~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FAST TABLETOP ROLE-PLAYING GAME RULES
version v0.8 by Stanton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This game combines storytelling, decision-making, and imagination to create heroic adventures in a shared fictional world. One player, the Game Master (GM), describes scenes, while others respond by describing their characters’ actions and intended results.
Dice and rules are used only when player decisions about character actions have uncertain outcomes that might be interesting. A failed roll might still mean a task succeeds, but the character’s outcome will come at a cost or somehow make the situation worse.
WHAT’S NEEDED TO PLAY
* Characters: On a card or paper, each player should write a character’s name, role, or profession among the group and note ability dice sets for the 12 basic abilities.
* Dice: These rules use six-sided dice, noted as d6. When multiple dice are meant to be rolled and added together, 2d6 means to use two dice, 3d6 means three dice, and so forth.
* X Cards: A safety tool given to each player to affect the story’s scenes and tone.
* Notebooks: A digital device or paper notebook with a pen or pencil will help record details of events throughout the group’s shared story.
Game Masters will also need an outline of the people, places, and things the players may discover during their adventure.
QUICK RULES OVERVIEW
* Use X-card safety tools.
* Describe characters’ actions and intentions (how and why).
* Roll a set of d6 dice based on a character’s ability rating.
* Advantages add bonus dice, disadvantages take dice away.
* Any opposition rolls dice, or the GM rolls for difficulty.
* Easy tasks roll 1d6, hard 3d6, or extreme 6d6.
* Reroll tied dice results.
* The highest rolled total determines who describes the outcome.
* Excess points earn momentum that may be added to the next rolled result.
* In combat, the difference in dice totals equals damage.
* Armor subtracts from damage before hit points are lost.
* Extended Tasks: Get up to a minimum number over time.
* Rest gives a 1 in 6 chance of recovering a hit point each hour.
X-CARD SAFETY TOOLS
During play, players can tap or hold up an “X” card to signal they want to skip or modify a scene without explanation. The game then moves forward, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all participants. An “X” card is not spent when used and there is no limit to the number of times a player may invoke it.
* More info via John Stavropoulos: https://shorturl.at/YG3UJ
CHARACTER ABILITIES
All characters start with 2d6 in each of these ability dice sets (aka dice pools):
* Awareness: Perception, intuition, senses, and reaction.
* Body: Great strength, toughness, and stamina.
* Charisma: Persuading others, telling convincing lies, performing, and leadership.
* Combat: Fighting, using weapons, and leading others on a battlefield.
* Cunning: Criminal activities, bypassing security locks, stealth, and deception.
* Knowledge: Education and understanding of natural and social sciences.
* Mind: Intelligence, logic, memory, reasoning, and wits.
* Primal: Familiarity with wilderness, weather, animals, and plants.
* Privilege: High rank, wealth, influence, authority, and status within society.
* Spirit: Willpower, sanity, insight, and compassion.
* Swift: Moving quickly with great reflexes, precision, and agility.
* Tech: Using, repairing, and building machines and complex systems.
New characters may add 3 dice across these abilities, starting with three abilities at 3d6, one ability at 4d6 and one at 3d6, or one ability at 5d6. Optionally, players may lower dice from one or two abilities and add them to other abilities. For example, characters from a medieval fantasy world might only have 1d6 Tech but can add 1d6 to another ability set.
Characters also start with 6 hit points that measure survival against damage. At 0 or fewer hit points, a character becomes incapacitated (cannot move or take action).
Experienced or elite characters (fantasy or action heroes, supernatural beings) add 1d6 to all abilities dice sets and start with 12 hit points. More powerful characters or creatures (monsters, superheroes, mythic beings) might add more dice and hit points.
RESOLVING TASKS
To resolve tasks, a player rolls the most appropriate character ability dice set against an opposing character’s dice total. The side with the highest total decides the outcome, with the lower total always suffering a complication or cost. Reroll tied results.
* Task dice sets between characters do not need to match. For example, sneaking past a guard would use a character’s Cunning versus the watcher’s Awareness.
* The Game Master may also grant extra dice for advantages (special tools or weapons, superior circumstances, additional time), or take ability dice away for disadvantages (hindered, lacking correct tools, rushed). See the rules for Equipment for ideas and examples.
* If a task does not have a direct opponent, the Game Master rolls based on the task’s difficulty: 1d6 for easy, 3d6 for hard, or 6d6 for extreme.
* If a task succeeds, the difference between the rolled dice totals can be used to add a momentum bonus to an immediate, related task in the next turn. The follow-up task does not need to use the same ability set, but it must be connected to the intended outcome of the previous action. This momentum bonus can only be used once and is lost if not spent. Note that momentum cannot be applied to attack rolls.
* The greater the difference, the better the outcome: The number affected, the duration an effect lasts, the number of clues discovered or questions answered, or so forth.
* The difference in dice totals may be used to give points toward an extended task requiring a set number of success points, such as the 20 points needed over a period of time to complete building something or researching a specific topic. Failed rolls do not lower the tally but do not further progress. A GM may set a maximum number of ties allowed before time or resources run out.
* In an attack, a target suffers damage equal to the difference in rolled dice totals (usually Combat versus Combat, or Combat versus Swift). Armor reduces damage before reducing targets’ hit points.
RANGES
Distances are typically described in general ranges for personal weapons, broadcast signals, perception, sensors, and various effects from superpowers.
* Touching: Grappled, held, or otherwise connected.
* Adjacent: Up to 3 meters, or 10 feet.
* Close: 4 to 25 meters, or 11 to 80 feet.
* Short: 26 to 100 meters, or 81 to 320 feet.
* Medium: 101 to 300 meters, or 321 to 980 feet.
* Long: 301 to 750 meters, or about a half mile.
* Very Long: 751 meters to 3 km, half mile to 2 miles.
* Distant: 3 km to 25 km, or 2 to 15 miles.
* Very Distant: 25 to 250 km, or 15 to 150 miles.
* Orbital: 250 to 1,000 km, or 150 to 620 miles.
* Beyond: More than 1,000 km, or 620 miles.
TACTICAL COMBAT
Combat rounds last about 6 seconds. Each character rolls either Awareness, Combat, or Swift dice (whichever is best), and characters with higher totals take turns before characters with lower totals. In case of ties, roll again between tied character until an initiative order is set for each round of that battle.
In a turn, a character may do the following:
* Roll all dice for one task, such as Combat dice to make an attack. Targets roll Combat to evade and counterattack, or optionally just Swift to evade only. Reroll tied totals. The loser suffers damage equal to the difference in rolled totals.
* The momentum rules does not apply to attack rolls.
* A character may set aside Combat dice (or Swift dice if only evading) to also move and change position. Each die grants the character up to 10 meters (30 feet) of movement distance, up to a maximum of 3d6 for 30 meters (90 feet) of speed.
* A character may split Combat dice to attack more than one target in the same turn, such as using 5d6 Combat to attack one target with 3d6 and a second target with 2d6 dice.
Ranges: Shooting at targets suffers a dice penalty for range distances between the attack and the target:
* -1d6 Combat … Short: 26 to 100 meters, or 81 to 320 feet.
* -2d6 Combat … Medium: 101 to 300 meters, or 321 to 980 feet.
* -3d6 Combat … Long: 301 to 750 meters, or about a half mile.
* -4d6 Combat … Very Long: 751 meters to 3 km, or about a 2 miles.
Other penalties for difficult circumstances (obscured aiming, target’s cover) may also apply based on the Game Master’s call.
Stun Weapons: Instead of damage and hit point loss, these weapons allow a target to use Body instead of Combat or Swift. If the target loses the task roll, it is unconscious for 1d6 rounds.
HIT POINTS & RECOVERY
Any Armor rating reduces the damage amount if a target is hit for damage. The remaining damage is subtracted from the target’s hit points. At 0 hit points, the target is incapacitated (unconscious if a creature, inoperable if an object). Any further damage leads to death or permanent destruction.
