Dragonspire is a fantasy Risus campaign set in and around a frontier boomtown on the border of a vast militaristic republic. Dragonspire draws upon the nostalgia of the old-school Dungeons & Dragons experience, while hopefully breaking ground with a modern take on the fantasy, pre-industrial society. In Dragonspire, the presence of magic has made technological advances difficult, but that hasn't kept culture from advancing beyond the pseudo-medieval dark ages.

You will need Risus: The Anything RPG to play. It is freely available for download at http://www222.pair.com/sjohn/risus.htm . I also recommend The Risus Companion, which is available for a small fee at the same site. The Risus Companion is by no means required for players of Dragonspire, as I will summarize any of its options that we will be using. I will also describe my approach to Risus, including a few small departures from the standard rules.

Please note that this document is a work-in-progress... a temporary guide to jump-start the campaign.

Physical Details of the World

The town of Dragonspire is on the planet Gîa, which resembles our own Earth in most ways. It is part of a solar system that also resembles our own, though the names and details of the various planetary bodies have been changed. The center of the solar system is the yellow star Sûl.

There are two inner planets, Mekâr and Sedêna. The outer planets are Satorê, Ôzon, Sadorn, and Fornus. Gîa has a single moon called Lûn, which orbits Gîa every 28 days. Lûn appears larger than our own moon in the sky and produces correspondingly greater tidal effects. Gîa orbits its axis in exactly 24 hours, with earthlike axial tilt, and makes one orbit around Sûl in 364 days.

Mana

Geography

Flora & Fauna

Sentient Races

Calendar

Language

Character Concept

The first step in creating a character is to decide on an interesting concept. Though set in a fantasy world, many character types from more modern genres are appropriate. Inspiration may be drawn from The Lord of the Rings, classic Dungeons & Dragons, Dragonlance, Eberron, and Warhammer. Other inspirational sources include the steampunk fantasy of R. Talsorian's Castle Falkenstein, Sleepy Hollow, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, and the Indiana Jones movies. Players should choose heroic concepts that are appropriate to the inspirational material. This often means classic fantasy role-playing game archetypes based on D&D classes, but it can also include cinematic pulp or steampunk archetypes.

The character's concept will often directly translate into the character's clichés. More importantly, the concept will help define the character's motivation as well as their role in the unfolding story. All characters that participate in the first episode are assumed to be interested in becoming adventurers, as the story hooks will begin with rumors of old ruins and lost treasure.

Character Clichés

Dragonspire characters are created using Risus rules with 8 dice divided among their clichés and a maximum of 4 dice in any single cliché. Hooks and Tales are allowed and recommended. Double-Pumps and Funky Dice are also allowed, but they require special approval from the GM since they are not appropriate for most clichés (though they may be required for some). In general, Double-Pumped clichés are used when a character can sacrifice energy or health to achieve greater (usually supernatural) power for a given action. Funky Dice are used to build clichés that imply superhuman scale or potency for otherwise human levels of mastery. If Funky Dice are used, characters are limited to 48 points (plus 6 points each for Hook and Tale).

Players are free to be brief or verbose when naming their clichés. If players don't mind long cliché names then The Risus Companion has some excellent advice for cliché construction. Regardless of whether a character is a Soldier (4) or a Spiritually Gifted Wanderer of the Thorbarden Frontier (4), the player should write a brief description of what the cliché entails. That way, the GM and the player will have a clear understanding of how the cliché can be used during play. In addition to skills and abilities, players should specify what Proper Tools (including Yes-Men and non-portable items) come with the cliché and which of these are required for any particular endeavor.

