The DROP system puts the emphasis on debt and risk management. Every roll is a negotiation between ambition and consequence.
Characters
Each character in Nowhere Land has three core attributes, skills organized by attribute, a wound track, and imagination points.
The Three Attributes
Every character has three attributes scored from 0 to 10:
Physical
Strength, endurance, coordination, and bodily capability. Governs combat, athletics, stealth, and manual skills.
Mental
Intelligence, perception, willpower, and knowledge. Governs lore, insight, survival, and magical defense.
Social
Charisma, presence, empathy, and influence. Governs persuasion, deception, intimidation, and social defense.
Skill Tiers
Skills are rated on a tiered bonus system:
| Tier | Bonus | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Incapable | -5 | Fundamental inability or crippling disadvantage |
| Deficient | -3 | Below average, untrained with natural difficulty |
| Unskilled | 0 | Average person with no special training |
| Novice | +1 | Basic training or natural aptitude |
| Intermediate | +3 | Professional competence, years of practice |
| Advanced | +5 | Expert level, recognized specialist |
| Expert | +7 | Master craftsman, elite professional |
| Master | +10 | Legendary ability, one of the best alive |
Wounds & Imagination
Characters track two additional resources:
Wounds
How much physical harm you can take before falling unconscious. At 0 wounds, you collapse. Further damage risks death.
Imagination Points
A precious meta-resource. Imagination Points (IP) can be spent to upgrade dice, gain advantages, or help allies.
Character Creation
A simple starting build for new characters:
Step 1
Distribute 8 attribute points between Physical, Mental, and Social (each starts at 0, max 10).
Step 2
Choose an age band that modifies your starting resources:
Step 3
Choose 1-3 careers based on age:
- • Young: 1 career
- • Adult: 2 careers
- • Veteran: 3 careers
Each career grants 1-2 skill tier improvements and sometimes +1 to an attribute. Some careers include trade-offs (e.g., +1 tier to Melee, -1 tier to Etiquette).
Core Resolution
When you attempt an action with uncertain outcome, you make a test against a fixed target number (TN) chosen by the GM.
Difficulty Bands
The GM sets a target number based on the task's difficulty. This TN is fixed for the entire test—it doesn't adjust based on your attributes.
| Difficulty | Target Number |
|---|---|
| Easy | 6-10 |
| Moderate | 12-16 |
| Hard | 18-22 |
| Very Hard | 24-28 |
| Extreme / Legendary | 30+ |
The Steps of a Test
1. Choose Attribute and Skill
The GM and player agree which attribute applies (Physical, Mental, or Social) and which skill is relevant. Your base dice pool equals your attribute score in d6.
2. Apply Advantage and Disadvantage
Advantage and Disadvantage are one-shot flags on an attribute. Each Advantage gives +1 die; each Disadvantage gives -1 die. Setbacks from earlier failures add Disadvantage; bonuses from earlier successes add Advantage.
3. Add Help and Imagination
Other characters can help you in two ways:
Normal Help
A helper spends their action to give you +1 die. Multiple helpers can stack, each spending their action.
Imagination Help
A helper spends 2 IP to give you +1 die while keeping their own action.
Self-Advantage
Spend 1 IP to gain +1 die (one Advantage) on this test.
4. Build Your Total Pool
Start with your attribute dice, add or subtract dice from Advantage/Disadvantage, then add dice from Helpers and Imagination. You must have at least 1 die to attempt the action.
5. Choose Rolled vs. Kept Dice
From your total pool, choose which dice to roll and which to keep:
Rolled Dice
Roll normally. Can roll 1 (risking a state) or 6 (which explodes). Can be upgraded with IP. Can be affected by Reach and Push after rolling.
Kept Dice
Do not roll—automatically counts as 4. Cannot cause states, cannot explode, cannot be upgraded or rerolled.
6. Upgrade Rolled Dice (Optional)
Before rolling, you may spend IP to upgrade any rolled dice. Each point upgrades one die by one step: d6 → d8 → d10 → d12 → d20. Kept dice cannot be upgraded.
7. Roll the Dice
Roll all your rolled dice and check for special results:
Explosion
If a die shows its maximum value (6 on d6), it explodes once: immediately roll one extra die of the same size and add that result. A die can only explode once; further 6s are just 6.
States from 1s
If at least one rolled die shows 1, you risk gaining a state on that attribute. You can gain at most one state per test, no matter how many 1s you rolled.
