Digidice

a Digimon tabletop roleplaying game

designed by Claire Mulkerin

 Introduction

Hey folks! My name is Claire. You might know me from any number of places, because I do,
arguably, far too many things! I’m a writer for Looper.com. I’m an illustrator, game designer, and
podcaster. But most importantly, I love Digimon, and that’s what we’re here to talk about today.

My interest in designing a Digimon tabletop RPG first got started in 2016, when I was invited to
be a guest on the currently defunct (but extremely awesome) Gameable Podcast, a podcast in
which two hosts, Kris Newton and Katrina Ehrnman-Newton, watched a movie or TV show, and
then talked about how to run a roleplaying game based on what they just watched.

When I was a guest, they were doing a season called “Gameable Saturday Morning,” in which
they were working their way through various Saturday Morning kids shows. I was told I could
pick any classic kids show I wanted from my childhood to talk about, and I picked Digimon. Not
only because it was one of my favorite shows as a kid, and not only because it seemed like a
natural fit for a TTRPG, but also because I felt like the show was, at that time, pretty much
forgotten entirely. If I didn't come onto that show to talk about Digimon, no one would.

At the time, my Digimon fandom was fairly dormant, but being on this podcast reactivated me in
a big way, in part because, through our conversation, I realized that, no, really, Digimon is a
PERFECT fit for tabletop roleplaying, especially because of a certain idea I stumbled upon, one
that I’ll talk about in the next section (The Hook). It was calling to me, I couldn’t not do it, so I
did! I ended up being really proud of the final result, a totally solid Digimon roleplaying game
that I couldn’t wait to play.

And then it sat in a drawer for six years.

Look, I thought I had a pretty good starting point for a game, but no one wanted to play it with
me IRL, and I didn’t share it online, because I didn’t think anyone would care.

Then, on March 14, 2022, my internet pal Tanner (@SparkyUpstart), tweeted the following: “Are
there any digimon actual play podcasts?”

They did not know then what they were unleashing.

A variety of internet mutuals responded, saying that, if one did not exist, they would be
interested in making one. It was then that I sheepishly offered, “Y'know, I kinda half-designed a
system for one of those a while back…” I was already seeing the way the winds were blowing,
but by then, it was too late. Whether I liked it or not, I was now in charge of GMing a Digimon
Actual Play RPG podcast.
Thus. Binary Break was born, or at the very least, conceived. It wouldn’t be born (released) until
over a year later, since we all live very busy lives, and we wanted to take our time to refine the
concept for the show, and also build up a sizable backlog of episodes. But on Odaiba Day,
August 1st, 2023, we released the first episode. So far, the reaction has been amazing, and I’ve
had multiple folks ask about what sort of system we’re using.

So, by popular demand, I’ve decided to post the rules here. Folks, this is Digidice. To get the
necessary self-deprecating disclaimers out of the way, I want to include two disclaimers:

First, this is a work in progress, a living document. I am continually revising these rules in ways
both small and large as we are playing Binary Break. There may be errors, inconsistencies, and
other sorts of general weirdness throughout this document. I apologize in advance. You’re
reading the rough draft that I mainly wrote for myself.

Second, I designed this game back in 2016. This was before I had my RPG design brain blown
apart and reformed by the majesty that is PbtA. At this time, my favorite RPG system was
Savage Worlds, a fact which very much shows in the design. If I could do it all over again, I’d do
it very differently, but what I have here is still, in my opinion, pretty dang good, and definitely
better than any other options I’ve come across for roleplaying in the world of Digimon.

I hope you enjoy it!

Claire Mulkerin
-8/3/2023

P.S.: If you’re curious, I’ve included some links below to my original appearances on The
Gameable Podcast, where I talked about roleplaying in the world of Digimon. It might make for
some fun supplementary material. Also, if you listen to this, I’m going to have a different name
and voice than the one you’re used to hearing on Binary Break, as this was about a year-ish
before I officially digivolved into a girl.

The first episode is here:

https://archive.org/details/GSMEpisode7Digimon
And the second is here:
https://archive.org/details/GSMEpisode8Digimon

P.P.S.: Also, while you’re here, check out some of my other games. Heartfire is fun if you like
shoot ‘em ups about gay dragons. Apocryphauna is a spooky little adventure game I made with
my girlfriend. Try ‘em! You’ll like ‘em!
clairemulkerin.itch.io
 The Hook - Why This Game Rules

So, you wanna play a Digimon Tabletop RPG. How does that work? I’m assuming, by the way,
that you know what Digimon is, and you know what roleplaying games are. Otherwise, why
would you be here?

You’ve got human characters. You’ve got Digimon. How does that translate to a group of
players? Do some players play Digimon and some players play Digidestined? That seems
weird. You could just have the players be the Digidestined and let the GM run all the Digimon
characters. That's how it would probably work in, for instance, a Pokemon TTRPG, right?

Yes, but as we all know, Pokemon and Digimon are not the same. Digimon are full-blown
characters. Digimon talk. A lot. And they're the heroes! The GM shouldn’t be controlling them,
right? Feels like the partner Digimon should be on the player side of that player/GM dividing
line. And if you're a player, I mean, come on, you know you wanna play a Digimon, right?
They’re the ones who do all the fighting.

So here is my solution: each player plays two characters: one Digidestined and one Digimon.
But, here's the important part, you don't play your own Digimon. Let's say you’re playing a
game based on the original team. One person plays Tai, but they’re also playing Izzy’s partner,
Tentomon. Another person plays Sora, but they're also playing Matt’s partner, Gabumon.

There are multiple advantages of this approach. One is the fact that there’s a lot of scenes in
Digimon that are just extended conversations between a Digidestined and their partner. This
way, those scenes are between multiple players at the table. It's not just one player and one GM
talking while everyone else watches (or even worse, one player talking to themselves). Also,
since different people are controlling each Digimon, these Digimon characters are more likely to
become individualized in interesting ways, as opposed to the sameyness that might come from
one person controlling all of them.

Also, there's a lot of times in the show where the party gets split up, or characters go off on their
own. This way, when that happens, there are still usually still going to be most of the players
involved, even when most of the characters aren't involved. And if this side adventure is going to
last an entire session or longer, maybe players without a character involved can instead play a
friendly Digimon that our heroes encounter. When TK goes off on his own, one player is TK,
another is Patamon, and a third plays the grumpy Elecmon they meet along the way.

You get to be a cool hero Digimon during the fights. You get to be one of the humans during the
part with drama and feelings. And since you aren't playing your own Digimon, you can have all
those great conversations without just talking to yourself.

So that's it! That's my big solution. That is The Hook™. Now let’s make some characters.
Name:
Digidice
Digidestined Character Sheet
Pronouns:
Attributes:
Demeanor: Brawn: ▢ Grace: ▢
Wits: ▢ Heart: ▢
Destiny Die: ▢

Destiny Points: ▢/▢

Issues:

Evasion:▢

Toughness: ▢
(Half Grace die type plus Half Wits die type)

(Half Brawn die type plus Half Heart die type)

▢▢▢
Skills:
Stress:
Conditions:

Gear:
Notes:

XP: ▢/5
Total Advancements:
Unspent Advancements:
 Create a Digidestined

Demeanor
What is the face that your character puts forth to the world? Are you warm and parental?
Intellectual and jaded? Enthusiastic and hedonistic? Pick two words that describe your
character’s surface-level personality. The following is a list to get you started thinking, but feel
free to generate your own descriptors as well!
Example words: Awkward, Belligerent, Cold, Courageous, Cowardly, Curious, Emotional,
Enthusiastic, Friendly, Greedy, Hedonistic, Intellectual, Jaded, Lazy, Naive, Parental,
Peacekeeping, Proud, Shy, Selfish, Spiritual, Volatile, Warm

Issues
Beneath the surface, what are your character’s deeper concerns? What would people never be
able to guess about you? Most importantly, when you have your spotlight episode, what is it
going to be about? Come up with one or two separate issues going on in your character’s life
and write them down, each in the form of a sentence that the character might say to themselves
as they lie awake at night, ruminating. (And remember that someday, working through these
issues might lead to your character discovering a hidden virtue…)
Examples:
● I’ll never be as smart as my older sister.
● I can’t let everyone else discover how sheltered I am.
● I need to be a grown-up now, and that means I can’t show my emotions.
● If something bad is going to happen to one of us, I want it to happen to me.
● I’m so in love with ____, but how could I ever tell them that?
● Everyone thinks I’m just a kid, but I’ll show them that I’m just as brave as they
are!
● I feel like my best friend is hiding something. I need to figure out what.
● How can I tell the others my secret, when I can’t even admit it to myself?