• Adventuring Thief (Opening locks; finding and disabling traps; moving silently; hiding in shadows; climbing walls; picking pockets; attacking from behind; grabbing the best loot)
• Alchemist (Creating magical elixirs, making magical materials, identifying magic items, resisting poisons, surviving lab explosions)
• Archon (Intimidating people, spying on dissidents, scrying, identifying magical signatures, being knowledgeable about magical theory, magically compelling truth, creating wards, casting counter-spells, knowing non-lethal combat spells) (Can be Double-Pumped)
• Army Scout (Finding the enemy, getting away quickly, identifying ambush locations, shooting on the run, taking out sentries)
• Artificer (Creating amazing magical and mechanical inventions; understanding and repairing machines of all kinds, often with inappropriate parts; always having just the right gadget handy; knowing how to work with gunpowder safely)
• Bounty Hunter (Tracking and apprehending fugitives; throwing a bola; fist-fighting, intimidating; riding)
• Charlatan (Hawking phony elixirs and formulations; conning people out of money; getting out of town in a hurry)
• Cinematic Martial-Artist (Knowing Kung Fu, defying gravity, using anything as a weapon, having strange Chi powers, meditating, resisting magic) (Can be Double-Pumped)
• Courtesan (Being beautiful, being charming, being skilled in nocturnal pursuits, getting other people to buy you things, knowing how to use a blade)
• Dashing Cavalry Officer (Riding; fighting with sword and lance; looking good in armor; commanding others)
• Dilettante (Knowing etiquette, having friends in high places, not needing to work for a living)
• Doctor (Extracting arrows, sewing up wounds, performing surgery, prescribing medication)
• Druid (Being a harbinger of the apocalypse, commanding the spirits of nature, being an expert in wilderness lore, keeping a dangerous animal as a pet) (Can be Double-Pumped)
• Dungeoneer (Packing the right gear, climbing, swimming, crawling through tight spaces, detecting traps, avoiding their effects when they go off, solving puzzles, and being familiar with common hazards)
• Explorer (Not getting lost, identifying ancient ruins, surviving in the outdoors, using a machete, not taking a bath)
• Ilûsâd Ranger (Being dark and mysterious; surviving in the wilderness; tracking foes; being stealthy; fighting with two weapons; being a master of the healing arts; bargaining with nature spirits; wielding a longbow; casting a small repertoire of spells)
• Justicar (Commanding respect, passing judgment, arbitrating disputes, knowing the law, investigating crimes, apprehending criminals)
• Mageborn (Sensing magical phenomena, having a natural magical talent, knowing where to find the best parties, having wicked tattoos; being stared at by regular folks) (Can be Double-Pumped)
• Magical Construct (Being strong; being rather sturdy; having interesting accessories; operating in inhospitable environments; performing mindless and repetitive tasks) (Funky Dice appropriate)
• Magical Theorist (Knowing how to cast spells the hard way; having an excellent knowledge of magical theory; knowing how to impede magic and spirits; conducting occult research)
• Mountain Man (Being strong and tough; thriving in the wilderness; knowing Goblin languages and customs; having wild animals for pets)
• Muckraker (Digging up dirt, inventing stories, getting paid to write, inciting public opinion)
• Outlaw (Hiding out, surviving in the wild, riding, fighting, intimidating, running a gang)
• Paladin of the Storm (Being a knight in shining armor, being idolized as a hero, casting magic in the name of the All Father, knowing secret rituals) (Can be Double-Pumped)
• Priest of the All Father (Providing spiritual guidance, quoting scripture, casting out demons, turning undead)
• Prospector (Prospecting; panning; mining; defending a claim with force or guile)
• Restorationist (Writing political manifestos, researching Ilsûthrin history, hanging out with elves, being harassed by the authorities)
• Secret Agent (Inventing and maintaining a cover identity; shooting a hand crossbow; brawling; participating in cinematic chases; using the latest surveillance equipment; assassinating enemy agents)
• Servant (Being unfazeable, being well mannered, assisting the master in all endeavors)
• Smith (Being strong; crafting bladed weapons, armor, and other metal tools; running a small business)
• Soldier (Marching; surviving on military rations; making camp; wearing armor; fighting in formation; wielding sword, spear, and shield; drinking)
• Spellsinger (Influencing people with music, calming animals, inspiring morale, inspiring greatness, counter-spelling sound-based magic)
• Thorbarden Pioneer (Farming, ranching, being hardy, homesteading, hunting, cooking)
• Witch (Creating herbal elixirs, working spirit magic, detecting supernatural phenomena, practicing folk medicine, having a familiar)
• Wizard (Creating magical effects through complex rituals; knowing occult lore; reading and speaking arcane languages) (Usually Double-Pumped)

Race & Culture

A character's race or culture should rarely (if ever) be a cliché unto itself. Instead, it should be listed as a modifier to one of the character's clichés if it differs from the standard human race or Narsikan culture. If a character's race or culture implies special abilities, then they are governed by this cliché. Abilities of this race or culture also color the character's other clichés and may modify TN rolls.

Sidekicks & Shieldmates

The "Sidekicks & Shieldmates" rule from The Risus Companion is available to characters. Essentially, this rule allows players to trade one or more dice (or Funky Dice points) during character generation for three times as many dice (or points) to be used on NPC allies. These allies can be regular individuals or they can be something more unusual like a piece of magical equipment, a really good horse, or a grunt-squad of loyal followers. Sidekicks are limited to a maximum of four dice in any single cliché and they should not have any clichés that are better than the player character's best cliché.

