PAPERPOINTS
A real-life offline RPG. Your character is you. As it improves, so do you.
paperpoints.co.uk
PaperPoints is a game designed to help you improve and challenge yourself in a diver number of ways, especially suited ton the aging human being. There is no dungeon. There is no dragon. There is only you and the things you have not done yet.
PaperPoints is played in real life, on your word alone.
Chapter One
How to Play
The core rules of PaperPoints.
In the Basic Game (Levels 0, 1 and 2) there are two avenues of advancement:
- Learning and completing Skills
- Vanquishing Taints
At Level 3 there are Classes and more.
Starting:
You begin at Level 0 with nothing recorded. Choose some skills that you can do now, or soon, and aim to complete them. Once done, increase the relevant Stat and the EXP by the amount in the Skills table. You can also choose a Taint or three to strive to vanquish.
Everything unlocks as you go and is explained where it appears. Take your time or speedrun it. To commence play, check off some Skills and admit some Taints.
Chapter Two
Attributes & Statistics
Stats are not goals but measurements that get more accurate the more you play. A zero does not mean you are bad at something, it means you have not tested yourself there yet. Go and test yourself. Maybe even impress yourself.
Core stats — available from Level 0
- Strength. How strong you are with your body. What you can lift, carry, push and hold.
- Dexterity. Precision and accuracy with your limbs, eyes and brain. Fine control and coordination.
- Agility. How well you can control and move your body through space. Balance, reaction, grace.
- Endurance. Your physical and mental capacity to continue when everything says stop.
Extended stats — unlocked by class at Level 3
- Intelligence. Memory, pattern recognition, the capacity to learn and retain new knowledge.
- Wisdom. Judgement, self-knowledge, awareness of the world beyond the immediate moment.
- Creation. The ability to bring something into the world that did not exist before.
- Tolerance. The capacity to endure tedium, difficulty and the demands of others without breaking.
Level progression
- Level 0 — 0 EXP. Core stats (Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Endurance) + base skills + taints
- Level 1 — 1,000 EXP. More skills, new taints
- Level 2 — 3,000 EXP. Items, harder skills
- Level 3 — 7,000 EXP. Choose Class (stat requirements only), expanded stats, Class skills
- Level 4 — 15,000 EXP. Level 4 skills
- Level 5 — 31,000 EXP. Level 5 skills, Class vows, mastery
Chapter Three
Skills
Real challenges. Real EXP.
Some skills are hard physical challenges, others are mental tasks, some might even be said to verge on the silly. If you can do the skill you get the Stat increase. If you could do the skill already when you started playing PaperPoints then you do not get the EXP.
If you are unsure whether or not you have fairly completed the skill then you haven't completed the skill.
## requires a Deck of Cards.
Universal — Level 0
Airlessness
Hold your breath, lungs full, for 30 seconds.
Babycrane
Stand one-legged for 30 seconds.
Coldstart
Cold shower for one minute.
Easyarms
Do one push-up, holding for 5 seconds.
Kerplanker
Plank for one minute.
Swimmer
Swim 100 meters. Without drowning.
Tinywriter
Write the alphabet within a width of 4cm.
Knotagain
Tie a shoelace bow with your eyes closed.
Coinflipfive
Flip a coin and catch it on the back of your hand five times in a row.
Chopstuck
Move a pile of ten pea sized objects to another pile, using only chopsticks and without any objects dropping.
Backroller
Do a backward roll.
Universal — Level 1
Armquarius
Hold a litre of water out front for 1 minute.
Catcher22
Throw a ball at wall, catch 22 times, without dropping once.
Handless Ascent
Get up from floor with your hands on your head.
Crawler
Bear crawl 50 meters in a straight line.
Dead Hanger
Hang from a bar or branch for one minute.
Firstmile
Run one mile without stopping or walking.
Eye of Needle
Once daily attempt: Thread a normal needle on the first attempt.
MinimumFaster
Water fast for 16 hours.
Press to Ten
10 press-ups in one go.
Up Altitude
Climb a significant hill, stairs or tower without stopping.
Hippity Hop
Jump forward and/or turning leg 30 times on only one leg.
Invisible Chair
Sit against a wall horizontally for 60 seconds.
