YAMIAT 2018 0point1

YOU ALL MEET IN A TAVERN
Version 0.1 by Payndz, 2018
“You all meet in a tavern, looking for adventure. It soon finds you when...”
You All Meet In A Tavern is a role-playing game based on the author’s previous RPG, the
retroclone There’s Always A Chance, which in turn was a modified version of the 1981 Basic
edition of the first ever RPG (known here as the Original Game). The major difference from
the original game was the use of a single system to determine whether a player’s action was a
success or a failure, rather than numerous tables, sub-rules and edge cases. TAAC was
compatible with the original game, so was able to use its monsters and adventures with a
minimum of conversion; YAMIAT has diverged slightly more from its source, but can still
make use of material created for it with a small amount of work.
YAMIAT is designed for quick games lasting a single session, with a clearly-defined
objective and victory condition – the kind of relatively short ‘dungeon-delving’ adventures
that used to be found in RPG magazines like White Dwarf, Dragon and Imagine. Because it is
not meant for ongoing campaigns, it has no rules for character advancement; Player
Characters (PCs) are created at the start of an adventure and are intended only to be used until
it is completed. It also simplifies or omits many of the rules of the OG in order to speed up
play.
There are three ‘tiers’ of play. The lowest, Explorer, is for characters who have only recently
begun in their chosen profession; they are still relatively fragile, although definitely a cut
above the average person. Characters of the middle tier, Adventurer, are more seasoned and
battle-hardened, their hard-won experience and wile allowing them to survive situations that
would kill an ordinary person a dozen times over. Finally, characters of Hero tier are
practically legends in their own lifetime, hardly breaking a sweat while handling threats that
would terrify most and able to challenge the deadliest monsters head-on with a good chance
of victory.
In relation to the original game, Explorer tier is roughly equivalent to Level 2; Adventurer
to Level 6; and Hero to Level 10.
What’s Missing?
Rules from the Original Game that have been simplified or omitted include:
• Character creation – simplified with six classes only, using a template for each rather than
rolling attributes. All classes have some kind of special ability.
• Alignment – omitted.
• Weapons and equipment – omitted. The damage a character inflicts in combat is now
determined by their class rather than their weapon, and PCs are assumed to have a decent
selection of all the usual kit needed for adventuring.
• Armour Classes – now use an ascending scale rather than descending, and are determined
by class rather than the type of armour worn.
• Spells – spell lists have been reduced in size, and rather than add more new spells for
higher-level characters, the existing spells become more powerful. Elf spells are now called
Charms, and Priest spells are now called Miracles. Miracles do not need to be chosen at the
start of the adventure, but can be called upon as required.
• Time and movement – simplified.
• Encumbrance – omitted.
• Retainers and hirelings – omitted.
• Experience points – omitted. Characters are created in one of three ‘tiers’ appropriate to the
adventure, and since they are only meant to be used for each individual adventure, there is no
need for XP to advance them afterwards.
• Saving throws – replaced by Ability Checks.
• Combat – simplified; most crucially, there are now no ‘to hit’ rolls, or tables to be consulted.
All attacks are assumed to cause some damage, even if only a single Hit Point. Movement
within combat has been reduced to two states; a character is either in Melee (where they can
attack/be attacked by any opponent also in Melee), or they are not.
CHARACTER CREATION
Unlike the later versions of the original game, where character creation was complex and
practically a game in itself, YAMIAT goes the other way and makes it even simpler and faster
than the 1981 version. There is no need to roll Ability Scores or spend time buying weapons,
armour and equipment – you just pick your class (from equivalents of the iconic options of
Fighter, Magic-User, Cleric, Thief, Dwarf or Elf), perform a very small amount of
customisation by adding four points to your pre-defined Ability Scores as you see fit, write
everything down, and you’re off to meet at that tavern.
Because the game is designed for ‘one-shot’ play in short adventures, there are also no
character levels or experience points. Your character’s level is instead one of three tiers –
Explorer, Adventurer or Hero – according to the difficulty of the mission. When the mission
is over, so is the character.
The character’s existence may be over even before then, as adventures tend to be risky
affairs with a high mortality rate. Which is another reason for making their creation as quick
and easy as possible, so that a player whose avatar has just died can get back into play as
soon as they have written up a replacement!
If you want an ‘easy mode’ for the adventure as well as speeding up character creation
still further, rather than making the one roll used to determine Hit Points, simply use the
highest number of the appropriate die – for example, if you’re creating a Warrior, rather than
rolling a d10, simply use 10. (Don’t just use the highest number of the HP range listed for
your class, though; this is affected by other factors that may not apply to the character you
have created.)
What About Other Classes?

There are no other classes in this game, just the ‘iconic six’ of the original game. If for some
reason you want to play a Hobbit – er, Halfling, create a Outlaw, subtract 1 from STR and
add 1 to CON, adjusting modifiers as necessary. There. You’ve got a Halfling. Go, Bilbo.
If, on the other hand, you want to play a half-Half Elf, half-Half Orc psionic vampire
Duskblade/Warcaster/Shadowmage, this probably isn’t the game for you...
Character Creation Checklist

1: Choose your class from Warrior, Sorcerer, Priest, Outlaw, Dwarf or Elf.
2: Note your starting attribute scores based on your character’s tier (the GM will decide this
according to the difficulty of the adventure).
3: Allocate four additional points between your attribute scores as you choose, to a maximum
of 18 in any one score.
4: Calculate your Hit Points.
5: Calculate your Damage Bonus.
6: Calculate your Armour Class.
7: Make a note of your character’s special abilities for easy reference in play.
8: If you are playing a Sorcerer, choose your spells. If you are playing an Elf, choose your
charms. (The GM may suggest that you wait until you know more about the nature of the
adventure before choosing, in which case make your selection when it begins.)
9: Name your character!
WARRIORS
Warriors are battle-trained humans, heavily armed and armoured, with the strength and
fortitude to charge headlong into battle and hack down even the toughest enemies. In combat,
they are best used in Melee, using their large Damage Die to dish out pain while using their
high Hit Points to survive counterattacks.
Warriors are equivalent to Fighters from the original game.
To create an Explorer-tier Warrior, start with these Ability Scores:

STR 13, DEX 10, CON 12, INT 8, WIS 11, CHA 9
To create an Adventurer-tier Warrior, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Warrior, start with these Ability Scores:

You then have an additional 4 points that can be used to increase these Ability Scores
however you wish. The only limit is that none can be raised above 18.
Hit Points
At Explorer tier, roll 1d10 and add 10 to determine your Hit Points. If you have a CON of 13,
14 or 15, add 2. If you have a CON of 16, add 4.
This gives an HP range of 11-24.
At Adventurer tier, roll 1d10, multiply by 3, and add 30 to determine your Hit Points. If you
have a CON of 13, 14 or 15, add 6. If you have a CON of 16 or 17, add 12.
At Hero tier, roll 1d10, multiply by 5, and add 50 to determine your Hit Points. If you have a
CON of 14 or 15, add 10. If you have a CON of 16 or 17, add 20. If you have a CON of 18,
add 30.
Damage Die
When making an attack, Explorer-tier Warriors use a d10 for their Damage Die.
At Adventurer tier, they use a d12 for their Damage Die.
At Hero tier, they use a d20 for their Damage Die.
Damage Bonus
At Explorer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +1.
If your STR is 13, 14 or 15, add +1. If your STR is 16 or 17, add +2.
If your DEX is 13 or 14, add +1.
If your WIS is 13 or more, add +1.
At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +3.

If your STR is 15, add +1. If your STR is 16 or 17, add +2. If your STR is 18, add +3.
If your DEX is 13, 14, or 15, add +1.
At Hero tier, your Damage Bonus is +6.

If your STR is 16 or 17, add +2. If your STR is 18, add +3.
If your DEX is 13, 14 or 15, add +1. If your DEX is 16, add +2.
Armour Class
Warriors have a base AC of 6. If your DEX is 13, 14 or 15, add 1. If your DEX is 16, add 2.
If you are Adventurer tier, add 1.
If you are Hero tier, add 2.
Special Abilities
• Fearless: Warriors roll twice for CHA Checks against fear effects.
• You Shall Not Pass: Warriors get one automatically successful Intercept per encounter.
• Cleaving Attack: When Warriors kill an enemy in Melee, any excess damage can be
‘carried over’ to another enemy.
• Battle Cry: Warriors can terrify enemies in Melee.
• Mob Rule: When facing large groups of low-level enemies in Melee, Warriors of
Adventurer or Hero tier can automatically kill a number of them each round.
Fearless
When making a CHA Check against any kind of fear effect, Warriors roll twice and use the
best (lowest) result.
You Shall Not Pass

The first time in each encounter that a Warrior says they are going to perform an Intercept,
rather than having to make a DEX Check the Intercept automatically succeeds. All
subsequent attempts, however, must be rolled as normal.
Cleaving Attack
If a Warrior’s attack kills an enemy by reducing its HP to zero, any excess damage can be
‘carried over’ to another enemy in Melee of the player’s choosing. Multiple enemies can be
killed with a single strike as long as there are points of unused damage remaining.
Example: a Warrior delivers a total of 9 points of damage to an orc with 5 HP. The orc is
killed (reduced to 0 HP), and the player chooses to carry over the remaining 4 points of
damage to another orc that had earlier taken a hit. It only had 3 HP, and is also killed; the
player then carries over the last point of damage to a third orc.
Battle Cry
Before making a Melee attack, Warriors can declare that they are using their Battle Cry
ability. After taking damage, the creature targeted must make a Morale check. If it fails, it
will try to flee combat at the earliest possible opportunity (assuming it survives the attack).
The PC may then use their Battle Cry again on other enemies, until one of them makes a
successful Morale check. After this, the individual’s cry has lost its effectiveness and cannot
be used again until the next encounter.
The exact nature of the Battle Cry is up to the player. It may be something like ‘For
freedom and honour!’ to ‘Who wants some?’ or simply ‘RRAAARGHH!’ (The GM may
request that the player shouts it out when rolling the die to attack!)
Mob Rule
Rather than roll for damage and performing Cleaving Attacks against large numbers of low-
level enemies in Melee, characters of Adventurer and Hero tier can simply choose instead to
use Mob Rule to kill a number of them automatically. ‘Low-level’ is defined as enemies of
less than one Hit Die at Adventurer tier, and of one HD or lower at Hero tier. The player rolls
their Damage Die; the score is the number of enemies who are immediately killed by the
attack. The GM chooses which particular enemies die, starting with those with the lowest HP.
Example: an Adventurer-tier Warrior is facing twelve goblins (HD 1-1), with HP ranging
from 2 to 7. The player rolls their d10 Damage Die as normal, scoring 8. Eight goblins are
killed; the GM eliminates two with 2 HP, three with 3 HP, two with 4 HP and one with 5 HP –
a total of 26 HP of damage. (Had the player used a normal Cleaving Attack against the
weakest goblin, even with a maximum Damage Bonus of +8 they would only have scored 16
points of damage, killing six goblins rather than eight.)
SORCERERS
Wizards are humans who through long and arduous study and training are able to cast
powerful magical spells. The many years devoted to doing so to the exclusion of all else,
however, makes them the weakest of all classes in physical combat; if they are not protected
by others, they will not last long in a fight!
Sorcerers are equivalent to Magic-Users or Wizards from the original game.
To create an Explorer-tier Sorcerer, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Sorcerer, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Sorcerer, start with these Ability Scores:

Hit Points
At Explorer tier, roll 1d4 and add 4 to determine your Hit Points. If you have a CON of 13,
add 2.
have a CON of 13 or 14, add 6.
CON of 13, 14 or 15, add 10.
Damage Die
When making an attack, Sorcerers use a d4 for their Damage Die.
Damage Bonus
At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +2

If your DEX is 13, 14, or 15, add +1. If your DEX is 16 or 17, add +2.

If your STR is 13, add +1.
If your DEX is 13, 14 or 15, add +1. If your DEX is 16 or 17, add +2. If your DEX is 18, add
+3.
Armour Class
Sorcerers have a base AC of 1. If your DEX is 13, 14 or 15, add 1. If your DEX is 16 or 17,
add 2.
Special Abilities
• Sorcerers can cast spells.
Spells
All Sorcerers know and possess the spell Read Magic; it is the first spell they learn in their
training. In addition, they can choose a number of additional spells at the start of an
adventure:
At Explorer tier, a Sorcerer can select three additional spells. If their INT is 16 or 17, they can
select four.
At Adventurer tier, a Sorcerer can select four additional spells. If their INT is 16 or 17, they
can select five. If their INT is 18, they can select six.
At Hero tier, a Sorcerer can select five additional spells. If their INT is 16 or 17, they can
select six. If their INT is 18, they can select seven.
As many ‘copies’ of a spell as the Sorcerer can cast in an adventure can be chosen, so should
they choose, a Hero-tier Sorcerer could have as many as seven Fireball spells at the ready (in
addition to Read Magic). However, once an individual spell has been cast in an adventure, it
cannot be used again – so choose them wisely!
Spell List
Arcane Light, Black Tentacles, Blindsight, Death Cloud, Dispel Magic, Fireball, Fly, Haste,
Illusion, Invisibility, Knock, Lightning Bolt, Magic Missile, Passwall, Polymorph, Read
Magic, Reflection, Sleep, Swole’s Mighty Blow, Telekinesis
PRIESTS
Priests serve a god or goddess, of which there are many in the fantasy world. They have been
trained to fight against the enemies of their deity in order to spread the word, and can call
upon divine miracles to aid them in this task.
Priests are equivalent to Clerics from the original game.
To create an Explorer-tier Priest, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Priest, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Priest, start with these Ability Scores:

Hit Points
At Explorer tier, roll 1d8 and add 8 to determine your Hit Points. If you have a CON of 13 or
14, add 2.
have a CON of 13, 14 or 15, add 6.
CON of 13, 14 or 15, add 10. If you have a CON of 16, add 20.
Damage Die
When making an attack, Explorer and Adventurer-tier Priests use a d8 for their Damage Die.
Damage Bonus
If your STR is 13, 14 or 15, add +1.
If your INT is 13, add +1.

