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FATESTONE: A Micro RPG System & World • 2019 rpg

Andrew Wright • www.8bitgoblin.com

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)                                             - - ---<<<  STORY  >>>--- - -                                            (
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 |                                                                                                                    | 
 |     The Great All-Being, Auk'Nede, The Provider.                                                                   | 
 |     The earthen spires, Mal'Tuk, our home in the shadows.                               .                          | 
 |     Auk'Nede provides water, bitterleaf, palefruit.                          .     *    .          .               | 
 |                                                                               .   _  _  |  _  _   .                | 
 |     ...We prospered.                                                           \        |        /     *           | 
 |                                                                    .            \_______|_______/            .     | 
 |     Rise the Blistered-Star.                                           .   /    /\      |      /\    \   .         | 
 |     Never setting, world scorching, stealing.                              .   /  \           /  \   .             | 
 |     Ground shifting, Mal'Tuk falters, our home now crumbling.            /    /     _.-'|'-._     \    \           | 
 |                                                                        *     /   .*'____|____'*.   \               | 
 |     ...We have nothing.                                                     /    |\    /'\..../|    \              | 
 |                                                                     - - -------- | \  /   \../*| -------- - -      | 
 |     Burning light.                                                          \    |__\/_____\/**|    /              | 
 |     Screeching horrors.                                                      \   '., ',...,'*,.'   /               | 
 |     Unimaginable threats.                                                \ .  \     '-.\,/.-'     /  . /           | 
 |                                                                        .       \  /           \  /       .         | 
 |     ...Auk'Nede demands sacrifice.                                 .       \    \/______|______\/    /       .     | 
 |                                                                                 /       |       \                  | 
 |     Traversing hostile lands.                                           *      /  _  _  |  _  _  \                 | 
 |     The All-Being's Fatestone guides us.                                      .         |         .       *        | 
 |     We will prosper again.                                                   .          .      *   .               | 
 |                                                                                         .                          | 
 |     ...Auk'Nede provides.                                                                                          | 
 |____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| 
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)                                             - - ---<<<  RULES  >>>--- - -                                            (
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 |                                                                                                                    | 
 |     AUK'NEDE (Gamemaster)                                                                                          | 
 |     PILGRIMS (Players)                                                                                             | 
 |     __________________________________________________________________________________________________________     | 
 |                                                                                                                    | 
 |     Auk'Nede describes the WORLD, determines OBJECTIVES, designs ENCOUNTERS, decides DIFFICULTY.                   | 
 |     Auk'Nede rewards SUCCESSES.                                                                                    | 
 |                                                                                                                    | 
 |     OBJECTIVES: Journey, collect, rebuild...                                                                       | 
 |     ENCOUNTERS: Abominations, sandquakes, ashstorms...                                                             | 
 |     __________________________________________________________________________________________________________     | 
 |                                                                                                                    | 
 |     Pilgrims ACT on ASPECTS of MIND, BODY, SOUL.                   +-----------------------------------------+     | 
 |                                                                    |  \                                   /  |     | 
 |     +------------------------------------+                         |   '.                               .'   |     | 
 |     |          ASPECT / ACTIONS          |                         |     '*,                         ,*'     |     | 
 |     +------------------------------------+                         |        "-._                 _.-"        |     | 
 |     | MIND: SEARCH, CRAFT, TRAP...       |                         |            "'-..._____...-'"            |     | 
 |     | BODY: MOVE, STRIKE, DEFEND...      |                         |                                         |     | 
 |     | SOUL: MEND ASPECT, PRAY, SENSE...  |                         |                                         |     | 
 |     +------------------------------------+                         |                                         |     | 
 |                                                                    |                                         |     | 
 |     Pilgrims SPECIALIZE one ASPECT & any one ACTION.               |                                         |     | 
 |     SPECIALIZED ASPECTS & ACTIONS each receive +2 to CONSULTS.     |      ^^    ^^                           |     | 
