Rules

Overview

Tether is a collaborative storytelling platform with light RPG elements. It supports fast-paced, flexible narratives with consistent resolution mechanics and minimal mechanical complexity. Players and Tellers co-create stories that emphasize tone, character arcs, and dramatic choice over tactical optimization or simulation.

The focus is placed on collaboration, improvisation, and player agency. It is built to be scalable, adaptable, and welcomes custom expansion for added rule depth or setting cohesion.

Character Creation

All characters begin with:

• 1 Aggressive Action per round
• 1 Narrative Action per round

Characters may attempt all standard Aptitude skills, though some settings may restrict specific Archetypes (e.g., Reach may be rare, Kill may have consequence). Domain Expertise grants access to specific advanced actions.

Creation Process

1. Choose Power Level — Players and Teller agree on the number of Character Ranks to start with (typically 2–3).
2. Assign Archetype Aptitudes — Each Rank grants one of two benefits per Archetype.
3. Select Domain Expertise — Domains may only be selected if the relevant Archetype is possessed.

Archetypes

Each Archetype represents a broad area of capability. Characters can gain up to 3 Ranks in an Archetype, selecting one benefit per Rank spent.

Kill — The Archetype of violence and combat.

• +1 Aggressive Action
• +1 Impact — Each point of Impact counts as an additional excess success when determining the severity of narrative consequences from a successful hit.

Reach — The Archetype of supernatural or psychic power.

• +1 Well Size — Magical endurance or force to cast more or bigger magic.
• +1 Well Control — Refinement, safety, precision to refine, layer, or control effects.

Control — The Archetype of manipulation, adaptability, and non-magical mastery.

• +1 Speed — Turn or movement priority.
• +1 Insight Die — Clever narrative leverage.

Each Archetype also unlocks the use of related Domains. All characters may attempt actions related to any Archetype they possess, even without specific Domain expertise.

Domains

Domains represent specific mastery within an Archetype. Each allows a character to use all actions (Narrative or Aggressive) for that Domain.

Kill Domains

• Gun — Mastery of ranged weapons.
• Blade — Mastery of melee weapons.
• Bone — Mastery of unarmed combat and body-focused tactics.

Reach Domains

• Thaumaturgy — Physical magical effects (e.g., telekinesis, pyrokinesis).
• Illusion — Manipulation of perception and sensory information.
• Mystic — Esoteric magic (e.g., healing, necromancy, mind control).

Control Domains

• Power — Physical might, lifting, breaking, and moving.
• Grace — Agility, finesse, evasion.
• Wit — Intelligence, strategy, charm.

Resolving Actions

Tether uses a d6 Dice Pool system.

Building the Pool

Roll a number of d6s determined by your relevant Archetype, Domain, and circumstances:

A 5 or 6 counts as a success. Compare total successes to the difficulty tier.

Difficulty Tiers

The Teller may increase the difficulty beyond this table.

Outcome Tiers

• 0 successes: Failure or major consequence
• 1 success: Partial success
• 2+ successes: Full success
• 3+ successes: Strong or exceptional success

Interference

Characters may roll Interference to oppose an action. Interference may also be imposed by unfavorable circumstances, Status Marks, or other non-character factors.

All characters begin with 1 interference die. This number increases with the Control Archetype. Each interference success cancels one of the acting character's successes.

Aid

Characters may spend their action to Aid another, granting them +1 die. Multiple characters may Aid if narratively appropriate, respecting the maximum dice pool size (typically 6).

Combat

Combat uses the same core mechanics as other actions.

• Attackers roll using relevant Kill or Reach Domains.
• The Teller sets the number of successes required to hit based on context (cover, mobility, defenses).
• Success triggers Damage and Consequences rather than deducting abstract Health.

Damage & Consequences

Tether does not track Hit Points. When a character is struck, severity is based on the number of excess successes rolled by the attacker, plus any Impact bonuses.

Status Marks may persist across scenes and represent lingering physical, emotional, or thematic harm.

Magic & Spellcasting (Reach)

Characters with Reach Aptitude can use magical effects.

Petty Magic

• Minor magical effects.
• Free to use unless overextended.

Middling / Grand Magic

• Powerful or mechanically impactful displays of Reach.
• Middling consumes 1 Well Size. Grand consumes 2 Well Size.

Well Control

• Enhances reliability, precision, and flexibility.
• May reduce collateral damage, misfires, or increase potency, as well as allowing for more complex and advanced displays of Reach.

Domain Expertise (Thaumaturgy, Illusion, Mystic) determines what type of magic can be performed. Only Reach Aptitude governs how much or how well.

Insight Dice

Characters with Control Aptitude gain Insight Dice. Spent typically 1 per scene to:

• Reveal hidden truths, weaknesses, or details
• Introduce a clever preparation, escape route, or counter-plan
• Shift the framing of a failed roll
• Uncover patterns others missed

Insight Dice are not rerolls. They represent a character's deep thinking, intuition, or foresight — knowledge the character already has, surfacing at the right moment.

Status Marks

Status Marks reflect physical, emotional, or narrative hindrances or boons. Negative marks act as interference dice, limit functionality, or impact character mental state. Positive marks can act as Aid dice, increase functionality, or improve character mental state.

Examples: Burned, Blinded, Weakened, Paranoid, Enraged, Inspired, Protected

Marks may persist across scenes and resolve through narrative effort.

Growth & Advancement

Characters gain Growth by:

• Overcoming major obstacles
• Deepening their identity
• Practicing new skills

Growth grants Character Ranks, which may be spent on:

• New Archetypes
• New Domains
• Increasing existing Archetype Ranks

The Teller may specify how a Rank must be spent if tied to specific events (e.g., surviving magical trauma may grant Reach).

Running the Game

Tether assumes experienced TTRPG players and storytellers. The Teller's role is to guide tone and rhythm, not enforce rigid rules.

Combat Guidance

• Keep encounters short and high-stakes.
• Use Status Marks and Consequences over HP and attrition.
• Let each hit or failure be meaningful. Think: "What do we lose?"

Recovery

• Characters recover through time, rituals, rest, or narrative beats.
• Recovery isn't tracked numerically — use the fiction to determine timing and cost.