If your STR is 13, 14 or 15, add +1. If your STR is 16, add +2.
If your INT is 13 or more, add +1.

If your STR is 13, 14, or 15, add +1. If your STR is 16 or 17, add +2.
If your DEX is 13, add +1.
Armour Class
Priests have a base AC of 4. If your DEX is 13, add 1.
If you are Adventurer tier, add 1.
If you are Hero tier, add 2.
Special Abilities
• Holy Defender: Priests roll twice on DEX Checks when performing Intercepts in combat.
• Priests can call upon their deity to perform Miracles.
• Priests can attempt to turn the undead.
Holy Defender
When making a DEX Check for an Intercept in combat, Priests roll twice and use the best
(lowest) result.
Miracles
Priests can call upon the power of their god to grant them miracles:
At Explorer tier, a Priest may call upon two miracles per adventure. If their WIS is 16 or 17,
they may call upon three.
At Adventurer tier, a Priest may call upon three miracles per adventure. If their WIS is 16 or
17, they may call upon four. If their WIS is 18, they may call upon five.
At Hero tier, a Priest may call upon four miracles per adventure. If their WIS is 16 or 17, they
may call upon five. If their WIS is 18, they may call upon six.
Miracles can be called upon at any time, even in Melee combat or if the Priest is restrained
and unable to speak; they merely have to will it, and their god will hear their call.
Miracles List
Boon, Command, Divine Protection, Divine Shield, Fear, Hand of God, Heal, Heroic
Inspiration, Holy Light, Holy Protector, Peacemaker, Radiance, Remove Curse, Resistance,
Sense Danger, Smite, Speak with the Dead, Watchful Eye, Walk on Water, Word of Power
Turning Undead
Priests can call upon the holy powers of their deity to drive back – or even destroy – undead
monsters, an action known as Turning. Priests of Explorer tier can attempt to Turn undead of
up to 3 Hit Dice; Adventurer tier up to 8 Hit Dice; and Hero tier up to 18 Hit Dice.
To Turn undead, the monsters must be within 30’ and the Priest must make a successful
WIS Check; if it fails, the undead are not repelled, and may even concentrate their attacks on
the luckless Priest! A Priest who fails to Turn an undead creature cannot make another
attempt to do so.
If the Check succeeds, the Priest’s WIS determines the total number of Hit Dice of
undead that can be turned, the weakest being affected first. So a Priest of WIS 16 who Turned
a group of nine skeletons (1 HD) and four zombies (2 HD) would repel all the skeletons,
accounting for nine of the 16 HD, and then three of the zombies; the single left-over HD is
not enough to drive back the last zombie.
If the Priest’s WIS Check succeeds on a natural 1, the undead are not merely repelled, but
destroyed by the power of faith. If the Priest is of Hero tier, they destroy the undead on a
natural 1 or 2.
Turned undead draw back in fear from the Priest and will try to retreat to at least 30’ from
them. They will remain fearful unless attacked themselves (whether by the Priest or anyone
else); if they make a (WIS) Check after taking damage, they overcome their fear and are free
to attack, and also can no longer be Turned by the same Priest.
OUTLAWS
Outlaws are humans who specialise in stealth and stealing. They are the only class with the
training to deal with complex mechanisms like locks and traps without resorting to magic or
brute force.
Outlaws are equivalent to Thieves in the Original Game, though they also take on some of the
abilities of Rangers from the Advanced version.
To create an Explorer-tier Outlaw, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Outlaw, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Outlaw, start with these Ability Scores:

Hit Points
At Explorer tier, roll 1d6 and add 6 to determine your Hit Points. If your CON is 13 or 14,
add 2.
At Adventurer tier, roll 1d6 and multiply by 3, and add 18 to determine your Hit Points. If
you have a CON of 13, 14 or 15, add 6.
At Hero tier, roll 1d6 and multiply by 5, and add 30 to determine your Hit Points. If you have
a CON of 13, 14 or 15, add 10. If you have a CON of 16, add 20.
Damage Die
When making an attack, Explorer-tier Outlaws use a d6 for their Damage Die.
At Adventurer and Hero tiers, they use a d8 for their Damage Die.
Damage Bonus
At Explorer-tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +2.
If your INT is 13, add +1.

If your STR is 13 or 14, add +1.
If your DEX is 16 or 17, add +2. If your DEX is 18, add +3.
At Hero tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +7.

If your DEX is 16 or 17, add +2. If your DEX is 18, add +3.
If your WIS is 13, add +1.
Armour Class
Outlaws have a base AC of 3. If you have a DEX of 16 or 17, add 1. If you have a DEX of
18, add 2.
At Adventurer tier, add 1.
At Hero tier, add 2.
Special Abilities
• Outlaws can get their full Damage Bonus when making attacks from Support.
• Rogue’s Luck: Outlaws can reroll a Check or their Damage Die and take the best result
once per encounter.
• Sneaky: Outlaws roll twice for all DEX Checks relating to stealth and concealment.
• Easy Does It: Outlaws roll twice for all DEX Checks when attempting to pick locks or
disarm traps.
• Fast Talk: Outlaws roll twice for all CHA Checks when trying to convince a person or
sentient being of something.
• Living Off The Land: Outlaws roll twice for all INT or WIS Checks relating to wilderness
survival.
• Like A Ninja: in the first round of combat, Outlaws can attempt to hide from their enemies;
if they succeed, they remain unseen until they do something to draw attention.
• Sneak Attack: Outlaws who are unseen in combat double the roll on their Damage Die
against the first enemy they attack.
Rogue’s Luck
Once per encounter, an Outlaw may choose to reroll a d20 (for a Check) or their Damage Die
(for an attack) and take the best result. For Checks, this means the lowest number; for
damage, the highest. To use Rogue’s Luck, the player simply tells the GM that they are doing
so and may then retake their last roll.
Sneaky
When making a DEX Check related to stealth and concealment (including hiding in plain
sight by acting as they belong somewhere they do not), Outlaws roll twice and use the best
(lowest) result.
Easy Does It
When making a DEX Check to pick a lock or disarm a trap, Outlaws roll twice and use the
Fast Talk
When making a CHA Check to trick a sentient being into believing something, Outlaws roll
twice and use the best (lowest) result.
The GM can decide that an Outlaw’s lie simply too outrageous for Fast Talking to work,
even if they succeed in their CHA Check. So no convincing peasants that “I am the moon” in
YAMIAT! Or, on a more mundane level, convincing a castle guard that you are, in fact, the
king in disguise. (Convincing them that you’re one of the king’s knights in disguise, on the
other hand...)
Living Off The Land

When making an INT or WIS Check relating to wilderness survival (such as foraging for
food, identifying tracks or finding the best place to shelter), Outlaws roll twice and use the
Like A Ninja
In the first round of combat, as long as the Outlaw has not been drawn into Melee by an
opponent who caught them by surprise, they can make a DEX Check to hide themselves from
all enemies. If they succeed, then as long as they do nothing to attract attention – such as
making an attack – they will remain unnoticed. As long as they are unseen, no enemy can
attack them. If they take any action that would cause them to be noticed, enemies may attack
them in their next round.
Because this is a DEX Check relating to stealth or concealment, the player gets to roll
twice and take the best (lowest) result, as per Sneaky, above.
Sneak Attack
If the Outlaw is unseen in combat (by acting Like A Ninja, above), then if they attack an
enemy the roll on their Damage Die is doubled. After they make such an attack they are
noticed by all enemies, even if their target is killed. The Outlaw remains in Support after
carrying out a Sneak Attack.
Example: An Explorer-tier Outlaw with a Damage Bonus of +2 makes a Sneak Attack on
an enemy with AC 5 and 12 HP. They roll 5 on their d6 Damage Die. Normally, because this
does not beat the enemy’s AC they would only score 5 points of damage. However, because
the result is doubled they score 10, and get to add their Damage Bonus. The total damage
inflicted is 12 HP – killing the enemy in a single strike! However, in the process they are
noticed by all other enemies.
DWARVES
Dwarves are short, stocky and bearded – even the women. Despite their stature, they are
powerful and weigh almost as much as humans due to their dense musculature. Dwarves are
regarded by other races as stubborn, rude and greedy, but are also appreciated for their
honesty and craftsmanship.
To create an Explorer-tier Dwarf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Dwarf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Dwarf, start with these Ability Scores:

Hit Points
At Explorer tier, roll 1d8 and add 8 to determine your Hit Points. If your CON is 13, 14 or 15,
add 2. If your CON is 16 or 17, add 4.
At Adventurer tier, roll 1d8 and multiply by 3, and add 24 to determine your Hit Points. If
you have a CON of 14 or 15, add 6. If you have a CON of 16 or 17, add 12. If you have a
CON of 18, add 18.
a CON of 15, add 10. If you have a CON of 16 or 17, add 20. If you have a CON of 18, add
30.
Damage Die
When making an attack, Explorer-tier Dwarves use a d8 for their Damage Die.
At Adventurer tier, they use a d10 for their Damage Die.
Damage Bonus
If your STR is 13, 14 or 15, add +1. If your STR is 16, add +2.
If your DEX is 13, add +1.

At Hero tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +4.

If your STR is 16 or 17, add +2. If your STR is 18, add +3.
If your DEX is 13, 14 or 15, add +1.
If your WIS is 13, add +1.
Armour Class
Dwarves have a base AC of 5. If you have a DEX of 13, 14 or 15, add 1.
Special Abilities
• Hardy: Dwarves roll twice on all CON Checks.
• No Time For This Magic Rubbish: Dwarves roll twice on all Checks to resist any kind of
magic.
• Darksight: Dwarves can see up to 60’ even in total darkness.
• Stonesense: Dwarves can spot flaws (and thus secret doors) in stone, whether natural or
constructed.
• Appraisal: Dwarves can instantly identify and value all kinds of gemstones, and spot fakes.
• Battle Cry: Dwarves can terrify enemies in Melee.
• Grudge: Dwarves add a bonus to their Damage Die when attacking the enemy who most
recently attacked them.
• Stitch That!: once per encounter, a Dwarf may roll their Damage Die twice and add the
results together.
Hardy
When making a CON Check for any reason, Dwarves roll twice and take the best (lowest)
result.
No Time For This Magic Rubbish

Dwarves are naturally resistant to (and disparaging of) magic. If a spell or charm cast at a
Dwarf allows a Check to avoid its effects, they get to roll twice and take the best (lowest)
result. They do not get this benefit against a Priest’s miracles, however; the power of the gods
is very different from mere sorcery!
Darksight
As underground beings, Dwarves can see for a limited distance in total darkness. They can
see up to 60’ without needing a light source, though anything beyond that fades into shadow.
They also cannot see colours in these conditions, only shades of grey.
Stonesense
When making a WIS Check to search for secret doors and the like while underground,
Dwarves roll twice and take the lowest (best) result.
Appraisal
Dwarves have an innate sense of the type, value and quality of precious gems. They do not
need to make an (INT) or (WIS) Check to identify gemstones; they just know what they are
at a glance. They can also immediately spot flaws and fakes.
Battle Cry
When making a Melee attack, Dwarves can declare that they are using their Battle Cry
ability. The creature targeted must make a Morale check. If it fails, it will try to flee combat at
the earliest possible opportunity (assuming it survives the attack). The PC may then use their
Battle Cry again on other enemies, until one of them makes a successful Morale check. After
this, the individual’s cry has lost its effectiveness and cannot be used again until the next
encounter.
The exact nature of the Battle Cry is up to the player. It may be something like ‘For the
glory of Moria!’ to ‘Come and get it!’ or simply ‘GRRAAAAHHHH!’ (The GM may request
that the player shouts it out when rolling their Damage Die!)
Grudge
When attacking the enemy who most recently attacked them, Dwarves add a bonus to the
result of their Damage Die. The GM should always note which enemy has attacked a Dwarf,
and if the player says they are bearing a Grudge, have them attack that enemy rather than
demanding they identify their exact target. Grudge and Stitch That! (below) can be combined
in the same attack.
At Explorer tier, they add +1.
At Adventurer tier, they add +2.
At Hero tier, they add +3.
Stitch That!
Once per encounter, a Dwarf may choose to roll their Damage Die twice when making an
attack, adding both results together. The player may declare this before or after their initial
roll. If the Dwarf’s Damage Bonus is applicable, it is only added once.
Example: a Dwarf rolls 8 on his Damage Die. Emboldened by this, he decides to Stitch
That! and rolls again. This time he scores a 5, for a total of 13 points of damage, plus his
Damage Bonus if his opponent’s AC was 12 or less.
ELVES
Elves are slightly smaller than humans, but much more slender and graceful, with pointed
ears. They are attuned to nature, and this is reflected in their ability to use magical charms to
affect their environment. Their beauty and elegance make them highly charismatic, although
dwarves are rarely impressed by what they consider their ‘silver tongues’. [NB: elven tongues
do not actually have a high silver content... unless the GM decides that in this particular
adventure’s world, they do!]
To create an Explorer-tier Elf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Elf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Elf, start with these Ability Scores:

Hit Points
At Explorer tier, roll 1d6 and add 6 to determine your Hit Points.
At Adventurer tier, roll 1d6 and multiply by 3, and add 18 to determine your Hit Points.
a CON of 13, add 10.
Damage Die
When making an attack, Elves use a d6 for their Damage Die.
Damage Bonus

If your DEX is 13, 14, or 15, add +1.

