DragonDragon SlayersSlayers RPGRPG

A game of epic adventure and dragon slaying! The heroes are traveling adventurers who boldly explore dark dungeons, hunt ferocious monsters, and loot ancient treasures. The darkest dungeons and most ancient treasures belong to dragons – the most ferocious monsters.

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION 2 BACKGROUNDS 12 THE ROLE OF THE DICE 2 APPEARANCE 12 BASIC STATS 3 EQUIPMENT 13 THE SEVEN SKILLS 3 FEATS (OPTIONAL) 14 SKILL DICE 4 PARTY COMPANION (OPTIONAL) 17 ROLLING THE DICE 4 MAGIC 17 EXAMPLE OF PLAY 5 LIST OF SPELLS 17 COMBAT RULES 7 RITUALS 21 MOVEMENT 7 HEROIC LEVELS 21 ACTIONS 7 MAGIC ITEMS 22 INJURY AND DEATH 9 MONSTERS AND NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS 22 HAZARDS AND RECOVERY 9 ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTY 23 MOUNTS 9 EXAMPLE HEROES 23 HERO CREATION 10 OPTIONAL EXTRAS 24 RACE 10 ADVANCED CLASS: DRUID 24 CLASS 11 EPIC LEVELS 24 FREEBIE SKILL 11 OPEN GAME LICENSE 25

Credits and Legal

LEAD GAME DESIGNER, RULES DEVELOPER, WRITER, AND SampleCOVER ILLUSTRATOR file – Ben Ramos

GAME DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANTS – Ian Anderson, John Pearson, James Quick, Nick Restifo – Paul Zaldana (special thanks)

PLAYTESTERS – Travis Alvarado, Ian Anderson, Kirsten Battaglia, John Bult, Jonathan Convery, Erica Fer, Sam Frazier, Darren Green, Wren Groth, Ryan Kasprowicz, Heidi Kershaw, Gerald McAlister, Tommy Meeusen, Herson Merino, Dan Miles, Johnny Miller, James Morgan, Alex Neff, John Pearson, Chris Philgren, James Quick, Ian R, Nick Restifo, Patrick Russo, Devon Stoll, Chris VonArb, Kendra Weaver, Andy White, Maggie Wilson, Daria Winter, Samantha Wood, Claes Youngberg, Paul Zaldana, and about a dozen strangers from George Mason University

PRODUCT IDENTITY – The following items are hereby identified as Product Identity, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a, Section 1(e), and are not Open Content: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper names, (characters, place names, etc.), dialogue, comments in red, plots, story elements, locations, characters, artwork, and trade dress. (Elements that have previously been designated as Open Game Content are not included in this declaration.)

OPEN GAME CONTENT – Except for material designated as Product Identity (see above), the game mechanics of this game product are Open Game Content, as defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No portion of this work other than the material designated as Open Game Content may be reproduced in any form without written permission.

1 Introduction

Dragon Slayers RPG is a Role-Playing Game. This means part of the game involves acting, but no worries! It's not as hard as it sounds. At its heart, it's just you and your friends sitting down at a table and telling a story together. Not any old story mind you, but an epic fantasy adventure with wizards and dragons and enchanted realms full of danger!

Normally a story told by four or five authors would get pretty chaotic, so one player is designated as lead storyteller – the Game Master – and each of the other players controls one of the story's protagonists – the heroes.

THE GAME MASTER – This player (called GM for short) gets the most narrative power and the most responsibilities. Choose the GM long before playing. – As the GM, part of your job is to prepare deadly trials and exciting challenges for the heroes before the game starts. – During the game you describe the world, control the non-player characters, and challenge the heroes. – If they succeed, great! If they fail, it's not over... every dragon left alive is a potential sequel.

The GM may never describe the thoughts, actions, or words of a hero, unless that hero's player lets her.

THE HEROES – Each player who is not the GM plays the role of a hero in the story. – The GM will set the scene and throw monsters and high-stakes situations at you. Your job is to overcome them. – If victory was certain, it wouldn't be fun! To accomplish risky things (like slaying dragons) the heroes need to roll dice.

A hero player may never describe the thoughts, actions, or words of a non-player character unless the Game Master lets him.

Chances are if you're reading this, you've played a pen-and-paper RPG before. For the experienced gamer, Dragon Slayers RPG is a toolbox you can use to run your own campaigns and publish your own role-playing games with. It's also an excellent set of “training wheels.” I've had outstanding success luring friends and family into the hobby using this game. These rules were designed to be casual, balanced, and easy to learn. The system is very quick to prep and very quick to play. Despite endorsing a cinematic, standard-fantasy-sort-of setting, you'll find that these rules are adaptable enough to work in just about any universe.

Dragon Slayers is a labor of love, the tested and tempered product of one mad genius and his many patient friends. Together we created the game we wanted to play – an elegant system that is robust and flexible, yet rock-solid simple at its core. No one should have to read 300 pages of rules to tell an adventure and roll some dice. Unlearn what you have learned...

The Role of the Dice Sample file WHAT DICE? – You need “polyhedral” dice to play Dragon Slayers RPG. These dice vary in the number of faces they have, ranging from four-sided pyramids (called D4's) to twenty-sided icosahedrons (called D20's). A normal cube die has six faces and is called a D6. You can find sets of these inexpensive game dice at hobby shops, or on the internet. You'll want at least two of each die type: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, and D20.

THE CORE MECHANIC – Few daring deeds are guaranteed to succeed. In tense situations, skill rolls represent the vagaries of fate, fortune, talent, and circumstance. – You roll a skill die based on your hero's aptitude for the task (D4, D6, D8, D10, or D12) and compare the result to a target number (TN). – If your result equals or beats the target number, you succeed!

