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Ziegander
2011-10-09, 04:40 PM
NOTICE! PLEASE DO NOT POST ANY COMMENTS UNTIL I REMOVE THIS BANNER.

Goodness. Looks like I'll probably end up with at least 15 reserved posts for a grand total of 750,000+ characters. Until then, feel free to PM me if you have comments, concerns, or questions about the materials here. I won't be removing the banner until I have a better idea of the beast I'm dealing with.

The Nuts & Bolts

Core Mechanics

Roll a twenty-sided die, add modifiers, attempt to meet or beat a target number. In these rules players roll all the dice, so when a player wants to attack an enemy they roll vs defense. When they need to avoid an attack they roll vs attack.

Everything is referred to as a roll, not a check, not a saving throw, just a roll. Attack roll, damage roll, initiative roll, fortitude roll, athletics roll, grapple roll, etc.

If a value must be rounded to the nearest fraction always round down.

Players of all classes add 1/2 their character level to all rolls of a twenty-sided die as a general rule. This is not considered a modifier.

Players also add half their class levels in any classes to their Effect Level for their other classes. For example, an Adept 4/Expert 2/Warrior 6 has a character level of 12 with an Adept Effect Level of 8, an Expert Effect Level of 7, and a Warrior Effect Level of 9.


Ability Scores

The idea here is to eliminate the dump stat. Ability scores are no longer to be tied specifically to classes, but rather to the sort of things a character means to do. A blaster will covet a high dexterity and may not need a high intelligence.

Strength - May add to Hazard attack and damage rolls, adds to some skills, may add to Fortitude defense rolls, and determines carrying capacity.

Dexterity - May add to Hazard attack and damage rolls, adds to some skills, may add to Hazard defense rolls, and may add to Initiative.

Constitution - May add to Fortitude attack and damage rolls, adds to some skills, may add to Fortitude defense rolls, and may determine Resistance.

Intelligence - May add to Will attack and damage rolls, adds to some skills, may add to Hazard defense rolls, and determines skill points per level.

Wisdom - May add to Fortitude attack and damage rolls, adds to some skills, may add to Will defense rolls, and may add to Initiative.

Charisma - May add to Will attack and damage rolls, adds to some skills, may add to Will defense rolls, and may determine Resistance.


Modifiers

Modifiers of the same type never stack; however, modifiers of different types always stack. A modifier can be either a bonus or a penalty. There are only five types of modifiers, as follows:

Circumstance - Modifiers to your roll based on logistics, placement, strategy, and tactics.

Class - Modifiers to your roll added as a result of a class feature or special attack granted by your class (spells, maneuvers, etc).

Inherent - Modifiers to your roll based on racial traits and ability scores.

Item - Modifiers to your roll added as a result of an item used, wielded, or worn.

Luck - Modifiers to your roll based on dumb luck. Generally handed out by the GM.


Hit Points, Injury, & Death

Hit Points

In this game, players have hit points, or HP for short, a value that helps to determine how long a player can go before being injured. Unlike in a standard d20 game, a player's HP are replenished very quickly. A Player's total HP is calculated as:

[Character level x (total of relevant modifiers)].

When calculating total HP a player uses only his or her highest Inherent modifier between a racial, Constitution, or Charisma modifier.

A creature recovers HP up to its maximum total anytime it avoids stressful or otherwise hazardous situations for at least 5 minutes.

If a creature is reduced to 0 HP it recovers HP up to its maximum total, it becomes Staggered for 1 round (see Conditions), and it automatically sustains an Injury (see below).


Injury

When the damage dealt by a single attack exceeds half of a creature's RP that creature may sustain an injury. If a player is in danger of sustaining an injury he or she makes a Fortitude roll against the attacker's Attack Power. If an enemy is in danger of sustaining an injury, the attacking player rolls an additional Fortitude attack against the enemy with the same bonuses as the triggering attack.

When a creature has sustained a number of Injuries equal to its highest Inherent modifier between a racial, Constitution, or Charisma modifier it suffers the Disabled and Dying conditions.

A creature that sustains an Injury from a special (not basic) attack suffers a Condition (see Conditions) specified by the attack which lasts for an amount of time given in the attack description. For example, the Gale Cut special attack might inflict the Bleeding condition upon a creature for 5 rounds, while a Fireball might inflict the Burning condition upon a creature for 1 minute.

A creature that is not Dead, Disabled, or Dying removes 1 Injury per 8 hours of full rest provided it has proper sustainance.



