TEXT: Nightcandle Imaginations
  Games from Outside the Box 
  
   
   
  Introduction
  Game Concepts
  History
  Creating Characters
  Action Triggers
  Skill & Dramatic Triggers
  Object Triggers
  Sample Characters
  Action Mechanics
  Narrating Third-Earth
  Resources
  Blank Character
  Appendix
  Version History
  The Thundercats RPG is an extremely compact RPG system based around the core 
  concepts of the original Thundercats franchise. It is not in any way intended as a 
  challenge of copyright to Rankin-Bass, Warner Brothers, or anyone else that has a 
  vested interest in the success and profitability of the Thundercats franchise. It exists 
  because I had a thought about it and couldn’t stop thinking about it. It isn’t terribly 
  original or special. 
  That being said, it is the creation of Jeremiah L. Schwennen and Nightcandle 
  Imaginations, © 2014 
  Reproduce and distribute as you wish, provided this disclaimer is included in all 
  copies. Credit where credit is due, after all. 
  
   
   
  The Thundercats RPG (called TCRPG throughout this book) is a 
  traditional table-top role-playing interpretation of the classic 1980s 
  Thundercats mythos. It allows players to take the role of heroic 
  Thundercats (or villainous servants of evil, if that’s your thing), engaging 
  in daring conflict over the survival of the Thundercats and the fate of the 
  primitive world of Third-Earth. 
  What makes the heroes and villains of Thundercats unique—what 
  has captured the imagination of the world for thirty years—are their 
  incredible powers and the drive with which they pursue their goals. As 
  the Thundercats strive to claim a new home for themselves after the 
  destruction of their home world, Thundera, they make use of their 
  inborn talents and incredible weapons to tame the dangers and foes that 
  call Third-Earth home. But no foe is more persistent and focused on the 
  eradication of the Thundercats than the servant of ancient evil, Mumm-
  Ra, who will stop at nothing to destroy the Thundercats and to claim the 
  Sword of Omens, the symbol of their leadership, for himself. 
  The game uses a collection of four-, six-, eight-, ten-, and twelve-
  sided dice to govern action, success, and failure. The character sheet also 
  houses a graphic organizer that will be essential to play. Tokens of some 
  kind, such as glass stones or simple coins, will track expendable 
  resources during play. 
  
   
   
   Aside from these dice, tokens, and a character sheet for each 
  player, all that is required to play is some paper, a few pencils, and an 
  imagination that is willing and able to explore the world of Third-Earth.  
  Like other traditional role-playing games, TCRPG requires that one 
  player step up to the responsibility of running the game—a position we 
  refer to as the Narrator. While the players need know only the basics of 
  the game, it is the responsibility of the Narrator to know it all, for he will 
  craft adventures, populate them with opposition and conflict, and be 
  responsible for shepherding the enjoyment of the entire group. It is a 
  heavy responsibility, but a worthy one. 
  
   
   
  TCRPG operates on a dice-driven game mechanic called the Trigger 
  System. The Trigger System, like many role-playing game engines, uses 
  dice to determine if a character is successful and how successful that 
  character is. In the case of TCRPG, characters typically roll 3 six-sided 
  dice, adding all of these numbers together. 
  Success is determined by comparing the sum of these dice to either 
  a fixed target number (a Standard Action) or the result of a similar pool 
  of dice rolled by the Narrator (a Challenge Action).  
  Where the Trigger System starts to differ from other systems is in 
  the existence of Triggers, special abilities, quirks, skills, knowledge, 
  tools, powers, and more that are represented on the character sheet by 
  boxes stacked into two Columns. Triggers can only be activated while 
  the status Indicator (a measure of Health) is at or above their box. 
  Triggers grant a bonus that usually aids a character considerably in the 
  task at hand. 
  These two Columns represent the character’s physical nature (the 
  Hard Column) and mental or spiritual nature (the Soft Column). As 
  damage is taken in either Column, the Indicator is slid lower, causing 
  some Triggers to become inactive as the Indicator falls short of their 
  Threshold. 
  Triggers come in five broad types: Action Triggers, which change the 
  number of dice in the player’s hand, Skill Triggers, which change the type 
  of dice in the player’s hand, Object Triggers, which can do either of the 
  
   
   
  above, and Dramatic Triggers, which penalize the dice in the player’s 
  hand in exchange for accumulating an expendable resource we call 
  Thundrillium (
  ). Multiple Triggers can be “pulled” at once, leading to 
  impressive feats. 
  Once the hand of dice is determined, it is rolled and totaled. The 
  number is then compared to the fixed target number in a Standard 
  Action or the result of the Narrator’s dice roll in a Challenge Action. If the 
  player’s roll equals or exceeds the target number, the player’s action is 
  successful. The difference between the results determines the 
  effectiveness of the action, with larger differences contributing greater 
  degrees of success. 
  In the case of some Challenge Actions, failure can have serious 
  consequences, as the amount by which the action failed to reach the 
  target is used to determine the degree of success of the foe on a 
  counterstrike. In this way, combat happens in a furious system of strokes 
  and counter-strokes, mirroring the action of the cartoon. 
  The fifth kind of Trigger is the Heroic Surge Trigger—all characters 
  have a Heroic Surge Trigger that can usually only be pulled when they 
  are near death or unconsciousness. Heroic Surge Triggers grant huge 
  bonuses to actions and can also penalize the hand of dice that the 
  Narrator draws upon for challenges when used properly. 
  One additional quirk of the Trigger System is the way that Triggers 
  work on enemies. While players pull their own Triggers, most enemies 
  do not. Enemies start out with their best dice types and hands of dice, 
  and are constructed with Triggers that players may pull for them—
  weaknesses, vulnerabilities, and tactics that are particularly effective 
  
   
   
  against these foes. As these Goon Triggers are pulled, dice types will 
  shrink and hands of dice will reduce.  
  But the Narrator has a secret weapon—Master Villains with 
  complex motives and powers, aided by his own expendable resource, 
  Thundranium (
  )—a resource he only acquires when players use their 
  own 
   resource to boost their abilities.  
  Through the fast-paced flow of action and excitement between 
  players and Narrator, the Trigger System and TCRPG work together to 
  recreate the experience of the Thundercats animated series of the 
  1980s! 
  
   
   
  The planet of Thundera was dying. Its native people, the cat-like 
  humanoid Thunderians, were unable to prevent the destruction of the 
  planet. Fleeing in starships, the Thunderians searched the galaxy for a 
  new home, but they were pursued relentlessly by their old foes, the 
  Mutants of the planet Plun-Darr. As these battles in space took their toll 
  upon Thunderian refugees, a desperate gambit was proposed by their 
  leaders. 
  On one particular ship, important figures of the Thunderian nobility, 
  including the price who would one day grow to be their king, happened 
  upon a route that they believed would take them to safety—but it 
  required traveling much farther than they planned. The leader on this 
  vessel, Jaga, placed all other members of the nobility in suspended 
  animation sleeping pods and piloted the ship towards  this new 
  destination—Third-Earth. 
  The journey was long and perilous, and Jaga did not survive it, but 
  he shepherded his charges to the planet before he died. 
  When the suspended animation pods opened, the Thunderians 
  were met with a savage, primitive world inhabited by many different 
  races. It was a far cry from the technological marvel of Thundera, but it 
  was habitable, and they would call it home. They also discovered that 
  their prince, Lion-O, had been slumbering in a damaged pod that did not 
  properly suspend his growth. While the boy of twelve had entered, a 
  fully-grown adult emerged.  
  
