Swords&Six Siders

PRECIS INTERMEDIA PRESENTS…

ULTRA RULES-LITE OSR FANTASY

 TAB  TABL LE OF CONTENTS

Player’s Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 General Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Money and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 HP, HD, and Leveling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Saves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17  Abili  Ability ty Chec Checks ks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Gamemaster’s Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 25 Running a Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 The Monster Stat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Monster Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Creating New Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Designing Yo Your Fi First Ad Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

 WWW.PIG .PIGAME AMES. S.NET NET

 Writte  Written n and Illustra Illustrated ted by Stev Steve e Rob Robertso ertson n Edited by Brett M. Bernstein Ber nstein Special Thanks to Jerry Linscott ©2015, 2018 Precis Intermedia. Swords & Six-Siders is a trademark of Precis Intermedia. All rights reserved.

 TAB  TABL LE OF CONTENTS

Player’s Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 General Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Character Creation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Money and Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 HP, HD, and Leveling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Saves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17  Abili  Ability ty Chec Checks ks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Gamemaster’s Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 25 Running a Game . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 The Monster Stat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 Monster Descriptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 Creating New Monsters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Treasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Designing Yo Your Fi First Ad Adventure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

 WWW.PIG .PIGAME AMES. S.NET NET

 Writte  Written n and Illustra Illustrated ted by Stev Steve e Rob Robertso ertson n Edited by Brett M. Bernstein Ber nstein Special Thanks to Jerry Linscott ©2015, 2018 Precis Intermedia. Swords & Six-Siders is a trademark of Precis Intermedia. All rights reserved.

PLAYER’S SECTION

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“Unsheathe your swords, ready your spells, and watch your step,  for dragons do not yield their loot willingly!” Swords & Six-Siders™ is a fantasy role-playing game inspired by the works of Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson, and Ken St. Andre. This is a rules-lite game of dungeon exploration and fantasy adventure.  All that is needed to play is this book, pencil and paper, six-sided dice, two or more players, and your imagination. COMMON S&SS: D6 or 1D6: GM:  GP:  AC: HD: HP: DR: STR:  INT:  WIS:  DEX:  CON:  CHA: 

ABBREVIATIONS Swords & Six-Siders™ six-sided die roll gamemaster  gold piece armor class hit dice hit point damage reduction strength intelligence wisdom dexterity  constitution charisma

GENERAL RULES This game resolves all rolls with a six-sided die, a d6. A roll of a natural 1 (the number actually rolled on the die, apart from any modiers) always fails, and a roll of a natural 6 always succeeds.  Whenever there is a roll, there is always at least a 1-in-6 chance for success or failure.

Unless stated otherwise, round up all fractions. The primary rule is to have fun. If there are any rule disputes, the GM should make his decision with the consent of the players.  When in doubt, err on the side of common sense and fun.

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CHARACTER CREATION Characters begin play at level 1.

1. Choose race, record languages, and roll ability scores. 2. Choose class, record abilities, and choose spells (if any). 3. Roll HP. If starting HP is less than 3, raise HP to 3. 4. Select armor, weapons, and starting equipment. 5. Calculate and record AC, DR, and bonuses/penalties to attack, damage, and saves. 6. Name your character something cool.

RACES

Dwarf  Dwarves are a short and stout mountain-dwelling folk, known as much for their churlish attitudes as for their lengthy beards. They have a keen eye towards underground and stone construction, detecting traps, sloping passages, and new construction with great skill. Dwarves have excellent low-light vision, but they cannot see in absolute darkness. Hit Dice: Dwarven myrmidons, thieves, and wizards reroll all 1s; dwarven ghters reroll all 1s and 2s. Defensive Bonus: +1 to AC against foes larger than humans. Save Bonus: +1 to all saves vs. magic or poison. Languages: Dwarf, Common, Gnome, Goblin, and Kobold.  Ability Modifers: -1 to DEX and CHA.

Limitations: Due to their smaller stature, dwarves cannot wield large weapons, such as the two-handed sword or long bow. 5

Elf  Elves have a slender frame with graceful features. They tend to be aloof, preferring to dwell in forests far from the cities of men. They have keen eyesight, allowing them to see far and notice details others normally miss. Hit Dice: Elves must reroll all 6s, regardless of class, due to their frail nature. Immunity: Elves are immune to all forms of magic involving charm, sleep, and paralysis. Languages: Elf, Common, Gnoll, Hobgoblin, and Orc.  Ability Modifers: -1 to STR and CON.

Haling Halings are a short, plump, good-natured race that enjoys life in their shires, which are nestled in the rolling hills. Halings can move silently and are almost impossible to spot while hiding. Defensive Bonus: +1 to AC. Save Bonus: +1 to all saves vs. magic or poison. Languages: Haling and Common.  Ability Modifers: -2 to STR.

Limitations: Because of their small size, halings cannot use any large weapons, bows, or crossbows; they must use both hands to wield a normal-sized weapon. 6

Human Humans are a diverse lot, coming in all shapes, sizes, and temperaments. They can adapt and thrive in almost any environment. Languages: Common, plus one of their choice (may be chosen during play).  Ability Modifers: Humans gain either +2 to a single ability of their choice or +1 to two different abilities.

 ABILITY SCORES Each character has six abilities:

STR: Strength, muscle, power. INT: Intelligence, IQ, knowledge, education level. WIS: Wisdom, common sense, awareness, self-control. DEX: Dexterity, skill, hand-eye coordination, agility. CON: Constitution, health, tness, vitality. CHA: Charisma, personality, appearance, leadership ability. Each of the character’s abilities has a score of 1 to 6. To determine the character’s ability scores, roll a d6 three times and record the numbers. Then record their three “opposite” numbers (the opposite of 6 is 1, the opposite of 5 is 2, and the opposite of 4 is 3, etc). This should result in six scores with a range of 1 to 6. Distribute the scores among the abilities in whichever way ts the concept for that character. Next, apply any racial ability modiers. An ability score cannot be reduced lower than 1 or raised above 6, regardless of modiers.  A score of 1 causes a -1 penalty and a score of 6 grants a +1 bonus to saves involving that ability. 7

CLASSES

Fighter Fighters are formidable in combat, able to use all armors and  wield all weapons. Cleave Attack: When a ghter lands a killing melee blow, the excess damage hits an adjacent target of the ghter’s choice. Level

HP*

Attack†

Damage†

1 2 3 4 5 6

2-6 4-12 6-18 8-24 10-30 12-36

+1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3

—  +1 +1 +2 +2 +3

* Reroll all 1s.

† Includes ranged attacks.

Myrmidon Myrmidons are able to ght and cast spells. They may cast spells  while wearing light or medium armor, but not heavy armor. Both hands must be free (no weapon or shield) in order to cast a spell. Myrmidons can use scrolls, but cannot create them. Spells Level

HP

Attack*

Damage*

Level 1

Level 2

1 2 3 4 5 6

1-6 2-12 3-18 4-24 5-30 6-36

— +1 +1 +2 +2 +2

— — +1 +1 +2 +2

1 2 3 3 3 3

—  —  —  1 2 3

* Includes ranged attacks. 8

Thief  Thieves are able to ght, but they excel in stealth and trickery. To make use of their exceptional skills, thieves cannot carry large  weapons or shields, or wear anything beyond light armor. Backstab: +1 to hit; bypasses DR when attacking an opponent from behind that is already engaged in combat. Fool’s Luck: Once per day, thieves may redo any roll that directly affects them, but they must use the second roll. Thieving Abilities: Thieves have special skill in performing actions related to stealth, such as moving silently, climbing, picking locks, hiding in shadows, nding and disarming traps, disguise, hearing noises, picking pockets, and the like. Other classes may attempt these activities, but thieves do it better.  For example:  Just about anyone can pick a lock provided they have a set of professional lock picks and enough time, but thieves can pick most locks quickly and automatically with the proper tools. Even without proper lock picks, thieves can attempt to pick a lock using only improvised objects.  For example: Anyone can attempt to climb a cliff with special gear and enough time, but thieves can attempt to climb sheer  walls without tools, doing so quickly.  When the thief does need to make such a roll, it is performed like any other save, but with their thief skills bonus applied, plus or minus any bonus/penalty due to ability scores. Level

HP

Attack*

Damage*

Thief Skills

1 2 3 4 5 6

1-6 2-12 3-18 4-24 5-30 6-36

— — +1 +1 +2 +2

— +1 +1 +2 +2 +2

+1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3

* Includes ranged attacks.

