The Window RPG

7/30/2019 The Window RPG

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1 9 9 7 . b y . s c o t t . l i n i n g e r

m e t h o d s . i n . t h e . m a d n e s s

Windowt he2nd ed i t i on

www.mimgames .com/windowcomme nt s@mimgame s.com


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welcomewhat it is ................................................................................................. 3what it is not ........................................................................................... 4the state of our art .................................................................................. 5a call to arms ......................................................................................... 6

t h e r u le sintroduc tion ............................................................................................ 7the three p recep ts .................................................................................. 8quic k start page ................................................................................... 10inherent traits ....................................................................................... 11the five basic traits ............................................................................... 12skills ..................................................................................................... 13competency ......................................................................................... 14the competency ladder ........................................................................ 15succ ess rolls ........................................................................................ 15contest rolls .......................................................................................... 17

health rolls ............................................................................................ 19plotting rolls .......................................................................................... 22

op t iona l sluck ....................................................................................................... 24sanity .................................................................................................... 26magic ................................................................................................... 28character experience ........................................................................... 31armor .................................................................................................... 33super powers ....................................................................................... 35wealth ................................................................................................... 36

cha rac t e r scharacter creation ................................................................................ 37tips and tricks ....................................................................................... 39

cred its .................................................................................................. 42

t a b le o f con t e n t s


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The Window is a transparent portal into the imag ination, a roleplayingsystem designed with the simple belief that roleplaying is ab out storyand charac ter and not about dice and d ick waving. For over five yearsnow the Window has b een quietly infiltrating the roleplaying community,changing and growing on the progressive edge of the hobby.

Many of the people who have started using the Window had long sinceconclud ed that the term roleplaying system is a contradiction interms. Structure for structures sake limits creativity and too many rulesinterrupt the narrative flow. What they wanted was a system working astransparently as p ossible, allowing them to b uild the story withoutconcerning themselves with empty mechanics or mathematical charts.They also were looking for something that would q uickly andseamlessly mold itself around their own stories and settings, a universalset of rules which could fit any genre without being g eneric andflavorless.

That is what the Window strives to be: simple, usable, and universal.Theres not a lot to it, admittedly, but thats the whole idea. In the end,the Window is more a system of p hilosophy than a system of rules; ifyou share these viewpoints on roleplaying then youll probably likethese mechanics, and if you dont, you probab ly wont.

In add ition to all its flighty philosophical b onuses, the Window is alsofree! You can take this text and do with it as you wish (for your p ersonaluse, mind you.) Make photocop ies, download it, print it out, Email it toyour friends in Australia, whatever you like. Please, just give us creditfor the work that we have done, and include a cop yright notice like theone on the credits page. (And if you think that the Window isnt worththe photons its printed on, at least you did nt pay $30 for it like all thosedozens of commercial systems collecting dust on your bookshelf!)

w ha t it is

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a phy s ics e ngineIf you are the type of person who p refers a system to have rules for anycontingency presentable by Newton, then the Window is not what youare looking for.

an equ ipmen t depo tYoull notice that no information has been inc luded on the g uns, armor,ammo, clothes, vehicles, knives, explosives, or camping equipmentWindow characters can own. If you describe your character by the stuffhe carries, youre describ ing him wrong in the first place.

a co mb a t s y s t e mCombat in the Window is relegated to the status of just another scene,without a whole chapter of comp lex rules to manage it. In most stories,combat is nothing more than a fast and exciting byline to a larger p lot,and it can b e handled using the same simple rules used for everythingelse. (Every hour spent rolling d ice and d oing arithmetic could be sp entactually roleplaying!)

a beg inne r s sys t emIf you have never roleplayed b efore, then most of what youre readingright now prob ably doesnt make much sense. (Let us first say thatroleplaying is NOT inherently satanic and that letting your kids d o it hasa better chanc e of swelling their creativity than encouraging them todrink blood .) Though its quite possible that a beg inner could g athersome friends and use the Window to run a wonderful game, its morelikely that the lack of structure will be confusing and the story willdisintegrate. If you want to get into roleplaying (I c ertainly encourage

it!), youd d o better to make a trip to your local gaming store and pickup a 2nd g eneration system like GURPS, Champions, Palladium,AD&D, or the like, which all include brief tutorials for startingplayers.

a new ideaThe concep ts which form the foundations of the Window have beenthought before, by many peop le, in many places. In the mid eightiesthere was a thrust in the UK roleplaying zines about the sorts offreeform roleplaying the Window espouses, but they were never reallyrealized. Before that, there were almost certainly visionaries quietlypracticing this sort of progressive storytelling in c losets and smokybackrooms, using AD&D or whatever homegrown systems they hackedtogether from week to week. Many b elieve that anyone who roleplaysfor long enough will naturally develop these ideas on their own.

The difference is that the Window is practical and available right hereand right now. It has been playtested, redesigned, and playtestedagain dozens of times by peop le from all over the world. As roleplayingcontinues to evolve, the Window will evolve with it.

w h a t

it isnot


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Roleplaying as a self-aware form has only been around for ab out threedecades. In that time its been through three distinct g enerations.These generations can b y no means tied to a sp ecific system releaseor year... theyve g rown naturally as the art of roleplaying has matured.By this reckoning the Window would b e considered a third generationroleplaying system.

First generation roleplaying is dice and maps and little metal figures.This is where it all beg an. The Game Master desc ribes the setting roomby room and typ ically the characters wander around with swords orguns killing things and accumulating money and ever bigger weapons.Its all very childish, but ad mittedly it can be fun once in a while.

Somewhere along the line, someone (probab ly lots of someones,simultaneously) discovered that the scope of roleplaying can b e a lotlarger. The systems started b eing more universal and the charactersmore unique. Tactical map s disapp eared for the most part, andeveryone started focusing on c haracterization and plot. Out of thisperspec tive exploded a whole slew of new roleplaying genres... horror,espionage, romance, wild west. This is second g eneration roleplaying,where most mature roleplayers fall today.

In recent years (or considerably further bac k in some cases), there hasbeen a movement to push roleplaying to yet another level, its third

generation. The lines between PCs and NPCs, live-action and table-top, even Gamemaster and p layer, are blurring. Card tab les covered indice are giving way to candlelit dinners and dramatic backgroundmusic. The stories being told are on par with real literature, andplayers in a game have been replaced by ac tors in a very intimatedrama. These peop le are interested in constantly trying new structureand exp erimenting with the potential of the whole roleplaying med ium.The Window has d eveloped out of this atmosphere.

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a ca l l t o a rmsThe Window is now in its second major incarnation. A couple of yearsago it pop ped up on the Internet and the discussions beg an... thesesecond edition rules have incorporated many of the best suggestionsfrom the online Window community as well as all the feedb ack g ath-ered from dozens of gaming conventions and playtesting sessions.

And theres always more holes to be filled! Right now several peop leare busy writing additions and settings for the Window, and well postthem to the Window Web site as they are completed. If youve got aground-b reaking setting or a superior rules idea youd like to seepub lished, heres your chance... I intend the Window to be a forum foranyone whos radically minded and whos committed enough to sharetheir creative vision.

Ive ded icated myself to answering every Email personally, and its mygenuine hop e that some of the extremely interesting peop le Ive metthrough this Web site will continue to contribute and share thoughtswith one another. So please stay in touch!

Id like to thank you for taking a look. If you have comments, good orbad , dont hesitate to give me an earful.

Cheers,

Scott LiningerMethods in the [email protected]


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...are a necessary evil in roleplaying. On one hand they are needed tomove the action along in a manageab le fashion, and on the other theycan very easily become too cumb ersome and destroy the actionaltogether.

Take a moment to think about the rules in a roleplaying game. What

purpose do they serve? In most systems, they first provide balance,ensuring that the charac ters are not too powerful in relation to the worldor to one another. Second, they provide flavor. The way in which thesystem describes c haracters naturally affects how you perceive thosecharacters.

But both of these are somewhat secondary to the c ore purpose of thesystem: to dec ide which way the story will go at certain critical points.Will the troupe successfully find the secret door, or will they betrapped ? Will they be ab le to pick the lock? Leap to the next train car?Defeat the enemy in battle? These are the times when the actors are nolonger directly in control of things, and the characters choose their ownfate by their ab ilities, luck, and instincts.

