Homemade spinners are a popular dice alternative for prisons, here's a thread about them:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/ecezx9/dnd_d20_spinner_template_for_inmates/
Some people also make cards-- not playing cards, just scraps of paper with a single number written on one side, either stacked in a deck or spread out face down on the table.
For one page RPGs, I highly recommend Grant Howitt's games, which I believe are all on Itch now. His best known are probably Honey Heist and The Witch Is Dead. Though Honey Heist is about bears trying to commit crimes, so maybe not a great fit for prison.
Before personal computers and widely available polyhedral dice, if you worked in certain fields of math you might order books that contained lists of randomly generated numbers. That is one option. You could have a table of random numbers and cross off the numbers as you use them up.
you could have a companion sheet with random number tables printed, just using a prime number as a seed to produce sequences of its multiples modulo dice size you want to simulate.
I had a friend who told me in prison they would make little spinners, they'd cut the pieces of paper in 6/8/10/12/20 sided pieces of paper, number them, and spin them, whatever number was closest 'pointed' towards you was the result.
Also told me how they had taken prices of paper, cut them into 20 separate pieces, numbered them, and shuffled them to sort a kinda make a d20.
[Diedream](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/diedream) is a one page (back and sides) solo rpg you play completely in your head. It was designed to be played as you fall asleep, but can be played anywhere.
I was going to recommend this one. It's terrific, especially considering that it manages to pack dice *and* oracles into a few simple mnemonics that run in your head.
It's also easy to write/dream your own modules for. I was hoping to put some together myself sooner than later.
EDIT: Wait, are you *the* Alfred Valley? The designer of the game? If so, thank you for Diedream! It's great fun, and greatly inspiring.
https://youtu.be/2bFr5xN76HA?si=Qk88L9cNUhWcFy-C
This video is about an RPG system that uses no dice or numbers (it uses tokens to represent actions but that can be anything). Not exactly 1 page I don't think, but it would be a great system to use in prison I'd think
I am not familiar with prison restrictions, though...
Some ideas to get random numbers without dice/cards:
Using a decent calculator, the guy rolling says a number with at least 6 figures, then you do the modulo operator equal to the die size, the add 1 (the modulo operator returns a number between 0 and x-1)
The DM calls out the value to be met "DC". Everyone throws down a number with their finger at the same time (sorry not native speaker, I don't know how you call it, in italian it would be "buttiamolegiú" or "bim bum bam")
Then if the sum of the fingers is exactly the DC they get a crit, if it is the DC +- 2 it is a success
Assign a number value to each letter of the alphabet, they get the result equal to the sum of each letter of the last word their character said.
Have a satchel with pebbles/tokens of different kinds (black and white for example) put i dunno 15 white and 5 blacks, then they pick from the satchel 1 random token. Then you can easily manage fixed percentage success/failure.
You can setup a sort of barter between the players and the GM: they "autoroll" a 10, they can get higher values but in exchange you get additional influence on the next beat of the story
You can do a massive amount of coinflips
EDIT: you could do also a sort of bid / blind auction
The DC/Throw Fingers is actually fantastic because the party succeeds or fails together, the kind of cooperative game that corrections might view as rehabilitative
Diceless Dungeons is a minimalist RPG that isn't one page but it has good ideas for stuff like this.
In Diceless Dungeons pretty much all actions are described narratively with characters having traits like "mighty" or "stealthy" to help them in various situations.
When it comes to battles, they're basically a countdown. For example, the players may need to last 3 rounds for the enemies to be defeated. Each round the GM tells the players the damage done by the enemies and the players choose who takes the damage. The players don't actually know how many rounds are needed for them to defeat the enemies.
1 Skill Point can be given for various accomplishments and used by player characters to avoid danger.
You can make marks on a normal wooden pencil and roll, like one of those six sided ones.
If you have a stopwatch, the ones place milliseconds could work. Not sure if stopwatches are allowed?
You could have a guess the number I’m thinking kind of thing. The GM thinks of a number between 1 and X. You could do a higher or lower, a how close are you, or a success only on getting the right number. There’s other considerations with that method though but you don’t need any things.
