Making tRPG class tables more friendly for screen readers

This is a test of some table-related HTML I've been learning. The goal is to be compatible with screen readers. If you use a screen reader, and the following is not intelligible or could be improved, please let me know.

The HTML for ll 7 core B/X D&D classes, CSS, and colour-toggling JS function can all be found on this gitlab file. Please feel free to adapt them for your own projects.

Elf Level Progression

Level	XP	Hit Dice	AC0*	Saving Throws					Spells
				Death	Wands	Paralysis	Breath	Spells	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th
1st	0	1d6	19	12	13	13	15	15	1	–	–	–	–
2nd	4,000	2d6	19	12	13	13	15	15	2	–	–	–	–
3rd	8,000	3d6	19	12	13	13	15	15	2	1	–	–	–
4th	16,000	4d6	17	10	11	11	13	12	2	2	–	–	–
5th	32,000	5d6	17	10	11	11	13	12	2	2	1	–	–
6th	64,000	6d6	17	10	11	11	13	12	2	2	2	–	–
7th	120,000	7d6	14	8	9	9	10	10	3	2	2	1	–
8th	250,000	8d6	14	8	9	9	10	10	3	3	2	2	–
9th	400,000	9d6	14	8	9	9	10	10	3	3	3	2	1
10th	600,000	9d6+2†	12	6	7	8	8	8	3	3	3	3	2

^*AC0: Modified attack roll needed to hit Armour Class 0.
^†Hit point modifiers from CON no longer apply.

Noisy Map Maker

I made a spreadsheet (it's a Google Sheet) that takes a dungeon map like this one:

Raw map data

...and turns it into an imperfect, noisy dungeon map handout for your players. Naturally there's lots of ways to introduce noise/errors to an image, but I wanted one that was solveable by clever players. That is, it'd still have some use if they couldn't solve the puzzle, but if they could, they'd know the dungeon layout.

(in this case, not the presence of doors or walls dividing adjacent rooms, as the map scale is 10 ft per cell. But you could make a map to a different scale)

How it works is by assigning a random number from one of two lists to a cell, based on whether the corresponding cell for the true map is blank or not. The two lists follow / don't follow a simple mathematical rule. Then a simple conditional formatting rule fills the cell based on whether the number is above a certain threshold. The conditional formatting creates the "noise", while cracking the rule gets you back to the true underlying information.

The easiest version of this puzzle just uses two adjacent sets of integers. You can even let players have control over the conditional formatting if a laptop or tablet is available, letting them home in on the correct threshold:

Numbers in [0,255] / Numbers in [256,512]

A simple divisibility rule is of middling difficulty.

Divisible by 3 / Not divisible by 3

Probably the hardest of the three pre-populated options is prime numbers. Though if you used this one, you could be sneaky here and indicate secret doors or similar with a 1, as 1 is neither prime nor composite.

Composite numbers / Prime numbers

You can download and mess around with the sheet, defining your own number lists (and associated rule to crack) and tweaking the conditional formatting threshold to have the right amount of noise. If you use this in a game, let me know how it goes!

Just remember the two lists must have different averages, otherwise the conditional formatting applied to the cells won't tell players much. A list of the first 1,000 even numbers and the first 1,000 odd numbers will look completely random if the conditional formatting rule is "colour cells with value > 1000". The goal is to look sufficiently nonrandom so as to tip off the players there's actual meaning to decipher.

But diegetically, what is this handout anyway?

d6	Reason for the map
1.	An ancient alien scannerbot, caked with dust, has done a geophysical survey of the dungeon. Its memory is corrupted, but its hologram display function still works. The map is unlikely to include recent dungeon extensions or geologic shifts.
2.	A room has a huge crystal, glowing amber, set in the ceiling. Dust motes hover in the light, apparently trying to tell you something. They respond to your thoughts more than they do drafts of air, their motion growing less random the more you concentrate. In this case the numbers aren't literal, decoding them represents this concentration.
3.	Extremely paranoid da Vinci-type gnome was the dungeon mapper for an adventuring party, disguising her findings as apparent gibberish numbers. Her skeleton lies in a trapped secret corridor, her cipher too devious for her party to decipher and come to her aid. Her worldly possessions, including the journal with this map, are for sale at an auction.
4.	An imp bound in chains of rock-salt sits impudently in a glowing magic circle. Eager to tempt the party into a dark deal he quickly pens the map in immaculate calligraphy for them. He promises them the trick to reading it, if only they would release him.
5.	Each number is actually meaningful. An ethereal telepath-spider unable to sense the physical world made the map to chart what it perceived as the dungeon layout. The map is a hovering blue tapestry, that can only be manipulated by ghosts and force effects. The dungeon is enchanted such that if two creature stand in spots with the same number, they can see through eah other's eyes and telepathically communicate. There is no saving throw to resist this effect, but moving to a different spot breaks the link.
6.	A colossal brain-eating catfish lurks in a cavern behind a secret passage. They have seeded the dungeon with clues, in the hopes of luring only the most intelligent, piquant brains to their demesne.

Reincarnated Background (5e)

You died.

The druid brought you back. You are now something else.

The druid won't say why they did it, or what they want in return. They left a token behind. You tried throwing it away, but it always returned the next day.

"You are free to continue your mortal life", they told you. Druids always lie.

Note that choosing this background does not mean you have to roll on a reincarnation table for your former or current race. Two tables are provided below, the standard table, and a spicy table. Consult your GM about which to use if you decide to roll.

Proficiencies and Equipment

As another background (choose or roll), plus one of the following trinkets left to you by the druid.

Trinket

1. pendant carved from oak, stylised weeping eye
2. tiny smooth riverstone knife, grip shaped for no human hand
3. owl skull, glimmer of starlight in its orbits
4. hybrid flower, dried/pressed between two sheets of giants' fingernail
5. wax anticandle, grows taller and sheds darkness when burned
6. fairy-chess piece, imparts intuitive sense of its legal movement to all who touch it

Feature: Agent of The Druid

You understand Druidic, but cannot speak it.

The druid reincarnated you for a reason they chose not to share with you at this time. They exist as a patron who may offer additional favours or call in their debt.

You are also notable within druid circles, apart from the most remote or isolationist ones. Revealing your benefactor's sigil may open certain doors, but it may also attract unwanted attention.

