TEXT:  
   
  THE  
  LADDER 
   
  - A Simple Roleplaying Game - 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  The Ladder 
  2 
   
   
   
  ZOZER Games Design 
  Written by Paul Elliott © 2003 
   
  With Additional Material by Michael Callahan, Diego Martelli, Matthew Mevis, Mark 
  Withers and Ian Young. 
   
  Illustrations by Paul Elliott and Jonny Hodgson. 
   
   
   
  Introduction 
   
   
   
  2 
  Roleplaying Is ... 
   
   
  3 
  I - Character Creation 
   
  4 
  II - Using the Ladder  
   
  7 
  III - The Combat System  
  9 
  IV - The Damage System  
  10 
  V - Plot Points  
   
   
  12 
  VI - Ladder Magic 
   
   
  13 
  VII - The Superhero  
   
  16 
   
   
   
   
   
  Introduction 
  The Ladder is a rules-lite roleplaying game, perfectly suitable for use with new 
  players, and especially with younger players. This lack of complexity has also 
  seen The Ladder used successfully to run internet roleplaying games. Tasks 
  are resolved with a single roll of a standard six-sided die. There's no addition, 
  subtraction or multiplication required, and there are no numbers used to describe 
  how good characters are at things. But I hope it isn't too simple! Have a look and 
  see ... 
   
  Why is it called The Ladder? Good question. The entire task resolution system is 
  designed on a 5-step ladder each rung denoting a level of expertise required to 
  achieve a certain effect. If you are 'good' at driving, then we assume you achieve a 
  task result of 'good' most of the time. Occasionally you will be forced to Step Down 
  your success level (to Poor or Fail) or Step Up (to Expert). All will be explained 
  later.  
   
  If you're an experienced roleplayer, then skip straight down to Character Creation. 
  However, if this is your first experience of a roleplaying game, keep reading to find 
  out what Roleplaying Is ... 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  The Ladder 
  3 
  Roleplaying Is ... 
  Roleplaying is just like story-telling. Well, almost like story-telling. In 
  roleplaying each player narrates the part of one character in the story and one 
  character only. She can say what that character does and says. One of the 
  players is also in charge. This person needs to read and understand all of The 
  Ladder rules and be able to think up good stories and ideas on the spot - and that 
  can be quite difficult! This person is the Gamesmaster (GM) and he will think up a 
  story (in secret) and plan out how it begins, what the characters will have to meet 
  or overcome and generally make the story exciting. The GM is not always right, but 
  he does have the final say on what the players want their characters to do. His job 
  is to be fair, keep the story going and make sure all the players are having a go and 
  having fun. Arguments should always be avoided; this is a game after all. The 
  players must understand, though, that the GM is in charge and when he has made 
  a decision that is it. On with the game.  
   
  In a roleplaying game like The Ladder the players narrate the actions of their own 
  characters. Usually the GM will give each player an idea for a type of character that 
  will fit in with his story idea. For example, if his game is going to be about a bunch 
  of pirates stranded on a deserted island, then all the characters must be pirates. 
  Makes sense? If they are going to be children daring each other to stay overnight 
  inside a real haunted house, then all the characters need to be children. The 
  characters in the story need to be suited to the type of game being played.  
   
  The person running the game (the Games Master) must first decide what the game 
  is about. After this he must think about the setting (and maybe prepare a map) and 
  think up suitable characters for the story. It’s a bit like writing a story plan, but no-
  one knows how it will end until the game is played.  
   
  A few ideas: 
   
  • 
  Cowboys looking for treasure 
  • 
  Pirates looking for treasure 
  • 
  Survivors from a crashed spaceship, well, surviving! 
  • 
  Rabbits trying to find another warren to live in 
  • 
  Knights trying to kill a dangerous dragon 
  • 
  Young wizards at school trying to stop an evil magician 
  • 
  Children on holiday investigating a smuggling ring 
  • 
  Children living on an island where magical things happen 
  • 
  Going back in time to another age 
  • 
  etc, etc. I borrow lots of ideas from TV and films - you should too! 
   
   
   
   
  The GM’s plan should include an introductory statement to be read out to the 
  players “you are all pirates stranded on an island …”, as well as a secret list of 
  events or obstacles they will face during the story. Often these obstacles or events 
  might be marked on a map (of the island, for example). Often, also, there will be 
  people in the game ‘world’ and the GM narrates all of their actions to the players. 
  Some of these non-player characters will be friendly, some will be enemies, others 
  just neutral – it all depends on what the story is about. In the pirate game there 
  
  The Ladder 
  4 
  might be a marooned sailor on the island who can help the pirates (if they promise 
  to get him off the island when they leave). There might also be a rival pirate gang 
  or cannibal natives who will not want to talk, they will want to do the characters 
  harm! 
   
  To start a game, the GM reads out his prepared introduction and ends it with “what 
  do you all do now?”. He can then narrate events as the players tell him what their 
  characters want to do. He might have to drop hints or even secretly change parts of 
  his story if the players don’t go where they should or talk to the right people. But 
  because its secret, no-one will know he’s changed any of the details. Keep the story 
  going, keep it fun.  
   
