Long example of play 

DM : So you're in the sewer, knee deep in muck, it's dark and to the north there's a portcullis, what do you want to do?
Brainy : I'll move to the portcullis, and as my action I’ll check it for traps.
Brawny : Assuming it's safe, I want to bend the bars.
DM : Ok, Brainy, the darkness would put you at a disadvantage to check for traps.
Brainy : So before I check traps, I want to cast Illusory Torch.
DM : Ok, well roll your HEAD Dice.
Brainy : *rolls* None lost!
DM : Good stuff, you are holding an Illusory Torch. Roll HEAD Dice again to look for traps.
Brainy : *rolls* All less than 5 ...
DM : That's right. It's free of anything designed to do you harm, Brawny, still want to bend the bars? If so, roll your BODY Dice! The bars have 2 Difficulty Dice.
Brawny : *rolls* Piece of cake!
DM : Huh. Brainy didn't notice that the edges of the bars are sharp. You find out by cutting your hands. Wound one of your BODY Dice. What would you like to do now?
Brawny : Explore down the tunnel..?
Brainy : Agreed! I'll sneak ahead.
DM : Ok Brainy, you move down the sewer, still Nearby to Brawny, please roll your BODY Dice to see if you're quiet - you get advantage to this kind of test, roll d8s.
Brainy : *rolls* despite rolling two d8 I’ve got a 3 and a 4. What are the odds?
DM : Ouch. You're making so much noise being sneaky, a Ghoul hiding in the darkness close to you leaps and attacks! Brainy, you're at disadvantage in this first exchange.
Brainy : Bugger! How long was it to roll up a character?
Brawny : I run up and smash the Ghoul with my Broadsword.
DM : Ok Brawny, you move Close to the Ghoul. Brainy, Brawny, roll your Body Dice - remember, Brainy, you roll d4 in this first round.
Brawny : *rolls* Rolled a 7! And a 5!
DM : Good hit! You removed all of the Ghoul's Difficulty Dice. It collapses into the muck and effluent. But first ... the Ghoul was closer to Brainy. Brainy, you gotta make your roll.
Brainy : Uh, yeah, I got a 2. And a ... 1.
DM : And ... that's both of your Body Dice. Oh boy, Brawny, your brain trust also collapses into the muck!

What is this? Why? 

(Fortmayn) started as a somewhat traditional tabletop roleplaying game, based on that Original 1970s Fantasy Roleplaying Game. But it has veered far from that origin ...

So: why?

(Fortmayn) is designed to evoke the writing of H.Rider Haggard, A.Conan Doyle, Fritz Lieber, R.E. Howard, and Talbot Mundy: low or no magic, adventurous action, the drama of characters taking real risks.

And: what's different about this exactly?

• Magic is OPTIONAL and DANGEROUS. If you do magic, anyone can use it
• Player characters have only HEAD dice and BODY dice
• There are two types of character, Brainy and Brawny
• Armor can block damage, but it can get broken
• The d20 is not used - only d4, d6, d8, d10, d12
• Dice pool mechanic

(Fortmayn) 

(This was a Tibbius hack of The Black Hack v1.2 - 2016-04-03 - by DAVID BLACK - now it's a totally other thing, further inspired by 2400, Tunnel Goons, 1-BIT-DNGN, and Knights of Avalon.)

THANKS TO

In no particular order - Mark Beren, Sage daMage, David Lombardo, Nate Treme, Jason Tocci, David Black plus all those other people who had a hand in developing the hobby we get so much mileage from.

The core mechanic 

Everything a character might possibly attempt that could fail is resolved by rolling the character's BODY Dice or HEAD Dice. Dice showing less than 3 get lost (temporarily). Dice showing more than 4 remove a Difficulty Die.

Difficulty Dice 

Living opponents and inert obstacles have Difficulty Dice. These measure how much damage or embarrassment the opponent or obstacle might cause, and how much effort is needed to defeat it.

Advantage & disadvantage 

A GM may decide that a particular course of action or task has a higher or lower chance of success. They will ask a player to roll the next bigger or smaller size of BODY or HEAD Dice when attempting that action.

Converting saves 

(Fortmayn) ignores saves and instead asks the player to roll BODY or HEAD Dice when any obstacle or event could cause harm or disgrace.

