TEXT: BAS[G
  R@EE"P&AY[N@
  An lntroductory Guide
  by GREG STAFFORD
  LYNN WILLIS
  Copyngh@1980 Chaosium Inc. All
  Rights Reserved. Published by Chaosium
  Inc., Box 6j02, Albany CA 94706.
  Printed in the United States of Ameica.
  Fint Printing
  DEDICATED
  To Steve Perrin and and the other authors of
  RuneOuest for their work and inspiration in the
  RPG field.
  
  L lntroduction,
  WHAT IS A FAI\TASY ROLE.PLAYING GAME?
  A fantasy role-playing (FRP) game is one wherein the play-
  ers construct characters who live out their lives in a specially
  made game-world. The characters need not be anything like
  the people who play them. Indeed, it is often more rewarding
  and enjoyable for players to create characters entirely unlike
  themselves. For instance, the most popular sorts are warriors
  and magicians-how many knights or wizards do you know in
  this world?
  The game world is operated by a referee (sometimes called
  a game master, adventure master, dungeon master, etc.) who
  sets up the situations which the players confront and who also
  plays'the world.'
  An FRP game, then, is an interaction between players, who
  operate (run) characters, and a referee, who runs the world in
  which the adventures occur.
  Most of the play is verbal exchange. The players tell the
  referee what they wistr or intend to do. The referee then tel1s
  them if they can or may do it and, if not, what happens
  instead.
  The actual game rules are important only when there is
  some question of success or failure, for the rules are the agreed-
  upon 'reality' which makes the game world understandable.
  The rules represent the common experience of the player-
  characters as well, and provide ways of determining the likeli-
  hood of success or failure before a situation is actually met.
  The rules also are the court ofappeal: whenever there is a con-
  flict between what the playercharacters wish to do and what
  their game-world seems to let them do, then the rules are used
  to settle the dispute.
  Suppose that a player tells the referee that he wishes to
  open a door and enter the room. The referee tells the player
  that the door is locked. The player says he will open it. With-
  out rules, an argument or an arbitrary decision might result.
  The des tell you how to discover the outcome of game
  actions.
  Rules commonly use various die-rolling methods to deter-
  mine the outcome of actions. Basic Role-Playlng uses percen-
  tile dice (usually written as D100). Sometimes dice are used to
  find our whether or not something happened, such as the door
  which did or did not open. And sometimes there is a greater
  variety of outcomes possible, such as in combat when an at-
  tack may succeed or fail, when the result will be amplified or
  modified by a critical hit or weapon fumble. The amount of
  damage from a successful attack depends on a die roll.
  In FRP, the referee has the immense responsibility of pre-
  paring a game world and playing it without bias. Most often he
  or she will set up a lair of some hostile monsters and bandits,
  and then he or she will play them against the player-characters.
  It is the referee's duty to make the opposition smart and mean,
  or there will be little challenge for the players, and they will be
  bored. But the referee must refrain from arbitrary decisions
  even though the players out-fight, out-wit, or out-guess him in
  the end.
  The players also have a duty to play their characters within
  the known limits of the characters they run. Remaining un-
  biased is as difficult for them as for the referee. Just because a
  player happens to be a science major and knows how to con-
  coct subfle and potent compounds does not mean that his
  shepherd character (without leaming or training) can stroll to
  a game-world village and open an alchemy shop.
  Operating within the limits of their characters presses the
  imagination of every player, but it is that situation that gives
  this genre of games its name, Role-Playing. The players them-
  selves act out the roles endowed to their characters as though
  only those characters existed. Doing this is the most difficult
  and most satisfying part of the game.
  Like anything else, role-playing is easier when you have
  done it a few times. Always have some idea of your character
  before you start, but also allow the events ofhis orherlife to
  help shape the character's personality. Allow yourself different
  roles for different characters.
  As you go througlr this book, you'll leam a basic role-playing
  system. The booklet explains the game mechanics which de-
  fine the 'world machine.' But you must do the character crea-
  tion which defines the character's personality. You do not
  need a prepared character to begin role-playing. By the time
  you hnish this book you will have one, though, and this is a
  good time to get him started.
  EXAMPLE
  Your charucter is a young person, male or female (you
  get your choice). He lcnows little of the world, having
  always lived on a farm located in quiet countryside far
  in the middle of somewhere. His childhood has been
  happy and safe, and his adolescence has been innocent
  and ignorant. The garne you play will start his chroncle
  of adulthood.
  Today is exciting. The foreman of your father's farm
  is going to town to pick up supplies, and he has asked
  your character to go along. Since you've never been to
  town before, you can hardly wait.
  The wagon trip is uneventful. You have seen the trees
  and fields of the farm before. The rutted dirt road passes
  by more fums, now ones you've neyer seen. From the
  wagon you spy a dark tower, broken and mysteious,
  atop a distutt knoll. The foreman tells you that it is
  2
  
  Crag's Ruin, and that ghosts dwell there, and that his
  father once helped kill a troll nearby. He also tells you
  not to worry, because he has his iovelins with him and
  that you are safe.
  (How does his talk make you feel? Are you worried
  by being so close to the ruins? Curious to see if ghosts
  really live there? Reassured by his statements? Conlident
  in his jovelins? Wish you had one yourself, even thougll
  you wouldn't lstow how to use it?)
  The wagon tip takes three hours to complete. The
  village of Shirtown (so-named because you con buy cot'
  ton clothes there) is small, some 20 buildings scattered
  along a stream To you, tuho have never seen anything
  biger than a farmstead, Shirtown is a revelation.
  The foreman hitches the horse and wagon to a rail at
  the troding post and waters the animal. Seeing your cur-
  iosity, he tells you to take a walk around. "Be care{u\,"
  he says. "You\e just a kid and there are foreigners in
  town."
  (How do you feel about being called o kid? l|illyou
  talk back to him to prove you aren't? Does the idea of
  foreigners scare you or make you want to see them?)
  lUalking around the village, you see that the 'main
  street'has the trading post on it, a boarding house with a
  painted sign overheod, an office with words wirtten on
  the door, a stable, and a number of fwtcy houses painted
  with colors much brighter than anlt used on your farm.
  A dozen or so people walk along also, most biskly on
  business.
  You tum ftom the mqin street along one of the small
  trails which wewe behind building and along garden
  plots. You suppose that the people who tend the fields
  around Shirtown actually live in town, md that these
  are their personal gardens" A baby cies fretfully from a
  house on your left. Geese waddle toward the creek.
  Bored, you retum to the main street. The foreman is
  not visible, evidently inside, conducting business.
  Suddenly a rnon, weaing helmet and armor with a
  shield strapped to his back and a sword at his side, stag'
  gers out of the building near you, stumbles, and crashes
  into you. You are lcnocked down and look at him from
  the ground. He swears at you and tums his back, moving
  awqy.
  (Are you angry? Fightened? Do you swear back ut
  him, possibly angering him further? Or are you impress-
  ed, wishing you had weapons and armor and a bellyful
  ofdnnk?)
  As you watch, he turns the comer and falls down, ly'
  ing in a heap and snoing. Looking quickly around,
  you see that no one is nearby, to see either you or him.
  A money bag is lying on the ground near him, obviously
  dropped from his hand.
  (llhat do you do? Want some quick cash? How about
  an eosy sword? Maybe he won't even wake up if you
  take off his helmet. Here is an opportunity which may
  well shape the rest of your life. What will it be, an easy,
  if dishonest, chance to get ahead in the worW quickly?
  An honest attempt to help this stranger? Should you
  leave him to his troubles and go on? llhatever you wish
  will happen, since there is no referee right now to wake
  him!)
  Farther down the street a lady sits atop a barrel. She
  is unlike any you've seen before. Her face is heavily
  made up, something you've heard of but never seen. She
  smiles at you when you approach wtd calls you over. She
  offers to sell you a tlask of magical drink.
  (Wwtt to buy? Got any money? If not, you honest
  soul, then she will give it toyou for free if you'll promise
  to do her a favor, unspecified, sometime in the {uture.
  She will make you wear on your soul if you do take it,
  an oath which hos some import ta you ot myone living
  here. She doesn't evm insist that you drink it now. You
  may take it and swe it, or ask the foreman what it is.--. )
  You wander back to the wagoru Nothing much else
  happens.
