Desperate & Hungry A Fantasy Roleplaying Game
James D. Hargrove
Who Are Adventurers? Adventuring is hard work done by hard people. Although there is a small potential to gain riches or fame as an adventurer, the truth is that adventurers do what they do because they have few other prospects in life, either because they are desperate, mad, or both. Most adventurers do not retire. Most adventurers die completely unknown, unmissed, and unsung in some god-forsaken distant land untouched by civilized folk in search of some great treasure they will never find. They sure as hell aren't heroes. Heroes are the stuff of legends, rousing tales told around campfires and tavern tables. Adventurers are real people fallen on hard times, willing to do whatever it takes to get by.
Character Creation Choose a Culture Barbarians are savage folk who grew up living off the land in the wild areas of the world. This lifestyle has made them tough beyond measure, capable of dealing with life's many hardships. A Barbarian's survival skills count as a favorable circumstance when resolving related action (e.g., building a snare trap in the woods, starting a fire during a storm, tracking prey, etc.) Commoners may live in the country or the city but, regardless, spring from the lower rungs of society and grew up working hard to earn a living plying a trade craft. Choose a specific trade craft to specialize in. A Commoner's craft counts as a favorable circumstance when resolving action related to it (e.g., building traps, farming crops, fletching arrows, forging weapons, repairing armor, etc.) Aristocrats grew up in the upper echelons of society and, as such, have the benefit of a wealthy upbringing. Typically they live in the city, although they may have grown up in a family owned castle or manor. An Aristocrat's former station counts as a favorable circumstance when resolving related action (e.g., bribing a local official, impressing a fellow Aristocrat, negotiating a contract, etc.) Choose an Occupation (if Human) You are a Fighting Man, trained in battle and in the use of armor and weapons or unarmed combat. Perhaps you are a ferocious Viking raider, a warrior monk, or a medieval knight. Whatever type of Fighting Man you choose to play, you will probably end up on the front lines of your adventuring party, going toe-to-toe wi th monsters. A Fighting Man’s martial skill counts as a favorable circumstance when resolving combat action. You are a Magic-User, a mysterious figure, a master of arcane powers and spell casting. MagicUsers can be devastating opponents, despite being physically weaker than other adventuring classes. You might be a druidic priestess, a sinister cultist, a savage shaman, or a cleric of The Faith blessed with holy powers. A Magic-User’s knowledge of the arcane counts as a favorable circumstance when resolving spell casting attempts. You are a Rogue, a figure in the shadows, an expert in stealth and delicate tasks. Locks, traps, and scouting are your trade; you are the eyes and ears of the adventuring party, the one who handles the perils of the adventuring environment itself. You may choose to be a stealthy assassin, a burly street tough, or even a crafty cat burglar. A Rogue’s unique mastery of the larcenous arts counts a favorable circumstance when attempting to resolve related action.
Choose a Race (if not Human) You are a Dwarf, a short but sturdy warrior born in the subterranean halls of Underearth. You gain the features of a Fighting Man, but do not gain the benefits of Character Growth past six adventures. Further, you reduce any magical damage dealt against you by 1d6 Hit Points, you automatically note worked stone in otherwise natural stone surroundings (including concealed doors and traps at the Referee's discretion), and you are able to speak the languages of Dwarves, Elves, and Goblins in addition to the common tongue of humanity. You are an Elf, appearing lithe and delicate, but harboring an inner fury. You begin play with either the features of a Fighting Man or a Magic-User and may switch from one of these occupations to the other between adventures (but not during an adventure). You do not gain the benefits of Character Growth past four adventures as a Fighting Man or past eight adventures as a Magic-User. Further, you automatically notice concealed doors and are able to speak the languages of Dwarves, Elves, and Orcs in addition to the common tongue of humanity. You are a Halfling, a diminutive, sneaky, sort who has had to give up a life of relative comfort in the shire to endure the hard life of an adventurer. You gain the features of a Rogue, but do not gain the benefits of Character Growth past four adventures. Further, you reduce any magical damage dealt against you by 1d6 Hit Points and add +3 to any damage you inflict with a missile weapon (e.g., arrow, blown dart, crossbow bolt, sling bullet, etc.) in combat. This bonus is not added to thrown melee weapons. You are able to speak the common tongue of humanity. Describe Your Accouterments Describe the two weapons most favored by your character, even if they are just your hands and feet. After you have done this, define what armor (if any) and clothes your character wears. This step of character creation is entirely symbolic, but it does define how your character looks and can be expected to act in combat situations. In addition to defined accouterments, every character is assumed to possess any easily portable equipment that makes sense for their occupation or race to possess, unless they have been deprived of such equipment during actual play (e.g., a Halfling or Rogue is assumed to always be in possession of things like lock picks under normal circumstances). Draw a Picture This step of character creation is self-explanatory. The picture you draw need not be detailed or masterful, merely representative of your character. If you so wish, you can draw a picture of your actual character or simply a picture of something that represents what or who your character is (e.g., a coat of arms, a weapon they hold dear, a holy symbol, etc.) Define Your Code Even though adventurers are desperate, hungry, people, they still live by a code – an inviolate rule. What this code is differs from one person to another. Define your character’s code.
