# Oz Browning's OZR ## Credits Words by [Oz Browning](https://ozbrowning.itch.io). Development and editing by [Matthew K](https://quorumofsand.itch.io). Get the complete version illustrated by [Bert of Bertdrawsstuff](https://instagram.com/bertdrawsstuff) in PDF format at [itch.io](https://ozbrowning.itch.io/ozr) and in print soon at [Rook's Press](https://www.rookspress.com), printed by [Footprint Workers Co-op](https://footprinters.co.uk). Thanks to David, Derek, El, Johnny, Nakade, Roz, Sam, Shane, Sigve, Zac, numerous other RPG friends, and most especially to Robin. OZR borrows ideas from [2400](https://jasontocci.itch.io/2400) by Jason Tocci, [Freebooters on the Frontier](https://lampblack-and-brimstone.com/2019/02/freebooters-on-the-frontier-2e-playtest-update/) by Jason Lutes, [Into the Odd](https://chrismcdee.itch.io/electric-bastionland) by Chris McDowell, [Mausritter](https://mausritter.com/) by Isaac Williams, [So You Want To Be An Adventurer?](https://s-jared.itch.io/so-you-want-to-be-an-adventurer) by Jared Sinclair, and a bunch of old editions of D&D. Lines and Veils were created by Ron Edwards, and the [TTRPG Safety Toolkit](https://bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit) was compiled by Kienna Shaw and Lauren Bryant-Monk. The following text is licensed under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Before Play ### Paraphernalia To play you?ll need writing materials and 6-sided dice. You may find graph paper useful for drawing maps. If you?re playing remotely, a whiteboard app or virtual tabletop can be useful, but neither is required. ### Safety Discuss the tone and theme of the game until everyone is comfortable and on the same page. If you want some extra support consider using safety tools to skip over, shut down, or address harmful topics. A good place to start is to establish lines and veils. Lines are topics that you agree in advance to exclude from play, whereas veils are prompts to fade to black when certain topics come up. For more on safety tools, search online for the award-winning [TTRPG Safety Toolkit](https://bit.ly/ttrpgsafetytoolkit). But keep in mind that safety tools aren?t substitutes for kindness and respect. ### Roles One person takes the role of referee, describing a strange and dangerous world, and the others?the players?take the roles of characters exploring it. If you?re a player, start by making a character. Work together with the group to tie your characters together, and to the world. If you?re the referee, prepare for the first session of play. Once everyone is happy with their characters, and the referee has an idea of how to begin, you?re ready to play. ## If you're a player ### Characters You are an adventurer, brave or foolish, willing to march (or creep) into danger in search of fame and fortune. You?ll start with a trait, a weapon, some equipment, and a little luck. ### Traits You start with 1 trait. Your traits set you apart from your companions. They describe what you?re good at, what options you have to avoid danger, or maybe just the first thing people notice about you. #### Example Traits - Alert - Big - Charming - Clever - Cunning - Daring - Deceptive - Devout - Fierce - Friendly - Nimble - Precise - Quick - Resolute - Scary - Small - Sneaky - Strong - Tough - Weird ### Items You start with 6 torches, 1 week of rations, a weapon, and 3 additional pieces of equipment. Some example items are listed below. They all have a cost, given in c, for coins (or cabbages). Certain items such as armour, shields, and weapons can be broken to avoid injury or death. Broken items are not useful until they are repaired or replaced. #### Weapons Battle axe 7c Bow 25c Crossbow 30c Dagger 3c Mace 5c Polearm 7c Spear 4c Staff 2c Sword 7c War hammer 5c #### Equipment Ammunition, 20 5c Backpack 5c Bedroll 2c Book 3c Bottle or vial 1c Caltrops, bag 4c Candles, 4 1c Canvas sheet 1c Chainmail 40c Chalk, 12 sticks 1c Crowbar 10c Grappling hook 25c Helmet 10c Ink, vial 5c Iron spikes, 12 3c Lantern 10c Leather armour 20c Thieves? tools 25c Mallet 2c Medicinal herbs 10c Mirror 5c Oil, flask 2c Plate mail 60c Pole, 10 foot 1c Rations, 1 week 5c Rope, 50 foot 1c Sack 1c Shield 10c Shovel 5c Tent 7c Tinderbox 1c Torches, 6 1c Wine, pint 1c Waterskin 1c Winter clothing 5c Wooden stakes, 12 1c ### Luck You start with 1 luck. Luck improves your odds when you make a save, and can be spent to avoid injury, exhaustion, or death. Your luck will improve with experience. ### Details Choose a