Armour Class
Elves have a base AC of 2. If you have a DEX of 13, 14 or 15, add 1. If you have a DEX of
16, add 2.
Special Abilities
• Elves can get their full Damage Bonus when making attacks from Support.
• All In The Reflexes: Elves roll twice on all DEX Checks.
• Perpetual Motion: Elves cannot be paralysed (by magic, poison, the touch of a ghoul, etc).
• Elves can cast Charms.
All In The Reflexes

A naturally high perception and affinity with the environment coupled with better-than-
human reflexes means that when making a DEX Check of any kind, Elves roll twice and use
the best (lowest) result.
Perpetual Motion
No poison, spell, ghoul’s touch, spider’s bite or anything else can paralyse an Elf; they do not
need to make any Checks to resist such effects. This does not mean, however, that Elves
cannot be restrained – ropes will bind them just as well as any other creature – and nor are
they immune to being petrified, such as by the gaze of a medusa.
Charms
Elves can draw upon the natural forces of the world around them to cast charms:
At Explorer tier, Elves can cast two charms per adventure. If their CHA is 16 or 17, they can
cast three.
At Adventurer tier, Elves can cast three charms per adventure. If their CHA is 16 or 17, they
can cast four. If their CHA is 18, they can cast five.
At Hero tier, Elves can cast four charms per adventure. If their CHA is 16 or 17, they can cast
five. If their CHA is 18, they can cast six.
List of Charms
Animal Ally, Beast’s Might, Beguile, Commune with Nature, Confusion, Control Animal,
Eagle’s Eye, Entangle, Fog, Hold, Ice Storm, Insect Plague, Slow, Sunfire, Thunderstrike,
Transform, Web, Zone of Silence
WEAPONS AND ARMOUR
Unlike the original game in all its variations, YAMIAT does not offer a bewildering array of
different weapon and armour types for characters to choose from. There’s no need to spend
time trying to decide whether a glaive-guisarme or a corseque would be the optimum choice.
Every weapon a character might use has the same damage potential – determined by rolling
their Damage Die. (At Explorer-tier, Warriors use a d10, Priests and Dwarves a d8, Outlaws
and Elves a d6, and Sorcerers a d4.) Players can say that their character uses a particular kind
of weapon – a Dwarf might use a battleaxe or warhammer, for instance – but this is purely a
cosmetic decision that generally makes no difference during play.
Similarly, rather than choosing different kinds of armour, characters in YAMIAT are
assumed to be wearing armour suited to their class. So Warriors are well-protected in plate
and shield with their base AC of 6, while Sorcerers have only their robes to cover them,
giving them an initial AC of 1.
This is for speed and simplicity both at the character creation stage, and in play. Also to
keep things simple, characters are considered to have an infinite supply of ammunition for
missile weapons (arrows, crossbow bolts, slingshot stones and so on). It may not be realistic...
but then, neither are Hit Points!
Can weapons and armour be swapped between classes? The answer is no. The meta-
reason is purely to keep things simple, but if you need an in-universe explanation, here goes:
a Sorcerer doesn’t have the same combat training as a Warrior, so even if they use a Warrior’s
sword, the best damage they can hope to deliver is still only a d4. Nor are they trained in
wearing plate armour, and would only stumble about if fully outfitted in several dozen
pounds of metal rather than actively using it to absorb or deflect blows.
What if, for some reason, the characters are captured and have their weapons and armour
taken away from them? It makes no difference. An unarmoured Warrior can simply take
advantage of their training to dodge more easily now that they are unencumbered by metal,
and are every bit as lethal with their bare hands as with a blade or axe.
Ultimately: it’s a game. It’s not about what equipment the PCs have, it’s about how they
deal with the challenges they face. Burly soldiers are just plain better at fighting than those
who’ve spent years with their noses buried in ancient tomes.
If a character receives a magical weapon that grants them a bonus to their Damage Die
roll (for example, a +1 magic sword), then they are assumed to be using that weapon in
combat and gaining the bonus unless the player specifically says otherwise.
EQUIPMENT
There isn’t any.
Okay, that’s not strictly true. The PCs aren’t going into a mission carrying nothing but
pocket fluff. As with weapons and armour, YAMIAT simplifies the process to make the game
faster and (hopefully) more fun.
In play, it can be assumed that all characters have any non-magical items they would
reasonably expect to need in the course of an adventure, so dungeon-crawling standards like
torches, rope, the traditional ten-foot pole and all the rest are considered to be present and
available as and when needed; a list of typical items is below. Similarly, each character has
anything their class would normally need with them: Priests have their holy symbol, Outlaws
their lockpicking tools, Sorcerers their spellbooks, and so on.
In addition, the party will have anything that they will specifically require for a mission
provided by their patron. If they need to reach an island, they’ll have a boat. If they need to
scale a mountain, they’ll have climbing gear and cold-weather clothing. Anything necessary,
they’ll have. At the GM’s option, this may include a small number of minor magic items like
healing potions, especially at Explorer tier when characters are relatively fragile.
Items that the PCs are assumed to have with them:

• Suitable clothing for the conditions
• Lanterns, torches and candles
• Lantern oil (in glass flasks)
• Rope (in 50-foot coils)
• Grappling hook
• Food and water
• Basic tools (such as crowbars, mallets, hammers and chisels)
• Iron spikes
• Wooden stakes
• Backpacks and sacks
• Tinderbox
• Small steel mirror
• The traditional 10-foot pole
The GM can decide at any point that enough is enough if the players start tying together
seemingly infinite amounts of rope, or produce enough lantern oil to fill a well!
Rabbit From A Hat

Once per adventure, a player may state that they had with them all along a special item that
would be perfect for dealing with the current situation.
Example: the party is facing several angry elephants, and someone thinks that a
clockwork mouse would be a brilliant way to scare them off. If they choose, they can ‘pull a
rabbit from a hat’, or in this case a clockwork mouse from their pocket. Whether the mouse
will actually scare them off is up to the GM, probably by using a Morale roll, but clever or
entertaining ideas should always be given a good chance of working.
No two characters can use the same special item in one adventure, to prevent the same
trick being used over and over. The GM can disallow items that are unreasonable, greedy or
just plain ridiculous; if a request is refused, the player can attempt a different one later. As a
rule of thumb, anything too big to fit into a backpack, more complex than a clockwork
mouse, more deadly than a character’s normal Damage Die or more valuable than a handful
of coins probably shouldn’t be allowed.
PLAYING THE GAME
While YAMIAT uses the same range of dice as the original game, the one used most often is
the d20. Whenever a player character (or a monster, for that matter) does something, the d20
is used to see if they succeed or fail. A d20 roll is called a Check, usually written as follows:
(STR) Check. The attribute in brackets can be any of the six used by PCs.
Player Checks
When a player makes a Check, they roll the d20 and compare the result to their relevant
attribute score; for example, an (INT) Check would be compared to their Intelligence/INT. If
the result is equal to or lower than the stat, they succeed at what they are doing. If it is higher,
they fail.
‘Failure’ does not necessarily mean ‘nothing happens’. The GM should always try to
make sure that if the whole party fail a Check, the adventure does not come to a screeching
halt. For example, if the only way out of a cell is via a secret door and everyone fails their
Wisdom checks to find it, rather than have the players twiddle their thumbs or keep rolling
until someone succeeds, the GM could perhaps say that they find it, but take so long that
something nasty on the other side become aware of their presence and is lurking in wait for
them. Better still, though, is simply making sure such a situation isn’t in the adventure in the
first place!
IMPORTANT!
When making a Check with a d20, a lower score is better. However, when rolling a
Damage Die in combat, a higher score is better.
Enemy Checks
Because the vast majority of enemies do not have attribute scores, any Check they make is
simply rolled against their Check (CK) stat, ignoring the attribute listed for the players.
Saving Throws
Saving throws of the kind used in the Original Game have been replaced in YAMIAT by
Checks. This does have the side-effect of making certain types of events more survivable than
in the OG, especially at Explorer tier, but to counter this all character classes have at least one
low attribute score that will become their Achilles heel if they need to make a crucial Check
against it during play.
When To Roll?
Simple tasks are automatically successful if the character is not under any kind of immediate
pressure. For example, there is no need to roll a DEX Check for a PC to walk down a muddy
street without stepping in a puddle.
However, if the character is under pressure – for example, by being chased – then the GM
can require a DEX Check to avoid getting their fine boots covered in muck. (Why would this
be a critical issue? It depends on the adventure: maybe they’re due to attend the king’s
birthday party, and turning up with filthy clothes would see them being refused entry...)
Checks are also made if a PC is trying to avoid something done to them (the equivalent of
a saving throw in the Original Game). For example, if goblins push a boulder down a hill at
the party, the characters would make a DEX Check to jump out of its path before being hit.
Which Attribute To Use?

Usually, this is clear: a PC trying to lift a stone slab would make a STR Check, balance on a
tightrope a DEX Check, survive a poisoned drink a CON Check, decipher an ancient
inscription an INT Check, realise that a signature on a document has been forged a WIS
Check, and convince a guard to let them talk to a prisoner a CHA Check. However, the latter
two have other, less obvious uses.
• WIS is also used to represent the character’s perception – their ability to spot that something
isn’t quite right, and possibly alert them to a booby-trap or an impending ambush.
• CHA is also used to represent the character’s willpower – their determination and ability to
withstand pressure.
The GM makes the final decision on which to use.
Impossible Tasks
Just because a player succeeds at a Check does not necessarily mean they automatically
succeed in whatever they want to do; the task has to be possible. If the player wants to knock
down a mountain blocking their way with a punch, that’s obviously not going to work – the
best they can hope for is not to hurt their hand. (If you want to play the kind of game where
characters can punch out mountains, fire arrows to the moon or force a volcano to stop
erupting with a stern glare, you’re better off looking for something that isn’t in any way
derived from the OG!) The GM has the final say on whether or not something is possible.
Opposed Rolls
If two players are competing with each other at the same thing – for example, running a race
or both making a grab for the same magical gem – then the winner is determined by an
‘opposed roll’. Both players make an Ability Check as normal, but the one who wins is the
one who rolls lowest while still scoring equal to or less than their ability score.
Example: two PCs are arm-wrestling, needing a STR Check. Both have STR 14. The first
PC rolls 3, the second 13. Even though both succeeded, the first player had the lower result,
so wins the match.
Opposed rolls may also be made against monsters, such as when trying to grapple them.
In these cases, the monster’s Check is used against the PC’s appropriate ability score.
Optional Rule: Twists

