This is a new system for creating TFT characters. I'll be adding to it as time and energy permits. We're going to use it in my TFT campaign. Please email me any suggestions or comments. Note that the cost for talents has been reduced and some new ones added.

1. Select your name, background, etc.
2. Select your Race.
3. Select talents, languages and spells.
4. Choose an advantage and a disadvantage, if you like.
5. Determine starting money and buy equipment.

There are three attributes: Strength (ST), Dexterity (DX), and Intelligence (IQ). A fourth rating, Movement (MA) exists, but you can’t add points to it.

Strength (ST) describes how strong and healthy you are. It also determines how much damage you can take and how much endurance you have. Physical damage reduces your ST. When it reaches 0, you go unconscious. If you cast spells, you use ST to power the spells. This ST is actually fatigue. It can be recovered by rest. Also, ST determines how big of a weapon you can use. If your ST is 10 over the minimum for a two handed weapon, you can use it one handed.

Dexterity (DX) covers your quickness, agility and hand-eye coordination. Your DX can be reduced by armor and other stuff you’re carrying. This reduced DX is called your Adjusted DX or AdjDX. In combat, you’ll typically roll 3d6 and try to roll less than your AdjDX (plus any additional modifiers) to hit a target.

Intelligence (IQ) is a measure of how smart, wise and perceptive you are. Many skills requires a successful roll on your IQ for you to successfully use them. Also, some skills require a minimum IQ to learn.

Your movement allowance is not really an attribute. You can’t spend points to add to it, though you can get the Running talent to increase it. Encumbrance will lower your MA.

You start with a ST, DX, and IQ of 8. You get 12 points to distribute between them, for a total of 36 points. But don’t use all of your points on attributes. You’ll need some of them to buy talents, spells and/or languages. It’s usually a good idea to spend at least 4 points on talents. I require starting characters in my games to spend at least that much on their characters.

After you’ve allocated points to your attributes, choose talents from the Talents list, spells from the Spells chart and Languages. Languages are talents that cost 1/2 point each. The term "talents" includes languages.

Click here to go to the list of Talents.

At any given time, your character may be "studying" 3 talents. When you spend points to add a talent, that talent must come from your list of talents studied. If you drop a talent from your "talents studied" list (or if you add the talent to your character), you may replace it with another talent, after two months of game time has passed.

If you have the Magic talent, you may add spells whenever you want, just by spending the points. If you lack the Magic talent, a spell is considered another talent and you have to add it like a talent (see above).

Humans start with ST 8, DX 8, IQ 8, MA 10 and have 12 points to distribute.

Elves start with ST 6, DX 10, IQ 8, MA 12 and have 12 points to distribute. They are -3 DX when fighting insects and other crawly things.

Dwarves start with ST 10, DX 6, IQ 8, MA 10 and have 12 points to distribute. They get a +1 damage with all hafted weapons. They are very greedy and hate orcs and goblins.

Hobbits start with ST 4, DX 12, IQ 8, MA 10 and have 10 points to distribute. Because of their superior hand-eye coordination, they get a +2 DX when using any thrown or missile weapon. They also get a +1 on reaction rolls.

Orcs have the same attributes as Humans.

Goblins start with ST 6, DX 10, IQ 10, MA 10 and have 10 points to distribute.

Experience points (ep) are awarded at the end of adventures. Characters get ep for killing monsters, making impressive die rolls and good roleplaying. For monsters, the best way to award ep is on a party basis. Total up the ep for all monsters defeated during the adventures and divide them evenly among the surviving party members. A monster’s ep is equal to his ST + DX. Award 5 extra ep for each die of damage that the monster does, plus 5 ep for each spell-like ability.

Also, the GM should award ep for roleplaying. In my campaigns, I typically award a bonus of up to 25% ep for good roleplayers. Another option is to let the party vote on the character that added the most to the adventure. Then give that character a 25% bonus.

Experience should be determined by the GM; the above notes are guidelines only. It’s good for the GM to predetermine how fast the characters should progress, then award experience accordingly.

Once you get ep, you can spend them to buy additional character points. The first three character points you buy cost 125 ep each. The next three cost 250 each. The next three cost 500 each. The next three cost 1000. The next three cost 2000 each. The next three cost 4000 each. And so on.

You may also take an advantage to enhance your character. But if you take an advantage, you must also take a offsetting disadvantage. More information coming soon.

Your ST determines how much weight you can carry. Encumbrance will affect your DX and MA:

Click Here to Go To the Weapons and Armor Charts

I like to give my players 5d6 x 20 silver pieces ($) to purchase weapons, armor, shields and equipment, but GMs can use any method they want.

Let’s create a character under this system. I want to create a thief/rogue named Maurice. He is a human and gets a starting ST, DX and IQ of 8, with 12 points to spend. I decide that he is neither strong, nor particularly week, so I spend 2 points to give him a ST of 10. I want him to be quicker than average, so I spend 3 points to give him a DX of 11. He’s average in the brains department, so I spend 2 point to give him an IQ of 10. I now have 5 points to spend on talents. Looking at the talent list, I choose the following talents: Sword (1), Shield (1/2), Quickdraw Sword (1/2), Thief (1), Value Recognition (1/2), Climbing (1/2), Detect/Remove Traps (1).

Maurice rolls 5 dice for his starting money and gets a total of 16. He starts with 320 silver pieces. He buys 2 daggers, a Cutlass, Leather Armor, Small Shield for a total of $200. He buys a nice set of clothes ($40) and thieves tools ($50). This leaves $60 to spend on other stuff.

When we calculate the encumbrance of all of his equipment, we find that it all weighs 32.4 lbs. This is more than three times his ST, but less than six times his ST, so his AdjDX is 10 and his MA is 10.

When you have to do something, you often have to make a success roll against one of your attributes. In combat, for instance, you typically have to make a 3 dice roll against your AdjDX to hit a target. If the total is equal to or less than your AdjDX, you succeed. This, by the way, is referred to as a 3/AdjDX roll. Your attribute may be increased or reduced by modifiers. Here’s a list of Success Rolls to help the GM figure out what rolls are appropriate:

An easy roll is 2 dice versus the appropriate attribute. 2 is a great success, 12 is a bad failure.

An average roll is 3 dice. 3 is a great success; 4 is automatic success. 17 fails; 18 is a bad failure.

A hard roll is 4 dice. 4-5 is a great success; 6-7 is an automatic success. 21-22 fails; 23+ is a bad failure.

A very hard roll is 5 dice. 5-7 is a great success; 8-10 is an automatic success. 25-27 fails; 28+ is a bad failure.

A formidable roll is 6 dice. 6-8 is a great success; 9-13 is an automatic success. 29-33 fails; 34+ is a bad failure.

An impossible roll is 7 dice. 7-9 is a great success; 10-16 is an automatic success. 33-39 is a failure; 40+ is a bad failure.

A great success will do double damage in combat or will achieve some other spectacular result. A bad failure will result in a dropped weapon or will achieve some other terrible result.