Runecycle

A flexible feat-based dramatic YZE fantasy TTRPG focused on reincarnation and the passage of time. Designed for mid-length campaigns of 10-15 sessions and short stories, you can run all kinds of fantastical adventures from traditional fantasy to magepunk, even in the same campaign.

The numbers

Runecycle uses two sets of scores

• Melee, Ranged, Magic and Defense for combat situations
• Skill, Think, Social and Rune for noncombat situations

However, both of these are modified by your Signs

• Terra represents the land and the body. The strength, dexterity and unyielding endurance needed to survive.
• Star represents the light of knowledge, the deep wisdom of the infinite cosmos and true human connection.
• Sun represents the burning radiance of life, creation and charisma.
• Moon represents the lone focus of the night and the dark scheming within. Moonlight is often though to bring out the true nature of beings.

Each Sign is represented by Tags. This means you get to choose what you are good at from an infinite set of possibilities - no predefined skills here.

Magic

Spells and other magical abilities are Runic Powers. You only have a couple powers but they are widely applicable. Example: Control Fire lets you control fire in its many forms and in all kinds of shapes.

Combat

Runecycle supports standard 1-inch gridded combat. Combat rules are robust with weapons, spells, conditions and abilities but also very simple for quick gameplay. Runecycle is primarily a problem solving game but occasionally violence may be part of the solution.

Failing forward

Runecycle provides a ton of tools for you to keep things interesting and the story moving forward. Failing to hit or dodge grants you Adrenaline that lets you do more on your turns, roleplaying your Flaws gives you Fortunes that lets you reroll fails out of combat and Runic Origin dice let you supplement your weaknesses with one time bonuses.

World

The world of Runecycle goes through a 12-step cycle from Calamity to Hope to Prosperity to Decay. There are no resurrections in a cyclical world, only reincarnation. 

Runecycle runs on a heavily modified version of the award-winning Year  zero engine by Free League publishing.

This game is not affiliated with, sponsored, or endorsed by Fria Ligan AB. The Year Zero Engine System Reference Document is used under Fria Ligan AB’s Free Tabletop License