  There you have the start of it. Not a lot to do, for sure, but
  several opportunities to present your character with some per-
  sonality. Honest or dishonest? Gullible or wary? In debt to
  that old con-woman or still free? These are traits and events
  which can come up again in your young life, and maybe with
  far-reaching effect.
  Developing a character will also depend upon the basic
  abilities which the character has, and those will be discussed
  below. But it will still take imagination to clothe the numbers,
  and that is the real play of the game.
  IS IT FI.JN? _COOPERATION AND COMPETITION
  Gaming is social. Ifyou want to use your imagination alone,
  you could read a book. But be wamed: when a number of
  people get together cooperatively, they can form a communal
  fantasy far more interesting and imaginative than could any
  one person, and the joint effort results in an extremely satisfy'
  ing experience for all involved.
  -Uuyrr. must work together. For instance, a party of adven'
  turers will not survive against a batch of monsters if they are
  not willing to aid each other, heal each other, and guard each
  other. This is not to say that you cannot play a back'stabbing
  thief, only to suggest that if everyone plays that way, there
  will be no incentive to play together-there must be honor
  even among thieves, so far as galning goes. And if all you char-
  acters are iut-throats, who will be interestgd in playing with
  you?
  There also needs to be cooperation between players and
  the referee. Though the referee does mastermind the world
  and does set up and run the details, it's also true that the game
  remains a game for him as well, and that he likes to have fun
  playing too. The player-characters sltould pit themselves against
  the world, not the referee. The referee should not be afraid to
  ask otlers for their opinions on game matters, and the players
  strould not be afraid of debating rules questions or play oppor'
  tunities with the referee. Referee rulings should be final,
  though, and players must be wi[ing to take losses if the referee
  is adamant in his thinking. Work out questions by discussion,
  not fiat, and players and referee strould be willing to change
  their minds if necessary, and occasionally change the game
  somewhat to adjust to the situation at hand.
  Simple communication will build an enjoyable and under-
  standable world to play in. The rewards of cooperation are
  great; hostility and resentment are fatal to play. Remember'
  the object of all this is to have fun.
  WINNERS AND LOSERS
  Uniquely and admirably, in FRP there are no winners and
  losers in the normal competitive sense. Play is cooperative,
  wherein the participants work togettrer for a common goal.
  The opponent is some alien or hostile situation controlled by
  an impartial referee, not another player.
  
  Winning in such a situation depends on whether or not the
  player-characters succeed in their goal. Losing is what happens
  if they fail (they may just try again later). The only real losers
  are those characters-not players-who die in the attempt.
  Even then there is satisfactionin dying gloriously, and recount-
  ing such a deed ofhonor.
  LIFE AND DEATH
  Danger is a common part of role-playing. There is satsifac'
  tion in non-dangerous occupations, and players are urged to
  have some non-combative characters if time allows. But the
  sharpest spice is the performance of characters in life-or-death
  situations. Dying is the one experience we cannot know more
  than once, and few of us are interested in hurrying-up our
  chance for the knowledge. Role-playing gives us surrogate
  danger without the risk.
  Even so, you will experience real emotion when your char'
  acters gain victories, and undergo real agony when they die.
  Players and their characters have a very intimate relation, and
  the longer a player runs his character well, the more likely there
  will be a sense of loss when death comes and resurrection is
  not possible. This can be traumatic if you are too close to the
  characters at hand. For this reason, people are advised to never
  play themselves in a game. Always maintain a proper'mental
  attitude towards the game, and remember that it is only imag'
  ination, no matter how real it seems during play.
  Possibility of loss makes success rewarding. Do not be
  afraid to commit your characters to battle and do not worry
  about their loss-play without restraint.
  IL Materiuls
  DICE, AND HOW TO READ THEM
  Basic Role-Playing uses a number of different dice. One set
  is provided with the game you have purchased. Other sets are
  available at game stores or by mail. Usually each player has his
  own set for ease ofplay, but it is also good to share.
  Four types of dice will commonly be used: they are 20-sided,
  8-sided, 6-sided, and 4-sided dice. When two 2O-sided dice are
  used together, or when one 20-sided die is rol1ed twice, a num'
  ber between 01-100 is generated-a 'percentile ro1l.'
  Abbreviations are used to desigrrate these dice. The letter D
  stands for the word Dice. This letter will be followed by a
  number denoting the number of sides on the die being used.
  Thus a D20 is a 20-sided die, a D6 is a 6-sided die, and a D100
  is a pair of20-sided dice used as percentile dice.
  Designations will also often be preceded by another number.
  This one tells the player the number of that kind of dice to be
  used. 2D6 means that two 6-sided dice should be rolled and
  their results added together. If you don't happen to have the
  right number of that kind of die, roll one of them the neces-
  sary number of times and total the result.
  Sometimes additions must be made to the die roll. For in'
  stance, you will see 1D6+1. The number following the plus
  sigr should be added to the result of the D6 roll. Thus 1D6+l
  means that the final result will be between 2 and 7, depending
  on the die roll.
  Finally, there are occasional results which ask that different
  dice be rolled together. For instance, a weapon may do
  1D6+2D4 damage. This is done by rolling the three requested
  dice and summing their results.
  READING THE DICE
  Most of us are familiar with the good old cubical D6. We
  read it by throwing it so that it rolls, and then taking the num-
  ber which is face up on the die as the result. This is the meth'
  od used for reading D8 as wel1. The top number is the number
  rolled. _ 
  D4s are more difficult. They are pyramid-
  \ 
  shaped and have no apparent top to read. In
  l- .C\ 
  their case the number rolled is the one which
  *t 
  ) 
  is right-side-up on the sides ofthe die after it
  2/ 
  is thrown. These dice rarely rol1, and it is ad-
  / 
  vised that you get a random result by tossing
  them so that they tumble in the air before
  D4 
  landing.
  Though D20 is also read from the top, as
  with D6 and D8, they have only two sets of
  single digit numbers 0-9 on their 20 sides.
  What to do?
  There are two usual ways to make a D20
  yield 20 different numbers. You can take a
  marking pen and mark one each of the num-
  bers from 0-9 to distinguish them from the
  other set of ten numbers, and then decide
  whether the marked or the unmarked num-
  bers represent the single digits. The others
  will be the 'teen' numbers. Green pens will
  yield 'teen is green,' but any color will do.
  As a D20, the low zero will be 10, and the
  D20 
  higtr zero will be 20.
  An attemate method does,not mark the dice- Roll the D20
  and any other die at the same time. The other die result deter-
  mines whether the D20 is a single digit or a double digit num-
  ber: low equals 1-10, and high equals I l'20.
  D100 rolls are actually easier. If you have one D20, you
  need to roll it twice. The first roll is the 'tensn roll, and the
  second roll is the 'ones.' If you roll a 5 the fust time and an 8
  the second time, you've rolled 58.
  With two D20 of different colors, you need only roll both
  at the same time to read the Dl00 number. Decide which one
  is the 'tens' and which is the 'ones.' For instance, the red die
  may be the tens, and the white the ones. Just read the red die
  first.
  CHARACTERSHEET
  On the next page is a Basic Role'Playing character sheet.
  It will hold all the immediate information you need about
  your character. The text will later indicate how to fill out the
  character sheet, and what each section means. You are urged
  to photocopy the sheet for further use.
  FIGURES AND FOCUS
  Basic Role-Plrying can be played as a strictly verbal game,
  as you can see from the example about the farmer's child com-
  ing to the big city. But many games go farther than this, and
  play with miniature figures and a battleboard.
  Focus is always usefiI, for all the players can then weave
  their imaginations into the same framework. For instance, set-
  ting up a marching order for a party of Adventurers to travel
  overland shows which characters will be in a position to speak
  to each; this may be sigrrificant later if a character must choose
  one pe$on out of many to aid.
  Aiding rules interpretations is an excellent reason for using
  figures. When the figures are on the table, it is possible to see
  that your friends are blocking the field of fire your bow migfrt
  have, or it will show which characters are first assailed by giant
  wasps striking from the flank, or how long it will take for one
  character to aid another. With figures, measurement provides
  4
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  Copyright @ 1980 Chaosium lnc.
  Copyright @ 198O Chaosium lnc.
  Copyright A 198O Chaosium lnc.
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  PO]NTS 11 12 13 14 15
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  answem to "My guy was supposed to be here," and "Where is
  the elephant?"
