Stones and Bones

Roll like you’re betting your last coin at the edge of the tavern.

Stones & Bones is a quick, gritty dice-and-coin game that pits luck against cunning every wave of play.

No boards. No cards.
Just dice, coins, and luck.

Easy to pick up. Rich once you start pushing your odds. Perfect for late nights at the bar, kitchen tables, or wherever misfits gather.

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Stones & Bones is a table game built around four twenty-sided dice, tiered coin wagers, and a fixed resolution cycle.

Players place bets, roll simultaneously, and resolve outcomes based on visible combinations. There is no hidden information, no bluffing phase, and no dealer discretion.

The game is designed to function as a self-contained system or as a modular insert inside tabletop role-playing games.

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What This Game Feels Like

Stones & Bones is a structured dice and coin wagering game resolved in discrete cycles called Waves and Tides. It uses four twenty-sided dice (“Bones”), standard coins (Copper, Silver, Gold, Platinum), and a single twenty-sided die per player (“Stone”).

The system has no hidden information. Each resolution is deterministic given the roll results and the active rules. There is no bluffing mechanic; outcomes depend on dice results and the declared wagers.

This page defines the core mechanics. Expanded options, lore context, and downloadable reference materials are linked below.

Free To Learn

No Paywall, no subscription, no sign-up

This game is free to learn because the thrill of play shouldn’t cost a thing. If you dig it and want more lore, expanded rules, and deeper play, the Corsair Edition and Core Rulebook PDF are there to support the creator and grow your game.

(Coming January 2026 )

This game spreads best when people teach it to each other.

Stones & Bones isn’t meant to be hoarded, optimized, or mastered behind a screen. It’s meant to be taught in a night, played imperfectly, and remembered for the moments it created.

If it makes your table better, pass it on.

Game Structure

Turn — A single player’s action sequence: roll bones, resolve bets, roll stone, resolve outcome.

Wave — A complete betting cycle. Ends when a player claims the coffer.

Tide — A set of four waves. At the end of four waves, wave counter resets and tide increments. All active bets are multiplied by the current tide.

Required Components

  • Four bones (4 d20)
  • Each player:
    - One stone (d20);
    - One Crew Die (d4);
    - One Captain Die (d6)

  • Counters:
    - Wave (d4)
    - Tide (d6)

  • A Coffer (container for coins)

  • Coin supply:
    - Copper (~100)
    - Silver (~100)
    - Gold (~200)
    - Platinum (~20)

  • Roles:
    - Coinsman (banker);
    - Quartermaster (timekeeper)
    - Captain (current leader)

Order of Play

  1. Ante
    Each player antes one silver per current tide into the coffer.
  2. Roll the Bones (4 d20)
    The four bones determine the base wager amounts. Results assign coin tiers without calculation.
  3. Resolve Modifiers
    Matching bones increase bets at that tier.
    A 20 on bones doubles the total bet (“bane”).
    A 1 on bones grants a bonus condition (“blessing”).
  4. Pay Bet
    Bet amounts are applied to the coffer. If a player cannot meet the bet, they follow elimination or retry rules.
  5. Throw the Stone (d20)
    Compare the stone result against bones to determine whether the player:

    Claims the coffer,
    Advances no result, or
    Triggers a special combination.
  6. Wave Resolution
    The player who claims the coffer wins the wave. Wave counter increments.
  7. Tide Resolution
    After four waves, the tide increases, and players may rebalance coins or cash out.

Here's the QUICK CORE RULEBOOK you need to sit down, Roll the Bones, Throw your Stone, and Claim The Coffer!

v1.2 11.21.2025

QUICK CORE RULEBOOK

🧱 Setup and Roles

Each Player
  • {1} Stone (d20)
  • {1} Crew Mutiny Die (d4)
  • {1} Captain Mutiny Die (d6)
Table
  • {4} Bones (4d20)
  • Wave Counter (d4)
  • Tide Counter (d6)
  • A Captain’s Mark (Marker)
  • A Coffer (Container for Coins, The Pot)
  • Coin Bank (cp@~{100} / sp@~{100} / gp@~{150} / pp@~{10})
Roles
  • Coinsman = Banker

    Handles Stake, Buy-ins, and Coffer.
  • Quartermaster = Timekeeper

    Tracks Wave Dice, Tide Dice, and game equipment.
  • Captain = Last Round’s Winner

    Gains Captain’s Luck (Stone = {13} wins Coffer) and may be Mutinied Against.

🌊 Structure

Turns, Waves, and Tides

  • Turn – A Turn is a single player’s action: rolling their Bones, engaging in any betting or folding, and then rolling the Stone to resolve their result.
  • Wave (Hand) – One betting pool. When someone Takes the Coffer, Wave +1.

    Wave = Round

    A Wave is one complete fight for the Coffer (the pot). May take multiple Turns.

    Once someone Claims the Coffer, the Wave ends.

    (A Wave functions like a “hand” in traditional card games.)
  • Tide – A Tide is a sequence of four Waves.

    Tide = Cycle

    When Wave counter loops, reset it and Tides Rise→ Tide +1. All bets × Tide.

    Players may buy in, cash out, or rebalance coin only between Tides.

    This keeps the game in a clean four-Wave rhythm and prevents constant interruptions.

