Checks
Skill and stat checks are to be used when determining whether an action a player wishes to execute will succeed. Checks will typically happen only when the chances of the outcome are uncertain. A check can be made for any stat depending on the occasion. All checks will be made using a variable number of d10 dice.
The check system is built around player choice and creative problem-solving. When the GM calls for a check, they set a difficulty threshold representing how challenging the task is, but players decide how their character approaches the problem. Players choose which of their six core stats to use and must justify how that stat applies to their approach. They can also argue for how their skills might help, creating opportunities for characters to tackle the same challenge in completely different ways.
All checks use the same core mechanic: roll a number of d10 dice equal to your chosen stat, count how many dice meet or exceed a threshold (reduced by relevant skills), then compare your total against either a set difficulty or an opponent's roll. The difference between these numbers determines not just whether you succeed, but how well you perform.
When to Call for Checks
The GM calls for checks when the outcome of an action is uncertain and meaningful. Not every action requires a roll—routine tasks that would obviously succeed or fail based on the character's capabilities don't need checks.
Call for a check when:
- The task has a reasonable chance of failure
- Failure would have meaningful consequences
- Success isn't guaranteed even for a capable character
- Time pressure or stress might affect performance
Don't call for a check when:
- The task is trivial for the character's abilities
- Failure is impossible or would break the story
- Success is guaranteed but you want to determine quality (just describe the outcome)
- The character lacks the basic capability to attempt the task (0 in the relevant stat)
Stat Limitations: Characters with 0 in a stat are physically incapable of attempting tasks requiring that stat. Stats begin at 2 (average person), with 1 representing someone ill or infirm.
Making a Check
When making a check, roll the equivalent number of d10 dice as the stat the check will be made with, this can be from might, finesse, arcana, vitality, speed or perception.
Choose Your Stat: Players select which of the six core stats they want to use and must justify how that stat applies to the action.
Examples for climbing a cliff:
- Might: Powering up using brute strength
- Finesse: Carefully finding handholds and moving gracefully
- Perception: Reading the rock face to find the best route
- Vitality: Enduring the long, exhausting climb
Apply Relevant Skills: Players can justify how any of their skills might help with the action if the check is open-ended. Multiple skills could potentially apply to the same check, but only one skill can be used per check. The player chooses which skill to apply, and the GM makes the final decision on whether that skill is appropriate.
Examples for the same cliff climb:
- Conditioning: Experience with physical exertion
- Survival Knowledge of outdoor climbing techniques
- Smithing: Understanding how to use climbing gear effectively
- The player would choose one of these skills to apply to their roll
Special Cases: Some checks directly require specific skills (such as Resistance for resisting effects, Offence for attacks, Defence for defending, Smithing for crafting, etc.). When a check requires a specific skill, no other skills can be applied. You can still attempt the check without the required skill, but you won't get to reduce your dice threshold.
Additional dice may be added if other players are helping or modified by advantage and disadvantage.
Advantage and Disadvantage: Environmental conditions, tactical positioning, or magical effects may grant advantage or disadvantage to your roll. Advantage adds dice to your pool, while disadvantage subtracts dice. Both advantage and disadvantage can range from 1 to 5 degrees of severity, corresponding to the number of dice modified.
Once the dice have been rolled, count the number of dice that have rolled as an 8 or above. By default the dice threshold is 8 however this can be reduced. This count is what your roll is equivalent to. If you have any skills that are pertinent to this check, you may reduce the dice threshold by the number of levels you have taken in that skill (minimum threshold of 3).
Helping with Checks
Multiple players can work together to improve the chances of success on a single check. When players help, they're not making separate rolls—instead, they're contributing their expertise to boost the primary character's effort.
Requirements for Helping:
- Helpers must use the same stat as the primary character
- If the check requires a specific skill, all helpers must possess that skill
- If the primary character is using a skill to reduce their dice threshold, helpers must have that same skill to contribute
Dice Contribution: Each helper adds dice equal to half their relevant stat (rounded up) to the primary character's dice pool. All dice are rolled together and use the primary character's dice threshold (including any skill modifications).
Narrative Justification: Just like the primary character, helpers must justify how their approach contributes to the effort. Different characters might help in different ways even when using the same stat and skill combination.
Example: Three characters work together to move a massive stone block:
- Primary: Might 5 with Conditioning 2 (5 dice, count on 6+)
- Helper 1: Might 3 with Conditioning 1 (adds 2 dice)
- Helper 2: Might 4 with Conditioning 3 (adds 2 dice)
- Total: 9 dice, all counting on 6+ (primary character's threshold)
Advantage and Disadvantage
Environmental conditions, tactical positioning, magical effects, or circumstances can significantly impact a character's ability to perform a task. These are represented through advantage (adding dice) and disadvantage (subtracting dice) to the base dice pool. Advantage and disadvantage can come from GM assessment of the situation, status effects, character abilities, or racial traits.