  Even a few props will provide drama. A large ruin can be
  constructed with childrens' plastic construction blocks. A bit
  of scrounging unearths railroad props, cake decorations, weird
  things from hardware bins, and so on. Styrofoam packaging
  can be carved to different shapes. A few HO trees, some toy
  fences, and a large rock will turn an otherwise lifeless melee
  setting into intriguing opportunities for deployment and use
  of special skills.
  Figures are commonly l" high lead miniatures. These may
  be purchased at many game and hobby stores or ordered
  throug[r the mail. Some manufacturers have published attrac-
  tive cardboard figures, and many people make good use of the
  cheaper and more readily available plastic toy figures. Prefer-
  ences and pocketbooks have a large influence on what is used.
  Remember that no one is likely to have every varied monster
  or person type called for in a game, and that it is common to
  substitute something.-In any case, figures are recommended.
  THE BATTLEBOARD
  If you use figures, you will also want a battleboard. A
  batfleboard is made of almost anything, but is commonly a
  large street of paper which can be drawn on and disposed of
  afterward or reused each time with added details. Also popular
  are transparent plastic sheets which can be written on with
  china markers or grease pencils which can be erased and reused.
  Sometimes the referee may pre-draw a location or floorplan,
  and at other times he may use such sheets to record terrain
  as play develops.
  'Battleboard' is a term carried over from the days when
  FRP was mainly Iighting. There are now many noncombative
  situations.
  It is often useful for the referee to draw out the area ofac-
  tivity on an ordinary sheet of paper and to note the scale
  there. When the action shifts to individual scale, the referee
  tums to the batfleboard.
  III. Stats to Acts
  NAMING YOUR CHARACTER
  How you nirme your character may depend upon the cam-
  paip in which you play. Some campaigrrs allow only some
  specifically appropriate type of name, such as using only Scan-
  dinavian names for a Viking campaign. This is relatively easy,
  since lists of names can be found in any library's reference
  section. Some campaigrs allow names of any sort, such as one
  where French-Canadian politicians appear beside American
  movie stars and Greco-Roman legendaries. This is largely a
  matter of taste and preference and what everyone agrees upon.
  If you have trouble thinking of a name for a new character,
  then choose one relatively neutral, such as Mudd, Glop, John,
  Arnold, or even Nameless. It is possible to change your charac-
  ters' names later, especially if they do something significant
  which their campanions will remember. Thus they migfut be
  known as Dragonslayer, Panicky, or Prunes instead of their
  original name.
  If you are at a loss, you can always choose a well-known
  name from popular fiction. Be wamed to avoid the best'
  known ones, like Conan or Frodo. That way you won't suffer
  the embarrassment of being one of 12 people running identi'
  cally-named player-characters in the same adventure. But
  whatever you choose, take a name you and your character can
  live with. If you call your character 'Strongman,' for instance,
  referees are likely to keep interposing tests of strength for him
  in the game, and woe to characters in which referees take a
  particular interest!
  CHARACTER CREATION & CHARACTERISTIC ROLLS
  Every player starts in role-playing by creating a character.
  The numbers rolled which represent his basic characteristics
  will go a long way towards determining his relative worth and
  value in the game world.
  The seven basic characteristics are Strength (STR), Consti-
  tution (CON), Size (SIZ), Intelligence (INT), Power (POW),
  Dexterity (DEX), and Charisma (CHA).
  For human beings, these basic characteristics are found by
  rolling 3D6 once for each of the seven. Doing this yields seven
  numbers which should be written down in the appropriate
  places on the character sheet. Using 3D6, each number will be
  not less than 3 and not more than 18.
  Take this opportunity to ro11 up the characteristics for your
  own character, and copy the results on a character sheet.
  STR is Strength. This measures the muscle-power of the char-
  acter. This will be used to measure what and how easily
  something can be picked up.
  CON is Constitution. This allows a relative measure of health.
  It wiil be used primarily for figuring a character's hit points.
  Hit points (IIP) are the amount of damage which a charact-
  er can take before becoming unconscious or dead. CON
  points, in fact, are the same as a character's [IP, and you
  should circle that number of IIP on the character sheet.
  Whenever a character is damaged, IIP are marked off on the
  character sheet. These can be raised again by Healing, and
  CON is also used to resist poison and disease, as will be ex-
  plained later.
  SIZ is Size, which combines height and weight into one figure.
  This will be important in case someone or something wishes
  to Lift your character or if you need to squeeze into small
  spaces, or even can help determine which person of your
  adventuring party is attacked first.
  INT is Intelligence. This measures how smart your character is.
  It is very difficult to play a smart character if you are not
  smart; it is almost as difficult for a smart person to play a
  dumb one. For that reason the 'Idea Roll' is used. A char-
  acter's INT is multiplied times a number, determined by the
  referee, to see if he or she really thought of it. For a com-
  mon idea the multiplier is typically 5, but never more than
  5. Sometimes a player must be willing to play a character
  ignorant of facts which the player knows, and sometimes
  the referee must be willing to give information to the player
  wtrich his character would normally know but which does
  not know due to his unfamiliarity with the fantasy environ-
  ment of the scenario. For instance, a character is in a de-
  serted ruin and sees some arcane symbols chalked on a wall.
  The players do not know what they mean, but the referee
  has them make their INTx5 die roll on Dl00.If they roll a
  number lower than their INT x5 then they have recognized
  what the symbols mean.
  POl{ is Power. This result reflects the measure of a person's
  soul or piety. In games with magic, POW resists spells cast
  at the character and is the power source for casting spells.
  It is used as a 'luck roll' in tight situations. For instance, if a
  character falls down into a hole, there is a chance he will
  land upright and take no darnage. Whether or not this oc-
  curs is determined by whether or not he makes his luck roll
  by rolling his POWx5 on DI00. If a character has a POW of
  I l, then he must roll 55 or less on the percentile dice. If he
  6
  
  rolls 56 or higher, then he is not lucky and will take damage.
  DEX is Dexterity, or how quick a character is. [n combat, a
  character with the higher DEX attacks first, hopefully dis-
  abling his opponent before getting hit himself. A character
  can dodge when he sees something coming at him from a
  distance, such as a rolling rock or a charging animal, and
  concentrates everything on trying to get out of the way. In
  this case the typical roll for a Dodge is DEXx5 on D100.
  CHA is Charisma. This measures the intangible properties
  which inspire other people to follow or to listen to the
  character. It is most ordinarily used as a persuasion roll,
  when the character is trying to talk his way out of a tight
  spot, or when he is trying to convince someone to obey
  him. Imagine that your character has been picked up by lo-
  cal authorities as a stranger to the locale with dubious
  reasons for being there. You may make your persuasion roll
  to try to get away. The referee may make it a CHAxS, or
  even ClIAx3 if the authorities are suspicious. Note, too,
  that if you zue trying to talk a non-player character (NPC-
  a character who is run by the referee) into something silly
  or dangerous, they may attempt their INTx5 roll and not
  be persuaded.
  Other uses of these characteristics will be explained in chap-
  ters to come. In many odd situations not covered in these rules
  it is possible to see one of the characteristics as being appro-
  priately influential in a decision. Sometimes it may be a com'
  bination of characteristics, such as adding SIZ+STR+CHA
  when trying to bluff down the local bully to leavy you alone.
  Situations will arise not covered by the rules, and using charac'
  teristics in this way is usually the quickest and most convenient
  way to decide the results.
  IV. Did It Vork?
  SUCCESS OR FAILURE?
  Whether your character is heroic or dastardly, you'll want
  him to act and succeed. In Basic Role-Pluying your character
  can succeed in three ways: (l) automatic actions, (2) simple
  percentile rolls, and (3) the resistance table rolls. These will be
  discussed separately.
  AUTOMATIC ACTIONS
  This term describes activities which are always successful
  under normal circumstances. There is no need to roll any dice
  for these. They are assumed 100% successful. These include
  walking, running, talking, seeing, hearing, and any other
  normal basic function.
  Attempting to do these things under extraordinary condi-
  tions, or trying to do them with close scrutiny, requires a die
  rol1, as outlined in the next section.
  SIMPLE PERCENTILE ROLIS
  Ordinary actions performed under stress or requiring con-
  centration need a die roll to be successful. This includes Climb-
  ing, Jumping, Spotting Hidden Items, Listening, or Moving
  Quiefly. Further, any action which requires a specific special
  skill to do requires a die roll as well. Examples of these are
  Riding, Swimming, Throwing, or Picking Pockets.
