---
# System prepended metadata

title: TABLE HOVEL

---

# TABLE HOVEL

HOVEL is a Minecraft-inspired worldbuilding and roleplay setting with tabletop RPG elements. HOVEL can be played in Minecraft or in a text-based format (such as Discord).

TABLE HOVEL is a very light GMless tabletop ruleset that can be used for text-based formats in place of in-game progression. If a player doesn't want to roleplay an entire encounter, they can just figure it out through dice rolls and come up with the flavor text later.

## Players and Stats

Players have 20 max health, 20 max hunger, and 36 inventory slots. Upon dying, a player will lose all items in their possession and respawn with 1 health.

### Hunger

Players automatically exchange hunger for health, unless the player is at full health or <= 16 hunger. Hunger is also used as a stamina bar; at hunger <= 6, players will be unable to run, and at 0 hunger players will begin to starve.

Various actions and their hunger costs are provided below:

| Action               | Minimum Hunger | Hunger Cost                      |
| -------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------- |
| Heal 1 health        | 16             | 1                                |
| Walk 2 paths         | 0              | 1                                |
| Run 1 path           | 6              | 1                                |
| Swim 1 path          | 0              | 1                                |
| Jump-heavy path      | 0              | 1, in addition to run/walk costs |
| Run from battle      | 6              | 1                                |
| Walk through cobweb  | 0              | 1 per 8 cobwebs (2/pa)           |
| Run through cobweb   | 6              | 1 per 3 cobwebs (6/pa)           |
| Melee attack 3 times | 0              | 1                                |

### Defense

Players may equip armor, granting them defense. Each point of defense adds 4% attack damage reduction. However, every 2 damage reduces the player's "effective defense" by 1 until the encounter is over. For example:

- A player is wearing full diamond armor (20 defense). 
    - A zombie attacks for 6 damage. This is reduced to 1 damage by the armor. 
        - Since the original attack is 6 damage, the player's "effective defense" is reduced by 3 points.
        - Now the player has 17 "effective defense" (68% damage resistance).
    - The zombie attacks again. It deals 6 -> 1.92 damage rounded to 2.
        - Same calculations; now the player has 14 "effective defense" (56%).
    - The zombie's next attack does 3 damage, then 3 again, and so on.
- A player is wearing full leather armor (7 defense; 28% DR).
    - A skeleton shoots the player for 5 damage.
        - This is reduced to 4 by the armor.
        - The player loses 2 defense points with 1 remainder (5 defense; 20% DR)
    - The skeleton shoots the player again.
        - This is reduced to 4 again.
        - The player loses 3 defense points with 0 remainder (2 defense; 8% DR)
    - Future attacks by the skeleton will deal 5 damage and reduce the player's defense completely.

In addition, there are protective enchantments that will further reduce damage taken. This damage reduction is applied *after* the defense calculation multiplicatively and ignores "effective defense". The calculation is `4% * total level` for Protection, and `8% * total level` for Blast Protection, Projectile Protection, and Fire Protection. For example:

- A player is wearing full diamond armor (20 defense) with 16 levels of Protection (64%).
    - A zombie attacks for 6 damage, reduced to 1.
        - Effective defense reduced to 17.
        - This 1 damage is reduced by 64% to 0.36 and rounded to 0. Player takes no damage.
    - The zombie attacks again, reduced to 2 damage.
        - Effective defense reduced to 13.
        - This 2 damage is reduced by 64% to 0.72 and rounded to 1.

If a player has a shield, they may use it to nullify all damage taken from the enemy. Player cannot score bonus attacks next turn.

As a note, defense granted by armor doesn't affect everything; fall damage is unaffected, for example.

## Encounters

Enemies have max health based on their in-game equivalent. They generally deal a static amount of damage unless otherwise defined in-game.

Each turn, players can make 1 move, such as attacking, blocking, eating food, drinking a potion, inventory management, or running away.

Enemies deal `1d4 - 2` attacks on their turn. If they roll a negative number, the player can score a "bonus attack" on them if they choose. They can either attack or do nothing in a "bonus attack".

Enemies will pursue players from up to 2 paths away. They lose interest more than 3 paths away.

## Exploration: Dungeons

Dungeons are (usually) procedurally generated. They can be as big or small as you need them to be or as far as you are willing to explore.

Each explorable unit of a dungeon is called a "path", which generally covers up to a 16x16 block distance. Paths can be generated on the fly with dice rolls. Roll 2d6 for the Path and Event, respectively.

Paths have various stats of their own, such as:
* Torch Requirement: The minimum number of placed torches required to prevent *all* enemy spawns. Partially filling this requirement will reduce the chances of enemies spawning.
* Torches: The number of torches already placed.
* Exit Count: How many branches for other paths are connected to this path.

Chests have a 1/20 chance of having Exactly The Item You Need.

### Enemy spawns

For all unlit paths up to 3 paths away from the player (except for the one currently inhabited by the player), roll 1d12 against the threshold to determine if an enemy spawns. Rolling less than the threshold spawns an enemy.

The threshold starts at 6 and gradually decreases based on the Torch Requirement (TR) and current Torches in the path. For example:

TR 4: 6 -> 4 -> 2 -> 1 -> 0
TR 3: 6 -> 4 -> 2 -> 0
TR 2: 6 -> 3 -> 0
TR 1: 6 -> 0

Rooms containing a monster spawner will always have a threshold of 6 until fully lit. They may spawn monsters even if currently occupied by a player.

You may perform this roll either once per path traversed or once per 2 battle turns.

## Dungeon Types

### Mineshafts

**First d6 (path):**

1. Parlor
    * A 10x10 room, dark and empty and held up with wooden beams.
    * Only 1 will spawn per mineshaft. If you roll this a second time, either reroll or claim there's a second connected mineshaft.
    * **TR:** 4
    * **Torches:** 0
    * **Exits:** 4
2. Corridor
    * A long, narrow, 3-wide by 3-high hallway held up by wooden beams.
    * **TR:** 2
    * **Torches:** 2
    * **Exits:**
3. Staircase
    * A dark staircase going up or down.
    * **TR:** 2
    * **Torches:** 0
    * **Exits:** 2
    * Jump-heavy if going up the stairs.
5. Crossing
    * A multi-level opening, either up or down.
    * **TR:** 1
    * **Torches:** 0
    * **Exits:** 2d4 (upper + lower)
    * Take 2 fall damage if descending without a ladder.
6. Fork
    * A corridor that splits into multiple paths.
    * **TR:** 3
    * **Torches:** 2
    * **Exits:** 3
7. Spider nest
    * A linear corridor filled to the brim with cobwebs.
    * **TR:** 2, clear the cobwebs first
    * **Torches:** 0
    * **Exits:** 2
    * Contains a Cave Spider spawner.

**Second d6 (event):**

1. Nothing.
2. There are no torches.
3. An enemy appears. -1 torch.
4. -1 torch.
5. The path opens up into a cave or ravine.
6. This path has a chest in it.

### Chest loot

Chests always contain 2d6 Rails.

Roll 2d8 stacks:

1. 2d6 Torches
2. 4d4 Seeds (pumpkin, melon, beetroot)
3. 1d8 Coal
4. 1d6 Iron Ingot
5. 1d4 Bread
6. 2d4 Lapis Lazuli
7. 2d4 Redstone Dust
8. 1 Diamond

In addition, roll 1d20 for Exactly The Item You Need.