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Karma v1

KARMa is a narrative role-playing game where players take on character roles. Players make action rolls by rolling dice to determine success or outcomes like harm, failure, or generating "Karma" points. Karma is then spent on narrative outcomes determined by the game master. Optional rules include character backgrounds and special techniques that can be acquired during play. The game emphasizes storytelling over rules with the goal of creating an engaging collaborative fiction.

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Hai Pham
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
141 views3 pages

Karma v1

KARMa is a narrative role-playing game where players take on character roles. Players make action rolls by rolling dice to determine success or outcomes like harm, failure, or generating "Karma" points. Karma is then spent on narrative outcomes determined by the game master. Optional rules include character backgrounds and special techniques that can be acquired during play. The game emphasizes storytelling over rules with the goal of creating an engaging collaborative fiction.

Uploaded by

Hai Pham
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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KARMa

Narrative role-playing game by Pavel Shikhachevskiy


THE GAME ACTIONS
Is a dialogue between the game master (GM) and the •When a PC tries to do something hard or dangerous, and
players. During the game, the GM acts as the storyteller the outcome is not certain, they need to make an action
and the arbiter of the rules, the players assume the roles of roll, by rolling Xd6, where X is equal to their attribute,
the characters they each play. appropriate for that action.
•After rolling the dice, the PC, picks the highest result
SETTING rolled, and substracts it from 6. The end result, represents
These rules can be used to play in a variety of different Karma generated by this action.
settings and genres. If the GM wants to run a more •If the dice pool is lower than 1, the player rolls 2d6 and
“scarier” game, they can decide to use the “Downfall” rule, picks the lowest result and does the same thing.
for all actions.
KARMA
FICTION FIRST After action roll is made, the PC needs to spend all their
You should play this game to tell a story and have fun, if Karma, between these outcomes*:
the rules stand in the way of that, The GM can ignore or •Harm (X): they lose X Ki
change them. •Ineffect (1): action is partially effective
•Fallout (1): something “bad” happens
ELEMENTS •Trauma (2): they gain 1 Trauma
Each character’s attributes, are represented by 4 core •Failure (3): they fail, the situation changes
elements of nature: *Each outcome, can be choosen only once per action.
•Fire - strength, passion, charisma
•Water - emotion, flexibility, intuition DOWNFALL
•Earth - toughness, conviction, resolve When a PC uses an attribute that has a value of 3, the GM
•Air - awareness, intellect, creativity spends the Karma from that action for that PC, which
When creating a character, their player needs to distribute represents their nature, getting the best of them.
values 3, 2, 1, 0 between the elements.
DIFFICULTY
KI Based on the narrative, the GM can adjust the difficulty of
Ki represents the lifeforce of a character, their physical and the action, by increasing or decreasing the dice pool for
mental capacity to act. the action by 1d6.
•Each PC’s Ki maximum is 6.
•Once per game, PCs can take a rest and recover all Ki. EVOLVING PROBLEMS
•If PC’s Ki drops to 0, they leave the scene in the most The GM can decide to change some “obstacles”, instead of
narratively appropriate way. This can mean, falling removing them, as a result of a PC’s action, e.g. - “you deal
unconscious, getting captured, running away, dying etc. a deathblow to the ninja, but in his last breath, he leaps
When the scene ends, the character, if it makes sense, can towards the bomb, trying to trigger it, what will you do?”
come back with 1 Ki.
NO GOOD DEED
TRAUMAS If one PC helps another in their action, the can add +1d6
Serious injuries, illnesses or mental conditions that in most to the dice pool, but both PCs will accumulate the Karma
cases, hinder the PC. generated from that action.
•If a PC gains 4 Traumas, their journey ends in a way, that
would make the most narrative sense. It can mean death, THE OUTCOME
madness or just retirement. After the action roll is made and the Karma from it is
•Traumas are recorder in a speciffic manner, such as - spent, the GM narrates how and what happens, or can ask
“Broken leg”, “Terrified”, “Exhausted” and so on. the player to describe it.
•The GM decides what trauma the PC gets, based on the
situation they were in. LUCK
•Traumas can be removed by the appropriate narrative When a PC makes and action roll, with a dice pool of 1d6
means, - using a medkit, drinking, sleeping etc. or less, they gain a Luck token (LK).
•A PC can only have 1 LK token at the time.
ITEMS •Any PC can spend their LK, to add something useful for
Items allow the characters to do things, that would them into the scene*, such as:
logically and narattively make sense. -A dog with the keys from their cell, nearby
GM can decide for the items, to be individually recorded -Explosive barrels laying around
or as a character’s resource - Gear. -Loose chandellier hanging over the room
*Such elements, have to make narrative sense.
GEAR
Is a resource, that represents items that the PC has on REST
them. GM can adjust the amount depending on the game. Once per game session, when the PCs spend some time to
Standart amount is 6. lift their spirits or heal their wounds, they each can,
•PC can spend x1 Gear to produce/use an item. recover 3 Ki. Each PC can also regain 1 Ki, at the start of
•Using gear has to make narrative sense. any game session.
•Gear can be refilled by narrative means, such as looting
or shoping. WHEEL OF CHANGE
At the end of any game session, if a PC has suffered a
Downfall, their player can decide that they’ve changed -
lower their 1 attribute by 1, up to 0 and increase another
attribute by 1, up to 3.
OPTIONAL RULES

