DUNGEON81

Written by
Y.K. McGlinchey

Art by
Johnathan Baker

Dungeon81 is a production by Cosmic Sorcery Society.

The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. To view a copy of this license, visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Dungeon81
Dungeon81 is a Creative Commons licensed, minimalist, rules-light Fantasy
Heartbreaker adventure game inspired by B/X, BESM, Into the Odd and Whitehack;
created in protest of the OGL 1.1 proposed by WotC. Dungeon81 is made to be
hacked, pulled apart and built on top of. It is licensed under Creative Commons (CC-BY
4.0) so you can share and adapt this material for any purpose, as long as you give
attribution. It requires a referee, at least two players, and a playset of twenty-sided (d20)
and six-sided (d6) dice.

Dungeon81 is a roleplaying game. While the game may include paper, dice, tokens, and
any number of tools to help tell the story, the single greatest source of adventure is
within the minds of the players. Take every opportunity to describe what is happening
within the story. If one person gets stuck, other people at the table might have ideas.

In all tabletop roleplaying games it is important to make everyone at the table feel safe
exploring themes, characters, and storylines that may be outside the everyday topics of
conversation. Make sure to discuss what will be in the game, what will never be in the
game, and what might be in the game but only in passing.

It is also important that everyone at the table feels comfortable saying “pause” to take a
break and “stop” without fear of judgment during the game. There are more ways of
creating safety at the table and these resources can be explored at:
https://i.4pcdn.org/tg/1583202183294.pdf

1 | Dungeon81
Character Creation
Roll 3d6 for each of their Core Attributes, in order. Add 10 to the lowest of the three
dice on each roll to find each Attribute's starting value. After you’ve finished rolling, you
may adjust them by decreasing one Attribute to increase another.

Once you have your Character’s Core Attributes, calculate your Secondary Attributes
and HP. Choose a Class: Wizard, Thief, or Fighter. PCs begin with their Class’s
Starting Gear, 5 Gear Bubbles and Debt.

Core Attributes
Body: a measure of the character's physical body and health.
Mind: a measure of the character's mental capacity and intelligence.
Soul: a measure of the character's spirit and willpower.

Secondary Attributes
Secondary Values are determined by mathematical formulas based on the values of the
character's Core Attributes.

Attack Value (AV): [(Body + Mind + Soul) / 3] which is the focus of all the character's
Stats to determine their ability to Hit an opponent during combat scenes.
Defense Value (DV): [(Body + Mind + Soul) / 3 - 2] which is the character's ability
to react against incoming attacks.
Hit Points (HP): [(Body + Soul) - 5] which is the amount of damage a character can
withstand before they are knocked unconscious or killed.

Debt
All PCs begin the game with a debt equal to 10x the sum of their Body, Mind, and
Soul scores. The GM will ask you to explain why you are in this debt and who
your creditor is. That you’re in this position is half of the reason why you are
willing to leave the relative safety of town and city and risk life and limb in the
mysterious wilderness and perilous dungeons.

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Character Classes

Wizard
Wizards study arcane secrets and cast spells. While early in their career wizards have only
limited power, experienced wizards are able to cast quite powerful spells.

Weapons and Armor: Wizards wear no armor and can only use daggers, slings, or
staves as weapons.
Class Abilities: Wizards can cast spells from scrolls and spellbooks. At Level 3 and
above, they also may choose to memorize a spell each time they gain a Level. They must
have access to the spell to memorize it, but after memorizing they can cast it without the
need to carry it in a scroll or book.

Starting Gear: Fizzled Staff (Medium 2 slots, 1 hand), Dagger (Small, 1 slot, 1 hand),
Spellbook (2 random spells), Ragged Clothing (hidden pockets), Hagstone (can Detect
Magic)

Thief
Thieves are sneaks and trouble-shooters who specialize at infiltration and obtaining items
from others through nefarious means.

Weapons and Armor: Thieves can wear light armor, use shields, and use any light or
medium weapon.
Class Abilities: Thieves are specialists at urban survival as well as at picking pockets,
hiding in cover, sneaking silently, opening locks, removing traps, climbing walls, and other
tasks associated with theft. Thieves may also attempt to climb sheer surfaces and hide in
shadows with a successful skill roll. Thieves also have special training in listening at doors
and detecting traps and secret/hidden doors.
Backstab: If a thief successfully sneaks up on a foe, they can Backstab which adds +4
to their Attack Value for that roll and does damage with advantage if successful.

Starting Gear: Dagger x2 (Small, 1 slot each, 1 hand), Hooded Jerkin (1 AP 1 slot),
Lockpicks, Caltrops, Grappling Hook, Metal File

3 | Dungeon81
Fighter
Fighters are soldiers, champions, and other warriors who are exclusively trained in the
arts of combat and war. They are specialists in dealing damage with weapons and in the
other arts of physical combat. They are trained to lead others in battle.

Weapons and Armor: Fighters may use any kind of armor or weapon and may use
shields.
Class Abilities: A fighter inspires those under their command. Any hirelings or
mercenaries hired by the fighter have a +1 bonus to their morale when personally led by
the fighter.

