Aug 26, 2021 12:02 pm
Rules
Be sure to read and follow the guidelines for our forums.
Aug 26, 2021 12:03 pm
Rolling the Dice
When you perform a risky action or try to avoid a bad outcome, The GM will tell you to make an attribute roll that fits the situation at hand. You roll 2d6, and add your attribute modifier to get the result.
• A total of 6 or less is a miss; things turn out badly.
• A total of 7-9 is a partial success; you do it, but there's a cost, compromise, reduced effect, or harm.
• A total of 10 or 11 is a full success; you do it without complications.
• And a total of 12 or more is a critical success; you do it to some extra benefit or advantage.
Using Dice Rolls
Make a dice roll when a PC does something risky or when they try to avoid a bad outcome. If neither of those apply, just say what happens ---and when you say something bad happens, the PC can roll to avoid it!
The GM doesn't need to roll dice. A player's roll will usually cover both the PC's action as well as the action of an enemy. If a PC fights a monster toe-to-toe, for example, a 10+ means the PC does harm, a 6- means the monster does harm, and a 7-9 means they both do harm. (Just an example ---some fights will be different).
A fortune roll can be useful if sheer chance is involved ---just roll 1d6: high is good, low is bad. "Does the explosion also wreck the valuable artwork in the room? I dunno, make a fortune roll."
Use a montage roll whenever you want to skip over something. You might ask one of the PCs to make a roll to lead the team through an area or to execute a plan instead of playing out every moment of it (Insight, Prowess, or Resolve, depending on the nature of the situation). Then use the outcome to establish the PC's position for the next encounter: good, bad, or in-between.
When you perform a risky action or try to avoid a bad outcome, The GM will tell you to make an attribute roll that fits the situation at hand. You roll 2d6, and add your attribute modifier to get the result.
• A total of 6 or less is a miss; things turn out badly.
• A total of 7-9 is a partial success; you do it, but there's a cost, compromise, reduced effect, or harm.
• A total of 10 or 11 is a full success; you do it without complications.
• And a total of 12 or more is a critical success; you do it to some extra benefit or advantage.
Using Dice Rolls
Make a dice roll when a PC does something risky or when they try to avoid a bad outcome. If neither of those apply, just say what happens ---and when you say something bad happens, the PC can roll to avoid it!
The GM doesn't need to roll dice. A player's roll will usually cover both the PC's action as well as the action of an enemy. If a PC fights a monster toe-to-toe, for example, a 10+ means the PC does harm, a 6- means the monster does harm, and a 7-9 means they both do harm. (Just an example ---some fights will be different).
A fortune roll can be useful if sheer chance is involved ---just roll 1d6: high is good, low is bad. "Does the explosion also wreck the valuable artwork in the room? I dunno, make a fortune roll."
Use a montage roll whenever you want to skip over something. You might ask one of the PCs to make a roll to lead the team through an area or to execute a plan instead of playing out every moment of it (Insight, Prowess, or Resolve, depending on the nature of the situation). Then use the outcome to establish the PC's position for the next encounter: good, bad, or in-between.
Aug 26, 2021 12:08 pm
Bonuses & Penalties
The GM may assign bonuses and penalties to the players' rolls to reflect unusual circumstances. When a PC has a significant advantage, give them +1 to their roll. When they have a dominant advantage, give them +2. When a PC has a disadvantage, give them -1 to their roll. When they have a serious disadvantage, give them -2.
Don't overdo it with the modifiers! Most situations won't need modifiers. One way of saying "this is gonna be tough" is to simply call for a roll. However, sometimes it's important to reflect the details of a situation ---the players might come up with a great idea and execute it well; they deserve a bonus! Or maybe they make a huge mistake or are in a really bad position, so penalties are called for. Here are some situations for modifiers that will likely appear in your games:
Bonuses:
• Follow-through (teammate entangles a monster with a rope, you follow-up with an attack)
• Slower enemies (if the PCs have room to maneuver: easier to hit or escape from them)
• The perfect tool (an industrial saw to cut through a wall, a flame-thrower to force enemies away, a wicked knife in a fight inside an elevator)
Penalties
• Bad conditions (slippery footing, blinding smoke)
• Faster enemies (if they have room to maneuver: harder to hit them or escape from them)
• A bad tool (an industrial saw to cut someone safely out of wreckage, a flame-thrower in a fight inside an elevator, a wicked knife to force enemies away)
• A terrible idea that still might work (use the Arcane talent to absorb the ghost energy of the Wraith when it attacks)
The GM may assign bonuses and penalties to the players' rolls to reflect unusual circumstances. When a PC has a significant advantage, give them +1 to their roll. When they have a dominant advantage, give them +2. When a PC has a disadvantage, give them -1 to their roll. When they have a serious disadvantage, give them -2.
