Simple Dice-Pool Zombie Grappling Rules

If your survivor is about to get grabbed by some zombies, use this rule.

Adult, healthy, and well fed survivors roll 2d6. If they're weaker, only 1d6

Add +1d6 if the survivor is wielding a proper zombie killing weapon, like an axe or baseball bat.

Add +1d8 if the survivor is wielding a badass zombie killing weapon, like a sawn-off or chainsaw.

Every zombie in the group rolls 1d6. Special infected, like acid blood or Tanks from L4D, roll 1d8.

Roll all dice simultaneously. Highest number on a single dice wins. In the event of a tie, the highest number of dice rolled total wins. If the survivor wins, they get away. If the zombies win, they get in a bite or you take one wound or lose a life or whatever.

If you can't find enough dice to roll for the zombie's dice pool or if its statistically ludicrous for the survivor to win, they just die. Huge groups of zombies just rip you apart.

Note: Yes, it's intentional that you can't be bitten by a group of zombies if you get a lucky roll of 7 or 8 on your big weapon die. This is to represent your guy running through a crowd of zombies blasting and sawing them all to pieces without getting bitten. Yes, it's also intentional that most rolls will end in ties of 6, meaning that the zombies will always succeed if there is more then three of them at once.

Example: Rodney gets cornered by a group of undead, who press at him from all sides against a wall. There are 5 zombies. They roll 5, 5, 4, 3, and 2. Rodney swings his bat and gets a 6, 3, and 2. He gets away. That was a very lucky escape, Rodney.

Also if the survivor has a really shitty weapon like a knife or rifle in close range they roll a 1d4 for their weapon instead. Same for really shitty zombies like crawlers or weak ass skeletal zombies, they just add +1d4 to the hoard's dice; still adds to the hoard's deadliness but they're much easier to escape from in small numbers. Also this combat system has nothing to do with actually running around and shooting zombies or fighting zombies in a big army against a shield wall of survivors or anything cool like that, it's just a little grapple rule.

Dirt Simple Alchemy

Heavily inspired by the newest Zelda; Breath of the Wild, this potion system is meant to simplify some of the thoughts I had on how I wanted to do alchemy. I can't take all the credit for this, as some of the ideas were brainstormed by anonymous contributors.

Dirt Simple Potions

In order to create a potion, it requires an open flame, water, a flask or vial, and a cauldron. Ingredients must be mixed together. Each ingredient has an effect; Each type of ingredient grants a 1d6 roll to determine the potion's strengths for that effect. Each additional ingredient of the same type grants just +1 to the roll for that effect.

For example; If you make a potion with 3 healing shrooms, a healing butterfly wing, and an attack boosting chili pepper; you would roll 2d6+2 for Healing and 1d6 to calculate your attack bonus. This effect roll is how powerful the potion is when drunk or applied to a weapon in the case for poison.

When mixed; the ingredients in the potion disappear into a colorful, often glowing liquid that is clearly supernatural. Potions only have one day of 'shelf-life' before they lose their magic and turn back into a useless ingredient slurry. Potions with ongoing effects grant the drinker their power for one exploration turn, which is not related to their shelf life.

Whenever foraging or shopping for potion ingredients, roll on each list to see what you find. You don't know what they do if you find them in the wild unless you're a Sage of appropriate level or unless you have a book that can tell you- otherwise you'll have to experiment. Inferior ingredients only grant 1d4 for rolling their effects, Rare reagents like from high HD monsters can have 1d8 or higher for their potion effects.

Ingredients- Roll 1d6

[1] Herb or Fruit

[2] Animal Flesh or Bone

[3] Mushroom or Mold

[4] Insect or Arachnid

[5] Monster Part or Egg

[6] Powder or Salt

Effect- Roll 1d10

[1] Attack- For every 5 points of X; grants +1 to hit

[2] Protection- For every 5 points of X; grants +1 AC

[3] Elemental Resistance- Absorbs X of an Elemental Damage. The Elemental this ingredient resists is tied to its location and the creature; ie Fire Drake teeth grant Fire resistance, Moss from a swamp grants acid resistance, etc. Or determine randomly- (1d4- Fire, Cold, Lightning, Acid)

[4] Sensing- You gain the ability to see in the dark to a number of feet equal to X times 5. You also gain the ability the 'hear' loud sounds through walls, floor, or ceiling such as the sound of miners striking at rock or rushing water. Range of this ability is roughly equal to X feet.

[5] Mana- You can recover a spent spell slot in spell level equal to X or less. If you're using another system, count this as restoring +X mana points or adding +X to the next spellcrafting check.

[6] Healing- Restore X Health. If fed to a dying character with -X or more health, save to be revived

[7] Cure- Fights against the disease as though you had X days of bed rest. Incurable diseases are instead delayed by X days. Restores X points of attribute damage.

[8] Antidote- Reduce X Poison Damage from what you are suffering. Not a resistance; must be drank after you are poisoned. On save vs death poison, add +½ of X to your saving throw.

[9] Poison- Adds +X Poison Damage on first strike if applied to a sharp weapon or arrow. Target gets a save to resist the poison. Poison damage is rolled after the hit is confirmed.

