With the launch of the 2026 One Page RPG Jam, I decided to make a super-light version of AME.
Characters
AME uses Step Dice: d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12. A d8 is competent. Characters have two Attributes and one Career.
Body covers strength, movement, endurance, reflexes, violence, injury, and physical survival.
Mind covers perception, knowledge, willpower, judgement, persuasion, investigation, craft, and technical skill.
Your Career is what you are: Detective, Pilot, Sailor, Wizard, Soldier, Scholar, Thief, Doctor, Medium, Engineer, and so on. It replaces skills and applies whenever your training, background, reputation, or habits would help.
System
When an action is risky and uncertain, roll:
Attribute + Career
The Referee chooses whether the pressure falls on Body or Mind. The player explains how their Career applies. If it does not apply, roll the Attribute alone.
Read each die separately:
1 = Complication
5+ = 1 Success
10+ = 2 Successes
Double 1 = Disaster
One Success means the action works. Two or more Successes mean it works cleanly, quickly, quietly, or with extra benefit. No Successes means failure, delay, cost, exposure, or a worse position.
A Complication happens even if the action succeeds. It may mean harm, stress, lost time, damaged gear, witnesses, suspicion, debt, or future trouble. A Disaster means the situation turns sharply against the character.
Each character begins with 1 Nudge per session. A Nudge raises one die after rolling, usually enough to turn failure into success or a 1 into a 2. It always represents strain, luck, desperation, or cost.
Harm
Characters have no hit points. Harm comes directly off Attributes. Physical injury usually reduces Body. Shock, terror, exhaustion, psychic damage, poison, or mental collapse usually reduces Mind.
If an Attribute reaches 0, the character suffers a Critical and is incapacitated. They are out of the scene unless stabilised, rescued, or allowed one desperate final action.
Weapons
Weapons inflict base Harm on a successful attack.
1 Harm: fists, clubs, knives, improvised weapons, minor attacks.
2 Harm: swords, axes, pistols, rifles, shotguns, serious claws or bites.
3 Harm: heavy weapons, explosions, vehicle impacts, monstrous attacks, military firepower.
Extra Successes may add +1 Harm, disarm, knock down, pin, drive back, bypass cover, or create another advantage.
Armour
Armour reduces incoming Harm by its rating, from 1 to 3.
1 Armour: thick clothing, leather, light protection.
2 Armour: mail, breastplate, flak jacket, reinforced armour.
3 Armour: heavy plate, military armour, powered armour, supernatural protection.
Healing
Lost Attribute points recover through rest, treatment, or genre-appropriate healing. Eight hours of rest restores 1 Attribute point. If an Attribute reached 0, the character needs urgent help before recovery can begin.
Now, if you want some help in how to integrate AME into your game, get in touch!
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