Basic Game Mechanics

Welcome to Chimera D10!

Chimera D10 is a Tabletop Roleplay Game (TTRPG) where there are two kinds of players: players who create characters—called player characters (PCs), and players who guide the players through a story involving their characters using story, monsters, non-player characters (NPCs), and more—called gamemasters (GMs). Both types of players, player characters and the GM, collaborate and cooperate in order to engage in a fictional world.

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What You Will Need:

Before you start a session, here is a checklist of all the things you will need before you can even start a game:

• 10-Sided Dice. Here called a d10, you can find these on amazon, or you can have an application downloaded to your phone that can roll virtual dice. PCs will need these to roll to see if their character can do the thing. GMs will also need these on occasion.
• Character Sheet. You will need either a printed or digital copy of your character sheet and the ability to write on it. A copy of this Character Sheet can be found on this website, within the Character Sheet Walkthrough.
• A Group of Friends. It is important to feel comfortable and safe around the people you choose to play any game with. I recommended playing this game with people you have known for more than a week and people you’d trust your pet, plant, and/or wallet with—because this is a good indicator they will respect you and your boundaries. This is important for roleplay, as noted in the How to Roleplay in Chimera article.

• A Time and A Place. Chimera is played best in a minimum of a three hour sitting. Find a place that accommodates both the amount of time you want to play and the amount of people who will be playing the game altogether. If someone is willing to host, this is helpful, and food or drink should be brought for this person—I see you kind host. Otherwise, a public place where everyone feels comfortable will do.
• Optional: Food & Drinks. Some public places may not allow this. Additionally, both the host and GM are under no obligation to bring food or drinks, as they are doing most of the legwork in creating the world.

The First Session

On the first session, all PCs and the GM must engage in a Session Zero. A Session Zero is used to set up expectations between both the PCs and GM.

• A GM should set up rules and expectations. GMs, leave nothing unspoken, and incorporate the Safety Tools guide to help you determine how you want to use Chimera to tell a particular kind of story. Additionally, What do you expect of your players behavior-wise? Are electronics tolerated at the table? Can they ever switch out characters? What kind of character are you looking for--would you encourage or tolerate Murderhobo? Etc.
• Players should set up their expectations. Players, what would help you have the most fun? What kind of genre is your favorite? Do you have a specific race you wanna play?Great! But does it fit with what the GM wants to do? Players and GMs should engage in talks about this, set clear lines and boundaries and compromise where they feel able. If at all possible, that really engaged player who has several ideas should be embedded in the world.
• Compromise where you can, set boundaries where you can’t. Listen and decide. If a compromise can’t be reached, you are probably still friends but just wanna tell and be a part of different stories; that’s okay! Part ways for now and find another group. Maybe start your own group!

A List of Potential Topics to Go Over with Guided Questions

Whether you are a PC or a GM, the following are a further list of topics to discuss before playing in Chimera. Consider these to be part of your session zero as part of the expectations set up between friends.

Attendance

Preferably, how many players need to attend for you to run a session? This is a question for both GM and Players alike. Some players may feel okay with have the session go on without them, but then an explanation is needed for what that player does while the session continues.
Additionally, is it okay to arrive late? If not, a compromise could be moving the time back for when the session is played in order to accommodate your friends.

Electronics

Would you, GM, allow your players to use their cellphones, tablets, laptops, etc, during play? If so, would you allow electronics during a “high impact” scene? What about between rounds of combat? What about when another person is talking during a social encounter? Iron out what you consider respectful of everyone’s time put in at the table and what is reasonable considering everyone’s life situation. Consider asking, if a player insists on needing to use their technology, why they need to do so, and to accommodate that person, if possible.

Food

Is food allowed at the table? Who is in charge of buying food? Food is a great unifier at the table, but it can get expensive. A common house rule is, the GM should not have to get food as they are the one’s refereeing and creating the adventure. It is up to the players to divide how they can provide food for everyone. Allergies, preferences, and budget should be a consideration. If this is too much to handle or too expensive, maybe everyone should get their own snacks. On the opposite side of the coin, GMs, if you feel food is distracting, it is not needed at the table, but do be mindful that hangry players can make angry characters. Taking snack breaks can help get everyone through.

Beverages

Soft drinks, teas, coffee might be welcome at the table, but what about alcoholic beverages? Some players won’t mind playing with a buzz, but it might greatly concern another player. What drinks are allowed at the table? What drinks are okay with everyone? Are some drinks banned? Any discomfort and concern about various beverages that can be had at the table should be addressed, spoken about, and come to an agreed upon consensus.

Other Substances

Is smoking allowed at the table? Should smoking be limited to outdoors? Depending on who is hosting, should smoking be prohibited?