[10] Stability- Adds +X number of days this potion will keep before spoiling.

Potion Errata

Due to how strong some of these effects can be, especially with multiple potion ingredients of the same type, that is the reason for the potions short shelf-life. Stability-effect ingredients can be added to make them better and last longer of course.

Ingredients of the same effect and type have lesser effects then adding in multiple ingredients of the same effect but different type. However it doesn't make much sense for a bear's molar that can cure disease and camel fat halfway across the world that can also cure disease to be considered the “same” ingredient. You can choose to have each biome have its own set of ingredients that are counted as different ingredients in different biomes.

If you're the type to have weird, mutational, or potential dangerous potions with side effects then consider having a random saving throw whenever a tonic is ingested and have the player roll on the effects table if they fail the save. Whatever effect they roll is instead reversed for them; so if they roll Attack they fumble all of their attacks horribly, or they suddenly become very flammable and they'll take X bonus fire damage if so much as a torch brushes up against them.

Of course, these rules don't have to ever be the extent of your potions or tonic making adventures. Let players soak an ent's bark in a tonic and ingest it to gain barkskin for their protection tonics, or make it so any potion mixed with a dragon's heart becomes permanent, or can be poured out into a strange alchemical homunculus. But you were already thinking of doing that, weren't you?

ASU- Another Shitty Ultralight

This is a super simple hack of my older ruleset, and something I've been throwing together from the various different houserules and concepts I've been working with before. By far the biggest 'sacred cow killer' here is the totally descriptive combat, which is basically just freeform.

Character Creation- Roll your stats, pick your class, and choose equipment.

Stats- Roll 3d6 and grant bonuses per number rolled, stacking. Then roll 2d6 and reverse effects.

[1] Strength: +1 to hit, load, and starting equipment.

[2] Dexterity: +1 to AC and skill checks

[3] Intelligence: +1 language known & magic rolls

[4] Constitution: Roll +1 health die & take highest

[5] Wisdom: +1 healing rolls and saves

[6] Charisma: +1 reaction rolls and supply item

Classes- Pick your classes based on your talents; here are some Extra Classes.

[Fighter] d10 – Add level to Combat saves

Whenever you make an attack roll, add your level to that roll. You can also use any weapons and armor, and can learn secret techniques.

Start with 4 equipment and 2 supply items

[Rogue] d8 – Add level to Hazard saves

If you have an appropriate tool, you can add your level to any skill checks you perform. Add your level to sneak rolls.

Start with 2 equipment and 3 supply items.

[Sage] d6 – Add level to Magic saves

You can use magic to heal wounds; cure sicknesses, curses, and poison; ward against the supernatural; create light; purify or mend items; sense danger; bless others; and revive the dead.

Start with 1 equipment and 2 supply items.

Health- Roll your class die. If you rolled talent 4 you roll additional die and take the biggest, or negative talent 4 take lowest. That's your health.

Equipment- Armor, weapons, and tools. Anything 1 handed can be taken, 1 piece of regular armor can be taken per pick. Only Fighters can wear and can pick metal armor.

Supply Items- Anything that runs out or is used up. Rope, torches, rations, paper for maps, etc. Each supply item pick is equal to 1-3 uses of your item, and are carried in bundles of the same size.

Combat- All characters roll their class die. The highest number goes first. All rolls of 6 or better have advantage on their attack, all rolls of 10 or better get to perform a super move.

This is done each round of combat, and is the initiative of the game. After everybody is done attacking, the round starts again.

Combat is all narration. Each attacked must be described, with the possible effects and intention stated. Creatures usually take their number of HD in order to kill of weakening or wounding blows, which can be tracked by 1d6- but monsters can be killed early with finishing blows/super moves. All attacks are rolled with a d20 + attack roll bonuses. If the attack stated is intended to be lethal and the attack roll > enemy remaining health it's lethal.

Super Moves- Attacks that can hit multiple foes, cut an enemy's health in half, or cause a lethal hit to go through even if creature is not weakened. Must be narrated as always.

Secret Techniques- Special magical fighting moves, learned from reclusive elders and vision quests from warrior ancestors.

Sage Magic- Healers and wise men, not witches.

Roll 2d6 + (x2 Sage level – x2 HD of difficulty), must get at least 7 for it to work. Every roll of 1 causes -1 to all Sage magic rolls until return to town/sanctum.

Difficulty HD = number of points of damage of a wound, HD of creature's special move or poison, number of steps to cure this curse normally or HD of creature casting the hex, number of 'candles' of light you want to produce for 1 exploration turn, number of rations of food or water you are purifying, amount of turns it would take to repair the equipment, amount of damage dice this trap does to sense it, or the size of the die of this bless to another character's d20 roll.

(Bless difficulty HD: +1d4 = 1, +1d6 = 2, etc.)

Progression- When you clear a dungeon, the level of difficulty of the dungeon = XP. Takes XP equal to your current level to level up.

When you reach max level 10:

[Fighter] Build a fortress and train soldiers.

[Rogue] Become mayor/mob boss of your city.

[Sage] Find a magic site, attract pilgrims.