“Be Free.”
To the extent possible under law, Benrob0329 has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this work.
http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Hello, and welcome to the Uune Roleplaying Game!
This game is the culmination of years of continuous effort, trial, and error. Some time into the hobby, it seemed to me that there aught to be a game that doesn’t constrict characters, doesn’t put too much on new players to learn, and doesn’t throw away an hour’s prep because someone made one bad roll. It also seemed to me that such a game should be free, because we are a community of tinkerers and homebrewers, after all.
Ultimately, those ideas have coalesced into a classless, dice pooling system where players work together towards accomplishing their goals. One which can be adapted to fit a wide variety of settings and genres, and doesn’t try to make assumptions about the types of stories that will be told with it.
As I’ve matured as a GM, I’ve also made steps to simplify how the game is run. Combat has evolved from a very heady time centric system, to just another scene like anything else, putting the focus almost entirely on the players and how they act. NPCs have gone from full character sheets to just names and ideas. Nowadays, as the GM I basically don’t roll at all! I can focus almost entirely on my players, the NPCs, and the environment.
Making the game approachable and accessible is also an important goal to me. I’ve attempted to streamline the mechanics to lean on a few core concepts that can be picked up easily. Uune also uses readily available dice, and does not ask you to calculate complex character or monster stats. I’ve had players’ very first TTRPG experience be with Uune, and they picked it up and built a character like those who’ve been in the hobby for years! Given that experience, I’m hoping that we’re on the right track.
There will inevitably still be tweaks and changes, but the game has come a long way since the start. My only hope is that you take this and have fun with it. If even a few people can have some fun with something I wrote, then it was worth it.
First, you don’t need to read everything here from front to back to play the game. The first few chapters will lay the groundwork, with the rest being either topical or reference material that you’re meant to skim. There is also some material aimed at Game Masters in the back of the book, but that players can also read if they so choose.
Ultimately, the rules in this book are subject to tweaking, additions, subtractions, etc as your GM sees fit. Specific modules or addons to the game may also change things, so you should always communicate with your GM (and GMs to your players) about the specifics of your game.
To get started, you’ll need the following things:
The most important role of the game is that of the Game Master. The person who plays the GM will act as the eyes and ears of the other players, detailing the events of the story as they occur. They are the mouth of the nonplayer characters, the judge and arbiter of player actions, and a guide to keep the story moving forward.
Those who are not the GM are responsible for the player characters (or PCs). These are the main characters of our story, and it is their journey that we will be following. The PCs are the meat on the bones of what the GM presents, dictating much of the exact direction that the story takes.
Dressing the stage for all other events to occur is the setting. Generally, the GM assembles the setting or uses one that is already made. However, many of the best stories are written when players can be left to create their own home lands, countries, cities, etc for their characters. There are many tools out there to help with both approaches, much of which is out of scope for this document. I have included some rule of thumb tools to help with this though towards the back of the book, loosely assembled as I find them.
Uune mostly makes use of the six sided die, also known as the standard board game die.
In many places, a shorthand for dice rolling will be used. This consists of the number of dice, followed by a D, followed by the size of the dice to be rolled.
Example
If you need to determine the outcome of something purely by chance, you make a luck check. To do so, flip a coin.
Note: You can also use a six sided die for this, treating a 1 to 3 as a tails, and a 4 to 6 as a heads.
Example
Each game session is broken down into scenes, each featuring both a location and a situation that your GM will describe at the start of the scene. Afterwards, your GM will ask you what you’d like your characters to accomplish within this scene.
A scene’s scope can be big or small, depending on how your GM wishes to pace the game.
Example
No matter the nature of the scene, every scene will have 2 things:
Resources are dice which represent your character making use of the things throughout a scene. When you use a resource, roll 1d6 and add it to your pool for the current scene. This represents how useful the given resource is all through the scene. You can chain different resources together to make them more applicable, allowing you to roll resources that might not have seemed as useful alone.
You can only roll any specific resource once per scene, unless another mechanic says otherwise. This also applies to resources which are shared amongst a group.
Additionally, any time you roll a resource, you gain 1 XP.
