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(2 edits) (+2)

I, uh, happen to have a heartbreaker lying around that's already formatted entirely in markdown. I look back on it less as a game and more "oh, so here's all the things I was frustrated about when trapped in the D&D ecosystem". I believe the word is "cringe". But in the spirit of the jam, here's an excerpt.

(oh god the cringe)

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# Chapter One: Core Rules

## Materials For Play

+ At least six (6) six-sided die; the more, the better

+ One (1) completed character sheet per player

+ Spare pen and paper

+ Cynicism, three (3) quarts

## The Basics

Cynic System is an all-in-one roleplaying game for two or more people and/or lizardpeople. Players take the role of fictional characters in a unique story of your own creation. You could be soldiers surviving horrors in a modern war, knights battling evil in a fantasy universe, aliens invading planets in another galaxy, stoners watching paint dry, marketers promising more than their roleplaying game can handle, or anything else you could think of. If you can think it, Cynic System can do it! Probably.

One person, designated before play, acts as **Game Master (GM)**. This special position crafts the story's setting, manages the game, and steps in as referee. They don't have a character of their own, though they can control **non-player characters (NPCs)**, or the fictional characters that the players interact with. Everyone else takes the role of a **player character (PC)**, or fictional character controlled by a player. You probably already know this if you're reading some nobody designer's rulebook, but I'm detailing the uber-basics just in case.

During play, the GM describes the scene to the players, who then describe their character's actions. The GM then describes the results of their actions. For instance:

>**Susan (GM):** "In front of you is a rickety wooden bridge, suspended with rope, crossing a deep chasm bathed in subtle moonlight."

>**Steve (Player):** "I test the bridge to see how stable it is."

>**Susan:** "How so?"

>**Steve:** "I put one foot on the bridge and try to rock it back and forth."

>**Susan:** "The bridge sways, and the wood oh-so-slightly bends under your foot."

There are no limits on what a player can attempt. However, if a PC's action requires luck or skill (remember this wording), the GM makes the player roll a six-sided die. The higher the number, the closer they get to your goal.

>**Steve:** "I'll try to cross the bridge."

>**Susan:** "Roll for it."

>**Steve:** "Uh...2? That isn't good, is it?"

>**Susan:** "No. No, it's not. You dash across the bridge as fast as possible, but the rope snaps halfway across, and you start falling into the chasm."

Because not every character has the same set of skills, each player can customize their PC with advantages and disadvantages. Advantages let you fudge the dice in your favor, while disadvantages force you to take penalties.

>**Steve:** "I grab the rope! I swing across."

>**Susan:** "Roll it."

>**Steve:** "1...but my [athletic] advantage gives me another roll!...6!"

>**Susan:** "You grab the rope as you're falling, grip it firmly, and effortlessly swing across. You now rest, feet planted against the opposite chasm wall, about twenty feet from the ledge above."

You can also gain advantages and disadvantages from your current status. Carrying a sledgehammer could let you fudge rolls to break things, but the extra weight could slow you down. And taking a bullet to the leg might slow you down.

>**Steve:** "All right, I'll use my grappling hook to get up. That'll let me roll two dice and ignore the lower roll."

>**Susan:** "Got it. Roll."

>**Steve:** "...1 and 3. So, uh, 3?"

>**Susan:** "Hmm. Not bad, but not good either. You zip up to the ledge, but you nick your arm on the hook. There's a throbbing pain, and you're now injured."

>**Steve:** "Ow."

>**Susan:** "Why didn't you take the helicopter, again?"

Cynic System is modular. That is, the GM decides ahead of time what (if any) special rules will be used. For instance, if the PCs are WWII soldiers, the GM could use a Combat Module to add depth to combat.

>**Susan:** "You hear footsteps approaching from the darkness."

>**Steve:** "I hide. What's around?"

>**Susan:** "There's some short grass and a dirt path. Nothing big enough to hide behind."

>**Steve:** "Okay, I'll dangle from the ledge."

>**Susan:** "Just to be clear, we're using Lite Stealth. I'll roll to test the enemy's perception; you'll need to roll higher then them. You're carrying yourself on the ledge, so your injury applies; you'll need to roll two dice and ignore the highest. And the enemy's aware, so they'll be rolling two dice and ignoring the lowest. Are you sure you want to-"

>**Steve:** "Yes!...2 and 1."

>**Susan:** "They got a 3 and 5. The strain on your arms forces you to groan. You can't see from your position, but you hear heavy footsteps coming closer."

>**Steve:** "I jump off and swing across the chasm with my grappling hook! ...1."

>**Susan:** "There was an attempt."

And that's the basics! There's more nuances, but if you've got some friends that know the rules, you can start playing right now!