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ELEMENTAL Complete Guide

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Unleash Your Game!

ELEMENTAL is a fast and flexible roleplaying game for any character, any setting, any story.

"This system is tightly designed." -EN World.

The game is designed for the characters and stories you want to play. It features a very approachable game system and a wealth of playable content spanning multiple genres. So whatever movies, books, comics or TV shows you’re into, ELEMENTAL gives you the tools to quickly and easily turn any source of inspiration into an exciting game experience.

"The system runs simply but covers a huge range of situations." -EN World.

The ELEMENTAL Complete Guide is our flagship product. It is loaded with content and contains everything you need to play ELEMENTAL as a Player or Game Master:

  • Simple and flexible character creation
  • A universal resolution mechanic that generates exciting situations at the table
  • Support for the major genres: fantasy, horror, science fiction, pulp and superheroes
  • Nearly 100 skills and flaws, allowing you to create exactly the character you want
  • 250 spells, 40 psionic powers, 55 superpowers
  • 100 character archetypes
  • 140 monsters
  • GM advice for designing even more content and adventures of your own
  • Perfect for introducing new or young players to roleplaying

"Character creation is fast but full of choices." -EN World.

Beyond the core game, ELEMENTAL is actively supported by a growing collection of ready-to-play adventures and monsters, including many by celebrated RPG creators like Greg Stolze (Unknown Armies), Patrick Stuart (Veins of the Earth), Will Doyle (Tomb of Annihilation) and Stacey Allan (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden).

"The free support is outstanding." -EN World.

Go to the Gildor Games main page to see the expanding line of ELEMENTAL products. The Complete Guide gives you everything you need to play, and the Discovery Guide lets you check out the game and even try it for free.

"The book itself is full color with amazing art and an index. The graphics are top notch and the layout is easy to understand." -EN World.

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Reviews (10)
Discussions (23)
Customer avatar
Alexia H November 24, 2023 3:35 am UTC
PURCHASER
Hello. I really enjoy the system thus far, but I got a bit confused during play-testing the system. 1. Under the "Madness" section it says: "...you can make a final WIL+Focus roll to preserve your sanity" is the 'Focus' being referred to here the same one found under "Skills" (pg. 30)? If so, if we don't have the "Focus" skill, do we just use 0 for the "Wil+Focus" roll (since we don't have 'Focus' so we can't add anything to the roll) or do all characters HAVE to take Focus as a skill? Because I didn't see anywhere in the rules mentioning this. 2. When using "Multistrike" do we have to "activate" (successfully pass a roll-off against an opponent(s)) the skill first and then we perform multiple attacks in the same or next round, or is "Multistrike" considered a 'passive' ability that needs no activation, and your character can just use it immediately, as long as they successfully pass a roll-off? Thanks so much.
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Customer avatar
Gildor G November 24, 2023 3:56 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Alexia, skills are generally not mandatory, so WIL+Focus just defaults to WIL if you don’t have Focus. This is explained on pg. 14 “Skilled Actions”. For Multistrike there is no activation, the character can do exactly what the skill says: make multiple attacks in exchange for penalties to the attack and damage rolls.
Customer avatar
Fabrizio O October 11, 2023 9:29 am UTC
How does che core System works?
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Customer avatar
Gildor G October 11, 2023 3:59 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Fabrizio, it works by the GM and player each rolling a d6 and comparing the results (after adding a stat and any other modifiers that apply). The dice “explode”, meaning that when you roll a 6 you roll again and add the second roll to the total. There can be a range of results beyond simple success and failure including critical success, success at a cost, fumble, fail forward etc. This, along with the drama of the exploding dice, gives the game a very cinematic feel.