If the GM chooses to apply this rule to the adventure, when a player makes a Check, a roll of
1 on the d20 can represent not just a success, but a spectacular one – it went so much better
than expected that the character gets some extra benefit on top of simply having made the
Check. Conversely, a roll of 20 on the d20 means the Check didn’t just fail, but failed
horribly – the entire party is now worse off as a result. Exactly how things went super-well or
extra-bad is up to the GM, or perhaps the GM and the player concerned can both concoct
these twists to the story together.
THE ADVENTURE
“You all meet in a tavern, looking for adventure. It soon finds you when...”
It may be a cliché of role-playing games, but You All Meet In A Tavern, as the name suggests,
embraces it. What better way to gather together a disparate collection of fighters, wizards and
rogues to embark upon a quest?
After the players create their characters, the GM starts the game off by acting as the
patron: the person asking the party to do something for him. It may be something simple (a
farmer saying “My children were captured and enslaved by goblins! Please rescue them from
the Mines of Madness!”) or complex (a vizier saying “The maharajah has been acting
strangely, but whenever his close advisors question his decisions, they are imprisoned. A
group of strangers acting as emissaries from your faraway land may be able to help us find
out what is going on”), but there should always be a straightforward, and achievable,
objective. In the two examples above, they would be “Rescue the children” and “Uncover the
truth behind the maharajah’s strange behaviour”. When the players achieve this objective,
they have completed the adventure.
The PCs always accept the call of adventure (if they don’t, there isn’t much of a game!)
and then the action moves to its first location. The GM may suggest that players whose
characters are Sorcerers or Elves wait until they know something about the mission before
choosing their spells or charms; for example, if the enemies are all going to be zombies, there
is no point an Elf wasting a valuable charm slot on Beguile!
Because adventures are begun at the request of a patron who most likely has some
knowledge of the location, the GM may optionally provide the players with a map (anything
from a crudely-drawn sketch drawn in the blood of a dying man – hopefully not for real! – to
the gridded plans used in the Original Game’s adventures) so they can see points of interest
and decide where to investigate first. However, maps may not always be complete, or even
accurate...
The GM will have their own full map showing any secrets the players will have to work
to discover. Because YAMIAT abstracts movement and combat, there is no need for this map
to be a precise representation; it just needs to show how the encounter areas are joined
together.
The World
The GM should also give the players an idea of what kind of fantasy world their characters
are entering. It could be the traditional default of a pseudo-mediaeval society with kings at
the top and peasants at the mud-soaked bottom, and monsters lurking at the edges of the
known lands. Or it could have an Egyptian or Viking theme, or be more like the Bronze Age,
or a fantastical version of the Renaissance. In most cases this will just be for flavour and the
adventure will play much the same way whether its setting is Dark Age or dungeonpunk,
grimdark or wacky, but players may want to role-play their characters to match the setting.
Encounters
The basis of play in YAMIAT is the Encounter. Encounters are not necessarily meetings with
other creatures, although this will probably be the bulk of them; however, a trap in a corridor
or a magical mirror that bestows different effects upon those who look into it is also an
encounter.
Because the game does not generally require detailed mapping or strict timekeeping,
players can simply say “We go down the corridor,” and the GM tells them what happens
when they reach the end (or a new encounter area), rather than having to describe every ten
feet of progress. Similarly, the players can say “We go back to the main hall,” and assuming
that nothing has changed on the route back, they just arrive there instead of having to recount
every twist and turn of the return journey.
Generally, an encounter area will be a room or a defined space (such as a forest clearing,
the foot of a waterfall, or a stone circle). If there is nothing of interest between two encounter
areas, there is no need to spend time describing or mapping the trip – the PCs simply reach
the next important location, with at most a brief description from the GM like “You make
your way down a hundred-foot passage to a large stone archway. Beyond it you see...”
Just because the PCs enter an encounter area, that does not mean they automatically
trigger the encounter itself. For example, there may be a creature hiding from them who is
only met if the party searches under a large mushroom, or a magical portrait that only comes
to life and speaks to the characters if they specifically examine it. Such encounters should not
be essential to completing the adventure’s objective, however – if the players miss them, they
should lose nothing but some optional Achievements.
Some spells, miracles and charms have a duration of one encounter. If the encounter results in
combat, the effect ends once the battle has been resolved. If not, it lasts for one (in-game)
hour or until the party enters another encounter area.
Once-per-encounter abilities and powers (such as Rogue’s Luck) work as it says on the tin;
even if the party leaves an encounter area after using such an ability (but before completing
the encounter – ie, by defeating the monsters, defeating or springing the trap, speaking to the
oracle, etc) they do not get to ‘recharge’ and use the ability when they return. However, if
they go to a new and different encounter area, they can use that encounter power again.
Once an encounter has been successfully completed, then it is considered resolved as far
as the adventure is concerned. No further benefits can be gained from it, although creatures
and objects there can still be interacted with.
Timekeeping
YAMIAT does not generally need the GM or players to keep precise records of the passage of
time for the characters during the adventure – in stark contrast to one particular all-caps
warning in the Advanced version of the Original Game! The GM may want there to be a
‘ticking clock’ element to keep the players moving, but even that can be simplified to say
something like “it takes ten minutes of in-adventure time for the party to move from one
encounter area to another”, and then run the encounters themselves in real-time.
However, some spells, miracles and charms have time limits upon them. In combat, time
is measured in Rounds (the Player Round and Enemy Round alternately), Turns (a cycle of
one Player and Enemy Round) and Encounters (as long as it takes for the battle to be
concluded in the PCs’ favour). Out of combat, a Round is thirty seconds long, and a Turn one
minute. In terms of spell/miracle/charm duration a non-combat Encounter is one hour long,
but otherwise it is as long as it takes the players to finish!
Environmental Damage
Monsters are not the only thing that can hurt the PCs; sometimes, the environment itself can
be just as lethal. If the characters are in a situation inimical to humanoid life, such as
underwater, in a burning building, a blizzard or a cave filled with toxic fumes, how long can
they last?
Assuming they don’t have some kind of protection (whether magical or something like a
diving bell or suitable clothing), then for every thirty seconds they are exposed – the
equivalent of one Round during combat – they take one die of damage. However, the die gets
larger with each successive roll! At the end of the first 30 seconds, the roll is on a d4. After
the next, a d6. Then a d8, d10, d12, d20, and then onwards as per the Damage Die table.
Reactions
Sooner or later – probably sooner – the PCs will run into other people or creatures. The
question then is: how do they react to each other?
The GM can decide that some encounters are either automatically friendly, or
automatically hostile. In the latter case, a group of orcs may have been given orders to guard
the entrance to a mine and kill any non-orc who tries to enter it. If the PCs are spotted, a
battle will ensue. Such ‘fixed’ reactions are generally linked to the plot of the adventure.
However, there are many points in between. A different group of orcs may be willing to
leave the PCs in peace if they appear dangerous enough, or even be potentially friendly under
exceptional circumstances. Conversely, an initially friendly hermit will turn nasty if the party
start stealing his possessions or killing his animals!
The GM should pre-plan how any creatures the players encounter will react to them. In
some cases, their response after the initial contact will be down to the PCs. If the monsters
are wary but not openly hostile (perhaps they are few in number and don’t want to risk a fight
unless they have to, or conversely are in a large enough group to feel confident of defeating
anyone who dares to challenge them), they will only attack if the party takes an aggressive
stance towards them. They may also be open to negotiation, giving characters with a high
CHA score the chance to talk them into cooperating.
There are four types of reaction that creatures may have to the PCs, as follows:
Hostile: will attack on sight. Monsters guarding an area against intruders, unintelligent
undead and aggressive animals (whether normal or magical) fall into this category.
Wary: will attack if the party makes any aggressive moves, but are not actively looking for a
fight.
Neutral: will defend themselves if attacked, but would rather leave the PCs be and go about
their own business.
Friendly: willing to help the players in their mission (though they may possibly have their
own motives for doing so), and will only fight them if directly attacked.
The players may be able to defuse a potentially dangerous situation by charming a Wary
monster (by casting a Beguile charm, or by using a CHA Check to persuade them of their
peaceful intentions). On the other hand, a party of supposedly peace-loving pilgrims may turn
violent if the characters say or do the wrong thing!
COMBAT
It is all but inevitable that the players will eventually find themselves facing opponents intent
on violence. Once that happens, their survival depends most heavily on their combat skills!
Combat runs in stages. Once the battle starts, it is measured in ‘rounds’, alternating
between the Player Round (in which the PCs get to make various attacks, cast spells, and so
on; each can take one such Action per Player Round) and the Enemy Round, where the
monsters make their attacks on the players. However, in certain circumstances the PCs may
also take particular Actions during the Enemy Round.
Player Rounds and Enemy Rounds always alternate. A sequence of one Player Round and
one Enemy Round is called a Turn.
THE ORDER OF BATTLE

Before Combat
• If the GM has not decided that the enemies will automatically be hostile, there is still a
chance to avoid bloodshed; give the players the opportunity to talk their way out of trouble!
• Determine if the PCs are surprised by the monsters – if they are, the enemies get the first
attack in a ‘free’ Enemy Round.
During Combat
Player Round:
• Decide which player goes first. (Suggestion: in the first fight in an adventure, start with the
player to the GM’s left, then in each successive battle begin with successive players going
clockwise.)
• Each player in turn declares whether they are in Support or Melee (moving from the former
to the latter happens at once; going from the latter to the former may place limitations on the
character’s following action). They then announce their Action (these include, but are not
limited to, making an attack, casting spells, drinking magic or healing potions, attempting a
task and retreating). If needed, they make an appropriate Ability Check to see if they succeed.
• If making an attack, the player rolls their Damage Die to calculate how much damage they
inflict on their target. If the roll is higher than the target’s Armour Class, they add their
Damage Bonus to the score. (Note: PCs attacking from Support have limits placed on their
maximum Damage Bonus.) The total is deducted from the target’s Hit Points; if its HP is
reduced to zero, the enemy is killed.
• The GM announces the result of the attack or action, which may include enemies being
killed.
• When the first enemy is killed, or when half of them are killed, the GM may make a Morale
roll to see if the monsters panic and flee or surrender.
Enemy Round:
• Each surviving enemy in turn, starting with the most powerful, takes an action – usually
selecting a PC as a target and attacking them.
• If a monster tries to attack a character currently in Support, any party member may try to
Intercept them. If they succeed, the attack is carried out on them rather than the original
target.
• In certain circumstances, an Action taken by a player in the Player Round may not come
into effect until the Enemy Round: for example, a PC who Does Something Cool by making
a last-second dodge to trick a charging monster into crashing head-first into a wall would
declare they were doing so in the Player Round, but not make their Check until the monster
actually attacks.
• If a monster makes a successful attack, the character hit takes damage based upon the size
of the monster’s Damage Die. Any character whose HP reaches zero is killed.
If there are still both players and monsters engaged in hostilities, the next Player Round
begins and the cycle continues.
After Combat
• Wounded characters recover one Damage Die of Hit Points, up to the number they had at
the start of combat.
Surprise
Rather than encourage players to make constant Perception Checks as they explore, which
can slow the game to a crawl as dice are rolled every twenty feet the party moves, if the PCs
reach a location where there is an ambush waiting the GM tells the character with the highest
WIS to make a WIS Check. If it succeeds, the party realises that they are about to walk into a
trap in time to react to the imminent attack. If it fails, their opponents get a free Enemy
Round in which the PCs can do nothing. Once this surprise round is over, combat then begins
as normal.
‘Ambush’ above can be defined as any potential attack of which the party is unaware, not
specifically enemies poised around a corner with weapons drawn. It can therefore include
things like predatory plants which react instinctively to certain stimuli, but are not actively
waiting to attack the players.
Initiative
Unlike the original game, where ‘initiative’ (who gets to attack first) is determined with a die
roll at the start of a battle or sometimes even each round, in YAMIAT the PCs always go first.
They’re the heroes, after all! The only exception to this is if they are taken by surprise (see
above). The normal order of combat is therefore: players, enemies, players, enemies... (etc)
until one side is defeated, flees or surrenders.
Do The Monster Math

Enemies are represented by a ‘statblock’, which tells the GM everything they need to pit
them against the players in combat. Unlike some editions of the original game, where the
statblock is a literal block of text and numbers that could be half a page long (or more!),
YAMIAT keeps it as short as possible. Here is the statblock of a typical monster, an orc, with
an explanation of each term following.
Orc
AC 4, HD 1, HP 1-8 (5), DD d6, DB 2, CK 7, ML 12, SP =
AC: the monster’s Armour Class. In combat, this is the number players need to exceed with a
roll of their Damage Die to apply their Damage Bonus.
HD: the monster’s Hit Dice. Gives an indication of the threat the creature poses – the higher
their HD, the greater the danger!
HP: the monster’s Hit Points. Each Hit Die gives the monster 1d8 Hit Points; the number in
brackets is the average.
DD: the monster’s Damage Die – how many Hit Points of damage they can inflict upon a
target when they hit it. This can range from a d4 for weak monsters up to multiple d20s for
the most powerful, determined by their Hit Dice. Some monsters may also get bonuses on top
of this.
DB: the monster’s Damage Bonus. If their Damage Die roll exceeds their target’s Armour
Class, this number is added to the total HP deducted.
CK: the monster’s Check rating. Unlike PCs, almost all monsters only have one Check.
ML: the monster’s Morale rating. Some enemies may either surrender or flee if things are not
going well for them in battle.
SP: the monster’s Speed. Rather than being a specific distance that can be covered in a set
amount of time, this describes whether they are Immobile (0), slower than the PCs (<), move
at the same speed as the PCs (=), faster than the PCs (>) or much faster than the PCs (>>). In
general, this will not be a factor in play because of YAMIAT’s encounter-based design and
abstracted combat, but there may be occasions when the GM needs to know if the party can
catch up with a running monster – or escape it!
Some monsters may have two movement speeds listed; for example, if they can fly. The
number not in brackets is their speed on the ground.
Some monsters also have a Gimmick, which can be a special action they can take instead of a
standard attack. Gimmicks allow monsters to break the normal rules of combat, for example
by giving them a one-shot attack with much higher damage potential than they would get
from their Damage Die. Gimmicks are listed below the standard statblock.
Combat Stances
Once player characters (and allied NPCs) enter combat, they can be in one of two stances:
Melee or Support. Unless the party has been ambushed and engaged in hand-to-hand combat,
all PCs start the battle in Support. All enemies are automatically considered to be in Melee at
the beginning of a fight, unless the GM has specified that some of them are in a separate
location – for example, on a balcony overseeing the battle.
Unlike some versions of the original game which used (or even required) tactical maps
and miniatures to play out combat, YAMIAT employs a very simple system: characters are
either in Melee, or they’re not, in which case they are in Support.
PCs in Melee are engaged in close-range combat with enemies, using brute force to hit
each with swords, maces, clubs, knives, rocks, claws or even bare hands. Melee is considered
to be a constantly-moving scrum, where any participant can attack any other.
Support, on the other hand, is not directly in the front line, but is just far enough from it to
allow the use of missile weapons like arrows, crossbows and spears. It is also where
Sorcerers and Elves cast their spells and charms, Outlaws try to make Sneak Attacks and non-
combatants cower while others protect them. Monsters can attack PCs in Support, but to do
so they have to get past other characters who may attempt to block them.
If a character in Support is successfully attacked by an enemy, they are immediately
forced into Melee, whereupon they can be targeted by other monsters in the same Enemy
Round without any opportunity for other PCs to intercede.
Actions In Battle
PCs have numerous options open to them in each round; however, within a single Player
Round they can take only one Action. Actions they can take include (but are not limited to):
• Attack an enemy in Melee or from Support
• Move from Support to Melee and attack an enemy
• Disengage
• Flee
• Use a Special Ability
• Cast a spell
• Cast a charm
• Call for a miracle
• Use a magic item
• Do Something Cool
The only Actions that a PC can take during the Enemy Round, however, are:
• Intercept an attack on an ally in Support
• Do Something Cool (declared as their Action in the Player Round) in response to an
enemy’s attack
Unreachable Enemies
Sometimes, the GM may create enemies that cannot initially be reached in Melee combat –
for example flying monsters, or a leader who is on a high balcony shouting commands to his
forces below. Since attacking from Support is generally less effective than Melee, the players
will need to come up with creative means to force their opponents into a more direct fight.
Doing Something Cool is the way to do this. With the examples above, a PC might try to
leap up and grab a flying monster as it swoops in for an attack to force it to the ground, or
make a daring climb up to the balcony to grab the leader and pull him over.
Attacks
Unlike all versions of the Original Game, where players had to roll to see if they hit their
target before rolling for damage, YAMIAT gets straight to the pain: all attacks cause some
damage, even if only a single Hit Point. Because each turn is a minute long in game time, one
attack can be considered as being made up of numerous strikes; some may miss, or be
deflected, but enough will get through to hurt.
In an attack, the player rolls their Damage Die, which at Explorer tier range from a d4 for
Sorcerers up to a d10 for Warriors. The larger the die, the more damage can be inflicted! The
result is the number of Hit Points deducted from the target; if the roll exceeds the target’s AC,
the player’s Damage Bonus is also added.
For example: a Warrior with a Damage Bonus of +3 attacks an enemy of AC 6. The
Warrior rolls the d20, the result being 6: because this does not exceed the enemy’s AC, they
do not add their Damage Bonus and inflict six points of damage. If they had rolled 7, beating
the target’s AC, they would have delivered seven points of damage plus their Damage Bonus,
for a total of 10 HP.
Magic Weapons
If a PC is using a magic weapon with a +1 (or more) rating, this number is added to their
Damage Die roll. In the example above, if the Warrior had rolled 6 but was using a +1
weapon, the result would have been increased to 7 – beating the target’s AC and allowing the
Damage Bonus to be added as well.
Damage Bonus Limits

