Drudge, v0.3

Intro

Drudge is an attempt to remove some of the drudgery from D&D. D&D is the classic RGP, and it offers a massive amount of pre-fabricated material and flavor. Yet sometimes gameplay can bog down in rule minutia and modifier totaling. Drudge tries to keep the flavor, while simplifying things and making them more Zludge-like.

This means that Drudge is neither one game system or the other. Certain elements of D&D are completely gone. For example, there are no hit points, and characters don't significantly change in the damage they can take or inflict as they go up in level. Drudge expertise is in breadth rather than depth: a fighter can max out his longsword skill by level 4, but it will take him much longer to master anything other than swords.

This document assumes a basic knowledge of both Zludge and d20 (pretty version). To ease the transition of D&D players, the sections follow the order of the PHB's chapters. If something is unstated, assume that Drudge uses the appropriate Zludge rules.

Status: Version 0.3. The system is still under construction.

Contents

• Abilities
• Races
• Classes
• Skills
• Feats
• Description
• Combat
• Adventuring
• Magic
• Spells

Abilities (aka, Attributes)

Drudge uses D&D's abilities: STR, DEX, CON, INT, WIS, CHA.

New characters receive one free +1 to applied to an ability of their choice.

New characters can also take a -1 penalty to one ability to add a +1 bonus to another ability. Not more than one -1 penalty or one +1 bonus can be applied to the same ability. This includes ability modifiers from race.

Races

Race is like a "level 0". Your racial level functions much as any other level, except that a racial level limits the skills that can be selected and it doesn't count when determining your character's level. You cannot spend more than 2 racial ranks on combat skills.

Racial aspects can be invoked for the skills taken as part of your racial level. They can also be invoked for knowledge and social checks involving your race's culture, as well as any special situations as noted below. Racial levels may also grant ability bonus/penalties and special abilities.

Human

Medium size, 15 speed.
4 skill ranks: Any skills.

Dwarf

+1 CON, -1 CHA
Medium size, 10 speed (not reduced by encumberence).
Darkvision (medium range)
Aspect: any appraisal or inspection of stone, metal, or gems; any attack roll vs. orcs or goblins; dodging giants; any save verses spells or spell-like abilities.
2 skill ranks: Swing(weighted), Shield, any other one combat skill; Specialization: Fortitude(poison); Craft(metal, stone), Knowledge(arch, dungeon)

Elf

+1 DEX, -1 CON
Medium size, 15 speed.
Immune to sleep
Low light vision
Aspect: Any sense (Listen, Spot, or Search) check; any save verses enchantment
2 skill ranks: Bow, Specialization: longsword, rapier, or heavy rapier; Listen, Spot, Search, Knowledge(arcana, nature), Spellcraft, Survival

Gnomes

+1 CON, -1 STR
Small size, 10 speed.
Low-light vision Aspect: Any save verses illusion; add 1 to the DC of an illusion spell; any attack vs. kobolds and goblinoids; dodging giants; speak with a burrowing mammal; cast dancing lights, ghost sound, or prestigitation (if 0+ CHA).
2 skill ranks: Light weapons; Listen, Craft(alchemy, mechanical, precious), Knowledge(arcana, history, nature), Search, Spellcraft

Half-Elf

Medium size, 15 speed.
Immune to sleep
Low light vision
Aspect: Any save verses enchantment 2 skill points: Listen, Search, Spot, Diplomacy, Gather Info; any other one skill.

Half-Orc

+1 STR, -1 INT, -1 CHA
Medium size, 15 speed.
Darkvision
3 skill ranks: Swinging(weighted), Two-Handed, One-handed; Brute Force, Intimidate, Survival.

Halfing

+1 DEX, -1 STR
Small size, 10 speed.
Aspect: Any saving throw (this results in 2 tweaks if saving vs. fear).
4 skills: Thrown; Athletics, Bluff, Escape Artist, Hide, Knowledge(geography, local), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sleight of Hand

Classes

Drudge has 3 basic character classes: fighter (warrior), rogue (theif), and spellcaster (magic-user). Spellcasters can either be divine or arcane. Divine spellcasters can either worship a deity (cleric) or nature (druid). Arcane spellcasters are called mages. All 3 kinds of spellcasters can be either a spontaneous or prepared caster. A prepared mage is a wizard; a spontaneous mage is a sorcerer.