For each hour of rest, up to eight hours in a day, a living creature makes a recovery roll of 1d6 per hour (so 8d6 for a day). For each 1 rolled on these dice, the character recovers 1 hit point.
HAZARDS
In addition to attacks, characters risk damage from encounters with corrosives, extreme heat or cold, bursts of energy, or falling from great heights. Each hazard is rolled as an attack for each round of exposure against one of a character’s abilities (usually either Body or Swiftness for physical hazards, Mind or Spirit for mental hazards). Success means the character avoids taking damage.
Physical examples include:
* 1d6 … strong acid, fire from a campfire, fall from 3 to 6 meters (9 to 18 feet).
* 2d6 … trapped in a burning room, fall from 7 to 10 meters (19 to 30 feet).
* 3d6 … trapped in a burning house, fall from 11 to 14 meters (31 to 40 feet).
* 4d6 … trapped in a burning forest, fall from 15 to 18 meters (41 to 55 feet).
* 5d6 … fall from 19 to 22 meters (56 to 70 feet).
* 6d6 … struck by lightning, fall from 23 to 26 (71 to 80 feet).
* 7d6 … trapped inside a forge, fall from 27 to 30 (81 to 90 feet).
* 8d6 … fall from 31 to 35 (91 to 105 feet).
* 9d6 … trapped inside a volcano, fall from 36 to 39 (106 to 115 feet).
Survival situations: Certain hazards might slowly get worse the longer they go on, risking physical damage:
* 3d6 per round (exposure to vacuum of space)
* 1d6 per round (deadly poison for 1d6 rounds; lacking air).
* 1d6 per day (severe illness or slow poison for 1d6 days; lacking water).
* 1d6 per day (lacking sleep, only causes stun damage).
* 1d6 per week (serious illness for 1d6 weeks; lacking food).
For these survival situations rates, the character faces 2d6 on the second round, day, or week of constant exposure; 3d6 on the third; 4d6 on the fourth; and so forth. Special protective equipment may negate the risks from specific hazards.
CHASES
If one character (or character’s vehicle) attempts to chase another or escape from a pursuing enemy, measure the chase in “chase rounds” lasting a few seconds (by land or air) or minutes (on open seas by water or in outer space). Actions and consequences happen simultaneously for both sides in a chase, but if one side starts using attacks against the other, initiative rounds of tactical combat can be added between chase rounds.
At the start of the chase, the Game Master determines the starting range between the two sides (Close, Short, Medium, Long, Very Long, or Distant). In some cases, the GM may rule the chase can only last a certain number of rounds until the pursued side reaches a safe haven (a fortified stronghold, crossing back over the neutral zone boundary, or so on).
Each side decides how hard to push themselves during each round the chase: Easy, Hard, or Extreme. Instead of rolling directly against an opponent, each side rolls against a difficulty rating to affect the range distance between sides. Hard or Extreme levels risk causing damage to those involved in the chase. Pursuers are attempting to decrease the range between sides, while the pursued is attempting to increase that distance.
Chase Difficulty Attempted (each side chooses one)
* Easy (1d6) … On a successful Swift task result, increase or decrease one range level of distance in a chase round. On a failure, no change in distance and no harm to vehicle.
* Hard (3d6) … On a success, increase or decrease two range levels in a chase round. On a failure, no distance range changes and vehicle suffers 2d6 damage (minor collisions, spinout, or stress to engine, chassis, or tires)
* Extreme (6d6) … On a success, increase or decrease three range levels in a chase round. On a failure, no distance ranges change and vehicle suffers 4d6 damage (major collisions, rollover).
Conditional modifiers also modify chase task rolls made by both sides.
Chase Modifiers to Swift Ability Roll (By Land):
* +1d6 … Driver very familiar with route or area of chase (shortcuts, hazards).
* -1d6 … Poor conditions (rain, snow, or ice).
* -2d6 … Very poor conditions (thunderstorm or at night without lights) or tricky terrain (crowded urban streets or winding mountain roads).
Chase Modifiers to Swift Ability Roll (By Air or Sea):
* -1d6 … Poor conditions (heavy fog or thick clouds, stormy seas).
* -2d6 … Very poor conditions (hurricane-level storms).
Chase Modifiers to Swift Ability Roll (In Space):
* -1d6 … Poor conditions (dense asteroid field or gas giant atmosphere).
* -2d6 … Very poor conditions (solar storm or unstable nebula).
The Game Master comes up with consequences of failed chase rolls. For example, by land, bystanders or vehicles may emerge from blind alleys, a bridge could be washed away, police may join the chase, and so forth.
Current range may also determine if any ranged weapons may be fired at an enemy using the combat rules. At the start of each chase round, there are 1 to 6 combat rounds (roll 1d6) possible before rolling for the next chase round.
If the pursuer closes the range to Touching, that side may choose ram into the pursued target. In a ramming collision, the attacker may use the vehicle’s Body ability set in place of Combat for an attack task roll. The difference in totals applies as damage to the side with the smaller rolled result.
On the ground, if the pursued gets to Distant range or further, it may be assumed to have escaped pursuit. By air, sea, or space, the threshold to escape pursuit is set by the Game Master (usually matching the maximum limit of the pursuer’s sight or sensor range).
EQUIPMENT EXAMPLES
* Armor (Heavy): Reduces each hit’s damage by 6. (Examples: plate armor, bulky body armor).
* Armor (Light): Reduces each hit’s damage by 3. (Examples: leather armor, concealable body armor.)
* Automobile (Car): Seats up to 6; 5d6 Body, 6d6 Swift, other abilities as per driver; natural light armor; 100 hit points.
* Automobile (Motorcycle): Seats up to 2; 4d6 Body, 8d6 Swift, other abilities as per driver; natural light armor; 25 hit points.
* Automobile (Sports Car): Seats up to 2; 5d6 Body, 8d6 Swift, other abilities as per driver; natural light armor; 100 hit points.
* Automobile (Truck): Seats up to 4 plus up to 40 tons of cargo; 6d6 Body, 5d6 Swift, other abilities as per driver; natural light armor; 200 hit points.
* Bow or Crossbow: Adds +2d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet).
* Disguise Kit: Adds +1d6 to Cunning when attempting to deceive others about identity; fails against biometric scans.
* Drugs (Boost, by ability type): Adds +1d6 to one specific ability set (Awareness, Body, Combat, Mind, or Swift) for 1d6 hours, after which the user immediately loses 1d6 hit points. (Armor does not reduce this damage.)
* Firearm (Pistol): Adds +1d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet).
* Firearm (Rifle): Adds +2d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Medium range (up to 300 meters, or 980 feet).
* Firearm (Shotgun): Adds +2d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet).
* Firearm (Sniper Rifle): Adds +3d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Long range (up to 750 meters, or about a half mile).
* Flamethrower: Adds +3d6 Combat when spraying burning fuel in a 1-meter (3-foot) wide, 10 meter (30 feet) long stream. Anything flammable in its path is set on fire 5 times out of 6 (1d6).
* Forged Identification: Adds +1d6 to Privilege, but if task roll fails when used, character immediately triggers multiple complications (police alerted, assets frozen, real person becomes aware of fraud, and so forth).
* Grenade: Range limited to Close range (up to 25 meters, or 80 feet), attack deals 6d6 damage to all targets within a radius of 10 meters (30 feet). Targets within the blast radius immediately roll Swift versus a hard task (3d6) to take half damage. Armor reduces damage as per normal hits. (These rules also work for land mines, booby traps, or standard explosives.)
* Internet Access: Adds +1d6 to Knowledge or Tech on research or hacking tasks; requires a connected device and makes the user vulnerable to being traced back and tracked from a current location.
* Medical Care (Hospital): Allows a treated character to double the dice rolled per hour of rest for hit point recovery, up to a maximum of 16d6 in a single day.
* Melee Weapon (Large): Adds +3d6 Combat in melee combat. (Examples: two-handed greatsword, polearm, mounted lance.)
