Ok, so there are a bunch of free systems out there, why play this one? While, as the name states, no dice are required (you use Rock Paper Scissors instead) My favorite thing about this system is that it's completely free of numbers. For some reason every other RPG I've come across is number based; even my own game, Twilight, gives Ratings for everything. While this gives a fair degree of realism (he's not just a good chessplayer- his Chess is Rated at 9 out of 10) sometimes that just isn't appreciated. Diceless' lack of numbers is extremely freeing; it takes the RPG away from the pencils and paper level, and one step closer to the imagination level.

Things You Will Need:

3 by 5 Cards for Character sheets (ordinary binder paper torn in half will suffice, but it isn't as good)

Pencils to create your Characters (they're not really needed during the game)

Counters to keep track of Luck. (These can be beads, pebbles, coins, monopoly money, or even the useless dice from the zillion other RPGs which you so foolishly purchased). If you don't have ANYTHING to use as counters, you can keep track of Luck with a pencil. But DUDE, you suck! I mean, c'mon, you don't even have access to little rocks? What a LOSER...

A Character is defined by a List of Characteristics. This list must include at the top a name, gender, and general age. None of the Characteristics on your List will have numbers in them; a Characteristic is basically a short description of one of your Traits, Backgrounds, or Abilities.

Traits are inborn attributes. Those of you who are familiar with other RPGs may get the idea that dexterity or intelligence are traits. They aren't. A Trait is a specific characteristic, not a combined rating. Someone who has a high Strength rating may very well have weak legs-look at Mike Tyson and you'll see what I mean. Someone who has a good face can have a disgusting personality or a terrible voice- so they don't necessarily have a high Charisma. Get the picture? A Trait is something that you would say about a person, such as, "He's really tall," or, "Damn, he's got a memory like a steel trap!" Traits are sometimes beneficial, sometimes detrimental, and even apparent strengths can become weaknesses (and vice versa) in specialized circumstances. Maybe the girl you're trying to seduce gets turned off by Prominent Cheekbones; in that case you're out of luck.

Backgrounds and Abilities are both similar in that they deal with things you learned. Backgrounds, however, are basic areas of overall expertise which you picked up over the course of your life. They don't grant any specific Skill. Abilities, by contrast, are restricted typically to one narrow type of action. Sports would be a background; Quarterback would be an Ability. Sports could be useful to know trivia and be in generally good shape. Quarterback would be useful specifically to play that position in the game of Football. Backgrounds are typically more useful than Abilities, but there are some instances where a Background won't be specific enough to count for a bonus. For example in Football, a QB who knew Sports would be able to come up with a good play, but a QB with the specific ability of Quarterback would be used to thinking on his feet and would be able to create a split-second contingency if the game plan falls through.

On any action, all Traits which would help you are counted, all Traits which would hinder you are subtracted, and all Backgrounds and Abilities are added. The result is your Action Total. You should have the basic sense to figure all of this out for yourself; basically count up all the aspects of your Character which would prove useful and take away anything that would count against you. If you're unsure of whether something should count or not, ask the guy next to you or, if he's free, the GM. The longer you guys play together, the more effortless it will become.

Characters also have Luck points (represented by pebbles, beads, coins, or whatever else is handy) which they may spend on their actions; no more than 2 Luck points can be spent on any one action. You begin the game with 13 Luck. Before or After an adventure, you may spend 5 Luck to buy a new Beneficial Trait, 5 to buy a Background, or 3 to buy an Ability. You can also take a negative Trait to get 5 Luck back. (You aren't allowed to add Characteristics during an adventure; not only does this help to minimize continuity problems, but it prevents people from getting desperate when they're stuck at 0 Luck and essentially buying themselves out of a jam.) When you take any Characteristic a second time, the amount of Luck doubles; so if you wanted to be stupendously Quick Witted, you could spend 15 Luck and write it on your Character List twice. You may not possess any Characteristic more than twice- unless you are playing an unrealistic game, in which case 3 of the same pick is the absolute upper limit; the cost triples when taking a Characteristic a third time. Generally, it's easier to record anything you get twice in ALL CAPS. (If you get a Characteristic 3 times, UNDERLINE it.)

To preserve the simplicity of this game, you may not have more than a dozen total Characteristics to start out (six Traits, and six Backgrounds/Abilities), although you must have at least six Characteristics at the outset to prevent him from being mono-dimensional. As you develop your Character, you may increase this to a maximum of two dozen Characteristics but no further. Whenever you're in doubt, don't give your Character a Characteristic. For example, someone who is 6'1" is not "Tall;" given the average height of 5'10", you would have to be closer to 6'4" to count as Tall, and approach 7' to be TALL. Characteristics have to make a genuine difference to be worth recording; they should be things which your Character's friends and acquaintances would really say when talking about your Character to someone who has never met him.