Ideals, Bonds, Flaws

Use another background's tables for these. Your reincarnation has not changed these.

How You Feel About Your Reincarnation

1. Ill-fitted. Phantom limbs, itching sensations, clumsiness with your new proportions.
2. Alienation. Accepted neither by your old race or your new one.
3. Gratitude. The possibility of redressing past regrettable actions.
4. Freedom. To live a new life unshackled by your old reputation and actions.
5. Fish out of water. People react to your new identity, affording different privileges, trust, or fear.
6. Absolutely nothing. The mortal body is false and transitory, the spirit is the true reality. So nothing's really changed, right?
7. Relief.. You were dragged out of Hell. You probably fear returning.
8. Grief. You were dragged out of Heaven. You probably hate the druid's guts.

Standard Reincarnation Table

d100	Race
01-04	Dragonborn
05-13	Dwarf, hill
14-21	Dwarf, mountain
22-25	Elf, dark
26-34	Elf, high
35-42	Elf, wood
43-46	Gnome, forest
47-52	Gnome, rock
53-56	Half-elf
57-60	Half-orc
61-68	Halfling, lightfoot
69-76	Halfling, stout
77-96	Human
97-00	Tiefling

For the following, spicier table, roll a d6 twice (i.e. d36) for uniform odds, or d100 for odds closer to a typical fantasy setting.

Note that a GM who prefers a less kitchen-sink setting should curate their own table, or let player rolls on this table determine which intelligent nonhumans exist or are predominant within the setting.

Spicy Reincarnation Table

d36	d100	Race
1-1	00-01	Aasimar
1-2	02-03	Aranea
1-3	04	Azer
1-4	05-06	Crabfolk
1-5	07	Dragon (wyrmling, random colour1)
1-6	08-10	Dragonborn
2-1	11-16	Dwarf
2-2	17-21	Elf
2-3	22-24	Fir Bolg
2-4	25	Flumph
2-5	26	Garuda
2-6	27-31	Gnoll
3-1	32-35	Gnome
3-2	36-43	Goblin
3-3	44	Golem (clay)
3-4	45	Gwyllion
3-5	46-53	Halfling
3-6	54-55	Houri
4-1	56-65	Human
4-2	66-67	Jinn
4-3	68	Kappa
4-4	69	Kitsune
4-5	70-73	Kobold
4-6	74-76	Lizardfolk
5-1	77	Maenad
5-2	78	Mantisman
5-3	79-80	Merfolk
5-4	81	Naiad
5-5	82	Nāga
5-6	83-88	Orc
6-1	89	Sahuagin
6-2	90-91	Selkie
6-3	92-93	Slugfolk
6-4	94	Tanuki
6-5	95-98	Tiefling
6-6	99	Yakfolk

¹Roll d10 and read across: black, blue, brass, bronze, copper, gold, green, red, silver, white

Intangible Resources, a houserule for Knave

This is adapted from Throne of Salt's rules for Backgrounds. It's written for Knave, but is easily applicable for D&D.

A knave might have knowledge or social standing that they accrued before they join the campaign. These rules are intended for open-world, sandbox game with significant time spent in settlements. But in the event your dungeoncrawl one-shot spins off into a longer campaign, you can always go back and generate these resources for whichever knaves survive.

Generating a Knave's Resources

1. Add together your knave's Int, Wis, and Cha bonuses.

2. Roll that many d6. For every natural 1, put a point in Authority. For every natural 2, put a point in Renown, and so on.

3. Further increases or losses will come about as appropriate during gameplay.

Resource Roll Table

Die Result	Resource Type
1.	Authority - Influence within regions/social spheres where you have political power. May let you requisition resources, get better treatment from officials, etc.
2.	Reputation - As Authority, but where you don't have direct political power.
3.	Languages - Can you communicate with the goblins without resorting to pantomime? Can you decipher the ancient scroll? Can you understand the metaphor behind the sphinx's literary references?
4.	Secrets - Knowing the truth behind the curtain.
5.	Lore - Knowing the location of a forgotten temple, the properties of a legendary magic item.
6.	Divine Favour - Are you in good stead with the gods? Will they pull your arse out of the fire when your plan goes to shit?

e.g. Susan rolls up a new knave, getting Int +1, Wis +2, Cha +1. She then rolls four d6, and gets 1, 1, 6, 1. She notes an Authority score of 3, and a Divine Favour score of 1.

Susan decides her knave is the bastard daughter of the local lord. She cannot inherit title (hence turning to adventuring) but has almost as much social standing as a trueborn daughter would. She prays regularly but isn't particularly pious.

Using Resources

Some possibilities:

1. Roll-Under for Success. Roll a d6 when you want to draw on a resource. A roll equal or below your rating is a success.

2. Burn a Point for Success. You cannot roll, the only way to draw on these resources is to permanently cross off a point.

3. Burn a Point for Advantage. Permanently cross off a point to gain advantage on an ability score roll. You can retroactively use this on a roll you have failed.

4. Roll Under or Burn. Roll a d6, as with variant 1. If the roll fails, you may decide to succeed anyway by burning a point, as with variant 2.

The referee should decide on one of the above variants, or mix and match depending on situation and the risks/rewards.

e.g. you might decide that "the cheesemonger is having an affair with the town priest" is a pretty mundane secret, knowable with a d6-roll-under against Secrets. The True Name of a vengeful river spirit is a much more valuable secret that may require burning a point.

Consider:

• How long is this planned campaign? If it's only a few sessions, then perma-burning points may not be a meaningful resource.
• Are the players comfortable with the added complexity of remembering that ability score rolls are roll-high on d20 while want a high roll on a d20 while resource rolls are roll-low on d6?
• How often do you want players to solve problems with resources, compared with equipment or spells? Variant 4 is relatively powerful, and shifts the game to be more about managing social connections.
• How cool are you with a character who rolls a lot of one Resource effectively having a monopoly on that roll until they die or do something within the game fiction that reduces it? Requiring characters to burn Resource points is more likely to let everyone contribute.
• Depleting Resources eventually means characters will need to adventure specifically to regain social capital.

Note that adding Resources to the game should never take away the ability of any knave to bribe the town guards, find information in a library, or any other action resolvable with an ability score roll. Ability scores are, after all, king.

