Playing Root: The RPG

How Root RPG is played

Talking and Moves

Root: The RPG is a tabletop roleplaying game, and that means it plays out like a conversation.  The rules are here to help that conversation, prompting interesting statements and helping to fill in gaps or moments of uncertainty.

In this game, the most common way the rules prompt conversation is with “moves”.  A move is a single nugget of rules, phrased as a “When X happens, Y happens” kind of sentence.  “When you engage an enemy sword-to-sword, roll with Might.” “When you attempt a roguish feat, roll with Finesse.” When you trick an NPC, roll with Cunning.”

Rolling the Dice

If a move askes you to roll dice, roll two six-sided dice (2d6) and follow the outcomes listed in the move.  Usually, moves ask you to roll with something – like “roll with Might” or “roll with Reputation” – which means that you ad that stat to the roll.

The outcomes of a move fall into three categories:

10+: full hit! you get your way

7-9: a partial hit with costs, complications, or consequences.

6 or less: a miss.  The GM tells you what happens.  It probably won’t be good.

Some moves tell you what happens for each category, while other allow you to choose more options when you roll higher.  Either way, rolling higher is usually better.

The GM never rolls dice.  Instead, they tell you what’s happening and respond to the actions your characters take.  They also act as the referee if there’s any disagreement about what a move means.

The Basic Moves

Every vagabond makes use of the basic moves, included on the following page.  Here’s a list of the basic moves, along with a primary stat if applicable:

• Attempt a Roguish Feat (Finesse)
• Figure Someone Out (Charm)
• Persuade an NPC (Charm)
• Read a Tense Situation (Cunning)
• Trick and NPC (Cunning)
• Trust Fate (Luck)
• Wreck Something (Might)
• Help or Interfere
• Plead with a PC

These moves help structure the core conversation of the game.  A wide variety of things the vagabonds do will fall under one of those categories, and their specific components ensure the conversation moves forward in interesting directions.

Vagabonds also have access to all the normal and some of the special weapon moves, all reputation moves, and their own playbook moves.  All of those are more specific moves designed to help fill in particular parts of the overall conversation.  the weapon moves for example, cover fighting and using weapons, while the reputation moves cover using your reputation throughout the Woodland.

Attempt a Roguish Feat

When you attempt a roguish feat you are skilled in, say your goal and roll with Finesse.  On a hit, you achieve your goal.  On a 7-9, mark exhaustion or one risk of your feat comes to bear.  When you attempt a roguish feat you are not skilled in, you are trusting fate.

Every character has a few roguish feats trained.  You can try to do any of them, but if you’re not trained in a feat – you don’t have the box checked – then you’re not attempting a roguish feat when you try it, your trusting fate.

You have to state your goal when you attempt a roguish feat – something like “steal the jewel from the guy’s pocket,” or “sneak into the barracks unseen.” or “disable the traps.”  “Achieving your goal” means that even if there was a cost or complication, you did the thing – you stole the jewel, you snuck into the barracks, you disabled the traps.

Here is a list of all the roguish feats and likely risks.

Acrobatics – Adeptly climbing, vaulting, jumping.  Risks: Break something, detection, plunge into danger

Blindside – Backstab, murder, sneak attack, suckerpunch.  Risks: Draw unwanted attention, expend resources.

Counterfeit – Copying forgery, fakery.  Risks: Leave evidence, take too long, weak result

Disable Device – Disarming traps, turning off mechanisms. Risks: Break something, draw unwanted attention, expend resources

Hide – Disappear from view, remain hidden.  Risks: Expend resources, leave evidence, take too long.

Pick Lock – Open a locked door, chest, etc…  Risks: Break something, detection, plunge into danger.

Pick Pocket – Subtly steal from a pocket.  Risks: Leave evidence, take too long, weak result.

Sleight of Hand – Planing, switching, ditching, flourishes.  Risks: Draw unwanted attention, leave evidence, weak result.

Sneak – Get into or out of places without being seen.  Risks: Break something, draw unwanted attention, plunge into danger.

Risk definitions:

Break Something: Break something you’re carrying or in the environment.  Possibly mark wear.

Detection: Straight up get noticed by an onlooker.

Draw Unwanted Attention: Either create hostile onlookers where before no one cared, or call attention without actually being detected.

Expend Resources: Use up supplies.  Mark depletion or exhaustion as the GM chooses.

