Chosen Ones - Rules
Chosen Ones - Rules
CHOSEN ONES
by Adrian Lumm
Design and Layout – Adrian Lumm
Video Games
– Dark Souls
– Final Fantasy: Type-0
– Kingdom Hearts
Tabletop Games
– LIGHT by Gila RPGs
– Crystalline by matara
This game is Illuminated, and is made using the LUMEN system created
by Spencer Campbell of Gila RPGs. This game is not affiliated with Gila
RPGs.
2
INTRODUCTION
Chosen Ones is a role-playing game about ordinary people who have
been chosen for something greater. In the city-state of Tavaria, the last
known city in the wake of the Calamity, the Tower protects the land with
a magical barrier that stretches over the city known as the Wall.
The Calamity was a devastating event that nearly wiped out all humans.
Currently, Tavaria is believed to be the last civilization in the world that
harbors mankind. It is the job of the Chosen to clear a path to other
potential centers of human civilization, be they ruins of other cities or
actual human settlements that exist outside the Wall.
3
HOW TO PLAY
This game is intended to be played with 3-6 players, with one person
taking the role of Game Master (GM).
Materials Required
– Writing utensils
– Six-sided dice (d6s)
– Class sheets
When a character is acting and there is a risk to that action, they roll dice:
A pool of d6 equal to the Attribute that best describes how they're acting,
and keep the highest result.
On a...
1-2 : The action fails and there is a consequence
3-4 : The action succeeds, but there is a complication
5-6 : The action succeeds with no problems
Creating a Character
When you make your character, you'll choose a Class your character
embodies, and on its sheet, write down your character's name and
pronouns. You can change Classes at any time you're not actively on a
mission. To do this, simply pick up that Class's sheet and copy your
progress over.
4
The Role of the GM
The GM's primary job when running a game of Chosen Ones is to create
the scene for the Chosen Ones to react to. The GM will be coming up
with missions for the Chosen to complete, putting together combat
encounters, and coming up with new ways to keep the action interesting
while battles unfold. Each round of combat, the GM gets a turn once all
players have acted to change the flow of the battle in an interesting way
and to create the spoils of fallen enemies, referred to as drops. The GM
also is the one who introduces complications and consequences when
players roll 4 or less on their dice rolls.
Player Safety
Because this game features a lot of violence and themes of apocalyptic
scenarios, player safety is a must. I recommend using Lines and Veils,
designed by Ron Edwards, and the X card, designed by John
Stavropoulos. Lines and Veils are set up before the game starts, while the
X card is a tool that is used during play.
Lines are hard limits on content, things that the GM or the players don't
want to engage in. Setting up a line means that content won't show up in
the game at all.
Veils are soft limits, things that are okay “behind a curtain” or when they
“cut-to-black.” Setting up a veil means that the content might be in the
game but will not be spotlighted or described in great detail.
5
CHARACTERS
The Chosen Ones
Player characters are ordinary denizens of Tavaria who, whether by
random lottery or by the grand designs of the Tower, have been granted
incredible martial prowess and magical powers to be used in service of
the city-state. No matter who you were before or how you feel about it,
your character has been handpicked to defend Tavaria and scout the
surrounding area for signs of human life or clues as to the nature of the
Calamity.
Attributes
There are three attributes that Chosen possess which describe your
approach to completing actions:
– Power represents forceful application of physical might, aggression,
and raw strength.
– Speed represents quick movement, fast reflexes, and agility.
– Focus represents patience, technical analysis, and methodical
practice
As stated before, for each point you possess in a given Attribute, you will
roll a d6 and take the highest result. Attributes can be a minimum of 1
and a maximum of 4.
6
Magic Points (MP)
These represent your capacity to use magic. These are spent on Powers
and can be replenished by picking up Magic Orbs.
Classes
Your character has a Class that determines their power set and abilities.
These tell you how much HP and MP your character possesses, what
equipment they start with, and what powers they come equipped with.
Weapons
Each Class has 2 weapons to start with, and can acquire more when
completing missions. You can only take one weapon with you to a
mission.
Each weapon describes how much Harm it deals, what ranges it can be
effectively used at (Close, Mid, Far), and possibly several tags to describe
its special abilities:
– Absorb: Killing an enemy with this weapon grants you +1 MP
– Drain: Killing an enemy with this weapon grants you +1 HP
– Blessed: Deals +1 Harm to Demons
– Fire: Deals +1 Harm to Undead
– Silver: Deals +1 Harm to Beasts
– Magic: Deals +1 Harm if you roll a 6 on the attack
7
CLASSES
What are Classes?
