Key Terms#

Game Master (GM) – The person running the game. Responsible for creating the setting, describing scenarios, determining rolls and target numbers, lots of things.

Player – A person playing a character within the game other than the GM. Responsible for maintaining their sheet and stats.

Party – The players as a group. Responsible for working together, or not. Depends.

Table – The players and the GM as a group. Responsible for recognizing modifiers, maintaining honesty, fair play, and a good time.

Modifiers — Any additional value that alters another value. A bonus is a positive modifier. A penalty is a negative modifier. If something states a bonus and the value is negative, the bonus is 0. If something states a penalty and the value is positive, the penalty is 0. If something states a modifier it can use a bonus or a penalty.

Decision Rolls - the Primary Mechanic#

In most situations when determining the success or failure of an action the following mechanic will be used:

2d6 + STAT or ATTRIBUTE + MODIFIERS VS. TARGET NUMBER

The d6 used during such rolls, regardless of how many, are refered to as the Decision Dice.

Decision dice explode. Anytime the max value of a decision die (a six) is shown, another d6 ir rolled and both numbers are added to the total result. This effect stacks and can happen multiple times in a single roll or even on a single die. Only decision dice explode, not damage or dice from other sources such as Luck.

Example: Billy makes a Strength check to hold a heavy gate up for his friends while they escape. He rolls 2d6 and adds his Strength of +0. He rolls a 3 and a 6, so he another d6 and gets another 6, then rolls a 2. His total becomes 3+6+6+2+0=17, a remarkable roll.

Target Numbers#

The target number lands on a scale that is based on the difficulty of the action being attempted. Many tasks have guidelines associated with them to help the Game Master best determine where on the scale a given target should begin, particularly during combat. Otherwise, it is up to the best judgment of the GM to determine the difficulty and target number.

Certain limitations should be noted:

The standard decision dice create a small probability curve, averaging around 6-7 with an extended trail due to the exploding dice.

While there is technically no maximum on a standard decision roll with no modifiers, the odds of getting higher than a 15 is less than 10%.

Any modifiers to the roll move the curve. A simple +1 to that roll increases the odds of getting a 12 or higher from 21% to 25%. Meanwhile, the odds of getting an 8 or higher on the same roll increases from 47% without any modifiers to 58% with a +1 modifier.

This curve and scaling increase rewards choices during character creation/level up and makes low level modifiers the most volatile, especially when paired with Advantage/Disadvantage and Luck.

Difficulty Scale#

“Impossible” Tasks#

The “Impossible” task description is used to describe any task that would be narratively impossible to achieve normally. For example: Lifting a train car over one’s head, running on a cloud, convincing a King to invade his closest ally unprovoked, knowing the exact number of grains of sand in a large jar at a glance. These things cannot - or should not - normally be attempted as there is no way one would reasonably be able to succeed. It is up to the GM to decide whether to allow something to be attempted if the difficulty should begin at or above “Impossible.” A target that reaches this description due to adjustments, abilities, or other modifications to the target value, is not considered an “Impossible” task.

Success and Failure#

Short Version: Success = Higher than or equal to target.

When the result of a roll has been determined and is equal to or higher than the target, the action is a success, the GM describes what has occurred, and play continues.

When the result is lower than the target the action is unsuccessful, the GM describes what has occurred, and play continues

All GMs have their own style. Some use the situation itself to gauge the results of the roll, others determine how dramatic the results are based on the difference between the target and the roll. Whatever the case, consistency is key.

Advantage#

Short Version: Alter decision rolls at GM’s discresion:

• Major Advantage = +1 decision die
• Minor Advantage = +3
• Minor Disadvantage = -3
• Major Disadvantage = -1 decision die

Advantage is a special type of modifier that can be added to any decision roll by the GM based on the situation faced by the characters. Unlike most modifiers which only provide a bonus or penalty, advantage can also alter the number of decision dice rolled. This allows the GM to quickly alter the target of a decsion roll on the fly. The Advantage modifier works on a scale with five levels:

Advantage Scale: | Type: | Advantage | Neutral | Disadvantage | | Severity: | Major | Minor | None | Minor | Major |

Major Advantage adds one d6 to the decision dice for a total of 3d6. Advantage may be rewarded when characters have actively worked to be particularly prepared for a situation, propose creative solutions, have clearly outmatched an opponent, or have created some other form of favorable situation that goes beyond the normal alteration of the target number or bonuses provided.

