Crown & Call

Short rules for tables that already know D&D.
Canon is CC_Ruleset.txt. Quote an ID when you need the long form.

What this is not

No classes, no levels, no AC, no hit points, no opportunity attacks, no spell slots. You roll d20 + a Capability. If someone resists, they roll too. Wounds are named rungs, not a pool. Magic is a listed Call, not a prayer. Prayer is Faith and the GM (F5).

Who you are (C)

Eight Capabilities, 0–20. 0 is an ordinary person, not a hole (C2). Start with 15 points on exactly five CAPs, min 1 max 5. The other three stay 0 (C3).

WEAPONS

RANGED

ATHLETICS

THIEVERY

SENSE

MAGIC

ACADEMICS

FAITH

Speed = 30 + ATHLETICS, round up to 5 ft (T3). Wounds do not cut Speed (C5).

How you roll (R, O3)

Uncertain? d20 + CAP + mods (R1). Fiction already clear? No roll (G1).

Opposed (R2): both roll. High wins. Difference is MoV. No GM Target Number. No AC. Defense is always a roll (R4): weapon, shield, or ATHLETICS dodge.

Unopposed (R3, R5), 1d20 column:

Routine 10 Moderate 15 Hard 20
Extreme 25 Legendary 30

"1d20" means the dice mode in play (O3). Lethal 1d20, Risky 3d6, Stable 4d6 drop lowest.

Your turn (T)

A Round is about 7 seconds (T1). GM rolls d20: 11–20 PCs first, 1–10 NPCs first. Each side picks its order (T5).

MOVEUp to Speed. Split around ACT. Grid: Speed/5 squares; at most half (round down) diagonal (T3). PREPOne second: draw, drop, set Aggression, declare Protect. ACTThe thing. Two-weapon = two attack rolls if fiction allows (W10). Forgo ACT for a second Move (T4).

HOLD: skip your Turn, re-enter later where you choose (T6).

No opportunity attack. Leaving a threatened square is free unless you are Engaged (W1b).

This sheet’s kit

Arming Sword 1H +0 2H +2 DEEP
Shield (Light) 1H +2 2H +4 LITE
Call Flame (MAGIC 1) MOTION×2, WORDS, SIGHT

Offense = CAP + Wield + Aggression − Wound Level
Defense = CAP + Wield − Aggression − Wound Level

Ranged never uses Aggression (W1).

Combat (W)

Aggression −10 to +10. Melee only. Set it only while adjacent to an enemy. Arrive this Turn? Set it in PREP before you strike. +5 offense is −5 defense (W1).

Ranged needs 10 ft or more (W1a). Thrown −1 per 10 ft (W11).

Engaged (W1b): adjacent to an enemy willing to oppose you. Leaving that square is your whole ACT. Opposed withdraw vs each who contests (WEAPONS or ATHLETICS). Win all: walk a legal path. Fail any: stay. No free hit. −10 first is optional.

Protect (T7): PREP “I protect [name].” Leftover Speed only for this. Melee only. You must reach a square adjacent to both ally and attacker. You become the target. Once per Turn. You stay there. That square Engages you (W1b). You do not stroll off.

MoV → wound, then ceiling, then armor (W3–W5)
1–4 FLSH 5–8 LITE 9–12 DEEP
13–16 SEVR 17–20 GRAV 21+ MORT
Armor: none +1 leather 0 chain −1 plate −2. No AC.
Ladder (W8): 2 FLSH=LITE · 2 LITE=DEEP · 2 DEEP=SEVR · 2 SEVR=GRAV · 2 GRAV=MORT
C5 penalty is the worst rung: FLSH−1 … MORT−6. Hits WEAPONS, RANGED, ATHLETICS, THIEVERY, SENSE. MAGIC, ACADEMICS, FAITH are clean.

Scale 1: MORT drops you dying. Next wound kills. GM secretly rolls seconds to bleed out. Two hands + whole ACT at the body stems it; they stay Mortal, not healed (W6). Scale 2+ needs that many MORT (W9). Extra standing MORT adds +1 to the C5 penalty.

Calling (M)

Listed Calls only. Flame needs MAGIC 1+, two free hands, spoken words, sight of the target (M10). Leather or less to Gather (M11). You do not invent a Call mid-fight (M1).

Damaging Call: MAGIC vs MAGIC (M7). A sword is not defended with MAGIC. MAGIC 0 still rolls d20+0.

Range 5 ft × MAGIC. Area = MAGIC contiguous 5-ft squares, all in range (M9). Area is one roll vs the strongest named defender. Win: split the wound down the M3 steps. Lose: nobody in the paint is hit.

Gather (M4): up to 3 still Rounds (no MOVE, PREP, ACT, talk). Release is the whole Turn, up to 4 Calls. A wound dumps the store. Attacked while Gathering: keep the store and defend on a die of 1, or abandon and defend normally.

Convert-heal (M8): announce first. Single-target only. Roll vs an enemy still in the fight, not a friend. Virtual wound heals the named ally one rung lower. FLSH converts to nothing. Area cannot convert.

Faith (F, G7)

Natural 20 on a combat roll: add FAITH now, or try to bank Guidance (d20+FAITH > 20, max 1 banked) (F1–F2). Spend Guidance later to add FAITH to a combat roll, even after you see the dice (F3). Not on jumps or locks.

Prayer never copies a Call. It can change a circumstance the GM already thought was possible (F5). Petition for the dead is two raw d20s; higher restores. FAITH does not auto-add. God is never obligated (F6).

After the fight (O)

No potions. No Full Rest. Clock, not a gift (O1).

Active 1 FLSH / hour
Resting 1 FLSH / 30 min (lying still)
Meditating 1 FLSH / 15 min, FAITH × 15 min/day (O6)

No stacking. Tend (SENSE or ACADEMICS 1+, one hour): patient uses Resting on the road. Bearing (O5): MAGIC 5+, one minute, both hands; move wound value onto the Caller.

Conditions (O4): Entangled no MOVE; Prone stand = MOVE, −2 physical, +2 melee vs you; Blind −4 if you need sight; Deaf / Mute block speech; Afflicted −2 ATHLETICS, THIEVERY, SENSE; Impeded half Speed.

D&D reflexes to drop

Armor Class → they roll defense.
HP → named rungs that pair up (W8).
Opportunity attack → does not exist. Engaged + withdraw instead (W1b).
Spell slot / prepare list → MAGIC score + listed Call + tags. Gather is the nova, and it is fragile (M4).
Cleric heal → M8 spends a blow at a real enemy, or O5 moves the wound, or the clock. Prayer is F5.
Surprise round → no. Fiction, facing, Aggression (O2).
“I ready an attack” → HOLD (T6), or Protect (T7).
Sneak attack / class feature → you don’t have one. Spend CAP and describe it (G6).

If stuck: skip the roll when the story already answered (G1). Play the intent, not a wording hole (G8). Then quote the ID.