Starting Gear:) Glaive (Medium 2 slots, 1 hand), Shortsword x2 (Small, 1 slot, 1 hand),
Leather Armor (2 AP 1 slot), Tobacco Pouch & Pipe, Dice Set

Dungeon81 | 4
How to Play

Core Mechanic
The referee narrates the world. The players interact with it. The referee narrates the
reaction of the world.

If an uncertain situation arises, the referee may adjudicate results by their best judgment
or ask the player for a 1d20 roll referring to one of the stats of their character.

If the result is lower than the Attribute, the player must state the result is a success so
the referee may narrate.
If the result is equal to the Attribute, the player must state the result is a success with
consequence so the referee may narrate.
If the result is higher than the Attribute, the player must state the result is a failure so
the referee may narrate.
If the roll lands on 1, a critical success occurs. If the roll lands on a 20, a critical
failure occurs.

Body - Direct action. Forcefulness, assertiveness, decisive action, straightforwardness.

Mind - Resistive action. Passive resistance, observational action, patience, awareness.
Soul - Indirect action. Finesse, subtlety, indirect action, reflexive action.

The GM can also ask a player to make an roll to determine if a PC is able to resist an
effect or react quickly enough to avoid harm. These rolls are called saving throws or
saves.

Advantage/Disadvantage - may apply to the roll at referee discretion (roll 2d20,

pick lowest or highest, respectively).

Inventory & Stress

A PC has a number of inventory slots equal to 3 + their Body score. Most items take
one slot to carry but some items, like weapons or armor, take up multiple slots.

Some actions and situations, like pushing the PC (see below), cause a PC to receive
Stress. Each instance of Stress takes up an inventory slot.

5 | Dungeon81
A PC cannot carry more items or Stress than they have inventory slots.

Spending a day resting in a safe location removes all Stress.

Pushing A Character
Before making an action roll, if their character has at least one empty inventory slot,
players may choose to push their character to receive Advantage on the roll. If they do
so, the PC takes Stress. A player may choose to push their character as long as they have
sufficient empty inventory slots to take the Stress.

Travel & Time

For convenience, time is generally measured by rounds, turns, or watches.

A round is used to measure time while fighting. A round is about one minute; enough
time to perform an action and move.

A turn is used to measure time while exploring. A turn is about ten minutes; enough time
to explore a room or finish a fight.

Every turn, roll 1d6. On 1 the players have a random encounter. Roll on the appropriate
encounter table. On 6 they have made a discovery. Roll on the appropriate discovery
table.

A watch is used to measure time while traveling. A watch is about six hours: enough
time to travel one hex, explore a hex, or make camp and rest. While sailing, players can
travel one region, explore a region, or rest. In a settlement, players can walk about and
interact with an NPC or a location, or find a place to catch some rest. There are four
watches in a day.

Rest & Healing

A short rest takes 1 round. A pull from a waterskin and a few deep breaths. Restore
1d6 HP.
A long rest takes 1 watch. A night’s rest in your bedroll. Restore 2d6 HP.
A full rest takes 1 week. A soft bed in a safe place. Restore all HP

Dungeon81 | 6
Leveling Up
All PCs begin at level 1, and gain levels over the course of the campaign. At the end of
each session, the GM awards 1—3 Experience Points (XP) to all PCs based on how much
the party achieved.

• Showed up to the game: 1 XP.

• Overcame a difficult challenge: 2XP
• Overcame an impressive challenge beyond their expected ability: 3 XP

When a PC has enough XP, they gain a level. After reaching level 7, the PC may retire
and become an NPC. The player then makes a new level 1 PC.

Level XP
2 2
3 6
4 12
5 20
6 30
7 42

When a PC gains a level, they roll a number of d6s equal to their new level to find their
new HP maximum. If the result is less than their previous maximum, their maximum HP
increases by 1. They also raise the scores of 2 different Attributes (Body, Mind, Soul,
Attack Value, Defense Value) of their choice by 1 point. Attributes may never be raised
higher than 18.

7 | Dungeon81
Combat
Combat is broken into Rounds. At the start of each Round, the GM rolls 1d6. On 1-3,
enemies go first. On 4-6, PCs go first.

During their turn in a Round, a character may move up to 40ft and take up to one action.
This may be casting a spell, attacking, making a second move, or some other reasonable
action.

Each round, the PCs declare what they are doing before dice are rolled. If a character
attempts something risky, the GM calls for a save for appropriate players or NPCs.

Melee weapons can strike adjacent foes, but ranged weapons cannot be used if the
shooting character is engaged in melee combat.

Combat can be seen as a bunch of contested actions made against particular adversaries,
however the character uses their Attack Value as the number they must roll equal to
or less than, to score successful attacks against the opposition.

Defenders of attacks roll their Defense Value to see if they defend against an incoming
attack. If they roll less than or equal to their DV, they successfully defend against the
attack whether or not the attacker succeeded his AV or not. A failed Defense roll means
the attack got through and the target takes damage.

Stunts
Stunts are combat maneuvers such as stunning, shoving, disarming, tripping, sundering
armor, and so on. They are resolved with a versus save. They may not cause damage
directly, but may do so indirectly (for example, pushing an enemy off of a ledge). The GM
is the final arbiter as to what stunts can be attempted in a given situation.

Advantage in Combat
Characters can gain advantage in combat by attacking a target that is unaware, on lower
ground, off balance, disarmed, distracted, or tactically disadvantaged in any significant
way. The GM, as usual, has the final say.