Minor Advantage causes a +3 bonus to the decision roll. It is often granted by small situational advantages during combat.

Neutral is the starting point of the scale and the standard for when there is no applicable advantage/disadvantage or the two sides balance out.

Minor Disadvantage causes a -3 penalty to the decision roll. It is often caused by small situational disadvantages during combat.

Major Disadvantage removes one d6 from the decision dice for a total of 1d6. Disadvantage may be given when the players characters are significantly unprepared, are heavily outmatched or outnumbered, or are facing multiple unfavorable conditions that go beyond the normal alteration of the target number or bonuses provided.

Gaining Advantage#

Some abilities and effects grant advantage, particularly in combat. This simply moves the advantage in the user’s favor, but it does not guarantee a bonus or change to decision dice. Other effects in play that also grant an advantage are still taken into consideration. On a neutral roll an ability or effect that “grants advantage” simply grants a minor advantage.

Special Notes for the Game Master:#

• All rolls start as neutral. Don’t be afraid to keep them there.
• When determinging advantage, only inlcude things that would have an effect on their own, not very minor things that only matter when they add up. This can help limit the number of effects that cause advantage and keep it more narratively consistent.
• Talk with the rest of the table when determinging advantage, it is everyone’s responsibility to announce effects. It is the GM’s responisbility to determine the balance of the situation and whatever advantage it may grant.
• Major Advantage/disadvantage should be reserved for when the narrative and situaution call for a dramatic effect or drastic offset, especially if it comes from a single effect. This should be rare.

Advantage and Contested Rolls#

It is best practice to avoid disadvantage to a contested roll. It feels better for players when the GM awards advantage in either direction than being stuck at a disadvantage. Treat advantage for contested rolls as if the two parties occupy the scale rather than advantage/disadvantage, the two parties compete for having an advantage on the scale just as they do narratively.

General Rules of Play#

Contested Rolls#

Occasionally, characters may face a situation requiring a contested roll. Each character simply rolls their decision dice and adds their applicable modifiers, with the win going to the highest roller.

Resolving a Tie#

A tie with a target number counts as a success. If a tie occures during a contested roll, the decision dice are rerolled until a winner is determined.

The Rounding Rule#

Anytime you are faced with a fraction in the end result of a roll or series of rolls, round down. This only happens at the end, not in the middle of calculations.

Example: The most forthcoming example of this is when calculating Stress (½ Level + ½ Will) and Vitality (½ Level + ½ Fort), since this requires halving two values and adding them together:

• If those values are 3 and 1, they become 1.5 and 0.5, and are added together to become 2.
• If those values are 3 and 2, they become 1.5 and 1, and are added up to become 2.5, which is then rounded down to 2.

Secondary Mechanics#

Supply Rolls#

Supply rolls or supply dice are used to track inventory and conditions with a level of randomness. Many pieces of equipment, particularly kits, do not have a set number of uses as different applications will require a different amount of supplies to complete. To simulate this the number of uses is described by a die size. Details on when supply rolls are performed and if/how an item can be resupplied is provided in its description.

When using equipment that requires a supply roll to complete/attempt an action, roll the die listed. If the result is 3 or lower, the die size is lowered. Each roll is handled individually after the action is complete. Empty items cannot be used if a supply roll is required, but some may still be used in situations when supply rolls are not needed. This is particularly common with kits, when the included tools are needed without using any of the consumables.

Supplies die sizes/order: D12, D10, D8, D6, D4, Empty.

D100 or Percentage#

In situations where a decision roll cannot be made, a supply roll does not apply, and normal means of tracking a number just doesn’t fit, the situation will likely be resolved with some form of D100 roll or percentage tracker. These rules are few, the most common one involves tracking ammunition.