Most people reading this will already have some idea of what a roleplaying game (RPG) is. But it’s worth asking: what parts are truly essential?

This system is designed to be modular. That means as a game master or group, you can curate your version of the game—deciding which rules and tools to include, and which to leave out. To support that flexibility, we’ve taken a close look at what really makes a roleplaying game work.

This page explains the core components every RPG needs in order to be playable and enjoyable. You don’t need to use every part of the system we offer—many features (like Species, Body Types, Communities, and Backgrounds) are optional. But some elements are foundational. If you remove or change them, your version may no longer function as a true game.

If you're interested in how to curate or build your own version, see Customizing Options and Rules later in the handbook.

Whether you're using this system as-is or crafting your own variant, a viable RPG needs the following:

At the heart of any RPG is a way to answer the question: “Does this action succeed or fail?”

This is where dice, tokens, or other randomizers come in. They give weight to player choices and resolve uncertainty.

Imagine a group of kids playing “Cops and Robbers.” One shouts, “Bang! You're dead!” And the other yells back, “Nuh uh! I was behind a wall!”

Without a shared rule for deciding what actually happens, it quickly devolves into arguing. There's no resolution—just competing claims.

An RPG needs a system to settle disputes, introduce risk, and enable suspense. It doesn't matter whether it’s dice, cards, a Jenga tower, or coin flips—but something must be there.

Every player needs a character with a clear identity—both narratively and mechanically. At minimum, each character should have:

• A set of traits or stats that determine what they can attempt and how good they are at it.
• A way to improve over time, reflecting experience or growth.

This could be a full build with multiple modular components (Domains, Species, etc.), or something much simpler—but characters must have mechanical differentiation.

In most RPGs, one person (the Game Master) describes the world, plays non-player characters, and decides when to call for rolls.

Even in systems without a GM, someone must:

• Describe the situation
• Call for conflict resolution when needed
• Interpret results and determine what happens next

Without a clear source of narrative authority, the story can't move forward in a consistent way.

A functioning RPG needs shared expectations about the world:

• What genre is this? (Fantasy? Sci-fi? Post-apocalyptic?)
• What’s normal and what’s strange?
• What can characters reasonably try to do?

The rules don’t have to provide a fully detailed setting. But players and the GM need a framework to make decisions and interpret events.

Interesting choices require trade-offs. Whether it's:

• Health vs. danger,
• Magic vs. fatigue,
• Time vs. opportunity,

…players need to manage limited resources. These constraints make decisions meaningful, encourage teamwork, and allow for both tension and triumph.

Many of this system’s features are useful but not essential. You can safely leave them out, especially if your setting or play style makes them unnecessary:

• Species: Can be ignored if all characters are considered the same type.
• Body Types: Flavorful and sometimes mechanical, but optional.
• Backgrounds & Communities: Add depth and connection, but not required.
• Domains: These are central to this system’s identity, but can be simplified or reimagined in curated variants.
• We think Team Actions are great, but you might not.

Other features are essential to play, but can be replaced with alternatives:

• Aspects could be swapped for standard attributes and skill lists (like D&D).
• The d4 Dice Pool could be replaced by a d20 Test, Daggerheart’s Duality Dice, or something else.
• Damage Thresholds (Serious & Critical), along with HP and Stress, could be replaced by simpler or more abstract durability systems.

At its core, an RPG is a structured conversation about imagined events. Players describe what their characters do. The GM (or rules) respond. Dice (or other tools) introduce uncertainty.

This structure only works when there’s a shared understanding of how to make decisions, resolve actions, and move forward together.

So curate boldly—but don’t forget the pillars that hold the system up.