How to Play

This page explains how to play the game in the context of combat and anything relevant to the sample adventure provided on this site. Details about how to run a game such as turn order are contained in the sample adventure itself. More advanced character creation, role-play, and rules for interactions outside of combat will be contained in a later release.

Jobless ttrpg is a tabletop role playing game focused on the ability to switch classes by attuning to different elements. In this version of the game there are no dice rolls, and the result of all abilities are set, making combat faster paced and success dictated almost entirely by strategy, the only aspect of luck for players being in how the gm decides enemies will act.

The first step to starting the game as a player is creating a character. Theres a couple aspects to creating a character including backstory and race, but as those do not currently have mechanical aspects, they will be covered in the sample adventure section. The bulk of character creation is selecting a class, ie a skill set that your character focuses on and levels up the more they experience they have with it, and writing down relevant details that result from that choice.

There are eight classes available at character creation. Each one is either a magical or physical class and is associated with one of four elements. Choosing a class provides you with elemental charges, a resource that is linked to the same element the class is and can be used to access class abilities.

Magical classes spend elemental charges to cast spells which have a powerful or wide ranging effect. The more charges a mage has access to the more the quantity and quality of their spells can increase, but when they run out their options are limited.

Physical classes can use many of their abilities without spending any charges (free techniques) or even needing to spend their turn to activate them (passive free techniques), but these abilities require them to be a certain level to access and may be weaker or cover less area.

Below is a table summarizing the each starting class, full descriptions of classes can be found on the pages of the element they are associated with.

Element

Magical Class

Physical Class

Leveling Benefits

Ice

Ice magic focuses on weakening foes, sustaining their weakness, and damaging any entity effected or exploiting those weaknesses.

Survivalist abilities focus on creating dangerous environmental effects, surviving in those effects, and withstanding damage in general.

Ice charges for mages, and some Ice charges and some additional health for phy

Fire

Fire Magic focuses on promoting damage over time, and status effects, all over a steadily growing area/number of entities.

Dancer abilities focus on supporting allies, distracting enemies, and damaging any enemies that get close.

Fire charges for mages, and some fire charges and additional chances to survive lethal damage.

Sky

Sky magic focuses on harrying foes, increasing the casters freedom in movement and spell casting, and dealing large amounts of damage to a single entity.

Sniper abilities focus on ranged attacks, increasing the damage and distance of attacks, and sheltering their user.

Sky charges for mages, and some sky charges and some additional damage at long range for physical.

Rock

Rock Magic focuses on doing massive but delayed damage, making permanent changes to the environment, and directly limiting movement to make that damage land.

Armsman abilities focus on a variety of techniques with different weapons, doing large amounts of damage, and providing additional movement options.

Rock charges for mages, and some rock charges and some additional damage at close range for physical.

At the beginning of each class description there is a list of benefits you character permanently gains from leveling up as that class. When choosing your starting class you immediately get the benefit that class gives you at first level, which is three charges of the element that class is associated with. Once you choose a class, mark down the type and number of charges you gain, and that they have twelve max hp on a sheet of paper. Hp, or hit points, is a number indicating how much damage your character can take before being knocked unconscious, max hp being how much they can take when they haven’t been damaged at all.

After selecting a class and creating any other details you feel are necessary for your character such as a name and backstory, the adventure can begin. Outside of combat, player characters can move around freely, interact with their environment and non player characters however they choose, and do so effectively simultaneously.

While mostly based on as series of combat encounters/groups of enemy, the sample adventure has a brief segment wherein player characters can go about town without restriction. Combat, once it begins outside of town, is instead turn and grid based.

Combat being turn based means means that each player has a turn in combat and will generally have to wait for their turn to do anything. in addition enemies controlled by the game master will also have turns and will largely be unable to attack player characters outside of their turn.

Combat being grid based means that instead of moving however you want them to or casting spells wherever you want them to, your character must move to or cast spells on spaces on a grid representing the area you characters are fighting in. In other words while combat being turn based effects when players can act, it being grid based effects where they can, mostly in terms of movement.

Movement

Specifically in terms of movement, your character must move from space to space on a grid. This can be diagonal movement as well as vertical or horizontal. The grid can be an actual drawn or digital grid that a token or figure representing your character is moved on, or it can a grid that the game master and potentially you keep track of in your mind. (If using an imaginary grid, remembering or writing down the spaces characters and enemies occupy using two numbers, one for how far a square is on the grid horizontally and another for how far it is vertically, can be helpful. (0,0) would indicate the bottom left square of the mental grid for example).