Degrees of Severity: Both advantage and disadvantage range from 1 to 5, representing the magnitude of the benefit or hindrance:
| Degree | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slight environmental aid, basic preparation, minor tactical edge | Small distraction, minor environmental obstacle, slight fatigue |
| 2 | Good positioning, appropriate tools, favorable conditions | Significant distraction, poor lighting, minor injury |
| 3 | Expert preparation, perfect conditions, significant tactical advantage | Major environmental hazard, serious injury, strong opposition |
| 4 | Near-perfect circumstances, exceptional preparation, overwhelming advantage | Severe environmental danger, crippling injury, extreme pressure |
| 5 | Legendary conditions, divine favor, absolute superiority | Nearly impossible circumstances, life-threatening conditions, total chaos |
Examples of When to Grant Advantage:
- Attacking a surprised enemy (+1 to +2)
- Using the perfect tool for the job (+1 to +3)
- Having detailed knowledge of the area (+1 to +2)
- Excellent preparation time (+2 to +4)
- Magical enhancement (+1 to +5, depending on spell power)
- Fighting from high ground (+1 to +2)
Examples of When to Grant Disadvantage:
- Acting while injured (-1 to -3, based on severity)
- Poor environmental conditions like darkness or storms (-1 to -3)
- Using improvised or broken tools (-1 to -2)
- Being rushed or under extreme time pressure (-1 to -3)
- Magical curses or debuffs (-1 to -5, depending on spell power)
- Fighting while prone or off-balance (-1 to -2)
Stacking Effects: Multiple sources of advantage or disadvantage can stack, but the total modifier cannot exceed +5 or -5. If you have both advantage and disadvantage, subtract the smaller from the larger to determine the net effect.
Changing Your Approach
For threshold checks, you may change your approach (stat and skill selection) after learning the difficulty, as long as no dice have been rolled yet and the change in strategy can be justified narratively. This creates strategic decision-making about how to best tackle known challenges.
For contested checks, approaches must be declared before rolling, and both parties roll simultaneously.
Threshold Checks
To succeed or fail a check the GM must set a pass threshold. The pass threshold should be set on a scale from 0 to 10 and represents just how easy or difficult a task is. The threshold may be set above the current highest stat of a player.
- Easy tasks: Threshold 1-2
- Moderate tasks: Threshold 3-4
- Hard tasks: Threshold 5-6
- Very hard tasks: Threshold 7-8
- Nearly impossible tasks: Threshold 9-10
Calculate: Your Check Result - Pass Threshold = Difference
Contested Checks
When characters oppose each other directly, both make checks using relevant stats. Calculate: Your Check Result - Opponent's Check Result = Difference
Approach Declaration: In contested checks, both parties must declare their approach (stat and skills) before rolling. Both parties then roll simultaneously.
Multiple Contestants: If more than two parties are involved, either defer to the highest roller (comparing their degrees of success against each opponent separately) or resolve as separate one-on-one contests between each pair.
For expedient resolution, use only the winner's result to determine the overall outcome of the contest.
Degrees of Success
Succeeding a check depends on how close you are to the set pass threshold or a contested check.
| Difference | Outcome Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| +2 or more | Overwhelming Success | Your action succeeds spectacularly with additional beneficial effects |
| +1 | Success | Your action succeeds with favorable results |
| 0 | Pass | Your action succeeds exactly as intended |
| -1 | Failure | Your action fails but with minimal consequences |
| -2 or worse | Catastrophic Failure | Your action fails with significant negative consequences |
Special Case for Contested Checks: When the difference is 0, both actions succeed as intended—you achieve your goal but so does your opponent.
Key Distinctions
Dice Threshold vs Pass Threshold:
- The Dice Threshold (default 8+) determines which individual dice count toward your total and can be modified by skills (minimum threshold of 3)
- The Pass Threshold (set by GM, 0-10) determines how many counting dice you need to achieve the overall outcome
Examples
Example 1: A character with Might 4 and Conditioning 2 attempts to climb a difficult cliff (Pass Threshold 5).
- Roll 4d10 (Might stat)
- Dice count on 6+ (8 - 2 Conditioning levels = 6)
- If rolls are: 3, 6, 7, 9 → Counts 3 dice that meet or exceed the threshold (6, 7, 9)
- Compare 3 dice vs Threshold 5 → Difference: -2 (Catastrophic Failure)
Example 2: Two characters engage in a contest of strength.
- Character A: Might 5, counts 4 dice
- Character B: Might 3, counts 2 dice
- Difference: 4 - 2 = +2 for Character A
- Result: Character A achieves Overwhelming Success in the contest
Example 3: A character tries to pickpocket while the target tries to notice them.
- Pickpocket: Finesse 4 with Stealth 2, counts 3 dice
- Target: Perception 4, counts 3 dice
- Difference: 3 - 3 = 0 (Pass for both)
- Result: Both actions succeed as intended—the pickpocket successfully takes the item, but the target notices their purse is lighter
Resistance Check Outcomes
When a character attempts to impose a status effect on another, the target may make a Resistance check (if they possess the Resistance skill). This is a contested check between the effect placer and the resisting character.
| Difference | Outcome Type | Effect Placement | Effect Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| +2 or more | Overwhelming Success | The effect is placed with enhanced potency or duration | You completely resist the effect and may gain a temporary benefit |
| +1 | Success | The effect is placed as intended | You resist the effect with minimal impact |
| 0 | Pass | The effect is placed but with reduced potency or duration | You partially resist - the effect is applied but weakened |
| -1 | Failure | The effect is placed with complications for the placer | You fail to resist and suffer the full effect |
| -2 or worse | Catastrophic Failure | The effect backfires or has unintended consequences | You fail to resist and the effect is worse than intended |
How to Use This Table:
For the Effect Placer: Calculate your dice count minus the target's dice count. Use the "Effect Placement" column based on your result.