  A list of common skills is given below, with normal start-
  ing percentages.
  Jumping 
  45%
  Climbins 
  55%
  Listening 
  45%
  Spot Hidden Item 25%
  Move Quietly 25%
  Throw 
  45%
  Fist 
  45%
  Hide 
  55%
  Fint Aid 
  45%
  Fighting skills are also in this category. The brawling ability
  of Fist is included, as is Throw. Tool-using people easily use
  Hitting With a Stick-in weapon terms this is called a light
  mace, and that you'll see in the example below.
  EXAMPLE
  One day while loafing outside, you hear a shiek from
  inside the house. Your mother is yelling her head off.
  llithout hesitation you leap up and dash inside to see
  what the ruckus is.
  There is a large dirty rat coweing in the ashes of the
  fireplace. You l*tow your mother hates rats, so you pick
  up the nearest weapons-a coal shovel,
  The chance to hit with a coal shovel is the same as
  your chance to hit with a mace, or 25%. To see whether
  or not you do hit the rat, you must roll D100 until you
  roll less than 25. A roll that low mewts that you did hit
  the rat.lUithyourpercentile dice, roll until you do kill it.
  Congratulations! Your mother won't even scold you
  for loafing now!
  RESISTANCE TABLE ROLIS
  The final method of determining success is by using the Re-
  sistance Table. It makes it easy to figure out if your character
  succeeds in pitting some characteristic of his against something
  e1se, also expressed as a simple number comparable to the
  characteristic. The Table is a ready-to-use version of the form-
  ula devised to solve such problems.
  To use it, take the active person's characteristic and find it
  on the upper, horizontal entry. Then find the passive object's
  characteristic on the left-hand, vertical line. Cross-index them
  and you have the maximum number you can roll and still suc-
  ceed in the task.
  For instance, a character with of STR 9 wishes to push
  open a door that is stuck. The referee determines that the door
  has STR 4. Checking the Resistance Table you'll see that he
  needs to ro17 75% or less or succeed. If he rolls that, then the
  door has been pushed open.
  Sometimes it is more appropriate to pit one characteristic
  against another. In the example below, it is appropriate to pit
  the character's STR against the SIZ of the object being lifted.
  Other examples will be listed later.
  EXAMPLE
  Your foreman has told you tp load the wagon with
  the items he\ bought,while he goes and has a dink. List-
  ed below are a number of items in ascending SIZ which
  you must load. Use the Resistance Table and figare out
  whether or not you con lift them onto the wagon.
  I hammer
  2 duck
  3 goldsmith's anvil
  4 ordinary house dog
  5 a wagon wheel
  6 aneagle
  7 a large chest (empty)
  8 bushel of grain
  9 a big table
  10 a person-sized scarecrow
  l1 a timber wolf
  12 an ironsmith's anyil
  13 the tapestry in the tac offrce
  14 a keg full of liquid
  15 a small donkey
  7
  
  16 a great big stump
  17 the hugewolf killed 8 years ago
  18 a sleeping barbarist
  19 a 3-man boat
  20 a log for 3 men to use as a ntm
  21 the biggest guy you everwill see
  22 the bla* rock by the inn
  23 awheeled farrow
  24 a 2-wheel cart
  25 an werage horse
  ..36 a bison
  ..40 a 4wheel wagon
  ..60 a triceratops
  As you can see, there is a practical top-end to the items you
  can lift. It is possible to lift very big things with proper body
  mechanics (i.e., a lucky die roll) but it is not normal to do so.
  ANOTHER EXAMPLE: ARIW WRESTLING
  Having done the job, or gwen up, you decide to find
  the foreman. In the bar anumberof burlies and braggarts
  are atrn wrestling. They ask if you'd care to wager on
  your aruh
  How to do it: fint, you already lcnow your STR, and
  you must pit it against the other person's. You find the
  roll which you need, then find the roll which the other
  person needs. Both rolls are mnde simultcneously. If both
  characters make their roll, then there is no result, and
  the wrestling continues. If one of you mokes it and the
  other fails, then the bout is over and the person who
  made it is the winner.
  Here are three people who you may wish to arm wres'
  tle with : Skinny Sam ( STR 6 ), Ordinary O gbert ( STR I 2 ),
  and Burley Bob (STR 17).
  
  These three methods of determining success give you all
  the mechanics you need for a character to perform normal
  activities. Below is a short scenario which you can practice
  with. When you've done it, you'll be experienced enough to
  enter the militia, where youll leam more complex uses of
  these methods.
  NEXT EXAMPLE: A CROSS.COUNTRY IAUNT
  It is another fine wmmer day with nothing to do.
  Your character has decided to take a walk through the
  countryside.
  Walk in any direction, Leoe the house, barn, and
  fietds behind. Run a little and stretch. Look at that tree
  over there. Think you can climb it? Give it a try!
  From the tree you take a look around. See anything
  special? Try rolling your Spot Hidden ltem skill' What is
  inat n the distmce? If you made your Spot Hidden roll
  then you see that it is a wolf lurking around the sheep
  pasture. If you didn't make your roll, you will not dis-
  cover this until You dra,v closer.
  Climb down ftom the tree and set off cross'counry
  for a closer look After a short time you can get close
  enough to see the wolf. You are down'wind from it, so it
  hasnlt smelled you yit wtd is unaware of your'presence'
  Try to make your Spot Hidden ltem roll again as you
  look past the wolf to W to see what the wolf is studying
  so intently. If you nude your roll, then you do, indeed,
  sce the lamb towmd which the wolf creeps.
  llthat will you do? You lcnow this is a bad thing for
  your funt- In a role-ptsying siuation there is often no
  one to give hints about what to do. Do you want to run
  off and get help? A helpful referee may suggest that
  wolves, alone, are quite cowmdly. If so, you will ltttow
  that throwing rocks md yelling ought to work.
  But fint you want to edge closer. Try to make your
  Move Quietly roll. If you do get closer, then you will
  have a better chorce of hitting it with a rock.
  Now you are within ronge. If you did not make your
  Move Quietly roll, then the wolf has turned to frce you'
  It looks meaner face to face, doesn't it?
  If it is facing you, then the wolf can make its 'dodge'
  roll (its DEX is 12, so its dodge is 60%). If it hanl
  heard you, then it cannot dodge the frfit rocft you throw'
  You throw the rock! Roll D100: if you roll less thon
  45%, it is hit. If it is facing you, the wolf may make its
  dodge roll. If it dodSes, thenyour rock missed it afier all-
  Throw rocks at it for a while, making fint your
  Throw skill, then its dodge. If you hit it once without it
  dodging that throw successfully, then itwill be convinced
  enough and slink ofl If it merely dodges several rocks,
  then it witl stitt slink off, but probably with a wolvish
  smirk at your lack of skill.
  It is gone.
  Good work! Fint rats, now wolves-who lcnows what
  future lies ahead for such an up and coming individual?
  l/, Moaing Along
  TIME, GAME SCALE, AND TURN SEQUENCE
  Time scales measure the passage of events and define the
  amount of movement possible in a turn. Depending on the
  game being played, there can be different scales.
  LARGE SCALE TIME: THE GAME WEEK& FULL DAY
  This scale is of minor use unless your characters are racing
  against time. Passage of time on this scale is rapid, and is gen'
  eially used to explain past events or travel periods. [n some
  games it is also important for training or study.
  All movement in this scale is assumed to occupy l0 hours
  per game day.
  Walking Movanent - 20 kilometers per day.
  Moching Movement - 30 kilometers per dry.
  Riding Movernent - 20 kilometers per doy (animals are
  moving at awalk, possibly accompanied by wagons)-
  Cawlry Movement - 40 kitometer.s per day (riding animals
  unhindered by wagons, going at walk-trot'walk pace).
  SCENARIO SCALE TIME: THE FULL TURN
  A full tum indicates 5 minutes of time, and is used to de'
  scribe the passage of time as an adventuring party is engaged in
  scenario actions like walking, climbing, searching, and so on'
  Man Cautiously Advancing - 120 meten in 5 minutes'
  Man Strollins - 240 meten in 5 minutes.
  Mot Running - 2000 rneten in 5 minutes-
  Riding Animals: double the above rates.