Actions

There are five types of actions: Swift, Short, Standard, Full-Turn, and Extended. Outside of combat a creature may perform any of these actions as long as it has sufficient time and space to do so. Each type of action has specific rules for how they operate in and out of combat. Some tasks do not require a creature to take an action at all, such as talking or dropping an item.

Swift Action
In combat a creature may take only one swift action each round. Swift actions represent a task that doesn't require a lot of effort but does require attention to detail.

Short
In combat a creature may take up to two short actions each round. Short actions represent a task that requires some effort but typically less attention to detail. Movement is typically a short action.

Standard
In combat a creature may take only one standard action each round and only if it hasn't taken two short actions. A creature that takes a standard action on its turn may still take one swift action and one short action. Standard actions represent tasks that require a large amount of effort and attention to detail. A special attack is typically a standard action.

Full-Turn
In combat a creature may take only one Full-Turn action each round and only if it hasn't taken any other actions that round. A creature that takes a Full-Turn action may take no other actions on its turn (see Reactions below). Full-Turn actions represent tasks that require a creature's best efforts and attention.

Extended
An Extended Action is one that takes longer than a creature's whole turn to complete. In combat a creature may take only one Extended action each round, and a creature that takes an Extended action may take no other actions until the Extended Action is completed. An Extended Action always requires at least 1 round to complete and depending on the action may take up to hours.

Each round while performing an Extended Action a creature does not roll Initiative, instead its Initiative automatically falls to the lowest count. This allows anyone to interrupt a creature performing an Extended Action (see Combat). The round in which a creature would complete an Extended Action he rolls Initiative as normal.

Extended Actions are tasks which consume every bit of a creature's efforts and attention.


Combat

How It Works

Combat starts when at least one creature attacks another. When this happens each player involved must make an Initiative roll. During the first round of combat, each creature whose total initiative does not beat the attacker's total initiative is Surprised (see Conditions). After initiative is rolled, actions are declared in order starting from the lowest total initiative and finishing with the highest total initiative . Actions are resolved simultaneously, with characters of higher initiative interrupting the actions of characters with lower initiative when applicable (see Interrupted & Disrupted Actions below). After actions are declared and resolved, the round ends, and the new round begins with a new Initiative roll.

When making an Initiative roll add a player adds his or her highest Inherent modifier to the roll between his or her racial, Dexterity, or Wisdom modifiers.


Attack Rolls

Roll a twenty-sided die, add your attack modifiers, and meet or beat the enemy's defense.

When a player attacks an enemy he or she attempts to beat the enemy's Fortitude, Hazard, or Will Defense, based on his or her choice of attack. An attack hits as long as the player's attack roll meets or exceeds the enemy's Defense.

When making an Attack roll a player adds his or her highest Inherent modifier to the roll between his or her racial modifier; or vs Fort his or her Con or Wis modifiers, vs Hazard his or her Str or Dex modifiers, or vs Will his or her Int or Cha modifiers.


Defense Rolls

Roll a twenty-sided die, add your defense modifiers, and meet or beat the enemy's Attack Power.

When an enemy attacks a player, that player successfully avoids the attack as long as he or she meets or exceeds the enemy's Attack Power with a Fortitude, Hazard, or Will roll. Which roll the player makes depends on the enemy's choice of attack.

When making a Defense roll a player adds his or her highest Inherent modifier to the roll between his or her racial modifier; or for Fort his or her Str or Con modifiers, for Hazard his or her Dex or Int modifiers, or for Will his or her Wis or Cha modifiers.


Damage Rolls

After a player hits with an attack or fails to avoid an enemy attack, that player rolls to see how much damage the attack dealt. The amount and type of damage dealt is determined by what kind of attack is involved.


Interrupted & Disrupted Actions

Extended Actions may be interrupted by anyone at any time before they are completed, but any other action may be likewise interrupted by creatures with a higher initiative roll. When a creature's action is interrupted it is also disrupted unless the creature's concentration exceeds the interruptee's attack.

Players interrupting an enemy's action must make a new Disrupt attack vs the enemy's Concentration. Players being interrupted must make a Concentration roll vs the enemy's Attack Power.

If a creature's action is disrupted it fails entirely unless it is an Extended Action, in which case it is possible for the progress on the action to be preserved for later work.



Conditions

Conditions are commonly inflicted upon creatures after they sustain an Injury from a special attack, but creature's may suffer various conditions for other reasons as well.

The potency of many Conditions scale with the Effect Level of its source. As characters gain levels they are able to inflict worse and worse Conditions on their foes.

