Game Roles
In Dragonpact, most players will take on the role of a heroic (and occasionally less than heroic) character to tell stories of exploration and battle. One participant at the table acts as the Dragonmaster (also known as the DM) orchestrating and in some cases puppeteering the fates of the world and the player characters. This Dragonmaster is a fair adjudicator, and despite being a player, does not control a player character. The Dragonmaster’s responsibilities include:
- Ensuring that the players act within the rules of the game, and, when necessary and warranted, bending and breaking the rules of the game to accommodate the players’ wishes and facilitate a fun experience. Since the rules of this game are written in plain language, the DM is the sole arbitrator in how that language is interpreted into mechanics at the game table. A good DM will always take the players’ wishes into account when adjudicating rules, but rulings should be firm and in the best interest of everyone playing.
- Running the game world and acting as the many non-player characters during Discovery and Battle Scenes, including controlling NPC and monster actions and rolling damage against the players. A good DM challenges the players to create a compelling narrative, but is ultimately always on their side.
- Deciding narrative consequences such as Banes and Boons as indicated by dice rolls. A good DM is fair and open when it comes to these consequences and should always ensure that players are making informed decisions within the context of the narrative.
- Above all, ensuring that everyone in the game has fun. This is the most important aspect of the Dragonmaster’s role in Dragonpact. A good DM makes every decision based on this rule above all others.
The Coin of Adventure
Every coin has two sides, and Dragonpact is no different. Our Coin of Adventure consists of both Discovery and Battle.
Discovery is the joy of finding secrets, exploring the world, and socializing with its denizens. It’s the excitement of opening a treasure chest, the peril of hearing a noise around a corner, and the hushed voices in the darkness. Tracking a feral beast, using a map to guide your way, and uncovering a plot against the king are all examples of the discovery that await.
Battle is more straight-forward. Sword and sorcery combat, an ambush against a pack of unaware ratlings, or an assassination attempt on a high value target are all ways to achieve one’s goals in Dragonpact Battle Scenes. Villains often choose to bring violence to the people, and combat is often (but not always!) required to quell their aims.
Both sides of the coin share the spotlight in this game. Without one, the other loses meaning. Together, discovery and battle combine to form the soul of the game.
Defying Fate
Some say that the universe is prewritten, and the threads of fate have already been woven. Every cast of the die is as it will be, and a mortal’s fate is unknown only to them. With perfect knowledge comes perfect prediction, after all.
But heroes of destiny are uniquely able to mold their own fate and defy the bindings of reality. They tear the Grand Tapestry apart thread by thread to bring the world closer to their ideal.
To that end, heroes are able to call upon cosmic forces, whether directly or indirectly, to perform miracles that defy fate. In the most dire of situations, a hero might pull the stars down, both figuratively and literally, to smite a deserving foe and challenge fate’s rule. A hero might survive when any other may fall. A hero would create celestial alignment when none exists to thread an impossible needle. A hero would achieve what no other could to save the innocent and the loved. A hero would command those qualities of the universe that are unknowable and unmanageable by mortals to embody their own epic destiny in spite of what fate would muster for them.
When a hero would otherwise fail, they can call upon their Fate Breaker. A Fate Breaker is chosen at birth and drawn from within one’s soul. Every Fate Breaker is unique to each hero, and their effects can range wildly. Look through the Fate Breaker section for more details.
Rolling Dice
The dice used in Dragonpact are as follows:
- Four-sided dice (called a d4) are used for smaller weapons like daggers and common abilities.
- Six-sided dice (called a d6) are used for most weapons and spells.
- Eight-sided dice (called a d8) are used for heavier weapons and stronger spells.
- Ten-sided dice (called a d10) are used for some of the strongest weapons and spells.
- Ten-sided percentile dice (a special d10 with tens digits instead of single digits) also called a d100 when paired with a normal d10 are rarely used in this game, but have their place.
- Twelve-sided dice (called a d12) are used for legendary weapons, spells, and abilities.
- Twenty-sided dice (called a d20) are used for Discovery rolls.
There are three types of rolls in Dragonpact. Each roll will trigger additional effects if the maximum roll is achieved, or in the case of Discovery rolls, if the maximum or the minimum result is shown.
- Stat Roll. The most common roll in Dragonpact gameplay. Each Core Stat scales from 0 to 5, and all values from 1 to 5 have a die associated with them. When a Stat roll is called for, you’ll roll the die tied to that Core Stat to determine success or failure.
- Stat rolls can sometimes trigger your Fate Breaker if they roll maximum. As these scale with the power of the Core Stat being rolled, they’ll trigger less often as your character becomes stronger. At low levels of power, they generally provide useful situational benefits and minor effects. At higher power levels, they’ll threaten to alter the fabric of reality itself.
- Damage Roll. Dealing damage to opponents is the simplest way to wound them. Weapons deal damage using the different types of polyhedral dice above. A d20 and d100 will never be used to deal damage, but all other dice are options depending on the chosen weapon, ability, or spell.
- Damage rolls can’t trigger a Fate Breaker, but instead activate a Critical Hit when they roll their maximum, dealing additional damage and sometimes activating rider effects. Only the base damage dice can trigger these extra dice when rolled – critical dice can’t themselves trigger a Critical Hit. If multiple damage dice are part of the base roll, any damage die that rolls maximum can trigger a Critical Hit.
- Discovery Roll. Discovery rolls can help the Dragonmaster determine when and where random events occur, as well as determine the outcome of social interactions and distribute loot. These rolls involve a d20 and occasionally can include bonuses and penalties. These rolls can lead to hidden items, hidden perils, and even hidden battles.
- Discovery rolls can’t trigger a Fate Breaker or Critical Hit, but instead have another pair of effects that can apply – a Bane or a Boon. When rolling a d20, scoring a 1 or a 20 on the die will trigger a Bane or a Boon respectively. These rare results are game-changing and ensure that no Discovery roll is treated as frivolous.
- One particular aspect of Discovery rolls — when players defeat enemies, they will make a Discovery roll against the loot table of the enemy. The result will indicate which items can be found on the fallen.