Getting Started

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MythCraft is a new TTRPG universe and game system featuring complex character creation, rich combat, and a huge eon-spanning universe. It is a d20-based system that will feel familiar to experienced role-players and exciting to first-timers. Combat utilizes an Action Point system that seamlessly blends tactical gameplay with a rich narrative experience. MythCraft offers a “medium crunch” experience: it is very customizable and character creation is a detailed process, but you won’t need a calculator and spreadsheets to play it.


We have a variety of ways for you to get started, depending on your preferences:

What is MythCraft?

MythCraft is a tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) where you and your friends play as heroes in a fantastical world. Think of it as a collaborative story, like a movie or game, where each player is a protagonist.

A typical MythCraft campaign spans multiple sessions, where characters gradually “level up,” gaining power and influence.

The MythCrafter

The MythCrafter (MC) serves as the narrator, rulekeeper, and plays all non-player characters (NPCs) in the game.

A D20 System

MythCraft uses a d20-based system, with various polyhedral dice like d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. For example, “1d20” means rolling one twenty-sided die, and “2d6” means rolling two six-sided dice.

Guiding Principles

There are a few general principles to keep in mind while playing MythCraft.

Specific Beats General

Whenever you run into rules that conflict with one another, defer to the most specific ruling. A talent or lineage ability should always supersede a general rule, and magical effects that last for a finite time override passive abilities.

Always Round up

In MythCraft, you always round up in the instance of fractional numbers.

Overcoming DCs

When making an attack or attribute check, you are successful if your roll equals or exceeds the Difficulty Class (DC). The DC might be a number set by the MC in the event of an ability check. In any kind of attack, the DC is the defending creature’s relevant defense.

Base, Cumulative, and Transformative

When you see the word “base,” it means that this is the default instance of an ability. It might be modified by other abilities.

Whenever you see “+” or “increase,” whether it is in reference to more damage, increased range, additional dice, or something else, the effect is cumulative, stacking on top of the base ability.

If something says “now,” “is,” or “becomes,” then it is transformative, overriding any previous abilities, damage, range, and the like.

Recharging Abilities

Many abilities, especially those gained through talents, can only be used a finite number of times. You regain these abilities after you Catch your Breath, Recoup, or Take a Rest, as denoted by the ability. (2/Rest) means that you can use the ability twice, regaining the ability to do so after you Take a Rest. Similarly, (AWR/Recoup) means that you can use the ability a number of times equal to your Awareness (AWR) attribute, regaining all expended uses when you Recoup.

If you have an ability that you can use a number of times equal to an attribute, you can always use that ability at least once, even if your corresponding attribute is 0 or a negative number.

Core Concepts

MythCraft’s core concepts are designed to be intuitive, easy to pick up.

Action Points

Each hero starts with a base of 3 Action Points (AP), which may be increased through the Coordination (COR) attribute. On each of your turns, you will spend a number of AP to perform various actions.

You do not have to spend all of your AP on your turn and may leave some AP to use reactively or carry over onto your next turn.

At the start of each of your turns, if you have any leftover AP, you may add some of that AP to the amount of AP you have on your current turn. The amount of AP you can roll over onto your next turn equals 1⁄2 your level + 1.

See Action Points for more information.

Hit Points

Your health is tracked with hit points (HP). When you take damage, you subtract that from your current HP. Once you reach 0 HP, you begin dying.

See Character Creation for more information.

Death Points

If you have 0 HP, you are not down and out, but you begin dying. You may keep fighting at your full capacity, but this comes with risks! If you end your turn with 0 HP, you gain 1 Death Point. If you would take damage and already have 0 HP, you gain 2 Death Points. When you reach 8 Death Points, it is over for you.

See Dying for more information.

Spell Points

You are only mortal, and casting spells can be quite taxing. When you cast a spell, subtract the spell point cost (SPC) from your current number of SP. When you reach 0 SP, you must Take a Rest before casting spells again.

See Magic for more information.

Combat

Like many TTRPGs, the most intricate mechanics in MythCraft revolve around combat.

Combat is resolved in a series of rounds. Each round consists of one turn per hero and one turn per creature.

On a hero’s turn, they may spend a number of Action Points (AP) to perform any action available to them.

On a creature’s turn, it may use a set of predetermined actions.

Initiative

To determine in what order the heroes and creatures take their turns, each hero and each creature rolls Initiative. This is 1d20 + their Awareness (AWR). The highest roll goes first, followed by the second-highest, and so forth. After the last participant takes their turn, combat enters the next round and the first goes again.

Action Points

Heroes track their capacity to perform different actions round by round using AP.

See Actions for more information.

Moving

All adventurers start with a base speed of 20 ft. Moving up to your speed costs 1 AP. You cannot “save” some of your movement to use later; for example, if you spend 1 AP and move 10 ft up to an enemy, then attack that enemy, you must spend another AP on movement if you want to subsequently retreat.

Attacking

Each weapon, spell, or similar ability will specify how many AP it takes to use that ability.

Making an Attack

When a creature is in range, you may make an attack. To make an attack, you roll 1d20 and apply a modifier based on one of your attributes, usually Strength (STR) or Dexterity (DEX). You compare your total modified roll to the target’s appropriate defense, usually their Armor Rating (AR). If your attack equals or exceeds the target’s defense, then you hit them and they take some form of damage. If your attack roll is lower than the target’s defense, then your attack misses.

The attribute you use depends upon the type of attack you are making. For example, hacking at someone with an axe uses your STR, deftly throwing a dagger uses your DEX, and scouring someone with arcane energy would likely use one of your mental attributes.