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Wizard  Wizards are masters of magic. Although feared for their powerful spells, they are physically weak and unskilled in combat. In order to cast spells, both hands must be free (no shield or weapons) and they cannot be wearing armor heavier than light armor.  Wizards can create magic scrolls for spells they know. Each scroll takes one week to make and costs 250gp per 1st level spell, 500gp per 2nd level spell, and 1,000gp per 3rd level spell. Scrolls disintegrate upon use. Spells Level

HP*

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

1 2 3 4 5 6

1-5 2-10 3-15 4-20 5-25 6-30

2 4 4 4 4 4

— — 2 4 4 4

—  —  —  —  2 4

* Reroll all 6s.

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MONEY AND EQUIPMENT Money in S&SS is measured in gp (gold pieces). Other forms of currency exist within the game world, such as silver and copper pieces, but everything is expressed in terms of gp for simplicity. Mundane purchases are not tracked; it is assumed that characters own whatever mundane equipment and weapons they need.

Gold pieces can be spent on training costs in order to gain levels, useful items (like various potions and scrolls), or special magical services (like removing curses and raising the dead).

Starting Equipment New characters begin with whatever basic equipment, weapons, and armor that they can use and carry, but no gold pieces. Common sense should be used when choosing equipment.

Basic Equipment Backpack Small Sack Large Sack Rope Grappling Hook

10' Pole Iron Spikes Crowbar Waterskin Iron Rations

Lantern Oil Flask  Torches Tinder Box Small Mirror 

Small Short Sword Hand Axe† Club Dagger† Sling & Stone Dart† Short Spear†

Medium Sword Battle Axe War Hammer Mace Short Bow & Arrow* Crossbow & Quarrel* Spear† Staff 

Large Two-Handed Sword* Great Axe* Great Maul* Pole Arm* Long Bow & Arrow*

† Can be thrown.

* Requires two hands to use.

Weapons & Damage

Melee Weapons Two-handed melee weapons inict d6+1 damage, while all other  weapons cause d6 damage. Fighters may dual wield, allowing them to reroll damage once if the rst roll is a 1.

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Ranged Weapons Crossbows bypass DR (damage reduction), but can only be red every other round. Range from longest to shortest is: Long Bow, Short Bow, Crossbow, Sling, Spear, then the rest of the thrown  weapons.

 Armor, Armor Class, and Damage Reduction AC  

4 5 6

Helmet/Shield none helmet or shield helmet and shield

DR 1 2 3

Body Armor light armor  medium armor  heavy armor 

 A character’s AC (armor class) represents how hard it is to hit him. The higher the AC, the harder he is to hit, representing the number needed to hit on an attack roll. Starting AC is 4; shields and helmets each provide a +1 bonus to AC. Dwarves and halings receive an AC bonus due to their small sizes. Body armors increase DR, rather than AC.  Any character can wear a helmet and carry a shield, but a shield cannot be used when wielding a weapon that requires two hands, casting spells, or utilizing thieving skills.  A character’s DR (damage reduction) represents how many points of damage are subtracted from a hit (every hit does at least 1 point of damage, regardless of DR). Light, medium, and heavy body armor refers to how much of the body is covered and therefore protected. The more protection, the more it weighs, reducing speed and mobility. Light armor causes a slight reduction in speed, but allows full mobility for casting spells, climbing, swimming, and other such activities. Medium armor causes a greater reduction in speed, hindering climbing, and preventing swimming and the use of thieving skills.  Wizards cannot cast spells in medium armor, but myrmidons can. Characters in heavy armor cannot move faster than a jog, and then only for short distances. Heavy armor prevents characters from climbing, swimming, or casting spells.

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HIT POINTS & HIT DICE HP (hit points) measure a character’s vitality, toughness, combat skill, and luck. HP are determined by rolling a character’s HD (hit dice). Characters start the game with one HD roll according to their race and class, and accumulate additional HP every time they gain a level. When characters are reduced to 0 HP, they are either slain or knocked unconscious, depending on the will of the attacker.

“I’ve returned with wounds and money. Train me in the art of dungeon ghting.”

LEVELING Characters gain levels by paying training costs with the gp they acquired during their adventures. Therefore, leveling can only happen while back in town, and only with the gp they themselves earned. Money alone is not sufcient to level, for the training builds on the real life experiences gained the hard way. A character cannot gain more than one level per adventure, as it takes time to process the lessons learned. Gold pieces spent on healing potions, scrolls, and other things do NOT count towards training costs. All races and classes use the same level chart.   Level Training Cost 1 2 3 4 5 6

—  1,000gp 5,000gp 15,000gp 30,000gp 60,000gp

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COMBAT

Rounds Combat is tracked by rounds, consisting of six seconds each.

Surprise  When characters rst encounter a monster, roll 1d6 for each side that is susceptible to being surprised. If the result is a 1 or 2, then that side is surprised. When one side is surprised and the other is not, the side that is not surprised gets a free action—they can move into position, cast a spell, attack, or ee.

Initiative  At the beginning of every combat round, after any surprise actions have been resolved, everyone rolls for initiative. This can be done as one roll for the group or for each individual, whichever the GM prefers. For initiative rolls, the number on the roll represents which second in the round the character performs his action. Since there are 6 seconds per round, 1s go rst, followed by 2s, and then 3s, etc.

 Attack/To-Hit Rolls To make an attack, roll 1d6 and add any to-hit modiers. If the sum is equal to or greater than the target’s AC, the attack hits. Remember that a natural 6 always hits and a natural 1 always misses, regardless of AC or modiers.

Damage Rolls  When an attack hits, roll for damage applying any damage modiers. If the target has any DR, subtract it from the damage done. Keep in mind that every successful hit inicts at least 1 point of damage, regardless of the damage roll or DR.

Casting Spells in Combat Spells cannot be cast while in melee range of an opponent. If a caster is hit by a spell or a ranged attack prior to his turn in the round, the spell being cast by him is interrupted and wasted.

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Healing   Apart from healing magic, characters are able to regain lost HP upon returning to town and resting. Characters in town can regain up to their level of HP per day of rest. Roll 1d6 (there is no need to roll for 1st level characters). The amount regained is equal to either the result of the roll or the character’s level, whichever is lower.  For example: If a 3rd level character rolls a 6, the amount of HP healed that day is 3. This is because 3 is the most HP he can recover in a day through normal bed rest. 1st level characters only heal 1 HP per day.

Healing Potions Drinking a healing potion restores 1d6 HP. Because these potions are so potent, characters are limited in how many they may drink. Fighters may drink one potion per level per day, while all others may only drink up to half their level in healing potions per day. Healing potions typically cost 250gp, but since they are made from rare and difcult-to-cultivate plants, prices have been known to uctuate, depending on supply and demand.

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Saves Saves can be made when attempting to halve or eliminate the effects of non-standard non-standard attacks (such (such as poison poison or spells). spells). To make a save, roll 1d6 and add half the character’s level, plus any other modiers. If the sum is 6 or more, the save succeeds. A natural 6 always succeeds and a natural 1 always fails.

 Abili  Ability ty Checks ecks  When  When a char charac acte terr attem ttempt ptss to do som somethin ething exce except ptiional onal,, but not impossible, he must make an ability check. This is done by rolling a d6 and adding/subtracting any ability score bonuses/  penalties. In some cases, the GM may allow the character to add half his level to the roll. If the roll plus modiers equals 6, then the attempt succeeds. A natural 6 always succeeds and a natural 1 always fails.  For  For ex exam ampl plee: A 3rd level ghter with a strength of 6 attempts to kick open a locked door. Since the character is a ghter, and they are skilled in using brute force, the GM allows the ghter to add half his level to the roll. This means that the ghter would roll 1d6, +2 from his level bonus, and +1 due to high strength. The ghter ghter need only only roll 3 or more because of his bonuses.  For  For ex exam ampl plee: A 6th level wizard with a strength of 3 attempts to kick open a locked door. Since wizards are not known for their physical physical prowess, the GM does not allow al low him to add a level bonus to the roll. In this situation, the only way this wizard can kick open the door door is if he rolls a natural 6. If the wizard wizard had a strengt strength h of only 1, the GM may not even allow the wizard to roll at all. thief with an intelligen intelligence ce of 1 tries tries to read read  For  For ex exam ampl plee: A 1st level thief an inscription written in an unknown language. Since cracking codes is a kind of thieving ability, he would add his thief bonus to the roll. His bonus of +1 cancels out the -1 penalty for his low intelligence (the relevant ability), so he would need to roll a 6 to read the inscription.