   
   
  Using their science and technology, the Thunderians carved out a 
  new home for themselves in the mighty Cat’s Lair, with vehicles, 
  weapons, and more, all under the leadership of Lion-O, who carries with 
  him the powerful Sword of Omens and its mystical Eye of Thundera. 
  They care the Thundercats! 
  But their troubles did not end with the establishment of their new 
  home. An ancient servant of darkest evil, the mummy Mumm-Ra, stirred 
  in his tomb upon the arrival of the Thundercats, and he has drawn to his 
  die many clever, powerful enemies, including the surviving Mutants of 
  Plun-Darr, grown older and more savage in their journey across the stars 
  in pursuit of the Thundercats. 
  At all times, these foes work against the Thundercats, striving to 
  gain command of the magic in the Eye of Thundera and to establish 
  dominion over Third-Earth, and the galaxy, once and for all.  
  And somewhere out there in the stars, other vessels of refugee 
  Thunderians still drift, searching for a new home.
  
   
   
  When it comes time to play a game of TCRPG, players have two 
  options—they can play an existing character from the Thundercats 
  universe or they can build a character of their own, representing one of 
  the newly-arrived refugees from Thundera. While some greatly enjoy 
  one style of play over the other, the truth is that the two are easily 
  interchangeable in this rules-set. 
   TCRPG can be played and enjoyed as a 
  game of villains-versus-heroes as easily as it can be the story of Thundercats 
  facing down Mutants and Mumm-Ra. While these character creation rules are 
  specific to building Thundercats, inventive players and Narrators will be able to 
  extrapolate from the information here and in subsequent chapters to make it 
  possible to play a reptillian or jackalman with equal ease. 
  Before a character can be given numbers and game mechanics (what 
  we call the Bio), the player should first consider what type of cat he 
  wishes his character to be. A Thundercat’s personality and Triggers are 
  often closely associated with this choice, so thoughts about Cat-Type will 
  inform many of the decisions made in the character creation process. 
  Characters are built (whether they are canonical characters or new 
  creations) by making a fixed number of selections in each of a number 
  of categories: 
   The Cat-Type of a Thundercat describes the 
  fundamental Action Triggers of its race. The 
   chapter 
  
   
   
  of this book (pg. 13) details a variety of Cat-Types and the Action Triggers 
  granted by each type—players and narrators are free to use the existing 
  Cat-Types to extrapolate new races for their own use, including cross-
  type characters that take the Hard Trigger from one parent and the Soft 
  Trigger from the other! 
   The Skill Triggers of a Thundercat describe their 
  physical and mental specialties, measuring the things at which they excel 
  and the things about which they are most knowledgeable. Thundercats 
  have 3 Skill Triggers to depict areas in which they are possessed of better 
  than the average level of talent, expertise, or knowledge. A selection of 
  sample Skill Triggers are described in greater detail in the 
   chapter (pg. 21). 
   The Dramatic Triggers of a Thundercat 
  describe their areas of vulnerability and weakness. Each Thundercat 
  character has 2 Dramatic Triggers. Dramatic Triggers can be physical 
  (hard) or mental (soft) liabilities, but they are frequently the source of 
  drama and conflict in the course of play. A selection of sample Dramatic 
  Triggers are described in greater detail in the 
   chapter (pg. 21). 
   The Weapons of a Thundercat are the artifacts of both 
  technology and magic that aid the Thundercat in surviving the perils of 
  Third-Earth. The 
   chapter of this book (pg. 25) details 
  a variety of weapons, devices, and vehicles along with their respective 
  Object Triggers. Each Thundercat will start the game with a single Object 
  Trigger, usually in the form of a weapon. 
  
   
   
   
  To record each Action Trigger on the character sheet, find the spot 
  in the appropriate column (Hard or Soft) that corresponds to the 
  Threshold in the Trigger description in the 
   chapter. 
  Mark its Threshold with a circle and list the Trigger name and any notes 
  about the Trigger. 
  To record each Skill Trigger or Dramatic Trigger on the character 
  sheet, select which spot in the appropriate column (Hard or Soft) you 
  will populate with the Trigger. Mark its Threshold with a circle (Use the 
  even number if your Action Trigger in that column is even, use the odd 
  number if your Action Trigger in that column is odd) and list the Trigger 
  name and any notes about the Trigger. 
  To record your Object Trigger on the character sheet, find the one 
  remaining Trigger Box on the character sheet. Draw a box around the 
  odd number and a triangle around the even number. Then list the Trigger 
  name and any notes about the Trigger. 
  
   
   
  Every Thundercat belongs to one or more of several types of cat 
  ancestries, and from these ancestries they derive their most potent 
  game mechanics—Action Triggers. When creating a Thundercat, the 
  first step is often to select what Cat-Type your Thundercat belongs to. 
  Each Cat-Type confers specific Action Triggers that are unique to (or at 
  least prevalent among) their type. A Thundercats character may never 
  take Dramatic Triggers that directly contradict the Action Triggers of their 
  Cat-Type. 
  Superior Speed 
  Sixth Sense 
  Superior Skill 
  Astral Projection 
  Superior Prowess 
  Boundless Courage 
  Superior Strength 
  Brilliant Innovation 
  Invisibility Effect 
  Illusion Casting 
  Superior Agility 
  Wild Cunning 
  Each Cat description below includes two Action Triggers. For 
  additional information on how Triggers work, see 
   
  (pg. 33). 
  
   
   
   Superior Speed (Hard) 
   5 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to move at incredible speeds. Use Superior Speed 
  to act first in Initiative, to counterstrike non-flying ranged attacks, or to 
  become adjacent to any non-flying foe. 
   Sixth Sense (Soft) 
   5 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to sense things beyond ordinary perception. Use 
  Sixth Sense to see events from the past, to gain glimpses of the future, 
  or to avoid surprise. 
  The cheetah is a fast, intuitive cat-type. Agile and strong, cheetahs 
  are known to succumb to exhaustion after extended periods of exertion. 
  The cheetah Cat-Type is exemplified in Thundercats by Cheetara. 
  
   
   
   Superior Skill (Hard) 
   4 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to use your incredible combat skills. Use Superior 
  Skill to make close combat attacks, to assess the weaknesses or tactics 
  of an enemy, or to resist attacks targeting you. 
   Astral Projection (Soft) 
   2 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to send your spirit out of your body. Use Astral 
  Projection to send messages to faraway places, to spy upon distant sites, 
  or to do battle with phantom foes. 
  The jaguar is a strong, precise Cat-Type. Fast and spiritual, jaguars are 
  dangerously loyal and prone to 
  self-sacrifice. The jaguar Cat-
  Type 
  is 
  exemplified 
  in 
  Thundercats by Jaga. 
   
  
   
   
   Superior Prowess (Hard) 
   2 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to use your incredible physique. Use Superior 
  Prowess to make close combat attacks, to resist physical damage, or to 
  break free of restraints and barriers. 
   Boundless Courage (Soft) 
   3 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to call upon your legendary courage. Use 
  Boundless Courage to resist fear, to inspire others, or to impress 
  strangers. 
  The lion is a mighty, proud Cat-Type. Born leaders and skilled 
  warriors, lions struggle to take orders from others and are occasionally 
  overconfident. The lion Cat-Type is exemplified in Thundercats by Lion-
  O.  
  