Attributes
Each character has four basic attributes. A human character’s power level in each given
attribute is represented by a die type, ranging on the following five point scale:
d4-d6-d8-d10-d12. The four basic attributes are...
● Brawn - attacking, strength, and speed
● Grace - evasion, coordination, and reflexes
● Wits - special attack accuracy, perception, and reason
● Heart - special attack damage, willpower, courage, confidence, charm
Destiny
Digidestined also have a fifth attribute, called Destiny, that they can use to influence the world
around them. A character’s Destiny value determines how many Destiny Points they can spend
each session. A digidestined’s starting Destiny value is 3, meaning that they can spend up to 3
Destiny Points per session. Destiny Points can be spent to:
● Encourage another nearby character who has just failed a die roll, giving them a chance
to improve that roll (see page 14 for more)
● Make your Digimon partner Digivolve (see page 34 for more)
● Manifest your Truth (these rules are tied into the mechanics for Virtues, Vice, and
Corruption, which aren’t present in this edition of the game, but may be added in later
versions.)
● Briefly take control of the narrative and add some detail to your surroundings or make an
unlikely event occur. You want to find a convenient item when you need it most? You
want to encounter a friendly NPC who is willing to give you a hand? Offer the GM a
Destiny Point. They don’t have to accept, but if they do, then your request happens.

During character creation, each attribute begins at a d4. Digidestined characters are then given
3 attribute points that they may spend to raise their attributes. Each point spent boosts an
attribute of the player’s choice to the next die level up. A player who chooses to spend all 3 of
these points raising their attributes will end up with a digidestined who is skilled and competent,
a real rough and tumble action hero.
Example: Tai spent his 3 attribute points as follows:
Brawn: d6
Grace: d6
Wits: d4
Heart: d6
Destiny: 3

However, not all digidestined are kung fu masters or computer geniuses. Some are more
mundane characters, such as adorable children or freeloading slackers. Players who wish to
play a lower powered digidestined need not spend all their attribute points. Unspent attribute
points add to that character’s Destiny value, which allows that character’s player to influence the
narrative in other ways.
Example: TK spent his 3 attribute points as follows:
Brawn Score: d4
Grace Score: d4
Wits Score: d4
Heart Score: d6
Destiny: 5
Defenses
At some point in your character’s adventures, someone is probably going to try to hurt them. In
order to avoid getting hurt by attacks, your character has two defenses:
● Evasion: Evasion represents a character’s ability to dodge and parry attacks. A
character’s Evasion value is equal to half their Grace die type plus half their Wits die
type.
● Toughness: Toughness represents a character’s ability to endure the attacks that they
are unable to evade. A character’s Toughness value is equal to half their Brawn die type
plus half their Heart die type.
Example: Tai has a d6 in Grace and a d4 in wits. ½*(6+4) = 5, so Tai’s Evasion is 5.
Tai has a d6 in Brawn and a d6 in heart. ½*(6+6) = 6, so Tai’s Toughness is 6.

Bonus Points
Each digidestined also has two “bonus points,” each one of which can be used to either learn a
skill, purchase some gear, or increase their Destiny value by 1.
Examples: a digidestined might…
...learn two skills
...learn one skill and purchase some gear
...purchase some gear and increase their Destiny value by 1

Skills
Your character may have additional specific talents that will come in handy from time to time. A
skill refers to an area of competence that a character possesses due to extensive training or
study. Whenever a character is rolling one of their attributes, if the GM decides that one or more
of a character’s skills would give them an edge in the current circumstances, that character gets
a bonus to that roll equal to their proficiency in that skill. Skills purchased during character
creation begin with a +2 proficiency bonus.
Example skills:
● Athletics - Sports, climbing, swimming
● Charm - Convince someone to like you
● Computers - Understand how to hack, program, and build your own computer
● Deception - Convince someone to believe a lie.
● Driving - Perform advanced driving maneuvers, react quickly to danger while driving
● Gaming - Skill in electronic, tabletop, and casino gaming, some understanding of
strategy and statistics
● Inspiration - Appeal to someone’s sense of morality. Convince someone to rise to the
occasion and become their better self.
● Intimidation - Convince someone to be afraid of you
● Investigation - Search an area or person for evidence while actively looking, forensics
● Knowledge (Pick a knowledge subtype)
● Mechanics - Understand how machinery/vehicles work, know how to repair things
● Medicine - Knowledge of anatomy and medical practices to treat disease and injury
 ● Negotiation - Use logic to convince someone that it is in their best interest to take a
given course of action
● Stealth - Remain unhidden and unseen
● Survival - Knowledge of the wilderness, includes building shelters and tracking
● Taunt - Cloud someone’s mind with mockery and hinder their ability to think clearly

Gear
Chances are, your Digidestined is a long way from home. In these circumstances, having the
right piece item can often be just as important as having the right skill. Gear refers to a
character’s unique and useful possessions. Whenever a character is rolling one of their
attributes, if the GM decides that one or more of a character’s pieces of gear would give them
an edge in the current circumstances, that character gets a bonus to that roll (typically +2).
When a player spends a bonus point on gear, they may either purchase one piece of fantastic
gear, or two pieces of mundane gear. Fantastic gear is gear that is either magical or highly
useful in a wide variety of situations. Mundane gear is gear which is sometimes useful, but often
times not.

Examples of fantastic gear include:

● A Laptop: Able to interface with and manipulate many different types of technology.
● A Magic Sword: Grants a bonus to Fight damage equal to its wielder’s Digivolution level.
● A Lucky Tail Ring: Grants the Digimon equipped with it the ability to force an enemy to
reroll a die roll once per session.

Examples of mundane gear include:

● A telescope
● A harmonica
● A first aid kit
● A large supply of packaged snack foods
● A whistle
● A camera
● A baseball bat
● Climbing gear, including a grappling hook and rope
● A lighter
● A flashlight
● A skateboard
● Sleeping Bag
● Goggles
Name:
Digidice
Digimon Character Sheet
Pronouns: Tier:
Attributes:
Demeanor: Brawn: ▢ Grace: ▢
Wits: ▢ Heart: ▢

Skills: Partner’s Destiny Die: ▢

Evasion:▢

Toughness: ▢
(Half Grace die type plus Half Wits die type)

Special Attack:
Accuracy: ▢ Power: ▢ (Half Brawn die type plus Half Heart die type)

Bonus Effects and Drawbacks:

Stress: ▢▢▢
Conditions:
Additional Abilities, Attacks, and Gear:

Notes:

XP: ▢/5
Total Advancements:
Unspent Advancements:
 Create a Digimon

Concept
What the heck are you, anyway? A fire-breathing dinosaur? A teddy bear with a giant hammer?
A robotic clown? A brain in a jar? A samurai rabbit? A cowboy made of living shadow? Pretty
much whatever you want is cool.

Demeanor
What is the face that your character puts forth to the world? Are you warm and parental?
Intellectual and jaded? Enthusiastic and hedonistic? Pick two words that describe your
character’s surface-level personality. The following is a list to get you started thinking, but feel
free to generate your own descriptors as well!
Example words: Awkward, Belligerent, Cold, Courageous, Cowardly, Curious, Emotional,
Enthusiastic, Friendly, Greedy, Hedonistic, Intellectual, Jaded, Lazy, Naive, Parental,
Peacekeeping, Proud, Shy, Selfish, Spiritual, Volatile, Warm

Bond
How are you a friend to your partner? How do you show them affection? What do you see as
their problem, and how do you try to help them with it?
Examples:
● Matt’s got a good heart, but he forgets that sometimes. Kind words and big hugs help
him remember.
● Davis is the coolest person I’ve ever met! I need to be exactly like him in every way!!!
● Joe worries too much. When he’s spiraling, I find that a little light teasing does the trick.
● Henry worries too much. By always projecting good vibes, I can help him “momantai.”
● Kairi is too sweet and innocent for this dark world. I must protect her.
● Rika wants a fighter, not a friend. That’s fine by me. I don’t want a friend either. Nope…
not even one little bit.

