Rules

Welcome to the game.

Crux is a tabletop RPG in the vein of D&D or Pathfinder. It aims to create a lightweight, streamlined approach to tabletop gaming you can learn as you go. You will begin the game essentially as yourself, and build your character into someone (probably) quite different.

Abilities

A You will design and raise various special abilities as you play. Abilities can be whatever you’d like, with a few understandings:

• Abilities will have many levels, and become more powerful as you upgrade them. Someone looking to run like The Flash, for example, will find that at their first level of Speed, they can only run a bit faster than an average human; at their second, they run faster than the fastest human… and so on.
• Abilities generally have an associated resource cost. It may be unique to that ability or shared amongst others. Example: The Speed ability will require Energy to use, which can be gained by eating food.
• Abilities can and should be used creatively against any relevant roll, but you will need to pay the resource cost regardless of whether the outcome is successful. Example: A level 2 Speed ability used to dodge a punch will give +2 to your roll check to dodge the attack, but will require paying its resource (Energy) regardless of whether the dodge is successful or unsuccessful. Creative uses for your powers may be rewarded.

Items

I Crux is a world of worlds - many places with many settings. Objects that are powerful in one setting may be pointless in another.

Wounds

W There are no hit points in Crux. If you are successfully attacked, you will incur a wound. Wounds will affect your play until the wound heals. For example: if a dog attacks you, you will (likely) gain a bite wound. Untreated, that wound could lead to an infection.

Quirks

Q Quirks distinguish your character from yourself and the other characters and players. Quirks are intended to be fun ways to creatively develop your character, and should generally be relatively power-neutral. Quirks should be kept secret - show, don’t tell. For example: You enjoy playing pranks. Don’t tell your party members you enjoy playing pranks. Tie their shoelaces together while they’re not looking.

Trauma

T Traumas are similar to quirks, but come as the result of the intense mental strain that your character will sometimes experience. Trauma should also be kept secret, the same as a quirk, until it can be identified and treated. Traumas and quirks will never cause a player to do their party harm.

Death

D Death is the unfortunate consequence of an overly aggressive lifestyle. Death is not permanent in Crux, but it will cost you.

Favor

F There will be times when I won’t have a good answer for something. Instead of trying to force it, I’ll let each of you make a suggestion. The person whose answer I choose will receive a favor point for their contribution. You can redeem favor points to influence future decisions, reroll dice, etc.