Each level of a class gives you an aspect you can invoke to either reroll one roll or tweak the roll (turn any one die to a "+"). You can invoke an aspect only on rolls made for a skill you took that same level. At each level, you also choose a class feature (see below), which you can then activate by invoking the associated aspect.

Each class also has a limit on how many ranks can be applied to combat skills each level.

See Magic for more on spellcasters and spell-use.

Fighter

Max combat ranks/level: 3
Class features:

• Double Attack: Make two attacks with a light weapon, a one-handed weapon of the stabbing, balanced, or unarmed variety, or an aimed weapon that can be readied again in time. You may take a quick action between the attacks. [Pre: Specialization in the weapon used.]
• Two-weapon Fighting: Make an attack with each hand. This can use any light, one-handed, or double weapon. [Pre: Dex 0+]
• Cleave: If your non-light swinging melee attack drops its target, invoke to get an immediate second attack with the same weapon at another target in range. [Pre: Str 0+]
• Mobile Attack: You can both move and attack this turn. The attack can occur before (withdrawing attack), during (spring attack) or at the end (charge) of your movement. [Pre: unencumbered]
• Rage: Ignore all penalties from damage and/or fatigue while raging. Take one point of fatigue each round; you remain conscious even if your fatigue chart is full. You cannot perform any action that requires concentration or deliberation while raging. You can rage until the end of the current battle, or you may choose to end your rage early. [Pre: non-L alignment]
• Favored enemy: As the D&D ranger ability, you can invoke your aspect for any roll (combat or otherwise) involving your favored enemy.
• Stunning Fist: If your unarmed attack hits, its target is stunned until the beginning of your next turn. [Pre: Specialization: Punching]

Rogue

Max combat ranks/level: 2
Class features:

• Sneak attack: If your melee attack hits, it ignores the target's mundane armor.
• Evasion: If you succeed in a Reflex save vs a spell that allows half damage, invoke this to instead take no damage. Invoke 2 Evasions to take half damage even if you failed your save. [Pre: active, unencumbered]
• Trap sense: Tweak any Reflex save or Dodge roll related to traps.
• Uncanny Dodge: Invoke to make a Dodge roll even when flat-footed. Invoke 2 Uncanny Dodges either to make a Dodge roll even when defenseless (but not helpless), or to negate the effect of a sneak attack at you.
• Defensive Roll: When taking combat/weapon damage, invoke to reduce the damage level by one.
• Slippery Mind: Invoke to save again verses a mind control or compulsion effect.

Mage

Max combat ranks/level: 1
Class features:

• Metamagic. Invoke in order to apply the corresponding effects to one of your spells as you cast it. The slot cost for each is subtracted from your highest spell slot level, and so determines the slot level the feat can be applied to. For instance, if the highest spell level you can cast is 3rd, only your 2nd level spells (and lower) can be cast silently; and only your 1st level spells can be cast both still and silently.
  • Empower Spell: spell's damage effects (whether causing, healing, etc) are increased by one dmg-lvl. (2 slots)
  • Enlarge Spell: spell's range (close/medium/long) is doubled (effectively increased to next level). (1 slot)
  • Extend Spell: spell's duration is doubled. (1 slot)
  • Heighten Spell: spell is prepared or cast as a spell of higher spell level (uses a spell slot corresponding to its new level)
  • Quicken Spell: spell is cast as a quick action (4 slots; only 1 quickened spell/per round)
  • Silent Spell: spell's verbal component can be ingored. (1 slot)
  • Still Spell: spell's somatic component can be ignored. (1 slot)
  • Widen Spell: spell's area (burst, emanation, line, or spread) is doubled. (3 slots)
• Item creation. See Magic for more on item creation.
  • Brew Potion
  • Craft Magic Arms and Armor
  • Craft Rod
  • Craft Staff
  • Craft Wand
  • Craft Wondrous Item
  • Forge Ring
  • Scribe Scroll

Sorcerers have the Eschew Materials ability (see Feats). Wizards have the Heighten Spell ability, which can be used at anytime without invoking an aspect.

