Brainstorming a sort of D&D 3.5/5e-Cypher System hybrid rules idea… It didn’t end up going anywhere, kept getting too complicated to seem “better” than RAW published rules.
RULES AT-A-GLANCE
These are tabletop role-playing game rules, a type of interactive play where each player takes on the role of a specific character in a world controlled by one special player, the game master (GM). Rules and dice help everyone agree on what characters can and cannot do in the course of the story. Throughout the game, the GM describes a scene and players take turns describing their characters’ responses.
Each character has a name, a background on personal details and past history, a number rating in three different ability scores (Body, Mind, and Spirit), and a list of traits noting exceptional skills, talents, and special abilities.
Non-player characters (NPCs) in the shared story are controlled by the GM and are rated using just one score, Difficulty. The world may also be full of other potential hazards and other dangers, also with Difficulty ratings to overcome for avoiding harm.
What’s needed for each player:
* a character card or sheet describing name, background, ability scores, and traits
* two 20-sided (d20) dice
* a pencil and paper or electronic device to make notes
What’s needed for the game master:
* a copy of these rules
* an outline for a story adventure
During the game, players simply say what their characters are doing, ideally in the voices and styles of each character’s personality. The goal of the game is for the players to have fun, but there will also be character-based objective in the story as well (rescue a noble, escape an island, plunder a forgotten tomb – anything within imagination.
At certain times, the GM may ask players to take turns describing their actions in order of initiative. When tasks with uncertain results come up, dice are rolled to determine the success or failure of the outcome.
For a task, a player rolls one twenty-sided die (1d20). Tasks rolls automatically score at least equal to the most closely related Ability Score’s current value, unless a 1 is rolled to indicate a critical fumble. A total greater than a Difficulty number or opposed roll is a success, and those results 5 or more greater than the opposing number are a critical success. Totals equaling the Difficulty number or opposed roll are a mixed result, while those below the opposing number are a failure.
If a task roll has Advantage, the player rolls two dice and uses only the higher result. For Disadvantage, the player rolls two dice and uses the lower result. No more than two dice are rolled for any single task, even if multiple triggers for Advantage or Disadvantage apply to the task.
Traits marked with a (Adv.) grant Advantage on task rolls related to the described skills or topics.
In combat situations, the GM may shift time into rounds, each lasting about 6 seconds in the character’s story even if several minutes go by in the players’ real-world time. To determine the order in which characters take turns, each character makes an initiative task roll (1d20 or Body, Mind, or Spirit score, whichever is highest). The highest results act first each turn, during which a character may take two actions (move, attack, evade, or so forth).
On successful attack task rolls, Armor reduces the damage points caused based on the rating of the weapon (Light, Medium, Heavy, or more). Any remaining damage is subtracted from a target’s Ability Score (usually Body for physical damage, Mind for mental damage, and Spirit for emotional or psychic damage). For NPCs, creatures, machines and other things under the GM’s control, damage reduces the target’s Difficulty value. Characters naturally recover 1 lost ability score point per hour of rest.
ABILITY SCORES
There are three character ability scores in these rules: Body, Mind, and Spirit.
* Body (strength, dexterity, survival, physical tasks)
* Mind (reason, memory, knowledge, mental tasks)
* Spirit (empathy, charisma, mysticism, social tasks)
Each of these scores is given a number rating, ranging from 1 (very poor) to 20 (the best):
* Ability Score 5 … poor ability, untrained, untalented
* Ability Score 10 … fair ability, trained or talented, veteran, professional
* Ability Score 15 … excellent ability, master expert, best in the region
* Ability Score 20 … great ability, legendary expert, among best on the planet
A character’s maximum ability score is the value when fulling rested. A character’s current ability score is the number after damage or extra efforts have reduced the number. Lost ability score points come back in time, usually at a rate of 1 per hour of rest.
A current ability score is also the value used in resolving tasks when the number is greater than the d20 roll.
TASK ROLLS
To perform a task, a player rolls one 20-sided die (1d20). Both the rolled number and one current, most appropriate ability score value (Body, Mind or Spirit) get compared to the Difficulty number of an action, target, or threat to determine the result.