The Window p rovides the means of making these random p lottingdec isions through simple, quick, and easy to remember mechanics.The core rules can be learned in about five minutes and can b eadap ted to any g enre you like in about ten. After reading the threeprecep ts and the quick start pag e, you will be more or less ready tostart playing. The majority of the sections afterward are c oncerned withpresenting examples and discussing all the finer details.

Some Def in it ionsThere are a few terms used in the Window which need to be c larified.The Storyteller is what other systems call the Gamemaster or Referee,

based on the idea that the story is more important than any game orsport. The players are called actors, since that is what they truly are.We refer to the p arty of characters as the cast or the troupe.

In fact, theatrical and literary terms are used at all levels of the story,from a scene, to an act or chapter (one ad venture), to a book (acamp aign, like a self contained series of acts), to the anthology orsetting (all the books and c haracters which constitute a single world.)

t he ru les . . .


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The Window assumes that the peop le who use it are intelligent andmature. It is not a system meant to keep unruly actors in line or ensurethat the Storyteller is fair about her dec isions. This app roach leavescertain pitfalls that inexperienced users can g et trapped in. That is why

the following p hilosophies need to be stated. These simple rules arethe big ones, the guid ing light for good roleplaying. If you follow themthen using the Window will be a b reeze.

t h e f i r st p r e ce p t :Everything about a Window charac ter is describ edwith adjectives rather than numbers.

The central idea here is that adjectives tell us more about a characterthan numbers c an, and in a muc h more realistic way. Those thingswhich define a person in real life are as varied and subjective as theuniverse itself. Certainly, theres only so much you can say about aperson with a numb er.

The best we can d o in the real world is to try and rate an ind ividualstraits compared to other peop le, or some inexact average, and we d othis with adjectives. We say something like, Hes extremely good atdriving. Never d o we say, Hes a 5 at driving, b ut for some reasonthis is exactly what most roleplaying systems try to do.

As you may have guessed by now, the Window tries to more acc uratelyrepresent the way that we perceive peop le by b reaking up all their skillsand traits into several levels of competency and assigning to each ofthem an adjective or brief descrip tion. In the above example, thecharacter sheet would literally say Extremely good at d riving, and that

would b e that; we now know that this character is an excellent driver.Not only is this more realistic, but it also allows an ac tor to learn about acharacter at a g lance, without knowing a thing ab out the system.

Always remember that a Window character is a person, described withimages and personality just like a real p erson. Even though there are afew dice and mechanics which the Window uses as storytelling tools,these are not what the character is about. It is considered imp roperand b ackwardsagainst the rules, in factfor you to describe yourcharacter in terms of d ice, numbers, or other system-oriented terms.

t he se cond p recep tIt is the actors responsibility to play their role realistically.

The Second Precep t is the Windows way of add ressing the balanceissue which other roleplaying systems provide with hit points, damagedice, and skill modifiers. Such rules are designed to distinctively limitthe actors in certain situations, forcing them to b e realistic. The Windowdoes not use such rules: it is up to the actor to evaluate his characterssituation and react ac cording ly.

t he t h r eep e r c e p t s

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One outgrowth of the Second Precept is the assumption that the actorsare willing (and hopefully pleased) to p roperly roleplay the effects ofphysical and emotional stress. So if a character is shot, he ac ts like hesbeen shot: he doesnt go leaping from building to building or wrestling

alligators, for exampleunless that makes sense in light of the storyand his ab ilities.

Similarly, if a character is the victim of some severe emotional traumathey should be affected b y it in the same way a real person would be.

Separate your knowledge and motivations from your characters.Superior stories can often be told if the actors are aware of things thattheir characters are not. Recognize this advantage for what it is, andstay conscious of what your character knows (and particularly what shedoesnt know.)

Never forget that your charac ter thinks like a real p erson with real

emotional responses to the world around her. Seek out emotionalscenes and g et into them. Get sad, angry, despondent, loud, happ y,frightened, worried, or intimidating as the story demand s. Try to leaveyour own insecurities behind and stand bold ly in the spotlight withevery chance.

Always stay in character; it will make your role and the whole storycome to life. Speak with your c haracters voice. Ac t on your c haractersbeliefs. Dress in his clothes if it helps you g et into the experience!

t h e t h ir d p r e ce p tA g ood story is the central goal.

This is a big idea, though a simple one. It starts with the realization thatthe actors and the Storyteller are all cooperating toward the same goal:entertainment. If everyone takes eq ual responsibility for the q uality ofthe story then all will benefit when it really starts working.

There are times when a good actor will let go of their own ego and letthe story take preced ence over their character. There are times when agood Storyteller will allow the actors to narrate scenes. The days of rivalcamp s delineated b y a GM sc reen are over. Though obviously theStorytellers vision is what creates the seeds of roleplaying, nothingmuch will grow without the actors input. An open, out of characterdialog ab out the direction of the story should be maintained so that the

Storyteller knows whats working and whats not.

Strive for originality in all things. Your characters, their actions, and theircontribution to the narrative are totally up to you to dec ide, and theessence of roleplaying is a creative one. Dont allow yourself to fallback on stereotypes, and remember that what you create when you sitdown to roleplay is totally unique to you and your g roup of friends. Thestory you mutually envision should be your own.

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The Window is a very simple system. Youre about to learn how to useit. The first thing you need to see is an examp le charac ter writeup. Thisis Royce Jenner, a typ ical character from a Victorian Horror setting.Take a moment to stud y Dr. Jenners overview:

DR . RO YCE JEN N ERDr. Jenner is the director of an insane asylum in London, and is wellknown for his books on the truth behind ghost sightings. He believesrather solidly that ghosts are simply scale hallucinations induced byimproper diet and a m isbalance of hum ors in the bo dy. H e requested theQ ueens appoint men t to these supern atural investigations to test some of his theo ries.

Dr. Jenner is enorm ously stable and able to deal with mo st anything withclass. H e is con stantly strokin g at h is beard, wit h a slight smile playing o nhis lips, betraying his pride in the truth of science and reason.

R oyce Jenn er has...Below average strength. (D20)Average agility. (D12)Pretty good health. (D10)Impressive kn owledge of the world. (D8 )Very high sanity. (D6 )Strong powers of perception. (D8)Average luck. (D12)

R oyce Jenn er is...An expert psychologist. (D8)A skilled medical doctor. (D10)A former m ilitary man. (D2 0)A respected wr iter. (D10)A decen t artist. (D12)An amateur cook. (D20)An average horseman. (D12)A below average swimmer. (D20)

So, how does the system work? If Dr. Jenner attempts somethingparticularly challenging during the course of the story, the Storytellermight ask for a roll. Notice that each trait or skill has a die listedalongside it in parenthesis; if you were playing Dr. Jenner in such asituation, you would roll the d ie listed next to the appropriate ab ility. Ifyou roll a 6 or less, Dr. Jenner succeeds in his task. Otherwise he fails.

If Dr. Jenner were competing directly with someone, you would againroll the die associated with the app ropriate ability. Your opp onent wouldalso roll. Whoever rolls less wins . In theres a tie, theres a tie.

Congratulations! Youve just learned 90% of the Window! Everything inthe Window works the same, which is one way it d iffers from most 2ndgeneration systems. There are, of c ourse, some subtleties you haventbeen exposed to yet, but you have already mastered the basics.

QuickS t a r tPage

v

v

v

This first section is a (much short-ened) summary of his back-ground, from his birth in early Vic-torian London through his ap-pointment to the Queens per-sonal team of supernatural inves-tigators. The final paragraph inthis particular portion also givesyou an idea of what his personal-ity is like.

Next comes Dr. Jenners inherenttraits, somewhat similar to whatother systems call statistics. In-stantly, youll see that Dr. Jenneris not a particularly physical per-son, though he is perceptive andintelligent. Hes not any luckierthan the average person, but heis notably sane, as he tends tobe very good at rationalizing theworld. Hopefully all of that is cleardue to the descriptive adjectivesthat accompany each. Here youcan see the First Precept at work.

