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Purdue Fantasy ClubAQ: Jaern
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How to play

AQ: Jaern is the club's own tabletop role-playing system, grown out of a campaign that has run for more than forty years. Here is how to go from walking in on a Saturday to playing your first game.

Your first Saturday

  1. Come to a meeting

    The club meets every Saturday from 5:30pm, and club games start around 7:00–7:30pm. It is normally in the West Activity Room (WAR) in Wiley Hall, but rooms can change, so check the Discord on the day. Anyone can come; you don't have to be a Purdue student. Bring a pencil, possibly some dice, and a desire to learn and role play.

  2. Join the club Discord

    Announcements, game sign-ups and online games all happen there. To get an invite, send a friend request and a message to one of the server moderators listed on the club's welcome page. The #important-links channel has the guidebook and the character sheet.

    The moderators

  3. Make your adventurer

    Use the Player's Guidebook and the official character sheet. The guidebook's Quick Start Templates are recommended for new players, and nobody expects you to know the system on your first night: club members are glad to teach it.

    The eight steps

  4. Sign up for a game

    Game Masters post game hooks in the Discord's #game-listings channel, with details on the adventure and how to sign up. Find one with open spots and tag the GM, in #game-text or in the thread under the listing. Any in-club character can join any in-club game; only legendary-rate characters have restrictions.

  5. Play, then read the writeup

    After the game the GM writes it up in the adventure log, and your adventurer earns experience: usually 2,500 to 3,000 EXP a game, and 5,000 for each of the first 14 games of a new character.

    The adventure log

Where the battles happen

At the table. Each game is its own adventure, run by a Game Master for the players who signed up for it. Most are played in person at the Saturday meeting, and the club's Discord also has channels for online games, so some adventures run between Saturdays.

The GM describes the world and plays everyone you meet. You say what your adventurer does, and the dice decide how it goes. When it is time to draw swords, the game moves into combat rounds, which work like this:

Checks: roll under

Most actions are checks. The GM asks for a number of six-sided dice; add them up, and if the total is equal to or under your attribute or skill, you succeed. A “3d6 vs AGI” check means rolling three dice against your Agility.

Combat: rounds and turns

A round is four seconds. Each side rolls 2d6 for initiative, and on your turn you get one Action, one Fifth (moving, smaller actions) and one Reaction. To attack, roll a d20 and add your modifier: CMOD for melee, RMOD for ranged, GMOD for grappling. Meet the target's Defense Value and you hit. A natural 20 always hits and can be a critical; a natural 1 always misses.

Growing: experience and Rate

You spend experience on abilities instead of gaining levels. Your Rate is your total EXP divided by 2,500. Below about Rate 35 an adventurer is low-rate, 35 to 100 is mid-rate, and 100 or more is high-rate or legendary.

Making an adventurer, in eight steps

From chapter 1 of the Player's Guidebook, which walks through each step with an example adventurer. Think first about the kind of adventurer you want to play; other fantasy stories are fair inspiration.

  1. Step 1

    Choose a race

    Your race grants an exceptional to one attribute and other traits. Races are in chapter 2 of the guidebook.

  2. Step 2

    Choose a background

    Warrior, Rogue, Nomad, Mage, Psion or Priest. Each favours two attributes and sets which abilities you buy at base cost.

  3. Step 3

    Starting experience

    There are no levels. A new adventurer starts at Rate 7 with 17,500 EXP to spend on abilities; at least 15 Damage Points (3,000 EXP) is recommended.

  4. Step 4

    Attribute scores

    Nine attributes, from 3 to 18: STR, INT, PER, CSE, HEA, AGI, PWR, COM and WIL. Roll 3d6 nine times, or use a standard array or point buy.

  5. Step 5

    Choose languages

    One to three, depending on INT. Paroli is the common tongue of Jaern and Cahyali.

  6. Step 6

    Choose a perk

    One special trait from chapter 4. It stays with your adventurer for good.

  7. Step 7

    Choose equipment

    A standard starting kit: a helmet, a medium shield, a weapon, armor and some gold.

  8. Step 8

    Starting attune

    One skill, incant, psionic discipline or spell group you can buy at base cost whatever your background.

Everything you need