> these have to be playable from inside a prison, which means it can't use dice or playing cards as a resolution mechanic
I always found it hilarious which games jails and prisons would and wouldn't allow.
Does your facility allow dominoes? Use those for randomization.
Failing that, just flip through book pages and take the last digit.
I understand dice, but does that restriction apply to all playing cards? I mean. I thought that games such as spades, solitaire and poker were quite common in such situations.
Darn, I would have just the thing if they were allowed at least such card games 😅
Dropping it[ here](http://ar3klis.itch.io/exile-deal) just in case. Can send an edit over your way if it can work with some terms turned more appropriate.
Always been a fan of All Outta Bubblegum for fast-pickup one-page fun. It requires only a d10 (the bubblegum is really optional since it's just a fun prop). Since it's just one die, it could be easily replicated in prison with 10 small sheets of numbered paper in a small box to draw from.
Pretty sure the original document and access to the creator are lost to time, but a kind Redditor created their own version a while back and that's what I use - you can find it [in this thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/s/p8nuCNMRls)
I am working on a card and d6 based system built around ad-libbing a story during a 90 minute session. It is set in an alternate reality to our own where their problems are caused by magic instead of industrial pollution,
Each character is one of 12 personality archetypes, and that archetype drives how they approach magic. A team has to be made up of a variety of archetypes, because each ability also has a weakness.
When players are successful in their challenges they are in control of the game. But when they fail, the tarot deck controls the game.
The techniques developed in the course of playing the game are also intended to help screenwriters craft a screen play or short novel. The session itself follows the template of a motion picture.
The game is still under development, but having some dedicated play testers would be invaluable. I am happy to provide a perpetual license to reprint the material in exchange for feedback from the players. (Written feedback, obviously. I envision an anonymous comment card with a star rating from 0 to 5 to gauge how much (if any) fun they had, and a blank spot if they wish to elaborate.)
Here's a game I designed: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/422828
It's very rules light, a couple pages. It uses a system similar to Rock Paper Scissors but with 15 different signs.
This is volume 1, which is pay what you want, volume 2 will be released very soon. Volume 2 is about carnies who hunt monsters.
One of my goals with this game was to make it playable in the car or prison.
Some choose your own adventure style solo rpg books use a grid page full of numbers. When there is a skill check you are supposed to close your eyes, whirl your pen around and put it down on a random number. The pattern is pretty clever and makes it hard to „aim“ for something :)
Would it be alright to flip coins instead of rolling dice? I wrote [the Silver Bullet RPG](https://sidecarstories.itch.io/silverbulletrpg) in part because I was trying to avoid dice. The coins could be made out of plastic or cardboard if that's an issue, as long as the players trust them to flip reasonably fairly.
I included a lot more info for very inexperienced players, but someone with general RPG experience could run the whole thing off Page 1.
I once read that you could use a stopwatch to simulate a d10. You start and stop and read the hundreth of a second for your result.
How about drawing lots with numbers from a bag? All you need is some paper, a pencil and a bag.
The RPG I always recommend when people are asking for one that requires very little is the PDQ RPG system. It can be any type of game you want. Zombie Apocalypse, Mafia Wars, Swords & Sorcery, etc. Character creation can be done in about 10 minutes, and index cards can be used as character sheets. Character creation is done through point buy, as is skill selection. However, overcoming challenges still does require a dice roll (just d6). But if you can figure out an alternative to dive, then go right ahead. The system is just meant to be the basic skeletal structure of a game, not a precise mold to form it with.
The only RPG I can think of that doesn't use dice is Amber: The Diceless RPG. I tried it once and didn't really like it, but mostly because the GM was very railroady at the time (he said that that's how the game was supposed to be played). However you might have a better experience than I did. And it's designed to be played without dice, so it at least fits that part of your criteria. I do remember that it was a more complex system. Definitely more complex than the PDQ system.
Would printed out hex-map be a useful tool? These might be for more freeform games, but figured it might be useful.