You can also never get rid of a Characteristic. The idea is that you continue to develop and define your Character as you go along, effectively discovering other aspects of his persona as you go. You cannot decide that he is Short and then later change your mind. The only time Characteristics will be lost is through the GM's intervention; your Character may be Young and have Acne; after a few years on game time both Traits could disappear. (Certain non-inherent Characteristics like wounds and such can be assigned to you during Play, and these go away on their own; you still can't spend Luck points to wish them out of existence.)

At the start of each adventure, you have 2 Luck, and you "earn" 2 Luck at the start of every hour of play. When creating your character, you can use your starting Luck to buy Characteristics if you want- but then you won't have any to spend during the adventure. You may find it smarter to wait until after every adventure before you spend your Luck on improving your Character.

If you as GM wish to have your Players' Characters advance more rapidly, you may give them 3 Luck at the start of the game. Or, if you expect a more intense session where people are struggling at every turn, you may give them 3 Luck for every hour of play. Likewise you may lower these levels for less dangerous scenarios.

Whenever you chose to do, you yourself, as the GM, get Luck of your own; for every hourly Luck point you assign your Players, you should take one point also. So say for example that you have three Players; at the start of the game you give them 2 Luck, which is theirs for "free." Then, the first hour of play, you dole out 6 total Luck, 2 to each player; this means that you yourself have 6 Luck which you should be spending throughout the hour. For the next hour, one of the Players drops out when his Character dies, so you give 2 Luck to each of the survivors and take 4 Luck for yourself. This ensures that the game stays balanced.

Taking Actions: All Actions have a standard difficulty from 0 to 10:

0= Unheroic Action (run a block, finish elementary school homework)

1= Easy Action (climb a tree, write a simple computer program)

2= Mediocre Action (pass a junior college exam, start a fire)

4= Difficult Action (beat up a thug, lie to your girlfriend)

7= Incredible Action (seduce a priest, survive the black plague)

10= Heroic Action (slay a dragon, cure cancer)

If you are acting against another person, the Difficulty is 1 for each relevant Ability or Positive Trait they have, minus 1 for each Negative Trait they have, plus a Luck Point or two if they spend any (no more than 2 Luck can be spent at a time). This may still be modified up or down a point (or two) as the situation merits.

Add up your own applicable Backgrounds, Abilities, and Positive Traits, subtract your own Negative Traits, and add a or two Luck Point if you wish (once again, you may not spend more than 2 Luck on any given Action); this is your Action Total. Now, play Rock Paper Scissors with the GM (or another Player, if you're acting against him). If you win, raise your Action Total by 1. If you lose, lower it by 1. If you both choose the same, your Action Total is unmodified. You can and should skip the RPS if the action is unimportant or will obviously succeed or fail.

If your Action Total exceeds the Difficulty, you succeed. If it equals the Difficulty, you didn't exactly succeed or fail; the GM decides what happens. If your total is lower than the difficulty, you failed. Simple as that.

Advice for the GM: You have to be clever when spending Luck for your Difficulties. Most RPG manuals say that you are not "against" your Players, but you should spend Luck points as though you are. The idea is to always strive to come up one point higher than your Player did after the Luck is spent and the RPS has played itself out. If you cannot do this, it is better to come up 3 points lower than 1 point lower or 3 points higher, because if you lose by a longshot, you didn't waste any Luck (and probably tricked your "opponent" into doing so), but if you won by a landslide or barely lost, you didn't use your Luck wisely.

Just try to be fair about spending your Luck evenly against all the Players, since that way they will all have a more even running. In fact you may even ease up on Characters who have been losing a lot lately, or knuckle down on Characters who seem to be getting all the breaks. This is a major strength of diceless gaming-you can ensure that people have a good time and that no one gets frustrated.

There are three types of Traits: Beneficial, Mixed, and Detrimental. Beneficial Traits (almost) always have positive affects; Detrimental Traits (almost) always have negative affects. Mixed Traits are sometimes good and sometimes bad, depending on the circumstances. Beneficial traits are marked with a +, Detrimental with a -, and Mixed Traits with a ~. Feel Free to make up more Traits as you wish.

Physical Traits: These are almost always readily apparent to anyone who speaks with you even briefly. Many Physical traits only apply to Males (M) or Females (F).

Female ~ Generally speaking, the Male gender should be considered standard, as this simplifies play a good deal. As such, Female Characters are special and have their actions modified somewhat, although the degree to which this has an effect on gameplay varies with the way your GM runs things. (As a general rule, being Female means being automatically Short, Flexible, Weak Upper Body, Healthy, Emotional, Good Instincts, and Bad Memory... but it's pretty much easier just to make rulings as the situation arises.)

Long Hair (M) ~ This is a very mixed trait in that sometimes it will help in one action and at other times it will penalize that same action. Although it rarely comes into play, it can from time to time hamper your athletic ability or your respectability unless you put it into a ponytail which, for the most part, negates the trait. Otherwise it often makes you more attractive.

Short Hair (F) ~ Like Long hair, but in reverse.

Prominent Cheekbones + Generally speaking, you are more attractive to look at, and gain bonuses on first impressions; this is also useful if you wish to become a public figure of any sort.