Your Class is the summary of all of your combat abilities. There are 9
Classes in Chosen Ones, and each has a unique set of powers and
abilities. Some Classes favor fighting with weapons, others focus more on
using magic. Your Class tells you how much HP and MP you have at the
start of the game, what weapons you have available to choose from, one
passive ability that is always in use, and three Powers. No two players
should share the same Class, as it makes combat more interesting to have
variety.
Powers
Your powers are the hallmarks of your class: Special magical abilities and
spells that require spending MP to use. Powers normally cost 1 MP to
activate, but each class has a Power that has an (X) in its name. This
indicates a variable cost. You can spend as much or as little MP as you
like, but spending more generally creates a stronger effect. MP can be
restored by picking up magic orbs as drops from fallen enemies.
Passives
Your passive is a Power that costs no MP to use, it is always active.
Sometimes a passive is triggered by an event that happens in game, other
times it is simply a static condition that always applies to you.
Changing Classes
If you don't like the Class you've chosen or simply want to try out
something else, you can change Classes any time you're not actively on a
mission.
8
The Classes
– Demon Hunter : A hard-hitting warrior who specializes in
fighting Demon enemies
9
COMBAT
Frequency of Combat
In general, combat is a core part of the LUMEN engine, and that is no
different in Chosen Ones. For any mission, you can expect to do battle
with many beasts, undead, and demons that populate the untamed, post-
apocalyptic wilderness. While combat might not be the end goal of most
of your missions, you will certainly face obstacles that will need a good
bullet to the head or sword to the chest to be properly dealt with.
Ranges
There are three ranges that represent how close a character is to
something. These are relative and inexact by design. Pay attention to how
close your character is to an enemy or to other PCs using these three
metrics:
– Close: Engaged or otherwise within arm's reach
– Mid: A short sprint away
– Far: Anything farther away than a short sprint
10
Weapons and Powers will indicate possible ranges they can be used
within. For example, a whip with a range of Close/Mid can be used on
an enemy within Close range or Mid range.
The PC Turn
When a PC takes their turn, they can move freely from one range to the
other in relation to someone or something else (Close to Mid, Mid to Far,
and vice-versa), use Powers, and perform a single action, such as
attacking with a weapon, trying to break down a door, or something else
that might require a dice roll. So long as you have the MP to spend, you
may use as many Powers as you wish on your turn.
Attacking an Enemy
Powers require no rolls, but attacking an enemy with your weapon
requires an action. Describe your approach to how you attack the enemy,
and choose an Attribute to use. Roll dice as normal, bearing in mind the
following results:
– 1-2: Your attack misses, and the enemy either inflicts Harm or uses
one of its three actions, the GM decides.
– 3-4: You hit and inflict Harm on the enemy, but they also get to
inflict Harm or use an action.
– 5-6: You hit and inflict Harm, and the enemy cannot react.
Choosing an Attribute
When using an action, make sure you choose the appropriate Attribute
for the fiction, not just whatever your highest Attribute might be. Here are
some examples of how each Attribute could be used to perform actions:
– Power: Attacking aggressively, breaking a door down, putting all of
your might into something
– Speed: Moving from enemy to enemy with fast attacks, quickly
picking a lock, trying to accomplish a task quickly and efficiently
– Focus: Paying close attention to an enemy's patterns and setting up
a counter, carefully picking a lock, taking a breath and thinking
things through
11
The GM Turn
Once all PCs have acted in combat, the GM does two things:
– Perform up to 3 enemy actions
– Shake up the battle in a big way
Enemy actions are detailed later in the Enemies section, but, long story
short, they are tactics, actions, and reactions the enemies can take during
the battle to shake up combat. These actions might require PCs to react
with further dice rolls to avoid Harm, or it might lead to interesting role-
playing as the PCs react to what's going on.
Once the GM Turn is over, the final step in a combat round is the Drops
Phase
Drops Phase
Each player should keep track of enemies they kill. When the GM turn is
over, players will roll a d6 for each enemy killed to generate Drops:
– For each 1-2, nothing is generated
– For each 3-4, a blue Magic Orb is generated (+1 MP)
– For each 5-6, a green Life Orb is generated (+1 HP)
Players will roll their own Drops, mainly because several Classes have
Passives and Powers that enable them to influence Drops and its easier
for them to keep track of this than the GM. In addition, it is up to the
player who generated the Drops to decide who gets them. Drops are
applied immediately before the next round of combat begins.