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18

SPELLS

Spellbooks & Memorizing Spells  Wizar  Wizards ds and and myrmid yrmidons ons need need their their spel spellb lboo ooks ks to memo emorize spells. Replacing a lost or destroyed spellbook is possible, but costs 1,000gp per level of the character. Before a caster can cast a spell, he must have a full night’s rest and then take the time to memorize spells for use that day. Once memorized, the spells are retained until they are cast—a spell is forgotten when cast. In order to cast the same spell more than once per day, the caster must use additional spell slots.

Learning New Spells  Wizar  Wizards ds and and myrmid yrmidons ons automa tomati ticall cally y gain gain one spel spelll of their their choice from each spell level they are able to cast. They learn an additional spell (determined randomly) for for each spell slot they later gain.  For  For ex exam ampl plee: A 2nd  level wizard would have 4 spells in his spellbook: 1 of his choice and 3 determined randomly. Additional spells may be added to a caster’s spellbook through acquiring scrolls and spellbooks as loot. To determine a spell randomly, roll a d6 twice. Cross reference the rolled row  or even rolled row using the rst die with the od the  odd d or ev en column for the second die (odd column for an odd number and even column for an even number). If the character already has both spells, the player may choose any spell of his choice.

Save vs. Spells eep p,  Magi  Magicc Eyeb Eyebea eam m,  With  With the the exce excepti ption on of a few spel spells ls like Sl like  Slee Undead, most with a harmful effect allow the target and Turn Undead, to make a save to avoid or reduce the spell’s effect. A successful DEX save reduces damage from a  Fir  Fireb ebal alll  by half, a WIS save can be made to avoid Charm Person, Person, and a CON save negates an unwanted Po unwanted Pollymor ymorph ph,, for example.

Spell Description Abbreviations Abbreviations used in spell descriptions.

R: range R: range

D: duration D: duration

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SPELL LIST

1st Level Spells Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6

Odd

Even

Arcane Portal Charm Person Darkvision Detection Grease Illusion

Light/Darkness Magic Eyebeam Mirror Image Sleep Tongues Turn Undead

2nd Level Spells Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6

Odd

Even

Beast Master Dispel Magic ESP Fireball Freeze Gaseous Form

Haste/Slow  Invisibility  Levitate Life Drain Lightning Bolt Stinking Cloud

3rd Level Spells Roll 1 2 3 4 5 6

Odd

Even

Arcane Eye Cloudkill Contact Other Plane Fly Insect Plague Invisibility Sphere

Plant Master  Polymorph Restoration Telekinesis Teleport Wall of Fire/Ice/Stone/Thorns

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1st LEVEL SPELLS R: Touch  Arcane Portal Magically opens or locks a door.

D: Permanent

Charm Person R: 60 feet D: 1 day per level Makes one humanoid believe it is the caster’s ally. Darkvision R: Touch Caster can see in absolute darkness.

D: 1 day 

Detection R: 60-foot radius D: Instant Detects a class of objects (such as traps, magic, secret doors, etc), causing them to glow briey. R: 60 feet D: 1 day  Grease Makes 10-foot2 area or one object slippery. R: 60 feet D: 1 round per level Illusion Creates an illusion with sound, smell, and thermal effects, but does no damage. Requires the caster to concentrate for the duration of the spell.

Light/Darkness R: 60 feet D: 1 week  Creates 60-foot radius of bright light or absolute darkness. Magic Eyebeam R: 60 feet D: Instant  Automatically hits any target in sight for 1d6+half of level in damage, bypassing DR. Mirror Image R: Self D: 1 day  Creates 1d6 decoy duplicates. Any successful hit actually hits one of the images, causing it to disappear. Sleep R: 60 feet D: 1 hour per level  A number of creatures equal to 1d6+half of caster’s level fall into a magical slumber. It can only effect monsters of up to M2 or one M3 monster. R: Self D: 1 day  Tongues The caster can understand, read, and speak a language of your choice.

Turn Undead R: 60 feet D: 1 hour per level  A number of undead creatures equal to 1d6+half of level ee from the caster’s presence or he can command one undead. Does not work on any undead above the caster’s level. 21

2nd LEVEL SPELLS R: Self D: 1 hour per level Beast Master Speak with all normal, non-magical animals, and make them  view caster as a friend.

Dispel Magic R: 120 feet Cancels magical spells and effects.

D: Permanent

ESP R: 120 feet Hear and see at a distance.

D: 1 minute per level

Fireball R: 120 feet D: Instant Inicts 1d6×half of level in damage within a 20-foot radius. R: 120 feet D: 1d6 rounds Freeze Freezes 1d6 humanoids in ice for 1d6 rounds, inicting 1 point of cold damage per round. R: Touch D: 10 minutes per level Gaseous Form Subject becomes insubstantial and can y slowly. R: 120 feet D: 1 minute per level Haste/Slow   A number of creatures equal to half of caster’s level move faster (slower), gain an extra attack/round (attacks every other round), +1 (-1) AC and DEX saves.

Invisibility R: Touch D: 1 minute per level Subject is invisible and sees invisible. This spell stops working if the subject attacks. Levitate R: 120 feet D: 1 minute per level Subject moves up and down at caster’s direction. Life Drain R: Touch D: Instant Touch drains 1d6+half of level in HP, healing the caster by the same amount. R: 120 feet D: Instant Lightning Bolt Deals 1d6×half of level in damage from a 60-foot electrical bolt, rebounding if necessary to reach its full length. R: 120 feet D: 1 round per level Stinking Cloud Creates nauseating vapors in a 30-foot radius. Everyone in the cloud receives -1AC and cannot attack (until exiting cloud).

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3rd LEVEL SPELLS R: 180 feet D: 1 round per level  Arcane Eye Invisible oating eye moves 30 feet per round.

Cloudkill R: 180 feet D: 1 round per level Creates a poisonous cloud with a 30-foot radius, moving up to 30 feet per round. Kills monsters up to M2; M3 to M4 must save or die; does not affect M5 or more. Contact Other Plane R: — D: Instant Lets you ask a number of yes or no questions equal to 1d6+level or a number of full questions equal to half of level. R: Touch D: 1d6+level minutes Fly Subject ies at speed of 60 feet per round. R: 180 feet D: 1d6+half of level rounds Insect Plague Stinging insect swarm attacks creatures, inicting 1d6 damage per round in a 30-foot radius (bypasses DR). R: Self D: 1 minute per level Invisibility Sphere Makes everyone within 10-foot radius invisible and able to see invisible. This spell stops working if anyone affected attacks.

Plant Master R: Self D: 1 hour per level Caster can talk to and sway the actions of plants and plant creatures. Polymorph R: Touch D: 1 minute per level Transforms subject into any creature of similar size. Restoration R: Touch D: Instant Heals subject by 3HP per caster level. Also cures all diseases, poisons, and mental conditions, or raises the freshly dead back to life with 1HP/level of recipient. R: 180 feet D: 1 minute per level Telekinesis Moves any object or creature up to 100 pounds per level. R: 180 feet D: Instant Teleport Teleports caster and anyone he is touching a short distance.

Wall of Fire/Ice/Stone/Thorns R: 180 feet

D: 1 day 

Creates a wall of re, ice, stone, or thorns up to 2×10×60 feet.

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GAMEMASTER’S SECTION

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RUNNING A GAME OF SWORDS & SIX-SIDERS™ The rst thing to remember about running a game of Swords & Six-Siders™ is that it is a game. Rules are merely a means to an end. If you or your players are not having fun, then change it!

Encounters with Monsters Not every encounter between characters and monsters need end in bloodshed. Monsters can sometimes be bribed, tricked, or distracted. GMs may occasionally wish to roll for a reaction. Roll Monster Reaction

 

1 2 3 4 5 6

hatred: either attacks immediately or plots their doom dislike: demands a bribe to prevent attack, deceives deeply suspicious: reroll with -1 suspicious neutral: could be helpful if bribed with a gift positive: possibly offer help or advice

One of the fun parts of GMing is making sense of results determined randomly. If a positive reaction is rolled for monsters that would normally be hostile, why is that? Perhaps the monsters are hoping the characters will slay something that is threatening them, or…

Morale Intelligent monsters weigh the odds, and negotiate or ee if they do not believe that winning is possible. Check morale once they begin to incur heavy losses, the leader goes down, or any other major shake-up occurs. Roll Morale Check   1-2 ees/surrenders 3 keeps ghting, but -2 on future morale checks 4-5 keeps ghting 6 ghts to the death 26

 THE MONSTER STAT Swords & Six-Siders™ is able to sum up many monsters with a single stat: ML. The M stands for monster and L is the monster’s level. The ML number is used to calculate all the statistics needed for a monster: hit points (HP), armor class (AC), damage reduction (DR), to-hit bonus, damage, and saves. Bear in mind that fractions are always rounded up, unless otherwise noted.