  COMBAT TIME: THE MELEE ROI,ND
  A melee round is used during combat or other tense situa'
  tions where seconds count. It is approximately 12 seconds
  long and is defined as the time needed to perform one com'
  pletle action. 'One complete action' includes an attack and a
  purry, ot preparing and throwing a rope' or looking around an
  irea long enough to use Spot Hidden Item or Listening, or
  preparing'and lighting a torch, or changing weapons, or mount'
  ing- and-settling on a horse, or speaking clearly to otlers
  nearby, and so on.
  In a melee round, all hunwns and other 2'legged folk move
  not more than 24 rneters.
  In a melee round, all 4-legged types move not more thon 36
  meten.
  If a character or creature oims solely at getting away or at
  following someone who is getting away, 2-leged movement
  should be doubled, and 4-legged movement should be tripled.
  TURN SEQI.]ENCE: KEEPING ORDER DURINGPLAY
  Because this is a game, it simulates the perception of a real
  situation, but does not reproduce it exactly. It is necessary to
  impose an external order upon play to keep events moving
  smoothly. This extemal order is called the tum sequence.
  Events occur without confusion as long as it is followed.
  During game weels the passage of events is conversational.
  The referee tells what has happened and should be prepared to
  answer questions casually and completely without resorting to
  formal turn sequence.
  Similarly, the referee will narrate the sequence of events in
  scenario scale segments (5 minute segments) or even longer
  ones when nothing sigrificant occurs (there's no point in re'
  peating the phrase "nothing new" for 20 times during an un-
  eventful passage, though the referee may want to throw out
  false cluei or threats occasionally to keep the party interested).
  Melee scale gets more complex, since individual characters
  become intimately involved in the action. Here there is a strict
  sequence or order of play, which strould be closely followed.
  This sequence can also be used for other time scale.
  1. Statement of Intent
  2. Movement of Non-Engaged Characters
  3. Resolution of Melee, Magic, etc.
  4. Bookkeeping
  
  10
  Statement of Intent. During this phase, the players and referee
  formally state what their characten will do that melee
  round. It is usual for the referee to state intentions first in
  one round, then have the playen state first in the following
  round, but this varies, and the referee should follow what-
  ever method he prefers. During the round the stated action
  may be changed, but another action may not be substituted.
  For instance, the statement may be, "I will fire an arrow at
  that troll," but if the referee states that the troll is dodging
  behind cover, so that you haven't a clear strot, you can
  abort the shot but cannot choose another target nor per-
  form another action.
  Movement of Non-Engaged Characters. Now the characters,
  both players and referee-controlled characters, can be moved
  about. this may bring some forces into action. As a rule of
  thumb, moving characters will not engage in melee in the
  round in which they moved and met, but will be able to
  fight next round. Likewise, if that troll didn't move but
  spent the round waiting for you to run up to it, then it
  cannot fight either, and must wait till next round.
  Resolution of Melee. Now all attacks, parries, and missile firings
  are resolved.
  Determine which person or monster hits first by check-
  ing their DEX. The higher DEXs go first, followed by the
  successively lower DEXs until everyone has struck. If a
  character is knocked unconscious orkilled before he strikes,
  then he cannot make a retum blow.
  Missiles shot in melee will always be resolved before any
  hand combat.
  Bookkeeping. In this phase everyone records damage, healing,
  or successful use of a skil1 on their character sheet.
  YI. The Rewards
  of Succe$s
  E)(PERIENCE
  A great pleasure of continued role-playing is watching and
  participating in the advancement of a character from his hum-
  ble beginnings to his ultimate fate. Characters grow and change,
  generally getting better at whatever they attempt to do. There
  is real satisfaction in having characters be successful.
  Success is measured in many ways. Your character may be
  important in whatever local game in which he participates. He
  may be a knight or warrior, a cleric or magician, a nobleman or
  a wicked tyrant. How this occurs depends upon how the par-
  ticular game has been established.
  These rules standardize another measurement, advancement
  through experience. Simply put, the more you use a skill, the
  more you leam about it and the better you get at it. This in-
  cludes concrete skills, such as swordfighting or jumping, ab-
  stract ones such as Listening, or exotic skills in advanced ver-
  sions of the game.
  Whenever your character has finished an adventure, typic-
  ally after play is done and before everyone goes home, you
  should check over his character sheet to see what skills were
  used during play. If your character succeeded in using skills,
  they should have been marked on the sheet. Just trying is not
  enough to leam by-you must succeed. No matter how many
  times a character succeeds in a skill, he gets only one chance,
  between adventures, to learn by experience.
  For each skill he used successfully, subtract his current skill
  level from l0O%. That gives you his 'leaming threshold' for
  that particular skill. Then roll Dl00 and try to roll a number
  equal to or small than his threshold for the skill. If you do not
  roll that low, then he has not learned from his experience. If
  you did roll low enough, then your character did learn some-
  thing, and you add 5% to that skill.
  Repeat tlre procedure for all the skills used in the run. Note
  here that a successful weapon attack does not raise the parry
  skill, and yice versa.
  EXAMPLE
  Torban the Nimble arccessfully used two skills on his
  hst advenfiire, Jumptng and spear parry. His cunent
  threshold for Jumptng is 35%, while for spear parry it is
  6s%.
  For Jumping, 100 minus 35 equals a 65% chance to
  leam. His phyer rolls a 48, a success! On his next adven-
  ture, Torban will have a lumping skill of 40%.
  For the spear parry, 100 minus 65 equats a 35%
  chance to leam. His ployer rolls a 39, a near miss but not
  enough to be wccessful. On his next adventure, Torban's
  spear patry will remsin at 65%.
  You can see that successfully doing something you're poor
  at is hard, but also that if you succeed at it then you're likely
  to leam from the experience. Conversely, if you're good at a
  skiil youll usually succeed at it, but it will get progressively
  harder to increase your skills.
  Finally, remember that characteristic rolls, such as the
  dodge roll or the luck roll, do not increase this way. Those are
  are constant unless the characteristic itself should change for
  some reason.
  TREASURE
  Raw loot is another important source of success. Much FRP
  is based upon heroic exploits by warriors and their ilk. A com-
  plete campaign wtll have places to buy useful goods or to just
  spend money frivolously. It is important to be able to upgrade
  tlte armor, occasionally buy new weapons, and (where the
  campaigr allows it) to purchase training in skills and magic.
  Treasure is often overlooked, even by referees. If you can
  carry them, you can always cart off armor and weapons, and
  another option is to skin monsters and sell their pelts. Always
  search for hidden traps and secret compartrnents before giving
  up the search for money. The monsters didn't put it in the
  open for you to stumble over!
  YII. The Cost
  of Failure
  If success is rewarded, failure is not. It is painful to lose
  hopes. It may not have any immediate result on your character
  other than the unhappy social circumstances of not bringing
  the merchant's daughter home after all. You do not get paid,
  either, of course. But there are worse sores than those suffered
  by reputation, such as the failure to finish climbing up that
  rope, or failing to make your parry.
  TAKING DAMAGE
  Damage is a measure of the hurt which your character's
  bodl, can take. Damage is inflicted whenever there is a phys-
  ical cause, such as falling from a heig[rt.
  Whenever a character is hit. the amount of damage he re-
  
  ceives is subtracted from the total HP available. lnBasic Role'
  Playing there is no penalty for taking cumulative damage un'
  til the character is down to I HP or less.
  When a character has I HP left, he goes unconscious. This
  means the character lives but will stay unconscious till aided
  by outsiders. He will not wake naturally. He must be tended
  till he heals (see below) or until enough First Aid is given to
  wake him.
  EXAMPLE
  Jomo Bubble iumps from a 4-meten'high embank-
  ment to aid his friend who is fighting a sea monstet. Un'
  fortunately for Jomo, his intentions outstip his obilities,
  and he fails to make his Jumping roll. Falling from a
  heishth of 4 meten will give him 2D6 damage. The refer'
  ee happens to roll the macimum of l2-poor Jomo! He
  has only 13 HP, and so he is lcnocked cold, a bleeding,
  rumpled heap also requiing rescae.
  DEATH
  When a character takes more damage than he has hit points,
  he dies. When a character dies, there may or may not be var-
  ious means of resurrecting him, depending on the possible ex'
  pansions added to BRP.lt is generally a sorrowful occasion.
  Characters may or may not wish to bring the body back. But
  whether they do ot not, they probably will loot the body.