These are Dr. Jenners skills, orwhat he is. This section is asimple list of definitions, describ-ing Dr. Jenner as you would if youknew him personally and weretelling somebody about him.Again, each area of expertise orprofession is rated by an adjec-tive or two, allowing you to now

how skillful he is without knowinganything about how the systemmechanics work.

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Even in the real world there are some abilities which everyone has andare often challenged, things like strength, percep tive powers, andhealth. In a Window charac ter, these common qualities are called traits(often known as stats in other systems.)

Every actor on the cast will need to define these inherent traits for theircharacter, as they will most likely be tested several times during thecourse of a chapter.

Following is the list of traits recommended for most roleplaying genres.They are delineated from other abilities and skills simply because they

are present in everyone and are common tests for Storytellers to callfor. The Storyteller should modify this list to fit their own style and thegenre they are playing in.

For example, if you are playing in a very non-action oriented worldwhere physical tests are few and far between, the Storyteller might op tto do away with strength or even agility. On the same token, it isntuncommon for a Storyteller to add their own traits to the list to reflectthe setting the charac ters come from. (Rules are available for severalexpansion traits, including luck, sanity, and mag ic. Check out theoptionals section.)

i nhe ren t t r a i t s

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s t r e n g t hThis is the raw physical p ower which the charac ter possesses, and it istested in those situations where the character must lift, move, push,pull, or throw something which is unusually large or heavy. It alsoincludes the c haracters ability to crush or break sturdy ob jects, holddown an enemy in combat, or other such trials of might.

ag i l i t yPeople who are highly agile are good at jumping over pits, swingingfrom ropes or vines, escap ing from bonds, and p icking pockets. It hasto do with balance, manual dexterity, hand-to-eye coord ination, andlimberness, and it can b e tested quite often in action oriented Antholo-gies.

h e a l t hNot only is this how good the c haracter is at resisting d isease, but alsohow good they are at running long d istances, dealing with poison,holding their breath, etc.. Health rolls are very important should thecharacter be wounded to determine how well they resist shock, pain,unconsciousness, and even death.

knowledgeOften referred to as knowledge of the world, this is a general measureof how much the character has experienced and how much educationthey have received . Older, smarter, or more travelled characters usuallyare more knowledg eable, and this ability is tested when a charac terneeds to see if they know important information on governmentorganizations, how a steam engine works, or similar feats of experienceand wisdom.

percep t ionOften called powers of perception, the Storyteller will call for tests ofthis ability when the troupe has a chance to notice something in ascene that isnt readily apparent. This includes seeing hidden orobscure clues, hearing d istant noises, or smelling that telltale whiff ofpoison...

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Any ability which a character p ossesses that is not an inherent trait fallsinto the category of a skill. Skills can be anything from knowing how to

aim a bow to being an expert in a scientific field. They can be magicalspells or psionic powers. A skill can be a p rofession which the charac-ter practices, a knowledge of a geographic area, or even something asbroad as being an Native American.

Skills can cover very wide areas of knowledge or they c an be minutelyspecific. Exactly how individual skills are defined and what they coveris up to the imagination and common sense of the ac tors and the rulingof the Storyteller. It is far more important that a skill desc ribe a charac-ter well than be exactly clear as to what they allow them to do.

For example, if your character were a private investigator, you c ouldchoose to list two dozen specific skills describing his strengths and

weaknesses or you could simply put very experienced p rivateinvestigator. You should include enoug h detail to represent the imag eyou have of your character without bogging yourself down with minutia.

Again, the idea b ehind skills is that they should accurately representhow peop le perceive your character and what they can do. If yourcharacter honestly knows six different ways of cooking an omelettethen feel free to list them all singly; its up to you to decide whatsimportant toward understanding your role.

When describing a skill, you can use whatever adjectives fit your vision.Following are some examples:

Professional UFO investigator. (D10)Incredible acrobat. (D4)Poor at math. (D20)Fluent in french and italian. (D10)Able to op erate a comp uter. (D12)Student chemist. (D20)Irresistible seductress. (D6)Chess champion. (D6)Well trained pianist. (D10)Loves Elvis trivia. (D10)A crapp y cook. (D30)Expert diplomat. (D8)

Knowledgeable about trains. (D10)Licensed helicop ter pilot. (D12)Raised Catholic. (D12)Tireless housekeeper. (D10)Right sexy bastard. (D8)

By now you are probab ly looking at those dice and wond ering wherethey are coming from. Read on!

ski l ls

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The Window uses 7 d ifferent dice types: D30s, D20s, D12s, D10s, D8s,D6s, and D4s. Each of these dice correspond s to one of the sevenrungs on the Window Competency Ladder on the next page, andeach rung represents a loose level of skill that your character canachieve.

As we have already explained, every ab ility a Window characterpossesses, be it an inherent trait or a skill, will be associated with anappropriate adjective or brief description. Once youve got an adjec-tive, it should be a simple matter to dec ide which rung that ability falls

into. Once youve got a rung, youve got a d ie. (In the Window, low rollsare always good, so ob viously a D4 is much better than a D30.)

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Incredible (D4 )This is the highest rung of c ompetency, and it is generally reserved for those characters who are absolutely uniqueor singularly masterful at what they are doing. It is extremely rare to find a person with any ab ility at this rung. Skillsof this magnitude c ould be d escribed as unbelievable, grandmaster, superhuman, supernatural, or even godlike.

Very High (D6 )This level is generally the highest that a normal human can achieve. At this rung, one may assume that there areonly a small population of people with a similar trait. Einstein might have been on this rung of intellect, or perhapsBobb y Fischer would fit in here with his chess talents. An ability adjective at this rung might b e termed as a master,astonishing, remarkable, amazing, stupend ous, a prodigy, or unequalled.

High (D8)This rung is where a typ ical exp ert would fit in. It is not uncommon to find a skill or two at this level for those peop lewho are excep tionally prac ticed at their chosen p rofession or area of study. A few desc riptive terms which work wellat this level are expert, highly skilled, very good , highly acc omplished, a natural, and eleg ant.

Above Average (D10)This is the level of competence where those good , but not particularly good skills fall into. The typical p erson

would have p erhaps one skill (generally their profession) which would b e at this rung. Abilities of this level could bedesc ribed as professional, impressive, talented, skilled, proficient, or practiced .

Avera ge (D12 )This rung is the average level, and it could be considered the norm ag ainst which the other rungs are compared.Generally, a person will have several of these skills, mostly in those mediocre ab ilities which everyone has a chanceto pick up as they go through life. A few adjectives which fit well could be average, comp etent, fair, not bad, p rettygood, d ecent, mediocre, and c ommonplace.

Below Avera ge (D2 0 )A person could expect to be at this rung on any skill they have begun to p ractice but not quite mastered. Thenormal character would have a few of these, be they hobb ies, or things they did a long time ago, or skills they justcant ever get the hang of. Some good d escriptions of this rung could include below average, amateur, beg inner,hobb yist, struggling, and unreliable.

Low (D30 )This rung is the bottom of the barrel, and usually it is only used for those abilities which are markedly horrible. Pleasenote that everyone has almost every skill imag inable at this level of comp etency. (Even if youve never d riven a carbefore in your life, that doesnt mean you couldnt try!) Skills here could be d escribed as low, unskilled, incompetent,poor, crappy, nonexistent, or bung ling.

t he window compet ency ladder

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There are five different kinds of dicerolls used in the Window, thoughtheyall work in esstentially the same way.Below youll find d etails about each.

dice rol ls . . .

A succ ess roll is a die roll used to test a trait or skill of your character.As you know, each skill a character has will have a single die associ-ated with it. To test that skill, roll the d ie. If the roll is a 6 or less, youhave succeed ed. If roll is greater than a 6, you have failed. The lowerthe roll the more complete the suc cess, or the higher the roll the moredismal the failure.

As you may notice, that means that a Grandmaster will never fail anormal test, and an average p erson will fail about half the time. (Well,that makes sense, doesnt it?)

However, sometimes the target numb er will be set d ifferently than a 6by the Storyteller. For particularly difficult tasks, the target may be a 2or a 3. There are no charts for this or even guidelines. Its all up to theStoryteller and the influence of the Three Precepts.