Attributes
Each character has four basic attributes. A Digimon’s power level in each given attribute is
represented by a die type, ranging on a the following scale:
d2 / d4 / d6 / d8 /d10 / d12 / d12+1 / d12+2 / d12+3 / ...
The four basic attributes are...
● Brawn - physical fitness, muscle mass, endurance
● Grace - coordination, aim, balance, reflexes
● Wits - knowledge, experience, education, and perception
● Heart - willpower, courage, force of personality
By default, all of a Digimon’s attributes begin at a d2 (You heard me). Then, depending on their
digivolution level, they have additional attribute points to spend:
Baby: 0 attribute points
In-Training: 4 attribute points
Rookie: 8 attribute points
Champion: 12 attribute points
Ultimate: 16 attribute points
Mega: 20 attribute points
You don’t have to figure out the attributes for all of a Digimon’s digivolutions during character
creation. Whenever a Digimon digivolves into a new form for the first time during the game, you
can briefly put the game on hold and figure out its attributes then, if you wish.

Defenses
In order to avoid getting hurt by attacks, your character has two defenses:
● Evasion: Evasion represents a character’s ability to avoid attacks. A character’s evasion
value is equal to half their Grace die type plus half their Wits die type.
● Toughness: Toughness represents a character’s ability to endure the attacks that they
are unable to evade. A character’s Toughness value is equal to half their Brawn die type
plus half their Heart die type.

Special Attacks
One of the major features that separates Digimon from other types of creatures are their Special
Attacks, often just called “Attacks” for short. The number and type of attacks that a Digimon has
depends on their Digivolution Level (DL). Baby Digimon have no special attacks. In-Training
Digimon all have the same “Bubble Blow” attack, which cannot be modified:
Bubble Blow
Accuracy: d4 Damage: d4
Each Digimon that is at least Rookie level starts off with one free unique special attack by
default. Designing a special attack is detailed below. Additional special attacks beyond this first
one can be purchased using your Digimon’s Bonus Points, which are also detailed below.

Bonus Points
Each Digimon also has a number of “bonus points,” each one of which can be used to either
have your Digimon know an additional special attack beyond their first, possess some other
special ability, learn a skill, or purchase a piece of gear.
Baby: 0 bonus points
In-Training: 0 bonus points
Rookie: 1 bonus point
Champion: 2 bonus points
Ultimate: 3 bonus points
Mega: 5 bonus points
Designing a Special Attack
There are three steps to designing an attack
1. Determine attack dice and damage dice
2. Add a bonus effect
3. Add a drawback?

1. Determine Attack Dice and Damage Dice

In order for an attack to inflict stress upon its target, two things need to happen. First, the
attacker needs to meet or beat the defender’s Evasion with an accuracy roll. Then, the attacker
needs to meet or beat the defender’s Toughness with a damage roll. Some attacks are more
accurate (better Accuracy), whereas other attacks hit harder (better Power).
By default, both the Accuracy and Power of a Digimon’s special attack begin at d4. Then,
depending on the Digimon’s digivolution level, they have a number of additional points to spend
raising the die type of either their attack dice or their damage dice.
Rookie: 2 points
Champion: 4 points
Ultimate: 6 points
Mega: 8 points

Example:
Agumon decides to spend both points boosting the damage of his attack, and no points
boosting the accuracy. So, his attack, which he names “Pepper Breath,” ends up having
the following accuracy and damage dice.
Pepper Breath
Accuracy: d4
Damage: d8

2. Add a Bonus Effect:

In addition to its attack dice and damage dice, your attack also has one or more additional
bonus effects that help differentiate it from other attacks. By default, all attacks come with one
free bonus effect.
The power level of some of these bonus effects scales depending on your Digimon’s digivolution
level, or DL. Whenever one of these effects refers to DL, substitute in one of the following
numbers, depending on your Digimon’s digivolution level:
Baby: DL = 1, In-Training: DL = 2, Rookie: DL = 3, Champion: DL = 4. Mega: DL = 5.)
The following is a list of example bonus effects. Talk to your GM about adding your own!

Accurate: Increase the size of your accuracy dice by 1 step.

Area: Whenever you make this attack against one target, you must also make this attack
against all adjacent targets. Resolve each attack separately. When you purchase this effect,
decrease your Accuracy die by one step. You may not take this bonus effect along with double
or triple.
Bind: The attack deals no damage. On a hit, the target is entangled. Until they are freed, they
can only spend their action attempting to break free. Breaking free requires rolling (Power x 2)
on Brawn or Grace. Success with a bonus means that this action does not take their turn. The
bound character’s allies can also similarly attempt to free their companion by spending their
action and rolling (Power x 2) on Brawn or Grace.
Blind: Their next attack, this turn or next, has - (your DL - 1) accuracy.
Break: The next attack against them, this turn or next, deals + (your DL - 1) damage.
Disorient: The next attack against them, this turn or next, has + (your DL - 1) accuracy.
Double: You may use this attack twice against the same target. When you purchase this effect,
decrease your Accuracy die by 1 step. You may not take this bonus effect along with triple or
area.
Force: On a hit, your target is flung back by the force of the attack. When appropriate, you may
use this to knock your target into an environmental obstacle, off a cliff, or into another enemy.
When attempting that last option, you must two accuracy rolls, one opposed by the first target’s
evasion, and one opposed by the second target’s evasion. If both rolls succeed, deal damage to
both targets. However, if either attack fails, then neither target takes damage.
Hi-Powered: Increase the size of your damage dice by 1 step.
Linger: If this attack hits, then on your next turn, you may have it hit again automatically with -1
damage die type. Skip rolling your attack roll and proceed directly to the damage roll.
Pierce: Ignore a number of points of your target’s armor equal to (your DL x 2) - 2.
Stun: Target must roll a (Your DLx2 + 2) or greater on Heart or lose their next turn.
Triple: You may use this attack three times against the same target. When you purchase this
effect, decrease your Accuracy die by 1 step AND take an additional drawback. You may not
take this bonus effect along with double or area.
Vampiric: You may discard a face-down stress card for each level of stress that you inflict upon
your target(s).
Weaken: Their next attack, this turn or next, deals - (your DL - 1) damage.
3. Add a Drawback?:
Your attack may also come with a drawback, if you wish. You are not required to add a
drawback to your power, but if you do, you may add 1 additional bonus effect to your power.
The power level of some of these drawbacks scales depending on your Digimon’s digivolution
level, or DL. Whenever one of these effects refers to DL, substitute in one of the following
numbers, depending on your Digimon’s digivolution level:
Baby: DL = 1, In-Training: DL = 2, Rookie: DL = 3, Champion: DL = 4. Ultimate: DL = 5.
Mega: DL = 6)
The following is a list of example drawbacks. Talk to your GM about adding your own!
Charge Up: Before you use this attack, you must first spend an additional action the turn before
“charging up” When you take this drawback, you may gain an additional free bonus effect.
Cooldown: After using this attack, you must roll a (DL x 2)+2 or greater on Heart or lose your
next turn.
Environment Specific: You can only use this attack during certain circumstances, such as
“only at night” or “only nearby a body of water full of fish.”
Inaccurate: Reduce the size of your accuracy dice by 1 step.
Melee: This attack can only be used on enemies that are adjacent to you, and if you fail to hit
your target’s Evasion, then they may deal damage to you equal to their Brawn.
Stress-Inducing: After using this attack, you must roll a (DL x 2)+2 or greater on Heart or draw
a stress card.
Superficial: Reduce the size of your damage dice by 1 step.

Abilities
Some Digimon have special powers other than their named attacks. What follows is a list of
example abilities to get you started, but feel free to invent your own!

