Trilemma Adventures [ EDIT ]

Making a Character
Roll 1d3+8 for your METAL (competence, alacrity, dexterity): clumsy 6, trained 9, masterful 12, heroic 15, monstrous 18.

For each point of METAL you may assign one point to an Edge (e.g., *swords*, *frogs*, *healing*). You may assign all points to a single Edge, or allocate points among several Edges.

Testing METAL
This is a game of player-facing rolls and dangerous actions. When you hope to avoid a *risk*, Test METAL by rolling 3d6. If you roll under your METAL, you escape the danger. Otherwise, you suffer the risk. It's assumed that anything you attempt succeeds, unless you suffer a risk that prevents that.

Advantage or Disadvantage
If a situation is especially favorable, for example if you spend a point from an Edge, you may Test METAL with 2d6. If you roll 12 on 2d6, you suffer the risk even if your METAL is higher than 12.

If a situation is especially bad, for example if you have lower METAL than your opponent, you may have Disadvantage and must Test METAL with 4d6. You may spend a point from an Edge to cancel Disadvantage.

Magic
To use magic, spend a point from your *magic* Edge and from whatever other Edge you want to use. Test METAL. You always roll 3d6 when using or resisting magic - no Advantage or Disadvantage. The risk of using magic is that the magic may turn against you.

Non-player Characters
NPCs have METAL and may have Edges. For example, a hag with 12 METAL might spend a *frogs* point and a *magic* point to attempt turning the player into a frog, to turn their self into a frog, to speak with a frog, or to restore a player from being turned into a frog. A brigand with 6 METAL might spend a *swords* point to impose Disadvantage when a player Tests METAL for combat. Giving a foe any points in an Edge makes them much more dangerous.

When an NPC tries to *help* a player character, the player Tests the NPC's METAL to see if that works. Otherwise, players roll to evade risks presented by NPCs.

Advancing and Recovering
Your *threshold* starts as the total of your points for Edges. Count each time that you Test METAL. When your count exceeds your *threshold*, you recover all points for Edges, you reset your count, and you also may: raise METAL by 1; allocate 2 additional points among existing Edges; or assign 1 point to a new Edge. Then raise your *threshold* by 2.

Wealth and Debt and Stuff
Wealth is measured by coins. The price of stuff is random by rarity: common, 1d3 coins; rare or expensive, 1d6 x 5 coins; exotic, 2d6 x 10 coins. You start with six things and debt for the most valuable thing. In settled places, roll 3d6. If it is less than your debt, they try to arrest you.

Example foes
Goblin: METAL 6, spear 1. Bandit Chief: METAL 9, bow 2, sword 1. Group of bandits: METAL 12, sword 2. Sorcerer: METAL 10, fire 2, wounds 1. Angry Mob: METAL 18.

The Iron Hand of Fate
Ask a question. Roll d6. Odds are yes, evens are no. 1-2 is bad, 5-6 is good. 3-4 is surprising.