When a character has advantage against an opponent on their combat turn, they may
either A.) Apply advantage to their attack roll or stunt against that opponent or B.) Make

Dungeon81 | 8
an attack and a stunt attempt in the same round against that opponent, without
advantage

Damage
If an Attack was successful, roll damage, reducing Armor and applying the result to HP.

Critical Hits
Critical Hits are inflicted whenever an attack die roll comes up as a 1. The attacker
automatically hits the target (who cannot defend against it). The target then suffers
double the max damage of the weapon.

Worn Weapons
If a PC rolls a 20 during their attack, their weapon becomes worn. A worn weapon has
its damage reduced to 1 until it is repaired. A worn weapon is repaired after a day of rest,
or by spending a Gear Bubble (see Equipment).

Health Points & Death

If a character loses all their Hit Points, they fall unconscious and are dying. If their HP
drops into the negative they die.

Weapons
A weapon’s size determines its damage. There are three sizes of weapons:

Small: 1d6
Medium: 1d6+3
Large: 2d6. Two hands.

You may wield a Small or Medium weapon in both hands, or two Small or Medium
weapons simultaneously. In either case, roll damage with advantage.

A ranged weapon is designed specifically to hit far-away enemies and can’t be used while
an enemy is Close. On a 1, you have depleted your ammunition and must fill a Gear
Bubble to use this weapon again.

9 | Dungeon81
Ranges
An enemy must be within range to be attacked. It is possible to move one step along the
range track and perform one action in a round.

Close: Melee weapons.

Near: Medium ranged weapons.
Far: Large ranged weapons.

Armor & Degradation

Armor and shields reduce incoming damage by its Armor Points (AP). When an attack is
reduced, lower the armor or shield’s AP by 1. There are four kinds of armor:

Light Armor: 2 AP.

Medium Armor: 4 AP.
Heavy Armor: 6 AP.
Shields: +1 AP.

While in a settlement, armor can be repaired by a blacksmith. It takes 5 GP and 1 Watch’s

worth of work for each point of AP repaired (up to the armor’s starting AP). If your armor
ever reaches 0 AP, it is broken and must be replaced.

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Spellcasting
Wizards may only cast spells of their level or less, so a level 3 Wizard could only cast
spells of level 0 to 3. Spells are cast out of spell books, which must be held in both
hands and read aloud. Each spell in a spellbook can only be used once per day.

To cast a spell that you carry with you in a spellbook or on a scroll, the caster must
have at least one empty inventory slot to receive Stress, one hand free (for a Scroll, both
for a spellbook), and must be able to speak.

When a Wizard attempts to cast a spell, they must make a Soul roll. A successful roll
means the spell is cast and they take one Stress. If the PC fails the roll, the spell is not
cast and the PC gains no Stress.

If the d20 rolled a result of 20, roll on the Blunders table to determine an unforeseen
effect.

X, the Magic Number

Some spells contain an “X” in their description, swap this out for the caster’s Soul-10.
You can only attempt to cast a spell if your X value is at least equal to the spell’s level
(noted as L# behind each spell).

Cantrips
Cantrips (level 0 spells), can be cast by anyone and succeed automatically. They still
cause the caster to gain Stress.

NPC Spellcasters
Whenever an NPC attempts to cast a spell the GM makes a roll just like a PC would
NPCs don’t receive Stress and do not roll on the Blunders table.
Unless otherwise stated, NPC spellcasters can only cast each of their spells once each
day.

Scrolls
A scroll is a spell infused in a piece of parchment. It allows a creature to cast the infused
spell without having to make a Soul roll and take Stress, and without being restricted by
the spell’s level. Casting the spell destroys the scroll
11 | Dungeon81
Spellbooks
Spellbooks are tomes containing multiple spells. Most can contain up to three spells. As
opposed to scrolls, spellbooks are not destroyed after a spell from it is cast.

Writing Down Spells

For an amount of gold equal to 100 x the spell’s level, a character can copy a spell from
any source, onto a blank scroll or into a spellbook that has two or less spells. A PC can
only copy spells they would be able to cast. This process takes a full week. Any book of
blank papers can be turned into a spellbook by copying spells into it. Level 0 spells cost
no gold to copy but still take up a spellbook space and a day to copy.

Magical Blunders
Entries marked with an asterisk (*) have a 1-in-10 chance to be permanent. (Roll a
d20, on a 1 or 20 the effect is permanent)