Leave Evidence: Leave behind evidence that can later lead an investigation against you or expose your allies to retribution.

Plunge into Danger: Seize the chance to act and run into a more dangerous situation.

Take Too Long: Take too much time, leading the situation to change around you in some meaningful way.

Weak Result: Get a hard choice about exactly what you want, or just straight up don’t quite get everything you want.

Figure Someone Out

When you try to figure someone out, roll with Charm.  ON a 10+ hold 3.  On a 7-9, hold 1.  While interacting with them, spend your hold 1 for 1 ask their player a question:

• is your character telling the truth?
• what is your character really feeling?
• what does your character intend to do?
• what does your character wish I’d do?
• how could I get your character to_____?

This move doesn’t resolve immediately – you get a few points of “hold” which you spend according to the move.  Here, you spend hold during the conversation to ask questions.

When you ask questions, “their player” answers honestly, meaning that another player answers for another vagabond and the GM answers for NPCs.  For the question, “how could I get your character to_____?, you can fill in the blank with anything – and there’s nothing you can do is a valid answer, if it is true.

Persuade an NPC

When you persuade an NPC with promises or threats, roll with Charm.  On a 10+, they see things your way, provided you have given them a strong motive or reasonable bribe.  On a 7-9, they aren’t sure, the GM will tell you what you need to do to sway them.

This move is used when you’re trying to get someone to do what you want based on what you’re saying.  If you’re making threats, if you’re making a persuasive argument – that’s persuading an NPC.  It’s always an NPC – this move is no use against other vagabonds.

“a strong motive or reasonable bribe” is dependent upon the character, the situation, and the GM’s judgement.  That means on a 7-9, the requirement is higher – the GM will tell you what more you have to do.

Read a Tense Situation

When you read a tense situation, roll with Cunning.  On a 7-9, ask 1.  On a 10+, ask 3.  Take +1 when action on the answers.

• what’s my best way out / in / through?
• who or what is the biggest threat?
• who or what is the most vulnerable to me?
• what should I be on the lookout for?
• who is in control here?

This move is about taking in the area around you and figuring out what matters.  You can only read a tense situation.  So if you have ample time and no pressure to search a room, you’re not triggering the move – you just search the room.

Whether or not you are “acting on the answers” is ultimately up to the GM to decide, but usually it should be interpreted pretty liberally.  As long as your actions are informed or supported by the information you gained, you should probably get the bonus.  It last until the situations changes enough for the information to no longer matter.

Trick an NPC

When you trick an NPC to get what you want, roll with Cunning.  On a hit, they take the bait and do what you want.  On a 7-9, they can instead choose one:

• they hesitate, you shake their confidence or weaken their morale.
• they stumble, you gain a critical opportunity
• they overreact, take +1 forward against them

Unlike persuading an NPC, tricks rely on deceit and manipulation – tricking an NPC isn’t about convincing them through argument or pressure, its about saying or doing whatever is necessary to get them to act how you want.  Just like persuading an NPC, you can’t trick another vagabond.

On a hit – a 7 or up – the npc is deceived in some way… but on a 7-9, they don’t have to do what you expect.  Instead, they can hesitate, stumble, or overreact at the GM’s discretion.

Moral harm is a special kind of harm for NPCs only.  It brings them closer to submitting to or fleeing from you.  If an NPC hesitates, the GM should consider inflicting morale harm on them.

Trust Fate

When you trust fate to get through trouble, roll with Luck.  On a hit you scrape by or barrel through, the GM will tell you what it costs you.  On a 10+, fortune favors the bold, your panache also earns you a fleeting opportunity.

This move is here to act as a back-up, all-purpose move.  Always use a more specific move if there is one, but when a vagabond does something dangerous, risky, difficult, or otherwise tense, and no other move covers the situation… they’re probably trusting fate.

Remember that on any hit at all – any result of 7 or higher – there is still a cost.  Trusting fat is risky and nearly always costs something, whether a dropped item or exhaustion.

“Scarping by” or “barreling through” both imply that you aren’t doing this gracefully or skillfully – your just barely making it, or you’re smashing straight ahead.

A “fleeting opportunity” is a short-lived chance for the vagabond to really stretch, to try something especially dangerous for ptoentially great reward.