Smooth Voice + Almost all your verbal skills will be enhanced.

Loud Voice ~ You can communicate well, even through background noise, and- more importantly- people are more likely to respect and obey you. However, you can be intimidating, and will offend people, especially if they have Soft Voices or are in a library.

Soft Voice ~ You have difficulty communicating through noise and are often ignored. However, people will often open up to you because you are quiet and unthreatening.

Acne - Essentially the reverse of Prominent Cheekbones, though both Traits aren't mutually exclusive.

Large Breasts (F) ~ Your breasts are large for your frame. Males are attracted to you and will tend to like you. However, it is more difficult to perform athletic actions such as sprinting or climbing walls.

Small Breasts (F) - Your breasts are small for your frame- if you are Thin, they will be practically nonexistent. Males are less attracted to you and often ignore you. You are not appreciably better at athletics than most women would be.

Slender Waist + People of the opposite gender will be more attracted to you, because your torso will be accentuated if you are a man and your hips will be accentuated if you are a woman. Your waist is slender in proportion to your frame, so a Stout person with a Slender Waist effectively has a normal sized waist.

Tall ~ While you have longer reach and can thus climb or fight slightly better, you might find conditions cramped and clothing difficult to find; also you make a bigger target for Missiles. You are also more intimidating, which can make others less comfortable around you, but also more likely to respect you.

Short ~ Your short reach makes you a poor fighter unless you can get in close. It is easy for you to hide, and you make a small target. Clothing can be a pain- but needs be you can roll up your sleeves. You are non-threatening and thus are unintimidating and sometimes ignored, but this also positive in that you are more approachable.

Thin ~ You are less physically powerful, but also more nimble. Your attractiveness tends towards elegance rather than sexuality.

Stout ~ You are stronger, but less mobile. You are more sexy, but less beautiful.

Fat - Like Stout, but without the positive side. People's reactions tend to be less positive.

Flexible + Like Thin but without the negative side.

Strong Upper Body + You are better at lifting, throwing, or hitting things. Men are more likely to respect you; Women may find you threatening (or full of yourself).

Weak Upper Body - You are worse at lifting things, throwing junk around, and hitting stuff. Others may think of you as a wimp and you will have difficulty getting respect from men. Women probably won't care.

Powerful Thighs + You are a good runner, and a tireless worker. Cross country hikes don't scare you. You're better at any task involving your legs, such as skiing, biking, or kicking. Mutually exclusive to Chicken Legs.

Chicken Legs - Take my advice: Don't go outside in shorts.

Physically Fit + You can exert yourself for longer than most people; this gives you an advantage when running, swimming, or otherwise pushing your body to its maximum capacity. (In combat most people get Tired once every 3 Rounds; you get Tired once every 4 Rounds, or 5 Rounds" if you take this twice.) If you want to be Lazy, you had better give some good reason for it.

Physically Unfit - You get Tired very quickly, and this means that you don't tend to last very long in athletic competition. (Combatwise you get tired once every 2 Rounds, or once every Round if you took the Trait twice)

Sickly - This does not mean you are skinny; you have a poor immune system and such. You frequently suffer from minor ailments such as upset stomach, colds, or headaches. Two Bruises equate to 1 Wound for you, and you gain an Aches and Pains Trait every time you recover from a Wound without hospitalization. Beware diseases and poisons! If you take this Trait twice, then you gain a Wound for every Bruise beyond the first, gain an Aches and Pains for every Wound you recover from, regardless of hospital aid, and die instantly if you are ever Mortally Wounded (see Wounded).

Healthy + Your body's roach-like capacity to absorb damage is exceptional; it takes 4 Bruises to Wound you. You do not suffer from Aches and Pains unless you are Mortally Wounded. You're also quite resistant to diseases and poisons. If you take this trait twice, it takes 5 Bruises to Wound you, and you can heal from Mortal Wounds given a full season of non-hospitalized care (as in, so long as you are fed and kept warm, you'll live).

Young - You are more nimble than most, but your brain and body haven't developed fully.

Old ~ You have amassed a good store of wealth and wisdom over the years. Unfortunately, your physique isn't what it used to be. The second time you choose Old it becomes a Detrimental Trait.

Acute Eyesight + This is an extremely useful Trait, allowing you to see in twilight as though it were daytime and in daylight as though you had a weak magnifying glass or telescope. It does have one downside, however: you are slightly more susceptible to the negative effects of bright lights. You may sometimes get headaches from eyestrain.

Acute Hearing + Like Acute Eyesight, but for your ears instead. You find it easy to pinpoint the direction and distance of a sound and can thus sift through ambient noise to localize important sounds.

Good Instincts + Bonus to coordination, also helps your general judgement. This is part of being "smart."

Poor Instincts - Opposite of Good Instincts.

Good Memory + Bonus to all knowledge actions, also grants dexterity (which is often referred to as "muscle memory;" it's neural, not physical. Ever watch a retard tie his shoes? Sloppy sloppy...) This is good for many intelligence skills.

