I. Getting Started
Welcome to the OS-SIX TTRPG open beta!
Before you jump in, keep in mind that this game is still in beta and may change.
However, the core rules are complete and currently being play-tested.
If you’d like to provide feedback about your experience running games with this system, Contact Us.
We’d love to hear from you!
What Type of Game is This?
OS-SIX is:
- Rules-light
- Narrative-focused
- Flexible and modular
OS-SIX is not:
- Crunchy and rules focused
- Designed for extreme realism
- Made for super-tactical combat
Crafting a Shared Story
Like many other table-top role-playing games, the goal of OS-SIX is for players and GM to work together and co-create a unique story. Neither the GM nor the players are entirely responsible for what direction the story takes. It’s a collaboration! Whenever it’s uncertain how a specific course of action could play out, the dice will help decide.
The Players
As a player, you control a player character (PC). You decide what your PC says and does during the game. The results of your PC’s actions might play out as described or they may be determined by a dice roll, depending on guidance from the GM.
Don't worry too much about the mechanics of the game. Just describe what you want your character to say or do and the GM will determine which, if any, game mechanics apply.
To maximize fun and immersion, do your best to “get into character” and imagine how your PC would talk and behave (and roleplay them accordingly). This doesn't require “speaking in character,” unless you want to. It's perfectly fine to just describe what your character says and does. However, each PC is a protagonist of the story, so do your best to bring their persona to life!
The Game Master
The game master (GM) helps with character creation, describes the setting to players, explains the basic rules, and makes occasional rulings.
Basically, you “set the stage” for the story and roleplay any non-player characters (NPCs). However, the players should be primarily responsible for how the story unfolds.
During the game, you will briefly describe each new scene, asking players what actions they take during the narrative. You and the players then describe how actions play out and how the situation changes based on what the characters do and the results of any dice rolls.
When prepping for a game, your goal isn't to create an entire choose-your-own adventure from start to finish with pages upon pages of notes. You just need five things with minimal notes:
- Setting and Location: A brief description of the starting location and general atmosphere. What does it look, sound, and smell like? Who else is there? What makes it different or dangerous? Your starting location could be anything, from a fog-shrouded medieval village to a rusty space station in a distant star system. In many cases, your setting will include more than one location, but you only need one to get started. You don’t need to flesh out an entire world, but it does help if you have ideas about the world. You can always use your world-building notes to inform future game sessions!
- Scene: A short explanation of where the characters begin, what they are doing, and what's happening around them. A scene is one small part of the larger setting and each game session will include one or more scenes that unfold as the characters progress through the story. One location can have multiple scenes. Examples include the dockyard of a big city, the interior of a derelict spacecraft, or the outskirts of a ghost town.
- Important NPCs: A short list of non-player characters (3 to 6) that your players may interact with in the first location. Ideally, each NPC should also have at least one secret and/or clue that your players can gain by interacting with them to get more insight into what's going on behind the scenes. You can also attach clues to the PCs by saying: “Your character would know X because Y.” Using clues and secrets helps you to lead players down a path of discovery without telling them where to go and what to do.
- Objective, Problem, or Mystery: Every game needs some reason for the players to engage with the story. This could be a mystery they need to solve, a problem to overcome, or a specific objective to complete.
- Dangers and Complications: To keep things interesting, there should also be smaller challenges that your players must contend with. Thugs, marauders, monsters, unreliable NPCs, dangerous creatures, traps, and environmental hazards are some of the most common examples.
The #1 Rule (of Cool)
Fun should always trump rules and game mechanics. Period.
If there isn’t a rule, make it up on the fly and keep things moving!
Character Creation
There are six steps to create a player character for OS-SIX.
Step 1: Create Persona
- What’s your character’s name?
- What do they look like? (1-2 sentences)
- What's their flaw or quirk? (one word)
Step 2: Set Core Attributes
Your character has four “core” attributes:
- Agility: Speed, dexterity, and accuracy
- Brawn: Physical toughness, strength, and raw power
- Mind: Awareness, knowledge, insight
- Will: Mental toughness, charisma, and influence
Distribute six points among your four attributes to determine your “starting array.” No single attribute can have more than 3 points to start. The number of points will determine how many D6 to use when making an “Action Roll” (see How to Play for more info).
Example: Shawna wants to make a character that is very charismatic and savvy. So she assigns two points to Will, two points to Mind, and one point to each of Brawn and Agility. Her character’s core attributes will look like this:
Agility: 1, Brawn: 1, Mind: 2, Will: 2
Step 3: Choose Three Skills
Your character knows a lot of different things, but they’re “skilled” at three things. When using just the OS-SIX core rules, these skills can be anything players choose that might be useful or interesting, from martial arts to negotiation to race car driving.
There are no predetermined skill lists for the core rules (but there are in the modules). Therefore, players can choose any skills (within reason), but the GM has final say.
For example, a detective character might have skills in Investigation, Marksmanship, and Psychology. Here are a few other examples:
- Hacker: Computers, Evasion, Social Engineering
- Burglar: Climbing, Lock-picking, Evasion
- Survivalist: Marksmanship, First Aid, Wilderness Survival
Skill Bonuses
Each skill provides a +1 dice pool bonus for any actions that may benefit from that skill.
Skill or Profession?
Note that a skill is different from a profession or occupation. So instead of choosing “Special Forces Soldier” as a skill, you could choose Survival, Evasion, and Marksmanship.
Again, the GM has final say on whether a chosen skill is appropriate and fair for their game or too broad. In other words, a player can't just choose “Jack of All Trades” as a skill and be good at everything.
Character Playbooks
Modules created for OS-SIX include another component for character creation called “playbooks.” These offer guidance on what skills to consider and also provide a unique “core ability,” along with several “special talents” to choose from. These components help flesh out the characters and make them unique, but aren’t required to play.
If you wish to play in a setting that doesn’t have a module yet, you can always create a few custom playbooks for players to choose from.
Step 4: Pick Starting Gear
Depending on the situation, player characters may start the game with nothing but the clothes on their backs or they may have some specific items. It’s up to the GM to explain the setting and what sort of gear (if any) will be available during character creation. It’s not a bad idea for the GM to pick a handful of “basic items” that players can start the game with and allow them to find more unique items as the game progresses.
Example: Ella, the GM, is running a game set in modern day but with supernatural creatures. She tells the players they can have any starting gear that a regular person might have in their house or garage. To make things easy, she provides a short-list of 30 possible items and lets each player choose five.
With the exception of weapons and armor, most gear just provides additional role-playing options, but in some cases it may provide a Bonus.
Not sure what kind of gear might be available? Check out our modules!
Step 5: Set HP and Note Additional Stats
Determine starting Hit Points using the following formula:
Roll Brawn +1 but add the dice rolls together rather than taking the highest.
Example: Eric’s character has Brawn 2. He rolls 3D6, getting 3, 4, and 5. His starting max HP is 12.
Also note Carrying Capacity, Movement, and Luck Points, as explained in the How to Play section).
Step 6: Create Background
Lastly, give your character a short backstory (one paragraph) that includes at least one motivation or personal goal.
That’s it! You’re ready to play.