Wreck Something

When you wreck something, roll with Might.  On a hit, you seriously break it, it can’t be used again until it’s repaired.  On a 7-9, you’re imprecise and dangerous, you cause collateral damage, attract attention, or end up in a bad spt, GM’s choice.

Wreck something is for bashing doors, breaking equipment, and more.  you need to actually be able to wrek something for the move to trigger – a single mousfold vagabond with a dagger can’t wreck a windmill.  But a mousefold vagbone with a battering ram could.

By default, wrecking something is based on brute force.  Carefully “wrecking” based on device knowlege and cutting the right cord, for example, is attempting a roguish feat or trusting fate (unless you have a special move for it).

Help or Interfere

When you help or interfere with another vagabond, mark exhastion to add +1 or -2 to their roll (after rolling).  Mark exhaustiong again to select one of the following:

• concel your help or interference
• create an opporutnity or obstacle

To help or interfere, a vagabone must be able to take appropraite action for the specific situation.  Multiple vagabonds can help or interfere with the same roll, as long as each marks exhaustion.

If a vagabond creates an opporutnity or obstacle with their help or interference, they might make something longer lasting based on their aciton.  It’s only an opportunity, however, not a guarantee.

Plead with an PC

When you plead with a PC to go along with you, they clear 1 exhaustion if they agree to what you’ve proposed.  You may use this move only once per session.

Pleasing with a PC is the best way to get other vagabonds to go along with your plans.  Each PC can only plead with antoher PC once per session, whether or not they agree!  An if the other PC doesn’t agree, they’re signalling that there is no way they’d do this – time to find another way forward.

Weapon Moves

All vagabonds can use engage in melee, garpple an enemy, and target someone, if they have a weapon with the right range.  To use a special weapon move, you must have the weapon skill and a weapon with the appropriate tag and range.  (improvise weapon and confuse senses just require usuable materials.) By defualt, unarmed vagabonds do 1 exhausttion harm.  Armed vagabonds do 1 injury harm.

Engage in Melee

When you engage an enemy in melee at close or intimate range, roll with might.  On a hit, trade harm.  On a 10+, pick 3.  On a 7-9, pick 1.

• inflict serious (+1) harm
• suffer little(-1) harm
• shift your range one step
• impress, dismay, or frighten your foe

Grapple an Enemy

When you grapple with an enemy at intimate range, roll with Might.  On a hit, you choose simultaneously.  Continue making choices until someone disengages, falls unconscious, or dies.  On a 10+, you make one choice first, before beginning to make simultaneous choices.

• you stirke a fast blow, inflict injury
• you wear them down, they mark exhaustion
• you explit weaekness, mark exhaustion to inflict 2 injury
• you withdraw, disengage to close range

Target Someone

When nyou targe a vulnerable foe at far range, roll with Finesse.  On a hit, you inflict injury.  On a 10+, you can strike again before they get to cover – inflict injury again – or keep your position hidden, your choice.

Cleave – special

When you cleave armored foes at close range, mark exhaustion and roll with Might.  On a hit, you smash through their defense and equipment; inflict 2 wear.  On a 7-9, you overextened your weapon or yourself: mark wear or end up in a bad spot, your choice.

Confuse Senses – special

When you throw something to confuse an opponent’s senses at close or intimate range, roll with Finesse.  On a hit, you’ve thrown them off balance, blinded them, deafened them, or confused them, and given yourself an opportunity.

Disarm – special

When you target an opponent’s weapon with your stikes at close range, roll with Finesse.  On a hit, they have to mark 2 exhaustion or lose their weapon – it’s well out of reach.  On a 10+, they have to mark 3 exhaustiong instead of 2

Harry a Group

When you harry a group of enemies at far range, mark wear and roll with Cunning.  On a 10+, both.  On a 7-9, choose 1.

• inflict 2 morale harm
• they are pinned or blocked

Improvise Weapon – special

When you make a weapon out of improvised materials around you, roll with Cunning.  On a hit, you make a weapon; the GM will tell you its range tag and at aleast one other enefical tage based on the mateerials you used.  On a 7-9, the weapon also has a weakness tag.

Storm a Group – special

When you storm a group of foes in melee, mark exhaustiong and roll with Might. On a hit, trade harm.  On a 10+, choose 2.  On a 7-9, choose 1.

