I released Ordure Fantasy today. So people who don't want to buy the PDF can still play/check out the ruleset, I am posting the core rules/classes below. Enjoy!
If you like the rules, and want some additional support material for the referee/a bunch of d6 tables to help you run the game, please consider buying the PDF:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324369/Ordure-Fantasy
Also, if you like my blog and want to support me making more RPG stuff, please considering buying the PDF:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324369/Ordure-Fantasy
The Core Rules:
Tests: A Test determines whether a Player Character (PC) successfully attempts something difficult or avoids danger. All Ordure Fantasy’s Tests are resolved rolling a d6. Tying or rolling under an Ability or Skill’s value is a success (something good happens or something bad is averted). Exceeding the value is a failure (something bad happens or damage is incurred).
Easy and Hard Tests: If a Test is particularly effortless or difficult, roll two d6s. For Easy Tests take the lowest result. Conversely, Hard Tests use the highest result.
Ordure Tests: When a Referee needs to check if the PCs situation becomes more deadly, dangerous, cataclysmic or annoying: roll an Ordure Test. This covers anything from checking if wandering monsters are encountered, supplies run out or if the PCs weight is too much for the rickety bridge being crossed. Roll a d6:
- 6: The Ordure happens.
- 4-5: Experience a rumbling, warning or disturbing portent of the Ordure.
- 1-3: Nothing changes.
If rolling the same Ordure Test in succession, the Ordure range expands each roll (5-6, then 4-6, then 3-6, etc.) until Ordure happens. Use Ordure Tests to ensure PC's feel constantly endangered and that the world is trying to kill them.
How to Play: The PCs explore an environment the Referee describes in a freeform manner. PCs describe their intended actions and the Referee calls for Tests when appropriate. Use the Combat Rules during physical conflict between PCs and entities the Referee controls.
The game’s aim is for the PCs to have interesting experiences without dying.
Combat Rules: A PC and the Referee each roll a d6 re-rolling ties, lowest roll wins. Everyone on the winning side (monsters, enemies or PCs) have a Turn to act, then the other side acts in turn. Repeat until Combat ends.
- A Turn: An entity may move and take an action.
- Attacking: All attacks reduce Health by 1. Attacking PCs Test their Combat skill to hit, applying any additional effects of the Combat Skill. PCs attacking without a Combat skill use an Untrained Attack Skill of 1 which only reduces Health without any other effect. NPCs’ Health is their Attack Skill when attacking other NPCs (attacks against PCs automatically hit) and NPCs with 6+ Health automatically hit other NPCs until their Health is reduced to 5 or less.
- Defending: When a PC is attacked, they Test Body or Mind (depending on the attack) to avoid being hit. If they fail, they successfully Test their Health or reduce it by 1. NPCs automatically lose Health when attacked and do not test Health.
- Death: Anything whose Health is reduced to 0, dies.
- Hazards: PCs may be damaged by hazards outside of Combat after failing a Test. Save a particularly catastrophic hazard, this reduces Health by 1. PCs endangered by a hazard must successfully Test their Health or reduce it by 1.
Creating a Player Character:
Attributes: You have three Attributes, the higher their value the more powerful your PC is in that attribute. Assign one a value of 3, another 2 and the last 1.
Body: The flesh’s strength and agility.
Mind: The brain’s astuteness and perceptiveness.
Luck: The likelihood fate smiles upon you in situations beyond your control.
Health: All PCs start with 5 Health.
Pick a Class: Each class has four associated Skills, pick three giving one a value of 3, another 2 and the last 1. The higher the value the better you are at it. Each class also has a Boon, a special ability usable once per game session. Boons do not require a Turn or an Action to activate and are effective immediately
Mercenary: A contractless soldier of fortune, trained in the arts of war without loyalty to any lord or realm.
- Bow: Ranged Attack.
- Sword: Melee Attack. Remove the target’s limb or appendage of your choice when passing your Skill Test by 2+, the Referee determines the impact of this.
- Shield: You focus on defending for a Turn. On your enemy’s next Turn, any Tests defending yourself have +1 to Body and are Easy.
- Intimidate: You can make sentient beings terrified of conflict with you.
- Boon - Execute: Pick a target. Your next successful attack against them is instantly fatal.
Conjurer: An autodidact explorer of unreal realms and summoner of fey things.
- Summon Emotion: Flood a sentient being’s mind with an emotion you choose. Higher level Conjurers summon stronger emotions.
- Summon Element: You can summon a fist-sized ball of an element you’ve seen before whose potential size doubles each Conjurer level. The elemental ball is vivified after leaving your hand.
- Summon Being: You can summon a being you have previously seen, under your control with Health equal to your level. A Conjurer may control half their level (round down) summoned beings.
- Meditate: You can center your connection to the fey, after successfully meditating your next d6 Summons are Easy.
- Boon - Conjoined Summoning: You can combine two Summoning Skills you know into one conjoined, automatically successful, instantaneous summoning. The Referee determines this summoning’s exact outcome.
Scoundrel: A generally charming alley rat unconcerned with the law.
- Negotiate: You can convince sentient beings to do things they wouldn’t normally do.
- Hide and Sneak: You can quickly vanish and sneak around undetected.
- Lockpick: You can open locks without keys.
- Crossbow: Ranged Attack. If successful, choose where it strikes. The Referee determines impact. Reloading takes a Turn.
- Boon - An Old Friend: Pick a target. Roll twice on each side of the Random Reaction table selecting the combination for your relationship.
Curate: Some cult’s neophyte pledgeling excommunicated for heretical and gnostic preachings.
- Heal: Restore a target’s Health by 1 (up to a value of 4).
- Curse: You make all Tests against a target Easy. A Curate may have a maximum of their level Curses active at once.
- Resurrect: You have one attempt to restore a recently deceased target to 1 Health.
- Club: Melee Attack. A successful attack stuns the target, making them unable to act their next Turn.
- Boon - Auger: Ask the Referee a question they must answer truthfully.
Equipment: PCs may carry Equipment equal to twice their Body Attribute. It is recommended only unusual, major, notable or important items are recorded to avoid being bogged down in minutia. Assume PCs start with their Profession and Skills’ mundane accoutrements (which do not bear recording).
Money: Each PC starts with d6 x 10 Silver.
Levelling Up: A PC who survives a session where something interesting, dangerous, exciting or entertaining happened, levels up, increasing one Skill or Attribute by 1 (up to a value of 4). At level 3 a PC can learn their class’ fourth skill with a value of 1 which increases like any other skill. A PCs maximum level is 6. More stringent Referees may require finishing a quest or some other arbitrary task before leveling up.
A Note on Combat Equipment: PCs begin the game with any specialised weapons they’re skilled in. As all weapons do 1 damage, a comprehensive weapon list is unnecessary. Armour exists but should be hard/expensive to acquire as it is relatively powerful. An Ordure Test is suggested after each Combat which strains armour to determine if it needs repair/replacing. Some Referees may restrict armour by class.
- Leather Armour : Body Tests defending in Combat are Easy.
- Mail Armour: +1 Body when defending in Combat (to a maximum of 5).
- Plate Armour: +2 Body when defending in Combat (to a maximum of 5).
Get some monsters for the game here:
http://lizardmandiaries.blogspot.com/2020/08/d6-monsters-from-ordure-realms.html
Or again, buy the PDF:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/324369/Ordure-Fantasy