12
What are Drops, anyway?
You might think Life Orbs and Magic Orbs are simply abstractions of
regenerating HP and MP meant to emulate the feel of video game
pickups. And you'd be correct. However, if you're looking for a lore
explanation, enemies slain by Chosen Ones can sometimes have their
essences coalesced into magical orbs that only Chosen Ones can partake
to strengthen them to keep fighting. It is simply another ability bestowed
upon the Chosen by the Tower to be able to create and harvest these orbs.
Shields
Certain Powers allow for the generation of Shields. Shields act as a buffer
of Harm you can suffer before subtracting from your HP. If you have 2
Shields, an attack that does 3 Harm would break through your 2 Shields
and deal a total of 1 Harm to you, for example. If you already have
Shields and would receive them from another source, the new Shields
replace the ones you have already; Shields do not accumulate or stack
with each other. Generally, Shields go away at the end of a battle.
Falling to 0 HP
When you hit 0 HP, your character is taken out of commission for a brief
time, but this is not the end. In general, unless everyone at the table
consents to it, character death is not a thing that happens in Chosen
Ones: You're too badass and powerful to even have to worry about death.
Instead you lose a turn in combat while you recover, but the next round,
you get back up with all your HP back. Unfortunately, being revived
comes at a cost, and you must choose one Attribute to sacrifice. Until the
end of the mission, that Attribute suffers a -1 penalty. Penalties suffered
this way are cumulative.
What if an Attribute is at 0?
If a penalty would bring an Attribute down to 0, whenever you roll that
attribute, roll 2d6 and take the lower number as your result.
13
CLASSES IN DEPTH
Demon Hunter
HP: 7
MP: 5
Weapons
– Whip: 1 Harm, Close/Mid, Blessed
– Sword: 2 Harm, Close
Passive
– Enemy of Chaos: When you kill a Demon enemy, 2 Drops are
rolled
Powers
– Holy Water (X): Throw X vials of holy water at Close/Mid
enemies' feet, dealing 2 Harm, Blessed each
– Holy Symbol: Using an enchanted holy symbol, blast a Mid/Far
enemy with 3 Harm, Blessed
– Holy Blessing: Heal 3 HP to Close/Mid target
Magus
HP: 5
MP: 7
Weapons
– Wand: 1 Harm, Mid/Far, Magic
– Mace: 1 Harm, Close
Passive
– Leech: All weapon attacks have the Absorb tag
Powers
– Soul Sword: Summon a spectral blade and deal 3 Harm at Close
range, uses Absorb tag
– Soul Shield: The next time you suffer Harm, it is reduced by 1
Harm. This can reduce the total Harm received to 0
– Crystal Armor (X): Generate X Shields to self
14
Elementalist
HP: 5
MP: 7
Weapons
– Elemental Gloves: 1 Harm, Mid/Far, Magic
– Staff: 1 Harm, Close, Absorb
Passive
– Elemental Storm: Roll a d6 each round of combat. On a 6, you can
use 1 power for 0 MP (Chain Lightning acts as having used 1 MP)
Powers
– Pyretic Propulsion: Deal 3 Harm with the Fire tag to a Close enemy
and immediately move to Far range
– Ice Spikes: Create 4 icicles that each deal 1 Harm to targets at any
range
– Chain Lightning (X): Deal X Harm to a Mid/Far enemy, and all
enemies Close to the original target suffer 1 Harm
Gunner
HP: 7
MP: 5
Weapons
– Shotgun: 3 Harm Close, 2 Harm Mid
– Assault Rifle: 2 Harm Mid/Far
Passive
– Looter Shooter: Enemies you kill guarantee Drops (1s and 2s are
rerolled)
Powers
– Enchanted Ammo (X): For X rounds, weapons deal +1 Harm
– Bullet Time: Time slows around you, generating 2 Shields
– Attraction/Repulsion: Bring a target into Close or Far range
instantly
15
Guardian
HP: 7
MP: 5
Weapons
– Sword and Shield: 2 Harm, Close, Silver
– Greatsword: 3 Harm, Close
Passive
– Stalwart: You take 1 less Harm from all sources. This can reduce
total harm taken to 0.
