If you're already familiar with the hobby of tabletop role-playing, you might wonder what exactly sets Unbound Tales apart from other games. While many core mechanics will feel familiar, Unbound Tales introduces several unique twists to enhance the experience.
Characters in Unbound Tales have ancestries, back-stories, and classes, complete with skills and features. Actions are resolved by rolling dice and adding a statistic, then comparing the total to a target number. Movement and range are determined on a grid. However, the implementation of these concepts features notable differences.
Instead of the typical d20, Unbound Tales uses 2d10 for action resolution. This makes results closer to the average more likely. Most actions yield some effect even on a failure, ensuring that no turn feels wasted. There are no critical successes or failures; the game already includes sufficient variability through damage rolls and other mechanics.
Unbound Tales employs a more granular action economy. Each character's turn consists of six seconds worth of actions. Every action has a specific time requirement, and players can combine actions to fill their six-second turn.
Player choice is central in Unbound Tales. As characters level up, players decide where to focus their growth, whether to specialize, become generalists, or diversify their abilities. Weapons can be selected from a list or custom-built to match a character's style. Combat turn order is also player-driven: initiative is rolled for each side, but players decide who acts on each turn.