Bad Memory - Opposite of Good Memory. You can't remember stuff; it's the opposite of Good Memory and may make you a bit imprecise in your movements. How hard is that to understand?

Quick Wits + You can think more rapidly than most people. This gives you reflexes; it's useful in any mental task where time is crucial. Whenever a new situation presents itself, you should have the opportunity to act before everyone else.

Slow Witted - You're able to grasp the same concepts as anyone else, but it takes you longer. You have slow reflexes and act later than everyone else.

Poor Attention Span - Easily bored, you have difficulty paying attention to things and are often compelled to take foolish actions to entertain yourself. Also you are unable to apply yourself at any tedious mental chore for an extended period of time. You cannot be Focussed or Alert.

Focussed + You have the ability to bide your time and wait; you can focus on one task for hours at a time. You are not easily distracted from your chosen task and are prone to obsession. You cannot be Alert.

Alert + You maintain a constant awareness of your surroundings, passively noting many things which others ignore, such as changes in lighting, temperature, and other data. As such you tend to notice clues which others miss and this makes it more difficult to catch you unawares. You cannot be Focussed.

Rational ~ you are a logical person (although this does not mean that you are passionless). This makes you able to understand many situations and solve a variety of problems. However, you are less able to deal with circumstances involving uncertainties and variable outcomes. You are thus (for example) able to choose the most logical course of action in any situation, but will be absolutely clueless when it comes to predicting another person's choice or the reasons for it (unless they are also Rational). You cannot be Emotional.

Imaginative ~ you are a dreamer and a schemer. Your creative mind is always active; this is helpful in the generation of art, the expression of musical performance, and in problem solving where obvious solutions fail. Unfortunately, you are also impractical. You thus find it difficult to focus on the banal details of reality and often ignore important facts which disinterest you. This can affect your memory (you're probably absent minded) as well as your ability to excel in the real world. You cannot be Practical.

Practical ~ You are a factual, down to earth person. You find it easy to understand hard evidence and are rarely confused. You possess a vast store of common sense and this prevents you from being led on wild goose chases (and losing your wallet while on them). However, you are somewhat uncreative. Abstractions and metaphors are lost on you; you cannot see anything in the night sky other than light emitted from balls of superheated gas thousands of years ago. You find it difficult to think of new solutions to difficult problems. You cannot be Imaginative.

Perfect Pitch + You always know what a given note is, and can repeat any song which you hear. It is easy for you to spot imperfections in music and other similar sounds. Unfortunately, this makes it harder for you to play with a group of people (who are rarely perfectly on key) and to appreciate sloppy performances.

Direction Sense + You always know which way is North. You rely somewhat upon the sun and moon for guidance, and subtle curves in the path can throw you off slightly, but you almost never get truly lost.

Naïve - You have a trusting nature and are likely to believe what you are told. This makes it easy for others to manipulate you or lie to you.

Shrewd + You are perceptive of other's motives; the opposite of Naïve.

Sensitive ~ You are Attuned to the feelings of others. While this makes you empathic to some degree and able to manipulate others as well as fend off their own attempts to control you, you are easily wounded and brood over insults and embarrassments for days.

Blunt - You are socially direct, lacking the duplicitous attitude necessary to foster good relations with others. Those who know you won't take offense by your honesty, but you take a penalty when dealing socially with those to whom you cannot simply be honest, since you aren't very good at being pleasant or polite.

Angry ~ You often scare away or annoy others, bringing confrontation into otherwise neutral situations. However, you have the emotional energy required to fight and gain a bonus on any combative action.

Caring ~ You need to have someone to care for; when you are separated from that person you are sad. When you are doing something positive for that person, gain a bonus. You are Sensitive to that person.

Energetic + You are enthusiastic about life in general and gain a bonus on challenging trials, which you find stimulating. You cannot be Lazy.

Lazy - You find it difficult to motivate yourself and take a penalty on difficult or daunting challenges. You cannot be Energetic.

Mature + You have the ability to work through your problems and get over trauma. This makes you better able to make long term friends, good at compromise, able to rise above petty problems and see the big picture, and generally get through life OK.

Low Self Esteem - You feel generally dissatisfied with yourself. You may seek constant approval from others and become dependant on the affection of your friends, or you may become obsessed with your image and exaggerate your abilities or your importance to the world around you. You cannot be Mature.

Irritable - This broad trait basically describes your overall crankiness towards situations which don't go your way. Maybe there was a fly in your soup. Or your umbrella broke in a downpour. Or perhaps your next door garage band was rehearsing last night when you wanted to sleep. Whatever pushes your buttons, you become insufferable when forced into undesirable circumstances, and will piss everybody else off with your bitching and complaining. You cannot be Mature.

Forgiving ~ You have a non-judgmental social attitude, making your outlook largely free of prejudice. People who come to know you will be more likely to trust you... or take advantage of you, if you aren't Mature enough to make hard decisions as they become necessary.