   
   
  I - Character Creation 
   
  Character Concept  
  Firstly talk with your GM and find out a bit about the setting of the game. The 
  GM is advised to prepare a list of useful character types the players can take 
  inspiration from. A 1930s murder mystery game might include a Retired 
  Colonel, a Crime Writer, a Detective, a Rich Playboy, a Professor, a Flying Ace and 
  many more. Think up (or steal from books and films) a suitable character concept. 
  Is your character like Indiana Jones? Like Boromir? Like Buffy? If it helps, select one 
  of the keywords just listed, and build up a concept around it. Most helpful of all is a 
  brief written description of the character - what he does, how he does it, his 
  personality and any other quirks that you might discover during a movie or the 
  reading of a novel. These keywords just give the imagination a 'kick'. 
   
  Assets 
  Secondly, select six Assets. An Asset is a 'good thing' possessed by the character. It 
  could be sharp eyesight, high military rank, leadership, good at driving, good at 
  fighting, damn fine shot, willpower, funny, rich, strong and so on. Relate them back 
  to the character concept. Select two Assets and mark these as Expert. The other 
  four are now designated Good. If you attempt any other task not covered by one of 
  your Assets then the character will be rated as Poor in that area. So, the three 
  ratings are: 
   
  • 
  Poor - You've not had any training or experience in this subject at all  
  • 
  Good - You've been trained or had some experience, or are naturally gifted 
  in this subject  
  • 
  Expert - You are a master, a veteran, a true expert in this subject  
   
  Example: Tai Givar is a time travelling secret agent who is sent back into the past 
  to try and stop the most famous assassinations in history.  
   
  Tai's player (Sara) decides on the following six Assets for her character: Guns, 
  Driving, Stamina, Disguise Himself, Great Eyesight and Running. 
   
  She then decides to be an Expert with Guns and have Expert Eyesight, which means 
  she is 'Good' at Driving, at Disguising Herself and at Running. At any other task not 
  listed as an Asset(such as giving first aid or finding information on a computer) Tai 
  is rated as 'Poor'. 
   
  
  The Ladder 
  5 
  Flaws 
  Thirdly, the player should select three 
  Flaws for his character. A Flaw is a 'bad 
  thing' possessed by a character, 
  typically a mental quirk (such as afraid 
  of heights), a social peculiarity (hates 
  all Chinese) or a physical problem 
  (blind in one eye). Don't overdo the 
  Flaws, they are there to give your 
  character flavour and dimension, not to 
  unnecessarily cripple him. Look again 
  to books and movies for inspiration, 
  what Flaws do the great heroes have? 
  Curiosity, Obsession, Stubbornness, 
  Drunkenness, Jealousy, Enemies, Fear 
  of Snakes, etc. 
   
  Identifying Features 
  Fourthly, select three Identifying 
  Features. Your character is about to 
  make their appearance in the game - if 
  this were a movie what would be the 
  character's identifying features? Think 
  of three. There's no need to go over 
  the top here either, nor to limit 
  yourself to an aspect of appearance.  
   
  Can you identify these 1930s heroes by their Identifying Features: 
   
  • Detective - Very short, well-trimmed thin moustache, corrects people's bad 
  French.  
  • Academic - Battered leather jacket, dusty fedora hat, ironic sense of humour.  
  • Masked Vigilante - Long dark trenchcoat, wide-brimmed black fedora hat, 
  mocking laugh. 
   
  The answers (of course) are Hercule Poirot, Indiana Jones and The Shadow. Use 
  only Identifying Features that can be seen or heard on film. Indiana Jones' fear of 
  snakes or hatred of Nazis are not Identifying Features but Flaws. One of the 
  features should really try to illustrate the character's personality. How do we 'know' 
  a movie hero is arrogant or shy or a stickler for pronunciation or high-living? Here 
  are just a few Identifying Features - but your character can be made totally 
  individual by creating more: 
   
  Sneers 
  Friendly Smile 
  Piercing Gaze 
  Long Dark Hair 
  Scar on face 
  Wears white suits 
  Limps 
  Pats people on the back 
  Shakes hands with both hands 
  Clears throat when nervous 
  Always orders Martini "shaken not stirred" 
  Never uses his (unknown?) first name 
  Smokes huge cigars 
  Says very little 
  Unshaven 
  
  The Ladder 
  6 
  Allies 
  Many player-characters will have friends, acquaintances, social contacts and allies. 
  Often they will help during an adventure, and rarely get involved directly, more-
  often-than-not providing information, a safe haven, money or equipment.  
   
  The player is free to think of up to three Allies for his character (he may opt not to 
  bother in which case he cannot receive free Allies at a later date). Each Ally must 
  have a name, a concept and a short account of how they met up with the character. 
  Of course Allies may later die or disappear, or turn into enemies, and the player is 
  always encouraged to develop new Allies during his adventures if possible.  
   
  Example: Tai Givar creates one Ally called Orb, a computer generated person sent 
  back in time to aid Tai in which-ever time period she finds himself. Orb always 
  appears as a quirky white haired old man, always turning up in suitable period 
  costume. He can give advice on customs of the era as well as historical information.  
   
