How to Play RuneScape Kingdoms: The Roleplaying Game

Welcome back, ‘Scapers! In case you missed it, RuneScape Kingdoms: The Roleplaying Game is out now! To help you get started, the writer, Richard August, has whipped up a quick guide. 

RuneScape Kingdoms: The Roleplaying Game is designed to be easy to understand, easy to get to the table, and easy to play. 

If you’re a player, all you need are 3 six-sided dice (d6) and your character sheet. If you’re the Game Master (GM), you just need a d6, a d4, and the core book. Yup, that’s it!

So, let’s take a look at the system itself, shall we?

The Test

The core mechanic of RuneScape Kingdoms: The Roleplaying Game is the test. You make a test whenever you’re trying to achieve something where the outcome isn’t obvious. 

When making a test, you’ll nearly always combine an Attribute and a Skill score—these are the two elements defining a character. There are three attributes (Strength, Agility, and Intellect), plus 21 skills (I’m not listing all of them, but if you know RuneScape, you’ll be familiar with them!).

A test can be anything from climbing a wall, to crafting a helmet from a silver ingot, to battling Elvarg. To make a test, you roll 3d6, aiming to roll under the combined total number of the appropriate Attribute and Skill score. 

Example Test

For instance, if you were attempting to cast a spell:

• You’d take your Wisdom Attribute, and add your Magic Skill to it. This becomes your Target Number (TN). 
• You’d then roll 3d6 
• If the total on the 3 dice is equal to or lower than your TN, you’ve succeeded. 
• If your total exceeds this TN, then you’ve failed, and the GM will determine the consequences.

In certain circumstances—usually when you’re fighting an opponent—external elements might increase or decrease your TN, but the way you make the test is always the same.

Example Test in Action:

Jamie: Okay, I’ve got all the raw materials I need to make my bronze helmet!

GM: Fantastic! Okay, so you need to make a Crafting test to see if you manage to craft it. 

Jamie: Right…so I’ve got my 3d6…

GM: Brilliant. You need to add together your Invention Attribute and your Smithing Skill to work out the target number.

Jamie: Okay, so my Invention is 3, and my Smithing is 5. So 8. I’m not great at smithing. 

GM: Not yet, no, but this might help you get better! So, roll your 3d6, add them up, and tell us what you get.

Jamie: So…that’s a 2, a 4, and another 2.

GM: So that’s an 8! You’ve done it!

Jamie: Just!

Advantage & Disadvantage

There may be times when the circumstances governing a test are particularly in your favour. Or, alternatively, when things are truly stacked against you. 

In game terms, this is referred to as making a test ‘with advantage’ (when things are going your way), or ‘with disadvantage’ (when the opposite is true). 

In either case, you roll a test as normal except you roll with 4 dice, instead of the normal three. 

• If you’re making a test with advantage, you use the three lowest results on the dice to form your total.
• If you are making a test with disadvantage, you select the three highest results to form your total. 

The GM determines when advantage and disadvantage apply, but it’s usually obvious. 

For example, if a character is attempting to pick a lock to break into a treasure vault, they’d typically roll Invention + Crafting as a standard test. If, however, they were doing so knowing there are no guards in the area, the lock is a touch rusty, and with bright light shining down on them; they’d make the test with advantage. 

Alternatively, if they were trying to pick the lock as the guards raced to answer an alarm, the lock was state of the art, and the area was wreathed in magic, they’d make the test at disadvantage.

You can only ever roll 4 dice for a test. So, advantage and disadvantage can’t stack, irrespective of how beneficial or problematic the circumstances might be.

Combining Attributes & Skills

While, for most actions, the combination of Attribute and Skill to form your TN will be obvious, sometimes it’s less clear. In these cases, it’s up to the GM to decide which Attribute and Skill a character can use. 

That said, characters can suggest their preferred combination, and explain why they believe such a combination is appropriate. 

For instance, while picking a lock might usually be a combination of Agility + Thieving, your GM might allow a character to use their Intellect + Thieving instead, representing the character’s understanding of how locks are constructed, rather than their naturally dextrous use of tools. 

Skills can also be used in a more figurative and creative manner, on occasion. 

For example, there is no swimming Skill. But, if a character is aiming to swim extremely quickly to catch up with a rowing boat, the character might use the Strength Attribute + the Attack Skill. This represents them figuratively attacking the water as they swim as fast as possible. 

Alternatively, if the character is treading water after being washed overboard, they might use Strength + Defence as they attempt to keep themselves afloat, representing them defending their energy and waiting to be saved. 

So there you go! Those are the core rules. It’s that simple. We want you to get to Gielinor and get playing as quickly as possible. And now you’ve read this, you’re one step closer to doing just that!

Ready to run your game? Here are some tips on creating a RuneScape atmosphere for your players. 

RuneScape Kingdoms: The Roleplaying Game is out now! To find other fans or hang out with the SFG team, join our Discord, where there’s a dedicated RuneScape RPG channel.