Fast and Loose

Role Playing Game rules

These rules are inspired by the ideas found in the Free Kriegsspiel and Matrix wargame spheres.
Thus these rules look back to the very founding of role playing games and uses a minimalist rule set
to shift complexity from the page to the minds of the referee and the players.

In a game of Fast and Loose, one participant takes on the role of the referee, they must be an
exemplar of fairness, internal consistency, and realism. They design the scenarios, situations and
run the world in which the group plays. The other participants are players who control a Player
Character (PC). These individuals will face fauna, flora and challenges in adventures within the
group’s setting of choice. The Referee will control Non Player Characters (NPCs) who can be an
ally, neutral or hostile person that the PCs face. The referee is expected to be creative and whilst not
opposed to the players will test the PCs.

Fast and Loose works on the basis of a setting having a consistent logic that the Referee applies to
the situations the players find themselves in. Rolled Tests are rarely used and when called for they
should only be used in circumstances in which outcomes are highly uncertain, in particular when
there is risk of harm to the player characters.

PCs are defined by a few simple traits. The game rules presume that both the players and the referee
can be trusted to engage with the setting and use creativity to overcome situations. The rules for
combat are slightly more detailed due to the potential for injury or death. However, the game is not
only about combat; instead it assumes that minimal rules are needed for the sorts of activities an
individual might perform that are mundane, low risk or have a low chance of meaningful failure

To quote/paraphrase Jim Parkin;

 Numbers don't add up to a game. Many FKR games are based entirely in description and
realistic intuition, and have little commerce with numbers, "stats," and the like.
 If the fiction fits, try it. The game and its world are responsible and internally consistent, not
because they are constrained by regulation, but because they are enjoyed by earnest and
thoughtful people. It requires buy-in and willingness. Players trust the referee to make
rulings. Referees trust players to be bold and clever.
 You play worlds, not rules. Have you read any captivating novel or work of non-fiction,
regardless of time frame, setting, or genre? You can run a game based on that book.
Source: https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/2500148/ancient-roleplaying-or-free-kriegsspiel-revolution/page/1
 Character Creation

Name
Pick a suitable name for your PC

Ability
These can be anything, pick one to be Good (Advantage) and One to be Poor (Disadvantage), the
rest are average. Below is a suggested common ability pool to select from

Strength Physical power Willpower Mental power

Agility Physical nimbleness Intellect Mental agility
Toughness Physical resilience Fortitude Mental resilience

Profession
Pick a suitable professional vocation for your setting. When rolling dice it grants a +1 bonus to a
test

Skill
Pick two, ideally they should be derived from the PC’s Profession, but this is not a hard
requirement. Grants a +1 bonus in rolled tests, if mastered it grants +2

Equipment
Each PC can have up to twelve items. Some tasks may need specialist equipment and be impossible
to achieve without the correct item being on hand

Other details
You may wish to create more background information about your PC. What is their Culture,
Gender, Age and Species? If you want your PC to have a bit of history you could write up around
300 to 400 words about who they are and where they came from. Although this could also be
explored in play. These details can inform the other players and the Referee about who your PC is
and what they can achieve.
Situation resolution
Situations are resolved by a player proposing an argument with three reasons why it can succeed.
Other players and in particular the referee can propose why the proposal might fail. If logically the
'argument' of the proposing player is successful the player's proposal becomes a fact. If the
argument is weak or fails then the proposal either partially succeeds with complications or does not
occur. If there is no agreement you might wish to consider letting fate decide and make a rolled test.

Rolled Tests
Only when the result is highly uncertain will you need to roll a test

Roll 2d6 vs 2d6 (average result is a 7)

Advantage is 3d6 pick Two High results
Disadvantage is 3d6 pick Two Low results

Breaking ties – roll 2d6, highest unique die face wins (eg 3+4 vs 1+5, the player with a 5=winner)

Combat

Wounds

Status Hits applied Modifier for dice rolls

Unhurt No damage nil
Bloodied 1 to 3 -1
Wounded 4 to 6 -2
Grievous 7 to 12 -3
Mortal 13 -4
Dying 14 No actions possible when Dying

Damage
Base hits is 1 ( +1 Good Strength ability, + relevant skill bonus)
Weapons deal +1d6 damage (2h or ‘heavy’ roll with advantage, Light roll with disadvantage)
therefore min dmg is 1 and max dmg is 10 (base 1, +1 Str, +2 skill+ 6 on the weapon roll)

Armour
Armour blocks damage
Type Damage block Example
Light 2 Leather
Medium 3 Chain
Heavy 4 Plate
Small Shield +2 Buckler
Large Shield +3 Heater
 EXTRAS
Magic (or Psionics or Super powers)
These can be treated as a Skill if using a low powered setting, offering +1 when relevant. For higher
power levels you could have it offer advantage in tests. For very powerful effects they simply work
within the logic of your setting.

You can even blend these options if you wish to have a three tiered system of powers. Examples of
tiered spell effects for a fantasy setting;
Magical strike, +1
Lightning bolt, Advantage
Meteor storm, kills everyone in strike zone

Improving a PC
In a session a referee can grant a PC improvement points, these can be spent to gain improvements
to a player’s PC.

2 improvement pts 4 improvement pts

Add a skill at +1 [The easiest option] Improve a skill to +2 [It takes time to master a
skill]

6 improvement pts 11 improvement pts

Change poor ability to an average Change average ability to a Good ability [This
ability [days of dedication to improve is a rare upgrade]
oneself]

How many points should a referee give out?

Typically assume 1 pt at the end of a session; if the player leans into the adventure/situation or plays
their character well, they should get a point. However, for a particularly epic moment you may
grant a bonus point, for a max of 2 per session (with 90% of sessions actually being a max of 1).

In effect IPs are boons for those who turn up, engage in the session, act in interesting ways and play
their character – although you should avoid falling into the trap of rewarding just the more
extroverted players who hog the limelight and shade out the shy or introverted players.

If in doubt just reward 1 pt per session.

A note on converting percentages to a scale of 12 and back

Base 12 Percentage Base 12 Percentage

1 8 7 58
2 17 8 67
3 25 9 75
4 33 10 83
5 42 11 92
6 50 12 100

On 2d6 the probability bell curve means that a 7 is the most probable result
Note that due to rounding errors the above chart is approximate

Bibliography
Kriegsspiel 1824 and 1862, Too Fat Lardies

The Sandhurst Kriegsspiel, Wargaming for the Modern Infantry Officer, Training for War: Volume
1 (2016) John Curry and Tim Price MBE

Matrix Games for Modern Wargaming Developments in Professional and Educational Wargames
Innovations in Wargaming Volume 2 (2014) Tim Curry and Tim Price MBE

The Matrix Wargames Handbook (2018) Tim Curry et al

Braunstein
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Braunstein_(game)

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This product contains assets that were, wholly or in part, procedurally generated
with the aid of creative software(s) powered by machine learning.

Copyright (c) Robert Mills, 2022

Fast and Loose, Version 1.3
Free yourself from the tyranny of page after page of rules.

A set of simple rules that allow for play in any genre and setting.
If you can imagine it, then these rules will allow it to happen

Drawing on ideas from the earliest days of RPGs, using rule concepts found in
Free Kriegsspiel and Matrix wargaming systems.