* Success and Critical Success: If either the d20 die roll or the character’s related ability score are greater than the Difficulty number, the character succeeds and the player may describe the desired outcome. If either the rolled number or the character’s current ability score is 5 or more points above the Difficulty or opposed value, the result is a critical success: Either the outcome is doubled, or a cost in needed resources is halved.
* Mixed: If the Difficulty number is exactly equal to the character’s ability score and the d20 die roll, the outcome is simultaneous and mixed. The character both succeeds in the attempted action and suffers the consequence of failure. If the character has a related Trait that grants Advantage on the task roll, the result is considered a normal full Success.
* Failure: If the Difficulty number or opposed total is greater than the character’s ability score and the d20 die roll, the character’s effort fails. The game master describes the outcome, often resulting in the character losing 1 or more points from a related ability.
* Critical Fumble: Regardless of ability score numbers, if a d20 task roll comes up a 1, the character suffers a critical fumble and the action automatically fails. Usuaully a critical fumble is treated as an ordinary failure, but some tasks and situations may have additional rules for handling such disastrous results.
TASK DIFFICULTY RULE-OF-THUMB
* Difficulty 1 … trivial tasks (95% chance of success)
* Difficulty 5 … easy tasks (75% chance of success)
* Difficulty 10 … moderate tasks (50% chance of success)
* Difficulty 15 … hard tasks (25% chance of success)
* Difficulty 20 … extreme tasks (5% chance of mixed success)
OPPOSED ROLLS
When two characters attempt an action with directly opposing outcomes, each rolls one d20 and compares results as they would against Difficulty. The character with the highest roll or ability score wins.
Examples might include a tug-of-war (Body vs. Body), attempting to be the first to solve a puzzle (Mind vs. Mind), or impressing an audience with rival performances (Spirit vs. Spirit).
With the game master’s approval, characters may make opposed rolls using different ability scores, such as trying to win the support of a crowd through arguments (one logical character tries to leverage Mind vs. the other smooth-talking character’s Spirit).
If the opposed roll involved the risk of harm, such as struggling over the same knife to stab an opponent or holding an enemy in a stranglehold, damage applies to the losing character as per the Combat Damage section. Any opposed roll with a difference of 5 or more causes double damage.
TEAMWORK
Characters working together on the same task may compare ability scores and d20 dice rolls from each participant to find the highest single number that compares against the Difficulty or opposition total. Such team efforts increase the chance for a high roll, but also complicate the risk of failure. If any one character in the team group rolls a 1 on their d20 die, the whole action is treated as a critical fumble.
ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE
Certain rules and story descriptions may help or hinder actions attempted by characters. In such cases, a game master may declare Advantage or Disadvantage on such task roll attempts.
If a character is in a favorable situation in attempting a task, the game master may allow the player to make a task roll with Advantage, using two d20 dice and using the higher result. The lower-rolled dice result is ignored; if the lower roll is a 1, the critical fumble rule is ignored unless both d20 dice come up 1.
If a character is in a detrimental situation in attempting a task, the game master may make the player roll with Disadvantage, using two d20 dice and only using the lower result. The higher-rolled dice result is ignored, but a character’s current ability score value is unchanged. If either die roll is a 1, the critical fumble rule applies.
If a character or creature gains advantage and disadvantage from multiple situations, the rule effects cancel out on a 1-to-1 basis before making the die roll. Any situation with at least one remaing Advantage trigger grants a single case of Advantage, while any situation with one or more remaining Disadvantage triggers causes a single case of Disadvantage. If all causes of Advantage and Disadvantage cancel out, only one die is rolled for the task action.
EXTRA EFFORT
A character may dedicate an extreme amount of focus and effort on particular task. By expending one point from a related ability score, a character gains Advantage on one related task roll. This point must be spent before the d20 is rolled, and the ability point is subtracted from the character’s score after the task attempt is resolved as a success or failure. Once the task outcome is decided, the expended point is subtracted from the character’s current total.
EXCEPTIONAL TOOLS
Special equipment, magical items, and ultra-technology gadgets may entirely replace a current ability score value. For example, an ultra-tech bionically-enhanced battlesuit may give its wearer an effective Body 20 ability score, regardless of the original Body of whoever is inside the suit.