HEROES' DICE EXPLODE – Every time you roll the maximum number on a skill die (such as “6” on a D6) you roll it again and sum the values. This is called an explosion. – This rule only applies to heroes – most creatures don't get to explode.

BONUSES – These are numbers you add to your stats or skill roll results. Bonuses are notated like “+1” or “+2.” – You always resolve any explosions or special abilities first, before applying a bonus to your skill roll result. – On the rare occasion that two or more bonuses apply to the same thing, you add them together (no fiddly stacking restrictions).

ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE – If you have advantage, you roll two dice and use the higher one as your result. – If you have disadvantage, you roll two dice (as above) but use the lower one instead. – If some combination of effects gives your roll advantage and disadvantage at the same time, you count as having neither.

2 Basic Stats

Your class (see page 11) determines the following three statistics:

HIT POINTS (HP) – An abstract value that represents your armor, stamina, courage, and fancy footwork. It's how much violence you can handle. – You might take “hits” and “damage” in battle, but at most it's just scratches and close calls until you reach zero HP. – HP can be reduced to zero but never below zero.

SPIRIT POINTS (SP) – The most important resource in Dragon Slayers RPG. These points represent your extraordinary luck, gallant resolve, and untapped potential. – You may spend a spirit point to re-roll any one skill roll you know about (after the dice have been rolled, but before the outcome is settled). – You decide whether the original result or the re-rolled result gets used for this skill roll. Either way, it can't be re-rolled again.

You can also use spirit points to buy special options for your hero (see page 14).

MOVE (MV) – The number of squares you can move during your turn. Your MV value represents a “tactical hustle,” not your actual footspeed. – One square roughly equals two yards in-game. If your group prefers to track MV in yards, just multiply by two.

The Seven Skills

Your hero's adventuring aptitudes are called skills. There are four utility skills and two combat skills. The seventh skill is Magic... but with rare exception, only mages can use Magic.

ATHLETICS – This utility skill describes your physical fitness and constitution. – You might roll this to balance, climb, jump, swim, tumble, resist special attacks, shake off poison, or evade traps and hazards.

CUNNING – This utility skill describes your subtlety and knack for using tools. – You might roll this to sneak, pickpocket, slip out of irons, set and disable traps, operate a machine, or produce a useful item.

INFLUENCE – This utility skill describes your charisma and force of will. – You might roll this to trick, persuade, perform, pacify, inspire,Sample intimidate, bribe, file haggle, or make a good impression.

PERCEPTION – This utility skill describes your awareness and intellect. – You might roll this to search, investigate, detect lurking creatures, research and recall lore, or read someone's intentions.

MELEE – This combat skill describes your proficiency with all forms of hand-to-hand fighting. – You use this when grabbing, pushing, tripping, or making attacks against adjacent targets and opponents.

RANGED – This combat skill describes your proficiency will all forms of ranged weaponry. – You use this when throwing things, shooting targets, or making attacks against opponents from a distance.

MAGIC – The magic skill describes your proficiency with fantasy spells and rituals. – You use this when making magical attacks, detecting the presence of other magic-users, and performing rituals.

There is no “armor class” or “defense score.” In Dragon Slayers, your hit points also represent your armor and parrying ability.

QUICK RECAP The four utility skills = Athletics, Cunning, Influence, and Perception. The two combat skills = Melee and Ranged. The one and only magic skill = Magic.

3 Skill Dice

Every skill has a rating between Fair (D4) and Monstrous (D20).

SKILL DIE DESCRIPTION D4 Fair D6 Good D8 Excellent D10 Amazing D12 Legendary

D20 Monstrous

The average person rarely develops any one skill better than Good (D6) in his entire lifetime. Heroes cap out at Legendary (D12). Monstrous (D20) ratings are reserved for tremendous animals and mighty creatures of myth.

Rolling the Dice

Dragon Slayers values forward momentum, so most of the time you shouldn't have to roll anything. If the GM deems that a task is possible, nobody's trying to stop you, and nothing important would happen if you failed, you just do it! Otherwise, she may ask you to make a skill roll:

SKILL ROLL – Roll the most appropriate skill die and compare your result vs the target number (TN) declared by the Game Master. – If you meet or beat the target number, you succeed! Roll lower than the target number and you fail.

TN 3 = EASY: Punch an elf in the face (Melee). TN 5 = MODERATE: Use thieves' tools to open an average lock (Cunning). TN 7 = HARD: Convince an unfriendly merchant to give you a small discount (Influence). TN 9 = VERY HARD: Track a squad of orcs over rough ground after 24 hours of rainfall (Perception).

The GM is free to reward clever planning, entertaining role-play, and quality teamwork with advantage, an easier TN, or automatic success in some cases. If your result is outstandingly high (20+) the GM should describe a fortuitous turn of events for you. Alternatively, if you miss the target number by some marginal amount, the GM might stillSample let you succeed –file with a drawback.

Melee, Ranged, and Magic rolls that can deal damage are also called attacks. A few rules refer specifically to attacks and not to other kinds of skill rolls, so this distinction is sometimes important (when in doubt about two rules that conflict, the more specific rule always wins).

GROUP ROLLS – In situations where more than one creature is attempting the same task at the same time, the GM might have them succeed or fail together. – Everybody involved makes an appropriate skill roll. If at least half of the participants succeed, all of them do.