Armor
You gain 2 points of armor. (Reduce all damage you receive by an amount equal to the
total number of armor points you have.)
Agile
You gain +1 Dodge
Aquatic
You are an incredibly adept swimmer, you can breathe underwater, and you are immune
to the effects of deep-sea pressure. You can also fight while swimming with no penalties.
Flight
You can fly! You cannot be hit by melee attacks while flying.
Giant
You are really big, probably big enough to be ridden by a couple human children at once.
Increase your Brawn by one die type, and gain an additional +1 bonus to Toughness.
However, you suffer a -1 penalty to Evasion. You may take this ability multiple times, if
you want to be even bigger!
Grappling Line
You may extend out some sort of high strength line (a rope? a vine? your own hair?) and
use it to do things like rapidly travel across a room, swing across a chasm, or quickly
ascend a cliff face. Using this ability takes up your entire turn, but effectively allows you
to take a full turn to reposition yourself to anywhere you wish in the immediate vicinity
without provoking attacks of opportunity. When attempting a difficult maneuver,
sometimes making a Grace check will be necessary.
You can attempt a Grapple maneuver against an enemy even when you are not within
melee range. Gain a +2 bonus to hit whenever you are using your grappling line to
attempt a Grapple maneuver.
Heightened Senses
One or more of your senses are enhanced far beyond normal human capabilities. Gain a
+DL bonus to all Wits checks to perceive things.
Leaping
You may leap great distances. Using this ability takes up your entire turn, but effectively
allows you to take a full turn to reposition yourself to anywhere you wish in the
immediate vicinity without provoking attacks of opportunity. When attempting a difficult
maneuver, sometimes making a Grace check will be necessary.
Leaping attack: You may may attempt to make a leaping melee attack against a target
instead of the normal Fight maneuver. If you do so, you suffer a -4 penalty to your Attack
roll, but you deal +4 damage on a successful hit.
Natural Weapons
You have natural weapons, such as claws or fangs. Increase all damage you deal with
the Fight maneuver by an amount equal to your DL.
Speed
You can move around at superhuman speeds. You take -4 damage from counterattacks,
and you get a +2 bonus to Trick maneuvers.
Telepathy
You may mentally communicate at will with any willing friendly characters that you have
been in the vicinity of within the past 24 hours. You may also attempt to read the
surface-level thoughts of an unwilling character by making a Wits/Heart check opposed
by their Heart/Heart. If you fail, you cannot attempt again for 24 hours, and all future
attempts will be made at a -4 penalty.
Thorns (or Fiery Aura)
Whenever you are hit by a melee attack, roll 2d([your DL-1] x2) and deal that much
damage to the attacker.
Wall-Crawling
You can scale walls like a spider. You automatically succeed at all attempts to climb
walls under normal circumstances. You cannot be hit by melee attacks while
wall-crawling. Gain a +2 bonus to all stealth rolls made whenever you are wall-crawling.
Leaping attack: When you are positioned above an enemy, you may attempt to make a
leaping melee attack against a target instead of the normal Fight maneuver. If you do so,
you suffer a -4 penalty to your Attack roll, but you deal +4 damage on a successful hit.
Skills
Your character may have additional specific talents that will come in handy from time to time. A
skill refers to an area of competence that a character possesses due to extensive training or
study. Whenever a character is rolling one of their attributes, if the GM decides that one or more
of a character’s skills would give them an edge in the current circumstances, that character gets
a bonus to that roll equal to their proficiency in that skill. Skills purchased during character
creation begin with a +2 proficiency bonus.
Example skills:
● Athletics - Sports, climbing, swimming
● Charm - Convince someone to like you
● Computers - Understand how to hack, program, and build your own computer
● Deception - Convince someone to believe a lie.
● Driving - Perform advanced driving maneuvers, react quickly to danger while driving
● Gaming - Skill in electronic, tabletop, and casino gaming, some understanding of
strategy and statistics
● Inspiration - Appeal to someone’s sense of morality. Convince someone to rise to the
occasion and become their better self.
● Intimidation - Convince someone to be afraid of you
● Investigation - Search an area or person for evidence while actively looking, forensics
● Knowledge (Pick a knowledge subtype)
● Mechanics - Understand how machinery/vehicles work, know how to repair things
● Medicine - Knowledge of anatomy and medical practices to treat disease and injury
● Negotiation - Use logic to convince someone that it is in their best interest to take a
given course of action
● Stealth - Remain unhidden and unseen
● Survival - Knowledge of the wilderness, includes building shelters and tracking
● Taunt - Cloud someone’s mind with mockery and hinder their ability to think clearly
Gear
Some Digimon have obtained rare and useful objects that are as just as much a part of their
identity as their attributes and attacks. Whenever a character is rolling one of their attributes, if
the GM decides that one or more of a character’s pieces of gear would give them an edge in the
current circumstances, that character gets a bonus to that roll (typically +2).
When a player spends a bonus point on gear, they may either purchase one piece of fantastic
gear, or two pieces of mundane gear. Fantastic gear is gear that is either magical or highly
useful in a wide variety of situations. Mundane gear is gear which is sometimes useful, but often
times not.
Examples of fantastic gear include:
● A Laptop: Able to interface with and manipulate many different types of technology.
● A Magic Sword: Grants a bonus to Fight damage equal to its wielder’s Digivolution level.
● A Lucky Tail Ring: Grants the Digimon equipped with it the ability to force an enemy to
reroll a die roll once per session.
Examples of mundane gear include:
● A telescope
● A harmonica
● A first aid kit
● A large supply of packaged snack foods
● A whistle
● A camera
● A baseball bat
● Climbing gear, including a grappling hook and rope
● A lighter
● A flashlight
● A skateboard
● Goggles
 Gameplay

The 2DX Core Mechanic:

“Digidice” uses a conflict resolution system for most situations called “2DX.” It works as follows:
Figure out which attribute you are using, roll two dice of type associated with that attribute, add
the results of those two die rolls together, and compare that total result to a target number. If
your result is equal to or greater than the target number, you succeed at your goal with no
additional complications.

Example: Sora is trying to leap across a chasm. Her player decides to roll Grace to accomplish
this. The GM tells Sora’s player that she is going to need to roll a 5 or better (easy difficulty) in
order to accomplish this. Since Sora’s Grace is d6, she rolls 2 d6s and adds them together. She
rolls a 3 and a 5, for a total of 8. Sora successfully leaps across the chasm!

If you roll less than the target number, the GM may either have you fail at your goal or succeed
with a complication. Either way, though, the first time you fail a roll each session, you get to
mark an extra point of experience (more on that below).

Example: Matt is attempting to lift a large fallen tree branch off of an unconscious TK. His player
decides to roll Brawn to accomplish this. The GM tells Matt that he is going to need to roll a 7 or
better (moderate difficulty) in order to accomplish this. Since Matt’s Brawn is d6, Matt rolls 2 d6s
and adds them together. He rolls a 1 and a 4, for a total of 5. The GM may now either decide
that Matt is unable to lift the tree branch, or that he is able to do so, but with an additional cost
or complication. The GM declares that Matt is successful, but as a cost, Matt is going to need to
draw a stress card (More on stress later).

But simple success and failure are not the only options. For every four points that you roll
greater than your target number, you gain an additional “bonus success” of some sort beyond
the goals that you originally intended.

Example: Izzy is attempting to decode some markings written on a wall in a strange language.
The GM declares that the difficulty on this roll is 7 (moderate difficulty). Because Izzy’s Wits is
d8, Izzy rolls 2 d8s, and rolls a 6 and a 7, for a total of 13. Because the difficulty on this roll was
7, Izzy succeeds and achieves a “bonus success.” He is about to learn a whole lot of
information from these carvings.
Experience

Each player character, whether human or Digimon, has a separate track for experience points
(XP). Player characters gain XP in the following ways:

● At the end of each session, each player character gains 1 XP automatically.

● The first time each session that a player character fails a roll, they gain 1 XP.
● Whenever a player character clears one of their negative conditions, they gain 1 XP.

If you remember in the moment to mark XP when you fail a roll or clear a condition,
congratulations! If not, don’t worry. In my experience, it’s pretty common for folks at the table to
forget to do this. So, at the end of each session, when everyone records their automatic 1 XP
they get just for playing, that’s also a good time to check in with everyone and make sure that
they’ve correctly recorded any XP that they should have gotten earlier in the session, while the
memories are still fresh.

Whenever a character gains 5 XP, they advance!