Other devices may grant the user a temporary trait, either granting Advantage for specific types of tasks, giving the user an increased Armor value, changing the user’s movement, or add other special rules suited to specific functions and circumstances.
TRAITS
Traits are character features and skills that call for special rules, usually granting Advantage to task rolls for specific situations. A trait with (Adv.) listed after its name means any task roll directly related to the topic or action described will give the character Advantage on such a roll. In addition, the character also scores a Success instead of a Mixed Result when equalling the needed Difficulty or opposed roll score.
If more than one Advantage traits applies to a task roll, the player still only gains normal Advantage – that is, rolling two dice and taking the higher result. For example, three or more traits relating to one task only allow two dice to be rolled. However, if a task roll also is subject to Disadvantage triggers, multiple Advantage traits can offset such potential penalties. For example, a character that is retrained by ropes (a Disadvantage on Body tasks) that also has the Physique and Swiftness traits (two Advantages) could attempt a task roll to break free. The Disadvantage would be negated by the first Physique trait, and the Swiftness trait would allow the task roll to be made with Advantage.
The seven most common Advantage-giving traits are:
* Awareness (Adv.): You have exceptional perception, compassion, insight, and intuition.
* Charm (Adv.): You are good at persuading others, telling convincing lies, and performing.
* Physique (Adv.): You possess great physical strength, toughness, and stamina.
* Stealth (Adv.): You are good at moving and acting without being detected by direct observation.
* Survival (Adv.): You have practical knowledge about outdoor wilderness, weather, animals, and plants.
* Swiftness (Adv.): You can move quickly with exceptional reflexes and dexterous agility.
* Willpower (Adv.): You possess great mental strength, focus, and personal determination.
Other traits without the (Adv.) label change the usual rules to give the character an improved or additional special ability. Some common examples of these traits include:
* Deadly: When you succeed at hitting a target with an attack task, you cause an additional 3 points of damage, or 6 points of damage on a critical success.
* Fast: You move twice the distance as normal characters when moving.
* Fast (Extreme): You move three times distance as normal characters when moving.
* Hard To Kill: The first time you drop to 0 or less Body points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Body points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Body points are recovered back to their full total.
* Hard To Confuse: The first time you drop to 0 or less Mind points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Mind points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Mind points are recovered back to their full total.
* Hard To Unnerve: The first time you drop to 0 or less Spirit points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Spirit points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Spirit points are recovered back to their full total.
* Magical: You can channel supernatural energies, cast spells, and influence unearthly entities.
* Relentless: When any of your attack tasks reduce an enemy to 0 or less Body, you may immediately make an additional attack on another target within reach or range. You can keep attacking new enemies with new task rolls as long as targets keep dropping from your attacks, until none remain, or until at least one opponent remains standing after being hit.
See the full LIST OF TRAITS for more on character special features.
TIME AND MOVEMENT
Normally, characters travel at speeds players may simply describe: walking 300 feet (90 meters) in a minute, or double that distance if running.
In combat situations, time is divided into rounds lasting about 6 seconds each. To determine the order in which characters take turns, each player makes a special task roll called an initiative roll: Roll 1d20 and use the highest value from among the die result, Body, Mind, or Spirit ability scores. (For GM-run NPCs, initiative values are Difficulty + 5.) The highest initiative numbers act first, then the next highest, and so forth down the result.
If two or more characters are tied for initiative:
* highest die roll wins, else,
* highest current Body score wins, else,
* highest current Mind score wins, else,
* highest current Spirit score wins.
During each round, every character gets a turn to perform two of the following actions, or the same action twice:
* initiate a task action (attack or other action)
* move 30 feet (9 meters) unless restrained
* evade known opponent’s attacks (Advantage to avoid)
For examples of options during a turn, a character may…
* move 60 feet (18 meters)
* move 30 feet (9 meters) and make one task roll (such as one attack)
* move 30 feet (9 meters) and evade attacks
* stand ground, evade attacks, and make one attack roll
* stand ground and make two task rolls (such as two attacks)
Some abilities and attacks may interfere with a character’s options during a turn. A character that is stunned makes all task rolls at Disadvantage and being restrained prevents a character from moving any distance at all. A dying character may only crawl up to 5 feet during a turn.
Task rolls the GM asks be made to avoid sudden hazards or surprise attacks are “free actions” and do not count against a character’s options during a turn.
