ATLAS OF WORLDS is a rules light, worlds heavy roleplaying experiment.HOW TO BEGIN: Pick a world, create a character, take note of their Skills and give it a twist, read the opener and start playing.HOW TO PLAY: Player characters succeed. When they act according to their Skills or play it smart, they succeed. If not, roll dice to settle it. You can use one of the minimalist rulesets provided, invoke your own or simply follow this basic idea: Roll a six-sided die. 6 means an unexpected success. Below 6 means they pay a significant price, success or not.IS THAT IT?: Basically, but do check out Tips and make use of the Tables for input during your story.
Worlds
| 1.1. Heroic Fantasy | 1.2. Stone Age Horizons |
| 1.3. Modern Horror Mystery | 1.4. Gritty Science Fiction |
| 1.5. Early Modern Banditry | 1.6. Age of Discovery |
Below worlds are now in active development. Links will be activated as the worlds are complete.Comment on Atlas' itch page if you want to see a particular world in future updates.
| 2.1. Wardens of Woods | 2.2. Pirates on Open Seas |
| 2.3. Ancient Slave Rebellion | 2.4. Cyberpunk |
| 2.5. Medieval Pandemic | 2.6. Underwater Exploration |
Tables
IS THAT THE CASE?: Use this table when you wonder whether some idea during play is actually the case.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No, and | No | No, but | Yes, but | Yes | Yes, and |
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?: Use this table when you find that things begin to stall. Push the story further on.
| 1-2 | 3-4 | 5-6 |
|---|---|---|
| A diversion | New danger | Reveal secret |
| Area change | New plot | Roll twice |
| Betrayal | Someone returns | Time passes |
| Dots connect | Reveal allies | Too late |
| False premise | Reveal foes | Trap |
| Go missing | New relationship | Weird |
Mini rules
This section collects a number of tiny rulesets aiming at light mechanics with heavy narrative impact.Available rulesets:
#1 LET IT OUT!: Conditions (emotional and physical) and getting rid of them drive the story forward.
Ruleset #1: Let it out!
CREATION: Pick a world, take note of character Skills and give it a twist. Then, roll 1d6 for character Motivation. Describe what it means.
Power
Duty
Justice
Faith
Truth
Honour
ACTION ROLL: When a character does something uncertain or dangerous, roll 2d6. 4-6 on a die counts as 1 Hit. If Motivation applies, 6s count as 2 Hits.
Is the character skilled or at an advantage?
=> needs 1 Hit.Not skilled or at a disadvantage?
=> needs 2 Hits.Hits beyond the needed imply an exceptional success.
CHALLENGE: Some challenges - such as combat, travel and exploration - require more successes and Hits to resolve. Hits only count towards achieving the goal if the Action Roll is successful.
Basic Challenges require 1-6 Hits to resolve successfully (roll 1d6 if in doubt).Elite Challenges require 7-12 Hits to resolve successfully (roll 1d6+6 if in doubt).
CONDITIONS: When failing a risky action, take a Condition. You may also choose to gain a Condition to gain 1 Hit after rolling.When under the effect of a Condition, a character is automatically considered at a disadvantage.To remove a Condition, do what it requires. If this action requires an Action Roll, one still rolls with disadvantage, but the Condition is removed regardless of the result. Narrate accordingly.A character can suffer from two Conditions simultaneously, but should they suffer a third, the player picks one of the two existing Conditions and makes it permanent (e.g., Harmed becomes a limp or visible scar). Permanent Conditions only have narrative effects.
Angry: Let it out on someone or something.
Guilty: Put oneself on the line for others or a cause.
Scared: Withdraw from a situation.
Hopeless: Seek comfort in a bad habit.
Insecure: Act without commitment or without consulting others.
Harmed: Treat it or do a grand finale and die.