1. All light sources near the caster burn out in a violent flash, dealing 4 dmg (Mind
save for half) to each creature close to it.
2. Caster's face moves to their belly for 1d6 days. *
3. Roll a d4 (1 - right arm, 2, – left arm, 3 - right leg, 4 - left leg), that part of the
caster turns to ash and slowly grows back in 1d6 days. *
4. All metal weapons near the caster rust and become worn.
5. Creatures near the caster wither and take dmg equal to half the caster's Soul
(rounded down).
6. Caster's body becomes overgrown with crystals that rip apart any clothes or
armor the caster might be wearing. Remains for 1d6 turns. *
7. Caster's brain escapes from their skull and runs away. Caster has 0 Mind until it
is put back in.
8. Caster's skin becomes thin and cracked for 2d6 turns. Any Damage they take is
doubled.
9. Caster becomes weightless for 1d6 turns. *
10. The spell is still cast, but it deals 2d6 direct damage to the caster.
11. Caster becomes made of slime for 1d6 days. Everything they hold becomes
slightly wet and they can squeeze through tight gaps. *
12. Caster's skin turns blue and smells like blue cheese for 1d6 days. *
13. Caster's eyes merge into one for 1d6 days. When they kill a creature, they heal
1d6 HP.*
14. For 1d6 days, while underground, the caster's eyes project beams of light. *
15. Caster physically disappears for 1d6 turns.
Dungeon81 | 12
16. A heavy rainstorm is summoned in the immediate area around the caster that
blows for 1d6 watches. Blows out unprotected fires. It does not follow the caster
if they move
17. Caster gains +1 Soul while their genitals disappear for 1d6 days. *
18. Caster grows a long white beard
19. Caster grows fur and can talk with animals for 1d6 weeks. Each morning a
woodland critter brings them one ration. *
20. Caster's body conjoins with that of a nearby creature. They naturally peel apart
after 1d6 days. *

Leve 0 (Cantrips)
1. Animate Armor - Animates a set of armor for one turn. It becomes a loyal NPC (1
HP, all Attributes 10) with an Armor score equal to that of the animated set.
2. Bee - A single bee is summoned at a location near the caster. It disappears after 1
turn.
3. Footfall - The sounds of footsteps sound from a nearby lo‐ cation that is determined
by the caster.
4. Grease - An area near the caster becomes slick and slippery.
5. Liquid Liar - A liquid targeted by the caster gains, for a turn, the appearance of
another type of liquid.
6. Magelight - Summons a floating orb of light that follows the caster for 3 turns. It
illuminates the area and reveals sub‐ jects of invisibility magic.
7. Magic Weapon - A weapon touched by the caster becomes magical for 1 turn,
making it able to damage creatures normally resistant to mundane weapons.
8. Mend - Restores a worn weapon or a small crack or tear in an object.
9. Night Eye - Grants one of the caster’s eyes night vision. Cast twice to see with depth
perception.
10. Talk with Spirit - Summons the spirit of a corpse touched by the caster to
answer one “yes” or “no” question. The spirit only knows what they knew while they
were alive.

Level 1 Spells
1. Animal Friendship - Targeted wild animal must make a Soul save or else become
friendly towards the caster.
2. Bark Skin - Target’s skin grows a layer of bark for a turn, providing a buffer of X
additional Armor points that regenerates every round.
3. Bolt - Throw X bolts of magical lightning; each bolt deals d6 dmg.

13 | Dungeon81
4. Healing Hand - Heals Xd6 HP of a creature touched by the caster.
5. Lock - Magically locks a door or container touched by the caster.
6. Push - Pushes up to X creatures and/or objects with an invisible force.
7. Shadow Blade - Summons a blade made of shadowy smoke. It exists for 1 turn and
deals 3+d6 dmg. When attacking with it, the caster may use their Soul instead of AV. If
cast during combat, the caster may immediately make an attack.
8. Summon Flock - Summons X sheep (1 HP); the sheep disappear in a cloud of
bubbles after they die.
9. Swarm Form - Transform self into a swarm of bugs, rats or bats for up to X turns.
10. Weave Light - A visual illusion manifests nearby or around an object or creature.
It lasts for X turns.

Level 2 Spells
1. Acid Rain - Start raining acid for X turns in a nearby area designated by the caster.
The rain deals 2 dmg each round to each creature in the area.
2. Demonic Servant - Summons a demon to complete a simple task. Disappears after
1 turn or when it has finished its task.
3. Fireball - Throw a ball of fire that explodes at a location nearby, dealing 6 dmg to
each creature in the area of the ex‐ plosion, or 3 dmg on a successful DEX save.
4. Gills - Up to X creatures grow gills to breathe underwater for an hour.
5. Grasp of Yahzahar - Up to X creatures must make a Body save or else are grabbed
by a shadowy hand and held in place for 1d6 rounds.
6. Lighteater - Summons a little homunculus that eats the light in the surrounding area.
On command it explodes, creating a bright blinding flash that deals no dmg. Explodes on
its own after X turns.
7. Mask - The caster’s face morphs into another face of their choice for X turns.
8. Protection from Heat - Target becomes immune to extreme heat for X turns.
9. Raise Bones - X skeletons (1 HP, all Attributes 13) rise from the ground to do the
caster’s bidding.
10. Silence - An area designated by the caster becomes devoid of sound.

