UNIVERSAL: Sword and Sorcery

SIMPLE REALITY RPG RULES SUPPLEMENT

For Miniature Wargames and Role Playing Games of the Sword and Sorcery Genre

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Sword and Sorcery: Conan, Elric, and the Grey Mouser. These are but a few larger than life superheroes, antiheroes and thieves that have dominated the exiting genre of Sword and Sorcery. Sword and Sorcery is dominated by commonalities: either  pre-Atlantian or very early post-Atlantian setting, impossibly powerful barbarians, protagonist antiheroes, gold hungry thieves, demonic sorcerery, snake men and ape men, distrust of magic, ultra rare demon-possessed weapons, aimless wondering, and alien gods. In the Sword and Sorcery Genre the “heroes” have one goal: collect treasure, survive to enjoy their gold and further their own plans.

 

At last there is a generic RPG System with precise and realistic combat and skill resolution rules (which still allow a GM and Player to advance their characters skills to add a cinematic touch) which are neither burdensome nor reliant on tables. And that RPG System is UNIVERSAL!

 

These rules are the accumulation of 18 years of research into:

Miniature Wargames

Role Playing Games

Amateur and Professional Marksmanship Statistics

Amateur and Professional Archery Statistics

Amateur and Professional Fencing Statistics

Dice Probability

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO USE THESE RULES

 

  • UNIVERSAL: Simple Reality RPG Basic Rules
  • As many six-sided dice as you can get your hands on
  • Miniatures for combat resolution.
  • Pencil and Paper to record your characters

 

 

SWORD AND SORCERY SKILLS           

 

Physical (Combat)

 

Swordsman (Includes other slashing/ piercing weapons)

Archer

Marksman (Crossbow)

Martial Artist

Wrestler

Brawler

Spearman

Pikeman

Knife Thrower (Includes all small thrown weapons)

Monster

 

Physical (Non-Combat)

 

Acrobat

Thief

Runner

Equestrian

Mariner (Sailor)

 

Mental (Combat)

 

Wizard (Very, very rare inheritors of Atlantian Magic (No more than 1 per group, if even allowed at all); they do not receive an allegiance penalty for casting their spells)

Sorcerer (for each spell cast the character receives 1 Chaos Point)

Priest

Psychic

 

Mental (Non-Combat)

 

Alchemist

Philosopher

Physician

Artist

Leader

 

 

Example Sword and Sorcery Fantasy Characters:

 

Elric the Albino

Physical 9

Swordsman 3

Mental 25 (5 unspent)

Wizard 3

Leader 2

 

 

Conan the Barbarian

Physical 134

Swordsman 8

Thief 1

Mental 30

Leader 4

 

 

MONSTERS

 

Here is a list of Monsters that are common to the Sword and Sorcery Genre. Only the Monster Level and any additional Mental Skills (Combat) are listed, as these are all that is pertinent to Epic Fantasy Battles:

 

Monster

Monster Level

Mental Skills (Combat)

Gold per group

Baboon Demon

11

 

0

Deep One

2

 

2000

Elephant Being of Yag

11

Sorcerer 11

15000 (individual)

Mound Dweller

5

 

0

Man-Serpent

9

 

2000

Serpent Man

7

 

4000

Toad Thing

9

 

0

Wyvern

7

 

8000 (individual)

Ghoul

2

 

3000

Lycanthrope

4

 

400

Elemental

(either Fire, Air,

Earth or Water)

16

 

0

Vampire

9

Sorcerer 9

12000

Giant

12

 

13000

Mummy

5

Priest 5

6000

Primordial One

8

Psychic 8

30000

Cthulhu

50

Psychic 20, Sorcerer 20

0

Azathoth

50

Psychic 20

0

Byakhee

10

Psychic 10

0

Cthuga

50

Psychic 10

0

Flame Creature

16

Psychic 8

0

Yithian

8

Psychic 8

0

Hastur

50

Sorcerer 23, Psychic 10

0

Ithaqua

30

Sorcerer 12, Psychic 12

0

Mi-Go

5

Psychic 2

0

Nyarlathotep

25

Sorcerer 13, Psychic 13

0

Shoggoth

20

Psychic 4

400

Shub-Niggurath

50

Psychic 20

0

Yog-Sothoth

50

Psychic 15, Sorcerer 15

0

 

 

EXPERIENCE POINTS

 

