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TiGGR

Tiny Game for Generalized Roleplaying

  • Components: 2d6, pencil and paper, LLM optional but encouraged
  • Players: 2-5 (1 GM, 1-4 players)
  • Playtime: 30-45 minutes.

INTRODUCTION

TiGGR is a fast, flexible roleplaying game for exploring the stories you already love. Pick a cultural touchstone—a movie, band, book, or moment that resonates with your group—then dive into the gaps and margins where new tales live. Build characters, set a goal, and collaborate on fresh stories inspired by familiar worlds. It's all about quick setup, wild imagination, and zero fuss.

GETTING STARTED

Quick Setup: Pick your cultural touchstone (a movie, band, book you all know). Together, spend 2 minutes on:

Scene: Where and when are you?

Goal: What does winning look like?

Factions: Who's causing problems?

YOUR CHARACTER

Stats: Spread 3 points across Body (physical), Mind (mental), Charm (social)

Role: What's your thing? (Pilot, Fixer, Muscle, Face—whatever fits the story)

Special Ability: +1 to rolls in specific situations, once per scene ("Smooth Talker: +1 Charm when lying")

Signature Gear: One standout item, +3 to any roll, once per scenario.

HP: Start with 5. Hit zero? You're knocked out until the next scene—describe how.

VEHICLES

For stories with big gear—mechs, cars, magical assistants—add a vehicle:

Stats: Use the same 3 stats as players (Body, Mind, Charm), assign 3 points.

HP: Vehicles get 10 HP. Non-heavy weapons deal 0 damage unless paired with a +3 Gear bonus, which allows 1d6 damage.

Attacks: 2d6 + Body vs. 8. No defense rolls.

Damage: Can inflict 2d6 damage to vehicles and characters.

Special Ability: A signature feature (e.g., "Cannon: +1 damage," "Chrome spoilers and fins: +1 to Charm rolls"), can be used once per scene.

CORE RULES

Core Mechanic: Roll 2d6 + Stat vs. Difficulty (Risky: 6, Dramatic: 8, Climactic: 10).

Success: You nail it (hit a foe, charm a lord, dodge a drone).

Failure: GM throws a wrench (you miss, the lord snubs you, the drone zaps).

Special Abilities: 1 use per scene. Boosts a stat roll or triggers a cool effect.

Signature Gear: +3 to a roll (usually once per scenario).

Roleplay: Narrate your action. If it’s not risky, you just do it—no roll.

CONFRONTATIONS

When characters clash—fighting, chasing, debating, or facing off—here's how it works:

Attack: Roll 2d6 + Body vs. 8 to hit with physical force, or 2d6 + Mind/Charm for mental/social attacks.

Defend: If an NPC attacks a player character, they get a defense roll — 2d6 + appropriate stat vs. 8. If they fail, they take damage.

Damage: If hit, take 1d6 damage (plus any bonuses from Special Abilities or Gear).

Zero HP: You're knocked out, stunned, or overwhelmed—describe how. Between scenes, all characters return to full HP. TiGGR isn't about attrition — it's about momentum.

NPCs: Goons and minions have 1-3 HP and can't defend. Roll 2d6 vs. 8 to hit, players can defend. 1-2 damage if the attack succeeds (roll 1d6, divide by 3 and round up–or flip a coin, no big deal).

Turn Order: Players act first, then GM runs NPCs. Keep it moving—if someone has a cool idea, let them jump in.

Beyond Fighting: Confrontations aren't just combat. Heated negotiations, hacking duels, and high-speed chases all use the same rules—just pick the appropriate stat.

Tip: You’ll need +3 gear—or another vehicle—to hurt big machines. Plan accordingly!

GAMEPLAY LOOP

A scene is a single encounter or moment; a scenario is a complete story, typically three scenes.

Setup: Pick your touchstone, create characters (and vehicles if needed), set the goal.

Turns: Each player acts—move, fight, talk, or try something risky. GM responds with consequences and complications.

Resolution: Success means achieving your goal. Everyone at 0 HP? Total Party Knockout—but that's just another story to tell.

PROGRESSION: NO CAP, ALL VIBES

TiGGR characters grow through stories, not grinding. Here's how:

Carry Them Forward: Bring characters to new scenarios. That Kraftwerk cyclist? Now they're repo agents in Neo-Tokyo.

