Boundless

Boundless RPG Rules

You will find below the complete rules reference for Boundless. You can also download the free PDF version of the game on itch.io:


Basics

To play, you will need a few six-sided dice (shortened as D), pencils, and printed copies of this pamphlet. When rolling dice, each 5 or 6 counts as a Hit; all others are Misses.

Character Creation

Attributes

Attributes represent how capable your character is at tackling risky actions. These are:

  • Strength: Fortitude, toughness, melee attacks.
  • Dexterity: Finesse, agility, ranged attacks.
  • Willpower: Charisma, focus, spells and sorcery.

Roll 4D for each Attribute; every Hit adds 1 to the Attribute Score. You may switch two Attribute Scores of your choice. If the total across all Attributes is less than 3, start again.

Stamina

Stamina represents your character’s ability to push through physical or mental strain. Start with 6 Stamina.

Hit Points

Hit Points (HP) are a measure of your character’s ability to avoid life-threatening Damage. Start with HP equal to 2 + your Strength score.

Items

Items represent the gear your character carries. Start with 3 Items of your choice and 1 keepsake that your character always carries for good luck.

Encumbrance & Deprivation

Your character has 10 Item slots. Most Items take 1 slot, petty ones none, bulky ones 2.

When all Item slots are used, your character is encumbered and drops to 1 HP. Leaving Items behind can remove that condition.

Denied crucial needs (food, water, warmth), your character is deprived, losing 1 Item slot daily and can’t benefit from Short or Full Rests. Once their basic needs are satisfied, your character regains their lost Item slots.

Advancements

After a major milestone in the story, roll 3D; each Hit increases your character’s maximum HP by 1. Then roll 2D; on a Hit, raise one Attribute Score of your choice by 1, up to a maximum of 6.

Playing the Game

Checks

When your character attempts something challenging, assess if their action is risky.

A clever plan, the right Item, or an ally’s help may remove that risk, allowing your character to succeed outright by spending enough time or resources.

If the action is still considered risky, make a Check by rolling 1D for each point in a relevant Attribute and interpret the result. You may also spend a number of Stamina; each point adds 1D to the roll.

If you would roll 0D, roll 1D but only a 6 counts as a Hit.

  • 1+ Hits: Your character succeeds at their action.
  • 0 Hits: Your character fails their action.

More difficult tasks may need 2 or even 3 Hits to succeed.

Saves

Failing a Check or other events in the fiction may trigger consequences such as taking Damage, suffering a condition, or even dying when death is on the line.

When your character faces such a consequence, make a Save by rolling dice equal to their current Stamina and interpret the result:

If you would roll 0D, roll 1D but only a 6 counts as a Hit.

  • 1+ Hits: Your character avoids the consequence.
  • 0 Hits: Your character suffers the consequence.

After the roll, reduce your character’s Stamina by 1 for every Miss, up to a maximum of 2. More dangerous or severe consequences may raise this limit.

Damage & Death Saves

When your character takes Damage, they lose that many HP. When they reach 0 HP, make a Death Save by rolling a number of dice equal to their current Strength score.

If you would roll 0D, roll 1D but only a 6 counts as a Hit.

  • 1+ Hits: Your character is wounded but endures.
  • 0 Hits: Your character is out and will die unless helped.

After the roll, reduce your character’s current Strength score by 1 for every Miss, up to a maximum of 2.

Attribute Scores cannot drop below 0. Taking Damage while at 0 HP immediately triggers another Death Save.

Combat

At the start of each round of combat, every participant rolls a single die for initiative. Players roll to attack and defend; enemies never roll.

  • Weapons: Weapons have a Damage Rating and deal that much Damage when used to attack.
  • Armor: Armor has a number of HP. Damage first reduces Armor HP, then your character’s HP. When depleted, it remains broken until repaired or replaced in the fiction.
  • Enemies: Each enemy has a set amount of HP and one or more Weapons or Attacks. At 0 HP, they are taken out.

Each participant acts once per round in order of initiative, starting from the highest result and proceeding to the lowest. Enemies act first on ties, while those caught off guard always act last. Players may also swap their initiative die with one another before either has acted.

