Twenty Quick Questions: Rules

Ability scores generation method?

Either:

3d6 and arrange freely, or
roll 3d6 in order, but for one ability score you may roll 5d6h3.

How are death and dying handled?

Characters are unconscious at 0 HP, and every turn they are at 0 HP or lower they must save versus death at -1 for every point they are below 0 HP or die.

If a character applies first aid successfully to the incapacitated character (by spending a turn binding wounds, staunching bleeding, etc.), the character applying the first aid can roll a difficult (4d6) check against their intelligence or wisdom at -1 per point below zero hit points. If the check succeeds, the incapacitated character is returned on exactly 0 HP but no longer must perform saves versus death.

What about raising the dead?

Power to perform miracles such as Raise Dead or Resurrection is legendary and practically unheard of in these times. That does not mean that it is impossible, of course, but you would have to seek it out.

It is often whispered in tales that there are locations, devices, and strange groups or entities that can offer restoration to life (or something similar), often at a cost.

How are replacement PCs handled?

In BFRPG it's really, really quick to roll up new first level characters, y'know? It's a good thing, because that's what replacement characters are.

Note

Players are encouraged to keep a stable of characters and play often so that they aren't dropped all the way back to the beginning on a character's death, but you still can't play more than one character at a time. It's also possible you could take over one of your retainers on a successful post-death morale check, but if the retainer doesn't have levels they are still going to start at first level.

One advantage to playing a stable of characters is that you can will your belongings to another one of your characters. However, if another player has claimed those items, it's up to you to retrieve them.

Initiative: individual, group, or something else?

Initiative (and surprise), determined by the stats of the expedition leader/caller. Typically, the expedition leader is whoever organized the game session, which may or may not be the one with the best chances for/against initiative and surprise.

Are there critical hits and fumbles? How do they work?

No. Combat is already abstract and players get butthurt when monsters get criticals against them.

There are times where you may end up with special wounds or even maiming based on an attack, or perhaps could even do the same with the right magic weapons; some magic weapons may allow for the traditional “critical” of double damage.

Do I get any benefits for wearing a helmet?

Yes and no; you don't get an armor class benefit, but anything that would be directed at the head (like, say, a creature crawling in your ear, acid falling on your head, the government listening to your mind with radio waves, etc.) would definitely benefit from a helmet. However, hearing and peripheral vision is more difficult when you wear a helmet.

Can I hurt my friends if I fire into melee or do something similarly silly?

Of course! Don't you ever hear about the collateral damage from drive-by shootings?

Aiming into melee and firing is perilous; not only is it -2 to -4 to hit, if you miss your target and the target is engaged with another party in combat you must also roll an attack against that party because of them providing partial cover to your intended target. (For example: if Bob the Fighter in your party is fighting an orc and you fire at the orc and miss, you then have to fire to see if you hit Bob the Fighter instead, since during the combat he is providing partial cover to the orc from your attack, so you may actually nail Bob instead of the orc.)

Will we need to run from some encounters, or will we be able to kill everything?

Player characters have //no// plot immunity. Characters //can// go anywhere, and even in places perceived as able to be handled by your level of characters there //will// be things you can't handle. Encounters are //not// adjusted for party level.

Players need to decide what they can handle, and can get in over their heads, certainly. That's part of playing in a sandbox.

Level-draining monsters: yes or no?

//“Old school players are only scared of two things://

Stuff that turns your ass to stone
Energy Drain”

– Clip from Dragonsfoot

Yes! But, maybe not just monsters…

Are there going to be cases where a failed save results in PC death?

Absolutely… poison, drenching in acid or lava, dragon breath, all sorts of possibilities here. Wear your big girl pantaloons under your armor and use your brain.

How strictly are encumbrance & resources tracked?

Encumbrance is tracked using a system adapted from Lamentations of the Flame Princess.

Common ammunition is abstracted to save the whole counting it during fights and spare us all the “can I recover some ammunition?” questions. Each quiver / bundle / pack is represented by a particular die. Each time a combat ends or you roll maximum damage for the ammunition in combat, you roll that die to check your ammo supply. On a roll of one, that ammo is exhausted.

Food, torches, oil, etc., are all strictly tracked. It's important to the exploration part of the game.

What’s required when my PC gains a level? Training? Do I get new spells automatically? Can it happen in the middle of an adventure, or do I have to wait for down time?

While training is not required, downtime is. You must take at least one week per three levels (rounded up) of downtime. Look at it as an opportunity to play a secondary character for a while.

Also, while training is not required you can do some training to spend some of that hard-earned gold to convert it to XP to reach a new level.

No, you do not get spells automatically. Spells are either found through play, bought or gifted from NPCs, or researched.

What do I get experience for?

Killing monsters and taking their stuff.

Well, okay… you get 50 XP per HD for killing monsters, plus an extra HD for special abilities. It's a lot at first, but not a whole lot once you pass third or fourth level.

You get 1 XP per 1 GP that you //spend// that was //earned by adventuring//. If you get a bunch of gold and hoard it, you don't get any experience for it until it's spent. If you decide to shuffle cargo between towns for money, you don't get XP for it no matter when or how you spend it.

Also, you get XP for exploration. Being the first one to find a legendary place or thing can confer experience, and some things are so awesome and inspiring that everyone who sees them will get some XP to reflect how it shapes their view of the world.

Finally, you get XP for carousing. If things don't go your way, you can also get consequences for carousing!

How are traps located? Description, dice rolling, or some combination?

You describe what you are doing and looking for and I describe what you find. There's also the thief's ability to find and remove traps.

Are retainers encouraged and how does morale work?

Retainers are definitely encouraged! More meat to absorb the damage, right?

Morale (and reaction rolls) for monsters and NPCs works like it does in B/X. Retainers will also do checks between adventures to see if they stay in your employ, so treat them well!

How do I identify magic items?

Experimentation is the tried-and-true method. Knowledge of arcane lore helps, or sages and historians can figure it out. Speaking of arcane lore, it is often said that certain supernatural and underworld creatures may be able to identify magical items. There may also be spells (such as Divine Magic and Analyze Magic), rituals and magic items that reveal such things…

Can I buy magic items? Oh, come on: how about just potions?

There aren't MagicMart™ stores, if that's what you're asking, but there may be places where one can pick up enchanted gear, auction houses selling items of antiquity that may have certain dwoemers, witches or hedge mages hawking charms and disgusting-looking brews at the bazaar, etc.