  HEALING
  Healing is a natural process wherein the body regenerates
  tIP. This is done for any living creature. Healing occurs at the
  rate of I HP per week of game time. Thus Jomo Bubble's in'
  discretion will put him out of play for 12 game weeks.
  VilL Military Skills
  "llelcome to the Militia I am Reeve Holmsman- I'm going
  to train you to fight and survive. You're all old enough-you
  can run-and iump, you lcnow what you can lift and how fo
  you can walk in a day. Probably already been in a frCht or two
  -if my memory se/ves me right, though you youngsters won't
  iemimber how you fought, iust what the outcome was. Well,
  I'm going to teach you to remember how to fight.
  'iI can't do it all, though. And if I didnl have this limp, I
  wouldn't even be here to try-I'd be out on the ridges looking
  for trolls Cowards might not like to admit it, but there's a
  thilt to battle. llhen it's iust you and that troll and your speaL
  you find out quick enough if you're a man or not!
  "Or a woman! Excuse me, miss! Always good to have wo-
  men along on a run. My wife used to Adventure a lot, and
  none of the kids were unhappy about it the day that she
  skewered a grizzty through the heart with her spear.
  "Bttt as I was saying, I can teach you, but youV hove to do
  the leaming. Because my leg is touchy today, I'll do it euier
  than I might, too. First off, my fiend Godfrey will give all of
  you a leather ierkin, leggins, and a hood. That'll be all the ar'
  'mor you get ior now, kids, and remember that this stuff won't
  turn much of a blade."
  ARJ\{ORAND HOW ITWORKS
  As previously noted, it is possible for a character to be dam-
  aged through combat or accident' In most cases a character
  wiaring armor is protected by it from taking the damage'
  All irmor has a point value telling you how good it is in
  stopping damage. T[e most common armor is leather, and it
  is worth 2 points. This is rougtrly equivalent to a heavy motor'
  cycle jacket. The best armor available is plate armorlike knig[rts
  wear. It is worth 6 points.
  Whenever a character is wearing armor and takes damage,
  the point value of the armor is subtracted from the amount of
  damage. The remainder of the damage is passed on to the char-
  acter's body HP.
  For example, a charucter wearing 2 pont armor is struck by
  an arrow doing 5 points of damage. The value of the armor is
  subtracted first, so that 2 of the 5 points of damage are nullified'
  The rest, 3 points, pass onto the body and are subtracted from
  the HP.
  "That leather will help slow it down, but it srre won't sotte
  you from damage. If you value your skin, pay good attention
  to lesson two-shields and why we love them Yessir, if I had
  my wsy you'd all train with shields for a year, that's what I
  think!"
  I LOVE MY SHIELD
  Shields work like armor in that they block damage. But a
  shield generally blocks more damage than armor, there being
  an average of 12 points for common shields. Unlike armor, to
  block damage the shield first must be successfully used to
  parry. (A shield parry is an ability with a Dl00 chance to
  succeed.)
  Suppose a character is attacked by a bear. The bear swipes
  with his paw and does 15 points of damage. The character now
  must roll to see if he successfully parries. In this example, he
  does. His shield blocks 12 points of damage, leaving only 3
  that penetrate the shield. If the character had any almor on
  that would further block damage, presume that it was leather
  and therefore blocked 2 more points of damage. Therefore
  only I point of damage would penetrate both strield and armor
  and have to be subtracted from the HP. Without the shield, the
  character would have taken 13 points damage, possibly enough
  to kill him!
  MARTIALSKILIS
  Because FRP games usually take place in a primitive, non'
  technological environment, we concentrate on ancient weapons.
  ln general, combat is a combination of a number of skills used
  by a figlrter against another (an attack) or to help himself (a
  parry). [n all cases this is a specific simple percentile die roll
  resolution, as outlined above.
  TYPES OF WEAPONS
  A weapon can be a sword or a rock or a coal strovel gabbed
  from the corner. ln Basic Role-Plrying there are five weapon
  types: natural weapons, hand weapons, thrusting weapons,
  thrown weapons, and missile machines. Every weapon has a
  different percentage skill for their use in attack and their use
  in parry. These skills are used differently and will develop in'
  dependently of each other.
  HAND WEAPONS are of three kinds: maces, axes, and swords.
  Mace is a term describing any blunt instrument, rangng
  from a big stick to an elaborately strod and studded imple-
  ment. It is used for bashing and for parrying, and it takes a
  good amount of damage compared to other hand weapons.
  It does the least amount of damage of the three kinds of
  hand weapons, but it is also the easiest to use without any
  training, and hence has the highest attack percentage for
  beginners.
  11
  
  12
  An axe does the most damage of tlte three kinds of hand
  weapons, but it takes less damage before breaking than a
  mace does, and it is harder to use, so it has a lower beginning
  attack percentage.
  Swords are traditional hand weapon favorites because
  they {o more damage than a mace (th-ough less than an axe)
  and also take a large arnount of damage before breaking.
  But a sword is the hardest hand weaponio learn to use, an-d
  therefore has the lowest attack percentage to start.
  start.
  THRUSTING WEAPONS include only one kindhere, the spear.
  For the play purposes of Basic Role-Ptaying this is specified
  to be a two-handed spear. This means that the same weapon
  must be used to attack and to parry with. The spear does a
  fair amount of damage compared to the other weapons list-
  ed, and has a reasonable beginning attack percentage. Its
  disadvantage is that it is relatively frafle, and often breaks
  during combat. But it is the only weapon which can be used
  from the second rank. This means that a person with a spear
  can stand behind someone else and still be able to attack.
  Additionally,.a spear is a weapon which can impale, as de-
  fined below.
  THROWN WEAPONS include javelins and rocks. They are not
  used to parry with, nor can they be parried (though a target
  may dodge them, as mentioned previously). Javelins are
  simply thrown spears. They do fair damage and may also
  impale. Thrown rocks are the simplest of weapons and have
  a good beginning attack percentage. They usually do not do
  much damage when opposed by any arnor.
  MISSILE MACHINES here include only bows. A bow is a rela-
  tively difficult weapon to master and so has a poor initial
  attacking ability, but it does have the best range and does a
  fair amount of damage. Importantly, it also impales.
  NATURAL WEAPONS include the fist and the kick. These
  start with high attack percentages and work well against un-
  armored victims, but are relatively useless against armor.
  THE SHIELD is not a weapon, per se, but is still the most im-
  portant item in a fighting man's armament. It has a fair be-
  ginning parry percentage, but no beginning attack percent-
  age because it cannot be used offensively. It takes a fair
  amount of damage when compared to a weapon. But when
  a shield takes damage, the effects from successive blows are
  not cumulative: a shield can take blow after blow and not
  break, while any weapon will give way after a while.
  TIIE IMPALE
  An 'impale' is a special type of successful attack which can
  be done by long pointed weapons which are used for thrusting.
  Here the impaling weapons are the spear, javelin, and the
  arrow. When a person succeeds in an attack with one of these,
  they slrould always notice if they rolled lower than2l% of the
  required attack. If they did, then they have impaled their foe.
  This means that the thrusting weapon happened by chance
  to find a joint in the foe's armor and to have slipped in, driving
  deep into vital organs or bone. Because of this, two special
  things happen:
  (1) More damage is done. The attacker must roll the normal
  damage (1D8+1 for a spear, for example) and then add the
  maximum damage possible with that weapon to the damage
  they already rolled. An impaling spear would do an automatic
  9 points of damage, plus whatever the attacker rolled-a deva-
  stating blow of a minimum of 10 points and a possible maxi-
  mum of 18 points damage!
  IIEAPONS TABLE
  Weapon 
  Type 
  Beginning Attack Damage Breakage Notes
  & Parry % 
  Points
  Fist 
  Natural 
  50% 
  lD3
  2-Handed Spear Thrusting 25% 
  lD8+l 
  15 
  Inrpales
  Sword 
  Hand 
  15% 
  lD8+l 
  ZO
  Axe 
  Hand 
  25% 
  lD8+2 
  15
  Mace 
  Hand 
  3O7o 
  lD6+2 
  20
  Rock 
  Thrown 
  45% 
  lD4
  Javelin 
  Thrown 
  2A% 
  1Dl0 
  Impales
  Bow 
  Missile 
  lOTo 
  1D6+l 
  Impales
  Shield 
  Parry 
  25% 
  12 
  Does Not Break
  
  13
  (2) T1rre attacking weapon is stuck in the enemy's body.