For the Resisting Character: The same difference applies to you in reverse. If the placer gets +1, you get -1, and vice versa.
Special Case: When the difference is 0, both characters achieve their basic goals - the effect is placed but the resistance weakens it significantly.
Inventory
Grid-Based Inventory System
This inventory system represents the physical reality of carrying gear through a spatial puzzle. Your character's inventory is a grid where every item must physically fit, creating meaningful decisions about what to carry and how to arrange it. Item shapes reflect their weight, physical size, awkwardness to carry, and how they must be packed together - a perfectly balanced sword fits neatly in a rectangular space, while a magical crystal with uneven weight distribution and delicate protrusions creates an L-shaped burden that can't be simply bundled with other gear.
Grid Capacity
Your inventory grid measures 5 squares wide by a number of squares tall equal to your Might stat. All items not currently equipped on your body or belt must fit within this grid space.
Overloading: If any part of an item extends beyond your grid boundaries, you are overloaded. Your Speed stat decreases by 1 for each square occupied outside your grid capacity.
Examples by Might Score:
- Might 2: 5×2 grid (10 total squares)
- Might 3: 5×3 grid (15 total squares)
- Might 4: 5×4 grid (20 total squares)
- Might 5: 5×5 grid (25 total squares)
What Counts as Inventory
Equipped Items: Armor worn on your body, weapons in your hands, and items on your belt do not occupy grid space.
Everything Else: All other possessions - backup weapons, supplies, treasure, tools, and consumables - must fit in your grid.
Currency: Gold and other coins fit in a coin purse that occupies 1 square. The purse size never increases regardless of wealth, as larger denominations are available for efficient carrying. However, currency may take additional space in special circumstances - such as when specifically kept in small denominations for particular reasons, or when found as treasure in chests, sacks, or other containers that must be carried as-is.
Item Shapes and Sizes
Items occupy different shapes based on their weight, physical size, awkwardness to carry, and packing requirements. A heavy item might take more squares, a long item creates a line shape, an unbalanced item forms an L-shape, and fragile or oddly-shaped items may require specific orientations that create complex patterns. All items can be rotated in 90-degree increments to find the best fit.
| Shape | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1×1 Square | Small weapons, thrown weapons, magical rings/wands, rations, potions, toolkits, torches, rope (10m), books, basic gear |
| 2×1 Rectangle | Large weapons, martial weapons, bows, crossbows, magical staffs, shields, bedrolls, medium armor, camping equipment |
| 3×1 Line | Polearms, poles |
| 3-Square L | Awkward magical items, complex devices, fragile items requiring special positioning |
| 2×2 Square | Heavy armor sets, large chests, statues, bulky treasure, heavy camping gear |
| 4-Square L | Large instruments, unusual artifacts, bulky apparatus with components |
| T-Shape (3-5 squares) | Ceremonial weapons, complex magical focuses |
| 3×2 Rectangle | Large shields, paintings, mirrors, rolled tapestries |
| 3×3+ Large | Massive artifacts, furniture, extremely bulky items |
Bundling
Certain items can be efficiently packed together or compressed to occupy less space than their individual components would suggest.
Consumable Bundling:
Small consumables can be efficiently packed together in a single square:
- Food: Up to 5 days of rations
- Potions: Up to 5 identical potions (different types must be bundled separately due to storage requirements)
- Ammunition: Up to 20 identical arrows or crossbow bolts (in quivers)
Material Bundling:
- Rope: Each 10 meters of rope occupies 1 square when properly coiled
- Tool Collections: Small related tools (thieves' tools, repair kits) occupy 1 square as a set
- Small Weapons: Up to 5 small weapons (daggers, throwing knives) can be bundled together in 1 square
- Other materials: Similar items may bundle based on their nature and how they can be efficiently packed
Grid Management
- Rotation: Items can be rotated in 90-degree increments
- No Overlap: Items cannot share squares
- Complete Fit: Items must fit entirely within grid boundaries
- Rearranging: Moving items during non-combat takes minimal time; during combat may require actions
- Access: All items in your inventory are equally accessible regardless of grid position. Accessing any inventory item during combat costs 1 AP per item interacted with
How to Use This System
For Players
Setup
- Draw your grid (5 × Might) on paper or use a digital tool
- Mark equipped items as outside the grid
- Arrange all other possessions within the grid
During Play
- Before looting: Visualize if and how new items will fit
- When shopping: Consider shape alongside cost - awkward items may not be worth the space
- Equipment upgrades: Sometimes "better" gear isn't worth it if it's much bulkier
For GMs
Assigning Item Shapes
- Consider the item's primary function and weight
- Add awkwardness for unbalanced, long, or oddly-shaped items
- Magical items often have unusual shapes due to otherworldly properties
Creating Scenarios
- Large treasure creates "do we have room?" decisions
- Environmental challenges may require specific bulky equipment
- Quest items that must be carried despite inconvenience add tension
Strategic Considerations
Spatial Puzzle: The variety of shapes transforms inventory into a puzzle game where placement matters as much as capacity.