• you show them up; you inflict 2 morale harm
• you keep them off balance and confused, you inflict 2 exhaustion
• you avoid their blows to the best of yoru ability; yuo suffer little (-1) harm.
• you use them against each toher; mark exhaustion again and they inflict their harm against themselves

Parry – special

When you try to parry the attacks of an enemy at close range; mark exhaustion and roll wit hFinesse.  On a hit, you consume their attention.  On a 10+, all 3.  On a 7-9, pick 1.

• you inflict morale or exhaustion (GM choice)
• you disarm your opponent; their weapon is out of hand, but in reach
• you don’t suffer any harm

Quick Shot – special

When you fire a snap shot at an enemy at close range, roll with luck.  On a hit, inflict injury. On a 7-9 chose 1.  On a 10+ choose 2.

• you don’t mark wear
• you don’t mark exhaustion
• you move quickly and change your position (and, if you choose, range)
• you keep your targe at bay – they don’t move

Trick Shot – special

When you fire a clever shot designed to take advantage of the environment at any range, mark wear and roll with Finesse.  On a 7-9, choose 2.  On a 10+, choose 3

• your shot lands in any target of your choice within range, even if it’s behind cover or hidden (inflicting injury or wear if appropriate)
• your shot strikes a second available target of yoru choice
• your shot cuts something, breaks something, or knocks something over, your choice
• you shot distracts an opponent and provides an opportunity.

Vicious Strike – special

When you viciously strike an opponents where they are weak at intimate or close range, mark exhaustion and roll with Might.  On a hit, they suffer serious (+1) harm and cannot mark wear on their armor to black it.  On a 10+, you get away with the strike.  Ona a 7-9, they score a blow against you as well.

Reputation Moves

Each vagabond has a reputation across the Woodland.  At the start of a campaign of Root: The RPG, they’ll have some reputation, but mostly be unknown.  As they take more and more actions amid the war, however, their reputations, good or bad, will grow.  The factions and general denizens of the Woodland will come to have stronger and stronger opinions about each individual vagabond.  To represent this, Root the RPG uses this system of reputation tracks and moves.

A bit of terminology, first.  Prestige refers to positive word about you.  Notoriety refers to negative word about you.  Your Reputation is athe actual score you have with any given faction, representing their overarching opinion and knowlege of you.

Each PC tracks their own Reputation indiependently, and each PC tracks Reputation for each faction indepently of others.  IN situaitons where multiple PCs repuatations are at stake, add them together (max +4, min -3).

Mark Prestige

When you mark prestige, mark the next box to the postive (right) side of 0 on the appropriate faction’s track.  When you mark enough boxes to reach (not pass, reach) the next highest positive number on the track, your reputation with that faction increases!  Clear all prestige boxes on teh track, and circle the next highest number up from your current Reputation.

If you had -2 reputation and marked five rpestige, you would circle -1.  If you had _0 reputation and did the same you would circle +1.  nOt that this means you need to mark five boes to advance from -2 to -1 or from -1 to 0 or from 0 to +1 reputation, but you need to mark ten boses to advance from +1 to +2, and fifteen bosses to advance from +2 to +3.

Mark Notoriety

When you mark notoriety, mark the next box on the negative (left) side of 0 on the appropriate faction’s track.  When you mark enough boxes to reach (not pass, reach), the next lowest negative number on the track, clear all notoriety boxes on the track and circle the next lowest number down from your current reputaiton.

If you had +2 reputation and marked three notoriety, you would circle +1; if you had 0 reputaiton and did the smae, you would circle -1.  note that htis means you need to mark three boxes to drop from +3 to +2, from +2 to +1 from +1 to +0 or from +0 to -1, but you need to mark six boxes to drop from 01 to -2 and nine boxes to drop from -2 to -3.

Ask for a Favor

When you ask for a reasonable favor based on your reputation, roll with Reputation with the appropraite faction.  On a hit, they’ll grant you waht you want.  On a 7-9, it cots your rep a bit, clear prestige or mark notoriety, your choice.  On a miss, they refuse and view you with suspicion, mark notoriety.

Meet Someone Important

When you meet with someone improtant for the first time, roll with Reputation for their faction.  On a hit, you’re aware of their wider reputation (if any), and they’re aware of yours (if any).  On a 7-9, pick one.  ON a 10+, both

• you’ve heard stories; ask a question about them, and the GM will tell you one story you’ve heard about them as an answer
• they’ve heard something in your favor; take +1 forward when yoou first try to play up your connection with them and their faction.