   
   
   Superior Strength (Hard) 
   4 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to use your prodigious strength. Use Superior 
  Strength to make close combat attacks, to lift or shatter objects, or to 
  leap up and make close combat attacks against flying foes. 
   Brilliant Innovation (Soft) 
   3 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to draw upon your inventive skills. Use Brilliant 
  Innovation to build or repair objects, to pilot vehicles, or to determine 
  how an object works. 
  The panther is a strong, agile Cat-Type. Very intelligent and resilient, 
  panthers are often possessed of specific phobias and can become single-
  minded or obsessive. The panther Cat-Type is exemplified in 
  Thundercats by Panthro. 
  
   
   
   Invisibility Effect (Hard) 
   4 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to disappear from sight. Use Invisibility Effect to 
  avoid detection, to dodge attacks, or to gain surprise in combat. 
   Illusion Casting (Soft) 
   7 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to project life-like illusions. Use Illusion Casting to 
  distract your foes, to fool others, or to disguise yourself or your allies. 
  The tiger is a brilliant, clever Cat-Type. Introspective and sly, tigers 
  are vulnerable to addiction and, due to their ability to disappear, 
  sometimes lack confidence in their value. The tiger Cat-Type is 
  exemplified in Thundercats by Tygra. 
   
  
   
   
   Superior Agility (Hard) 
   3 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to use your phenomenal agility. Use Superior 
  Agility to avoid ranged attacks, to become adjacent to non-flying foes, 
  or to leap up and make close combat attacks against flying foes. 
   Wild Cunning (Soft) 
   5 
   +1 Die 
   Pull this Trigger to outwit your foes. Use Wild Cunning to escape 
  traps, to overcome obstacles, or to gain surprise in combat. 
  The wildcat is a clever, quick Cat-Type. Agile and slippery, wildcats 
  are among the physically weakest of the Cat-Types and are known to be 
  dangerously impulsive. The wildcat Cat-Type is exemplified in 
  Thundercats by both Wilykit and Wilykat. 
  
   
   
  TCRPG describes the Cat-Types of only those cats 
  present on Lion-O’s flagship during the evacuation of Thundera.  
  It is a known fact that other Cat-Types existed on Thundera, and thus 
  could be the basis for player-generated characters (or later additions to 
  the cast, such as Bengali). When a player or the Narrator sets out to 
  design a new Cat-Type, be sure to pattern their Action Triggers off of 
  those included in this chapter.  
  If playing non-Thundercat characters, the same general principals 
  apply to any non-human race. A Vultureman would have two Action 
  Triggers, as would a human or a Jackalman. The point is that all 
  characters, regardless of race, have two Action Triggers and those 
  Triggers should be based on characteristics inherent to that race. 
   
  
   
   
  Thundercats all possess selectable Triggers of four types: Action 
  Triggers, which are described in the 
   chapter, Object 
  Triggers (found in the 
   chapter), Skill Triggers, and 
  Dramatic Triggers.  
  This chapter describes Skill Triggers and Dramatic Triggers. These 
  Triggers are the way that a character is best defined in terms of who he 
  or she is and what he or she can do. While the Cat-Type contributes the 
  broad, powerful Action Triggers, it is the finesse and fine-tuning of the 
  Skill and Dramatic Triggers that really flesh out a Thundercat. 
  TCRPG encourages players to 
  create new Skill Triggers and Dramatic Triggers when creating new 
  characters. Those listed in this chapter are merely the tip of the iceberg!  
  When designing a new Trigger, care must be taken to label and 
  define the Trigger broadly enough that it might be used in multiple 
  situations. If you can’t imagine a Trigger coming up at least once or twice 
  every other session of play, it may be too specific or too narrow to be 
  worth taking up a slot on the character sheet. 
  A listing of sample Skill Triggers is included on the table, below. Each 
  skill Trigger may be pulled when a character is taking an action that 
  relates to the Skill Trigger. Multiple Skill Triggers may be pulled at once 
  for cumulative effects. When selecting a Skill Trigger for a character, 
  players must also determine at what Threshold they wish to place the 
  
   
   
  Skill Trigger. Remember that there are only 8 Trigger Positions, and two 
  of them are automatically set by your Cat-Type. 
  Note that the headings in each column are for descriptive, grouping 
  purposes only. A character may have a cybernetic eye that grants them 
  infrared vision that would clearly qualify for the Special Senses Skill 
  Trigger, even if that ability is not “Mystic” in nature. 
  Running 
  Weaponsmith 
  Tactics 
  Theft 
  Lifting 
  Mechanic 
  Unarmed 
  Combat 
  Picking Locks 
  Jumping 
  Pilot 
  Close Combat 
  Forgery 
  Swimming 
  Architect 
  Ranged 
  Combat 
  Stealth 
  Climbing 
  Inventor 
  Gunnery 
  Disguise 
  Science 
  Singing 
  Leadership 
  Illusionism* 
  History 
  Dancing 
  Deception 
  Sorcery* 
  Medicine 
  Painting 
  Manipulation 
  Willpower 
  Agriculture 
  Acting 
  Politics 
  Lore 
  Law 
  Playing 
  Instruments 
  Negotiation 
  Special Senses 
  *Each use of these Triggers costs 
   (see Using Thundrillium, pg. 43) 
  
   
   
  A listing of sample Dramatic Triggers is included on the table, below. 
  Each Dramatic Trigger may be pulled when a character is taking an action 
  that would be hindered by that Dramatic Trigger. Multiple Dramatic 
  Triggers may be pulled at once for cumulative effects. When selecting a 
  Dramatic Trigger for a character, players must also determine at what 
  Threshold they wish to place the Dramatic Trigger. Remember that there 
  are only 8 Trigger Positions, and two of them are automatically set by 
  your Cat-Type. 
  Clumsy 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from 
  coordination 
  Weak 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from physical 
  strength 
  Sickly 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from 
  toughness 
  Slow 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from speed 
  Inept 
  Interferes with a particular kind of action (defined 
  on the character sheet) example: Swimming  
  
   
   
  Overconfident 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from planning 
  or preparation 
  Naïve 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from caution 
  or investigation 
  Stubborn 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from flexibility 
  or adaptation 
  Crude 
  Interferes with actions that benefit from social 
  graces 
  Phobia 
  Interferes with actions when in the presence of X 
  (defined on the character sheet) example: Bats  
  
   
   
  Equipment, be it a handy piece of armor, a vital weapon, or a mighty 
  vehicle, is an integral part of the way that a Thundercat interacts with 
  the world. This chapter describes the various Object Triggers that a 
  Thundercat can purchase at character creation (or add during the course 
  of play). 
  Object Triggers are not inherently Hard (physical) or Soft (mental). 
  Instead, they slot into the last available position on the character sheet. 
  Depending on the nature of the Object Trigger, it may be located on the 
  Hard Column but be primarily used in Soft Actions—this is of no 
  consequence. Some players prefer to place their Object Trigger in the 
  Soft Column because there are slightly fewer ways to take damage in 
  that Column—if this strategy appeals to you, plan accordingly when 
  building your character. 
  All Object Triggers have a pair of Thresholds that work differently 
  from the standard Thresholds on Action, Skill, or Dramatic Triggers. This 
  is why they are recorded differently on the character sheet (with the 
  square and the triangle, instead of the circle).  
  For additional information on how Object Triggers work, see 
   (pg. 33). 
  
