JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Tabletops Are Unscratchable

Aryn Flaherty
u/GrandMasterEternal Introduction
This is Killer Queen and
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is a manga its user, Yoshikage Kira.
and anime series by artist Hirohiko Killer Queen’s primary
Ability is to turn
Araki. It follows the Joestar lineage in
anything it touches into
a series of bizarre adventures, wherein a remotely detonated
each typically shares the nickname bomb, capable of
“JoJo” and solves battles by outwitting completely obliterating
the object and killing
the enemy. In part 3, Stardust those nearby. This
Crusaders, Araki introduced the Ability suits Kira very
concept of Stands. This RPG will well, as he is a serial
focus mainly upon the style of part 3 killer. Killer Queen has
an A in power, but the
and onwards, which means all player touching requirement
characters and significant enemies will gives it a D in range.
have Stands.
Stands Attributes are a reflection of both this
and the extent of the Stand’s Ability.
Stands are representations of the user’s Attributes will be described more
soul, effectively a form of psychic thoroughly in the Stand Creation
power. They often take the form of section.
humanoid creatures, but some Stands
take the form of objects or a “colony” Most Stands are gained from one of
of small creatures. Most Stands (the two methods: Naturally, or via the
exception usually being object-based Stand Arrow. A person of a strong will
Stands) are invisible to non-Stand- can develop a Stand on their own or
users. A Stand can have a variety of simply be born with it. The Stand
powers, from stopping time to turning Arrow, however, is an ancient artifact
anything it touches into a remotely capable of awakening the Stand of a
detonated bomb. Because of this strong-willed person. The Arrow must
variety, it’s generally considered to be be stabbed into the person, usually as a
wise to keep the Ability of one’s Stand fatal blow. If the person is of a strong
a secret until it is used. Most Stands enough will, their Stand will be
can only be harmed by other Stands, awakened. If not, the person will
but any damage they do incur is typically die as if fatally stabbed with
transferred to the user. Most Stands are a normal arrow. Either way, Stands
also capable of interacting with objects tend to reflect the psyche of the user,
without the use of their Ability. Stand both in Appearance and Ability.

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 Stand Creation produce a more interesting Ability. If
this method is unavailable to you, then
Since this system is based primarily
we recommend you familiarize
around Stands, it’s recommended that
yourself with the source material for
those who are new either to tabletop
inspiration or ask a friend who’s a fan
RPGs or to JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure
of the series for ideas. Keep in mind
start here and work backwards,
the previous examples in this booklet
creating a Stand-user to fit the Stand.
and try to be a little more specific than
Creating a Stand can be broken down the average superpower. As a non-
into three main categories: Ability, example, super strength or shooting
Attributes, and Style. We have solid laser beams don’t make for good Stand
rules on Attributes, but the Ability and Abilities. If it seems a little boring or
Style sections will require creativity on simple, that’s probably because it is.
your part to be done well. We
Attributes
recommend that you name the Stand
after sorting out the three previous Attributes represent both an analysis of
categories, so the naming section will a Stand’s Ability and the Stand’s
come last. physical capabilities, rated from A to
D. The six Attributes are (Destructive)
Ability
Power, Speed, Range, Durability,
A Stand’s Ability can range from the Precision, and Potential. These will
hyper-specific to the relatively affect your Stand’s exercise of its
general. Boyz II Men is capable of Ability as well as determining the
stealing the power from anyone who difficulty of rolls to use your Stand on
loses a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors the environment or non-Stand-users.
to its user, while Crazy Diamond can No matter the roll, you’ll always be
simply rearrange or restore any matter using a six-sided die. Rolling a 1
that it punches. The recommended represents an automatic failure on a
method of creating your Stand’s standard check, while rolling a 6
Ability, to encourage creativity but represents an automatic success. Any
keep an element of randomness, is to roll that meets or exceeds the DC
toy around with the old version of the (Difficulty Class) of a standard check
JoJo’s Bizarre Stand Generator hosted will succeed. No bonuses are applied
by Drexel University. It’ll give you a to standard checks, but the DC is
random, poorly defined Ability and a determined by
set of Attributes, which we
recommend you creatively interpret to