On a miss, you only know the basics about them, and they’ve heard stories about you and the theings you’ve done, true or false – prepare for major complications.

Harm Tracks

Every vagabond has three harm tracks, each with at least four boxes, to track their stess, damage, and resources.  Tehy also have tracks for the durability of their equipment, and NPC’s have their own special harm track to represent morale.

For each track, if a character must mark a box and cannot, they are in some way unable to act or even taken out entirely.  (For equipment, needing to mark wear on a peice of equipment and being unable to do so means the peice of equipment breaks.)  A character can never choose to mark a box as an option on a move if they don’t acatully have an empty box to mark.

Exhaustion tracks a character’s energy, will, and effort.  The more boxes checked, the more tired the character is.  If a character has a mark a box of exhaustiong and cannot, then they fall unconscious or are ohterwise left completely at the mercy of those around them.  Exhaustion clears approximeatley one box every night of decent rest, and all boxes if tha PC gets some rest and care.  Also, if a PC fulfills the condition of their nature, they immediatley clar all boxes of exhaustion.

Injury tracks a character’s physcial health.  The mroe boxes checked, the more wounded, injured, and bruised the character is.  If a character has to mark a box of injury and cannot, then they are dying.  They liekly pass out or are otherwise utterly incapactiated, and will perish without medical aid.  Injury clears when a characer recieves medical attention, or when they rest for an extended time.

Depletion tracks a character’s stash of resources and assorted minor equipment.  The more depletion boxes checked, the fewer resources a character can call on quickly and esily – the equivalent of saying your satchels and pouches are empty.  If you have a mark a box of epletion and you can’t then it means you’re out of supplies, but you suffer no other consequences.  Depletion clears when yuo resupply – for instance, if someone pays you in resources, you spend some time foraging in the woods, or you steal assorted goods and food from someone’s pantry.

Wear is a track for each individual significant piece of equipment a vagabond carries.  As the equipment gest damaged, you will mark its wear boxes.  If you have to mark wear and cannot, then the piece of equipment breaks.  If the piece of equipment is only damaged then it can be repaired, though that’ll oftne require expert help from a smith or a Tinker.

NPC’s have wear score that works as an overall track for their equipment and resources.  If th etrack fills and they have to mark antoher box, then an important piece of quipment on them breaks.

Morale – is only used by NPC’s.  Morale tracks a character’s will to keep going in the face of danger and threat.  The mroe boxes checked, the closer a character comes to breaking entirely and fleeing.  If a character has to mark a box of morale and cannot, then that’s it – they break.  They either surrender, likely groveling and begging for mercy, or they bold.

Travel Moves

When you travel between clearings, time passes.

Travel Through the Forest
When you travel from clearing to clearing through the forest,
the band collectively decides how it travels and one member rolls:
• slowly, foraging heavily: everyone clears 2-depletion;
the band collectively marks an exhaustion for each band
member; -1 to the roll.
• carefully, avoiding trouble: the band collectively marks one
depletion or exhaustion for each band member; +1 to the roll.
• as quickly as possible: everyone marks exhaustion and
depletion; +2 to the roll.
On a hit, you pass through the forest to any clearing on the other
side. Along the way, one of you spots an interesting site; you leave
markers so you can return after you finish your trip. On a 10+,
the transit is largely safe. On a 7-9, something from the forest is
following you; you can let it track you, or every vagabond marks
exhaustion to lose it. On a miss, you run afoul of one of the
forest’s dangers during the trip, and you can’t escape it easily; deal
with it before you can reach the clearing on the other side.

Travel Along the Path
When you travel from clearing to clearing along the path, the
band collectively decides how it travels and one member rolls:
• at a relaxing pace: everyone clears 3-exhaustion; the band
collectively marks a total of 2-depletion; -1 to the roll.
• at an average pace: everyone clears 2-exhaustion; the band
collectively marks 1-depletion; +0 to the roll.
• safely, quickly, and under the radar: the band collectively
marks 1-depletion for supplies; +1 to the roll.
• urgently fast: everyone marks exhaustion; +2 to the roll.
On a hit, you reach the next clearing in a timely fashion.
On a 10+, the trip is uninterrupted and quick. On a 7-9, you
encounter something noteworthy on the path—a caravan, a
battleground, or something else odd passing through. On a
miss, you are caught in the middle of a dangerous situation
before you arrive at the next clearing.