Unsafe Stories

Unsafe – A Fiction-First Roleplaying Engine

Unsafe is a fast, no-nonsense tabletop RPG system.

You say what you’re trying to do. The GM tells you what could go wrong. You decide if it’s worth the risk. Then you roll.

One roll settles it.

What this is

Unsafe is built around intent and consequences.

No long turn structures. No filler rolls. No guessing what rule to use.

If it matters, it has stakes. If it has stakes, you choose to act.

How it works

• Intent first – what are you actually trying to achieve
• Fiction matters – you can only do what makes sense
• Stakes are clear – you know the risk before you roll
• One roll resolution – no back-and-forth mechanics
• Consequences always move things forward

Success is never free. Failure is never nothing.

What you can run

Pretty much anything.

• Barbarian fights in a tunnel
• Getting lost in a forest
• Getting scammed by a merchant
• Fixing something that might break again
• Messing with systems you don’t fully understand

If the outcome is uncertain and matters, the system handles it.

What’s inside

• Core rules
• Attributes and skills
• Difficulty system
• Consequence categories (Harm, Position, Resources, New Threat)
• Examples of play (combat and social)

What you need

• 3d6
• People to play with
• Willingness to take risks

Unsafe doesn’t tell you what kind of story to run.

It just makes sure that when something is on the line, it actually matters.

Pay what you want. Take it, use it, break it — see what holds.