Calculating HP To calculate a monster’s HP, just roll (xd6)+x, where x equals the monster’s level. So a 5th level monster (M5) has (5d6)+5 HP. M– and M0 monsters are the exceptions. To calculate the HP for an M0 monster, roll 1d6. M– monsters always have just 1HP. There are a few monsters listed as M6+. These are especially powerful, including HP rules unique to each one.

Calculating AC  A monster’s AC is equal to 4+half of ML (4 is the base AC). M– monsters have a -1 to AC, so their AC is 3. Remember that a natural 6 always hits; even a character with no bonuses to-hit still has a 1-in-6 chance of hitting monsters with ACs of 7+.

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Calculating DR DR is half of the ML. Remember that every successful hit on a monster always inicts at least 1 point of damage, regardless of damage rolled or the DR.

Calculating To-Hit Bonus  A monster’s to-hit bonus is half of its ML. An M– monsters has a -1 to-hit penalty.

Calculating Damage Monsters inict 1d6+half of ML. An M– monster only inicts 1 point of damage.

Monster Saves  A monster’s save bonus is half its ML. An M– monster has a -1 save penalty.

Ready-To-Use Monster Stats  As an aid to the GM, the stats are calculated below for monsters from M– to M6. ML

HP

Avg HP

AC

DR

To-Hit

Dmg

Save

M– M0 M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6

1 1-6 2-7 4-14 6-21 8-28 10-35 12-42

1 4 5 9 14 18 23 27

3 4 5 5 6 6 7 7

0 0 1 1 2 2 3 3

-1 +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3

1 1d6 1d6+1 1d6+1 1d6+2 1d6+2 1d6+3 1d6+3

-1 +0 +1 +1 +2 +2 +3 +3

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MONSTER DESCRIPTIONS These descriptions are of typical monsters for each type. Individual monsters may vary in ML and/or special abilities.

 Android

 M2

immune to most normal weapons  Androids are automatons that resemble humans. Their skeletons are metal machines, covered with synthetic esh and blood. While they can be harmed by any kind of magic weapon, the only nonmagic weapons that can hurt them are blunt metal weapons (such as war hammers and maces) and sling stones.

Basilisk

 M3

 petrifying gaze  A basilisk is a reptilian monster that petries living creatures  with merely a gaze. A basilisk relies on its gaze attack, biting only  when opponents come within reach. Although it has eight legs, a basilisk's slow metabolism renders it relatively sluggish, so it does not expend energy unnecessarily. Intruders who ee a basilisk rather than ght can expect a halfhearted pursuit at best.

Black Pudding

 M5

acid; immune to cold, weapons, & lightning; vulnerable to re Black Puddings are able to ooze along walls, ceilings, and through small cracks and openings. They can also eat through esh, wood, and metal, but not stone.

Centaur

 M2

 2 attacks (1 weapon, 1 hoof)  A centaur has the body of a horse, but a human torso in place of the head. Centaurs favor the use of clubs, spears, and bows. A centaur employing a spear deals double damage when it charges.

Chimera

 M5

5 attacks (2 bites, 1 gore, and 2 claws) or breathes re, y  A chimera has dragon wings and three heads: that of a goat, lion, and dragon. The chimera prefers to surprise prey. It often swoops down from the sky or lies concealed until it charges. The dragon head can breathe re for half its current HP in damage.

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Cockatrice

 M3

 petrifying touch, y  A cockatrice ercely attacks anything that it deems a threat to itself or its lair. Flocks of cockatrices do their utmost to overwhelm and confuse their foes, sometimes ying directly into their opponents’ faces.

Cyclops

 M6

Cyclops are giants with a large, single eye. They have poor depth perception, and are as stupid as they are evil.

Djinn

 M4

turn into a whirlwind, y, create illusions, invisible, gaseous form,  create food and minor items Djinn disdain physical combat, preferring to use their magical powers and aerial abilities against foes. A djinn outmatched in combat usually takes ight, becoming a whirlwind to harass those  who follow.

Dragon

 M3–M6

 breath weapon, chance of spells, y Dragons can use their breath weapon three times a day, inicting its current HP in damage. Dragons have a 50% chance of biting or breathing in any given round.

White Dragon: M3 to M4, breathes cone of cold Black Dragon: M3 to M4, breathes line of acid Green Dragon: M4 to M5, breathes cloud of chlorine gas, 1/6 chance of using 1st level spells Blue Dragon: M4 to M5, breathes line of lightning, 1/6 chance of using 1st level spells Red Dragon: M5 to M6, breathes cone of re, 1/6 chance of using 1st and 2nd level spells Gold Dragon: M5 to M6, breathes cone of re or cloud of chlorine gas, some can cast up to 3rd level spells 30

Dryad

 M1

 charm person (-1 save)  A dryad’s delicate features are much like those of a female elf, though her esh is akin to bark or ne wood, and her hair is like a canopy of leaves that changes color with the seasons. While they are generally solitary, up to seven dryads have been encountered in one place on rare occasions. Shy, intelligent, and resolute, dryads are as elusive as they are alluring—they avoid physical combat and are rarely seen unless they wish to be. If threatened or in need of an ally, a dryad uses  charm person to gain control of an attacker who could help the most against the rest. Any attack on her tree, however, provokes the dryad into a frenzied defense.

Dwarf

 M1

+1 AC vs. large, +1 save vs. magic & poison Dwarves average four-feet in height and weigh as much as adult humans. Most dwarves encountered outside their home are warriors. They are experts in combat, effectively using the environment and executing well-planned group attacks.

Efreet

 M5

 create wall of re, y, create illusions, invisible, gaseous form,  create food and minor items  While the Efreet are similar to the djinn, they are their enemies. Efreet are cruel and evil in nature.

Elemental

 M4–M6

immune to normal weapons  Air: ying whirlwind that inicts +1 damage to ying creatures Earth: cannot cross water, gains an additional +3 damage to creatures on the ground Fire: cannot cross water, ignites combustible materials, has two attacks per round against non-re users Water: must remain within 60 feet of a body of water, two attacks per round when in water 

Elf

 M1

move silently, hide, spells, immune to charm and sleep Elves dwell in woods and meadows. They prefer bows, spears, and swords, are able to move silently, and are experts at hiding.

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Gargoyle

 M2

 y, only harmed by magic weapons Gargoyles often appear to be winged stone statues, for they can perch indenitely without moving and use this disguise to surprise their foes. They require no food, water, or air, but often eat their fallen foes out of fondness for inicting pain. Gargoyles either remain still and then suddenly attack or dive onto their prey.

Gelatinous Cube

 M3

acid, nearly invisible The nearly-transparent gelatinous cube travels slowly along dungeon corridors and cave oors, absorbing carrion, creatures, and trash. Metal objects remain trapped and are visible inside the cube’s body. A gelatinous cube attacks by slamming its body into its prey. It is capable of lashing out with a pseudopod, but usually engulfs foes.

Ghoul

 M1

undead, paralyzing touch Ghouls try to make surprise attacks whenever possible. They strike from behind tombstones and burst from shallow graves. Humanoids killed by ghouls turn into ghouls themselves.

Giant

 M4–M6

 boulder attack, double damage bonus Giants are able to hurl boulders from long distances. Melee attacks inict double the normal damage bonus for their level. Hill Giant: M4 Stone Giant: M4 Frost Giant: M5, immune to cold Fire Giant: M5, immune to re Cloud Giant: M6, excellent sense of smell

Gnoll

 M2

Gnolls are hyena-headed, evil humanoids that stand about 7.5 feet tall and weigh 300 pounds. They are nocturnal carnivores that wander in loose tribes. Gnolls like to attack when they have the advantage in numbers, using horde tactics and their physical strength to overwhelm and knock down opponents. They show little discipline when ghting, unless they have a strong leader; at such times, they can maintain ranks and ght as a unit. While they do not usually prepare traps, gnolls do use ambushes and try to attack from a anking position. 32

Gnome

 M0

+1 AC vs. large, +1 save vs. magic & poison Gnomes are similar to dwarves, except that they are slightly smaller with longer beards. Gnomes prefer to live in rolling hills.

