Player's Handbook · Chapter 1
Rolling the Dice
Every uncertain action in R.A.W resolves the same way: roll 2d6, add the stat your approach leans on, and meet or beat the Difficulty Class (DC).
Your four stats
| Stat | You use it when… |
|---|---|
| Brawn | You force, lift, endure, or brawl. |
| Wits | You notice, recall, plan, or improvise. |
| Reflex | You sprint, sneak, dodge, or pick a pocket. |
| Charm | You persuade, deceive, perform, or lead. |
Say what you want to do and how — the how decides which stat applies. Most characters sit between +0 (ordinary) and +3 (exceptional).
Making a roll
- Tell the GM what you are trying to do and how.
- The GM sets the DC and calls for the roll.
- Roll 2d6 and add your stat.
- Meet or beat the DC — you do it. Fall short — you fail, or you get what you wanted at a cost: a complication, a wound, time you did not have.
Difficulty classes
| Difficulty | DC | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 6 | Scale a garden wall in daylight. |
| Medium | 9 | Pick a common lock, talk past a bored guard. |
| Hard | 12 | Cross a flooded culvert, bluff a veteran interrogator. |
| Extreme | 15 | Leap between rooftops in a storm, lie to the thing wearing your friend's face. |
Untrained, the dice average about 7 — easy things usually go your way, and extreme things should scare you.
Cards
Cards are what make your character more than their stats. Each card you hold is one of two things:
- An ability — a mechanical edge that modifies a roll or its outcome, like a burst of recovery when you get a moment to breathe.
- A narrative permission — something that is simply true of the world now: a door that opens for you, a favor someone owes you, a trick you can always declare. No roll needed.
Play them when the fiction lines up. You never have to ask twice for what your cards already allow.
Manual updated Aug 29, 2026.