Statless d100 play, inspired by Rolemaster

Back again here, people. This time to talk about dice rulings. Recently I got caught up in the idea of transforming my D&D campaigns completely. They will keep simple but there is one thing I will change. In the first Aisottiton session, I got myself into using the "X in 6 chances" method. I won't deny is very good. But the child inside me said to start playing around with dice. I got myself into the Rolemaster method.

Few people know, but, Rolemaster is a fantasy role-playing game published by Iron Crown Enterprises since 1980. Rolemaster uses a percentile dice system and employs classes with a different name. They are simply called "Professions". The task resolution is done by rolling percentile dice, applying relevant modifiers, and looking the result up on the appropriate chart to determine the result. There are various charts to increase the realism in the game, but most of these are optional, and many rolls can be made on a relatively small number of tables. You can restrict the game to rolling only during combats and never outside them.

Well, that's basically what I am doing. I put inside my head the idea of using Rolemaster as the motor of my campaign. When I decided using d% in my campaign, I preferred doing it just like the system Phil Barker also used for a while. Roll the d%, low is bad, high is good. Very good dice results may trigger something more.

Always before the roll, I may define the possible impact on a successful and unsuccessful roll. In Rolemaster, for example, a critical hit can be dealt by the result on the weapon table. Things such as bleeding, broken bones, loss of limbs or extremities, internal organ damage and outright death. If a crit is inflicted, a second roll is made on the appropriate critical table. All specific injuries carry with them injury penalties. In my free-form version, there will be no stats, no modifiers, no tables, not a single thing. The participant just rolls d%. If the roll is higher enough, the character succeeds. If not, something bad happens. I expect the player to roll higher instead of using a fixed target number. Anyways, I WILL NOT TELL the target number. If the player roll high enough, he hits and do damage. The target number is basically invisible. I don't use a specific target number, it's spur of the moment. Against specific opponents there is a fixed target number. In combats, the player must roll that opponent’s Defense Score (DS) or higher. I just tell the player to roll and secretly rule that he need 50 or more to hit and do damage.

Some examples:
- Zombie (30)
- Werewolf (50)
- Walking Horror (70)
- Dragon (90)

About hit points, nothing changes too much. I’m using hit points or “hits” but not in the D&D sense. I just apply a fixed number of times somebody can be hit before dying. I'll keep with my standard: 3 solid hits and you’re down. I will roll the percentile dice when the characters are hit; low results mean they take the blow without serious consequences. High numbers means a lethal hit. Just like in Rolemaster, the damage may have variations such as slash, crush, puncture, etc. I will describe the wounds whenever the character is hit with specific details of the injury inflicted. My logic here is simple: whenever a character get hit and take damage, I will tell it, afterwards they will have to role-play the results of getting a blade through the guts. As a responsable referee, I will record the injuries while the players and I are playing the game. I will keep with my standard. After the first hit, you are lightly injured. After the second, severely injured. After the third, mortally wounded. I will juts play like it's real. It's all just d100 and when you get hit hard, you are fucked up.

That's it. That's the new ruling I am using at my campaign. Simple single roll D100 resolution system. Higher roll determines good things happen. Still using "hits". Three solid mortal wounds and the character is dead. "Oh, he stabbed you successfully and you fall to the ground in pain."
Also, check out what Sam wrote recently. It was one of my inspirations for writing this new article.

Sam (Dreaming Dragonslayer) - Nim Style (Statless 2d6 play)