Level 3 Spells
1. Alter Size - Grow or shrink target creature. Unwilling targets may make a Soul save
to resist the effect.
2. Charm - Target must make a Soul save or else become friendly towards the caster
for X turns.
3. Levitate - Up to X targets can levitate themselves for a turn.
Dungeon81 | 14
4. Pippi’s Slumber - Nearby targets with HP of no more than X+2, fall asleep.
5. Shroud - A creature or object touched by the caster turns invisible for X turns, or
until they attack another creature.
6. Telepathic Bond - Up to X creatures can talk to each other telepathically for X
turns.
7. Touch of the Grave - Target touched by the caster takes 2d6 direct Wounds. If this
kills them, they rise as a zombie (1d6 HP, Stats as when alive) under the control of the
caster.
8. Unravel - Targeted spell or other magical effect unravels and its magical energy is
released back into the world. This cancels the spell, but the caster has to roll on the
Blunder table to see how the released energy affects them. If this spell is cast as a reaction
to another spellcaster, the casting roll is an opposed WIL roll vs. the other other
spellcaster. Permanent enchantments are only unraveled for X turns.
9. Wall of Ice - A wall of ice springs up at a location near the caster. The wall can take
12 dmg before it is broken. Fire deals double damage. Creatures at the target location
must make a Mind save or else become stuck in the wall.
10. Worm Ray - Target must make a Soul save or is turned into an arm-sized worm
for X turns

Level 4 Spells
1. Banish - Target creature is banished to another plane; the target may make a Soul
save to resist banishment. The creature returns after X turns. However, if the creature is
from a different plane than where the spell was cast, it will return to its plane of origin
rather than to the plane where the spell was cast.
2. Command - Target must make a Soul save or else follow a one-word command.
The command cannot cause the tar‐ get to harm itself directly.
3. Gateway - Opens a person-sized portal to a location visited before by the caster. It
stays open for 1 turn or until the caster dismisses it.
4. Head Lopper - Summons a colossal spectral blade of an ancient warrior hero. While
the sword is summoned anyone can challenge another creature to a duel. Refusal means
in‐ stant death. The duel is fought with a single opposed Body roll. After the duel the
blade swings down, decapitating the loser, after which it fades away.
5. Petrify - Target creature must make a Body save or else is turned to stone. Creatures
with 8 or more HD can only be partially turned to stone using this spell.
6. Polymorph - Target creature is morphed into another form determined by the caster.
The effect lasts for X Turns. Un‐ willing targets may make a Soul save to resist the effect.
7. Sanctuary - A bubble the size of a small hut forms at a location determined by the
caster. It remains there for one full day. Creatures not invited in by the caster cannot enter
15 | Dungeon81
it and the interior is warm, pleasantly lit, and smells faintly of cinnamon. The inside of the
bubble counts as a safe location for recovering Stress and healing HP.
8. Winds of Terror - A wind starts blowing in the area around the caster. It whispers
fear into the hearts and minds of the caster’s enemies caught in it, forcing them to make
a Morale check with a -2 penalty.

Level 5 Spells
1. Breath of Kelkanesh - Dead creature touched by the caster comes back to life.
Only works on creatures that have been dead for less than a turn.
2. Death Spell - Creature touched by the caster must make a Body save or else die.
3. Nullsphere - Creates a large zone in which magic and magical items don’t work.
4. Rewind Time - Rewinds time to a point up to 1 turn before. Only the caster knows
this has happened.

Spellbook Generator
Use this generator to quickly create a starting spellbook for the Wizard class or as treasure.
Step 1: Determine contents. Roll a d20 on the table below for each of the three spaces
in the spellbook. To determine the spells you can either roll on the spell lists or pick them
yourself.
Spellbook Contents
d20 Result
1-2 Empty
3-5 Level 0 spell
6-9 Level 1 spell
10-13 Level 2 spell
14-16 Level 3 spell
17-19 Level 4 spell
20 Level 5 spell

Step 2: Roll for a spellbook quirk or make one up yourself.

Spellbook Quirks
1. Written in blood on sheets of human skin
2. Cold to the touch with cold vapor drifting from its pages.
3. A set of clay tablets bound together.

Dungeon81 | 16
 4. The inscriptions glow like embers.
5. A large eye on the spine opens when spells are cast from it.
6. A bunch of dried flowers are pressed between the pages. The cover is overgrown
with vines that bloom with sweet smelling roses during the full moon.
7. Hairy.
8. Audibly greets the reader every time it is opened.
9. The front cover is a mirror that shows the person look‐ ing at it as an old person.
10. Always seems to be slightly wet and smells like fish.
11. Incredibly dusty. No matter how much it is cleaned.
12. On command it turns into a flying paper bat that follows its owner around.

17 | Dungeon81
Equipment
Most items take one slot to carry but some items, like weapons or armor, may take
additional slots to carry.

Gold
When treasure is sold, it is converted into gold pounds (GP). These do not take up
inventory slots. PC’s are assumed to carry a small amount on their person to spend on
small purchases and have the rest of their wealth stored somewhere else.

Gear Bubbles
You have five Gear Bubbles. At any time, you may fill a Gear Bubble to add a piece of
common gear to your inventory, as if it had always been there. In combat, this
consumes your Turn.
When you deplete your ammunition on a ranged weapon, fill a Gear Bubble.
When in a settlement, you may pay 5 GP per Gear Bubble to empty your Gear Bubbles.

Gear Bubbles can also be used to repair Armor and restore worn weapons during an
expedition. One Gear Bubble can be used to restore 2 Armor points or one worn
weapon; this process takes one turn.