Cleric

Max combat ranks/level: 2
Class features:

• Turn Undead: Your turning power is your cleric level +/- CHA modifier. An undead creature's turning resistence is their undead level + any extra turn resistance qualities. If your turning power is twice their turning resistance, the undead creature is destroyed. If your turning power exceeds their turning resistance, the undead mindlessly cowers for one minute. If your power and their resistence are matched, the undead is panicked for one minute. If your power is less than their resistance, the undead cannot approach any closer to you as long as you concentrate (for up to 1 minute). If their resistance is twice your power, the turn has no effect.
  
  A turning has a close range. You can affect up to (3 * your turning power) of undead turning resistence with each turn attempt. You may spend an additional turning aspect to a) increase your turning power by 1 but reduce the amount of undead affected by 3; or b) add 3 to the amount of undead affected but decrease your turning power by 1.
• Rebuke Undead: Works as turning, execept rather than destroying undead, you may command them.
• Spontaneous Curing: Invoke this aspect in order to convert a prepared spell to a Cure spell of equal level. [Pre: G or N alignment]
• Spontaneious Inflicting: Invoke this aspect in order to convert a prepared spell to an Inflict spell of equal level. [Pre: E or N alignment]
• Censor Fiend: You can turn/banish outsiders of the evil subtype. This works a turning undead, execpt outsiders are banished rather destroyed. [Pre: Turn Undead]
• Censor Celestial: You can turn/banish outsiders of the good subtype. [Pre: Rebuke Undead]
• Smite Enemy: Invoke to do +1 damage on a melee attack against a target of a specified opposing alignment (such as E if you're G, or L if you're C). Has no effect if your attack misses or if the target is not actually of that alignment. [Pre: non-N alignment]
• Any metamagic or item creation ability (see Mage).

Druid

Max combat ranks/level: 2
Class features:

• Wild Shape: By totally concentrating for a full round, a druid can transform her body. The greater the degree of change, the more wild shape aspects required. If she becomes a creature or elemental, the druid is healed as if by one week of rest. The transformation lasts until dawn (or until the druid spends an aspect to assume her normal form).
  
  Aspect invocation costs are as follows:
  1 - Normal form. (Inexperienced or exhausted druids may not be able to pay this cost, and so must wait until dawn.)
  1 - Mutant form: Each invocation grants one of the following changes: a magical -1 to one ability and a magical +1 to another; gills (breathe underwater); wings (fly); scent (good for tracking); lowlight vision; double speed; bite (one-handed weapon dmg) and claw (light weapon dmg) attacks; thick skin (1-lvl natural armor); trackless step; woodland stride (unimpeded by plant growth); poison immunity; advantageous form (+1 to any single skill).
  2 - Small or Medium creature
  3 - Tiny or Large creature
  4 - Diminutive or Huge
  5 - Medium Elemental
  
• Any metamagic or item creation ability (see Mage).

Using gear made of base metals--particularly iron and steel--prevents druids from casting spells or changing form. They can use weapons and armor of natural materials such as, wood, stone/flint, leather/hide, etc. When using wild shape to become a creature or elemental, natural materials are absorbed into the new shape. However, worked metals cannot be absorbed and so cause the druid damage. Coins, buckles, fasteners, etc cause 0-lvl dmg; larger metal objects cause damage as a weapon of that size. The druid becomes aware of the potential damage during transformation and can abort instead of taking the damage.

Skills

Drudge skills are based on D&D's six attributes. They are bought according to Zludge rules.

Combat Skills

Damage

Weapons tend to be classified based more on their size rather than their D&D damage.

Extra 1d6 of D7&D damage: extra 1-lvl damage.

Abilities affect as follows:
Small/light: STR or DEX
Med/Large/Double: STR
Maneuvers: INT
Bows: STR
Natural: WIS
Magical: As caster

Stab: DEX
Swing(weighted): STR
Swing(balance) STR or DEX
Chains: DEX
Unarmed: STR or DEX
Sheild: STR
Thrown/Aimed: DEX

Round up, but:
Weapon spec: lose -1 from bonus if base box was rounded.