1.1. Heroic Fantasy
SETTING: Wandering forests pushed man to the windy mountains, drilling deep, colonizing the caves below. Magic is in its infancy, experimental and subversive.CHARACTERS: Players are adventurers. Present their sword: is it historic, an heirloom, perhaps magical?SKILLS: Adventurers are physically superior, but reckless. They fight waves of minions, but struggle to defeat a singular smart opponent. Adventurers know little, but are perceptive if they manage to focus.EXPLORATION: Mountain goats, meandering cart tracks, torches high in deep pits and threatening forests. Bring a guide, learn the path. Find treasures, secrets.SOCIAL: Social class is key. Then, barter or threats. Suspicion reigns. Beasts of the pit are protective.
AN OPENER: The lantern light bounces between the strange crystals. It’s the source. Sudden sounds of feet and coarse voices from up the mine shaft. Why are you here, and what do you do?
Tips
SAY 'YES' OR ROLL THE DIE: Characters succeed as a rule. If failure is the expected outcome (because you cannot just say 'yes'), roll the die. Something always happens when the die rolls. Something changes.REFEREE-FULL: Even if you play with a designated referee, consider letting all players partake in the role of the referee. Play the world together. Offer one another tough choices and setup serious situations cooperatively. Be impartial in judgement calls, but be considerate, play safe and share the spotlight. Characters succeed or roll the dice.ADVANCING: Characters develop, gain contacts and stuff in-game, in-world. Consider expanding and personalizing the Skills description accordingly as this happens.INSPIRATION: Check out the optional tables. For world-specific prompts, number the paragraphs of your world description. Roll a die for paragraph, then for line and word. Interpret the result and make something happen – you rolled the dice. Otherwise, any media is a sourcebook.
Example of play
(Heroic Fantasy)
MATT: Okay, so we read the world description, created our characters and read the proposed OPENER. What do you think?ADEL: Well, my sword is magical. Perhaps it led us this way? To the crystals?
MATT: Let’s roll on the ‘Is that the case?’ table, just for fun. Rolls 4: ‘Yes, but’. So, that’s the case, but . . .LAILA: I know the ‘but’! It’s not your sword, but a sorcerer’s, and he’s coming for it from up the shaft.ADEL: Yes! With his goblin minions and a bounty-hunting-type fighter we actually met earlier, poking around the inn. They emerge from the shaft. Let’s fight!MATT: The sorcerer definitely goes for your character, Adel. But my character is gonna hack and slash her way through the goblin minions while laughing furiously ‘cause she has the Skills for it.LAILA: Definitely! I guess the bounty-hunter might be smarter than the average goon, so he probably runs for Adel as well, given that the contract is to retrieve the sword. BUT I’ll try to intercept him and beat him!ADEL: Thanks, Laila! Though I guess that while you can certainly run up to him before he reaches me, the nature of the situation – with raging goblins and smarter than average bounty-hunter – means failure in battle might be expected, perhaps leaving you with a severe wound. Wanna roll? Or perhaps take a severe wound up-front in exchange for beating the guy?LAILA: Screw it! I’m gonna roll. Rolls 5. Well, it's not flawless, but I guess my first strike is parried and quickly followed by a counterstab to my shoulder. I scream and decapitate him in fury!ADEL: Sure! Since this has gone slightly gonzo, I’ll say that as the sorcerer is about to cast a spell, I put up my sword, cowering behind it and hoping for some magical barrier to merge, though I have no idea about any magic shit. Reckless and stupid, right?!MATT: Right on! Roll the dice?
1.2. Stone Age Horizons
SETTING: Wild animals, a hunter’s life in an inhospitable world. Shamans warn of “strange caves” and “weird elephants” in the deep forests. Tempting?CHARACTERS: Players are hunters. Present their bow: is it blessed, a communal fetish, strung from beast hair?SKILLS: Hunters are never seen or heard, but they depend on teamwork. They fight singular wild beasts, know their weak spots, but never alone. Hunters know the way, flora and fauna, but see no horizon beyond.EXPLORATION: Wandering primeval forests, open woodlands and mountains slopes. Barely erect, on guard, in search of better shelter, berries, game, “elephants”?SOCIAL: Tribe is God, both living and dead. Worship it. Visiting tribes receive lavish gifts as strategy.AN OPENER: Carcass is not right. Smells odd, strange bite marks. Tracks lead into the tabooed forest. “Don’t,” the Shaman roars from behind. Elephant trumpets in the far distance. Why are you here, and what do you do?