For speed of play, always assume that the target is a 6 unless theStoryteller specifically says otherwise. Success rolls (or any other typ eof roll, for that matter) should only be made when the Storyteller asksfor it. Most of the time, the course of the story can be d eterminednarratively, by you and the Storyteller. Dice are only a tool to help guidethe action when you cant decide whether succ ess or failure would bebetter for the flow of the plot, or when an element of chance makessense or adds to the fun.

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success ro l l exa mple:The metal catwalk before Rylas path was slick with rain, gleaming in

the torchlight. The Ogrean battle cries continued to grow bolder as the others strugg led to hold b ack the surrounding enemy.

Move, by god ! Command ed Laerd. Ryla was terrified, but the catwalk was the only way out. With a prayer and a gasp , she teetered out over the chasm.

The Storyteller interrupted the narrative. Ryla, make an agility roll,target of 4. Ryla was no athlete. Her agility was average at b est. (D12) She tossed the d ie... a 3. All she needed was a 4 or less: she made it.

Laerd watched breathlessly as Rylas torch swayed its way across the catwalk, her feet strugg ling to find p urchase on the slick metal. She reached the other side and turned to look back, motioning frantically for the others to follow. The Ogrean began to charge...

Im going to d isengage and run across as fast as I can, d ecided Laerd.

Thats not so easy, Laerd, warned the Storyteller. Make an agility

save, target of 3. Laerd was a warrior, and he had g reat balance (D8).He spun and dashed across the beam. The die was tossed: a 7.

Aye!! Laerds foot came out from under him. Ryla screamed as she watched him fall and splash into the freezing water below... He hit hard,and was swallowed into the rush.

Make a health save, Laerd said the Storyteller ominously, and you better not miss this one...

In some situations, two characters will go head to head. They mightbe arm-wrestling or knife fighting or hacking a mainframe simulta-neously, but the idea is the same. Whenever two peop le are compet-ing d irectly for a similar goal, a contest roll may be mad e.

Contest rolls are simple: each participant rolls the die associated withtheir appropriate skill or ability, and whoever rolls lower wins. Thedifference is consid ered, and the Storyteller narrates the results. Iftheres a tie, theres a tie. Thats all there is to it.

As with success rolls, never make a contest roll unless the Storytellerasks for it. Many times the context of the story makes it pretty clearwhos going to win.

combatProbab ly the most common time for a contest roll to be called for iswhen a charac ter is in combat. In such a case, the attacker rolls withhis applicab le weapon skill and the defender rolls with her agility die,acrobatics skill, appropriate martial arts ab ility, or whatever else fitsthe situation.

con t e s tro l l s

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Note that with combat contest rolls, each side g ets input into whathapp ens if they win the roll. For instance, the attacker may state thatshes punc hing her op ponent straight on the jaw, while the defendermay only be trying to dod ge and get out a gun. Alternatively, he could

try to disarm his opp onent, run away, or anything else he can imagine.Its up to the Storyteller to interpret the results intelligently.

Whatever the case, combat in the Window should be fluid, quick, andexciting. Rolls should b e kept to a minimum and everyone, whetherStoryteller or actor, should lend their narrative skills to the action. Whilean actor is hunting for the proper die to make a roll, the Storytellershould be d escribing another part of the action. The actors shouldexplain what there charac ters are actually doing, not just I attack it...A poorly told comb at can be an immense waste of time, while a welltold comb at can b e an extremely exciting part of the story... (though itshould never be allowed to b ecome the whole story)

con t es t ro l l example :The moonlight was d im, but it was enough for Anna to see the gleam

of the scalpel in the d octors latex-gloved hand.Its time for surgery, he hissed, then lunged madly...Anna twisted to the side. She was extremely agile (D6), b ut the

doctor was determined to have blood, and he could handle a scalpel (D10.)

The storyteller tossed a d ie for the doc tor, a 4. Anna, you squint through the darkness to see the scalpel slashing for your neck. Anna rolled her ag ility die: a 3, just lower than the d octor.

Anna frowned. The swing g oes high as I duc k and roll to the side...Enough, I say as I get out my gun. Taste this, you son of a bitch. Anna rolled her die, a 2.

The doctor reacted too slowly, rolling a 7, and the bullet tore into his lung. He coughed violently, then fell twitching to the floor.

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Health rolls are a sp ecial kind of success roll. These come into the storywhen exterior forces directly threaten your characters physical well-being or even his very life. Whether bullets or flying knuckles ordrowning, the rules for dealing with them are the same. If your charac-ter is hit by such a force, the Storyteller may ask for a health roll,designating a target number based on the damage potential.

The average p unch or kick might have a target of 6, while a highpowered rifle blast to the chest would be a 1 or so. This is not a setnumber according to the weapon: it is up to the Storyteller to assign anappropriate number according to whos making the attack, where it hitsyour character, and so on. Like always, it dep ends most on the contextof the story. The Storyteller should b e thinking ab out the Third Precept,and the actor should be thinking about the Second.

If you roll the target number or less, you succeed . A successful healthroll means that your character is able to resist the effects of thedamage, at least for a while. (The Storyteller may well call for anotherhealth roll later, after the adrenaline wears off or if you try to do some-thing too physical.)

A failed health roll, on the other hand, can mean several things,depending on the situation. It might only mean that your character isstunned for a moment until he gets his bearings. It could mean that hesknocked out or g oes into shock (this is a common one). Or, it could killhim instantly. (That would have to be be a pretty interesting scene.)

The Storyteller can also rule that a failed health roll will result in yourcharacters health trait dropping down a rung on the comp etencyladder. (It would go from above average to below average, very high tohigh, and so on.) This reflects your charac ters weakening ab ility to dealwith mounting wounds. Only after a period of rest and healing will she

get it bac k. (See the Healing section b elow.)

If the damag e is particularly serious, the Storyteller may also deem thatmore than one health roll in a row is necessary, with each failuremeaning a step d own the ladder. In such a c ase, you must attemptthese rolls until youve either made one successfully or your health traitfalls so far that it goes comp letely off the competency ladd er (i.e. lowerthan a D30.) In such a case, your character is effectively dead ...

h e a l t hrolls

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d e a t hShould your charac ters health fall completely off the comp etencyladder, he is at best in a c oma and at worst very, very dead .

Anytime the plot reaches this point, its up to both you and the Story-teller to determine whether its time for your charac ter to pass on anddep art from the story as an active participant.

For good roleplayers, death is not necessarily a bad thing. On thecontrary, it can often be one of the most powerful and memorab le plotdevices open to the Storyteller and the ac tors. There is nothing morebeautiful than that hero who guards the way from the bad guys as theothers escape, thus sacrificing his own life to save the story... There isnothing more memorable than a heroine whose light is extinguishedtragically and early.

Besides, after losing a character, you can always build a new one, andin the act of sacrifice or tragedy your character will be rememberedand c an even play on in the story through the legac y of her actions.

The Window can be the dead liest roleplaying system imaginab le, or itcan b e extremely merciful. It all depends on what you want it to be andexactly what sort of setting youre exploring.

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heal ingIf your characters health trait is dropped a rung on the comp etencyladder, dont fret; it can be recovered. The following guid elines are hereto give you an idea of what your loss in health actually translates into.

However, keep in mind that the Storyteller can and will modify these tofit the story. The Storyteller can at any time grant you back a rung if itmakes sense to. As with everything in the Window, the best way todetermine how and when these levels are regained is by intelligentlyconsidering the situation and its context in the story.

One Rung Down. Your character has suffered a relatively minoramount of damagea flesh wound or something similar. He canrecover after a day of rest and b asic treatment, or sometimesafter receiving first aid.

Two Rungs Down. Your character has just has a very seriousbrush with the end, and shes very shaken up. This type of

damage p robably is accompanied b y a lot of blood and shock.Healing something like this requires medic al attention andseveral days of recuperation.

Three Rungs Down. Your charac ter took some serious damage,and she c onsiders this one of the most harrowing experiences inher life. This may involve shattered bones and gap ing wounds.Basic recovery will require at least a month of serious care.

