Paperogue
Inspired by Pocket Dungeon, Solo Dungeon Crawl, Rogue, and boredom at work.
All you need is graph paper (though it works extremely well on dot grid paper), a pencil, and a bunch of dice (or a dice roller, such as the one at http://blakewatson.com/dice-roller/).
Dungeon rooms look like this:
______
|__|__|
|__|__|
Top right quadrant: Stairs up or down/room number
Top left quadrant: Monster's initial
Bottom right quadrant: Treasure type initial
Bottom left quadrant: Gold amount/Treasure subtype initial
Step 1: Generate the Dungeon
a. Roll a d20 to determine the number of rooms in the level. If you'd prefer a smaller (or larger?!) dungeon, you can choose a different die. For a d20, try for something over 10.
b. Roll again to determine which room has the stairs down. If you roll over your first number, roll again until you get something less than that.
c. Roll a d4 for the number of exits in the first room. You can also roll for the direction of the exits (1=N, 2=E, 3=S, 4=W), if you want.
d. Generate monsters. Write 1-6 three times (or more, if you want more levels). Write a list of monsters next to 2-5 that you'd like to fight. 1 is always "none." Roll 1d10 for each monster. Write the rolls in ascending order down the list. Roll 2d10 for level 2 monsters, 3d10 for level 3 monsters. Add single letter abbreviations for each monster. Letters can be reused on the next level.
e. Roll for treasure! See table 1 for what type of treasure, then the appropriate table for the subtype. Notes on treasure types:
- Armor: Breastplate can be worn over mail.
- Keys: After rolling a key, add a locked door in your dungeon in an appropriate spot.
- Jewelry: 1 ring per finger. 1 bracelet or wristwatch per wrist. 1 earring per ear. 1 necklace per neck. 1 monocle, period (it's called that for a reason).
- Scrolls: If you use a combat scroll out of combat to ID it, you can just ID it and use it later.
- After an item is identified, use the ID tables to determine its effect/bonus.
Step 2: Create Your Character
a. Roll a d10 each for hit points (HP), magic points (MP), strength (STR), dexterity (DEX), and intelligence (INT). You have one chance to switch one for another. Add STR roll to HP roll to get HP total, and add INT roll to MP roll to get MP total.
b. Roll on table 1 for starting gear. Don't ignore gold or keys, and make sure to ID any equipment you get.
Step 3: Traverse Dungeon
a. Combat: Depending on the weapon, roll against a different stat to fight (see table 4). If unarmed, use either STR or DEX. Roll less than or equal to stat for success. Roll 1d10 on level 1, 2d10 on level 2, and 3d10 for level 3. On success, hit monster for 1HP. Failure, -1HP. 0HP = game over! After defeating a monster, place a dot in the monster quadrant.
b. When backtracking, roll any die. Even # = no monsters. Odd # = monsters respawn. You can regain treasure if the monster is killed, but not if the room is empty.
c. Scrolls/Potions: Must be ID'd, either by using them or using the rare identify scroll or book. They may not have useful effects, so be careful! If the type has already been ID'd, others of that type also have that effect.
d. Jewelry/Armor/Weapon bonuses: Item must be ID'd to receive bonuses. Roll on table 9 or 10 for amount.
e. Dual wielding: You CAN, but it must be of two different stat types, and you must pass both stat checks to hit.
f. Restoring HP: Some potions do this, some jewelry does, some scrolls do, maybe there's a spell for it. Otherwise, you could always rest, but monsters might respawn. Roll a d20 to check. 1-12 = success. 13-20 = respawn. On success, regain HP equal to 50% of your HP total (Ex: if your max is 10, regain 5HP). If your HP total is odd, round down.
g. Spell Books: Roll against your INT to cast spells, in or out of combat. Success = -1 MP. Regain 1 MP for every 2 rooms traversed, including backtracking.
Step 4: Descending
When you descend, level up! Regain all HP/MP, roll 1d10 for each stat, add to your current stats. Add STR roll to HP roll for HP to add, add INT roll to MP roll for MP to add.
Step 5: Game over!
After you've died, or in the unlikely event you made it out alive, tally your score thusly:
1 pt for each gold piece
1 pt for each monster slain on level 1, 2 for level 2, 3 for level 3. Don't forget to keep a tally!
1 pt for each item in your inventory (including used scrolls and potions)
10 pts for each HP left
1000 if you made it out alive!