Opossum (BX Class)

I remembered Grant Howitt's Trashkin existed partway through writing this. I've tried to make sure content in this is useable in that game, and vice versa.

OPOSSUM

You had a good life. Rustled through some garbage, raised a litter of thirteen hissing young, the humans mostly left you alone. At the ripe old age of two, you were ready to die.

But something happened. Maybe it was that weird-coloured tick you ate. Maybe it was the goo seeping from the walls of your burrow. Whatever cause it, you began to change.

Now with two opposable thumbs and the intellect of the humans you once feared, you set out to plunder the undisturbed trash of long-forgotten tombs.

Hit Die: d6
Save as: Dwarf/Halfling
Attack as: Magic-User
XP progression: Magic-User
(see end of post for the level progression table)

Combat. Opossums are unable to wear any kind of armour, but may use a shield. They may use any weapon appropriate to a creature of their tiny size. As a guideline, they must wield any melee weapon with a 1d6 damage die in two hands, and cannot wield melee weapons with a larger damage die. They can wield all missile weapons except for longbows.

Bin Wizardry. An opossum can cast spells. See the BIN WIZARDRY rules below.

Play Possum. If a monster/NPC attack takes an opossum below half their full HP, this ability triggers automatically. The opossum becomes comatose for 1d6 x 10 minutes, and secretes fluids that make them noxious and unpalatable to eat, except to a carrion-eater. A save vs. paralysis avoids this effect, if desired.

Prehensile Tail. Opossums can carry (but not wield) objects in their tail, or use them to aid climbing. They can climb sheer surfaces as well as a thief of their level.

Reaching 9th Level. When a opossum attains level 9, they can establish a stronghold, usually in a run-down, abandoned manor, keep, or shrine. Other opossums will venture to this promised land, hoard their treasures within, and fortify it against intruders with makeshift traps. 1d6 of these opossums will be other uplifted ones, who will serve graciously as long as the Trashlord strings them along with promises of sharing their hard-won magical secrets.

BIN WIZARDRY

A opossum starts with two random spells from the OPOSSUM SPELL TABLE. They don't learn new spells through level-up. They learn them via mishap results of 6 & 8, or by reverse-engineering another opossum's talismans.

Spells that affect a creature may be resisted with a save vs. spells, or other appropriate saving throw.

Each spell an opossum knows is bound in its own talisman. Roll on the TALISMAN FORM TABLE to determine its appearance. To cast a spell, an opossum needs that talisman on them, and a hand free (or holding the talisman if appropriate), but does not need to speak.

A opossum can cast each spell they know as often as they like until that spell misfires. Each time they cast a spell, roll a d20, trying to get equal-or-below their Intelligence score. A opossum casting a magic-user spell (i.e. one learned via a misfire result of 8) has a penalty to this roll equal to the spell's level.

Failure causes a misfire, meaning:

• the spell doesn't go off
• roll on the MISFIRE TABLE below
• the talisman for casting that spell is broken until the opossum can repair it in a safe haven.

LEARNING NEW SPELLS

Misfire results of 6 and 8 cause a opossum to cast an unknown spell instead. Thereafter, the opossum can construct a talisman for that spell in a safe haven.

TALISMAN FORM (1d12)

1. gaudy bangle
2. misshapen medallion
3. fascinator/tiny hat
4. wizard hat/top hat
5. monocle (no lens)
6. tiny ring of power
7. special belt buckle
8. bag of glitter
9. knobbly stick
10. cool crystal
11. lucky bone
12. crown cut from tin sheet, inlaid with coloured glass beads. Improve NPC reaction results by 1 step when dealing with other opossums

MISFIRE TABLE (2d6)

Note that results of 6 & 8 are the main ways an opossum learns new spells. If you want to use a different misfire table, consider tweaking it to keep a roughly 30% chance of this happening.

2d6	Misfire
2.	1d6 animals within 60 ft are UPLIFTED, much as you were.
3.	The touch of your paws ignites flammable objects.
4.	Spell affects all creatures within 60 ft, or conjures 10 times as many seagulls, 10 times as much mucus, etc.
5.	Your fur turns a random colour of the rainbow (1d8, ROYGBIV order, an 8 means roll twice more). If shorn, grows back as its original colour.
6.	Accidentally cast an opossum spell you don't know, determined randomly.
7.	Prefix an O to one or more of your character's names. It is not silent.
8.	Accidentally cast a true magic-user spell. Determine spell level by rolling 2d6 and using the lower die, then determine a random spell from that spell level's list.
9.	A nonmagical item on your person breaks and becomes useless.
10.	Magnetically attract all nearby trash and debris, some of it forms surprisingly functional armour. Roll 1d6 to determine your new AC, which lasts for 1 hour (6 turns). e.g. in a descending system with unarmoured AC 9, roll 1d6 + 2. In an ascending system with unarmored AC 10, roll 1d6+10. Make ability score adjustments as normal for your system.
11.	Cycle denominations of all coins on your person. Roll a die. If odd, do this in an increasing direction i.e. CP -> SP -> EP -> GP -> PP -> CP. If even, do this in a decreasing direction.
12.	Portals to THE PLANE OF TRASH open, dumping 4d6 cubic feet of assorted trash (poisonous if set aflame) plus one of the following (equal chance of each): 1d6 RUSTED LUNKERS who hunger for fresh metal, a wise and docile FATBERG, or the PLASTIC PRINCE, who loves nothing more than a devil's bargain.

OPOSSUM SPELLS (1d12)

1. BIG EYEBALL. conjure 2-ft-diameter glass eye. Shatters after 1 hour. It cannot move of its own accord, but rolls quite nicely. You see through it until it breaks.

2. BOUNCY BOI. Used in response to an attack that hits with kinetic force, e.g. a sword, a rolling boulder trap, but not poison darts or dragon breath. Take no damage, instead bounce around like a bouncyball. 2 in 6 chance of landing somewhere inconvenient.

3. CARCASS TRIVIA. For 1 hour any corpse or remains you touch will stir to life and tell you one thing it knows. They will not stir again, even on a different casting of this spell.

4. CONJURE SEAGULLS. Swarm of seagulls appears within 60 ft for 10 minutes. Distracting and utterly fearless. Surrounded creatures cannot cast spells. Will mob for food. You have no control over them.