  Location 
  Sometimes a character created by a player might be associated with a  certain 
  location, providing useful connections for adventures later on, or simply providing 
  some atmosphere. Players may want to give their character a Location, or they may 
  not. In fact the GM may not want to tie the character's down geographically. The 
  Location may be a dwelling, but can just as easily be a place of work or a place the 
  character 'hangs out' between adventures. Think gentleman's club, bar, police 
  precinct, peculiarly decorated apartment, historic house or what-ever. The GM could 
  ask the question 'where would I most likely find your character between adventures 
  and what is that place like ...?' Think logically, a boxing champ might be found at a 
  local gym, a cop behind his desk at Scotland Yard, a novelist in her gothically-styled 
  town house. Locations are a part of character creation, and an extension or 
  illustration of the character's personality. Have fun with them.  
   
  Equipment & Resources 
  Your character is almost complete. Many games (especially those set in the real 
  world or in an historical era) give a character an amount of money to spend on 
  weapons and equipment. But The Ladder is a little more free-form and there are 
  more exciting things to ponder than the difference in price between one gun and 
  another. Likewise we don't bother with ammunition expenditure. A Terrible! result 
  probably denotes a gun jam or the unfortunate situation of running out of ammo. 
   
  Because of this attitude, money is irrelevant to the game. If you want your 
  character to be especially rich or poor - then give him a suitable Asset or Flaw. 
  Characters have access to a standard of living, resources, cash and credit 
  commensurate with their concept. Basically, don't sweat it! 
   
  Put down on your character sheet some things you think your character will find 
  hard to be without. Don't list everything he owns - just those things that are likely 
  to crop up in adventures. The GM will review this list and may amend it. Further 
  purchases conducted during the game should be checked by the GM first who may 
  veto them (such as a struggling artist buying a mansion). Common sense will 
  prevail! 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  The Ladder 
  7 
  II - Using the Ladder 
   
  Assets & The Ladder 
  The heart of The Ladder system is a five-step ladder that corresponds to the 
  skill levels of a character's Assets. If a character has the Asset 'can fly a plane' 
  (Expert) then when he tries to perform a piloting-related action he will 
  normally be able to do so at an Expert level. If the character attempts an action 
  with a difficulty set by the GM as either Terrible!, Poor, Good or Expert, then the 
  character should be able to succeed (see The Ladder below to review this simple 5-
  point hierarchy). 
   
   
  The Ladder 
   
  Superb! 
  Fantastic, a permanent outstanding success beyond expectations  
  Expert 
  Above average, outstanding result 
  Good 
  Adequate result, usually enough to succeed 
  Poor/Fail         
  Partial success, a bad result, a failure or unresolved action 
  Terrible! 
  Catastrophic failure. Fumble. Disaster 
   
   
  Of course nothing in life (fictional or otherwise) goes that smoothly all of the time! 
  So we roll a single six-sided die (a 'd6' - which is the type of die found in games of 
  Yahtzee, Monopoly and just about every other boardgame invented). This adds a 
  measure of randomness to the process. On a '1' the expected result (equal to the 
  character's relevant Asset) is moved one Step Down The Ladder. On a '6' the 
  expected result (equal to the character's relevant Asset) is moved one Step Up The 
  Ladder. Sixes are good, Ones are bad. Usually any number between 2 and 5 is 
  ignored - the character performs at exactly his normal Asset level. ` 
   
  Rolling The Die 
  It is the GM's responsibility to set the difficulty of the task being attempted. He 
  simply picks one of the rungs off of The Ladder. Some tasks don't need a roll at all. 
  For example, even a poor pilot can land a plane. If the character needs to crash-
  land into the sea safely, the GM might rate this task as Good (only a good pilot can 
  do this). Perhaps the pilot of an airliner tries to out-manoeuvre a heat-seeking 
  missile! Ouch! The GM sets this task at Expert. The die is rolled and the final result 
  checked on The Ladder. To succeed the rolled result must equal or exceed the 
  difficulty of the task as set by the GM. As a further example, a GM might say 'it 
  would take an expert shot to hit the fuel tank of that car, but you're a good shot - 
  give it a go ...' 
   
  Example: Tai Givar, as we have seen, has Expert Eyesight. The Gamesmaster tells 
  the player that Tai sees a car swerve off the road to try and run her over. As she 
  gets up and dusts herself off she tries to read the number plate. With all the dust 
  around, and the speed of the fleeing car, the GM decides that this task requires 
  Good Eyesight. Tai has Expert Eyesight, and should be OK. Her player rolls the die 
  and gets a 5. That's fine - for this task his Asset stays at Expert, and she reads the 
  licence plate easily enough. 
   
   
   
   
   
  
  The Ladder 
  8 
   
  Totally Unforeseen Results 
  Sometimes even experts can screw things up big time, and on occasion even an 
  unskilled guy can outshine the best. It happens - but rarely. To simulate this, we 
  use a simple mechanic. When a character rolls a '6' and Steps Up, the die is quickly 
  re-rolled to see if he goes up another step as well. If that is the case and another '6' 
  is rolled, roll again etc. When re-rolling ignore any results of 1 to 5, only the '6' 
  counts. Conversely, when a character rolls a '1' and Steps Down, the die is rolled 
  again, but this time the Step Down may be repeated by re-rolling another '1' and 
  another ... In this way a Poor Asset may produce an Expert, and sometimes even a 
  Superb!, result.  
   