Each square on this grid is considered a space, and there can only be one physical object or living being of any significant size per space. In addition your character cannot move through a space that is already occupied, and can move a maximum of six spaces in a turn.

In terms of scale a single square is equivalent to a two foot square of the environment your character is currently fighting in. In other words, if something is three squares away from your character on a grid, to them it would be at least six feet away, potentially more as the diagonal of a two foot square is more than two feet.

Some spaces have special properties such those that offer cover or are being influenced by an environmental effect. When describing an area that your characters are in, the game master will likely either mark out specific spaces as offering cover, or allow you to ask if there is any cover or if a specific feature like a tree in a field or stalagmite in a cave can act as cover. While in a space that acts as cover, your character takes 2 less damage from ranged attacks. Cover can also trigger other effects for certain classes.

An environmental effect is an effect, often created by a spell or ability, that impacts any entities occupying a certain set of spaces. Often this will be an effect that damages or decreases the movement of entities occupying those spaces. Some classes abilities rely on interacting with environmental effects. Unless specifically stated, an environmental effect must exist at ground/floor level.

As movement does not spend your turn it is likely the first thing your character will do each turn. Speaking of spending turns...

spending your turn

Most attacks and abilities "spend your turn", which means upon the use of that attack or a ability your characters turn immediately ends, preventing your character from moving or using abilities further that turn.

Another example of an action that spends your turn is switching weapons. When using a free technique or basic attack that requires a specific weapon, you "equip" that weapon. you cannot use a free technique or basic attack that requires a different weapon than the one you have equipped until you spend your turn "switching weapons".

There are abilities that either do not always spend your turn, or modify how spending your turn works. Some notable examples are additive and focus spells. If a spell you cast is additive, you can cast exactly one other spell at the same time, spending your turn on two spells rather than one. While you cast them "at the same time" with no movement or anything else occurring between them, it may be necessary to determine which spell occurs/has an effect first. In that case it is entirely up to the caster.

If a spell you cast is a focus spell, the spell continues to have an effect on subsequent turns as long as you spend a charge each turn you continue its effect. While you must spend your turn to cast it initially, turns that the effect is continued on are not thereby spent. You can focus on multiple spells at once as long as you spend a charge for each on every turn their effect is extended to, but not multiple instances of the same spell.

In terms of physical abilities, any ability labeled passive not only does not spend your turn, but has an effect regardless of whether it is your turn at all. For example the dancer ability grace prevents three of the damage from any melee attack, an ability that is rarely useful on your turn but comes into play frequently on enemy turns. Other passive abilities only trigger when certain conditions are met, but have an effect as long as those conditions are met. For example stand ground prevents the first four damage you would take after not moving for a turn, which can have an effect over the enemies turns but will not if you moved last turn. Some charge techniques, while they need to be activated and elemental charges must be spent on them, do not spend your turn.

elemental charges

Speaking of elemental charges and spending them, elemental charges are representations of your character's ability to manipulate the elements through attunement. You gain more charges of the element your class is associated every level, or every other level for physical classes. Spending charges merely means that you “use” some of the charges you have access to and cannot access the charges spent in this way until a certain period has passed. For the sample adventure provided this will depend on the person running, but will likely be every one or two encounters.

In addition, the cost of a spell or a technique determines what kind of damage it does. The type of damage that a spell or technique does is important because many enemies are weak to certain elements. If you hit an enemy with its weakness and use the right amount of charges, it takes double the amount of damage it would normally plus one. The right amount of charges is whatever number the enemies weakness threshold is.

All enemies have a threshold regardless of whether they naturally have a weakness. If an enemy with a threshold of three is naturally weak to ice or becomes weak to ice damage, an ability must not only do ice damage, but have at least three ice charges spent on it to exploit the weakness and do double damage +1. An exception to this is that magical classes using a basic magic attack still do damage of their classes element and exploit weakness regardless of threshold or cost.

If you spend more charges of the element an enemy is weak to on an ability that damages that enemy with it weakness, you triple the damage and add one rather than double it. You cannot spend more charges than a spell costs to try and meet threshold. Finally if you do not meet threshold but do the right type of damage, you become aware that the enemy is weak to that damage type even though you were not able to exploit the weakness.

A spell or physical technique that cost ice charges does ice damage, one that cost ice and rock charges ice and rock damage. The cost, but not necessarily the charges spent determines damage type, so if you spend some ice charges and some rock charges on an ice spell it still only does ice damage. A basic charge attack (see any magic class description) is something of an exception to this, as any charges can be used to pay the cost, whatever charges are spent determine the types of damage it deals.