5. DELIGHTFUL SMELL. Detect presence and direction of any edible material within 60 ft. You cannot tell materials apart, they all smell delicious. This includes most monsters.

6. EXCAVATE. For 10 minutes, can telekinetically excavate or tunnel through soil or other loose, packable material, at a rate of one 5-foot cube per minute. Excavation lasts 1d6 weeks before collapsing.

7. MUCUS. Stick two things together, requires 2d6 total points of Str to pull apart, or pounds of force equal to 50 x that number. Can also plug leaks, prevent evaporation, etc.

8. NEW TEETH. Creature touched grows a new set of teeth over 20 minutes. All old ones fall out over this time; quite painful.

9. RENDER EDIBLE. Transmute 10 pounds of material into a substance rather like raw potato. Worth 2 days' rations, 4 if cooked.

10. SCRËM. 60 ft range, creature affected must shout their next sentence. Lasts indefinitely until sentence is uttered. Generally audible to 300 ft. The creature can use this sentence to scrëmolocate, thus mapping all open passageways & terrain features within 120 ft, but not enclosed rooms or secret doors.

11. SO DUSTY. 10 ft square area within 60 ft is covered with a thick layer of dust. Each breathing creature passing through area has a 2 in 6 chance of a horrible fit of sneezing.

12. STILTWALK. Touched creature's legs grow by 15 ft. Gives enormous stride, increasing combat movement rate by 15 ft. Creature is ungainly, has disadvantage on rolls requiring nimbleness. Exploration movement rate is thus unaffected.

NOTES ON LEVEL PROGRESSION

The following table is based on B/X values.

To-Hit lists two numbers, the first is THAC0, the second, [bracketed] value is for ascending systems, using the magic-user attack bonuses in Swords & Wizardry.

A unified save, also taken from S&W, is provided. If (and only if) this is used, a opossum receives +4 to saves vs disease and poison (and not the +4 vs magic that the dwarf and halfling receive).

A Google Sheet version of the following table can be found here

Opossum Level Progression

Level	Title	XP	Hit Dice	To-Hit	Climb Sheer Surfaces	Saving Throws
						Unified	Death	Wands	Paralysis	Breath	Spells
1st	Waif	0	1d6	19 [+0]	87%	14	8	9	10	13	12
2nd	Scrounger	2,500	2d6	19 [+0]	88%	13	8	9	10	13	12
3rd	Degenerate	5,000	3d6	19 [+0]	89%	12	8	9	10	13	12
4th	Mudlark	10,000	4d6	19 [+0]	90%	11	6	7	8	10	10
5th	Guttersnipe	20,000	5d6	19 [+1]	91%	10	6	7	8	10	10
6th	Tatterdemalion	40,000	6d6	17 [+1]	92%	9	6	7	8	10	10
7th	Trickster	80,000	7d6	17 [+2]	93%	8	4	5	6	7	8
8th	Mountebank	150,000	8d6	17 [+2]	94%	7	4	5	6	7	8
9th	Trashlord	300,000	9d6	17 [+3]	95%	6	4	5	6	7	8
10th	-	450,000	9d6+1†	17 [+3]	96%	5	2	3	4	4	6

^†Hit point modifiers from CON no longer apply

Low Fantasy Gaming, a review

This is a largely 5e-compatible ruleset that borrows a lot from old-school D&D and the OSR. And that's the kind of space I like to dabble in, so let's hop in!

This is a review of the free PDF of the 2016 basic edition. Since you can read it yourself for free, this review, while long, won't be as in-depth as my Let's Read of Best Left Buried. There's currently a kickstarter for the Deluxe Edition, in its final week. So if this review is rushed in places, I'm sorry, I wanted it out before the kickstarter ends.

TL;DR this ruleset did not grip me enough to back the kickstarter, but I would happily play it if a GM or my players suggested it. The bits that appealed to me are super easy to lift for other D&D-ish games. It's easy to learn if you're versed in 5e, though there's some interesting differences (including basic mechanics) that I'll cover below.

What Low Fantasy Gaming Promises

• Rules-light, rulings over rules.
• Fast combat, encouraging creativity over carefully delineated spells or powers. If you hate 5e's already loose combat maneuver rules (as compared to 4e or 3.5/PF), this will not be your cup of tea.
• Dangerous and gritty. Expect injury tables.
• A "Realistic" World. Magic and monsters are rare, PCs and villains are humans more often than not.
• Dark & Dangerous Magic. The basic rules have only one spellcasting class, and the Deluxe rules only have two. Magic is risky. Permanent magic items are rare. Expect wild magic tables.
• Riches & Glory. You're treasure hunters exploring the unknown, not the Epic Chosen Heroes.
• Open World. Sandboxy, episodic adventuring. Not that 5e has any mechanics that push long, arc-based storytelling *shrug*
• Generic Ruleset. The author has his own Midlands setting, but the rulebook can be used for various low magic &/or swords-and-sorcery settings.

Character Generation

The game uses the classic D&D ability scores, except Wisdom is split into Willpower and Perception. One score is automatically a 15, the rest are rolled on 4d6b3 as with 5e. The player chooses where scores go. There are no ability score adjustments for race, in fact, having races at all is entirely optional.

Ability score modifiers are closer to those of BX D&D rather than 3e/4e/5e D&D. e.g. an ability score of 9-12 maps to a modifier of +0, and 17-18 maps to +3.

PCs and monsters have a Luck stat, used for saving throws and as a character resource. It fuels martial exploits, but the text suggests playing free and loose with it, e.g. make a Luck roll to choose which monster to summon with a spell instead of it being random. Luck is always set to 10 + half level (round up) at the start of an adventure, but is depleted by 1 with every *successful* Luck check. A long rest only restores 1 Luck point.

PCs also have a Reroll Pool equal to their level, used for trained skills, various class abilities, and on rolls to avoid dying if the character hits 0 hp. Honestly I don't see why this couldn't have been merged with the Luck stat. It's difficult to remember which rules and abilities deplete which resources.

No Alignment, and no Backgrounds in the 5e sense. Instead, each PC rolls on a table of Bonds to generate connections with at least one other party member. e.g. you were both "lone survivors of the Blackbrand Mercenary Company, destroyed in a recent engagement with their bitter rivals, the Shen-Zu Raiders."

