# TOWRP Rules summary ___ A play-aid for The Old World Roleplaying Game by Cubicle 7. Last updated: 2025-07-30

#### Base mechanic Roll \[Characteristic\]d10, count each result of <=\[Skill\] as a success. If **easier** or **harder**, add or remove dice. Extra dice can never increase to more than 2x original number of dice. If **glorious**, reroll failures. If **grim**, reroll successes. If **opposed**, opponent also rolls, subtracting their successes from yours. Initiating/attacking character wins ties if they got at least one success. If **exacting**, accumulate successes across several rolls. Each roll may require time, risk and/or expending a resource. Several characters can contribute. If **helping**, add successes as bonus dice to the helped characters roll. ``` ``` |#Successes|Result| |:--------:|:-----| | 0 | Failure. | | 1 | Marginal success. Possible complications.| | 2 | Success. You do what you set out to.| | 3+| Total success. You did great and may suggest extra effects.| ___ Complications and extra effects do not apply if number of successes has game mechanical effect, such as attacks in combat, when helping or on exacting tests. Also do not apply when opposing another roll.

#### Characteristics and skills | Characteristic | Skill | Use | |:---------------|:------|:----| | Weapon Skill (WS) | Melee | Attacking with weapons or fists. *Note:* Not used for pushing or grappling. | | | Defence | Block with weapons or shields. *Note:* Only works against ranged attacks if using a shield. | | Ballistic Skill (BS) | Shooting | Attacking with ranged weapons. *Note:* Requires specific lore to use gunpowder weapons.| | | Throwing | Attacking with thrown weapons. Throwing or *catching* (p125) things. | | Strength (S) | Brawn | Immediate feats of strength. Lift, drag, smash. Pushing and grappling. | | | Toil | Prolonged manual labour. Digging, building, plowing, dismantling. Used with trade lores. | | Toughness (T) | Survival | Navigate the wilds, resist exposure/weather, find/build shelter. | | | Endurance | Overcome pain, stand ground, resist poison or disease, heal quickly. Resist grappling | | Initiative (I) | Awareness | Sense what is going on nearby. Scrutinize people. (Read body language and expressions.) | | | Dexterity | Steady hands, quick fingers. Disarm traps, pick pockets, slip bindings, operate complex mechanisms. Can be used to catch things. Crafting delicate items. | | Agility (Ag) | Athletics | Moving quickly. Running, jumping, climbing, swimming, riding. Retreat or chase. Dodge blows and missiles. Resist grappling. | | | Stealth | Slow, careful movement. Staying unnoticed, hide objects. Also, *crossing narrow beams*. | | Reason (Re) | Willpower | Resist magical, social or psychological coercion. Resist fear. Channel magic. | | | Recall | Remember specific information under pressure. Find weakness, decipher clue, identify stranger, assemble device. | | Fellowship (Fel) | Leadership | Bark orders, intimidation. Requires flaunting status, leading by example or being aggressive. | | | Charm | Tempt, reassure, deceive, entertain. Slower than leadership, lasts longer. |