   
   
  Object Trigger effects are more specific and codified than the 
  effects of other types of Triggers. When building an Object Trigger, the 
  player or Narrator selects three Effects from the list below. With only a 
  few notable exceptions (such as the Sword of Omens), Object Triggers 
  will have only three effects, whether they are vehicles or weapons. 
  Battle 
  Improves dice in close combat actions (not 
  counterstrike actions) 
  Range 
  Allows ranged combat actions; ranged combat 
  actions also gain benefits of all Object Trigger 
  effects 
  Stun 
  Close combat damage is Soft (also applies to 
  counterstrike actions) 
  Area 
  Adds 1 die to close combat actions 
  Distract 
  Successful hit pulls target’s Distracted Trigger 
  Shield 
  Improves dice in resist combat actions (not 
  counterstrike actions) 
  Grapple 
  Improves dice in climbing actions 
  Backlash 
  Improves dice in counterstrike actions 
   
  
   
   
  Armor 
  Adds 1 die to resist combat actions (not counterstrike 
  actions) 
  Turbo 
  Improves dice in movement actions 
  Flight 
  Allows flight 
  Barrage 
  Allows ranged combat actions; Improves dice for 
  ranged combat actions 
  Scanner 
  Improves dice for actions to detect; includes special 
  senses 
  Transport 
  Allows Object Trigger to carry multiple passengers who 
  may benefit from Flight and Turbo effects 
  Ram 
  Improves dice for close combat actions (not 
  counterstrike actions); adds 1 die to close combat 
  actions 
  Eject 
  Allows owner to drop this Object Trigger and replace 
  with another in a single action. 
   
  Since 
  Object 
  Triggers represent 
  objects, characters may 
  occasionally share Object Triggers with one another, or switch their 
  preferred weapon for a particular action or event. More commonly, 
  characters may decide to forego their normal Weapon in favor of 
  piloting a Vehicle. In all of these cases, they are considered to be either 
  Dropping (removing) or Locking (adding) an Object Trigger. Under no 
  circumstance can a character be using more than one Object Trigger at 
  once. 
  
   
   
  Such changes are temporary—if a character wishes to permanently 
  replace his Object Trigger, this requires the expenditure of Experience 
  Points (see pg. 45). 
  While example weapons are showcased on the characters 
  described in 
   (pg. 29), none of the Thundercats in 
  that chapter have a vehicle as their Object Trigger (although Panthro 
  would likely most often have dropped his Fighting Sticks and locked The 
  Thundertank in their stead). 
   The Thundertank 
   Armor, Turbo*, Barrage*, Transport, Ram, Eject* 
  The Thundertank requires two pilots (must be locked as the Object 
  Trigger on two character sheets) in order to function. Thus, it has 6 
  effects. If only one pilot has the Thundertank locked, the effects listed 
  with an asterisk (*) are not present. 
   
  
   
   
  Below you will find descriptions of the seven Thundercats that 
  crashed on Third-Earth in Lion-O’s flagship, built using TCRPG rules.  
  Pilot (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Naïve (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Close Combat (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Leadership (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Sword of Omens (Object) 
  Battle, Range, Shield, Grapple, 
  Backlash, Sight, Beacon 
  Overconfident (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Superior Prowess (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Boundless Courage (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Heroic Surge 
   Lion-O’s Sword of Omens Object Trigger is an object of 
  immense power. The Object Trigger represents the Sword, the Claw 
  Shield, and the Eye of Thundera. The Sight effect grants Lion-O “Sight 
  Beyond Sight”: +1 Die and +1 Step to mystically sense things happening 
  far away. The Beacon effect allows Lion-O to Trigger a Heroic Surge in all 
  Thundercats as though they each had
   
   
  
   
   
  Mechanic (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Stubborn (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Close Combat (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Fighting Sticks (Object) 
  Range, Stun, Grapple 
  Superior Strength (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Phobia: Bats (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Pilot (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Brilliant Innovation (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Heroic Surge 
  Running (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Agriculture (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Bo-Staff (Object) 
  Shield, Area, Battle 
  Over-Cautious (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Superior Speed (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Sixth Sense (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Weak (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Manipulation (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Heroic Surge 
  
   
   
  Architect (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Bola Whip (Object) 
  Backlash, Grapple, Range 
  Close Combat (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Illusion Casting (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Invisibility Effect (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Stubborn (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Inept: Swimming (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Willpower (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Heroic Surge 
  Theft (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Illusionism (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  -1 
   
  Weak (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Deception (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Board and Capsules (Object) 
  Flight, Distract, Stun 
  Wild Cunning (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Superior Agility (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Overconfident (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Heroic Surge 
  
   
   
  Lightning Spear (Object) 
  Area, Battle, Range 
  Sorcery (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  -1 
   
  Old (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Cryptic (Dramatic) 
  -1 Step 
  +1 
   
  Superior Skill (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Lore (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Tactics (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Astral Projection (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Heroic Surge 
   Jaga is a spirit during the Thundercats’ time on Third-
  Earth. The Bio above represents Jaga as he was in life—to reflect his 
  spectral form, which is only particularly effective against phantom foes, 
  he disregards the Hard Column altogether. Phantom Jaga cannot Heroic 
  Surge (because he discorporate when he loses his Astral Projection 
  Trigger) but he can benefit from a Heroic Surge Triggered by Lion-O’s 
  Beacon effect. Phantom Jaga is immune to all non-magical combat.
   
   
  
   
   
  TCRPG is a game of action and excitement. The previous chapters 
  have painted the details of how a Thundercats character is created and 
  assigned values for its various capabilities—but how do those qualities 
  impact the action of the game? 
  The Action Mechanics chapter highlights the various actions a 
  Thundercat can take, both in combat and outside of it—and presents 
  flexible rules that should be applicable to almost any situation that the 
  Narrator concocts. 
  At the center of all action in TCRPG are the Trigger Columns. Each 
  player character has two Trigger Columns, and each starts play each 
  session with an indicator (we recommend a paperclip) pointing to the 
  “10” position on both Trigger Columns. These indicators are then moved 
  by both hard (physical) damage and soft (mental/mystical) damage and 
  exertion from pulling Triggers. The indicators can be moved to “0,” but 
  no lower. 
  Anytime a Thundercat player character undertakes a task with the 
  legitimate possibility of failure, he is engaging in an action. 
  In most ordinary circumstances, the player attempting the action 
  simply gathers a handful of three 6-sided dice, rolls those dice, and adds 
  the results of all three dice together to determine a score. This score is 
  compared to either a Standard Difficulty (see below) or the result of a 
  similar dice roll made by the Narrator in the case of a Challenge Action.  
  