There are five classes, Barbarian, Bard (not a spellcaster), Fighter, Magic-User, and Rogue. The Deluxe rules are adding Artificer, Cultist, Monk, and Ranger.

There is no multi- or dual-classing, but every 3rd level, each class gets an open-ended "make up your own ability" feature, which includes the explicit advice to crib ideas from other games, pick "cross class" abilities if wanted (so... kinda like 4th edition), or just increase an ability score by 1 if you prefer a simpler character sheet. The Deluxe Edition promises 36 pre-made abilities for those who don't fancy designing/balancing their own.

Classes follow the "no dead levels" philosophy of later-edition D&D, getting a new feature (or spell level) at every level. The classes are all roughly the level of complexity of a 5e class, and most features are clearly written. They're all roughly what you would expect from playing 5e -- a barbarian can choose to enter a rage, a bard buffs their allies, etc. Magic-User can take healing spells and some other cleric staples.

All classes can contribute to finding traps and disarming them. All classes have Detection (the former) on their skill list, while Bards, Fighters & Rogues have the Traps & Locks (the latter) on their list. The Rogue has no class features making them extra-good at disabling traps, though they (and any class) can take such abilities with their open-ended slots.

Similar to B/X, all classes cap out at 12th level. They also all get a "stronghold" type feature at 10th level. No level titles though ;-)

You roll for starting money which is used to buy equipment. This is made more awkward by the fact that prices for equipment (though not weapons or armour) are rolled randomly, e.g. an acid vial costs 5d10+50 gp. I prefer either the "equipment package" approach of 5e, the random items of a system like Maze Rats, or Into the Odd's table lookup method. If you want to stick with the shopping method, decide if you want lots of rolling for prices, or rule that items cost their average when bought during chargen.

Task Resolution

Attack rolls are your typical d20 system rolls. Roll d20 + your attack bonus + relevant ability modifier, equal or exceed the target's Armour Class. Melee is always Str, ranged is always Dex, i.e. there are no finesse weapons, and the few spells which call for an attack roll don't base that roll on Int.

Unlike 5e, there is no unified Proficiency Bonus. Different classes have different attack bonus progressions: Fighters & Barbarians (and monsters) have an attack bonus equaling their level, while the other classes have a roughly 2:3 progression. You add your Str or Dex modifier to that, as appropriate for the attack.

Ability checks are *roll-equal-or-under* the relevant ability score. A relevant skill proficiency adds +1 to the ability score, and more importantly lets you spend a use of your Reroll Pool to reroll a failure.

The winner of an Opposed Check is whoever rolled under their ability score by the most. e.g. a beastman (Dexterity 10) is trying to hide from Linda's Fighter (Perception 15). The beastman rolls 7, Linda rolls 15. Neither failed the roll, but the beastman succeeded by 3 and Linda by 0, so her Fighter fails to spot the monster.

Saving throws are roll equal or under your current Luck score + the relevant ability score modifier. Recall if you succeed on the save, your Luck then decreases by 1. This means saving throws vs spells are more like the old-school norm. A 12th-level caster's fireball is no harder to resist than a 5th-level caster's, though it will certainly deal more damage!

Situational modifiers generally range from +2 to -2, though some rules like three-quarters cover grant larger modifiers, and there's the now-ubiquitous Advantage/Disadvantage mechanic. There are suggested rules for Group Checks (i.e. everyone succeeds if at least half do) and Degrees of Success/Failure, though unlike PbtA games and the like, there's no "succeed at a cost". There are also rules for Chases. They boil down to a 4e-style skill challenge, with a random event/obstacle/complication table that gets rolled on each turn.

Overall, task resolution is based on functional, well-understood ideas, but the mix of d20 system rolls and d20-roll-under is needlessly complicated. I love d20 roll-under, but if you're going to use that for ability checks, may as well use it for attacks as well a la Whitehack, The Black Hack, or derivative games.

Combat

1st-level characters don't have maximised HP. As with old-school D&D, after 9th level, characters only get +1 or +2 HP per level, no Con modifier. That and the different ability modifier scale means characters will have slightly less HP than in 5e. It isn't quite as brutal as BX and similar games though -- Hit Die results are limited to the upper half of their range. e.g. the Fighter doesn't roll 1d10 + Con each level, instead they roll 1d5 + 5 + Con.

Player turns in combat do look like they'd be kept fairly short despite the feature-heavy classes. Fighters and Barbarians can make an Extra Attack starting from Level 7, but each usage costs a point from their Reroll Pool. There are no bonus-action or reaction spells, and combat maneuvers either trigger on a natural 19 or are made in addition to an attack. Not all the tactical consideration is removed -- players will still be choosing what resources they're OK depleting (HP, Reroll Pool, spells, limited rages/bardic inspirations/day).

Combat follows a typical d20 system structure. Each character acts on their own individual initiative, rolled on a d20 unmodified by any ability score, though some weapons and other effects adjust Initiative).

Unlike 5e, you cannot move before and after your action.

Attacks of opportunity (called "free attacks") exist, but are provoked only by moving out of an enemy's reach (*not* moving out of each/every square within enemy's reach, as with 3.5) and by critical fumbles. Casting a spell doesn't provoke them.

Rolling poorly on initiative is bad for spellcasters -- you can't cast a spell at all if you've already been hit that round.

The weapon table has a similar number of entries to 5e, but the rules for each weapon are generally more complex. Many grant bonuses to certain rolls, and/or have a special ability that triggers on a natural 19, e.g. a heavy crossbow will knock enemies prone.

Attack rolls crit on a natural 20, dealing max damage + 1/2 your level. A natural 1 is a critical fumble, provoking a free attack from an enemy in melee or possibly hitting an ally instead.

Damage is based on weapon, not class. There are no Finesse weapons -- all melee attacks are made with Str, all ranged with Dex. Anyone can two-weapon fight -- unlike 5e the off-hand attack is made at disadvantage but adds Str modifier to damage. Unlike 5e, crossbows deal lots of damage but take your action to reload.

As with 5e, Armour Class is 10 + Dex modifier + armour bonus, but your full modifier is added regardless of armour type. Shields give a +1 bonus, but a player can also simply declare that a shield negates an attack. This ability cannot be used again until the shield is repaired back in civilisation, but the shield will usually continue to provide its +1 bonus.

