How simple, can a true RPG be?

Featuring chances of success and failure, and results rolled with dice.

An RPG can have zero rules.

Players describe what their characters do.

If there is a chance of failure, the DM assigns odds.

Dice are rolled to determine outcome, based on those odds.

Rinse and repeat!

As simples as you want. There are index card RPGs, one page RPGs, etc.

I did play a few sessions with no rules. You try something, the GM assigns a chance and you roll to see what happens.

In practice, I'd say you need some combat for most genres (In Cthulhu Dark, IIRC, the rule is "you fight Cthulhu, you die", which is reasonable).

I'll answer in a backwards sort of way. 

I'm posting a link to a free, very rules light RPG that I consider a complete set of rules.

Pocket Fantasy RPG on Drivethru RPG

Here is it's features

1.  Dice is just a single 1D6

2.  Five attributes, roll with advantage for your prime stat (STR for fighters, DEX for rogues, etc).

The other two stats are Combat Skill (1D6, 1D6-1, 1D6-2), and Hit Points 4-10 based on you class)

4.  Combat is opposed rolls of damage vs damage blocked. 

5.  Magic is split into combat spells and out of combat spells.  Only six combat spells are stated, but out of combat spells are just made up on the spot and the GM can assign a skill check of 2-6, roll equal or higher, or refuse it.

Spells are 2 per fight, and out of combat is 2 per session.

6.  Re-roll tokens are a big thing.  A meta-currency.  You can also use them to get more uses out of class abilities like more non-combat spells per session.

7.  There is a dungeon builder.

8.  There is a bestiary of about 50 bad guys, from Gnolls to Dragons

9.  It all fits on 4 pages, aka 2 pages printed double sided. 


To me this is as small as an RPG should get.  The 1-page RPGs often are lacking in my opinion.

Maze Rats is similar to what WeirdGuy564 said.

Its 1 page of rules, 1 page of character creation and 13pgs of tables.  Spells are similar, with items sort of dictating what spells might do, but its up to the chars and GM to sort out the effects and duration of spells.  $5 on drivethru, its worth it just for the tables.

Cairn is similar as well.  and Cairn 1e is free. its 24 pages, but isnt really that long.

Very. When I was a kid we played a game that we made up because we didn't have the money to buy any D&D books. I tried documenting it when I was a bit older, and realized there wasn't really a system there at all. It was effectively a 50% chance of success for any action I wanted there to be a random chance of success.

Quote from: Zalman on September 13, 2024, 06:57:49 AMAn RPG can have zero rules.

Players describe what their characters do.

If there is a chance of failure, the DM assigns odds.

Dice are rolled to determine outcome, based on those odds.

Rinse and repeat!

This!