Unbend The Knee
Jump from standing onto something above knee height.
Three Moment Miles
Walk three miles doing nothing but walking, thinking or not thinking and breathing through your nose.
Nutcatcher
Catch 3 peanuts in your mouth in one go.
Pen15
Spin a pen around your fingers 15 times.
Ancient Squat
Sit in a deep squat for 1 minute.
Southpaw
Write a full sentence legibly with non-dominant hand.
Runhundred
Sprint 100 meters flat out.
Stack Catch
Stack 5 coins on elbow and catch them.
Branching Standing
Climb a tree to twice your height, stand and observe.
Wingless Crane
Stand one-legged, arms folded, for one minute.
Ziner
Make a perfect A4 zine.
Floorhands
Touch your toes and hold for 10 seconds.
Card Shuffle ##
Shuffle a deck of cards to casino quality. ##
Cardhouse ##
Build a freestanding house of cards at least two storeys tall.##
Whistler
Whistle a recognisable tune from start to finish.
Catawauling
Walk the length of a low wall, kerb or beam without stepping off.
Dark Drawings Drawn
Draw a non-trivially recognisable object with your eyes closed.
Coinroller
Roll a coin across your knuckles, one full pass.
Cranefold
Fold an origami crane from instructions.
Universal — Level 2
Airlessness 2
Hold your breath, lungs full, for 60 seconds.
Ancient Squat 2
Sit in an ancient squat for three minutes.
Babycrane 2
Stand one-legged for 5 minutes.
Backbender
Hold a full bridge position for 30 seconds.
Coldstart 2
Cold shower for 3 minutes.
Dead Hanger 2
Hang from a bar or branch for 2 minutes.
Firstmile 2
Run a mile in under 8 minutes.
Day Faster
Water fast for 24 hours. Black coffee or tea is not perfect but optional and incurs a 50 point Experience point loss.
Hardarmer
30 press-ups in one go.
Invisible Chair 2
Sit against a wall horizontally for 3 minutes.
Kerplanker 2
Plank for two minutes.
Ancient Squat 2
Sit in a deep squat for 5 minutes.
Swim 500
Swim 500 metres, also without drowning.
I Can Canopy
Climb a tree to 10 metres, without falling.
Blind Wingless Crane
Stand one-legged, arms folded, eyes closed for 3 minutes.
Paperarrow
Make an A4 paper plane and hit an A4 target from at least 5 metres.
Card Throwing ##
Throw a playing card and hit an A4 sheet of paper from 3 meters. ##
Mirrorwrite
Write your full name backwards, so it reads correctly in a mirror.
Knot One Hand
Tie a knot in a piece of string using one hand only.
Universal — Level 3
Dark Stance
Stand one-legged, fingers entwined behind, eyes closed, for five minutes.
Skydrinker
Pour a drink from a bottle without touching or missing.
Invisible Chair Master
Sit unsupported in invisible chair for 60 seconds.
Chapter Five
Taints
The honest accounting of your flaws.
Everyone has them. The game just asks you to name yours — one minimum, three maximum. If you go a week without the Taint defeating you in any way then you can give yourself between 50 and 100 EXP, you being the judge.
Asshat
You are rude to other people.
Badwaiter
You are not good at waiting.
Dogooder
Pathological unwanted helper.
Donkey
You generally overreact.
EBTB
You request food and leave it.
Glutonian
Consuming more than you need.
Greyface
You kinda bring things down.
Humanfailer
You judge yourself critically.
Insomniac
You are plagued by poor sleep.
Junkmonkey
You consume too much junk.
Loser
You lose things often.
Mañanaiac
You delay things until later on.
Great@Late
You are mostly always late.
Nailcannibal
You bite your nails.
Screeniac
You are addicted to screens.
Slothadjuster
You mostly can't be bothered.
Nightowl
You stay up far too late for no good reason.
Sitterstone
You sit down far more than is good for you.
Drinksalot
You drink more alcohol than you should.
Cighag
You smoke.
Sucroblows
You are addicted to sweet things.
Worrybeast
You catastrophise and worry excessively.
Scatterhead
You can't focus on one thing for long.
Forgetter
You consistently forget things you said you'd do.