Powers
– Healing Potion: Heal 3 HP to target
– Iron Will (X): Generate 2 Shields to X targets in any range
– Cover: Mark 1 target. Until the next round, any Harm that would
come to them is inflicted on you instead.
Healer
HP: 5
MP: 7
Weapons
– Mace: 1 Harm, Close, Absorb
– Pistol: 2 Harm, Mid/Far
Passive
– Lifegiver: If you generate a Life Orb drop, generate 2 Life Orbs
instead.
Powers
– Healing Hands: Heal 3 HP to a Close target
– Rapture: Heal 2 HP to any number of Close/Mid targets
– White Light: All allies receive 1 MP
16
Magic Knight
HP: 7
MP: 5
Weapons
– Sword and Shield: 2 Harm, Close, Fire
– Halberd: 3 Harm, Close
Passive
– Enchanted Arsenal: All weapon attacks have the Magic tag
Powers
– Flames (X): X motes of fire launch from your hand or weapon and
deal 2 Harm, Fire each to any Mid/Far targets
– Spell of Bravery: Close/Mid target deals +1 Harm with all weapons
until the end of the next round
– Spell of Fortune: Until the end of the next round, all drops are
doubled (except extra drops caused by a Passive ability)
Saboteur
HP: 7
MP: 5
Weapons
– Dual Pistols: 2 Harm, Mid/Far
– Dual Swords: 2 Harm, Close
Passive
– Agility: You always act first each round, no matter what
Powers
– Mark for Death: Lay a curse on a target in any range. That target
takes +1 Harm from all sources until the end of the round
– Phase: Completely dodge the next source of damage that would hit
you
– Invisibility: You turn invisible until the end of your next turn or
until you make an attack. If you roll a 3-4 on your next attack, treat
it as a 5-6
17
Necromancer
HP: 5
MP: 7
Weapons
– Staff: 1 Harm, Close, Absorb
– Sickle: 1 Harm, Close, Fire
Passive
– Mostly Dead: If an attack would drop you to 0 HP and you have
more than 1 HP, drop to 1 HP instead.
Powers
– Animate Dead (X): Summon X zombies/skeletons to fight for you.
They have 2 HP and deal 1 Harm each when commanded to attack.
If an attack were to hit you and one of your undead creations is in
Close range, you can choose to have it hit them instead.
– Necrotic Blast: Deal 3 Harm to a single target in Close/Mid range
– Vampiric Grasp: Deal 2 Harm to a single target in Close/Mid range
with the Drain tag
18
MISSIONS
Core Gameplay Loop
Most of Chosen Ones's gameplay loop is centered around missions and
completing them. You get your orders from the Tower Attendants, you
leave the city, you do the mission, and you come back safely (or,
sometimes, start a new mission while still in the field). There are
generally three steps in the gameplay loop, and they are as follows:
– Briefing: The PCs receive their orders from the Tower Attendants
and plan their approach.
– Mission: The PCs travel to the unforgiving, post-apocalyptic
wilderness and do the task assigned to them.
– Advancement: The PCs advance, acquire loot, and prepare for the
next mission.
Briefing
The PCs are sought out by the Tower Attendants, priests who serve the
Tower and interpret its will, and receive their orders. Typically, missions
involve exploring newly discovered ruins, scouting, retrieving lost
technology, or investigating a site said to hold knowledge of the Calamity.
This is generally a time for PCs to role-play and interact with NPCs prior
to the mission starting. Here, PCs can choose which weapon to bring on
their mission, change Classes, and prepare for the mission. Once
preparations have been made, the PCs embark beyond the Wall and into
the ruined wilderness.
Mission
The Calamity has ravaged the land. Ruined vestiges of human civilization
dot the landscape. The climate is unforgiving. Dark clouds known as
chaos storms frequently sweep over the land, summoning demons,
creating undead, and driving beasts wild. Missions might have you
exploring caves and ruins, trekking the wilderness, searching for signs of
life in this inhospitable environment, or going to kill a specific enemy
threatening Tavaria.