  Example: Tai Givar has crashed her car in the desert while fleeing from a helicopter. 
  Now she must hide from the chopper as it circles around looking for her. Tai has no 
  Asset called 'Hide' or 'Camouflage' or anything similar, so she is rated at Poor in 
  hiding. Unfortunately, the GM rules that hiding in a barren desert in broad daylight 
  will require an Expert in hiding. Oh dear... Tai's player rolls the d6 as normal and 
  gets a '6'.  Great! A Step Up to Good. Because she Stepped-Up she also gets to roll 
  again. Another '6'. Wow! That's another Step-Up to Expert! For this action (and this 
  action only), Tai hides like an Expert, and the chopper eventually leaves the area 
  because it's getting low on fuel.  
   
  Wonky Dice 
  Sometimes the character will have a major advantage he can bring to a task or an 
  action that means success is more likely. To simulate this (and other effects), we 
  use a 'Wonky Ladder'. A Wonky Ladder leans in one direction, so that a Good 
  Wonky Ladder allows a Step-Up on a 5 or 6, while a Bad Wonky Ladder allows a 
  Step-Down on a 1 or a 2. The Gamesmaster should declare a Wonky Ladder before 
  the die is rolled. Here are a few examples of Wonky Ladder events: 
   
  • 
  Using a magic sword that is especially effective against a certain type of opponent. 
   
  • 
  Acting under the protection of some divine being for a short period, or in some 
  restricted way (for example; Neptune, god of the sea is your patron, and always 
  gives you a Good Wonky Ladder when on a boat or ship). 
   
  • 
  A broken or malfunctioning piece of equipment might provide a Bad Wonky Ladder.  
   
  • 
  A curse or some magical effect, or the wrath of a divine being could give the 
  character a Bad Wonky Ladder for certain tasks. 
   
  • 
  An emotional Asset might be perfectly apt for a certain task and enable a Good 
  Wonky Ladder. For example, a character has Honourable (Good) and Persuasion 
  (Good). He attempts to convince the Duke of Alsace to lend him a troop of cavalry 
  (requires Expert level Asset) and the GM rules that the Duke may be swayed by the 
  character's honorable reputation. There's no point in letting our hero roll his 
  Honorable Asset (it's the same as his Persuasion!) so he awards the player a Good 
  Wonky Ladder. Now the Duke will lend our hero his cavalry on a 5 or a 6.  
   
  • 
  Alternatively an emotional Flaw might come into play to affect the outcome of a task, 
  calling for a Bad Wonky Ladder. For example, the character has a Flaw called 'Hates 
  all Chinese', yet the player wants his character to ask a Chinese gangster for help. 
  The GM rules that any attempt to persuade the gangster will use a Bad Wonky 
  Ladder.  
   
  The source of a Wonky Ladder is nothing inherent in the character (that's covered 
  by Assets), nor is it inherent in the setting (this is covered by the difficulty level 
  chosen by the GM). Instead Wonky Ladders are awarded when an interfering power 
  comes into play. It might be magical, emotional, divine or mechanical.  
  
  The Ladder 
  9 
   
  III - The Conflict System 
   
  Most situations can be resolved by checking the character's ability, rolling one 
  die and looking at The Ladder (in fact it is child's play to memorise the 5-rung 
  Ladder ...). But when it comes to resolving conflicts, where a character goes 
  up against another character, things get a little more complicated. Fights are a 
  common conflict and involve characters' lives, and so we include a brief section on 
  combat - few players want to see those lives destroyed on a roll. There are two 
  basic categories of conflict in The Ladder, Instant and Extended.  
   
  1- Instant Conflicts 
  An Instant Conflict is one that is resolved immediately in the game world. Two 
  characters both reach for the same gun, two characters see who can jump the 
  highest, etc. Both characters require a roll on the relevant Asset, and the character 
  with the highest result wins. If it looks like a tie, the player-character who rolled the 
  highest number on the die roll wins.  
   
  2 - Extended Conflicts 
  An Extended Conflict is one that may include some room for manoeuvre, and an 
  element of tactical choice. A sword fight, a running race, a game of chess, an 
  argument or attempt at seducation are all Extended Conflicts. In such a conflict, 
  both participants roll a relevant Asset, the highest scores a number of Advantage 
  points against his rival. How many depends on the amount the success was made 
  by: equal success (same result rung) 1 AP, 
  exceeded by one rung 2 AP, exceeded by 
  two rungs 3 AP. When a character scores 6 
  or more Advantage points against an 
  opponent, he has out-manoeuvred them 
  (physically, verbally or otherwise) and 
  essentially, has achieved victory over his 
  opponent. Advantage points can be erased 
  with a new scene or a new combat (the GM 
  should adjudicate this). 
   
  Outnumbered: Most roleplaying is done in small groups - it is, after all, a social 
  activity. Because of this, a good many Extended Conflicts will be 'lop-sided'. The 
  PCs may outnumber the antagonists (or sometimes vice versa). Not much changes 
  in the way the rules work, however. The participating 'sides' or 'teams' try to reach 
  6 AP as a group. Each participant in the conflict rolls against the relevant Asset and 
  his team uses the highest result rolled to gain  Advantage points for the team. Once 
  6 APs are collected a team can 'neutralise' one of the opposing team-members. 
  Everyone loses any AP's they have gained so far, and the coflict then continues.  
   