Item tables
Table 1 (d8)
| Roll | Treasure |
|---|---|
| 1 | (G) old (see table 2) |
| 2 | (A) rmor (see table 3) |
| 3 | (W) eapon (see table 4) |
| 4 | (K) ey |
| 5 | (P) otion (see table 5) |
| 6 | (S) croll (see table 6) |
| 7 | (M) agic book (see table 7) |
| 8 | (J) ewelry (see table 8) |
Table 2 (d10)
| Roll | Gold |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 10 |
| 4 | 20 |
| 5 | 50 |
| 6 | 100 |
| 7 | 250 |
| 8 | 500 |
| 9 | 750 |
| 10 | 1000 |
Table 3 (d6)
| Roll | Armor |
|---|---|
| 1 | (H) elmet |
| 2 | (M) ail |
| 3 | (B) reastplate |
| 4 | (G) auntlets |
| 5 | B (O) oots |
| 6 | Bel (T) |
Table 4 (d6)
| Roll | Weapon |
|---|---|
| 1 | (D) agger (DEX) |
| 2 | (S) word (STR) |
| 3 | (B) ow (DEX) |
| 4 | (A) xe (STR) |
| 5 | S (T) aff (INT) |
| 6 | (W) and (INT) |
Table 5 (d10)
| Roll | Potion color |
|---|---|
| 1 | (R) ed |
| 2 | (G) reen |
| 3 | (Y) ellow |
| 4 | (W) hite |
| 5 | Blac (K) |
| 6 | (O) range |
| 7 | Bl (U) e |
| 8 | (P) urple |
| 9 | Brow (N) |
| 10 | Gr (E) y |
Table 6 (d10)
| Roll | Scroll Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vinzit Coro Donia |
| 2 | Baba to Daba |
| 3 | Zaf Lat Bimbo |
| 4 | Ara Vireo Zoko |
| 5 | Teleri Vodo Bogo |
| 6 | Dim Fim Busia |
| 7 | Lorio Bario |
| 8 | Jingo Zon Bonda |
| 9 | Lif Whiff Zabiff |
| 10 | Oppo Deri Pori |
Table 7 (d10)
| Roll | Magic Book |
|---|---|
| 1 | (I) dentify |
| 2 | (C) onfuse |
| 3 | (Z) ap monster |
| 4 | (H) eal |
| 5 | (F) ireball |
| 6 | (M) agic missile |
| 7 | In (V) isibility |
| 8 | (B) less |
| 9 | (K) nock |
| 10 | (D) rain |
Table 8 (d6)
| Roll | Jewelry |
|---|---|
| 1 | (R) ing |
| 2 | (B) racelet |
| 3 | (N) ecklace |
| 4 | (W) ristwatch |
| 5 | (M) onocle |
| 6 | (E) arring |
Identify Tables
Table 9 (d6)
| Roll | Equipment Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1 | None |
| 2 | + 1d4 STR |
| 3 | + 1d4 INT |
| 4 | + 1d4 DEX |
| 5 | + 1d4 HP |
| 6 | + 1d4 MP |
+1 to bonus if found on level 2, +2 on level 3.
Table 10 (d12)
| Roll | Jewelry Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Heal 1d4/room |
| 2 | Restore 1d4/room |
| 3 | + 1d4 STR |
| 4 | + 1d4 DEX |
| 5 | + 1d4 INT |
| 6 | + 1d6 HP |
| 7 | + 1d6 MP |
| 8 | + 1d4 damage |
| 9 | Cursed! No effect. Can't remove. |
| 10 | Gives a spell. Roll on table 7. |
| 11 | Nothing. Just looks pretty. |
| 12 | Roll again, add +1 to any stat bonuses. |
Table 11 (d10)
| Roll | Potion Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Heal 1d10 |
| 2 | Restore 1d10 |
| 3 | Poison for 1d6 rooms |
| 4 | +1 STR for 1d6 rooms |
| 5 | +1 DEX for 1d6 rooms |
| 6 | +1 INT for 1d6 rooms |
| 7 | +5 HP for 1d6 rooms |
| 8 | +5 MP for 1d6 rooms |
| 9 | -1d6 HP |
| 10 | +1 damage next fight |
Table 12 (d10)
| Roll | Scroll Effects |
|---|---|
| 1 | Identify |
| 2 | Heal |
| 3 | Restore |
| 4 | Zap |
| 5 | Zap monster |
| 6 | Confuse |
| 7 | Confuse monster |
| 8 | Invisibility |
| 9 | Fireball |
| 10 | Blank |
Spell reference
- Heal: Roll 1d10 for how much HP
- Restore: Roll 1d10 for how much MP
- Zap: 1d10 for damage, any die to see if stunned. Even = stun, odd = not. Stun renders you or monster unable to move. For monsters, if you fail a hit roll, they do no damage. For you, if you succeed at a hit roll, you do no damage. Roll 1d6 for how many turns.
- Confuse: Each hit roll, roll another die. Even = hit yourself. Odd = hit as normal. Same for monsters, but on failure of your hit roll for a chance for them to hit themselves.
- Invisibility: Avoid monsters for 1d6 rooms.
- Fireball: 1d10 for damage, chance to burn. Even roll = burn. Odd roll = not. Burn: Lose HP for 1d6 turns of combat.
- Magic missile: Roll 1d4 for how many missiles strike. -1 HP for each.
- Bless: Raise 1 stat by 1d4 for 1d4 rooms.
- Knock: Open locked doors without a key.
- Drain: For the rest of combat, hitting a monster also heals you for 1 HP.