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CRIPTA RPG
#0
Translator’s Note

Since CRIPTA 0E launched, it has been expanded, changed

and played with. It was enriched with settings, adventures
and hacks such as Sertão Morto, by Lucas Cordeiro, Confins
do Espaço, by Willy Alencar, Jardins do Caos, by Gabriel
Santos and Mádumar, by Jopes Cunha.

You won’t find any of those here. Instead, this is a

translation of that very first step: crude, inspired,
unmodified. I hope you enjoy it.

- Rachi

This product was written by Gabriel Santos, Willy Alencar,

Lucas Cordeiro. License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Diagramming : Paula Dias, Jopes Cunha

Cover: Vitor Kulina
Illustration: Jaina Arruda, Gabriel Santos, Willy Alencar
e Vitor Kulina.

Special thanks to the messege group of Dungeons & ******,

Jopes, Davi, Júlia, Jaina, Guilherme, Lucas, Keyla, Júnior,
Pablo, who are always there, testing, playing, creating and
having fun.

Finally, thanks for the whole RPG community that without it

wich these individuals would never accomplished nothing.

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 “WE CAN’T
STAY HERE,
IT’S BAT
COUNTRY!”

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

INDEX

Introduction.................................... 6

1. WHAT IS RPG?............................... 7

2. THE CHARACTER........................... 9
2.1 Name........................................................ 9
2.2 Attibutes.................................................. 9
2.3 HP (Health Points).................................... 10
2.4 Defense and Evasion.................................. 10

3. ITEMS.......................................... 11
3.1 Provisions................................................. 11
3.2 Armament................................................ 11
3.3 Possessions.............................................. 13
3. 4 Relics...................................................... 13
3.5 Occupation.............................................. 15
3.6 Vices and virtues....................................... 16
3. 7 Luck........................................................ 17

4. ROLSS......................................... 19
4.1 Challange rolls........................................... 19
4.2 Advantages and Disadvantages................... 20
4.3 Collective rolls.......................................... 21
4. 4 Combat................................................... 21
4.5 Damage................................................... 21
4.6 Turns....................................................... 22

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INTRODUCTION
CRIPTA is a generic, customizable role-playing game based on a set of
light rules, which offer fast (swift? lively? deadly? ravenous?) game sessions,
dosed in an Old School spirit. It’s written to be played at bar tables, breaks
between classes, or in any free time with friends.

CRIPTA’s aesthetic references go through trash horror films, fantasy and

sci-fi literature, philosophy, Brazilian literature, rock’n’roll, rap, anime, 90s
Brazilian TV. In other words: the subversive and psychedelic art in it’s many
forms and manifestations. If you, the reader, share some of those influences,
you’ll feel at home.

This book contains all the basic rules you need to play a session of
CRIPTA. By convention, typical fantasy troupes were used as an example
but, as you read the system, you will be able to easily adapt its contents to
any other settings.

In this customizable independent DO YOURSELF IT (DYI) spirit, our

Instagram page @cripta_rpg will provide additional free content, such as:
supplementary rules, new settings, adventures and characters that expand
the games potential. The intention is to have a game that evolves organically
as it is played. Come along and interact with us, as this is just the beginning.

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1. WHAT IS RPG?
You may think of RPG as a movie, a book or a story where the charac-
ters are controlled by the spectators. During an RPG session there are two
types of players: the judge and the characters. The judge sets up the fictional
world where the adventure happens, and describes what the characters are
seeing and hearing, as well as what is about to happen. The characters - con-
trolled by the other players - are the protagonists of said adventure, and must
have freedom to act, change the course of the story and, of course, taste the
consequences of their actions.

As said in the Dungeon World game manual, a good part of how RPG
works is as a “conversation between friends”. It is an exchange between the
judge and the players where the judge describes the scene and asks what the
characters will do next, and the players describe how their characters will act,
and so the story goes forward.

But there are moments during this conversation

between friends when the dynamic slightly
interrupted. Those moments will be
called Rolls. Rolls represent the eminent
possibility of failure, which is why they
call for Dice, perfect representatives of
Destiny’s chaotic providence. When a
character is about to do something
with an expressive chance of failure,
dice are thrown, and the results are away
from everyone’s hands.

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In order to play CRIPTA RPG you need:

• A group of 2 to 6 people.
• Pen and paper.
• At least one copy of this book.
• A prepared adventure.
• A good amount of six sided dice (D6);
a full RPG dice kit could also prove useful.

