Bid-based adventuring - Blood, Sweat & Tears v0.2

09 Jan, 2026

Valentin Jumel de Noireterre, Le Duel, 1853

Who Wins a Fight?

Obviously the only winning move is not to fight, whether that means following a path of peace or ending a fight before it has begun. But when words fail and steel meets steel, who will be left standing?

In reality, here are the most likely answers:

• The world is essentially random and meaningless. In the heat of battle, anyone could be struck down at any minute.
• Whoever has the better plan.
• Whoever is better trained.
• Whoever has the better gear.

But this isn't reality, this is an adventure where plucky scoundrels put it all on the line for gold and glory. So while all the above answers feed into the calculation, the victor will be the combatant who risks more and pushes harder. That's what this system is about.

Blood, Sweat & Tears v0.2

ashcan

A bid-based adventure game for a Host (a.k.a. Gamemaster) and a small number of players.

Characters

Each scoundrel (a.k.a. Player Character) has a preferred way of approaching challenges.

• Your strongest Approach has a rating of 3.
• Your weakest Approach has a rating of 1.
• Your other Approach has a rating of 2.

Here are the Approaches. Each is complementary to a Humour.

You have 10 points in each of the 3 Humours. Humours are spent in Taking Action.

Taking Action

Overcome challenging circumstances by Taking Action.

Actions should be simple and self-contained - climb a rope, write a letter, dig a hole, deal someone a wound.

If you are unopposed, state how you will accomplish your goal and choose the appropriate Approach. The Host determines the difficulty of doing this, which sets the cost.

Pay the cost in Humour to achieve your goal. You must use the Humour complementary to your Approach. Your rating in the chosen Approach is a discount against the cost.

The host should consider the equipment being utilised when setting the difficulty for an action. A gruelling climb may be made straightforward if you have a rope handy.

If your action is opposed by another character, you will have to earn the right to take it.

Taking an action to Wound another character will almost always be an opposed action.

Advantages

Each Approach has its advantages in certain situations.

Supremacy Bonus: like in Rock-Paper-Scissors. Applies when taking initiative.

• Power: +rating vs Technique
• Technique: +rating vs Cunning
• Cunning: +rating vs Power

Environmental Bonus: Applies when taking an opposed action.

• Power: +rating in Open environments
• Technique: +rating in Confined environments
• Cunning: +rating in Veiled environments

Armament Bonus: Applies when attempting to Wound another character.

• Power: +rating for heavy or crushing weapons
• Technique: +rating for pointed or swift weapons
• Cunning: +rating for sneaky or tricky weapons. Or magic

Opposed Action 1: Setting the Stakes (Initiative)

When you declare that you are taking action, another character may confront you by declaring an opposing action.

Whoever wins initiative sets the stakes for the opposed action.

If you bid highest, you win the initiative and have a chance to accomplish your goal. If you are outbid, your opponent wins the initiative and will have a chance to accomplish their goal instead.

Note: declared actions should be

The initiative bid:

1. Both characters state their goal and their Approach, starting with the initiating character.
2. Both characters make a secret bid of the Humour complementary to their approach.
3. Bids are revealed.
4. Bonuses are calculated:
   1. Approach Bonus (+rating if Approach is suited to goal)
   2. Supremacy Bonus (+rating if Approach has supremacy over opponent's Approach)
5. The highest bid wins initiative. Ties go to the initiating character.

Any humour bid is spent.

Opposed Action 2: Achieving Your Goal

When you win initiative:

1. Your goal and Approach were stated when Taking Initiative. Restate them now.
2. Bid Humours in secret.

• You may bid more than one type of humour.
• Your opponent will do the same.
• You get extra value when you bid any complementary Humour to the Approach you have taken.
  • Blood (x2 value on Power Approach)
  • Sweat (x2 value on Technique Approach)
  • Tears (x2 value on Cunning Approach)

3. Reveal bids
4. Apply Environmental or Armament bonuses if applicable.
5. Tally bids + bonuses. If you win, your action is a success; otherwise you have been stymied.
6. Play moves on. If other characters are present, the next action declared should not be initiated by either participant in the opposed action.

Consequences

When a Humour is reduced to 0, there are Consequences. Pay them, then start counting down again from 10.

• Blood: the cuts pile up. Take a Wound.
• Sweat: breath falters. You're slowed. Your initiative bid is capped at your rating until you rest.
• Tears: sins are revealed. Lose reputation with someone you love, respect or depend on.

Wounds

Wounds are bad, avoid them.

• 1 wound: will require care and time out -- later. Now, you can keep fighting.
  • -1 to Power
  • -1 to Technique
  • +1 to Tears
• 2 wounds: you should really bow out. With attention and luck, you will get better eventually.
  • -1 to Power
  • -1 to Technique
  • +1 to Tears
• 3 wounds: if you were in a fight, you're out of it now.
  • Even if you live, something will never be the same.
  • If you were clever you'd retire.

Recovery

Humours spent in action may be recouped:

• Blood:
  • +rating - a field bandage; a ration.
  • +max - fill your belly with good food and drink.
• Sweat:
  • +rating - fresh air and cold water.
  • +max - a comfortable bed. A warm bath. Rest your aching frame.
• Tears:
  • +rating - a moment of levity. Or vial of tears.
  • +max - integrate in your community; do something really selfless. Or carouse; break something meaningful.

COMMENTARY

Just a grab bag of thoughts

• v0.1 was published 28 Sep, 2024 - my very first blog post. I had cause to go back and read the post again and found it largely incomprehensible. I've taken this opportunity as a chance to touch it up.
• I worry that having 2 rounds of bidding per action will slow things down too much. But I like how initiative works, so for now it stays.
• I don't really have an economy for Humours worked out yet. The pool will need to be deep enough that parties can make a worthwhile amount of ground while adventuring.
• In an ideal situation there will be a straightforward formula for converting Cairn or OSE statblocks to BST.
• I think elites will more or less look like player characters.
• Individual Mooks probably have 1-2 wounds, a rating in 1 approach and 5-10 Humours.
• Enemies probably band together into units like Cairn's detachments, which act as one larger enemy.
• Speaking of detachments, because the action is quite abstract you could easily hack this for players to control entire units.
• Still need to figure out defensive gear. I guess it would cancel out the Armament bonus for particular weapons.
• It be good to give players stacks of poker chips to track their Humours. (Or an abacus.)
• I really have to figure out which terms to Capitalise.

#ashcan #mechanics #system