* Melee Weapon (Medium): Adds +2d6 Combat in melee combat. (Examples: broadsword, battleaxe, spear.)
* Melee Weapon (Small): Adds +1d6 Combat in melee combat. (Examples: dagger, club.)
* Military Vehicle (Armored Personnel Carrier, APC): Seats up to 20 soldiers; 6d6 Body, 5d6 Swift, other abilities as per driver; advanced armor blocks 12 damage per hit; 200 hit points.
* Military Vehicle (Attack Helicopter): Seats up to 14 soldiers; 6d6 Body, 9d6 Swift, other abilities as per driver; advanced armor blocks 12 damage per hit; 400 hit points. Usually also has weapons mounted on it. (Example: UH-60 Blackhawk; some attack helicopters will be smaller.)
* Navigation Gear: Adds +2d6 Awareness or Knowledge to determine the user’s current location. Includes a compass, maps, a GPS receiver, an electronic torch (flashlight), and signaling flares.
* Pepper Spray: Adds +2d6 Combat versus Swift or Body (whichever is better) against one adjacent target within 3 meters (10 feet). If successful, the target is blinded and in pain for a number of rounds equal to the difference rolled during which all attempted tasks suffer a -3d6 hindrance. Non-living creatures, or creatures without eyes, are unaffected.
* Suppressors (aka Silencer and Flash Suppressor): Adds +1d6 Cunning bonus on attempts to avoid being noticed when shooting a firearm.
* Surveillance Gear: Adds +1d6 to Awareness and allows user to see and hear from a remote location, including special senses (infrared/thermal vision, broadcast signals, and motion detection). Can also record everything detected within a specific time frame.
* Taser: Adds +2d6 Combat versus a touched target’s Body or Combat (whichever is higher). The attack only does stun damage.
* Tool Kits: Specialized details vary, but each adds +1d6 to Awareness (forensics gear), Cunning (lockpicks), Knowledge (databanks), Primal (survival gear), or Tech (mechanical and electronic gadgets).
Science-Fiction gear…
* Battlesuit (Heavy): Bulky, typically 50% larger than the user’s body. Reduces each hit’s damage by 25 and protects the wearer from radiation. Adds +2d6 Body. Provides up to 12 hours of breathable air. Includes a built-in personal communicator. May have built-in weapons.
* Battlesuit (Light): Covers user’s entire body. Reduces each hit’s damage by 12 and protects the wearer from radiation. Adds +1d6 Body. Provides up to 12 hours of breathable air. Includes a built-in personal communicator. May have built-in weapons.
* Chameleon Cloak: Full-body covering adds +1d6 Cunning for hiding and infiltration; ineffective against thermal scans.
* Codebreaker Tablet: Hand-held device adds +1d6 Tech when bypassing digital security; it is illegal in most societies.
* Echo Scrambler: Jams surveillance equipment and listening devices within Long range (up to 750 meters, or about half mile); user may set its effective distance to a shorter range. Treat as a -2d6 hindrance to affected Tech or other task rolls.
* Emergency Medkit: Hypospray of nanotech regenerators repair damaged tissue and bones while purging toxins and infections. Allows a character to instantly recover 2d6 lost hit points. May only be used once per 24 hours. (No effect if used more frequently.)
* EMP Disruptor: Hand-held device disables electronic devices within Close range (up to 25 meters, or 80 feet) for 1d6 rounds but risks affecting the user’s own gear.
* Gauss Rifle: Uses electromagnetic acceleration to fire high-velocity projectiles. Adds +3d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Very Long range (up to 3km, or 2 miles). Requires a full round to recharge, meaning it may only be used to attack every other round.
* Hand Phaser: Energy beam disrupts molecular structures. Adds +2d6 Combat when shooting at a target. The stun setting does stun damage and is limited to Close range (up to 25 meters, or 80 feet). More deadly settings do regular damage and are limited to Medium range (up to 300 meters, or 980 feet).
* Hibernation Pod (aka Cryogenic Sleep Pod): A coffin-sized container that suspends bodily functions for long-term space travel or survival. Awakening takes 1d6 minutes.
* Laser Pistol: Fires a focused beam of light. Adds +2d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Medium range (up to 300 meters, or 980 feet).
* Laser Rifle: Fires a focused beam of light. Adds +3d6 Combat when shooting at a target. Limited to Long range (up to 750 meters, or about half mile).
* Laser Sword (or Plasma Blade): A shaft of energy emitted from a hand-held hilt. Adds +3d6 Combat in melee combat. (Comes in a variety of colors such as “brave blue,” “wise green,” “evil red,” and “total badass purple.”)
* Memory Scrambler: Requires being attached to a person, who then rolls Mind versus a hard task (3d6). If the target fails, the device wipes the last 1d6 minutes of memory from a target’s mind. Against advanced cybernetics, a target may resist with Tech instead.
* Memory Wafers (aka Skill Chips): Requires a cybernetic slot or plug into the user’s brain. Provides either +1d6 Knowledge or +1d6 Tech when inserted, but each first use has a 1 in 6 chance of causing 1d6 damage due to format corruption. (Armor does not reduce this damage.)
* Micro Drone Swarm: Tiny flying cameras. Adds +1d6 to Awareness for scouting and reconnaissance. The drones are fragile and can be jammed.
* Neural Interface Jack: Plug surgically implanted into the user’s brain. Adds +1d6 to Tech when interfacing with computers or cybernetics, but the user becomes vulnerable to reverse mind hacking attempts and potential physical damage.
* Personal Communicator: Hand-held device (or built into a spacesuit or battlesuit for hand-free use). Data, audio, and video media signals can reach Orbital range (up to 1,000 km, 620 miles), or further if relayed through starships or other rebroadcasting sources. Range may be hindered by local interference (underground in dense minerals, ion storms, subspace anomalies, jamming, or dampening fields).
* Personal Tricorder: A hand-held scanning device. At Very Long range (up to 3 km, or 2 miles), it can detect general environmental conditions, radiation levels, life signs, and large structures. At Medium range (up to 300 meters, or 980 feet), high-resolution scans can identify DNA, detect microscopic pathogens, and analyze material composition down to the molecular level. Within Close range (up to 25 meters, or 80 feet), this device can pinpoint a cloaked ship’s distortion field.
* Psi Shield: A helmet that provides the equivalent of Heavy Armor (subtracts 6 damage per hit) against damage caused by psychic powers, and also gives a +1d6 advantage on the user’s task rolls to resist telepathy or psionic mind control. It does not provide any meaningful physical protection.
* Spacesuit/Vacc Suit: Reduces each hit’s damage by 6 and protects the wearer from radiation. Provides up to 12 hours of breathable air and usually has a built-in personal communicator.
GAME STATS BY LEVEL
As a rule of thumb, the following stats can be used for the default ability sets of more powerful or weaker characters. Add +2d6 to one ability for that character’s or creature’s special focus.
QUICK STATS (+2d6 to one focus ability)
* Level 1 … 1d6 abilities, 3 hit points (children, small predators [coyote])
* Level 2 … 2d6 abilities, 6 hit points (adult humans, medium predators [wolf])
* Level 3 … 3d6 abilities, 12 hit points (elite humans, large predators [bear])
* Level 4 … 4d6 abilities, 25 hit points (huge predators [orca, great white shark])
* Level 5 … 5d6 abilities, 50 hit points (giant predators [tyrannosaurus])
* Level 6 … 6d6 abilities, 100 hit points
* Level 7 … 7d6 abilities, 200 hit points (superheroes, small kaiju)
* Level 8 … 8d6 abilities, 400 hit points
* Level 9 … 9d6 abilities, 800 hit points (mythic heroes, big kaiju)
* Level 10 … 10d6 abilities, 1,500 hit points
* Level 11 … 12d6 abilities, 3,000 hit points
* Level 12 … 13d6 abilities, 6,000 hit points (cosmic entities)
Thse basic rules assume characters are humans or something similar (elves, orcs, cyborgs, humanoid aliens). The following guidelines apply to non-human characters.
