New to P&P
Are you new to Pen and Paper Role-Playing Games? Below is a rough overview of what is needed to play a Future Path game as well as some basic rules and vocabulary that is part of the nomenclature of this System. Players will find that these rules and ideas are largely standard across most Pen & Paper games.
What you'll need
You will need a d20 dice set, a character sheet, (more on this later) and a place to meet up with friends. One person will have to be the Game Master (GM for short) while the others are Players.
Well, how do I start? If you have never played a Pen and Paper game before, then you should finish the rest of this page before moving on, as it helps to explain a few things.
- All these rules? You will need to learn at least some of the rules. But not only is it not necessary to know every single rule, but it is also not practical. The important part is to be familiar with this site and where you can find a rule when it comes up in gameplay.
- If you are a Player going directly to the Character Creation and Advancement page is a nice start. It will help you make a character that will, in turn, bounce you around different pages on this wiki. You do not need to make a Character to start playing as there are some Starter/Premade Characters as well.
- If you are a GM, then start with all the pages under the "Rules" category, including the Combat section, "Characters" category, and "Campaign Setting" category.
- Number of people? The minimum number of players is 3 (1 GM and 2 Players), but for best results, most games have 4 players and 1 GM.
- Game Master? You will need to pick a player who will be the GM. Usually, someone who wishes to tell a story, premade or their own. More on that in the next section.
- How long does it take? Game sessions usually last 3 to 5 hours; however, they can go on much longer. It really is up to everyone if they want to keep going or stop. There are also helpful online resources that enable remote gameplay for those who cannot meet in person.
Game Master?
The Game Master or GM describes events that occur in the game universe. In some systems, the Game Master is called 'The Story Teller'. However, the role is more popularly known as the Dungeon Master.
The GM tells the Players what is happening to their Characters in-game. Players then take turns acting on what they hear from the GM by sharing what their characters do.
However, unlike simple storytelling, the success of actions Characters take is not certain. Success is left to some degree of chance, determined by dice rolls. Some actions are more challenging than others, and the GM helps to determine how difficult actions are. Some outcomes are precisely explained in rules, while other successful outcomes are left to the GM. The GM can also have other made-up Characters (usually called NPCs, or Non-Player Characters) to help with Storytelling and to give the Player Characters someone to interact with, such as a villain!
Players/Characters/Heros?
In this wiki, the words Players, Characters, and Heroes are often used and sometimes interchangeably. Below is an explanation of each term.
Players: Used to describe the human participant playing the game. Usually, a Player controls a single Character in the FuturePath game, but they can technically control as many characters as the GM allows. In the rules, Player is often used when describing something that needs to be physically done, usually a dice roll.
Character: Used to describe the fictional avatar a Player controls. Sometimes, a Character refers to something the GM controls, although usually, this is an NPC (Non-Player Character). In the rules, this is often used to refer to the result of an action or role.
Hero: Often used interchangeably with Player/Character, it can describe both. IE: The Hero must roll a d20+Advantage Die to determine success. If successful, the Hero moves through the obstacle.
Dice Notation
In many pen and paper games, and especially in the d20 system, there are a lot of different types of dice that are used. To quickly specify the type of die required, someone may say, "Roll a d20" or "Use a d12". They are simply using a notation. The 'd' is for die, and the number is the number of sides on the die. Like so:
- d4 = four sided die
- d6 = six sided die
- d8 = eight sided die
- d10 = ten sided die
- d12 = twelve sided die
- d20 = twenty sided die
Dice can represent different weapons or a percentage chance for success at an action. Your character sheet will help you know what die to roll under what circumstances.
There is one other die notation:
- d% = percentile dice (a number between 1 and 100 is generated by rolling two different ten-sided dice. One (designated before rolling) is the tens digit, and the other is the ones digit. Two 0s represent 100.)
Die rolls are expressed in the format: [#] die type [+/- modifiers]
Example: 3d6+2 means: "Roll 3 six sided dice. Add the result of the three dice together, then add 2 for the total."