Players turn 

During a player’s turn a character may move and perform an action. They could attack, look for a clue, talk with an NPC, cast a spell - interacting with the world is an action. Often they will test their attributes to determine the outcome.

Experience 

Adventurers learn through defeating and overcoming obstacles. Killing one boring Kobold won’t bring a revelation of learning to someone. Surviving a dungeon, completing a quest or simply living to tell the tale are the things that bring perspective and growth. The old experience system has been completely discarded.

For every session / dungeon level / quest / major event the character survives they gain a Die that can be assigned to HEAD or BODY.

The GM will decide which, and it’s recommended that this decision remains more or less a constant throughout the campaign - and a GM should be clear and upfront with the players so they know where the ‘goalposts’ are.

Encumbrance 

A character with two hands can carry two things or maybe just one big thing. A character with a backpack can carry a larger number of items. Carrying an excessive load imposes disadvantage to all rolls - they also can move only to somewhere Nearby in a turn. Some items have Difficulty Dice to be carried.

Random encounters 

At the start of each turn, roll 5 six sided dice in order. If any die rolls higher than the last time it was rolled, the corresponding event occurs during this turn:

1. Encounter - pick or roll from a table, or ask players for input.
2. Hint of encounter - pick or roll from a table, or ask players for input. This die also becomes an Encounter die, until the hinted encounter occurs.
3. Fatigue - implement a rule for hindering the characters due to them being tired.
4. Depletion - implement a rule for reducing one of the characters' resources (often, light; sometimes, fuel).
5. Environment - change the environment (e.g., different weather; different smell; different sound).

Making a character 

Choose a type 

There are 2 choices: Brawny or Brainy. Your type determines the sizes of your BODY Dice and HEAD Dice.

You start with four dice. You must assign one HEAD Die and one BODY Die. The other two dice can be allocated however you want. A character with more HEAD Dice is erudite, one with more BODY dice is hard-hitting, one with equal numbers of HEAD and BODY dice is handy. You gain more dice through experience.

Brawny 

BODY Die : d8
HEAD Die : d6

A Brawny may choose to sunder (destroy) their shield or armor - if they are so equipped - rather than being put OofA.

Brainy 

BODY Die : d6
HEAD Die : d8

Roll with advantage to avoid damage or effects from traps and magical devices; when performing delicate tasks, climbing, hearing sounds, moving silently, understanding written languages, or opening locks.

Can build or repair items (including armor) by rolling HEAD Dice against a Difficulty agreed by the GM and players, given adequate time and materials.

Sample characters 

• Linda :: A heavy-hitting Brawny (3 B, 1 H). 60 coin, arming sword, clothing. Buys a small shield (d4), backpack, fresh rations. Has no coin left.
• Jasper :: An erudite Brainy (1 B, 3 H). 80 coin, arming sword, clothing. Buys gambeson (d4), backpack, fresh rations, wineskin, wine. Has 18 coin remaining.
• Vincent :: A handy Brainy (2 B, 2 H). 90 coin, arming sword. Borrows 18 coin from Jasper, buys discount leather armor (d6). Has no coin left.

Equipment 

A new character starts with adequate clothes, a one handed weapon, and 3d6 x 10 coins for buying equipment. Equipment can enable or grant advantage to various actions.

NOTES :: Backpack lets you carry more items than you have hands. Holy symbol gives advantage when banishing undead. Holy water repels undead when sprinkled at them. For Torches, roll once per Hour.

Usage die 

Any item listed in the equipment section that has a Usage Die is considered a consumable, limited item. When an item is used, roll its Usage die. If the roll is less than 3 then the usage die is downgraded to the next lower die in the following chain:

d12 > d10 > d8 > d6 > d4

When you roll less than 3 on a d4 the item is expended and the character has no more of it left.

Time & distance 

There are 2 important types of tracked time - Ounces (rounds) and Moments (turns). According to Wikipedia, a Moment is one 40th of a solar hour; an Ounce is one 12th of a Moment (about 8 seconds). Ounces are used during combat and fast paced scenes of danger and Moments are used when exploring and adventuring. You can stroll the length of a football pitch in a Moment. A GM may advance the clock as they need substituting Moments for Hours, Days or even Months should the adventure require it.

