David Johansen
Legendary Pubber
- Joined
- May 4, 2017
- Messages
- 5,956
- Reaction score
- 12,083
3d6 Again
A couple recent threads elsewhere convinced me that there’s actually a bit of built up demand for a 3d6 universal roleplaying game. And since I’ve been banging on that drum for a while I took another stab at it. This one isn’t necessarily simple. In fact it involves quite a bit more averaging than I wanted. I could use an attribute bonus chart to hide it but for now I’ve left it as is.
Major Tomas Rocketman, Astronaut (I need to fix skills)
50 points
Characteristics:
Agility 12 (8)
Dexterity 13 (12)
Empathy 10
Intelligence 12 (8)
Perception 11 (4)
Speed 10
Strength 10
Toughness 10
Willpower 12 (8)
Perks:
Space Force Rank 2
Skills:
Athletic
Freefall +1 = 13
Pilot +1
Fixed Wing +1 = 14
Spacecraft +1 =14
Gunnery
Beams +1 = 14
Missiles +1 = 14
Technical
Reactors +1 = 14
Rockets +1 = 14
Sensors +1 = 14
3d6
Rolling three, common, six-sided dice and totaling them gives a value between three and eighteen with a bell curve that means three and eighteen each only come up one in two hundred and sixteen rolls. This curve ensures a more average and predictable range of outcomes. Generally 3d6 are compared to a Characteristic or Skill rating with a roll greater than the rating indicating failure.
Result Quality
The dice are also used to find the quality of the results with each six adding one point, rolls from two to five adding nothing, and ones subtracting one. So, a roll of one plus three plus six gives a success roll total of ten and a result value of zero. The result value is most commonly used to determine the damage of attacks. characters with higher ratings will generally get better results.
Die Result
1 -1
2 - 5 0
6 +1
Contests
If two ratings are being compared or one is resisting another add ten to the active party’s rating and subtract the opposed party’s rating to find the chance of success. The bell curve of the 3d6 roll makes broad differences very nearly a sure thing for the advantaged party.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Success rolls using Skills generally assume adequate time, workspace, tools, and materials are available. There is a -1 penalty to the chance of success for each of these that is inadequate and a -2 penalty for each of these that is unavailable, meaning that there is a potential -10 under adventuring conditions.
Unskilled Actions
If a character attempts an activity covered by a specific skill and has not spent at least one point on it, they only use half of their Characteristic rating.
Fundamental Skills
Some skills are automatically known to some level as cultural norms. These will vary from one culture to another but Climbing, Unarmed Combat, Swimming, Throwing, and one’s Native Language would be a common list. These skills don’t get one point in them automatically but they do use the character’s full Characteristic rating instead of half of it.
Learning New Skills
It takes 360 hours of training to learn a new skill and remove the unskilled action modifier. Requiring new skills to be developed through training is realistic and helps to give each player character room to shine in their chosen field.
Points Costs
Points are used to buy Characteristics, Traits, and Skills. These in turn qualify a character for the perks of professions and social positions. A basic character is built on 50 points. Characteristics start at t10 and cost 4 points per additional point. Skills are based on characteristic ratings and cost 2 points per additional point in a Skill Class or 1 point in a specific Skill.
Characteristics
Characteristic ratings are used as quantities and base chance of success. For example, the amount a character can lift is determined directly by their Strength without the need for a die roll and their chance of winning an arm wrestling match is determined by rolling under their Strength on 3d6.
Agility
Charisma
Endurance
Intelligence
Perception
Speed
Strength
Willpower
Agility
Muscular development, motor skills, balance, and flexibility allow the character to move around quickly, confidently, and even gracefully. Agility is used for many Athletic skills and Melee Weapons.
Charisma
That combination of looks, manner, and social empathy that makes an individual likeable and inspiring, Charisma is the base for Social and Performance skills.
Endurance
The combination of cardiovascular fitness, general health, and raw toughness that allows a character to overcome fatigue and survive injuries.
Intelligence
The capacity to reason, remember, and understand the world around them including general knowledge and education is used as the base for Academic and Technical Skills.
Perception
General sensory acuity and situational awareness, Perception is used as the base for Artistic and Awareness skills.
Speed
How fast a character can move is not use as the basis for any skills but can be vital from a tactical perspective. You don’t have to outrun the monster, you just have to outrun the next guy.
Strength
The combined effect of mass, build, and muscular development allows the character to lift, shove, and carry things but it is also the basis for melee weapon damage.