Determine Hit Points Fighting Men roll 3d6 for starting Hit Points, Magic-Users roll 1d6 for starting Hit Points, and Rogues roll 2d6 for starting Hit Points. Record Action Points Every character begins with three Action Points. Action points are replenished in full at the end of every game session. Record Wealth Rating Material wealth in games of Desperate & Hungry is not tracked in terms of individual coins, gemstones, or other such things. Instead, every character has a Wealth Rating representing the total amount of material wealth they possess. Newly created characters have a Wealth Rating of zero as they are flat broke, having been divested of all their material wealth prior to actual play.
Playing the Game The System Basics Whenever a character wants to perform an action in Desperate & Hungry, it is automatically successful – provided that it is not against the game world’s physics – unless it is being performed under duress. In such instances, players roll 1d6 to resolve the action attempt. By default, the player needs to produce a roll result of 5+ to succeed. If extenuating circumstances make performing an action successfully unlikely, the result needed for success can be shifted upward by one as the Referee sees fit (e.g., if a result of 5+ is normally required for an action, a result of 6 is now required). Likewise, the result needed for success may be shifted downward by one to reflect favorable circumstances (such as those granted by a related culture, occupation, or race). Results of 1 are always a failure. Finally, if a player does not like the results of a die roll, they may spend an Action Point to reroll that die and ignore the first result. Once re-rolled, the second result must be accepted. Order of Combat During combat, time is divided into turns. During any given turn, a character may attempt to perform one action, making a check to resolve that action as previously described. To determine the order in which characters can take those actions, at the beginning of a combat turn, each side rolls Initiative on a d6; high roll wins. The winning side acts first – moving, attacking, and casting spells. The other side takes damage and casualties, and then gets its turn. Initiative rolls may result in a tie. When this happens, the side who did not initiate combat acts first (this system awards caution). A player may spend an Action Point to have their character take an additional action during their turn. This may only be done once per turn (for a total of two actions), but may also be done multiple times in a single combat if the player so chooses.
Health and Damage When a character hits an opponent with an attack (magical or mundane) in combat, the attacker rolls 1d6 to determine damage. A player may spend an Action Point to re-roll this result if displeased the first time around. As with resolving basic action, this second roll result must be kept. Further, a Fighting Man's player can spend an Action Point to roll another 1d6 and add this result to the first 1d6 rolled. Finally, a Rogue doubles the amount rolled on their die if attacking an opponent from behind or from ambush. The determined amount of damage is then subtracted from the target's Hit Point total. Once a character’s or monster’s Hit Points have been reduced to less than zero, they are dead. Injured characters heal 1d6 Hit Points of damage per eight hours of rest that they receive in game time up to their Hit Point maximum. Magical healing is also possible and is discussed below. Note that dead characters cannot be healed, even through the use of magic. The Art of Magic Of player character types, only Magic-Users or Elves can call upon the forces of magic to aid them in Desperate & Hungry. There are five basic types of magic, with two types available to a MagicUser at character creation (player’s choice). Alteration: Alteration changes the physical properties of a living character or creature; altering their body. Magical healing and shape changing, for example, fall under this category of magic. Banishment: Banishment compels forces, characters, or creatures in the caster’s immediate vicinity to depart. Examples of Banishment magic include dispelling a curse or turning undead. Conjuration: Conjuration creates items or mundane elements where none previously existed. Creating fire from thin air, for example, falls under this category of magic. Control: Control physically manipulates items or elements. For example, causing a flying arrow to stop in mid-flight or drawing shadows to oneself are both examples of Control at work. Summoning: Summoning calls to the caster creatures or characters that already exist but are not in the immediate area. Things commonly