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After the success of last year’s convention turned RPG (role-playing game), it is back and better than ever, thanks to all the feedback and suggestions we received last year.
There are some major changes this year, such as adventurer vs adventurer skill challenges and quests, so buckle on your armour and get ready for adventure.
Your name badge will have space for your main stat bonuses and you’ll be able to track experience points, quest completition and your equipment with a small booklet available by registration that will fit behind your name badge. Our wonderful volunteers at registration are usually busy, so if you need any help or have any questions about how to play, please visit the Training Post in the Cave of Wonders (aka Dealer’s Room).
Bring your own dice if you’ve got them, but there will be dice available as well.
Creating your Character
Starting Stats
You start with 0 and add a plus 1 bonus for the following traits (you in real life):
- Scientist/Writer: +1 bonus to Intelligence (INT)
- Athlete/Martial Artist: +1 bonus to Strength (STR)
- Editor: add +1 bonus to Wisdom (WIS)
- Paper Airplane Maker/Flyer: +1 bonus to Dexterity (DEX)
- Reader (you read a book/story in the past month): +1 bonus to Constitution (CON)
- Panelist/Guest: +1 bonus to Charisma (CHA)
Write your stats in the appropriately marked boxes on your name badge.
When using your stats (challenges, quests, etc), you roll a d20 and add the bonus for that stat. You will have the opportunity to increase your stats during the convention with experience and special items.
Your stat bonuses will change as you gain experience and loot, so pencil is advisable.
Choose Your Class (fighting type) and basic weapon.
Select what type of fighter you want to be. Each class gets a +1 bonus to two related Stats and has two types of weapons they can use.
- Warrior: uses Strength bonus to attack. Add +1 to your Strength and Constitution.
- Weapons: sword, axe.
- Ranger or Rogue: uses Dexterity to attack. Add +1 to your Dexterity and Wisdom.
- Weapons: crossbow/bow, thrown daggers.
- Wizard: uses Intelligence to attack with spells. Add +1 to your Intelligence and Charisma.
- Weapons: wand or amulet.
- Bard: uses Charisma to attack with song and music. Add +1 to your Charisma and Dexterity.
- Weapons: hand cone, lyre.
- Monk: uses Wisdom to attack, channeling your chi. Add +1 to your Wisdom and Strength.
- Weapons: glove, staff.
Basic weapons give you a +1 to your attack. You can only use the weapons listed for your class. You may acquire special weapons with higher bonuses as loot. You cannot combine a new weapon with an old, it replaces your basic weapon.
You can choose to change your class during the convention. If you do, you can only use the weapons of your new class. When changing your class, you must first remove the +1 bonus your old class gave you before adding your new class bonuses. Ex: If you switch from a Warrior to a Bard, you remove 1 from STR and CON and add 1 to your CHA and DEX.
Level
Your Level is equal to the number of years you have attended Can-Con, including this year. If this is your first year, you are at level 1.
Defense
Your Defense is equal to your Level plus your Constitution. If your Constitution increases, so does your defense.
Hit Points
Your Total Hit Points is equal to your Level +2. If you are Level 1, you have 3 Hit Points. There are ways to increase your Hit Points. When you are wounded, you temporarily lose Hit Points until you can heal them back by attending panels.
If you go down to 0 Hit Points, you cannot engage in combat, challenges or quests until you have healed back at least 1 Hit Point.
Training Post:
If you’re having trouble creating your character or learning how to play, visit the Training Post at Past the Mirror Publishing’s table in the Cave of Wonders (Dealer’s Room).
Your name badge has boxes to mark your Stat bonuses. You will also receive a booklet to mark your Level, Fighting Class, Armour, Weapon, Special Items, Quest Completion and Experience.
Adventurer vs Adventurer
Combat:
Roll a d20 and add the appropriate bonuses for your stat and the weapon you are using (ex: if you are a bard with +2 charisma bonus and a basic +1 lyre, and you roll 13, your attack is 16). You need at least one number higher than your opponent’s Defense to hit. They can also counter attack back using their weapon. Whoever’s attack margin (successful hit minus defense) is higher wins the battle (ex: If your total attack is 17 and their defense is 15, your attack margin is 2. If they countered with an attack of 18 and your defense is 15, their attack margin is 3. Your opponent wins).
