Frightening Firearms

Frightening Firearms

Description: Used primarily in settings where firearms are rare and a new innovation. The sound of a firearm being discharged around creatures that are not part of a firearm-using culture can force a morale check or similar fear effect.

Find it in: Lamentations of the Flame Princess

Keywords: Dangerous, Exploration, Gritty, Tactical, Tense

Genres: Crime, Dark Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Pulp

Roll the Body

Roll the Body

Description: When a character is knocked out of commission (such as at 0hp), their status is unknown unless an ally checks on them to see if they are living or dead. At that time the character makes a single saving throw or Luck Checks to see if they are alive, at which point they can be restored to consciousness.

Find it in: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG, Low Fantasy Gaming, Troika!

Keywords: Cinematic, Dangerous, Gritty, Pulpy, Rules-light, Tense

Genres: Crime, Low Fantasy, Pulp, Western 

Weapon Depletion

Weapon Depletion

Description: Through heavy use, a weapon can become damaged, weakened, or harder to use, resulting in lower accuracy or less damage until repaired. This is usually found alongside Gear Quality rules.

Find it In: Delve 2e, The Black Hack, Tiny Dungeon 2e

Keywords : Cinematic, Dangerous, Gritty, Pulpy, Survival, Tense

Genres: Dark Fantasy, Horror, Survival Horror, Sword and Sorcery 

Gear Quality

Gear Quality

Description: Equipment has a means of tracking its quality and state of Repair. As it wears down it lowers in its quality rating. Often uses Depletion Dice, and often includes Depleting Armor.

Find it in: Delve 2e, The Black Hack, Tiny Dungeon 2e

Keywords: Dangerous, Exploration, Gritty, Horrific, Tactical, Tense

Genres: Crime, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Military, Post-apocalyptic, Survival Horror, Western

Progressive Damage

Progressive Damage

Contributed By: McChuck

Description:  Characters have few hit points, which are easily recovered outside an encounter. When hit points are exhausted in an encounter, the character takes ability/attribute damage. This may involve a saving throw to avoid being incapacitated or killed. The effects may depend upon which attribute/ability failed the save or reached zero.

Find it in: Into the Odd

Keywords : Dangerous, Gritty, Old-School, Tactical, Tense

Genre: Any Genre

Panic!

Panic!

Description: Characters trapped without light underground experience extreme terror that can cause confusing, trauma, or even death from the fear. 
Find it in: the Black Hack
Keywords: Dark, Horrific, Dangerous, Gritty, Survival
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Eldritch Horror, Survival, Horror

Timed Initiative

Timed Initiative

Description: Players have a limited time to declare their action. If they do not have one to declare, they default to a defensive action.  Often used in conjunction with Simultaneous initiative. 
Find it in:  Dungeoncraft, Dungeon World
Keywords: Dark, Gritty, Dangerous, Fast-Paced
Genres: Sword and Sorcery, Post-apocalyptic, Low Fantasy 

Simultaneous Initiative

Simultaneous Initiative

Description: Players declare their actions without establishing initiative; the GM resolves all events in a phase order as if they happened nearly simultaneously. Creates a situation where combat is realistically confusing. 
Find it in:  Dungeoncraft, Dungeon World
Keywords: Dark, Gritty, Dangerous, Fast-Paced
Genres: Sword and Sorcery, Post-apocalyptic, Low Fantasy 

Depleting Armor

Depleting Armor

Description: Armor is subject to depletion dice or a similar mechanism to become weaker over time as it is used. 
Find it in:  the Black Hack, Shadowrun 
Keywords: Gritty, Dangerous, Dark, Survival
Genres: Sword and Sorcery, Cyberpunk, Western, Post-apocalyptic, Horror