There are several apps that can replace real dice.

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2. THE CHARACTER

This chapter explains the basic elements of character creation. You

can either download official sheets from @cripta_rpg or write down your
character on a piece of paper.

2.1 NAME
Your character’s name. Try to give them a name proper to the adventure
presented.

2.2 ATTRIBUTES
the physical and mental characteristics of a character, are divided into:
• Strength (STR): Physical prowess, used
to lift and push heavy objects.
It is also used in most melee attacks.
• Agility (AGI) : Bodily control, movement
precision and balance. Affects Evasion and is is
used in most ranged attacks and some meele.
• Intelligence (INT): Used to retain
information, make deductions and to
get to the right conclusions.
• Charisma (CHA): Defines the character’s
influence and personal magnetism, as
well as their mental strength, empathy
and other personality traits.
• Fortitude (FOR): Vitality,
stamina, resistance to poison, hunger,
cold and other bodily afflictions.

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 The player must roll 1D6 to define the value of each attribute in sequence.
So first they roll for STR, then for AGI, and so on. Attributes max at 5. If the
player rolls a 6, they get an extra +1 on an Attribute of their choice.

Each attribute becomes a die that can be used in a related Roll:

Billy the peasant is fighting a giant bat who’s been eating

his crops and cows. To hit the bat with his pitchfork, Billy
uses his Strength. Assuming he has 4 points in Strength,
Billy will then Roll 4 six sided dice (D6) against the
creature’s Evasion.

2.3 HP (HEALTH POINTS)

HP represents the character’s health, calculated by the formula: Fortitude
+ 4. When a character’s HP reaches 0, they die. Each well slept night recovers
half the character’s Fortitude in Health Points, rounded down.

2.4 DEFENSE AND EVASION

Defense and Evasion are two different ways to avoid damage during
combat. Defense comes from the use of armor, and the trust that it will
absorb the impact from incoming attacks. Evasion is an attempt to move
away from an attack, avoid the damage completel.

A character’s Evasion is equal to their Agility, while their Defense is

defined by the Armor they are using (read more on Items and Combat).

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3. ITEMS

Items are sorted among four categories:

provisions, armament, possessions, and relics.
The following lists are only examples.

3.1 PROVISIONS
Basic survival items, usually consumed
on single use, like water, food, medicine,
torches, traps, etc.

3.2 ARMAMENT
Weapons are categorized by the quality of their components and
fabrication. Weapon modifiers go from +1 to +3. This modifier is added to
the damage of Attack Rolls (more on Combat).

Armors are vestments that offer extra protection to the wearer and are
classified in two categories: Light, which offers damage reduction but are
damaged when used, and Heavy, which give Armor bonuses but also give
Evasion penalties.

TABLE 1.1 – Light Armor

Light [commum]: durability (3 points)

armor [superior]: durability (5 points)

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 Each point of durability can be converted into a point of damage reduction
against an incoming attack. A few hours are needed to repair Light Armor.

TABLE 1.2 – Heavy armor

Heavy [common]: Defense +1, Evasion -1

armor [superior]: Defense +2, Evasion -1

Heavy Armor can only be used by characters who have Strength equal to
or higher than 2.

TABLE 1.3 – Shields

[improvised]: durability (2 points)

Shields [common]: durability (3 points)
[superior] durability (5 points)

Similarly to light armor, Shields have limited durability and absorb

damage from attacks. After failure to fully defend themselves with Evasion
or Defense, a shield bearer may sacrifice their shield’s durability points for
damage reduction.

Damaged shields can be repaired with some time and appropriate tools.
When a shield’s durability reaches 0, they break and become useless. When a
shield breaks in the hands of a character, that character receives disadvantage
on their Evasion rolls until their next turn.

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3.3 POSSESSIONS
They are broader worldly items, whichever doesn’t fit into the previous
categories. The following is a list of possessions to be used in any way that
is convenient.

1. Lunette 12. Spheres

2. Forging Hammer 13. A bottle with perfume
3. Pickaxe 14. Paper and ink
4. Chains 15. A tricky deck
5. Empty Flasks 16. A letter signed by an
6. Extra clothes important person
7. Crowbar 17. Climbing nail
8. Nails and a hammer 18. Chalk stones
9. 3 meter stick 19. Oil
10. A mirror 20. A scroll with a random
11. Ruby magic

3. 4 RELICS
These are items that have inexplicable special properties. Whether by
contact with a divine entity, by exquisite forging, or by means of advanced
technology, each relic is unique in the world, and leaves legends wherever
it goes. There are relics from the most trivial to the most powerful, but
all are rare and valuable. Adventures and even entire campaigns can be
formed around a relic. Relics have their own file, which can be downloaded at
@cripta_rpg.