summoned include demons and alien gods. Casting spells is resolved just like any other action, though players should take care to state the desired results of their spell casting attempt as specifically as possible, lest a clever Referee twist circumstances of a failed roll to ramp up the drama. Note that you can combine different types of magic to create certain effects in the game (for example, a character may use Conjuration to summon a ball of fire and Control to hurl it toward an enemy in combat). Such attempts are resolved with a single action/roll, rather than requiring a different roll for each desired result (e.g., a player would make one roll to conjure the ball of fire and throw it, rather than two separate rolls to summon the ball of fire and throw it as an attack in combat). Where magical healing using Alteration is concerned, just as damage dealing magic spells cause 1d6 Hit Points worth of damage, so does Alteration heal 1d6 Hit Points of damage (not to exceed a character's maximum Hit Points) when applied in such a manner. Alteration may only be applied in this manner once to a character in any given day, though a Magic- User or Elf’s player may s pend an Action Point to roll an additional 1d6 and add the result to the first 1d6 rolled for Hit Points recovered (Hit Points regained in this manner may still not exceed a character's maximum Hit Points).
Character Growth All characters gain 1d6 HP after every adventure that they complete. Additionally, Fighting Men do an extra point of damage to opponents in combat for every such adventure that they complete, Magic-Users gain access to an additional type of magic for every three such adventures they complete (player’s choice), and Rogues gain an additional Action Point (added to their Action Point maximum) for every two such adventures they complete.
Guidance for Referees How to Be a Referee There are two chief types of beings that Referees are responsible for portraying in games that use the Desperate & Hungry system: Monsters and non-player characters (NPCs). These beings are discussed at length here and, later, guidelines are given for converting such beings from other game systems to the Desperate & Hungry system. Additionally, lost magic is discussed in this section – types of magic that may or may not exist in your game world, but that are presented here for use by NPCs or as the end goal of quests for player characters to pursue. Also, the Referee is responsible for rewarding the player characters in-game, typically in the form of treasure. Guidelines are given here for creating and dispensing such awards. Finally, some basic advice on running games of Desperate & Hungry is provided to close out this section of the rules. The Basics of Monsters Baseline monsters for Desperate & Hungry are defined only by Hit Dice (#d6) and Hit Points (determined by rolling the prescribed number of Hit Dice). Baseline monsters attack as player characters, though they do not have Action Points and are capable of making only one attack per turn in combat (although many of them do have special attacks as outlined in their description). They roll damage on six-sided dice as player characters do. Elite monsters are the most fearsome or noteworthy creatures in a group monster encounter. Usually, elite monsters serve as the leaders of other monsters in such in an encounter (sometimes they are just tougher member of the group). To create an elite monster, start with a baseline monster, double its Hit Points and give it access to a number of Action Points equal to the player characters present in combat. It may spend these Action Points as a Fighting Man does, as well as using them to re-roll damage and gain extra actions in combat. Additionally, at the Referee’s disc retion, such monsters may be capable of using two types of magic. Solo monsters are the most fearsome of all monsters that player characters will encounter and, by definition, must be faced alone. To create a solo monster, choose a baseline monster, multiply its Hit Points by the number of player characters present in combat, and give it access to a number of Action Points equal to twice the number of player characters present. As above, it may spend these Action Points as a Fighting Man does, as well as using them to re-roll damage and gain extra actions in combat. Likewise, at the Referee’s discretion, such monsters may be capable of using three or more types of magic and may have access to lost magics (see “Lost Magics” for more details) . A Creature Collection Beginning on the following page is a small selection of creatures and monsters that player characters may run into during games that use the Desperate & Hungry system.