19
It is here where most of the action will take place. The GM creates the
scene, and the players react to what's going on. NPCs are definitely rare,
and, depending on the campaign, a big deal when they are found out
here. Threats of many kinds, be they beast, undead, or demon, frequently
make themselves known, and combat is frequent. Aside from fighting, the
PCs can be expected to overcome many other obstacles, whether
environmental, social, or some other nature. Often, these obstacles are
overcome by dice rolls. When a mission is complete after much hardship,
the PCs are free to advance and wind down from a successful (or failed!)
mission.
Advancement
This is the “getting better” part of the game. After a mission, players are
allowed one advancement. These advancements take the form of:
– Attribute increase: Increase one Attribute by 1, to a maximum of 4
– HP or MP increase: Increase your max HP or MP (choose) by 1.
– Loot: Generate a new weapon and add it to your arsenal.
The PCs should role-play how they get better after a mission. Depending
on the nature of the mission, you might start a new one immediately after
without returning to Tavaria (receiving visions from the Tower
Attendants of what to do next), or you may travel back to the city and
have a chance to relax and reflect on your mission.
Generating Loot
If you take the Loot advancement, you find a new weapon while
scavenging the wastes of the wilderness. Each weapon will deal a certain
amount of Harm and may have tags attached. Roll d6s on the charts
below, from left to right. Once you've finalized your weapon, describe
what kind of weapon it is. It can be as simple as a sword or as outlandish
as a chainsaw. It could even be lost technology from before the Calamity
and resemble magical or even futuristic technology.
20
Weapon Range Harm Tags? Tag Options
1-2. Close 1-2. 1 Harm 1-2. None 1. Absorb
3-4. Close/Mid 3-5. 2 Harm 3-5. 1 Tag 2. Drain
5-6. Mid/Far 6. 3 Harm 6. 2 Tags 3. Blessed
4. Fire
5. Silver
6. Magic
Weapon Tags:
– Absorb: Killing an enemy with this weapon grants you +1 MP
– Drain: Killing an enemy with this weapon grants you +1 HP
– Blessed: Deals +1 Harm to Demons
– Fire: Deals +1 Harm to Undead
– Silver: Deals +1 Harm to Beasts
– Magic: Deals +1 Harm if you roll a 6 on the attack
21
ENEMIES
Anatomy of an Enemy
Enemies are generally what the party is expected to fight while on
missions. Every enemy has a Type, an amount of Hit Points (HP), an
amount of Harm they deal to the PCs, and three Moves that describe
their tactics, reactions, and abilities.
Enemy Type
Enemies can be one of three Types: Beast, Undead, or Demon. This
Type determines an enemy's nature and what weapon tags it is weak to:
– Beasts are weak to Silver
– Undead are weak to Fire
– Demons are weak to Blessed
When using a weapon (or Power) with a tag that the enemy is weak to,
deal an additional 1 Harm on a successful hit.
Harm
When a PC rolls a 1-2 or a 3-4 when attacking an enemy, that enemy may
inflict its Harm on the attacking character. The enemy's possible ranges
will also be listed here. It is up to the GM to imagine how different
enemies might fight at Close, Mid, or Far range.
Moves
Moves are what define an enemy, giving it life within the fiction. When a
PC rolls a 1-2 or a 3-4 when attacking an enemy, that enemy may activate
one of its three actions instead of inflicting Harm, if appropriate to the
fiction. The GM can decide whether it's more appropriate for Harm to be
inflicted or for the enemy to react using one of its three Moves. The GM
also uses up to 3 appropriate enemy Moves during their turn in combat.
22
SAMPLE ENEMIES
Imp Belial Drude
HP: 2 HP: 2 HP: 3
Type: Demon Type: Demon Type: Demon
Harm: 1 Close/Mid Harm: 2 Close Harm: 1 Close, 2 Mid/Far
Moves: Moves: Moves:
Fly out of range Set fire to the environment Chant spells
Squabble with others Charge an enemy Summon Imps
Chant demonically Set fire to its massive spear Hover out of harm's way
23
Werewolf Chimera Dragon
HP: 5 HP: 7 HP: 10
Type: Beast Type: Beast Type: Beast
Harm: 2 Close, 1 Mid Harm: 3 Close, 2 Mid/Far Harm: 3 Close/Mid, 2 Far
Moves: Moves: Moves:
Throw something heavy Breathe ice and lightning Breathe fire all over the
from its heads environment
Leap over long distances Look in 3 directions with its Fly backwards out of range
heads
Overwhelm the opposition Pounce a weak enemy Buffet with its wings
24