CONTESTS – Sometimes you make a skill roll and compare your result to an enemy's skill roll. The higher result wins. – If it's a tie, the hero wins unless the tie is a 1 (in which case nothing happens, for better or worse). All ties between non-heroes count as 1's. – Contests are written like “Perception vs Cunning contest,” where the contest initiator's skill is listed first. Here are some common examples:

– Cast a Suggestion spell to mind-control someone (Magic vs Influence).

– Outrun a pursuer who has the same MV as you (Athletics vs Athletics; best three out of five).

– Convince a dragon that you're secretly also a dragon, merely disguised as a gnome (Influence vs Perception; success means the dragon falls over laughing and you have a chance to run away before he eats you).

These rules are meant to run the game smoothly, not to perfectly emulate reality. Wolves might have D10 Cunning to reflect their stealthy natures, but a wolf can't even try to pick the lock of a treasure chest. On the other hand, heroes are generally assumed to be competent; failure means “something goes wrong” more often than it means “you mess up.”

4 Example of Play

Here's a sample of Dragon Slayers gameplay, told through the story of Krista, Zach, and Lauren. Zach is playing an experienced gnome mage, Lauren is playing a mighty human warrior, and Krista is playing the role of Game Master:

Krista (GM): You, brave adventurers, enter the black hall of Und. Graven stones line your path, and whistling winds howl behind you at the entrance. Everyone make a (TN 3) Perception roll.

Zach looks at his character sheet, and sees that his hero has a D6 Perception die. He picks up a six-sided die and rolls it.

Zach: I rolled a 5!

Lauren rolls her own character's Perception die, too.

Lauren: I exploded! I rolled an 11!

Krista (GM): Very good! You both notice that the wind stops about twenty yards into the hallway... which is quite unusual. You don't see any leaves or debris on the floor beyond this point, either.

Lauren: Hmm. I pick up a rock and throw it.

Krista (GM): The rock disintegrates.

Zach: A magical force field! Good thing we didn't walk into it...

Lauren: I have a bad feeling about this. This is a bad place to get ambushed.

Zach: Shh! Don't say that. You'll give the GM ideas!

Krista (GM): You hear some rumbling, and the walls suddenly begin to open up.

Lauren and Zach: Uh-oh.

Krista (GM): What looks like an enormous stone man wielding a giant axe emerges from the wall... it's a troll! He's twice your size. Upon seeing you, he slobbers and springs to attack!

Zach: See? A troll's going to eat us now! This is all your fault,Sample Lauren. You did this.file

Lauren: Trolls aren't so tough. Let's beat the snot out of this guy!

Krista (GM): Right. You two were expecting an ambush, so I'll give the heroes a chance to go first.

Krista rolls an eight-sided die to determine initiative (the number of faces doesn't actually matter here) and gets a result of 4.

Krista (GM): The result is even, so the heroes win initiative!

Lauren: Perfect. Hey Zach, since the turn order goes clockwise, you should act first.

Zach: Works for me. I cast Lightning Bolt!

Zach rolls his D10 Magic die and gets a 6. Krista writes down that this monster has taken 6 damage.

Lauren: Nice! I draw my sword and try to stab the troll's belly.

Lauren rolls her Melee die and it explodes, for a strong result of 13. Krista writes down that the troll has thus far taken (6 + 13) = 19 damage.

Krista (GM): Wads of gore fly out of his side – very good Lauren, but now it's the troll's turn. He swings his axe at you!

Krista rolls the troll's D12 Melee die and deals 7 damage to Lauren's character.

5 Krista (GM): He swings again!

Lauren: This monster gets two actions per turn? Oh no!

Krista rolls the second Melee strike, dealing 10 more damage to Lauren's character.

Zach: That's too much! I spend a spirit point to re-roll it. I tell her to dodge the blow!

Krista re-rolls the monster's second attack – for a much softer result of 5. Lauren notes that she has taken 12 points of damage.

Lauren: That was almost half of my hit points! This is intense.

Zach: I have an idea... I'm going to shove this troll into that force field.

Krista (GM): Sure, just go ahead and Push him with your little gnome hands..."

Krista rolls her eyes, then the stone troll's Melee die, and gets a (surprisingly low) result of 2.

Krista (GM): Neat! Turns out he's preoccupied with your teammate. Meet or beat a two, Zach.

Zach rolls his Melee die and gets a result of 1.

Zach: Crud... I use my last spirit point to re-roll. (He rolls again). Hah! I got a 3!

Krista (GM): Close call! Your enemy takes 3 damage and stumbles into the force field taking an additional... (dice roll) ...6 damage! The force field shimmers and collapses under his weight – opening up the path beyond. It's Lauren's turn now.

Lauren: I take a wide swing, going for the legs. (Rolls Melee) Uh-oh! I just rolled a 1... and I don't have any spirit points.

Zach: Don't look at me! I just used my last spirit point.

Lauren: OK, Krista how about this: I want to Improvise. Can I re-roll my attack without spending a spirit point? The catch is, my sword gets stuck in his hide – leaving me weaponless!

Krista (GM): Sounds fair. Sure, go ahead. Lauren rolls again and, incredibly, explodes three times – for anSample outstanding result fileof 31. Everybody: Whoa!

Krista (GM): Your wild swing pays off, slicing deep into the troll's gnarly thigh. Your result was a critical success (20+) so I'll say the monster gets permanently slowed, too! He groans in pain... then stomps you, with vengeance.

Krista rolls her monster's two attacks, dealing 5 and 8 damage, respectively.

Lauren: Oh no, I'm out of hit points!

Krista (GM): The troll kicks hard and you go flying. Your body slaps against the wall, and you fall unconscious.

Lauren: Well, at least I tried.

