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: Rather than using pre-defined spells characters describe a desired magical effect, and are assigned a level to determine difficulty to cost, cost in energy or spell slots, etc. Often used in conjunction with Spell Rolls or Spell Points.
Find it in: Mage: the Awakening, The Dozen Dooms, Sorcerer Alternative Class for Low Fantasy Gaming
Keywords: Epic, Fantastical, High-Magic, Weird
Genres: Epic Fantasy, High-Fantasy, Superhero
Description: Characters receive less treasure, especially items that grant special abilities. Instead, they gain more regular boosts to their abilities. In its original format, players recieved 20% less treasure but gained twice as many ability score increases.
Find it in: The Official Dungeons & Dragons blog circa 2006
Keywords: Epic, Heroic, Low-Magic, Swashbuckling
Genres: Epic Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Martial Arts, Pulp, Superhero, Sword & Sorcery, 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: When a PC or important NPC dies, there is a chance that they can be resurrected.This entails rolls to check on which magic or technology was used to bring them back. Each method has drawbacks and a chance or rejection, which leads to permanent pentirs.
Find it in: Alpha Blue (NSFW)
Keywords: Fantastical, Light-Hearted, Pulpy, Weird
Genres: Cyberpunk, High Fantasy, Pulp, Science Fiction, Superhero
Description: Task resolution rolls that do not indicate success do not mean simply failure that halts forward momentum; instead it means the PCs suffer loss of equipment, injury, or discover another way to progress that creates even more obstacles. A failed roll leads to a narrative complication, not a halt to the action.
Find it in: the Black Hack, PARANOIA 2017,
Keywords: Heroic, Light-Hearted, Pulpy
Genres: High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Pulp, Superhero
Description: Treasure is abstracted from numbers of coin, gem, jewels, and artifacts into a Wealth statistic that a character checks against to buy items, often depleting on a failed roll. Often used in conjunction with depletion dice.
Find it in: the Black Hack, Tombpunk
Keywords: Rules-light, Epic, Pulpy
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, Epic Fantasy, Pulp, Superhero
Description: Rather than having armor make a PC harder to damage or letting them take more, armor reduces the amount of damage taken on each attack, or allows characters t soak more damage if resistance rolls are used.
Find it in: the Black Hack, Shadowrun, World of Darkness, Into the Odd
Keywords: Heroic, Epic, Pulpy
Genres: High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction, Superhero, Pulp
Description: During Combat characters may declare special effects of a combat attack, like disarming, knock back, tripping, blinding, etc., and on a successful attack, a die roll may resolve this effect. More severe or permanent effects may require special Luck checks or limited resources. Missed exploits prevent further exploits against a target until players gain new tactical advantage.
Find it in: Low Fantasy Gaming
Keywords: Tactical, Swashbuckling, Heroic, Pulpy
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Pulp, Superhero, Western
Description: Combat-oriented characters may declare special effects of a combat attack, like disarming, knock back, tripping, blinding, etc., and get variable success based on a roll of a die.
Find it in: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Keywords: Weird, Fantastical, Dark, Tactical, Swashbuckling
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Pulp, Superhero