RECOVERY
Characters with reduced ability scores may recover 1 Body, Mind, or Spirit ability score point per hour of rest. Each recovered point may be added back to any ability score the player chooses, up to the character’s starting maximum total. If a character recovers multiple abiliy points, unless noted otherwise the player may decide how to divide up the recovered points among any reduced ability scores.
COMBAT AND DAMAGE
The player character’s task result determines the outcome for both sides of a fight. In most cases, the result of failing an attack task against a target that can fight back results in the attacker’s loss of ability points. Examples of such risks might include attacking an armed adjacent opponent, a shootout against enemy soldiers, or a low-orbit dogfight between starfighters.
To resolve attacks, characters use a turn action to make a task roll against a target’s Difficulty.
If a character chooses to evade as an action during a combat turn, the task roll is made with Advantage but does not cause damage to enemies if successful.
For an attack, a successful task against a target’s Difficulty, or an opposed character’s task roll, results in causing damage that substracts from an opponent’s score. Any Armor value on the target reduces damage before the Difficulty or ability score are reduced.
For characters, the affected ability score is determined by the type of damage: Body for physical attacks, Mind for mental attacks, and Spirit for emotional or psychic attacks. For NPCs and other GM-controlled targets, damage reduces Difficulty.
Threats and hazards may require a character to make a task roll to avoid suffering specific harm. For example, a room bursting into flames may require everyone inside to make a Difficulty 12 Body task roll. Those that fail to jump behind cover or escape the room suffer 4 points of damage, or 8 points of damage if failing the task roll by 7 or worse. This type of “roll to avoid harm” task does not usually cost a character any turn actions to resolve.
The amount of points lost from damage is based on the severity of the attack.
* 3 points … Light (punches, kicks, clubs, knives)
* 6 points … Medium (swords, 2-handed melee weapons, claws, bites, crossbows, most firearms)
* 9 points … Heavy (huge melee weapons, heavy crossbows, huge claws, machineguns)
* 15 points … Superheavy (artillery, bombs, explosions, giant claws)
Critical Success Attacks: Any attack scoring 5 or more points over an opponent’s Difficulty – or in the case of attacking another character, an opponent’s ability score or d20 roll – results in double the damage value before being reduced by Armor.
Armor: Worn protection may help prevent ability point loss due to task roll failures. Subtract a target’s Armor from damage before reducing ability scores. As a rule-of-thumb, Armor mostly – but not completely – protects its wearer from hits by weapons of equivalent rating.
Some benchmarks for Body damage in physical fights include:
* 0 damage … No Armor (ordinary clothing)
* -2 damage … Light Armor (leather jacket, flak jacket, thick animal hide)
* -4 damage … Medium Armor (chainmail, ballistic vest, space suit)
* -6 damage … Heavy Armor (full platemail, bomb squad suit, heavy space suit)
* -12 damage … Superheavy Armor (dragonscale, sci-fi battlesuit, light mecha)
Effects Of Damage: In addition to reduced ability scores, losing 5 or more ability score points from a single attack task roll also leaves a target stunned, suffering Disadvantage on all of that target’s task rolls in the following turn. After the next turn, the stunned Disadvantage no longer is in effect on the target.
Instead of causing damage, a player may declare other intended outcomes of an attack task roll. Examples may including grappling an adjacent target (causing ongoing Disadvantage on Body tasks unless breaking free), disarming (knocking away a held weapon), tripping (causing a target to fall prone), or other outcome declared before the task roll is made. As with other task rolls, a game master may declare Advantage or Disadvantage on such attempts depending on circumstances.
Any character reduced to 0 in Body, Mind, or Spirit is dying and cannot take actions. The character drops prone, moves at a crawl of 5 feet per turn, and communicates only in short, halting phrases. If a dying character takes any new damage after being reduced to 0 or less in any ability score, the character dies.
Damage done against NPCs and creatures with only a Difficulty score are considered slain at Difficulty 0 or less, unless the character delivering the final blow declares the target is knocked unconscious instead.