Whenever a Digidestined advances, they can choose one of the following:

● Increase a base attribute by a die type
● Increase their Destiny by 1. (This increases the size of their pool of Destiny Points, not
the size of their Destiny Die)
● Get a +2 bonus to a skill
● Find or reveal a new piece of gear

Whenever a Digimon advances, they can choose one of the following:

● Increase a base attribute by a die type
● Gain a new special attack
● Gain a new special ability
● Get a +2 bonus to a skill
● Find or reveal a new piece of gear
The Destiny Die

The primary power that a Digidestined has in this game, which sets them apart from a Digimon
or normal human, is the presence of their Destiny Die. This is an extra bonus die that they can
offer to their partner and/or to other members of their team whenever they are offering them
support through encouraging words.

Using the Destiny Die to help your partner Digimon

A Digidestined supporting their partner is more or less continuous and automatic. As long as a
Digidestined is actively watching their Digimon and emotionally supporting them, that Digimon
can roll an additional “Destiny Die” whenever making an attribute check, in addition to the two
trait dice that they normally roll. They may then substitute the result from this Destiny Die for
either of their two trait dice, if they choose.
Outside of combat, a Digimon can roll their Destiny Die whenever their partner is present and
attentive. During combat, a Digimon can only roll their Destiny Die if their partner took the
“Encourage” action this round.
The size of the Destiny Die shared between a Digidestined and their Digimon begins at a d4,
but increases in size whenever the Digimon unlocks a new digivolution.
● Once a Digimon unlocks Rookie level, their partner’s Destiny Die becomes a d6.
● Once a Digimon unlocks Champion level, their partner’s Destiny Die becomes a d8.
● Once a Digimon unlocks Ultimate level, their partner’s Destiny Die becomes a d10.
● Once a Digimon unlocks Mega level, their partner’s Destiny Die becomes a d12.
Note that a Digidestined’s Destiny Die does not increase and decrease in size every time their
Digimon digivolves and de-digivolves. It increases in size whenever their Digimon unlocks a
new digivolution, but then it remains at that same increased size permanently, even when their
Digimon de-digivolves back down to a lower digivolution level.

Using the Destiny Die to help someone else

Although supporting one’s partner Digimon is the primary way that a Digidestined uses their
Destiny Die, it can also be used to help someone else: a fellow digidestined, another
Digidestined’s partner Digimon, and NPC character, whatever! However, since the Digidestined
doesn’t have as strong of a bond with this character, there is also another price that must be
paid. They must spend a Destiny Point.
This will typically happen after one of your teammates makes a roll, when they are unhappy with
the result. A Digidestined can spend a Destiny Point and give an encouraging comment. When
they do so, the character offering support then rolls their own Destiny Die. Their teammate can
then substitute that die roll for one of their two dice, if they choose.
It’s also possible for multiple Digidestined characters to do this for a single roll. However, each
character can only offer support once.
Example: Davis is getting ready to play some soccer against his rival, Ken. He needs to make a
Grace check, so he rolls 2d6, getting a 1 and a 3, for a total of 4. The other players at the table
know that’s not going to cut it, so they offer some support.
Kari says, “He’s just a kid like you, Davis,” and rolls her Destiny Die, getting another 3.
Hmmmm, he could still probably use a bit more help.
TK chimes in, saying, “You gotta outrun him!” He rolls his Destiny Die, getting a 2. Still not
gonna cut it.
Tai finally steps up and says, “You can do it, and even if you can’t, we won’t think any less of
you man.” He then rolls his Destiny Die, and gets an 8.
Looking at all these dice, Davis grabs the 8 and one of the 3s, for a total of 11. A totally
respectable roll.
Ken looks amused and says, “Some nice friends you got there, Davis.”

Destiny Points
At the start of each session, a Digidestined’s pool of Destiny Points resets to be equal to their
Destiny rating. A Digidestined can spend a Destiny Points to…
● Roll their Destiny Die and add the result to any roll made by someone else. (Each
Digidestined can do this once per roll)
● Digivolve their Digimon
● Add an additional minor detail to the scene or establish a minor fact about the world
● Manifest their Truth (this section of the rules is not currently written, but it’s coming soon)
Scaling of Power in the Digital World

As Digimon grow in power, they “digivolve” from one level of power to another. A Digimon who
begins their life as a harmless and adorable ball of fluff may eventually grow into an unparalleled
force of nature, able to change the fate of a world. What follows is a chart to help you gain a
sense of the mechanical representation of this increasing power level within “Digidice:”
(If a rule ever asks you the Digivolution Level of a human, use the number 2. I don’t think that
this happens anywhere, but who knows!?)

Name Digivolution Level Average Attribute Average Difficulty

Baby 1 d2 3 (Trivial)
In-Training 2 d4 5 (Easy)
Rookie 3 d6 7 (Moderate)
Champion 4 d8 9 (Hard)
Ultimate 5 d10 11 (Monstrous)
Mega 6 d12 13 (Impossible)

Name: There are six Digivolution Levels, and each one has a name.

Digivolution Level: In “Digidice,” each Digivolution Level also has a number in addition to its
name. This number is sometimes used to calculate the scale of various effects that increase as
a Digimon increases in power level.

Average Attribute: As a Digimon digivolves, it’s attributes improve. Listed here is the average die
size of a Digimon’s attributes at a given Digivolution Level.

Average Difficulty: As Digimon grow stronger, they become able to conquer challenges of
greater and greater difficulty. Listed here is a target number which will provide a moderately
difficult challenge for a Digimon of that level.
 Combat

Character Units
For the purposes of turn order during combat, characters are typically grouped into “character
units,” who share an initiative card and act at the same time. A character unit can be any one of
the following:
● A digidestined and their Digimon partner
● A single Digimon without a partner
● An allied group of Digimon of the same species
● A single named human without a partner
● A group of unnamed humans
In ambiguous situations, it falls onto the GM’s discretion to decide what is and what isn’t a single
character unit.

Initiative
At the start of a round of combat, each character unit (not necessarily each individual character)
is dealt an initiative card from a regular 54 card deck of playing cards (Jokers included).
Character units may then act in order of the ranking of the card that they were dealt, from high
to low: Joker-A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2.
If two character units receive the same ranking, use suit as a tie-breaker, reverse alphabetical
order: Spades-Hearts-Diamonds-Clubs.
Within a given character unit, humans act first, and then Digimon act second.
All characters within a character unit that receives a Joker for their initiative card gains a bonus
to their defenses (Evasion and Toughness) and all trait rolls made equal to their DL (or +2, if
human).

Digidestined Combat Options:

Encourage
Until the start of your next turn, your Digimon may roll an additional “Destiny Die”
whenever making a trait check. They may substitute the result from this Destiny Die for
either of their two attribute dice when making a roll, if they choose.

Use an item
In your travels, your Digidestined may obtain strange and wondrous items that grant
them special abilities. Some of these items can be used during a Digidestined’s turn for
some sort of special effect.

Trick
Make an opposed Wits check against your target. The next person to make an attack
against your target gets a +2 bonus to hit for each success you roll over your target. If
you trick an opponent who has just been tricked, and still has an unused trick bonus
 applied to them, multiple trick rolls do not stack. The bigger bonus overrides the smaller
one.

Fight
Though it’s not typically a great idea, your Digidestined can try attacking enemies, if you
wish. To do so, roll your Grace. If you roll equal to your target’s Evasion or better, you
may deal them damage equal to your Brawn. However, if you fail to hit your target’s
Evasion, then they may deal damage to you equal to their Brawn.
To deal damage to your target, roll your Brawn and compare it to their Toughness. For
each success you roll, your target must draw a stress card.
If your target is dealing damage to you, they roll their Brawn and compare it to your
Toughness. For each success they roll, you must draw a stress card.

Recover
If you have been dealt a face-down stress card, and it has not been turned face-up yet,
you can take an action to step back from combat, catch your breath, and try to clear one
or more stress cards away before they have the chance to become actual lasting stress.
Roll Heart vs. (your DLx2)+1. For each success you roll, you may discard a face-down
stress card.

Grapple/Disarm
Your digidestined can also attempt to grapple or disarm a foe. Again, typically not a great
idea, but if you want to do it, go for it! Make a Grace roll with a -2 penalty, opposed by
your target’s evasion. If you succeed, you may either steal an object they were holding
or trap them in a hold. If you fail, your target may deal damage to you equal to their
Brawn, opposed by your Toughness. A character who has been trapped in a hold may
only take the “Break Free” action during their turn.

Submission
If you have another character grappled, you may use an action to deal them
damage without having to bypass their Evasion first. Simply roll your Brawn and
compare it to their Toughness. For each success you roll, your target must draw
a stress card.

