Monster Trainer A 24-Hour RPG by JL Chapter 1:So, this is some kind of game? Monster Trainer is an RPG about hunting and training Monsters, for the purpose of competing against others and winning the title of Champion Trainer. An RPG, or role playing game, is a type of game where the players take command of simulated characters in a shared imaginative environment. There are many different kinds of RPGs; there are so many different games, that some consider classifying them all under the same title to be somewhat of a stretch. In the imaginative world of Monster Trainer, there are a wide variety of mystical beasts, both wild and tamed. Someone has to tame the beasts, of course, which is where the players come in: each player has their own Moster Trainer to control. Players travel around and attempt to capture and train Monsters. When their beasts are ready, the players can seek other Trainers to challenge; each time you defeat the beasts of another Trainer, you can a higher ranking as a Monster Trainer. The goal of the game is to be the first player to gain the rank of Champion Trainer. Resolutions in the game are made by rolling dice. With a very few exceptions, all rolls are made with one or more six-sided dice (these are the cube-shaped ones that come with most board games). When rolling the six-sided dice, you will most often be making a Normal Challenge. In a Normal Conflict, you roll the appropriate number of dice (indicated by a number followed by a letter 'd' such as '6d' for six dice), and count how many rolled 4 or more. You will oftentimes compare this roll with another roll, with the roll with more successes (rolls of 4 or more) being the 'winner'. The other rolls will be Special Rolls, which will have special rules unique to them, and may require specialty sized dice; note that if you don't have the special dice, you can use a number of playing cards equal to their number just as easily. Chapter 2:Your Trainer One of the most important parts of the game is your Trainer. Though your Monsters may change, you will always have the same Trainer. Your Trainer is composed of the following characteristics: Urban Skill: This skill is used by Trainers in the city to make money, as well as to track down another Trainer to challenge. Trainers with this high levels of this skill are witty, wily creatures who know the ins and outs of any given town they come across. Country Skill: This skill is used by Trainers out in the wilderness to travel, as well as to track down and hunt wild Monsters to capture. Trainers with high levels of this skill are tough and rugged individuals who are at home under the stars. Training Skill: This skill is used by Trainers to train the Monsters they catch. This skill is integral for Trainers; indeed, this skill is what makes a Trainer a Trainer. A starting Trainer may take one of these skills at 3d, one at 5d, and one at 7d. A player building a Trainer should also choose a one word descriptor or phrase for each skill, to set their Trainer aside from the rest, and make them distinct. They may improve their skills over time. A player may also which to describe what their Trainer looks like, what their personality is, or affect an accent; none of these things are necessary. Finally, a starting Trainer has a Rank of 1. Rank represents how skilled and recognized they are to their peers. Raising in Rank and becoming a Champion is the ultimate goal of a Monster Trainer game. Chapter 3:Your First Monster When you begin play, you will have a single Monster. This Monster is yours, and will work well for you. Each Monster you encounter, both yours and others, will all have the following properties: Type: This is one of five types of Monsters that you may encounter. Each of these types is weak against one other type (has one less die for Attacking and Defending), and strong against another (has one more die for Attacking and Defending). Here are the elements, in the order that they effect: Flying->Stealthy->Lumbering->Amphibious->Digging->back to Flying. Wildness: This stat represents how wild and untamed a Monster is. The more Wild a Monster is, the harder it is to fight with in battle. Attacking: This is the stat that a Monster uses for attacking other Monsters. Monsters with a high level of this stat may have sharp fangs and claws, powerful legs and hooves, a thick clublike tail, or some other means of causing harm. Defending: This is the stat that a Monster uses to defend itself from attacks. Monsters with a high level is this stat may have a thick shell, tough hide, camoflauge, or some other quality that makes them hard to attack. Dashing: This stat represents a Monster's speed, allowing it to try and get an advantageous position, or to escape if it's been wounded too much. Health: This stat represents how much punishment a Monster can take before it is incapacitated. Whenever a Monster is injured, its health is reduced. A Monster who has been reduced to 0 health cannot act or be used