Trade-offs: An awkward L-shaped item might prevent carrying multiple smaller items, even if you have the total square count available.
Party Coordination: Groups must decide who carries oddly-shaped items based on available grid space and character needs.
Combat Access: All items are equally accessible regardless of grid position - accessing any inventory item costs 1 AP per item during combat.
Planning Ahead: Successful adventurers think about their inventory layout, not just their total carrying capacity.
Common Situations
-"The Treasure Dilemma": Finding valuable but bulky items that force difficult carrying decisions.
"The Upgrade Question": When better equipment is significantly more awkward to carry.
"The Specialist's Burden": Characters needing specific tools for their role must plan around those space requirements.
"The Emergency Reorganization": Combat situations where you need to quickly access buried items.
Adventuring
Characters are adventuring when they are between settlements. Each adventure should have have a goal, be it a location or a feat. While adventuring the party is vulnerable to random combat encounters along with other normal encounters.
Scale
The standard map measurement used is the tile. There are 5 levels of scope that dictates the scale of a map and tiles. Tiles start at 1 meter across and if in combat, a round will last for 6 seconds.
Different scales may come into play during larger conflicts such as a war or large vehicle combat.
Scale Levels
| Scale Level | Tile Size | Round Duration| | |:----:|:-------------:|:--:| | | 1 | 1 Meter | 6 Seconds| | | 2 | 10 Meters | 60 Seconds| 1 Minute | | 3 | 100 Meters | 600 Seconds| 10 Minutes | | 4 | 1,000 Meters | 6,000 Seconds| 100 Minutes | | 5 | 10,000 Meters | 60,000 Seconds| 16 hours |
Travel
Maps for travel through the world should have a scale level 5 hex grid, making each tile 10 kilometers across. A party will have a travel limit that is the average between the highest and lowest speed stats in the party. Each day of travel, the party may spend up to as many travel points as their travel limit before they must make camp for the night.
Tiles may have designated climates or environments which dictates how fast the party can travel through it. Some environments may require more points to traverse. Should a party not have enough points to fully traverse a tile, they may opt to partialy travel across the tile to the proportion of their remaining travel points to the cost to traverse the tile.
Consult the table below to find the cost to cross different environments.
Environments
| Environment | Cost To Traverse |
|---|---|
| Temperate Grasslands | 1 |
| Tropical Savanna | 1 |
| Desert | 1 |
| Taiga | 2 |
| Tropical Rainforest | 3 |
| Temperate Forest | 2 |
| Tundra | 2 |
| Alpine | 3 |
There may also be a chance of weather affecting certain areas of the map. In the case of weather, the speed cost to traverse a tile will increase according to the sype of weather. Weather conditions may be combined depending at the discretion of the GM. Weather conditions may cover multiple tiles and can be no smaller than a full single tile.
Consult the table below to find the additional cost of weather on the party's journey.
Weather
| Weather Condition | Additional Traversal Cost |
|---|---|
| Calm | +0 |
| Rain | +1 |
| Snow | +2 |
| Hail | +2 |
| Fog | +1 |
| Gale | +1 |
| Storm | +2 |
| Extreme Weather | +3 |
Resting
Resting is different based on where the party is currently located. There are 2 types of rests, protected and vulnerable.
Protected Rest
A protected rest can only take place in a settlement and the GM may specify that certain settlements are not safe, such as ones in an active warzone. During a protected rest, all players may return to full health and all once per rest abilities are recharged. Protected rests may be a short as 12 hours or as long as 7 days depending on what the party wishes.
Vulnerable Rest
Vulnerable rests happen when the party is not in a settlement. This could be in a dungeon, a camp at night, an isolated farmhouse and so forth. The GM may specify if certain isolated areas are safe enough for a protected rest. the GM may roll for encounters up to 4 times depending on the location. A vulnerable rest can only be done once per location.
During a vulnerable rest, all players may regain as as many d6s of health as their vitality stat. Abilities do not recharge during a vulnerable rest. A vulnerable rest is 8 hours and during which a player may choose to be on watch while the others rest.
If a player is on watch, any encounter that may occur will not surprise the party. However, the player on watch will be unable to heal during the rest. If the party wishes to take shifts on lookout duties, the healing for the player on watch is reduced by the percentage of time they spent on watch.
Combat
All decisions such as hitting and missing or making a saving throw are all done using a roll of a number of d10s. Some rolls may require the outcome to be modified either positively or negatively.