It is important to note that a PC’s full Damage Bonus is only applied if they are fighting in
Melee. With the exception of Outlaws and Elves, if a PC is attacking from Support, it is
limited as follows:
Tier Maximum Damage Bonus

Explorer +1
Adventurer +2
Hero +3
Outlaws and Elves can apply their full Damage Bonus to attacks in both Melee and Support.
Movement & Disengagement

Movement in combat follows simple rules. Any character in Support can, when the player
declares what they are going to do in the Player Round, immediately move into Melee and
attempt an Action there. This means that the PCs, on encountering monsters, can charge at
them and engage in hand-to-hand combat without delay.
Once a character has entered (or been forced into) Melee, however, it may not be quite to
easy to withdraw back to the relative safety of Support. If they did not suffer any damage in
the previous Enemy Round, they simply move straight to Support and can take an action as
they require. However, if they did take melee damage in the previous Enemy Round, then to
reach Support they must first Disengage.
Characters Disengage by making a DEX Check. If the Check succeeds, then they move to
Support, though the effort of dodging and weaving through enemies means they cannot take
another action in the current Player Round. If the Check fails, then they remain in Melee –
and also cannot take any further action in the current round.
Any character who was forced into Melee during a surprise round must Disengage in
order to return to Support in the first Player Round.
Fleeing
Sometimes, the party may be seriously outmatched, whether because the enemies are
extremely powerful or plain bad luck with their die rolls. Rather than be slaughtered, a player
can declare that their character is going to flee.
The Original Game included a system for pursuing fleeing combatants, whether players
or monsters – after all, one goblin getting away may call in fifty more as reinforcements!
Since YAMIAT’s encounters are individual set-pieces, and the game as a whole puts far less
emphasis on accurate accounting for time and movement, its system is simplified.
If a player wants their character to flee the battle, they declare this as their Action. If they
are in Support, they automatically succeed. If they are in Melee, they need to make a DEX
Check. If it succeeds, they flee without further harm. If they fail, an enemy (of the GM’s
choice, though the monster who most recently attacked the PC is the best option) can make
an attack upon them. Unlike a character who is hit while trying to Disengage, even if the PC
is hit and takes damage they are not drawn back into combat – they still flee, albeit wounded.
Characters who flee (it is highly recommended that the whole party flees at once, rather
than leaving anyone to face the monsters alone!) regroup in the location they were last in
prior to entering the encounter area.
Monsters have a listed Speed, which is relative to the standard speed of a PC moving as
fast as they can. Enemies with a (>) or (>>) Speed can outpace the party should they pursue.
If they have a speed of (=) – ie, the same as the players – GMs should give the party the
benefit of the doubt and let them pull away – just!
Given YAMIAT’s encounter-based design, it is generally best if monsters do not pursue a
fleeing party, but remain in their encounter area, giving the players a chance to regroup, heal
and come up with an alternate method of dealing with them.
Special Abilities
Characters with a Special Ability that is combat-related (for example, the Warrior and
Dwarf’s Battle Cry) can make use of it in battle. Some Special Abilities are used instead of
making a normal attack, while others are used to boost the power of the character’s attack.
Spells, Charms and Miracles

Sorcerers, Priests and Elves can make use of their different magical powers to affect the tide
of battle, whether by boosting their or an ally’s attacks, helping an ally, hindering an enemy,
or blasting opponents with uncanny forces.
Sorcerers and Elves can only cast spells and charms in combat if they are in Support.
Priests, however, can call upon miracles whether they are in Support or Melee.
Magic Items
Spell scrolls, potions and other magical items (that are not automatically active, such as a
magical ring that increases a PC’s Armour Class or an enchanted weapon that delivers extra
damage) can be used as a character’s Action in the Player Round. For example, a wounded
player might drink a healing potion to recover HP.
Do Something Cool
Characters are not limited to making straightforward attacks in a battle. They can do anything
their player can think of to help them win; if they want to swing from a chandelier and kick
an enemy through a window, they can do that.
In order to try to Do Something Cool, the player simply has to say what their character
wants to do. The GM will then decide which attribute they should make a Check upon to do
so – in the chandelier-swinging example above, it would be a DEX Check. If they succeed,
then the GM describes what happens and chooses how the action affects the situation. If they
fail, then they might simply have wasted their turn – or they could suffer painful
consequences! (They might end up going out of the window themselves...)
It is possible for damage to be inflicted upon an enemy when a PC Does Something Cool;
again using the chandelier example, the bad guy who gets kicked through the window would
be hurt, possibly badly if the window was high up! In general, though, having the target
suffer some debilitating effect that limits their ability to fight is better. They might be stunned
and be unable to attack in the next Enemy Round, or have the result of their next Damage Die
roll halved, or be disoriented and have a chance of their next attack hitting an ally by mistake.
The effect is decided by the GM.
Players can Do Something Cool that only kicks in during the Enemy Round; for example,
saying that they are going to drop and roll to trip a charging opponent. The DEX Check to do
so would then be made in the Enemy Round, as a reaction just before the monster makes its
attack; if the Check fails, the PC gets hurt by being trampled!
Some examples of Doing Something Cool:

• Throwing sand in an enemy’s eyes (DEX)
• Knocking over a rack of barrels and sending them rolling through the battlefield (STR)
• Shooting a rope with an arrow to drop whatever it’s holding on top of an enemy (DEX)
• Catching and stopping an enemy’s swinging weapon in your hands (STR)
• Deliberately triggering a previously-avoided trap at just the right moment to hit the
monsters (INT)
• Tossing a healing potion across the battlefield to a wounded ally (DEX)
• Insulting an enemy so humiliatingly that they burst into tears (CHA)
• Decoying an opponent into the path of a rolling boulder (WIS)
Interceptions
If an enemy in Melee tries to attack a PC in Support, any other PC can attempt an Intercept to
save them. If the attempt fails, the targeted PC not only takes damage, but is immediately
drawn into Melee, from where any other enemy can attack them directly. With their low AC
and Hit Points, this is an especially bad place for Sorcerers to be!
To make an Intercept, another PC must announce that they intend to do so, then make a
DEX Check. If it succeeds, they take the force of the attack instead; the enemy rolls their
Damage Die as normal and applies their Damage Bonus if the result exceeds the intercepting
character’s AC. Warriors and Dwarves are best suited to this kind of ‘tanking’, as their
relatively high HP and AC mean they are more likely to withstand the damage. (Warriors also
have the special ability You Shall Not Pass that allows them to make one ‘free’ Intercept per
encounter that automatically succeeds without needing a DEX Check.)
If the DEX Check fails, the enemy delivers their attack to their original target, and draws
them into Melee. Any other enemies can then attack them directly in the current Enemy
Round.
Only one PC can attempt to Intercept a particular opponent per Enemy Round (so if two
characters try to stop the same monster, they will have to decide which attempts to block the
attack), and each PC can only attempt one Intercept per Enemy Round.
Morale
Rather than have every combat be a battle to the death, YAMIAT uses a Morale system. Each
opponent has a Morale score, a number between 1 and 20. At certain points in a fight, the GM
rolls a d20 (either for each monster individually, or for different kinds as a group); if the
number is higher than their Morale score then the creatures try to flee or surrender, otherwise
they fight on. Note, however, that a creature with a Morale score of 20 (such as many types of
undead, unintelligent predators like oozes, or minotaurs) will always fight to the death. A
creature with a Morale score of 1 will never fight, and always flee or surrender.
What the party does with surrendering or fleeing enemies is up to them, but if all the
opponents run away or throw down their weapons, then the PCs are considered to have won
the battle, and may get Achievements for doing so.
The situations when a Morale Check should be made for multiple enemies are as follows:
• When the first monster is killed by the PCs
• When half the monsters have been killed by the PCs
If the result for both rolls is equal to or higher than their Morale score, then the monsters will
fight on to the death.
For solo enemies, the Morale Check should be made when it has lost half its Hit Points.
Morale only applies to monsters and NPCs. The player characters never need to make Morale
Checks, though certain spells (such as Fear) may still cause them to flee in unthinking panic
if they fail their CHA Save.
What the monsters do if they fail a Morale Check is up to the GM, and depends on the
setting of the adventure. If the mission is set in an enclosed location like a cave system or a
castle, then having the monsters flee the current encounter area may cause problems later if
the players meet them again in the company of another group of enemies! In these cases it is
better for the monsters to surrender; what happens to them then is down to the players (and
their sense of mercy). On the other hand, if the adventure takes place somewhere with lots of
potential escape routes, such as a forest or a town, then the enemies can simply flee beyond
the boundaries of the mission, never to be seen again.
The GM may decide that a monster never needs to roll a Morale Check (or will always
succeed, no matter what the die roll). In such cases, the monster’s determination to fight on to
the death should arise naturally from the circumstances of the encounter or the adventure,
rather than simply because the GM wants a knock-down fight. An example might be that the
monster is a mother protecting its eggs or children.
Death
What happens if a character is killed in battle – or by a trap, or a long fall, or any of a
limitless number of other ways to die?
Because YAMIAT is designed for quickly-created characters, there are two ways a player
can recover from the death of one of their characters. The first is to have the dead
adventurer’s twin brother or sister (potentially the first of many!) arrive, the player simply
crossing out the original character’s name on their sheet and replacing it with a new one. All
ability scores remain the same, and their Hit Points are returned to their original maximum.
The other is to create a brand-new character – maybe this time, the player wants to try being a
Priest rather than an Elf.
Either way, the new character catches up with the rest of the party as soon as they’ve been
created, which should hopefully be no longer than a few minutes. The best way to introduce
them is for the GM simply to say “You hear running footsteps,” and the new character to
appear and introduce themselves, announcing that they are sorry they’re late – they’ve just
arrived from the tavern, where the patron or their associate sent them to join the mission.
If the replacement character arrives during a battle, then if an Enemy Round is in
progress, the newcomer will get to join in the fray at the start of the next Player Round,
entering Support. If a Player Round is ongoing, they have to wait until the start of the
following Player Round; they cannot take any actions during the Enemy Round.
Dead characters lose all their personal Achievements, but all group Achievements are still
counted in their total at the end of the mission. That may seem unfair if your character
survives all the way to the final boss fight only to be killed, their replacement turning up
moments before another player kills the villain, but such is life (and death)...
Helpless Opponents
Creatures who have been rendered completely helpless – by being tied up, knocked
unconscious, trapped by a Black Tentacles spell and so on – are extremely vulnerable in
combat. Attacks on them automatically deliver the maximum possible damage: the highest
number on the attacker’s Damage Die, plus their Damage Bonus (whether or not the target’s
AC is beaten) – with any other bonuses from special abilities or magic also applied.
Subduing Opponents
Players may sometimes want (or need) to defeat an enemy without killing them. Assuming
the opponent does not fail a Morale Check and surrender, there are two ways to do this.
The first is for the PC to declare before they roll their Damage Die that they are making a
non-lethal attack. If the enemy’s HP are reduced to zero, they are knocked out rather than
killed, and will recover their HP when they wake up. For fairness, once a player declares that
they are trying to subdue an enemy rather than kill them, all successive attacks should be
considered non-lethal unless the player states otherwise. It would be rather mean for a GM to
announce that the PC just killed their mind-controlled friend because the player forgot to
specify a non-lethal attack in the final round!
The second way is for the PC to try to wrestle their opponent into submission. To do so,
they need to make an Opposed Roll (whoever succeeds with the lowest roll wins; see above)
with their STR against the enemy’s Check. Stronger creatures (ie, with more Hit Dice) may
have to be successfully subdued for three consecutive turns to be taken down. Any creature
being pinned in this way cannot attack anyone other than the character wrestling them.
Converting Monsters From The Original Game
Just as YAMIAT (and TAAC before it) are derived from the original game, so too are the
monsters the players will undoubtedly have to fight. This means firstly that they are easy and
straightforward to describe in terms of their stats (unlike later editions, where even the most
trivial enemy could have a statblock half a page long), and secondly that there is an almost
limitless array of creatures to choose from! Even if you don’t have access to a copy of either
the original game or its Advanced stablemate’s manual full of monsters, a simple web search
will find plenty of sample adversaries that can be converted for this game.
However, YAMIAT lets GMs go beyond the existing monsters. Since each adventure is
intended as a one-shot, with no need even to be set in the same fantasy world, there is no
reason why a goblin encountered in one has to have the same characteristics as a goblin in the
next.
This is where Gimmicks come in. A monster’s Gimmick can be a special attack or
defence, a unique ability, or anything else the GM can imagine to keep the players on their
toes. The monsters in the sample adventure The Greenwold Inheritance are examples; even
though their stats are for the most part the same as those in the original game, their Gimmicks
make them rather different in play. Even Lucy the dog has a Gimmick; her Lockjaw ability to
bite an enemy and hang on with her teeth is not something found in the 1981 game.
Gimmicks should not be used to make monsters undefeatable or excessively deadly, but
they can certainly add to the challenge of fighting them!
Armour Class
Although YAMIAT is based on the 1981 Basic version of the Original Game, in which the
lowest AC was 9, AC 10 is included below to allow for easy conversion from the Advanced
edition.
Armour Class Conversion Table