  The Race: One other variation of the Extended Conflict is the Race. Three or more 
  characters are in competition (chariot race, poker game etc.) and there can be only 
  one winner. In such a situation the GM sets an appropriate difficulty rung for the 
  contest. Each participant tries to equal of exceed this rung and gain AP. The winner 
  is the first one to gain a number of APs equal to # contestants +3 (so if there were 
  5 poker players the target to win would be 8 Advantage points). 
   
  3 - Conflict and Advantage 
  In any of these types of conflicts one side or another may start the struggle with an 
  advantage in hand. It might be the moral high ground (in an argument), it might be 
  armour or a long spear (if a fight),  or it could be ownership of the faster car (in a 
  chase). In such circumstances don't add or subtract anything from the die roll, 
  
  The Ladder 
  10 
  simply add a point or two onto that character's Advantage score. He begins with 
  some Advantage points , making victory more likely - but not certain.  
   
  4 - Murder & Mayhem 
  Combat often features in roleplaying games, and because the rules regarding 
  combat may result in death,  I've included a little more clarification here for Ladder 
  players and GMs. Behind these clarifications is the philosophy of integrating all the 
  stages of complicated fights into a single die roll. I'm a great fan of this idea, and 
  also of the concept that character strengths determine damage inflicted - not the 
  characteristics of the weapon. This is a concept based more on fiction than on real 
  life, but it works for my genre. 
   
  Combat is organised like this: simultaneous hand-to-hand combat is followed by 
  simultaneous gunfire. If someone defended themselves or was attacked in hand-to-
  hand combat, then they cannot fire a gun in that round. Combat rounds last 
  anywhere between 10-30 seconds.  
   
  Hand-to-hand Combat: Hand-to-hand fights using swords, axes, fists or anything 
  else are resolved as Extended Conflicts. Once the character has scored 6 Advantage 
  points against his enemy, his next successful strike will inflict a Wound (see below). 
   
  Gunfire: Gunfire is resolved much as any other standard action would be; the GM 
  gives the player a desired target result and the character must achieve it to score a 
  hit. Although firing a gun is combat orientated action, it isn't a conflict, either 
  Instant or Extended - the gunman isn't competing with an opponent (unless maybe 
  he is in a shooting competition!). If the Asset roll is equal to the rung required, the 
  target is Wounded - Still In The Fight. If the roll exceeds the rung required, the 
  target is Incapacitated - Out of the Fight.  
   
  IV - The Injury System 
   
  Injuries can be sustained from physical objects 
  (fast cars, falling trees, a 3m deep pit, etc.), or 
  from the attacks of other characters. Arbitrary 
  damage requires adjudication from the GM. He 
  selects the most appropriate damage ('the falling tree is 
  probably going to Wound you') and the player character 
  must then roll one die, hoping for a '1' to Step Down the 
  damage, and not a '6' that will Step Up the damage to a 
  Wound or possibly an Incapacitate. A grenade might be 
  rated as Incapacitating damage, but on a Step-Down 
  will Wound, and on a Step-Up will Kill. 
   
  Some characters might have Assets that mean they are tougher than normal, if 
  such an Asset seems appropriate for shrugging off physical injury, then allow a Bad 
  Wonky Ladder (which should serve to work in the character's favour, Stepping-
  Down damage on a 1 or a 2). 
   
  Subdued - Subdual Damage is inflicted by a combatant using fists, feet, head-
  butts or other natural weapons. After he has outmanoeuvred his enemy with 
  Advantage Points, the next successful strike will produce whatever effect the 
  character wants (such as trip, knock-out, holdfast, knock-back etc). Subdual 
  damage may also be inflicted by inanimate objects causing shock or knock-out.  
  The GM may or may not want the attacker to also roll a die to check to see if the 
  damage is stepped up to a Wound.  
  Damage Levels 
   
  Subdued 
  Wounded 
  Incapacitated 
  Killed 
  
  The Ladder 
  11 
  Wounded - The character is still alive and still conscious, but is injured with an 
  impaired body location (Either the GM chooses based on situation, or use the initial 
  combat die roll: 6 = head, 5 = body, 4,3 = an arm, 2,1 = a leg). If arm is impaired, 
  drop any held items and struggle to use it again. If leg is impaired then move at 
  half speed. If head is impaired then the victim is knocked out for 3 combat rounds. 
  If body is impaired then no actions can be attempted requiring strength (climbing, 
  pushing, running etc). The character loses their next attack. A third Wound is an 
  Incapacitate.  
   
  Incapacitated - The character falls over unconscious for 2d minutes. When they 
  have come around a body location is hurt as above. The character moves at half 
  speed due to pain and shock. If no medical attention is available within the hour 
  then roll an appropriate Asset for a Good result or lapse into unconsciousness and 
  begin to die (exactly when is determined by the GM, but any extra time after the 
  hour is a bonus!). A Wound or Incapacitate inflicted on an already Incapacitated 
  character results in almost instant death.  
   
  Recovering From Injuries 
  Subdual damage can be recovered from in-game. Wounds can probably be 
  recovered from in a week or so, while an Incapacitated character will be up and 
  around a week after receiving treatment, and fully recovered after a month. But in 
  game terms, just assume that if medical help is forthcoming characters are fully 
  recovered by the start of the next game.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  The Ladder 
  12 
  V - Plot Points 
   
  Gaining Plot Points 
  During character creation, the GM can award players 1 Plot Point for each 
  'episode' in a character's life up to that moment. An episode is an important 
  event in the character's life that must be written down on the character sheet. 
  He can receive a maximum of 3 Plot Points in this way. After each adventure 
  survived the character gains an additional Plot Point, and an additional 'episode' to 
  add to his character's growing narrative. Plot Points can also be given out for in-
  character roleplaying, for great investigative work or clever thinking, for making 
  everyone laugh at the gaming table, or for being brave or ingenious enough to 
  overcome a really tough individual challenge.  
   