Base Combat
Action Points
Starting AP
The amount of AP a player starts their combat with with equivalent to your initiative modifier. (Speed + Perception)
AP Regeneration
The amount of AP regained at the start of each turn is equivalent to your speed stat
Maximum AP
A player can not have more AP than their maximum AP. The maximum AP is calculated as your Speed stat + your Vitality stat
Defense AP
When it is not a player's turn they may still take actions marked as reactions. The AP cost of those come from the player's Defence AP which is equiavalent Your initiative. (Speed + Perception)
AP Costs
| Action | AP Cost |
|---|---|
| Melee Attack | 1 AP |
| Ranged Attack | 1 AP |
| Block | 1 AP |
| Parry | 1 AP |
| Dodge | 1 AP |
| Interact | 1 AP |
| Resuscitate | 2 AP |
| Stabilize | 2 AP |
| Movement | 1 AP |
- Dual Wielding Attacks:
- Main Hand Attack: AP cost of your main hand weapon.
- Off-Hand Attack: AP cost of your off-hand weapon +2.
- Dual Attack: Sum of both weapon AP costs minus the dual wielding AP reduction.
- Movement: A player may move up to as many tiles as their speed stat for the cost of 1 AP. Be sure to include any penalties to speed incurred by armor and statuses.
Starting Combat
The beginning of combat is typically marked by either the player's attacking something or something attacking the players. If combat will last longer than the first player's attack, then proper combat will be initated and initiative should be rolled.
Initiative
Deciding the turn order of combat is decided using a player’s initiative. Initiative is the sum of their Speed and Perception stats. Roll this number of d10s and count the number of dice that show and 8 or higher. The higher the count, the earlier in combat order the player will be. If two players roll the same number, roll once more to see who will go before the other.
Damage
Armor
Armors reduce the amount of damage dealt to a player. All armors have an armor rating assigned to them based on their type and level. Damage is reduced by the armor rating, to a minimum of zero. Taking levels in defence will further reduce damage by increasing your armor rating multiplier which starts at x1 at 0 levels in armor master.
Damage Resistance
There are 6 levels of damage resistance a creature may have. When a creature takes damage they are resistant to, the damage they take is reduced by an amount depending on their level of resistance. Damage reduction should be done after armor damage reduction if armor is worn.
Should a player or creature be acclimated or adapted to a damage type, they instead heal by an amount of the damage dealt. Acclimated heals by half the damage that would be dealt and adapted heals by all damage that would be dealt.
| Resistance Level | Damage Reduction |
|---|---|
| Protected | 25% |
| Resistant | 50% |
| Shielded | 75% |
| Immune | 100% |
| Acclimated | 150% |
| Adapted | 200% |
Damage Vulnerability
Just as a creature may be resistant to a damage type, they may additionally be vulnerable to a damage type. If a creature takes damage that they are vulnerable to, they take double the damage. The damage doubling should be done after armor damage reduction if armor is worn.
Damage Types
There are 9 different types of damage a creature is able to take. Water, air, poison, fire, psychic, radiant and necrotic damage are typically inflicted by magical attacks. Force and sharp damage are typically seen in physical attacks.
Actions
Attacking
Weapons have associated stats, Strength, Finesse or Arcana. When making an attack you will need to roll a contested check against your target. To do so, roll as many d10s as your weapon's associated stat and count how many of them show 8 or higher. If you have any points in Offence, reduce the threshold by 1 per level.
The target may choose to make a block, dodge or other associated reaction to your attack, if so you will make a contested roll against the target's own roll and compare the outcome to the associated action's success table. If the target creature is not taking a reaction, you roll against your target's defence level.
Abilities
Abilities of different levels may be used in differing ways and frequency during and outside of combat.
- Simple: May be cast at will but not on consecutive turns. Outside of combat this becomes at will.
- Involved: May be used once per combat. Outside of combat this becomes once an hour
- Complex: May be used once per rest.
- Arcane: May be used once per session.
Ability Duration
In combat, abilities will last for a matter of turns. Outside of the pressure of combat, abilities will last for 1 hour per turn of duration.
Belt
Each character has a belt that can hold up to 2 weapons and 3 Items. When in combat a character can swap freely between any of their weapons or consume a potion for no AP cost once per turn, any extra swaps or consumptions costs 1 AP.
Holding Actions
If you believe it would be advantageous to delay your turn to later in the round, you may do so. You first gain your allocated AP at the start of your normal turn, after which you may decide if you wish to hold your turn or not. To hold your turn you must state where you would like to go in the current initiative order and this round you will continue your turn at that point. You cannot hold your turn if you have made any actions, including movement. You do not generate AP at the start of your held turn as you already generated it when you decided to hold.
Combined Turns
If you wish to combine an action with another or multiple players, you may do so. Combining actions will cost an additional 1 AP for every action made by each participating member.
Defending
When a player is facing an incoming attack, there are a few options on how they may choose to defend against it. If you have AP in reserve from your previous turn, you may opt to use a reaction ability or action such as a dodge or parry at a cost of some of your AP.
In cases like this where an opposed check is being made for 2 different actions, first use the effects from the table of the action that rolled higher for the outcome of the roll. Follow that by applying any penalties encurred by the action that rolled lower. If a Pass is rolled, defer to the defending action's effects.