RULE-OF-THUMB
Difficulty 1 … minimal opponents (no Armor, no weapon)
Difficulty 5 … minor opponents (light Armor, light weapon)
Difficulty 10 … moderate opponents (light Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 15 … major opponents (heavy Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 20 … mighty opponents (superheavy Armor, superheavy weapon)
LIST OF TRAITS
The following traits are found among normal human-scale characters. For supernatural traits and superpowers, see the LIST OF FANTASTICAL TRAITS.
* Administration: You are good at dealing with various government and corporate officials, or bribing them.
* Alluring (Adv.): You are exceptionally good-looking and have mannerisms that attract potential lovers, endear you to friends, and make you memorable to strangers.
* Antiquarian (Adv.): You are good at finding and researching old books, hidden lore, and the works by obscure scholars.
* Artist (Adv.): You are good at creating paintings, sculptures, or other works of art.
* Awareness (Adv.): You have exceptional perception, compassion, insight, and intuition.
* Backstabber (Adv.): You are good at striking from shadows or by surprise if your opponent is unaware of your location.
* Berserker Rage: You can enter a battle frenzy that trades self-control and clear thought for rapid physical recovery. Once each turn, regardless of tasks rolls, you may subtract 1 point from your Mind or Spirit and add 1 to your Body, up to your Body’s score normal maximum, and gain advantage on your next Body-related task roll.
* Brawling/Martial Artist (Adv.): You are good at fighting hand-to-hand without weapons, wrestling, and grappling.
* Celebrity (Adv.): You are widely recognized for your fame and prestige from past acts.
* Charm (Adv.): You are good at persuading others, telling convincing lies, and performing.
* Clergy (Adv.): You have knowledge of a religious communities’ doctrine, dogma, rites, and sacred lore.
* Cover Identities: You have documented credentials for multiple false personae, each with a name, background, and circle of friends who do not know your true identity. This duplicity may come in handy when performing dubious, often illegal, activities for which you wish to avoid recognition.
* Criminal (Adv.): You have underworld connections and a known record with law enforcement.
* Danger Sense: You intuitively just know when something bad is about to happen and gain advantage on initiative rolls.
* Deadly: When you succeed at hitting a target with an attack task, you cause an additional 3 points of damage, or 6 points of damage on a critical success.
* Detective (Adv.): You are good at analyzing clues, recogniting counterfeits, and knowing criminal law and police procedures.
* Dilettante (Adv.): You have knowledge of fine arts, rare goods, popular artists, and the latest fashion trends.
* Eidetic Memory: You have a “photographic memory” that allows you to recall sights, dates, and other details with uncanny accuracy.
* Engineer (Adv.): You are good at designing machines and structures, and have knowledge of physical materials and energy systems.
* Escape Artist (Adv.): You are good at getting yourself out of restraints including handcuffs, nets, straitjackets, and other forms of physical binding.
* Espionage (Adv.): You are good with ciphers and codes, reading SIGINT photo images, brainwashing, and using electronic surviellance gear.
* Farmer (Adv.): You know how to managing crops and other agriculture, raising livestock, and getting goods to market.
* Fast (Extreme): You move three times distance as normal characters when moving.
* Fast: You move twice the distance as normal characters when moving.
* Finance (Adv.): You are good at investing, evaluating companies and budgets, and moving money among accounts.
* Fluent With Millions: You know dozens of languages, effectively communicating with anyone in the world. This trait cannot help understand ciphers, codes, or dead languages.
* Guns (Adv.): You have good marksmanship with pistols, rifles, and other firearms (or similar weapons).
* Hacker (Adv.): You are good at accessing secure digital networks, copying or altering data, and sabotaging electronics.
* Heavy Weapons (Adv.): You are good at using vehicle-mounted weapons, field artillery, and squad support weapons.
* Honorable (Adv.): You have a reputation as trustworthy, fair, and always doing what’s right.
* Influential (Adv.): You have personal connections at many levels of society, able to get information and favors from unlikely allies.
* Insane (Adv.): You have a reputation as reckless and unpredictable acts regardless of others.
* Journalist (Adv.): You are good at writing stories or broadcast scripts, interviewing sources, researching topics, and finding topic exerts.
* Magical: You can channel supernatural energies, cast spells, and influence unearthly entities.
* Medical Expert (Adv.): You are good at diagnosing and healing, forensics, knowledge of drugs, and biological research.