Sidekicks & Shieldmates are usually under the player character's control, though the GM is free to use them as required. Note that it is possible to have minions and special equipment without spending dice on them, as they could be handled with the Proper Tools rules.

Lucky Shots & Questing Dice

Another rule from The Risus Companion that we will be using is "Lucky Shots & Questing Dice". During character generation, players may sacrifice one or more dice (or multiples of 6 Funky Dice points) for three Lucky Shots or five Questing Dice. A Lucky Shot can be used to increase a character's cliché by one for a single roll provided the player explains how luck will benefit the character. Additionally, characters can spend two Lucky Shots to completely recover all the dice in a single cliché during combat (effectively a second wind or heroic surge). Lucky Shots are recovered at the end of the session and they do not carry over if unused.

Questing Dice work just like Lucky Shots except that they must have a narrative or thematic limitation that restricts their use to certain situations (such as when a character is pursuing a specific goal). Questing Dice must be narrowly focused and approved by the GM in advance.

Final Character Bits

The final steps in character creation involve fleshing out the details not immediately apparent from the character's clichés or hook. The player should note the character's appearance and other physical details. The player should also note which languages the character speaks or reads (and to what level of proficiency). Some clichés allow the character to have command of a large assortment of useful languages. In these cases, the player should only note what languages the character definitely does or does not speak (or read), while other languages can be known with a Target Number roll.

Finally, the player should note any additional equipment or possessions, beyond those that were agreed to be included with the character's clichés. The GM will approve most reasonable requests, so long as they are properly justified.

Character Advancement

The standard Risus rules for character advancement will not be used. Instead, characters will be awarded a certain number of experience points per session. These experience points can be used to purchase any of the following character improvements:

Raising a Cliché: Provided the improvement is justified, the character may purchase the next level of one of their clichés. The cost in experience points is equal to the number of dice of the new level multiplied by 6. Thus, to raise a cliché from (3) to (4) would cost 24 points. Raising a cliché from (1d8) to (2d8) would cost 12 points. Raising a cliché from [4] to [5] would cost 30 points.

Getting Funkier: If Funky Dice are appropriate for a given cliché then a character may upgrade the die-type for that cliché by one step, assuming there is an in-game explanation for the increase in power. The cost of this is equal to the level of the cliché multiplied by the number of sides of the new die-type.

Gaining a New Cliché: If a character has developed in ways that are not reflected in their existing clichés then the first die of a new cliché may be purchased. The cost of this cliché is equal to the size of the die (usually 6), multiplied by 2 if the cliché is Double-Pumped.

Gaining or Improving Lucky Shots & Questing Dice: Use the rules for raising or gaining clichés, with every 3 Lucky Shots (or 5 Questing Dice) being equal to one regular die cliché. Thus, buying the character's first 3 Lucky Shots costs 6 points. Gaining the character's second 5 Questing Dice costs 12 points.

Sidekicks & Shieldmates: Assuming it makes sense in the context of the game, points may be spent to advance Sidekicks or Shieldmates as if they were regular characters. New Sidekicks or Shieldmates may be acquired as well. Note that Sidekicks and Shieldmates do not get the 1:3 discount that they receive during character creation.

Example Characters

Here are some example characters. Notation is per standard Risus, with brackets for Double-Pumped clichés. Additionally, an underscored cliché value indicates an ability to use magic, super-science, or other powers to create fantastic effects outside of combat.

Soolee Choe: Young socialite who is learning the art of Ilûsâd Spellsinging.
Krom Domlin: Dwarven alchemist and two-fisted jungle explorer.
Silva Karen: White Elf Ilûsâd Wardancer and Druid of the Lûmanô Peaks.

Boxcars & Breakthroughs

We will be using the "Boxcars & Breakthroughs" rule from The Risus Companion. When a character rolls all 6's, they may immediately roll all their dice again and add the results to the first roll. If this second roll also produces all 6's, then they may roll yet again (continuing until they fail to roll all 6's).