Don't overdo it with the modifiers! Most situations won't need modifiers. One way of saying "this is gonna be tough" is to simply call for a roll. However, sometimes it's important to reflect the details of a situation ---the players might come up with a great idea and execute it well; they deserve a bonus! Or maybe they make a huge mistake or are in a really bad position, so penalties are called for. Here are some situations for modifiers that will likely appear in your games:
Bonuses:
• Follow-through (teammate entangles a monster with a rope, you follow-up with an attack)
• Slower enemies (if the PCs have room to maneuver: easier to hit or escape from them)
• The perfect tool (an industrial saw to cut through a wall, a flame-thrower to force enemies away, a wicked knife in a fight inside an elevator)
Penalties
• Bad conditions (slippery footing, blinding smoke)
• Faster enemies (if they have room to maneuver: harder to hit them or escape from them)
• A bad tool (an industrial saw to cut someone safely out of wreckage, a flame-thrower in a fight inside an elevator, a wicked knife to force enemies away)
• A terrible idea that still might work (use the Arcane talent to absorb the ghost energy of the Wraith when it attacks)
Aug 26, 2021 12:09 pm
Teamwork
You can help a teammate, or cover for them, or take a hit in their place, or any other kind of teamwork maneuver by taking the appropriate action (if there's a risk, you'l make a roll for it). If things have already gone wrong for your teammate, and you're stepping in to deal with it in a split second, you have to roll, and you take -2 for being at a serious disadvantage.
For example, the team tries to sneak past a sleeping Ogre. Max and Torres make their rolls, but Pickett blows it. Torres says she'll cover for Pickett: when Pickett starts to slide on some loose rock and make a noise, Torres grabs her and holds her steady. Torres can make a Prowess roll to try this, but she'll take -2 to the roll.
You can help a teammate, or cover for them, or take a hit in their place, or any other kind of teamwork maneuver by taking the appropriate action (if there's a risk, you'l make a roll for it). If things have already gone wrong for your teammate, and you're stepping in to deal with it in a split second, you have to roll, and you take -2 for being at a serious disadvantage.
For example, the team tries to sneak past a sleeping Ogre. Max and Torres make their rolls, but Pickett blows it. Torres says she'll cover for Pickett: when Pickett starts to slide on some loose rock and make a noise, Torres grabs her and holds her steady. Torres can make a Prowess roll to try this, but she'll take -2 to the roll.
Aug 26, 2021 12:09 pm
The Cloud of Woe
In the game, the Cloud is the countdown clock for a Breaker expedition. The longer the Breakers run around looting and fighting monsters, the more attention they draw from the Cloud, until finally it coalesces and descends on them.
The GM makes a countdown clock with eight parts, and fills in segments as it counts down. The GM fills one segment every time the Breakers take a rest. The GM might also fill a segment as a consequence if an Arcane roll goes poorly or when the Breakers mess around with the keystone shard. When the clock is filled, the Cloud appears and attacks the PCs. The Cloud is a very deadly monster that you do not want to tangle with ---plus it can't really be killed. It's best to get out of the Break before the Cloud finds you.
The PCs may try to hide from the Cloud or otherwise evade it after the clock is filled, but this always counts as a serious disadvantage, so they'll take -2 to any rolls to do this, and it will continue to hound them at every opportunity until they leave the Break.
In the game, the Cloud is the countdown clock for a Breaker expedition. The longer the Breakers run around looting and fighting monsters, the more attention they draw from the Cloud, until finally it coalesces and descends on them.
The GM makes a countdown clock with eight parts, and fills in segments as it counts down. The GM fills one segment every time the Breakers take a rest. The GM might also fill a segment as a consequence if an Arcane roll goes poorly or when the Breakers mess around with the keystone shard. When the clock is filled, the Cloud appears and attacks the PCs. The Cloud is a very deadly monster that you do not want to tangle with ---plus it can't really be killed. It's best to get out of the Break before the Cloud finds you.
The PCs may try to hide from the Cloud or otherwise evade it after the clock is filled, but this always counts as a serious disadvantage, so they'll take -2 to any rolls to do this, and it will continue to hound them at every opportunity until they leave the Break.
Aug 26, 2021 12:09 pm
The Arcane and Tech
Magic can be very complicated in some fantasy stories and games. Not so here. Everyone just opens their mind to any magical energy that happens to be around and tries to channel it without blowing their brains out. It's a lot like drinking from a fire hose. You can do it... but damn.
When a player uses their Arcane talent, ask them what source of magical energy they're channeling through their mind and body. Then ask them what they try to force that energy to do. The more powerful the effect, the more risky the roll.
The Techie talent is a bit like this, too. It's intentionally vague so the player can get creative with it. But the risk should generally fit the effect they're trying to achieve. If they want to collapse the probability wave of the energy portal to turn it into a resurrection machine ---okay, sure, but if they mess up someone's getting disintegrated.
Magic can be very complicated in some fantasy stories and games. Not so here. Everyone just opens their mind to any magical energy that happens to be around and tries to channel it without blowing their brains out. It's a lot like drinking from a fire hose. You can do it... but damn.
