Sections with a dice icon are mandatory to read to understand how to play
Dice Checks (DC)
Similar to rolling to break armor class, there are times when you need to roll above a certain number to succeed on a task or resist an incoming effect. These “minimum goals” are Dice Checks or DCs.
If you have to resist against a DC you need to roll a saving throw, you find success by either meeting or beating the DC.
The equation for calculating most DCs is depicted below:
8 + Relevant Stat + Relevant Added Bonus
(EX: For your spellcasting dc, use your casting stat and spellcasting bonus)
Passive Skill Checks
There are times when you might notice something out of the corner of your eye even though you’re not looking for something specifically. These always present skill check totals are called Passive Skill Checks, used for your consistent passive skills when you aren’t actively trying something. The following formula is used to calculate them:
10 + Relevant Stat + Relevant Added Bonus
(EX: Someone needs to roll a stealth in order to beat your PASSIVE perception)
Advantage & Disadvantage
Both Advantage and Disadvantage are effects imposed on D20 rolls either by the DM or another reason stated in game.
Advantage is when you roll two dice and choose the higher number.
Disadvantage is when you roll two dice and choose the lower number.
There can be multiple levels of both; For example Double ADV meaning roll three times and take the higher with Double DIS being the opposite.
Stats
Every character and creature in Free Flowing has the same six base attributes called Stats. They measure every physical and mental aspect of your character and are used for pretty much everything in the game.
Strength: Has all to do with pure brawn and muscle. This can include throwing things or people, punching enemies really hard, lifting super heavy stuff, and anything else that has to do with pure power.
Dexterity: Has to do with finesse and prowess with precise movement. This can include dodging ferocious attacks, making slick jumps, or trying to lock pick a door, and anything else that has to do with being quick and very very cool looking
Constitution: Being durable and resistant to whatever’s thrown at you. This can include tanking a nasty fall, trying to resist being drunk or poisoned, and anything that has to do with trying to tank incoming threats.
Intelligence: Has to do with book smarts and recalling information you already know. This can include remembering a memory from long ago, using your medical knowledge to stop an injury, and anything else that has to do with being specifically smart.
Wisdom: Has to do with gut instinct and your natural knowledge. This can include your range of perception, your natural affinity with nature and animals, your aptitude for creating quick crafts, and anything else that comes from your instincts and spiritual side.
Charisma: Has to do with your natural charm and using social prowess to get your way. This can include trying to scare or persuade someone, attempting to show how good you are at performing a song, and anything that has to do with your natural talent when it comes to social settings.
Added Bonus
Bonuses are numbers you add to the total of a roll alongside the relevant character stat. These bonuses are meant to represent the extent of how proficient your character is in something they’re doing. When calculating the total of a roll, it should often look like this:
D20 + Relevant Character Stat + Added Bonus From Action
Saving Throws
Instead of rolling to attack or effect something, sometimes you must roll to defend against an attack or effect. Saving Throws are specific skill checks designated on your character sheet. Rolling to resist an effect means making a saving throw against a Dice Check (DC).
Also, there are sometimes when instead of rolling a saving throw you roll a stat check or skill check as is contested against someone else’s similar opposing roll. Instead of it being a saving throw it would be a contested roll to see who wins.
Inspiration
Once per round or roleplay scene, you can expend a point of inspiration. Using a point of inspiration doesn’t take up any type of action and falls outside combat action economy. After using an inspiration, you can choose from one of the following effects to benefit from:
Improve: After rolling a D20, you can roll with advantage and add +5
rutalize: After rolling a damage total, add two extra damage dice
Surpass: Instantly double a distance you travel or the range of some type of effect you’re using.
Tear: You can attempt to tear off a character’s body part using the Losing Limbs rules
Inspiration are gained either by the DM granting you one or a D20 roll landing on a one. You can have a maximum of 5 inspiration at a time.
Stat Reductions
There are some niche effects and conditions that can reduce your base character stats. If a stat is reduced by any means or amount, you can retrain to increase your stats back up. When doing this, you won’t have to succeed on as many multiple consecqutive training sessions to increase your stats back up.
Collaborative Rolls
When two or more players attempt to collaborate on the same roll, one of the players is chosen to roll. Usually it’s the player with the higher number. The other player can use their action or quick action to use Help, giving the other player advantage on the roll.
(Detailed In Special Actions Of Factors Of Combat)
Jumping, Climbing, & Lifting
There’s many basic physical activities that a character can attempt. Here are the basic rules for Jumping, Climbing, & Lifting objects.
Jumping: As an action or quick action, a player can roll an athletics or acrobatics skill check to make a vertical or horizontal leap. The success and resulting distance is determined by the roll and DM.
Climbing: Unless a player has a climbing speed, using your movement on your movement action while climbing is halved. In order to climb in the first place, you need to roll a successful athletics or acrobatics on your movement action.
Lifting: To lift something, roll launch n’ lift. The higher you roll, the heavier things you can lift.
Land considered difficult terrain halves your movement unless you have an ability that says otherwise.
(More information on throwing things can be found on the Launch N’ Lift page and more information on jumping can be found on the Special Actions page)
Spellbooks
Many casters immortalize themselves by writing their spells into a spellbook for others to use. As long as they hold the book in some way, anyone can use a spellbook whether they have mana or not. There are two ways to use a spellbook:
Mana or Other Points
You can simply use the necessary mana points or another resource pool for a spell written down in the book. 1 mana or 1 point from another resource would equal a resource point in a spellbook.
Sacrifice
You Can Sacrifice Something Or Someone In Order To Cast A Spell. Things like an object of equal value, sections of a character, and you can even offer parts of your own body
Your stats do not affect the spells in any way, if the book sets a fixed damage then that is the damage it does.
our Stats Do Not Affect The Spells In Any Way, If The Book Sets A Fixed Damage Then That Is The Damage It Does. Guide’s & Extras, There Is A Link To A List Of Spellbooks That Contain Spells From Actual Players Of Previous Free Flowing Campaigns.