See the free ELEMENTAL Discovery Guide (link above) for a one-page summary and a more complete explanation of the rules, including character creation.
Customer avatar
John B January 26, 2023 11:48 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I am a publisher, so I cannot write an official review, but I do want to say something. Gildor Games has done a phenomenal job with this system and product. I am not kidding when I say I have played just about everything under the sun over the past 44 years, and this game still impresses the Hell out of me. I have not run it yet, but I plan to do so next week. I'll start out running a simple fantasy scenario, just to get a feel for what the mechanics can do, but I can see this game doing justice to virtually any genre. I'll try to post more after the session, but I wanted to make sure I said, "Well done!"
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Customer avatar
Gildor G January 27, 2023 5:56 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Thanks John, feedback like yours is incredibly motivating. If you use Facebook, there’s a group called ELEMENTAL RPG where you can connect with other fans. Enjoy your first session!
Customer avatar
George F July 18, 2022 2:10 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Is there any chance of getting a hardcover in standard color?
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Customer avatar
Gildor G July 18, 2022 4:46 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi George. The hardcover is only available in Premium Color, but send us an email and we'll do our best to help. You'll find the address on the credits page of any of our titles.
Customer avatar
Isaiah H March 08, 2022 6:01 pm UTC
so in the quickstart rules something that stuck out as odd and a very 2005 RPGnet idea of "realism" simulation was the skill for wearing armor goes by the armor weight.

so the GM is either going to be a realist stickler counting every micro-measurement or hand wave it entirely. especially in fantasy or scifi settings where things like armor will be made of supernatural materials and actually magical.

do the full rules discuss not using weight as a limiter? i might have missed it in the quick start too i suppose.
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Customer avatar
Gildor G March 09, 2022 7:21 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Isaiah. The general principle behind armor is that you need a skill to fight effectively in armor (since it grants an advantage in combat), and that better armor should require a higher level of skill (if it is non-magical). So yes, you could use something other than weight (some games use abstract encumbrance values, for example), or specify for each type of armor what skill level it requires, as long as the new rule generally sticks to the above principles. Feel free to reach out to us directly if you want to bounce around some ideas (our contact info is on the credits page of the quickstart).
Customer avatar
Garrett J November 09, 2021 6:46 pm UTC
Great system for one-shots, and many of the free adventures make me want to run it. Does this game also support campaign play?
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Customer avatar
Gildor G November 09, 2021 6:51 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Thanks for the question. In short: Yes, by giving players a lot of options to customize and advance their characters. By the way, and for everyone’s benefit: We answered this question and many others, in a recent interview:

https://www.enworld.org/threads/interview-with-jm-about-the-elemental-rpg-and-its-continual-free-support.682020/
Customer avatar
Salieri C November 09, 2021 5:16 pm UTC
This does look interesting. But I really dislike having EXP as a meta currency to alter rolls. Have you considered the obvious alternative of Bennies (Savage Worlds)? What you're doing here is the same mistake the Cypher System does and which Savage Worlds abandoned a long time ago.

Anyway, you really need Foundry VTT support for this. Would actually make me try it out, which would be an achievement all by itself since I am solely running Savage Worlds and only try other games when s/o else runs them.
Customer avatar
Donald B November 06, 2021 10:20 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I noticed no costs for equipment and such. Did I miss something?
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Customer avatar
Gildor G November 07, 2021 12:45 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Donald. You didn’t miss anything, indeed we decided to leave equipment prices out of the core book. First, because we wanted it to be as setting/period agnostic as possible. Second, because the game does not assume that shopping for supplies and tracking gold pieces (or dollars, euros, credits, bottle caps, etc) is necessarily important for the kind of story you're trying to tell. If prices are important (and sometimes they are), we assume they will be developed for the specific setting or scenario (as we did in “Ego Hunter”, for example). Thanks for the question!
Customer avatar
Craig W April 18, 2021 6:49 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi.
I have been having a discussion on an Elemental Facebook page regarding Super attributes in general and specifically Super Toughness. The rules cause some confusion I will try to be brief.

Under Super Toughness, there is a chart for lifting capacity which says "Use the table
below as a rough guideline, on the basis of the character’s TOU, plus their Strength skill."