Examples of Common Gear

• 10' pole
• 3 days of rations
• Bedroll
• Bag of caltrops
• Some chalk pieces
• Crowbar or sledgehammer
• Face paint
• Flask of oil
• Lantern or Torch
• Bandages
• Rope
• Waterskin

Dungeon81 | 18
Examples of Uncommon Gear

• Weapons and armor

• Tent
• Spyglass
• Livestock
• Vehicles
• Specialized equipment, e.g. an alchemy kit.
• Musical instruments
• Fancy clothing
• Books and maps
• Anything that is not widely available and cheap

Ammo
Ammo is an abstract item representing the ammunition a PC brought with them for
their weapon. Players do not keep track of individual arrows or bullets, but must roll a
d6 at the end of combat in which their PC used a ranged weapon. On a result of 1, they
only have enough ammunition left for one shot after which the Ammo is removed from
their inventory.

Light
To light the way during the night or in dark places below the earth PCs need a light
source.

• Torch - Burns for 6 turns (1 hour).

• Lantern - Burns for 18 turns (3 hours) but requires a separate flask of oil.

19 | Dungeon81
Item Costs
All prices are given in gold pieces (GP). Payment for things like ships, real estate, and so
on usually takes the form of trade goods, favors, or oaths of fealty rather than coins.

Common Items
Common items are anything of up to 5 GP or less. Common items can be found,
bought, or added to your inventory through Gear Bubbles.

Ammo (Arrows or bolts), Backpack or belt pouch, Bedroll, Bell, Block and tackle,
Caltrops (bag), Candle (12), Canvas (sq. ft), Chain (10ft), Chalk, Clothes, Crowbar,
Fishing net (25ft), Flask, Flink & steel, Garlic, Grappling hook, Hammer, Holy Water ,
Ink (1oz), Ladder (10ft), Lantern, Mirror, Oil (20oz), Parchment, Pickaxe, Pole (10ft),
Pot, Rations (1 week), Rope (50ft), Sealing wax, Shovel, Small weapon (Dagger, Cudgel,
Sickle, Staff, etc. (1 slot, 1 hand)), Spike (12), Tent, Tool, Torch (3), Waterskin.

Uncommon Items
Uncommon items are anything valued at up to 100 GP. Uncommon items includes
useful and relatively accessible adventuring gear, weapons, armor, and trade goods.

Medium Weapon: Spear, Sword, Mace, Axe, Flail, etc. ( 2 slots, 1 hand), Bow (2
slots, 2 hands) 10 GP
Large Weapon: Halberd, War Hammer, Long Sword, Battle Axe, Crossbow etc. (3
slots, 2 hands) 25 GP
Light Armor (Leather, etc.): (2 AP 1 slot) 20 GP
Medium Armor (Chain, etc.) (4 AP 2 slots) 50 GP
Shields & Helmets: (AP +1, 1 slot,) 10 GP

Uncommon items also include nonmagical trinkets and curios that are mysterious and
valuable in a specific circumstance.

Rare Items
Rare items are anything valued at more than 100 GP. This includes master worked or
master-crafted gear, magical items, ancient relics, and the like.

Heavy Armor (Plate, etc.) (6 AP 3 slots) 200 GP

Dungeon81 | 20
Lodging
Bed, per night 1
Private room, per night 2
Meal 2
Hot bath 2
Stabling and fodder 2

21 | Dungeon81
NPCs

Reactions
When the PCs encounter an NPC whose reaction to the party is not obvious, the Warden
may roll 2d6 and consult the following table:

2 3-5 6-8 9-11 12

Hostile Wary Curious Kind Helpful

Morale
Monsters and NPCs all have a morale rating, usually between 5 and 9. When they face
more danger than they were expecting, the referee will make a morale roll by rolling
2d6 and comparing the result to the NPC’s morale rating. If the roll is higher than the
rating, the NPC will attempt to flee, retreat, or parley. Morale rolls can be triggered by
defeating half of an enemy group, defeating a group’s leader, or reducing a lone enemy
to half HP. Other effects may trigger a morale roll at the referee’s discretion.

Hirelings also make morale rolls when they aren’t paid, their employer dies, or they face
extraordinary danger. Morale may also be improved by paying hirelings more and
treating them well

Hirelings
You can spend a day (four watches) looking for hired help throughout a settlement. The
size of a settlement determines what, if any, types of hirelings are available. Hirelings can
become new characters if and when something unfortunate (or incredibly fortunate)
happens to existing ones.

Typical hirelings have 1d6+HD Stamina and HDd6 Will. In the event a hireling needs to
make a Save, they make it at HD + 5. A hireling has 10 inventory slots. A hireling’s
vocation determines their equipment.

Hirelings are paid per week, which (hopefully) covers their food and lodgings. There are
four kinds of hirelings; mercenaries, specialists, pack animals, and mounts.

Dungeon81 | 22
 Mercenaries
Mercenaries are guards, soldiers, and warriors who will accompany players on
wilderness and dungeon adventures. A mercenary’s pay covers their food and basic
gear, and most mercenaries will have weapons and armor when hired. Much the same
as characters, mercenaries will need their gear repaired by armorers.

Specialists
Specialists are hirelings that may be hired for non-combat or non-adventuring purposes.
As specialists typically do not accompany players into dungeons or the wilderness, they
are paid per month instead of per week.

Burdenbeasts

Like hirelings, you can retain the services of pack animals and mounts - donkeys,
horses, and stranger things. Burdenbeasts must be fed once per day. Some
burdenbeasts also demand compensation. War-trained mounts attack on the rider’s
initiative.

