The Knarf 3 game is an adventure role playing game. It is set in its own unique universe in which magic works and higher technology like gunpowder doesn't. It is a primitive universe populated by strange races and monsters, locked in a perpetual struggle between good and evil. Players in the game visit this universe and take part in the struggle through characters they create and use their imagination to direct. It is a direct descendant of the Frank Role Playing Game written in the 1980's by Edward F. Frank and Robert M. Frank.

Frank Role Playing Game  Zipped RTF file

Frank Role Playing Game Table of Contents

I have been playing fantasy role playing games for over 20 years. Some role playing games are better than others, but none has been completely satisfactory. Many are so restrictive you may only choose from a limited number of cookie-cutter characters. Some require a zillion rolls to complete one action. Some have so many special abilities combat more resembles a bad kung-fu movie than classic fantasy. A single human should not be able to wipe out a flock of dragons without getting a scratch. A character’s chances of completing an action should be based upon his physical and metal attributes and the level of expertise in the skill he is trying to perform. I have designed this game to be skill based without the characters being restricted to a particular class. Also while the characters may have levels of expertise in various skills, advancement is not level based. Characters may advance in any skill at whatever pace he chooses without regard to his expertise level in other skills.

I believe this system allows a player to create and evolve the character he wishes to play, without the game being too complex for easy play. Essentially for every action a player will add his rank of expertise in a particular skill and his rank in the related physical or mental attribute to a d20 roll (A roll of a twenty sided dice). If the resulting total is higher than the target number for success for the action, the attempt will be successful, if not the attempt will fail. Other situational modifiers may apply, but the process will remain essentially unchanged.

Unlike most games, players neither win nor lose. Players instead create characters with their own unique abilities and personalities that are taken through one adventure to another. The goal of the game is to have the characters survive the perils they face as they advance in experience and abilities. As they advance the characters become tougher, grizzled veterans. They gain more fighting skills, gain more spells, and become better at other skills as well. The characters advance by accumulating skill points which are gained by solving problems on adventures, by outwitting or defeating monsters, and by finding and earning treasure. These skill points are used to improve the character’s proficiency with a particular skill.

The game is designed to be played by two or more people. One person must always have the job of gamemaster. He serves as a referee and guide to the other player or players. He plays the role of monsters or other people encountered on the adventure. The goal of the gamemaster is to be fair and to try to insure an interesting and challenging adventure for the other players. The other players assume the identity of one or more characters they have created. In this role they act as if the characters were real people, with real abilities, problems, and personalities. They play the characters as they would act on a real adventure. It is a variation of children's pretend games with the addition of structure and information to make it appropriate for mature players. The game will challenge your imagination.