Krista (GM): Better luck next time. It's your turn now, Zach.

Zach: Oh man. Now it's just me with this giant, super gross monster.

Krista (GM): The troll looks very bloodied, but also very angry. It sets its sights on you, and lets out a tepid, gurgling roar.

Zach: Okay buddy, it looks like you're gonna need another magical beat down. I back up to a safe distance, then cast Ice Lance!

Zach rolls the dice...

6 Combat Rules

Dragon Slayers combat is a turn-based affair, organized into rounds. When every creature has taken a turn, one round has passed. A round represents approximately six seconds in game time. This means a minute equals 10 rounds and an hour equals 600 rounds.

INITIATIVE – If the heroes have the element of surprise, the hero players decide who goes first. If a GM-controlled creature does, the GM goes first. – If no one is surprised or surprise is unclear, the GM rolls any die. Heroes win if the result is even. The GM wins if the result is odd. – Play then proceeds clockwise around the table.

All GM-controlled creatures act together, taking their respective turns in a consistent order of her choosing.

Movement

Battles are often played on a grid of 1” squares where 1 inch = 2 yards, though it's a breeze to stage fights “in the theater of the mind” if you want a more story-focused experience. Hipsters might prefer hexes. These rules assume the use of a square grid. On the grid, diagonal movement costs the same as orthogonal movement (unless your group has a serious problem with non-Euclidean geometry).

On your turn, you can move a distance up to your MV and take one action. You may use your action at any point during your move.

There are some restrictions on where you can move. You can't move diagonally if the corner between the square you're in and the square you want to move into contains an obstacle that fills its space (the corner of a dungeon wall, for instance). You can't enter an opponent's space, nor may you end your movement on a square occupied by another creature.

DASHING – You may choose to dash on your turn, moving a distance up to twice your MV instead of moving normally. – When dashing, you must finish moving before you take an action. In addition, the only action you may choose is Melee Strike (see below).

HALF SPEED – It costs two squares of movement to climb, crawl, jump, pirouette, squeeze, swim, tip-toe, trudge, tumble, or vault into a square. – In extreme circumstances (such as when scaling a slippery surface) you'll need to make an Athletics roll to move. – You must squeeze to enter a square occupied by another creature.

SLOWED AND STUCK – Slowed creatures always move at half speed (crawling or limping along as best as they can manage). – Stuck creatures can't move at all. Sample file

Actions

Trivial acts like talking, opening a door, quaffing a potion, switching weapons, or retrieving a dropped item can just be done for free. More complex or inconvenient tasks (opening a stuck door, retrieving a spear that's gotten lodged into a tree) will require you to take an action. Where guidance isn't given, it's the GM's job to adjudicate what counts as an action and what doesn't. Here are some common examples:

MELEE STRIKE – Target one adjacent creature and make a TN 3 Melee roll. – If you succeed, the target loses a number of hit points equal to your Melee result (henceforth, this is called dealing damage).

RANGED STRIKE – Target one creature up to 10 squares away and make a TN 3 Ranged roll. – If you succeed, you deal damage equal to your Ranged result.

Your Ranged Strike takes disadvantage if – You're adjacent to one or more enemies, assuming they can reasonably threaten you. – You try to target a creature more than 10 squares away from you (atlatl, bow, crossbow, or sling only). – Your target has partial cover; such as from darkness, fog, a low wall, or other creatures (including allies) in the way of your shot.

Your Ranged Strike automatically fails if – Your target has total cover; such as from a high wall, a closed door, magic force fields, or impenetrable glass in the way of your shot.

7 DEFEND – You prepare to duck or shield yourself from attack. – Once before the start of your next turn, you grant disadvantage to one attack that targets you (before the roll).

GRAB – Roll a Melee vs Melee contest against an adjacent creature. – If you win, you deal damage equal to your Melee result and the target gets stuck until the end of your next turn. – This effect ends if you fail to stay next to the target. If the target is helpless (see page 9) and not too heavy, you may lug him around.

HIDE – When your enemies aren't looking, you may start hiding as an action – no roll required. All opponents lose track of where you are (unless it's painfully obvious). As long as you keep quiet and stay out of sight, you can remain hidden as long as you want. If you dash, make a loud noise, step out into plain sight, or expose yourself via some other means; you immediately stop hiding.

– You have advantage on the first attack you make against a creature whom you're hidden from. If your target has any HP remaining after this attack, you immediately stop hiding (murder is quiet, but combat is noisy). Some attacks – like spell attacks – always make noise.

– The easiest way to avoid being seen is to stick to squares that provide you with concealment. Anything that more-or-less conceals you counts as concealment: this includes overturned tables, deep darkness, and dungeon walls. Unless you're hiding, it's assumed that all creatures know where you are (up to the practical limits of their senses and the environment) even if you have concealment.

PUSH – Roll a Melee vs Melee contest against an adjacent creature. – If you win, you deal damage equal to your Melee result and shove, throw, or drive the target 1 square in a direction you choose.

READY – You save your action for later. – Once before the start of your next turn, you interrupt another creature's turn to take one action of your choice. – Waiting “for the right moment” necessarily splits your attention; until the start of your next turn, all attacks targeting you have advantage.

SEARCH – You inspect your surroundings to detect (and locate) hidden objects or creatures. – The GM may ask you to make a Perception roll. If so, she will either set a TN or contest your result vs a hidden creature's Cunning roll.

When bad guys are about to ambush the party, the GM should generously assume that at least one vigilant hero is taking a Search action.

TRIP – Roll a Melee vs Melee contest against an adjacent creature.Sample file – If you win, you deal damage equal to your Melee result and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn.

