As veteran players and Game Masters, we know the joy of unexpected outcomes that can make adventures memorable. One such occasion is the creative storytelling that follows a fumble or a critical success when rolling a 1 or 20 on a skill check (more on how D&D handles such rolls below).

But coming up with those outcomes instantly after a natural 1 or 20 can be tough. That’s why we created the Tome of Skills, which provides ready-made outcomes for all 18 skills found in the worlds largest rpg, developed with input from gaming groups. Each outcome is brief and easy to apply, adding flavor to skill checks without slowing down the game.

Tome of Skills is a book divided into three parts:

Tome of Skills transforms every skill check into a thrilling moment, offering hundreds of dynamic outcomes for natural 1s and 20s, filled with breathtaking illustrations by the talented artist Yi Jong, bringing each page to life with vivid detail and imagination! 

 

 

Tome of Skills is here to inject a surge of excitement into every skill roll, covering every skill in the system, offering a treasure trove of hundreds of unique outcomes for those pivotal moments when a 1 or 20 is rolled. Let a critical 20 be a moment of glory, and a fateful 1, an interesting twist of fate!

Beyond the exciting outcomes of rolling a 1 or 20, Tome of Skills takes it a step further with a comprehensive catalog of creative ways of using your skills. Don't just wait for the dice roll dictated by the Game Master – seize the initiative! Our guide empowers you with creative strategies for skill usage, transforming your character into an indispensable contributor to unforgettable gaming sessions. Be the architect of your own fate and a key player in crafting epic stories!

 
 An abundance of creative ways of using your skills are awaiting you in Tome of Skills!

And last, Tome of Skills has the innovative Skill Quests! These small quests are uniquely designed to be resolved through skill rolls alone, seamlessly fitting into any existing adventure or campaign. These two-page gems are concentrated challenges that hinge on the turn of a die, spotlighting the skills unique to the system!

Excerpt from the new D&D 2024 Players Handbook (p. 9):

"Interpreting dice rolls: Part of the fun of D&D is interpreting what die rolls mean in the story. The randomness that dice brings often introduces the unexpected: an expert fails, a novice succeeds, or any number of other twists. When a D20 Test or another roll produces a surprise, the Dungeon Master often gives a fun description of what happened. If you’re a player, look for opportunities to interpret your character’s dice rolls and describe why things unfolded unexpectedly or even humorously."

As veteran players and Game Masters, we thrive on these unexpected outcomes; they often lead to bursts of laughter, cheering, or take the adventure in unexpected directions as the player or GM narrates the results. However, creating and narrating these outcomes on the fly, just seconds after the die lands on a natural 1 or 20, can be challenging. That's why we've developed the Tome of Skills.

We've worked through all 18 skills in the game and collaborated with several gaming groups to brainstorm different categories of situations where each skill might be applied. Let's take the Athletics skill as an example: This skill is commonly used for jumping, landing, climbing, hanging from ceilings, swimming, or underwater activities. In the Tome of Skills, we've crafted a variety of outcomes for each of these scenarios when a natural 1 or a natural 20 is rolled.

These outcomes are concise—one or two sentences long—and easy to read and apply. Our goal has been to create outcomes that are fun to use. For instance, if you roll a natural 20 on a climbing check, one possible outcome might be: “In a crack, you discover a gem or jewel worth your level × 30 gp.” A small victory and a little reward for rolling that 20. On the other hand, if you fail by rolling a 1 on a swimming check, a potential outcome could be: “Parasites in the water give you diarrhea; all your rolls have disadvantage for the next 1d6 hours.”

The idea of using natural 1s and 20s in this way isn’t new; we’re inspired by the 5e edition of D&D (Dungeon Master's Guide p. 242):

"Critical Success or Failure: Rolling a 20 or a 1 on an ability check or a saving throw doesn't normally have any special effect. However, you can choose to take such an exceptional roll into account when adjudicating the outcome. It's up to you to determine how this manifests in the game. An easy approach is to increase the impact of the success or failure. For example, rolling a 1 on a failed attempt to pick a lock might break the thieves' tools being used, and rolling a 20 on a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check might reveal an extra clue".