You may at this point be wondering how a character can have access to multiple charge types if each class only grants you charges of the element it is associated with. Well not only the number of charges your character has access to, but they type depends on what level they are in what classes. As for how you could have levels in multiple classes...

leveling up

After a certain amount of combat encounters (for the sample adventure provided this should be one) your character will level up, gaining certain leveling benefits. No matter what class you are you gain two maximum health each time you level up, going form twelve to fourteen as soon as you level up the first time. Other leveling benefits, are class specific, and a list dictating the permanent improvements your character gains access to for each level they gain can be found at the beginning of each class. Either you will gain more charges, or buffs such as additional movement or long range damage. Be sure to write down your leveling benefits and keep track of not only how much health and charges your character currently has, but what amount they have after recovering.

All rules from this point until the glossary of terms only apply only to characters leveled up past level one, and to characters that choose to have levels in multiple classes specifically. If you only want to engage with one class, feel free to stop reading here until you reach level five, at which point you must either engage with the class switching/multi-element mechanics, or refer to the optional rule at the end of this section.

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Instead of gaining an additional level in your current class you may choose to "unlock" an additional class. This not only allows you to switch to that class at level one whenever you choose to outside of battle, but immediately gives you access to that classes level one benefits, as you keep leveling benefits no matter what class you are currently playing as. Your total level would still be the same, as forgoing a level in one class gained you one in another. Once you have unlocked a class you cannot increase its level or gain more of its leveling benefits without switching to it.

In other words, when you are about to level up as a fire mage, you can instead unlock the survivalist class, getting access to three ice charges. If you wanted to obtain more survivalist leveling benefits or gain easy access to the classes abilities, you would have to switch classes, becoming a survivalist at least until the next time you would level up.

You cannot unlock a class associated with a secondary element unless you have unlocked one class associated with each base element that secondary element is tied to. In other words you could not play as a water mage unless you have access to level one of a fire class and level one of an ice class. If you start as a dancer, and unlock ice mage once you level up, you can unlock water mage the next time you level up. You would then have a total level of three and three level one classes you can choose from to play as.

Optional rule: At level five under normal circumstances you must either switch classes or continuously gain one level in an entirely new class, as you cannot gain more levels in a level five class. Alternatively, you can allow players to gain levels in a class they are not playing as past level one once they reach level five in a class, specifically for the other class associated with their element. This allows players to keep it simple by not switching classes, not gaining access to multiple charge types, and not having to worry about avoiding playing as their strongest class without limiting growth. This takes a lot of nuance out of the system, but if a player is not looking for a nuanced experience perhaps that is for the best.

cross class benefits

Even without switching to a class you have unlocked, gaining its first level leveling benefits can improve your character in a variety of ways.

Gaining more of your own elements charges by unlocking the other class associated with your element, is only a significant change for physicals, who would forego learning more free techniques and gaining their classes buff. In return the additional charges they received would allow them to use their charge techniques more frequently, including ones that give them access to free techniques despite their level being too low to access them normally. Mages simply gain the ability to cast more spells, just as they would if they gained a level in their own class.

If you gain charges of another element by unlocking a class associated with it, you would still have more charges to spend on higher cost spells or charge techniques, but the number of spells or charge techniques you can use before recharging does not increase. This is because one of the charges that you spend on a spell or technique must be the same element as your class, but the rest of the charges that make up the cost can be any type. For example if I am a level one ice mage I have three ice charges and thus can only cast three spells, but if I also have three fire charges they can all be two cost spells as I could cast a two cost spell using one ice charge and one fire charge.

Additionally, there are "signature" spells and techniques. You can only spend charges of the same element as your class signature on abilities, and thus having charges of another class does not increase the cost of signature abilities you have access to. The one charge used to maintain a focus spell after its initial cast can always be of any element, no matter the element of your class or the spell.

Despite not increasing the total number of spells you can cast or the your ability to cast signature spells at all, another elements charges can still be as useful as your own, as you can use them to borrow the abilities of other classes. To use a spell or charge technique from another class one of the charges must be the same element as your class as normal, however the rest must be the same element as the class the spell or technique comes from. This allows you to borrow the abilities of other classes but limits their power if you don't have many of the right charges. For example a character with one level in ice mage, one in fire mage, could use a five charge ice spell with three ice charges and two fire, but would be unable to spend the one ice charge and four fire charges needed to cast a five charge fire spell. To be clear, physical classes cannot use spells and magic classes cannot use physical techniques. You cannot borrow a classes signature spells or techniques.

