Free RPGs

Welcome to the RPG section of 1KM1KT. Here you’ll find member submissions of tabletop pen and paper role-playing games. All of the RPGs available in this section are free for download and are generally in .pdf format. If you’re interested in submitting your own RPG for publication, please visit our submissions page for details or send it to us using our contact form.

What if there are angels living among us? Daemons? What about ghosts? Is there such a thing as reincarnation? Can you gain power from your mortal flaws? What is the point of it all, anyway? This game explores these ideas in a free format. I’ve also written a book about these subjects at: www.mynubook.com. You can download the free game AND purchase OR read about my book. Thanks in advance for your comments/suggestions/etc.

There was only ever the void and the universes. The nearly empty spaces between universes and the universes themselves had existed together always. Once, the universes were restricted to the smallest area of space (a point) until the “Big Bang.” The universes had been created out of the seven elements that the Creator itself was made of and had made the angels out of before humanity existed. There are seven orders of angels, just as there are seven different kinds of angels. And, there were seven different reasons for them to go to war among themselves as well.

The angels were very surprised when they noticed the Creator creating something new. These human beings were endowed with a smaller spark of creation than were the angels; and, at first, they were ignored. But, that was not for long. Human beings have all seven Elements present in their forms, but one is always more prevalent than the other six. Some human beings can even focus the power of their spark to create miraculous feats. This game is mostly about them.

Resourceful started out as a treasure-hunter game, but it evolved to place more emphasis on resource management and could be used for a lot of things–with some work. This 24-hour version has some obvious gaps and flaws, but should surprise you a bit with stuff you haven’t seen before.

This is a game about resource management, strategy, outwitting the GM, and telling a cool story to justify all the stuff you want to do with game mechanics.

OR

This is a game about adventurous types out looking to recover lost artifacts, mighty weapons of power, and ancient relics. The default setting of the game is a soft sci-fi post-apocalyptic world where high-tech items may still exist in ruined cities, forgotten bomb shelters, hidden compounds, or remote and inhospitable wilderness regions. You can also send people looking for treasure in the pulp age, or on distant worlds, or in a fantasy realm if you like. Most of the setting stuff is just window dressing that will affect how things are described but not how the game mechanics work.

The game is written for a group of 3-6 people, one to GM. Someday I will add rules for one-on one play. You will need pencils, paper, ten-sided dice (at least 3, maybe 3 per player), and some kind of chips or beads or markers in four distinct colors. (You could use several decks of playing cards, treating each suit as a color.)

I’ve got yet another variant set of rules for Dungeon Squad – this one tries to replicate the class abilities and powers of characters from D&D 3.5 and 4.0. I’d like to get the word out as much as possible. There’s also a link to it (and more) on my website: dominowriting.com/games.html

The rules are the same as in the original Dungeon Squad except as listed.

Character Generation

Assign d4, d8 and d12 to Warrior, Wizard and Explorer as normal. Each character also begins with 15 Hit Points.

If you are using miniatures figures and battle maps from other RPGs, each figure moves 30 feet (six spaces) per turn. Spells, bows and other ranged attacks have a maximum distance of 100 feet (20 spaces). You can even account for cover and difficult terrain, if you want to make this simple game more complex.

“Stuff Dice”
In DSYAV, you assign your “Stuff Dice” (the d6 and d10) to special abilities from the list below. These include and replace the Swords, Bows, Armor and Magic Spells information listed in the normal rules.

If the GM allows it, you can use the “expensive gear” +1 rank rule to represent skills or magic items that aren’t special abilities found below. Remember, you can only carry four items of equipment with a dice value, including special abilities in the form of a piece of equipment.

Each character also begins with a small weapon (a staff or dagger or punch) doing d4 damage, which does not count against the equipment you can carry. Characters start with 10 gold pieces, most often spent on an Adventurer’s Kit, since weapons and armor are included in the special ability lists.

Beltaine is a 24 Hour RPG I did well over a year ago and never got around to posting. I think the card-based mechanic has some untapped potential, and I plan on revising the game and linking the suits more closely to the setting (after all, the point of using cards as a randomizer is to do things that dice can’t easily do, right?).

Beltaine is a game about the Faeries and creatures of Celtic myth living in the modern world. It’s being put together quickly as a part of the 24 hour RPG project, and will hopefully serve as a springboard for a cyberpunk-and-Fae game I hope to write later.

The faerie courts are dangerous places, socially and physically, and it is easy to fall from favor. The safest thing to do when one does so is to go into exile on Earth. Some, like the Fomorians, live in permanent exile on Earth, either in hiding or disguised as humans. Fae on Earth often interbreed with humans, and their half-faerie children typically remain behind.