* Military Tactics (Adv.): You are good at using camouflage, cartography, demolitions, and electronic countermeasures.
* Musician (Adv.): You are good at singing, playing musical instruments, composing songs, and performing before live audiences.
* Natural Sciences (Adv.): You have great knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, and other such fields.
* Occult (Adv.): You know the truth about secret societies, cults, rituals, supernatural beings, and “things man was not meant to know.”
* Physique (Adv.): You possess great physical strength, toughness, and stamina.
* Psionics: You are adept at psychic powers related to telepathy, telekinesis, and ESP.
* Social Sciences (Adv.): You have great knowledge of psychology, anthropology, sociology, economics, and politics.
* Starship Ops (Adv.): You are good at maneuvering large and small spacecraft, plotting interstellar faster-than-light travel, and using sensors.
* Stealth (Adv.): You are good at moving and acting without being detected by direct observation.
* Streetwise (Adv.): You are good at dealing with locals, gambling, and gathering information from informal contacts.
* Survival (Adv.): You have practical knowledge about outdoor wilderness, weather, animals, and plants.
* Swiftness (Adv.): You can move quickly with exceptional reflexes and dexterous agility.
* Swords (Adv.): You are good at using long, hand-held blades in a fight both to make slashing and piercing attacks and parrying incoming blows.
* Tactics (Adv.): You understand military leadership to coordinate squads of soldiers or fleets of starships against enemy forces.
* Thief (Adv.): You are good at escaping restraints, forgery, cracking locks and safes, picking pockets, and bypassing security systems.
* Trade (Adv.): You are good at assessing cargo value, negotiating commerce deals, and conducting transactions.
* Vehicle Ops (Adv.): You are good at driving cars, speeders, boats, aircraft, and hovercraft vehicles.
* Vengeful (Adv.): You have a reputation as ruthless and never granting mercy to enemies.
* War Hero (Adv.): You have a decorated service record and medals, immediately known to fellow soldiers.
* Willpower (Adv.): You possess great mental strength, focus, and personal determination.
* Stunning Strikes (Adv.): You are good at attacks that trade damage for instead stunning targets, making them suffer Disadvantage for one turn.
* Secret Access (Adv.): Either through mutual loyalty or cunning blackmail, you can convince certain well-connected people into sharing hidden information with you.
* Hideous (Adv.): You are exceptionally horrific and have mannerisms that range from unsettling to disgusting to others, useful for the purposes of intimidation or terror.
* Hard To Kill: The first time you drop to 0 or less Body points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Body points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Body points are recovered back to their full total.
* Hard To Confuse: The first time you drop to 0 or less Mind points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Mind points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Mind points are recovered back to their full total.
* Hard To Unnerve: The first time you drop to 0 or less Spirit points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Spirit points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Spirit points are recovered back to their full total.
* Relentless: When any of your attack tasks reduce an enemy to 0 or less Body, you may immediately make an additional attack on another target within reach or range. You can keep attacking new enemies with new task rolls as long as targets keep dropping from your attacks, until none remain, or until at least one opponent remains standing after being hit.
APPENDIX A: CREATING NEW CHARACTERS
Divide starting ability score points among the three ability scores (Body, Mind, and Spirit), and chose from the list of traits.
* Ordinary: 30 ability score points, 3 Traits.
* Heroic: 35 ability score points, 5 Traits.
* Elite: 40 ability score points, 7 Traits.
* Epic: 45 ability score points, 9 Traits.
Superhero setting…
* Street-Level Superhero: 35 ability score points, 3 Traits, 2 Powers.
* Minor Superhero: 40 ability score points, 3 Traits, 4 Powers.
* Major Superhero: 50 ability score points, 5 Traits, 6 Powers.
SAMPLE CHARACTERS
ABRAHAM VAN HELSING
(source: Bram Stoker’s Dracula, 1897)
A Dutch man in his 60s, white hair and round glasses. A professor in law and philosophy. Devoutly Catholic. Studies metaphysics. Estranged from wife since the death of their son.
BODY 8, MIND 15, SPIRIT 13
* Hard To Unnerve: The first time you drop to 0 or less Spirit points, you instantly regain half you maximum number of Spirit points. You cannot benefit from this trait again until your Spirit points are recovered back to their full total.