Willpower
Sense of self, confidence, patience, drive, and resolve are important when resisting stress and mind control, including the rather more mundane methods of media and indoctrination.
Skill Classes
Academic
Athletic
Artistic
Craft
Drive
Gunnery
Medical
Melee Weapons
Missile Weapons
Observation
Performance
Pilot
Technical
Social
Academic
These skills primarily deal with rote knowledge and book learning. They are used to obtain information on the specific subject matter in play.
Biology (Intelligence)
Chemistry (Intelligence)
History (Intelligence)
Occultism (Intelligence)
Physics (Intelligence)
Athletic
Physical activities and training increase a character’s chance of surviving dangerous feats.
Acrobatics (Agility)
Climb (Agility)
Free Fall (Agility)
Ride (Agility)
Sneak (Agility)
Swim (Endurance)
Throw (Strength)
Artistic
Practice and instruction in the creation of visual imagery in two and three dimensions.
Draw (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Illusion (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Graphics (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Paint (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Sculpt (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Awareness
Practical training in noticing and finding things.
Follow (Perception)
Locate (Perception)
Search (Perception)
Track (Perception)
Watch (Perception)
Craft
Practical training and experience in creating useful objects.
Carpentry (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Sewing (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Smithing (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Weaving (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Drive
Practice and training in controlling vehicles that primarily move in two dimensions. The Reflexes trait affects Driving skills.
Air Cushion (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Floatation (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Legged (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Tracked (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Wheeled (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Gunnery
Training and experience in blowing things up with heavy weapons mounted on walls and vehicles. The Reflexes trait affects Gunnery skills.
Ballista (Dexterity + Strength)/2
Beam (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Blast (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Cannon (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Missile (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Magic
The skill of violating the laws of physics through incantation and ritual.
each spell (Intelligence + Willpower)/2
Medical
The study of the body and the treatment of its ills.
Diagnosis (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Pathology (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Pharmacy (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Surgery (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons that can be thrown include that ability in their training.
Axe (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Blunt (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Knife (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Spear (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Sword (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Unarmed (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Missile Weapons
Training with ranged weapons. The sight trait affects missile weapon skills.
Beam (Dexterity)
Blast (Dexterity)
Bow (Dexterity)
Crossbow (Dexterity)
Firearm (Dexterity)
Sling (Dexterity)
Performance
The art of remaining calm and not making a fool of oneself in front of an audience excepting those times when panicking and making a fool of oneself is the matter of the act.
Act (Charisma + Perception)/2
Dance (Charisma + Agility)/2
Orate (Charisma)
Sing (Charisma + Endurance)/2
Pilot
The practice and training needed to control vehicles that move in three dimensions.
Anti-Gravity (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Fixed Wing (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Rotary Wing (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Space Craft (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Submersible (Dexterity + Intelligence
Vectored Thrust (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Technical
The training and skill needed to repair and assemble technological devices.
Computers (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Engines (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Mechanical (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Reactors (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Sensors (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Social
The understanding and experience needed to work with other people and get results from doing so. Social skills are affected by the Aesthetics Trait when within one’s own culture or ones with similar values.
Convince (Charisma+Intelligence)/2
Deceive (Charisma + Intelligence)/2
Instruct (Charisma + Intelligence)/2
Lead (Charisma + Willpower)/2
Traits
Where characteristics provide a general gauge of ability represented by a rating. Traits focus ability with a modifier or provide a specific ability that isn’t found in ordinary humans.
Aesthetics
Appealing features like a square jaw, shapely physique, flowing hair, and a melodious voice are advantageous in social situations and performances but they are not universal across cultures and species.
Amphibious
The creature can function equally well on water and land.
Aquatic
The creature has evolved to live in the water rather than on land.
Hearing
Adds to Performance and detects ambushes.
Nocturnal
The creature regards day as bad light and night as good light.
Reflexes
Neurological feedback and awareness levels influence all Driving, Gunnery, Piloting, and Melee Weapon skills and Initiative rolls.
Sight
Adds to Artistic, Gunnery, and Missile Weapon skills.
Size
Being bigger makes a creature stronger and slower. Size is represented by increasing Strength and reducing Agility, Dexterity, Speed, and Reflexes.
Smell
Detects ambushes. adds to Tracking
Wings
Fly at up to 4 times Speed. Glide at Speed. Fall at less than Speed.
Combat
In a roleplaying game, the exact nature of the battle field can be pretty vague. Even fully modeled scenery and miniatures can’t really show everything. For this reason spotting and hiding are used to represent these factors. If the roll fails there was probably a clump of grass or cardboard box in the way.