ANIMALS: Abilities include Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift. All other abilities are 0d6.
ROBOTS: Abilities include Awareness, Body, Combat, Knowledge, Swift, and Tech. All other abilities are 0d6. Robots also have Armor ratings equal to their full hit points. (If a robot is more of a synthetic human or android, use the regular human rules instead.)
GHOSTS/SPIRITS: Their abilities include Awareness, Charisma, Knowledge, Mind, Spirit, and Swiftness. These beings have bodies and cannot be damaged by physical attacks, but mental or magical attacks work as normal.
SUPERPOWERS
In certain story worlds, characters can harness extraordinary abilities beyond those of mere mortals—such as spells, psionics, enchanted artifacts, advanced gadgets, or mutations. To create such a character, one ability die is reduced during character creation in exchange for three superpowers.
A player must choose which ability is used for superpower task rolls. Examples may include…
* Body: Physical mutations or genetic engineering.
* Charisma: Pact or song-based magical powers.
* Knowledge: Arcane rituals or forbidden lore.
* Mind: Spell formulae or psionic powers.
* Primal: Shaman or druidic magical powers.
* Privilege: Magic bloodline of legacy powers.
* Spirit: Divine or holy magical powers.
* Tech: Bionics, cybernetics, nanotech, robotics, or drones.
For example, a cyborg with 5d6 Tech would roll 5 dice to use a Tech-based superpower.
Anytime a superpower task fails, the character suffers a cost: Either 1d6 hit points of damage (not lowered by Armor), or the superpower’s related ability is reduced by 1d6. When making a recovery roll for resting, a character may replace 1d6 of reduced ability instead of recovering 1 hit point.
Ranges typically are limited to targets in view within Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet). The Game Master may rule different ranges for special circumstances, such as possessing a piece of a target’s body (a lock of hair, a tooth) or using a scrying device reaching a target anywhere on Earth.
Damage-causing effects occur instantly, while other effects persist for a duration determined by the ability rating of the character using the power. A character can choose to end an effect early, or another character with a counteracting power may attempt a task to stop the effect.
* 1d6 power ability … 1 round duration (until end of user’s next turn)
* 2d6 power ability … 1d6 rounds duration
* 3d6 power ability … 1d6 minutes duration
* 4d6 power ability … 1d6 hours duration
* 5d6 power ability … 1d6 days duration
* 6d6 power ability … 1d6 weeks duration
* 7d6 power ability … 2d6 weeks duration
* 8d6 power ability … 1d6 months duration
* 9d6 power ability … 2d6 months duration
* 10d6 power ability … 1d6 years duration
* 11d6 power ability … 2d6 years duration
* 12d6 power ability … 1d6 decades duration
Targets may resist a superpower by using a relevant ability, which doesn’t always have to be the same as the one the power is derived from. Examples of resistance abilities to negate effects include:
* Awareness: Powers aimed at deceiving the target’s senses.
* Body: Powers resisted by physical fortitude.
* Charisma: Powers based on seducation or hypnosis.
* Combat: Powers used as attacks to cause damage.
* Cunning: Powers aimed at immobilizing the target.
* Knowledge: Education and understanding of natural and social sciences.
* Mind: Powers aimed at mind control, telepathy, or affecting memories.
* Primal: Familiarity with wilderness, weather, animals, and plants.
* Privilege: High rank, wealth, influence, authority, and status within society.
* Spirit: Powers aimed at changing emotions, behaviors, or allegiances.
* Swift: Powers that can be dodged or avoided by reflexes.
* Tech: Powers based on another’s Tech.
Example superpower effects include:
* Abjuration: Stop one ongoing magical effect on a person, place, or object.
* Alchemy: Create potions that grant a power to another who consumes it.
* Bless: One target gains an extra +1d6 for task rolls made during the next 1d6 hours.
* Clairvoyance/Scry: See and hear as if standing in a remote location.
* Conjure: Cause a person, creature, or object to appear nearby.
* Curse: Cause a person, place, or object to reroll 6s on any task rolls.
* Divination: Ask the GM to honestly answer one question (up to 20 words).
* Enchantment: Change a person’s emotions, memories, or allegiances.
* Evocation: Summon and control elements. Cause harm with severe elements.
* Heal: Target recovers 1 hit point or ends a disease, poison, or madness.
* Illusion: Create false sights and sounds over a person, place, or object.
* Necromancy: Reanimate a corpse. Bind a soul to an object. Steal lifeforce.
* Possession: Power task versus a target’s Mind or Spirit (whichever best) to control the target’s body like a puppet.
* Psychic Attack: Spirit vs. target’s Mind; 1 hit point damage if successful.
* Super Attack: Make a ranged combat attack; details up to the powered character.
* Telekinesis: Lift nearby objects without touching them.
* Telepathy: Read the thoughts of a person. See through another’s senses.
* Teleportation: Cross distances without moving between start and destination.
* Transformation: Change a person or object into a difference size, shape, or nature.
* Transmutation: Change a person or object into a different substance.
* Travel Dimensions: Open portals into parallel universes and alternate timelines.
* Weather: Control temperature, winds, and precipitation over an area.
Superpowers not needing task rolls:
* Flight: Move through air, distance covered by movement dice is doubled.
* Mental Armor: Always reduce damage from psychic or psionic attacks on you by 3 points.
* Natural Light Armor: Always reduce damage from physical hits on you by 3 points.
* Phasing: Move up, down, or through solid objects at will. Become immune to phsycial harm while phasing.
* Plasticity: Stretch your body into long lengths or elastic shapes.
* Regeneration: Instantly regain 1 hit point per round.
* Resize: Grow or shrink your body.
* Super Speed: Distance covered by movement dice is tripled.
* Super Strength: Lift 10,000 kg (10 tons) per die of Body rating. Also, on your melee attack hits, you may replace some or all hit points of damage with knocking the target backwards, sending the target away by 10 meters (30 feet) per substituted hit point.
* Ward: One target gains Heavy Armor, but each hit has a 1 in 6 chance to end the ward.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 1: GAME MASTER SCREEN NOTES / CRIB NOTES
ABILITIES
* Awareness: Perception, intuition, senses, and reaction.
* Body: Great strength, toughness, and stamina.
* Charisma: Persuading others, telling convincing lies, performing, and leadership.
* Combat: Fighting, using weapons, and leading others on a battlefield.
* Cunning: Criminal activities, bypassing security locks, stealth, and deception.
* Knowledge: Education and understanding of natural and social sciences.
* Mind: Intelligence, logic, memory, reasoning, and wits.
* Primal: Familiarity with wilderness, weather, animals, and plants.
* Privilege: High rank, wealth, influence, authority, and status within society.
* Spirit: Willpower, sanity, insight, and compassion.
* Swift: Moving quickly with great reflexes, precision, and agility.
* Tech: Using, repairing, and building machines and complex systems.
QUICK STATS (+2d6 to one focus ability)
* Level 1 … 1d6 abilities, 3 hit points (children, small predators [coyote])
* Level 2 … 2d6 abilities, 6 hit points (adult humans, medium predators [wolf])
* Level 3 … 3d6 abilities, 12 hit points (elite humans, large predators [bear])
* Level 4 … 4d6 abilities, 25 hit points (huge predators [orca, great white shark])
* Level 5 … 5d6 abilities, 50 hit points (giant predators [tyrannosaurus])
* Level 6 … 6d6 abilities, 100 hit points
* Level 7 … 7d6 abilities, 200 hit points (superheroes, small kaiju)
* Level 8 … 8d6 abilities, 400 hit points
* Level 9 … 9d6 abilities, 800 hit points (mythic heroes, big kaiju)
* Level 10 … 10d6 abilities, 1,500 hit points
RESOLVING TASKS
* Use one d6 dice set from the ability most appropriate to the intended task.