Rather than track precise numbers, (Fortmayn) uses 4 abstract ranges for measuring distances in combat: Close, Nearby, Distant, and Far-Away. This system is designed to support the narrative ‘theatre of the mind’ style of play, and is less concerned about tracking squares and fiddly distances. For converting existing movement rates or measures (for spells or areas of effect) use the following as a guide :

In each Ounce, every character can move somewhere Nearby in addition to performing an action, or can forego their action and move somewhere Distant. Anything beyond Distant can be classified as Far-Away and would take longer to get to.

During exploration, a character can easily move 100 yards in a Moment (12 Ounces) or 3 miles in an Hour.

Combat

Example of Hitting and Getting Hit

A Brainy with 3d6 BODY uses a club to attack a Brawny with 2 Difficulty Dice. Brainy has a small shield (d4). Brawny has a club as well, is wearing leather armor, and has a small shield.

Brainy rolls BODY Dice (4,5,3) - meaning that Brawny's small shield gets broken, and also one of Brawny's Difficulty Dice is removed.

Brawny retaliates. Brainy again rolls their 3 BODY Dice, getting (1, 3, 2). Brawny has ONE remaining Difficulty Dice - meaning that only one of Brainy's BODY Dice could get wounded. Brainy chooses to use their small shield to "save" that BODY Die, and rolls 2 on the Usage Die. The small shield becomes broken, but the BODY Die is not wounded.

Initiative 

There is no "roll for Initiative" in (Fortmayn). Melee combat happens in flurries of blows exchanged. If a character is surprised by a sudden attack, they suffer disadvantage in the first exchange; if they surprise an opponent, they gain advantage. Ranged attacks are asynchronous and risk-free for the characters when they attack; as targets, the characters must trust to luck.

Stunting 

A player can describe an unusual action that their character attempts to overcome an opponent or obstacle, and declare a "stunt." When a character stunts, then if the majority of their dice show more than 4, they completely overcome the obstacle or opponent. However, regardless of the opponent's Difficulty Dice, a stunting character must wound or exhaust all of their own dice that show less than 3.

Melee 

When a character fights in melee, they roll all of their unwounded BODY Dice against each opponent. For each BODY Die that shows more than 4, remove one of the opponent's Difficulty Dice. For each of the opponent's Difficulty Dice, wound one of a character's BODY Dice that shows less than 3, unless armor is used to save it. When an opponent is out of Difficulty Dice or when a character has no unwounded BODY Dice, it is Out of Action.

Ranged combat 

When a character makes a Ranged Attack, they roll their HEAD Dice and remove one of the target's Difficulty Dice for each HEAD Die that shows more than 4. When a character gets shot at, they roll their BODY Dice; for each of the opponent's Difficulty Dice, wound one of a character's BODY Dice that shows less than 3, unless armor is used to save it.

The character suffers a disadvantage when shooting at Distant targets (and gains advantage against Distant opponents when being shot at).

Armor 

Characters can use armor during combat to save any number of BODY Dice from being wounded. When you use armor to save a BODY Die, roll the Usage Die for the armor. Rolling less than 3 reduces the die size. If you have a shield and also are wearing armor, you may choose which die to roll. If armor is at less than its original Usage Die, it is damaged and gives its user disadvantage to all tests, until it is repaired to its original Usage Die. Most damaged armor can be repaired to the next higher Usage Die by spending coins equal to 10 times a roll of its current Usage Die. Damaged shields cannot be repaired.

Humanoid opponents may have armor, which characters could seize. They also can carry shields. If a player rolls exactly 5 when hitting an armored target, the armor becomes damaged (first shield, then armor that is worn). The armor of humanoid opponents does not affect how often characters damage those opponents.

Different sizes of weapons 

In the hands of a Brawny character, larger melee weapons can deal additional damage. In the hands of a Brainy character, smaller melee weapons can be easier to hit with. If a player adequately narrates what their character does to take advantage of differing weapon sizes, give them advantage on their melee combat roll.

Death & dying 

When all of a character's BODY Dice are wounded, or when all of an opponents Difficulty Dice are removed, they are taken Out of Action (OofA), they are unconscious and cannot make any actions. When the fight is over/are out of danger, a character that has been taken OofA can roll on the table (following page) to see what happens to them. If they survive they gain back 1 BODY Die.