IMPROVISE – You make a deal with the Game Master. Explain what kind of crazy stunt you want to do and how you think it should work. – The GM decides whether to accept or reject your temporary ruling, on the basis of fairness and fun. Here are some common examples:

– You Flame Whip two foes in the same turn, halving your Magic result (round down) and contesting vs both targets.

– Your Grab, Push, or Trip also imposes disadvantage on the target's next attack – but your attempt is made with disadvantage.

– You try to disarm a foe (Melee vs Melee). If you win, one item you can reach gets knocked away (it lands somewhere inconvenient).

– You drop your guard to Melee Strike with advantage... but your target gets a free, extra Melee Strike against you (resolve simultaneously).

– You jump over an enemy's head to land behind him. Roll an Athletics vs Melee contest. If you win, you move through his space at half speed. If you lose, you take damage equal to his Melee result instead. This stunt doesn't take any action.

– You run as fast as you can. Dash and make a TN 3 Athletics roll. If you succeed, you move a distance up to twice your MV plus your Athletics result in squares. If you fail, you misstep and become slowed until the start of your next turn instead.

Battles are most engaging when the focus is placed on exciting and colorful narration. Spirit point re-rolls are especially good opportunities for embellishments in the vein of “I throw sand in the werewolf's eyes!” or “I shove the mage away from the dragon's toothy maw!”

8 Injury and Death

When reduced to 0 HP, most creatures die or fall helpless (attacker's choice). Death doesn't always mean “death” per se; maybe your foe drops to the ground and pretends to get hurt, or maybe he isn't quite dead but running around in circles on fire. It's really up to you – the important part is that he can no longer contribute to the fight.

Heroes never die just from running out of hit points. Your character falls helpless at 0 HP, even in nominally lethal circumstances.

HELPLESS – You are stuck, you can't attack, can't use actions, can't cast spells, and always fail skill rolls that require agility. – You wake up after a short rest (see below) with an injury chosen by the GM (disadvantage to Athletics, Cunning, Influence, or Perception). – Injuries last until the start of your next adventure, which is why mages who know the Restoration spell are a welcome addition to any party.

Helpless doesn't mean out of danger! A helpless creature dies if he suffers any amount of damage. Worse still, attacks targeting him have advantage and can't fail. While the vast majority of bad guys prefer to take prisoners, a major story villain with something to prove will not hesitate to execute your beaten and defenseless hero. If that seems harsh, consider employing the Doom Die (see DSRPG Variant Rules page 2).

Hazards and Recovery

Not all threats to your character's safety come from axes and arrows! He might fall prey to poisons, booby traps, or even mundane perils like starvation and drowning. In most cases, the GM will ask you to make an appropriate skill roll. Failure may deal damage (often 20 points or more, in the case of traps) or dole out some other nasty effect. The most common hazard is falling from a great height:

FALLING – Every yard fallen deals 1 point of damage. When you fall on purpose, you take no damage if the distance is less than 5 yards.

STARVING – You can go without food and water for a number of days equal to half the number of faces on your Athletics die. – After that, you fall to 0 HP and can't rest until you eat or drink again. If you go without food and water for one more day, you die.

SUFFOCATING – You can hold your breath for a number of minutes equal to half the number of faces on your Athletics die. – After that, you fall to 0 HP and can't rest until you breathe again. If you go without air for one more minute, you die.

BLINDNESS, SILENCE, AND DEAFNESS – Blinded creatures can't see. They take disadvantage to attacks,Sample and attacks targeting file them have advantage. – Silenced creatures can't speak and can't cast (or maintain) spells. – Deafened creatures can't hear.

RESTING – You may take a short rest (one minute catching your breath) to restore all of your hit points. – You may take a long rest (one night sleeping and/or keeping watch) to restore all of your hit points and spirit points.

The GM may also declare a checkpoint – instantaneously granting the benefits of a long rest – at any time.

The heroes can be expected to survive 2-3 challenging battles (and countless easy ones) before they need to take a long rest. If a particular adventure demands more frequent combat or offers fewer opportunities to relax, the GM can fill in the gaps with checkpoints.

Mounts

You can mount any willing creature at least one size category larger than you by climbing into its space – no action required. This creature becomes stuck if more than half of its space is occupied (this means that a horse can bear two Normal size riders, see page 22).

MOUNTED COMBAT – You and your mount share space without having to squeeze. Whenever and wherever your mount moves, you simply get pulled along with it. – If you grab the reins (no action) your mount's position in the turn order changes to match yours (meaning your turns occur simultaneously). – If your mount has not yet taken its turn in this round, it may do so immediately after you grab the reins on your turn. – If you leave your mount's space (willingly or otherwise) you immediately dismount.

9 Hero Creation

Making your hero is a three-step process. These steps aren't complicated, they're really just a series of choices:

1. Choose your race, class, and freebie skill. 2. Choose your backgrounds, appearance, and equipment. 3. Choose your feats (optional, see page 14) and spells (magic-users only, see page 17).

Step one can be thought of as the rules or “crunch” phase of character creation. Step two is the lore or “flavor” phase. Non-magical heroes can stop there... step three is kind of like the “extras” phase, meant for players who enjoy more in-depth character customization.

SKILL RATINGS – All skills start with a Fair (D4) rating except Magic, which is nil. Your race and class modify your skills using the notation “⇧D.” – Every ⇧D increases the rating of your skill by one step, such as from Good (D6) to Excellent (D8). – You may not improve any skill beyond the Legendary (D12) rating.