My Take On Combat

Combat in Dragonspire will be handled using a system that is a subtle variation on the standard Risus rules (so subtle, in fact, that you may not notice the difference). Here's how it works:

We go around the room, allowing each character to act in turn. On a given character's turn, that character has the spotlight for enough time to perform one or more short maneuvers, followed by one or more offensive actions against a designated target. The player can say something as simple as "I try to kick him in the head" or as complicated as "I leap across the pit, lunge at my opponent, and press my advantage until I hit". The player then specifies what cliché their character will employ in this action. The GM will rule on the appropriateness of the action and the choice of cliché to perform it. The Inappropriate Cliché rules are not used, since any action that is allowed is actually appropriate in this situation. If the attack is clearly less than effective in this situation then a penalty can be applied for lacking Proper Tools.

The player of the defending character then describes their response to the attacker's action. Like the attacker, this might be simple ("I duck out of the way") or complex ("I retreat across the bridge, parrying my attacker's blows while I look for an opening to get under his blade and strike"). The defender then specifies which cliché the character will use and the GM once again rules on its appropriateness against the attacker's tactic and cliché. Unlike standard Risus, defending characters will only inflict "damage" on their opponent if the description of their defensive strategy includes an offensive component or at least an explanation of how the attacker might "lose ground" as a result of a successful defense. Otherwise, the defender may only avoid defeat. A sub-optimal defense may result in a penalty for lacking Proper Tools.

Now, both players roll dice against their characters' clichés and apply "damage". If the loser is still up, then the GM will narrate the result of the exchange and explain the character's cliché loss. If the loser is reduced to zero dice then the winner can do whatever he or she wants to the victim (subject to GM veto if it doesn't follow from the attack description). This allows for violent fights to end with surrender, flight, incapacitation, or death as needed. There is no accidental death.

Of course, as with standard Risus, this system also works for combats that are actually chases, seduction attempts, exchanges of ego-bruising insults, and any other conflict that can be narrated as a series of moves and counter-moves.

There are a few nuances that I will describe below (such as Teams and "When Somebody Can't Participate"), but that is the gist of it. Characters can try anything that is appropriate for their cliché (and some things that may seem less appropriate). For that action, the character is the star of the scene. You can describe one attack or many. Weapons (other than special treasure items) are mostly special effects and even ammunition is only counted as common sense demands. Players are free to be as cinematic or mundane as they choose.

Critical Hits: When the margin of success in a combat is 15 or more, the loser takes 1d6 dice of damage, rather than a single die.

When Somebody Can't Participate

Clarifying the Risus rules as they apply to my take on combat:

On any given player's turn, one of the characters may need to invoke "When Somebody Can't Participate". An example of this is when an untrained character picks up a machine gun and starts shooting or when an ordinary Joe must withstand the mental assault of a diabolical telepath. The 2d6 bonus dice apply only for that action. If either character takes damage, they may chose to take it from their unmodified cliché (assuming they have one) or from the bonus dice themselves. In the later case, the character will now have fewer dice (1d6 or 0d6) to call on next time the "When Somebody Can't Participate" rule is invoked. These lost bonus dice recover at a rate similar to that of regular clichés (according to the nature of the attack).

Teams (Alternate Rules)

The rules for player character Teams are different than standard Risus. In combat, characters may give up their regular actions to spontaneously team up under a designated "Team Leader". When the Team attacks or defends, Team Members must describe how they will contribute to the effort and what cliché they will use to do so. If someone intends to step up and take damage on a loss then the Team Member's description of the action and choice of cliché should account for this possibility.

Teams only persist for the remainder of the combat round. There are no penalties for disbanding a Team, just as there are no "vengeance" bonuses. Note that Team Members still take a die of "damage" if the Team Leader is reduced to zero dice (from the shock of watching their leader go down if there isn't a better explanation).

Note that the Team rules can also be applied to non-combat Target Number rolls where a group of characters is cooperating to achieve a desired objective. Examples of this would include multiple characters trying to lift a heavy object or a circle of wizards trying to cast a powerful spell.

Magic & Other Dramatic Effects

The Risus Companion section entitled "Target Numbers and the Single Showoff" will be my guide to handling the rather open-ended use of superpowers, magic, psionics, and weird-science gadgets. Target Numbers are assigned to tasks based on the dramatic impact of what the character is attempting. The following table is for players who lack The Risus Companion (it also borrows from S. John Ross' article on Elemental Magic):

Simple (TN5)	Any effect up to and including that which helps the party achieve something as a whole, or that acts as a tool to facilitate another activity.
Ordinary (TN10)	A standard effect that is meant to overcome a single obstacle that faces the character, or handle the character's share of an obstacle that faces the party.
Complex (TN15)	The effect would hog the scene a bit.
Difficult (TN20)	The effect would entirely upstage the other players, turning the other characters into bystanders for the rest of the scene and then some.
Dangerous (TN25)	The effect would shortcut (or instantly rewrite) the whole scenario.
Impossible (TN30)	The effect would utterly wreck the campaign world or campaign plotline.