All we’ve done is to help players and Game Masters quickly apply cool effects to skill rolls of 1s and 20s, ensuring the game doesn’t stall while someone tries to interpret and apply the outcome if inspiration is lacking. Of course, our Tome of Skills might not be for everyone, but the rules allow for such interpretations. We at Two Starving Gnolls aim to enrich gaming experiences for those who want to enhance their sessions with hundreds of creative outcomes, covering all skills!

When as a player you achieve a critical failure (1) or critical success (20) on a skill roll, the Game Master may have you look up the relevant skill in Tome of Skills. We encourage the Game Master to have a say in this, as we do not want players to ‘spam’ skill rolls just to get a Skill effect.

This means that Tome of Skills should be reserved for situations the Game Master decides have an important element to them. All situations are highly contextual though, and that is why we think it’s wise for the Game Master to be the final arbiter for whether or not you qualify for using Tome of Skills when rolling a 1 or a 20 on a Skill roll.

When using Tome of Skills, look up the relevant skill; either SUCCESS (rolling a 20) or FAILURE (rolling a 1). Of the listed headings, choose the one most suitable/relevant to the situation. Then roll 1d4 (a four-sided dice) to see what happens.

If the wording/situation is found to be ambiguous, the Game Master should interpret the text based on the situation and make a final ruling. If none of the outcomes is relevant or easily adjustable, roll 1d4 again or have the Game Master devise an alternative outcome.

While Tome of Skills can be a Game Master's exclusive tool, we strongly advocate for player participation. By allowing players to roll their own destiny and read aloud their outcomes, we believe it adds a layer of suspense and fun, making each session even more memorable and engaging.

The Tome of Skills is here to bring a burst of excitement to every skill roll, covering every skill in the system. With hundreds of unique outcomes for those crucial moments when a 1 or 20 is rolled, it turns a natural 20 into a moment of triumph and a natural 1 into an unexpected twist! Don't miss out—back this project now and transform every skill check into an unforgettable experience!

While our primary goal is to reach our funding target so we can produce Tome of Skills and deliver it to all of you who believe in the project, we are optimistic about the potential scope of this endeavor. That's why we've put together a list of stretch goals to benefit all backers! All stretch goals will be included in Tome of Skills and will be FREE for everyone who backs the project 

 More to come if this campaign surpasses these goals, including many more tables and Skill Adventures! 

Early fullfillment

Tome of Skills is nearly complete, though we still need to finalize all the illustrations—which this campaign will help us accomplish! Because of that, we anticipate being able to deliver Tome of Skills shortly after the campaign ends. While stretch goals may expand the product further, we are confident that Tome of Skills will be ready for delivery by November at the latest!

Shipping

All shipping fees will be charged separately when the product is ready for delievery.  All shipping will be managed and collected by our logistics partner, DriveThruRPG. The prices below are estimates. Also, if you add additional physical copies of the game or any add-ons to your order, your shipping cost may increase.

Estimated shipping costs (for a single book):

Two Starving Gnolls was founded by Jarle and Even, two friends from rural Norway who grew up discovering games together from the early 1980s. From D&D and board games to early computers, our creative journey began at a young age. Over the years, we explored many RPGs, especially Call of Cthulhu, which became a cornerstone of our gaming identity. 

In 2014, Even launched Insight RPG via Kickstarter, inspiring us to bring more of our creations to the market, and thus Two Starving Gnolls was born. Our process starts with an idea and tea, and turns into a collaborative, fun experience of creating games that we want players to enjoy. 

We design to fully engage players—whether it’s solving puzzles in Svalbard or racing against time in Pax Cthuliana. Our goal in short: Have fun while creating. Create fun while playing.