General Dragonbane handouts HEREĀ
Dragonbane is a roll-under d20-based system from Free League designed for furious and whimsical roleplay in a world of magic, mystery, and adventure. The main core concept of the design is NO MATH, hence the roll-under Year Zero game engine. Rather than focusing on tactical combat and endless character customization, Dragonbane brings the focus back onto the adventure; travel, exploration, and role-play will take precedence over combat, which will be quick and deadly.
Skill-Based Progression, Not Levels
Dragonbane uses a skill-based advancement system: you improve by using your skills, not by gaining experience points or levels.
When you roll either a critical success (a 1, called a "dragon") or a critical failure (a 20, called a "demon") on a skill check, you mark that skill for advancement.
At the end of each session, roll a d20 for each marked skill. If you roll higher than your current skill value, it increases by 1. Skills start easy to improve and become harder as they rise, with a maximum of 18.
Once a skill reaches 18, you can unlock a "Heroic Ability," a unique trait or feat that offers special advantages.
Gear and Equipment
Every piece of gear in Dragonbane has specific, tangible effects. For example, certain tools help with tasks, specific clothing can prevent travel mishaps, and tents or other equipment can grant a boon (an extra die roll) during travel or specific situations.
Weapons have durability ratings. If a weapon is used to parry and the incoming damage exceeds its durability, it requires repair. Some weapons can deal multiple types of damage (bludgeoning, slashing, piercing), and you must declare your attack type before rolling.
Magic Items and Potions
Many items are enchanted with spells. To use a magical item, you must hold it, spend the required Willpower Points (WP) based on the spellās power level, and fulfill any specific requirements (such as saying a phrase or performing an action).
Potions provide immediate effects, such as healing, boosting strength, granting invisibility, or curing conditions. For example, a Potion of Power temporarily increases your Strength to 18 and upgrades your damage dice, while a Potion of Healing restores health instantly.
Magical Weapons and Artifacts
Magic weapons often provide additional effects, such as bonus damage, special abilities against certain foes (like demons), or unique actions that can be powered by the wielderās Willpower Points.
Some weapons grant a "boon" (an extra die roll) on attacks under certain circumstances or allow the user to bypass normal penalties, such as dual-wielding restrictions.
Artifacts may store their own pool of Willpower Points, which can be used to fuel spells or heroic abilities and may recharge after a period of rest.
Dragonbaneās item system is designed to make each piece of gear, potion, or artifact meaningful, offering practical benefits and new options in and out of combat. This approach supports the gameās focus on adventure, resourcefulness, and creative problem-solving rather than just raw character stats.
ICRPG is a fast, flexible, and modular d20-based system by Runehammer Games. It emphasizes speed, simplicity, and creativity over optimization-heavy mechanics, making it easy to run both intense dungeon crawls and gonzo sci-fi epics with the same core rules. The design centers on light math, high adaptability, and table rulings over rules lawyering, keeping the game moving forward with energy and imagination. Combat, exploration, and roleplay flow seamlessly together in an environment where danger is real, but improvisation is always rewarded.
Milestones and Effort, Not Levels
ICRPG characters do not advance through traditional levels or skill trees. Instead, progression is milestone-driven: you grow by storytelling, loot, and key character moments.
Milestone Rewards: Instead of gaining powers from a class table, advancement comes from milestone rewards chosen by the GM or narrative triggers. These may be signature abilities, access to special gear, or unique traits that define your characterās story.
Effort and Stats: Characters roll d20 checks against a set target number (the same target applies to all rolls in the scene), which keeps math fast and consistent. Progression often comes from improving your stats (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma) or your effort dice (the extra dice used to roll damage, hack computers, open chests, heal allies, etc.).
Loot = Power: Instead of grinding points, acquiring new gear and magical items is the primary way characters increase their influence and variety. Loot often replaces the need for static character abilities.
Classes: Archetypes like Warrior, Mage, or Gunslinger give flavor and starting abilities, but long-term advancement relies on world-specific milestones, not rigid leveling.
Loot is the Rulebook
In ICRPG, loot is king. Everything a character can do is tied to what they have on them. Unlike traditional games where loot is just upgrades, ICRPG loot often is your progression system.
Weapons and Gear: Weapons may deal different effort types (basic, weapon, energy, magic, or ultimate). Each has its own dice and defines how effective you are in combat or challenges. A mundane sword improves basic weapon effort, while a plasma rifle shifts you into energy-based damage categories. Gear can also make travel easier, grant situational advantages, or substitute for special skills.
Hearts and Durability: Most objects, enemies, and even obstacles have Hearts (abstract HP pools). Some gear adds hearts to your character, boosts recovery speed, or reduces incoming damage. This makes defensive equipment as critical as weapons.
Magic and Special Loot: Magical and sci-fi loot works just like mundane loot but often unlocks unique powers. A ring might let you cast fire by rolling weapon effort, while a cybernetic limb could boost your Strength and enable wall-climbing. The key: the item itself grants the ability, not a background feat or level-up table.
Consumables: Potions, grenades, batteries, and relic charges all work as one-shot narrative solutions. Healing potions restore hearts, grenades deal instant effort damage in an area, and rare relics can turn the tide of an encounter.
ICRPGās gear and milestone system is designed to make progression diegetic and narrative rather than mechanical. Characters "level up" not by ticking XP boxes, but by acquiring meaningful loot, achieving story-based breakthrough moments, and expanding sources of effort. The result is a game that leans hard into player creativity, resourcefulness, and narrative progression, with streamlined mechanics that keep the momentum on the table.
Where many systems rely on character sheets full of numbers, ICRPG thrives on the mantra:
Your character is defined by what they carry, what theyāve achieved, and how fiercely they play the world in front of them