Dodge
- Cost: 2 AP, Reaction
- Effect: You attempt to jump and duck out of the way of the oncoming attack. Make a defensive finesse roll against the opponent and roll 2 additional dice.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Overwhelming Success | The attack does not hit and you can move up to as many tiles as your speed |
| Success | The attack does not hit and you move to an adjacent tile |
| Pass | Take half the incoming damage and move to an adjacent tile |
| Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage |
| Catastrophic Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage and you are knocked down |
Cover
- Cost: 1 AP, Reaction
- Effect: You attempt to make yourself a smaller target for the ongoing attack. Make a defensive speed roll against the opponent and roll 1 additional die.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Overwhelming Success | The attack does not hit, gain 2 AP |
| Success | The attack does not hit, gain 1 AP |
| Pass | Take half the incoming damage |
| Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage |
| Catastrophic Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage, lose 1 AP |
Parry
- Cost: 2 AP, Reaction, Requires a Large or Martial melee weapon
- Effect: You attempt to block the incoming attack with your own weapon. Make a defensive roll with your weapon's stat.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Overwhelming Success | The attack does not hit. You disarm your opponent and land an attack of your own on them for full damage |
| Success | The attack does not hit. You may choose to either disarm your opponent or land an attack of your own for half damage |
| Pass | Take half the incoming damage |
| Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage |
| Catastrophic Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage and you are disarmed |
Block
- Cost: 1 AP, Reaction, Requires a Shield
- Effect: You attempt to block the incoming attack with your shield. Make a defensive roll with your shield's stat.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Overwhelming Success | The attack does not hit, bash the opponent with your shield dealing damage equal to its rating |
| Success | Reduce the damage of the attack by the shield's rating, bash the opponent with your shield dealing damage equal to half its rating |
| Pass | Reduce the damage of the attack by the shield's rating |
| Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage |
| Catastrophic Failure | The attack hits you for its full normal damage and you are weakened |
Reaction Abilities
Certain discipline abilities have the attribute of being a reactionary ability. You may cast these if the conditions in the ability are met. Casting occurs as normal and you must have AP remaining from your turn to be able to cast these.
Modifiers
Flanking
If a creature is surrounded by two or more enemies, they are considered to be flanked. A flanked creature has 1 degree of disadvantage when attacking and enemies gain 1 degree of advantage when attacking them. For each additional enemy flanking the creature their penalty increases by 1 degree of disadvantage and their enemies attack bonus increases by 1 degree of advantage.
If a player actively attempts to take the attention of a flanked creature, the enemy will not have disadvantage against them and the player does not gain advantage agrainst the creature. This however will incur an additional 2 degrees of disadvantage when the creature attacks the other enemies and the player's allies gain 2 degrees of advantage when attacking the flanked creature.
Facing
The direction players and enemies face on the battlefield is important to determine back stabbing and sometimes flanking. If a player or enemy has the backstab feat and is directly behind their target, the backstab damage bonus is applied
Inflicting Statuses
Many abilities have a chance to inflict an effect upon a target. To resist an effect the target must succeed a resistance check depending on the status type. An enemy can resist the effect if they roll higher than the attacker. Each discipline has an associated stat among strength, finesse and arcana.
Critical Hits
A critical hit occurs when a player rolls at least 2 higher than their opponent on an attack roll. On a critical hit, roll on the critical hit table. Once you have rolled on the critical hit table, identify your critical damage multiplier, this can be calculated as your level in Offence + 2. Account for any damage modification that my occur from the critical hit table then roll for damage and multiply the outcome by your critical damage multiplier.
Critical Hit Table
| d12 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Severed Limb: You sever a limb of your choice on your target. They have disadvantage when attacking, blocking and parrying for the remainder of the encounter. |
| 2 | Opportunity: One ally of your choice may make a free attack upon your target. |
| 3 | Rending Strike: Your target is now vulnerable to whatever damage type it mainly took from your attack for the remainder of the encounter. |
| 4 | Stunning Strike: Your target becomes stunned until the start of your next turn. |
| 5 | Disarming Blow: You knock whatever your target is holding out of it's hands (Reroll if not applicable). |
| 6 | Excruciating Strike: You deal the maximum amount of damage your attack could deal. |
| 7 | Terror: The target's allies and itself all suffer the feared condition on you for the next round. |
| 8 | Trauma: Your target now suffers from the crippled condition for the remainder of the encounter. |
| 9 | Loss of Confidence: Your target has disadvantage on attacks against you for the remainder of the combat. |
| 10 | Exploitable Weakspot: You have advantage on all attacks against this target for the remainder of the combat. |
| 11 | Gaping Wound: The target suffers a large bleeding wound. They are bleeding at the severity level of your weapon's level for the next 2 turns. |
| 12 | Absolute Success: Roll twice on this table and apply both effects to the target (Ignore any further 12s rolled). |
Critical Failures
A player critically fails an attack roll when they roll a catastrophic failure. On a critical fail the attack will automatically miss and the player will roll on the critical failure table and take the effect rolled.