Footnotes:
E: Exotic, requiring specializion to use without a -1 penalty.
r: has reach, as well as close
R: reach only
+: does higher damage
-: does lower damage
2: Actually takes 2 hands to use; use one-handed at -1.
t: Throwable.
*: special rules
d1: does 1-lvl damage, as do light weapons
d2: does 2-lvl damage, as do one-handed weapons

Double weapon: each end does damage as a one-handed weapon.
lance: Only treat as lance if braced under arm and used in charge (otherwise see spear or longspear); does damage based on speed of mount (+1 dmg if mount speed > 30 feet)
Shuriken: With an Exotic focus, a character can draw and throw up to 3 shuriken at a time.

Reload times:
0 - Revolvers, shotguns, rifles, etc can be cocked as a free action.  (Semi-automatic and automatic take no time to ready for the next shot.)
1 - Bows (Draw ammo)
2 - Slings, hand crossbow, light crossbow (Ready weapon, Draw Ammo)
3 - Heavy Crossbow (Ready crossbow x 2, Draw Ammo)
3 - Repeating crossbow, most modern guns (Ready (unload) weapon, Draw Ammo (clip), Ready (load) weapon).  (It takes 4 turns if you want to store the clip you unloaded from the weapon.)

Repeating crossbows include a 5-bolt clip which automatically drop another bolt into place when you ready a weapon.  Therefore, repeating crossbows take 1 less round to reload.  However, once the clip is empty, it must be reloaded (3 turns, as above, assuming you have another pre-loaded clip handy).

automatic weapons (+1 dmg)

thrown: range = double close; close; 1/2 close
--In range: accurate; from that to 5x range: -1
--shorten range to close or 2x close
--weapons designed to be thrown (sometimes) at half range, unless masterwork.  Otherwise, -1

non-throwable: -1 to 1/2 close, -2 to close
throwable: 1/2 close, to close at -1
thrown: close, -1 to medium
aimed: medium, -1 to long


Ranges:
--intimate/contact (in same square)
--melee (w/in 5'--can reach out and touch)
--reach (w/in 10') (to 15')
--close (w/in 30') (to 50')
--medium (w/in 100') (to 150')
--long  (w/in 400') (to 600')

E--Deflect Arrows, Snatch Arrows
E--Improved Unarmed Strike

Note: only need to maintain exotics when needed to maintain game balance
--to use two handed as one handed

Can only specialize in a weapon.

Don't Block with tower sheild.  It grants armor, and you duck behind it for cover.

As in Zludge, skill checks are made by applying both the character's skill modifier, the difficulty modifier, and any other circumstance modifiers. The result determine the determine the degree of success.

Here are the difficulty modifiers:

Feats

Feats--like Zludge gifts--let you do something you can't normally do through a skill check alone. A feat costs 2 skill ranks.

General feats

• Ambidexterity: You do not suffer the -1 penalty for attacks made with your off-hand.
• Blind-Fight: You are not defenseless against invisible melee opponents; miss chances due to concealment are halved for you.
• Quick Draw: Draw any weapon, ammo, or other readily accessible object as a quick action.

Magical feats [Pre: 1 level of spellcaster]

• Augment Summoning: Creatures you summon have +1 STR and +1 CON. [Pre: Spell Foucs(Conjuration)]
• Eschew Materials: You do not need material components with a cost of less than 1gp. Divine casters do not need their focus in hand to cast spells.
• Improved Counterspell: You can counter a spell with a spell that is one or more levels higher of the same school.
• Natural Spellcasting: You can still cast spells in a different form (such as when wild-shaped). You can substitute the required verbal and somatic components; material and focus components are fulfilled if they have been absorbed into your current form.
• Spell Focus: +1 to the DC of your spells within a single school.
• Spell Mastery: You have memorized all your spells (not just the 2 per spell slot) such that you can reconstruct/rewrite them if you loose your spellbook.
• Spell Memorization: You do not need to use a spellbook. [Pre: wizard, Spell Mastery]
• Spell Penetration: +1 to checks to overcome a target's SR.