If the characters are unable to recover the body of an OofA character, they are lost forever!

Healing 

Characters can restore all wounded BODY Dice, and all spent HEAD Dice, after a meal and a good sleep. They can never gain more than their maximum dice - and can never go below zero either. When healing a character who is OofA, just start at zero and count up. That character is now back on their feet and no longer OofA.

Creatures 

Some monsters and NPCs will have predetermined personalities and goals that will guide a GM when choosing their actions and feelings towards the characters. Those that do not, such as randomly encountered creatures, make a **Reaction roll** on the following table, using all of the "lead" character's HEAD Dice:

Creature :: Difficulty Dice :: Actions and Specials

• Fire Beetle :: 1 :: Light glands have a usage die of d8.
• Giant Vampire Bat :: 1 :: Ennervating bite - wounded BODY Dice must roll more than 4 to be recovered.
• Deadly Centipede :: 1 :: Poison bite - BODY Dice are wounded on 3 or less.
• Manes Demon :: 1 :: 2 Claws + 1 Bite, roll with disadvantage when using non-magic weapons
• Goblin :: 2 :: Sneaky.
• Hobgoblin :: 2 :: Usually has a backup shield if one is sundered.
• Human Berserker :: 2 :: Disadvantage on defense rolls when Berserker attacks.
• Giant Ant Soldier :: 2 :: Poisonous Bite - BODY Dice are wounded on 3 or less.
• Carrion Creeper :: 3 :: Paralysed if 2 BODY Dice are wounded in the same exchange.
• Ghoul :: 3 :: Paralysed if 2 BODY Dice are wounded in the same exchange.
• Bugbear :: 3 :: Fights as if they have a larger weapon than any of the characters.
• Harpy :: 3 :: Song - each character rolls unspent HEAD Dice, if the majority show less than 3, the character moves toward it.
• Wererat :: 3 :: Cannot surprise a Wererat.
• Shadow :: 3 :: Only hit by magic weapons.
• Doppleganger :: 3 :: Change form in a moment.
• Wight :: 4 :: Can only be hit by magical or silver weapons, wounded BODY Dice are lost until Wight's curse is Removed.
• Blink Dog :: 4 :: Teleport Nearby once per fight.
• Grizzly Bear :: 4 :: If any BODY Dice are wounded, re-roll all that show more than 4 before touching the Grizzly's Difficulty Dice.
• Gargoyle :: 4 :: Stone skin, disadvantage with edged weapons.
• Gelatinous Cube :: 4 :: Paralysed if 2 BODY Dice are wounded in the same exchange, immune to cold and lightning.
• Werewolf :: 4 :: Only magic or silver weapons can hurt it.
• Ogre :: 4 :: Gives advantage on all HEAD Dice rolled against it.
• Cockatrice :: 5 :: Petrified if 3 BODY Dice are wounded in the same exchange.
• Owlbear :: 5 :: If any BODY Dice are wounded, re-roll all that show more than 4 before touching the Owlbear's Difficulty Dice.
• Basilisk :: 6 :: Roll unwounded BODY Dice on eye contact - if the majority of them show less than 3, become petrified.
• Succubus/Incubus :: 6 :: 2 Claws, disadvantage to spells cast against it, can be harmed only by magic weapons, kiss permanently wounds 1 Hit Die until curse is Removed. Can cast Charm person (spell) once per hour.
• Mummy :: 6 :: Attacks stop healing until cure wounds cast, immune to normal weapons, half damage from magic weapons.
• Banshee :: 7 :: Shriek - become Paralysed for 2d6 Ounces.
• Djinni :: 7 :: Can take Gaseous Form, Create Objects, Create Illusions, Cast Invisibility (spell) as action.
• Spectre :: 8 :: A person killed by a Spectre will become a Spectre at sunset.
• Chimera :: 8 :: Breathes fire as a Dragon (all Nearby targets must roll BODY Dice as if being attacked with a ranged weapon).
• Balor Demon :: 9 :: Sword + Whip - if 2 or more BODY Dice are wounded in same exchange, pulled Close to the Balor and must roll all unwounded BODY Dice against fire damage.
• Hezrou Demon :: 9 :: Cause Fear (as per Banish) or Darkness (spell) - each once per fight.
• Black Pudding :: 10 :: Metal objects that touch it melt the next moment.
• Frost Giant :: 10 :: Throws boulders or great chunks of ice.
• Stone Golem :: 12 :: Only spells that affect rock or stone work, weapons must be +2 or better to damage it.
• Giant Slug :: 12 :: Exudes acid mist (all Close targets must roll BODY Dice as if being attacked with a ranged weapon).
• Dragon :: 9 to 11 :: Breathes fire (all Nearby targets must roll BODY Dice as if being attacked with a ranged weapon). Can cast 1 spell per Hit Die.