OG 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5
YAMIAT 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Armour Classes in the basic and advanced games were slightly different due to the addition
of AC 10 for completely unarmoured targets, but YAMIAT uses the basic game’s system; this
has the side effect of making it slightly easier to add a PC’s Damage Bonus to monsters from
the advanced game (by 5%, or on number on a d20), which is a good thing all round for the
players!
Hit Dice & Hit Points

Hit Dice for monsters are used slightly differently in YAMIAT than in the original game.
There, they were always a d8, the number of dice generally giving an idea of how dangerous
the enemy was; the more HD they had, the more Hit Points.
Here, the HD stat from the original game is still used to work out how many HP a
monster should have. A d8 is rolled for each HD (or the average of 5 can be used) and any
bonus number is then added. For example, a creature listed as having 3+1 HD has its HP
determined by rolling 3d8 and adding 1, giving a range of 4 to 25.
However, in YAMIAT a creature’s HD is also used to determine its Damage Die. In the
same way that the various character classes use different dice, so do the monsters.
Damage Die
<1 HD d4
1 HD d6
2-3 HD d8
4-5 HD d10
6-7 HD d12
8-9 HD d20
10-12 HD 2d20
13-15 HD 3d20
16-20 HD 4d20
21-25 HD 5d20
26-30 HD 6d20
31-35 HD 7d20
36-40 HD 8d20
If a monster has one or more asterisks (*) after its HD number in the Original Game, this
means that it adds +1 to every roll of its Damage Die. (So a roll of 6 would be increased to 7.)
In the statblock, this is written as the following example: DD d8+1.
Damage Bonus
A monster’s Damage Bonus is equal to its Hit Dice; if it has less than one HD, the Damage
Bonus is 1. If it has a Gimmick that allows it to inflict more damage than its standard
Damage Die in any way (including having an asterisk after its HD in the Original Game), add
+1 to its Damage Bonus.
Checks
To calculate a monster’s Check score, add its Hit Dice (rounded down: anything of less than
one HD becomes zero) to six. Because a roll of 20 on a Check is always a failure, the
effective highest score is 19.
A normal human (in the Original Game having 1-4 HP, so half a Hit Die) would therefore
have a Check of 6. A gold dragon (11 HD) would have a Check of 17.
Monsters with one or more asterisks (*) after their HD number in the Original Game add
+1 to their initial Check score.
Movement
Because YAMIAT does not share the original game’s obsessive need to track the minutiae of
time and movement – and also because the Basic and Advanced versions use completely
different methods to calculate speed and distance – it has its own system to determine who is
able to move the fastest.
The standard speed for a PC in the Basic game was 120’ per turn (10 minutes), or 40’ per
round (10 seconds) in encounters (dividing the turn speed by three). In the Advanced game,
distance was measured in inches, one inch representing ten yards while outdoors, and ten feet
in buildings or dungeons. As with so many rules in the Advanced game, there were many
caveats and modifiers, but a normal human with a standard amount of gear could move at 12”
per turn (10 minutes), which translated to 120’ per round (1 minute). Converting between the
two is therefore quite a faff.
To get around this, YAMIAT’s system measures a monster’s speed relative to the PCs,
without specifically saying exactly how far they can travel in a given time. If they can move
at the same speed as the PCs, their Speed is listed as an equals sign (=). If they’re slower,
their Speed is given as a single less-than sign (<). If they are faster than the PCs, their Speed
is a single greater-than sign (>); a lot faster, two such signs (>>).
In all cases, the listed Speed is the maximum – ie, the character or monster is moving flat-
out. If they are not in a rush, then creatures of the next speed category down can catch or
keep up with them if they travel as fast as they can.
Some monsters may have two listed Speeds; for example, vampires can travel on foot, or
fly. The ground speed is the number not in brackets. The creature’s description should list the
forms of movement. A Speed of 0 means the monster is immobile.
Speed Conversion
Basic 0 under 120’ (40’) 120’ (40’) up to 240’ (80’) 240’ (80’) or more
Advanced 0 under 12” 12” up to 24” 24” or more
YAMIAT 0 < = > >>
Which Version To Use?

That old fantasy favourite, the orc, can move at 120’ (40’) in the Basic game, and 9” in the
Advanced game. These translate as different speeds relative to the PCs in YAMIAT, so which
should the GM use?
The answer is: whichever suits them best. The same applies to every other aspect of a
monster, if they differ between the two versions of the original game. If the GM wants orcs to
be slower than the PCs, then they can be!
Morale
The Morale score in the Original Game was on a scale of 2 to 12, while in YAMIAT it has
been converted to a d20 roll for consistency with other Checks. Use the table below to
convert the numbers. Where the 2d6 number can be converted to one of two numbers, if the
monster has a plus to its Hit Dice (eg, HD 3+1) use the higher number, otherwise use the
lower.
2d6 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 11 11 12
1d20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Monsters from the Advanced version of the original game do not have a Morale score. If
using creatures from this source, GMs should decide the Morale score based on its nature and
the threat it poses.
Alignment
Does not play any role in YAMIAT. Yes, creatures may be good or evil, but it doesn’t affect
the gameplay at all – only how they behave in relation to the PCs, which is decided by the
GM. So there is no need to convert (or even consider) the alignment of creatures from the
original game.
Advanced Conversions
The Advanced version of the Original Game had a host of extra stats (though it didn’t use the
basic game’s Morale system) – all of which are unused in YAMIAT. So ignore the following
when converting from an advanced manual of monsters: Frequency, No. Appearing, % In
Lair, Treasure Type, Magic Resistance, Intelligence, Alignment, Size and Psionic Ability.
Special Attacks and Special Defenses can be covered under a creature’s Gimmick.
Unique Monsters
Even though YAMIAT is designed to use the monsters from the Original Game, there is no
reason to be limited by it. Since each adventure effectively takes place in a brand new world,
a monster in one mission may only have its name in common with a monster in the next.
For example, zombies in the Advanced game are rather dull shambling thugs, who
mindlessly wallop targets until destroyed and are so slow they always attack last. But the
zombies in your adventure might be more like the ones from the George Romero zombie
movies, biting their victims and giving them an infection (if they fail a CON Check) that will
soon kill them and turn them into another zombie. Or they could be the faster-moving 21st
century version found in the likes of 28 Days Later or World War Z, who run relentlessly after
their prey in huge packs. Or they could be like the Crimson Heads from the remake of the
Resident Evil videogame, who if not burned or decapitated after being taken down for the
first time mutate into an even more deadly variety.
The choice is the GM’s – and, of course, there is no need to tell the players about the
changes. They can find out for themselves! Imagine their surprise if in this particular world,
kobolds – the traditional weakling monster for beginning adventurers to despatch – has the
Gimmick of exploding in a shower of searing acid blood when killed...
Recharge
Some monsters may have a Gimmick that can be used multiple times. To prevent this from
overwhelming the players, the monster must make a successful Check before it can be used
again in the next round; if the Check fails, they either make a normal attack, or can use a
different Gimmick. Gimmicks of this type have (recharge) after their name. If a number is
also listed, such as x3, that is the maximum number of times the Gimmick can be used in the
adventure.
Example Monsters
The monsters below are based on those from the Basic version of the Original Game. Some
of the Gimmicks are in keeping with the special abilities of their forebears, while others have
been made up to show the kinds of features possible. Monsters can have several Gimmicks,
or none; it’s up to the GM to decide what is suitable for each adventure.
Orc
AC 4, HD 1, HP 1-8 (5), DD d6, DB 2, CK 7, ML 12, SP =
Gimmick: Waugh!
Orcs are buoyed if they have the advantage of numbers; if they outnumber the PCs and their
allies, they add +1 to their Damage Die roll.
Kobold
AC 3, HD 1/2, HP 1-4 (3), DD d4, DB 1, CK 6, ML 8, SP <
Gimmick: You Sneaky Little...
Kobolds are not big or powerful, but they are very, very agile! Any PC trying to make an
Intercept to stop them from reaching an ally in Support must roll their DEX Check twice and
take the higher (worse) result. Warriors using their You Shall Not Pass special ability are not
affected by this Gimmick.
Grey Ooze
AC 2, HD 3, HP 3-24 (15), DD d8+1, DB 4, CK 10, ML 20, SP <
Gimmick: They Call It Aciiiied
If this slimy monster’s Damage Die roll beats its opponent’s AC, it sticks to them and
unleashes the full force of its horrific acid attack. All subsequent Damage Die rolls against its
engulfed target are doubled, and any damage inflicted upon the ooze by the victim’s allies is
also inflicted upon the victim if they fail a (CON) Check for each attack.
Ghoul
AC 4, HD 2, HP 2-16, DD d8+1, DB 3, CK 9, ML 15, SP <
Gimmick: Paralysis
An attack by a ghoul will paralyse its target unless they succeed at a (CON) Check. Paralysed
victims may make a (CON) Check as their Action each Player Round; if they succeed, they
will be able to take actions in the next Player Round. The paralysis can be removed by a
Priest’s Heal miracle, or if the ghoul is killed. Elves have total immunity to this Gimmick.
Lion
AC 4, HD 5, HP 5-40 (25), DD d10, DB 5, CK 11, ML 14, SP >
Gimmick: None
Black Dragon
AC 8, HD 7, HP 7-56 (35), DD d12, DB 8, CK 13, ML13, SP < (>>)
Gimmick: Acid Breath (x3, recharge)
Doubles the dragon’s Damage Die roll.
Gimmick: Spellcasting
Black Dragons may cast up to three spells of Adventurer tier.
Skeleton
AC 3, HD 1, HP 1-8 (5), DD d6, DB 1, CK 7, ML 20, SP <
Gimmick: None
And just for fun, a high-level monster from the Advanced game...
Tarrasque
AC 13, HD 37, HP 300, DD 8d20, DB 37, CK 43 (effectively 19), ML 20, SP <
Gimmick: Terror
The Tarrasque’s size and appearance are so fearsome that all NPCs facing it must make a
Morale Check every Player Round or flee in terror. PCs must make a CHA Check to face it,
but need only do so at the start of their first Player Round.
Gimmick: Deadly Bite (recharge)
The Tarrasque’s teeth are so sharp that if it removes more than half of a target’s maximum
(not current) HP with a bite attack, the victim is ripped apart and instantly killed, however
many HP they have remaining.
Gimmick: Charge (recharge)
The Tarrasque charges at its attackers. It does not need to select a target, but simply rolls its
Damage Dice. If the result is odd, it attacks opponents in Melee; even, it attacks opponents in
Support. (If all opponents are in the same stance, it attacks them all.) Any target who does not
make a successful (DEX) Check takes full damage.
Gimmick: Regeneration
The Tarrasque regains 1d6 HP at the start of each Enemy Round, to its maximum.
SPELLS, MIRACLES AND CHARMS
Although spells, miracles and charms on the surface appear to be magic, they are very
different in nature – unlike in the Original Game, where all the different spellcasting classes
worked in essentially the same way.
Spells, the domain of Sorcerers, are magic in its most refined form – or, from the point of
view of the elves, its most warped, taking raw magical energies and twisting them in defiance
of the laws of nature. In play, many spells have the effect of changing the world around them
to suit the caster’s whim, whether by opening portals through solid objects or by blasting the
Sorcerer’s opponents to death.
Miracles are granted to Priests by the gods they serve – and gods are not bound by mere
magic, to the point that some miracles can completely negate the effects of spells and charms.
In play, miracles generally aid the Priest or their allies, often by boosting (‘buffing’) their
abilities.
Charms are the domain of Elves, drawing upon the natural forces of the world around
them. Compared to the sheer spectacle of spells or the irresistible power of a god’s miracle
they may seem underwhelming, but a wily Elf can make good use of a charm to weaken
(‘debuff’) their enemies and make them easier to defeat.
• Sorcerer spells cannot be cast in Melee. The Sorcerer must be able to speak and move freely
in order to cast a spell, as they perform the gestures and say the words of power that unleash
their magic.
• Elf spells cannot be cast in Melee. The Elf must be able to speak to cast a spell; however,
Elven magic does not require gestures to be cast. This means that Elves can cast spells even if
restrained.
• Priest miracles can be called upon in or out of Melee. A Priest does not need to speak or
make any specific gestures to call upon the power of their deity, merely will it.
Spells and miracles can also be used against the PCs by their foes! In these cases, GMs
should apply the wording of the spell or miracle as if the players are the monsters – for
example, a spell that takes effect on the Enemy Round instead takes place on the Player
Round, against the PCs.
Area Of Effect
Spells and miracles with an ‘AOE’ tag have an Area Of Effect that in combat, unless the
player says otherwise, are considered to be targeted upon creatures in Melee. For example: an
enemy spellcaster is on a high battlement, out of Melee and shielded from Missile attacks as
he sends deadly spells at the party. A player declares that their Elf casts a Zone Of Silence
spell upon him (rather than on the Melee combatants, as would be normal), rendering him
unable to cast any more spells until he moves to a new position, possibly becoming
vulnerable in the process.
If an AOE spell would affect a large number of monsters, rather than make any Saves
that may be required individually, the GM may break the monsters into groups by type or
number and roll Saves for multiple creatures at once.
Spell & Miracle Ranges