Surprise
At the start of a battle, the readiness and preparation of each combatant may be in doubt. Roll Perception on 3d6 for each combatant to see if they are taken by surprise. Those who fail do not act in the first round. If the situation is a planned encounter where both sides have showed up to fight no surprise roll is needed.
Initiative
Each round roll 3d6 + Reflexes to determine the order in which the combatants take their action. This represents the ebb and flow of the action as they look for openings and watch what is going on around them.
Waiting
Sometimes the opportune moment hasn’t arrived when a combatant’s turn has. In such a case they can chose to wait. This allows them to attack out of turn with a melee weapon if a foe runs into their reach or to fire a missile weapon if a target crosses their field of vision. Waiting can be carried forward from one round to the next giving some hope to the slow and unlucky.
Movement
A combatant can walk or run while making most combat actions. This makes it harder to hit with missile attacks and involves certain risks when entering melee. Combatants move their Speed at a run and up to half that at a walk. Swimming, Climbing, and Sneaking are done at half Speed.
Facing
A combatant’s facing is flexible. They’re living beings who can look around and turn on the balls of their feet to face a threat. If a combatant runs, their facing is locked in the direction they moved.
Sneaking
A combatant can try to use available cover and concealment to move unseen right under the noses of their enemies. A successful Stealth roll indicates that a combatant is “hidden” and must be spotted with a penalty equal to the result points before they can be attacked. Sneaking can be done at half speed but suffers a -3 penalty.
Spotting
A combatant can try to see any sneaky, hidden foes. Roll Watch skill minus the sneaker’s result total on 3d6 to spot them. Spotting is penalized for range and light, just like a shooting attack.
Melee Attacks
A combatant’s target must be within the length of their weapon to strike a blow. Walking does not affect melee attacks. They can run towards their target but a waiting foe with a longer weapon can make their attack first if they do so. A contested success roll is made to determine if the attack hits.
Missile Attacks
The attacker must be able to see the target to make a missile attack. This means they must not be hidden and must be in front of the attacker. Shooting while walking suffers a - 3 to hit and running suffers a -6. The distance to the target also imposes a penalty which is doubled in bad light. Really large targets have a size bonus which matches and inverts the range penalty. For example, a target 100 meters long is attacked at +3. Attacks made at more than half the weapon’s Maximum Range suffer a -3 penalty.
Range Size Distance
0 0 1 - 3 meters
-1 +1 4 - 10 meters
-2 +2 10 - 33 meters
-3 +3 33 - 100 meters
-4 +4 100 - 333 meters
-5 +5 333 - 1000 meters
-6 +6 1000 - 3333 meters
-7 +7 3333 - 10000 meters
-8 +8 10000 - 33333 meters
-9 +9 33333 - 100000 meters
-10 +10 100000 - 333333 meters
x 2 Bad Light
-3 Long Range
-3 Walking
-6 Running
Damage
The amount of damage inflicted by an attack is the result value of the attack roll is added to the damage value for the weapon. This is first applied to the target’s armour and then to their wound total. Armour can absorb a fixed number of damage from each hit. If the armour is superior to the weapon it ‘resists’ the attack, subtracting its absorption value from the damage before absorbing any damage. When the combatant has taken more damage than their Toughness they are incapacitated or too wounded to carry on fighting. When they have taken more damage than their Toughness plus Strength they are dead.
Example: Joe is shot with an arrow. He is wearing a steel plate cuirass with an absorption of 3 and 30 damage points, he’s got a 12 Toughness. The arrow has a Damage of 3 and the attack roll is 3,2,4, for 3 result points making the damage total 6. The armour resists the arrow so it deflects 3 points of damage and absorbs the remaining 3 reducing the armour to 27 damage points.
Weapon Damage
Hand Axe Strength +1 Slash, Slow
Battle Axe Strength +3 Slash, Slow
Short Sword Strength -2 Slash or Piercing
Sword Strength Slash or Piercing
Great Sword Strength +2 Slash or Piercing
Club Strength Blunt, Natural
Mace Strength +1 Blunt, Slow
Staff Strength +1 Blunt, Long, Two Handed
Hammer Strength +3 Blunt, Slow
Spear Strength +1 Piercing, Long
Bow 100/200 meters Strength - 2 Pierce
Crossbow 150/300 meters Strength Pierce, Slow
Longbow 150/300 meters Strength Pierce
Sling 75/150 meters Strength Blunt
Pistol 50 / 500 meters 12 Ballistic
Rifle 250 / 2500 meters 15 Ballistic
Leather Armour 6 / 30 Resists Blunt
Chain Armour 9 / 45 Resists Slash, Resists Natural
Plate Armour 12 / 60 Resists Slash and Piercing, Resists Natural
Ballistic Armour 9 / 27 Resists Ballistic
Encumbrance
For the purposes of tk a character’s load is either Stripped, Normal, or Burdened. When stripped they have nothing more than the clothes on their back and a single item they can hold in one hand or stick in a pocket giving them a +3 to their Speed. If they are wearing heavy armour or carrying a loaded backpack they are Burdened and take a -3 to their Speed.