Emotional ~ you are a very softhearted (or hotheaded) individual. You find it easy to relate to other people and are attuned to your own feelings. This helps you in a variety of ways, allowing you to channel your feelings and desires into increased performance, as well as manipulate and control others. Unfortunately you find it difficult to control yourself at times. Also, you are uncomfortable dealing with cold, logical situations... let's just say you aren't exactly a math whiz. You cannot be Rational.

Skittish - You are jumpy and easily spooked. While able to face acknowledged fears, shocking surprises freak you out. You have difficulty reacting to sudden threats and are easily surprised. You can't have Nerves of Steel.

Nerves of Steel + You are unphaseable. While this doesn't make you impervious to stress, you react very well to surprises; as such it is difficult to get the jump on you. You cannot be Skittish.

Stubborn ~ When you don't get your way you can be a pain, and have trouble adapting to irritation. On the other hand, you are difficult to manipulate or sway from your purposes.

Dependent - You are emotionally attached to a particular person, place, or thing. This is a common trait for young people who haven't quite grown out of it yet. You have difficulty coping when the object of your dependence is absent from your life (although you don't need to see it every 10 minutes).

Independent + You react well to upheaval. Your friends can die and your house can burn down and you will go on with little difficulty. This does not mean that you won't be sad, only that you won't be disheartened (and therefore penalized) by loss.

Alien - Due either to upbringing, genetics, or your own inner nature, you are different. This difference is not impossible to hide, but it becomes tedious to go through life acting like everyone else. You find it difficult to understand and deal with others, as they find it difficult to understand and interact with you. The only up-side to being Alien is that others will have a difficult time perceiving your motives. Two Alien people who interact with each other will have a somewhat easier time dealing with one another, as they are used to trying to fathom people they cannot readily comprehend.

Strong Personality + Your personal presence is high. You command respect.

Meek - Your personal presence is low. You are often ignored.

Strong Willed + It is easier for you to overcome personal weaknesses and fight through difficult circumstances. Whenever matters are important, you may reduce your total penalties by 1. If you purchase this Trait a second time, you may reduce your penalties by 1 point in ALL circumstances.

Weak Willed - In all important situations, if you ever have even one negative Trait, you take an additional penalty of 1 point. If you purchase this Trait twice, you take an additional -1 penalty on any and all actions which already have some negative modifier placed on them.

Moral - It is harder to lie, steal, or perform any "shady" action. You are frequently driven into unprofitable circumstances by other's needs. Obviously, you cannot be Immoral.

Immoral - You have to restrain yourself from trying to take advantage of others. Those who learn of your selfish ways are less likely to befriend or trust you. You can't be Moral.

Brave - Your thick headed, selfless pride compels you towards bravery and towards the more difficult circumstance. When given an option, you tend to chose against cowardice even if this also means choosing against common sense. You cannot be Cowardly.

Cowardly - You have great difficulty doing the frightening thing, even when it is the wiser thing. You cannot be Brave.

Gifted ~ You have the spark of magic within you. Animals and humans react strangely to you... Then again, you do have certain abilities; all your attempts to use magic will benefit from this Trait.

Faith ~ You possess a fervent religious belief. While the power you channel is great, you do not control it; it controls you. The aid of a god is not a thing to be called upon and used like a weapon; it works in mysterious ways.

Giftless ~ You have no talent for magic whatsoever. It is as though a hole in the supernatural realm follows you wherever you go. You take a penalty on all Spiritually related actions (even those unrelated to magic, faith, or other direct forms of the supernatural) but gain a bonus in resisting Magical or Divine influence. You cannot have Faith, nor can you be Gifted or Receptive.

Receptive ~ The spirit world is open to you, if only by a crack. Ghosts cry out to you in your nightmares, visions of the future flit across your eyes when you drink, and other planes of existence swarm on the edge of your perception. You receive prophetic visions and dreams, and gain a bonus to many uses of Magic or Faith, particularly those related to divination. However, you are more susceptible to Magical or Divine influence, and sometimes suffer from disturbingly meaningless and irrelevant whispers which you pick up by sheer accident.

Handicaps: None of these are inherent Characteristics; instead they are received and removed through the course of adventuring life. They have different names, but they generally amount to the exact same thing: a penalty on every Physical/Emotional/Mental/Spiritual action you try to take.

Encumbered - (This is not an inherent Trait.) Because of all the junk you're carrying, you experience difficulty doing Agility related things like running and jumping. If you get this trait twice, you'll have difficulty doing all sorts of things, like seeing and hearing and using a computer. As a general rule, every two instances of the trait "Heavy" in your equipment list makes you Encumbered once. If you have Strong Upper Body you can ignore 1 "Heavy" trait, and if you have Weak upper Body then you are treated as though you're always carrying one extra "Heavy" thing.

