Aug 22, 2021 10:41 am
Rules for this game are pretty simple
Task Checks
This is your standard skill roll. It's 2d10 plus your attribute. Task Checks can encompass more than a single skill however, and are generally made to accomplish a specific task (as the name implies lol). The Target Number (TN) for tasks checks are 15.
Conflict Checks
These are task checks against other players or NPCs. Basically opposed checks. The TN for these checks are 10 + opponent's attribute.
Risk Checks
These checks function just as the previous two checks, but the loser loses a Survival Point (SP). Risk Checks are called by the GM whenever something big is at stake. This includes most combat-oriented checks, but can also be in stressful or tense situations as well. I'll always tell you when a check is a Risk Check.
Initiative
There is no initiative system. Whoever posts first takes their action first. If there is a conflict about who goes first, then action is determined in ascending SP order. Monsters always go first. (There is a way to change this by spending SP, mentioned later).
Losing Survival Points
Besides representing health, sanity, and luck, SP also works as a metacurrency. Survival Points are lost when a player loses a Risk Check. SP can also be lost by spending them in several ways.
*Inspiration - a player can flip an attribute pair for a scene (Assault 7/Protect 3 will become Assault 3/Protect 7).
*That Never Happened! - a player can re-roll a single check, but must take the result of the re-roll.
*Vying for Attention - a player can interrupt another player's action or take initiative.
*Hold it! - A character can negate the effect of another character spending an SP. This can become a bidding war between two players.
*What's This? - a character can introduce a new element into the story, either a clue, a fact, or lore about the setting and/or monster.
*I've Got Just the Thing! - a character can find, acquire, or own a useful item.
*Make Me Special - A character can gain a new Specialization during play.
Gaining Survival Points
Since SP serves as a metacurrency, they are also gained throughout play. They can be gained the following ways:
*Fortune's Favor - if doubles are rolled on a successful check.
* Running with Cliches - A character who puts themselves in perilous or inconvenient circumstances by following horror movie cliches (saying "I'll be right back" when going to investigate a strange sound, for example)
* Bad Habits - if you put your character or another player's character at risk by following your Bad Habit
*Well Rested - a character can spend a full scene resting
*Unlucky for Some - dice rolls than equal 13 (excluding attributes, just naturally rolled 13).
Tension
This is a GM mechanic that determines the intensity and danger of a scene. Tension is gained whenever a character loses a SP. Like a movie, what is portrayed is not always the truth. At higher tension levels, descriptions will be scarier and more tense, for example an innocuous coat and hat on a coatrack could be described as the shadow of a man. In essence, what I describe is what your character thinks they sense, but may not be objective reality. Tension can also be spent by the GM in a similar way to SP for players. There are restrictions for GMs on how many points may be spent, what checks to spend them on, etc. depending on the genre. Whenever the monster appears, they temporarily alter the Tension, so don't think just because the Tension level is low, you are safe!
We'll be playing with max Tension of 12, with thresholds at every 3 Tension. Starting Tension will be 2. I'll be keeping track of Tension in every scene to provide a meta-level amount of tension lol.
And that's all there is to it! If you have any questions let me know.
Task Checks
This is your standard skill roll. It's 2d10 plus your attribute. Task Checks can encompass more than a single skill however, and are generally made to accomplish a specific task (as the name implies lol). The Target Number (TN) for tasks checks are 15.
Conflict Checks
These are task checks against other players or NPCs. Basically opposed checks. The TN for these checks are 10 + opponent's attribute.
Risk Checks
These checks function just as the previous two checks, but the loser loses a Survival Point (SP). Risk Checks are called by the GM whenever something big is at stake. This includes most combat-oriented checks, but can also be in stressful or tense situations as well. I'll always tell you when a check is a Risk Check.
Initiative
There is no initiative system. Whoever posts first takes their action first. If there is a conflict about who goes first, then action is determined in ascending SP order. Monsters always go first. (There is a way to change this by spending SP, mentioned later).
Losing Survival Points
Besides representing health, sanity, and luck, SP also works as a metacurrency. Survival Points are lost when a player loses a Risk Check. SP can also be lost by spending them in several ways.
*Inspiration - a player can flip an attribute pair for a scene (Assault 7/Protect 3 will become Assault 3/Protect 7).
*That Never Happened! - a player can re-roll a single check, but must take the result of the re-roll.
*Vying for Attention - a player can interrupt another player's action or take initiative.
*Hold it! - A character can negate the effect of another character spending an SP. This can become a bidding war between two players.
*What's This? - a character can introduce a new element into the story, either a clue, a fact, or lore about the setting and/or monster.
*I've Got Just the Thing! - a character can find, acquire, or own a useful item.
*Make Me Special - A character can gain a new Specialization during play.
Gaining Survival Points
Since SP serves as a metacurrency, they are also gained throughout play. They can be gained the following ways:
*Fortune's Favor - if doubles are rolled on a successful check.
* Running with Cliches - A character who puts themselves in perilous or inconvenient circumstances by following horror movie cliches (saying "I'll be right back" when going to investigate a strange sound, for example)
* Bad Habits - if you put your character or another player's character at risk by following your Bad Habit
*Well Rested - a character can spend a full scene resting
*Unlucky for Some - dice rolls than equal 13 (excluding attributes, just naturally rolled 13).
Tension
This is a GM mechanic that determines the intensity and danger of a scene. Tension is gained whenever a character loses a SP. Like a movie, what is portrayed is not always the truth. At higher tension levels, descriptions will be scarier and more tense, for example an innocuous coat and hat on a coatrack could be described as the shadow of a man. In essence, what I describe is what your character thinks they sense, but may not be objective reality. Tension can also be spent by the GM in a similar way to SP for players. There are restrictions for GMs on how many points may be spent, what checks to spend them on, etc. depending on the genre. Whenever the monster appears, they temporarily alter the Tension, so don't think just because the Tension level is low, you are safe!
We'll be playing with max Tension of 12, with thresholds at every 3 Tension. Starting Tension will be 2. I'll be keeping track of Tension in every scene to provide a meta-level amount of tension lol.
And that's all there is to it! If you have any questions let me know.