Here are two optional rules/mechanics, that can help to create more diverse characters, - Life paths and Techniques.
Life path is choosen when creating the character.
Techniques are a form of special talents. Since there is no Experience mechanic in the game, the GM can decide when to award
the PCs with a new Technique. When the GM does, each PC gains a new Technique and can choosen which one.

LIFE PATHS

WARRIOR BEAUTY
Traumas do not increase the difficulty of your actions. Ignore the difficulty from social interactions.

NOMAD SUFFERING
Ignore the difficulty from survival/travel actions. Ignore the difficulty from actions related to physical harm.
You can pick the Trauma outcome, twice per action.
SHADOW
Ignore the difficulty from stealth actions. WONDER
Ignore the difficulty from perception or understanding.
MASTER
Ignore the difficulty from tinkering with objects, - like DEATH
crafting, repairing, lockpicking etc. If you kill somebody, you can regain 1 Ki.

TECHNIQUES

SILVER NET, THROWN IN THE MOONLIGHT VIPER’S VENOM, POISONING THE SUN
When trying to manipulate others, you can use both When you try to harm someone indirectly, you can spend
Water and Air elements together. 1 Ki and add 1d6 to your dice pool.

THOUSAND BLADES, PIERCING THE HEART BROKEN SWORD, TEMPERED IN BLOOD


When you fight in melee, you can reroll you action roll, by When you gain a Trauma, you gain +Xd6 to your next
rolling Xd6, where X is the result of the initial roll. action roll, where X is the number of your Traumas.
The Karma generated from that action will be doubled.
GOLD COINS, FALLING INTO A WELL
ETERNAL TREE, SHEDDING IT’S LEAVES Once per game session, you can spend x1 Gear to gain
When interacting with an object as an action, you can 1 LK. When you do, describe, how you gear helps you.
spend 1 Ki, to add +1d6 to your dice pool.
DEAD MAN'S HANDS, NOT LOOSENING THE GRIP
SAKURA LEAVES, DARKENING THE SKY If you have to die, you will die only at the end of the scene,
When you act to draw the attention of others to yourself, until then, you can still act.
you can add +1d6 to your dice pool.
WOLF FANGS, THAT LEAVE NO TRACE
ARMOR OF GOD, SHINING IN THE DARK When you harm somebody, you can do it in a way, that
If you have 3 Traumas while making an action roll using will leave no traces.
the Air element, you can double your dice pool.
HUNGRY EAGLE, DIVING INTO THE SEA
MILLION BLOODSTAINED STEPS If your Ki is equal to 1, when making an action roll using
Before making any action roll, you can spend 2 Ki and add the Fire element, you can double your dice pool.
1d6 to your dice pool.

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