Wounded - (This is not an inherent Trait.) You have twisted your ankle, cracked some ribs, broken a wrist, or suffered a very bad cut. Your Wound makes everything other than total physical inactivity difficult and extremely uncomfortable. If you are Wounded Twice, you're incapacitated (crippled, but not necessarily unconscious). If you're Wounded 3 times, you're mortally wounded, and will die if you aren't quickly hospitalized; first aid can keep you hanging on for a day or so. Recovery from Wounds is 1 Month to go from incapacitated to simply Wounded, and another Week to go from Wounded to normal. With hospitalization, it takes a Month to go from mortally wounded to incapacitated, a Week to go from incapacitated to Wounded, and a mere Day to go from Wounded to normal.

Tired - You are slightly winded; all strenuous Physical actions are penalized. If you get this Trait 3 times you collapse from exhaustion. Recovery from Tiredness is one Hour to go from 3 Tired to 2 Tired, ten Minutes to go from 2 Tired to 1 Tired, and a minute to from Tired to normal.

Sleepy - You are mentally exhausted; all strenuous Mental actions are penalized. Every 16 hours you are awake makes you Sleepy. If you get this Trait 3 times you collapse from exhaustion. Recovery from Sleepiness is simple: Six hours of sleep cures you of 1 Sleepiness; each additional three hours cures you of another instance of Sleepiness.

Drained - You are emotionally exhausted; all strenuous Emotional actions are penalized. If you are Drained three times you receive some negative Spiritual Trait in the form of a madness. Recovery from emotional Drain occurs every day at dawn; one instance of Drained is recovered.

Bruised - Your Character is slightly hurt; this should not adversely affect your Character in most ways other than social (he looks a bit roughed up, which can be good for sympathy but generally makes you look disreputable). Anyone Bruised three times gains 1 Wound; anyone Bruised to the point of being Wounded is knocked out for a while. Recovery takes a week to go from 3 Bruised to 2 Bruised, three days to go from 2 Bruised to 1 Bruised, or a day to go from Bruised to normal.

Aches and Pains - Every time the Character gets 2 Wounds, he receives 1 Aches and Pains. Aches and Pains is a detriment to all non-stressful physical actions; it's a handicap which follows the Character throughout the rest of his life (unless some surgical or magical means cures him of it); recovery is basically impossible. In stressful situations where the Character is adrenalized, Aches and Pains are ignored, except in the case of a Character with three Aches and Pains; such a Character is physically crippled.

Backgrounds and Abilities are simpler than Traits, since they are always beneficial. The list of possible Traits and Backgrounds is far less developed than the list of possible Traits, since the differences in adventure worlds are so great that most of the skills I could think of would be specific to a given era and useless to any other. So you're on your own for this one; just be creative and make it up as you go along.

Book Smart: You have been educated and know facts and figures. You can do math, you have a good knowledge of all basic subjects such as geography and physics, and your spelling is good. (Positive Traits include: Old, Practical, Good Memory. Negative Traits include: Poor Attention Span, Imaginative, Young)

Street Smart: You grew up on the street and know how to get around in the underbelly of society. This is useful when dealing with drugs, gangs, and contraband, getting favors and information, etc.

Music: You have a wide range of musical abilities including the ability to compose music, identify styles, and play a few instruments.

Whoop-Ass: You know how to fight. Wrestling, punching, kicking, clubs, knives, swords, it's all good. You don't know how to use guns or missile weapons.

Good Aim: Practice has made you a precise shot. You can use all missile weapons, and you also get a bonus to more mundane actions like throwing basketballs or darts.

Religion: You have a firm belief system and relationship with your chosen god. This makes it easier for you to comfort others or weather the stresses of life, and allows you to pray for various things throughout the course of your adventures.

Social Climber: You know how to make first impressions, get people to like you through flattery, draw out superficial information, and manipulate people on a basic level.

Thief: You know how to research and bypass security, locate and appraise items of worth in a building, crack safes, and avoid tripping alarms or leaving a trace behind yourself. (Positive Traits include: Patient, Self Control, Imaginative(for getting inside) Practical(for covering your tracks and not getting caught). Negative Traits include: Poor Attention Span, Lazy, Practical.)

Money Management: You've learned where to find bargains and when not to both looking, you know how to make a deal and how to negotiate your way through any contract. Even if you hit rock bottom you can crawl your way back up.

FastDraw: You're quick with any weapon. It's easier for you to get the jump on anyone who thinks you're unarmed and unthreatening. (Positive: Quick Wits. Negative: Skittish)

Lie: You've learned to color the truth and tell convincing fibs. (Positive: Immoral, Smooth Voice, Good Instincts, Imaginative. Negative: Alien, Practical, Moral, Immoral (when people find out who they're dealing with))

Intimidate: You learned how to scare away bullies, extract information from prisoners, or get your kids to obey you with only the threat of punishment hanging over them. (Positive: Short Hair, Loud Voice, Tall, Old, Strong Personality. Negative: Long Hair, Short, Young, Soft Voice)

Play Piano: You know how to play the piano; this doesn't mean you're a great composer, only that you can play what's in front of you. (Positive: Good Memory, Patient. Negative: Poor Attention Span, Bad Memory)

Fishing: You know how to bait a hook, cast a line, reel 'em in, and clean 'em up. You also know good fishing spots, when's the best time of day, and other stuff like that. (Positive: Lazy (so long as it's not difficult), Patient, Good Memory. Negative: Energetic (provided you're not always wrestling big fish), Poor Attention Span, Bad Memory.)