Self: the spell or miracle can affect only the caster.
Touch: can affect the caster, or a target they can physically reach (in combat, this means in
the same stance: either Melee or Support). Against unwilling targets, the caster must make a
(STR) Check to make contact. This may require the caster to be in Melee.
Sight: can affect a target within line of sight. Some offensive spells (such as Fireball) may be
‘fired blind’, but most require the caster to be able to see their target. The maximum range of
any spell or miracle is 300’.
Spell & Miracle Durations

Immediate: the effect happens instantly.
Hit: lasts until the recipient causes Melee damage to an enemy
Round: lasts for one Player Round or Enemy Round, as per the description. Out of combat,
the effect lasts for 30 seconds.
Turn: lasts for one Player Round and one Enemy Round. Out of combat, the effect lasts for 1
minute.
Encounter: the spell or miracle lasts for the entirety of the current encounter. If cast outside
an encounter area (for example, if the party recently fought a battle and is moving to a new
location), then it lasts until the conclusion of the next encounter – or for one hour, whichever
is sooner.
Indefinite: the spell or miracle remains in effect until the caster dies.
Based on tier: the spell or miracle’s duration is listed at the end of its description according
to the PC’s tier: Explorer, Adventurer or Hero.
Priest Miracles
Boon
Range: Sight Duration: immediate
The next Check made by the recipient automatically succeeds, without needing to roll. The
Boon remains active on the recipient until they need to make a Check.
Command
Range: Sight Duration: turn
Imbues the Priest’s voice with the power of their god, letting them issue a single-word
command that the target must obey if they fail a (CHA) Check. The word must be a verb
denoting a normally voluntary action (eg, “stop”, “flee”, “approach”, “dance”), and the
subject must be physically able to obey it. In combat, affected creatures will carry out the
command to the exclusion of all other actions, potentially rendering them helpless.
Explorer: affects one creature.
Adventurer: affects up to three creatures.
Hero: affects up to six creatures.
Divine Protection
Range: Self Duration: see below
Imbues the Priest with the power of their god and allows them to completely negate the next
spell that is cast upon them. There is no need to make a Check – the spell simply fails
completely with no effect, and is wasted. (This miracle does not negate physical damage
caused by a spell like Fireball if it was cast at another creature and the Priest is in its area of
effect.)
Divine Shield
Range: Self Duration: encounter
Increases the Priest’s AC.
Explorer: AC +2.
Adventurer: AC +3.
Hero: AC +4.
Fear
Range: Sight Duration: immediate AOE
The Priest channels the terrifying divine wrath of their god to force an immediate Morale
Check on their enemies. If an enemy casts this spell upon the PCs, each must make a CHA
Check to avoid being overcome by terror.
Hand Of God
Range: Sight Duration: encounter
Gives all allied creatures a bonus to their Damage Die rolls in combat.
Explorer: +1
Adventurer: +2
Hero: +4
Heal
Range: Touch Duration: immediate
Restores a number of Hit Points to an injured character or NPC, up to their maximum. In
addition, it cures diseases and neutralises poisons affecting the subject. A Priest can also use
this miracle on a flask of water to create a healing potion that can be used at any time;
however healing potions can only restore a maximum of 1d8 HP.
Explorer: 1d8
Adventurer: 2d8
Hero: 3d8
Heroic Inspiration
Range: Self Duration: hit
On the Priest’s next attack after calling upon this miracle, they not only deliver extra damage,
but the sight inspires their allies to regain their fighting spirit.
Explorer: +2 damage; all allies recover 1d4 HP, to their maximum.
Adventurer: +4 damage; all allies recover 1d6 HP, to their maximum.
Hero: +6 damage; all allies recover 1d8 HP, to their maximum.
Holy Light
Range: Touch Duration: indefinite
A non-living object that the Priest touches glows with a pure white light that illuminates up to
30’ away. If cast on a weapon, it gives a damage bonus when used against undead. (The
bonus is added to the owner of the weapon’s Damage Die, unless they specify they are not
using the blessed weapon.)
Explorer: +1 damage vs undead.
Adventurer: +2 damage vs undead.
Hero: +3 damage vs undead.
Holy Protector
The Priest automatically succeeds at Interception attempts without needing to make a DEX
Check. Only one Interception can be made per turn, as normal.
Peacemaker
Range: Self Duration: Hit
The next enemy that the Priest attacks after this miracle is called upon cannot make any
attacks or take any action that would result in direct harm to another being until the effect
wears off; they are free to take any other actions, however. At the start of each Enemy Round
after the first in which they are affected, the victim may attempt a (CHA) Check to overcome
it.
Explorer: duration of 2 turns.
Adventurer: duration of 4 turns.
Hero: duration of the rest of the encounter.
Radiance
Range: Self Duration: based on tier
The Priest shines with a brilliant divine light channelled directly from their god. Any creature
that attacks the Priest automatically takes damage in return. This includes enemies who have
been forced to attack the Priest by an Intercept.
Explorer: duration of one turn, d6 damage.
Adventurer: duration of two turns, d8 damage.
Hero: duration of three turns, d10 damage.
Remove Curse
As the name suggests, removes any curses currently inflicting a character. It does not remove
curses from cursed weapons, armour and the like, but does allow the user to discard them.
Resistance
Allows one or more creatures of the Priest’s choice to roll twice on all Checks against the
effects of heat (including fire), cold, acid, electricity, gas and poison, using the best (lowest)
score.
Explorer: one ally.
Adventurer: all allies.
Hero: as Adventurer; any damage taken on a failed Check is halved.
Sense Danger
Range: Self Duration: round
When the Priest calls upon this miracle, all hostile persons or creatures, traps, poisons or
other potential sources of harm within 50’ are outlined with a red glow that only they can see.
The glow is visible as an outline even through solid objects if the subjects are hidden from
view.
Smite
Range: Sight Duration: hit
The Priest can use this miracle on themselves or any ally in Melee to double the result of their
next Damage Die roll.
Speak With The Dead

Range: Touch Duration: based on tier
The Priest is able to reach into the afterlife to ask questions of the recently deceased
(represented by the GM). The dead creature must be present before the Priest, have been
intelligent, passed away no more than 24 hours ago, and must not have become undead. The
question(s) may be no more than ten words long, but will be answered truthfully.
Explorer: One question with a yes/no/don’t know answer.
Adventurer: Two questions with yes/no/don’t know answer.
Hero: As Adventurer, or one question answerable in up to six words.
Watchful Eye
Range: Self Duration: see below
The Priest who calls upon this miracle cannot be surprised by monsters; if the GM would
normally have the players make a Surprise Check to see if they will be ambushed, they
instead simply warn the party of the lurking threat. The effect lasts until it is used to negate a
Surprise Check.
Walk On Water
Range: Touch Duration: encounter
Allows one or more creatures to walk on water as if it were solid.
Explorer: 1 creature.
Adventurer: 3 creatures.
Hero: All PCs.
Word Of Power
Range: Self Duration: 1 Enemy Round AOE
The Priest booms out a holy word that delivers the divine force of their god to all enemies in
earshot. Any target that fails a (CHA) Check is paralysed for the next Enemy Round.
Explorer: (CHA) Check made as normal.
Adventurer: any target that fails the (CHA) Check also takes 1d4 damage.
Hero: any target that fails the (CHA) Check also takes 1d6 damage.
Sorcerer Spells
Arcane Light
Range: Self Duration: indefinite
Creates a glowing ball of light the size of an apple that illuminates a radius of 30’. The
Sorcerer can ‘fly’ the ball of light at will to any point they wish within 30’ of them. If they (as
an Action in the Player Round) fly it into a creature’s eyes, the victim must make a (CHA)
Check or be dazzled and rendered unable to fight in the next Enemy Round. (The light does
not affect enemies with no eyes or which primarily rely on other senses.) If used in this way,
the process must be repeated each Player Round to maintain the dazzling effect, meaning the
Sorcerer cannot take any other actions.
Black Tentacles
Range: Sight Duration: 1 turn AOE
Masses of black tentacles spring up from the ground to ensnare and damage hostile creatures;
the number affected is the equivalent in Hit Dice of the caster’s INT, starting with the
weakest monsters. Creatures with less than one HD are rounded up to one. Any enemy that
fails a (STR) Check is trapped and not only takes damage as below, but is rendered helpless
(and highly vulnerable to all other attacks) in the current Player Round and unable to take any
Actions in the next Enemy Round.
For example, a Sorcerer with INT 17 facing five kobolds (<1 HD), six orcs (1 HD) and
two ogres (4 HD) would entangle all the kobolds (for 5 HD), all the orcs (totalling 11 HD)
and one ogre (bringing the total to 15 HD). Any creature partially caught – in this case, the
second ogre – will take damage if it fails the (STR) Check, but is not trapped.
Explorer: 1d4 damage.
Adventurer: 1d6 damage.
Hero: 1d8 damage.
When dealing with larger numbers of enemies, the GM may choose to divide them into
groups (of a third or quarter of the total) and make a single Check for each group rather than
each individual.
Blindsight
Allows creatures to see with perfect clarity as if it is broad daylight even in total darkness or
zero visibility; for example, in thick smoke or fog. Also allows blinded creatures to see. The
effect negates any penalties that would normally result from being unsighted.
Explorer: 1 creature for 1 turn.
Adventurer: 3 creatures for 1 turn.
Hero: all PCs for 1 encounter.
Death Cloud
Range: Self Duration: based on tier AOE
Jets a dense cloud of poisonous gas from the Sorcerer’s pointing finger. It is heavier than air,
and always rolls downhill. If fired into Melee, all creatures therein (including allies) must
make a (DEX) Check each Enemy Round to avoid the gas; if they fail, they take 1d8 damage.
The Save is attempted each round the cloud is active.
Explorer: duration of 1 Enemy Round.
Adventurer: duration of 2 Enemy Rounds.
Hero: duration of 3 Enemy Rounds.
Dispel Magic
Cancels any spell in effect within 20’ of the target point if the Sorcerer makes a successful
(INT) Check. It does not cancel the effects of miracles or active magic items (such as a Ring
of Invisibility).
Fireball
The Sorcerer shoots a ball of flame that explodes when it hits its target, causing damage to all
creatures within 30’. Flammable objects may also catch fire at the GM’s option. If firing into
Melee, the Sorcerer must make a successful (INT) Check to aim and time the explosion
correctly. If they succeed, only enemies are damaged; if they fail, all Melee combatants –
including PCs and allies – are hit.
Explorer: 1d6 damage per victim.
Adventurer: 2d6 damage per victim.
Hero: 3d6 damage per victim.
Fly
Allows the Sorcerer to fly. If they take damage while airborne, they must make a (CHA)
Check to maintain the spell; if they fail, they fall and take damage as per the falling rules.
Explorer: can levitate, moving only up and down at walking speed.
Adventurer: can fly freely in any direction at walking speed.
Hero: can fly freely in any direction at running speed.
Haste
Recipients of this spell are put into a state of temporal acceleration, letting them take two
Actions (excluding using spells, charms or miracles) in a Player Round and move at double
speed. Quickened creatures get +2 to their AC. Haste cancels out the effects of an Elf’s Slow
spell.
Adventurer: 3 creatures for 2 turns.
Hero: all the PCs for 3 turns.
Illusion
Range: Sight Duration: based on tier
Allows the Sorcerer to create an illusionary object that appears real to observers until they
touch it, at which point it is revealed as intangible and harmless. An illusory light source casts
light itself. The caster can dispel the illusion at will.
Explorer: the illusion can be up to human-sized, cannot move or make sounds, and lasts 1
turn.
Adventurer: the illusion can be up to twice human-sized, can be animated and make sounds
under the caster’s control, and lasts 1 encounter.
Hero: the illusion can be up to the size of an adult dragon, can be animated and make sounds
either under the caster’s control or according to a predetermined ‘script’, and lasts
indefinitely.
Invisibility
Turns the Sorcerer or one creature or item invisible. Anything worn or carried by the subject
also becomes invisible, but returns to sight if it leaves their direct contact. A creature stays
invisible until it attacks, takes damage or uses a spell, miracle or charm. Attacks on an
invisible target are made as per the rules for total darkness: they must beat its AC to score any
damage, and the attacker’s Damage Bonus is not applied – unless the attacker relies on senses
other than sight, in which case they attack as normal.
Explorer: effect lasts for 2 turns.
Adventurer: effect lasts for 4 turns.
Hero: effect lasts for 1 encounter.
Knock
Opens one locked or magically sealed door, gate, chest or other item visible to the Sorcerer.
The spell makes a loud knocking sound, potentially alerting nearby monsters.
Lightning Bolt
Fires a powerful electrical bolt at a single target; the Sorcerer must make a successful (INT)
Check to hit.
Hero: 4d6 damage.
Magic Missile
Fires a bolt of magical energy (which normally resembles an arrow, but can be of any form
the caster wishes, such as a diving falcon or flaming skull) that automatically hits one target
visible to the Sorcerer.
Hero: 3d6 damage.
Passwall
Range: Touch Duration: encounter
Opens up a 5’ diameter passage through any solid, inorganic wall or obstruction. If the
obstacle is thicker than the spell can penetrate, the passage is a dead end. Any creatures inside
the passage as it closes are spat out of the nearest open end. The passage can be at any angle
the caster desires, including vertical.
Explorer: obstacle can be up to 1 foot thick.
Adventurer: obstacle can be up to 10 feet thick.
Hero: obstacle can be up to 20 feet thick.
Polymorph
Allows the Sorcerer to turn themselves into any creature that they have seen, including a
specific individual. The Sorcerer gains any physical abilities of the creature (such as flight, a
poisoned sting or fire breath), but not any magical abilities, the subject’s knowledge, the
ability to cast spells the Sorcerer does not already know, or to call upon charms or miracles.
Their HP and AC become those of the copied creature; if their HP are reduced to 0 while
transformed, they revert back to their original form, with however many HP they had when
the spell was cast. If duplicating a specific person, the Sorcerer’s clothing and possessions do
not change appearance, only their body.
The Sorcerer is considered to have previously seen common animals such as horses,
cows, cats, dogs and birds. To determine if they have seen anything more unusual (including
monsters) on previous adventures, they make an INT Check with the Hit Dice of the creature
they want to become subtracted from the target number; for example, a Sorcerer with INT 17
would have to roll 13 or lower to polymorph into an ogre (4 HD). The GM can disallow any
suggested creature on the grounds that it doesn’t exist in this particular world.
Explorer: new form can have a maximum of 2 HD.
Adventurer: new form can have a maximum of 6 HD.
Hero: new form can have any number of HD.
Read Magic
Allows a magical text chosen by the caster to be read by anyone, even letting non-casters use
magic scrolls. The text remains permanently readable. All Sorcerers know this spell. A
Sorcerer can transcribe a spell they know onto a scroll and then cast Read Magic upon it to
make it useable by others. (See Magic Scrolls, below.)
Reflection
Once this spell is cast, the next spell cast upon the Sorcerer is automatically reflected back at
its caster. If the spell requires a Save, the caster must make it or take the full effect. Spells
with an area effect (such as Fireball) will affect the enemy caster’s allies as well. This spell
does not counter miracles.
Sleep
Puts hostile living creatures within 40’ of the target point instantly to sleep. The spell affects a
number of Hit Points equal to the Sorcerer’s INT+4, starting with the creature(s) with the
fewest current HP and working upwards. For example, a Sorcerer with INT 15 casts Sleep on
a group of four orcs, each with 5 HP. Three orcs (for a total of 15 HP) fall asleep; the
remaining 4 HP of the effect are wasted, as a creature cannot be left ‘partially’ asleep.
Swole’s Mighty Blow