* Advantages add bonus dice, disadvantages remove ability dice.
* Dice may be split to attempt two task actions at once.
* Highest rolled total wins. Reroll tied results.
* The difference between totals measures the degree of outcome (time, number effected, damage), or momentum (bonus added to next related task roll).
DIFFICULTY DICE
* Easy Tasks: 1d6
* Hard Tasks: 3d6
* Extreme Tasks: 5d6
COMBAT
* Roll Awareness, Combat, or Swift to determine initiative order.
* Roll Combat to attack and evade; Combat or Swift to evade only.
* Setting aside each ability die for movement grants 10 meters (30 feet) of distance, up to 3d6 (30 meters, 90 feet).
* Combat dice may be split to attack more than one target in the same turn.
* Difference in Combat totals equals damage. The target’s Armor reduces damage, and the remaining damage lowers the target’s hit points.
* Targets are incapacitated at 0 hit points, dead/destroyed if taking further damage.
RANGE MODIFIERS
* -1d6 Combat … Short: 26 to 100 meters, or 81 to 320 feet.
* -2d6 Combat … Medium: 101 to 300 meters, or 321 to 980 feet.
* -3d6 Combat … Long: 301 to 750 meters, or about a half mile.
* -4d6 Combat … Very Long: 751 meters to 3 km, or about a 2 miles.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 2: STORY TOKENS (OPTIONAL RULE)
Under this rule, players can spend tokens to influence outcomes. New tokens may be earned by introducing complications to the story. Using a story token grants an automatic success on any attempted action as if all rolled dice came up 6s.
Players gain new tokens by proposing complications to the ongoing adventure/story. Players may hold no more than two tokens at once.
The Game Master may approve the player’s suggestion within the story’s context, or the group may roll 2d6 for “normal” complications (or 3d6 for “normal and weird” ideas).
Ideas for typical complications (2d6)…
2.) Environmental Hazards (fires, floods, quicksand, unmoving crowds, gridlock traffic)
3.) Sensory Overload (sudden flashes blind, explosions or gunfire deafen)
4.) Legal Trouble (police know, or just believe, the characters committed crimes)
5.) Unwanted Attention (noise attracts guards, research alerts enemies to investigation)
6.) Distractions (children wander onto battlefield, something unexpected explodes)
7.) Traps and Alarms (increases time or difficulty to navigate around area)
8.) Unstable Constructions (rot, decay, or collateral damage makes a building unstable)
9.) Reinforcements (more bad guys suddenly show up to help oppose the characters)
10.) Weather (debris carried by winds, sudden fog, lightning strikes during a thunderstorm)
11.) Lingering Effects (wounds leave telling scars, incubating disease symptoms set in)
12.) Missing Equipment (random gear found to be broken, stolen, or accidentally left behind)
Ideas for weird Complications (3d6)…
13.) Civil Unrest (rioting mobs, propaganda-fueled panic, sudden mass hysteria)
14.) Hostile Animals/Plants (attack by hidden predators, swarms, carnivorous plants, fungi spores)
15.) Mental Instability (flashbacks or implanted false memories trigger characters)
16.) Tech Glitches (big malfunctions, sentient rogue AI, hacked security systems or remote drones, running out of power charges or fuel)
17.) Curses (compels strange behavior, drains lifeforce, causes loss of an ability)
18.) Roll 1d6 on the “really weird” list…
Really weird (1d6)…
1 or 2.) Bizarre (angry spirits, time loops, animated terrain, spell misfires, strange stuff falls from the sky)
3 or 4.) Full Madness (fear-triggered hallucinations, acute paranoia, voices from nowhere)
5.) Weaponized Concepts (infectious anger, tangible lies, forgotten things disintegrate)
6.) Theophany (a deity appears and demands sacrifice, oath, or other thematic command)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 3: CHARACTER TEMPLATES BY GENRE
Quick suggestions for starting characters for fantasy, modern, and science-fiction stories.
FANTASY CHARACTER (elite characters)
Assumes Tech is a rare and not broadly understood ability set. For “magic powers,” pick three superpower effects based off the character’s highest ability.
By class or profession…
* Alchemist: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Assassin: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Bandit: 4d6 Combat, 5d6 Cunning, 5d6 Primal, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Barbarian: 5d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Bard: 5d6 Charisma, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Knowledge, Tech 1d6, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Beastmaster: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; one level 1 and one level 2 animal companion; 12 hit points.
* Bounty Hunter: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Cleric: 4d6 Combat, 5d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Courtier: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Mind, 5d6 Privilege, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Druid: 4d6 Primal, 5d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Fighter: 4d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Guild Merchant: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Privilege, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Healer: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Knight: 4d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Privilege, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Monk/Martial Artist: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech; all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Necromancer: 4d6 Awareness, 6d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Paladin: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; divine warhorse; 12 hit points.
* Psychic: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Ranger: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; level 2 animal companion; 12 hit points.
* Rogue: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Swift, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Shaman: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Sorcerer: 5d6 Charisma, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Thief-Acrobat: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 6d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Witch/Warlock: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Wizard/Mage/Magic-User: 5d6 Mind, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
By creature heritage…
* Angel or Demon: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Beast Folk: 4d6 Body, 4d6 Combat, 5d6 Primal, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Bugbear: 5d6 Body, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 2d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Centaur: 4d6 Body, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Dragon Folk: 4d6 Body, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; natural light armor, one magic power; 12 hit points.
* Drow: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Dwarf: 4d6 Body, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Spirit, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Eldritch Fishfolk: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Elf: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Faerie: 4d6 Spirit, 5d6 Swift, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Gnome: 4d6 Spirit, 4d6 Swift, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Goblin: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 5d6 Swift, 2d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Halfling: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Spirit, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Hobgoblin: 4d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 2d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Jinn: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Leprechaun: 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Spirit, 4d6 Swift, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
* Lycanthrope (Human Form): 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; (Monstrous Form): 5d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Swift, 0d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Minotaur: 5d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Ogre/Troll: 6d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 1d6 Mind, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Orc: 5d6 Body, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Reanimated/Revenant: 5d6 Body, 4d6 Combat, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; natural light armor; 12 hit points.
* Saytr/Faun: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Swift, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 3d6; magic powers; 12 hit points.
MODERN CHARACTERS (basic characters)
* Adventurer: 3d6 Awareness, 3d6 Combat, 3d6 Primal, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Athlete: 4d6 Body, 3d6 Swift, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Celebrity: 4d6 Charisma, 3d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Clergy: 3d6 Awareness, 3d6 Charisma, 3d6 Spirit, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Convict: 3d6 Awareness, 3d6 Body, 3d6 Combat, 3d6 Cunning, 0d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Criminal: 3d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Detective: 4d6 Awareness, 3d6 Cunning, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Dilettante: 3d6 Charisma, 3d6 Knowledge, 3d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Drifter: 3d6 Awareness, 3d6 Cunning, 3d6 Primal, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Educator: 3d6 Charisma, 4d6 Knowledge, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Executive: 3d6 Charisma, 3d6 Mind, 3d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Farmer: 4d6 Body, 3d6 Primal, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Journalist: 3d6 Awareness, 3d6 Charisma, 3d6 Knowledge, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Labor Worker: 4d6 Body, 3d6 Spirit, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Lawyer: 3d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Medical Worker: 3d6 Knowledge, 3d6 Mind, 3d6 Tech, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Police Officer: 3d6 Awareness, 3d6 Combat, 3d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Politician: 4d6 Charisma, 3d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Professor: 5d6 Knowledge, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Scientist: 4d6 Knowledge, 3d6 Tech, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Secret Agent: 3d6 Charisma, 3d6 Combat, 3d6 Cunning, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Soldier: 4d6 Combat, 3d6 Tech, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Student: 3d6 Awareness, 4d6 Knowledge, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Survivalist: 3d6 Combat, 3d6 Primal, 3d6 Tech, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Technician: 5d6 Tech, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
* Tycoon: 5d6 Privilege, all else 2d6; 6 hit points.
