Every uncertain moment asks something of a Hero. The System explains how Rhuna turns those moments into play, from a single difficult choice to a journey that changes everyone involved.
Begin with the tokens that make up a Hero’s personal bag: the capabilities, training, resources, and hardships they carry into each attempt. The Gameplay chapters then introduce Moments, Challenges, and Performances, before exploring conflict, Position, Demands, and the consequences of Impact and Wear.
Later chapters widen the view. Discover how support and recovery keep a party moving, how time and weather change a situation, and how projects, searching, and travel give purpose to the spaces between confrontations. The actions chapters explore Presence, Innates, Threadcraft, Divinity, and Devotion, offering different ways for a Hero to act upon the world.
You can follow these chapters as a learning guide or return to them when a question arises at the table. Start with Tokens and Moments, then explore the rules that matter to the story you are telling. There is room to learn one uncertain step at a time.
© Charles Hildreth / Rhuna Games, LLC. 2019
Rhuna is a fantasy RPG in active development.
Current artwork and lore serve as concept pieces while we build the setting and seek creative collaborators for future publication.
If you are interested, please inquire.
[AI art is placeholder – seeking real artists for collaboration on the final product, please inquire.]
Tokens Copy link
The Tokens chapter introduces the foundation of the entire system. Here you will learn how a Hero's bag is constructed and how it evolves throughout play. Core Tokens define natural capability, Origins reflect lineage and identity, and Pathways represent training and expertise. You will also discover how Reserve, Destiny, Senses, Health, Boons, Banes, Marks, and Wither influence the Hero over time.
The Tokens section also explains Performance Checks, Favor, and the relationship between the Hero's bag and the WorldKeeper's bag. Every action in Rhuna ultimately traces back to the tokens a Hero carries, making this section the mechanical heart of the game.
Gameplay Copy link
The Gameplay section explains how actions become meaningful events within the story. Here you will learn how Heroes approach challenges through Prepare, Advance, and Breakthrough, how Wear and Impact create consequences, and how Escalation measures the changing stability of a scene.
Gameplay is more than action resolution. It is the engine that moves the narrative forward. Every meaningful decision changes the situation, creates opportunities, introduces risks, or shapes what happens next.
This section also explains how Heroes interact with uncertainty through Presence, Pathways, Perception, Innates, and the flow of challenge resolution.
Keywords Copy link
The Actions chapters contains the language of action within Rhuna. Every meaningful thing a Hero attempts is expressed through a Keyword. Whether negotiating with a noble, crossing dangerous terrain, weaving Threads, invoking divine power, researching ancient lore, or inspiring allies, Keywords define how the Hero approaches the situation.
This section explains the major Pathways of play, including Influence, Skill, Prowess, Lore, Threads, Divinity, and Devotion. It also introduces the effects, opportunities, and consequences associated with each approach.
Keywords connect narrative intent to mechanical resolution, ensuring that what a Hero chooses to do remains just as important as how successful they are.
Travel Copy link
The Travel chapter provides quick role-led challenges, resolved with ordinary Performances, alongside the Travel Token reference.
Use the existing Challenges, Time, Weather and Search rules when they apply to the journey. Travel Role titles provide narrative guidance; they do not add a bonus.
Using This Book Copy link
This book serves as both a learning guide and an ongoing reference during play. New players will generally find it easiest to begin with Tokens and Moments, as these sections explain the core flow of the game. Keywords build upon those foundations by explaining the ways Heroes interact with the world, while Travel and Time expand the scope of play beyond individual actions and into the larger story.
You do not need to memorize every rule before beginning. Rhuna is designed to be learned through play, with each section building naturally upon the previous one. As your understanding grows, so too will your understanding of the world, your Hero, and the consequences of every choice.