Each of your faculties represent a skill, background, or physical feature that can be a potential resource for you, when it makes sense. If you have a faculty that is occupied or obscured somehow (like being in the dark or being tied up) you won’t be able to use it.
You can learn more about what specific faculties you have in the Character Abilities and Progression section.
Pieces of information can also count as resources for you. If it’s been established and your GM approves, you can use bits of know how to help you.
Example
Telling a lie or a half truth can count as a resource. While not something you know, it is something you can make up on the fly to try to gain some leverage. When you do this however, it will require a risk check.
You may name 4 items that you would reasonably have on your person, which all count as resources for you. You can change what these named items are whenever you take downtime. Additional items that you pick up throughout a game session do not count against these 4, but can be kept as notes when relevant.
If you would like to use an unnamed item that your character would likely have on them, you may make a luck check to see if you have it with you. On a success, you gain a resource for this scene from that item.
You can also have more general category items, such as a general set of hand tools. These give you advantage on your luck check for unnamed items.
Finally, any items that you do not have on your person can often be purchased from a shop in most games, for an amount of money based on the item cost table in the GM’s reference.
Note: Money does not count against your named items.
More broadly, many things in your environment can count as resources. Things like walls for shielding, the cover of darkness, a strategically placed staircase, etc. If your GM approves, then it can count as a resource for you.
Karma represents an acquired story token from something that your character did or that happened to them. You can only ever have 1 karma at a time.
You may spend your karma at any time to give yourself a resource. Gaining a resource in this way allows you to very slightly alter the circumstances in your favor, represented by a one time resource.
Sometimes, a resource roll or luck check will be more or less likely to be helpful. Your GM may impose advantage or disadvantage depending on the circumstances.
Whenever you roll a 6 on a resource die, roll an extra die and add it to your pool.
When the actions you take can lead to unintended side effects, your GM may ask you to make a risk check.
Make a luck check, and:
No matter the outcome, you gain karma if you do not already have it.
Note: Remember that risk can have advantage and disadvantage depending on how likely you are to experience a problem!
Stamina represents your physical and mental fortitude, and using it means that your character is exerting themselves in some way, usually to make better use of a resource. Your character starts with 5 points of stamina. You can regain stamina during downtime.
You may spend a specified amount of stamina to gain one of the following stamina effects:
Throughout a scene, your characters can encounter trials and strenuous circumstances. This is represented by your character’s stress level.
Your stress is a number between 0 (no stess) and 6 (your breaking point). If you reach 6 levels of stress, your character acts rashly or slips up and your party fails the scene. Any resource rolls less than or equal to your stress level will increase your stress level by 1. Your GM will tell you how stressful a scene is when it begins, indicating what you should reset your stress level to for that scene.
You gain 1 XP whenever your stress level increases.
Chapters represent your character’s overall experience, they’re an easy way of keeping track of your character’s abilities as the story continues and we learn more about them. You progress to the next chapter whenever you gain enough total experience (XP) to reach it, and you gain XP by interacting with certain game mechanics. See the following list for chapter XP:
Bonds are elements of your character’s story and personality that are specifically called out on your character sheet. You may act on one of your bonds to gain karma from it. You may only gain karma from a given bond once per scene.
Bonds can be for a variety of things, as approved by your GM. Some examples are listed below.
Faculties represent things inherent to your character that they can use as resources, such as skills, physical features, past experience, etc. Every character starts with 5 base faculties, and 4 custom ones.
Most characters will have the following base faculties:
However, characters which are nonhuman, or which do not have all of their senses should feel free to exchange some of these for additional custom faculties.
Each custom faculty is comprised of one or two words of your choice that explain it. You can have whatever faculties you can think of, so long as your GM approves it beforehand.
Features are the extra flavor of character creation and progression. They allow you to add on new abilities, or to strengthen existing ones as your character grows and learns throughout their travels. You will mainly be taking features from the features reference, though there are some optional ones in other sections as well.
A downtime scene represents your characters doing light activity, eating, recuperating, etc, allowing you to recover your stamina and exchange your named items. These scenes are open ended, with a threshold of 5 points per stamina recovered for all characters.
