SPELUNK!

TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAME

By Scot t Malthouse
 SPELUNK! Actions
To do anything where there’s an
SPELUNK! Is a fantasy roleplaying interesting risk of failure roll a die. On
game where the worst thing you can do any number except 1 the action
is roll a 1. succeeds, with a higher number
denoting a more convincing success.
Stuff needed
If a 1 is rolled - hoo boy. Things go
To play you need a bunch of friends or badly. Real badly. Like, over-the-top
frenemies, each with a six-sided die, a bad, decided by the Referee.
space to play (virtual or meat-space)
and some time to get into some
dungeon action.

Referee
One player will be the referee. They
won’t have their own character but
instead play the people and monsters
the spelunkers come across, as well as
making and running adventures.
 Fights MAGIC
In a fight don’t worry too much about Magic is freeform, meaning anyone
who goes first - the situation should playing a Wizard can dream up a spell
inform that. Generally everyone can and attempt it. Roll a die. The higher the
take an action on their turn (like roll, the better the effect. The referee
smacking a skeleton, kicking open a describes what happens based on the
door, or chucking a spell). Wizard’s description of the spell. If the
spell deals damage, use the die roll as
When attacking, roll a die. Any number the damage inflicted.
aside from 1 is how much damage you
do to the opponent’s hit point total. If the spell rolls a 1 it backfires horribly.
Any damage and effects are targeted at
If you roll a 1, the opponent deals the caster.
damage to you. The referee should
describe what happens.

When an opponent attacks, do the

same. On a 1 the opponent deals
damage.
 Why do you adventure?

Spelunkers 1.
2.
3.
To show off my guns
To punch the biggest monster
To have songs written about me
4. To find the hidden city of Klah
Players who aren’t the Referee are
5. To discover a cure for boredom
Spelunkers - daring (read: foolhardy)
6. To inspire my music career
adventurers looking for loot and glory.

There are no stats in Spelunk! Instead, Your big secret

choose Warrior or Wizard.
1. I’m scared of the dark
2. I can’t read
Warrior 3. I’m a were badger
Warriors begin with a sword, a shield, 4. I was raised by the dark lord
15 Hit Points and do +3 damage. Roll on 5. I hate the sight of blood
these nifty tables. 6. My gloved hand is made of slime

Equipment Catchphrase

1. Bubble pipe 1. My body is a weapon

2. Jaffa cakes 2. I pump my guns for fun
3. Shades 3. Hot tamale!
4. A chicken 4. Let’s get rockin’
5. Accordion 5. Vroom vroom, tiger
6. Dumbbell 6. Where’s the bar?
 Why do you adventure?
Wizard
1. To discover rad new spells
2. Delve into the secrets of the
Wizards begin with a staff, a robe, 10
universe
Hit Points and can cast spells. Roll on
3. Discover with monsters taste best
these nifty tables.
4. Get over my many phobias
Equipment 5. Find my true love
6. Get filthy famous
1. Dummy’s Guide to Surgery
2. Baby unicorn Your big secret
3. Pocket abacus
4. Joke book (for young wizards) 1. I’m the spawn of a demon
5. Jar of slime 2. I turn into a mouse at midnight
6. Celebrity wizard poster 3. I keep my mother in my pocket
4. I’m a clone
Catchphrase 5. I’m being hunted by an inter-
dimensional police force
1. Alakazoo! 6. I’m addicted to marzipan
2. Do I have to?
3. By Grimbu’s snout!
4. The smart hedgehog gets
the milk
5. Holy oranges!
6. Say cheese and fly
 What adventuring gear do you have?
What’s your deal?
1. Tent, long pole, crowbar
So like, are you a human or what? 2. Lantern, oil, dry ration
3. Mirror, chalk, flask
Roll to find out what you are: 4. Shackles, padlock, lockpicks
5. Lemonade, quill, ink pot
1. Human 6. Knife, rope, map
2. Goblin
3. Rat Person What’s your job?
4. Elf
5. Dwarf 1. Shopkeeper
6. Pixie 2. Stablehand
3. Farmhand
Where do you live? 4. Smithy’s assistant
5. Assistant librarian
1. Dank cave 6. Street thief
2. Treehouse
3. Giant shoe
4. Mountain shack
5. Wonky tower
6. Hollow mushroom
 loot
Adventuring What treasure did you find? Roll on
this table, then the requisite ones.