Four or more Rungs Down. The only way your charac ter camethrough this is through fate, extreme luck, or divine intervention.Expect him to be in traction or a coma, bec ause thats probab lywhere hes going to be. In a c ase as serious as this, you and theStoryteller will need to have a frank discussion about the future of

your character. Recovery is totally depend ent upon finding arealistic way not to drop him out of the story.

hea l t h ro ll example :Elysia turned and swung her Dicessio wildly. It smashed into the

cheekbone of the lunging Locura and shattered through to brain. The creature fell. But there were so many...

Dancing like a dervish of flashing steel, Elysia waded through them each in each, breaking bones and ending their trapped, pathetic lives.Her muscles were weary and her reflexes grew numb ... One of the young ones at the edge of the melee held a gun, and he fired.

Elysia felt a chilling pain rip through into her side. Make a Health roll, target of 4, said the Storyteller.

Elysia blinked as the pain bled into her. She was quite healthy (D10),but she knew it was bad. The die was tossed: a 6. The Storyteller carefully considered the g rim situation. Everything b egins to wash as your health is sapped by the p ain. Make another save, same target.

Elysia was weakened now, though her health was still decent (D12).She rolled a 3. The Storyteller nodded. With a rush of panicked adrenaline, you fight through the pain as the final Locura approach...

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Plotting rolls are unique in that they are mad e by all of the charac ters atonce. The results of a plotting roll are more abstract than the results ofthe other types, but they can b e very useful if used properly.

Plotting rolls are called for by the Storyteller at times when the storyhangs at a c rossroads, and all of the characters are involved with whatmight happ en next. For example, this could b e as the troupe enters adark and d eserted house, as they careen into an exciting chase, orwhen a dead ly conflict is about to unfold...

In such a case, the Storyteller can ask for everyone to make a roll on acertain trait or skill, without a set target number. Then, the results whichcome up serve to give plotting guidance for what happens next.

If certain charac ters roll low while everyone else rolls high, they mightsee a pivotal warning sign before their companions. Those who rollpoorly might b e unable to take initiative as a combat b reaks out. Ifeveryone rolls well, then perhaps the troupe g ains an upper hand ofsome sort or avoid an unfortunate situation. The possibilities areendless.

plo t t ing rol l example :The unrelenting wind howled past the Threat Response Team as

they walked through the Gob i sandstorm. Faintly, before them, they could just make out the silhouette of a low building . The Leftenant struggled to be heard over the maddening g ale as he ordered everyone to ready their weapons. He sent corp oral Shannon to reconnoiter ahead.

Plotting Roll. Everybod y give me a percep tion save, said the Storyteller.

Each member of the squad tossed their perception die and c alled out the results; two 6s, a 12, a 14, and corporal Shannon rolled a 2.

Erupting from the building came a trio of screaming witche. React- ing with the speed of lightning, the corp oral hit the sand. A b urst of pyrokinetic flame tore over him and knocked down the Leftenant (12) and the woman (14) standing next to him. The other two soldiers rolled to the side, raised their weapons, and beg an to saturate the entire building with heavy weapons fire.

The Storyteller spoke: Shannon, theres gunfire and explosions all around you. You raise your head and see the lead witche summon some sort of shimmering barrier between it and the rest of your team.The bullets are bound ing off of it, and the wind is b eing deflected. But you might g et a clean shot if you act q uickly.

The corporal did nt hesitate. He raised his 10mm rifle and said a prayer to the United States Marine Corps, where he first learned g uns.I shoot that mother in the face, man.

p l o t t i n grol ls

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The Window loves to be modified. Since every roleplaying troupe has aslightly different style than the next and any given setting p oses newquestions about what needs to be d efined by the rules, the Window isdesigned to be easily altered to fit.

This section p rovides some of the more c ommon rules modificationsthat have been used . Theyre in the optionals section b ecause thatswhat they are. Some of these rules are a b it more cumb ersome than thecore Window mechanics, so be prepared to use your own judgementbefore instituting them in your Anthologies.

Some of these rules came out of specific suggestions from the onlineWindow community. If you have an op tional rule idea that you thinkcould b e included in this section, please [email protected].

opt iona l ru le s

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Luck represents that unexplainable tendenc y for good things tohappen to certain peop le without their effort or awareness. This is a rulewhich used to be a part of the core Window mechanics, but has nowbeen relegated to the status of an optional rule. The reasoning b ehindthis is that the luck trait works slightly differently than other traits...

If the Storyteller wants to use luck in her stories, she could add it to thelist of traits that all of the cast memb ers must define, or she c ould allowit as a skill just for specific c haracters. It works the same in either case.

Luck rolls are called for when chance is all that stands between twopaths for the story to take, or immediately after a failed suc cess roll togive a character that one last c hance... Another use for luck is to settleminor questions which have little bearing on the story, such as whethera character happ ens to be wearing a hairpin or carrying a lighter.

Luck can be a characters best friend. If he makes his luck roll he cansave himself after a p articularly dismal die roll, a feature which allowsfor a certain heroic confidence when entering dangerous scenes. Luckcan also be the Storytellers best friend. For her, it can be a way tomaintain the troupes sense of hope in hopeless situations, and itprovides a g ood way to solve many minor arguments that arisebetween her and the actors...

Luck rolls are identical to basic suc cess rolls in how they work: theStoryteller sets a target number and if you roll equal to it or und er, you

succeed . If no target is specified, you must roll a 6 or less.

By the way, luck can also be c alled something else if it better fits thesetting. In superheroic roleplaying, for instance, luck could be calledheroism, since those sorts of c haracters rely more on their extraordi-nary abilities to save them in times of peril. In a setting which ispopulated by gods or guided by astrological forces, the Storytellercould op t to call it fate.

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Trading LuckThere comes a scene in a characters life when hes hit bottom, whenthe situation has bec ome so grave that nothing short of a miracle c ansave him now. In the Window, the luck trait allows one final recourse to

turn the story back into his favor...

If such a case occurs where youve failed a luck roll that was reallyimportant, you may at that moment choose to trade some of yourpermanent luck to chang e the roll to a success. This choice causesyour luck trait to drop a permanent rung on the competency ladder, butat least your character is still alive and kicking.

Trading your luck in this way can keep your character alive and on topof things for quite a while, but remember, everyones luck has to run outsometime...

Luck Roll Example:The Ogrean were everywhere. Laerd continued hacking into the fray

as he watched Ryla cross the p erilous catwalk to safety. Im g oing to run across as fast as I can, he said .

Thats not so easy, Laerd, warned the Storyteller. Make an agility save, target of 3. Laerd was in the militia and had great balance (D8).He spun and dashed across the beam. The die was tossed: a 7.

Aye!! Laerds foot came out from under him. Ryla screamed as she watched him fall and splash into the freezing water below...

Make a luck save, Laerd, said the Storyteller ominously, and you better not miss this one...

He hit the water hard. He felt the icy embrace as he was swept along. At least he was a little more lucky than the average p erson

(D10).He rolled: a 7. A target hadnt been specified, so he needed a 6 or

less...The Storyteller raised an eyebrow. The cold is sapping your

strength. From above and behind you think you hear Ryla screaming your name. You fight mad ly with the waves, but the rushing stream is so painfully cold. You gasp in water... you try to coug h...

Okay, okay. Im gonna trade a luck rung , said Laerd defeatedly.Alright, respond ed the Storyteller, your hand reaches out of the

water and catches on a rock. Laerd, your luck is now down to average (D12).

Laerd climbed coughing onto the shore, then collapsed, exhausted.



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The sanity trait is generally only included in anthologies which are set in

a horror genre, where a character might enc ounter things especiallyfrightening or disturbing . Sanity rolls are made to see how the charac teris able to d eal with the terror and strangeness of such situations, andfailure can mean bouts of uncontrollable fear, the development ofphob ias, or even complete madness.

Sanity rolls are similar to health rolls, only instead of your charactersphysical health b eing threatened it is her stab le mental state. Sanityrolls may be c alled for b y the Storyteller in any situation where yourcharacter sees or experiences something truly horrible.