Die Levels
| Level | Hit Die |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | 1d2 |
| Level 1 | 1d4 |
| Level 2 | 1d6 |
| Level 3 | 1d8 |
| Level 4 | 1d10 |
| Level 5 | 1d12 |
| Level 6 | 2d8 |
| Level 7 | 2d10 |
| Level 8 | 2d12 |
| Level | Hit Die |
|---|---|
| Level 0 | 0 |
| Level 1 | 1d2 |
| Level 2 | 1d2 +1 |
| Level 3 | 1d4 +1 |
| Level 4 | 1d4 +2 |
| Level 5 | 1d6 +2 |
| Level 6 | 1d6 +3 |
| Level 7 | 1d8 +3 |
| Level 8 | 1d8 +4 |
| Level 9 | 1d10 +4 |
| Level 10 | 1d10 +5 |
| Level 11* | 1d12 +5 |
| *for Advantage Die only. | |
Die levels are simply a ranking of each die ordered from the lowest max result to the highest max result. So, for example, 1d2 through 1d12. The tables to the right show the different die levels in the game. Notice that as the Skill/Advantage Die levels increase, a static modifier is also applied.
Advantage Die level is determined by Character Path. Skill die increases with its Skill Rank. To learn more about skills, visit the Skill Basics page.
Basic Task Resolution System
Player actions often require dice rolls to determine success, which adds an element of randomness to the adventure. Combat has the largest and most involved set of rules explaining what to roll and when, but what about the day-to-day stuff? Honestly, the amount of role-playing in gameplay depends greatly on the Player and GM style. Whenever there is a conflict or simply any other choice/task where there is a reasonable possibility for some degree of failure, Players should roll. That sounds kinda open to interpretation, and that's because it is. It's designed to give freedom to the GM and Players alike.
There is a standardized system for determining the success or failure of any given task:
- d20 + Advantage Die + Modifiers |vs.| Target Number
- d20: This is the standard die that is used in all conflict resolutions.
- Advantage Die: Optional This only applies when a Character is performing a task that they are proficient in, have an affinity for doing, or that the GM determines they have an advantage or disadvantage. To learn more about how the Advantage system works, go to the Advantage page.
- Modifiers: A modifier is anything you add on top of your die roll, usually to boost it and help your chances for success. It is often the Ability Scores modifier or a Misc bonus to a Skill.
- Target Number: In combat, the Target Number is usually the enemies AC or Armor Class. In order for the Character to hit the enemy, the Player must roll an accuracy check against that enemy's AC. It can also be a DC or Difficulty Check. An example would be a character trying to disarm a bomb. The bomb has a "DC 20" or Difficulty of 20. The Player's Target Number they must beat on the roll is 20.
The Modifiers and Target Number are determined on a per-situation basis. If the resulting roll meets or exceeds the Target Number, the test is successful. Any other result is failure. A "natural" anything is when you roll a d20, in which case you get that number, as opposed to unnatural, meaning that the number was only reached after adding modifiers to it. So a "natural 20" would mean you rolled a d20 and got the number 20 before you added your modifiers. A 'Nat 20' (or Natural 20) in combat usually means a critical hit, while a 'Nat 1' means a critical failure. However, critical success and failure occur only during combat.
Key Terms / Glossary
There is a Glossary of Key Terms that are part of the lexicon of Futurepath and often common terms in other TTRPGs. If ever confused about what a term means or where to look up more details, a good place to start is the Glossary. Or simply search the site using the Search box at the top of every page on this site.
The Most Important Rule
Have fun! Seriously, it's a game! Not all the rules listed on this site may fit your adventure. If changing them allows for fun and fair play for all Players, then why not? And why not share those changes online with the community? (Discord Server) Keep in mind that following a set of rules helps build an imaginary world that all players can share. If you suggest a change to a rule, everybody needs to agree to it. Often, the GM may have his/her own "house rules." They should ensure that they are all written down and communicated to the Players before games start. Also, players may have personal rules or boundaries for their game. The Players should also communicate these to the adventuring group. Don't worry too much if one rule doesn't make as much sense as another. It's a game. Feel free to try out new ideas. Think of it as a different game mode. As long as there is continuity between the players' and GMs' understanding of the rules, feel free to experiment.
This doesn't mean these rules are meaningless, only that they have a place. They are here to help build a fun adventure for everyone. If they have not succeeded at that, then either this game is not for you, or perhaps the rules need work. Also, we picked these rules and built this system intentionally for the purpose of playing and having fun. If you haven't tried our particular rule set, please at least attempt to use it in its entirety and in its original state before passing judgment and making your own tweaks.
Alternate Rules
There is a dedicated page to alternate rule ideas to help change the 'style' or 'flavor' of the game. This should be considered a jumping-off point for the group to explore their own game mechanics. Visit Alternate Rules to learn more.