Sword and Sorcery is by its very nature very cinematic. So Experience Point awards should take a more accelerated approach. When playing in a Sword and Sorcery Campaign, characters should receive 1 Experience Point for each:

  • Monster Level and Sorcerer Level of a Monster or Sorcerer defeated
  • Level of Physical Skills (Combat) and Mental Skill (Combat) that a non-monster GMC possesses
  • 100 gold pieces received after a battle (50 gold pieces if the character is at least Thief 1)

 

 

MAGICAL NON-COMBAT

 

A Time will arrive when a Sorcerer will wish to cast a spell to obtain a particular event, instead of simply shooting magical bolts in combat, hoping for a fire ball (Spell Complexity 3) or meteor swarm (Spell Complexity 9). In order to do this the Game Master must determine what Spell Complexity Level the conceived spell result is. Here are some basic examples:

 

Spell Complexity

Example

1

Magically lock a door

2

Become invisible until attacking

3

Dispel a spell

4

Create a wall of fire

5

Teleport

6

Summon an Elemental from its Plane

7

Become Ethereal

8

Project Astral Body into the Astral Plane (Watch your Silver Cord though; Demons can sever it with on two 6’s on one attack roll)

9

Create a Gate to another Plane of Existence (like Heaven, Purgatory, Limbo or Hell)

10

Level an entire city

 

In order to successfully cast that specified spell the Sorcerer must roll a number of sixes equal to the spell’s complexity level.

 

 

ALLEGIANCE

 

Every Character has three Allegiance Scores: Law, Neutrality and Chaos. Each time a character does something that awards him for following a particular allegiance he receives a point in that score. If one Allegiance (such as Law) exceeds the combined totals of that character’s other allegiances (Neutrality and Chaos) then he becomes a Champion of the Allegiance (in this example a Champion of Law). That character receives as many points to put towards his Physical and/or Mental Abilities as he has points in the Allegiance he is a champion of. Each time he acquires more Allegiance points in that chosen Allegiance he receives Points to put to his Abilities (just as if they were experience points) on a 1:1 basis.

 

However, should that character’s chosen Allegiance ever fall beneath the combine totals of his other allegiances he looses all of the bonus Ability Points that he had received until he returns that particular allegiance to a Champion level.

 

Here is a example of what Allegiance Points are granted to a character:

 

Gaining Chaos Points

Points

Action

3

For each Lawful human converted to Chaos

1

For each human soul slain and dedicated to Patron Lord

=CR

Kills an elemental

1D10

For participating in a military attack on a Lawful nation

1D6

For each new shrine of Chaos founded

2D6

For each new temple of Chaos founded

1D4

For each time the adventurer uses a random method to decide its next course of action in the course of the game

2

For each elemental priest slain

2

For each Lawful priest slain

4

For each Lawful Agent slain

8

For each Lawful Champion slain

1

For each bound demon (Complexity 9 Spell)

1

Frees someone

2

Invocation restores someone’s life

1

Learns magic (per spell level)

1

Murders

1

Rescues someone from danger

2

Invokes a Lord of Chaos

1

For each demon summoned (Complexity 7 Spell)

1

Takes advantage

1

Takes revenge

1

Tells a significant lie

1

Speaks with the dead

1

Steals something important

1

Wounds someone

 

Gaining Law Points

Points

Action

3

For each Chaotic human converted to Law

1

For each Chaotic human slain

=CR

Kills an elemental

=CR

Kills an demon

1D10

For participating in a military attack on a Chaotic nation

1D6

For each new shrine of Law founded

2D6

For each new temple of Law founded

1

For each elemental slain

2

For each elemental priest slain

3

For each Chaotic priest slain

5

For each Chaotic Agent slain

10

For each Chaotic Champion slain

1

For each Item of Virtue owned

1

Invocation restores someone’s life (Complexity 7 Spell)

1

charity

1

Rescues someone from danger

5

Invokes a Lord of Law

-1

Tells a significant lie

-5

For each demon summoned

 

Gaining Neutral Points

Points

Action

3

For each Chaotic or Lawful human converted to the Balance

1

Frees someone

1

Gives charity

1

Heals someone mortally ill

1

Imprisons some one

3

Loves another

1

Makes something unique and beautiful

2

Rescues someone from danger

1

Tells a significant truth

-1

Speaks with the dead

-2

Invocation restores someone’s life

-5

Object-binds an elemental

 

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UNIVERSAL: Epic Fantasy

 

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