Range: Self Duration: hit
Increases the Sorcerer’s Damage Die when making a Melee attack. The Sorcerer’s STR
bonus (if any) is added if the roll beats the target’s AC. Once cast, the spell remains ‘charged’
until the Sorcerer makes a successful Melee attack; no other spell can be cast until a hit is
scored or they willingly end the effect, in which case the Mighty Blow is wasted.
Explorer: Damage Die is 1d12.
Adventurer: Damage Die is 1d20.
Hero: Damage Die is 2d20.
Telekinesis
The Sorcerer can manipulate objects from a distance. Unwilling creatures can resist the effect
with a (CHA) Check. Attacks using telekinetically-moved objects are made using an (INT)
Check. If an object is sent out of range or if the Sorcerer ends the effect, it drops to the
ground and may take falling damage. Objects can be moved at the Sorcerer’s running speed.
Explorer: one inanimate object of up to 2 lbs in weight, for one Player Round.
Adventurer: one object or creature of up to 50 lbs in weight, for one Turn.
Hero: one object or creature of up to 300 lbs in weight, or up to three objects or creatures of
up to 100 lbs in weight each, for two Turns.
Elf Charms
Animal Ally
The Elf summons an animal to fight for them, the creature teleporting into Melee and
attacking a target of the Elf’s choice immediately. The type of animal is decided by the GM;
it must be a normal, non-magical creature that can inflict damage.
Explorer: animal has 1 or 2 HD. (Examples: spitting cobra, giant bat, rock baboon)
Adventurer: animal has 3 or 4 HD. (Examples: boar, panther, white ape)
Hero: animal has 5 or 6 HD. (Examples: lion, grizzly or polar bear, tiger)
Beast’s Might
Increases the STR of the subject to 18 for the purpose of STR Checks, and increasing their
Damage Bonus for the duration. If their original STR was 12 or less, add +3 to their Damage
Bonus; if it was 13, 14 or 15, add +2; if it was 16 or 17, add +1. (If it was already 18, it was
rather a waste of a miracle!)
Explorer: affects the caster or one other PC.
Adventurer: affects the caster and one other PC.
Hero: affects the caster and two other PCs.
Beguile
This spell can be used on one intelligent living creature. A target that fails a (CHA) Check
will regard the caster as its new best friend, and do whatever is necessary to protect him or
her from harm – even if this involves attacking its former allies. If they can communicate by
speech, the Elf can give the subject commands that will be obeyed, as long as they do not go
against its sense of self-preservation. Any order that would result in direct harm to the subject
instantly causes the spell to end. When this happens, the subject becomes aware that they
have been enchanted, and must make a Morale Check; if the result is lower than the subject’s
Morale score, they become filled with a murderous rage towards the Elf that can only be
ended by the death of either them or their subjugator. If the spell ends naturally, the subject
returns to normal with mild amnesia, not remembering what happened while they were
beguiled, and a Neutral attitude to the Elf and their allies.
Explorer: target may have up to 4 HD; duration of 1 encounter.
Adventurer: target may have up to 7 HD; duration of 2 encounters.
Hero: target may have up to 10 HD; subject remains charmed until the caster’s death.
Commune With Nature

Range: Self Duration: based on tier
The Elf enters a trance state that allows them to as simple questions of animals and plants
nearby. The questions can be no longer than 10 words, and answerable as yes, no or
unknown. The answers (given by the GM) will always be truthful.
Explorer: 1 question.
Adventurer: 2 questions.
Hero: 3 questions.
Confusion
Range: Sight Duration: based on tier AOE
Puts an affected living target into a state of useless bewilderment if they fail a (CHA) Check,
making them incapable of taking any action of their own volition and losing the ability to
distinguish friend from foe. If they take damage in combat, they will attack a randomly
chosen participant in retaliation.
Adventurer: all enemies for 1 turn.
Hero: all enemies for 2 turns.
Control Animal
The Elf selects one animal within range, which must make a (CHA) Check. If it fails, the Elf
can command it to do their bidding; it will obey any order that would not directly cause its
death.
Eagle’s Eye
Allows the subject to roll twice on all (WIS) Checks relating to perception (such as searching
for secret doors) and use the best (lowest) result.
Explorer: affects the caster or one other creature.
Adventurer: affects the caster and one other creature.
Hero: affects all the PCs.
Entangle
Nearby vegetation grows and twists to ensnare enemy creatures within 30’ of the target point.
There must be plants in the area for the spell to work. Affected creatures may make a (STR)
Check to break loose, otherwise they are rendered helpless. Even if a creature breaks free, it
must make another (STR) Check to stay unentangled in each Enemy Round the charm is
active.
Adventurer: duration of 2 Enemy Rounds.
Fog
Creates an obscuring mist up to 30’ in radius around the target point. All creatures that rely on
sight make attacks as if in total darkness while in the fog.
Explorer: duration of 1 turn.
Hero: duration of 1 encounter.
Hold
Range: Sight Duration: round
Locks a creature into a state of paralysis if it fails a (CHA) Check, rendering it completely
helpless. The target cannot take any actions in its next Enemy Round.
Ice Storm
Creates a swirling, freezing storm 60’ in diameter that delivers 1d6 damage per Enemy
Round to all creatures – including PCs and their allies – within it.
Adventurer: duration of 2 Enemy rounds.
Insect Plague
Summons a cloud of insects that surround and attack the Elf’s foes. At the start of each
Enemy Round, living targets must make a Morale Check in order to attack; if they fail, they
hunker down to protect themselves from the insects’ bites and stings, becoming unable to
take any other actions.
Explorer: duration of 1 turn; 1 HP damage per Player Round.
Adventurer: duration of 2 turns; 1d4 damage per Player Round.
Hero: duration of 3 turns; 1d6 damage per Player Round.
Slow
Slows enemies to half speed. A monster who fails a (CHA) Check is affected; their movement
speed is reduced by one rank, and the results of any Damage Die rolls are halved. In addition,
attacks on slowed creatures by the PCs double their Damage Bonus. Slow cancels out the
effects of a Sorcerer’s Haste spell.
Explorer: 1 creature for 1 Enemy Round.
Adventurer: all enemies for 1 Enemy Round.
Hero: all enemies for 2 Enemy Rounds.
Sunfire
The Elf is surrounded by a burst of scorching light that burns their enemies with the heat of
the sun. In addition, it causes extra damage to creatures that are normally adversely affected
by sunlight, such as kobolds, drow or vampires.
Explorer: 1d4 damage; 1d6 against sunlight-averse monsters.
Adventurer: 1d6 damage; 1d8 against sunlight-averse monsters.
Hero: 1d8 damage; 1d10 against sunlight-averse monsters.
Thunderstrike
A powerful blast hits a number of enemies equal to the Elf’s CHA score, counting from the
weakest monster (by Hit Die) upwards. Any creature affected must make a (DEX) Check or
be knocked over and dazed by the effect, becoming unable to take any action in the next
Enemy Round.
Explorer: no damage.
Adventurer: 2 HP damage to dazed creatures.
Hero: 4 HP damage to dazed creatures.
Transform
Range: Self Duration: 1 encounter
Allows the Elf to take on the form of an animal (defined as a non-magical living creature,
including dinosaurs) of their choice. Their AC, Damage Die, Check and Hit Points become
that of the type of animal, though they retain their original INT, WIS and CHA for Checks
involving them, and can talk. The effect lasts for one encounter, or until the assumed form is
reduced to zero HP (whereupon the caster returns to their normal form with the same number
of HP they had when casting the spell), or until the caster willingly ends it.
Explorer: new form can have a maximum of 3 HD.
Adventurer: new form can have a maximum of 7 HD.
Hero: new form can have any number of HD.
Web
Range: Sight Duration: encounter AOE
Fills an area within a 30’ radius of the target point with dense, sticky webbing that traps any
creatures within – including any PCs in Melee. Trapped creatures may attempt to break free
on their Round by making a (STR) Check. Fire, such as from a burning torch, will also
destroy the web in one Round, but anyone freed in this way will take 1d6 damage from the
flames.
Zone Of Silence
Renders an area 60’ in diameter completely soundless. Sorcerers and Elves cannot cast spells
inside the zone, though Priests can still call upon miracles.
Explorer: duration of 1 turn.
Hero: duration of 1 encounter.
Magic Scrolls
Scrolls contain copies of spells, which activate once read out loud. Any character can use a
scroll, not just Sorcerers; the only requirement is that they be able to read at a reasonable
level, so must have an INT of 10 or more. Once a scroll has been used, it goes blank. Using a
scroll in combat is considered a character’s Action for that Player Round, and they must be in
Support to do so.
More Magic
Are there spells and powers beyond what is available to the players, even at Hero tier? Yes –
whatever the GM wants there to be! There is not even any need to be limited by the spells
that appeared in the Original Game. If the adventure calls for painted portraits to burst into
three-dimensional life and attack the players, then that’s what happens; some powerful
Sorcerer or Priest or servant of a demonic lord has devised a way for that to happen. There is
no need to work out the details of an Animate Painting spell, or to allow the PCs to use it.
This means that enemy spellcasters can have unique magical powers not available to the
PCs, scrolls and potions can give the characters one use of something beyond their normal
abilities, and magical weapons (such as a wand of lightning bolts, or an enchanted sword that
not only gives a bonus to the wielder’s Damage Die but also causes its victims to burst into
flames if they fail a Check) can be found during the adventure to increase the party’s chances
of success.

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YOU ALL MEET IN A TAVERN

Version 0.1 by Payndz, 2018

What About Other Classes?

Character Creation Checklist

To create an Explorer-tier Warrior, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Warrior, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Warrior, start with these Ability Scores:

At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +3.

At Hero tier, your Damage Bonus is +6.

You Shall Not Pass

To create an Explorer-tier Sorcerer, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Sorcerer, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Sorcerer, start with these Ability Scores:

At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +2

At Hero tier, your Damage Bonus is +3.

To create an Explorer-tier Priest, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Priest, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Priest, start with these Ability Scores:

At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +4.

At Hero tier, your Damage Bonus is +6.

To create an Explorer-tier Outlaw, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Outlaw, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Outlaw, start with these Ability Scores:

At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +5.

At Hero tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +7.

Living Off The Land

To create an Explorer-tier Dwarf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Dwarf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Dwarf, start with these Ability Scores:

At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +3.

At Hero tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +4.

No Time For This Magic Rubbish

To create an Explorer-tier Elf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create an Adventurer-tier Elf, start with these Ability Scores:

To create a Hero-tier Elf, start with these Ability Scores:

At Adventurer tier, your initial Damage Bonus is +3.

At Hero tier, your Damage Bonus is +5.

All In The Reflexes

Items that the PCs are assumed to have with them:

Rabbit From A Hat

Which Attribute To Use?

Optional Rule: Twists

THE ORDER OF BATTLE

Do The Monster Math

Damage Bonus Limits

Tier Maximum Damage Bonus

Movement & Disengagement

Spells, Charms and Miracles

Some examples of Doing Something Cool:

Armour Class Conversion Table

Hit Dice & Hit Points

Which Version To Use?

Spell & Miracle Ranges

Spell & Miracle Durations

Speak With The Dead

Swole’s Mighty Blow

Commune With Nature

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