Goblin

 M0

darkvision, -1 to-hit in daylight Goblins stand 3 to 3.5 feet tall and weigh 40 to 45 pounds. Being bullied by bigger, stronger creatures has taught goblins to exploit what few advantages they have: sheer numbers and malicious ingenuity. The concept of a fair ght is meaningless in their society. Goblins favor ambushes, overwhelming odds, dirty tricks, and any other edge they can devise. They have a poor grasp of strategy and are cowardly by nature, tending to ee the eld if a battle turns against them. Goblins hate dwarves and always attack them on sight.

Golem

 M3–M6

immune to magic Golems are magically-created automatons of great power. Constructing one involves the employment of mighty magic and elemental forces. Clay Golem: M4 Flesh Golem: M3, healed by lightning Iron Golem: M6, breathes poisonous gas, healed by re Stone Golem: M5

Gorgon

 M4

 petrifying breath Gorgons are very aggressive, bull-like creatures. They attack intruders on sight, attempting to trample, gore, or petrify them.

Gray Ooze

 M2

immune to all but blades & lightning  Gray oozes blend into their stone surroundings. They eat esh and metal, but cannot harm wood or stone.

Green Gloopity  A green gloopity has no AC or HP, nor does it move. It cannot harm metal or stone, but eats through esh, leather, and wood that come into contact with it (inicting 1d6 damage per round). It can only be killed with re.

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Griffon

 M4

 y Griffons are powerful, majestic creatures with the characteristics of both lions and eagles. From nose to tail, an adult griffon can measure as much as 8 feet; they weigh about 500 pounds. A griffon cannot speak, but understands Common. Griffons prefer to pounce on their prey, either diving to the attack or leaping from above. They always attack and devour horses on sight.

Hippogriff

 M2

 y Hippogriffs are aggressive ying creatures that combine features of horses and giant eagles. Voracious omnivores, hippogriffs hunt humanoids as readily as any other meal. A typical hippogriff is 9 feet in length, has a wingspan of 20 feet, and weighs 1,000 pounds. Hippogriffs dive at prey, striking with their clawed forelegs. When they cannot dive, they slash with claws and beak. Mated pairs and ights of these creatures attack in concert, diving repeatedly to drive away or kill intruders. Hippogriffs ght to the death when defending their nests and hatchlings, which are prized as aerial mounts and fetch a handsome price in many civilized areas.

Hobgoblin

 M1

Hobgoblins are larger cousins of goblins. Their weaponry is kept polished and in good repair. These creatures have a strong grasp of strategy and tactics, and capable of carrying out sophisticated battle plans. Under the leadership of a skilled strategist or tactician, their discipline can prove a deciding factor. Hobgoblins hate elves and attack them rst.

Horse

 M1–M2

Regular horses are M1, while warhorses are M2.

Hydra

 M3-M5

1 attack per head Hydras have from ve to ten heads (roll 1d6+4 to determine the number). Each head is counted as half a level (a ve-headed hydra is M3, for example). Hydras are about 20 feet long and weigh about 4,000 pounds. They do not speak.

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Invisible Stalker

 M4

invisible, tracking  Invisible stalkers serve wizards who summon them to perform specic tasks. An invisible stalker undertakes whatever task the summoner commands, even if that sends it hundreds or thousands of miles away. The creature follows a command until the task is completed, obeying only the summoner. It resents protracted missions or complex tasks, however, seeking to pervert its instructions accordingly. An invisible stalker can be killed only  when it is in its own plane. When performing a task elsewhere, it automatically returns to its home plane upon taking enough damage sufcient to destroy it.

Kobold

 M0

Kobolds are short, reptilian humanoids with cowardly and sadistic tendencies. They stand about 2 to 2.5 feet tall and weigh 35 to 45 pounds. Kobolds speak with a voice that sounds like that of a yapping dog. Kobolds like to attack with overwhelming odds or trickery; should the odds fall below 2 to 1, they usually ee. They attack gnomes on sight, even if their numbers are equal.  Whenever they can, kobolds prepare ambushes near trapped areas.

Lycanthrope

 M2–M4

 shape change into animal & hybrid forms, summon animals, immune to normal weapons, harmed by silver  Lycanthropes are humanoids who can transform themselves into animals.  Any character seriously injured by a Lycanthrope becomes one within a month. Werebear: M4 Wereboar: M2

Wererat: M2 Weretiger: M3

Manticore

Werewolf: M3  M3

 y, spike projectile attack Manticores have the body of a lion, head of a man, and wings of a dragon. A typical manticore is about 10 feet in length and weighs about 1,000 pounds. They begin most attacks with a volley of spikes, then closes on the enemy. Manticores can shoot up to six spikes at a time, and up to 24 spikes in a day. They often use their powerful wings to stay aloft during battle in the outdoors.

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Medusa

 M2

 petrifying gaze, poison  A medusa is indistinguishable from a normal human at distances greater than 30 feet (or closer if its face is concealed). The creature often wears garments that enhance its body, while hiding its face behind a hood or veil. A medusa tries to disguise its true nature until the intended victim is within range of its petrifying gaze, using subterfuge and blufng games to convince the target that there is no danger. It uses normal weapons to attack those who avert their eyes or survive its gaze, while its poisonous snakes strike at adjacent opponents.

Men

 M0

Men can be of any class or level, but the average one is M0.

Minotaur

 M3

 A Minotaur is a large man with the head of a bull, standing more than 7 feet tall and weighing about 700 pounds. Due to their great strength, minotaurs prefer melee combat, never retreating or surrendering.

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Mule Mummy

 M1  M3

rotting disease, immune to non-magic weapons, vulnerable to re Mummies are preserved corpses animated through the auspices of dark desert gods best forgotten. On a successful hit, the victim must save vs. disease or be infected with mummy rot. Mummy rot is a long-lasting disease that causes the victim to heal at half the usual rate (magic healing is also reduced by half).

Ochre Jelly

 M2

immune to all but re & cold Ochre jellies eat wood and esh, but cannot affect stone or metal.

Ogre

 M3

 Adult ogres stand 9 to 10 feet tall and weigh 600 to 650 pounds. They are intelligent enough to re ranged weapons rst to soften their foes before closing, but ogre gangs and bands ght as unorganized individuals.

Orc

 M1

Orcs are sensitive to bright light. They enjoy attacking from concealment and setting ambushes, obeying the rules of war (such as honoring a truce) only as long as it is convenient for them. Their equipment is dirty and unkempt.

Pegasus

 M2

 y The pegasus is a magnicent winged horse that sometimes serves the cause of good. Highly-prized as aerial steeds, pegasi are wild and shy creatures that are not easily tamed.

Purple Worm

 M6–M6+

 poison, swallow attack The body of a mature purple worm is 5 feet in diameter and 80 feet long, weighing about 40,000 pounds. The creature has a poisonous stinger in its tail. A purple worm that successfully bites its victim swallows them—they are digested in less than an hour. Purple worms always attack. M6+ purple worms have the double the HP of an M6 creature.

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Robot

 M1

immune to most normal weapons Robots are human-like machines. They can be harmed by any kind of magic weapon; the only non-magic weapons that can hurt them are blunt metal weapons (such as war hammers and maces) and sling stones.

Roc

 M3

 y These enormous creatures are 30 feet long from the beak to the base of the tail, with wingspans as wide as 80 feet. They  weigh about 8,000 pounds. A roc attacks from the air, swooping earthward to snatch prey in its powerful talons and carry it off for itself and its young to devour. A mated pair of rocs attack in concert, ghting to the death to defend their nests or hatchlings.

Salamander

 M3

 2 attacks vs non-re users Salamanders are re creatures with a reptile-like appearance. They can ignite combustible material and gain a second attack against non-re users.

Sea Monster

 M6+

Sea Monsters are enormous, usually found in the shape of prehistoric creatures. They are sometimes known to guard undersea treasures. Sea Monsters have double or triple the HP of an M6 creature.

Skeleton

 M0

undead Skeletons are the animated bones of the dead, mindless automatons that obey the orders of their evil masters. A skeleton does only what it is ordered to do; it can only follow simple instructions. A skeleton attacks until destroyed.