Tactical Advantage/Disadvantage

Tactical Advantage (TA) and Tactical Disadvantage (TD) are situational bonuses and penalties that can accrue in combat. TA is a +1 bonus and TD is a -1 penalty to your attack roll. TA and TD can accrue indefinitely. When you make any d20 roll, add all your sources of TA and TD together and add the sum to your roll. You might have several sources of TA and TD at once, so be sure to account for all sources!

Dealing Damage

When you hit a creature with an attack, you deal a certain amount of damage based on the type of attack. Each of your attacks will mention how much damage the attack deals. When you deal damage, roll the appropriate dice, then the MC will subtract that number from the creature’s current HP.

See Damage for more information.

How to Make a Character

Level 1: Follow the Character Creation Progression

  • Step 1: Pick your Lineage!: From your Lineage you will get your base speed and starting features. Each lineage will specify if you get specific features or can choose them from the lineage table.
  • Step 2: Assign Attribute Points: Your Attribute Points should total 5 at level 1. These can be split however you see fit for your PC. At this level no one attribute can be above 2.
  • Step 3: Note your Stats: Use the Hit Point Chart or this HP Calculator to determine your HP at level 1. Also write down all your defense stats. These are 10 + the applicable attribute.
  • Step 4: Choose your BOP: By choosing your Background and Profession you get your Starting Gear, Skill Points, Profession Gear, and Profession Feature.
  • Step 5: Choose your Starting Talent: You can choose one talent that has no pre-requisite. Most common are found in the Specialization Talents page or the Magic Entry Talents.

Leveling Up

Order of Operations

When leveling up, use the following order of operations.

  1. You level up.
  2. You take a talent. It cannot be its own prerequisite or trigger itself.
  3. You gain the effects of that talent.
  4. You increase one of your Attributes by 1.
  5. You may decrease one of your Attributes by 1 to increase another Attribute by 1.
  6. You gain HP.

For example: Level 2: Gain 1 Talent, 1 Attribute Point, and HP

  • Most commonly this is where players choose their Class Entry Talent, but you don't have to! You can stay classless and pick either one Specialization or Magic Entry Talent!
  • Add your Attribute Point. Remember there is a cap at this level that no one attribute can be above 2.*
  • Add 1 HP for your level and then add additional HP based off the chart or roll. The only exception is if you take a talent that allows you extra HP (Like Hardy!)

Leveling 3-30

Every Level

At every level you gain 1 Talent, 1 Attribute Point, and HP.

  • Attributes are always capped at 1/2(level)+1 rounded up.* So for Levels 1 + 2 you are capped at 2, Levels 3 + 4 you are capped at 3, etc. At each level you are also allowed to move around an attribute point. For example when leveling to Level 3, if you have 1 STR and 2 END, you can add your 1 Attribute point to STR to make it 2 STR and 2 END and then also move one point to go to 3 STR and 1 END.
  • For Talents lots of players will focus on a particular class track for their build, but this is not required! You can dip into as many classes as you want and take a wide variety of talent. You can even go completely classless! Just make sure to check for pre-requisites and incompatibilities while choosing a Talent each level.
  • HP should always equal 10 + (Level)d(X) + Level or 10 + (Level)(Set HP) + Level depending on if you want to roll or take the Set HP. Exceptions to this formula only come from certain talents and features that allow you to have higher HP. At different levels of the Endurance Score you can recalculate your HP as this increases your HP Die Size or Set HP amount. Need to double check? Use the HP Calculator

Lineage Features

At levels 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 29 you additionally gain another lineage feature. Again, make sure to check pre-requisites and incompatibilities before choosing!

BOP Leveling

BOPs level up approximately every 6 levels, however this is completely up to your MC to determine based off what has happened in your game. Your MC may also give you a brand new Profession based off in game actions.

Important Notes

  • If a pre-requisite says Character Level 15, this means the earliest you can take it is when you hit level 15.
  • If a pre-requisite is "A, B" it means you need both. If it is "A or B" you only need one.
  • *There are some Talents that let you break the Attribute Cap rule.

Classes

Most adventurers gain classes at some point in their career. Classes are unique groupings of talents with powerful capstone abilities, setting you apart from common rabble. Many soldiers fight competently, but warriors command the field of battle on an entirely different scale.

You do not have to take a class. You could choose to simply keep taking specialization talents and/or magic talents and focus on abilities granted outside of class talents. But the thirteen classes cover a broad range of heroic abilities, so you’re likely to find something here that suits your vision.

Note that all classes have a prerequisite: you must be Character Level 2 or higher before you can enter a class. This means that at level 1, the talent you take must be a specialization talent or magic entry talent.

Talents

You gain one talent each time you level up. Note that all class talents have prerequisites you must meet before you can take that talent. Prerequisites might be a Character Level (such as Character Level 2), a number of talents in a track (such as Familiar 3), or a specific talent (such as Flock of Familiars II).

Classes also have several talents with the Capstone tag. Capstone talents are especially powerful ways to define your character. You can only ever have one Capstone talent.

Note that many abilities can only be used a certain number of times and have a recharge. 2/Rest means that you can use an ability 2 times, regaining it when you Take a Rest. Similarly, AWR/Recoup means that you can use an ability a number of times equal to your AWR, regaining all expended uses when you Recoup. You can always use an ability at least one time, even if your relevant attribute is 0 or less.

Learn the Game

Getting Started Action Points
Attributes Skills
FAQ & Quick Reference Character Creation
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