itch.io

We're actually planning a live one-shot with it for our local geek convention this weekend. I'll be sure to record it and post afterwards to the podcast

Right on! We're so glad you like it! Honestly, the masking mechanic could work with all sorts of themes so I might have to try it out with other ideas in the future.

Great question! Enhancements, as mentioned would come in the form of anything from upgraded or magical equipment to potions, boons, etc. I left it vague since the possibility of what could be considered as an "enhancement."

As for the when. The answer is when it's applicable. If a character gets a pair of "Boots of Leaping" they get a +1 whenever they try to jump across a long distance, or a significant height.

If they drank a "Potion of Durability" then for whatever duration you, the DM, put on that potion that player takes -1 damage from attacks made against them.

Or, perhaps they simply upgrade their starter sword to a really cool Buster sword (nonmagical but still super cool). They might get +1 dice when rolling attacks using it.

In addition to this idea of "enhancements" it also works for the concept of leveling up. Although this is meant for a one-shot you could always play a longer game where players can level up simply receiving+1 dice which they can use for any/every roll moving forward. They've grown and developed and become stronger.

Right on! Glad you like it! It took me a while to think of a good way to represent the idea of "bones being broken and disabling capability" and "rolling bones" was imperative given the theme haha.

You've got it!!!

100%! Out of curiosity, if we record it for our podcast, would you have any problems with that?

This is absolutely fantastic! I was JUST thinking to myself how I'd love to find a Fears to Fathom: Ironbark Lookout meets Firewatch meets TTRPG! Thank you so much! I look forward to trying this out!

Although we're from the Session Zero Heroes Podcast, I'll introduce myself specifically.

1. Skyler Gorsett - Creative Director at SZH
2. Yes, this is my first year, and I'm super excited to be a part of it!
3. Although our submission is more of a high-fantasy take, I'm currently really into an idea revolving around the superhero high school/college subgenre, such as Sky High or My Hero Academia. 
4. I absolutely LOVE the capability within simplicity that one-page TTRPGs offer, as well as the unique mechanics that will often stem from them to create the intended themes and stories. I started creating my own one-page TTRPGs THIS YEAR, and my submission is the second of three that I've created so far. I want to see what is possible and what I'm personally capable of coming up wit,h and then sharing that with the community.

SUMMONING

• Give a Dog a Bone - Summons a spectral dog that fights by your side for (# of successes) hours. It rolls with 2d6 and can aid in various actions and checks when appropriate.
• Hammond Bone - Summons a skeletal dinosaur of your choosing to fight by your side for (# of successes) rounds (or minutes if outside of combat). This creature fights with 5d6s and can aid in various actions and checks when appropriate.
• Skull & Crossbones - Summons (# of successes) skeletal pirates to fight by your side until the end of your next turn. Each pirate fights with 3d6 and takes their turn on your turn whenever you choose.
• Monkeybone - You summon a cartoonish spectral monkey for (# of successes) hours, and it does your bidding. It can easily climb walls, pick up and carry small objects, and perform other monkey-like activities while being incredibly silent. The monkey rolls 1d6 when a roll is necessary, and can aid in various actions and checks when appropriate.
• Bladebone - You summon forth a floating, skeletal longsword that attacks and blocks incoming damage. It remains by your side for (# of successes) rounds (or minutes if you're not in combat) and can attack on your turn, rolling 3d6. When a physical attack is made against you the sword adds its roll to yours as it helps defend you.

TRANSFORMATION

• Bear Bones - Transform yourself into a skeletal bear for (# of successes) rounds (if in combat) or minutes (if not in combat). You roll 5d6s for all physical attacks and checks until the spell ends (Head, Arms, Legs, Body). You cannot make Soul checks in this form. You can end the spell manually at any time.
• Optimus Prime Rib - You transform yourself or another skeletal figure into a self-driving vehicle able to carry (# of successes) additional creatures (or creatures' weight worth of items) inside it for (# of successes) hours. You can use multiple skeletal creatures to create this vehicle to increase the weight capacity by +1 creature for each skeleton used.

DISGUISE & STEALTH

• Maximum Skullduggery - You and as many allies as you roll (# of successes) for become as silent as the grave, making no sound from yourselves or anything you're wearing for the next hour (aside from communicating if you choose).
• Temporary Flesh - You (# of successes) x 10 minutes, you magically cover your bones with flesh, disguising your body in the form of a humanoid creature you have seen before.

ENHANCE

• Calcify - Temporarily strengthens your bones or the bones of another skeletal being. The target subtracts 1 damage from any incoming attack for (# of successes) rounds.
• Inspirational Trombone - Inspire nearby allies with a series of melodic sounds bursting from your nasal cavity. For the next hour, they can roll (# of successes) extra dice on a single attack or check of their choosing. These dice must be used all at once, and cannot be distributed between multiple attacks and checks.
• An Arm & a Leg - You pull skeletal ligaments off your form and attach them to an ally in reach. For (# of successes) rounds, you can give them up to three of your dice, which they can roll for any attack and action during the duration. You will not be able to use the dice you give them on your turns during the duration.
• Bonesetting - Grant any one of the following benefits to an ally you can touch.
  • Bone Headed - +1 Ongoing success to Head checks for (# of successes) rounds.
  • Elbow Grease - +1 Ongoing success to Arm checks for (# of successes) rounds.
  • The Right Foot - +1 Ongoing success to Leg checks (# of successes) rounds.
  • Iron Gut - +1 Ongoing success to Body checks (# of successes) rounds.