Optional rules

Solo oracle 

Sometimes, only you will want to play. This simple "oracle" can support surprisingly complex narratives. The subsidiary questions are important.

For "unexpected" stuff, try looking around your play environment for an oddity that sparks your imagination. Ideally, it should clash with the current narrative.

Unarmed 

When a character fights in melee without a weapon, roll one size smaller BODY Die: d4 for Brainy, d6 for Brawny, with 4 or more removing an opponent's Difficulty Die.

Firearms 

Some players would like to engage with firearms. These special ranged weapons are effective from Nearby to Far-Away (for longarms) or from Close to Distant (for handguns). They grant their shooter advantage at all ranges.

Mounted combat 

For some players, it may be evident that fighting from a mount against dismounted opponents grants advantage, or that fighting from the ground against a mounted opponent grants disadvantage. For other players, we have this paragraph.

Social conflict mechanism 

Using HEAD Dice in an emotional melee, players can mechanize the game of social conflict. In this case, it is the Brainy who can choose to "sunder" a social attachment (anachronously, "throw someone under the bus") in order to avoid being taken Out of Action by embarrassment.

Banishing undead 

A character can attempt to banish all Nearby or Distant undead as an act of social conflict with the undead.

Undead monsters that are Banished must move and remain Far-Away for 2d4 Moments after being Banished.

Magic items 

Magic weapons give advantage to melee or ranged attack rolls.

Magic Armor has advantage on rolls of its Usage Die.

Spellcasting 

If magic is in the game, any character has the ability to cast spells.

They can cast any spell they know by reading from a book, or can memorise a number of spells equal to their HEAD Dice and can cast the memorised spells without a book. When a memorised spell is cast it is forgotten only if the caster's last HEAD Dice are exhausted in the casting.

When a spell is cast, the player rolls HEAD Dice and exhausts any that show less than 3, with those that show more than 4 removing Difficulty Dice from the target of the spell. The fictional effects of a spell are a matter of narrative, not game mechanics.