Combat maneuvers (here called Exploits) are handled as case-by-case GM rulings. Minor Exploits with a 1-round effect (e.g. throwing sand in someone's eyes) are handled as follows: attacker states desired effect, then makes an attack. If it hits, it deals damage as normal, then an Opposed Check determines if the desired effect happens. Major Exploits (e.g. severing a limb) are available to PCs only, have some guidelines affecting their power (e.g. no single-target extra damage, no instant death/incapacitation unless the monster has Hit Dice less than PC's level), and call for a Luck Check instead of an Opposed Check, so are limited in use.

I really like these Exploit rules. They're not as constrained as, say, 4e martial powers or 5e's Battle Master Fighter archetype, but have more guidance and dwindling Luck management than just being a really permissive GM towards Champion Fighters, which is my usual approach in 5e.

The game borrows 4e's bloodied mechanic (called staggered here). Some PC and monster abilities care about whether a creature is staggered.

You are unconscious and dying at 0 hp. After combat (or once your body is hauled out of danger) an ally can tend to you. You then make a Con check (not a Luck save). If you fail, or if no ally is around to rescue you, you're dead. If you succeed, you're stable and will wake on 1 hp in 1d3 minutes, and make a roll on the Injuries & Setbacks table. Note that while magical healing works instantly if the target is above 0 hp, if used on a 0 hp creature, it takes 1d3 minutes to work. Once someone hits 0 hp, they're out of the fight.

Adventuring

Short rests are only a few minutes, rather than 1 hour. You are limited to three short rests every 24 hours, and each one allows you to roll a different number of Will checks: 1, 2, or 3, plus extra checks per day equal to your Con modifier, distributed among the three rests as you see fit. For each successful Will check, you either:

• regain half your lost HP + your Con bonus
• regain a limited-use class ability or spell slot
• restore 1 point to your Reroll Pool.
  

Honestly the accounting here is a bit complicated here, and I would immediately houserule it. Three rests, make one Con check for each one. Success means you choose two of the above benefits, failure means you choose only 1.

I am unsure about the shortened rest duration. I like how a short rest in 5e is long enough to incur at least one wandering monster roll, but also understand the desire to encourage players to push on instead of retreating & making camp for the day.

A long rest, on the other hand, takes 1d6 days (1d4 in an inn), recovers pretty much everything (including attribute damage), except only 1 Luck is regained, and you only regain slightly more than half your lost HP. This is fine, though with 3 short rests/day plus healing magic I'd just handwave everyone goes back to full HP.

There is even less emphasis on inventory management than in 5e D&D. The Fighter even has a class feature (useable 1/adventure) that lets them retroactively have brought along the right mundane equipment for the situation. There are no guidelines for how much items weigh, how much stuff a person of a given Str (or Con) can carry, or how they are affected if they approach/exceed this amount.

(I'm kinda OK with this. People with strong opinions on the importance of encumbrance also usually have strong opinions on their preferred subsystem for modelling it, and for everyone else, GM fiat is good enough)

There is no XP. Levelling-up happens after every adventure, assuming the character meaningfully participated. There's optional rules for acquiring parts of your next level (e.g. the extra HP, class abilities, or reroll die) after each session.

GM-Facing Stuff

NPC reactions and morale are handled with Cha and Will checks rather than the 2d6 rolls of old-school D&D. This is fine, but I'd use degrees of success here -- binary "friendly/unfriendly" is less interesting than the old-school reaction results of "hostile, unfriendly, unsure, indifferent, friendly". Some monster abilities, e.g. magic resistance, are handled with percentile rolls.

Wilderness travel speeds and encounter distances by terrain type are provided, but no B/X-style procedures for hexcrawling, getting lost & veering course, weather at sea, etc. This is probably not the ruleset for you if you're interested in playing a game about the journey, not just the episodic adventures that punctuate it.

Traps are divided into Simple Traps, and more setpiece Complex Traps. There are no "hazard/trap severity by level" guidelines as with later D&D editions. Clever narration of a PC's actions can find Simple Traps without a Perception check, and it's suggested that Complex Traps telegraph their presence before they activate. Good advice, wish more DMs would follow it.

Magic

The big change is that casting magic is always risky. Whenever a spell is cast, the caster rolls a d20. A natural 1 causes a roll on the Dark & Dangerous Magic table and a loss of one Luck point, but the spell is still cast. If no DDM effect occurs, the odds of DDM increase by 1 for subsequent rolls. When a DDM effect finally happens, the DDM chance resets to 1 in 20.

The rules are unclear whether one DDM number is used to track all PC and NPC casters, or if each has their own DDM number. I could see either choice being fun.

The DDM table is full of creepy/sinister effects rather than the lighthearted goofiness of the 5e Wild Magic table. Some mechanical benefits, some banes, and some that have no mechanical effect but which could definitely influence play direction. For some reason, "an enraged [monster appears for 1d4 minutes]" has multiple entries in the table, even though the table is already d100 with varying odds for different entries.

I like the DDM mechanic. I know some people aren't a fan of how 5e Wild Magic Sorcerer triggers their magic surges (i.e. the DM just says a surge happens, then gives the sorcerer their special reroll back). This is a good alternative that is applicable to all spellcasters. And some of the DDM table entries are great, e.g. "Heartless: You have no discernible heartbeat, and do not bleed. The effect lasts 1d12 months.", even though I overall prefer the goofiness of the 5e table.

The rest of the magic system changes are more subtle:

Magic-Users cast spells like a 3e Sorcerer, or 5e non-warlock class, i.e. spontaneous casting from your known list, not strictly Vancian fire-and-forget casting.

Magic-Users have no cantrips, but otherwise have a similar number of spell slots to 5e wizards (though remember a long rest is 1d6 days!). Int is always their casting stat, but this has minimal effect on their spells' effectiveness. I only spotted it counting towards HP healed by Cure Light Wounds or Cure Serious Wounds, and to a Luck(Int) check that Dispel Magic instructs you to make. Int does determine number of known spells (Int mod × character level) + 1. In a nice touch that pushes adventurers towards dungeon delving, magic-users get an extra known spell each level-up if they have new tomes, scrolls etc to pore over.