Race

The first choice you make is your hero's fantasy race (human, high elf, sea elf, wood elf, gnome, half-elf, or orc). Each one features a unique strength by virtue of its culture or biology.

Your race and class suggest rather than restrict what your hero can do. Humans, elves, gnomes, half-elves, and orcs all make effective warriors, rogues, and mages. This means you can play the character you want to play, and not worry too much about optimizing your “build.”

HUMAN – The most common race in the world, and the most adaptable. – Pick Athletics, Cunning, Influence, or Perception ⇧D

ELF – Haunting, mysterious creatures who embody the elements and dwell in remote sanctuaries of nature. – There are three lineages of elves: high elves, sea elves, and wood elves. When you choose the elf race, you must also choose a lineage.

– HIGH ELVES (GALAS) live among the clouds, on the tallest mountain peaks. They have Influence ⇧D. High elves are the most magical and ancient of the three lineages. They are famously charming, but other elves distrust them.

– SEA ELVES (NIXES) breathe water as well as air, and live inSample half-submerged island file cities. Swimming doesn't cost extra movement for a sea elf, and they can see in the dark as well as a human can see in daylight. Sea elves are clannish and somewhat alien.

– WOOD ELVES (WOSES) live deep in the world's largest forests. They have Perception ⇧D. The wood elves are a wise and passionate people, who share generously with their friends and deal savagely with their enemies.

GNOME – A merry, subterranean race of jewelers, tinkerers, and toymakers. In elder days, the gnomes controlled a surprisingly expansive empire. – Gnomes are Normal-sized creatures, but much shorter than humans. This can be a benefit or a drawback, depending on the situation. – Cunning ⇧D

Dragon Slayers gnomes are a bit more mercantile and a bit less zany than the gnomes you might be imagining.

HALF-ELF – The children of elves and humans demonstrate mysterious traits all their own – including a curious affinity for the supernatural. – Half-elves get one extra spirit point.

ORC – Proud and thuggish warlords with hulking physiques, boar-like tusks, and glittering red eyes. Orcs are more often villains than heroes. – Orcs are feared more than trusted in most places. This can be a benefit or a drawback, depending on the situation. – Athletics ⇧D

Additional races are described in the DSRPG Variant Rules and Space Opera Conversion.

10 Class

The next choice you make is your heroic class. Your class helps define your hero's role on the dragon slaying team. It's like a profession or specialty. The names of these classes are placeholders – your hero doesn't necessarily think of himself as a “warrior,” and very few would seriously consider the title “rogue.” You're free to define your hero however you'd like.

Your class is a starting point, not a straitjacket. Rogues pick locks best, but a mage or warrior can still manage in a pinch.

Warrior

Mighty barbarians, paladins, and swashbucklers unmatched in physical combat. Play a warrior if you want to be the best in the game at crushing your enemies and slaying dragons the old-fashioned way.

Warriors start with HP 15, SP 5, and MV 5. Warriors get a ⇧D increase to two of the following skills: Melee, Ranged, Athletics.

The warrior's superior combat skills are his special features. If that's not enough for you, try mixing it up with some feats (see page 14).

Rogue

Skillful thieves, rangers, and assassins who use brains over brawn. Play a rogue if you want to be the best in the game at exploration and social challenges. Rogues prefer to win without a fight.

Rogues start with HP 10, SP 5, and MV 6. Rogues get a ⇧D increase to two of the following skills: Cunning, Influence, Perception.

ACE IN THE HOLE – Choose Cunning, Influence, or Perception. – You have mastered this aspect of roguery and get advantage to all rolls you make with this skill.

Mage

Marvelous wizards, priests, and sorcerers with access to mystic spells and rituals. Play a mage if you want to customize a toolbox of magicalSample options to bring to filebear in a variety of adventuring situations.

Mages start with HP 10, SP 5, and MV 5.

MAGIC-USER – You can use the Magic skill (D6). This increases by ⇧D at level 2, level 5, and level 8. – You know Detect Magic and three spells of your choice. You may cast any ritual, provided that you have its components and instructions.

MAGICAL SECRETS – You learn a new spell every even-numbered heroic level (see page 21).

FRONT-LOADED MAGE VARIANT (OPTIONAL): Part of the fun of playing a mage is “the journey” – learning new spells as you gain levels – but this element can be lost in one-shot adventures and campaigns that start at higher level. If the GM agrees to use this variant rule, all mages start play with Detect Magic and seven spells of their choice (instead of three). This sort of mage doesn't also have the Magical Secrets feature.

Unlike their counterparts in many other games, Dragon Slayers mages aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. Your hero should expect to wield weapons as often as he wields magic. We believe this approach is accessible and supports the widest variety of character archetypes. If your mage would prefer to stand behind the front line and blast enemies from afar, consider getting the Overchannel feat (see page 15).

Freebie Skill

After choosing your race and class, pick one utility skill (Athletics, Cunning, Influence, or Perception) to receive an extra ⇧D. You may use this freebie to reinforce or subvert an archetype, bolster your big weakness, or double down on your strong suit.

11 Backgrounds

No two heroes are exactly alike, even if they share the same race and class. You could conceivably write ninety-nine pages covering your hero's unique experiences, quirks, and motivations. Luckily, the best characters rarely need more than a sentence or two. Dragon Slayers uses brief bullet point descriptors called backgrounds.

THE BASICS – You invent one or more backgrounds before the game starts. These can be nearly anything: jobs, memories, beliefs, fears, catchphrases... – You only need one to start playing, but your hero is allowed up to three backgrounds (which you can make up at any time). – During your adventures, you might earn more.

