Description: Spellcasters may perform some form of self-sacrifice to convert some of their life energy into magic. This translates into either an upgrade to the power of a magical effect, resistance to harm caused by magic or a bonus to spell rolls at the cost of ability score points, hit points or spell fatigue.
Find it in: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Keywords: Dark, Fantastical, Gritty, High-Magic, Pulpy, Tense, Weird
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Superhero, Sword and Sorcery
Description: When casting spells, a magician takes an amount of non-magical damage based on the level or intensity of the Spell. Excessive use of Magic can cause the spellcasters penalties or fainting. Characters may be allowed to save to resist some of the damage. It is often used in conjunction with Spell Rolls.
Find it in: Shadowrun
Keywords: Fast-paced, Tactical, Weird
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Superhero,
Description: In lieu of the standard spell component for a magic item, a rarified and exotic item with the right resonance can give the Spell a boost to its casting time, area of effect, duration, range, or effect. For example, coffee beans harvested from a treat prevents haste from aging the target.
Find it in: Dungeons & Dragons 3e Unearthed Arcana
Keywords: Fantastical, High-Magic, Weird
Genres: Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy
Description: Match-, wheel-, or Flint-Lock weapons take too long to load to be reloaded in battle without a hireling to load it, thus they may be fired only once per battle unless the character also carries (potentially explosive) pre-prepared shot, wadding, and powder bundles (called "apostles.")
Find it in: Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Keywords: Exploration, Fast-paced, Gritty, Pulpy, Rules-light, Swashbuckling
Genres: Crime, Dark Fantasy, Pulp
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
Description: As well as a standard value in coin, gear is valued based on its survival utility as an abstract trade unit. Food, fuel, ammunition, medicine, tools, books, and things easily dismantled for parts have high values. Gold, jewels, luxury items are low to no value. When bartering in a survival situation compare the Trade value of what is asking for and what is offered. May be modified by Gear Quality.
Find it in: Delve 2e
Keywords: Exploration, Gritty, Survival
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Low Fantasy, Survival Horror, Military, Western
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
Description: When a character spends an action to watch an ally perform a skill that they do not possess, they may make a test to learn it at the lowest possible level of ability. (5% in a percentile system like Warhammer Fantasy, 1 rank in D&D3e or Pathfinder) Characters must improve the skill further using standard character advancement.
Find it in: Delve 2e
Keywords: Cinematic, Exploration, Pulpy, Survival
Genres: Crime, Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Military, Pulp, Science Fiction, Survival Horror, Western
Description: As a PC is dying, there is a chance, if they might not otherwise recover of bein approached by Death, a demon, or otherworldly entity in a vision, and offered a chance to return to the world of the living, but they must agree to a quest. If they fail to keep up their end of the bargain in a timely fashion, they will die and be unable to return to life again.
Find it in: Dungeon World
Keywords: Dark, Epic, Fantastical, Heroic, High Magic, Weird
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Dark Fantasy, Eldritch Horror, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Superhero
Description: A staple of Lovecraftian Horror, madness rules can be fairly easily ported to other systems. Some rely on a limited sanity resource, are connected to injury tables, or magical misfire effects. All add role-playing constraints and mechanical consequences.
Find it in: Low Fantasy Gaming, Call of Cthulhu, Tiny Cthulhu
Keywords: Dark, Weird, Horror
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Eldritch Horror, Dark Fantasy, Horror