Description

Alignment and dieties are as in D&D.

Choose which hand is your character's primary hand. Attacks made with weapons held only in your off-hand (except unarmed and shields) are at -1.

Equipment

Combat

Dudge advanced combat:
--round: 1) from the start of your turn to the beginning of your next turn
         2) from the start of the first person's turn to their turn again (initiative round)
--turn: Your chance to act.  [not AD&Ds def of turn]
--action: what you do during your turn.  Usually a std action = a turn. But can be free actions or extended (more than one std) actions in there too.
--step: 5' if haven't moved (or else kneel/crouch, rollover)

--turn = 1 to 3 seconds.  Round last 6 seconds (1/10 minute).
  (rest of the time you're watching, dodging, defending, ducking, etc)
--move: standup, get prone)
Speed: 15 feet for medium; 10 for small.
quick action: (= free, swift, immediate)  {go to 2/rnd?}
  one per round.  If use one during round before your turn, can't use during your turn.

Reload times.  (Usually 3: empty/reset, draw new ammo, load)
Called shots: -2 to 1/6 region and -3 to 1/36 region.  If within -1/-2 respectively, still hit somewhere/general area.  Change hands+fingers to hands + weapon.

Parrying:
  Swinging(weighted) weapons: -1 to parry use
  Rapiers: +1
Parrying: weapon (or unarmed parrier) takes damage if vs swung weapon.  Had armor relative to size.  If exceeded, breaks.  Masterwork weapon gets +1; cheap gets -1.  Magical bonus helps too.
Unarmed attacker takes damage from slashing weapons.
Chains can't parry or be parried.

Blocking:
--Also a Sheild skill, used for both parrying with sheild and bashing.  If successful parry, sheild takes the weapon's damage.  If enough, this might splinter/dent sheild.  If more than enough, sheild is destroyed.


Free action: only 1 per round.  (Same as swift and immediate, tho immediate can be used anytime.)


Power Attack


Alternative to miss die: 1 = 1/2 tweak; 2 = full tweak.
tweak: +20 to 40%
1/2 tweak (turn - to 0): +0 to 20%
negative tweak (turn highest die to -): -40 to 20%
neg 1/2 tweak: -20%

Miss: Just doing -1 means stacks with everything else.  Means only borderline hits miss.
But only borderline cases should miss!  If you're spot on, you'll still hit--just not quite a good, perhaps.

Miss from blur (and blindness?) etc--where object is just not there to hit half the time--should have a miss chance.  [Blindfight skill?  Decrease blind penalty for contact melee?)
But miss from concealment, etc--whether the full extend of the object is just concealed--should have a borderline impact: either tweak or straight penalty.

Adventuring

Magic

Spell Slots

Any spellcaster can spend up to 3 skill points per level, buying one spell slot per skill point. Spell levels go from 1 to 9. Spell slots must adhere to a simple pyramid: you must have at least one more spell slot at the next lowest spell level. Additionally, the max spell level you can purchase is your particular spellcaster level - 1 (except for slvl 1).

Therefore, when attempting to gain spell level power as quickly as possible, a spellcaster tends to buy slots at the following levels:

slvl 9: 15
slvl 8: 12 15
slvl 7: 10 12 14
slvl 6:  7  9 12 14
slvl 5:  6  7  9 11 14
slvl 4:  5  5  7  9 11 13
slvl 3:  4  4  5  6  8 11 13
slvl 2:  3  3  3  4  6  8 10 13
slvl 1:  1  1  1  2  2  2  8 10

A multiclass spellcaster keeps a separate spell pyramid for each 6 different spellcaster class.

Spellcasters can cast 0-level spells (cantrips, orisons, etc) an unlimited number of times per day.

Spells Known

Spontaneous spellcasters know one spell (of the same level) for each spell slot they have. Prepared divine spellcasters can prepare any spell from their class spell list.

Wizards record their spells in a spellbook. Their spellbook contains (for free) two spells (of the same level) for each spell slot they have. They can write additional found spells into their spellbook (as per D&D). If they lose their spellbook, they can rewrite up to two spells per spell slot from memory, though this rewrite incurs the same costs as scribing found spells into a spellbook.