   
   
  What complicates this process, and where the name of the TCRPG 
  engine, the Trigger System, gets its name is in the use of Triggers. Players 
  may, before rolling the dice, pull any and all Triggers on their character 
  sheet that are currently active (i.e., the indicator in their column has not 
  fallen below their Threshold) and represent abilities that are relevant to 
  the action. 
  The four main kinds of Triggers each have a slightly different impact 
  on the hand of dice, and all must be pulled before rolling the dice.  
  When a Thundercat pulls his Action Trigger, he adds another die to 
  his hand of dice. If the step of the dice has changed (see below), the new 
  die is of the changed dice type—all dice in the hand should always be of 
  the same type. If multiple Action Triggers are pulled, multiple dice are 
  added to the hand. Note that changes to dice quantity that would take 
  a hand above 6 dice are wasted. 
  After rolling the hand of dice, the player adds up the values of all 
  dice rolled (not just three of them). 
  When a Thundercat pulls his Skill Trigger, he improves the type of 
  dice in his hand of dice. No matter how many dice are in the hand, or how 
  many are added after this Trigger is pulled but before the hand is rolled, 
  all dice in the hand change steps. If multiple Skill Triggers are pulled, 
  multiple step changes occur, as outlined on the chart below. Note that 
  step changes above a 12-sided die are wasted.  
   
  
   
   
  When a Thundercat pulls his Object Trigger, he gains all relevant 
  effects associated with that Object Trigger. Some of these effects may 
  improve the type of dice in his hand of dice, some may change the 
  number of dice in his hand of dice, and still others simply grant the ability 
  to do things which he might not otherwise have been able to do (such 
  as fly or make a ranged combat attack). 
  Object Triggers interact with Thresholds differently than other 
  Triggers. While other Triggers become inactive when the indicator slides 
  below their Threshold (as marked by a circle on the character sheet), 
  Object Triggers have no circle Threshold. Instead, they have a square 
  Threshold, also called the Disabled Threshold, and a triangle Threshold, 
  also called the Disarmed Threshold. 
  If the indicator of the appropriate column reaches the Disabled 
  Threshold, the Object Trigger can no longer be pulled (note that this is 
  slightly different from the way the regular Threshold works). This 
  represents an exhaustion of the charges, ammunition, or readiness of 
  the object. 
  If the indicator of the appropriate column reaches the Disarmed 
  Threshold, the Object Trigger is considered to be dropped (see below). 
  It requires an action to lock the Object Trigger back into readiness, in the 
  event that the Thundercat has health restored and the indicator rises 
  above the Disarmed and Disabled Thresholds again. IN some cases, 
  additional actions may be required before a previously Disabled Object 
  Trigger can be pulled again—see Damaging Vehicles or Weapons, 
  below. 
  When a Thundercat pulls his Dramatic Trigger, he reduces the type of 
  dice in his hand of dice. No matter how many dice are in the hand, or how 
  many are added after this Trigger is pulled but before the hand is rolled, 
  
   
   
  all dice in the hand change steps. If multiple Dramatic Triggers are pulled, 
  multiple step changes occur, as outlined on the chart below. Note that 
  step changes below a 4-sided die are wasted. 
  There is an upside to pulling a Dramatic Trigger: Each time a Dramatic 
  Trigger is pulled, the character earns 
  . 
   
  Anytime a character pulls more than one Trigger for the same hand 
  of dice, he suffers a point of exhaustion. Exhaustion is identical to 
  damage, and it is applied in the same way (see Taking Damage, below). 
  The damage may be assigned to any Trigger Column that houses one of 
  the pulled Triggers. If two Triggers were pulled, both from the Hard 
  Column, then the exhaustion damage must be applied to the Hard 
  Column. 
  Exhaustion damage can be offset by spending 
   (see Using 
  Thundrillium, below). 
  Arbitrating difficulty numbers is far and away the most temptation-
  riddled part of the Narrator’s job. There are five possible difficulties for 
  a Narrator to select when determining the complexity of an action. The 
  first is “Easy”—a Standard Difficulty of 9. Many times, actions of this 
  complexity will not even need to be rolled. 
  
   
   
  Standard Difficulty 12 is Average, and is the default difficulty for any 
  unopposed action. Much less common are the three upper-challenge 
  Standard Difficulties. Standard Difficulty 16, called Daunting, represents 
  unopposed actions at which failure can cause a degree of harm, either 
  literally or figuratively, to the character.  
  Standard Difficulty 20, referred to as Perilous, governs extremely 
  challenging actions where severe danger is posed to the character. 
  Standard Difficulty 25, Harrowing, is exceedingly rare and describes only 
  the most daring, life-threatening, and horrifying actions. 
  The chart below summarizes the Standard Difficulties and provides 
  an extrapolation of even higher Difficulties, should your game require 
  such monstrous things. 
  Easy 
  Average 
  Daunting 
  Perilous 
  Harrowing 
  Additional Standard Difficulties: 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 
  When an action is opposed by another entity, such as a killer robot 
  or the dark wizard Mumm-Ra, the action does not rely upon a Standard 
  Difficulty. Instead, it is a Challenge Action, and the score resulting from 
  the roll of the player’s hand of dice is compared to the results of a similar 
  roll by the narrator using dice representative of the opposing entity’s 
  abilities. 
  Challenge Actions succeed when the player’s total is higher than the 
  opposing entity’s total. The amount of difference between the two 
  totals sometimes has important effects on the game, in particular when 
  determining how much damage an attack has done. 
  
   
   
  Combat only differs from any other set of actions in the sense that 
  it usually happens with a greater feeling or urgency. When the action of 
  a story escalates to a combat situation—or any other time that the pace 
  of things accelerate to a point where every second counts—combat 
  rules take effect. 
  During combat, Thundercats take actions in an order known as 
  Initiative. Initiative is determined by having all participants in the conflict 
  roll an action. Triggers that represent speed, such as the Superior Speed 
  Action Trigger, Running Skill Trigger, or Turbo Effect Object Trigger are 
  often used to bolster action rolls used to determine Initiative. 
  Characters proceed through a round of combat in the order of their 
  result on the Initiative action. 
  For the purpose of combat, TCRPG measures movement in an 
  abstract measure called Zones. Thundercats are always equipped with 
  hand-held weapons or bare-handed fighting techniques which allow 
  them to do hand-to-hand combat with other characters in adjacent 
  Zones, while any attack that includes a pulled Trigger that confers 
  Ranged Attacks has a range of 3 Zones. A Thundercat can increase or 
  decrease the number of Zones between him and an opponent by 1 
  during each action undertaken in combat. Characters with Triggers that 
  make sense for closing distance more quickly can pull those to move 
  further than a single zone, but they gain no other benefit from the 
  pulling of that Trigger during this action. 
  The actual length of a combat round is assumed to be about 30 
  seconds. 
  