#### Talents Have special rules. See each specific talent. #### Lores Represents knowledge. Let you do things you wouldn't otherwise be able to, automatically succeed at some things, *or* give you bonus dice to your action. ``` ``` #### Fate Spent (not burnt) fate refreshes at the start of session. Spending fate to influence rolls is done after rolling. | Spend fate to... | Burn fate to... | |:---------|:---------| | Make test glorious | Make test total success | | Take second, different action | Negate a fresh wound | | Act as rearguard | Heroic last stand (die) | \page ## Downtime During downtime, roll an event, then perform as many endeavors as there have been sessions since the last downtime (max 3), then reset coins. Mark skill progression for failures rolled on tests during downtime, when you have more than your current skill, the skill improves and you loose all skill progress for that skill. ##### Aid Contact (GM chooses skill) Assist one of your contacts to repay or gain a favor. Contact you owe a favor may insist on this. ##### Bank Money (Charm) May place one left-over coin per success with a banker. With 3 successes, bank coin of higher status than your own. You may also recover money by taking this endeavor, though withdrawing your coin does not require a test. ##### Change Career (GM chooses skill) Replace your current career with a new one. Must be suitable for your characters circumstances. See rulebook. ##### Craft Trapping (Dexterity or Toil) If you have a suitable Trade Lore and access to corresponding trade tools, make an extended test to work on crafting a trapping. One test allowed each time you take this endeavor. Suitable assets give +1d on test. Brass trapping: 2 successes. Silver trapping: 4 successes, each test costs 1 Brass. Gold trapping: 8 successes, each test costs 1 Silver. ##### Formalize Spell (Recall) Inscribe spell into grimoire that you have witnessed, read about or cast as improvised spell. Requires Wizard talent, Literacy lore and corresponding Magic lore. Exacting test requiring 4 successes, one test for each time you take this endeavor. Formalized improvized spells have CV halved. ##### Gather Information (GM chooses skill) Find information about something. GM chooses skill based on how you go about it. On success, the GM may reveal a useful fact, and if you find a Clue during your next adventure related to this, you may automatically succeed at tests to get an Insight. ##### Help Ally (GM chooses skill) Lend your support to another characters endeavor. Works as per the Help action. GM determines skill depending on how you help - could be the same skill as the character you are helping uses, but does not have to be. ##### Invest Money (GM chooses skill) Stake money on risky venture. Spend 3 Coin, make test depending on investment - Charm to negotiate business deal, Dexterity for cheating at dice games, etc. If succesful, aquire trapping or service at 1 status higher than the cheapest coin you used. On failure, the coin are lost. With GM approval, try to achiee a new Asset, at the same status as the cheapest coin you used. This would be an exacting test, each test costing 3 coing and an endeavor. GM determines number of successes needed, examples could be 2 for a hand cart, 4 for full plate armor to 8 or more for a tavern. Other playes may give you coin to use for investment, or you could go to a loan shark... ``` ``` ##### Lay Low (Awareness or Stealth) Take measures to keep your head down and avoid attention. +1d if you have Secret Hideout. On success, stay one step ahead of whoever you are hiding from. ##### Memorise Spell (Recall) Memorize spell that you have witnessed, read about, inscribed into your own grimoire or cast as improvised spell. Requires Wizard talent and corresponding Magic lore. Exacting test requiring 8 successes, one test for each time you take this endeavor. Only 4 successes if you have it in your own grimoire. Memorised improvized spells have CV halved. ##### Prolonged Labours (Choose skill) You work hard. Choose a skill *relevant to your career*. On success, start next adventure with +2 Coin of your status. On failure, start next adventure with +1 Coin of your status. ##### Practice Skill (Choose skill) You practice a skill. Make a test, mark failing dice as progress with the skill as normal. Mark 1 extra progress for taking this endeavor. ##### Rekindle Fate (GM chooses skill) If your Fate score is lower than it started (you have burned fate), make an Exacting test requiring 4 successes. One test per endeavor, and each test requires spending Fate. Make skill test depending on the form of your meditation, such as Endurance for days of fasting or Dexterity for repeatedly field stripping a weapon as a comforting ritual. When you succeed on the Test, increase Fate by 1 up to its starting maximum. ##### Rest and Recovery (Endurance) You resign yourself to bedrest and medical treatment. On success, heal one wound and recover from any festering wounds. Some injuries may require surgery before this endeavor can be taken. ##### Study Lore (GM chooses skill) Choose a lore you want to learn. Each lore has its own prerequisites for learning. Make exacting recall test requiring 4 successes, one test per endeavor. Test is usually Recall, but could be Survival for hands-on woodcraft lessons, Willpower for experimenting with Necromancy etc. Magic Lores are tricky, requiring 4 extra successes for each Magic lore you already know. ##### Test Might (GM chooses skill) You enter a contest to prove your physical prowess, *suitable for your career and status*. It could be a race, an armwrestling contest, an archery contest or a joust - or something else. Make an opposed test vs your fiercest competitor. On a success, you acquire a local reputation as a winner. Once, during your next adventure, you may use this reputation to make a Fellowship test Glorious. This can only be applied on a test involving an NPC that could plausibly be impressed by your deed. ##### Wander the Wilds (Survival) On success, you temporarily have access to an environmental or provincial lore that corresponds to the area you scouted. If you already have that lore, gain +1d to Tests using it for the next adventure. \page #### Combat Battlefield is divided into zones. Zones contain features that may give cover or be difficult terrain, and position within zone is important. Melee range is **close** range, same zone but not in melee is **short**, adjacent zone is **medium**, 2 zones away is **long**, further away is **extreme**. PCs go first, then all NPCs - unless PCs are ambushed, which makes it the other way around. Ambushed characters cannot oppose attacks in the first round. On each turn do *a reasonable amount of incidental actions:* * Move depending on speed (Slow=Short range, Normal=Medium range, Fast=Long range) *or* stand up from prone *or* raise ally from prone. * Draw weapon, catch tossed item, swap held items * Nock an arrow, prepare missile weapon that does not require a test to reload * Drop prone * Shout warning to ally or threat to enemy * Pick up, consume or interact with object in Close range when no enemies are close. ___ Also, do *one combat action* (spend fate for a second, different one): ___ * **Aim:** Awareness check to self-help next ranged attack action against specified target (no other actions allowed in between), or to be allowed to attack at extreme range. * **Attack:** Roll an attack roll. * **Help:** As per normal help rules, help another characters action. * **Improvise:** Anything, but for example: * Brawn vs Endurance to knock prone * Leadership vs Willpower to distract * Brawn vs Defence to disarm * Charm vs Willpower to turn enemies * **Manoeuvre:** One out of: * Run an extra zone. Test Athletics for two extra, staggered (unless already staggered) and only move the first zone on failure. * Charge. Run (as above) up to enemy, then attack with +1d. Cannot charge from close range of an enemy. * Move quietly. Stealth vs Awareness to use free movement to move behind cover or concealment and disappear from view. Next attack from position is unopposed. * Move carefully. Ignore effects of difficult terrain. Also, test awareness to search for hidden opportunity, secret weakness or concealed enemy. * **Recover:** Any or all out of: * Remove Staggered from self or ally in Close range * Remove Prone from self or ally in Close range, or mount steed in close range. * Treat wound or test to remove another condition, from self or ally in close range. * Remove 1 die from Miscast pool * Grab or interact with an object in Close range, even if an enemy is also within Close range. ``` ``` ___ **Attack rolls:** Melee/Shooting/Throwing/Brawn vs Defence/Athletics. +1d for each of charging, outnumbering in zone, attacking from high ground. **Prone** targets yield high ground for melee attacks. For ranged attacks, also -1d each of attacking target outside optimum range, target obscured or in cover, target is prone. **Failed attacks** give the attacker the staggered condition if they do not already have it. Successful attacks that do not deal damage give the defender the staggered condition, if they already have it they must give ground, fall prone or suffer wound. **Give ground:** Move to adjacent zone, not through enemies or difficult terrain. Cannot give ground if prone or unable to leave zone. If new zone has enemies, you are broken. **Take wound:** Roll d10+\[#untreated wounds\]d10 on wound table. #### Status and Coin Your status is Brass (commoner), Silver (middle class) or Gold (rich). You have 3 "coins" at your status level, refreshed every downtime. A purchase at your status level costs a coin, a purchase below your status level costs nothing. A purchase above your status level (or at status without spending coin) requires bartering (Charm vs Willpower). Bartered-for purchases come with an extra cost, such as being poor quality, stolen or requiring a favor to the merchant. #### Social encounters Play it out. Tests are typically: ___ * **Persuade** - Charm or Leadership vs Willpower. Must have credible reason to change targets mind. Not useable PC-vs-PC. GM can declare NPC unpersuadable. * **Distract** - Skill depending on action vs Willpower to apply Distracted condition (-1d focused on anything but the distraction). Can target groups. * **Scrutinize** - Study behaviour (Awareness) or convince them to open up (Charm) vs Willpower, each success lets you ask one out of: - What do they expect me (or someone else) to do next? - What could I offer the NPC to help persuade them to do what I want? - What could I say or do to make them angry? - What could I say or do to calm them down? ___ On Fellowship tests, you get +1d if you act as expected, -1d if you do not. Expectations are usually based on percieved relative status (see table), but species and other factors may also influence expectations. | Status | Brass chars to be... | Silver chars to be... | Gold chars to be... | |:------:|:----|:-----|:-------| | Brass NPCs expect... | Practical, minding own business. | Bossy, selfish, materialistic. | Aloof, condescending, dismissive. | | Silver NPCs expect... | Unreliable, unskilled, ideally silent. | Crafty, confident, opportunistic. | Entitled, neglectful, easy to flatter. | | Gold NPCs expect... | Stupid, vulgar, obedient. | Uncultured, skilled, glad of patronage. | Courteous, respectful, dismissive of the peasantry.| \page

