The Lost March

Fantasy adventure OSR game, inspired on the original 1974 edition and BX. Simple d6 procedures based on the original Fighting Capability system. Designed for a sandbox game, focused on procedural exploration, problem-solving, and minimal dice rolls.

The game is player-centric, in the sense that most challenges are meant to be solved by the players directly, and not by the characters using game features.

• No class levels: characters are assigned a class at creation which establishes lasting initial characteristics, but does not affect their future advancement.
• Advancement: PCs begin as members of one of the Lawful factions. They start at 1st rank, and may advance by investing the amount of gold listed. Factions provide access to specialized training to learn or improve some features. Training is also paid in gold, and takes months of downtime to complete.
• Four Ability scores: Fortitude, Dexterity, Intelligence and Spirit. Strength and Constitution are simplified into Fortitude. Wisdom and Charisma are sorted between Intelligence (all cognitive) and Spirit (emotional and spiritual).
• No hit points: there is no specialized stat for taking damage, most physical damage directly reduces Fortitude ability score, and sometimes Dexterity; other mental or spiritual effects may damage Intelligence or Spirit. Reduced ability scores are used as effective scores. PCs normally recover 1 point of ability score per day of full rest in a safe haven.
• Uniform d6 system: the basic roll is 1d6, a result of 6 is a success, and a 5 is a partial success. This mechanic is used for 3 types of regular procedures: Exploration, Combat and Saves. These skills may be improved to 2d6 and 3d6 depending on the PC’s background, class and further training.
• Exploration: this skill is separated into the three scenes: settlement, wilderness and dungeon. It is checked every turn against the hazard roll of the scene. The party explores the settlement to gather rumors, the wilderness to find the dungeon, and the dungeon to find the treasure and escape alive; then return to the settlement, spend downtime, and repeat.
• Combat: this skill is rolled each combat turn, as an opposed check against the enemy’s Combat roll; each success in a d6 is a hit; hits from opponents cancel each other and can be used to deal damage, block or swing from the chandelier.
• Saves: saving skills are rolled to avoid the effects of some imminent hazards PCs triggered; a success in a d6 cancels one effect. Tougher hazards may have multiple effects. Save skills are separated against effects of Area, Poison and Magic.
• Encumbrance: equipment and loot have a load value in coins or slots (1 slot = 100 cs). A PC can carry up to its Fortitude score in slots, so a damaged PC can carry less treasure.
• Vancian magic: spellcasters must prepare their spells through a ritual. They can cast them immediately or memorize them using their Intelligence or Spirit score. Alternatively, a prepared spell can be charged into an attuned focus, such as a wand, ring, or scepter, inscribed on a scroll, or brewed in a potion.