Throw
If you have another character grappled, you may take an action to throw them. If
you wish to throw them at a specific target, such as another character, roll Grace
opposed by that target’s evasion. (If you are throwing the target at a nearby
stationary object, the difficulty is 5. In unusual circumstances, such as throwing at
a small target, a target a long distance away, or a moving target, this number
may be modified.) If they hit their target, deal damage equal to this target equal
to a Brawn roll from you + your DL + the thrown character’s DL + the thrown
character’s size bonus, if applicable. Regardless of whether or not you hit your
 target, deal damage to the character you are throwing equal to a Brawn roll from
you + your DL + the thrown character’s DL + the thrown character’s size bonus.

Break Free
If you have been trapped in a hold, you must spend your turn attempting to break
free. To do so, you must either defeat the character holding you with an opposed
Brawn check or an opposed Grace check. If you achieve at least one bonus
success over your opponent while attempting to break free, then breaking free
did not consume your action for this turn.

Hold
You are waiting to act until the moment is right. You may act later in the turn order, if you
wish. If you choose not to act this turn, you may automatically go first in the initiative
order next turn. Whenever another character declares an action while you are on hold,
you can attempt to interrupt their action with one of your own. Doing so requires beating
them on an opposed Grace check.

Defend
You take no action other than attempting to avoid getting hit by stuff. Gain a +DL bonus
to your Evasion until the start of your next turn.

Persuade
Some problems can be solved by just talking things out. Depending on the persuasion
tactics that you are employing, roll Wits or Heart, opposed by your target’s Wits or Heart.
Note that there are a bunch of skills that may apply in this situation, such as Deceive,
Charm, Inspire, Intimidate, or Negotiate.

Run Away
Combat in the digital world is very dangerous! Sometimes it’s just not worth it. To run
away
from combat, make a Grace roll with a +2 bonus, opposed by a Grace roll from any of
your opponents who decide to chase you. If you fail, your opponent can choose to force
you to remain where you are, if they wish. Note that each character who chooses to run
away must roll separately.

Something Else
Sometimes, there are unique problems and opportunities that will present themselves
outside of this list of options. Talk to your GM if you wish to take an action not on this list.
Whether or not you can do something and what you need to roll to make it happen is up
to their discretion.
Digimon Combat Options:

Special Attack
Typically, using a Special Attack is the safest and most direct way for a Digimon to inflict
stress upon its enemies, but overusing special attacks can also be exhausting.
To use a special attack, make an Accuracy roll, opposed by your target’s Evasion. If your
Accuracy roll hits, make a Damage roll, opposed by your target’s Toughness. For each
success you roll, your target must draw a stress card.
Be warned, after you use a special attack, if you also used a special attack last turn, you
immediately take 1 stress. (It doesn’t matter if it was the same attack last turn or a
different one.) For this reason, you generally won’t want to use Special Attacks multiple
turns in a row unless you find yourself in truly desperate circumstances.

Fight
Some Digimon are skilled fighters, and aren’t afraid to throw down when not using their
Special Attacks. To fight an enemy, roll your Grace. If you roll equal to your target’s
Evasion or better, you may deal them damage equal to your Brawn. However, if you fail
to hit your target’s Evasion, then they may deal damage to you equal to their Brawn.
To deal damage to your target, roll your Brawn and compare it to their Toughness. For
each success you roll, your target must draw a stress card.
If your target is dealing damage to you, they roll their Brawn and compare it to your
Toughness. For each success they roll, you must draw a stress card.

Grapple/Disarm
Make a Grace roll with a -2 penalty, opposed by your target’s evasion. If you succeed,
you may either steal an object they were holding or trap them in a hold. A character who
has been trapped in a hold may only take the “Break Free” action during their turn.

Submission
If you have another character grappled, you may use an action to deal them
damage without having to bypass their Evasion first. Simply roll your Brawn and
compare it to their Toughness. For each success you roll, your target must draw
a stress card.

Throw
If you have another character grappled, you may take an action to throw them. If
you wish to throw them at a specific target, such as another character, roll Grace
vs. target’s evasion. (If you are throwing the target at a nearby stationary object,
the difficulty is 5. In unusual circumstances, such as throwing at a small target, a
target a long distance away, or a moving target, this number may be modified.) If
they hit their target, deal damage equal to this target equal to a Brawn roll from
you + your DL + the thrown character’s DL + the thrown character’s size bonus, if
applicable. Regardless of whether or not you hit your target, deal damage to the
 character you are throwing equal to a Brawn roll from you + your DL + the thrown
character’s DL + the thrown character’s size bonus.

Break Free
If you have been trapped in a hold, you must spend your turn attempting to break
free. To do so, you must either defeat the character holding you with an opposed
Brawn check or an opposed Grace check. If you achieve at least one bonus
success over your opponent while attempting to break free, then breaking free
did not consume your action for this turn.

Recover
If you have been dealt a face-down stress card, and it has not been turned face-up yet,
you can take an action to step back from combat, catch your breath, and try to clear one
or more stress cards away before they have the chance to become actual lasting stress.
Roll Heart vs. (your DLx2)+1. For each success you roll, you may discard a face-down
stress card.

Trick
Make an opposed Wits check against your target. The next person to make an attack
against your target gets a +2 bonus to hit for each success you roll over your target. If
you trick an opponent who has just been tricked, and still has an unused trick bonus
applied to them, multiple trick rolls do not stack. The bigger bonus overrides the smaller
one.

Hold
You are waiting to act until the moment is right. You may act later in the turn order, if you
wish. If you choose not to act this turn, you may automatically go first in the initiative
order next turn. Whenever another character declares an action while you are on hold,
you can attempt to interrupt their action with one of your own. Doing so requires beating
them on an opposed Grace check.

Defend
You take no action other than attempting to avoid getting hit by stuff. Gain a +DL bonus
to your Evasion until the start of your next turn.

Persuade
Some problems can be solved by just talking things out. Depending on the persuasion
tactics that you are employing, roll Wits or Heart, opposed by your target’s Wits or Heart.
Note that there are a bunch of skills that may apply in this situation, such as Deceive,
Charm, Inspire, Intimidate, or Negotiate.
Run Away
Combat in the digital world is very dangerous! Sometimes it’s just not worth it. To run
away
from combat, make a Grace roll with a +2 bonus, opposed by a Grace roll from any of
your opponents who decide to chase you. If you fail, your opponent can choose to force
you to remain where you are, if they wish. Note that each character who chooses to run
away must roll separately.

Something Else
Sometimes, there are unique problems and opportunities that will present themselves
outside of this list of options. Talk to your GM if you wish to take an action not on this list.
Whether or not you can do something and what you need to roll to make it happen is up
to their discretion.
 Digivolution

For ordinary Digimon, digivolution happens very slowly. It takes years. Also, once an ordinary
Digimon digivolve into a new form, they stay that way forever. Digivolution is a one-way trip. But
you are no ordinary Digimon! You are the partner of a digidestined. Through using the power of
love and friendship and all that, you can temporarily digivolve into a higher form and kick butt for
a little while, before going back to being all tiny and cute and stuff.

When Can I Digivolve?

Put simply, whenever you want to. All you have to do is spend a Destiny Point. After that, you
can digivolve immediately. Doesn’t take up your turn. Doesn’t even have to be during your turn.
Someone could be about to make an attack roll at you, and you can decide to digivolve before
the attack hits you. Whatever else is happening can wait! But there are a few things to
remember
1. As mentioned above, you must spend a Destiny Point. Every time.
2. You must be in the vicinity of your partner.
3. You must have unlocked the level you wish to digivolve to.
4. If you have unlocked, but not yet mastered the level you wish to digivolve to, then
digivolving will cause you to draw some stress cards.
5. If you have lasting stress from a previous encounter, it may make it more difficult for you
to digivolve, or you may digivolve into a form other than the one you intended.

Unlocking and Mastering New Digivolution Levels

There are two steps to learning how to digivolve to a new level. First comes “unlocking” a
digivolution level, then comes “mastering” that digivolution level. Once you have “unlocked” a
digivolution level, it means that you are technically able to digivolve to that level, but doing so
causes you to receive stress. Once you have “mastered” a digivolution level, it means that you
have gained the ability to digivolve to that level easily, and remain at that level indefinitely.