SCIENCE-FICTION CHARACTERS (elite characters)
Starship crew…
* Command Officer: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Combat 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Communications Officer: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Engineering Officer: 6d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Helm Officer: 4d6 Swift, 5d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Medical Officer: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Navigation Officer: 4d6 Awareness, 5d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Science Officer: 5d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Security Officer: 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Ship’s Counselor: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Spirit, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
Also…
* Ambassador/Diplomat: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Privilege, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Belter/Astroid Miner: 4d6 Body, 5d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Cyberneticist: 4d6 Knowledge, 5d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Cyborg Warrior: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; three superpowers; 12 hit points.
* Data Hacker: 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Dimensional Cartographer: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Frontier Ranger: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Holy Exarch: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Privilege, 4d6 Spirit, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Interstellar Bounty Hunter: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Interstellar Justiciar: 4d6 Knowledge, 5d6 Privilege, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Interstellar Merchant: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Interstellar Nomad: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 6 hit points.
* Interstellar Scout: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Interstellar Spy: 4d6 Awareness, 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Cunning, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Mecha Pilot: 4d6 Combat, 5d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Mentat: 4d6 Knowledge, 5d6 Mind, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Planetary Colonist: 4d6 Body, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Planetary Noble: 6d6 Privilege, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Precog or Telepath: 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Spirit, all else 3d6; three superpowers; 12 hit points.
* Psychohistorian: 5d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Researcher: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Scoundrel: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Smuggler: 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Cunning, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Space Knight: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Spirit, all else 3d6; three superpowers; 12 hit points.
* Space Marine: 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Starfighter Pilot: 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Swift, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Time Traveler: 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Xenoarcheologist: 5d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Tech, all else 3d6; 12 points.
Aliens (aka extraterrestrials, sophonts)
* Swap one die into a trait fitting the character’s race (such as Body for a big species) or culture (Combat for an honorable warrior society, or Mind for devotees of pure logic).
* Some species may have innate special abilities (see Superpowers rules). Swap one die for three superpowers linked to one ability set (typically Mind, Spirit, or Tech).
Androids (aka replicants, synths, synthetic humans; “more human than human”)
* Reduce Privilege to 1d6 (if controlled second-class citizens) or 0d6 (if property) and add the difference in dice from the default to any other ability sets.
Robots (basic characters, viewed as property of living owners)
* Battle Robot: 4d6 Combat; 2d6 Awareness, Body, Knowledge, Swift, and Tech; 0d6 in Charisma, Cunning, Mind, Primal, or Privilege; natural light armor; 6 hit points.
* Cargo Robot: 4d6 Body; 2d6 Awareness, Combat, Knowledge, Swift, and Tech; 0d6 in Charisma, Cunning, Mind, Primal, or Privilege; natural light armor; 6 hit points.
* Protocol/Etiquette Robot: 4d6 Knowledge; 2d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Swift, and Tech; 0d6 in Charisma, Cunning, Mind, Primal, or Privilege; natural light armor; 6 hit points.
* Starship Utility Robot: 4d6 Tech; 2d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Knowledge, and Swift; 0d6 in Charisma, Cunning, Mind, Primal, or Privilege; natural light armor; 6 hit points.
And lastly (basic character)…
* Guy In A Red Shirt: 3d6 Tech, all else 2d6; 6 Hit Points.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 4: EXAMPLE CHARACTERS
ROBIN HOOD, 11th century outlaw, leader of The Merry Men of Sherwood Forest, famed champion to the poor and infamous bane to the usurper Prince John, his corrupt sheriffs, and England’s greedy nobles.
* 4d6 Charisma, 5d6 Combat, 4d6 Primal, 4d6 Swift, 1d6 Tech; all else 3d6.
* 12 Hit Points.
MORGAN LE FEY, 6th century Welsh noble, scheming enchantress, both loves and hates her half-brother, King Arthur Pendragon.
* 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Privilege, 4d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech; all else 3d6.
* 12 Hit Points.
Superpowers (magic spells, all use Spirit)
* Divination: Ask the GM to honestly answer one question (up to 20 words).
* Enchantment: Change a person’s emotions, memories, or allegiances.
* Illusion: Create false sights and sounds over a person, place, or object.
DR. VICTOR VON FRANKENSTEIN, 18th century relentless medical visionary, called by some a “mad scientist” for his monstrous experiments on the dead.
* 4d6 Knowledge, 5d6 Tech, all else 3d6.
* 12 Hit Points.
SHERLOCK HOLMES, late 19th century master consulting detective, famous for solving difficult criminal cases across London.
* 5d6 Awareness, 4d6 Knowledge, 4d6 Mind, 1d6 Charisma, all else 3d6.
* 12 Hit Points.
HUA MULAN, 5th century female warrior disguised as a man to join the Wei dynasty army in place of her father.
* 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Spirit, 4d6 Swift, all else 3d6.
* 12 Hit Points.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 5: SAMPLE BEASTIARY
ASSIMILATION CYBORG (DRONE): Hive mind army seeking to conquer, absorb, or exterminate all other life forms in the galaxy. “Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.”
* 5d6 Tech, all else 4d6; 25 hit points.
* Hive Mind: What one drone knows, all drones know.
* Armor (Light): Reduce damage by 3 per hit.
* Adaptive Defense: Armor rating of the drone goes up by 1 each time any assimilation drone or queen within Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet) is hit by an attack.
* Assimilation: Any living creature reduced to 0 hit points by a drone’s attacks rises as a new drone within 1d6 rounds.
ASSIMILATION CYBORG (QUEEN): A master intelligence coordinating all drones within her domain. “Your existence is irrelevant. You will be absorbed into the collective.”
* 7d6 Tech, all else 6d6; 100 hit points.
* Hive Mind: What any drone knows, the queen also knows.
* Armor (Light): Reduce damage by 3 per hit.
* Adaptive Defense: Armor rating of the queen goes up by 1 each time the queen or an assimilation drone within Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet) is hit by an attack.
* Assimilation: Any living creature reduced to 0 hit points by a queen’s attacks rises as a new drone within 1d6 rounds.
DESERT PLANET SANDWORM: Colossal creature revered by locals as sacred. “May He keep the world for His people.”
* 8d6 Body, 8d6 Combat, 8d6 Primal, all else 7d6; 200 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 in Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, and Tech.
* Burrowing: Moves underground at same speed as above ground.
DRAGON (ELDER): Giant flying monster with iron-hard scales, claws like spears, and the ability to spray fire at its victims. “My wings a hurricane, and my breath death.”
* 9d6 Body, 9d6 Combat, 9d6 Spirit, 1d6 Tech, all else 8d6; 400 hit points.
* Superheavy Armor: Reduce each hit of damage by 12.
* Immune to physical damage from fire.
* Wings: Moves in flight at double speed as above ground.
* Fire Breath: Attacks all targets within a 5-meter (15-foot) radius at a point up to Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet). Requires 1d6 rounds to recharge after reach use.
* Variants: Replace fire with other acid, cold, lightning, poison, radiation, or some other deadly energy or substance.
* Variant ages: Reduce dice for younger dragons.
FROST GIANT: Three times human size, sworn enemy of the Aesir and their allied kin.
* 6d6 Body, 6d6 Combat, all else 5d6; 50 hit points.
* Wears heavy armor (reduce damage by 6 per hit).
* Immune to damage caused by frost or cold.
* Hurl Rock: Able to make a ranged attack at a target within Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet).
* Other giant types: chaos giant (no cold immunity, but 1 in 6 chance of damage immunity to each hit taken), fire giant (as above but instead immune to fire), or storm giant (immune to lightning and throws lightning bolts).
GOON SQUAD: A band of medieval highwaymen, a criminal gang of street enforcers, or foot-soldiers of an oppressive galactic empire: Regardless of setting, these minions of evil are dangerous in numbers but quick to collapse in the face of heroic opposition. Treat this group as a single unit made up of about six members when encountered.