8. After You See the Roll: Reach or Push
After seeing your total (but before the outcome is narrated), you may use Reach or Push—but usually not both.
Reach
Add 1 extra rolled die to this test. Immediately roll it and apply explosion if applicable. You gain 1 level of 'Reach debt'—on your next test with this attribute, your base pool is reduced by 1 die.
Clearing Reach Debt
On your next test with that attribute, apply all Reach penalties. If any rolled die explodes during that test, each explosion clears one level of Reach debt.
Push
Choose some or all rolled dice and reroll them once. Pushing ignores Advantage/Disadvantage—you just reroll flat. Pushing does NOT automatically cost a Wound. However, if after pushing your total still fails to meet the TN, you 'make a zero' and take 1 Wound.
9. Compute Your Final Total
Final total = Sum of all rolled dice (including explosions) + 4 for each kept die + your skill bonus (-5 to +10).
10. Determine the Tier of Outcome
Compare your total to the target number (TN). Also check for critical results:
Outcome Tiers
| Tier | Range | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Great Success | TN + 8 or more | Outstanding effect—more impact, scope, or control. Gain Advantage on next test with this attribute. |
| Success with Bonus | TN + 4 to TN + 7 | Clear success with tangible extra benefit. Gain Advantage on next test. |
| Normal Success | TN to TN + 3 | Goal achieved as intended. No automatic Advantage or Disadvantage. |
| Partial Success | TN - 4 to TN - 1 | You may accept a constrained success: achieve your goal but accept a cost (state, Wound, or complication). Alternatively, treat as normal failure. |
| Failure | Below TN - 4 | Goal not achieved. GM may introduce fictional problems, but no automatic mechanical setback unless built into the action. |
State Tiers
States represent degradation of your capabilities. When you gain a state, it applies to the relevant attribute:
Tier 1
-1 to all skill bonuses using that attribute
Tier 2
-2 to all skills and one level of Disadvantage
Tier 3
Cannot use that attribute for proactive tests (defense/passive only)
Armor and Defense
Combat and social conflicts use defense target numbers:
Physical Defense
Based on Physical attribute plus armor. Enemy attacks compare against this to inflict Wounds.
Mental Defense
Based on Mental attribute plus defense skills (like Resolve). Used against magic and psychic attacks.
Social Defense
Based on Social attribute plus defense skills (like Self-Control). Used against intimidation, charm, and manipulation.
Social Attacks
Social attacks are tests using Social (or sometimes Mental) against the target's Social Defense TN:
| Effect | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Make enemy hesitate or lose action | Hard (TN ~20) |
| Make enemy flee (Rout) | Very Hard (TN ~24-26) |
| Undermine confidence (impose Disadvantage) | Moderate to Hard |
DROP System v2 Updates
⚠️ Rules Update Notice
The following mechanics have been updated in DROP System v2:
- • Attributes now scale 0-10 (previously -5 to +5)
- • New Zero Dice rules for 0-attribute characters
- • New Sets mechanic for matching dice values
- • Revised Reach/Push exclusivity rules
- • Updated Explosion mechanics (one explosion per die)
- • New Sacrifice rules (must roll at least 1 die)
- • Drift reset rules when crossing world boundaries
Zero Dice: The Desperate Choice
A character with 0 in an attribute faces a difficult choice when that attribute is tested. They have two options:
Option A: Roll Disadvantage
Roll 2d6 and take the lowest value. This represents struggling with something completely outside your capabilities but still having a slim chance of success through luck.
Option B: Reach for a State
Reach once to gain 1d6, but automatically acquire a State(a narrative condition) regardless of the roll result. This represents pushing beyond your limits at a guaranteed cost.
Sets: Matching Dice Values
When you roll multiple dice and some show the same value, you've rolled a Set. Sets provide powerful benefits but come with restrictions.
| Set Type | Matching Dice | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Doubles | 2 dice same value | Recover 1 Reach OR add 1 extra die to total |
| Triples | 3 dice same value | Recover 2 Reach OR add 2 extra dice to total |
| Quadruples+ | 4+ dice same value | Recover N-1 Reach OR add N-1 extra dice |
Key Rules:
- • Sets are detected after the initial roll but before any Pushing
- • You choose: recover Reach debt OR add bonus dice to this roll
- • Sets cannot be Pushed — the matching dice are locked
- • Multiple Sets in one roll each grant their benefits separately
Reach & Push Exclusivity
Reach and Push are now mutually exclusive within a session until rest:
⚠️ Critical Restriction
Once you Push (even once), you can no longer Reach on that roll or subsequent rolls until you rest. This represents exhausting your reserves—pushing past limits means you can't borrow from the future anymore.