Character Drama

In several online roleplay forums, it is required that you discuss potential character plots and character development wishes with your fellow roleplayers (your players and GM, in this case by setting up a list of plots you would like to happen, you invite in character drama, cinematic or character development beats that move along a character's plot. This may involve friendships, love interests, enemies, or the like.
GM, how do you feel about character plots? Do you want to focus on a world plot instead, do you have a group of actors who dream of character plots, or are you not in love with the idea of plots? Could you accommodate the players and make them a B-plot? What plots would make your players uncomfortable--betrayal, unrequited love, loss of something important, etc?
Make sure any plots that do happen are limited to what is possible for the world and the characters, and doubly make sure no one is singled out, ostracized, or made uncomfortable.

If something is missed in the Session Zero, GMs, feel free to have a Session Re:Zero, or just take time before a session to discuss what is on your mind or even a player's mind.

How to Play Chimera

Chimera adheres to some basic agreements upon playing, here known as foundational rules, and follows what is called a "gameplay loop" or a common pattern of play:

Foundational Rules:

The following are a list of five basic agreements when playing Chimera:

1. The Gameplay Loop. PCs and GMs interact with the game world in various scenes through their characters. Players and GMs can create a character using the Character Creation guide. If PCs want to affect the world around them, they must roll a number of d10s as specified in Die Rolls, Checks, and Modifications.
2. Player Buy-in. Players must buy-in to the world in-character. Characters created by players are Heroes. Their intentions, their actions, their values strive toward heroism.
3. Round Down. Die rolls can be affected in many ways, as demonstrated in the Die Rolls, Checks, and Modifications guide. One particular instance to note, when dividing a number in game, round down.

The Rules are Important, insofar as... The rules are a language, and are meant to facilitate fun. If rules don't make something fun, use the language to create something fun outside the rules. This does not mean "Rule of Cool" to favor or enable players. As Matt Colville said, "Language, not Rules."

The GM and PCs collaborate. The GM is not the enemy of the PCs, though the GM provides setbacks and obstacles as reactions to die rolls and PC choice. The PCs are not the enemy of the GMs, though the PCs may ignore narrative clues or thwart your plans. Chimera works best in collaboration and communication and PCs to PCs to GMs simply asking "What is it that you envision, and how can we work together to make that possible?"

GM determines how much PC Metagaming is allowable

Chimera is collaborative. No PC at the table should feel ashamed or penalized for wanting to collaborate, even if it is an afterthought. While having a “hindsight strategy” should be discouraged, having PCs openly discuss strategy without in-character banter should be allowed. This allows PCs and GM to collaborate out-of-character at anytime and adjust to situations presented in-game as a team.

GM Has the Final Say

For the sake of tie breaking, narrative consistency, and table peacekeeping, this rule is included. When not tie-breaking, setting narrative consistency, or peacekeeping, a GM should always seek to include others in table decisions. Otherwise, The GM has the final say on rulings for the game they are refereeing; GMs dictate what is possible in their worlds, which is best done in a Session Zero or before a game starts. However!! Please refer to Safety Tools; if a player or a GM feels uncomfortable about the content that is coming up in their game, they should feel able to talk about it, or feel free to end or to leave the game.

You made it to the end of the Guide! Feel free to Pick where you go next:

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Creating Content for Chimera & Restricted Content

Whoo! To contribute to Chimera D10, send your contributions to me--reach out in the comments below--if enough people do, I guess I will need to make an email address xD~! Contributions can be anything written, drawn, or designed, and I would appreciate a something user-friendly instead of long prose-- long prose are still welcomed, as in the case of lore, monster deep-dives, etc, but they will fall to the bottom of the review cue out of necessity.
If you want to contribute something and you have submitted it for me to review, feel free to spread the word about your own creation and even sell it while it is under review for acceptance. Fair warning, not all contributions will be accepted as I very much like to control what is and is not canon in this world. If your content is not submitted and your contribution has not yet been accepted, you maintain full creative responsibility for and control over your content. It is not in official association with me and Chimera D10.
Otherwise, if I do accept your contribution, and I feel edits and additions need to be made, it will always be in conjunction with you, the creator(s) first. If any of the revisions or additions make the creator(s) uncomfortable, or of their own free will at any time, they may withdraw their submission.
All this being said, I hereby restrict, denounce, and refuse to associate Chimera D10 and myself with any content that is racist, sexist, ableist, transphobic, and homophobic. I reserve the right to edit these terms at anytime without notification, especially to broaden the definition of what is and is not acceptable for Chimera D10. I will draw the lines as I see fit.
Let this be the wind in our sails, our guiding star, the fire in our hearts, as we move forward together.

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