Each spell level has 20 listed spells, which are numbered. Anything that aids random generation is good. Some spells can be reversed, as with older D&D editions.

There's no casting a spell as a ritual to save the spell slot. Some spells like Detect Magic have much longer durations to compensate, a nice attention to detail. Similarly there's no "Duration: Concentration" spells. You can maintain as many spell effects as you have slots to cast them with. There are also no "At Higher Levels" entries for spells -- they automatically scale with the caster's level, such as Fireball, or they don't scale at all, such as Sleep.

The spell text is a mix of old and new, e.g. Thunderwave is in there, but so is Protection From Normal Missiles. Fireball will shape itself to the available volume, Lightning Bolt doesn't bounce off walls though. The damaging spells are closer to their AD&D and 3e text than to 5e, e.g. Magic Missile produces 1 missile every odd caster level, instead of 5e's 3 + 1 per higher-level slot. Sleep affects 4d4 Hit Dice of creatures, rather than affecting creatures by current hit points as in 5e.

Magic-users can learn elemental variants if desired, e.g. Frostball instead of Fireball. Researching unique spells is also briefly mentioned as a possible downtime activity. Sometimes players need explicit permission to come up with new stuff, make the game their own, so this is good. Monsters rarely have elemental resistances or vulnerabilities, so modding spells doesn't cause any balance issues.

The Deluxe text (and the Midlands setting) renames a bunch of spells, e.g. Hold Person becomes Crush of the Warp. This may or may not suit your tastes.

Resurrection magic is deliberately absent, as is long-range teleportation and lie detection. Dimension Door is in there, but unlike 5e, requires line of sight to the destination.

A couple of original spells are quite nice: Ritual Magic is a catch-all for long-term warding spells like explosive runes, while Forbidden Wish can duplicate lower-level spells, or strike a bargain with an otherworldly being for a more powerful effect, incurring a debt, madness, and Con loss.

Overall this keeps magic relatively simple, not as easy to teach as Knave's system, but closer in power level to 5e with less of its fiddly specifics.

Magic Items

Permanent magic items are meant to be rare, most magic items should be potions and spell scrolls. Unlike 5e, anyone can cast from a scroll. But if you're too low-level (or not a Magic-User) you make an Int check or the spell goes awry, rolling on the DDM table instead. This is basically how I houserule scrolls in 5e anyway, so this change is welcome.

Because permanent items are rare, there's no equivalent to 5e's "max 3 attuned items" rule. "Attunement" in this ruleset refers to the tendency of permanent magic items to gain extra powers as an owner continues to wield them. The rate at which these powers might be unlocked, and/or any requirements for them, are left to the GM to decide.

Instead of a list of "canonical" permanent magic items, the game provides a random table of item types, and two random tables of item properties, one obvious, one discreet. Items have a 2 in 3 chance of being discreet in their nature, but there are 20 listed discreet properties and 34 obvious ones, which is a bit back-to-front? Probably still enough to get you through a campaign or two before duplicate effects get rolled. Many properties, when used, cause a DDM roll to be made after their use. Many properties mimic a spell, these generally can only be used every 1d4 days, but aren't subject "if you've been hit this round, you can't cast spells" rule.

I just rolled up:

• a Storm-Calling Greatsword that can change the weather within 10 miles to anything short of catastrophic (i.e. no cyclones) for 1d4 days. It requires a DDM check each day the unnatural weather persists.
• a Telepathic Cloak, that lets you mentally communicate at will with creatures, causing a DDM roll after every conversation.
• a mysterious scaled egg, the size of a child's fist and warm to the touch. Its possessor can treat themself as trained in any skill, but must make a DDM roll each time they use this benefit.

Pretty functional way to quickly put together treasure for a one-shot :-)

Random Tables

I covered the Dark & Dangerous Magic and Magic Item tables above. This book has plenty of other random tables, most of which are either system-neutral or trivial to adapt to your game of choice.

I like the 1d20 list of Bonds for connecting PCs with each other. e.g. you were both "Indentured gladiators of the dreaded Ogorien Fighting Pits". This is much faster and easier to bring up in play than 5e's Ideal, Bond, Flaw system.

The Injuries & Setbacks table (rolled on if you hit 0 hp but survive) is rolled on d20, has 13 injury effects, 3 "damaged equipment" effects, or is just a minor scar on a 17+. Some entries cause ability score damage, requiring recalculation of modifiers. Others cause a roll on a separate Madness table. Otherwise, pretty straightforward.

The Chase Events table is quite useful. I prefer Whitehack's auction mechanic for chases over the skill-challenge mechanic here, but will pinch this table for spicing up the former.
A d30 table of paragraph-long dungeon room entries, generally pretty evocative and good in a pinch.

The Madness table has no associated mechanical penalties/benefits, leaving that up to player/GM suggestion. There is a minor mechanic for madness progression/remission, i.e. more or less frequent triggers. The spell Cure Malady can weaken a madness one stage, or cure a madness on the lowest stage.

The Carry Loot table (i.e. "I loot the bodies") entries are generic, though I guess you don't want every slain brigand to be carrying bizarro trinkets and cursed gold. The Trinkets & Curios table is excellent at building out the world in unpredictable ways. The Valuables table is somewhere in between, there's some description but far fewer of them will spark unusual play directions.

The Random Encounter tables are pretty solid, unlike some games the author actually realises not every encounter should be "raar, a monster attacks". There's advice for new GMs that not every rolled monster should be approached as a combat encounter. The City/Town/Village table is almost entirely non-combat (though could certainly escalate into it). A few entries are basically just local colour, but a lot more entries will likely drive play forward. The wilderness tables are 70% monsters, 15% hazards, 15% oddities/adventure seeds. The tables deliberately avoid providing "level appropriate" encounters. Monsters usually have a stated behaviour or motivation, even if it's just "hunting for food" or "camping", these are better prompts than just saying "1d6 fire beetles".

There's a better idea density in the encounter tables than in, say, Xanathar's Guide to Everything. But they felt very typical low-mid level D&D to me, not the "monsters are rare, most threats are human" that was promised. This isn't necessarily bad -- I'd use these for a Forgotten Realms or Skyrim game, just not a Westeros or Middle Earth game. Maybe the Midlands setting book has different encounter tables?