Edge of the Century is my second 24 Hour RPG attempt. I didn’t get as much time to work on it as I’d wanted to (about 4 hours, total), but I think it’s still playable. The game has some innovative narrative mechanics (at least I hope they’re innovative) and a fairly unique, but fast, character creation process that’s also very narrative. Have fun!

The edge of the century draws near, as does the life of the great Queen Victoria. In America, the Native tribes have been decimated, and the frontier declared closed. England is beginning to lose her Empire, though for the moment it is safe. In the cities, women shout for the right to vote, workers strike for a living wage, and anarchists gather in secret with Das Capital in one hand and a bomb in another.

In Europe, ethnic unrest and a complex web of alliances will soon burn the continent in a war many men think will be good. They say that Europe has gone soft and weak and needs a war to make it strong again.

And underneath the calm, stoic Victorian facade, madness coils and twists, waiting to erupt. Secret societies meet, calling on spirits of the dead and ancient gods. Curses lay upon families, waiting to drag them down into madness, or worse.

Central Resolution Mechanic inspired by “dukereg” on the “Opportunity Pool” thread at http://forum.rpg.net/archive/index.php/t-384462.html

HOUSE OF MASKS: A roleplaying game of Secrets and Sorcery, Power and Greed, Violence and Revenge

2008 Game Chef winner!

Six players switch in and out tag-team style to play three predefined characters in a complex, randomized web of intrigue and sorcery.

2. OVERVIEW:

In a far off land where mighty sorcerers dwell, the God-King Castor rules from a castle where the spirit realm and physical realm touch, allowing for powerful magics to happen and for a person’s spirit form to take control of one’s body. On the eve of Castor’s wedding to the foreign princess Inanna, a mysterious peasant woman named Thalia comes knocking on the palace door…

Each of six players play Aspects (either the “real world” or “spirit world” form) of one of three predefined player characters (PCs). Each player can take control of the PC under specific conditions.

Each player has a randomized goal, which will likely conflict with the other PCs and possibly conflict with the player of the other aspect of their PC. There are three decks of goals (one for each character) with three goals in each deck. Each goal is identified with a symbolic image: a hand with a Key in it (representing Secrets and Magic), a hand wrapped in a Necklace (representing Greed and Power), or a hand holding a drop of Blood (representing Violence and Revenge).

Beyond the initial setup phase of the game, characters have almost complete freedom to act. They are only constrained by their imaginations and the other players. When two characters oppose one another, the players use the conflict rules, which are tremendously simple and flexible. One player (called the Objector) sets two possible outcomes that could happen to the opposed characters. The other player in the conflict (called the Actor) then applies one of these outcomes to their character and one to the Objector’s character.

Two cards called Boons grant special privileges to their holders. The Boon of Beginnings allows the holder to frame scenes. The Boon of Endings allows the holder to call for the end of a scene. Either Boon can be used to activate a character’s sorcerous abilities. In a conflict, these magical powers can be used to reject the stakes set by an Objector and set new stakes. After any use of a Boon, the user gives the Boon away to some other player (which other player depends on how the Boon is used).

Here is a game i wrote in a hour or two. Its been too long since I have submitted so here it is. A bank robbing rpg. Its rules lite, and two pages long. But i feel its a good peice of work.

“Whats the catch?” Asks your friend Jose. “The police will probably respond within minutes so we need to strike fast” As you conceal your pistol and open the door. Jose and you pull down your masks and draw guns; A guard prepares to fire but Jose fires first, nailing the guard in the skull. “THIS IS A F’IN ROBBERY!” Screams Jose.

In The Californian Job, you and a few friends pose as Bank Robbers, with the GM controlling NPC’s and the police. Your duty is to roleplay one day, the day of your bank robbery. The game is not designed to be used in campaigns; but as a role playing exercise.

Adventures in the 41st Millennium puts you behind the gun in battle against hordes of enemies, or in a planet doomed by anarchy and run by gangs.

This game runs on the original Dungeon Squad System and brings the Warhammer 40,000 Universe to life as your party tries to survive the mass combat of the 41st Millennium.

In this First Edition, you can play as Imperial Guard, Space Marines or the people who inhabit Home Worlds across the vast stars. Note that while Imperial Guard and Space Marines may fight in huge battles, Home World characters fight in gang warfare or live the lives of regular inhabitants of one of four worlds: Imperial World, Hive World, Feral World and Void Born.

This game is sure to bring an exciting world of fun and entertainment; now, it’s up to you to take your weapon and head out. Are you ready?

