FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
(that haven't actually been asked, but we
expect them to be, so here are the answers)

What makes Legendmaker different from other systems?
No matter how we try, roleplaying is all based on a person's ability to pretend with different sets of Mechanics that make the games flow. The Mechanics of Legendmaker are designed to be simple and straightforward. We use only one type of die, the ten-sided, to determine everything. You don't need a variety of different sized dice- just the d10. Multiclassing and subclassing are allowed for all character races and classes. Spellcasters are allowed to use weapons and wear armour. One device unique to Legendmaker is the set of Unleveled spells for both Clerics and Mages, spells that can be used at low level for fast and assured casting, or at high level for more powerful strikes or assured effects.

Who can play Legendmaker?
Anyone who can read our books should be able to use our system. It's written in an easy-going, fluid manner, easily understood and used.

What do I need in order to play?
You need one gamemaster and at least one player. You need at least one ten-sided die (the more, the merrier). You need the Legendmaker Roleplaying System (US$19.95 + US$5.05 shipping and handling (total of $25.00), secure server ordering through Lindsay Archer). You need copies of the Legendmaker Character Sheets available here as an Adobe PDF file (readable by the Adobe Acrobat Reader, available for free). You might want the Legendmaker Quick Sheets, also saved as an Adobe PDF file. You also might want scratch paper, pencils, pens, calculators... all this is extra.

How do you play Legendmaker?
This one is a little more difficult to answer. Roleplaying is essentially just improvisational acting, pretending to be someone you're not- a dwarven fighter, an elven mage, a human cleric, a shireling thief, a Necrowarrior, a Holy Warrior, someone no one has ever met before. You pretend you are this person, outlined on the Character Sheet as a series of numbers. You attempt to do things based on your Percent Chance to Achieve (PCA). To cast a spell, you roll your two percentile dice (or your one ten-sided die twice) and hope to roll under your PCA. If you do, you cast the spell... or hit the boogey, or hit the target, or pick the lock. You earn Improvement Points and your character goes up Character Levels, improving his PCAs and gaining a better chance of survival in your gamemaster's world.

How about a little more of an explaination?
Okay... Legendmaker is played using ten-sided dice. These dice are used to make two kinds of rolls- a Normal Roll, consisting of rolling a number of dice and adding the numbers together, and a Percentile Roll, consisting of rolling two of the dice, naming one of them "high," to produce a number between 1 (01) and 100 (00).
Normal Rolls are used to derive Statistics values, assess damage, and to determine who goes first (an Initiative Roll).
Percentile Rolls are used to determine if your character can accomplish what he sets out to accomplish. The two dice are rolled, one of them high. The high die is read first, so a roll of a 5 (high die) and a 9 (low die) is equivalent to 59. A roll of a 2 (high die) and a 6 (low die) is a 26.
Here's how this works during play.
The gamemaster has a group of bad guys ready to ambush the good guys. There is a possibility that the Kaynyn character may smell the ambushers. The gamemaster says-
"Hey.. Kaynyn... make a Wisdom Roll."
The player knows he has to make a Percentile Roll, trying to roll under his total Wisdom value. He rolls his two dice and makes a 36. He makes the roll and tells the gamemamster so. The gamemaster can then tell the character out loud, by note, or in private in a separate room that he smells several people in the canyon ahead. The player can then inform the other players, or not.. that's his call. Let's assume that he does tell the other characters.
The players then decide to ambush the ambushers. They settle on a plan to skirt the canyon, climbing high and attacking with bows and arrows from above. They must move stealthily, requiring Percentile Rolls against their Proficiency or Skill to Prowl, or against their Wisdom and Dexterity to avoid making noise. These rolls are made exactly the same way, trying to roll low.
The assumption is that the players get into position easily enough. Now comes the first Combat Cycle. The players pull their bows, aim, and loose. Successful attacks require Percentile Rolls against Medium Distance (or Short Distance, or Long Distance) Weapons. The players roll their dice. Some will roll under their PCAs, successfully hitting their targets (you can't parry a missile weapon), or will roll too high, missing their targets. Now comes the return fire.
At this point, since the ambushers now know they are under attack, an Initiative Cycle begins. The players make a Normal Roll, adding their Adjusted Initiative number to their rolls. The gamemaster does the same for his ambushers. Whoever has the lowest number goes first, so we're back to making Percentile Rolls. For those instances when the arrows hit their targets, Damage must be assessed. This requires Normal Rolls. Medium Distance Weapons do 3d10 of Damage, so the player rolls three ten-sided dice and adds the numbers up, a Normal Roll. This total is how much Damage the arrow does to the target. The Ambushers can then attack and do damage. Combat runs back and forth with Percentile Rolls for PCAs and Normal Rolls for Initiative.
See how easy that is? Two kinds of rolls, made with one type of die.
After the fight, the characters, all of whom survive, decide to go to the nearest bar to have a drink. They sit down and order something horribly intoxicatiing. The gameamster can decide when to start the Constitution Rolls (Percentile Rolls) to determine when the characters pass out. The gamemaster can deduct a fair number (say, 10 points for every drink) from the characters' Constitution, continuing to roll as long as they drink. Eventually, the characters will fail the rolls and fall into unconsciousness.
Someone will need to jump across the bar to help their friends who have just passed out. A Strength Roll and a Dexterity Roll, or a roll against the skil of Acrobatics, must be made to accomplish this without falling and making a fool out of one's self, or even hurting one's self. Again, a Percentile Roll.
The entire game is played with these two kinds of rolls, Percentile and Normal.

Is it really all that easy?
Gameplay is based on your gamemaster's play world. This world could be easy to live in... very normal. It could be very dangerous- thieves around every corner, spells cast at you in every tavern, wolves attacking every night you sleep in the woods, puzzles impossible to decypher. But, usually, a good gamemaster will not do this and play will be fun, entertaining, puzzling, and rewarding.

Where do the play worlds come from?
Play worlds are created by the gamemaster. Sometimes this is done entirely in advance and the gamemaster can tell you everything about everyone on his world, from family trees to current petty squabbles and feuds. Sometimes, worlds are made up on the fly as needed by the gamemaster. These tend to be unpredictable, with dangers in unexpected places and creatures of unknown origin rampaging angrily through your characters' backyard. World creation is not a simple task, but Legendmaker has an entire section devoted to Gamemastering and World Creation to help you each step of the way.

Are there some characters already made?
Of course! We call them non-playing adventurers, or NPAs. Some of our favorite characters, including their character sheets (in Adobe pdf files), are online in the Character Profiles section of this site. These sections include pictures of the characters, brief descriptions by their players, and favorite quotes by those characters. These are free and are here for you to use to spice up your world or as starting characters, if you like.

Can we talk to the creator and playtesters?
Absolutely! Howard wants Legendmaker to be played by everyone everywhere, and that means being able to give instant feedback on real life questions concerning the game. E-mail can be sent to legend@chaos-enterprises.com and will be read by Howard or one of his playtesters.
Howard uses AIM and can be reached as OrigSyn.
You can also reach Howard and everyone else listed in the credits of the book at:
Chaos Enterprises, Inc.
1081 Chisholm Trail
Macon, GA 31220
Attn: ______________
We're a pretty easy group to work with.