Some changes we made to the way you play TTRPG's!
Attributes
In Undying Saga, your 8 Attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, Insight, and Willpower) define how you affect the world—and how it affects you in return. Six are Core Attributes, shaping your physical and mental capabilities, while two are Derived Attributes, representing your presence in the unseen and metaphysical layers of reality. Together, they determine how you act, endure, influence, and survive.
No Skills!?
In Undying Saga, Attributes replace traditional skills entirely. Instead of choosing from a long list of specific proficiencies, you use the Attribute that best reflects how you approach a task. The same action can rely on different Attributes depending on method and context, keeping the system flexible and fiction-driven. Rather than asking, “Do I have the skill?”, you ask, “How am I doing this?”—and your Attributes determine the answer.
A NEW way to look at Modifiers!
Attribute Advantage (ADV) replaces traditional flat modifiers with dice that scale with your ability. Instead of adding a fixed +2 or +4 to your roll, your Attribute grants an Advantage die based on its score. When you roll for an action tied to that Attribute, you roll your d20 and then roll your ADV die—adding it if your score is strong, subtracting it if your score is weak. Higher Attributes grant larger positive dice, average Attributes grant no die, and very low Attributes impose negative dice. This system keeps outcomes dynamic and variable, allowing ability to matter in a way that feels alive rather than static.
A NEW way to look at "Hit Points"
In Undying Saga, health is divided into Vigor and Vitality, separating endurance from actual bodily harm. Vigor represents your stamina, resilience, and ability to absorb punishment while still fighting—it fluctuates quickly and recovers with rest. Vitality, by contrast, represents true physical injury; once damage reaches Vitality, you are visibly wounded and dangerously close to death, and it recovers slowly over time. Unlike traditional single-pool hit points, this system distinguishes between being tired and being broken, making combat feel more realistic, more dangerous, and far more consequential.
Roundless combat, and player driven Initiative!
In Undying Saga, Stamina replaces traditional action economies and fixed initiative. At the start of combat, you roll to determine your starting Stamina, which sets the initial turn order—those with the highest current Stamina act first. Every action you take costs Stamina, and at the start of your turn you recover a small amount based on your Attributes. After each turn, the character with the highest remaining Stamina acts next, meaning turn order constantly shifts as combatants spend and regain energy. Combat becomes a matter of tempo and resource management, where managing your Stamina determines not just what you can do—but when you can do it.
A NEW way to look at Combat!
In combat, attacking and defending are deliberate Stamina-costing actions. An Attack roll is made against a target’s Defense, and on a hit, damage is applied first to Vigor. A Defensive Action such as Parry or Block can reduce or negate incoming damage—but equipment used to do so risks degradation. Weapons, shields, and armor all have Durability Dice, and poor rolls can cause them to weaken or break over time. Every clash wears down both combatants and their gear, making battles a test of endurance, timing, and equipment integrity—not just raw damage.
Death isn't the End! Downed players have Agency!
In Undying Saga, reaching 0 Vitality does not immediately remove you from play—it places you in the Downed state. While downed, you cannot act normally, but you gain a small reserve of Stamina that may only be spent on Survival Actions, such as delaying death, crawling to safety, or crying out for help. Each round, you accumulate bleed-out counters, and if they reach the limit, you die—unless an ally sustains or stabilizes you. This system keeps near-death characters active in the scene, creating tension and meaningful choices instead of instant elimination, and ensures that even in your final moments, your will to survive still matters.