 |                                                                    |        ^^                               |     | 
 |     Pilgrims describe ACTIONS in detail.                           |                    .....                |     | 
 |     Resolve ACTIONS by CONSULTING the FATESTONE (d20).             |                                         |     | 
 |                                                                    |    ...::::::..                          |     | 
 |     +------------------------------------+                         |                    ...::::::::::::..... |     | 
 |     |        DIFFICULTY / SUCCESS        |                         |                                         |     | 
 |     +------------------------------------+                         | ....::::::::::::..           ......     |     | 
 |     | EASY   = 2+                        |                         |   .:::::;;;;;;;;;;;:::::.... ,          |     | 
 |     | NORMAL = 7+                        |                         |       ,       ...........   / \\_       |     | 
 |     | HARD   = 13+                       |                         |..::../\\_  ......     ..._/'   \\\_     |     | 
 |     | EPIC   = 19+                       |                         |.::./   \\\ _   .../\    /'      \\\\.   |     | 
 |     +------------------------------------+                         |  _/      \\\\   _/ \\\ /          \\\\  |     | 
 |                                                                    | /           \\\/     \/               \ |     | 
 |     SUCCESSES accomplish ACTIONS, FAILURES fail.                   |---|---*----------|---------*----*-------|     | 
 |                                                                    |                           ,       '     |     | 
 |     After 3 SUCCESSES, gain BOON.                                  |  '           ,                  \     ^ |     | 
 |     BOON grants AUTO-SUCCESS next CONSULT.                         |         /            ^                  |     | 
 |                                                                    |                  *          '           |     | 
 |     After 3 FAILURES, BREAK an ASPECT.                             |    ,         '      @(((-         /     |     | 
 |     BROKEN ASPECTS suffer -5 to CONSULTS until MENDED.             |                    .                    |     | 
 |     An ASPECT'S 5th BREAK is PERMANENT.                            |                                         |     | 
 |     __________________________________________________________     |  ^        *       \            ^        |     | 
 |                                                                    |                          '              |     | 
 |     ALL ASPECTS BROKEN: DEATH.                                     |      ^             ,                    |     | 
 |     COMPLETE OBJECTIVES: PROSPER!                                  +-----------------------------------------+     | 
 |____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________| 
/                                                                                                                      \
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)                                            - - ---<<<  PILGRIM  >>>--- - -                                           (
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 |     +-------------+    ,-.  ,-.  ,-.  ,-.  ,-.    +-------------+     +--------------------------------------+     | 
 |     |             | <> | |  | |  | |  | |  | | <> |             |     |                                      |     | 
 |     +-------------+    '-'  '-'  '-'  '-'  '-'    +-------------+     |                                      |     | 
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 |     +-------------+    ,-.  ,-.  ,-.  ,-.  ,-.    +-------------+     |                                      |     | 
 |     |             | <> | |  | |  | |  | |  | | <> |             |     |                                      |     | 
 |     +-------------+    '-'  '-'  '-'  '-'  '-'    +-------------+     |                                      |     | 
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 |     +-------------+    ,-.  ,-.  ,-.  ,-.  ,-.    +-------------+     |                                      |     | 
 |     |             | <> | |  | |  | |  | |  | | <> |             |     |                                      |     | 
 |     +-------------+    '-'  '-'  '-'  '-'  '-'    +-------------+     |                                      |     | 
 |                                                                       |                                      |     | 
 |     ,-.  ,-.  ,-.   +----------+  |  +----------+   ,-.  ,-.  ,-.     |                                      |     | 
 |     | |  | |  | | * |          |  |  |          | * | |  | |  | |     |                                      |     | 
 |     '-'  '-'  '-'   +----------+  |  +----------+   '-'  '-'  '-'     |                                      |     | 
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 |     |  _______________________________________________________  |                                                  | 
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 |     |                                                           |     |  ___________________________ : ____  |     | 
 |     |  _______________________________________________________  |     |                                      |     | 
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 |     |  _______________________________________________________  |                                                  | 
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 |     |  _______________________________________________________  |     |  ___________________________ : ____  |     | 
 |     |                                                           |     |                                      |     | 
 |     +-----------------------------------------------------------+     +--------------------------------------+     | 
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)                                             - - ---<<<  WORLD  >>>--- - -                                            (