Introduction
This is a Role Playing Game set in the futuristic nightmare of Warhammer 40,000 and this game comes off the hinges of the wonderful creation by Jason Morningstar, Dungeon Squad. Creators Neuicon and Sean Daniels have delved into the world of 40,000 when they were introduced to Dark Heresy (the official Role Playing Game of Warhammer 40,000), and quickly fell in love with it. Neuicon, having played Dungeon Squad, opted for something simple and fun to get those interested in Warhammer 40,000 into
gameplay using an exciting system, designed to entertain you and keep you on the edge of your seat!

This game comes off the release of Starcraft: Tactical Miniatures Combat, where you command skirmish-sized squads into battle against your foes! The fun of that game has helped in the inspiration to continue releasing new, fun and awesome games available to everyone!

How will you be remembered after you die?

This is the question being faced by the Terribly Beautiful, former prostitutes who find themselves facing a slow death at the hands of the disease known as the Pale. Is there still hope to be found when life is slipping away?

TO TOUCH IMMORTALITY

It is the dream of humanity to escape death. No one lives forever, but we hope that our lives mattered, that we will be remembered by the next generation. We have a lifetime to create that legacy. All too often most of that lifetime gets squandered. We come to realize the importance of our
legacy only when it is almost too late.

Seduction

They are the most desirable and seductive women in the city, the women of the night. Men are willing to travel into the most disreputable of neighbourhoods to meet them, offer money and gifts for but a few hours of their time or even less. They ply the oldest profession, selling their bodies into others’ fantasies.

Dying Together

For the streetwalkers of the red-light district known as the Kaz, death takes its time. The disease known as the Pale stakes its claim by transforming its victims into visions of beauty, alabaster skin and elegantly thin. But beware, for death is a jealous lover, who lays claim to any who might make love to those already ill, and so they become known as the Terribly Beautiful. Shunned by society, they find each other and face the remaining days of their lives.

The World

It is a world not unlike that which we live in today, with countries that war and trade. It is a city not unlike those found in many parts of the world today, with cultures that clash and blend. They are streets not unlike those that we walk in our cities every day, filled with people who have dreams both pursued and dashed.

The city sits on the water, industry and docks to the east, a thin strip of old docks leading to luxury shorefront property to the west, a downtown of skyscrapers and suburbs beyond. Nestled between them all, surrounded by stone walls, is a neighbourhood, the oldest in the city. It is called the Kaz.

The Kaz

“Ruined buildings, ruined lives…”

Once the beautiful, prideful, majestic centre of the city, the neighbourhood called the Kaz has been brought low by age. Grassy expanses were covered over by scabs of concrete, cheap apartments grow where flowers once bloomed, and treets that once wove gracefully around estates now snarl with traffic. Only a few of the buildings remain, protected by heritage laws, but impossibly expensive to maintain. They have fallen, one by one, to the ravages of time, becoming urban legend, the source of stories of ghosts, secrets and other mysteries that refuse to die.

For all the things that have changed, it is debauchery that remains a part of the Kaz. In times past a carelessly parted blind would reveal the parties of the rich, sumptuous, opulent attire carefully put on and carelessly thrown off. Today the sliver of light through a night window is reveals attire as carelessly thrown aside as ever. The Kaz has become a red-light district, a neighbourhood where prostitution is tolerated.

Around all this are the walls. Once they stood to protect the rich from would-be invaders. Indeed, they still do protect the rich, but now they do so by protecting the rich outside from having to see what the crowning glory of the city has become.

Welcome to a world where magic exists and legends are true, a world where knights battle dragons to save the day, a world where cunning thieves try to outsmart powerful warlocks to snatch some of their treasures. Welcome to the fantasy world of Warriors, Wizards & Wanderers!

Warriors, Wizards & Wanderers is a complete fantasy RPG in 6 pages, including everything you need for some old school gaming action. It is intended as a beer & pretzel game but it can be easily expanded for a more serious kind of play.

The game is very rules-light and minimalist by design. You can learn how to play and create your first character in less than 10 minutes. The rules assume you’re familiar with tabletop role-playing games and with common fantasy tropes and conventions. No default setting is provided but the GM can use his favorite fantasy kitchen sink or any other existing fantasy setting instead.

To play you need good old six-sided dice (d6), at least one twenty-sided die (d20), pens, paper and some friends. Drinks and something to eat can be useful too, as well as a table and some kind of chair for everyone. And now, have fun!

II The Basiics
When your character needs to do something difficult like solving a riddle or avoiding a cunning trap, you make a Challenge roll to see if the character succeeds: roll a d20 and add the relevant Trait modifier (such as Might for breaking down a door). If the result equals or exceeds the Difficulty of the Challenge roll, the character is successful. In the following rules, this will be noted as a Challenge roll. The Difficulty is set by the GM and is usually between 10 and 20.

Opposed rolls are used only in case of a conflict between characters. Each involved character make a Challenge roll with a Difficulty equal to the result of his opponent. That means the character with the highest total is the winner of the contest.