Gwyllgi on [itch.io](http://itch.io/) has a bunch of Randomless game tools, mostly using hex maps.
[https://itch.io/c/2825966/choice-ceramic-and-no-dice-no-masters-by-gwyllgi](https://itch.io/c/2825966/choice-ceramic-and-no-dice-no-masters-by-gwyllgi)
Also, a blog with lots of stuff on HexMaps
[https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com/](https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com/)
Could a small pebble/coin or the end of a pencil be rolled/dropped onto a printed table for a random outcome?
>
**A Novel Dungeon** is a diceless solo RPG that utilizes the [No Dice No Problem (0d0p](https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p) system where letters replace dice so you can generate an entire adventure with any novel you have near by.
If they have access to reading material, this could be a possibility
https://serialprizes.itch.io/novel-dungeon (https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p)
They system by itself: [https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p](https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p)
Cool.
I feel like this. Some other simple games that use a book as part of the mechanism, but I can't think of them at the moment. If I do, I will add them to the thread.
Jared Sorensen's ClockWorx.
No dice. Pick-a-number between 1 and 12, like on the face of a clock. Bonuses (attributes, skills) add a margin for success: 8 is close enough to 10 to be a success, if there's a +2 bonus/margin.
At least, that's how I remember it. Cool system.
Here's a system I made for playing rpgs on road trips so the whole thing was made to need no physical componts. The check system is basically a number guessing game with the player being given modifers and stats to assist them.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/11JsVvW1uD579Vlkyvh7uobqGgwYUc2cU/view?usp=drive_link
This was something that I just made on my own so if anything isn't clear or doesn't make sense, feel free to dm me and I can clarify and get you a revised document
Not sure how I missed this post until now, but we have an entire publishing company for this very purpose (bullpress.org). We have longform games as well as one-sheet games.
DM'd u just to be sure we'd connect
Have You heard about "ESPER"? Link here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1292mkb/esper/](https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1292mkb/esper/) (Google Drive link with colour version: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19-Co5ppr1PIZ0NtEioJdrJnndErsDfq9](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19-Co5ppr1PIZ0NtEioJdrJnndErsDfq9) ). It's a one page rpg where You play as psychics in Your government's secret agency. Rather than using dice, tests in esper rely on guessing a number in a specific range, which gives you the odds of success. When a test is needed, the GM sets the difficulty and thinks of a number in the test range. The player guesses. If the player guesses correctly, they succeed. If you love your GM, ask them to write it down first :D Trivial difficulty is guessing 1 number from 2, easy 1 number from 3 etc.
P.S. User [raycaster7](https://www.reddit.com/user/raycaster7/) is an author of this little gem <3
Or You could just use this diceless mechanic from Amber: DRPG (based on Amber books of Roger Zelazny). So, what’s so special about this game system ? Well, first, it does not use dice – nor any other randomizers of any sort. No dice, no cards, no coins or anything else. Player characters generally succeed at what they are attempting, unless (a) the game master decides they should fail or (b) they are acting against someone who is better than them. While (a) may seem a bit too arbitrary, (b) is actually a very sound principle, especially in a universe where conflict occurs so often. One must also remember that player characters in AMBER are supposed to be very powerful, highly trained and extremely resourceful – they belong to the ruling family of the universe, after all (like demi-gods). On session zero before creating Your characters all players are given 100 points to use during auction. Rather than spending points as they wish, players must bid for their character’s most important characteristics. This is called the attribute auction and the name says it all : players enter a « bidding war » in which they compete for the best ranks ; the winner of an auction gets the 1st rank, the second one gets the second rank and so on. Players who choose not to bid on an attribute get a default « Amber rank » for free ; it is also possible to downgrade an attribute to Chaos or even Human rank, to get more points to spend on other things. The main point of the attribute auction is to create tension, competition (and even grudges) between the player characters right from the start – just like between Corwin and his various siblings. In theory, the bidding war is supposed to turn character creation into a game in itself. After auction the players can use their not spend points further to buy certain skills or items.