As with other traits in the Window, sanity is a only a tool which helps theStoryteller present the story in an effective way, but like wounding, it isup to the actors to make the situation come to life. (Dont forget aboutthe Second Precep t.) A good horror storyteller will have the actors onthe edge of their seat with tension and fear already... sanity is amechanic which reflects the dark conseq uences of facing the super-natural in a somewhat more concrete way.

When the Storyteller calls for a sanity roll he will set a target numberwhich you must roll equal to or under with your sanity die.

The target numb er itself is of course based on how powerful the horroris which is affronting your character. For instance, seeing a carcass onthe road might c all for a roll with a target of 6, while being surroundedby cold, rending tentacles which are sliming through your hair andtrying to crawl into your mouth might call for a 2. (Trust me.)

Again, its up to the Storyteller and the exact situation.

A successful Sanity Roll means you are able to think through the horrorand keep control of yourself. Failing a sanity roll can mean severalthings. One of the most common effects is to freeze up and stare.Another is to flee in terror, or uncontrollable screaming. Another is to fallto the floor and roll into the fetal position. Yet another is to be cursedwith a permanent phob ia. All these wonderful things and more awaityour character should they not make one little roll. Sometimes theStoryteller will take control of your charac ter for a brief p eriod of time

during their fugue, though often they will leave the exact effects of thefailed roll up to you.

Oh yes, and dont forget about your Sanity trait dropp ing a rung on thecompetency ladder. That can happ en, too, just as it happens withhealth. If your sanity should sp iral down until it drops comp letely off thecompetency ladder, then your character has gone insane, which iseffectively just as bad as death...

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i n san i tyOnce a character is insane, they become property of the Storytellerfor him to do with as he p leases. Perhaps your c haracter will run off intothe corn field, only to come bac k in some future chapter, or simply kill

himself, or maybe hell be taken by the other characters to an insaneasylum.

It is possible, with the proper care and p ossibly hospitalization, thatyour character could b e brought bac k to the land of the sane, to beused ag ain as your character at a later date, but thats up to you andthe Storyteller to discuss.

Remember the Third Precept, and consider how interesting it can b e tohave one of your former characters locked up in an institution some-where, to be visited and given fruitbaskets on the holidays. Sanity canprovide very enjoyable plot twists, and when used sparing ly it can helpadd a rich layer of fear to your horror anthologies.


san i t y ro l l example :Run, Damn it! Deron Jones stood shouting at his companions, the

writhing Darkness before him. His hand held his g overnment issue .45 tightly, white knuckles on b lack metal, hot from the spent c lip.

A tentacle thrust from the mass and coiled tightly about his ankle.His mirrorshades fell from his face as he was p ulled to the wet floor with the shatter of glass and plastic. The Storyteller shook his head. Sanity check, target of 3. Derons sanity had been d amaged before, and he was already bordering on a nervous breakdown (D30).

A die was tossed: a 7.Derons eyes gleamed bright with tears. His howling was the last

thing his companions heard as they fled screaming through the d oor and slammed it behind them. The twisting moistness was around his hand now, his neck, his face. In the pit of his mind he knew that he should struggle, to break loose from the embrace. But he could d o nothing but scream.

Give me another sanity roll, said the Storyteller. Target of 5. This ones for real. Deron felt like he was dead already. It was under his clothes now, pulsing and cold. His muscles were reacting violently,spasming. A second die was tossed and came to a rest: a 14. Some- thing inside him... snapped.

Derons gone now, said the Storyteller. The others were to the van,cursing and swearing. The realization of their companions fate chilled them to the bone.


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By far the most requested rule expansion for the first edition Window

was a standardized mag ic system. Roleplaying was born out of thefantasy genre, and no matter how far weve come from those firstfaltering steps, it seems that there is always something calling us backto those realms of wizardry where anything is p ossible. The followingrules provide guid elines for using mag ic with the Window.

This section is actually excerpted from a much more elegant and richlydetailed mag ic system included with the world of Taalmarath, theWindows first official fantasy setting. Taalmarath will premiere on theWindow Web site in 1998.

t h e p r e ce p t s o f m a g icLike the Windows three precep ts from which these are derived, theprecep ts of magic p rovide a core philosophy for the use of magic inany anthology. These precepts (in ad dition to the three essentialprecep ts of the Window itself) help p rovide a practical way of dealingwith magic in a mature, story affirming manner.

t h e f i r s t p r e ce p t o f m a g i c:Mag ic must be an extension of character.

Magic must reflect in all its aspects the character who invokes it, hismental state, situation, and outlook. The actor in a mag ically active rolemust be willing to take the extra steps required to define his c haracterspower in his own terms. No two mag icians will be exactly the same,

and thus no two magical methodologies will ever be exactly the same.Styles may be similar, you can have any number of elementalists say,but each will have a unique take on the common mag ics. If magic everbeg ins to overshadow charac ter, then it must be reassessed. Magicshould not d istract from the characters essential core, but shouldenhance it. The characters powers must be woven into his backg roundand taken into acc ount when defining his p ersonality. Magic shapes thecharacter and is shaped by him.

ma gic Concepts by Benjamin Baugh



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t he second precep t o f ma g ic:Mag ic must advance the story.

Like any aspect of a maturely played character, magic must advance

the story to the satisfaction of all involved. Too often actors refuse to beflexible in their interpretation of their characters actions and it destroysgroup coherency few things can d isrupt a troupe faster than onemember who employs his magic s irresponsibility. Magic should neverovershadow the wielding charac ter and should also never overshadowthe other actors. Magic has a place in all fantastic stories, and it is theresponsibility of the actor and storyteller to reach an und erstanding ofthat place. The actor should b e willing to adjust his characters sorceryto fit the story and the Storyteller should make allowances for wellroleplayed mag ics even if it requires some alterations to the plot. Inshort, the Storyteller should b e careful not to steal the charactersthunder and the player should be responsible enough not to abuse hercharacters p ower.

t h e t h ir d p r e ce p t o f m a g i c:Mag ic must never become routine.

Magic must always be... well... magical. A sword will kill a man, evendo it with style, but nothing is quite so awe inspiring in personal comb atas Lodend rakes Cage of Spines. Mag ic is really just special effects,and any g ood movie director knows you can only use a certain effectso many times before the audience beg ins to take it for granted.Players should be rewarded for p roducing interesting, vital, and originaleffects with their mystic p owers. Certain effects may b e used repeat-edly so as to d eliberately make them routine, but only for a spec ific

purpose such as to advance the Second Precep t in character develop-ment, or in story development as dic tated by the Third Precept.

h o w it w o r k sCharacters who wish to employ magic must start by defining their basicability to use it. This is represented b y an ad ditional inherent trait whichthe Storyteller might call wizardry, witchc raft, sorcery, or faith, depend -ing on the world . For the purp oses of this discussion it will simply becalled magic.

This trait plays an imp ortant role in the app lication of spells and rituals.When a magic user summons mystic power he forms it by using hisnatural potential (represented by the magic trait) and the techniqueswhich he has developed through training or talent (represented bymore specific sp ell skills). He may employ one of his old comfortablespells, or he may take risks or desperate measures and improvise anenchantment. During charac ter creation, the actor invents the specificspell skills. What is required is a detailed d escription of each and arealistic evaluation of their parameters.



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Understand that there are as many possible areas of magical end eavoras there are practitioners, and many more besides. No c omprehensivelist is possible. Its up to the Storyteller to give you an understanding ofhow magic works in the world, then within those guidelines you must

strive to create a character image which is your own.

For example, if you are creating a priest character youmust first choose the deity your character is connec tedwith and weave this all important choice into his back-ground. When did the first great epiphany of connec tionoccur? How has it altered his experiences? His outlook?Make sure your choice of d eity lends itself to thecharacters development and is not just done for the neatabilities. Now record the sorts of spells hes mastered.When were they first realized? First used? Detail the exactrelationship the priest has with his god and consider thespells in this context. Before finishing you have to define a

comp etency adjective and rung for his magic trait and foreach spell.

Once you have d efined your charac ters magic trait andspells, youre ready to play. Spell rolls are used foractivating well known effects, while the magic trait is usedfor maintaining spells, resisting mag ical attacks, andcrafting variations (or entirely new spells) on the fly.