* Medical Expert (Adv.): You are good at diagnosing and healing, forensics, knowledge of drugs, and biological research.
* Natural Sciences (Adv.): You have great knowledge of biology, chemistry, physics, geology, astronomy, and other such fields.
* Occult (Adv.): You know the truth about secret societies, cults, rituals, supernatural beings, and “things man was not meant to know.”
* Willpower (Adv.): You possess great mental strength, focus, and personal determination.
ZHENG YI SAO
(source: historical figure, early 1800s)
A Chinese woman in her late 20s/early 30s. “Pirate Queen” of the South China Sea (1801 to 1810). Strong presence, commands more than 300 ships and a loyal army of up to 40,000 pirates.
BODY 10, MIND 12, SPIRIT 13
* Criminal (Adv.): You have underworld connections and a known record with law enforcement.
* Honorable (Adv.): You have a reputation as trustworthy, fair, and always doing what’s right.
* Swiftness (Adv.): You can move quickly with exceptional reflexes and dexterous agility.
* Swords (Adv.): You are good at using long, hand-held blades in a fight both to make slashing and piercing attacks and parrying incoming blows.
* Tactics (Adv.): You understand military leadership to coordinate squads of soldiers or fleets of ships against enemy forces.
APPENDIX B: GAME MASTER’S REFERENCE GUIDE
ABILITY SCORES
Ability Score 5 … untrained, untalented
Ability Score 10 … trained or talented, veteran, professional
Ability Score 15 … master expert, greatest in the region
Ability Score 20 … legendary expert, greatest on the planet
TASK DIFFICULTY RULE-OF-THUMB
Difficulty 1 … trivial tasks (95% chance of success)
Difficulty 5 … easy tasks (75% chance of success)
Difficulty 10 … moderate tasks (50% chance of success)
Difficulty 15 … hard tasks (25% chance of success)
Difficulty 20 … extreme tasks (5% chance of mixed success)
RULE-OF-THUMB
Difficulty 1 … minimal opponents (no Armor, no weapon)
Difficulty 5 … minor opponents (light Armor, light weapon)
Difficulty 10 … moderate opponents (light Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 15 … major opponents (heavy Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 20 … mighty opponents (superheavy Armor, superheavy weapon)
HUMAN ENEMIES
Difficulty 1 … children
Difficulty 5 … common people (typically unarmed)
Difficulty 10 … guard, solider, thugs (light Armor, heavy weapon), angry mob (a dozen people, no Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 15 … elite solider, supervillain (heavy Armor, heavy weapon), rioting crowd (hundreds of people, no Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 20 … supervillain mastermind (superheavy Armor, superheavy weapon)
ANIMALS & DINOSAURS
Difficulty 1 … tiny animal (rat, small snake, songbird)
Difficulty 5 … small predator (anaconda, dog, eagle, wolverine), large beasts (horse)
Difficulty 10 … medium predator (bear, lion, tiger), huge beasts (mammoth, triceratops)
Difficulty 15 … large predator (great white shark, tyrannosaurus rex)
Difficulty 20 … giant predator (kaiju monster as tall as a building)
MONSTERS OF HORROR
Difficulty 5 … fiend (imp), zombie (slow walker)
Difficulty 10 … fiend (soldier), ghoul, incubus/succubus, werewolf, vampire (young)
Difficulty 15 … fiend (commander), fallen angel, flesh golem, vampire (elder)
Difficulty 20 … fiend (a lord of Hell), elder god or “old one” (Great Cthulhu)
MONSTERS OF FANTASY
Difficulty 5 … faerie, goblin, orc, skeleton, zombie
Difficulty 10 … chimera, dragon (young), elemental, giant, mage, orc leader
Difficulty 15 … archmage, dragon (adult), great worm, iron golem, sphinx
Difficulty 20 … demigod, dragon (ancient), kraken, undead archmage
MONSTERS OF SCI-FI
Difficulty 5 … utility robot (not programmed for combat)
Difficulty 10 … soldier robot, space trooper (light Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 15 … cyborg assassin, heavy trooper (heavy Armor, heavy weapon)
Difficulty 20 … advanced battlesuit, light mecha (superheavy Armor, superheavy weapon)