  (This was a coflrmon event in medieval battles.) The next melee
  round the attacker can try to pull it out by rolling Dl00 equal
  to or less than their impale percentage x2"
  A disadvantage to all this: weapons which can impale can-
  not do damage to other weapons. In a fight between a spears-
  man and a swordsman with shield, for instance, the spearsman
  is likely to do more damage if he connects, but he is also likely
  to have his spear whitfled into toothpicks by the sword. Want
  to bet which event decides the outcome of the fight?
  USINGWEAPONS
  Weapons have two uses, attacking and parrying. Each wea-
  pon can do only one of these actions in a particular melee
  round, and the intention of which will happen must be stated
  during the Statement of Intent phase ofthe round. Shields, as
  noted, can only be used for parrying, and bows and ihrown
  weapons can only attack. Since most will carry a hand weapon
  and a shield, it is possible to make two parries per round with-
  out an attack if desired. This is useful if attacked by more
  than one opponent.
  An attack is made by rolling Dl00 and attempting to roll
  equal to or lower tltan your character's attack percentage.
  Such a roll is a successful attack.
  A parry is done in the same way. When a shield is used, it is
  never necessary to state that a parry will be attempted unless
  there is more than one foe, whereupon tJle specific enemy be-
  ing parried must be pointed out.
  R"ESOLUTION OF MELEE
  When a number of characters and foes fight, the order in
  which they strike at each other is important. This order is de-
  termined by their DEX. In the hrst melee round all creatures
  with a DEX of 18 go first and try to strike. Then creatures
  with a DEX of 17 go, then 16, 15,14, and so on until every
  character has had the opportunity to strike.
  Parries occur when they are necessary, without regard to
  the parrying character's DEX. Even if Bosh the Blockhead's
  DEX is 6, he can still parry the blow of Alfred the Amazing
  (whose DEX is 18). Remember, though, that there is only one
  shield parry per character per melee round, and that the char-
  acter can still either attack OR parry with his weapon as well.
  Characters and creatures alike may try to hit, and still miss.
  The defender may or may not parry successfully. In a one'on-
  one melee, there are four possible results:
  ...if the attacker's ...and the defender's ...the final result is:
  strike... 
  parry...
  hits 
  misses o"il"1f'"oJ3l3'.o$'Jl"n" ("''o'
  hits 
  parries o":"*L;*.'#: i:tr? ?:l,J
  :lfl il"E 5ff fl:mag€ 
  rrom the
  misses parries *rTj,T".rH.H:.;rJ";.0jfix5,,
  misses 
  no damage anywhere.
  *2-handed speafi cause some exceptions; see below.
  If a character or monster takes enough damage to kill him
  or knock him unconscious before he has gotten his attack,
  then he never gets to make that attack.
  TWO.HANDED SPEARS
  This section is simply to bring all the information about
  this weapon into one place.
  Two-handed spears can be used from the second rank. They
  can be used to attack and parry in a single melee round, or to
  parry twice. They cannot be used to attack twice in a round.
  These weapons may impale, thereby doing extra damage as
  explained previously. Once impaled into a foe, they must be
  pulled out, requiring at least a full melee round.
  Two-handed spears do not damage weapons when they par-
  ry an attacking weapon which misses its strike, nor do they
  damage weapons which parry their successful attack. This
  makes them an exception to the chartjust above.
  COMBATNOTES
  Turning from a foe means you cannot parry any attack
  from that foe. And if someone attacks their target from be-
  hind, so that their target cannot see them and jump around,
  then the attacker gets a20Vo bonus added to his ability to hit.
  Changing weapons in melee takes a full melee round. While
  a character is changing weapons, he can parry with his strield
  or dodge. It takes a full melee round to stop and look all about.
  In general, a single action can be done in a melee round.
  A COMBAT EXAMPLE
  Two characten, Able and Dair, hatte discovered why
  they have one fewer lsnbs thwt they shoud. After Mf a
  dol, of cross-country tracking, they fud two baboons de-
  vouring the missing lornb. Able and Doir brought no ffmo\
  lonwing they would need to move quickly to catch the
  villains" They decide to attack. The baboons hear then com-
  ing and pbk up their weopons, too. The fight is on!
  Able has a sword md shield; his DEX is 12. Dair hos a
  spear, plus on Ge stapped to his back; his DEX is 15. Ba-
  boon Screech has a mace od shield; his DEX is 13. Baboon
  Bellow has only rocks and natural weapons, but his DEX is
  17. All are at 50% with all weopons, ond hoe CON 15 each-
  ROUNDONE
  First attacker is Bellow (DEX 17). He attacks Abk. Bel-
  low rolls 45, a hit! Able gets his shield up with a i5, utd the
  baboon's bbw bounces off. Next attack is Dair with DEX
  15. He rolls 32, a hit! But Screech panies with hk shield,
  md the blow is nullified. Sueech now attocks, rolling 75, a
  miss. Then Able thrusts with his sword, and hits on a roll of
  22. Bellow has no shield and so coTnot parry. He is hit.
  Able's sword does 5 points damage to his foe. The baboon
  is hurting now!
  Since these DEX won't'choge, the rest of the sequence
  will be the sqne. The attacks in order will go to Bellow vs.
  Able,Dairvs. Screech,Screechvs. Dair, ard Able vs" Bellow.
  ROUNDTWO
  Screech says he will parry with his mace, not his shield
  Bellow, bloody but undaunted, attaclcs again, and misses
  with arollof 83.lust awell forAble,who missed his pory.
  Dair attacks Screech again and misses with a 64. Screech
  parries with a 22, ord makes it. Soeech rolls 1D6+2 for mace
  damage and gets the full 8 points! There is now a uack in
  Dair's spear, and he should be cmefuL But since Soeech p*
  ied with his weqon, he get$ no attack this round.
  Able attacks last, utd rolls 72, another miss!
  ROUND THREE
  Bellow hits! Able misses his parry. But Bellow rolls only
  2 points of dantage, almost inconsequential
  Dair ottacks nut, and hit again with a 42. Screech shield
  parries with a 44, then scores agains! Doir panies with his
  spem, but Screech rolls 7 points damage, brcaking it in two!
  Able lunges at Bellow, rolls 48 and hits again. Bellow,
  parry-less, takes 5 more points dunage, and hows tenibly!
  
  14
  ROUNDFOUR
  The Statements of Intent are important. The humans are
  fint. Able says he will press his attack against wounded Bel-
  low, but Dair will withdraw shghtly and pull out his ace.
  Bellow, in no mood for further combat, says he'll tum and
  run, hoping to outdistance his foe after one combat round.
  Screech seizes his chmce and stikes at the momentaily
  unarmed Dair.
  At the first stike (Bellow has no attack and Dair is
  drawing his ue), Screech hits for 3 points of damage which
  Dab cannot parry. Able ottacks fleeing Bellow; attacking
  fum behind gives +20% to his attock. He rolls 61, hitting
  for 3 more points of damage. Bellow lopes awoy, bleeding
  profusely, but glad to be alive.
  ROUND FIVE
  Screech sees that he has two foes now, rather thut one.
  He declares he will nm and tlee before Able can reach him
  Dair will attack, olso getting a +20% for a rear attack. But
  Doir misses, otd the two farmers watch him run out of sight.
  They decide not to purste further. After all, they have driv-
  en ofl the thieves and given them a satis{ying drubbing in
  the process, and the fatmers have their own wounds to heal.
  IX. A Solo Scen,u,rio
  The Old Widow Marshum, your neighbor, has been com-
  plaining that a bear is stealing her chickens and she can't
  do anything about it. She is looking for someone to put an
  end to such goinp on. She has heard that your character is
  pretty adventurous, and has sent a message asking if you
  would help her out. Are you interested? If so, go to her
  place and talk it over.
  She is desperate for any heip. She has lost half her chick"
  ens and fears for her cattle. She is offering your character
  something special for success: a suit of Ring Mail which
  belonged to her husband. It protects like 4 points of armor
  and can be worn over leather arnor, gving a total of 6
  points of protection. Quite an improvement! However only
  the person bringing back proof of the bear's death will get
  the prize.
  The bear bothering her farm can't be too tough, since it
  prefen to nab chickens instead of living naturally in the
  
  15
  hills. The old woman thinks it may be ill, or injured, but
  that is likely to make it more dangerous to a hunter.