#### Melee weapons |Name | Cost | Max range | Damage | 1H/2H | Traits | |:----|:----:|:---------:|:------:|:-----:|:-------| | Unarmed | n/a | Close | n/a | n/a | Attack with brawn. Causes staggered condition instead of damage. | | Knuckle dusters | Brass | Close | S-1 | 1H | +1d to conceal, attack with Brawn. | | Dagger | Brass | Close | S-1 | 1H | +1d to conceal | | Staff | Brass | Close | S | 1H | +1d Athletics crossing difficult terrain | | Foot spear | Brass | Short | S | 1H | +1 Defence vs charge, +1 damage in 2 hands | | Cavalry spear | Brass | Short | S | 1H | +1d Melee on Charge if mounted | | Axe | Brass | Close | S | 1H | +1 damage vs armor | | Pickaxe | Brass | Close | S+1 | 2H | +1d Toil harvesting resources | | Sword | Silver | Close | S | 1H | +1d Defence when not Staggered | | Warhammer | Silver | Close | S | 1H | +1d Melee vs Staggered | | Morning star | Silver | Close | S+1 | 1H | -1d Melee when Staggered | | Polearm | Silver | Short | S | 1H | +2 damage in 2 hands | | Flail | Silver | Close | S+3 | 2H | -2d Melee when Staggered | | Bilhook | Silver | Close | S+2 | 2H | +1d Melee vs mounted | | Halberd | Silver | Close | S+2 | 2H | +1 damage vs armor | | Glaive | Silver | Close | S+2 | 2H | +1d Defence when not Staggered | | Greataxe | Silver | Close | S+3 | 2H | -1d Melee, +1 damage vs armor | | Greatsword | Gold | Close | S+3 | 2H | -1d Melee, +1 Defence when not Staggered| | Greathammer | Gold | Close | S+3 | 2H | -1d Melee, +1d Melee vs Staggered | | Lance | Gold | Close | S+1 | 1H | +1d Melee and +1 damage on Charge while mounted | ___ * Note: When dual wielding two one-handed weapons, you can use either or both traits. If both apply the same trait, add them together.