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your Stand’s Attribute. When one Durability: Your Stand’s Durability is
Stand or user is attempting to how much damage it can take before
overcome another through some being destroyed. For most Stands, any
physical means, then a contested roll is damage taken by the Stand is reflected
made. Both users roll their dice, then upon the user. If the Stand’s face is
add a bonus depending on the rank of cracked, the user’s is bloodied. If the
the Attribute. For difficulty classes and Stand is destroyed, the user dies with
bonuses by rank, please see the table it. Durability translates to a modifier
below. Here’s a description of what placed on how much damage the Stand
each Attribute does: takes. Any damage taken by your
Stand eats into your health points. The
Power: Your Stand’s strength and a
damage modifiers can be found on the
measure of how much destruction it
table below.
can inflict. You use it when using your
Stand to exert physical force upon the Precision: Your Stand’s ability to
environment, when Attacking move carefully and to apply force
someone, or when Clashing with an selectively. This represents both the
opponent. precision of your Ability and your
Stand’s physical capabilities. You use
Speed: Your Stand’s ability to move
it when your Stand needs to do careful
quickly, both through the environment
work with great accuracy.
and when simply moving a body part.
You use it when your Stand needs to Potential: How much room for
react quickly, just move quickly in creativity is in your Stand’s ability.
general, or to Dodge an opponent’s This is decided by the game master
Attack. You can find your Stand’s after reviewing the rest of your Stand,
movement speed by rank below. and it’s only used for contested roles
when using your Stand’s Ability
Range: Both how far your Stand can
instead of Clashing with or Dodging an
stray from your side and the effective
attack.
range of its Ability. You’ll never need
to roll this, but it’s still important
information. You can find your
Stand’s Range by rank in the table
below.
Rank DC Bonus Range Damage Movement
(in meters) Taken (per turn)
A 2 +3 30m x1/4 30m
B 3 +2 20m x1/2 20m
C 4 +1 10m x1 10m3
D 5 +0 5m/touch X1.5 5m
 Style User
Finally, a Stand’s Style is important. A Stand’s user is as important, if not
It’s a reflection of both the user’s usually as interesting, as the Stand.
personality and of the Stand’s abilities, Stand-users can come from all walks
so it’s important to express it well. You of life and often live as normal
can wait until after the user is created people. For every Stand-powered
to revisit this, but don’t deny its serial killer, there’s a normal high-
importance. You don’t want to be the schooler who uses his Stand for self-
only fool at the table who didn’t bother defense. That said, absolute power
to put some thought into his Stand’s corrupts absolutely, and normal
Style. Style is an important part of people have no means of defense
JoJo, from a Stand’s visual design to against a Stand. For that reason, a
its battle cry. Take inspiration from the great many Stand-users are selfish
source material and go to town. JoJo is, creatures, using their gifts for their
at its heart, very flamboyant. If you own gain. As a player, you should
feel like your Stand is just a little too probably not make your character a
garish, you’ve hit the sweet spot. “bad guy,” unless that suits your game
master’s plan for a story. What you
Name
should do is consider what sort of
A Stand’s name is as important as its person would develop the Stand
Style and serves a similar role. you’ve created. Again, checking the
Traditionally, Stands are named after source material may help. Users have
Classic Rock artists, albums, or songs, their own version of Attributes, which
but any musical genre will do. Try to we’ll refer to as Statistics or Stats for
think of an artist, album, or song that the sake of clarity. These Stats are
encompasses both your Stand’s Strength, Dexterity, Endurance,
Ability, as well as the spirit behind it. Perception, Charisma, and Will. They
If you can’t think of anything, just pick work more or less the same as
the name of a song you like that fits the Attributes, and there’s a table for
theme of your Stand. For example, the them on the next page.
song Killer Queen has little to do with
Strength: Your character’s ability to
bombs, but it does ring cold and
exert physical force upon the
dangerous, just like the Stand that
environment. You might use this for
bears it. Playing your Stand’s musical
throwing a punch or lifting something
reference during pivotal moments or
heavy.
acts of heroics can be very satisfying.

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 Rank DC Bonus Health Movement
Points (per turn)
A 2 +3 20 20m
B 3 +2 15 15m
C 4 +1 10 10m
D 5 +0 5 5m
Dexterity: Your character’s ability to Combat
move quickly and with agility. It
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure focuses
affects your movement speed and
mainly on battles of wits, but it’s
generally serves as the user equivalent
inevitable that combat will take place
to Speed and Precision. You can find
at one point or another. When in
your movement speed on the table
combat, each player, enemy, or non-
above.
player-character takes turns acting.
Endurance: Your character’s ability The order of these turns is decided by
to take damage and keep on going. the Speed stat of every Stand involved,
This determines your health pool, though this may be initially bypassed
which you can find on the table above. if one party surprises the other. If two
Stands have an equivalent Speed stat,
Perception: Your character’s ability
they roll against each other until a
to notice fine details. You use this
victor is decided. When in combat,
when observing something for helpful
either the Stand or user can spend their
information that may not be
turn to move up to their full movement
immediately obvious, such as hints to
speed and then use an action. If the
a Stand’s Ability in its appearance.
Stand moves or acts, then the user
Charisma: Your ability to make a cannot, and vice versa, as
positive impression and talk your way manipulating a Stand requires a certain
out of some situations. You use this to amount of focus. The action a Stand or
talk yourself out of trouble or convince user takes can be almost anything, as
people to do things (within reason). long as it takes no more than a few
Will: Your character’s ability to resist seconds. Below are a number of
mental influences and continue in the actions with specific rules. If
face of great adversity. You roll this something isn’t described below, you
when contesting a Stand with a mental may need to improvise.
effect or when attempting to persevere Attack: You physically strike an
through hardship. enemy adjacent to you. Roll a
contested Power or Strength check,
depending on whether a Stand or a user
takes this action. If the enemy is a

