Extended Rules
Contents
Extended Rules#
Todo
Write about the rules for speeding up combat by using mediums for simple enemies. Note however that we would need for those enemies to account somehow for lesser and greater boons and penalties.
Extended Core Mechanics#
Scaling Node Ranks#
While not immediately obvious, nodes can rank up higher than level 4. The way this works, is that every additional rank gives a +1 modifier to that node.
So if someone has Power on rank 4+1, it means that the player can roll
1d12 and then have a +1 modifier to the roll.
A couple of things to note here:
DC’s for rolls can now go higher than 12.
Modifiers do not stack. Only the highest modifier can add to the final result.
Tweaking Drama Chance#
By default we use a d20 for the drama dice, but you can opt to use a d12
or a d10. Using a lower dice will make high and low drama rolls happen more
often.
If you decide to tweak the drama system in this way, make sure that all the players understand and don’t mind the implications.
Since drama does not count toward your roll result, it would be good to use a different colour dice. This avoids confusing your Drama Dice with your other dice in your pool.
Energy Use#
If a character lose or use all their energy, they will get
1 stack of exhaustion until they
recovered some energy again.
Casting Time#
Warning
Notice!
Casting time rules will soon be re-visited for a rework. See, this issue for more details and status on this.
The amount of energy used for an action will determine how long it takes to activate the ability or action.
It takes 1 Turn (in an event sequence) for every point of energy used,
regardless of the AP Cost of the action.
So if Darren uses Flame Strike (2 Energy), it will have a casting time of
2 Turns. Activating the skill counts as the first turn.
When the next character in the event sequence finish their turn, Darren’s flame strike will activate (provided that Darren isn’t interrupted before it activates).
Concentration and Skill Upkeep#
Some actions may require constant concentration to keep it active. A player can,
for example, use the Amplify (AB) to keep a
“Frost Ray” active, so long as they spend the required energy to do so.
Whenever a skill’s duration is about to end, the character can choose to refresh it.
The total number of effects that a character can maintain this way, depends on the upkeep attributes (Constitution, Willpower or Focus).
Refreshing a Skill or Ability#
At the end of a skill or ability’s duration, you can choose to refresh it. When doing this, the following rules apply:
To refresh a skill you have to use an action
1 AP.You do not have to roll again.
You have to spend the same amount of energy, as when the skill was first activated.
Breaking Concentration#
When taking any direct damage (or some other event determined by GM), you have a chance of losing your concentration, and thus one or more of the abilities you are concentrating on.
The concentration difficulty is the fixed-medium for the upkeep attribute of the skill in question.
Failing the difficulty, you will lose concentration on the last activated upkeep skill.
Bad drama will cause you to lose concentration on all upkeep abilities.
Intentions#
Opposing Effects#
Some intentions may potentially counter others.
For example the Crippled (E) condition has an opposing
effect, Mobility (E). This means that if the PC has 3
Stacks of Crippled, giving them 2 Stacks of Mobility can potentially
remove two of the crippled stacks.
Remember the GM can still change the ruling regarding the opposing effect, based on the narrative.
Extended Combat Rules#
Distraction#
Players can create distractions to impose a penalty on an attacker, but there are a couple of rules that need satisfied:
During an event sequence, the distraction can only happen as a reaction.
Player rolls Control as the base attribute and may add any other relevant nodes based on how they are attempting to distract the target.
The roll difficulty is the fixed-medium for the target Focus resistance pool.
If successful, the target get a lesser penalty to their attack roll.
Some items could also assist with the distraction, like the flash of a camera, fireworks etc. Using an item in this way, the player will get a lesser boon to their distraction roll.
Simultaneous Attack Rolls#
When a character is reacting to an attack against them, they can choose to counter-attack instead of using a defensive action.
In this case both characters make contested attack rolls. The character with the higher roll wins the contest.
Untrained Skill Rolls#
Characters can use skills without training, but the following rules apply:
If the skill doesn’t require special training (like evading an attack, or running up stairs), then the player just roll the most applicable attribute node.
If the skill requires specialized training, then the player rolls the most applicable attribute node, with a greater penalty.
Contested Rolls#
If two or more contested rolls occur, and characters roll the same amount, then follow these rules:
When both of the actors have the same boons, the player characters will always win vs. NPC’s.
Actors with a greater boon will win the contest over an actor that has a lesser boon or no boons.
Actors with a lesser boon will win the contest over an actor that has no boons.
Actor that used more nodes in their pool will win.
When none of the actors have any boons, and they have the same number of dice nodes in the pool, then the player characters will always win vs. NPC’s.
The winning side will always count as succeeding by 1 point.
Grappling Rules#
Every character in a grappling contest:
Body rolls that don’t apply to the grapple will have a greater penalty.
Mind and Spirit rolls will have a Lesser Penalty.
Players can attempt to break free from a grapple with any valid node
combination, like Power › Grappling. Skills like Contortion or
Acrobatics may also prove useful.
Ranged combat into Melee#
When a target is within melee range of your allies, the roll will have a lesser penalty.
If the target is actively in a grappling contest with
an ally then the roll will have a
greater penalty, with a 50% chance to
hit your ally.
Point Blank shot vs. Melee Target#
When attacking an enemy within your melee range, you will get a lesser penalty for any ranged attacks against that target.
Point Blank (E) can remove this penalty.
Dual Wielding#
When dual wielding, you get one bonus action during your turn. This bonus action will have a lesser penalty.
Ranged Targets beyond the maximum distance#
Shooting at targets beyond the maximum effective range, will reduce the attack
roll by 1 point for every 10 meters beyond the maximum weapon range.
Extended Adventuring Rules#
Armour#
The purpose of armour is to absorb damage. It’s not a necessity but can greatly increase a character’s chances of surviving an attack. At the same time, the armour can also reduce freedom of movement.
The armour rank is the total amount of damage that the armour can absorb.
Todo
Add rules for the requirements to wear higher ranking armour. For example, to wear a rank 2 chainmail, the PC would need Power on rank 2 as a minimum requirement, if not they will get a penalty of some kind.
Suffocation#
Todo
Add conditions and/boons related to suffocation? Maybe suffocation should be a condition?
A character needs to make a constitution roll to determine the amount of “air units” they can pack into their lungs and airways.
For every round that the character cannot breathe, subtract 1 unit of air.
When the character has 0 air units, they will start to lose 2 points of energy
per round. When the character’s energy reach 0, they will lose consciousness
and get 1 point of spirit damage per round.
If a character prepare by taking a deep breath, they do not need to make the constitution roll. Just use the maximum amount that he can possibly roll.
Example 1 — Preparing a breath-hold#
Darren prepares to swim under water. He takes a deep breath. He has a
constitution of 2 (1d8) which has a maximum roll of 8.
So he can swim underwater for 8 rounds (~30 seconds) before starting to lose energy.