Your character will need to use or do things which help them recuperate, each of which counts as a resource for them.
Example
Building a character in Uune is a relatively straightforward process. Follow these steps to build a character in the first chapter of their story.
Uune is a character driven game. Rather than focussing on what build you want, first understand what kind of person you’d like to play.
The questions below can act as a jumping off point for you. Note that the answers given are just examples and do not need to be followed.
Once you have an idea of who they are, you’ll need to figure out who they were before. Writing a backstory not only helps you to know your character better, but also helps the GM to know how they fit into the world.
Consider the following questions:
Next, you’ll need to write out and pick all the bits for the first chapter of your character’s story.
You’ll need to fill out 2 features, 2 bonds, and 4 custom faculties. Information for each of these can be found in Character Abilities and Progression.
Finally, your character needs some stuff! Your character starts out with 4 named items that they could reasonably own and have on their person.
Roll 5d6 and multiply by one of the choices on the list below, based on how well-off your character is:
Here is a selection of core features that your characters can choose from. These are intended to be useful across most games, though they will not necessarily be applicable to every game. Be sure to talk to your GM about any that they are excluding from their game, as well as any additional ones that they might be including.
Fast Recovery
Feature
All of your downtime resources have advantage.
Intuitive
Feature
If you are unsure about your situation, or a course of action, you can fish for an intuition, and choose to trust your gut.
Make a luck check, and:
Jack of All Trades
Feature
A Jack of all trades, master of none, is often better than a master of one. All of your resources also explode on a 5.
Stressed Out
Feature
Whenever you gain a level of stress, you also gain a resource as it pushed you forward.
Honed
Feature
Pick either a type of item, or one of your faculties when you take this feature. You gain advantage on all resource rolls with it.
Upgrade 1: For an additional level, your resource dice explode on a 5 or a 6.
Upgrade 2: For a second level, you also gain an additional resource with it.
Repeatable: You may take this feature multiple times, choosing a different faculty or item each time.
Crafty
Feature
When you take this feature, name 1 type of trade or tool-set that your character would know how to use. You may craft items with this knowledge for half of their normal price.
Repeatable: You may take this feature multiple times, choosing a different trade or tool-set each time.
Well Prepared
Feature
You can name 5 items on your person instead of 4.
Upgradable: For an additional level, you may have 6 named items instead of 5.
Ambush
Feature
Once per scene, you may have a cut away to attempt to ambush another character in the scene. This can be for an attack, but it does not need to be. You must either be out of sight when this begins, or be reasonably able to duck out of sight without being seen.
If you succeed at your cut away, you may add your pool from the cut away to the main scene.
Bloodlust
Feature
Whenever your dice explode in a fight, you regain a point of stamina.
Hunter
Feature
When you take this feature, write down 1 type of creature that your character has studied. You have advantage on all resources for scenes in which you track, hunt, attack, and interact with any creature that falls within that type.
Repeatable: You may take this feature multiple times, writing down a new type of creature each time.
Undying
Feature
Whenever you would lose a fight, you gain 1 final resource to try to push through. This must be the final resource rolled for the fight.
Director
Feature
Whenever your team makes a detailed plan to do something, you gain a resource for every person on your team. You may spend these at any time so long as you are following the plan.
Upgradable: For an additional level, you gain 2 additional resources from this ability.
Companion
Feature
This feature gives you a partial character (such as a trained animal) under your control.
Your companion uses a regular character sheet, but does not have any bonds, nor does it gain XP. Additionally, you gain any karma it acquires.
It often makes sense for a companion to take features from the nonhuman features section, as many are animals, robots, or otherwise. Your GM may be more stringent with the types of regular features it can take if your companion isn’t humanoid or intelligent.
Upgradable: For every additional level you put into this feature, your companion progresses to their next chapter.
Teamwork
Feature
When you would gain a stamina effect, you may instead grant it to another character.
Flawless Navigator
Feature
While present and aware at any location, you may memorize it’s position. While memorized, you can always find your way back. You may only have 1 location memorized with this ability at any given time.
