-T PORTABLE RPG SYSTEM-

HE

A PORTABLE RPG is designed to be played almost anywhere, quickly and easily. Take it to school,
play in line at the theater, in the car, or at a convention. All you need is a couple 10-sided dice, a copy of
the rules, and a few index cards with character, bad guy, and other statistics. To play somewhere that
you can’t ‘spread out’ just bring a cup to roll the dice in - a small paper or Styrofoam one will do.

GAME PLAY
ACTION ROLLS : Players roll to see if any important actions they attempt succeed. The base roll is made by
rolling a 10-sided dice and adding the result to the character’s appropriate attribute. The GameMaster
determines which attribute is appropriate for each action being performed. For example - the character
wants the Warden to free his companions. If he tries to charm him the action would be rolled using
Charisma. If he tried to argue rationally the advantages of letting them go the roll would be made with
Intelligence. If he tried to intimidate the man, Strength might be used. And if the talk was to cover him
trying to pluck the dungeon key unnoticed from the man’s pocket, Dexterity would be used.
There are two types of Action Rolls: opposed and unopposed. Opposed rolls are performed when
two characters are working directly against each other - whoever rolls the highest wins. Unopposed rolls
are given a set difficulty by the GameMaster: 5 for easy actions; 10 for moderate; 15 for difficult; and 20
for nigh-impossible feats. The GameMaster may alter the difficulty if a character attempts to hurry or
prolong an action.

COMBAT : When characters enter a situation where Action Rolls need to be resolved in a specific order,
combat rules take effect. Each action takes 1 second. Follow the numbered steps below:
1. Determine the order that characters act by making an Action Roll for initiative. The Action Roll
should be based on Dexterity or Intelligence, depending on the circumstances. The characters act
in order from the highest roll to the lowest, and this order continues until combat ends. Initiative
is rolled again if combat restarts.
2. The acting character declares what they are going to do. The GameMaster then determines if any
other characters can react and determines what Action Rolls are needed. If the activity involved
something that caused damage, then the effect of the damage is also determined before going to
the next character.
3. The next character goes until everyone has gone, then the character with the highest roll goes again.

ATTACKING/DEFENDING: When a character attacks the target may oppose the attack with some sort of
defensive Action Roll, attempt a simultaneous counter-strike, or do nothing. If they do nothing the
GameMaster should assign a difficulty to their attack Action.
Counter-strikes allow the defender to attack if their attacker is within range, but not move.
Attacks are resolved in the order of the characters initiative rolls - if the rolls are equal then the attacks
are completely simultaneous.
Grenades or other explosive attacks effect everything within a specified radius. The attacker
makes one Action Roll and all of the defenders roll separately to determine if they take damage. If the
attacker is throwing a weapon at far targets the Action Roll might use the character’s Strength. If the
character is tossing it around a corner at targets, the Action Roll may be based on Dexterity.

DAMAGE : When damaged is rolled, the character or object that has been damaged subtracts the value of
any protection they have from the total, then subtracts the results from their Hit Points. When a
character’s Hit Points reach zero they die. Characters heal 1 Hit Point per day in a prolonged game.
If the character is still alive after taking damage they must make an Action Roll using Strength
against the amount of damage suffered. If they roll less than the amount of damage they took on that hit,
then they fall unconscious for 1d10 minutes for every point they missed their roll by.
Weapons that do stun damage only roll using their Strength as above, but do not actually
subtract damage from their Hit Points.

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PORTABLE RPG SYSTEM ©1998 Craig Griswold
into-the-shadows@usa.net
 -T PORTABLE RPG SYSTEM-
HE

CHARACTERS
ATTRIBUTES : Each character possesses four main attributes: Strength; Dexterity; Intelligence; and
Charisma. They range in value from 1-10, 4-6 being average. Unlike most games, there are no skills.
Every action is based on whatever attribute the GameMaster decides is appropriate at the time.

BUILDING CHARACTERS : Players can be of any type of character the GameMaster allows: cowboys, elves,
mercenaries. The players can either roll each attribute randomly using a 10-sided dice, or receive 24
points to distribute as they wish between the four attributes. It is up to the player what the character’s
history is, how they look, and how they act. In addition, each character starts with Hit Points - used to
determine how much damage the character can withstand - equal to their Strength value plus 10. Non-
player characters have Hit Points equal to their Strength value only. Characters can move up to their
Dexterity in meters per action, half if performing an Action Roll. In a prolonged campaign, players
receive 1 point that can be added to one attribute at the end of each successful adventure. Characters may
build attribute values higher than 10 this way, with the GameMaster’s permission.

WEAPONS : Weapons effect Action Rolls (AR) in two ways. First, the weapon may modify the character’s
Action Roll to hit the target, either positively or negatively. Second, the weapon will either modify the
characters Action Roll for damage, or replace it with another value in the case of weapons like guns.
Most weapons will also have an effective range in meters, outside this range the weapon is useless.
Drawing a weapon counts as one action.

Weapon To Hit Damage Range

Sword +1 AR+3 -
Spear +3 AR+3 ARx2
Whip +2 d10/2 3
Six Shooter 0 d10+5 20
Shotgun +2 2d10 40
Blaster Pistol +1 2d10 10
Blaster Rifle +2 2d10 100
Grenade -2 2d10** ARx2
* Stun Only **Damage Radius of 2

Resistant Armor Value

Light Kevlar™ 4
Flak Jacket 5
Kevlar™-Ceramic 6

Ablative Armor Value

Leather 6
Chain 8
Plate 10

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PORTABLE RPG SYSTEM ©1998 Craig Griswold
into-the-shadows@usa.net
 -T PORTABLE RPG SYSTEM-
HE

ARMOR: There are two types of armor - resistant and ablative. Resistant armor subtracts directly from any
damage the character receives without taking damage itself. Ablative armor is reduced when the
character takes damage. If the amount of damage is less than or equal to the value of the ablative armor,
then the character and armor suffer no damage. If the damage exceeds the ablative armor’s value,
subtract the difference from the armor’s value. The armor will continue to protect at a reduced value each
time it takes damage until it is reduced to zero - then damage is subtracted directly from the character’s
Hit Points.

EQUIPMENT : Equipment will either modify the character’s Action Roll for specific types of actions
determined by the GameMaster, or make actions possible that the character might not have been able to
perform. A rope, for example, might add +5 or more to the character’s roll on climbing. A ladder,
however, does not usually require an Action Roll but allows the character to climb short distances.

GameMaster
GameMasters will need to create settings and bad guys as needed to fit the campaign. Bad guys and
monsters are not restricted by the same rules as characters and may have attributes higher than 10 as
needed. For more specific campaign ideas see other completed PORTABLE RPG systems.

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PORTABLE RPG SYSTEM ©1998 Craig Griswold
into-the-shadows@usa.net