Spectre

 M3

undead, immune to normal weapons, energy drain  A spectre looks much as it did in life, being easily recognizable by those who knew the individual or have seen his face in a painting or drawing. In close combat, a spectre attacks with its numbing, life-draining touch. Every successful attack drains one level of experience. It makes full use of its incorporeal nature, moving through walls, ceilings, and oors as it attacks. 38

Titan

 M6+

double damage Extremely intelligent and powerful, Titans are massive, 25-foottall giants. Titanshave double or triple the HP of an M6 creature.

Treant

 M4

animate trees  When closed, a treant’s legs t together to look like the trunk of a tree; a motionless treant is nearly indistinguishable from a tree. Treants stand about 30 feet tall, with its main trunk about 2 feet wide, and weighing about 4,500 pounds. Treants prefer to watch potential foes carefully before attacking. They often charge suddenly from cover to trample the despoilers of forests. If sorely pressed, they animate trees as reinforcements. A treant can animate up to two trees from 60 feet away; the animated trees attack as M2 monsters.

Troll

 M4

regenerate Trolls walk upright, but hunched forward with sagging shoulders. Their gait is uneven, so their arms dangle and drag along the ground while running. For all this seeming awkwardness, trolls are  very agile. A typical adult troll stands 9 feet tall and weighs 500 pounds. Trolls have no fear of death, so they launch themselves into combat without hesitation, ailing wildly at the closest opponent. Even when confronted with re, they try to get around the ames to attack. Fire and acid deal normal damage to a troll. If a troll loses a limb or body part, the lost portion regrows in minutes. The creature can reattach the severed member instantly by holding it to the stump. Trolls regenerate 3 HP per round. Trolls can only be killed  with re or acid.

Unicorn

 M2

+2 save vs. magic, teleport once per day Only maidens of pure character are allowed to approach unicorns. Unicorns normally attack only when defending themselves or their forests. They either charge, impaling foes with their horns like lances, or strike with their hooves.

39

 Vampire

 M5

undead, regenerate, energy drain, gaseous form, charm gaze,  y, change into a bat; summon rats, bats, or wolves  Vampires often embrace nery and decadence, and may assume the guise of nobility. Despite their human appearance, vampires can be easily recognized, for they cast no shadows and throw no reections in mirrors. Vampires can charm as a Charm Person spell just by staring into a person’s eyes. Any successful melee attack drains one level of experience from the victim. Vampires regenerate 3 HP per round. They can only be killed by exposure to daylight, immersion into running water, or by being impaled through the heart with a wooden stake.

Wight

 M2

undead, energy drain, immune to normal arrows  A wight’s appearance is a weird and twisted reection of the form it had in life. Anyone killed by a wight becomes a wight.  Wights drain one level of experience for every second hit they land on a person. Normal arrows do not hurt them, but silver or magic ones do.

Wraith

 M3

undead, energy drain, immune to normal arrows  Wraiths are incorporeal creatures born of evil and darkness. They are immune to normal arrows and only take half damage from silver ones.

Wyvern

 M3

 poison, y  A distant cousin to the true dragons, the wyvern is a huge ying lizard with a poisonous stinger in its tail. Their bodies are 15 feet long (half that length is tail) and dark brown to gray in color. Wyverns are rather stupid, but always aggressive—they attack nearly anything that is not obviously more powerful than themselves. A wyvern dives from the air, snatching an opponent  with its talons and stinging it to death. A wyvern can slash with its talons only when making a yby attack.

Zombie

 M0

undead Zombies are corpses reanimated through dark and sinister magic. Because of their utter lack of intelligence, zombies can only follow simple instructions. They attack until destroyed. 40

CREATING NEW MONSTERS The charts provided below are designed to aid in the creation of new monsters. Combine the results of random dice rolls with your imagination to fashion monsters to keep players on their toes.

Determine Monster Type Roll General Monster Type   1-2 humanoid   3-4 animal-ish   5 undead   6 other  Roll Humanoid

Roll Animal-ish

1 2-3 4-5 6

1-2 3-4 5 6

small smaller than man man-sized larger than man

mammal-like reptilian bird-like insectoid

Roll Undead

Roll Other

1-2 3-4 5 6

1-2 3-4 5 6

skeletal decaying body intact corpse spirit

plant blob imitator/look-a-like combine two monster types

Determine Monster Level Roll General Monster Level 1-3 4-5 6

low level mid level high level

Roll Low Level

Roll Mid Level

Roll High Level

1-2 M– 3-4 M0 5-6 M1

1-3 4-5 6

1 2-3 4-5 6

M2 M3 M4

41

M4 M5 M6 M6+

Determine Number of Special Abilities Roll Number of Special Abilities   1-2 0   3-4 1 5 2 6 2, and roll again (+3 if this is rolled a second time)

Determine Type of Special Ability Roll Special Ability Category          

1 2 3 4 5 6

immunity  movement combat special attack  utility  magic

Roll Immunity

Roll Movement

1-3 normal weapons 4-5 re or cold 6 magic/spells

1-2 y  3-4 climb walls/ceiling 5-6 other (jump, teleport, etc.)

Roll Combat

Roll Special Attack

1-2 3 4-5 6

1-2 3 4 5 6

extra attack two extra attacks bonus damage double damage

poison petrify/paralyze breath weapon disease energy drain

Roll Utility

Roll Magic

1-2 3 4 5 6

1-2 3-5 6

darkvision invisibility shape-change special vulnerability regeneration

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charm low level spells high level spells

 TREASURE

Distributing Treasure How much treasure a GM should distribute depends on how fast he wishes the player characters to level up and how powerful he wishes them to become (the number of magic items can make a dramatic difference in the overall power level of the characters). It is better to err on the side of giving out too little treasure than too much.  Wandering monsters generally carry little monetary treasure, and only those magic items they use. On the other hand, the treasure hoard stashed within a monster’s lair would be much larger, including things they cannot use. Treasure should generally be commensurate with the risk taken to win it. Powerful treasures should only be found in the hoards of dangerous monsters. Monetary treasure does not always come in chests full of gold pieces. It can also be found in the form of gems, jewelry, precious artifacts, fancy rugs, rare antiques, and the like.

Magic Treasure Roll Magic Treasure Type

 

1 2 3 4 5 6

weapon armor potion scroll ring, wand, or staff miscellaneous magic

Roll Is Magic Item Cursed? 1-5 6

no reroll: 1-3 no, 4-6 yes

Cursed magic items appear to be a regular magic item until it is used—then the curse becomes apparent. The effects of a cursed item can be annoying (causes a huge wart to grow on the character’s nose) to severe (cursed items cause major penalties until magically removed, turns the character into a toad, etc.). 43

Magic Weapons Roll Magic Weapon Type

Roll Magic Sword

1-3 sword 4 ranged* 5-6 miscellaneous weapon

1-5 6

roll magic weapon bonus roll on sword power table

* Bows grant a to-hit bonus, while other projectiles grant a damage bonus.

Roll Misc. Magic Weapon 1

 

2 3 4 5 6

Roll Magic Weapon Bonus

reroll: 1-4 +1 damage 1-3 battle axe 5 +2 damage 4-6 hand axe 6 reroll: spear 1-4 +2 damage dagger 5-6 +3 damage mace war hammer* reroll: 1-2 pole arm, 3-4 club, 5-6 staff 

* Any war hammer of +3 enchantment is actually a special weapon made for dwarves. In the hands of anyone but a dwarf, it merely acts as a +1 war hammer. In the hands of a dwarf, it has the full +3 bonus and may be thrown 60 feet, magically returning every time. Roll Sword Power

Roll Intelligent Sword

1-2 3 4 5 6

1-3 4-5 6

+1, +3 bane +1, 1 power +2, 1 power +1, intelligent +2, intelligent

bane, 1 power  bane, 2 powers bane, 3 powers

Bane Swords with the bane power have a higher damage bonus against a specic type of creature (such as lycanthropes, giants, undead,  wizards, dragons, orcs, etc). Power Swords can have one or more special powers. Examples include detect magic, detect secret doors,  levitate,  light,  aming , dancing (sword ghts on its own for up to 4 rounds), vorpal (decapitates many kinds of creatures on a natural 6 damage roll), y, heals (1d6 HP once per day), and so forth. Intelligence  A few rare swords are intelligent. These swords are able to communicate to their owner through different ways, such as empathy (making its feelings known), speech, or telepathy. All 44

intelligent swords have a bane (a type of enemy it was created to slay), receiving a +3 bonus to damage against that group. Intelligent swords not only have their own names (such as a short sword named Tiny the Giant-Slayer ), they also have a will of their own. If the owner of an intelligent sword tries to do something against its will, the character must roll a save vs. magic. Success means that the character may do as he wishes; otherwise, the character must do as the sword directs.