Animated Skeleton – Animated skeletons are, as one might suppose, the skeletal frames of once living creatures given animus. As such, skeletons range in size from the small (e.g. dog skeletons) to the colossal (e.g. giant skeletons). Baseline animated skeletons have half the Hit Dice (rounded down) that the creature they belonged to in life did and, if that creature gained a bonus to damage dealt in combat due to size or strength, so does its skeleton. All damage dealt to animated skeletons is halved. Other undead creatures, constructs, gelatinous creatures, and oozes cannot become animated skeletons. Animal Swarm – An animal swarm consists of small animals (e.g. bats, insects, rats). Each such swarm attacks and takes damage as if it were one creature. Baseline animal swarms have 1d6 Hit Dice. Basilisk – A large lizard that resembles a Komodo dragon. In addition to dealing normal combat damage, the basilisk can turn to stone any creature that it touches or that meets its gaze. Characters who have been turned to stone in this manner may not take actions until they have been cured of this condition. The basilisk can, itself, be turned to stone if forced to look upon itself in a mirrored surface. Baseline basilisks have 6d6 Hit Dice. Black Ooze – A black ooze is a minimally sentient amorphous black blob that lives only to eat, growing in size as it does so. A black ooze attacks in combat by using pseudopods, either to strike or grapple an opponent. Any opponent successfully hit by a black ooze in combat takes +2 damage, with any grappled creature taking an automatic (no roll required) 1d6 damage per turn until they break free of the grapple by making a successful action check. While grappled, the only action a creature can take is attempting to break free. Any non-magical weapon used to strike a black ooze becomes corroded to the point of being useless in 1d6 turns. Baseline black oozes have 8d6 Hit Dice. Dog – Man’s best friend. Or, at least, a man’s best friend. Domesticate d dogs will fight fiercely to protect their owner, while wild dogs will fight fiercely to protect themselves. Dogs have 1d6 Hit Dice. Doppelganger – Doppelgangers are strange beings that are able to take on the shapes of those they encounter. In its natural form, the creature looks more or less humanoid, but slender and frail, with gangly limbs and half-formed features. The flesh is pale and hairless. Its large, bulging eyes are yellow with vertical, slit, pupils. A doppelganger is hardy, with a natural agility that belies its frail appearance. Baseline doppelgangers have 4d6 Hit Dice. Gelatinous Bear – Gelatinous bears are odd creatures with jelly-like, translucent, skin that somewhat resemble a bear is size and shape. Unlike a normal bear, the gelatinous bear attacks by enveloping its prey within its central body mass (requires a successful hit in combat) where a highly corrosive acid dissolves it, doing 1d6 damage per turn that the prey remains there. A successful action check must be made by ensnared prey to break free. Gelatinous bears are typically found deep in the wild, though some have been known to lair in old ruins. Baseline gelatinous bears have 5d6 Hit Dice. Ghoul – Ghouls are thin, pale, man-sized humanoids with sunken pale eyes and claw-like hands who survive on the flesh of the living (or recently deceased) and are most frequently encountered in cemeteries and other such places. Any creature or character that a ghoul successfully hits in combat is immediately paralyzed and unable to take action for 1d6 turns. Any character killed by a ghoul will immediately arise as a ghoul on the following combat turn. Baseline ghouls have 2d6 Hit Dice. Giant (Various) – Giants are exceptionally tall, muscular, humanoids who stand anywhere from roughly 12’ tall to 20’ tall. Depending upon their size, giants may deal anywhere from +2 damage to +3
dice of damage on a successful hit in combat due to their immense strength. Further, some giants may be affiliated with an element of nature (e.g. air, earth, fire, water) and will take no damage from attacks of that type. Finally, baseline giants may have anywhere from 8d6 to 12d6 Hit Dice. Goblin – Small, green-skinned, humanoids with yellow eyes and sharp teeth, goblins most often dwell underground and, as a result, can see well in the dark but suffer a -1 penalty to their attack rolls when fighting in sunlight. Goblins are chaotic, disorganized, beasties who lack a cohesive society and live mostly to eat, sleep, and breed. Baseline goblins have ½ Hit Dice (i.e. 1d3). Gorgon – A horrible beast with the body and head of a human, but with hair fashioned of living snakes and a pair of leathery wings protruding from its back. Any creature who locks eyes with a gorgon is turned to stone. Characters who have been turned to stone in this manner may not take actions until they have been cured of this condition. Like the basilisk, a gorgon can be turned to stone if forced to look upon itself in a mirrored surface. Finally, the snakes upon the gorgon’s head bite with deadly poison that kills within 2d6 turns if