Geodesics ~ G0D6
In their tales they speak thousands of things of us, each with a splinter of truth but none correct. We are the aelfs and we have been here long before the world was curved.
Create your aelf
Step 1: Determine fate sign
Roll D6 and note the number. Roll the dice again, and note whether the second roll is lower, matches, or is higher than the first. Refer to the following table and note down the connected abilities.
- 1= the True Hermit ~ assured at CONCEAL, deft at FLEE
- 1+ the greater Hermit ~ deft at CONCEAL
- 2─ the lesser Lover ~ assured at REASSURE
- 2= the True Lover ~ assured at SEEK, deft at REASSURE
- 2+ the greater Lover ~ deft at SEEK
- 3─ the lesser Fool ~ assured at PERSUADE
- 3= the True Fool ~ assured at RECOVER, deft at PERSUADE
- 3+ the greater Fool ~ deft at RECOVER
- 4─ the lesser Hero ~ deft at REASSURE
- 4= the True Hero ~ assured at REASSURE, deft at HEAL
- 4+ the greater Hero ~ assured at HEAL
- 5─ the lesser Evil ~ deft at HURT
- 5= the True Evil ~ assured at HURT, deft at FRIGHTEN
- 5+ the greater Evil ~ assured at FRIGHTEN
- 6─ the lesser Voyager ~ deft at SEEK
- 6= the True Voyager ~ assured at SEEK, deft at FLEE
Step 2: Assign skill points
There are nine skills:
- HURT causes harm to others or destroys objects
- HEAL tends to and removes wounds
- RECOVER relates to your own resilience
- CONCEAL hides yourselves or objects
- FLEE enables you to get away safely
- SEEK locates people or objects and can be used to uncover information on the immediate physical environment
- FRIGHTEN overwhelms another’s mindset
- PERSUADE brings folk to your point of view or inclines them to help you
- REASSURE both calms folk who are panicking and sets a success threshold against persuasion or fright
Assign ten points between them. You may leave some skills with a rating of 0
Step 3: Determine history
You have been betrayed by another aelf. Roll D6 twice, as in Step 1 above, to determine who. Roll D6 on the following table to determine how. You are adventuring to find out why.
- left behind
- forcible excised
- preyed upon
- made out to be the villain
- ignored
- made to take the fall for them
Step 4: Miscellaneous biographical detail
Playing the game
Skill checks
Roll D6, succeeding on 4+
You may spend points from your skill pools before the roll giving +1 for each point spent
If you are deft in a skill, whenever you spend any points, you gain an additional +1 (eg. spend 2 for +3)
If you are ardent in a skill, you may spend points after the roll
Opposed checks
Each side rolls, with success going to the highest value
Players win ties, with a complication
Recovering skill pools
Each time you share a meal with friends and associates, refresh one skill pool to its maximum
Taking damage
If you are hit, you take a wound with a value equal to the attack sum
Basic enemies are taken out with a single wound
Players and important enemies are knocked out when they’ve taken three wounds, then must roll D6 on the Death and Dismemberment Table:
Death and Dismemberment
- 1 BROKEN ~ circle any wound and clear the others (circled wounds can never be removed and if all wounds are circled, you are permanently broken)
- 2–3 SHAKEN ~ clear only your greatest wound and increase your FLEE skill by one
- 4–6 SURGE ~ clear all but your greatest wound and increase your RECOVER skill by one
Clearing damage
During combat, you may spend your turn to RECOVER from wounds incurred during this fight.
As soon as the combat ends, you may RECOVER once for each new wound.
Outside of combat, you may HEAL wounds.
Alternatively, you may rest for as many days as the value of the wound to remove it
Improving and advancing
If your dice rolls a natural 6 or the sum of a skill check is 7+, mark a tally next to the relevant skill
If you would mark a sixth tally, instead increase the skill by one
NPCs
NPCs have no skill pools and do not add anything to their dice rolls
Most NPCs are basic enemies and will be defeated after taking one wound (this could be a FRIGHTEN or PERSUADE check too)
Important enemies use the same health rules as players
Equipment
Basic equipment is often required for a task
Good equipment grants deftness
Exceptional equipment grants ardour
Endpapers
Writing and design by Sean F. Smith © 2024
Inspiration from my GULLY TOADS, my AT THE LORD ADMIRAL’S TABLE, and Robin D. Laws’ GUMSHOE
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