Overthinker
You think so much you seldom act.
Negaholic
Your default is pessimism.
Compareaholic
You constantly measure yourself against others.
Ghostmaster
You regularly vanish on people without explanation.
Yesman
You agree to things you don't want to do and then resent it.
Interruptus
You interr- You interrupt people when they're talking.
Oversharer
You tell people more than they needed to know.
Wallflower
You consistently avoid social situations you'd actually enjoy.
Complainer
You voice complaints more than you take action.
Hoarder
You keep things you don't need to keep.
Chapter Four
Vows
Daily commitments. Ongoing EXP.
At Level 3 you can make a Vow. A Vow is something you commit to with a seriousness bigger than a game. If you are not ready to commit to a Vow then you shouldn't. There is no EXP or Stat gain from Vows.
Datafast
Keep non-job screen time below 1 hour a day.
Daywalker
Walk at least 7000 steps a day.
Daybreather
Three minutes of dedicated breathing a day.
Junkmonk
No junk food.
Silent Sitting
Five minutes sitting in silence.
Be Tidy
Keep your living space tidy.
ByeByeBuy
Purchase nothing, save for essentials.
Religious Reading
Read for at least 20 minutes daily.
Earthbound
Find yourself barefoot outside every day.
Sunworshipper
Get outside within 30 minutes of waking and face the sun.
Vitamin G
Practice gratitude daily: write or say three things you are grateful for.
Chapter Seven
Items
Objects with effects. Carried in the real world.
At Level 1 you can choose an item to be your first game item. Items are real objects with real game effects. You have to actually own the item. Later in the game there are more items than the 6 available here.
Bag
Allows one extra Item per level from Level 2 onward. Must be acquired at Level 1.
Deck of Cards
Unlocks card-based skills. Required to attempt any skill marked ##.
Hat
Doubles EXP from Side-Quests.
Scarf
Doubles EXP from Skill completions.
Shoes
Every mile you walk or run in them is worth 1 EXP.
Ten PaperPoints
Ten physical points made of paper. Gold currency. Their value will become clear. Choose wisely.
Chapter Six
Side-Quests
One-off challenges. Anywhere, anyone.
These are not in the main game. They are the bits around the edges. Small adventures. Detours. Things worth doing that do not fit anywhere else. Do them because they are interesting, not because of the EXP.
Sunwallground
Watch a sunrise from start to finish.
Tidyone
Tidy the least tidy space in your house.
Highhiker
Find the highest accessible place within three miles and walk to it and back.
Nightwalk
Walk somewhere at night with no destination.
Unbroken Stand
Find a public outdoor space. Stand perfectly still in one spot for 30 minutes without checking your phone, sitting, leaning or pacing. Just observe.
Chaos Grid
Take a physical paper map of your town or local countryside. Draw a grid over it, pick a square you have never set foot in, and explore it thoroughly for an hour.
Ghost Dialogue
Strike up a conversation with a total stranger over the age of 70. Learn one specific piece of advice or historical detail about your local area before leaving.
Wylde Water
Find and swim in a body of water within 10 miles of home that you have never swum in before.
Freewatch
Sit somewhere public and count every person who walks past without looking at their phone.
Wu Wei
Spend one hour doing absolutely nothing: no phone, no reading, no music, eyes open.
My Yesterday
Write down everything you can remember about yesterday in as much detail as possible.
Nouveau Cuisine
Cook something you have never cooked before.
Soloist
Do something completely alone you have only ever done with others.
Mindmap
Draw a map of your immediate neighbourhood from memory, then check it.
Storybuilding
Find the oldest building in your vicinity. Learn its name and full story.
Traceback
Pick one object you own and trace it back to where it was actually made.
River Sourcer
Follow a river upstream on foot as far as you reasonably can.
Reread
Reread something you loved as a child.
Deadwatch
Visit a graveyard. Find the oldest grave you can and read every word on it. Remember their name.
Slowmile
Walk a single mile as slowly as you possibly can.
Chapter Nine
The Classes
Chosen at Level 3.
The Classes
The Barbarian
Your place in the game is physical.
You are all about the physical you. Your strength and speed and your ability in space. You want to train and ascend. In the future, maybe you will be a fighter.