left untreated. Baseline gorgons have 4d6 Hit Dice. Horse – Horses are the primary means of personal transport in the world, be they ridden or used to pull wagons. Horses can and will attempt to trample opponents in combat when frightened, though will flee as soon as possible. Baseline horses have 2d6 Hit Dice. Hydra – A huge beast with the body of a serpent and six heads, the hydra has poisonous breath that inflicts +2 damage upon a successful hit in combat. Further, the blood of a hydra is so toxic that it deals 1d6 damage to any who come in contact with it, even after the hydra is slain. Baseline hydras have 8d6 Hit Dice (one Hit Die for each of its six heads and two Hit Dice for its body). Juggernaut – Juggernauts are huge, lumbering, magical constructs of animated stone and metal left over from an unknown war fought in eons long since passed. Slow and plodding, they roam the wilds, crushing all in their path, driven by unknown magics to destroy everything that they perceive. They range in size from 30’ tall to an almost impossible 50’ tall and do 2d6 to 4d6 damage on a successful hit in combat. Baseline juggernauts have 12d6 Hit Dice. Manticore – A horrible beast with the face of a man, the body of a lion, leathery wings, and a tail tipped with a spiked ball that can be used as a melee weapon or that can launch spikes six at a time per combat turn (each such spike being resolved and dealing damage as a separate attack). It can only launch 24 spikes in this manner per day. Baseline manticores have 6d6 Hit Dice. Merfolk – Man-sized, blue-skinned, amphibious humanoids who dwell under the sea in large cities constructed of coral and shells, merfolk gain a +1 to all of their attack rolls when fighting in the water and a -1 to their attack rolls when fighting on land. Baseline merfolk have 1d6 Hit Dice. Ogre – Large, green-skinned, humanoids, ogres stand nearly ten feet tall and hit with such force that they deal +2 damage in combat on a successful hit. Usually ogres band together to perform organized raids under the direction of another, more intelligent, leader. Baseline ogres have 3d6 Hit Dice. Orc – Man-sized, green-skinned, humanoids, orcs are tribal hunters and gatherers who dwell in small communities upon the open plains. Orcs who are encountered in hunting parties, war bands, or at an encampment are almost always accompanied by one or more elite Orcs. Orc chieftains are typically solo monsters. Baseline Orcs have 1d6 Hit Dice.
Purple Worm – Gargantuan burrowing creatures, purple worms are usually found in subterranean cavern systems, though they have been known to break through the ground to attack creatures on the world’s surface. Anytime a purple worm hits with a bite attack in combat, they do 2d6 damage. Additionally, any time that they hit with a bite attack, roll an extra 1d6. On a result of five or more, they have swallowed their opponent whole. A swallowed creature takes an automatic (no roll required) 1d6 points of damage per turn until the worm or the swallowed creature is killed. Baseline purple worms have 10d6 Hit Dice. Specter – A malevolent, incorporeal, undead spirit that lingers on the physical plane of existence, often as the manifestation of a creature who met a violent end. Being incorporeal, specters are immune to attacks from non-magic weapons (including silvered weapons) or attacks. Specters deal 2d6 damage on a successful hit in combat and all Hit Points lost due to a specter’s attack are permanently lost (i.e., they cannot be replenished by healing, only by completing adventures). Any character killed by a specter in this manner will arise as a specter under the control of the one who killed him on the following turn. Baseline specters have 6d6 Hit Dice. Thunderbird – Gargantuan birds with a wingspan of nearly 25 feet that live atop a flying mountain high above the clouds, thunderbirds can call upon the power of storms in combat, invoking both lightning and gales of wind. A thunderbird’s basic bite and claw attacks do +2 damage, their lightning attacks do 2d6 damage on a successful hit, and any targets hit by a gale of wind (60’ radius centered on a single target) summoned by the thunderbird are paralyzed and unable to take action for 1d6 turns. Baseline thunderbirds have 8d10 Hit Dice. Troll – Almost plant-like, trolls are large, rubbery, green, creatures that stand nearly 12 feet tall and are capable of regenerating lost Hit Points during combat. At the beginning of each turn (after the first) in combat, a Troll regains three Hit Points, up to its Hit Point maximum. Only burning a Troll will stop this regeneration from taking place. Indeed, even a troll reduced to -5 Hit Points or less can rise as a result of this regeneration if its remains are not burned. As an ogre, a troll is so strong that it deals an extra +2 damage in combat on a successful hit. Baseline trolls have 6d6 Hit Dice. Vampire – Man-sized, humanoid, undead creatures, vampires present as pale-skinned humans with dull, yellow, eyes. Vampires can only be hit in combat with magic weapons or attacks, but when reduced to