* All stats 3d6; 25 hit points.
* Light Armor: Reduce damage from each hit on the squad by 3.
* Guns: Add +2d6 Combat when shooting at targets within a maximum of Short range (up to 100 meters, or 320 feet).
* Attrition: Apply a -1d6 hindrance penalty on the goon squad for every 10 hit points of damage its takes (so -1d6 at 15 to 6 hit points, -2d6 at 5 hit points or less).
PREDATORY BEAST (SMALL): Examples include a coyote, eagle, or python.
* 2d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 6 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
PREDATORY BEAST (MEDIUM): Examples include an anaconda, panther, or wolf.
* 3d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 12 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
PREDATORY BEAST (LARGE): Examples include an alligator, bear, lion, or tiger. Mythical examples might include a griffin, manticore, wendigo, or yeti.
* 4d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 25 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
PREDATORY BEAST (HUGE): Examples include a dire cave bear, great white shark, or orca.
* 5d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 50 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
PREDATORY BEAST (GIANT): Examples include a giant squid, tyrannosaurus, or mythical beast such as a wyvern.
* 6d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 100 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
SUPERNATURAL PSYCHO KILLER: Legends say it was wronged once, driven mad, and cannot die. Why it hates so much and prefers to prey on hapless teenagers is another mystery of its undying nature. “What was living behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil.”
* 6d6 Body, 2d6 Charisma, 6d6 Spirit, all else 4d6; 25 hit points.
* Machete: Adds +2d6 Combat to melee attacks.
* Unstoppable: When reduced to 0 or less hit points, the immortal psychopath revives with 3d6 hit points at the start of its next turn. (Only a special circumstance can permanently stop this monster, such as killing it with a specific weapon or on a specific day of the year.)
UNDEAD CORPSE: Examples include an animated skeleton or a zombie.
* 2d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 6 hit points.
* 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
* Never sleeps, immune to thirst, starvation, and suffocation.
* Often armed with Medium Melee Weapon or Bow: Adds +2d6 Combat.
UNDEAD SPIRIT: Examples include a banshee, ghost, specter, or wraith.
* 3d6 Awareness, 2d6 Charisma, 2d6 Knowledge, 2d6 Mind, 4d6 Spirit, 2d6 Swiftness; 12 hit points.
* 0d6 Body, Combat, Cunning, Primal, Privilege, or Tech.
* Incorporeal: Cannot be harmed by physical attacks.
* Magic powers (uses Spirit).
* Illusion: Create false sights and sounds over a person, place, or object.
* Phasing: Move up, down, or through solid objects at will. Become immune to phsycial harm while phasing.
* Telekinesis: Lift nearby objects without touching them.
VAMPIRE (YOUNG): A human turned within the past few years.
* 4d6 Charisma, 4d6 Combat, 4d6 Cunning, all else 3d6; 12 hit points.
* Regains lost hit points from damage caused by hand-to-hand combat.
* Suffers 3d6 hit points damage per round of exposure to sunlight.
VAMPIRE (ELDER): A creature that has been undead for decades or a few centuries.
* 5d6 Charisma, 5d6 Combat, 5d6 Spirit, all else 4d6; 25 hit points.
* Regains lost hit points from damage caused by hand-to-hand combat.
* Suffers 3d6 hit points damage per round of exposure to sunlight.
* Magic powers (uses Spirit).
* Enchantment: Change a person’s emotions, memories, or allegiances.
* Shapechange: Turn into a bat, wolf, or cloud of mist.
VAMPIRE (LORD): A creature that has been undead for many centuries.
* 6d6 Charisma, 6d6 Privilege, 6d6 Spirit, all else 5d6; 50 hit points.
* Regains lost hit points from damage caused by hand-to-hand combat.
* Suffers 3d6 hit points damage per round of exposure to sunlight.
* Magic powers (uses Spirit).
* Enchantment: Change a person’s emotions, memories, or allegiances.
* Possession: Spirit task versus a target’s Mind or Spirit (whichever best) to control the target’s body like a puppet.
* Shapechange: Turn into a bat, wolf, or cloud of mist.
XENOMORPH (BREEDER): Grabs a creature’s face and implants a xenomorph embryo inside its victim’s body.
* 2d6 Awareness, Body, Combat, Primal, Spirit, and Swift; 6 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
* Acidic Blood: Any physical damage done to this creature does 1 damage to a random target within 1 meter (3 feet). Armor may reduce this damage, but such armor’s protective value is decreased by 1 each time it is hit by such acid.
* Variant: Xenomorph (young) has the same stats until it matures into a full xenomorph soldier 1d6 hours after violently emerging out of its host’s body.
XENOMORPH (ADULT): A bioweapon born out of, and taking genetic features from, a living host. “The perfect organism. Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility.”
* 4d6 Combat, 5d6 Swift, 3d6 Awareness, Body, Primal, and Spirit; 12 hit points.
* Animal: 0d6 Charisma, Cunning, Knowledge, Mind, Privilege, Tech.
* Climber: Able to move at full movement speed while climbing.
* Acidic Blood: Any physical damage done to this creature does 3 damage to a random target within 1 meter (3 feet). Armor may reduce this damage, but such armor’s protective value is decreased by 3 each time it is hit by such acid.
* Variant: Xenomorph (Queen): Increase all ability dice by 2d6, including non-animal traits. A queen can also telepathically communicate with adult xenomorphs within Long range (up to 750 meters, or about a half mile).
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 6: TECHNOLOGY LEVELS
In some stories, especially interstellar science-fiction travels, characters may encounter worlds and societies with
* Extremely Low: Stone age tools from natural materials, simple shelters.
* Very Low: Metal tools, industrial manufacturing, science, and mathematics.
* Low: Mechanical to atomic ages, electricity in wide use, viral science and vaccines.
* Moderate: Early stellar age, varied power sources, bionics and cybernetics.
* High: Slow faster-than-light space travel, antigravity tech, terraforming.
* Very High: Quick faster-than-light space travel, perfect cloning, recorded memories.
* Extremely High: Self-aware starships, custom lifeforms, orbital teleporters.
* Ultra High: Interstellar teleporters, manufactured worlds, mobile planets.
(Per Arthur C. Clarke, “sufficiently advanced technology indistinguishable from magic.”)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
APPENDIX 7: STARSHIP TRAVEL AND COMBAT RULES
In the game, starships can be treated like giant robots that operate on a much more massive scale than personal characters. As such, ship abilities include Awareness, Body, Combat, Knowledge, Swift, and Tech. Don’t compare such dice to characters’ ability set ratings since ships are thousands of times the scale of people. Starship combat rounds may last seconds or minutes, depending on the story setting.
* Awareness: Sensors, science labs.
* Body: Hull, life support, damage control.
* Combat: Firepower from beam weapons and missiles, tactical maneuvers.
* Knowledge: Databanks of information.
* Swift: Maneuver speed in normal space (not FTL drive)
* Tech: Technology level of operational systems.
Also…
* Armor: Force fields, hull plating.
* FTL: Faster-than-light interstellar travel speed.
Ships have 0d6 in Charisma, Cunning, Mind, Primal, Privilege, or Spirit, but key crewmembers may have such abilities that stand in for the ship in specific tasks.