The Storyteller uses his best judgment to determine the d ifficulty of agiven mag ical task, taking into acc ount the creativity of the player, theneeds of the story, and the individual situation. Following the ThirdPrecept of Magic, its up to you to desc ribe your characters magic asrichly as possible. When adjud icating mag ical conflict, the Storytellershould use the philosophy that the specific and unique will always winout against the vague and g eneral.

Exhaus t ing MagicJust like health and sanity, your charac ters magic trait can dropcomp etency rungs if she is using it a great deal or is up against aparticularly draining c hallenge. The Storyteller can ask for such mag icrolls whenever it makes sense in the story. The idea is to represent theoftentimes fatiguing nature of hand ling mystical p ower.

The means by which your character regains her magic depend s on theworld and her particular kind of magic.

If your characters magic d rops completely off the competency ladd erthen she is totally drained. A t that point she can still use magic, b ut allmagic rolls are made on a D30 and any further drops in magicalcomp etency effect her health trait instead. It is very possible for amagic user to kill themselves by pushing it too far.



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Like a real person, your Window character will be constantly changing .How she sees the world, what her life is like day to d ay, and which skillsshe has mastered will grow as the story grows. If you like, the followingmechanic c an be used to improve your characters abilities as shegains experience.

Character evolution is the bread and butter of literature and roleplaying

alike. Through the course of a c hapter, your character may well gothrough many emotional and rational stages as his life is affected b ythe events of the story. The vast majority of this metamorphosis isimpossible to represent with rules: its up to you to get into yourcharacters head and understand how he sees the world and how hereacts to it. If you are truly in character, the emotions you feel will beidentical to your characters. You must then take those emotions anddetermine how they are affecting your characters viewpoint.

The following rules are offered only to help you keep your eye on theimprovement of your characters traits and skills. They are in theoptional rules section because you c ould just as easily determinecharacter improvement by talking with the Storyteller and makingmodifications only when they make sense.

In any case, the mec hanics of ab ility improvement are simple: aftereach session of roleplaying, your character will be awarded a smallnumber of experience p oints. Each of these points may be ap plied tothe improvement of a single skill or trait, and when the numb er ofexperience points assigned to a given skill exceeds the level or rung ofcompetency, the ability improves by a level, as summarized on thefollowing c hart:

Improve from D30 to D20 = 2 pointsImprove from D20 to D12 = 3 points

Improve from D12 to D10 = 4 pointsImprove from D10 to D8 = 5 pointsImprove from D8 to D6 = 6 pointsImprove from D6 to D4 = 7 points

We sugg est keeping track of where your experience points are spentby p lacing stars or check marks next to the ability on your characterwriteup.

cha ra ct e r expe r ience



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There are, by the way, certain limitations to how many experiencepoints can be spent on a given skill each session. For inherent traits,you may not expend more than one point per session; this reflects thenatural difficulty in making these sorts of things g et better. For learned

skills, this maximum is based on whether or not you used the skillduring the course of the g ame. For skills that didnt come into play, thelimit is one point. (If your character sp ent the entire chapter fightingzombies its unlikely that theyd be g etting much better at Russianembroidery, for example.) For skills that did come into play, there is nolimit.

Now, youre wondering how many points to expec t each g ame. This isbased on your ability to answer the following two q uestions, which willbe asked b y the Storyteller at the conc lusion of the session. Each of thequestion that you are able to give an intelligent and unique answer forgains you a point:

1. Were both you and your character p resent and involved in the story?This is usually a very easy yes. So long as you p aid attention and d idyour best to g et involved, you get this point automatically.

2. What questions does your character have ab out the story or herselfafter tonight? This is a great way to explore theories about the myster-ies in play as well as promote character development. The Storytellerwill evaluate your answer (if you have one) and d ecide whether itsgood enough to earn you a point.

Finally, there is a way to g ain a bonus experience p oint from theStoryteller. All you have to d o is make your c haracter instigate a notablyexcellent acting sequence or c ontribute to the story in an outstandingway. This can c ome in the form of cleverly dec iphering a particularlydifficult puzzle, taking the story in an unexpected and wonderful newdirection, or even something as simple as a memorable quote. It is rarefor bonus points to be awarded by most Storytellers, but it doeshapp en, and you should strive for it if it helps improve your roleplaying.

Now, understand that all experience awarded is subject to Storytellerapp roval. For instance, if she feels that you should be given a free pointin a given skill because of something that happened in the story, thenshe can do that. Alternatively, she can penalize par ticularly immature orout of character roleplaying b y refusing to award you any points at all.(Hopefully this should never hap pen, though. If youre using theWindow then Id like to think youre quite ab ove that sort of thing.)



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In certain settings, ranging from fantasy to science fiction, the type ofarmor a character wears can seriously change his comb at effective-ness. If hes wrapped in scale mail then hes likely to come out un-scathed from a barrage of light arrow fire. If hes wearing a magneticrepulsor belt (whatever that might b e), he could shrug off bullets. Itsalso possible to armor a vehicle or a building, a p ossibility which justmight be important to the story at some point.

Most Storytellers who use the Window manage armor narratively.Characters wearing heavy armor wont b e asked for health rolls asoften. Characters attacking foes with superior armor have to make

contest rolls by wider margins to b e a threat, etc... However, if you wanta more structured way to manage this sometimes important consider-ation, you can use the rules below.

Like all else in the Window, armor is something that must be assessedin specific relation to the story if its going to work. Only use it if it trulyadds something to your stories. If it only serves to add one more layerof dice rolls to combat, then get rid of it.

h o w it w o r k sFollowing the First Precept, d efine the type of armor your character iswearing in terms of the Window armor ladd er below. Understand thatthese adjectives are relative to the typical type of weaponry in yourparticular story: excellent armor in a fantasy setting might only bemediocre in a modern setting.

When your character is in battle, this armor die can be used as asubstitute for health rolls. If your character is hit and the Storyteller asksfor a Health roll, roll the armor die instead. Only if you miss the armorroll do you have to make a real health roll.

If the armor roll fails and the attack is such that the armor itself could b edamag ed, the Storyteller could ask for an add itional armor roll to see ifthe armor drops in quality. This works just like health rolls if you failthe roll the armor drops a rung on the ladd er, representing its failing

ability to protect your character. (Whether to ask for such rolls shouldbe ap parent in context of the scene.)

If need b e, the Storyteller can also d efine armor to have d ifferent levelsof protection against different kinds of attacks. For example, a suit ofchainmail might have good protective qualities vs. physical attacks(D12) but be virtually worthless (D30) against magic. This is up to theStoryteller and the world she is using.

a r mor



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godl ike a rmor (D4 )In a fantasy setting this might b e protection from on-high. In a sci-fi anthologythis would be some unbelievable sup er technology. A character in god likearmor is essentially immune to damage. Only an attack on an equally

amazing level would be capable of getting through.

incredible ar mor (D6)This is likely either highly magical or extremely ultra tech. A characterwearing this kind of armor is invulnerable to normal attacks and most specialattacks as well. Armor of this kind is inacc essible to all but the fewestfortunate souls.

exce ll en t a rmor (D8 )This is the highest sort of armor a normal person c ould acquire, and it is onlyavailable to those with very impressive contacts and /or wealth. In fantasysettings this might inc lude well-crafted, magic al platemail, the kind reservedfor kings. A character wearing such armor would b e able to survive wellagainst the majority of normal attacks.

high grade arm or (D10 )This is the type of armor which would be g iven to elite troops or owned bynobles. In a fantasy setting this translates into full-plate or exquisitely craftedchainmail. Armor of this kind will keep its wearer alive against many physicalthreats, though it is not imp regnable.

good ar mor (D12 )This is the sort of armor worn by most professional warriors. In a fantasysetting this is typically equivalent to a suit of chain or scalemail with brac ersand perhaps a shield. Good armor provides solid protection, but it cancertainly be bypassed by skill or force.

mediocre a rmor (D20 )Armor of this rung is generally the much less expensive version of g oodarmor. This might be studded leather or a full suit of lighter leather in afantasy world. Though it is definitely better than nothing, this armor provideslittle more than shock absorbence; it typically wont turn blows or be muchuse against missile weapons.

poor a r mor (D30 )This is the sort of thing worn by street thugs and athletes. It might p rovideprotection in specific situations, but for the most part it will d o little more than

keep your elbows from getting scrap ed. In a fantasy setting this is perhapsequivalent to leather breeches and a pair of leather bracers.