zero Hit Points in this manner, rather than die, they transform into a swarm of bats and flee. Injured vampires regenerate health as trolls do. Only exposing a vampire to direct daylight, driving a stake through their heart, or decapitating them will kill them for good (and does so immediately). This can most easily be accomplished during the day, when a vampire must return to his resting place (often a coffin). Further, vampires can be repelled by a holy symbol wielded by somebody with religious conviction (requires a successful action check). Vampires deal 2d6 damage on a successful hit in combat and all Hit Points lost due to a vampire’s attack a re permanently lost (i.e., they cannot be replenished by healing, only by completing adventures). Finally, any character killed by a vampire will arise as a vampire under the control of the one who turned him. Baseline vampires have 8d6 Hit Dice. Wight – Man-sized undead creatures with skeletal features and taut, dry, skin, who are often found haunting burial mounds and cemeteries. Any creature or character that a wight successfully hits in combat is immediately paralyzed and unable to take action for 1d6 turns. Further, all Hit Points lost due to a wight’s attack are permanently lost (i.e., they cannot be replenished by healing, only by completing adventures). A character killed by a wight in this manner will immediately arise as a wight on the following combat turn. Finally, wights can only be damaged by magic or silvered weapons and other magic attacks. Baseline wights have 3d6 Hit Dice.
Wolves – A common sight in the wilderness, wolves travel and attack in packs, with each pack led by an elite wolf. Baseline wolves have 1d6 Hit Dice. Zombie – Zombies are the bodies of recently deceased creatures given animus. As such, zombies range in size from the small (e.g. dogs) to the colossal (e.g. giants). Baseline Zombies have the same number of Hit Dice as they did in life and retain any bonuses to damage dealt in combat due to size or strength. All damage dealt to zombies is halved, as they don’t feel pain and will attack until dismembered. Other undead creatures, constructs, gelatinous creatures, and oozes cannot become zombies. Non-Player Characters Non-player characters (NPCs) are created and advanced (per the rules for Character Growth) as player characters are, although they may have access to lost magics as discussed on the next page. Converting from Other Sources You have no doubt noticed that the Desperate & Hungry system shares some things in common with various iterations of the World’s Most Famous Fantasy RPG. This is intentional and, indeed, converting adventures made for use with that system (in most of its incarnations) and other simulacra to the Desperate & Hungry system is dead simple. Following are some quick and dirty rules for converting both characters and monsters from those other systems. Converting Characters First, assign the Desperate & Hungry culture that makes the most sense for the character you are converting given their description in the source material. Some sources may or may not give you enough background on a character to easily nail down what culture they hail from. In such instances, just pick whatever culture you think fits the best (nobody will ever be the wiser). Second, if the character you are converting is human, assign them whatever Desperate & Hungry occupation best aligns with their character class in the source document. If the character is not human, assign whichever Desperate & Hungry race best aligns with their character race in the source document. It should be noted that the character races in Desperate & Hungry do not map to all possible sources of conversion material, but they do map to a lot of them. If you are converting a character whose race is not represented in Desperate & Hungry, you have two options – first, you can simply assign the Desperate & Hungry race that is the closest fit for the character in the source material or you can create your own race, using the Desperate & Hungry races as a guide. If the character in the source material is a Magic- User or an Elf, you’ll need to choose some magic for them to wield. This is less a science than an art, as magic in Desperate & Hungry paints things in broad strokes, rather than lists of spells as is common in much of the source material you’ll be converting characters from. If you’re converting a level one character, choose two t ypes of magic for them to wield. If you’re converting a higher -level character proceed as outlined below regarding magic types gained from completing adventures. Finally, make a note of the character’s level in the source document – this becomes the number of adventures the character has completed in Desperate & Hungry. Advance the character appropriately using the Desperate & Hungry rules for Character Growth, noting any occupation-based improvements for adventures completed, rolling Hit Points (both initial Hit Points, plus any earned from completing adventures), and recording the number of Action Points that the character has access to.