Critical Failure Table
| d12 | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Grievous Error: Something went horribly wrong and you ended up injuring yourself in your attempt. Roll 1d10+1 on the injury table and take that effect. |
| 2 | Slipped: You slip as you underestimate your attack and are knocked down until the start of your next turn. |
| 3 | Wicked Backswing: You strike yourself on your back swing. Roll your normal damage and take half. |
| 4 | Loss Of Confidence: You have disadvantage on your attacks against your current target for the remainder of the encounter. |
| 5 | Bad Timing: You drop to last in the initative order for the remainder of combat. Do not act again this round. |
| 6 | Exposed Defences: You become unbalanced and your target takes that opportunity to make one attack against you. |
| 7 | Thrown Weapon: You lose your grip on your weapon and as you overcorrect you throw it 5 tiles in a random direction. |
| 8 | Pulled Up Lame: Your speed is halved for the remainder of the encounter. |
| 9 | Exposed Weakspot: The next attack that hits you will deal maximum damage. |
| 10 | Wrong Target: You mistakenly hit a random ally within range with your attack. If noone is within range, roll again. |
| 11 | Ricochet: Your attack ricochets back and you hit yourself. Apply the maximum damage your attack could do to yourself. |
| 12 | Horrendous Failure: Roll twice on this table and apply both effects to yourself (Ignore any further 12s rolled). |
Death
Bleeding Out
When a player reaches 0 hitpoints they will begin bleeding out. A player will bleed out for 1 turn from when they were reduced to 0 hitpoints. If a player is still bleeding out by the end of the 1 turn, they will die.
Stabilization
A bleeding out player can be stabilized by a player that does not have the medicine skill however the stabilized player will face some negative side effects. The player attempting stabilization must expend 3 AP and make a contested roll against the GM. Both the GM and player attempting stabilization will roll 5 dice. The GM will set the threshold the dice must roll based on the situation and nature of the bleeding out player, this threshold will apply to both the GM and player attempting stabilization.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Overwhelming Success | The target player is stabilized: they regain as many d10s of health as their vitality stat and when rolling for an injury may reroll any 1s. |
| Success | The target player is stabilized: they regain as many d10s of health as their vitality stat. |
| Pass | The target player is stabilized: they have 1 hitpoint. |
| Near Fail | The target player is stabilized: they have 1 hitpoint and must roll twice on the injury table. |
| Failure | The target player is not stabilized. |
| Catastrophic Failure | The target player dies. |
Stabilized
If a player is stabilized, they are no longer bleeding out and will be crippled for the next 3 turns. All stabilized players must roll on the injury table according to the outcome of the check that stabilized them.
Resucitation
A bleeding out player can only be resucitated by a player with the medicine skill. The player attempting resucitation must expend 2 AP and make a contested roll against the GM. The player attempting resucitation and the GM will both roll 5 dice. The threshold the dice must roll will be the standard 8 however, for every level the player making the roll has in medicine, their threshold will reduce by 1. The GM's threshold remains at 8.
| Result | Outcome |
|---|---|
| Overwhelming Success | The target player is resucitated: they regain half their total hit points |
| Success | The target player is resucitated: they regain as many d10s of health as their vitality stat |
| Pass | The target player is resucitated: they regain as many d10s of health as half their vitality stat |
| Near Fail | The target player is resucitated: they regain as many d10s of health as half their vitality stat and must roll on the injury table |
| Failure | The target player is not stabilized. |
| Catastrophic Failure | The target player is not stabilized. |
Final Stand
In some cases, stabilization or resucitation may be impossible or failing. In these cases the player bleeding out may choose to make their final stand for the sake of their party members. If a player elects to make their final stand it will occur on what would be their next turn and cannot be held to a different point in the initiative order.
A player's final stand will begin with them gaining double their AP generation, this can go past their maximum AP. The player will then be allowed to take their turn with their extra AP. During this turn, they may cast healing abilities however they cannot target themselves. Throughout this turn, the player will make their checks with 3 degrees of advantage. At the end of this turn the player will die, regardless of anything.
Injuries
In certain circumstances, particularly after being stabilized, players may obtain an injury. Some injuries can be permanent and incurable. Players can reverse the effect of a non-permanent injury during a protected rest if the area has the appropriate facilities.
Additionally, a player with the medicine skill may attempt to temporarily reduce the effects of an injury during travel. To do so the player must make a medicine check. The threshold for success for this should be set by the nature of the injury and equipment on hand. If the player passes the medicine check, the effect of the injury is reduced for the duration of the day. If the injury is to their stats, they regain 1 point to the lost stat. If the injury is to their health, they regain 1d10 to their maximum health, up to their original maximum. If the injury is to their skills or feats, the lost point of feat is regained. This cannot be done multiple times per day.
