How to play
Before you create your Adventurers, it’s time to get down to the nitty-gritty of playing the game. Understanding the basics will help make the character creation process more enjoyable.
Roleplaying games are about story-telling, and Tiny Dungeon 2e is no different. Most of the game is played simply by describing your Adventurer’s actions to the Game Master. When describing these actions, relay what you want to do or what you’re attempting to try. It is the Game Master’s job to react to these actions and describe the outcome. Simple actions are typically resolved with just the Game Master’s consent
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Tests
The core mechanic that runs Tiny Dungeon 2e is called a Test, which is a roll of 2d6 from your Dice Pool. For complex actions, the Game Master will usually require you to make a Test to determine if you succeed at what you’re doing. Tests are successful if you roll a 5 or a 6 on any of the dice rolled in your Dice Pool, unless otherwise noted by the Game Master.
The Game Master, and certain Traits selected at Adventurer Creation, can grant you Advantage in situations. This will allow you to roll 3d6 from your Dice Pool instead of 2d6 for that particular Test, increasing the odds of success!
Other situations, at the Game Master’s discretion, may put you at a Disadvantage. When at a Disadvantage, you will only be able to roll 1d6 to resolve your Test. It is important to note that if the the situation, trait, or Game Master (or any source) imposes Disadvantage in a situation, even if you would normally have Advantage due to a particular Trait, you still roll 1d6 for that
Test. Magical items that grant Advantage are the only things which supersede this—if a magic item grants you Advantage, you will always have Advantage for that situation. Why? Because magic. That’s why.
In the long and short of it: Disadvantage overrides Advantage (unless the Advantage is granted by a magic item.) That means if you have Disadvantage on a roll, and Advantage on the same roll, you only roll 1d6.
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Obstacles
Obstacles are challenges that usually require a Test to overcome. Obstacles may include attempting to barter with a shopkeeper, pick a lock, search a room for a hidden item, or resolve a conflict with words rather than swords. The Game Master may determine your roleplaying is sufficient in overcoming the Obstacle and grant you an immediate success without having to Test; however, in most situations, a Test will be necessary to determine the outcome.
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Save Tests
Obstacles may arise that require you to make what’s called a Save Test in order to prevent something from happening to you. For example, you need to successfully leap out of the way as a trap springs, or you’re climbing a rope when it snaps and could potentially fall. Save Tests also are used to stabilize yourself if you begin a turn at 0 Hit Points. Save Tests are just like regular Tests, and unless otherwise noted by the rules or the Game Master, you roll 2d6 to resolve your Test. A 5 or 6 on any of the rolled dice represent a successful Save.
Some Save Tests can be a life or death scenario—these are called Save or Die Tests. Should you fail the Save Test, your character is killed. Period. There is no preventing it. Game Masters are advised to keep these situations few and far between.
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Combat
The Game Master will usually announce when Combat is about to begin by requesting an Initiative Test. All players will roll a standard 2d6 Test. Any player who is successful on their Initiative Test takes their actions before opponents, and anyone who fails takes their actions after their opponents. The Game Master does not need to roll Initiative, instead going based on the results of the player character Tests.
Combat is strictly turn-based to keep things running smoothly. A round of combat begins at the top of the Initiative Order and ends at the bottom. The next round of combat then begins, starting again at the top of the Initiative Order. This continues until the Adventurers have defeated their enemies, completed some objective determined by the Game Master, or until the Adventurers have been killed or routed. While it can take some time to get through an entire round of combat, in-game, a full round of combat is equal to roughly five or six seconds.
During your turn in the Initiative Order, you have two Actions. You can choose to move, attack, and generally not be useless with these Actions. If you move, that is one Action. If you attack, that is one Action. You can use both Actions to move or use both Actions to Attack if you wish. Other Actions include sheathing or unsheathing a weapon, grabbing an item, and giving an item to an ally.
Movement is defined by announcing your intentions to move from one location to another; the Game Master determines whether or not you can cover enough ground to get there with that Action.
We talk about ranges later, but as one action, you can move to an adjacent range.
However, some groups prefer miniatures and maps which can come in handy, as they assist in determining distance. If you are using miniatures and maps, it is assumed that each Adventurer can move just as far as any other Adventurer with a single Action, unless the Game Master says otherwise. A good rule of thumb is to assume your character can move approximately 25 feet in-game with a single Action, so long as there isn’t anything hindering their movement. If you are using a combat grid, 25 feet is 5 squares.
Attacking is the most important aspect of Combat. First and foremost, if you are attacking an enemy, you must be within range of your enemy to do so. Your sword may be sharp, but it isn’t going to hit that demon that’s 25 feet away from you. Getting within range will require you to move if you are using a melee weapon.
