns or
Tweaking Once you have identified a Villain, flesh them out as per the Quick
one-shots, but what if you want a little more complexity?
If the default YZM rules don’t fit your setting, feel free to tweak NPC guidelines on page 4, giving them 3-4 Trauma and 2 Special Well, you’re in luck! The Year Zero OGL is available for games of
any element as needed. Here are some common elements that Traits (one at 3, one at 2). Finally, give them an ambition: some‐ a similar complexity to Free League’s published games.
could be changed: thing they are actively working towards in the background. I’ve also started developing Year Zero Lite, the big brother to
• Attributes (e.g. Fitness, Dexterity, Cunning, Resolve);
• Concepts (e.g. Background + Superpower + Career); Magical Powers YZM, to scratch this itch. Most of the rules will mirror what you
see here, but the two biggest changes will be the addition of Skills,
• Traits (e.g. Conviction > Pride; Impulse > Problem); YZM is designed to play gritty games, where magic is usually critical injury tables, and more detailed (yet still abstract) conflict
• Trauma (e.g. more / less Trauma; no Trauma penalties); absent or only in the hands of the elite. That said, if you do need systems.
magic, here are some recommendations for implementing it in
Newsletter
• Advancement (failure tallies = double your current rank).
YZM and keeping it gritty:
AFPUB files are available at tinyurl.com/yzm-resources to tweak
both the rules and the character sheets in Affinity Publisher as • Include the power as an element of the Concept (Background To stay up-to-date with YZM as well as other games I am working
needed to suit your own version of the game. + Power + Career). on, sign up to my newsletter here.
• Avoid spelling out what can and can’t be done with the power
6
If you want to share your tweak, please ensure that you share a and encourage player imagination & creativity (embrace
link to YZM and both follow the guidelines in the OGL, as well as “schools” of magic and avoid spell lists).
include the OGL text (found on the following page).
• To use a power, Trauma needs to be inflicted – the amount of
name: name:
look: look:
conviction: conviction:
impulse: impulse:
friend: friend:
well-off well-off
rich rich
luck
luck
STRENGTH AGILITY WITS EMPATHY STRENGTH AGILITY WITS EMPATHY
-1D -2D -3D -1D -2D -3D -1D -2D -3D -1D -2D -3D
5 5 5 5
use a paperclip here
HEALTHY
DOWNED
DOWNED
DOWNED
DOWNED
disorder
disorder
4 4 4 4
1 stress
2 stress
3 stress
1 stress
2 stress
3 stress
1 harm
2 harm
3 harm
1 harm
2 harm
3 harm
LUCID
LUCID
scars
scars
3 3 3 3
2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1
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and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All 4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use so affected.
Rights Reserved. this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide,
royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this 13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You
1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or License to Use, the Open Game Content. fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach
trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses
(b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including 5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contrib‐ shall survive the termination of this License.
derivative works and translations (including into other computer uting original material as Open Game Content, You represent that
languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, exten‐ Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have 14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be
sion, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent
form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or necessary to make it enforceable.
6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPY‐
adapted; (c) "Distribute" means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, RIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text
sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You
(d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes 15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Open Game License v 1.0 Copy‐
are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title,
the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent right 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
the copyright date, and the copyright holder's name to the COPY‐
such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an RIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Year Zero Engine © 2019 by Fria Ligan AB. Developed,
enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly Distribute. authored, and edited by Tomas Härenstam.
identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means
any work covered by this License, including translations and 7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Iden‐ Year Zero Mini © 2021 by 3 Skulls Pub. Developed, authored,
derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes tity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as and edited by Matt Kay.
Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity" means product and expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the
owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to In accordance with the Open Game License Section 8 “Iden‐
product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade tification” the following designate Open Game Content and
dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or
Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Product Identity:
thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork,
symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, inde‐ OPEN GAME CONTENT: The contents of this document are
themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio pendent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or declared Open Game Content except for the portions
representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open specifically declared as Product Identity.
enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of
that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in PRODUCT IDENTITY: All logos, symbols, designs and other
special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equip‐
Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and graphics relating to 3 Skulls Pub or Year Zero Mini.
ment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols,
or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trade‐ to that Product Identity.
mark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the 8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must
Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distribut‐
Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, ing are Open Game Content.
motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or
its products or the associated products contributed to the Open 9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may
Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" publish updated versions of this License. You may use any author‐
means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and ized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any
otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of
"You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this agreement. this License.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content 10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License
that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix 11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise
such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms