Version 4.0 (Updated 06/2026)
In order to play the game you’ll need to create a character. Before you get out the pencil, first think about your character. What do you want to be able to do with this character? What kind of person is he or she? What is their background and motivations?
Concept
The Concept is the general term that identifies the character. Usually this is the character’s profession or role in society. Examples: Gruff Bounty Hunter, Demon Worshiper, Kind Wizard or Street Cop. Try not to use more than a couple of words as a concept but it is important to have something that defines the type of character you are playing.
Attributes
Attributes are referenced in two ways: Dice and Die Code (sometimes called Attribute Level). The Dice is the complete value of the Attribute. For example a Strength of 3D, or a Dexterity of 2D+1. The Die Code is the number in front of the D. From the previous examples a Strength Dice Code of 3 or a Dexterity Dice Code of 2.
Physical Attributes
- Agility: Measure of balance, limberness, quickness, and full–body motor abilities. It is also a measure of hand–eye coordination and fine motor abilities.
- Stamina: Measure of ability to resist damage, fatigue and disease.
- Strength: Measure of physical power, muscle and ability to cause physical damage with their bare hands.
Mental Attributes
- Intellect: Measure of knowledge, strength of memory and ability to learn.
- Perception: Measure of mental quickness and attention to detail.
- Will Power: Measure of emotional strength, persuasion, spirit, mental defense and offense (for Extranormal abilities)
Passive Values: Some Attributes and skills have a Passive Value which is equal to the Die Code. The default or passive difficulty for Opposed Tests is this value x 2.
Derived Attributes
Toughness: Toughness represents a character’s natural resistance to injury. A character’s Base Toughness equals their Strength Die Code × 4. Armor and other effects may increase this value. When spending a Fate Point, a character may roll their Strength and use the result as their Toughness if the roll exceeds their Base Toughness.
Presence: Presence reflects physical and personal presence. Characters gain +1 Presence if they possess Strength 3D or higher, +1 Presence if they possess Will Power 3D or higher, for a maximum Presence of +2.
Strength Damage: Strength Damage indicates the amount of harm a character can do in combat with body parts, melee weapons, thrown weapons, and most primitive ranged weapons. To determine the Strength Damage Die Code, take the character’s Dice Code for Strength: Athletics (Lifting) (including modifiers from Traits) and drop any pips. Divide by 2, and round up, this is your Strength Damage Die Code. Example: A character with 3D in Strength has a Strength Damage of 2D. A character with 6D+2 in Athletics has a Strength Damage of 3D.
Funds: To allow the gamemaster to more easily adjust the real world cost to something appropriate for her world or her part of the world, this system substitutes difficulties for the prices of items.
Each character thus gets a Funds attribute, which represents the amount of money the character can get without too much trouble on a regular basis because of work or investments. All characters start with a base of 3D in Funds. Use the accompanying table to adjust this number. Include any modifiers to attributes due to Traits. The minimum total is 1D. The final total becomes the Funds attribute.
Determining Funds
| Characteristic | Modifier |
| 1D in Intellect | -1D |
| +1 or more in Presence | +1D |
| 3D or more in Intellect | +1D |
| 6D or more in the Scholar: Business skill plus its highest specialization | +1D |
Example: Your character has 3D in Intellect, 6D in Scholar: Business, and +2D in a specialization of Scholar: Business (Investing). Starting with a funds of 3D, you add to it 1D for your high Intellect score and 1D for having at least 6D in business plus a specialization. Your final total gives you a Funds score of 5D. Using the Funds attribute is discussed in Equipment.
Creation Pool
Each Novice character receives 80 creation points to distribute among all the options. Players may only spend creation points as whole points, not as fractions.
- One Attribute die equals four (4) creation points.
- One Skill Rank equals one (1) creation point.
- Three Skill Specialization Rank equals one (1) creation point.
- Talents have their own costs associated with them. See the Character Options.
Other restrictions apply
- Attributes must be allocated a minimum of 1D (4 points) and have a maximum of 3D.
- The maximum starting number of Rank that may be added to any one skill or specialization of skill is 2.
- Points must be spent on whole dice, though the purchased dice may be split and distributed in their category. For instance, if a player spends four creation points to get one Attribute die, the die may be split into three pips and divided among up to three Attributes, but no attribute pip may be traded in for a Skill Die. Skill Die do not have pips.
Players of Human characters may add up to 10 additional creation points to their totals by taking an appropriate number of points in Drawbacks. Non-Human species may have their own creation point totals, maximum number of points from Drawbacks, and starting Traits. For worlds involving more Special Talents, GMs should feel free to raise the number of starting creation points and the number of possible creation points received from Drawbacks. Characters also receive the following aspects, like those created with defined limits:
- Move: This equals 5, and 6 if they start the game with 3D in Strength or Stamina. There are 2 meter or 5 foot Spaces.
- Strength Damage: Drop the pips from your character’s Strength or lifting score (including any Special Talents or Drawbacks that affect the die code), divide the number by 2, and round up. This is the Strength Damage die code.
- Funds: Funds and silver measure how much wealth your character can usually get at without too much trouble. All characters start with a base Funds die code of 3D. Look under “Funds” in this chapter for modifiers to this roll and how to convert this number to cash. The cash equivalent of Funds goes on the Silver line.
Character Options
Talents & Drawbacks
Talents and Drawbacks represent exceptional qualities, advantages, flaws, and unique traits that help define a character beyond their Attributes and Skills. They provide mechanical benefits, roleplaying opportunities, and distinctive features that make characters feel unique.
Talents are beneficial traits that grant bonuses, special capabilities, social advantages, or other useful benefits. Some Talents are learned through training or experience, while others are innate.
Drawback are limitations, flaws, obligations, or complications that hinder a character in some way. Drawbacks may impose penalties, create difficult situations, or affect how the character interacts with the world.
Each Talent or Drawback is assigned a Level ranging from 1 to 5. Higher levels represent more powerful benefits or more significant limitations. At character creation, Talents cost Creation Points equal to their Level, while Drawbacks provide Creation Points equal to their Level. These points may be used to purchase additional Talents, Skills, Attributes, or other character options as allowed by the setting.
Special Talents
Special Talents are Talents that exceed the normal capabilities of a Human. They may represent alien biology, mutation, cybernetics, genetic engineering, psionics, magic, advanced technology, or other extraordinary origins. While uncommon among Humans, they are often a defining feature of non-human species and unusual character concepts.
Special Talents function like any other Talent and use the same Level-based cost system. However, they frequently grant abilities that are impossible for ordinary Humans, such as natural weapons, enhanced senses, regeneration, extra limbs, natural armor, flight, or energy projection.
Game Masters may use Special Talents to create new species by combining appropriate Talents and Drawbacks to reflect the strengths and weaknesses of that species. Players may also select Special Talents when allowed by the setting and the Game Master.
As a general guideline, characters should not receive more than 10 Creation Points from Drawbacks unless the Game Master determines otherwise.
Other Items
Move: This number represents how many SPACES your character moves in a round at maximum walking speed in standard (1G) gravity. (The Athletics skill can increase this rate. It also serves as the base for other movement skills.) Should the character have a different sort of movement than normal (such as fins for legs), see the Drawback (described in the Character Options) for information on how to account for this variability.
In RonD6, a Space represents a generic measure of distance. It can be a square or a hex on a combat map with miniatures and terrain and a general distance on a whiteboard combat map. As a general rule, one space is either 6 feet or 2 yards or 2 meters. In general a regular human sized creature has a base Move rating of 5, and 6 if they start the game with 3D in Strength or Stamina or Athletics skill. See Combat: Movement for more details on Movement in combat.
Character Points: Players’ characters typically start the game with six Character Points. You can spend these points to improve your character’s chance of succeeding in especially difficult situations. (The mechanics of this are discussed in the Game Basics.) Your character earns more Character and Fate Points by having adventures. There is no limit to the number of Character or Fate Points your character may have at any time.
Fate Points: Players’ characters typically start the game with one Fate Point. A Fate Point is a bonus representing that a character is using all of his or her concentration to try to succeed. It allows the player to, at least, double the number of dice on one roll. Sometimes the gamemaster will provide other benefits.
Equipment: Players of starting characters may select one small weapon and a little protective gear plus a few tools of their characters’ chosen trade, unless there is equipment already listed on the template sheet. Some basic equipment is explained in the Equipment; the gamemaster may allow other options.