Backgrounds don't improve your stats or dice rolls, but they often do imply story benefits like special resources, helpful connections, or secret knowledge. If you expect to go on many adventures with the same hero, you might want to sit down with the GM and discuss the forms these unique story benefits might take.

SAMPLE BACKGROUNDS – Master detective, retired knight commander, I have to save my brother, street urchin, there's a piece of lettuce in my teeth, kindly grandpa, mad jester skills, I'm the only elf in the world with silver eyes, wandering performer, scary-looking, harmless-looking, lost scion of the immortal dragon king, archaeologist, a voice like crackling flame, I have a crush on the rogue, 'danger' is my middle name, professional rat- catcher, constant dreams of doom, dogs never leave me alone, cyan is the worst color, sworn to never steal again, raised by trolls, raised by wolves, my true love constantly worries about me, I'm the last warden of the North.

Backgrounds can be long or short, grand or simple, magical or mundane. The ideal background is distinctive, intriguing, and memorable. It hints of more to come, of a mystery to be solved, or a story to be told. “I'm the emperor of the world and none can defy me!” is exploitative. “I'm the rightful heir to the throne, but was banished for a crime I didn't commit,” is evocative. If you're stumped, try looking to your hero's skills for inspiration; an orc mage with D10 Perception might be an "award-winning chess player" for instance.

After the second or third game session, you should flesh your backgrounds out with some context and give the Game Master a story hook or two to incorporate into future adventures. Don't make these overly specific – the GM is encouraged to surprise you!

BACKGROUND RE-ROLLS RULE (OPTIONAL): When you spend a spirit point to re-roll a skill roll, you must describe how one or more of your backgrounds is affecting the situation. If your background is a catchphrase, you have to say it out loud!

Appearance

Humans have the same variety of colors and shapes that existSample in the real world. file

All elves sport thin frames, narrow faces, and distinctive earlobes. Elf eyes have black sclerae and brilliant irises the color of gemstones.

High elves have pale skin and silvery, black, or platinum hair. Their long ears are shaped rather like pointed goose feathers, and the aristocracy sometimes decorate their crowns with the feathers of great birds. High elves have amethyst irises.

Sea elves have blade-like fins and tiny, shining scale patterns on their skin, which is usually green or blue-green in color. If not bald, they will grow dark, seaweed-colored hair. The tined and webbed ears of the sea elves are easily the largest among all elf-kind. In spite of these adornments, they are not fish and have no gills – their aquatic abilities are a magical effect. Sea elves have sapphire irises.

Wood elves have olive skin, and their hair tends towards colors such as dark brown, bright orange, deep red, and gold. Individuals of advanced age may grow antlers behind their leaf-shaped ears. Wood elves have emerald irises.

Gnomes feature human-sized heads on short, stocky bodies. They have human skin and hair tones, but a greater variation in the size of their noses, mouths, and ears. Male facial hair ranges from simple sideburns to floor-length beards, depending on wealth and social class.

Half-elves look just like humans – save for their pointed ears – and can even pass for human if disguised appropriately.

The orcs are a diverse morph of the same race that includes goblins, vorgs, and trolls – all of which technically count as “dark elves.” Orcs average slightly taller and heavier than humans. While not necessarily ugly, they're always intimidating; sporting knife-shaped ears and tusk- like teeth. Some orcs even grow horns. Orcs and other dark elves have gray skin, black or white hair, and ruby irises.

Dragon Slayers orcs are gray because I like gray orcs... but you can make them green if you want. It's not like I can stop you.

12 Equipment

Dragon Slayers RPG is a “broad strokes” system and doesn't fuss about common items and equipment. An item is only worth noting if it's special, or if you really need it and don't have it. There's no bean counting and no proficiency or attribute restrictions to cramp your character's style – plate-armored rogues, axe-wielding mages, knife-fighting warriors, and more are all welcome and encouraged!

A new hero begins play with at least one weapon, one suit of armor (optional), miscellaneous adventuring gear, and one tool or trinket implied by his backgrounds (alchemy kit, bagpipes, your mother's favorite spoon, etc). Magic-users also get a magic focus (see below).

ARMOR – In this game, armor is mostly a fashion statement. Whether they notice it or not, the heroes seem to get by just fine without armor. – If you wear armor you're free to run, sneak, tumble, climb and even swim (maybe) without special penalties.

EXAMPLES: Bamboo, banded plate, bone, breastplate, brigandine, buckler, chain mail, chain shirt, coat of plates, full plate, half plate, heater shield, hide, jack of plate, kite shield, lamellar, laminar, leather, mirror plate, quilted vest, ring mail, round shield, scale mail, splint plate, studded leather, targe, tower shield, wooden, woven fiber.

WEAPONS – You do need a proper weapon to fight. Sticks, stones, barstools, and bare hands will net you disadvantage to Melee and Ranged rolls. – Aspiring kickboxers should consider the Martial Arts feat (see page 15).

EXAMPLES: Atlatl, awl pike, bardiche, bastard sword, battleaxe, bearded axe, bec de corbin, bill hook, blowgun, boar spear, bolas, boomerang, brandistock, broadsword, cestus, chain whip, chakram, club, crossbow, cudgel, cutlass, dagger, dart, double-bladed sword, estoc, falchion, falx, fauchard, flail, flamberge, garrote, glaive, greataxe, greatsword, guisarme, haladie, halberd, hatchet, hook sword, horseman's pick, hunga-munga, javelin, jitte, katana, katar, khanda, khopesh, kilij, knuckledusters, kopis, kukri, kusari-gama, lance, long knife, longbow, longsword, mace, machete, macuahuitl, mancatcher, mattock, maul, mere-mere, messer, meteor hammer, military fork, monk's spade, morning star, naginata, net, nunchaku, partisan, pata, pike, pollaxe, quarterstaff, ranseur, rapier, saber, sai, sap, scimitar, scourge, scythe, shillelagh, shortbow, shortsword, shotel, shuriken, sickle, sledge, sling, spear, spetum, taiaha, tepoztopilli, three-section staff, tiger claw, tomahawk, tonfa, trident, urumi, voulge, wakizashi, warhammer, whip.