1. Cursed object
Adventures are full of merry japes, silly
2. Art piece
monsters, and spike-coated pits.
3. Gold
4. Jewels
Resting 5. Equipment
Everyone needs a breather. A short 6. Magic item
rest every hour replenishes 2 lost Hit
Points. After a sleep regain all lost Hit
Points. Cursed objects

1. A lovely pair of gloves that make

Out of action your hands unusable until you burn
At 0 Hit Points you’re out of action. Roll them
to see what happens: 2. A helmet that forces you to be
super arrogant when worn
1. You are dead. Dead dead dead. 3. A sword who can talk in your
2. You lost a limb! Roll again. voice and loves to insult people
3. You’re unconscious for d6 days 4. A ring that won’t let you sleep
4. You’re unconscious for d6 hours 5. A coin purse whose gold contains
5. You’re unconscious for d6 minutes pheromones that attract wolves
6. You got away with some gnarly 6. A circlet that allows you to hear
scars people’s thoughts, except they’re
always mean and about you
Art piece Magic item (roll on 3 tables)

1. Crappy painting worth 1 gold Item type

2. Small broken statue worth d6 gold 1. Book
3. Fine taxidermy worth 2d6 gold 2. Armour
4. Beautiful cameo worth 1d6 x 10 gold 3. Weapon
5. Portrait worth 2d6 x 10 gold 4. Wearable
6. Impeccable sculpture worth 1d6 x 5. Shield
100 gold 6. Body part

Gold Jewels Primary effect

1. Teleporting
1. 1 gold 1. Quartz (d6 gold) 2. Shielding
2. D6 gold 2. Agate (3d6 gold) 3. Transforming
3. 2d6 gold 3. Opal (4d6 gold) 4. Freezing
4. D6 x 10 gold 4. Sapphire (2d6 x 10 gold) 5. Creating
5. 2d6 x 10 gold 5. Ruby (3d6 x 10 gold) 6. Destroying
6. 1d6 x 100 gold 6. Diamond (2d6 x 100 gold)
Temporary side effect (d6 hours)
Equipment 1. Caster malaise
2. Caster bad smells
1. Mundane adventuring equipment 3. Caster irritability
2. Shiny gauntlet 4. Caster hyperactive
3. Spiffing hat 5. Caster drunk
4. Helm 6. Caster hideous
5. Weapon
6. Fancy clothing (Using a magic item doesn’t need a roll
most of the time)
 Monsters
Demon HP11, Dam 5
Wants to take souls.

Dragon HP20, Dam 10

Wants peace and quiet, also
Monsters have Hit Points and damage all the gold in the land.
values. The Referee should feel free to
play the monsters how they like. Not all Goblin HP 3, Dam 2
monsters will attack right away. In fact, Wants to collect objects and
most want other stuff, listed in their stat make weird contraptions.
block.
Heirophant HP 10, Dam 3
For your imagination: small weird Wants to gather all spells,
creatures are portrayed as wet puppets, destroy all wizards.
while large monsters are stop motion
behemoths or people in rubber suits. Imbecile HP 2, Dam 1
Has no idea what they want.
Assassin HP 8, Dam 6
Wants to carry out contracts, remain Lizardfolk HP 7, Dam 4
hidden. Wants to protect their eggs.

Basilisk HP 12, Dam 8 Minotaur HP 10, Dam 8

Wants to turn people into stone, bask in Wants to throw people in their
the sunlight. maze.

Crow Warrior HP 5, Dam 3 Skeleton HP 6, Dam 4

Wants to have all the shiny things. Wants to do its masters’
bidding.
Troll HP14, Dam 8
Wants to smash things and
eat raw meat.

Unicorn HP9, Dam 4

Wants to sing its little songs
and cry its little tears.

Vampire HP11, Dam 7

Wants to saahk your blaaahd.
Werewolf HP9, Dam 7
Wants to frolic in the forest
and turn everyone else into
werewolves.

SPELUNK!
TABLETOP ROLEPLAYING GAME

Writing by Scott Malthouse

Art by Gordy Higgins

Released under a public domain

license.