Converting Monsters First, see if a given monster already has an appropriate analogue in Desperate & Hungry. If it does, your job is simple – use the analogue as it appears herein. If the monster you are converting does not have an appropriate analogue in Desperate & Hungry, proceed as outlined below. Make a note of how many Hit Dice the monster you are converting has in the source document. These are converted on a 1:1 basis in Desperate & Hungry, except that they are now six-sided dice, rather than the die type noted in the source material. Next, roll the prescribed number of Hit Dice to determine how many Hit Points the monster has in Desperate & Hungry. After you have determined how many Hit Points the monster you are converting has, make a note of any special attacks that the monster possesses in the source document. If these attacks deal damage, they now only deal damage in increments of six-sided dice, as per all damage in Desperate & Hungry. Further, there are no saving throws in Desperate & Hungry, so if any of a monster’s special attacks trigger a saving throw in the source material, this facet of the special attack is completely ignored in Desperate & Hungry (i.e., the special attack cannot be saved against). Finally, if the monster that you are converting to Desperate & Hungry serves as either an elite monster or a solo monster of a given encounter in the source material, apply the appropriate monster template discussed under “The Basics of Monsters” on page five of this document. Note that monsters designated as “unique” with regard to frequency in the source material you are converting from are always treated as solo monsters in games that use the Desperate & Hungry system. Lost Magics Lost magics are those magics that have been forgotten by most of the world, either because they fell out of favor with society a very long time ago or because they have been deliberately hidden away by the gods or other powerful forces in the game world. The following lost magics may or may not exist in the game world, but are presented here for consideration of the Referee. Chronomancy: Chronomancy allows a caster to control the flow of time. Freezing the flow of time, reversing the flow of time, or even fragmenting time are all examples of Chronomancy at work. Divination: Divination allows one to see possible futures by employing the use of oracles that can be read by the caster. Examples of Divination include reading animal entrails, runestones, and tea leaves. Enchantment: Enchantment endows upon a character or object magical properties that they do not usually possess. Magic weapons and armor are the end products of Enchantment magic. Necromancy: Necromancy is the power to manipulate life and death. Restoring a dead individual to life, communicating with the dead, and creating zombies are all examples of Necromancy. Note that Necromancy can restore a dead character to life, whereas Alteration (as previously mentioned) cannot . This is one of the reasons that Necromancy is presented as a lost magic. This is an extremely powerful ability that has the potential to alter a game world and, thus, should be rare (seeking it out can also serve as the setup for a memorable quest). Treasure Reward Basics Treasure exists in Desperate & Hungry, but it isn’t easily won. Advent urers will not find piles of valuable coins or gems on a random corpse in the middle of the wilderness. Likewise, they wo n’t
stumble across wondrous magic items in a similar fashion. Treasure is hoarded by powerful monsters and dangerous, powerful, individuals who have worked very hard to obtain it. Treasure in Desperate & Hungry is the reward for surviving entire adventures, not overcoming single encounters. To determine how much material wealth player characters receive for surviving an adventure, the Referee rolls 1d6 at the conclusion of said adventure. If a die roll result of 5+ is obtained, then all characters who are present and alive at the end of the adventure raise their current Wealth Rating by 1d6 points, to a maximum of 18 points. With regard to magic items, the Referee rolls 1d6 at the conclusion of every adventure. If a die result of 5+ is obtained, then a magic item has been discovered. Magic items are defined however the Referee likes, though they are all the product of Enchantment. Magic items confer a favorable circumstance (per “The System Basics” on page 3) to a specified dice roll under specific conditions as defined by the Referee (e.g., a magic sword may grant a favorable circumstance to attack rolls when wielded against a specific type of creature or a magic ring that turns its wearer invisible may grant a favorable circumstance to a character who is trying to hide or sneak). Leveraging Wealth When a character wishes to purchase something, be it a good or service, and they have some level of Wealth Rating (characters with no wealth cannot buy anything), they need to roll 1d6. When a result of 5+ is rolled, they have the resources available to procure the desired commodity. The expense, quality, or rarity of the desired items or services directly impacts this roll, shifting the required result for success upward as follows: • Item or Service is: Cheap/Poor/Commonplace • Item or Service is: Affordable/Fair/Uncommon • Item or Service is: Expensive/Good/Rare • Item or Service is: Exorbitant/Exceptional/Unique
+0 +1 +2 +3