Monsters

These have simplified stat blocks closer to old-school D&D. Their Hit Dice (always d8) also count as their attack bonus. Ability scores (including Luck) are provided for the purpose of ability checks, but modifiers to attack, damage, etc are ignored, and monsters don't have skills. Special weaknesses and powers are usually described in accompanying text rather than the stat block. Each monster has a special ability that triggers on a natural 19 attack roll, e.g. an ogre mage can summon spirit warriors, a roc might grab a target and fly away, some other monsters just force a roll on the Injury & Setback table.

I like this "take the load of tactical analysis off the GM by having monster abilities proc randomly" idea -- speeding up the GM's turn and getting back to players is always good. But I would increase the odds for a lot of these abilities. 5% per attack is pretty low given how many rounds combat usually lasts, e.g. 3 rounds means only a 14% chance the monster's neat trick will come up.

Guidelines for turning any monster into a Boss Monster are provided: double HP, immune to Major Exploits unless staggered, a Reroll Pool same as adventurers, Off-Turn Attacks, and special powers of the GM's design.

Most of the provided monsters are standard D&D-isms, which is useful for compatibility purposes but undermines their scariness for all but the newest players. Converting monsters, either from 5e or OSR games, is trivial though, so that's not a huge problem. A few nods to classic tropes, e.g. dragons automatically smelling all living things within 60 ft, make some entries feel more alive than 5e's more sterile "blindsight 60 ft" text.

Conclusion

There's a lot to like in this game, and it's very easy to pick and choose the bits you like and apply them to other d20 games. Creating a character is faster than in 5e, most classes don't have spells, the spellcasting rules are easier to explain than 5e's are. Dark & Dangerous Magic and the depleting Luck resource are fun mechanics, death & dying is more threatening than 5e, but magical healing still isn't necessary to have. PC and monster combat abilities are worded so as to avoid combat slowdown, while the Exploit rules provide just the right level of guidance for me.

But I'm underwhelmed by task resolution being a mix of typical d20 system rolls and d20-roll-under, by the game having both a Luck stat and Reroll Pool, by some aspects of the combat system, by the resting rules.

I would happily play in a LFG campaign, or run one if players specifically requested it. But if I ran it, I'd be inclined to houserule a bunch of stuff, and at that point, choosing this over 5e or Whitehack makes a lot less sense without some external factor pushing me to do so. And if I specifically wanted swords & sorcery, Sharp Swords & Sinister Spells provides at least as many tools to emulate that genre as LFG does, while being a much lighter ruleset.

I won't be backing the Kickstarter, but I will keep an eye out for the Deluxe version once it's available for non-backers & see if I like it more. I also want to read more of the Adventure Frameworks -- I bought one and it's gone straight into my pile of one-shots, so it's pretty likely I'll buy and read the Midlands setting book sometime soon.

Skyrabbits (monster for BX & 5e)

Midnight-blue rabbits whose lustrous fur twinkles with motes of light. They can burrow through any earthly material, their bodies subject to no mortal poison. They live in the firmament, grazing on moonsilver vegetation growing inside the cavernous pinprick holes that let in starlight from beyond.

"When I was a wee boy, the sky fell.

"The sages say an armada from beyond the stars came to breach our "crystal sphere", whatever that is. Whatever they were, they failed, but their cannons or whatever must have blasted fragments of the sky itself down here. Now the sky grew back, else I wouldn't be here, but those fragments were riddled with skyrabbit warrens.

"They burrow through anything with ease: wood, stone, even steel. Our world must be nothing to paws and teeth capable of digging through the sky itself. Rumour has it even the wizard Arthras, one of the few still able to conjure the fabled Wall of Force, was unable to repel an infestation from his demesne. Supposedly his tower stands abandoned, its foundations doomed to collapse any month now.

"Their fur's easy to spot, and they're worth a small fortune even once the twinkle wears off. But not even wolves can catch them, and they shrug off any poison. Caught one in a trap once, but it just gnawed through the metal, leaving only shining purple blood behind. Occasionally some big military commander captures a few to dig into an enemy castle or something. But the breeding stock always gets loose again, letting the bastards loose on yet more soil.

"There's a ranger stalking these parts, follows the Old Ways. She says the world itself rejects these beings of aether, that they cause reality to erode. I've seen it, I think. The soil near their warrens, just... decaying into its fundamental parts. She says that if they're not stopped, eventually the skyrabbits might destroy the world as we know it.

"I'll be long-dead by then though. Just m'bones, drifting through the stars. Sounds neat."

Skyrabbits in B/X

Note: [square bracketed] stats are for use with systems with ascending AC and/or unified saving throws

Armour Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 1⁄2 (2hp)
Move: 150’ (50’), 60’ (20’) burrowing
Attacks: 1 × bite or kick, 19 [+0] to hit
Damage: 1
Saves: as normal human [18], Death 14 Wands 15 Paralysis 16 Breath 17 Spells 18
Morale: 5
Alignment: Neutral
XP: 5
Number Appearing: 1d3 (3d6)
Treasure Type: None

• Flighty: Unless magically summoned or controlled, skyrabbits check morale every round.
• Glowing pelt: Sheds light for 10 ft. Continues glowing for 1d6 days after death. 
• Immunity: Unaffected by common poisons.
• Keen smell: Automatically smell silver, otherwise only surprised on a 1.
• Peerless burrower: Can burrow through any known material, including magic forcefields.

Skyrabbits in 5e

Tiny beast, unaligned

Armour Class 11
Hit Points 3 (1d4 + 1)
Speed 40 ft., burrow 20 ft.

STR     DEX     CON     INT     WIS     CHA
4 (−3)  12 (+1) 12 (+1) 2 (−4)  14 (+2) 14 (+2)
 
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned
Senses darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 12
Languages --
Challenge 0 (10 XP) 

Illumination. The skyrabbit sheds bright light in a 10-foot radius and dim light for an additional 10 feet. The pelt continues to shed light for 1d6 days after the skyrabbit dies.

Keen Smell. The skyrabbit has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell, and automatically smell silver.

Peerless Burrower. The skyrabbit can burrow through any material, including walls of force and similar effects created by mortal spellcasters.

Actions

Bite or Kick. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 piercing or bludgeoning damage, as appropriate.