If you engage in combat with an opponent and fail the challenge, you are wounded and temporarily lose 1 Hit Point.
Fighting Boss Monsters
You must gain a minimum of 100 experience points to begin challenging Boss Monsters to fight. There are three Boss Monsters (con-comm: Nicole Lavigne, Brandon Crilly & Evan May) and one Final Boss (Can-Con Co-Founder Farrell McGovern). You can challenge each Boss Monster only twice per day. You cannot challenge Boss Monsters during panels or if they are on their way to a panel/event (they’ll let you know and ask you to see them later).
Skill Challenges
You can also challenge other attendees to skill challenges. Use your keen Intellect to create a puzzle for your friend and see if they can solve it, or challenge them to a bardic competition. Select the skill you wish to use to challenge them. Each of you rolls a d20 and adds the appropriate skill bonus to see who has the higher roll. Special items can give you additional bonuses to your skills.
- Battle of Wits (Intelligence vs Intelligence)
- Battle of the Bards (Charisma vs Charism)
- Drinking Contest (Constitution vs Constitution)
- Arm Wrestling (Strength vs Strength)
- Archery Contest (Dexterity vs Dexterity)
- Test of Perceptiveness (Wisdom vs Wisdom)
Loot
What’s the point of adventuring if you aren’t going to pick up some sweet loot? There are a few different ways to get loot:
- Defeat a boss monster
- Random drops
- Exploring the Cave of Wonders (Dealer’s Room)
- Complete all the Quests (visit the Training Post once complete)
Types of Loot include: Experience points, Stat boosting items, Armour, Weapons. If you cannot use a weapon you find with your current class, make a friend and trade loot. You can also change your class (see Creating your Character).
Experience
Experience (XP) is gained by doing certain activities (attending panels, etc) during the convention. 100 XP can be traded in for a +1 bonus to a Stat or your Total Hit Points. Mark your experience in your character booklet as you gain it and then cross off 100 XP when you trade it in for your bonus.
You gain experience each time you fully complete one of the following activities:
- Attend a panel = 15 points
- Attend a reading = 25 points
- Get a book signed by author/editor = 20 points
- Visit the Exhibitor’s Room = 50 points per day, max 150
- Attend a book launch = 50 points
- Meet someone new = 10 points
- Defeat Boss Monster = 100 XP (once per boss monster)
- Completing Quests = once per quest, XP varies for each quest and how it is completed
(This list is also contained in your character booklet.)
Quests
You will find quests dispersed about the convention. Each quest can be attempted in 2 to 3 different ways, using different stats. Choose the stat you wish to use, roll a d20 and add your bonus for that stat. Only open the card to see the target after you roll. You must match the target number for that stat to successfully complete the challenge. If you are successful, you gain the listed XP for that approach. Each quest can be attempted once per morning/afternoon/evening (i.e. max 3 times per day). Some quests will have a side effects if you fail. You cannot change which stat you attempt the challenge with after you roll.
The quests are numbers to help you track them in your character booklet. It does not matter what or you do them in.
Example quest:
You’ve set off from home on your first quest. A kobold jumps out from behind the trees and attacks you!
- Fight back with your shiny new sword! STR
- Your legs are longer than his. Run! DEX
(Choose to either attempt the challenge with your STR or DEX, roll and tally your bonuses. Then open the Quest Card.)
- Fight back: 16 STR. Success = 10 XP
- Run! 13 DEX. Success = 5 XP
FAIL: Fortunately the kobold’s knife is dull. He scratches you, but you’ll survive.
If you chose to attempt the challenge using your Strength (STR) you need a total roll + bonuses of 16 to succeed and earn 10 experience if successful.
Can-Con the RPG was developed by Nicole Lavigne for Can-Con, with special thanks to ‘Nathan Burgoine, Jennifer Carole Lewis and Brandon Crilly.