  What are Plot Points used for?  
  Plot Points are a resource to be carefully used by the player. There are four ways 
  that Plot Points can be utilised:  
   
  1 - If the player has already rolled the dice for an action and is unhappy with the result then 
  he may spend a single Plot Point to push the result up by one Step. 
   
  2 - If  the character is Good or Expert in the task at hand, then the player can spend a Plot 
  Point before rolling the dice to automatically get a Superb result with no need to roll! If the 
  character is Poor or Terrible at the task in hand, then the player can spend one Plot Point to 
  get an Expert result, or two Plot Points to get a Superb result. If the character is a superhero 
  at a Superb! or Unprecedented!level he can boost his Asset to Improbable! with a single Plot 
  Point.  
   
  3 - If a character receives an Incapacitating injury, the player can spend a Plot Point to Step 
  Down to a Wound instead. Note that three Wounds still make an Incapacitate - and 
  unfortunately this cannot be Stepped Down.  
   
  4 - Create a minor 'prop' in the game. GM's may also want to allow players to spend Plot 
  Points in other, more unusual ways. Perhaps the character is trapped in a dark cave. 'Did I 
  bring a torch?' The GM rules that you didn't specify so, therefore you have no light. In this 
  situation the GM might let the player spend a Plot Point to have 'remembered' to bring along 
  a torch. These tiny plot 'tweaks' should be perfectly acceptable, and not include any major 
  plot twists or NPC actions. They should really be restricted to the immediate world of the 
  player character.  
   
  Character Development 
  Plot Points can also be used for character development. Most players like to see 
  their characters grow and develop, and Plot Points 
  allow a mechanism for this. When a character secures 
  another 'good thing' from the events of a scenario, 
  the player can turn this into an Asset by spending 2 
  Plot Points. The player character must have worked to 
  achieve this 'good thing' and not have it handed to 
  him by another player character or an NPC. It is now 
  a 'Good' Asset. For example, the character may have 
  plundered an ancient tomb and recovered lots of 
  gold. The player spends 2 Plot Points to make the 
  character wealthy.  
   
  To make an already Good Asset into an Expert Asset, 
  the player must spend an additional 4 Plot Points.  
   
  Likewise, a Flaw can be turned into an Asset through the use of a good piece of 
  roleplaying (in effect telling the tale of how you were a Coward but are now Brave, 
  
  The Ladder 
  13 
  how your Enemy is now an Employer). It costs just 1 Plot Point to reverse a Flaw 
  and turn it into an Asset (providing the event was roleplayed well).  
   
  As a rule, characters cannot be Experts at everything and the Good Assets should 
  always outnumber the Expert ones. In addition, don't let the character learn too 
  much; doubling the original number of Assets should be pretty much the maximum. 
  Also don't allow the characters to lose all of their flaws, this will take away some of 
  their personality (and of course the GM is urged to find and award new Flaws during 
  the game!). New distinguishing features or a whole new concept could develop, but 
  keep them snappy! Create no more than a sentence for concept or five 
  distinguishing features. 
   
  It is the GM's responsibility to award the character new Flaws, and to take away 
  Assets that have not been used or referred to within the game for a long time (a 
  long time meaning five or six sessions). All of this must be done within the context 
  of the game, however.  
   
    
  VI - Ladder Magic  
   
  by Ian Young © 2001  
   
  What follows is a set of simple magic rules for use with The Ladder, a "rules-
  light" roleplaying game written by Paul Elliott. While the magic rules may be 
  my own, the actual game and it's associated mechanics must be credited to him. 
   
  Magical Assets 
  The ability to perform magic, like any other ability in The Ladder, may be taken 
  among a character's Assets, provided the GM is allowing real, supernatural magic in 
  his scenario. The specific Assets necessary will depend upon the school of magic 
  represented and the dictates of the GM. An example system of magic will follow as 
  a model for choosing and utilising magical Assets. 
   
  Casting Spells 
  All spells are improvised by the player, and begin with the player describing the 
  intended effect of the spell and the intended magical Assets to be applied. Any 
  magical Assets may be combined, though combinations of some Assets may be 
  more or less fortuitous than others.  
   
  Once the spell has been described, the GM considers the intended effect of the 
  spell, determines whether or not the chosen magical Assets are appropriate to the 
  task, and declares an appropriate success rung. 
   