Furthermore, for every six points of Wealth Rating or portion thereof that a player character possesses – up to a maximum of 18 points – they gain a favorable circumstance to this die roll (i.e., the required die roll result may be shifted downward by up to three points). If a character successfully makes a purchase, they reduce their current Wealth Rating by a number of points equal to the expense, quality, or rarity of the item purchased as outlined above (to a minimum rating of zero), reflecting the expenditure of funds available to them. Some Parting Words Concerning Tone Desperate & Hungry is a game you’ve played before. It’s not original. It’s just another fantasy game made in the mold of a more famous, better tested, system that everybody knows and loves. That having been said, it differs from that game in a few important ways. First, characters in Desperate & Hungry aren’t shining paragons of virtue doing heroic things by default. They’re down and out, doing whatever they can to get by. Sane people with good standing in society don’t go out hunting for lost treasure or chasing monsters. Sane people with good standing in society live quite comfortably, accepted by their friends and neighbors, with neither a need or desire to journey into dangerous, unexplored, spaces in search of riches. Characters in Desperate & Hungry are probably not sane, they don’t have good standing in society, and they absolutely have a real need to explore dangerous delves in search of wealth, lest they die of starvation. Second, the world is a very dangerous place. Combat in Desperate & Hungry is damn lethal and that’s something your players should consider before running headlong into a melee combat. Monsters,
especially, are deserving of that name – with very few exceptions, they will absolutely destroy adventurers in fights where said adventurer s aren’t leveraging a tactical advantage to their benefit . There are no saving throws in Desperate & Hungry to mitigate lethal attacks, permanent Hit Point drain is a very real threat when combating undead, and adventurers have relatively few Hit Points compared to their counterparts in other, similar, games. Finally, while treasure does exist in the world of Desperate & Hungry, it is in relatively short supply. Characters will spend a lot of their time being broke or, at least, clawing their way out of extreme poverty. Every now and again, when luck favors them, they’ll find some small measure of wealth or, perhaps, a wondrous item imbued with magical power. Such circumstances are exceptional, however, not typical occurrences by any stretch of the imagination. Now, having said all of the above, Desperate & Hungry is not a game in which the Referee should take up an active adversarial stance against the players as there is plenty of that already baked right into the rules. The Referee should do their level best to remain an impartial judge, letting the rules and the dice dictate circumstances whenever possible. It is not possible for any game’s rules to cover all possibilities that may arise during actual play, of course, and these rules are no exception. Sometimes a Referee will have to exercise their best judgement to resolve a given situation in games of Desperate & Hungry. When doing so, the Referee should try to err on the side of entertainment for all parties involved, as that is ultimately the end goal Desperate & Hungry strives toward.
Designation of Open Game Content The entire rules text of this document (i.e., the sections of this document entitled Character Creation, Playing the Game, and Guidance for Referees) is Open Game Content. All of it. There you go.
Designation of Product Identity The title of this document (Desperate & Hungry: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game), the name of the author (James D. Hargrove), and the name of the publisher (Mystic Beard Games), are all Product Identity.
Other Legal Words of Import Cover art by Maciej Zagorski, used with permission of The Forge Studios. Image on page 12 by Maciej Zagorski, used with permission of The Forge Studios.
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark o wners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which a n existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c)”Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under cop yright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e)”Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trad e dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f)”Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign , motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g)”Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, trans late and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Ga me Content distributed using this License.
Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Ga me Content. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable. COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Swords & Wizardry, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch Swords & Wizardry: Whitebox by Matt Finch and Marv Breig, Copyright 2008, Matthew J. Finch Swords & Wizardry Complete Rules, Copyright 2010, Matthew J. Finch Core Elements: Revised Edition, Copyright 2005, Author James D. Hargrove Trailblazer, Copyright 2009, Author Benjamin R. Durbin, Published by Bad Axe Games, LLC Six-Hack, Copyright 2017, Author James D. Hargrove Desperate & Hungry, Copyright 2017, Mystic Beard Games; Author James D. Hargrove
