The Simplest Little RPG Ever
This is an RPG intended to be played with kids. It requires one adult (or semi-adult) GM, and assumes that the player characters go out and have adventures. Said adventures need not be violent gore-fests, but they can be heroic swords-and-sorcery affairs if that’s the way you swing. There is a built-in “Boss Fight” at the end, but that can be a mean substitute teacher as easily as a dragon.
Importantly, these rules do not guide play in any direction besides a loose story structure. This game is more of a primer for roleplaying, much like Candyland is a primer for boardgames. It introduces kids to the concepts of playing a character, rolling dice, and collaborating on a story.
Set Up
Each player should name three things about their character. Write them down. These are the character’s traits.
The GM starts with a GM Pool of six-sided dice equal to twice the player characters’ total number of stats.
Storytelling
The GM describes the world around the player characters. The other players describe what their characters try to do. The GM either agrees that the character succeeds or that they don’t, and can either describe what that looks like or ask the player to describe their success or failure. Alternately, the GM can ask the player to roll dice to see if their character can pull off what they’re trying.
Rolling Dice
Each involved player rolls a number of six-sided dice. Player characters roll one die, plus one more for each trait that is applicable. The GM may roll as many dice from the GM pool as he likes.
Everyone who rolled dice picks out one die. The chosen dice are compared, and whoever has the highest die wins. If there is a tie, the GM or a player describes why nobody wins yet, and everyone rolls again.
Whenever a GM wins, he puts the die he chose aside into the Boss Pool. The rest of the dice that the GM rolled do NOT go back into the GM Pool; they are removed from play. If the GM lost, though, all dice go back into the GM Pool.
As above, the GM can describe what happens or ask a player to describe the results.
If the GM allows, player characters can ‘team up’ in a die roll, with each player rolling their own dice. As above, each player selects one die and all dice are compared. If there is a tie, only those players who tied roll again.
Boss Fight
When the GM Pool runs out of dice, it is time for the big boss at the end of the adventure. This is played as a series of die rolls with the players, either individually or as a group.
Whenever the GM loses, he discards the die that he chose. He keeps the rest of his dice in his Boss Pool.
Whenever a player loses, he chooses one of his stats to ‘block out’ and describes why he can’t use it for the rest of the boss fight.
If all the players get all of their stats blocked out, they lose and have to escape.
If the Boss Pool runs out of dice, the players win! Each player gets to add one new stat to their character for later adventures.
Mirrored from Kallisti Press.