Reach Rules
- ✓ Add +1d6 to your current roll per Reach
- ✓ Debt carries to your next roll with that Essence
- ⚠️ Rolling a 1 on a Reached die causes a WOUND
- ⚠️ You can only Reach based on dice you actually roll
Push Rules
- ✓ Reroll any number of non-1 dice
- ✓ Cannot reroll 1s (they are locked failures)
- ✓ Cannot reroll dice that are part of a Set
- ⚠️ Rolling a 1 on a Pushed die causes a STATE
Sacrifice: Must Roll At Least One
Sacrifice allows you to trade dice for certainty by lowering the Target Number, but you cannot sacrifice your way out of rolling entirely.
- ✓ Before rolling, discard dice to lower TN by 4 per die
- ✓ Represents taking extra time, using perfect technique, or being meticulous
- ⚠️ You must always roll at least 1 die
- ⚠️ Sacrificed dice cannot be Reached
Explosion: One Per Die
Rolling the maximum face value on any die triggers an explosion—but with important restrictions.
- ✓ Rolling max value (6 on d6) allows one additional roll
- ✓ Add the explosion result to your total
- ✓ Explosions can only happen ONCE per die (no chains)
- ⚠️ Exploded dice cannot be Pushed
- ✓ Rolling a 1 on an explosion has NO negative effects
Drift Reset: World Boundaries
Drift represents your connection to Nowhere Land. It follows clear reset rules when crossing between the Outside (real world) and Nowhere Land.
Returning to the Outside
When a character successfully leaves Nowhere Land and returns to the Outside world, their Drift resets to 0. The mundane world doesn't sustain the connection.
Entering Nowhere Land
When a character enters Nowhere Land (whether for the first time or returning), their Drift starts at 1. The crossing itself begins the connection.
Examples in Play
Example: Physical Combat
Grim (Physical 4, Melee +5) attacks a bandit (Physical Defense 15):
- 1. Grim's pool: 4d6 base
- 2. He decides to roll all 4 dice (no kept dice for safety)
- 3. Rolls: 6, 4, 3, 2. The 6 explodes → rolls a 3
- 4. Total: 6 + 3 (explosion) + 4 + 3 + 2 + 5 (skill) = 23
- 5. Result: 23 vs TN 15 = Success with Bonus (+8 over TN)
- 6. Grim strikes decisively and gains Advantage on his next Physical test
Example: Social Attack
Lyra (Social 5, Intimidation +3) tries to make a guard flee (Very Hard, TN 24):
- 1. Lyra's pool: 5d6 base
- 2. She spends 1 IP for +1 die = 6d6
- 3. Keeps 2 dice (automatic 4s) = +8 guaranteed
- 4. Rolls 4d6: 6, 5, 3, 1. One 1 = state risk!
- 5. 6 explodes → rolls 2
- 6. Total: (6+2) + 5 + 3 + 8 (kept) + 3 (skill) = 27
- 7. Result: 27 vs TN 24 = Normal Success (within +3)
- 8. Guard hesitates, loses their next action. But Lyra gains a Tier 1 state on Social from the 1.
Example: Mental Defense
Nora (Mental 3, Resolve +1) defends against a psychic attack (TN 18):
- 1. Nora's pool: 3d6
- 2. She uses Reach to add +1 die = 4d6 (but will owe -1 die next Mental test)
- 3. Rolls: 4, 3, 2, 1. No explosions. One 1 = state risk.
- 4. Total: 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 1 (skill) = 11
- 5. Result: 11 vs TN 18 = Failure (-7 under)
- 6. She decides to Push—rerolls all 4 dice: 6, 5, 4, 2
- 7. 6 explodes → rolls 4
- 8. New total: (6+4) + 5 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 22
- 9. Result: 22 vs TN 18 = Success with Bonus!
- 10. Nora resists the psychic attack powerfully. No Wound because the Push succeeded. She still owes Reach debt on her next Mental test.
"Every die is a promise to the future. Drop wisely—for fate remembers what you borrow."
— The Count's First Rule