UTILITY

• Tele-Bone - You hold your finger up to your ear-hole and send out a short message to another skeleton you have spoken with. They can respond to this message with their own short message.
• Case the Joint - Your eye sockets glow with an arcane energy, allowing you to perceive things you might have missed. You can spot traps, enemies, dangers, and otherwise important things within a single room.
• Head in the Clouds - You or a creature you touch begins to levitate up to 5 feet off the ground. This hover can last up to an hour. It also allows you to climb things with ease, as you are now incredibly light.
• Skeleton Key - Your index finger bone (or other finger bone) transforms into a key capable of unlocking a single non-magical lock or door.
• Boneless - Your bones melt into a pale goo for (# of successes) rounds (or minutes if you're not in combat). When in goo-form, you cannot make attacks or checks, but you can move through incredibly tiny or tight spaces with no issue. You can manually end this spell early.
• Bonespeak - You can talk with a deceased creature for (# of successes) minutes, asking it questions. The deceased has memories it would have had in life, and, although they are required to respond to you, they do not have to offer you legitimate insight or answers based on the relationship or feelings they have towards you.

MANIPULATION

• Tickling the Funny Bone - You tell a joke, causing (# of successes) enemies within hearing distance to begin laughing hysterically.
• Lazy Bones - Target an enemy, that enemy becomes slow and tired, rolling (# of successes) fewer dice on their next turn and regaining one of those dice back at the beginning of each of their turns following.
• Skeleton Dance - Music starts to play, causing (# of successes) within hearing distance to begin dancing uncontrollably.
• Creaky Old Bones - Touch a creature, they subtract (# of successes) from their actions ongoing.

HEALING SPELLS

• Osteo-to-Me! - Heals (# of successes) damage from a single ally.
• Marrow-Culous Recovery - Heals (# of successes) damage spread across multiple creatures of your choice.
• Bone Grifting - Touch a creature and transfer (# of successes) of your damage to them (doesn't work if the same bones broken on the caster are also broken on the target.
• Bone Meal - Summons a small table filled with calcium-rich foods such as dairy, fish, and leafy greens. All who eat roll all three of their dice and heal any dice that roll a damage side. 

DAMAGE & ATTACK SPELLS

• Chill to the Bone - A blast of icy energy erupts from your hand, dealing (# of successes) icy, cold damage to your foe and creating a slippery surface along the spell's path.
• Cocyx & Pull It - Fires a burst of magical energy, dealing (# of successes) force damage to your target. Can be cast at longer distances.
• Bone Breaker - Touch an enemy and deal a hefty (# of successes + 1) force damage as a massive, invisible impact slams into them.
• Hair Brained - Hair shoots from your skull and grapples (# of successes) creatures around you of your choice for one round (or # of successes minutes if not currently in combat).
• Collarbone - A magical 5ft chain appears attached to a nearby wall or the ground itself as a manacle wraps around the neck of your target. They are unable to break free from this chain or move outside of the length of the chain for (# of successes) rounds (or minutes if you're not in combat).
• Fishbones - A swarm of hungry, skeletal piranhas appears and viciously attacks your target, dealing (# of successes) slicing and tearing damage to them. You can distribute this damage to multiple targets if you roll multiple successes.

Whether it be for the mage, cleric, or perhaps even bard, I'd love to hear your ideas for spells that can occupy a spellbook for those who take a magical path in Bones in Human Clothing. I've got some ideas below. The idea is to keep them somewhat vague and straightforward, and allow the player and GM to work together to ensure it's not overly powerful, nor underwhelming.

HOW DOES SPELLCASTING WORK

Unfortunately, there's a limited amount of space within a one-page document to fill with rules, and I suppose I might be breaking them by posting an additional set of rules here. The game is meant to be rules-light and story-heavy, so I figured leaving things vague would create some good discussion between the GM and player. With that being said, for those who want something to help guide them, here's how I personally would run spellcasting.

• Firstly, you'll find below a whole bunch of spell ideas I've already come up with that play nicely off the mechanics of the game and offer a solid variety to the players. With that being said, players should NOT have every spell I've listed right from the get-go. Have each player choose 5 - 7 different spells of their choice to make up their spellbook (which I realize I misspelled in the rules).
  • I recommend making this process easier by having the player list each spell and its effect on a sticky note or notecard.
• With each spell, the player rolls 1d4 to determine how many times they can cast that spell. Have them put an empty check box next to the spell so they can mark one of those slots each time they cast it.
• From there, you should be all set. Keep in mind that (# of successes) represents rolls of 5 (Soul), which represent your magical acuity, or 6s, which are wild.

The Bland, the malevolent, unforgiving force, slowly making its way across The Kitchen, infecting everything it comes across with flavorless intent. From the darkened, uninspired depths of the Kitchen, it creeps across Horseradish Trees and Garlic Boulders, leaving sentient, tasteless dishes in its wake. Under Seasoned Undead shuffle across the yellowed Turmeric Mire, and Stale Specters haunt the darker depths of the Gingerroot Grotto. Gritty Golems that drip with unflavored mush? Insipid Imps that fly about, leaving a flavorless taste in both your mouth and mind? What horrors can you think of that The Bland is leaving behind to create unique and exciting encounters for our intrepid Spice Mages?

Each tribe of spice is different and beautifully unique in its own way. From the stiff and rigid intensity of the Bark Tribe to the ever-flowing, drifting nature of the Leaf Nomads. We want to hear your ideas for each tribe or group within the diverse species that reside within The Kitchen. How do they function? What is their relationship with the other spice groups and tribes? What are their core values and beliefs?

Within the world of Spice Mages, referred to as "The Kitchen," there are lands of incredible food-based wonder. As The Bland makes its way through The Kitchen, we discover the societies and tribes of spices who want to fight the incoming force. We want to see what kinds of areas you can come up with. Whether they be the expansive Lemongrass Fields. the stinky Garlic Grotto, or the relaxing Vanilla Vinyard we want to hear your creative ideas as you help us develop The Kitchen!