by its Trainer. Special: Each Monster has some special ability that it can use. These abilities set the Monster apart, making it truly special and powerful. A Monster will always have one, and only one, special. The following list defines the different Specials that a Monster can have: Moneymaking-Add dice to the Trainer's Urban Skill when they make a roll for money, Glory-Add dice to the Trainer's Urban Skill when searching for a challenge, Riding-Add dice to the Trainer's Country Skill when traveling, Tracking-Add dice to the Trainer's Country Skill when hunting, Stunning-Roll dice as an attack, with success subtracting a die from the enemy Monster's Attacking stat, Skinning-Roll dice as an attack, with success subtracting a die from the enemy Monster's Defending stat, Catching-Roll dice as an attack, with success subtracting a die from the enemy Monster's Dashing stat, Provoking-Roll dice as an attack, with success adding a die to the enemy's Wildness stat, and Predator-Adding additional dice to Attacking and Defending when against the type you're strong against. When building your first Monster, first choose a type and special. Then, divide the following scores amongst the stats Attacking, Defending, Health, and Dashing: 3d, 5d, 7d, and 9d. The Monster's Wildness and Special start at 2d. The player should also come up with a word or phrase for each stat, to describe what it derives from. Finish by describing the Monster. Is it like a reptilian horse, or a cross between a dog and a bat? Is it's coat bright and scary, or does it blend in? Is its Catching special hamstringing its opponent, or catching it in webs? Deciding these things adds color to your Monster. Chapter 4: Wild Monsters and Enemy Trainers Okay, now that we've gone over how to make your basic Trainer and your starting beastie, let's talk about the opposition; namely, wild Monsters and enemy Trainers. In this chapter, we're going to go over the rules for creating one of these characters. Creating a Wild Monster: A Step-by-step Approach 1.Roll 1 die, and record the results. This is the Monster's Base Stat. 2. Roll a single die for each of the Monster's numbered stats, and add the Base Stat to each. 3. Roll a single die to determine the Monster's Type:1-Flying, 2-Stealthy, 3-Lumbering, 4-Amphibious, 5-Digging, 6-Roll again. 4. Either by rolling a ten-sided die, or by drawing from a set of 10 numbered cards, determine the kind of special the Monster has. 5. Flesh out the Monster, as described in the last chapter. Making an opponent Trainer for a challenge: 1. Roll one die, and add the Rank of the Trainer that will be fighting. This is the opponent's Rank. (Opponents always are higher Rank; otherwise, fighting them wouldn't raise your rank, now would it?) The maximum for Rank is whatever you're using as Champion rating (I suggest 10). 2. Roll one die, and add the opponent's Rank-this is his Training score. 3. Now, create a Monster using the Wild Monster rules, with the following changes: the opponent's Rank is the Base Stat, and Wildness is found by rolling one die and subtracting the Base Stat. Chapter 5: Playing the Game All right, now that we know how to make our player-controlled Trainer characters and starting Monsters, as well as enemy Trainers and wild Monsters, we're ready to go through how to play! Setting Up First, everyone should get together some cards for building the map. Index cards with pictures drawn on of the cities, plains, forests, and swamps available would be ideal, but for someone who doesn't want to put that much prep into it, a regular deck of playing cards will do fine. You should also get plenty of six siders, some pencils and paper, and either a ten-sided dice or and extra deck. Finally, you should have some counters to represent the player's Trainers. Shuffle the cards, and deal them onto the table in a grid-like fashion, in the size and shape you want the map to be. If you're using a deck of cards, a 7-by-7 square will work fine, with a few cards left over. The numbered cards are countryside and wilderness, and the face cards are cities. The cards' number value doesn't matter. Now that the map is created, everyone should make a starting Trainer and starting Monster. Put the counter for your Trainer somewhere on the map. Decide what Rank represents Champion (10 is good, but high will make a longer game), and decide who goes first, and the turn order. Now, move one to the first turn and start play! Taking your turn When it's your turn to play, you must first choose which Monster will be active for the turn. Only the Active Monster can be used, and only the Active Monster will provide a benifit of its Special. Once you've chosen your Active Monster, you may choose one (and only one) of the following options: Making Money:If you are currently on a city, you may choose this option. Roll your Urban Skill, and keep track of the success number; you may add a number o...
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