Basic Rules Reference
The rules of Shrinelands RPG are similar in many ways to other d20 RPGs, although with a few notable differences. This section summarizes the rules and rolls required for play. Explained in more detail in the following sections.
Saving throw: roll 2d20 and add save to each, compare each to save target.
- Includes mental, physical, and evasion saving throws.
- Overpowering effect: only roll 1d20 and treat other as failure.
- Glancing effect: only roll 1d20 and treat other as a success.
- Usually attacks from creatures of double the target’s level are overpowering, while those from half the target’s level are only glancing.
Damage Reduction (DR): decrease damage taken by this amount when attacked. Only applies when character is ready for battle, exceptions include being knocked prone or taken by surprise.
Modes of Play
As the adventure proceeds players, including the GM, work together to experience the unfolding events. This means shifting between a number of time-scales based on the situation. Long-term characters train, pursue projects, and live through Seasonal Activities.
When they choose to strike out on an expedition the game becomes a matter of the events of each day while adventuring, matters of minutes plunging the depths of a dungeon, or moments of mortal import in Encounters or Combat. It is up to the choices made by the players involved which of these is used, as the GM uses these based on the circumstances the characters enter.
Skills
The GM may call for a skill check to determine the outcome of a given situation, although in many cases a sufficiently well-articulated and considered plan may render this unnecessary. Each skill check also has an associated Characteristic - such as Strength to bend bars or Wisdom to perform first aid. To make a skill check roll 2d6 + Skill Rank + Characteristic modifier. Rolling doubles on this check results in a complication for an odd number, or an opportunity for an even number. More details are in Skills.
Characters gain training points in each skill, which then increases in rank once the next threshold is reached. 2 training points for rank one, 6 for rank two, 12 for rank three, 20 for rank four, and 30 for rank five.
Hit Points and Damage
The Shrinelands is a place of vast beauty but also mortal peril, typically tracked by the loss of hit points. Each character has a maximum and current number of hit points, when taking damage reduce your character’s current hit points.
When this reaches 0 additional damage, including that from the attack which reduced HP to 0, is instead dealt as damage to the character’s Constitution characteristic. For example, a character with 4 hit points and 11 Constitution suffers a 7 damage blow from a manticore - now that character would have 0 hit points and only 8 Constitution. A character reduced to 0 Constitution dies, with the exception of those heroic figures who have class levels. Such exceptional individuals may take a number of points of damage equal to their level beyond this and still survive, so a third level adventurer will not die until their Constitution reaches -4. Otherwise, most average individuals can be treated as incapacitated or deceased when their hit points reach 0.
Anytime a character loses Constitution due to damage they must make a roll on behalf of the lord of the underworld as he tries to claim their frail mortal form. To do so roll 1d20 and roll for doom, with especially disastrous results occurring if the number is twice or more their now reduced Constitution. Details of wounds are covered later in the chapter.
| Roll for Doom | Result |
|---|---|
| 20 | Instantly incapacitated, major wound, and will die if not treated |
| Double Constitution | Major wound |
| Above Constitution | Moderate wound |
| Less than Constitution | No additional effect, beyond the looming threat of mortality |
Characters generally regain 1 hit point per day of rest, usually meaning that eventually adventurers must return to a safe harbor to heal. Damage to characteristics, such as Constitution, is much slower to heal. Each season a character regains half, rounded up, of the amount they are missing in each characteristic. During this time they may wish to pursue Seasonal Activities.
Saving Throws
When subject to a spell, falling rocks, or other unexpected circumstances a character may attempt to avoid the worst via a saving throw.
- Physical saving throw: resist poison, disease, transformation magic, harsh environments
- Evasion saving throw: avoid explosion, falling rocks
- Mental saving throw: hypnotic gazes, mental magic, possession
Rolling a save involves rolling two d20s and adding the corresponding save modifier to each. Situations involving weak hazards typically require a total of 10 or higher for a success, while a strong hazard requires a 15 or higher. Generally if both rolls succeed then the character suffers almost no ill effects. Two failures results in the worst possible outcome, typically fully damage. One failure and one success is, as expected, a more intermediate result.
Some effects can be either overpowering or glancing. When an effect is produced by a character of twice your level it is overpowering, while those from characters half or less are glancing. In these cases only roll a single die for a saving throw, the other result is automatically determined - a failure in the overpowering case and an automatic success should it be glancing.
In play this means as a moderate level sorcerer an attempt to influence lesser minds, those who are half your level, will always result in some effect - with the target rolling a save against your overpowering spell to do their best to mitigate its full force.
Spellcasting
Characters may cast any spell they have mastered by spending soul points. Each spell is associated with one of the elements: air, earth, fire, water, celestial - and the cost of the spell depends on how its magnitude compares to the degree of elemental Attunement that character has. Casting a spell which has a magnitude equal to their Attunement costs 12 soul points. Having an Attunement one greater reduces the cost to 6, with further Attunement resulting in costs of 3 and finally 1.
Characters may make use of the environment to further ease and enhance spellcasting. Even something as small as a Fire mage carrying a torch has a subtle effect, but most would prefer to work magic inside a caldera. See Sorcery for more.
Combat
For full scale skirmishes the Combat procedure is used.
Rule Appendix
Wounds
Elemental Resistance
Ignore the highest X dice of damage, so a creature with 2 fire resistance taking 5d4 fire damage would only take the lower 3.