Muscles & Miracles
PLAYERS: CREATE CHARACTERS
1 Choose an origin for your character:
Barbarian, Dwarf, Elf, Halfling, Local,
Northerner, or Outlander.
2
Choose a class for your character: Archer,
Cleric, Knight, Noble, Ranger, Sorcerer, or
Thief.
3 Choose a demeanor for your character:
Cautious, C haotic, C urious, Loyal,
Honorable, Silent, or Temperamental.
4 Choose your number, from 2 to 5. A high
number means you’re better at MUSCLES
(strength; toughness; dexterity; craft;
speed; endurance; combat). A low number
means you’re bet ter at MIR ACLES
(intuition; ar t; diplomacy; seduction;
willpower; perception; magic).
5 Give your character a cool fantasy name.
Like Belladonna Nightshade or Thoros
Hammerfist.
6 Character goal: Choose one or create your
own: Become a Legend, Meet Sexy Elves,
Slay Evil Monsters, Explore the Unknown,
Solve Ancient Mysteries, Collect Treasure,
Prove Yourself, or Protect the Realm.
You have:
• A traveler’s outfit which includes armor
unless you are a magic-user.
• A backpack or sack full of useful gear and
gadgets.
• A trusted favorite weapon, spellbook or
holy item.
• A light or secondary weapon.
• 3d6 gold coins.
• One healing potion that restores you to full
health.
PLAYERS: CREATE YOUR PARTY
Pick two strength for your group: Admirable
Reputation, Extra Treasure, Underground
Connections, Superior Horses, Noble Patron,
Powerful Artifact, Divine Blessing.
Also, pick one problem: Powerful Enemy, (some
is wanting to take revenge on you because of
something you did), Bad Reputation (you are
known to be untrustworthy or immoral, or both),
Fresh Wounds (you just got out from a serious
combat situation, you are all wounded and all
out of healing potions).
ROLLING THE DICE
When you do something risky, roll 1d6 to find
out how it goes. Roll +1d6 if you’re prepared
and +1d6 if you’re an expert. (For magic-users,
being an expert applies only when using magic.)
The GM tells you how many dice to roll, based on A LASERS & FEELINGS HACK
your character and the situation.
Roll your dice and compare each die result to YOU ARE A PARTY OF ADVENTURERS IN A FANTASY
your number.
If you’re using MUSCLES (physical or
REALM CALLED THE FAR KINGDOM. For the past few
years you have been seeking adventures, exploring
mundane actions), you want to roll under
mysteries, and collecting rare items or treasures
your number.
If you’re using MIRACLES (mental or throughout the land. Your main patron, Socratius the
magical actions) you want to roll over your
number.
Sage, has been struck down with a strange disease
0
If none of your dice succeed, it goes known as Something Else, leaving you out of work and
wrong. The GM says how things get worse on your own while he recovers in a nearby temple.
somehow.
1 If one die succeeds, you barely manage
it. The GM inflicts a complication, harm, or
cost.
GM: CREATE AN ADVENTURE
A THREAT...
2 If two dice succeed, you do it well. 1. An evil lord
2. A mysterious cult
4. An orcish warlord
5. A powerful necromancer
3 If three dice succeed, you get a critical
success! The GM tells you some extra
effect you get.
3. A mad wizard 6. A lesser demon
WANTS TO...
! If you roll your exact number on at least
two dice, you get a special INSIGHT into
what’s going on. Ask the GM a question
1. Destroy / Corrupt
2. Steal / Capture
4. Locate / Investigate
5. Build / Rebuild
and they’ll answer you honestly. Some 3. Sacrifice / Harvest the power of 6. Occupy / Enslave
good questions: THE...
What are they really feeling? Who’s behind 1. Duchess Maryelle of the Ruby Castle 4. Lost Ship of Indigo the Pirate
this? How could I get them to _______________? 2. Temple of Swords 5. Deserted Lair of a long-gone Dragon
What should I be on the lookout for? What’s
3. Skull Crystal 6. Ruin of an ancient city
the best way to _______________? What’s
really going on here? IN ORDER TO...
You can change your action if you want to, then 1. Destroy a city 4. Open a portal
roll again.
2. Start a war / invasion 5. Awaken an ancient monster
HELPING If you want to help someone else,
who’s rolling, say how you try to help and make 3. Enslave a race / nation 6. Achieve immortality
a roll. If you succeed, give them +1d6.
GM: RUN THE GAME
MUSCLES & MIRACLES -- v 1.2
Play to find out how they defeat the threat. Call for a roll when the situation is uncertain.
by Daniel Kušan (daniel.kusan@gmail.com) Introduce the threat by showing evidence of Don’t pre-plan outcomes—let the chips fall
This game is a hack of Lasers and Feelings, its recent evil-doing. Before a threat does where they may. Use failures to push the action
originally written by John Harper of One-Seven something to the characters, show signs that forward. The situation always changes after a
Designs. Find the original game and his other work it’s about to happen, then ask them what they roll, for good or ill.
at onesevendesign.com. do. “The Orcs are climbing the walls of the Ask questions and build on the answers. “Have
This game is lincesed under a CC By-NC-SA 4.0 castle. What do you do?” “Venetia pours you a any of you encountered a Blackbone Cultist
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by- glass of iceberry wine and slips her arm around before? Where? What happened?”
nc-sa/4.0/ you waist. What do you do?”