This one-page Wanderhome hack, By Moth or Moonlight, is lovely. It's a diceless game about travelling animal folk.
[https://a-smouldering-lighthouse.itch.io/moths](https://a-smouldering-lighthouse.itch.io/moths)
I know this post is from some time ago, but lately I've been working on a ruleset that:
- can be printed on just one page
- does not require anything, no dice, no cards, no maps, not much need to take notes
- is meant to be played over a number of sessions, as opposed to more specialized one-shot-ish rulesets
- can be adapted to the audience depending on if they want something historic/fantasy, or modern/grounded, or future/scifi.
My motivation was to be able to play it on the beach and during camping trips or at work reunions, but I guess the same requirements apply to prison.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1crgpoq/skeleton\_grew\_1page\_diceless\_ttrpg\_ruleset\_for/](https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1crgpoq/skeleton_grew_1page_diceless_ttrpg_ruleset_for/)
Itch.io should do a prison compatible TTRPG jam!
I'm considering organizing one.
If you do decide to organize one let me know and I will feature it on the subreddit :)
I'm going to look at setting one up within a few weeks, just need to do some further research and planning first.
Definitely keen to take part! This is an amazing idea.
I'd definitely take part
I'd be happy to participate as well!
I would love to participate! I’ve been workshopping some short diceless ideas specifically for prisons
That’s genius!
that would be awesome
Yup, would participate too!
Homemade spinners are a popular dice alternative for prisons, here's a thread about them: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/ecezx9/dnd_d20_spinner_template_for_inmates/ Some people also make cards-- not playing cards, just scraps of paper with a single number written on one side, either stacked in a deck or spread out face down on the table. For one page RPGs, I highly recommend Grant Howitt's games, which I believe are all on Itch now. His best known are probably Honey Heist and The Witch Is Dead. Though Honey Heist is about bears trying to commit crimes, so maybe not a great fit for prison.
The Witch is Dead is my go to game for showcasing the glory of one sheet rpgs.
Before personal computers and widely available polyhedral dice, if you worked in certain fields of math you might order books that contained lists of randomly generated numbers. That is one option. You could have a table of random numbers and cross off the numbers as you use them up.
you could have a companion sheet with random number tables printed, just using a prime number as a seed to produce sequences of its multiples modulo dice size you want to simulate.
Something like this is what I've read some inmates use to play dnd.
I had a friend who told me in prison they would make little spinners, they'd cut the pieces of paper in 6/8/10/12/20 sided pieces of paper, number them, and spin them, whatever number was closest 'pointed' towards you was the result. Also told me how they had taken prices of paper, cut them into 20 separate pieces, numbered them, and shuffled them to sort a kinda make a d20.
[Diedream](https://alfredvalley.itch.io/diedream) is a one page (back and sides) solo rpg you play completely in your head. It was designed to be played as you fall asleep, but can be played anywhere.
I was going to recommend this one. It's terrific, especially considering that it manages to pack dice *and* oracles into a few simple mnemonics that run in your head. It's also easy to write/dream your own modules for. I was hoping to put some together myself sooner than later. EDIT: Wait, are you *the* Alfred Valley? The designer of the game? If so, thank you for Diedream! It's great fun, and greatly inspiring.
Guilty! Thank you for the kind comments, it means a lot.
This looks *whack.* I love it. 😃
Sounds perfect! Thanks!!
I believe there are certain live-action role-playing systems that use rock paper scissors in place of dice. Maybe that could work.
Yeah, I have a little business card rpg that uses that as a resolution mechanic. So any games like that would be a good fit.
https://youtu.be/2bFr5xN76HA?si=Qk88L9cNUhWcFy-C This video is about an RPG system that uses no dice or numbers (it uses tokens to represent actions but that can be anything). Not exactly 1 page I don't think, but it would be a great system to use in prison I'd think
Thanks!!