Call Lightning: You know how to summon Lightning from the sky with a Sorcerous ceremony to smite your enemies; the ceremony takes 2 Rounds. It's harder to do this the clearer the sky is, and aiming at a small, distant, or insulated target makes things harder, too; nevertheless anything you manage to strike with Lightning will almost assuredly die, and anything directly nearby it will be knocked out unless they are Physically Fit. Regardless of whether or not your efforts are successful, you are Sleepy after the ceremony ends. (Positive: Good Memory, Rational, Gifted. Negative: Poor Memory, Emotional, Lazy).

Carry Loads: You are accustomed to carrying heavy loads around. This means that you can basically subtract 1 point from your Encumbrance penalties at any given time.

Flirt: You know what the opposite sex wants to hear and see, and you have the ability to give them just that. This is good for all sorts of things, not just getting people into bed. (Positive: Good Instincts, High Cheekbones, Large Breasts, Emotional, Sensitive. Negative: Old, Acne, Small Breasts, Rational, Alien, Fat.)

Heal: You can use rudimentary herbalism, mothering ability, and rustic faith to heal others of a Wound or Sickness, or provide relief from Aches and Pains. This is hard to do if the subject is Sickly, but in wholesome surroundings and with a Healthy subject the Difficulty can be somewhat low. After you attempt to Heal someone you are Drained. (Positive: Emotional, Sensitive, Faith, Soft Voice. Negative: Alien, Giftless, Rational, Loud Voice, Angry.)

Role-Playing games have a very violent history, having grown out of board-based wargames. (They could have grown out of virtually any other game like dolls or whatnot.) So no RPG would be truly complete without a standardized method for resolving combat. For the purposes of this game, I'm going to use a term called a Round; a Round is some undetermined length of time longer than a few seconds but less than half a minute.

Each round, Both fighters make their Action Totals by adding the listed Positive Characteristics, Subtracting their Negative Characteristics, and adding a Luck point or two as desired. Positive Characteristics include: Heavy Weapon, Shield, Good Instincts, Tall, Flexible, Strong Upper Body, Angry, Whoop-Ass. Negative Traits include: Lazy, Short, Weak Upper Body, Young, Old, Large Breasts, Cowardly, Wounded, Tired, ENCUMBERED. (Note that Heavy Weapon and Shield are Positive Traits; see Weapons and Armor, below; also you pretty much have to be Encumbered twice for it to make a difference combat-wise, which is why it's given with ALL CAPS.)

Depending on the situation, certain Characteristics will switch from positive to negative. When fighting in close quarters where there isn't a lot of room, Heavy Weapon and Tall become detrimental and Short can become a bonus. When fighting against near-suicidal odds, you could allow Bravery as a positive Characteristic. Or, when fighting in dim light, Good Eyesight becomes a Positive Trait and Poor Eyesight a detrimental one. Always remember to use your own best judgment over Conventional Procedures. Diceless is a freeform game of Characteristics, not a numerical game with preset values for everything.

Now back to the battle at hand; after the Action Totals are made, the warriors play RPS, just as usual. The Loser is Wounded one time for each point higher the Winner's Action Total is-so if the Winner's Action Total were 5 and the Loser's Action Total were 2, for example, the Loser would be Mortally Wounded. The Loser may subtract his armor's Heaviness from the number of Wounds he suffers. If the Loser would suffer exactly 0 Wounds, then he is Bruised instead (if he would suffer less than 0 Wounds then nothing happens to him); on any round in which both Characters Tie, they deal 0 Wounds to each other and thus cause each other Bruising unless any armor is worn.

Remember, after every two such Rounds, everyone will become Tired (unless they are Physically Fit or Unfit; see those Traits).

Puny Weapon (Punch*, Dagger, Brass Knuckles, Blackjack, Flashlight): -No Modifiers-

Heavy Weapon (Kick*, Sword, Mace, Ax, Flail, Lead Pipe, Chainsaw): Heavy.

Mighty Weapon (Claymore, Halberd, Spear, Battle Ax): HEAVY, requires 2 hands to use.

* Dishes out Bruises instead of Wounds, and inflicts no damage on a Tie.

Shield: Heavy. If you're using this with a weapon (as is usually the case) then your free hand is used up and you'll be pretty much unable to do things like climb or swim and stuff.

Wimpy Armor (Leather, Quilted, Studded Leather): Heavy.

Metal Armor (Chain mail, Scale Mail, Plate Mail): HEAVY.