Upgradable: For each additional level, you may memorize an additional location.
Black Market
Feature
Because of your connections, you know people who can obtain certain illicit items and substances for you to purchase. You can do so discretely, and your GM may allow you to call in favors from NPCs you have history with instead of payment.
Keen Ear
Feature
Whenever you eavesdrop on a conversation, make a luck check. On a success: you interpret an unspoken detail that most wouldn’t have picked up on.
Momentum
Feature
When you take this feature, you gain a special pool of points called “momentum”. You may spend these points to gain any stamina effects you have access to. You may have up to 10 momentum at any given time.
Upgrade: Keep Moving
You gain access to the following stamina effect: For 1 point: You may keep your momentum pool if you lose it.
Bound Item/Companion
Feature
You magically bind an item or a companion that you already have to your person.
You gain access to the following stamina effect: For 1 point you can summon your bind. You may dismiss it at will for free.
Transform
Feature
Write down a brief description of an alternate form, as approved by your GM.
You gain access to the following stamina effect: For 2 points you can shift into this alternate form. You may unshift for free.
Telepathy
Feature
You have the ability to communicate telepathically to anyone within line of sight of you.
Upgrade 1: For an additional level, you may establish a continuous connection with 1 person that can extend out of your line of sight. This person must be nearby to you and within your line of sight to establish the connection.
Upgrade 2: For a second additional level, you may establish a continuous connection with multiple people.
Projectile Redirection
Feature
You gain access to the following stamina effects:
Revenant
Feature
Your soul is bound to this place, and refuses to pass on. If you are killed, your body will reanimate after 4d6 hours.
Play Dead
Feature
At will, you may put yourself into a temporary death-like state. While like this, you are limp and do not react to external stimulus. After 1d6 minutes, you regain your normal composure.
This is an optional ruleset for worlds in which more varied magic and spellcasting would make sense.
Patron Magic
Feature
Your magic comes from a patron (such as a deity or other powerful being) to which you have gone into service or struck a deal with somehow. This being twists and ties the fates in your favor, depending on how well you serve their goals.
When you take this feature, answer the following questions:
You gain a special pool of points from this feature representing your patron’s favor towards you. You may spend these to gain any stamina effects that you have access to. This pool starts at 0, and can be increased in the following ways:
Additionally, you can lose favor with your patron in the following ways:
Component Magic
Feature
You have studied a discipline of magic, and can summon or control it’s power through the use of magical components.
You may use a special items, called magical components as a resource towards scenes where you are using your magic.
You can gather components by first asking your GM to list some plants, animals, gems, and metals that are magically conductive in this world, and then rolling on the appropriate part and preparation tables to determine what you need to do before you can use it.
When you take this feature, you start with 2 components. You can gather and prepare more components as you find them, rolling on the component tables as needed. Magical components do not count against your named items.
Chaos Magic
Feature
Your magic is..unpredictable. Sometimes, it’s extremely powerful, while other times it can fizzle out and leave you hanging. Maybe it’s innate, something you were born with and forced to master. Or perhaps you were taught by someone who dabbled on the edge of what’s usually considered safe. In any case, it’s unpredictability has lent itself to be both a help and a hindrance in your times of need.
When you take this feature, write down in a few words what the theme of your magic is, and a lucky number from 1 - 6. The chaotic nature of your magic does not limit it in the same way that other’s magic is limited, but it tends to follow a pattern of manifestation unique to you, such as psionic, elemental, hemocraft, etc.