Base Starship Combat Dice and Starship Hit Points
* 1d6; 3 s.h.p. … small shuttlecraft (1+ crew, up to 6 passengers; max. FTL 2 if any)
* 2d6; 6 s.h.p. … large shuttlecraft, starfighter (3+ crew, up to 20 passengers; max. FTL 7)
* 3d6; 12 s.h.p. … mid-range starships (10+ crew; max. FTL 7) (merchants, pirates, scouts)
* 4d6; 25 s.h.p. … light frigate (40+ crew; max. FTL 8)
* 5d6, 50 s.h.p. … heavy frigate (80+ crew; max. FTL 8), starfighter squadron (about six ships)
* 6d6; 100 s.h.p. … light cruiser (200+ crew; max. FTL 9)
* 7d6; 200 s.h.p. … heavy cruiser (400+ crew; FTL 9)
* 8d6; 400 s.h.p. … superheavy cruiser (1000+ crew; max. FTL 9)
(s.h.p. = ship hit points)
Starbase equivalents…
* 3d6; 12 s.h.p. … small starbase (10s crew; no FTL) (relay stations, sensor outpost)
* 5d6; 50 s.h.p. … medium starbase (100s crew; no FTL) (typical research facility)
* 13d6; 6,000 s.h.p. … large starbase (1,000s crew; no FTL) (interstellar navy base)
* 18d6; 200,000 s.h.p. … huge starbase (1,000s+ crew; no FTL) (orbital shipyard, remote hubs)
Bonus Combat Dice (use all that apply)
* +1d6/-1d6 … per technology level difference between ships (better/worse)
* +2d6 … ship cannot be detected (active cloaking device, hiding within gas giant)
* +2d6 … collision at ramming speed (attack bonus only, add to both ships)
* +2d6 … within an asteroid field or nebula (defense bonus only)
Common starship “superpowers” on board…
* Auxiliary Power: During a combat round, reduce 1d6 (or more) from one ability set, roll 1d6 (or more) to restore points to Armor (shield) or +1d6 to another ability set. (Swap dice on a 1-to-1 basis.)
* Cloaking Device: Deflects light and sensors to hide a starship.
* Luxury Suites: Bars, casinos, holographic entertainment, and the like.
* Smuggling Compartments: Hides contraband inside a ship’s hull or between decks.
* Teleporters (Transporters): Able to “beam” individual personnel and crew.
* Tractor Beams: Akin to telekinetic reach to move or tow objects in space.
ASTRONOMICAL RANGE SCALE
As with ability dice, starships operate on a much larger scale than characters.
* Astronomical Touching (0m) … all personal ranges below Long range
* Astronomical Close (within 1 km) … covers Long to Very Long personal ranges
* Astronomical Short (1,000s km) … covers Distant to Orbital personal ranges
* Astronomical Medium (10,000s km) … geostationary orbit above Earth
* Astronomical Long (100,000s km) … a few light seconds
* Astronomical Distant (millions km) … a few light minutes
* Astronomical Subsystem (100s millions km) … astronomical units
* Astronomical System (billions km)
* Astronomical Parsec (trillions km) … a few (3.26) light years
* Astronomical Subsector (10s light years)
* Astronomical Sector (100s light years)
* Astronomical Quadrant (1,000s light years)
* Astronomical Galactic (10,000s light years)
* Astronomical Intergalactic (100,000s light years)
* Astronomical Supercluster (millions of light years)
* Astronomical Universal (billions of light years)
FAST-THAN-LIGHT SPEEDS
Depending on the story setting, the crew might be awake during an interstellar voyage or put into suspended animation via hibernation pods (sometimes called cryogenic sleep pods or low-berths).
Slower-than-light (sublight) speeds have relative velocity issues that cause time dilation effects compared to time measured outside “normal” space. For example, a ship travelling for 1 day at 99.5% the speed of light would find 10 days have passed if returning to its point of origin. Fast-than-light ship speeds (which are just imaginary at this point in reality) do not suffer any time dilation effects.
FTL RATING (TIMES SPEED OF LIGHT)
* FTL 1 (1c) … 0.02 light years per day (Warp Factor 1)
* FTL 2 (12c) … 0.04 light years per day (Warp Factor 2)
* FTL 3 (25c) … 0.08 light years per day (Warp Factor 3)
* FTL 4 (50c) … 0.16 light years per day
* FTL 5 (100c) … 0.32 light years per day (Warp Factor 4, Jump 1/2)
* FTL 6 (200c) … 0.64 light years per day (Warp Factor 5, Jump 3/4)
* FTL 7 (400c) … 1.28 light years per day (Warp Factor 6/7, Jump 5/6)
* FTL 8 (800c) … 2.56 light years per day (Warp Factor 8)
* FTL 9 (1,500c) … 5.12 light years per day (Warp Factor 9.6)
* FTL 10 (3,000c) … 10.24 light years per day (Warp Factor 9.9)
* FTL 11 (6,000c) … 20.48 light years per day (Transwarp)
* FTL 12 (12,000c) … 40.96 light years per day
* FTL 13 (25,000c) … 81.92 light years per day
* FTL 14 (50,000c) … 163.84 light years per day
* FTL 15 (100,000c) … 327.68 light years per day
* FTL 16 (200,000c) … 655.36 light years per day (Subspace radio)
* FTL 17 (400,000c) … 1,310.72 light years per day
* FTL 18 (800,000c) … 2,621.44 light years per day
* FTL 19 (1.5 million c) … 5,242.88 l.y. per day (Hyperdrive 0.1 per light speed)
* FTL 20 (3 million c) … 10,485.76 l.y. per day (Hyperdrive 0.2/0.3 per light speed)
* FTL 21 (6 million c) … 20,971.52 l.y. per day (Hyperdrive 0.4/0.5 per light speed)
* FTL 22 (12 million c) … 41,943.04 light years per day
* FTL 23 (25 million c) … 83,886.08 light years per day
* FTL 24 (50 million c) … 167,772.16 light years per day
* FTL 25 (100 million c) … 335,544.32 light years per day
COMPARING SCIENCE-FICTION FICTIONAL UNIVERSES
Starship Speeds: Someone once said, when asked how fast the Starship Enterprise could go, “The Enterprise travels at the speed of plot.” That said, if comparing ship speeds between some popular sci-fi series, the following modifiers to the above chart would apply…
* 9,600 kph … Star Trek standard orbit (synchronous orbit around Earth)
* 0.25c … Star Trek impulse power, Star Wars sublight engines, Traveller manuever drives (up to one-quarter light speed)
* -1 FTL … Traveller RPG starships (jump drives)
* -1 FTL … Alien/Prometheus starships (ion plasma drives)
* +0 FTL … Star Trek starships (warp drives)
* +1 FTL … Star Trek alien ships (transwarp)
* 16 FTL … Star Trek subspace radio
* +12 FTL … Star Wars starships (hyperdrives)
* +44 FTL … Doctor Who TARDIS Type 40 (Eye of Harmony time lock)
Starship Ranges: As a rough rule of thumb for comparisons…
* Astronomical Touching (0m) … ship-to-ship docking
* Astronomical Close (within 1 km) … Star Trek tractor beams from ships
* Astronomical Short (1,000s km) … Star Trek tractor beams from starbases; Star Wars starship beam weapons
* Astronomical Medium (10,000s km) … Star Trek transporters; Star Wars tractor beams from bases
* Astronomical Long (100,000s km) … Star Trek ship beam weapons (phaser banks), ship’s high-resolution scans (life signs, energy fields, molecular compositions; identify species of individuals)
* Astronomical Distant (millions km) … Star Trek missile weapons (photon torpedoes); ships’ short-range sensors (navigation, tactical, detect close-proximity of asteroids or ships, or perform a survey of a planet)
* Astronomical Subsystem (100s millions km)
* Astronomical System (billions km) … Star Trek ships’ detailed scans (identifying individual ships)
* Astronomical Parsec (trillions km)
* Astronomical Subsector (10s light years) … Star Trek ships’ long-range sensors (FTL subspace scans for spatial anomalies, star systems, fleets of ships or space stations)
* Astronomical Sector (100s light years) … Star Trek ships’ deep-space probes (from specialized platforms or science vessels)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A lot of other role-playing games inspired these rules, particularly West End Games (WEG)’s D6 System (first seen in Sandy Petersen’s Ghostbusters RPG); the Simply6 system by Russ “Morris” Morrissey of EN Publishing; Monte Cook’s Numenera and Cypher System games; and of course Dungeons & Dragons by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Thank you to all who came before and continued to build on the shoulders of TTRPG nerd giants.