Some Examples:

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• Savingthrow, (long sword +1 blessed by Episte, the Fair God.)
It has the appearance of an ordinary long sword, but the attentive
eye perceives that it emits a pale glow. SavingThrow emits a blind
glow when it cuts human flesh and
blinds everyone Nearby, preventing them
from acting on their turn. With each blow,
SavingThrow gathers the sins and
injustices of those hit by its blade,
accumulating their sentences and
doubling their weight. Each
successful blow deals 2 or more
damage doubles the sword’s
weight, causing a penalty on
attacks that use STRENGTH.

• Bereto’s Impossible Lyre

The wood is beaten and the strings
are out of tune, but the sound reaches
everyone Nearby and puts them into a
trance for a few seconds (2 turns)

• Berkizg’s Cup
Cup adorned by the millennial king, who is able
to bring from the dead whoever drinks from it.
When used once for this purpose, it breaks into
a thousand pieces.

• Strange ruby ring.

A gold ring adorned with a ruby stone. In it is an
inscription in a rare language, witch means translated
“loneliness, what a soothing dust”. If this ring is placed
in a finger, it can never be removed. The user sees
apparitions, which start subtle but intensify until the
end of 2 months he is completely haunted by spirits

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3.5 OCCUPATION
Occupation is her character’s former job, which he did before throwing
himself into the short life of an adventurer.

The occupation is decided randomly at character creation . Once decided,

the player can choose between the 2 available kit, [a] or [b], as listed below.

The table below, like most of the lists, is not exhaustive and serves as an
inspiration and model for judges and players to create their own.

TABLE 1.3 - Occupations

[a] Staff (+1), a blank grimoire, a pet owl.

1.Arcanist [b] Knife (+1), tattoo needdles, a relic of his
patron.

[a] Whip (+1), a poison kit, bandages.

2. Herbalist
[b] Knife (+1), a recipe book, a pet iguana .

[a] Five darts (+1), a musical instrument,

3. Jester book of storys.
[b] Two Daggers (+1), a costume of the
opposite sex , a marionette.

[a] Gladius (+2), a simple shield, an alcohol

bottle.
4. Fighter
[b] A bow and ten arrows (+2), an elm (+1
DEF), trumpet.

[a] Knife (+1), an oil flask, a pet dog.

5. Hermit [b] Staff (+1), smoke and matches, a
hideout.

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 [a] Axe (+2), a harpoon, a canoe.
6. Peasant
[b] Pitchfork (+1), a sacred symbol, bread.

[a] Shovel (+1), a guitar, a ghost.

7. Gravedigger
[b] Hammer (+2), nails, wood planks.

[a] Sword (+2), a sacred book, carrier

8. Clergyman pegeon.
[b] Whip (+1), healing tonic, sacred water.

[a] Heavy axe (+3), a hood.

9. Executioner
[b] Axe (+2), rope, chains.

[a] Knife (+1), Smoke bomb, a mask

10. Thief
[b] Rapier (+2), a saw, fake coins.

3.6 VICES AND VIRTUES

They are particular characteristics that each character has. Despite the
name, vices and virtues are not necessarily bad or good, they are just traits
that the characters cannot escape. Whenever a viceor or virtue adds a conflict
relevant to the story, harming character or not, the Judge can reward him
with 1 Luck point. The following list is just an example, both players and
Judge are encouraged to expand it:

1. Fair 6. Addict
2. Chatty 7. Accumulator
3. Soft Heart 8. Violent
4. Liar 9. Paranoic
5. Altruistic 10. Chaste

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 3. 7 LUCK

Each Lucky Point represents the bonus of 1 automatic hit on a

roll. The maximum amount of accumulative Luck Points is 2, the
Judge can use his own parameters to distribute luck, the Vices and
Virtues mechanics is one of them. The following is an optional
rule for Lucky Points: Criticals.

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 CRITICAL STRIKE

When a player scores two 6 in a single roll, he gains 1 Lucky

Point. in some moments, however, the player may need
a bonus die in a roll and not have any luck in his pool, in
these situations he can force his luck, which will give him
a extra die in the next roll without need of the critic, but
the player will get the UNLUCKY condition. This condition
gives the Judge the right to make narrative interventions
and extrapolate the consequences of some failed rolls
in order to reinforce his chronic bad luck. The Unlucky
condition is removed when the player gets a new critic.