23 | Dungeon81
Magical Items
Items with magical properties are rarely found in shops. The most common way of
acquiring magical items is through adventuring and searching for them in places few others
dare to go.

Identifying Magical Items

A PC can feel when an item is magical but the properties of the item can only be
discovered by using it or through careful experimentation.

Magical Weapons And Armor

Enchanted weapons and armor grant the wearer a bonus ranging from +1 to +3 or some
other magical effect.

• When wielding a magic weapon the bonus is applied to both the PC’s
Attack Value and the damage of the weapon.

• When wearing magic armor the bonus is applied to the PC’s total Armor
Points and the PC’s Defense Value.

Scrolls
A scroll is a spell infused in a piece of parchment. It allows a creature to cast the infused
spell without having to make a Soul roll and take Stress. Casting the spell destroys the
scroll.

A PC can create a scroll of a spell they know by spending 200 SP and taking a full
day to create it.

Dungeon81 | 24
Game Master Section

Prepping A Session

Situations, Not Plots

Never prepare a plot for the players to follow. Instead, create a number of nearby
situations that contain a reason to get involved, some problems to overcome, and
optionally a threat that will worsen the PC’s lives if not dealt with. The first campaign
session should start in the middle of a high energy situation in order to get the players
hooked. Don't overdo the preparation! Keep your situation ideas loose enough that they
can be adapted to the PC’s choices and the flow of the game. Remember that unused
prep can always be recycled in later sessions. After each session, ask the players what
they plan on doing next and prep a few situations related to that. The direction of the
game should be guided by the player's decisions, not the GM’s.

Player Skill, Not PC Skill

Dungeon81 PCs are very minimalistic because the character sheet is mostly there for
when players make a mistake. Players are not meant to solve problems with die rolls but
with their own ingenuity. Therefore. present them with problems that:

• Can be solved with common sense

• Have no simple solution
• Have many difficult solutions.

Tools, Not Upgrades

When you give players tools, you give them new ways to engage the world. A good tool
doesn't increase PC’s damage or add an ability bonus; it does an odd, very specific thing
that is only powerful when used cleverly. This turns every problem into a puzzle and
encourages creative solutions. Examples: A rope that becomes as rigid as steel on
command. A coin that lands on any result you wish when flipped. A bell that
produces a 1 foot sphere of silence around it. A ring that instantly gives you a
different beard for each finger you put it on‘.

25 | Dungeon81
Running The Game

Be Fair and Impartial

• Roll your dice out in the open, so players can see you aren't fudging the results.
Require the same thing from them. Never roll the dice if you aren’t prepared to
accept the results.
• As GM, you may add, remove, or alter game rules as you see fit, as long as you
notify the players ahead of time. When you make a ruling on a specific case,
apply that ruling consistently.
• If the dice say that someone is dead, they're dead. Protecting the PC's from
death results in games that lack tension and players who only solve problems
with brute force. When a PC dies, tell its player to roll up a new character and
have them reenter the scene as soon as plausible.

Reveal the World

• Don't hide important information from the players. If the PC could reasonably
know something, tell the player and move on. The game is about making
decisions, and players can't make good decisions without good information.
• The more dangerous something is, the more obvious it should be. No one likes
to have their PC die without warning, so if something dangerous is ahead, give
the players the chance to come up with a plan or avoid it altogether. ln other
words, when a PC dies it should clearly be their fault.

Offer Tough Choices

• Make the players weigh risk versus reward. The deeper players go into the
wilderness or dungeon, the more perilous things should become. Whether
because their resources are running low (food, health, equipment, light, etc.) or
because danger builds the longer they linger, keep the players asking if it is worth
pushing their luck just a little bit farther. The greatest treasures are always the
hardest to reach.
• Risk and reward are also at the heart of combat. The PCs’ low health is meant
to push combat quickly towards the point where players ask themselves, “Should
I retreat to fight another day, or do I risk it all to finish them now?" The thrill of
that choice is at the heart of combat.
• Look for situations where all obvious choices come with a heavy cost. These
situations encourage unorthodox solutions and lateral thinking.
Dungeon81 | 26
 Reward Clever Solutions
• Clever solutions to a problem should usually work, as long as they are within the
realm of possibility. Be generous. If the action is unlikely or dangerous, call for
a danger roll, but only forbid if creative solution if it is clearly impossible.
• Combat in Dungeon81 is neither balanced nor fair, and PCs should encounter
foes far more powerful and numerous than they are. Players should learn to treat
combat like real-world warfare and use ingenuity, preparation, and underhanded
tactics to rig the results in their favor. Train the players to outsmart and out-plan
their enemies if they want to survive.

Bring the World to Life

• Dungeon81 is a game of improvisation and extrapolation, not rigid plots. During
the game and in between sessions, think about how the other characters and
factions would respond to what the PCs are doing, and develop them
accordingly. Your guiding principle should be “What are the logical
consequences?"
• Use the random tables included in Dungeon81 [or ones you've made yourself)
to keep the game fresh. The surprising twists that random tables add can bring
an energy and mystery to the game that is hard to improvise.
• Treat NPCs like real people. Think about What NPCs want, especially in combat.
NPCs want to stay alive, and will rarely start fights that they don't have a high
chance of winning. Only fanatical NPCs will fight to the death; most will try to
retreat or surrender if they are losing. Also, remember that enemies and allies
can be made to switch sides if given the right motivation.
• Give the players a stake in the world. As the game goes on, players may
accumulate a lot of money from completing jobs and looting treasures.
Encourage them to use this money to buy property, hire retainers or found
factions. Playing at this level can open up new ways for the players to interact
with the world and affect its history.