--No ASF.  But each level of mundane armor equiv.ly decreases spell damage (and makes lowest levels impossible to cast?)

--Read magic to know (idea of) what a written spell is
  --but Spellcraft check (relative to level) to understand it enough to cast/learn.


Item Creation
--Instead of XP costs, making magic items, etc, causes fatigue damage.


  For magic, can use magical touch or ray in same turn as casting.
  But can also put spell into weapon (including ranged) or fist
  and make as attack.  First attack (or even touch) of weapon discharges
  spell into it.

Spells

--Spells: need to be converted by GM.
  --Set time and distances categories:

Monsters

CR/Monsters

--Since characters don't get more HP, monsters are like spells: how much dmg to do they do.
--"HP" just based on size, possibly modified by Durability, etc.
--CR = lvl match, so translate accordingly--giving skills, etc.

--Size also gives bonus to Hide, Unarmed, etc (anywhere where +4 bonus plays in).  Dodge/attacks?  Maybe +1 at extremes but not for S/M/L.

Attack (based on BAB) follows same as skill.
+1 if attacking something 2+ sizes larger than you; -1 if 2+ smaller
Size doesn't grant any extra bonuses or penalties to abilities.
But does change damage level--big things hit harder!

Magic Items

-?Bonuses, whether to skill or to hit, translate as follows (D&D -> Zludge):
  +1 - +5: +1
  +6 - +10: +2
  +11 - +15: +3
  +16 - +20: +4

-?Magic armor provides greater protect (allowing more heroic like deeds with less chance of dying).  Magic weapons slice through equivalent magical AC (but not mundane armor part of AC).  Maybe +1 to attack for being magical.

--Only one kind of magical bonus: magical.
--Magical bonuses from different sources do not stack, but overlap (unless specifically noted otherwise).
--In general, magic makes the material work better (or worse).

--magical AC bonus means there is a thin layer of magical protection that absorbs damage.  If the magic is associated with a piece of armor, its protection is limited to the same body areas as the armor.  (Hence, bonus costs half, since most suits of armor cover about 1/2 the 36 body areas.)  If the magic is general (includes both natural armor and deflection), it covers the whole body.  Magical bonuses stack with protect granted by mundane armor, but not with other magical armor protection (since magical bonuses don't stack).

Excavated Esoterica: Optional Rules

Abilities

• For low-powered campaigns--where PCs are only average citizens--grant no ability modifiers. For higher powered, grant two or even three +1s to distribute.

Races

• You can let players take multiple levels of their race "class". In this case, each racial level beyond the first counts as a character level. Each such level grants 4 skills (and no additional abilites), though the skill restrictions still apply.

Classes

• You can expand the use of aspects from only those skills associated with that aspect's level to any roll the character should have an advantage on based on his class experience. (This is more like Zludge.)
• Drudge does not use familiars or animal companions. If you want to add these, look at the Animal Friendship spell from 3.0, or else devise a feat/gift.

Skills

Drudge's skill set has been modified from D&D due to my DMing style. For instance, I don't tend to use physical obstacles much. So I combined Climb, Jump and Swim into Athletics; Open Lock and Disable Device into mechanics. Feel free to make your own changes to the skill set so that each skill gets roughly equivalent use in your campaign.

• Take 2: If there is no penalty for retrying until they get it right, you can assume character's "Take 2". Since this is not a roll, players cannot apply an aspect when doing so.

Feats

• You may want to let players mimic the use of a feat they don't have one time with a plot point (or, if they can justify it, by invoking an aspect).
• Certain feats may cost more or less--1 or 3 skill ranks--depending on their power.

V.Hunters:

--no mana left (except for cantrips?).
--So instead, need mana-storing maban: pearls, quartz crystals, bone, feathers, etc.
--Usually once alive--basically, as wand materials
--Recharged through life: blood, breath, (tears, semen)
--Can be fashion into rod, or weapon core, or (most often) worn under skin (pearling)


--point of maban per point of slvl.  But this is too much bookkeeping?