1.3. Modern Horror Mystery
SETTING: In remote villages and industrializing ports rumors of mythic beats once tranquil, now agitated. Cults multiply, occultists thrive, sacrificial murders.CHARACTERS: Players are investigators. Present a curio: a charm, stick with secret compartment, fine hat?SKILLS: Investigators read people and situations quickly, but unravel the mystery hesitantly. They shoot when needed, but ask first and often flee. Investigators known too much, also about the Beyond.EXPLORATION: Stagecoaches, noisy automobiles, silent roaming in abandoned houses, fields and old libraries. Bring a steady hand, a sane mind and ritual remedies.SOCIAL: This is civilization, decorum is a must. Yet, anxiety and suppressed desires are just below. Use it.AN OPENER: That’s it! A sudden, mysterious storm whirls up across the field. It draws and pulls you in, whispers of power. The ritual book lies open on the stone stand. Why are you here, and what do you do?
1.4. Gritty Science Fiction
SETTING: On the frontiers nothing is new, all is salvaged, reused. Gangs rule the stations, pirates roam the skies and space horrors of cosmic powers close in.CHARACTERS: Players are scavengers. Present their machine: a compact gun, robot, magnetic quarterstaff?SKILLS: Scavengers hide and wait for an opportunity, like vultures. With a plan, they fight thugs in tens, but only take out a commander if already wounded, like vultures. Scavengers know tech, but little else.EXPLORATION: Shabby freighters, unreliable FTL drives. Avoid space walks, hostile planets and derelicts, but do it anyway. Bring tech, pray for parts.SOCIAL: Gang allegiance rules, but most can be bought for spare parts or drugs, the good stuff (or the weird).AN OPENER: Door burst. The stench seeps through the suit. Gas, but an unusual one. The crew are dead, useful parts spread around. A strange creaking from above. Why are you here, and what do you do?
1.5. Early Modern Banditry
SETTING: On the muddy routes between small villages and filthy cities lawlessness rules. No caravan is safe from bandits. No bandit is safe from anything.CHARACTERS: Players are highwaymen. Present their best catch: a mayor’s necklace, perfume, a noble’s steed?SKILLS: Highwaymen track and trap, but are cowards. They easily deal with poorly defended caravans, but only engage an officer in singles, if ever. Highwaymen know the area and a local fence, but never the news.EXPLORATION: By foot or stolen steeds, looking for a heist or a noble’s secret stash of riches. Maintain the traps and keep a lookout. Outlaws are seldom friends.SOCIAL: Rudeness between outlaws. Respect is earned or paid for. Highwaymen fare awkwardly among civilized.AN OPENER: There they are! Idiots stashing their riches in a hollow tree. Fools, this is your turf. But what’s that sound? Hoofs! Smoke suddenly billows from the tree. Gun clicks. Why are you here, and what do you do?
1.6. Age of Discovery
SETTING: New shores, new secrets, new journeys to the earth’s inner or the outer fringes. Well, “new” to some. All worlds are inhabited, welcoming or protective.CHARACTERS: Players are discoverers. Present their famed discovery: submerged city, ancient valley, a gas?SKILLS: Discoverers are true navigators and well-equipped, but they freeze in the headlights of new shores. They seldom expect a fight, but are violently ambitious. Discoverers are read and overconfident.EXPLORATION: Climbing, sailing, air-ballooning, zeppelining, digging and drilling for secrets, riches, fame. Survive hostile environments to reach “the core”.SOCIAL: Wealth and fame in the gentlemen’s clubs. Cultural sensitivity and animal charm in exploration.AN OPENER: What a sensation! You freeze at the sight of the fungi and fail to notice the low screeching from down the cliff side. Suddenly, your carrier is pulled down, screaming. Why are you here, and what do you do?