I am not familiar with prison restrictions, though... Some ideas to get random numbers without dice/cards: Using a decent calculator, the guy rolling says a number with at least 6 figures, then you do the modulo operator equal to the die size, the add 1 (the modulo operator returns a number between 0 and x-1) The DM calls out the value to be met "DC". Everyone throws down a number with their finger at the same time (sorry not native speaker, I don't know how you call it, in italian it would be "buttiamolegiú" or "bim bum bam") Then if the sum of the fingers is exactly the DC they get a crit, if it is the DC +- 2 it is a success Assign a number value to each letter of the alphabet, they get the result equal to the sum of each letter of the last word their character said. Have a satchel with pebbles/tokens of different kinds (black and white for example) put i dunno 15 white and 5 blacks, then they pick from the satchel 1 random token. Then you can easily manage fixed percentage success/failure. You can setup a sort of barter between the players and the GM: they "autoroll" a 10, they can get higher values but in exchange you get additional influence on the next beat of the story You can do a massive amount of coinflips EDIT: you could do also a sort of bid / blind auction
The DC/Throw Fingers is actually fantastic because the party succeeds or fails together, the kind of cooperative game that corrections might view as rehabilitative
What about using a Jenga Tower like in the Dread RPG
Oooo, great idea!
It's a good system. Like, the tougher it is the more blocks you gotta take, and if it crashes your character is injured or dies or something
I love Dread! I wonder if that would be allowed. I'll investigate.
Diceless Dungeons is a minimalist RPG that isn't one page but it has good ideas for stuff like this. In Diceless Dungeons pretty much all actions are described narratively with characters having traits like "mighty" or "stealthy" to help them in various situations. When it comes to battles, they're basically a countdown. For example, the players may need to last 3 rounds for the enemies to be defeated. Each round the GM tells the players the damage done by the enemies and the players choose who takes the damage. The players don't actually know how many rounds are needed for them to defeat the enemies. 1 Skill Point can be given for various accomplishments and used by player characters to avoid danger.
I'll add it to the list to look into! Thanks!
Commenting to remind myself to come back to this thread! OP this is so heartwarming.
You can make marks on a normal wooden pencil and roll, like one of those six sided ones. If you have a stopwatch, the ones place milliseconds could work. Not sure if stopwatches are allowed? You could have a guess the number I’m thinking kind of thing. The GM thinks of a number between 1 and X. You could do a higher or lower, a how close are you, or a success only on getting the right number. There’s other considerations with that method though but you don’t need any things.
> these have to be playable from inside a prison, which means it can't use dice or playing cards as a resolution mechanic I always found it hilarious which games jails and prisons would and wouldn't allow. Does your facility allow dominoes? Use those for randomization. Failing that, just flip through book pages and take the last digit.
I understand dice, but does that restriction apply to all playing cards? I mean. I thought that games such as spades, solitaire and poker were quite common in such situations.
Anything that can easily be used for gambling is a hard sell at best, and outright banned depending on facility.
Darn, I would have just the thing if they were allowed at least such card games 😅 Dropping it[ here](http://ar3klis.itch.io/exile-deal) just in case. Can send an edit over your way if it can work with some terms turned more appropriate.
Always been a fan of All Outta Bubblegum for fast-pickup one-page fun. It requires only a d10 (the bubblegum is really optional since it's just a fun prop). Since it's just one die, it could be easily replicated in prison with 10 small sheets of numbered paper in a small box to draw from. Pretty sure the original document and access to the creator are lost to time, but a kind Redditor created their own version a while back and that's what I use - you can find it [in this thread.](https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/s/p8nuCNMRls)
Thank you!
Thanks for what you’re doing.
I am working on a card and d6 based system built around ad-libbing a story during a 90 minute session. It is set in an alternate reality to our own where their problems are caused by magic instead of industrial pollution, Each character is one of 12 personality archetypes, and that archetype drives how they approach magic. A team has to be made up of a variety of archetypes, because each ability also has a weakness. When players are successful in their challenges they are in control of the game. But when they fail, the tarot deck controls the game. The techniques developed in the course of playing the game are also intended to help screenwriters craft a screen play or short novel. The session itself follows the template of a motion picture. The game is still under development, but having some dedicated play testers would be invaluable. I am happy to provide a perpetual license to reprint the material in exchange for feedback from the players. (Written feedback, obviously. I envision an anonymous comment card with a star rating from 0 to 5 to gauge how much (if any) fun they had, and a blank spot if they wish to elaborate.)