Fatigue
There are three fatigue levels: rested, tired and exhausted. If a character is tired they take a -3 to all actions. If a character is exhausted they take a -6 to all actions. Missing a night of sleep or working or traveling eight hours (four if Burdened) will make the character’s fatigue level increase by one step. So, they’ll be exhausted after a sixteen hour shift or a sleepless night and a full day of work.
Lifting
A character can lift a weight in kilograms up to their Strength times five.
A couple recent threads elsewhere convinced me that there’s actually a bit of built up demand for a 3d6 universal roleplaying game. And since I’ve been banging on that drum for a while I took another stab at it. This one isn’t necessarily simple. In fact it involves quite a bit more averaging than I wanted. I could use an attribute bonus chart to hide it but for now I’ve left it as is.
Major Tomas Rocketman, Astronaut (I need to fix skills)
50 points
Characteristics:
Agility 12 (8)
Dexterity 13 (12)
Empathy 10
Intelligence 12 (8)
Perception 11 (4)
Speed 10
Strength 10
Toughness 10
Willpower 12 (8)
Perks:
Space Force Rank 2
Skills:
Athletic
Freefall +1 = 13
Pilot +1
Fixed Wing +1 = 14
Spacecraft +1 =14
Gunnery
Beams +1 = 14
Missiles +1 = 14
Technical
Reactors +1 = 14
Rockets +1 = 14
Sensors +1 = 14
3d6
Rolling three, common, six-sided dice and totaling them gives a value between three and eighteen with a bell curve that means three and eighteen each only come up one in two hundred and sixteen rolls. This curve ensures a more average and predictable range of outcomes. Generally 3d6 are compared to a Characteristic or Skill rating with a roll greater than the rating indicating failure.
Result Quality
The dice are also used to find the quality of the results with each six adding one point, rolls from two to five adding nothing, and ones subtracting one. So, a roll of one plus three plus six gives a success roll total of ten and a result value of zero. The result value is most commonly used to determine the damage of attacks. characters with higher ratings will generally get better results.
Die Result
1 -1
2 - 5 0
6 +1
Contests
If two ratings are being compared or one is resisting another add ten to the active party’s rating and subtract the opposed party’s rating to find the chance of success. The bell curve of the 3d6 roll makes broad differences very nearly a sure thing for the advantaged party.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Success rolls using Skills generally assume adequate time, workspace, tools, and materials are available. There is a -1 penalty to the chance of success for each of these that is inadequate and a -2 penalty for each of these that is unavailable, meaning that there is a potential -10 under adventuring conditions.
Unskilled Actions
If a character attempts an activity covered by a specific skill and has not spent at least one point on it, they only use half of their Characteristic rating.
Fundamental Skills
Some skills are automatically known to some level as cultural norms. These will vary from one culture to another but Climbing, Unarmed Combat, Swimming, Throwing, and one’s Native Language would be a common list. These skills don’t get one point in them automatically but they do use the character’s full Characteristic rating instead of half of it.
Learning New Skills
It takes 360 hours of training to learn a new skill and remove the unskilled action modifier. Requiring new skills to be developed through training is realistic and helps to give each player character room to shine in their chosen field.
Points Costs
Points are used to buy Characteristics, Traits, and Skills. These in turn qualify a character for the perks of professions and social positions. A basic character is built on 50 points. Characteristics start at t10 and cost 4 points per additional point. Skills are based on characteristic ratings and cost 2 points per additional point in a Skill Class or 1 point in a specific Skill.
Characteristics
Characteristic ratings are used as quantities and base chance of success. For example, the amount a character can lift is determined directly by their Strength without the need for a die roll and their chance of winning an arm wrestling match is determined by rolling under their Strength on 3d6.
Agility
Charisma
Endurance
Intelligence
Perception
Speed
Strength
Willpower
Agility
Muscular development, motor skills, balance, and flexibility allow the character to move around quickly, confidently, and even gracefully. Agility is used for many Athletic skills and Melee Weapons.
