Runequest Slayers

Unified Skill System

by Graham Spearing

This rules variant takes the best ideas from the combat system and extends them into other ability tests.
This makes the game a largely 'D6' game with only the occasional need for other funny shaped dice.

Describing the Task

The Runemaster (RM) will describe all ability tests with the following:

A task description What the task is

A difficulty level How hard the task is

An ability What ability or abilities would make the task easier?

An attribute What attribute might help?

A duration (optional) How long, on average, the task will take

So, for example:

Description To climb the alabaster tower of the demon sorceress Gorsuna

Task Difficulty Difficult

Ability Thief or Acrobatics

Attribute Agility (min 13)

Duration 20 minutes
 What's my Chance to Succeed?
The RM applies the following:

1. Starting Dice

All ability tests (just like combat) start with 2D.

2. Skill and Circumstance

The skill and status of the character as per the following modify the number of die that you throw:

Factor Dice Bonus

Apprentice +1

Journeyman +2

Master +3

Only have a related ability (See note 1) +0 to +2

Have no relevant ability (See note 2) +0

Special helpful equipment +1

Cooperation +1

Entertaining description of a character's attempt on the task +1

Judged by player and RM to be similar to a former 'Heroic Feat' +1

Careful attempt (double task duration) +1

Hasty attempt (half task duration) -1

Fatigued or Reeling -1

Dying -2

(1) The RM can decide if the character’s related ability is close enough to give a bonus, with the player’s
description of how his character is going to use the ability taken into consideration. The bonus is equal to
the ability level minus 1D. So a Master in a related ability would get to add 2D instead of the usual 3D.

(2) The RM may decide that a particular ability is absolutely crucial to the task success. The RM may
also decide that a task can be attempted without an ability but at a penalty. Note that Runequest Slayers
is an epic game, so RMs should only penalise players if the story demands it.
 3. Task Complexity

The task difficulty will also affect how many dice you throw:

Task Difficulty Effect

Easy +1

Average +0

Difficult -1

Impossible -2

4. Natural Talent

You may also gain an attribute bonus, depending on the task difficulty. As a task becomes more difficult
the attribute has to be higher to gain a bonus +1 die. I have given a sample range in the table below. The
RM defines the Attribute and the Attribute level necessary to give a bonus die. So, looking at the table
below, if the RM has defined a task as 'Difficult' and would be helped with the 'Agility' Attribute, he would
choose a level between 13 and 15. Let's say he chooses '13'. The task would be Difficult (Agility 13). If
the character has an Agility of 13 or more then he gains a bonus die.

Task Difficulty Attribute Range for a Bonus Die

Easy 6-10

Average 10-12

Difficult 13-15

Impossible 16+

An Example

Here's our task again:

Description To climb the alabaster tower of the demon sorceress Gorsuna

Task Difficulty Difficult

Ability Thief or Acrobatics

Attribute Agility (min 13)

Duration 20 minutes

Gard the warrior is attempting this task. He is a Journeyman Thief, has Agility at 13 and has no special
helpful equipment for the climb. The task starts at 2D. Gard is in a bit of a hurry and wants to climb up in
10 minutes. His player knows that the task should take about 20 minutes, but with the killer horde of Zull
on his back every minute counts! The RM judges that he is being 'hasty' (-1) taking him down to 1D. He
is a Journeyman Thief (+2) taking him to 3D. He has sufficient Agility to give him a bonus die (+1) taking
him to 4D. The task is Difficult (-1) which takes him down to 3D.

Rolling the Dice

Resolution is just like combat. One 6 is required for success. A character always has at least 2D. If you
call a 'vital shot' then you need two sixes to succeed. If you manage this then you have produced a
particularly spectacular result, which the RM and player can have fun with. All ones on the die result in a
fumble. Criticals can also be applied. I suggest the RM think of a benefit to the player.

In our example the GM might decide that a failure means that Gard gets part way up the tower but finds
he is struggling and gives up. Feel free as an RM to give or take the odd die for florid descriptions or
appalling lack of player judgement etc! :-)

Runes

If the character has an appropriate Rune that has a description that the GM judges would help resolve
the Task allow the player an extra +1 Die.

Retrying a task
Here are three alternate ways of deciding whether a character can retry a task that he has failed. A
fumbled Task cannot be retried.

1. Oh Go On Then..
Just let them have another go. You've got enough to put up with, without having to think about it.

2. If at first you don't succeed...

Characters can always retry a task. Each retry incurs a cumulative -1D. The player can, as in combat
always throw a minimum of 2D.

3. The brave and the hardy...

To find out if the player thinks he might want to retry then he must roll under the relevant task attribute
(or Courage) with a number of Dice. Retries start at 3D. Harder tasks put people off:

Task Difficulty Effect

Easy -1

Average +0

Difficult +1

Impossible +2
Knowing what you are doing makes you more capable of having another go:

Skill Level Effect

Apprentice +0

Journeyman -1

Master -2

A retry using 'The brave and the hardy' option does not incur any dice penalty on the task retry.

Retry Example

Gard throws his 3 Dice for his climbing task but fails to get a six. He wants to retry. His Agility is 13 but
his Courage is 15. Gard elects to roll equal to or less than his Courage. He starts with 3D. The Task was
'Difficult' so he must add another (+1) taking him to 4D. As a Journeyman Thief he gets a (-1) taking him
back to 3D. If he rolls 15 or less with 3D then he can have another attempt (which would be at 3D again,
as the previous example if he is hasty, but he may decide to be more careful to gain some more dice.

Attribute Tests
If you need to make an attribute test (Perception or Courage for example) use the 'The brave and the
hardy' system above.

Contests
Direct contests between two characters should be resolved as per combat:

One takes the initiative (may elect for a 'Vital Shot' for a +1 Bonus die). Roll 2D to start. Higher skill and
higher attribute are each worth +1D. Any other advantages or disadvantages should similarly be applied
to the dice pool.

Each character takes it in turn in the contest until the first scores a six.

How Likely am I to get a 6?

Here's a quick list that gives you the probability of getting at least one six on a number of dice.

Dice Probability Dice Probability

1 17% 5 60%

2 31% 6 67%

3 42% 7 72%

4 52% 8 77%