  Bear in mind that all magic is inherently difficult, and the lowest possible rung for 
  succeeding at even the simplest of magics is Good, and only a skilled magician may 
  attempt any magic – no characters without a magical Asset attempting to cast a 
  spell. As magic often attempts to affect the flatly impossible, the required success 
  rung may be declared to lie beyond the normally-ultimate Superb! rung. To reflect 
  this, the GM may indicate higher rungs such as Unprecedented! (one rung higher 
  than Superb!) and Improbable! (one rung higher still).  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  The Ladder 
  14 
  Improbable! 
  Flatly impossible without magic 
  Unprecedented! 
  Never before seen. Both illogical and amazing 
  Superb! 
  Fantastic, a permanent outstanding success beyond 
  expectations 
  Expert 
  Above average, outstanding result 
  Good 
  Adequate result, usually enough to succeed 
  Poor/Fail   
  Partial success, a bad result, a failure or unresolved action  
  Terrible! 
  Catastrophic failure. Fumble. Disaster 
   
  The need for these higher rungs, of course, will depend upon the audacity of the 
  player's intended magic and the needs of the story. If the desired magical effect is 
  particularly trivial, the GM may, at his discretion, choose to lower the required 
  success rung below Good, though the character still requires a magical Asset to 
  attempt the spell. Again, the needs of the story should dictate. 
   
  While all magic in The Ladder is improvised in play, once a character has 
  successfully cast a spell to a particular effect, the player may write down all of the 
  conditions as a precedent, or rote, for future casting. The GM always maintains final 
  say on the spell's applicability. 
   
  Dueling Magics 
  Inevitably, two or more magicians will want to pit their magical Assets against one 
  another. In such head-to-head contests of magic, spells are treated as if they occur 
  simultaneously. The player with the highest magical Asset declares the intended 
  nature of his spell and the relevant magical Assets to be used, after which his 
  opponent follows in like kind. The GM determines a single appropriate success rung 
  for both magicians to succeed in casting. 
   
  Both magicians roll their magical Assets, and the resulting rungs indicate a number 
  of Advantage Points (AP) scored against the opponent. The number of APs scored 
  depends upon the difference in rungs rolled, assuming both magicians cast 
  successfully: equal success (same rung), both magicians receive 1 AP; exceeded by 
  one rung, the higher roll receives 2 APs; exeeded by two rungs, 3 APs; and so on.  
   
  When a magician scores 6 APs against an 
  opponent, his spell successfully bypasses his 
  opponent's magical defenses and takes effect. In 
  the event that one magician fails his roll to cast a 
  spell while his opponent succeeds, his opponent's 
  AP total is automatically raised to 6 and the 
  opponent's spell takes effect unhindered. 
   
  Each round, the magician with the highest AP total 
  declares what magical Assets he intends to bring to 
  bear and what effect they will take. In response, 
  the magician with the lower AP total declares the 
  nature of his response. Again, the GM determines 
  the necessary success rung, and the two opponents 
  roll the dice again, pitting one magical effect 
  against the other.  
   
  Players are encouraged to describe their magical give-and-take in the most colorful 
  and evocative manner possible, giving vivid life to the magical forces being 
  unleashed. 
  
  The Ladder 
  15 
   
  If a magician accumulates 6 APs, and his opponent remains locked in the duel (i.e. 
  he was not incapacitated by the spell and has chosen to not disengage), the 
  magician erases his previous APs and attempts to accumulate another 6 APs to land 
  another spell. 
   
  Advantage Points may be erased after a spell overcomes opposition, with a new 
  scene, or with a new magical duel, at the GM's discretion. Note, however, that 
  magical duels need not be face-to-face combats that occur to blinding effect in a 
  matter of minutes. Magical duels may take place over great distances, utilising 
  extremely subtle "coincidental" effects that may take days, months, or even years 
  to resolve, as long as the spells are maintained. 
   
  Color Magic 
  The following system of magic is provided as a ready-to-play example of how any 
  magic system may be designed and implemented for The Ladder. While this system 
  focusses on color to represent the schools of thought and spheres of influence 
  associated with practicing magic, one could easily use this as a model for the wu-
  hsing, thaumaturgy, goetic theurgy, Aristotlean elemental magic, or whatever 
  school of thought appeals to your personal tastes. Simply substitute the appropriate 
  elements, astrological houses, circles of rulership, or whatever, for the various 
  colors listed. Bear in mind that, in The Ladder, ease of play and verisimilitude are 
  prized over slavish adherence to detail. In short, keep your magic systems simple 
  and intuitive, and have fun. 
   
  In this system, magic is inherently tied to color, each color possessing its own 
  sphere of influence. To perform magic, the magician must commit his or her Assets 
  to one or more of the schools of color magic. The magical effects that can be 
  attempted are proscribed by the domains associated with each color. Colors may be 
  combined to produce more elaborate or detailed effects, but the roll for such a 
  combination would be against the lower of the combined Assets. 
   
  The most commonly associated magical domains and effects are as follows: 
   
  Red Magic – Blood, flesh, life, strength, violence, instigation 
  Orange Magic – Fire, heat, self-confidence, pride, smithcraft, mechanical 
  construction 
  Yellow Magic – Thought, reason, scholarship, communication, sun and air, 
  illumination 
  Green Magic – Growth, abundance, fertility, fortitude, steadfastness, prosperity, 
  creativity 
  Blue Magic – Empathy, water, illusion, sleep, dreams, inspiration 
  Indigo Magic – Weather, night sky, lightning and storms, movement, travel and 
  transportation 
  Purple Magic – Power, passion, politics, persuasion 
  Brown Magic – Earth, materiality, physicality, baseness, foundation 
  Black Magic – Darkness, silence, stillness, absorption, decay 
  White Magic – Protection, reflection, cold, spirit, purification 
   
  Hedge Magic 
  These rules are essentially an interpretation of the hedge magic rules written by S. 
  John Ross for the GURPS rule system. They port to The Ladder very well, but try to 
  not be disappointed by the fact that they are summed up in the single following 
  paragraph. 
   