  • Player’s Turn: Make a Check to attack. If it succeeds, deal Damage equal to the Weapon’s Damage Rating.
  • Enemy’s Turn: Make a Save to avoid an attack. If it fails, take Damage equal to the Attack’s Damage Rating.

Recovery

  • Short Rest: A few minutes of respite restores all Stamina and HP. Resting may waste time or attract danger.
  • Full Rest: A week of safety and shelter restores all Stamina, HP, and Attribute Scores.

Optional Rules

Luck

At the start of each session, gain 1 Luck, then roll 2D (or 4D when playing solo); every Hit gives you 1 additional Luck.

Spend 1 Luck to reroll any roll (yours or someone else’s), increase the Damage you deal by 1D, or reduce the Damage dealt to you by 1D.

Pools

A Pool is a set of dice (2D, 4D, 6D, or 8D) used to track impending events or resources, like a ticking clock.

When a Pool is rolled, it shrinks by one die for every Miss, up to a maximum of 2 dice. When emptied, the fiction changes accordingly and the Pool is cleared.

Use Pools to track when an Item runs out, Weapons or Armor wears down, a project nears completion, a danger triggers, or a faction reaches its goal.

Playing Solo

What Is Solo or GMless Play?

Solo or GMless play lets you experience the game entirely on your own. You take the role of your character, and whenever you would normally turn to a GM, you instead rely on the solo tools provided below to guide play.

During a session, you frame scenes, ask focused yes-or-no questions, and consult the Question Oracle (see below) for answers. Resolve risky actions with Checks, and when danger strikes directly, use the Risk Oracle (see below) to determine how perilous the Save will be.

As the story unfolds, keep a simple bullet-point journal of key events, places you explore, NPCs you encounter, and the outcome of your Checks and Saves. Write down the answers you receive from the Oracles, and expand your notes later.

Question Oracle

When you want to resolve something your character isn’t directly part of, know if you have advantage or let fate decide, roll a die based on how likely the outcome feels in the fiction:

  • If it feels likely, roll 3d6.
  • If it feels even, roll 2d6.
  • If it feels unlikely, roll 1d6.

Then interpret the result:

  • 2+ Hits: The answer is yes.
  • 1 Hit: The answer is yes, but there’s a twist.
  • 0 Hits: The answer is no.

Be honest when choosing the likelihood of the roll, base it on the fiction, not your desire.

Risk Oracle

When you make a Save, roll a die based on your level of control over the situation.

  • If the situation is manageable, roll 3d6.
  • If the situation is uncertain, roll 2d6.
  • If the situation is precarious, roll 1d6.

Then interpret the result:

  • 2+ Hits: You can lose up to 1 die from the Save.
  • 1 Hit: You can lose up to 2 dice from the Save.
  • 0 Hits: You can lose up to 3 dice from the Save.

Guidelines

Game Moderator Guidelines

Describe the world honestly and concretely. Reveal danger before it strikes so players have a chance to react. Let smart preparation or clever play succeed outright. Call for Checks only when risk or uncertainty is real. When Checks fail or danger hits, ask for Saves to see if characters can avoid the threat. Keep tension alive with meaningful choices that reshape the world over time. Share the spotlight. Bend rules into your own rulings when needed, trust your judgment, and stay consistent over time.

Player Guidelines

Engage with the world by paying attention, asking questions, and acting through the fiction rather than the rules. Collaborate with others to reach consensus. Avoid fair fights, stack every advantage, and do what it takes to survive. Keep the story moving and play to find out.

Community

Find other Boundless players and creators in Fari RPGs’ Discord server! Come organize games, share ideas, and ask questions.

Join our community at farirpgs.com/discord.

This Game is Boundless

This game is available under an open license, as outlined below, enabling you to distribute and modify the text within the bounds of the license. To make your own Boundless game, please credit us as:

This product is based on the Boundless SRD, published by Fari RPGs (https://farirpgs.com/), developed and authored by René-Pier Deshaies-Gélinas, and is licensed for use under the Open RPG Creative License. This product is licensed under the ORC License held in the Library of Congress at TX 9-307-067 and available online at various locations including www.azoralaw.com/orclicense and others. All warranties are disclaimed as set forth therein.

For more on Boundless, visit boundless.farirpgs.com.

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