   
   
  The following Triggers printed in this rulebook are 
  assumed to be of benefit in more rapidly closing distance:  
  Pulling Skill Triggers such as Running or Jumping, Object Triggers such as 
  Turbo, and Action Triggers such as Superior Agility usually allow a character to 
  move 2 zones as part of a single action.  
  Pulling Skill Triggers such as Swimming or Climbing MAY allow a character 
  to move 2 zones as part of a single action, depending on the relevancy of the 
  Skill Trigger to the situation. 
  Pulling the Action Trigger: Superior Speed will allow a character to move 
  up to 4 zones as part of a single action. 
  Final call on if and when these bonuses apply rests with the Narrator.   
  Whenever a combat action is undertaken against a foe, the foe has 
  two options for how to Challenge the action. They may Resist the Attack 
  (think of this as dodging or blocking) or they may Counterstrike. Against 
  Ranged attacks, Resist the Attack is the ONLY option. 
  In either case, the player of the character attempting to Resist or 
  Counter the attack forms a hand of dice and pulls relevant Triggers. The 
  results are compared. If the attacking character’s roll is higher, no matter 
  whether the target was Resisting or Counterstriking, the target takes 
  damage (see below). If a Resist roll wins, the target takes no damage. If 
  a Counterstrike roll wins, the attacker will take damage based on the 
  difference between the rolls, as described under “Counterstriking,” 
  below.   
  Thundercats and the various other entities on Third-Earth (and 
  beyond!) can take 10 points of hard damage (that is, damage to their 
  physical bodies as recorded on the Hard Column) and 10 points of soft 
  damage (that is, damage to their minds or spirits as recorded on the Soft 
  
   
   
  Column). To track this Health, indicators are slid up and down the 
  Columns on the character sheet.  
  Characters take damage when their Resist or Counterstrike rolls fail 
  to exceed the value of an attack action rolled against them. The amount 
  by which they failed determines the amount of damage they take, as 
  indicated on the chart below. Damage is considered Hard except under 
  special circumstances outlined under Soft Damage Sources, below. 
  Difference in values 
  is less than current 
  value of Hard Column 
  Difference in values 
  is greater than 
  current value of Hard 
  Column 
  Difference in values 
  is greater than 
  combined current 
  value of Hard and 
  Soft Columns 
  Characters reduced to unconsciousness (If either Column falls below 
  1) are unable to perform any actions. They just kind of lay there, hoping 
  desperately that they escape the notice of their foes. If both Trigger 
  Column Indicators should happen to be released below 1 at the same 
  time, the character is dead. 
  Counterstriking does damage in exactly the same way that a regular 
  attack that wins does damage, with the same chart used to determine 
  damage. Note that Counterstriking cannot be used against Ranged 
  attacks, including those attacks that deal Soft Damage. 
  
   
   
  Most of the times that a character takes Soft Damage, it is from 
  exhaustion or critical hits that happen to do bonus Soft Damage. The key 
  to doing Soft Damage beyond these limited situations is the use of the 
  Sorcery Skill Trigger. This Trigger indicates a Ranged, Soft attack.  
  Foes that are designated as Phantoms are also able to do Soft 
  Damage with their attacks—in fact, they are unable to do Hard Damage! 
  The players or Narrator may develop other Triggers that indicate 
  psychic or mystic attacks. 
  There are four ways for a Thundercat to recover Health, each more 
  rare (and more powerful) than the one before.  
  A Thundercat reduced to a “1” on either Column can 
  recover by pulling their Heroic Surge Trigger. The character heals both 
  Hard and Soft Damage equal to his current Thundrillium supply. The 
  additional effects of a Heroic Surge are described under Using 
  Thundrillium, below. As a less drastic means, a Thundercat may spend 
   to heal 1 Hard Damage and 1 Soft Damage at any time. 
  Between sessions of play, a Thundercat can rest deeply, 
  restoring his Health in both Columns to full. While this isn’t an especially 
  speedy method of recovery, it is one of the few methods of healing that 
  has no strings attached. 
  A character with a relevant Trigger (such as the 
  Medicine Skill Trigger) may pull it with an action to heal another 
  character of Hard Damage. This is a Standard Action. The amount of 
  damage repaired is based on what Standard Difficulty is reached. An 
  
   
   
  Easy result heals 1 damage, Average 2, Daunting 3, Perilous 4, and 
  Harrowing 5.
  A character with a relevant Trigger (such as the 
  Sorcery Skill Trigger) may pull it with an action to heal another character 
  of Soft Damage. This is a Standard Action. The amount of damage 
  repaired is based on what Standard Difficulty is reached. An Easy result 
  heals 1 damage, Average 2, Daunting 3, Perilous 4, and Harrowing 5.
  Through a variety of means and methods, some characters are able 
  to fly. Flight offers a notable advantage in combat, in that only Ranged 
  attacks can target a character who is actively flying. Similarly, a character 
  who is flying can only target non-flying characters with Ranged attacks. 
  To maintain flight, a character must pull the Trigger that enables 
  flight each and every round. If a character fails to pull this Trigger, they 
  are assumed to land. If the character loses access to the Trigger because 
  damage takes the indicator below the Trigger’s Threshold, the character 
  is assumed to have crashed and takes 1 Hard Damage and 1 Soft Damage. 
  Vehicles are damaged in a somewhat counter-intuitive way in 
  TCRPG. If a vehicle is Disabled (or Disarmed) it is considered unable to 
  function. The pilot may Drop the vehicle and lock a different Object 
  Trigger in its place, as described in 
   (pg. 25). 
  If a character wishes to lock a vehicle-based Object Trigger after it 
  has been disabled, he must both a) bring his appropriate Column 
  Indicator up above the Object Trigger slot’s Disabled Threshold and b) 
  Succeed at an Average vehicle repair action (which benefits from 
  Triggers such as the Mechanic Skill Trigger). 
  
   
   
  In some cases, the Narrator may require a similar action in the case 
  of weapons before they can be used again following a drop to or below 
  their Disabled Threshold (such an action would benefit from the 
  Weaponsmith Skill Trigger). 
  These complications exist to offset the ease with which characters 
  can switch out their Object Triggers and can be disregarded by the 
  Narrator if they slow down gameplay to an excessive degree. 
  Thundercats have access to a reserve of energy referred to as 
  Thundriullium and represented throughout this rulebook graphically by 
  the symbol 
  . 
  Every Thundercat starts each session of play with 
   in their supply 
  and may hold a maximum of 
   at any one time. 
  Thundrillium is gained by pulling Dramatic Triggers throughout the 
  course of gameplay. It is also gained when the Narrator pulls a Villainous 
  Surge Trigger (see 
  , pg. 47). 
  Thundrillium is spent for the following purposes: 
  : Ignore the exhaustion from a single action 
  : Pull the Sorcery Skill Trigger once 
  : Pull the Illusionism Skill Trigger once 
  : Heal 1 Hard Damage and 1 Soft Damage 
  : Add 1 die to your hand of dice for a single action (may not exceed 
  6 dice in hand) 
  
   
   
  : Improve the step of the dice in your hand by 1 step for a single 
  action (may not exceed 12-sided dice) 
  Thundrillium is also spent to power the Heroic Surge Trigger. 
   At any time that a Thundercat 
  falls to “1” Health in either Trigger Column, he may immediately pull his 
  Heroic Surge Trigger. He immediately heals Hard and Soft Damage equal 
  to his current Thundrillium supply. He then takes an action without 
  pulling any Triggers (except Object Triggers). Instead, for each 
  Thundrillium in his current supply, he may either add 1 die to his hand or 
  improve the step of his hand of dice by 1. This means that a character 
  with 
   would be able to roll six 12-sided dice for that next 
  action.  
  After pulling the Heroic Surge Trigger, all the character’s 
  Thundrillium is discarded from play (NOT converted to Thundranium!). 
  Note that only Thundercats have Heroic Surge Triggers. Master 
  Villains have Villainous Surge Triggers, but otherwise, no other 
  characters have access to this ability. A character may pull their Heroic 
  Surge Trigger once per Adventure (Lion-O’s Beacon effect can also be 
  used on a character once per Adventure, for a total of 2 Heroic Surges 
  when the Sword of Omens is in play.) 
  With the exception of the Heroic Surge Trigger, anytime a character 
  spends 
  , the point is handed over to the Narrator. This point is 
  converted to Thundranium, a source of power for Master Villains that is 
  represented in the rules by the symbol 
  .
  The uses of
   are described in detail in the 
   chapter. Suffice it to say, the Narrator having a large pool of 
  Thundranium is a bad thing. 
  