Magic Armor Roll Magic Armor Type   1-2 3 4 5 6

Roll Magic Armor Size

shield, roll shield type table helmet, +1 AC light, roll size & power tables medium, roll size & power tables heavy, roll size & power tables

1-4 5 6

human elf  reroll: 1-4 dwarf  5-6 haling

Roll Magic Shield Type

Roll Body Armor Power

1-5 6

1-5 light weight 6 special body armor 

+1 AC +1 AC, +2 vs. ranged

Light Weight Magical light weight body armor has the same AC and DR as regular armor of the same type, but is lighter and more exible. Light armor becomes like wearing normal clothes, medium armor becomes like wearing light armor, and heavy armor becomes like  wearing medium armor. Special Body Armor Rare suits of armor can have special powers (but they do not gain the advantage of magically light weight armor). Examples include changing to clothes and back at command, allowing the wearer to breathe underwater and swim as if unarmored, shadow armor that magically enhances the ability to hide, armor of command that grants a +1 bonus to reaction rolls, etc.

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Potions Roll Magic Potion  

1 2 3 4 5 6

healing reroll: 1-3 invisibility, 4-6 poison reroll: 1-3 levitation, 4-5 gaseous form, 6 y  reroll: 1-4 neutralize poison, 5-6 remove disease reroll: 1-2 growth, 3-4 shrink, 5-6 giant strength reroll: 1-3 remove paralysis/stone-to-esh, 4-6 healing

 Aaprt from potions that have a one-time effect (healing, removing paralysis, poison, etc), the effects of a potion last for one hour plus 1d6×10 minutes. Only a few of the potions are explained below, since some of the names are self-explanatory. Poison Depending on the strength of the poison, it can mean instant death, weakness/penalties, or HP damage (if the save vs. poison is failed). Gaseous Form The body turns into a vaporous cloud, able to casually drift through the air, even through cracks and small holes. The potion only affects the body; everything that is worn or carried falls to the ground and is left behind. Growth The character grows to three times his normal size, along with the appropriate increase in weight and strength. Shrink The character shrinks to a third of his normal size, along with the appropriate decrease in weight and strength. Giant Strength The character becomes as strong as a giant, able to throw boulders as ranged weapons, and gaining a melee damage bonus of +6 (does not stack with any other damage bonuses).

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Scroll Roll Scroll Type 1-3 4-5 6

spells map protection

Roll Scroll with Spells 1 2 3 4 5 6

1st level spell 1d6 1st level spells 2nd level spell 1d6 1st & 2nd level spells 1d6 2nd level spells 3rd level spell

The power of the scroll is in the scroll itself, so a caster may use one that has a spell level higher than they would normally be able to cast. When the scroll is used (whether to cast the spell or to copy the spell into a spellbook), the scroll is used up/destroyed. Protection Protection scrolls may be used by anyone. There are different kinds of protection scrolls (protection from lycanthropes, elementals, undead, magic, re, etc). The protection covers a 10foot radius around the reader and lasts for one hour. Map  A map can be partial, complete, or false representation of a dungeon or trail one or more treasure (gold, gems, magic items, etc).

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Rings Roll Ring, Wand, or Staff    1-2 ring   3-5 wand   6 staff    Roll Rings 1-2 3 4 5 6

protection +1 feather fall water walking re resistance reroll: 1-3 regeneration, 4-5 x-ray vision, 6 three wishes

Protection +1 This ring grants a +1 to all saves. Fire Resistance The wearer of this ring is unharmed by normal re, and automatically saves for half damage against all magical re attacks. Regeneration The wearer of this ring regenerates 1 HP every 10 minutes. If the character is slain while wearing this ring, he regenerates back to life unless killed with re or acid.  X-Ray Vision Enables the wearer to see 30 feet through anything, except lead or gold. Wishes Reasonable wishes are granted. The greedier the wish, however, the more it should backre against the character.

Wands  Wands may only be used by myrmidons or wizards. Every time a wand is used, roll 1d6. A result of 1 means that it runs out of charges and crumbles into dust.   Roll Wands 1 2 3 4 5 6

detect: 1-2 magic, 3-4 traps, 5 secret doors, 6 poison reroll: 1-2 light, 3-6 arcane portal reroll: 1-2 charm person, 3-4 sleep, 5-6 magic eyebeam reroll: 1-2 light, 3-4 arcane portal, 5-6 illusion reroll: 1-2 locate object, 3-4 web, 5-6 dispel magic reroll: 1-2 reball, 3-4 lightning bolt, 5-6 turn-to-stone 48

Staves   Roll Wands 1 2 3 4 5 6

Staff of Healing Staff of Striking Snake Staff  Staff of Commanding Staff of Power  reroll twice (Staff of Wizardry on a 3rd 6)

Staff of Healing   A staff only usable by wizards, it heals 1d6 HP per day per person. This staff has unlimited charges. Staff of Striking   A staff for wizards which inicts an extra 1d6 of damage. This staff has unlimited charges. Snake Staff  Usable only by wizards, this staff grants +1 to-hit and damage. It can also turn into a snake on command, tying up a man-sized creature for 1d6×10 minutes. Staff of Commanding  Usable only by wizards, this staff can cast charm person. This staff has 1d6×4 charges. Staff of Power  Wizards can use this as Staff of Striking   and to cast any of the following spells (at the minimum level required): Cold (equivalent of Fireball or Lightning Bolt, but in a 60-foot long by 30-foot wide cone), Fireball, Lightning Bolt, Light, and Telekinesis. This staff has 1d6×3 charges. If this staff is broken, it explodes, inicting 6 points of damage for every charge left to everyone in a 30 feet radius. Staff of Wizardry The Staff of Wizardry has all of the properties of the  Staff of  Power  , plus +1 on to-hit rolls (no charge), Freeze, Invisibility, and Wall of Fire.

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Miscellaneous Magic Roll Miscellaneous Magic 1-2 3-4 5 6

roll on Table A  roll on Table B roll on Table C roll on Table D

Roll Miscellaneous Magic A Roll Miscellaneous Magic B 1 2 3 4 5 6

bracers of AC +1 boots of elven kind cloak of elven kind handy haversack rope of climbing cloak of resistance

1 2 3 4 5 6

helm of comprehend languages helm of read magic boots of striding & leaping folding boat boots of levitation boots of speed

Roll Miscellaneous Magic C Roll Miscellaneous Magic D

 

1 2 3 4 5 6

broom of ying horn of blasting carpet of ying cloak of displacement cloak of the bat gauntlets of ogre power

1 2 3 4 5 6

belt of giant strength scarab of protection crystal ball helm of teleportation efreeti bottle medallion of thoughts

Bracers of AC +1 For use by wizards only, this grants +1 to AC. Boots of Elven Kind These boots enable the wearer to move silently. Cloak of Elven Kind  When the hood of this dull gray cloak is worn, the wearer has only a 1/6 chance of being spotted until attacking. Handy Haversack This large backpack only weighs 5 pounds, regardless of the actual weight of the items placed in it. Any item for which the  wearer reaches is automatically at the top of the pile. Rope of Climbing  This 60-foot-long rope is no thicker than a wand, but strong enough to support 3,000 pounds. The rope snakes forward, upward, downward, or in any other direction upon command, at 10 feet per round, and attaching itself securely wherever its owner desires. It can unfasten itself and return in the same manner. 50

Cloak of Resistance This cloak provides a +1 bonus to all saves. Helm of Comprehend Languages The wearer of this helm can understand the spoken words of any creature and read text in any language. Helm of Read Magic Fighters and thieves wearing this helm gain the ability to read magic scrolls. Boots of Striding & Leaping  These boots allow the wearer to run and jump twice the normal speed and distance. Folding Boat  A folding boat looks like a small wooden box that is 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and 6 inches deep. It can be used to store items like any other box. If a command word is given, the box unfolds itself to form a boat 10 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 2 feet in depth. A second command word causes it to unfold to a ship that is 24 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 6 feet deep. Any objects formerly stored in the box rest inside the boat or ship.