  She tells you that if you go, she will send along a flask of
  magical healing potion. When drunk, this will restore tissue
  rent by up to 5 points of damage. Thus if a character took
  8 points of damage, and then drank the potion, there would
  be only 3 points of damage left. It is not possible to drink
  this beforehand and get your hit points higher than natural,
  though. If unused, the widow will want the potion back.
  She shows you its tracks, and you set off. If you neglect-
  ed to check your weapons before, here's what you brought:
  a suit of 2-point arnor, a shield, a hand weapon of your
  choice (see the last page of this book), a spear, and a bow
  and arrows. Decide what you'll be carrying in hand as you
  track the bear-what you decide could be important.
  Now, try to make your Listening rol1. Make it? If so,
  you heard a stick snap nearby. If you made it, then try to
  make your Spot Hidden roll. If you made that, then you
  see where the bear is hiding.
  If you didn't make the Listening roll, then your charac-
  ter keeps on walking. If you made the Listening but not the
  Spot Hidden, then he walls cautiously with the stated wea--
  pon in hand.
  The bear attacks! If you did not make your Listening,
  then it has surprised you and will get a free attack at your
  character. If you made the Listening but not the Spot Hid-
  den, then it gets first attack and all you can do is parry
  against it the first melee round. If you made both rolls,
  then you go right to normal melee sequence.
  Here are the stats for the bear. Only those numbers rele-
  vant to the melee have been included.
  BEAR
  STR 17 CON 13 SIZ 17 
  Weapons:
  POl| l0 DEX 16 
  Right Claw, 35% attack, 2D6 darnage
  Total Hit Points I3 
  Left Claw, 30% attack, 2D6 darnage
  Armor 2 point SHn 
  Bite,45%, lD6+1D8 datruge
  Remember that the bear cannot parry but gets two attacks
  per round. Thus it will probably bite and strike with one
  paw each round. You may parry twice (with a shield and
  weapon) but you sure won'tharm it much that way. Choose
  which attack youll parry and hope the other does not strike
  home as you try to kifl the beast.
  If you hit it twice, it will turn its back (thus giving you
  a free strike at it) and attempt to run away. The bear moves
  faster than a person on foot and so it can flee if it is not
  killed.
  What will you do when it flees? Need time to drink that
  Healing potion? Will you do that first? Did you think to
  pull out your bow and shoot at the bear as it fled? What
  about throwing your spear like a javelin? If you did, do you
  want to go into the brush and try to find it?
  The bear's trail leads to a small, nearby cave. You know
  the bear went inside. Your character should have little de-
  sire to go into a dark, close place and melee with a wound-
  ed bear. What will you do to collect the reward now?
  You have many options besides the obvious one of fight-
  ing blind. How about building a fire at the mouth and
  smoking it out? How about Hiding until it reveals itself,
  then shooting it with an arrow? Want to go back and ask
  the Widow Marshum for a chicken to use as bait? Make up a
  plan, then stick to it.
  WHATNEXT?
  The next step is to get into a real game, Baic Role-
  Playing is desigred to fit into a large number of other
  games which are currently available or being prepared riglrt
  now. This may be a fantasy campaigr, either in Glorantha
  or someplace like the Young Kingdoms of Elric; it can be in
  historical times, whether medieval Japan or the heroic Age
  of Sail; it can be in relatively modern times, where you
  tackle the horrors of the Cthulthu cultists, or in the realm
  of King Arthur, or in science fiction's million worlds.
  Joining a campaigrr may require some more rules reading,
  but if you already have a referee, then check with him for
  the details you'll need. Don't be afraid to ask questions,
  and you'll begin a new hobby which can provide you with
  unlimited hours of enjoyment.
  Beginning your own campaigr is somewhat more time-
  consuming, but certainly more rewarding as well. Chaosium
  provides many scenarios and play-aids which are instantly
  ready for use after an initial reading. Such products are in-
  tended to guide newcomers and to act as the heart of cam-
  paigns when the referee has the ener5/ and inclination but
  lacks the time to prepare such details.
  HAPPY GAMING!
  -
  
  WEAPONSTABLE
  Weopon 
  Type 
  Beginniig Attack Damage Brealwge Notes
  & Parry % 
  Points
  Fist 
  Natural 
  50% 
  1D3
  2-Handed Spear Thrusting
  Sword 
  Hand
  Axe 
  Hand
  Mace 
  Hand
  Rock
  Javelin
  25% 
  1D8+l 
  15
  impales
  1D8+l 
  20
  lD8+2 
  15
  tD6+2 
  20
  lD+
  lDl0
  lD6+l
  Thrown 
  45%
  Thrown 
  20%
  tE 3
  $ }* I
  .. gb8,
  b €i€
  E E EE
  O 
  -E 
  .
  t EEg
  i I d'E
  E :IE€
  E TE€E
  s ;€EE
  sEEEE
  Iees
  ts%
  2s%
  30%
  . NXIR;e
  \ 
  Lorol.olo
  I 
  NNrt{.
  a4
  cg
  !o
  R ->
  .Y:b
  v 
  ,:1.=
  i i{ '
  $ E!.E,u
  3 (a=Fl!
  otsq xslelele
  Ur ln lD lll}lO lO
  s rtlo!trtlo
  Gt =B?P
  F'=5'E<
  T E.E fl E €
  < 5C'JET
  Bow 
  Missile 
  10%
  impales
  impales
  Shield
  Parry 
  25%
  12 
  does not break
  RESISTANCE TABLE
  Actiye
  01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 l0 1l t2 t3 t4 15 16 17 l8 19 20 2l
  0l s0 s5 60 65 70'15 80 85 90 95
  u 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
  03 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
  M 35 40 4s s0 55 60 65 70 7s 80 85 90 9s
  05 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
  06 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 ',75 80 85 90 95
  07 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 ss 60 6s 70 7s 80 85 90 95
  r 08 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 '7O 75 80 85 90 95
  S os l0 ls zo 2s 30 35 40 4s 50 ss 60 65 70 7s 80 85 90 9s
  '$ ro os l0 15 20 2s 30 3s 40 4s 50 s5 60 65 7o 7s 80 8s 90 95
  a( ll 
  05 l0 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
  t2 - 
  0s l0 ls 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 6s '10 75 80 8s 90 95
  13 
  05 r0 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
  14 
  05 l0 15 20 2s 30 3s 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85
  15 
  05 l0 15 20 2s 30 35 40 4s 50 s5 60 65 70 75 80
  16- 
  05 l0 15 202530 35 404550 55 6065 7075
  t7 
  05 r0 l5 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
  18- 
  0510152025 30354045 50556065
  19 
  0s 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 s5 60
  20- 
  0s10Is2025 30354045 s0s5
  2t 
  05 l0 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
  For success, roll equal to or less than the indicated number.
  Above is a sample character sheet already filled out. The contents should be clear to you now. but notice a few points: hit points will be marked down
  as the character takes damage, and then marked up as healing takes place; the abbreviations W1, W2, and so on refer to the weapons that the character
  has. You will want to record your characters with a pencil, since some statistics (especially the learned skills) are likely to change over time.
  CHARACT
  STR 7
  coil,+
  srz J9
  INT .ll,
  POW !L
  DEX I+
  CHA -2.
  JUTIP
  CLIMS
  LISTEN
  -ry 
  THRow
  9 
  r,ou
  I
  HIT 6
  POTNTS r1
  ldea Roll -d 
  16
  W I ShIEE.P
  Attack -W'
  Damase tPBt I
  Parry -9.
  ttit poinrrE
  w 3 zil sEtR
  Att ck W
  Damase lD8+ I
  Parry W'
  xi po,n,, l9
  PLAYEB AJ F<'
  w 2 Slll€LD orHER
  Parrv -2Y'- 
  !
  Hit Points lz , -- 
  S
  -B
  w43v€LlJ-3
  Attack 2-o'/,- 
  I
  Damage lDlO 
  - 
  ..-
  Parry -
  SPOT HIDDEN -E/ 
  FIRST AIO
  Hit Points a 
  -
  EB ilAT'E
  50^J
  AV€R.AG€
  2345
  789r0
  12 13 (i[') rE
  17 18 19 Z)
  Luck Roll Eil
  Dodge aot H
  Psrnrasion g
  _+57 MovE autErLY 2g/.
  ARMOR
  ?- ?ts.
  +E/.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Chaosium/1980_-_Chaosium_-_Basic_Roleplaying.pdf