Spell list 

• Cure Light Wounds : Un-wound 1 BODY Die of a Nearby target.
• Unmask Evil : Everything Nearby that is evil glows for a Moment.
• Illusory Torch : Create a phantom torch that can be held in the hand or put down. It has a d6 Usage Die; roll each Hour.
• Rebuke Evil : Roll with advantage against any Evil opponent until sunset.
• Purify Food and Drink : Removes all diseases from all Nearby food and drink.
• Charm : A Nearby target obeys commands until it suffers harm.
• Reveal Magic : Everything Nearby that is magic glows for a Moment.
• Magic Missile : A ranged attack against one opponent.
• Shield : Gain an invisible and featherweight Large Shield. Armor proficiency rules apply.
• Sleep : Puts 4d6 Difficulty Dice of beings to sleep until sunrise.
• Darkness : Creates darkness covering a Nearby area that blocks all types of vision. Lasts until the moon sets.
• Invisibility : A nearby creature is made invisible until it attacks or dispelled.
• Knock : A Nearby door or lock is opened.
• Levitate : The caster floats up to 6 feet from the ground until they choose to land.
• Web : An immense net of spiderweb stops movement through a small area, or immobilizes one opponent.
• Bless : A Nearby target gains 1 bonus HEAD or BODY Die, usable once, for each of the caster's HEAD Dice that show more than 4.
• Find Traps : Notice all Nearby traps.
• Hold Person : Paralyse a Nearby target until it suffers harm.
• Silence : Magical silence covering everything Nearby to a target, until the caster speaks.
• Speak with Animals : Can understand and talk with animals until moonrise.
• Daylight : A nearby area is illuminated by sunlight until sunrise.
• Cure Disease : Cures a Nearby target of all diseases.
• Locate Object : Sense quickest route to a known object - for a Moment.
• Prayer : All Nearby allies roll with advantage until the scene ends.
• Remove Curse : Removes a curse from a Nearby target.
• Speak with Dead : Ask a Nearby corpse 3 questions.
• Darkvision : See in absolute darkness until sunrise.
• Dispel Magic : Removes or cancels a Nearby spell. Can be cast to interrupt another casting.
• Fireblast : A ranged attack against all Close and Nearby creatures (including other characters).
• Read : Instantly comprehend a writing in any language on any topic.
• Magic Mouth : Creates an illusory mouth that repeats a phrase to all Nearby creatures until erased.
• Confusion : 2d6 Nearby targets immediately make a Reaction roll.
• Dimension Door : Teleport a target to a Distant Location.
• Polymorph Self/Other : Transform a creature to have the appearance of another.
• Remove Curse : Removes a curse from a Nearby target.
• Wall of Fire/Ice : Wall covers a Nearby area for a Moment, ranged attack against Close targets.
• Wall of Stone/Iron : A wall covers a Nearby area permanently.
• Create Food/Water : Create enough food/water for all Nearby creatures for a day.
• Cure Serious Wounds : Each HEAD Die more than 4 heals one BODY Die of a Nearby target.
• Neutralise Poison : Remove/Immunise poison from a Nearby target.
• Protection : Nearby allies gain invisible and weightless Chain Armor, only against specified opponents.
• Animate Dead : Create 2d4 Skeletons/Zombies with Difficulty Dice/HEAD Die, from nearby bodies.
• Cloudkill : Anyone with less than 5 BODY / Difficulty Dice that touches it becomes OofA.
• Conjure Elemental : Create an Elemental of chosen type with 3d4 Difficulty Dice.
• Contact Higher Plane : Ask 1 question/HEAD Die.
• Feeblemind : A Nearby target can take no action until moonrise.
• Telekinesis : Move Nearby objects for a Moment.
• Teleport : Transports a Nearby target to any place known to the caster.
• Commune : A deity or knowledgeable spirit truthfully answers 3 questions.
• Finger of Death : Ranged attack on a Nearby target.
• Plague : Ranged attack on as many Close or Nearby targets as the caster wishes.
• Quest : Force a Nearby creature to obey an order.
• Raise Dead : Return a Nearby target to life, who's died within the last 7 days.
• Anti Magic Shell : Creates a Nearby Zone around the caster blocking all magic.
• Death Spell : Make one attack against 2d8 Nearby targets.
• Disintegrate : Makes one Nearby target or object turn into a fine powder if all its Difficulty Dice are overcome.
• Invisible Stalker : Summons an extra-dimensional monster to perform one task.
• Stone to Flesh : Turns a Nearby target into stone (or vice versa) if all its Difficulty Dice are overcome.
• Animate Object : Give a Nearby object motion and a simple intelligence for a Moment.
• Blade Barrier : Wall covers a Nearby area for a Moment, ranged attack against all creatures that are Close to the wall.
• Conjure Elemental : Summons an elemental with Difficulty Dice equal to caster's HEAD Dice.
• Find Path : The path to a chosen location is made known for a Moment.
• Speak with Monsters : Can understand and talk with monsters for one conversation.
• Word of Recall : Caster gains ability to teleport back to the location this spell was cast, by casting the spell again.
• Aerial Servant : Summons a servant to recover a distant object.
• Astral Spell : Projects an avatar of the caster onto a chosen plane.
• Control Weather : Control the weather within visual range to all extremes - until sunset.
• Earthquake : Ranged attack against all visible creatures, including caster.
• Holy Word : Attack all Nearby creatures, those with fewer than 6 Difficulty Dice are paralysed until the caster departs.
• Wind Walk : Turn into mist until you choose to solidify.
• Restoration : Returns all dice lost to monsters with dice drain.
• Power Word, Kill : Attack Close or Nearby target.
• Conjuration of Demons : Summons a Demon with 2 Difficulty Dice for each HEAD Die that shows more than 4.
• Meteor Swarm : Effects the same as casting Fireblast and Magic Missile simultaneously.
• Time Stop : Stops time completely in a Nearby area, until the caster leaves.