Captain acts first each Wave

When the Tides Rise everyone re-rolls for new Captain of the First Wave.

⚙️ Each Turn (Order of Play)

Raise the Sails:

Ante 1 Silver × Tide to Coffer.

Throw the Bones (4 d20).

Results determine your bet.

( 1–5 )1 cp   |   ( 6–10 )=1 sp   |   ( 11–20 )=1 gp

Ill Omens:

matching Bones multiply that coin tier before other mods.

Example: 
(2,2,4,12) → Ill Omens on Copper: 3cp x 2 (matching) = 6cp, 1gp

(5,5,5,2) → Ill Omens on Copper: 4cp x 3 (matching) = 12cp

(10,10,12,12) → Ill Omens on Gold and Silver: 2sp x 2 (matching) + 2gp x 2 (matching) = 4sp, 1gp

Bane:

Any 20 (Bones)→ double entire bet.

Example:

(6,8,12,20) →  Bane: 2sp + 2gp x2 = 4sp, 4gp
(20,2,4,2) → Ill Omens on Copper & Bane: 3cp x 2 (matching) = (6cp +1gp) x 2 (Bane) = 12cp, 4gp
(17,17,20,17) → Ill Omens on Gold & Bane ("The King's Touch"): 4gp x 3 (matching) = 12gp x 2 (Bane) = 24gp = 2pp, 4gp

Blessing:

Any 1 (Bones) → may roll two Stones to match either.

Fly the Black (optional):

Once per Tide, reroll Bones, pay new bet, forfeit Stone this turn; only Crossbones can win.

Pay Bet:

Apply Tide multiplier; if broke → Walk the Plank (re-roll Bones for Crossbones; fail = elimination).

Throw Stone (d20)

...unless Cursed, Flying the Black or Walking the Plank.

Resolve Outcome:

  • Float = Stone matches any Bone → Take the Coffer → becomes Captain.
  • Captain’s Luck = 13 on Captain’s Stone (auto-Float).
  • Crossbones = special combos (win + Curse).
  • Sink = no match → pass turn.

End of Round (Each Win)

Advance Wave/Tide: Quartermaster increments; on Tide rise players may Heave Down (cash out with Coinsman).

☠️ Crossbones Combinations

  • Daggers: Two 1’s {1, 1, x, x} — ~1:738 (1.35%)
  • Dubloons: Two 20’s {20, 20, x, x} — ~1:738 (1.35%)
  • Jacob’s Ladder: 4-straight {7-8-9-10}— ~1:392 (0.255%)
  • Thirteen Thrice:Three 13’s {x, 13, 13, 13} — ~1 :2,105 (0.0475%)
  • Rum Runner: Four of a kind {5, 5, 5, 5}— ~1:8,000 (0.0125%)
  • TOTAL: ~1:35 (2.88%)

Curse: Winner skips Stone next Wave (only a Crossbones can Claims the Coffer). Curse ends when any other player Claims the Coffer.
Swallow the Anchor: Crossbones winner may cash out immediately, despite Tide. 

⚔️ Mutiny

Trigger: Captain Plunders Coffer. Any player may declare “Mutiny!”.

Vote: All others vote Yay/Nay. Tie or majority Nay → fail. Majority Yay → Challenge. 

Dice and Diplomacy: Deals may be struck and honored or broken to coerce crew to join their side.  Each player adds their die to either the Captain or the Mutineer's roll based on their vote.

Cost of Mutiny: All Players roll their d4 and pay the result (x Gold) into the coffer. Captain pays no cost. 

Challenge Rolls:

Captain = 1d20 + 1d6 + Defector d4’s;

Mutineer = 1d20 + 1d4 + Yay d4’s. High total wins.


  ✅ Success → Mutineer becomes Captain. 
  ❌ Fail → Captain keeps Coffer + mutiny costs from players

Winner may split the Coffer among crew as they wish or keep the Coffer for themselves. 

Cutthroat Mode (2 Players): Mutiny auto-triggers (no cost); Flip a coin to decide mutiny vote. Both roll 1d20 + 1d6 + 1d4 simultaneously — high total wins.

⚓ Other Rules

Pilfering: If previous Stone left on table, next roller may toss the Bones, call "Pilfer!" and use the last player's stone as it sits on the table to match, along with their own Stone.

Grumbles: After a win, any player may pay 1 gp × Tide to force reroll of disputed dice (unavailable in Cutthroat). No player may object or the Grumbles fails. Used for crooked rolls and dicey dice throws. 

Walk the Plank: If broke on bet, re-roll Bones for Crossbones; No Stone; fail = out of game. Win = Cursed and Claim the Coffer

Fly the Black: see step 4 above; reset use each Tide.

Heave Down: At Tide Rise any player may cash out. The game may conclude for the evening. 

💰 End Condition


Play until only one pirate still afloat (financially) or crew agrees to cash out during Tide Rise.

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Coming January 2026

  • Expanded Rules

    Explore the Tides and integrate new mechanics like The Rum Barrel and The Black Spot

  • Quinn's Journal

    Read the journal of the game's mythic creator, Quinn Tattercur of the Riverdale. A journey reflecting the inspiration and philosophies of the game.

  • Artifacts of the Wreck

    Worldbuilding artifacts, media, and the story of the game as told through found artifacts: Cookbook, Carpenter's Log, Crew Journals