In its smaller form, the boat has one pair of oars, anchor, mast, and lateen sail. In its larger form, the boat has a deck, single rowing seats, ve sets of oars, steering oar, anchor, deck cabin, and mast  with a square sail. The boat can hold four people comfortably,  while the ship carries fteen with ease. A third word of command causes the boat or ship to fold itself into a box once again. Boots of Levitation These leather boots allow the wearer, upon command, to levitate as if he had cast Levitate on himself. Boots of Speed The wearer can click his boot heels together to act as though affected by a Haste spell for up to 10 rounds each day. The duration of the Haste effect need not be consecutive rounds. 51

Broom of Flying  This broom is able to y through the air for up to 9 hours per day (split up as its owner desires). It can also travel alone to any destination named by the owner, provided he has a good idea of the location and layout of that destination. It returns to its owner from as far away as 300 yards when the command word is spoken. Horn of Blasting  This horn appears to be a normal trumpet. It can be sounded as a normal horn, but if the command word is spoken and the instrument is then played, it deals 1d6×2 points of sonic damage to creatures within a 40-foot cone and causes them to be deafened for 1d6×2 rounds. If the horn is used magically more than once in a given day, there is a 1/6 cumulative chance with each extra use that it explodes and deals 1d6×3 points of damage to the person sounding it. Carpet of Flying  This rug is able to y through the air. Beautifully and intricately made, each carpet has its own command word to activate it. If the device is within voice range, the command word activates it, whether the speaker is on the rug or not. The carpet is then controlled by spoken directions. Cloak of Displacement This item appears to be a normal cloak, but its magical properties distort and warp light waves when worn. The wearer receives a +1 bonus to AC and saves involving the dodging of attacks. Cloak of the Bat Fashioned of dark brown or black cloth, this cloak magically enhances the wearer’s ability to hide. He is also able to hang upside down from the ceiling like a bat. By holding the edges of the garment, the wearer is able to y as per the Fly spell. If desired, the wearer can actually Polymorph himself into an ordinary bat and y accordingly (all possessions worn or carried are part of the transformation). Flying, either with the cloak or in bat form, can be accomplished only in darkness. Either of the ying powers are usable for up to 7 minutes at a time, but the cloak cannot bestow any ying power for the same period of time.

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Gauntlets of Ogre Power These gloves grant the wearer +2 to melee damage. Belt of Giant Strength This belt grants the wearer the strength of a giant, gaining +6 to melee damage (this bonus does not stack with any other damage bonuses) and empowers the wearer to throw boulders. Scarab of Protection This device appears to be a silver medallion in the shape of a beetle. If it is held for one round, an inscription appears on its surface letting the holder know that it is a protective device. The scarab’s possessor gains +1 to all saves vs. magic. The scarab can also absorb energy-draining attacks, death effects, and negative energy effects. Upon absorbing twelve such attacks, the scarab is destroyed. Crystal Ball This is a crystal sphere about six inches in diameter. A character can use the device to see over virtually any distance or into other planes of existence. Helm of Teleportation  A character wearing this device may Teleport three times per day, exactly as if he had cast the spell of the same name. Efreeti Bottle The bottle can be opened once per day. When opened, the efreeti imprisoned within issues from the bottle instantly. Roll 1d6 each day the bottle is opened. A 1 means that the efreeti is insane, attacking immediately upon being released. A 6 means that the efreeti of the bottle grants three wishes. In either of these cases, the efreeti disappears forever afterward. All other rolls indicate that the inhabitant of the bottle loyally serves the character for up to 10 minutes per day (or until the efreeti’s death). Efreeti are not  willing slaves, and seek to twist the wishes or commands of its owner for ill while adhering to its strict wording. Medallion of Thoughts This appears to be a normal pendant disk hung from a neck chain. Usually fashioned from bronze, copper, or nickel-silver, the medallion allows the wearer to read the thoughts of others.

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DESIGNING YOUR FIRST ADVENTURE One of the simplest, most common, and fun type of adventures is the dungeon crawl. All the GM has to do is create a dungeon, and then referee what happens when the players’ characters explore it in search of adventure, fame, and fortune.

Choose an Environment Popular choices for dungeon environments include natural caves, tunnels, abandoned mine shafts that broke into some long-buried place, temple ruins, hideouts, fortresses, tombs, wizards’ towers, and even a literal dungeon underneath a castle. Many dungeons combine two or more of these environments for greater variety and surprise. 54

Flesh out the environment by giving it a history. Are the caves merely the lair of monsters and scavengers, or the lost entrance to the long forgotten Otherworld, where things work very differently and the insane are the sane? What secrets are kept prisoner in the  wizard’s tower? Has the wizard died? Does he still lurk its halls as a hideous monster, twisted by an ancient curse? Perhaps the old  wizard merely sleeps the deep slumber of the black lotus, and will be greatly displeased to be awoken by intruders…

Draw a Map Once an environment is decided, grab some graph paper and a pencil to draw a map. Start with the main areas and corridors, and then add details that make for an interesting dungeon, such as one-way doors, secret doors, hidden areas, slippery stairs, statues, and the like. To make a larger dungeon that can be played across multiple game sessions, include stairs to lower levels. With each passing dungeon level, the monsters should get tougher, the traps deadlier, and the treasures greater.

Fill the Dungeon Once the map is worked out, create a key, recording what is found at each location. After placing the important monsters and treasures, dice can be used to help stock the rest of the dungeon: Roll Room Contents

Treasure?

1-2 3-4 5 6

1-5 no, 6 yes 1-3 no, 4-6 yes 1-4 no, 5-6 yes 1-5 no, 6 yes

empty monster(s) trap other

Traps can be pits, darts shooting from the wall, poison needle in a treasure chest, pressure plates that drop blocks from the ceiling, and even a statue spewing sleep gas when disturbed. Other  can be pretty much anything, with a focus on the unusual. It could mean a talking statue, room with reverse gravity, pool of water with magical effects, strange cloud, permanent illusion, strange sound seemingly coming from nowhere, tapestry that serves as a portal to somewhere else, strange little gnome that helps adventurers if only they would…

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Make a Wandering Monster Chart Create a roll chart of wandering monsters. The monsters on the list should be consistent with the environment and those already placed in the dungeon. Wandering monsters typically do not have much treasure, but are mainly a way to keep the player characters on their toes. If the player characters spend too much time in one place, are making a lot of noise, or intelligent monsters in the dungeon are alerted to the presence of intruders, then it may be time to make a  wandering monster check. The odds of encountering a wandering monster ought to vary, depending on the situation (1/6 if they have been searching a room for a while, 4/6 if the monsters are on high alert, and so forth).

Finishing Touches Further develop the history of the dungeon with additional details. Give that wizard in the tower a name and a purpose. Take the layout of the dungeon and its inhabitants, and bring them together into a cohesive whole. If things do not make sense, try to come up with something that makes sense of them. Or perhaps the fact that the dungeon does not make sense is precisely the point, as it is part of an alien dimension where logic is madness and the rules are dictated by a mind gone mad. The magic sword found in a tomb may be the famous sword belonging to the legendary hero who once wielded it in life (and now protects it in death). What is the sword’s name? What is its history? What power does it hold? Is it cursed? Devise rumors to give to your players. Some may be true, some are sort of true, and others are completely false that may lead the characters to their doom.

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DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY

The terms “Swords & Six-Siders” and “Precis Intermedia” are product identity. All logos, formatting, and art are also product identity.

DESIGNATION OF OPEN GAME CONTENT

All text not designated as product identity is open game content.

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. 1. Denitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modication, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an 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 identied as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and  product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade 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 identied as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specically 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, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement. 2. 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 afx 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 Game Content distributed using this License. 3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License. 4. 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 Game Content. 5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: I f You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufcient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 6. 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.

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7. 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. 8. Identication: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. 9. 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. 10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute. 11. 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. 12. 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. 13. 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. 14. 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.

15. 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 & Six-Siders Copyright 2015-2018, Precis Intermedia (www.pigames.net); Author Steve Robertson.

END OF LICENSE

58

TM

PLAYER:

RACE:

NAME:

CLASS:

LANGUAGES: HP

AC/DR

LEVEL

MONEY

ATTACK

EQUIPMENT

DAMAGE

SAVE

SPECIAL ABILITIES

©2015, 2018 PRECIS INTERMEDIA. SWORDS & SIX-SIDERS IS A TRADEMARK OF PRECIS INTERMEDIA.