   
   
  Anytime that two or more characters pull their Heroic Surge Trigger 
  at the same time, the Narrator’s Thundranium supply is reduced by an 
  amount indicated on the chart below. 
  This technique is called the Omen Gambit because using it outside of 
  the forced Heroic Surge Trigger effect of Lion-O’s Sword of Omens is 
  risky. Characters are at their most vulnerable when they are eligible to 
  pull their Heroic Surge Trigger, and the Narrator will surely pounce on 
  that fact! 
  Number of 
  Thundercats 
  simultaneously pulling 
  Heroic Surge Triggers 
  Amount of 
  Thundranium 
  Depleted from 
  Narrator’s Supply 
  Throughout the course of play, characters will be rewarded with 
  Experience Points by the Narrator. Experience Points come from three 
  primary sources: 
   Unused Thundrillium points at the end of the session convert 
  to Experience Points at a 2:1 ratio (that is, you get half of your 
  leftover Thundrillium, rounded down, back in Experience 
  Points). 
  
   
   
   Unused Thundranium from the Narrator’s supply  at the end 
  of the adventure (not the session)converts to Experience 
  points for each player on a 1:1 basis (that is, if the Narrator has 
   left at the end of the adventure, each player will 
  get 5 Experience Points). 
   Completing heroic objectives in the adventure are worth 
  either Group Experience Points or Individual Experience 
  Points, depending on the objectives. 
  Experience Points accumulate over time and are used to purchase 
  improvements to a character. The possible improvements, and the cost 
  of each, is indicated on the table below. 
  Note that unlike many games, characters do not grow more 
  powerful over the course of play, but rather they evolve and change.  
  Swap the location of two Triggers. Note that Hard and 
  Soft Triggers must remain in the appropriate Column. 
  Change one of your Dramatic Triggers 
  Change one of your Skill Triggers 
  Switch the Thresholds in one Column from evens to 
  odds (or from odds to evens) 
  Change your default Object Trigger 
  Change one of your Action Triggers 
  Change one of your Skill Triggers to a Dramatic Trigger 
  Change one of your Dramatic Triggers to a Skill Trigger 
  NOTE: This will disrupt your ability to collect 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  To keep adventures on Third-Earth engaging, the heroes must deal 
  with dangers and threats prove a true challenge to the Thundercats. This 
  chapter provides Bios for two Master Villains and a collection of 
  simplified Goons Bios representing the Mutants of Plun-Darr. 
  Additionally, this chapter outlines the uses of Thundranium, how to 
  provide Experience Points for Heroic Objectives, and how Triggers work 
  for Goons. 
  Third-Earth is a world of incredible, forgotten technology and 
  mysterious, unknowable magic. There are hundreds of tribes of humans, 
  robotic bears (the Berbils), and more out there waiting to be discovered. 
  These mysteries also bring with them great danger, and the Narrator’s 
  imagination is the only limit to what foes and challenges might be 
  arrayed against the Thundercats. 
  The most personal foes of the Thundercats are the Mutants of Plun-
  Darr, who followed the trail of the Thundercats’ original ship to Third-
  Earth and even now plot to destroy their mortal enemies. 
  The Mutants are comprised of four main Types, all answering to the 
  leadership of the Reptillian Slithe. While the Mutants are often found 
  working with the dreaded Mumm-Ra (see below), they are just as often 
  working for Slithe. Of course they often turn on one another in such a 
  way that it’s hard to believe that any stratagem employed by the 
  Mutants will end in victory, but they are never short of ideas!  
  
   
   
  Most of the Mutants classify as Goons: they are foes, but they lack 
  the strength and wits to prove a true challenge to the Thundercats. They 
  are cannon fodder on their best days, but that role is essential! The 
  Mutants described below serve as Goons for either Slithe or Mumm-Ra. 
  It is also not unheard of for a Goon to rise up to Master Villain status—
  such a tale makes for a great series of adventures! 
   Reptillian 
   6/4 
   Range, Stun 
   Jackalman 
   5/5 
   Battle, Shield 
   Monkian 
   7/3 
   Battle, Grapple 
   Vultureman 
   4/6 
   Range, Area 
  
   
   
  Slithe is a fiendish, sadistic, greedy creature—and those are his good 
  qualities! The undisputed leader of the Mutants (as long as he’s around), 
  Slithe occasionally finds the nerve to stand up to Mum-Ra, but usually 
  opts to embark on his own schemes while the dark wizard is sleeping. 
  Mechanic (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Dim-Witted (Dramatic) 
  -2 
   
  Close Combat (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Battle Axe (Object) 
  Battle, Area, Shield 
  Superior Strength (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Cowardice (Dramatic) 
  -2 
   
  Stealth (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Cruelly Inventive (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Villainous Surge: Summon Mutant Goons equal to 
   
  
   
   
  Mumm-Ra is a sorcerer and demon-priest, an ancient native from 
  Third Earth that serves as the undead focus for the Ancient Spirits of Evil-
  -four god-like entities of nearly unlimited power whose influence is 
  limited to the Black Pyramids on Third Earth. As such, outside of the 
  pyramids, they can only interact with the physical world through Mumm-
  Ra. They provide him with immortality in exchange for perpetual 
  servitude. Mumm-Ra usually resides in his Black Pyramid as a withered, 
  corpse-like being; however, he can alter his form by reciting the 
  following incantation: "Ancient spirits of evil, transform this decayed 
  form to Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living!" This transforms him into a muscular 
  fiend with the power of flight and even more potent, awesome magic. 
  Forgery (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Vain (Dramatic) 
  -2 
   
  Tactics (Skill) 
  +1 Step 
  Illusionism (Skill) 
  Battle, Area, Shield 
  Evil Incantation (Object) 
  Battle, Range, Area, Shield, 
  Backlash, Flight, +1 
   
  Cowardice (Dramatic) 
  -2 
  Frail (Dramatic) 
  -2 
   
  Master of Sorcery (Action) 
  +1 Die 
  Villainous Surge: Teleport back to Sarcophagus and Remove 
  from Play  equal to your 
   
  
   
   
  Each time a character spends 
   (except fur during Heroic Surges), 
  an equal amount of
  is added to the Narrator’s supply. This is most 
  easily done by simply collecting the tokens used by the player characters 
  as they spend them. 
  Thundranium can be used in similar ways to Thundrillium, but with a 
  few more restrictions. Thundranium can be spent to aid both Goons and 
  Master Villains. 
  : Ignore the exhaustion from a single action 
  : Pull the Sorcery Skill Trigger once 
  : Pull the Illusionism Skill Trigger once 
  : Heal 1 Hard Damage OR 1 Soft Damage 
   Add 1 die to your hand of dice for a single action (may not exceed 
  5 dice in hand) 
  : Improve the step of the dice in your hand by 1 step for a single 
  action (may not exceed 10-sided dice) 
  Thundranium is also spent to power the Villainous Surge Trigger. 
   At any time that a Master 
  Villain falls to “1” Health in either Trigger Column, he may immediately 
  pull his Villainous Surge Trigger. He immediately heals a total amount of 
  Damage equal to his current Thundrianium supply—the narrator decides 
  how much of the healing is Hard and how much is Soft, so long as the 
  two amounts of healing total the current amount of Thundranium. He 
  then follows the directions listed on the Villainous Surge portion of the 
  Master Villain character sheet.  
  