UNUSUAL WEAPONS – Rare or exotic weapons often have special properties. – For instance, thrown bolas might count as a ranged “Trip” attack (Ranged vs Athletics) instead of a Ranged Strike.

MAGIC FOCUS – If you don't have a magic focus in hand, you can't cast any spells except Detect Magic. – Yours could be an amulet, staff, weapon, wand, bag of oddities,Sample musical instrument, file or crystal ball. Attuning a new focus takes seven days.

SIMPLE SHOPPING RULE – Want to buy something? Find a suitable “modern-day equivalent” and divide its price by 5,000. The result is its price in bags of gold. – Trivial expenses don't get tracked – at most, the GM may ask you for an Influence roll. – Heroes acquire bags of gold during their adventures.

GOOD, SERVICE, OR PROPERTY MODERN EQUIVALENT PRICE Supper and a night's stay at the local inn Average hotel ($100) Trivial Pony, mule, or donkey (5 HP) Cheap motorcycle ($5,000) 1 bag of gold Two brave minions (hired for a week, 5 HP each) Pair of bodyguards ($10,000) 2 bags of gold Warhorse (20 HP) Sporty motorcycle ($20,000) 4 bags of gold Rural cottage Mobile home ($60,000) 12 bags of gold Sending your kid to wizard school PhD at a private university ($100,000) 20 bags of gold Farm house 100-acre farm home ($500,000) 100 bags of gold Big sailing ship Big sailing ship ($4,500,000) 900 bags of gold Warship or galleon US frigate ($500,000,000) 100,000 bags of gold Castle Royal palace ($750,000,000) 150,000 bags of gold

These examples are described in USD. As of writing, euros ought to be divided by 4,000 instead of 5,000.

13 Feats (optional)

Feats – short for features – are advanced options for players who like to customize. You don't have to bother with feats at all if you don't want to; any hero can dual wield scimitars or wear plate armor for looks. If you're interested in feats, you may buy them by permanently spending spirit points (each feat has a price listed next to its name). You can buy as many feats as you want, but you can't get the same feat twice.

Feats marked [G] are called gambit feats. You may use only one “gambit” per turn, even if you have more than one gambit feat. Feats marked [M] are called magic feats. You must have a Magic die to buy this kind of feat. Feats marked [V] are called vocation feats. You may buy only one vocation feat.

ACROBAT [1 SP] – When you're not wearing armor, you get a +1 bonus to any roll made to balance, climb, jump, tumble, or dance. – In addition; climbing, jumping, tumbling, and vaulting don't cost extra movement for you.

ARCANE VOLLEY [G] [M] [2 SP] – You must know the Arcane Arrow spell (see page 17) to buy this feat. – Once per long rest: Your Arcane Arrow targets one, two, or three creatures you can see.

ARTISAN [V] [1 SP] – You get a +1 bonus to any roll made to influence nobles, create, identify, and appraise objects relevant to your craft, or strike a deal. – In addition, you collect one bag of gold at the start of every game session (by way of royalties).

BARD [V] [1 SP] – You get a +1 bonus to any roll made to inspire others, recall mythology/folklore, play a musical instrument, or persuade with flattery. – In addition, you can throw your voice untraceably and with perfect accuracy.

BUCKLER & HELM [1 SP] – Once per short rest: You halve the damage (round down) of one attack that targets you, immediately after the roll. – You must be wearing armor or holding a shield to benefit from this feat.

CON ARTIST [V] [1 SP] – You get a +1 bonus to any roll made to lie, cheat, bribe, pickpocket, misdirect, or assume and maintain clever disguises. – In addition, you can forge any document unerringly, given at least an hour of study.

COUNTERATTACK [G] [2 SP] – You must wield a sword-like weapon to benefit from this feat. – Once per short rest: Immediately after an adjacent enemySample attacks you, you targetfile him with a free, extra Melee Strike.

DAGGER MASTERY [1 SP] – You must have a Melee die of D8 or higher to buy this feat. – When you Melee Strike with a dagger, you re-roll any natural result of 2 (natural means unmodified by explosions, bonuses, and re-rolls).

With the GM's permission, you can tweak any feat to fit your concept. “Dagger Mastery” might become “Bow Mastery,” for instance.

DEADEYE [2 SP] – You never take disadvantage to Ranged rolls from adjacent enemies, partial cover, or distances over 10 squares away.

DOCTOR [V] [1 SP] – You get a +1 bonus to any roll made to investigate, research and recall healthcare lore, and identify, create, or administer medicine. – Once per long rest: You take an hour to remove one injury, disease, or poison effect from an adjacent creature.

The Game Master is well within her rights to declare some conditions too chronic or severe for the likes of Doctor and the Restoration spell.

DODGE [1 SP] – Three times per long rest: You call “even” or “odd” against one attack that targets you (before the roll, and no more than once per attack). – If you aren't stuck (see page 7) and the natural attack result is what you called, it automatically fails.

DRAGON BORN [M] [1 SP] – Breathing magic as the dragons do, you may cast spells without wielding a magic focus. – In addition, you learn one extra spell of your choice.

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