I initially took this to mean that when Super Toughness is activated, the player gains access to this chart, measuring their lifting capacity by adding their Toughness and Strength *if they have the Strength skill*. Meaning that a character with Super Toughness, TOU of 8 (when swapped) and NO Strength skill could lift 5 tons and if they then bought Strength 1, they could lift 10 tons.

Another gamer understood that it is actually the Strength skill that gives access to these lifting capacities, so that someone with TOU 5 and Strength 3 could lift 5 tons, even *without* Super Toughness....See more
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Customer avatar
Gildor G April 19, 2021 5:11 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Sure thing. The chart works for any superhero based on their score, even if they don’t have these particular skills or powers. As you say, the attribute switching powers are only for heroes that switch between two different attributes, like the Hulk, whereas Spider-Man would just have a high Toughness to begin with.

Thanks for the question, and glad to you’re connecting with other fans of the game!
Customer avatar
Christopher S October 13, 2020 1:03 am UTC
Hi,
I was wondering if there was much about starships and any constructions rules, mods for ships?

Thank you
Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G October 13, 2020 4:05 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Christopher. The book is packed with stats for typical things in the four big genre categories. In the sci-fi chapter for example, there are basic stats for 14 types of starships and 27 types of mounted weapon systems. Detailed starship mods and construction rules are beyond the scope and intent of this book, but that’s an excellent idea for a spacefaring expansion or adventure. Thanks for the question!
Customer avatar
Marc B August 27, 2020 10:06 pm UTC
Hi, Gildor. I recently got the discovery guide to check out the system, and it looks great and a lot of fun. I'm looking to grab a copy of the complete guide in print when I can. I have a question about player death could I get a clarification on what the GM needs to do for the opposed roll in the case it happens in the future.

Thank you
Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G August 27, 2020 11:15 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Marc, glad you like what you see in the Discovery Guide!

If I understand your question correctly, the opposed roll uses the character’s current (negative) Health. So for example if their Health was reduced to -4, they would have to make a TOU vs. DIF 4 roll in order to survive (the player rolls 1d6+TOU and the GM rolls 1d6+4).

Thanks again for the kind words, and if you have any other questions feel free to write to us at the email address on pg. 2 of the Discovery Guide.
Customer avatar
Patrick K July 20, 2020 11:22 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Hi, Gildor. Kudos; this system looks great! Is there something like the 1-page rules out there that a GM could use that contains some of the sample GM-side situational modifiers? Something with general examples of -3 up to +3 for things like wind, weather, atmosphere, supernatural effects in play, high/low ground, etc.? Is there something like this for all the tables contained in the book for quick reference?

Thank you, very much!
Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G July 21, 2020 4:50 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Patrick, thanks for the nice words! Response to the game has been excellent and we’re excited about the future.

Regarding your question, it's a good idea and we did consider creating a table of situational modifiers. We ultimately decided not to do it because we felt that some people would view it as additional rules they had to follow, rather than guidelines. The game minimizes rules overhead by following a “rulings, not rules” philosophy that empowers the GM and players to adapt general rules to specific situations rather than providing specific rules for specific situations. The game facilitates this in several ways, for example by limiting modifiers to +3. Having conducted dozens of playtests, we noticed that GMs were more comfortable making reasonable calls on the fly rather than having to remember or consult a specific reference. Impairment conditions (blinded, stunned…) are one area where a bit more guidance was sought, that’s why there is an easy-to-remember table for that on pg....See more
Customer avatar
Chris E May 30, 2020 12:42 am UTC
Just a quick question. The rules say that if a character doesn't have armoured combat and wears armour they are considered hindered. But I can't find any reference to what hindered is actually defined as, in game terms ?

Is it the same as impairment ?

Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G May 30, 2020 4:41 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Chris. It would probably depend on the type of armor, therefore it is left open to the GM's judgment. In general, it seems reasonable to say that the character would be Impaired.
Customer avatar
Rick H April 04, 2020 7:27 am UTC
PURCHASER
A couple questions, if you don’t mind - one, I assume if your attribute is zero, you can’t purchase skills tied to it? Also, I’ve read the following - “Or the GM might ask for a 2d check, and if this succeeds, ask for a third die to be multiplied to see if it is a more significant success.“ - on page 15 (under Stat Checks) a half dozen times and I’m just not getting it. Up to that sentence, I was totally grokking it, but that just throws me. Can you give me a quick example or expand a bit more on it? Thanks!
Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G April 04, 2020 8:31 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Rick, I don't mind at all. On the first question, there isn't an explicit rule against it. No one ever chose to do that in playtesting, frankly, because you don't get to reroll 6's if you leave an attribute at 0 (and it only costs 1 XP to raise it to 1). That said, your suggestion seems like a reasonable house rule. On your second question, there's a good example from one of our home games. It's a bit too long to reproduce here, but I sent you an email with the details.

Speaking of which, if anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to send us an email, you'll find the address on the credits page of our products.
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Customer avatar
Nicholas C April 12, 2020 7:29 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I don't grasp the bit about using a third die "to see is it is a more significant success either"...
Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G April 12, 2020 10:17 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Nicholas, maybe I can help. The sentence isn’t needed to understand how the system works, it just gives people an option we’ve seen used at some tables. It refers to a creative way to use stat checks to represent degrees of success rather than simple pass/fail. If the GM calls for a 2d Move check and I roll 1 and 4, I’ve succeeded (my Move is 10). If there is a chance for a spectacular success in this situation, the GM might ask me to roll a third die after the 2d check. Suppose I roll a 6 on the third die. So I made the 2d roll (since 1x4=4) but failed the 3d roll (since 1x4x6=24). I scored a simple success, but not a spectacular one.
Customer avatar
Jakob S March 14, 2020 8:26 pm UTC
PURCHASER
After getting all the free Elemental stuff yesterday and skimming through, I decided to get the full version in time for the GM Day discount. The system looks very clean and versatile, I definitely want to give it a try! On first glance, it reminds me a little of the "Tiny Dugeons" and the other Tiny systems, but in more fleshed-out.
One question: Do you have any arrangement for third party products in place? Can (do?) others publish supplements for Elemental?
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Customer avatar
Gildor G March 14, 2020 10:35 pm UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Jakob. Thanks for the nice review and the question, we've had a number of enquiries about that. We support the creation of third-party content for ELEMENTAL and are happy for third-party content creators and publishers to keep 100% of any profits they generate.

We ask only that you do not violate our copyrights (by reproducing sizeable chunks of our books, for example). Also, the ELEMENTAL logo is our trademark and is reserved for our content, because we think it’s important for people to easily distinguish between fan-created content and “official” content. That said if you want to put a small ELEMENTAL logo in the bottom corner of your product’s cover to give people a visual cue that your product is compatible, we’re ok with that.

Hope this helps. If you have any further questions, please send us an email. You’ll find the address on the credits page of any of our products.
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Customer avatar
Jakob S March 16, 2020 11:02 am UTC
PURCHASER
Thanks - it's not as if I had tons of material for Elemental ready for publication, but it is good to know that it is an option!
Customer avatar
Charles M December 05, 2019 8:23 pm UTC
Does ELEMENTAL Complete Guide include rules for creating kid characters? After see she lost her marbles I would think so or are they included in that adventure? Also will She lost her marbles be made pod?
Reply
Customer avatar
Gildor G December 06, 2019 2:06 am UTC
PUBLISHER
Hi Charles. Everything related specifically to kid characters is covered in the adventure. It suggests giving them a number of XP equal to their age. We’ve often used this simple rule in our home games, and it works well. The only other “rule” is that the GM should be prepared to veto any inappropriate skill choices, but that is really no different from any other campaign. As always, we like to make rules that are as easy to remember and easy to use as possible.

At only 10 pages, we don’t plan to release a POD version of She Lost Her Marbles. If you’d like a more printer-friendly version without the background graphics, send us an email and we’ll set you up (you’ll find our address on the credits page of any of our products). Thanks for your interest!
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