Tweak One Stat: After a scenario, shift 1 point between stats if the story supports it. Outsmarted the villain all night? Move a point to Mind.

Evolve Your Special: Redefine your ability based on what happened. "+1 Charm when performing" became hacking? Now it's "+1 Mind when jacking tech."

Just Talk It Out: No dice, no charts—discuss what changed after each session. Keep it tied to the story, not the rulebook.

Example:

Start: Repo Agent (Body 1, Mind 1, Charm 1, Special: +1 Mind when tracking targets).

After: Spent all night smooth-talking informants and dodging thugs. Group agrees: shift 1 point from Mind to Charm. Special becomes "+1 Charm when working contacts."

Pro Tip: Stuck? Just recap the coolest moment—growth flows from there.

GM TIPS

Keep it moving: Default to Difficulty 8 when unsure.

Roll only for risk: If it's not dramatic, just let it happen.

Scale the stakes: More enemies or higher difficulty for bigger scenes.

Vehicles crack under pressure: Let players rely on them until they don't.Ask Yourselves: "What would happen in a cartoon?"

Stuck? Ask an LLM: "What's Kraftwerk's worst gig?" "Why is the barn cursed?" Grab the weirdest answer and run with it.

BUILD YOUR OWN SCENARIOS

TiGGR thrives on fast, fresh stories—here's how to craft your own:

Pick Your Touchstone: Start with something you love—a movie, book, band, historical moment. What story do you want to explore in the margins?

Set the Scene: One vivid location and timeframe. Space freighter, rural barn raising, neon-lit dive bar. Make it specific, not sprawling.

Define the Goal: What does success look like? Raise the barn, escape the cops, finish the gig, solve the mystery.

Create Factions: 2-3 groups with conflicting interests. Give each simple stats (Body/Mind/Charm), 3-5 HP, and one signature ability.

Plan Three Scenes:

  • Scene 1: Setup - introduce the situation and complications
  • Scene 2: Escalation - things go sideways, stakes rise
  • Scene 3: Climax - final push to achieve the goal

Add Hooks: For each scene, prepare 2-3 complications to deploy—"storm clouds gathering (Body 8 to work faster)" or "rival crew arrives (Charm 8 to negotiate)."

Optional Gear/Vehicle: If the genre needs it, add signature items (+3 once per scenario) or vehicles (10 HP, one special ability).

Pro Tip: Don't overthink it. Start with "What if [beloved story] but [new twist]?" Let the players fill in the details through play.

Example Scenario:

Touchstone: Classic noir films - shadowy figures, rain-slicked streets, double-crosses

Scene: Grimy spaceport bar, neon signs flickering through dirty windows, ship departing in two hours

Goal: Find the snitch before the transport leaves

Factions:

Dock Thugs (Body 2, Mind 0, Charm 1, 3 HP, Brass Knuckles: +1 damage)

Shifty Locals (Body 0, Mind 1, Charm 2, 3 HP, False Tips: +1 Charm when lying)

Three Scenes:

  • Scene 1: Arrival - Question the regulars, scope the room
  • Scene 2: Complications - Thugs get suspicious, time pressure mounts
  • Scene 3: Revelation - Final confrontation before ship departure

Hooks:

Jukebox plays coded message (Mind 8 to decode)

Thug starts following you (Body 8 to lose them)

Barkeep offers suspicious help (Charm 8 to read their intentions)

Ship departure announcement echoes (raises tension)

Gear: Smoky Shades (+3 Mind roll once per scenario)

Vehicle: Beat-Up Shuttle (Body 2, Mind 1, Charm 0, 10 HP, Emergency Boost: +1 Body when escaping)

CREDITS & LICENSING

Design, Writing, and Art: The Grey Ledger Society.

Inspiration: Every cultural touchstone that sparked a scenario, every table that played these stories, every parent who wanted to share imagination with their kids.

Special Thanks: The communities that keep these stories alive—punk historians, film nerds, electronic music obsessives, and anyone who believes folktales belong to everyone.

License: TiGGR is released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0. Use it, hack it, share it. Make your own scenarios, publish them, sell them. Just credit the original and keep the same spirit of openness.

For More Information: Please visit www.greyledger.org and hotelkilo.itch.io 

Co-authored with the CGCG Helix, a Coterie of Digital Daemons