To the above Target Numbers, I will add a modifier based on how appropriate the cliché is to the given task: +5 if the cliché implies a secondary ability, +10 if the cliché implies a distant ability to handle the task, +20 if the cliché implies a remote chance of success.

Just what is actually possible and how it can be achieved depend entirely on the cliché description. When describing their character's supernatural or super-science clichés, players should consider the following:

Nature of the Ability: Players should describe the nature of the ability as well as any peculiarities of its use. Does the cliché allow the character to perform magic rituals? Does it allow the character to invent super-science gizmos or alchemical formulations? Perhaps it is an inborn psychic ability? The possibilities are endless, though players should consult with the GM to make sure that the nature of the cliché is appropriate to the setting.

Repertoire of Effects: Players should specify, at least in general terms, what it is that the cliché allows their character to do. Perhaps the character knows one or more spells and can research and invent more? Perhaps the character has broad powers within a narrow metaphysical domain? A Mad Scientist might have a technical specialty and supernatural creatures usually have very specific powers. It is also possible that characters can gain access to more effects as they gain dice in their cliché (drawing inspiration from other game systems). Players should consult with the GM to make sure their cliché is specific enough and that the GM and the player are interpreting the cliché in the same manner.

Proper Tools: Unless it only grants a handful of specific effects, players should specify interesting and inconvenient Proper Tools for their cliché. For clichés that grant the ability to research and invent new effects (such as Hermetic Magicians or Mad Scientists), it is appropriate and recommended that the exact Proper Tools depend on the specific ritual or invention. In these cases, the GM can help assign Proper Tools appropriate to the task at hand. It is also important to remember that Proper Tools are not always physical objects; gestures, forceful incantations, special talents, and auspicious times are examples of interesting and inconvenient Proper Tools that enhance the atmosphere of the game.

Double-Pumps: If the cliché is Double-Pumped, players should be prepared to explain the nature of dice loss due to Double-Pumping, as well as under what circumstances a Double-Pump can be used. It should be noted that characters may be allowed to Double-Pump supernatural clichés outside of combat, though the dice benefit is only that of a standard Pump and it will take longer to recover lost dice (pumping outside of combat is not normally allowed in Dragonspire).

Funky Dice:Funky Dice are appropriate for many kinds of supernatural clichés but Funky Dice are never allowed when rolling against Target Numbers based on dramatic impact (when their use would regularly produce campaign-wrecking effects). When using a Funky cliché for these types of rolls, downgrade it to regular d6's for this roll only. In all other rolls, including single-action contests and regular combat, Funky Dice can be used normally.

Failure: Finally, players should specify the possible consequences of failing their Target Number rolls. The player has three choices. The simplest, and least interesting choice is that nothing happens on a failed roll. This option should only be used for clichés that produce very limited effects. The other choices depend highly on the nature of the cliché. In cases where a little knowledge is worse than no knowledge (such as most magical and weird-science clichés), characters who fail their Target Number roll will still produce effects appropriate to the magnitude of the roll, only the effects will be unpredictable and most likely annoying or dangerous to the character and the party. In other cases (such as for most innate supernatural abilities), rolling low is bad thing and the severity of a mishap will depend entirely on the margin of failure. True mishaps would be rare and even narrowly missed rolls can produce some beneficial effects with side effects.

Bonus Gear & Other Enhancements

Characters with the ability to produce supernatural effects will likely want to create or modify clichés with their special powers. Temporary effects can be handled by trading dice from the character's magical cliché to buy a cliché augmentation (for themselves or others), a Bonus Gear item, or three times as many dice in Sidekicks. The character is still treated as if having the higher cliché level for character advancement purposes and the lost dice are regained when the effect is terminated.

Permanent effects should instead be paid for using the Character Advancement rules. The caster or the subject may pay the experience point cost of the advance. Bonus Gear items have the same cost as Sidekicks, with their bonus taking the place of a cliché level.

Note that a Target Number roll is still required to create these effects. Permanent effects will usually be Complex or Difficult, as they tend to hog the scene a bit. Also note that minor "enhancements" that alter the nature of a cliché without changing its level are possible. In these cases, the cost is the same as if the character were enhancing the cliché by 1 level.

Examples of Play

Click here for examples of play.