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4. ROLLS

CRIPTA RPG uses a binary, success and failure dices system. The basic
dice is D6, with the following possible outcomes:

TABLE 2.1 - Results of D6

D6
1,2,3 FAILURE

4,5,6 SUCCESS

4.1 CHALLENGE ROLLS

A challenge roll is triggered when an action narrated by a player is
difficult, dangerous, or threatening. If, on the contrary, the action is trivial, it
can and must be resolved through narration.

When crossing a river is a simple task, it is enough for

the player to say “I want to cross that river” for the Judge
to describe the action “ok, you cross the river without
difficulty. What are you doing now?”, without turning
this action into a roll. But, assuming that the river is full,
and with a strong current, the crossing will then become
dangerous, difficult, or threatenning. It is at this moment
that a challenge roll is triggered.

The amount of dices thrown in a roll is determined by the attribute value

corresponding to the action. In other words, it is the Difficulty Level (LD)
that determines the amount of success necessary for a roll to actually succeed.
Follow this table to balance the game:

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TABLE 2.2 - Difficulty Levels

The action represents

1 hit
some challange

The action represents a

2 hits big challenge, only for
capable people

A heroic action, failure to

3 hits
almost all other people

Unique achievements,
4 hits
that will be remembered.

4.2 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

Certain situations can bring advantages or disadvantages to the character
who is about to make a roll. This is reflected in the amount of dice it can roll.
A stunned character loses 1 die on any intelligence or dexterity roll. Being
drunk can take off intelligence or dexterity dice, but also add on a charisma
roll, and so on. Such situations and the modifier involved are determined by
the Judge.

4.3 COLLECTIVE ROLLS

Of course, some actions can be done collectively. Perhaps lifting a very
heavy object, finding a book in a library, immobilizing an enemy, etc. In this
case, players choose an action leader, and teacher character helping him adds
a die to the roll.

4. 4 COMBAT
A fight is a dispute between two characters, and it can work two ways:

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 • Attack roll vs Evasion: the attacker rolls the attribute’s dice
(physical attacks often use force ou agility), and the
target rolls his Evasion dice. For a successful attack roll,
the attacker’s hits must be equal to or greater than
the Evasion’s hits.
• Attack roll vs Defense: The attacker rolls the
attribute’s dices against the opponent’s Fixed Defense
(FD). For a successful attack roll, the hits must be
equal to or greater than the defense value.

4.5 DAMAGE
Combat damage is determined by the number of
sucess minus the attack roll, subtracted by defense
or evasion, and added to the weapon’s bonus.

In challange rolls which failure results in damage, this is defined by the

level of danger in the situation. Use the following table as a reference.

TABLE 2.3 - Damage in challenge rolls

LOW AVERAGE HIGH

1 2-3 4-6

Michelle’s character decides to attack, with an arrow shot from

her bow, a mercenary who spoke too much. For this action, an
AGILITY attack roll. The chatty Mercenary, on ther hand, does
not wear any armor and, upon hearing the bowstring being
pulled, quickly tries to evade, throwing himself behind some
tables.
Suppose the attackers got 3 hits, and the Mercenary’s
evasions only 1. The damage will then be 4 (3 minus 1,
added to the bow bonus [2]).

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4.6 TURNS
When starting a combat, the turns are individualized and the characters
involved act in an order determined by an initiative roll: each one rolls a 6-si-
ded die and adds the result to the value of the agility attribute. The highest
values act first.

A combat turn is equivalent to a 6-second time in the game, in which the

character can:

1. Move to a Long distance.

2. Move to a nearby distance and perform an action (launch an attack,
prepare a defense, light a torch, say something, climb a surface, etc.)
3. Stay where you are and perform an action and short action (pick up
an object on the floor, drink a potion, draw/tore a weapon, etc.)

In some situations, the Judge may need more spatial references. To do

this, use the following tables as reference:

TABLE 2.4 - Distances

Close a distance of up to 3 meters.

Nearby up to 9 meters

Long from 9 to 18 meters.

Distant above 20 meters

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CRIPTA RPG is a system of rules for
fast, generic and fierce
role-playing games

Face dangers and unravel mysteries

with your friends, your dices
and your imagination!

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