- Requires. Strength >3, Endurance >3
- Stat unlocked. None
- Perk. Double EXP from all Strength-based skill completions.
Barbarian class skills
Chukka
Throw a ball 50 metres.
Deadweight
Lift something weighing 50% of your weight off the ground above your waste, 6 times.
Atlasback
Carry someone your own weight for 20 metres.
Openwaterswim
Swim in open water: sea, river or lake.
Outsleeper
Sleep outside without a tent.
Rocklifter
Carry a heavy stone 100 metres without putting down.
Wallpusher
Hold a push-up at bottom position for 30 seconds.
Woodchopper
Chop wood for 30 minutes continuously.
Stonecarrier
Carry a loaded backpack of at least 20kg for 5 miles without stopping.
Throwmaster
Throw a ball, stone or javelin 75 metres.
The Classes
The Stoic
Mastery not over others, but over impulse.
You know that the greatest battle is against yourself and you are very up for fighting it. You do not have a spell book — you have ancient texts that are raw in their dismantling of life and its struggles. You appreciate hardship and how it strengthens you.
- Requires. Endurance >3
- Stat unlocked. Wisdom
- Perk. Double EXP from any skill that involves deliberate discomfort.
Stoic class skills
Wrong Cognician
Correctly identify 6 cognitive biases and be able to explain using real life situations.
Inkwarden
Keep a journal for 7 consecutive days.
Ketonian
Demonstrably enter ketosis.
Linguist
Learn 20 words of a new language.
Silencer
Go without speaking for a full day.
Tak
Play 10 games of Tak. Win at least 3.
Virtuoso
Learn and realise the Classical Virtues.
Blackout
Go 48 hours without screens of any kind.
Ironsilence
Go without speaking for 48 hours.
Darkroom
Sleep in total darkness and silence for 7 consecutive nights.
Stillness
Meditate for one hour without moving or sleeping.
Hardtruth
Tell someone a hard truth you've been avoiding for over a week.
Strangerdial
Have a 30-minute conversation with a stranger about a topic you disagree on.
Toughtable
Have the conversation you've been putting off for a year.
The Classes
The Bard
You make people feel something.
To add to the world, even if in no other reality than that you have added. This is the drive of the Bard. Whether with music, words or art, you create for the sake of creation.
- Requires. Dexterity >2
- Stat unlocked. Creation
- Perk. When you perform for others, all witnesses earn 50 bonus EXP.
Bard class skills
Busker
Busk or perform in public for at least 10 minutes.
Conjuror ##
Learn a magic trick and perform it successfully. ##
Countenance
Draw a portrait of someone and give it to them.
Meroy Johnson
Learn and perform a dance routine.
Firstnote
Play a musical instrument for the first time.
Inkwarden
Keep a journal for 7 consecutive days.
Maestro
Correctly identify the composer of 10 classical pieces by ear.
Memorian
Memorise a poem of at least 12 lines.
Newcraft
Make something you haven't made before.
Orator
Memorise and recite a significant speech or text from history.
Songplayer
Learn and perform a song in front of at least one person.
Storyscribe
Write a short story and share it with someone.
Talespinner
Tell a story to a group of at least 3 people.
Versespeaker
Write and perform an original poem.
Stagecraft
Perform a prepared set of at least 20 minutes in front of a live audience.
Longform
Write and complete a story or essay of at least 2000 words.
Onepoem
Write a poem. Any good.
The Classes
The Wageslave
You show up. Every day. That counts.
Living in disguise as an almost indentured servant, you do not have the time to train to be a wizard or ninja. Instead you work for the man or the machine and just get by — breaking rocks, shifting rubble, answering phone calls. Whereas some classes gain Intelligence or Wisdom through their practices, the Wageslave gains Tolerance. And because they are so busy at work, they can also attempt any skill from any class at their level.
- Requires. A real job.
- Stat unlocked. Tolerance
- Perk. Earns 10 EXP every workday automatically. May attempt any skill from any class.
Wageslave class skills
Clockwatcher
Arrive exactly on time, every day, for 30 consecutive working days. Not early. Not late. Exactly.