Unlocking Digivolution Levels

The Baby and In-Training levels begin unlocked for starting Digimon in a typical campaign, and
some campaigns might opt to start partner Digimon at the Rookie level, but what does it take to
unlock the higher levels? Well, that depends, in part, on how your group wants it to work. Do the
players need to find some magic item, like a crest or a digi-egg? Do they need to defeat a great
enemy and absorb their strength? Do they need to connect with their fellow digidestined to fuse
their digimon together? Things work a little differently in each season, so you’ll need to figure
some of this out yourself, but here are some rough benchmarks to get you started:

Rookie: The first time a Digimon digivolves to Rookie, they and their partner must be in the
middle of a conflict with either a Digimon of at least Rookie level, or a challenge with a
difficulty of at least 7. The first time a Digimon digivolves into Rookie, increase the size of
their partner’s Destiny Die to a d6.
Champion: The first time a Digimon digivolves to Champion, their partner must have been dealt
a stress card at some point earlier in the campaign. Also, the Digimon
and their partner must be in the middle of a conflict with either a Digimon of at least
Champion level, or a challenge with a difficulty of at least 9. The first time a Digimon
digivolves into Champion, increase the size of their partner’s Destiny Die to a d8.
Ultimate: The first time a Digimon digivolves to Ultimate, their digidestined must have
had some sort of character growth since the beginning of their campaign, gaining
closure on one of their issues and/or discovering some inner hidden virtue.
Also, the Digimon and their partner must be in the middle of a conflict with either a
Digimon of at least Ultimate level, or a challenge with a difficulty of at least 11. The first
time a Digimon digivolves into Ultimate, increase the size of their partner’s Destiny Die
to a d10.
Mega: The first time a Digimon digivolves to Mega, their digidestined must fully explored all their
inner darkness and mastered it (at least for now). They must have, for a time, become
their worst self, and then come back from it. Also, the Digimon and their partner must be
in the middle of a conflict with either a Digimon of at least Mega level, or a challenge with
a difficulty of at least 13. The first time a Digimon digivolves into Mega, increase the size
of their partner’s Destiny Die to a d12.

Mastering Digivolution Levels

The Baby and In-Training levels begin mastered for starting Digimon in a typical campaign, but
what does it take to master the higher digivolution levels?

Rookie: The first time you digivolve into Rookie, you have mastered it. You do not need to draw
any stress cards.
Champion: The first time you digivolve into Champion, you must draw one stress card when
you de-digivolve back to your Rookie form.
Ultimate: The first time you digivolve into Ultimate, you must draw two stress cards when you
de-digivolve. The second time you de-digivolve, you must draw one stress card.
Mega: The first time you digivolve into Mega, you must draw three stress cards when you
de-digivolve. The second time you de-digivolve, you must draw two stress cards. The
third time you de-digivolve, you must draw one stress card.

De-Digivolving
At the end of a conflict, if you had to draw stress cards in order to digivolve, then you have NOT
mastered your current digivolution level, and cannot choose to remain in it after the end of the
conflict. You must de-digivolve immediately.
However, if you did not have to draw any stress cards in order to digivolve, then you HAVE
mastered your current digivolution level. Once a conflict is over, you are not required to
de-digivolve, and if you do decide to de-digivolve, you can revert to whichever earlier form you
choose.
 Stress

Things don’t always go well. Stress represents a variety of negative consequences that can
come from trying to be a hero.
The most common way that you will receive stress is from taking damage during combat. When
you receive stress in this way, deal yourself a card, but keep it face down in front of you. Certain
abilities, such as the “Recover” action may allow you to discard this card before it becomes
permanent.
At the end of your turn, if you have any face-down stress cards in front of you, turn them face
up.
Then, for each card…
● If the revealed card is red, then you have received “fleeting stress.” Hold onto this card
for now, but at the end of the current scene, you can discard it and receive no further ill
effect.
● If the revealed card is black, then you have received a “condition.” It’s not going to
impact you negatively yet, but at the end of the current scene, this card will become an
ongoing problem that you will have to deal with in the future, most likely during the next
Downtime phase.
● If the revealed card is a Joker, then you have received an “adrenaline rush.”
Insteading of being weakened by the stress of the current situation, you are invigorated
by it! Discard this card immediately. Until the end of your next turn, gain a +DL bonus to
all trait checks you make.

Whenever you are told to draw a stress card either outside of combat, or for a reason other than
receiving damage, typically you will draw the card face-up and reveal it immediately, and you will
not have a chance to discard it by using the Recover action.

Incapacitation

The total number of stress cards in front of you is your current “stress level.” If you receive too
much stress during combat, you will be incapacitated.
Once a human has received 3 stress, they are incapacitated. Their partner can’t receive help
from their Destiny Die, nor can they digivolve.
Once a Digimon has received 3 stress, they are digidusted, and revert back into being a
digi-egg.
Converting Stress into Conditions

At the end of a conflict, once a character has a few minutes to rest, they convert all remaining
black stress cards into “conditions,” such as “hungry” or “sick.” Then, all those stress cards are
then all discarded, and thus the character’s stress level resets to zero. (Note that this does not
happen until a conflict is over. But, on the plus side, this means that if you receive a black stress
card during a conflict, the negative effects of the ongoing condition associated with that card do
not kick in until the conflict is over.)

When converting these black stress cards into conditions, consult the following table to see
what types of conditions you receive. (If a character is dealt two or more cards that correspond
to the same condition, then that character has lucked out, because the condition will only be
marked on their sheet once.):

2-5: Hungry: Your Digimon can’t digivolve unless it makes a Heart check equal to its
current (DL x2)+2.
6-9: Tired: Your Digimon suffers a -2 penalty to all trait checks, and it can’t digivolve unless it
makes a Heart check equal to its current (DL x2)+2.
10-J: Sick: Your Digimon suffers a -2 penalty to all trait checks, and it can’t digivolve unless it
makes a Heart check equal to its current (DL x2)+2.
Q-A: Emotional: Your Digimon may no longer roll a Destiny Die while making checks in
the presence of their partner. Whenever your Digimon is starting to digivolve, it must
make a Heart check equal to its current (DL x2)+2. If it fails to make this check, then it
“dark digivolves” instead.
 Downtime

When your GM tells you that you have some “downtime” to spend, here are some examples of
ways that you can choose to spend your time, if you wish. (Typically, each player gets a chance
to frame one Downtime scene, but what happens in that scene affects all players):

● Sleep: If any members of your team are Tired, they recover.

● Eat: If any members of your team are Hungry, they recover.
● Heal: Pick another character who is Sick. Roll Wits vs. 7. If you succeed, they recover.
(This only applies to a single character. If, for instance, both a digidestined and their
Digimon partner are sick, you’ll need multiple downtime scenes to heal them both.)
● Talk: Pick another character and talk about your feelings. Regardless of how it goes, as
long as neither of you are Emotional, both of you mark XP.
If they are Emotional, you can try to help them work through it. Roll Heart vs. 7, with a
penalty equal to their Corruption. If you succeed, they can choose to open up to you. If
they do, clear their condition. If they choose not to, instead both players mark XP.
● Play: You may only take this action if you have no negative conditions. All characters
with no conditions gain the “Content” condition. The first time they would gain stress,
instead they lose this condition and discard that stress card.
● Explore: Scout out your current surroundings. Draw a card. If it’s red, you’ll find
something useful. If it's black, you as a player can either choose to find nothing useful, or
to find something useful, but also some trouble. The GM may just tell you to draw a
stress card, or they have a more complex and intricate encounter in mind.
● Train: Pick a skill to practice and explain how you are practicing it. Any number of other
characters may join you in this training exercise, if you allow it. At the end of the scene,
choose one character who participated, the one who you think learned the most from
this activity, and increase their proficiency in the given skill by 1.
● Something Else: Build something/Investigate a mystery/Ask around for rumors and
gossip/Read through recently acquired documents or files/Experiment with a mysterious
device you've obtained to learn more about it (perhaps even your digivice)

Gear Bonuses
Here are some examples of how gear might give you bonuses during downtime.
● Tent: At the start of each Downtime phase, if any members of your group are Tired,
each of them rolls a d6. On a 4-6, they may clear the Tired condition.
● Bag of Snacks: At the start of each Downtime phase, if any members of your group are
Hungry, each of them rolls a d6. On a 4-6, they may clear the Hungry condition.
● First Aid Kit: Gain a +2 bonus to your Wits checks when you choose the Heal action.
● Harmonica: Gain an additional +2 bonus to your Heart checks when you choose the
Talk action.
● Telescope: Gain a +1 bonus when you perform the “Explore” action.
Roleplaying Downtime Scenes
Unlike during normal play, where the GM is in charge of framing and pacing scenes, during
Downtime Scenes, players are welcome to take the lead in narrating what occurs.