Another benefit to having access to multiple charge types, is being able to cast multi element spells. To cast a multi element spell from your spell list, not only must one charge be the same as the element of your class, but every other element that the spell is associated with must be represented with a charge. A signature multi element spell cannot be cast if you spend any charges not associated with the spell. In other words an ice or rock mage can cast a three cost ice rock spell with one ice charge, one rock charge, and one charge of any element, but a three cost signature ice rock spell can only be cast with one ice charge, one rock charge, and another ice or rock charge.

If the multi element spell is not on your list, one charge must be the same element as your class, each charge the spell is associated with must have a charge dedicated to it, and any remaining cost must be paid with charges the spell is associated with. For example, a four cost ice rock spell cast by a fire mage would have to have one fire charge, one rock charge, one ice charge, and another rock or ice charge spent on it.

While this does not apply at low level, the buffs gained leveling as a physical class past level one can build out your character in ways that complement skills offered by other classes. For example dancers can direct damage toward themselves and having the extra health gained through survivalist levels bolsters this. Armsman and sniper offer damage buffs that can be more effective in the hands of a mage that can more easily hit multiple enemies.

Alternate explanation:

The benefits of leveling other classes come from those classes leveling benefits. Your character can get buffs they wouldn't normally have access to from physical classes, and charges of other elements from either magical or physical classes. The elemental charges of other classes can be used to pay for your classes abilities (charge techniques or spells) as long as you pay one charge of your element and the ability is not a signature ability. As an ice mage casting a four cost ice spell, you can spend one ice charge and three charges of any type, from ice to fire to a mix of fire and rock as long as you have access to those charge types. You can always pay charges of other classes to continue the effect of a focus spell, all that is required for that is one charge of any element.

While using other elemental charges is limiting for your classes spells, they allow you to borrow the abilities of other classes. By spending one charge of your element, you can use another classes ability as long as the rest of the charges that make up the cost are ones associated with the ability/class it comes from. As an ice mage casting a four cost fire spell you could only use one ice charge and three fire charges. You cannot use other classes signature abilities. You can only use charge techniques if you are a physical class, only use spells if you are a mage.

The payment structure for multi-element spells is slightly different, in that there must be one charge spent for each element the spell is associated with. If your classes element is also covered by this the rest of the charges that make up the cost can be of any element. If your classes element is not covered by the elements of your spell, you must spend one charge of your element and the rest of the cost (if there is any left after 1 charge of each element the spell is associated with and 1 for your class is spent) must be elements associated with the spell. Signature multi element spells cannot have any charges of elements they are not associated with spent to cast them, and thus cannot be cast by a classes that do not have them on their spell list.

Rules covered in this section:

When using one of your classes abilities, one of the charges spent on the cost must be the same as the element of your class. The rest of the charges used to cover the cost can be of any element

You can use another classes ability if one of the charges spent on it is of the same as the element of your class and the rest of the charges used to cover the cost are of the same element as the spell.

To cast a multi class spell, each element the spell is associated with and the element of your current class must be represented in the charges you spend to pay the cost. If the charges needed to facilitate that are not enough to meet the cost, the rest can be of any element if the spell is on your classes spell list, but must be of elements the spell is associated with if it is not on your spell list.

The one charge spent to continue a focus spell can be of any element regardless of the element of your class or the spell.

Signature abilities can only be used by a class that has them in their description, and only elements they are associated with can be used to pay the cost.

benefits of switching classes.

As mentioned you can switch your class to one you have unlocked anytime outside of battle, which for the purposes of the included adventure will only be between each encounter. There are several reasons to do this, firstly, easier access to a classes abilities. Free techniques being free if you are the right class level and charge techniques/spells being able to be paid for with any element makes frequent use of strong abilities easier. Secondly, exclusive access to signature techniques, as you can only use the signature techniques of a class as that class. Thirdly, leveling up in a class, as you can only level up a class past level 1 if you are playing as that class.

That last one is important as it means that if you want to use the more powerful abilities of a class, either as that class or borrowing them, you must switch to that class while it is still level one, heavily limiting the number of spells you can cast or free techniques you have access to if your last class was higher level. If you want to create a powerful build, with strong abilities that work well together, you will likely have to have face adversity in order to do so, risk vs reward. Even still, the abilities that carry over from previous classes should be strong enough that switching to a new class just to try something new or adapt to a situation/party composition doesn't set you back significantly. Alternatively, classes should be strong enough on their own that you could switch or gain levels in other classes as little as possible, keeping things simple or sticking to a single character identity without falling behind.

glossary of terms

Along with terms covered in how to play, some terms in the class descriptions that have not been defined in how to play are listed here.