27 | Dungeon81
Building The World

The Dungeon
Dungeons are the classic adventuring environment: claustrophobic, tightly—focused
settings [often underground] revolving around risk-taking, problem solving, exploration,
and lurking dangers.

To make a dungeon, you'll need to draw a map. Try to write the contents of each room
on the map itself to save you time running it, and remember to keep the map secrets If
the players want a map, they’ll have to draw their own as they explore. Dungeons
commonly contain some or all of the following: monsters to fight, traps to avoid, puzzles
to solve, valuable or magical items to loot, weird effects and hazards to deal with, and
NPCs to talk to. Make sure to put secret areas and hidden treasures in the dungeon to
reward players who are especially thorough. Also, create a table of random encounters
(usually dangerous). Every 10 in game minutes, there is a 3 in 6 chance of the PCs having
an encounter. This helps keep up the pressure and it keeps things interesting for you.
Don't be afraid to put very dangerous monsters or large hands of enemies on there; the
morale rules and reaction table will give the players options.

A good way to make a dungeon is the one-more-thing method. First put one simple thing
in each room, keeping it pretty vague [a monster, a trap, a prisoner, a library). Next, look
for connections between the things. How are they connected? How do they explain one
another? What is their relationship? Then, go back and add one additional detail to each
room based on what you now know. Repeat this process as many times as you like until
you think the dungeon is finished. Players should have lots of choices while exploring.
Good dungeons are filled with loops, branching paths, secret passages, shortcuts, etc.
This gives players the chance to use their surroundings strategically. They should be able
to plan ambushes, avoid threats, and generally choose what kind of fun they want to have,
rather than just marching down a linear sequence of rooms.

The Wilderness
When designing the wilderness of your world, start out by mapping just the local area,
with at least one safe haven (Like a city or town) and a number of possible adventure
locations: dungeons, ruins, mines, towers, camps, etc. Drawing your map on hex—grid
paper can be useful in keeping track of distances. As the players venture further afield,
expand the map in that direction. lf you decide to use a hex—grid for overland travel,
consider making each hex 6 miles across from side to side. A PC can generally travel 18

Dungeon81 | 28
miles per day along a road, 12 miles per day across open wilderness, and 6 miles per day
through difficult terrain like forests or mountains. Make sure the players are aware of
several possible routes to any destination, each with their own advantages and drawbacks.
Fill in the wilderness of your map with different types of terrain (forests, deserts, rivers,
mountains, hills, swamps, plains, wastes etc.), and for each region create a table of
random discoveries, including dangerous foes, neutral NPCs, and interesting sites. Each
day and each night there is a 2 in 6 that the PCs will find something. Night encounters
are often more dangerous. If they find something of a permanent nature, mark it on the
map and replace that table entry with something new. Make sure to describe the weather
as the PCs travel. Weather is a great source of interesting compilations, especially things
like heavy rain, snow, or storms. Place unique, hidden locations around your map that
players won't find if they are just passing quickly through. In order to find them, the PCs
must either spend a whole day searching the area carefully or else know exactly where to
look.

The City
A good city is built around some distinct themes. ls it decadent and bureaucratic? A major
pilgrimage site? Famous for wizards? All three? The themes you choose help to cement
the feel of the city in the players’ minds and let them know what to expect.

Decide what’s going on in the city at present. Are there any notable events, such as
disasters, festivals, assassinations, or conflicts? Polarizing events like this make cities easier
to run, since everyone in the city will be affected by them. You can use that one event to
decide what everyone is up to.

Break the city up into districts or neighborhoods and mark the connections between them.
Each district should. have a theme of its own that sets it apart from the rest of the city.
This allows players some control over the kind of encounters they have. Mark down any
well-known locations in each district that players will automatically notice, along with any
major characters and factions present. Each district should also have a number of
interesting features that only reveal themselves if players know where to look.

Finally, make a list of random encounters for each district. based. on the districts themes.
These encounters can be dangerous, but might also just be unusual events that the PCs
can choose whether or not to engage. Each time players move through a district, there's
a 1in 6 chance that they’ll run into one of its encounters. They also automatically find an
encounter if they spend time looking for trouble.

Cities and towns are usually places where PCs rest and recuperate between expeditions
and look for new jobs. Make sure that the PCs hear a couple of rumors about potential
29 | Dungeon81
adventures every time they return to the city. As always, give the player options so they
can choose missions that they’ll enjoy.

Dungeon81 | 30
Credits
The text of this work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- 4.0 International License.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This work uses The TTRPG Maker’s Cheat Kit by Therapeutic Blasphemy Games
which is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work incorporates text from Knave and Maze Rats by Ben Milton which are licensed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work incorporates text from DURF and Wizardry! by Emiel Boven which are licensed
under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This work incorporates text from Pink Hack by Noora Rose. Dungeon81 is an independent
production by Cosmic Sorcery and is not affiliated with Monkey’s Paw Games.

31 | Dungeon81