#### Ranged weapons |Name | Cost | Optimum range | Damage | 1H/2H | Traits | |:----|:----:|:-------------:|:------:|:-----:|:-------| | Sling | Brass | Med | S | 1H | | | Shortbow | Brass | Sho-Med | 3 | 2H | +1d Shooting at Short range | | Warbow | Brass | Med-Lon | 3 | 2H | | | Longbow | Silver | Med-Lon | 4 | 2H | | | Crossbow | Silver | Sho-Lon | 4 | 2H | +1 damage vs armor, Reload 2 | | Pistol | Silver | Med-Lon | 5 | 1H | Ignores armor, Reload 3 | | Handgun | Silver | Med-Lon | 5 | 2H | Ignores armor, Reload 3 | | Blunderbuss | Silver | Sho | 4 | 2H | Max range Medium, +2d Shooting at Short range, creatures in Close range of a hit are Staggerd, Reload 3 | | Hochland Longrifle | Gold | Med-Ext |6 | 2H | Must Aim ere use, ignores armor, +1 on Wounds table, Reload 4 | | Rep. Handbow | Gold | Clo-Sho | 4 | 2H | May add +1d to one Shooting test but then requires Reload 3 | | Rep. Crossbow | Gold | Sho-Med | 4 | 2H | May add +1d to one Shooting test but then requires Reload 3 | | Rep. Pistol | Gold | Clo-Sho | 5 | 1H | Ignores armour, may add +2d to one Shooting test for Reload 3 | | Rep. Handgun | Gold | Sho-Lon | 5 | 2H | Ignores armour, may add +3d to one Shooting test for Reload 5 | ___ - Note: -1d outside optimum range. Cannot use ranged at all with enemies in Close range, unless the weapons optimum range includes Close range. Attacking an enemy with a ranged weapon in Close range can be opposed with *Melee*, and you are Staggered if you miss (as with a melee attack). - Note also: Reloading is an exacting dexterity test. - Note further: Blackpowder firearms require Lore(Blackpowder) to use.

#### Resilience from armor Clothing: T, Light armor T+1, Heavy armor: T+2, Shield +1. #### Clothing Various clothing gives non-combat bonuses, see rulebook.

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