Skip to content

Overview

System Overview: The Perilous Adventures Warbands Guide (PAWG)

  • Core Mechanic: Roll a d100 (two d10s, one as tens, one as units) and compare the result to a target number based on your ability, skill, or difficulty. Lower rolls are better—success occurs when you roll equal to or under the target number.
  • Tone: Flexible, but leans toward gritty heroism where skill and strategy matter.
  • Character Focus: Players define characters through archetypes, abilities, skills, and distinctions (the feat-like system).

Abilities

Characters have six classic RPG abilities, each rated from 1 to 100. These represent raw potential and are used as the base for skill checks when no specific skill applies. Starting characters typically have a total of 300 points to distribute (avg. 50 per ability), with a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 80 at creation.

  1. Strength (STR): Physical power, endurance, and capacity to lift or break things.
  2. Dexterity (DEX): Agility, reflexes, and precision.
  3. Constitution (CON): Health, stamina, and resistance to injury or fatigue.
  4. Intelligence (INT): Reasoning, memory, and problem-solving.
  5. Wisdom (WIS): Perception, willpower, and intuition.
  6. Charisma (CHA): Charm, leadership, and social influence.

Skills

Skills are tied to abilities and represent trained expertise. Each skill starts at its associated ability’s value and can be increased independently through points or experience. Roll d100 under the skill value to succeed. Example skills are provided below; GMs can expand this list.

- Strength Skills: Athletics (climbing, swimming), Intimidation.

- Dexterity Skills: Stealth, Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Ranged Weapons, Melee Weapons.

- Constitution Skills: Endurance (resist fatigue), Resilience (resist disease/poison).

- Intelligence Skills: Knowledge (specific field), Craft (e.g., blacksmithing), Investigation.

- Wisdom Skills: Perception, Survival, Medicine.

- Charisma Skills: Persuasion, Deception, Performance.

Skill Advancement: Spend experience points (XP) to increase a skill by 1 (cost scales with rank, e.g., 1 XP per point up to 50, 2 XP per point from 51-75, etc.).

Archetypes

Instead of rigid classes, characters are built around archetypes—broad roles that guide starting abilities, skills, and distinctions. Players choose one archetype at creation and can blend elements later through growth. Each archetype suggests a focus but doesn’t lock you in.

  1. Warrior: High STR and CON, skilled in combat (e.g., Melee Weapons, Endurance). Distinction ideas: Weapon Master, Iron Will.
  2. Rogue: High DEX and CHA, skilled in subterfuge (e.g., Stealth, Deception). Distinction ideas: Shadow Step, Silver Tongue.
  3. Scholar: High INT and WIS, skilled in knowledge (e.g., Knowledge: Arcana, Investigation). Distinction ideas: Polymath, Arcane Insight.
  4. Mystic: High WIS and INT, skilled in magic (e.g., Spellcasting, Perception). Distinction ideas: Mana Reserves, Spirit Bond.
  5. Leader: High CHA and WIS, skilled in social dynamics (e.g., Persuasion, Leadership). Distinction ideas: Inspiring Voice, Tactical Genius.

Customization: At creation, pick one archetype and allocate bonus points (e.g., +20 to two abilities, +30 to three skills) based on its focus. Later, you can borrow from other archetypes with XP.

Distinctions (Feat-Like System)

Distinctions are special traits that enhance or define a character, similar to feats. They’re earned at creation (pick 2) and through milestones (GM discretion, typically 1 per major story arc). Examples:

- Weapon Master: +20 to one combat skill (e.g., Melee Weapons) when using a specific weapon type (e.g., swords).

- Shadow Step: Roll DEX + Stealth at -20 difficulty to move unseen in dim light.

- Arcane Insight: +20 to Knowledge checks about magic or artifacts.

- Mana Reserves: +10 to your Mana Pool (see Magic System).

- Inspiring Voice: Allies within earshot gain +10 to a roll once per scene when you encourage them.

Magic System: Mana Drain

Magic is powered by a Mana Pool, representing a character’s mystical stamina. Casting spells drains Mana, and overexertion risks fatigue or injury. This replaces Vancian slots with a fluid, risk-reward system.

- Mana Pool: Starts at WIS + INT (e.g., 50 WIS + 40 INT = 90 Mana). Regenerates fully after a long rest (8 hours), or 10% per hour of light rest.

- Spellcasting: Each spell has a Mana Cost (e.g., 5 for minor, 20 for major) and a Difficulty (e.g., 40 for a basic spell). Roll d100 under your Spellcasting skill (base = WIS) minus the spell’s Difficulty. Success casts the spell and deducts Mana; failure deducts half the Mana Cost and has no effect.

- Overcasting: If you lack enough Mana, you can cast by taking Fatigue (1 level per 5 Mana deficit) or Damage (1 HP per 10 Mana deficit). Fatigue reduces all rolls by 10 per level; 5 levels knock you unconscious.

- Spell Examples:

- Light Orb (Cost: 5 Mana, Difficulty: 30): Creates a glowing orb for 10 minutes.

- Fire Bolt (Cost: 10 Mana, Difficulty: 40): Deals 20 damage to one target.

- Healing Touch (Cost: 15 Mana, Difficulty: 50): Restores 20 HP to one ally.

Learning Spells: Mystics start with 3 spells; others can learn via training or distinctions (e.g., Arcane Dabbler: learn 1 spell).

Combat and Health

- Initiative: Roll DEX + Perception; lowest roll acts first.

- Attack: Roll under your combat skill (e.g., Melee Weapons). Success hits; margin of success (skill - roll) adds to damage (e.g., STR/10 + weapon bonus).

- Defense: Roll DEX + Acrobatics or CON + Endurance to reduce damage by the margin of success.

- Hit Points (HP): CON + STR (e.g., 50 CON + 40 STR = 90 HP). At 0 HP, you’re unconscious; below -10, you’re dying.

- Critical Success/Failure: Roll 01-05 on a skill check for a crit success (double effect); 96-00 for a crit failure (GM complication).

Character Creation Summary

  1. Abilities: Distribute 300 points across six abilities (min 10, max 80).

  2. Archetype: Choose one, apply bonuses (e.g., +20 to two abilities, +30 to three skills).

  3. Skills: Set initial values to linked ability scores, then spend 100 points to increase them.

  4. Distinctions: Pick 2.

  5. Mana & HP: Calculate Mana (WIS + INT) and HP (CON + STR).

  6. Gear: Start with basic equipment suited to your archetype (e.g., sword for Warrior, spellbook for Mystic).

Example Character: Kael, Wandering Mystic

- Abilities: STR 40, DEX 50, CON 50, INT 60, WIS 70, CHA 30

- Archetype: Mystic (+20 WIS, +30 Spellcasting, Perception, Knowledge: Arcana)

- Skills: Spellcasting 100, Perception 80, Knowledge: Arcana 90, Stealth 50

- Distinctions: Mana Reserves (+10 Mana), Spirit Bond (+20 to resist magical effects)

- Mana Pool: 140 (70 WIS + 60 INT + 10)

- HP: 90 (50 CON + 40 STR)

- Spells: Light Orb, Fire Bolt, Healing Touch

- Gear: Staff, tattered robes, herbal pouch