BFP Spotter
Identify an instance of institutional Bloat, Faff or Pantomime at work. Award 50 EXP per genuine instance identified, self-assessed honestly. Tolerance +1 on first completion.
Deadlinewall
Complete a project under a deadline you set yourself with no extensions.
Patience Engine
Spend a full day helping someone with a task you find deeply tedious.
Lunchless
Work through lunch every day for a full working week.
Complaintless
Go 30 days without complaining about work, colleagues, or tasks out loud.
Pennysieve
Track every penny you spend for 30 days.
The Classes
The Ranger
Comfortable everywhere. Dependent on nothing.
The great outdoors. Sunlight. Moonlight. City streets and empty forests — the Ranger seeks nature and activity in the outside world. Knowledge of place and locality. Walking is sacred to the Ranger.
- Requires. Endurance >2, Agility >2
- Stat unlocked. Intelligence, Wisdom
- Perk. 1 EXP per mile walked or run. Stacks with Shoes (2 EXP per mile).
Ranger class skills
Avian Sleuth
Identify 10 local birds by sight and/or song.
Cartographer
Navigate somewhere unknown using only a paper map and compass.
Cloud Aware
Identify 6 cloud formations and their weather connections.
Firelighter
Start a fire without matches or a lighter.
Knotwright
Learn and tie 5 distinct knots from memory.
Mapmaker
Draw a map of your local area from memory.
Moonwalker
Walk barefoot outside for 30 minutes.
Mudwalker
Walk barefoot through mud for 10 minutes.
Sagesage
Identify 8 local plants new to you.
Silvaneye
Identify 6 local trees new to you.
Stargazer
Identify 5 constellations on a clear night.
Tidewatcher
Observe and record a full tidal cycle.
Weatherkeeper
Record weather observations every day for 30 consecutive days.
Wildcrafter
Forage and prepare a meal using only wild ingredients.
Soilreader
Identify soil type, drainage, and what will grow in 3 different locations.
Nightnav
Navigate a route of at least 3 miles at night using stars and landmarks only.
Fieldsketch
Produce a detailed annotated sketch map of an area from direct observation.
Wildmonth
Spend at least one night per week outdoors for a full month.
The Classes
The Scholar
Knowledge. Memory. Rigorous thought.
The Scholar seeks knowledge and understanding of what she knows. A learner. A researcher. A true sceptic and an adventurer of the mind.
- Requires. Endurance >2, Dexterity >2
- Stat unlocked. Intelligence
- Perk. Complete a book of 100+ pages: award 50–100 EXP on honest judgement. No audiobooks. No limit on books.
Scholar class skills
Cartographer
Navigate somewhere unknown using only a paper map and compass.
Wrong Cognician
Correctly identify 6 cognitive biases and be able to explain using real life situations.
Converter
In your head, correctly convert: °F↔°C, miles↔km and pounds/stone↔kg.
Elementalist
Recite the first 20 elements of the periodic table in order.
Essayist
Write a 500 word essay on a subject you knew nothing about after 1hr research.
Fallacist
Correctly identify and explain 6 logical fallacies.
Maestro
Correctly identify the composer of 10 classical pieces by ear.
Memoriser ##
Memorise the order of 10 playing cards after one viewing. ##
Orator
Memorise and recite a significant speech or text from history.
Pi Walker
Memorise and recite the first 20 digits of Pi.
Rubik
Solve a Rubik's cube using just your mind and hands.
Solo Learner
Learn a new skill from a book with no video or human help.
Theorem
Learn and explain from scratch a mathematical theorem you did not previously know.
Sourcehunter
Debunk a widely believed myth using only primary sources.
Lexicographer
Learn and use correctly 100 words new to you within 30 days.
Record
Character Sheet
You can use your own notes, zine or print out this Character sheet to fill in as you progress. Update it honestly. It is not a wish list.
(In theory, perhaps using modern digital technology, it would be possible to replicate your Character sheet on a computer or mobile device. Although such practice is not in the pure paper-based spirit of the game, it is very much allowed.)
Name
Class
Core stats
Strength
Dexterity
Agility
Endurance
Taints (1-3)
Level
EXP
Extended stats
Intelligence
Wisdom
Creation
Tolerance