Injury Table
| d12 | Injury |
|---|---|
| 1 | Permanent Injury: You have been hurt so greviously that you will be injured permanently. Roll 1d10+1 and take the corresponding effect from the injury table permanently. |
| 2 | Anemia: You lose 2d10 maximum health. |
| 3 | Brain Damage: Your arcana stat is decreased by 2. |
| 4 | Amnesia: You lose 1 level of one of your skills (Chosen by DM or rolled for randomly). |
| 5 | Damaged Prefrontal Cortex: Your perception stat is decreased by 2. |
| 6 | Torn Ligament: Your finesse stat is decreased by 2. |
| 7 | Nerve Damage: Your speed stat is decreased by 2. |
| 8 | Failing Health: Your constitution stat is decreased by 2. |
| 9 | Muscle Damage: Your strength stat is decreased by 2. |
| 10 | Broken Bone: Lose 2 levels of resistance to a damage type that you have. If you have only 1 level or no levels you become vulnerable to the damage type that reduced you to 0 hitpoints. |
| 11 | Internal Bleeding: Randomly lose an effect of one of your feats. |
| 12 | Close Call: The finishing blow that you took did not greviously harm you as the blow was absorbed by a piece of equipment on your body. A random piece of gear on your belt or piece of armour is randomly broken. |
Mounted Combat
Vehicle Combat
Vehicles differ from mounts in that it takes more than a single character to effectively use them and they have multiple positions for players to use to different effect. All vehicles, regardless of type, will have a helm, which is the center of control for the vehicle. The other types of stations may be utility, offensive, or defensive.
Whoever mans the helm is considered the captain or leader of the vehicle. They are in charge on steering the vehicle and most movement as well. The helm always takes their turn first and they generate all AP for the vehicle they are operating. Each vehicle has an amount of AP it generates per turn per crew mate in action. The character in the helm decides how to split the AP generated among all action stations onboard.
When vehicle combat is initiated, all characters in the helm position of their vehicles will roll for initiative. When it is a vehicles turn, all action stations will act in parallel. The helm will act first and then the remaining action stations may go in any order. The character in the helm may hold their movement to later in the round.
Rowboat
- Crew Capacity: 2
- Passenger Capacity: 4
- Cargo Capacity: 0.25 Tons
- Hit Points 50
- Travel Speed 3 miles per hour (30 miles per day)
- AP Generation Per Crew: 4 AP per crew member
- Damage Resistances: Poison (4, Immune)
- Status Immunities: Knocked Down, Stunned, Blinded, Weakened, Crippled, Restrained, Discouraged, Cursed, Charmed, Dominated, Madness, Insanity, Hypnotized, Fear, Taunted
Action Stations
Helm (Capacity: 1 Crew) Man an oar and synchronise the crew.
Oar (Capacity: 1 Crew) Propel and steer the boat.
Helm Actions
Row 4 AP, Move the boat up to as many tiles as your strength stat. You may make a single turn of up to 90 degrees for the cost of 1 tile of movement.
Stand and Fight You may stand and make an attack or cast an ability costing up to 5 AP.
Crew Actions
Row 4 AP, Move the boat up to as many tiles as your strength stat in a single direction.
Stand and Fight You may stand and make an attack or cast an ability costing up to 5 AP.
Passenger Actions
Fight You may stand and make an attack or cast an ability.
Schooner
- Crew Capacity: 8
- Passenger Capacity: 10
- Cargo Capacity: 200 Tons
- Hit Points 120
- Travel Speed 6 miles per hour (144 miles per day)
- AP Generation Per Crew: 3 AP Per Crew Member
- Damage Resistances: Poison (4, Immune)
- Status Immunities: Knocked Down, Stunned, Blinded, Weakened, Crippled, Restrained, Discouraged, Cursed, Charmed, Dominated, Madness, Insanity, Hypnotized, Fear, Taunted
Action Stations
Helm (Capacity: 1 crew)
Crow's Nest (Capacity: 1 Crew)
Cannons (Capacity: 2 Crew)
Sails (Capacity: 2 Crew)
Helm Actions
Move 3 AP, You steer the ship up to 10 tiles in a single direction. You may make a single turn of up to 90 degrees at the cost of 1 tile of movement.
Assist, You may cast a non-attack ability costing up to 5 AP.
Social
NPCs
Bias
The NPCs the players encounter throughout an adventure will have varying views and opinions of the players based on their actions. Tracking an NPCs disposition towards the party is measured through a bias system. A character’s bias towards the party can be anywhere between 0 and 20, with 10 being neutral. Most NPCs will begin with a bias of 10, though some may begin with more negative or positive biases based on stories, rumors or backgrounds.
Bias Reaction
| Bias | Reaction |
|---|---|
| 17-20 | Patron |
| 13-16 | Positive |
| 8-12 | Neutral |
| 4-7 | Negative |
| 1-3 | Adversarial |
Changing Bias
Bias will most often be changed during a personal, face-to-face encounter with an NPC, be it a shopkeeper, beggar, thief, king, mayor, guard or hireling. During these encounters the player's behavior, words and actions will all have a chance to affect an NPC’s bias.
If the players act particularly amicably or helpfully an NPCs bias may increase by 1 or 2, at the GM's discretion. Actions that could cause an increase in bias include: helping an NPC with a goal or mission, saving them from a particularly tight situation, gifting them gold or items.
If the players act particularly hostile or threateningly towards an NPC their bias will decrease by 2 or 3, at the GM's discretion. Actions that could cause a decrease in bias include: Threatening to kill a shopkeeper, attempting to blackmail someone, using derisive or derogatory language with someone.
If the players act deliberately violently or abusively towards an NPC their bias will immidiately reduce to 7 if the NPC's bias is positive or above. Otherwise the Bias should reduce by 5 or 6, at the GM's discretion.