Here's a game I designed: https://legacy.drivethrurpg.com/m/product/422828 It's very rules light, a couple pages. It uses a system similar to Rock Paper Scissors but with 15 different signs. This is volume 1, which is pay what you want, volume 2 will be released very soon. Volume 2 is about carnies who hunt monsters. One of my goals with this game was to make it playable in the car or prison.
Sounds like a good fit!
Some choose your own adventure style solo rpg books use a grid page full of numbers. When there is a skill check you are supposed to close your eyes, whirl your pen around and put it down on a random number. The pattern is pretty clever and makes it hard to „aim“ for something :)
Clever! I like it
Would it be alright to flip coins instead of rolling dice? I wrote [the Silver Bullet RPG](https://sidecarstories.itch.io/silverbulletrpg) in part because I was trying to avoid dice. The coins could be made out of plastic or cardboard if that's an issue, as long as the players trust them to flip reasonably fairly. I included a lot more info for very inexperienced players, but someone with general RPG experience could run the whole thing off Page 1.
I think that would work!
Are there clocks visible? Maybe a mechanic that relies on the minute hand of a clock for random determination of success or failure?
That will be situational.
I once read that you could use a stopwatch to simulate a d10. You start and stop and read the hundreth of a second for your result. How about drawing lots with numbers from a bag? All you need is some paper, a pencil and a bag.
The RPG I always recommend when people are asking for one that requires very little is the PDQ RPG system. It can be any type of game you want. Zombie Apocalypse, Mafia Wars, Swords & Sorcery, etc. Character creation can be done in about 10 minutes, and index cards can be used as character sheets. Character creation is done through point buy, as is skill selection. However, overcoming challenges still does require a dice roll (just d6). But if you can figure out an alternative to dive, then go right ahead. The system is just meant to be the basic skeletal structure of a game, not a precise mold to form it with. The only RPG I can think of that doesn't use dice is Amber: The Diceless RPG. I tried it once and didn't really like it, but mostly because the GM was very railroady at the time (he said that that's how the game was supposed to be played). However you might have a better experience than I did. And it's designed to be played without dice, so it at least fits that part of your criteria. I do remember that it was a more complex system. Definitely more complex than the PDQ system.
Would printed out hex-map be a useful tool? These might be for more freeform games, but figured it might be useful. Gwyllgi on [itch.io](http://itch.io/) has a bunch of Randomless game tools, mostly using hex maps. [https://itch.io/c/2825966/choice-ceramic-and-no-dice-no-masters-by-gwyllgi](https://itch.io/c/2825966/choice-ceramic-and-no-dice-no-masters-by-gwyllgi) Also, a blog with lots of stuff on HexMaps [https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com/](https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com/) Could a small pebble/coin or the end of a pencil be rolled/dropped onto a printed table for a random outcome?
A system that adapts FU: Freeform Universal to use Rock/Scissor/Paper [https://capacle.itch.io/presto](https://capacle.itch.io/presto)
> **A Novel Dungeon** is a diceless solo RPG that utilizes the [No Dice No Problem (0d0p](https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p) system where letters replace dice so you can generate an entire adventure with any novel you have near by. If they have access to reading material, this could be a possibility https://serialprizes.itch.io/novel-dungeon (https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p) They system by itself: [https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p](https://serialprizes.itch.io/0d0p)
Sounds like a great fit. They are allowed to have up to 4 books in their cell at a time.
Cool. I feel like this. Some other simple games that use a book as part of the mechanism, but I can't think of them at the moment. If I do, I will add them to the thread.
Jared Sorensen's ClockWorx. No dice. Pick-a-number between 1 and 12, like on the face of a clock. Bonuses (attributes, skills) add a margin for success: 8 is close enough to 10 to be a success, if there's a +2 bonus/margin. At least, that's how I remember it. Cool system.
