Core Rules

Overview

Tales & Tails runs on the d20 system — a twenty-sided die is your best friend. When your hero tries something with risk, you roll 1d20, add a relevant stat bonus, and compare the result to a Difficulty Calling (DC) or an opponent's Dodge score. Beat the number and something wonderful happens. Fall short and, well, it's still a story worth telling.

Stats

Every hero has six core stats. Each stat provides a bonus (a number added to related rolls) and a set of action verbs — words that describe exactly what that stat does in the world. Bonuses can be positive, zero, or even negative for the rare weak spots.

Action verbs help players know which stat to reach for without asking: "Can I Sprint through the crowd?" → Swift. "I want to Smash the gate open" → Might. "She's trying to Navigate by starlight" → Keen.

Defensive verbs are called at the table when something bad is about to happen. Instead of "make a saving throw," the narrator says: "Dodge the fireball!" or "Hold Fast — don't let the shadow in!" See the Defensive Rolls section below.

Dodge and Mettle

Defense in Tales & Tails is split into two numbers that answer two very different questions:

This means every attack plays out in two steps:

Step 1 — Did it land?
  Attacker rolls 1d20 + Attack Bonus vs your DODGE
  Equal or higher = hit → move to Step 2
  Lower = miss → nothing happens

Step 2 — How much did it hurt?
  Roll damage dice + stat bonus
  Subtract your METTLE
  Result = HP lost (minimum 1 — a hit always stings a little)

Dodge

Dodge is how hard it is for an attack to find or reach your hero. Nimble heroes with high Swift are naturally harder to hit. Armor can add to Dodge as long as it doesn't weigh you down.

Dodge = 10 + Swift bonus + Armor Dodge bonus

Mettle

Mettle is how much damage your hero can shrug off when a hit lands. Brave heroes naturally have more Mettle. Heavy armor piles on additional protection — but at the cost of making you easier to hit.

Mettle = Brave bonus + Armor Mettle bonus (minimum 0)

The minimum 1 rule: Mettle can reduce damage to as little as 1 HP, but never to 0. A hit always deals at least 1. This keeps fights moving and ensures no hero becomes completely untouchable.

Species Natural Mettle

Some species have thick natural hides, shells, or scales that grant a built-in Mettle bonus regardless of armor worn. This is listed on each species sheet.

Natural Mettle stacks with armor. A Turtle wearing heavy armor is extremely hard to hurt.

Armor Summary

Hit Points (HP)

Hit Points measure how much damage a hero can take before falling unconscious.

Starting HP = 10 + Brave bonus

When HP reaches 0, a hero does not fall unconscious. Instead, they gain 1 Shadow Speck and their HP resets to 1d6 — a shaken, fear-driven surge of resilience. The hero immediately rolls Hold Fast (Warm): on a success the Shadow Speck is shaken off before it settles; on a failure it stays.

Heroes can accumulate up to 3 Shadow Specks. At 3 they become Overwhelmed — still able to move and speak, but unable to take Actions until a friend helps or they succeed a Hold Fast. Heroes are never removed from the story.

Difficulty Calling (DC) Table

When a hero tries something challenging, the narrator sets a DC. Roll 1d20 + relevant stat bonus. Equal or beat the DC to succeed.

Advantage and Disadvantage

Sometimes circumstances make things easier or harder than normal.

Advantage: Roll 2d20 and take the higher result.

• Granted by: helpful spells, a teammate's assistance, high ground, flanking an enemy.

Disadvantage: Roll 2d20 and take the lower result.

• Caused by: being Blinded, attacking while Frozen, acting on incomplete information.

Advantage and disadvantage cancel each other out — if you have both, you just roll 1d20 normally.

Defensive Rolls

When something dangerous happens to your hero — a trap springs, a spell crackles outward, a creature tries to charm them — the narrator calls out a defensive verb and your hero rolls to resist.

There are no "saving throws" in Tales & Tails. Instead, there are three defensive categories, each with its own verbs:

How it works: The narrator says which verb fits the moment. The player picks the most relevant stat from that category and rolls 1d20 + that stat's bonus. Meet or beat the DC to resist the effect.

Narrator shorthand: When you need a specific stat for a challenge, just call the verb: "Brace against the slam" (Might), "Endure the poison" (Brave), "Sense the trap before you step" (Keen).

Defensive Verb Quick Reference

Stat Bonuses at a Glance

Species and Calling choices grant starting stat bonuses. Most bonuses fall in the range of -1 to +3. Use this reference to understand what a +2 in a stat actually feels like in play:

Currency

Talestria uses three denominations of currency, all made from crystallized Storystream light — fragments of pure imagination that have solidified into collectible, tradeable objects. They are smooth, faintly warm to the touch, and glow with a soft inner light that grows stronger as they grow more valuable.

Conversion:

10 Drops  = 1 Shard
10 Shards = 1 Gem
(1 Gem = 100 Drops)

In practice: Most everyday purchases use Shards. Street food, basic gear, and common potions are priced in Shards or Drops. Legendary weapons, rare artifacts, and the most powerful magic items are priced in Gems. Finding even a single Gem in a treasure hoard is a big deal.

Character Sheet Sections

A Tales & Tails character sheet is organized into four named sections. Each answers a different question about who the hero is.

Cards and the Character Sheet

Each hero's Calling and Species can be represented by a physical card. The character sheet includes a reference slot at the top of the Gifts section ("Calling Card: ______") and the Trickles section ("Species Card: ______").

• With cards: Slot the card nearby and use the sheet lines for shorthand notes and leveling updates.
• Without cards: Write full ability names and descriptions directly in each section.

The sheet works completely either way — cards enhance the experience but are never required.

Tags

mechanics core-rules stats DC dodge mettle HP defensive-rolls currency character-sheet