Exactly how long you roleplay a given downtime scene for, and how open versus structured it is
comes down to the preferences of your own group, and what feels right in the current moment.
Sometimes, a downtime scene might be over in less than a minute. The GM might simply ask
the players a question or two, and then move on. Other times, a group might really enjoy
digging into the mundane minutiae of everyday life, and they may spend half an hour or longer
roleplaying a single in-depth Downtime Scene. There’s no right or wrong here.

What follows are some questions to consider when roleplaying Downtime scenes. These exist
to help spark ideas for things that might occur during a Downtime Scene, but you certainly aren’t
expected to answer all (or even most) of these questions each time you do a scene of the given
type. Consider picking a couple of them that speak to you and frame the scene around
answering these questions. Additionally, note that each list of questions features one question in
bolded text. Regardless of how many other questions you end up addressing over the course
of a given Downtime Scene, you should always be sure to answer the bolded question.

Sleep
Searching for beds
● What unexpected challenge or danger do you find as you are looking for a place
to sleep, and who helps solve the problem?
● Where do you find a place to sleep? Describe the accommodations?
● When you arrive, you find a Digimon already resting in one of the beds. Who are
they and what request do they make of you?
● How do you customize your sleeping area to make it your own?
● How well do you sleep? Why was it either better or worse than you expected?
As you sleep, you dream.
● You have a frantic stress dream where you are trying to do something, but you
can’t. What are you trying to do, and why can’t you?
● You have a pleasant dream, where nothing is wrong at all. Where are you and
what are you doing? Are you disappointed when you wake up and it isn’t real?
● You have a surreal and nonsensical dream, but for some reason, it still feels
important, like the universe is trying to tell you something. What absurd scenario
do you find yourself in, and what does your dream self do about it?
● You have a dream about another player character, but something about them is
different. What is it? What do you two do together?
● You have a truly harrowing nightmare, where all your worst fears come true.
What happens in this dream?
After sleeping
● Why do you wake up before everyone else? What do you do while waiting for
everyone else to wake up?
Eat
Searching for food
● What unexpected challenge or danger do you find as you are looking for food,
and who helps solve the problem?
● What food do you find and where do you find it?
● When preparing the food, what unusual touch do you add to make it your own?
● How does the food turn out? What’s either better or worse about it than you might
expect?
As you eat, you talk.
● Share a funny story about your time in the real world. Does this spark similar
memories in anyone else?
● How do you embarrass yourself or say something in poor taste? How does
everyone else react to this?
● You ask someone a deeply personal question. What do you ask? How do they
respond to this?
● You ask someone to make you a promise. Who is it and what do you ask for?
How do they respond?
After eating
● Is there any food left over, or do you eat it all? If there’s any remaining, what do
you do with the leftovers?
● Who pitches in to help clean things up afterwards, and who conveniently
wanders off?
● With a belly full of food, you stare off into space. What are you thinking about?

Heal
● What unexpected challenge or danger do you find as you are looking for medical
supplies and/or a place to rest, and who helps solve the problem?
● Where do you find medical supplies, and where do you find a safe place for your
patient to rest as you administer treatment?
● What unexpected twist do you add to your treatment that your patient finds a bit odd? Is
this technique backed by actual science, is it an old family remedy, or is it just something
you made up?
● When your patient is feeling at their worst, you tell them a funny story or joke to distract
them from the pain. What story do you tell? How do they react to it?
● As they are resting up, and a bit delirious, one of you shares a secret with the other.
You’re not sure why you did it, but it just felt right in the moment. What was the secret,
and how did they react?
● How long does it take your patient to recover? What is the first sign that they’re getting
back to being their old self.
Talk
● When the active player seeks out the person they want to have a conversation, what
state do they find them in? What activity are they doing? Does the active player then join
in, or suggest an alternative activity?
● You don’t jump right into talking about what’s on your mind, at least not directly. When
the conversation begins, you seem to be talking about something else on the surface.
So, how do you talk about the thing without actually talking about the thing?
● Eventually, you open up, and finally say what’s on your mind, something you’ve
wanted to say for a long time, but haven’t had the guts before. What do you say?
How do they take it?
● You open up as well, sharing some previously hidden thoughts of their own. How does
this go down, and how is it received?
● You suspect that your friend is still hiding something, so you push for more information.
What do you ask them to come clean about?
● You push your friend to commit to a future course of action. What do you ask of them?
How do they take it?
● Now that everything’s out in the open, how is the vibe? Are things less tense or more
tense than before?
● When the conversation ends, what happens next? Do you two part ways, or do some
activity together?

Play
● What game are you playing? Do you have everything you need to play it, or do you
need to improvise a bit?
● You’re having some trouble keeping up. Does someone step in to help you? If so, do you
accept their help?
● You make a surprisingly good move, even surprising yourself. How do you accomplish
this? Do you tip your hand about how unusual this is, or do you manage to play it cool?
How do the people around you react?
● You try a little trash talk. What do you say to get in your opponent’s head, and are they
able to laugh it off, or do your words genuinely sting?
● You try something risky, a big move that’s a little outside your comfort zone. What do you
try to do, and how does it go down?
● If you’re playing a game with a winner, who wins? Are you a graceful winner or does
success go to your head? How do the losers take it?

Explore
● When you head out exploring, are you looking for something in particular, or just
seeing what’s out there?
(After you answer this one question and draw your card, the GM takes over and narrates
what you find. Unlike in other Downtime Scenes, players are not in control of )
Train
● What skill are you training? Do you have everything you need to train, or do you
need to improvise a bit to make it possible?
● You’re having some trouble keeping up. Does someone step in to help you? If so, do you
accept their help?
● You make a surprisingly good move, even surprising yourself. How do you accomplish
this? Do you tip your hand about how unusual this is, or do you manage to play it cool?
How do the people around you react?
● You try a little trash talk. What do you say to get in your opponent’s head, and are they
able to laugh it off, or do your words genuinely sting?
● You try something risky, a big move that’s a little outside your comfort zone. What do you
try to do, and how does it go down?
● At the end of the training session, who comes out looking the best? Who made a fool of
themselves? Do you feel one step closer to your goals, or disheartened by the difficulty?
 Additional Rules?

In earlier versions of this document, I included additional advanced rules for unlocking
your human character’s “Virtue,” overcoming their “Vice,” and dealing with “Corruption Points.”
These mechanics were meant to help mechanize some of the sorts of stories that are told in the
back half of the original Digimon Adventure series.

I’ve decided not to include those rules here, for two reasons. One, I’m not 100% happy
with the state those rules are currently in. Two, I think that one of things that makes Digimon
great, as a franchise, is how much it reinvents itself from one season to the next, and how many
interesting twists it puts on its own formula. For that reason, I don’t consider those rules, which
are specific to “Digimon Adventure,” to be a part of the “core rules” of the game. I’m not using
those rules in Binary Break, for instance, so it would feel weird to put them here.

In the ideal version of this document, I would have an additional list of many different
sorts of optional rules you could opt into or out of, not just Vice and Virtues, but also Armor
Eggs, Digi-Modify Cards, Biomerge Digivolution, Spirit Evolution, and much more. If you’d like
me to expand the rules to include all that stuff, please let me know!

The reason I’m saying all this is just to let you know that, in my mind, these rules are
only intended as a starting point for your own Digimon game. This document is currently
incomplete, but I’m okay with that for right now. The core engine is solid, and I trust you to fill in
the rest. Just like how no two seasons of Digimon are the same, I feel like no two groups of
Digidice should be playing exactly the same game. Think about what makes your “season” of
Digimon special, and hack this game to include additional rules to suit your vision.

Take chances. Make mistakes. Get messy.