As you can imagine, managing armor for every character can be more recordkeeping than its worth. Since some ac tors handle this level of complexitybetter than others, it is recommend that you playtest this rule with your wholetroupe before putting it into effect.

t he

windowarmorladder



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The Window has b een used for many g enres, from the most mundanecontemporary murd er mystery to the most outlandish superheroicadventure. Below are some ways to manage those exceptional types ofstories where more-than-human beings are involved, suc h as superhe-roes, dragons, or Lovecraftian monsters.

t h e s h e b a n g! n o t a t i onOne problem whic h arises in representing truly amazing ab ilities is howto fit them onto the comp etency ladd er. Obviously there wouldnt bemuch variety if the actors were sitting around rolling D4s for everything

contest rolls would be tied too often and success rolls would bemostly pointless. The basic competency lad der only represents thelevels of ability that a human being can ac hieve; what happens whenthe character in question isnt really human at all?

To add ress this, the Window uses a second comp etency ladder whichis above the normal one. A simple system called the Shebang!notation (with a nod to Larry Wall) is used to delineate these amazingtraits and skills from normal ab ilities. It works by p lacing an exclamationpoint (!) after the die and includ ing more specific desc riptions of whatthe character is able to do.

For example, a charac ter with superpowered physical strength whichallows him to lift up to the weight of a car would have the following traitlisting:

Amazing strength. Ab le to lift a car. (D12!)

The Shebang ! lets you know that his strength is sup erheroic, whichmeans that he would never have to make a strength roll againstnormal tests; if he wanted to b reak down a door or c arry a companionto safety he would simply succeed. However, if he were going upagainst a challenge that itself was superheroic in magnitude (perhapshes wrestling with a powered up supervillian), he would use a D12 tomake that roll.

The idea is that superheroic or unearthly characters exist on a level alltheir own. They are so astonishing that comp etition is only meaningful ifit is against someone (or something) in their own league. The importantthing to do with any Shebang! ab ility is to describe the power suffi-ciently enough that its at least somewhat clear what is possible with it.From there the ac tors and the Storyteller can roleplay throughsuperheroic encounters without much slow down.

super power s



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mult ipl e compe t ency rungsWith some powers, it is difficult to assign just one comp etency rungand still represent the power acc urately. One such c ase is an abilitythat is extremely p owerful but rather hard to control (or vice-versa).

Another is a power which works very well in certain situations but verypoorly in others. In such a case, two or more comp etency levels can beused, each d escribing a different aspec t of the ability.

For example, imagine that your charac ter has the ability to throwfireballs from her hands. These fireballs are extremely deadly justabout anything they come in contac t with will be immed iately vaporized(D6!). However, shes not very g ood at getting the things to hit whereshe would like (D20). Having two different rungs like this allows theStoryteller to test the aspect of the ability is in question in any g ivenscene.

For examples of Window c haracters using the Shebang! notation andmultiple competency rungs, check out the Window Character Menag-erie online at www.mimgames.com/window/menagerie.

w e a l t h

One of the goals of the Window is to free the actors from bookkeepingminor details. Who in their right mind wants to b other with encum-brance, hit points, or damage dice when theres roleplaying to bedone? All that these do is add up to more number oriented thinking,and that goes ag ainst the philosophy of the first precept.

That being said, there is little in this world which is more numberoriented than money, and while first generation roleplaying has ahealthy tradition of recording cash d own to the last copper p iece, someactors would rather not bother at all. On the same token, in somesettings it is important to have an id ea of how wealthy a character is.

To deal with this problem, the Storyteller can choose to d efine aninherent trait called wealth. If a situation comes up in the story whenlimits in a charac ters monetary resources b ecome a c oncern, theStoryteller could ask for a wealth roll. A succ ess means that thecharacter has the money available for the task, while a failure meanshes short. Like always, this rule is one that requires intelligent interpre-tation by everyone involved.

Concep t by Justin Forman



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Characters who are unique and entertaining are c entral to goodroleplaying. When charac ters are fully fleshed out, with personalities,backgrounds, and polished demeanors, the crude plot frameworkwhich the Storyteller lays out bec omes full and alive. It is the charac-ters, after all, who guide the interaction, and through their deeds eachchap ter is made memorable. The process of character creation is oneof the most important aspects of how the ac tors add to the story.

Character creation is not at all about rolling d ice to get traits, cross-referencing charts to figure stat levels, or add ing up points to makesure your character is b alanced. Its not about following a series ofsteps to fill out a character sheet. Its not a specific process at all. Truecharacter c reation is that undefinable storm of creative energy whereyou come up with a unique, imaginary individual whom you bring alive.

Most other roleplaying systems maintain a complex hierarchy of checksand b alances to pigeonhole your charac ter into their world stereotypesand make sure hes exactly as powerful as everyone else on theparty. If you conc eptualize a charac ter who doesnt fit into this moldyoure forced to either change your character or change the rules;neither option makes much sense. The Window c haracter creation rulesguarantee that youll play exactly the character you want.

The Window assumes that the Storyteller and the ac tors can take c areof themselves. There is one universal alternative to any rule, and that isgood roleplaying. So long as everyone follows the Three Precep ts, thecreation of character traits and skills ceases to be a c ompetitive issue.How good your character is becomes a moot point. The question ishow real is she? How does she fit into the story? How personal andtruly unique is the description youve constructed for her? Playingweak characters can be every bit as fun as playing super-people,and most mature roleplayers are skilled enough to involve themselvesin the story no matter what sort of charac ter theyre acting.

With all of this freedom, you may feel a bit d irectionless and not knowwhere to start. Some roleplayers argue effectively that there areadvantages to more structure in the character c reation process. Ifyoure one of those people, I tip my hat and enc ourage you to usewhatever system mod ifications you think are necessary to make theWindow better fit your style. However, I also encourage you to give thefreeform style a try; you may find that it works for you...

cha rac t e r s

t h e . w i n d o w . . c h a r a c t e r s


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h o w it w o r k sWhatever means you use to come up with your character is up to youand your own creative process. Thus, there isnt a lot to this section.You no d oubt have your own passions that inspire you, and all that you

need to do is delve into them and come out with a character idea thatinterests you.

As you develop the seeds of your charac ter, be sure you und erstandthe world and the kind of story the Storyteller has in mind. Ask him anyquestions that will affect your final conc ept b efore you get totallyconnected to it. As you translate the character from your imaginationonto paper, make sure that the Storyteller is there as you do it. He willvery likely have questions which will help b oth of you get a firm g raspon who this person is. As your charac ter history evolves he may offersome plot threads to help the c haracter meld smoothly into the storyand into the troupe. Though the Storyteller will never understand yourcharacter as well as you do, its imperative that he understands wellenough to tell a good story.

Some people are g ood at fashioning a very refined c haracter with theirfirst effort. Others discover that it takes them a lot of thought and oftenseveral sessions of roleplaying before they really g et into theircharacters head. The Storyteller and your fellow actors are a great allyin achieving this goal. (The Tips and Tricks pag es of this section alsohas some ideas to help you flesh out your character.)

sol idif icat ionOnce youve comp leted the internal process of creating your c haracter,all that remains is to sit down with the Storyteller and define the rules

part of the character, a step known in the Window as c haracter solidifi-cation. If youve done the work of making the charac ter real in yourmind, this part should be easy.

With each inherent trait, simply come up with an adjective that matchesyour character image, and then fit it into the app ropriate competencyrung to find the proper die. To define your skills, brainstorm the list ofdefinitions that desc ribe your charac ter well, set an adjective to each ofthem, and attach the die from the competency ladder that works best.You may have whatever skills you wish and assign whatever ad jectivesbest fit your charac ter image, so long as the Storyteller app roves. Usethe examples in the Window Character Menagerie as a guideline, and

just g o for it.

Youre finished! Now you can c oncentrate on getting c omfortable withyour new role.

t h e . w i n d o

The Window RPG

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