Big Beers, Small Pretzels

Big Beers, Small Pretzels
Bobby R. Wallen Jr.

This is a roleplaying game or rpg for short. If you know what that is then good. If you do not know what that is then you may have have wasted 30 seconds of your life downloading this. This game works off the idea you know what an rpg is, and have at least a basic understanding of how they work and what you are suppose to do in them.

Big Beers, Small Pretzels is suppose to be fun and not serious. If you want to use this in a serious game feel free to try, but it will most likely suck. The rules are minimal, simple, and cheap. To play it should only cost you some beer and pretzels. The rules a simple enough to memorize after reading it, which takes less than 5 minutes. But if you must print it, you might as well figure the cost of paper and ink in and watch you cash shrink a little more.

The Beer

Ok real simple. The whole idea is literally based around beer and pretzels. Characters have stats you make up to reflect who they are. You could have your sword fighting, pizza tossing, pro wrestling, whatever. Each stat is represented numerically 1-5. 1 you suck but still care about it and 5 you are a living god at it. When performing a task, chose the best stat for it. Instead of rolling dice pick up a number of bottle caps equal to the numeric value of the stat. Stat5 = 5 bottle caps. Then throw. Caps "face up" count as successes, caps "face down" reduce successes. Have at least 1 success at the end of it and ...you guessed it... you succeed. Good for you.

The GM may require a certain number of success if the task is real hard. This is called the Difficulty. Normally it is 1 but certain factors can increase it, when and where is really up to the GM. The most common means of increasing it is trying to use a stat that does not fit the situation. For instance trying to use a gunfighting stat for skydiving....unless you are for some reason invovled in a freefall firefight...then I dunno.

Tools of the Trade

Your character might have some sort of item that helps them out in a task. A weapon in a fight, a computer to help brak in the bank, or something like that. If so you gain a few caps to throw for the task. How many extra caps you get depends on how useful the item is.

Life/Hit Points, etc

Beer and Pretzels uses an easy system to keep track life, stamina, will, or whatever else you may have or want to call it. In this game hey are called swigs. There is a handy dandy drawing of a bottle divided into six sections on the character sheet. When you lose a swig mark off one section.

So when does your character take damage or lose some of their will to keep doing whatever it is they are doing? Good question. Whenever your GM says so. In a fight obviously. Long distance running. Facing a ghost. The list is near endless. You can also lose a swig from throwing all "face downs" for some important task. This is normally referred to as "bottoms up".

When you reach zero for whatever reason (Dead, insane, bored, etc.) your character is finished. On the bright side just as easily as you lose a swig, you can regain it just as easily. Anytime you throw all "face ups" you get a swig back. The GM may be kind enough to give one back after your character succeeds at related tasks, or simple takes a nap.

Instead of using the sheet you can also use a real beer. Get a full beer bottle and anytime your character takes damage or otherwise loses some of their will to keep doing whatever it is they are doing take a swig. Make sure everyone has the same size beer and you should finish the beer in six swigs. As for what to do when you get a swig back? I dunno figure something out.

The Pretzels

Everybody has a certain number of pretzels. If you throw your caps for a task and it sucks, you can use a pretzel to rethrow the caps. Just in case you are wondering "Use a pretzel" means eat it. You can re-throw the caps for a task as many times as you like but you must use a pretzel for each new throw. And you do not get to chose to use a previous throw, either use the current one or use another pretzel and re-throw again. You can also just munch on the pretzels if you are hungary.

How many pretzels? I dunno, that is up to you and your group. A small bowl full each maybe?? But when they are gone, thats it, no more. So don't be a pig. You can also share your pretzels with other players who are pretzel impared, if you are a nice person, or just a sucker.

Character Creation

First create a description of your character and write it down. It should be about a paragraph highlighting the important parts of your characters. Then you get to create 6 stats for your character. These can be whatever you want. Remember you will be using these stats for ALL your tests during the game. Go over them with your GM and if they are fine with them then proceed. Next you have 15 points to alot to any of your stats. Each must have at least 1 point and none can have more than 5. Finally if you have a nice GM they MAY let you have a Tool of the Trade. Decide what the tool is and how many caps it gives you and when. Now beg, plead, and make sacrifices to your GM and see if they let you have it.

Advancement

Huh? You actually WANT to continue playing with this character? Suit yourself, if you must.. At the end of a game, session, or whenever the GM feels like it they can give you an Experience Point. They give them for good play, really bad play, staying sober, or any other reason they feel like giving one to player. To raise a stat by 1 point, it costs as as many XP as what the stat going to be. A stat4 increased to stat5 would cost 5 XP. The same is true for creating new stats. New stat1 costs 1 XP.