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Stand, then it may Clash, Dodge, or you’re too overwhelmed to use it. The
use its Ability. If the target is a user, effects of this vary by both Ability and
then that user’s Stand may be able to circumstance.
Intercept. The enemy must decide
Intercept: Your Stand rushes in to
which before seeing the result of your
impose itself between you and an
Power or Strength roll. Damage is
attacker, triggering a Clash. This
decided by a second Power roll, still
reaction requires that your Stand either
adding your modifier. Users are unable
be within half of its movement of you,
to physically damage Stands, but
or that it not be summoned at all.
Stands can damage users. If the
enemy’s Stand is directly adjacent to Summon: (User only) You fully
the user, then the enemy can choose to summon your Stand, causing it to
treat an Attack on the user as if the appear standing at your side, just as it
Stand was attacked directly, except is meant to be. This can be triggered
that it may not Dodge. automatically at the start of combat.
Clash: (Stand only, reaction) You Dismiss: You dismiss your Stand,
confront your opponent head-on, causing it to disappear completely
attacking in kind. You perform a until it is summoned forth once more.
contested Power roll against your While your Stand is dismissed, you
opponent, then roll damage. Whoever can act (as well as Attack or Clash, but
wins the contest takes half damage, not Dodge) using your Stand’s Power
while the loser takes full damage. by partially summoning it. This sort of
Attack can damage a Stand.
Dodge: (Stand only, reaction) You
attempt to avoid the opponent's attack. Recall: You dismiss and immediately
Roll your Stand's Speed against their resummon your Stand, effectively
Power. If you lose, you take full teleporting it to your side. You cannot
damage. If you win, you take none. use this action if you’ve moved this
turn.
Use Ability: (Stand only) You trigger
your Stand Ability, to varying effects. Dual Movement: If your Stand has a
You cannot use this action if you’ve Range of C or D, then it is capable of
moved this turn. (Reaction) If you’re Dual Movement. By using Dual
being Attacked, you may trigger this Movement, your Stand and user can
ability by rolling your Potential against move in tandem, matching each
the attacker’s Power roll. On a success, other’s movement exactly. Either
your Ability triggers. On a failure, Stand or user can act after this
movement, as normal. A Stand that is
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capable of Dual Movement is called a outlined here, and others may need a
Power-Stand, while one that isn’t can little balancing with their Attributes.
be referred to as a Remote-Stand. It’s up to you to make sure the game
works out to be both interesting and
Stat Points
fun.
You have more control over your
You may have noticed that Stand-users
Stand-user’s physical characteristics
have no stat for their intelligence.
than over your Stand’s. Every Stat
That’s because the protagonists of JoJo
begins at a D. Allocating a point to that
are typically quite clever; your
Stat raises its rank by one grade, to a
characters are encouraged to bring
maximum of an A once three points
every ounce of intellect they have to
have been allocated. You have ten
the table. Figuring out an enemy
points total to allocate.
Stand-user’s power and how to counter
As an optional rule, your game master it is half the battle; your players should
may choose to allow you to use a be trying to figure this out themselves.
similar system for your Stand’s In a sense, Stand-users have no
Attributes, but it’s recommended that intelligence stat because their
you stick to the randomized Attributes. intelligence relies on that of the player.
A Note for the Game Master Villains
The following sections are intended To work properly, a JoJo campaign
for the game master; you can stop needs a compelling antagonist, as well
reading here if you’re a player. as some smaller, weaker enemies.
Running a game of Tabletops Are These weaker enemies should often
Unscratchable can be a bit different have very situational abilities that can
from running a standard RPG. It takes be outsmarted in a few different ways.
a decent amount of homebrew by The main villain, however, ought to
default, and it’s meant to play out a bit have an exceedingly powerful Stand
differently from something like with seemingly no weakness, which
Dungeons and Dragons. It’s highly will require the teamwork and clever
recommended that you, the game planning of every player to overcome.
master, be fairly familiar with both It’s also recommended that the musical
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and tabletop reference for the main villain’s Stand
RPGs in general. Try to be flexible, be one that players will recognize.
and don’t be afraid to play with the Take Killer Queen and Dirty Deeds
rules a little. Some Stand Abilities may Done Dirt Cheap for example.
need more specific rules than are
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 Tabletops [STAND NAME]
Are
Unscratchable
User Stats

Stat Rank DC Bon Health

STR Current Max
DEX
END [STAND MASTER]
PER
Movement
CHA
WIL Stand Attributes

Attribute Rank DC Bon Movement

Stand Ability Power
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Damage Modifier
_________________________________________ Durability
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Range
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_________________________________________ Stand Type Effective Range
_________________________________________
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Background Style
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_________________________________________ Notes
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