name, pronouns, and describe your look. Now you?re ready to play. ### Play The referee will describe the situation. Ask them questions to clarify anything ambiguous before continuing. Say what you do and how you do it. The referee might ask you to clarify what your intent is, if it?s unclear. If you attempt anything dangerous the referee will explain the consequences of failure and ask you to make a save. The referee will then describe what happens next, and the game continues. ### Saves If the referee asks you to make a save, roll a 6-sided die to try and avoid danger. If you roll equal to or under your current luck you succeed, otherwise you fail and face consequences such as injury or exhaustion. A 1 is always a success and a 6 is always a failure. If you have an obvious advantage?such as a relevant trait, useful item, or help from a friend?roll 2 dice and take the lowest result. If an action is uncertain, but not dangerous, talk it through as a group instead of making a save. Flip a coin if you can?t decide. You may reduce your luck by 1 to turn a failed save into a success, or to avoid injury. Your luck can?t go below 0. Recover luck by resting. ### Combat If you engage an enemy in combat, play as normal, describing your actions one moment at a time. Most actions taken in combat are dangerous enough to require a save. ### Injury & Exhaustion Each time you?re injured or exhausted, cross out a trait or an appropriate item such as a shield or armour. If you have nothing left to cross out you die. Traits lost to injury or exhaustion aren?t useful until you recover. You may still be big or clever but you?re too hurt or tired to benefit from it. ### Death If you die, make a new character and get back to play. Don?t spend too long figuring out how your new character arrives??do what?s best for the table, not what?s most realistic. ### Rest & Recovery When you spend a night resting, recover 1 luck up to a maximum equal to your number of traits. When you spend a week resting with proper care, recover one lost trait. For every full day you go without food or rest, make a save to avoid exhaustion. ### Travel The distance you can travel depends on the type of terrain. |Terrain |Distance |Examples | |----------|--------------------|-----------------| |Difficult |6 miles per 8 hours |Jungle, mountains| |Normal |8 miles per 8 hours |Woodland, hills | |Clear |12 miles per 8 hours|Plains, roads | You can travel up to twice as fast if you are unencumbered, familiar with the terrain, or by making a forced march. If you make a forced march, or travel for more than 8 hours without rest, make a save to avoid injury or exhaustion. The referee will track time as you travel, and check to see if you have any encounters along the way. ### XP Each session of play you survive earns you 1 xp. Once you have more xp than traits, you gain a new trait and reset your xp to 0. So your 2nd trait costs 2 xp, your 3rd costs 3 xp, and so on. Whenever you gain a new trait, you gain 1 luck. ## If you're the ref ### Preparation Spend some time thinking about the world. - What interesting locations are nearby? - Who lives here, and what do they want? - What here is not what it seems? Note down your answers, but keep them general. Most world building happens during play, not prep. If it helps, draw a basic map of your locations. If you?re using material written by someone else, read it with these questions in mind. Take note of any useful maps or illustrations. ### Encounters For each location (e.g. a town, a dungeon, a forest) create a list of 6 people, monsters, or unexpected events that the characters might encounter. Some should be mundane, others strange. Don?t worry about making them dramatic or meaningful. ### People & Monsters Give each person and monster up to 6 characterful traits and a brief description including their wants or behaviour, and any interesting equipment they carry. The more traits, the better they are at avoiding danger, and the harder they are to defeat in combat. People and monsters have no luck. They make saves using their remaining number of useful traits instead. When they?re injured, cross out a trait or appropriate item as usual. Convert monsters from other games by giving them a number of traits equal to their hit dice (HD) up to a maximum of 6. ### Time Track time in dangerous locations in exploration turns of about 10 minutes and travel turns of about 8 hours. Mark 1 exploration turn each time the c...
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