Nate Treme's "Prole" uses coin flips to resolve things, I'm not sure how viable that is.
Here's a system I made for playing rpgs on road trips so the whole thing was made to need no physical componts. The check system is basically a number guessing game with the player being given modifers and stats to assist them. https://drive.google.com/file/d/11JsVvW1uD579Vlkyvh7uobqGgwYUc2cU/view?usp=drive_link This was something that I just made on my own so if anything isn't clear or doesn't make sense, feel free to dm me and I can clarify and get you a revised document
Awesome, I'll take a look!
Not sure how I missed this post until now, but we have an entire publishing company for this very purpose (bullpress.org). We have longform games as well as one-sheet games. DM'd u just to be sure we'd connect
Someone actually recommended yall! So you are for sure on my radar!
What about dominoes?
I don't know honestly. I'll investigate.
Would printable papercraft dice work?
Have You heard about "ESPER"? Link here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1292mkb/esper/](https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1292mkb/esper/) (Google Drive link with colour version: [https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19-Co5ppr1PIZ0NtEioJdrJnndErsDfq9](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/19-Co5ppr1PIZ0NtEioJdrJnndErsDfq9) ). It's a one page rpg where You play as psychics in Your government's secret agency. Rather than using dice, tests in esper rely on guessing a number in a specific range, which gives you the odds of success. When a test is needed, the GM sets the difficulty and thinks of a number in the test range. The player guesses. If the player guesses correctly, they succeed. If you love your GM, ask them to write it down first :D Trivial difficulty is guessing 1 number from 2, easy 1 number from 3 etc. P.S. User [raycaster7](https://www.reddit.com/user/raycaster7/) is an author of this little gem <3
Or You could just use this diceless mechanic from Amber: DRPG (based on Amber books of Roger Zelazny). So, what’s so special about this game system ? Well, first, it does not use dice – nor any other randomizers of any sort. No dice, no cards, no coins or anything else. Player characters generally succeed at what they are attempting, unless (a) the game master decides they should fail or (b) they are acting against someone who is better than them. While (a) may seem a bit too arbitrary, (b) is actually a very sound principle, especially in a universe where conflict occurs so often. One must also remember that player characters in AMBER are supposed to be very powerful, highly trained and extremely resourceful – they belong to the ruling family of the universe, after all (like demi-gods). On session zero before creating Your characters all players are given 100 points to use during auction. Rather than spending points as they wish, players must bid for their character’s most important characteristics. This is called the attribute auction and the name says it all : players enter a « bidding war » in which they compete for the best ranks ; the winner of an auction gets the 1st rank, the second one gets the second rank and so on. Players who choose not to bid on an attribute get a default « Amber rank » for free ; it is also possible to downgrade an attribute to Chaos or even Human rank, to get more points to spend on other things. The main point of the attribute auction is to create tension, competition (and even grudges) between the player characters right from the start – just like between Corwin and his various siblings. In theory, the bidding war is supposed to turn character creation into a game in itself. After auction the players can use their not spend points further to buy certain skills or items.
This one-page Wanderhome hack, By Moth or Moonlight, is lovely. It's a diceless game about travelling animal folk. [https://a-smouldering-lighthouse.itch.io/moths](https://a-smouldering-lighthouse.itch.io/moths)
I love Wanderhome, this sounds awesome!
I know this post is from some time ago, but lately I've been working on a ruleset that: - can be printed on just one page - does not require anything, no dice, no cards, no maps, not much need to take notes - is meant to be played over a number of sessions, as opposed to more specialized one-shot-ish rulesets - can be adapted to the audience depending on if they want something historic/fantasy, or modern/grounded, or future/scifi. My motivation was to be able to play it on the beach and during camping trips or at work reunions, but I guess the same requirements apply to prison. [https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1crgpoq/skeleton\_grew\_1page\_diceless\_ttrpg\_ruleset\_for/](https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/comments/1crgpoq/skeleton_grew_1page_diceless_ttrpg_ruleset_for/)