You gain a resource from this feature for your spellcasting. However, it has some additional mechanics as outlined below:
Upgradable: For each additional level, you start with an additional die when you first roll this resource.
| Name | Preparation |
|---|---|
| Beast Bits | Roll for beast part and preparation |
| Plant Bits | Roll for plant part and preparation |
| Gems and Stones | Roll for preparation. |
| Metals | Roll for preparation. |
This is a two roll table. Roll 2d6 for the rarity, and 1d6 for the specific part.
| 2d6 | Area | Parts |
|---|---|---|
| 2 - 6 | Common |
|
| 7 - 9 | Uncommon |
|
| 10 - 11 | Rare |
|
| 12 | Very Rare |
|
| 1d6 | Part |
|---|---|
| 1 | Pedals |
| 2 | Bud |
| 3 | Bark |
| 4 | Stem |
| 5 | Seed |
| 6 | Pollen |
| 1d6 | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresh | Must be used within 1d6 days of harvest. |
| 2 | Powdered or Pasted | Ground to a dust or spread. |
| 3 | Pickled | Preserved in vinegar or brine. |
| 4 | Fermented | Aged and preserved. |
| 5 | Tincture | Dissolved into an alcoholic mix. |
| 6 | Lying | Preserving with lye is a common way to cure certain foods. |
| 1d6 | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ore | Must be completely unrefined. |
| 2 | Powdered | Ground to a fine dust. |
| 3 | Fork | Shaped or cut into a two-pronged form. |
| 4 | Orb | Formed into a smooth, spherical shape. |
| 5 | Instrument | Must be formed into a whistle or other instrument that is sounded when used. |
| 6 | Container | Must be formed into a container of some kind, used to hold another component and cause it to be more potent. |
You should set the scene goal based on how much of your game you want to focus on something. See the table below.
| Length | Goal |
|---|---|
| Tiny | 5 |
| Brief | 25 |
| Substantial | 50 |
| Serious | 100 |
| Monumental | 200 |
At times, you may want to draw focus onto the actions of a particular PC(s) in order to give more narrative weight to them. This can be accomplished by having an inner / child scene, which is separate but connected to the main scene.
These should have their own pool, goal, and resource usage. I.e. faculties rolled in the main scene are available to the PCs for the cut away.
While these should generally be kept short and focused, they can affect the main scene in ways that drastically shift the circumstances. You should consider granting the PCs additional resources for the main scene, or giving them other beneficial effects based on the outcome of the cut away.
Running a fight in Uune is very similar to any other scene, you set a goal and allow the players to work their way through the scene. You should set the scene goal based on how substantial the fight is, and be sure to describe what kinds and how many enemies are against the players. Always remember that players are creative, and will often find unpredictable ways to resolve conflicts. This is a feature, not a bug.
For more notable enemies, you should feel free to give them special abilities that affect the PCs more directly. This might be something that hurts them, limits their ability to use certain resources, or affects the environment around them.
Also note that losing a fight doesn’t always mean that the PCs die, in fact often times death isn’t the intended outcome. A robber really just wants someone’s stuff, not a murder charge, and similarly a town guard is likely going to try to detain someone if they can. While death can be the outcome, it’s not always the case. Getting captured, injured, or robbed is also a likely outcome.
Example: Enemy Abilities
The “pile of stuff” can be a tempting source of nearly infinite dice for the players. Instead of checking for every possible item, instead give your players a set number of resources per room, or possibly per collection if there are distinct collections there. You should also feel free to allow specific stand-out items separate from this, written down ahead of time in your notes when possible.
| Size of Collection | Example | Number of Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Pile | A surface | 2 |
| Heap | Shelves | 4 |
| Horde | A warehouse | 8 |
Whenever a character wants to purchase an item, you may reference the rarity table to determine it’s cost based on it’s purchase rarity and value. The table is currency agnostic and can be adapted to your specific game if need be.
