Introduction

Narrative Dice System — Core Rules

The Exodus Narrative Dice System (Exodus NDS) is an open-licensed dice resolution framework designed to be adapted to any genre or setting. These core rules define how dice pools are built, how results are interpreted, and how structured conflict, including combat and vehicle encounters, is resolved.

Character creation, default skills, universal talents, and the core resolution engine are defined here. Equipment, magic, species packages, careers beyond the generic examples, and Universe-specific rules are defined in individual Universes that use Exodus NDS as their foundation. Universes may rename, replace, restrict, or expand these options to match their genre; where a Universe rule conflicts with core, the Universe rule takes precedence.

These rules are released under the ORC License. See the final page for details.

Every roll in Exodus NDS tells a complete story. Not just whether something worked, but what happened on the way, and occasionally what changed forever.

What is Exodus NDS?

Exodus NDS is a narrative dice resolution system built for the table. It is genre-agnostic by design, the same mechanical engine runs a space opera, a fantasy heist, a cyberpunk thriller, or a modern spy thriller without modification. Universes built on Exodus NDS bring the world, equipment, specialized advancement choices, and flavor. These core rules bring character creation, the resolution engine, and a shared baseline for skills and universal talents.

It is also open. Released under the ORC License, Exodus NDS is free to use, build upon, and adapt. Write a Universe, a campaign, or an entirely different game using these mechanics, it is yours to do so.

The Core Idea

The dice produce three simultaneous layers of information on every single roll. First, a primary outcome, did the action succeed or fail? Second, a secondary texture of side effects, Boons if things went better than expected, Banes if complications crept in. Third, rare exceptional moments that shift the narrative entirely, a Breakthrough that cannot be undone, or a Calamity that lands regardless of whether the roll succeeds.

A roll that succeeds but generates Banes, or fails but generates Boons, is not an edge case. It is the system working exactly as intended. The goal is never a binary answer, it is always a story.

Who This Book Is For

Players need to understand the dice, how characters are built, how pools are assembled, which skills and talents are available, and how to read results. Chapters One through Eight cover everything at the table before combat begins, the dice themselves, character creation, pool construction, skills and talents, resolving checks, reading results, check types, and the Story Point economy.

Game Masters will spend most of their preparation in Chapters Nine through Twelve, structured play, initiative, adversary tiers, vehicles, and recovery. The Quick Reference section near the end of this book is designed to sit at the GM's right hand during play.

Universe Authors will find the core rules deliberately modular. Character creation, the default skill list, and universal talents are provided as a shared baseline, but equipment, magic, expanded careers, species packages, and Universe-specific rules are yours to define. The core six characteristics, the dice system, and the resolution mechanics are the foundation, everything built on top of them belongs to your Universe. The Glossary and Quick Reference are formatted to carry over into Universes as-is.

What You Need to Play

• The six Exodus NDS dice — Boon and Bane d6s, Ability and Trial d8s, Mastery and Crisis d12s. Any standard polyhedral dice with symbols substituted will work.
• Tokens for Story Points — two distinct types: Fortune (players) and Peril (GM). Coins, poker chips, or any small physical objects work. You need roughly ten total.
• This book — or the relevant Universe, which will reference these core rules throughout.

A Note on Universes

These core rules provide default character creation, a default skill list, and universal talents, but they deliberately leave equipment, magic systems, expanded careers, species packages, and Universe-specific options to Universes. If something feels Universe-specific here, it is intended to be renamed, replaced, restricted, or expanded by the Universe you are playing with.