Entity: Any creature, object, or at least semi tangible thing that is possessed of a fraction of intelligence and impetus. Generally speaking an npc, pc, or monster.

Line: a spell or attack that affects a line affects a set of spaces that extend from the entity responsible for the attack on a line. This can be determined by drawing a straight line on a grid and seeing what spaces it passes through, or through more complicated methods such as the one listed at the end of this section.

Status effect: a named effect debuffing or harming a specific entity, such as the ones written below

burn: a burned creature takes 2 damage at the start of its turn as long a sthe effect persists. The effect and all other instances of burn created by a single entity last as long as the entity creating it pays focus.

Distraction: An enemy or player that is distracted cannot use damaging moves that target an individual or area, they can still use buffs, debuffs, or damaging abilities that effect set entities or areas, such as an attack that effects everything within 3 spaces of the user or all entities with a certain status effect. As long the distracted entity does not specifically choose what is effected by the attack it is still usable, otherwise only non damaging abilities are. For example the water environmental effect effect damages, but not on your turn and depending on enemy behavior, so it is still usable.

Incapacitated: An incapacitated player or enemy cannot do anything, including moving, using an ability that does not spend their turn, and using an ability that does spend their turn. Passive abilities that cost nothing will still trigger if their conditions are met. For example the stand ground survivalist ability will still mitigate damage an incapacitated survivalist takes.

Constrained: An constrained player or enemy is unable to move outside of a certain area unless they spend their turn doing it and thereby removing the status effect, but foregoing the chance to use an ability that spends a turn and potentially not using their full movement. You can be constrained in a single place, meaning the only options you have are to spend your turn on an ability without moving, or spend your turn entirely on moving one space.

Blind: An enemy or player with this status effect can only use abilities that do not target an area or entity with no restrictions. They cannot use abilities that target specific entities at all but they can use one that targets an area if they pick a cardinal direction and then a 1 d 6 determines how many spaces away in that cardinal direction the area is. They can only move in cardinal directions and then the result a 1d6 divided by 2 rounded up determines whether they move one two or three spaces in that direction. They may maintain awareness of where allies and enemies were before they were blinded, but they cannot target even entities that do not move as it is difficult to aim without seeing.

Unseen/hidden: if you are unseen by enemies, they will not attack you specifically though they may attack the area you are in with an attack that covers multiple spaces or approach you without attacking you if they have some idea where you are. You can still be damaged if you are hit by an attack that damages all entities that meet certain conditions or damages over a set area. Attacking an enemy or being damaged by one usually makes you become seen.

Nonhostile: if enemies are nonhostile to you, they will not attack you until you attack one of them.

Signature: an ability that can only be cast using charge types it is associated with and cannot be borrowed by other classes.

Focus: a spell or status effect that can be continued past the initial turn as long as one charge is payed on the beginning of each turn it continues into.

Additive: a spell that can be cast at the same time as exactly one other spell. This allows you to spend your turn casting two spells instead of just one, if it is necessary to know wich spell occurs "first" the caster picks one.

Free technique: an ability that a physical class can access without paying any charges, as long as they are the proper class and level.

Passive: A free technique that the effect of is active without the player choosing to activate it or spending a turn. It is either always present or present as long as certain conditions are met.

Environmental effect: a feature of the environment that affects any entities on the same spaces as it. Pretty much any ability that effects set spaces (the effect does not automatically move) for more than one turn creates an environmental effect.

Defining a line:

A line is easy to visualize in therms of eight directions, just straight right, left, up, down, and all four diagonals for a certain distance clearly from a line of spaces, but that is very restrictive as it only covers enemies in a cardinal direction from you.

Another way to define a line is picking assigning a number to 2 adjacent cardinal directions, say right, or east so to speak, and one of the diagonals next to it, effectively north or south east. As long as one of these numbers is one, if you alternate between the two numbers, moving the path of the attack one to the right, then two on the diagonal to the upper right of that space, then one to the right of that space and so on for example, you get something resembling a line.

Not all spaces on a grid can be effected with this method, so if you are fine with making things even more complicated the number that is not one can instead be two numbers sepperated by one. In other words one of the directions is associated with one, the other either two or three, and you would alternate moving one to the right, then two or three to the upper right of that space, then one to the right of that space then two or three to the upper right and so on. This would still resemble a line, and any space on the grid can be reached by this method.