When a player uses their Arcane talent, ask them what source of magical energy they're channeling through their mind and body. Then ask them what they try to force that energy to do. The more powerful the effect, the more risky the roll.
The Techie talent is a bit like this, too. It's intentionally vague so the player can get creative with it. But the risk should generally fit the effect they're trying to achieve. If they want to collapse the probability wave of the energy portal to turn it into a resurrection machine ---okay, sure, but if they mess up someone's getting disintegrated.
Aug 26, 2021 12:10 pm
Loot
The amount of loot the PCs are able to haul out of a Break is the scoreboard for the game. Every two pieces of loot a PC hauls out is like one letter-grade worth of performance. 2: D, 4: C, 6: B, 8: A. You can track the Breaker's careers this way on their path to retirement after Veteran level. Was your career a forgettable D-average? Or were you an A-level kind of Breaker that retires to fame and fortune?
Loot can be shards (weird crystals that form at Break sites) or strange artifacts from the Dark World (the usual dungeon treasures ---golden coins or magical items). Any given area of a Break site might have Loot. The PCs can scrounge to find it.
The keystone shard that keeps a break open is essentially a huge piece of Loot (equivalent in value and weight to about 20 Loot). Most Breakers just set timed C-4 charges on it and try to get out of the Break before it detonates. But especially daring PCs may be tempted to figure out a way to haul the thing out, intact. Hell, driving a 4x4 truck with a winch into a Break might be a fun adventure in itself.
The amount of loot the PCs are able to haul out of a Break is the scoreboard for the game. Every two pieces of loot a PC hauls out is like one letter-grade worth of performance. 2: D, 4: C, 6: B, 8: A. You can track the Breaker's careers this way on their path to retirement after Veteran level. Was your career a forgettable D-average? Or were you an A-level kind of Breaker that retires to fame and fortune?
Loot can be shards (weird crystals that form at Break sites) or strange artifacts from the Dark World (the usual dungeon treasures ---golden coins or magical items). Any given area of a Break site might have Loot. The PCs can scrounge to find it.
The keystone shard that keeps a break open is essentially a huge piece of Loot (equivalent in value and weight to about 20 Loot). Most Breakers just set timed C-4 charges on it and try to get out of the Break before it detonates. But especially daring PCs may be tempted to figure out a way to haul the thing out, intact. Hell, driving a 4x4 truck with a winch into a Break might be a fun adventure in itself.
Aug 26, 2021 12:10 pm
Resting & Scrounging
The PCs can rest during an expedition into the Break. When they rest, every PC rolls 1d6 for each unspent Strain and recovers that much HP. Then each PC recovers all of their Strain. Each PC may also use a First Aid kit to recover 1d6 HP. A character with the Medic talent can give an additional +1d6 HP to any character of their choice.
In addition, during a rest period, the PCs may scrounge the area. A PC can scrounge for Loot or they can scrounge for gear. Make an Insight roll.
• On a 12+, you find 4 Loot or a couple pieces of gear.
• On a 10 or 11, you find d3 Loot or a piece of gear you're looking for.
• On a 7-9, you find d3 loot or a piece of gear, but it's an ordeal ---stuck in wreckage, locked in a treasure chest, obscured by some stupid dungeon puzzle or whatever. You get the loot if you suffer 1d6 damage from fatigue and trouble.
• On a 6-, it's like a 7-9, but you just suffer the damage and get nothing from it. What a rip-off.
When you rest, you can choose to scrounge first, then heal and recover strain, or vice versa.
You might also use the scrounging mechanic to represent some other downtime activity during an adventure, like studying the magic runes in a temple to learn how to summon a guardian spirit, or using heavy tools and spare parts to fortify a position against an impending monster attack. Feel free to get creative.
The PCs can rest during an expedition into the Break. When they rest, every PC rolls 1d6 for each unspent Strain and recovers that much HP. Then each PC recovers all of their Strain. Each PC may also use a First Aid kit to recover 1d6 HP. A character with the Medic talent can give an additional +1d6 HP to any character of their choice.
In addition, during a rest period, the PCs may scrounge the area. A PC can scrounge for Loot or they can scrounge for gear. Make an Insight roll.
• On a 12+, you find 4 Loot or a couple pieces of gear.
• On a 10 or 11, you find d3 Loot or a piece of gear you're looking for.
• On a 7-9, you find d3 loot or a piece of gear, but it's an ordeal ---stuck in wreckage, locked in a treasure chest, obscured by some stupid dungeon puzzle or whatever. You get the loot if you suffer 1d6 damage from fatigue and trouble.
• On a 6-, it's like a 7-9, but you just suffer the damage and get nothing from it. What a rip-off.
When you rest, you can choose to scrounge first, then heal and recover strain, or vice versa.
You might also use the scrounging mechanic to represent some other downtime activity during an adventure, like studying the magic runes in a temple to learn how to summon a guardian spirit, or using heavy tools and spare parts to fortify a position against an impending monster attack. Feel free to get creative.