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 |~~~~~~~~~~~~.-'                          ______                             .   .   .      .              .      .  | 
 |~~~~~~~~~.-'                            /.... /                                        ^    /\    .  .      .       | 
 |~~~~~~~~/                              / __  /|           ,              .     ^    /\_.   / .\    .     .    . .   | 
 |~~~~~~~/        .     __              / / / /+|                                   _/   \/\/    \/\_ .   /\ .    .  .| 
 |~~~~~~/             ~^\/^~           '- . , . -'                               .    ^  / .   /\/   \/\_/  \  _/\  . | 
 |~~~~~|                \/ '  .                             ______            .    /\   +-------+\/\    / .  \/   \   | 
 |~~~~~~\   ___         ,  ,,  '                         ,-'~~~~~~\              _/  \/\| ,___, |/  \/\/     /    .\_/| 
 |~~~~~~~'-'~~~`-.      '.,.".''.,                     ,'~~~~~~~~~~\.        .       /  | |: :| |   /  \  /\/  /\   / | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/     '- . , . -'                    /~~~~~~~~~~~~|              /\/  '- . , . -'_/    \/  \_/  \_/  | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~_/                                    /~~~~~~~~~~~~~/                \_           /   ^    ^ / .   \ ^ | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~.-'                 .         ,         /~~~~~~~~~~,--'                          ^     ^.           ^  \  | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~\                 \//.                 |~~~~~~~~~_/       ^                        ^      ^       ^       | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~\      .        \/+\ .                /~,------'                                                      ^. | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~\             _/++/  \             [][][]                      .                                        | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~\            |+++\  |         _____/~/                         \                           .           | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-._        |_=__\/|\     ,-'~~~~~~/           .              |           ,                         __| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~',__   '- . , . -'  _/~~~~~,--'     . . .               :_^_;                            ____.-'~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-.______      /~~~~,-'        . . . . . .         |\\:/                      ____.-'~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-.__/~~~~/        . . . . . .             \/:\\/                 .-'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|        . . .   . . .            /\;//. '              /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/         . . . . . . . .       _||/|/|\__'_ .         /~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,-'           . . . . . .         '- . , . -'             |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~,-'        ,<>.     . . . .                             ^    \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-'           |  |>.      . . . .                              [][][][][]~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/           ,<>. | ;<>.    . . .                                  \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|    .     ,<|  | | |  |               .             ____           `-,~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\         | |  ,<>.|  |                       _____/____\__           '-.~~~~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\        | |  | ,<>. |                    __/__     ______\__           `-.~~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\       ' '  | |  ' '                ___/____  \  /.._..    \___          \~~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~[][][][][]   ^  '- . , . -'       .        /    ____\_  / ||_|| + + \ _\____      \~~~~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/     ^  ^               . . .           /    __\__'- . , . -' /      \      `-.~~~~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/       _   ^      . . . . . . . .            /     \                            '-.~| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/      ..-..           . . . . .   . .                               .               \| 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|      ||-||              . . . . . .                                           .     | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/  ,_._\\://      ,        . . . .                                                    | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/   |_|_//_\\                             ,                .           |----------|    | 
 |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\  '- . , . -'                                                                         | 
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Author Comments

FATESTONE was designed to push the rules of the 200 Word RPG Challenge to its limits. While there are word limits, there are no character limits. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to create the most comprehensive and true to form “Traditional RPG” possible within that rule set.

FATESTONE contains everything you would find in a much more comprehensive RPG. While the confines of the competition generally work to keep submissions rules light, FATESTONE still provides a unique world, GM guidance, action resolution, character customization, character stats, artwork, charts, a character sheet, a world map, and more.

I want to thank my family, friends, and coworkers for listening to me drone on about this project for the last year. Thank you Steph, Jon, Eric, Chris, Chip, Jordan, Dad, Ginge, Gabe, Brandon, Dylan, Rob, Cory, Micheal, Tim and whoever else I annoyed with my constant game babble while I worked to make FATESTONE the best it could be.

You should be able to copy and paste the entirety of the submission above into a small notepad or textedit window. Once the content is pasted in, the window should expand to the proper measurements. You can then print FATESTONE on a single piece of paper, front and back. I will also post a PDF on my website (www.8bitgoblin.com) for download.

Thanks and enjoy playing FATESTONE!


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