  
  The Ladder 
  16 
  Hedge magic allows the magician the subtle ability to work magic within the context 
  of Assets he already possesses. If the magician wishes to produce an effect that 
  should be possible by means of a given Asset, but that lacks a logical and rational 
  explanation given the circumstances of time, place, or resources, he may opt to roll 
  on his Hedge Magic Asset instead. 
   
  Hedge magic is an Asset usually taken to the exclusion of other magical Assets. It is 
  not flashy, nor is it particularly powerful. It is intended as a useful tool for the 
  magically resourceful individual, not as a means to remake reality. 
   
  VII - The Superhero  
   
  The Ladder rules can be used to create classic super-hero characters and run 
  them in full-on four-colour superhero action.  
   
  Creating the Hero 
  Perhaps the main difference between a standard game of 
  The Ladder and a superheroic game of The Ladder is the 
  fact that the players and GM understand and accept that 
  it is OK to give the characters impossible, bizarre and 
  improbable Assets. 'Force blast', 'Fly', 'X-Ray Vision', 
  'Intangible' and so on.   
   
  Assets - The hero is designed with seven Assets, not six, with the understanding 
  the a special phenomenon, a super-power lies behind one or more of the Assets - 
  this is the hero's concept. The Assets are essentially effects or techniques that come 
  as a result of that concept. Try to rationalize the actual commonality of seemingly 
  diverse metapowers. If one's character flies, is super-strong, invulnerable, and 
  projects an optical heat beam, these apparently unrelated abilities could be 
  considered as merely aspects of the principal concept: Telekinetic.  
   
  Two Assets will be Superb!, two will be Expert and the remaining three Assets will 
  be Good.  
   
  Example: Black Widow is our spider hero, with Superb! Web-shooting, Superb! Wall 
  climbing, Expert Spider Sense, Expert Toughness and Good Acrobatics, Good 
  Fighting, and Good Sneak.   
   
  Flaws - The hero has four Flaws, one of which is described as the Super-hero's 
  'Vulnerability.' The Vulnerability can never be converted into an Asset. This 
  Vulnerability will ALWAYS function under a Bad Wonky Ladder. This represents the 
  Super's debilitating weakness... 
   
  Examples would include: Kryptonite, a weak heart, the fact that your character's 
  secret identity is known to his or her nemesis, a dependent, your character is feared 
  and even hated by non-mutants, or their powered-armor is prone to 
  malfunctioning, etc., etc. If it is first justified by good role-playing, a character's 
  Vulnerability can be bought-off by sacrificing 2 Plot Points.   
   
  Identifying Features - The superheroic identity of a character is additionally 
  assigned his or her own quota of three Identifying Features. One of these Features 
  must be dedicated to the description of the character's costume. 
   
  Plot Points - The super-hero genre practically cries out for the use of Plot Points. 
  To encourage players to freely spend Plot Points, award the starting hero three PP 
  and referesh them at the end of each session. Now any Plot Points earned after a 
  
  The Ladder 
  17 
  game has finished can be allocated either to enhance this Plot Point Pool, or to a 
  Background Pool.  
   
  Points in the Background Pool are being invested for use in advancing the 
  character's Assets later on. Meanwhile the Plot Point Pool is used in-game to carry 
  out audacious heroics and survive successfully time and time again. Without Plot 
  Points it's going to be hard to carry out Unprecedented or Improbable feats, such as 
  dodge bullets from point blank range (Unprecedented) or stop them by holding up 
  your hand (Improbable). At session end, if the Plot Point Pool is below three, return 
  it to three.  
   
  Super Rules in Action 
  As with Ladder Magic, extend the Ladder upwards to include the Unprecedented and 
  Improbable rungs. 
   
  Combat in General - All damage between supers is treated as subdual, as in four-
  color comics of the Gold and Silver Age losing a fight was by no means fatal. The 
  player is merely rendered unconscious. Death violates The Comic Book Code and 
  should be avoided at all costs. Heroes and heroines should settle for a knockout of 
  the supervillian. If there is a more serious result, then they have (intentionally or 
  not) broken THE CODE...and there will be consequences that the GM is just waiting 
  for you to role-play.   
   
  All fights between superpowered individuals are Extended Conflicts, and each 
  participant, after a given round of dice-rolling, might even be required to orate a 
  brief rant, witty riposte, or anomalous profundity. 
   
  Combat Against Henchmen - The superpowered should just plough-through 
  masses of opposing thugs, minions, or agents. Hey, your character has 
  superpowers, remember!? Although it is still possible for the mastermind's flunkies 
  to prevail, it just shouldn't happen very often. Fights that involve the arch-enemy's 
  many henchmen are resolved in a similar fashion to battling multiple opponents. 
  However, once the Super reaches 6 AP he rolls one die and removes that many 
  henchmen from the fight. These is no Stepping-Up or -Down on this roll! If the 
  Super rolls above the number of henchmen involved in the action (DO NOT COUNT 
  OPPOSING SUPERS!) the remaining values are lost. 
    
   
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/The Ladder/The Ladder Corebook.pdf