Vagabond
Core RulebookBest For
Groups wanting modern character depth married to old-school speed: 20+ ancestries, 17 classes, non-Vancian mana magic, and built-in solo/co-op/guided play.
Core Mechanic
Roll d20 vs. Difficulty (20 − Stat, doubled if Trained). Crit on nat 20, fail below Difficulty. All rolls player-facing. Spend Luck for Advantage (Favor) or rerolls (Fluke). Three saves: Endure (MIT×2), Reflex (DEX+AWR), Will (RSN+PRS). Defend with Block or Dodge on off-turns. Mana-based magic scales one spell from cantrip to nuke. Enemy AI action gambits run monsters for the GM.
Checks roll a d20 against a difficulty set by your stat, all rolled by the players. Luck is the wrinkle, spent for advantage when it counts.
- Free to tryQuickstartA free starter you can actually play
- Get it nowSold newIn print or as a legal PDF
- –IndexNo back-of-book index or page-keyed reference tables
- –GM guidanceNo how-to-run chapter
- –Examples of playNo worked examples of play
- –Quick referenceNo cheat sheet or summary tables
- ✓Cross-referencesRules point to each other by page
1 of 5 book tools found in the core book
Highlights
Mana-based magic scales a single spell from cantrip to high-powered effect, so casters shape output on the fly instead of tracking fixed spell slots. Enemy action gambits run monsters from decision tables, removing per-turn tactical choices from the GM's workload. A spendable Luck pool buys Advantage or rerolls, turning swing into a resource players ration across a session.
Considerations
Dense class and ancestry options can overwhelm new players. Pulp-fantasy tone limits grimdark play. All rolls are player-facing, so the GM never rolls dice and every check rests on the players.
Rules license Open Compatibility
Similar systems
- Dragonbane — Mirth and mayhem roleplaying: a modern revival of Sweden's first fantasy RPGCompare Vagabond vs Dragonbane
- Scarlet Heroes — Sword and sorcery adventures for a lone hero: solo, duet, or classic playCompare Vagabond vs Scarlet Heroes
- Everywhen — Pulp adventure in any setting, from weird westerns to space operaCompare Vagabond vs Everywhen
- Black Star — Fast space opera where dual archetypes define your hero and Resolve fuels the actionCompare Vagabond vs Black Star
- Index Card RPG — Fast d20 action stripped to the bone: one Target, effort dice, and index cardsCompare Vagabond vs Index Card RPG
- Savage Worlds — Fast! Furious! Fun! Pulp action in any settingCompare Vagabond vs Savage Worlds
- Pathwarden — Classless fantasy heroes combine tactical battles with exploration, projects, and story threadsCompare Vagabond vs Pathwarden