Whenever someone wants to attack someone else with a missile weapon, he adds up his Positive Traits, deducts his Negative Traits, spends his Luck, and plays RPS with the GM. Positive Traits include: Accurate Weapon, Good Memory, Good Eyesight (if the target's at a distance), Aiming. Negative Traits include: Inaccurate Weapon, Aches and Pains, Bad Memory, Poor Eyesight (unless the target is nearby). (Note that Accurate Weapon is a Positive Trait; see Weapons and Armor, below.) The Difficulty varies foremostly by Range, and secondarily by visibility, movement, target size, and cover; An unsuspecting cow standing at the other end of a short hall in a well lit office building would be Difficulty 0, a deer wandering across a meadow in twilight would be around Difficulty 3, and a child running through the far end of a grassy park, which sits across a busy street from you, would be closer to Difficulty 7.

Now to determine the damage: Each point higher the Winner's Action Total is than the difficulty causes the target 1 Wound, just like in Melee. However, where armor is concerned, the target may only subtract 1 from the Wounds taken if his Armor is HEAVY, otherwise not. And if the target reduces his Wounds to nothing, he is not Bruised.

Lastly, Melee is interactive, but Missile combat is not. Thus everyone gets to take a shot if they have a weapon; shots are resolved by order of Wits, with Quick Witted Character's shots coming off first and Slow Witted Character's shots coming off last. If your weapon has Fast Firing, then you can fire twice in a round-first when you would normally get your shot, and then again after the Slow Witted Characters have fired. If your weapon has Slow Firing, you cannot fire on any Round following a Round in which you fired.

Bow (Any kind): Requires 2 hands to use

CrossBow: Heavy, Requires 2 hands to use, Slow Firing

Wimpy Pistol (less than .32 caliber): Accurate, Fast Firing

Manly Pistol (more than .32 caliber): Accurate, Heavy (damage-wise, encumbrance-wise)

Sniper Rifle or Shotgun: ACCURATE, Heavy, Slow Firing (Shotguns are HEAVY at close range and peter out towards long range.)

Thrown Weapon (tomahawk, dagger, spear): Inaccurate, Fast Firing. Heaviness varies by weapon thrown. Also, the defender gets to use his Armor's full Heaviness against Thrown Weapons.

Diceless is a snappy little game. Maybe you don't want to invest a whole lot of time and trouble into this game and just want to while away the hours of a car ride. No sweat; the game plays just like traditional RPGs if you use these Schticks. A "Schtick" is a pre made Character; the initial 10 Luck points have already been spent for you, so you can build on this base as you go along.

Physical: Loud Voice, Tall, Strong Upper Body, Physically Fit

Mental: Naïve

Emotional: Angry, Strong Willed

Spiritual: Brave

Backgrounds: Whoop-Ass

Abilities: Longbow

Equipment: Longsword, Ringmail

Physical: Female, High Cheekbones, Large Breasts

Mental: Good Instincts

Emotional: Sensitive, Shrewd, Independent

Spiritual: Immoral, Weak Willed

Backgrounds: Social Climber

Abilities: Flirt

Equipment: Sultry dress, Silk Ribbon, Wineskin

Physical: Soft Voice, Thin, Physically Unfit

Mental: Good Memory, Rational

Emotional: Energetic, Nerves of Steel

Spiritual: Gifted, Alien

Backgrounds: Book Smart

Abilities: Call Lightning

Equipment: Walking Stick, Writing Implements, Grimore

Physical: Short, Flexible, Young, Acute Hearing

Mental: Quick Wits, Patient

Emotional: Lazy

Spiritual: Cowardly

Backgrounds: Thievery

Abilities: Lie

Equipment: Lockpicks, 3 Daggers

Physical: Female, Smooth Voice

Mental: Good Instincts

Emotional: Emotional, Stubborn

Spiritual: Faith, Receptive, Moral

Backgrounds: Religion

Abilities: Heal

Equipment: Silver Crucifix, Pouch of Herbs

Karl, the bartender, starts shouting for them to stop. Karl's been tending this bar for a long time and isn't about to let them tear it up. Karl is Old and has Intimidate, and he spends a Luck point which brings his total to 4. Garth is Angry and Richard is Stubborn, but he's also Moral and realizes he shouldn't be fighting inside the bar. They both have Totals of 1 and 0, and immediately apologize and offer to pay for damages (no one bothers with the RPS). Karl waves them away, and they go outside to continue their brawl.

What- you want to know how the story ends? Um... Garth rips off Richard's balls and eats them. While this happens, Jill pleads desperately with Karl to call the cops. Karl thinks better of it and blasts Garth to kingdom come with a big shotgun he keeps under the bar. The regulars by now have gathered around to watch the spectacle, and somehow the designated driver is assigned the task of cleaning up the mess. The cops eventually arrive and try to figure out what's up with the gunshot and bloodstains outside, but Karl plies them with liquor and Jill plies them with cleavage and... well...
All's well that ends well.

The End.

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Email the creator at HarkenBane@Juno.Com