| Value ↓ Rarity → | 1 - Everyday | 2 - Frequent | 3 - Common | 4 - Scarce | 5 - Rare | 6 - Exotic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - Worthless | 1 | 5 | 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 |
| 2 - Cheap | 5 | 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 | 500 |
| 3 - Affordable | 10 | 25 | 50 | 100 | 500 | 1000 |
| 4 - Valuable | 25 | 50 | 100 | 500 | 1000 | 10000 |
| 5 - Expensive | 50 | 100 | 500 | 1000 | 10000 | 50000 |
| 6 - Luxury | 100 | 500 | 1000 | 10000 | 50000 | 100000 |
| d100 | Mannerism |
|---|---|
| 1 - 2 | Aggressive |
| 3 - 4 | Aloof |
| 5 - 6 | Analytical |
| 7 - 8 | Articulate |
| 9 - 10 | Arrogant |
| 11 - 12 | Artistic |
| 13 - 14 | Bold |
| 15 - 16 | Brawny |
| 17 - 18 | Charitable |
| 19 - 20 | Charming |
| 21 - 22 | Crazed |
| 23 - 24 | Confident |
| 25 - 26 | Courteous |
| 27 - 28 | Defensive |
| 29 - 30 | Diligent |
| 31 - 32 | Disheveled |
| 33 - 34 | Disrespectful |
| 35 - 36 | Dull |
| 37 - 38 | Eager |
| 39 - 40 | Energetic |
| 41 - 42 | Entitled |
| 43 - 44 | Envious |
| 45 - 46 | Empathetic |
| 47 - 48 | Fancy |
| 49 - 50 | Fake |
| 51 - 52 | Foolish |
| 53 - 54 | Genuine |
| 55 - 56 | Greedy |
| 57 - 58 | Impulsive |
| 59 - 60 | Intolerant |
| 61 - 62 | Jealous |
| 63 - 64 | Lazy |
| 65 - 66 | Modest |
| 67 - 68 | Mousy |
| 69 - 70 | Naive |
| 71 - 72 | Organized |
| 73 - 74 | Overcritical |
| 75 - 76 | Peaceful |
| 77 - 78 | Pessimistic |
| 79 - 80 | Perceptive |
| 81 - 82 | Pompous |
| 83 - 84 | Rude |
| 85 - 86 | Shady |
| 87 - 88 | Shallow |
| 89 - 90 | Stubborn |
| 91 - 92 | Tactful |
| 93 - 94 | Talented |
| 95 - 96 | Vain |
| 97 - 98 | Wizened |
| 99 - 100 | Zany |
| d100 | Interest |
|---|---|
| 1 - 2 | Antiquing |
| 3 - 4 | Archery |
| 5 - 6 | Baking |
| 7 - 8 | Biking |
| 9 - 10 | Bird Watching |
| 11 - 12 | Board Games |
| 13 - 14 | Bonsai |
| 15 - 16 | Calligraphy |
| 17 - 18 | Camping |
| 19 - 20 | Cards |
| 21 - 22 | Climbing |
| 23 - 24 | Cooking |
| 25 - 26 | Dancing |
| 27 - 28 | Decorating |
| 29 - 30 | Diving |
| 31 - 32 | Drawing |
| 33 - 34 | Embroidery |
| 35 - 36 | Gardening |
| 37 - 38 | Ham Radio |
| 39 - 40 | Hiking / Running |
| 41 - 42 | Horseback Riding |
| 43 - 44 | Improv |
| 45 - 46 | Jewelry Making |
| 47 - 48 | Kayaking |
| 49 - 50 | Knitting / Crochet |
| 51 - 52 | Leathercraft |
| 53 - 54 | Martial Arts |
| 55 - 56 | Movies / Theatre |
| 57 - 58 | Mushroom Foraging |
| 59 - 60 | Origami |
| 61 - 62 | Painting |
| 63 - 64 | Photography |
| 65 - 66 | Plant Pressing |
| 67 - 68 | Playing a Sport |
| 69 - 70 | Playing an Instrument |
| 71 - 72 | Pottery |
| 73 - 74 | Quilting |
| 75 - 76 | Reading |
| 77 - 78 | Scrapbooking |
| 79 - 80 | Singing |
| 81 - 82 | Spelunking |
| 83 - 84 | Street Art |
| 85 - 86 | Swimming |
| 87 - 88 | Tap Dancing |
| 89 - 90 | Travelling |
| 91 - 92 | Video Games |
| 93 - 94 | Volunteering |
| 95 - 96 | Woodworking |
| 97 - 98 | Writing |
| 99 - 100 | Yoga |
Who is requesting the party to do something?
What is the party interacting with?
How does the party need to interact with it?
Where does the party need to go?
How is the party being rewarded?
What type of motive does the villain have?
How did the villain come to be?
How does the villain enact their plans?