   
   
  After pulling the Villainous Surge Trigger, all the character’s 
  Thundranium is discarded from play and the Narrator cannot earn any 
  additional Thundranium in this Adventure unless a new Master Villain 
  enters the story. 
  Goons do not have Triggers in the traditional sense, although they 
  do gain weapon effects that mirror those found in Object Triggers. 
  Instead, all Goons are subject to the following 3 Triggers. Three of these 
  Triggers are pulled by players, and 1 is pulled by the Narrator. 
  Narrators should feel free to invent other Goon Triggers, particularly 
  when introducing new types of Goons into the game. A Master Villain is 
  only as good as his foot soldiers, henchmen, lackeys, and minions, after 
  all! 
  
   
   
  Distracted 
  Pulled by players using an action with an Object Trigger with 
  the Distract effect or the Illusionism Skill Trigger. This action, if 
  successful, does no damage, but instead pulls this Trigger.
  This goon’s hand of dice is now reduced by one step indefinitely.
  Entangled
  Pulled by players using an action with an Object Trigger with 
  the Grapple effect or the Unarmed Combat Skill Trigger. This action, if 
  successful, does no damage, but instead pulls this Trigger. 
  This goon’s hand of dice is now reduced by one die indefinitely.
  Enraged
  Pulled by the narrator during a failed action targeting a player 
  character. This does not include Counterstrikes. 
  This goon suffers 1 Hard Damage and 1 Soft Damage; the Narrator 
  gains 
  
   
   
  An adventure in TCRPG usually starts with the answer to a simple 
  question: Who wants what and why. Once this question has been 
  answered (for example: Mumm-Ra wants the Sword of Omens so he can 
  open a portal to the Dimension of Evil), the next step is to determine 
  how the Master Villain will attempt to complete his or her plot. In the 
  example, Mumm-Ra might decide to cast a plague on a farm village to 
  lure out Lion-O and then spring his trap—a magically animated army of 
  stone statues! 
  Adventures can take a single session of play or several sessions of 
  play, it all depends on the complexity of the Master Villain’s plot. 
  Regardless of that, each session of play should give characters the 
  chance to earn Experience Points from Heroic Goals. 
  Every adventure should offer at least 3 goals that the heroes strive 
  to complete together. As they complete each goal, the entire group 
  earns an Experience Point. 
  There should also be 2 goals in each adventure that can only be 
  completed by a single character. These individual Experience Points 
  represent particular acts of valor, heroism, or cunning that allow specific 
  characters to shine and every effort should be made to distribute these 
  points evenly over time. 
  
   
   
  There is a creature called a Snarf that once served as Lion-O’s 
  nursemaid. Now, he serves as Lion-O’s conscience and comic relief. You 
  may have noticed that this book is nearly over, and we have not talked 
  about Snarf. What’s his deal? What’s the deal with any of the smallish 
  helpers out there, like the Berbils, when it comes to game mechanics? 
  If you feel like Snarf needs mechanical representation, let him count 
  as an inexhaustible point of Thundrillium. That way he can aid the team 
  in a variety of ways but nobody has to play him. If someone wants to play 
  him… well, that means someone has to come up with two Action 
  Triggers for Snarf’s race. Have fun with that! 
  Cat’s Lair is a source of drama and a place for excitement, not a 
  weapon to be trotted out for battle with Mumm-Ra or the mutants. Cat’s 
  Lair can be treated as a Vehicle with no Turbo or Flight effects, and 
  locked like any other Object Trigger, in the event that its impressive 
  fortifications and armaments are needed in actions taking place in your 
  story. 
  No one is required to play Lion-O. For that matter, the party does 
  not need to have the Sword of Omens in it. Thundercats player 
  characters are perfectly capable of saving the day and defeating Master 
  Villains without Lion-O and his magic sword. That being said, things are 
  
   
   
  much, much easier with Lion-O around, and his Beacon ability can turn 
  the tide of almost any fight. 
  But that only seems fair, since on the cartoon, the minute he fired 
  off that beacon, everything fell apart for the forces of evil. 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  The TCRPG project is not without many, many people to thank. The 
  following resources were invaluable in the compilation of this game and 
  deserve your patronage: 
   
  Wikipedia (World information) 
   
  Dafont.com (Fonts) 
   
  Thundercats.wikia.com (Tons of information about all things 
  Thundercats) 
   
  Lulu.com (Printing services) 
   
  Jlschwennen.wordpress.com (my blog, where this project starts, ends, 
  and lives) 
   
  Aspiring Narrators may want to check out the following critical 
  resources: 
   
  Gamemastering (a terrific manual on how to run RPGs, produced by 
  vagrantworkshop.com) 
   
  The 1980s Visionaries animated series, particularly the first season. 
   
   
   
  
   
   
  Trigger: 
  Effect: 
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  Trigger: 
  Effect: 
  Heroic Surge 
   
   
  
   
   
  If you are at all like the author of this book, you like to have a book in 
  your hands, not just on your screen. Since it would be wrong (and illegal) 
  for the author to print this book and charge you for the product, since 
  he does not own the IP for Transformers in any way, this appendix 
  contains the directions required to print it yourself at a fabulous online 
  printing company, Lulu (lulu.com). 
  1. Go to lulu.com and create an account/sign in 
  2. Click PUBLISH, then BOOKS, then START PUBLISHING 
  3. Click MAKE PAPERBACK BOOK 
  4. For Working Title, enter: Thundercats - The Role-Playing Game, 
  for Author enter: Jeremiah Schwennen, and select KEEP IT 
  PRIVATE AND ACCESSIBLE ONLY TO ME, click SAVE & CONTINUE 
  5. For paper select STANDARD. For size select TALL then COMIC 
  BOOK. For binding select PERFECT BOUND. For color select 
  BLACK AND WHITE PRINTING, click SAVE & CONTINUE 
  6. Upload this file and create a cover of your choosing by following 
  the rest of the steps in Lulu’s easy user interface. 
   
  Please remember: This book CANNOT BE SOLD OR USED TO GENERATE 
  PROFIT IN ANY FORM. 
   
   
  
   
   
   
  0.0: Original release of complete rules. 60 pages. 07-22-2014 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  If you have suggestions or requests for 
  revision or expansion for TCRPG, please send those thoughts to 
  nightcandleimaginations@gmail.com or leave comments on the TCRPG 
  hosting page at  
  jlschwennen.wordpress.com/writing-projects/tcrpg 
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Kid Friendly/7. RPGs/Ages 8-10 (Attention span of 2 hours +, Proficient in basic math, Starting to read or reading chapter books)/Thundercats.pdf