Once you’re in range, you can attack! Attacking is just another type of Test, and the Obstacle is your enemy. Usually, you’re going to be using the weapon you have Mastered to attack. Any weapon type you have Mastered allows you to roll an Attack Test with Advantage, or 3d6. If you are simply Proficient with the weapon you’re wielding, your Attack Test is a standard 2d6 Test. You have Disadvantage for Attack Tests while wielding weapons you are not Proficient with—this includes unarmed combat and improvised weapons.
On a successful Attack Test, you deal 1 of point damage to your enemy if you have a Light weapon and 2 points of damage if you have a Heavy weapon, unless your Game Master says otherwise. Game Masters are encouraged to reward roleplaying at all times, so a particularly detailed description of an attack may score more damage to your enemy, if the Game Master so decides.
Two special Actions you can perform in Combat are Focus and Evade.
When you choose to Focus, the next time you attack, your Test is successful on a roll of 4, 5, or 6, increasing your chances of hitting the enemy. Your Focus Action remains in effect until you choose to attack or until the end of combat, so the Action can carry over to other turns. There is no benefit to stacking Focus Actions.
When you choose to Evade, until the start of your next turn, you can Test 1d6 when you are successfully hit by an enemy. If your Test is successful, you evade the attack and do not take damage.
To recap combat actions, you can:
Evade
Focus
Test for an ability
Attack
Move
There are three categories of weapons in Tiny Dungeon—Light Melee, Heavy Melee, and Ranged. You can attack while unarmed, or even with improvised weapons such as a barstool or a rock, but these are not classified as weapons.
Light Melee Weapons have the benefit of only requiring one hand to wield. This frees you up to do other things with your other hand, such as grab a potion. Examples of Light Melee Weapons include daggers, short swords, hammers, and staves. If it’s a weapon you can swing with one hand, it’s probably a Light Melee Weapon.
Heavy Melee Weapons require you to wield them with both hands due to them being cumbersome or just so... heavy. Examples of Heavy Melee Weapons include great swords, war hammers, polearms, spears, and two-handed flails.
Ranged Weapons require one or two hands to hold, and one or two hands to operate. Examples of Light Ranged Weapons are slings, crossbows, and longbows, throwing knives, and more.
Light weapons have the following rules:
They do 1 damage.
No restrictions on attacks per turn.
Light weapons are held in one hand.
Heavy weapons have the following rules:
They do 2 damage.
If you make an attack with a heavy weapon, you may not attack with any other weapon, spell, or item this turn. (Conversely, if you attack with any other weapon, spell, or item, you may not attack with a heavy weapon this turn.)
Heavy weapons are held in two hands.
Melee Weapons have the following rules:
They may be used to attack something that is close.
Ranged Weapons have the following rules:
They may attack something near or far without penalty.
If used against a close target, you suffer Disadvantage on the attack.
Ranged weapons must be reloaded after being fired (which takes an action).
Heavy Melee Weapons have the following rules:
They can be used to attack something near, but you suffer Disadvantage on the attack.
Cinematic Ammo: At the end of every fight, have each player make a Test for each ranged weapon they used. Anyone who fails is out of ammo until they do something to refill their supply. Characters can share ammo with allies who have failed (allowing them a re-Test), but if they do, both must test for Cinematic Ammo with Disadvantage.
Critical Hits: If all the dice rolled for an Attack Test come up with a “6” on the face, you have achieved a Critical Hit! Increase your total damage by 1.You can only successfully have a Critical Hit on a weapon you have Mastered.
Critical Miss: If all the dice rolled for an Attack Test come up with a “1” on the face, you have a Critical Miss on your hands! The GM will choose what happens, but it probably won’t be good. Some options involve weapons breaking, allies being shot instead, or you dropping your weapon. There’s no end to the potential here.
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Ranges
There are three ranges in the game:
Close
Near
Far
Each range is defined from the perspective of a character (Erin’s character has enemies in her close range, and I have enemies in mine, but they are not the same close range.)
Close
Close someone you can reach out and touch, strike, or aid without moving or unbalancing yourself. All melee weapons can strike enemies at close range. You can use Ranged weapons at close range, but you have Disadvantage on the attack Test. You can use Magic at Close range.
Near
Near is just out of reach. You can use one action to move to bring someone at near range to close range. Heavy Melee weapons can strike near enemies if you are willing to suffer Disadvantage on your attack (representing the ability of a larger weapon to reach.) You can use Ranged weapons and Magic at Near range.
Far
Far is anything longer than near. It takes two actions to move and bring the closest enemies at Far into close range, though depending on how far they are back it can take more move actions (the GM will tell you.) Magic and Ranged weapons are the only weapons that can strike enemies in the Far range.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:17, Fri 22 Sept 2023.
