The Gaming Outpost

“So,” you might ask, “Bob, just how simple is Simply Roleplaying!, really?”

To which I might answer, “Well, let’s look at this sample character Grasp for a minute. When last we left him (and the end of a demonstration page), he’d just gotten unwittingly involved in a bar-room brawl . . .”

Let’s cut to the chase. You want to kill things, right? Or reprogram them, or whatever. Just roll 2d10, add those, compare them to your target number. If you`re lower than that, you succeed. Period. You want to do damage, you roll 2d10, look it up on the weapon’s card, and do that damage. Done.

All right, in detail, then . . .

(When last we left our hero Grasp, he had noticed a scruffy-looking character (with shiny boots) pull a pistol cross-bow on a total stranger. Grasp readied his dagger and let fly before the “vagabond” could carry out his assassination . . .)

The gamemaster gives Grasp a free Round, since the vagabond is intent on making the perfect shot through the Man in Green’s skull. Grasp has two Actions to use. The first will be to Throw the dagger at his foe. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the Thrown Weapons: Knife skill! His default value would be equal to his Coordination minus 2 . .. a 6. The target is only across a room; the gamemaster calls that Medium range. Medium range means Average Difficulty, means no extra penalty. Grasp lets fly . . .

Grasp makes his Throwing roll . . . a 14! He misses badly, and the knife clatters against the way behind the vagabond. “Ooops.” Grasp immediately declares his second and final action will be to Defend.

The vagabond, startled, looks over at Grasp. The noise also attracts the attention of the Man in Green and the Kavan woman in whose direction the vagabond had been aiming . . .

That’s all there is to it. Most anything you want to do, you roll 2d10. Why? Well . . . 2d6 or smaller just doesn’t give wide-enough variability for our tastes. 3d6 and up was pretty much taken; besides, system developer Greg Poehlein wasn’t interested in being accused of rehashing either The Fantasy Trip or GURPS. The d10 is nearly as common as the d20 . . . but Greg had done his share of percentile-dice games and had his fill of them. But 2d10 gives a curve quite similar to 3d6, with just a little more variety on fewer dice.

Another “little revolution” in SIMPLY ROLEPLAYING! and its sibling games is the Weapon Card. All the information for a given weapon is preprinted and formatted for you. No looking up in tables and copying stuff down. Just grab the card, put it in front of you and go.

That’s enough for now. You can see a more detailed free preview at http://www.microtactix.com/srprev.htm. Enjoy! Remember, “Life is a roleplaying game.”

GRASP (aka “The Blue Bandit”)

Copyright 2000 MicroTactix Games

BRIEF HISTORY

Very little is known of his past,and Grasp likes it that way. He often makes up tales of experiences, the truth of which cannot be verified. One inarguable fact is that the Sheriff of Starton cut off his right hand after he was caught looting the Mayor’s fine silver. Also true is
Grasp’s pursuit by Kyle the White, a notorious bounty hunter with a serious long-standing grudge.

PERSONALITY

Though he puts on a devil-may-care attitude, Grasp cares deeply for his few friends and for those less fortunate. He shares what he steals with the needy. After particularly successful burglaries,he leaves behind a blue kerchief–the calling card of the mysterious “Blue Bandit”. This identity is completely fictional,to throw authorities off the trail of Grasp himself. But The Blue Bandit has a bigger bounty of his head than Grasp!

APPEARANCE

Adult. Utterly average build and features. Usually dressed in plain gray cloak and trousers,with soft hide slippers. Keeps his abbreviated arm in a pocket or folded under his left so his missing hand is less noticeable.

STRENGTH:4 COORDINATION:8 INTELLECT:8 HEALTH:6

Luck:5 Speed:3 Armor:None Hit Points:18 Fatigue Points:10

ABILITIES

Financial Independence (1)
Unrestricted Activity (1)
Sponsor (Minor): Underworld Contacts (0)
Acute Sense of Direction (0)

DISABILITIES

Limited Manipulation (1)
Compulsion: Zorro Complex (1)
Minor Enemy: Bounty Hunter (0)
Minor Secret: Blue Bandit identity (0)

WEAPONS/EQUIPMENT

Dagger
Lockpicks

SKILLS

Stealth Cap/12
Observing Cap/12
Climbing Cap/12
Lockpicking Pro/16
Merchant Cap/12
Melee Weapon: Knife Fam/9
Escape Fam/9
Traps Cap/12
Sleight-of-Hand Fam/9
Convincing Fam/9
Dodging Cap/12