Rules Lite!
Surely the lure of a pile of books to choose classes from is appealing, but so too is a system that allows us to select a Class, and with a few rolls in a few minutes have our background, Abilities, weapons, armor, and perhaps a bit of luck in the form of a Prayer Book or Hex Book to go along as the dark journey begins. The Darkest Age: Resurrected is such a system, molding the original Darkest Age role-playing game into a rules-lite, Mork Borg-compatible game with fast and brutal play that retains the depth of the original.
Let us look at Witch Arana and her bodyguards as they come to the aim of their journey. It seems that the rumored ferry across the Garonne River does indeed exist:
GM: First you note the wood smoke in the air, but are pleased to see that it comes from the squat chimney of a hut built beside the river and not from any recent carnage. You are also quite pleased to see a serviceable boat moored nearby.
Arana: Is there anyone, or anything, in sight?
GM: You see no one, but there is a gentle humming coming from inside the hut. The surrounding scrub oak and bracken don’t seem fit to hide any formidable foe.
Kurg, the Berserker: I approach with a firm, “Hullo, the camp!”
GM: You hear a rustle inside the hut and a cloaked head emerges. “How fare thee, travelers?” croaks the older and somewhat gaunt dweller there.
Tormund, the Mercenary: “Well enough,” I say, and carefully survey the area. “On that matter, would you have room for a fare across the river?”
Can I make a Presence roll for looking about?
GM: Sure, d20 please—
Tormund: Uh, 17!
GM: With that roll, a couple of things catch your eye. First, this frail old man does not seem to be hardy enough to work a ferry rig such as this, and secondly, there have been more boots than his coming and going about the hut here, two at least.
Tormund: I hold Arana’s shoulder back, and cast my mates a look that all is not right here.
The Ferryman: “Oh, I’m sure I could manage, There is the matter of the toll, however.”
Arana: “And how much would that be, old fellow?”
The Ferryman: “Oh, everything!” he sneers as you see a nocked arrow fill the doorway behind him.
Kurg: I lunge for the wall beside the door, grabbing the old man if I can!
GM: Ah, initiative time! Uh, (rolls d6), a “5”, you guys are up first.
(at this point, the rest of the rolling is in the players’ hands. A d6 plus each player’s Agility score bonus determines their initiative order, then each makes a d20 Attack roll against a Difficulty Rating (DR) 12 to determine success. After their round, they each make a d20 Defense Roll for any attacks levied against them. In each case, the DR 12 is adjusted for armor and the damage is rolled according to the weapon.)
GM: Kurg, you are indeed up. Give me a Strength Check on grappling the old man.
Kurg: A “14”, plus 3 for my Strength ability. “17”
GM: You got him. Uh, d4 damage for hurling him to the ground unless you’re going to keep him.
Kurg: Oh, I’m hurling him! Three damage for him!
GM: He’s not looking good after that. Arana, you’re up, and you can see a second form appear in the doorframe, this one with a glint of long steel.
Arana: I hit the bowman with “Witch’s Glare” and the command “Drop!” as I pull my dagger.
GM: The bowman drops his bow, but as he does so the arrow is loosed wildly. The wild shot flies off without endangering anybody. Tormund?
Tormund: I draw and lunge into the doorway, plunging my sword into whoever lurks there.
GM: That would be the now disarmed bowman.
Tormund: 15 plus two for my Strength is plenty! Let’s see, the full 8 on longsword damage!
GM: Even less two damage for the light armor, your 6 point thrust ruins his day and he is down and bleeding heavily.
Tormund: Hellz yeah!
GM: For the defense round, only the swordsman inside remains battle-worthy, and you are his target Tormund. Give me a Defense roll beating DR 14 for his strength bonus…
Tormund: Oy, a 6 ain’t going to do it.
GM: He nails you as you pull your sword out of his comrade, Got a 5 damage on you.
Tormund: Ah, minus 4 for my medium chainmail armor! Doing okay then.
And so the rules-lite combat rolls, quick and dirty, until one party or the other is bleeding out on the ground. Everybody is rolling attacks on the same target number, with one personalized adjustment to their roll and everybody is rolling defense on the same target number with a personalized adjustment to damage taken based on their armor. Other actions, like using a Power, Prayer, or Hex are just as simple, and an Omen can even save you from your own dice!
Give us a look, and we’ll see you in the Darkest Age.