The list of conditions is as follows: Bleeding, Burning, Dead, Disabled, Distracted, Dying, Entangled, Fatigued, Frightened, Prone, Sickened, Staggered, Stunned, and Surprised.

Bleeding
A Bleeding creature loses 1 HP per Effect Level at the end of each round.

Burning
A Burning creature is dealt 1 fire damage per Effect Level for each Short action it performs, 2 fire damage per Effect Level for each Standard action it performs, and 3 fire damage per Effect Level for each Full-Turn action it performs. A Burning creature that is performing an Extended action is dealt 3 fire damage per Effect Level and is automatically disrupted.

Dead
A Dead creature does not recover HP, and does not respond to any form of healing whether natural or magical in nature. A Dead creature does not perceive events or stimuli and cannot perform any actions. When a creature becomes Dead remove all other conditions from it.

Disabled
A Disabled creature cannot perform any actions. If a creature is Disabled for an extended period of time, after any period of full rest of 8 hours or more the creature rolls a d20. On a 20 the creature removes the Disabled condition. For rolls between 11 and 19 the creature replaces the Disabled condition with Staggered. For rolls between 1 and 10 the creature replaces the Disabled condition with Dying.

Distracted
A Distracted creature suffers a circumstance penalty to Acrobatics, Concentration, Perception, and Stealth equal to double the Effect Level.

Dying
A Dying creature does not recover HP, does not perceive events or stimuli, and cannot perform any actions. Unlike Dead creatures, and Dying creature does benefit from healing; however, at the end of each round a Dying creature rolls a d20. On a 20 the creature replaces the Dying condition with Disabled. For rolls between 11 and 19 the creature gains a glimmer of hope. Upon gaining its fifth glimmer of hope the creature replaces the Dying condition with Disabled. For rolls between 1 and 10 the creature gains a black mark. Upon gaining its third black mark the creature replaces the Dying condition with Dead. When a creature is no longer Dying for any reason it loses all glimmers of hope and all black marks.

[...]


[More to come...]

Ziegander
2011-10-09, 04:41 PM
Making a Character

Getting Started

[...]


Races

Players gain an inherent bonus to their Effect Level with the class associated with their race equal to +1 per four associated class levels.

Human

You possess the following racial traits:
Manifest Destiny: You gain a +2 inherent bonus to defense rolls.
Skill Jack: You are trained in a skill that is not normally on your skill list.
Adaptability: Humans are not associated with any class by default; however you may designate any one class to be associated with once per day.


Adept Race (+2 to Wis or Cha, -2 to Dex and Con)

Expert Race (+2 to Dex or Int, -2 to Str and Wis)

Warrior Race (+2 to Str or Con, -2 to Int and Cha)

[More to come...]


Classes

A player's class levels provide him or her with various special attacks and qualities throughout its levels. A player gains additional benefits from their Favored Class. A class is said to be Favored by a player that has a) chosen a race with the class as its associated class, or b) taken more levels in that class than any other.

The Adept

Resistance: +4 modifier to HP

Favor: +2 modifier to Will defense rolls (among other things).

[...]


The Expert

Resistance: +6 modifier to HP

Favor: +2 modifier to Hazard defense rolls (among other things).

[...]


The Warrior

Resistance: +8 modifier to RP per level

Favor: +2 modifier to Fortitude defense rolls (among other things).

[...]



Skills

[...]


Achievements

Achievements are like minor feats that are generally not worth spending a feat on. All achievements have prerequisites, but the prerequisites for any achievements are purely roleplay in nature. For example, all player characters start the game with the Adventurer achievement:

Adventurer
Prerequisites: You must have abandoned your home and forsaken a permanent dwelling place to seek your fortunes in the unknown. Non-Adventurers generally find you a bit odd at best.
Benefit: Add 5 extra hit points to your total. Furthermore, once per day you may add a +5 luck bonus to any d20 roll.

Only player characters accumulate achievements; they may gain a new achievement they meet the prerequisites for at every level beyond 1st. A character that does not meet the prerequisites for any achievements when it gains a new level should probably reconsider playing a roleplaying game to be perfectly honest.


Milestones

Milestones are like powerful feats and grant creatures sizable bonuses or new uses of their actions. Milestones truly shape the creatures that take them and generally have steeper requirements than achievements and are gained only at every even-numbered level. All creatures gain Milestones.

Ziegander
2011-10-09, 04:42 PM
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2011-10-09, 04:43 PM
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2011-10-09, 04:45 PM
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2011-10-09, 04:48 PM
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2011-10-09, 04:55 PM
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2011-10-09, 04:59 PM
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2011-10-09, 05:04 PM
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