Charisma
That combination of looks, manner, and social empathy that makes an individual likeable and inspiring, Charisma is the base for Social and Performance skills.
Endurance
The combination of cardiovascular fitness, general health, and raw toughness that allows a character to overcome fatigue and survive injuries.
Intelligence
The capacity to reason, remember, and understand the world around them including general knowledge and education is used as the base for Academic and Technical Skills.
Perception
General sensory acuity and situational awareness, Perception is used as the base for Artistic and Awareness skills.
Speed
How fast a character can move is not use as the basis for any skills but can be vital from a tactical perspective. You don’t have to outrun the monster, you just have to outrun the next guy.
Strength
The combined effect of mass, build, and muscular development allows the character to lift, shove, and carry things but it is also the basis for melee weapon damage.
Willpower
Sense of self, confidence, patience, drive, and resolve are important when resisting stress and mind control, including the rather more mundane methods of media and indoctrination.
Skill Classes
Academic
Athletic
Artistic
Craft
Drive
Gunnery
Medical
Melee Weapons
Missile Weapons
Observation
Performance
Pilot
Technical
Social
Academic
These skills primarily deal with rote knowledge and book learning. They are used to obtain information on the specific subject matter in play.
Biology (Intelligence)
Chemistry (Intelligence)
History (Intelligence)
Occultism (Intelligence)
Physics (Intelligence)
Athletic
Physical activities and training increase a character’s chance of surviving dangerous feats.
Acrobatics (Agility)
Climb (Agility)
Free Fall (Agility)
Ride (Agility)
Sneak (Agility)
Swim (Endurance)
Throw (Strength)
Artistic
Practice and instruction in the creation of visual imagery in two and three dimensions.
Draw (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Illusion (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Graphics (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Paint (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Sculpt (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Awareness
Practical training in noticing and finding things.
Follow (Perception)
Locate (Perception)
Search (Perception)
Track (Perception)
Watch (Perception)
Craft
Practical training and experience in creating useful objects.
Carpentry (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Sewing (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Smithing (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Weaving (Perception + Dexterity)/2
Drive
Practice and training in controlling vehicles that primarily move in two dimensions. The Reflexes trait affects Driving skills.
Air Cushion (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Floatation (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Legged (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Tracked (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Wheeled (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Gunnery
Training and experience in blowing things up with heavy weapons mounted on walls and vehicles. The Reflexes trait affects Gunnery skills.
Ballista (Dexterity + Strength)/2
Beam (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Blast (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Cannon (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Missile (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Magic
The skill of violating the laws of physics through incantation and ritual.
each spell (Intelligence + Willpower)/2
Medical
The study of the body and the treatment of its ills.
Diagnosis (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Pathology (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Pharmacy (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Surgery (Dexterity + Perception)/2
Melee Weapons
Melee weapons that can be thrown include that ability in their training.
Axe (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Blunt (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Knife (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Spear (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Sword (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Unarmed (Agility + Dexterity)/2
Missile Weapons
Training with ranged weapons. The sight trait affects missile weapon skills.
Beam (Dexterity)
Blast (Dexterity)
Bow (Dexterity)
Crossbow (Dexterity)
Firearm (Dexterity)
Sling (Dexterity)
Performance
The art of remaining calm and not making a fool of oneself in front of an audience excepting those times when panicking and making a fool of oneself is the matter of the act.
Act (Charisma + Perception)/2
Dance (Charisma + Agility)/2
Orate (Charisma)
Sing (Charisma + Endurance)/2
Pilot
The practice and training needed to control vehicles that move in three dimensions.
Anti-Gravity (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Fixed Wing (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Rotary Wing (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Space Craft (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Submersible (Dexterity + Intelligence
Vectored Thrust (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Technical
The training and skill needed to repair and assemble technological devices.
Computers (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Engines (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Mechanical (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Reactors (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Sensors (Dexterity + Intelligence)/2
Social
The understanding and experience needed to work with other people and get results from doing so. Social skills are affected by the Aesthetics Trait when within one’s own culture or ones with similar values.
Convince (Charisma+Intelligence)/2
Deceive (Charisma + Intelligence)/2
Instruct (Charisma + Intelligence)/2
Lead (Charisma + Willpower)/2
Traits
Where characteristics provide a general gauge of ability represented by a rating. Traits focus ability with a modifier or provide a specific ability that isn’t found in ordinary humans.
Aesthetics
Appealing features like a square jaw, shapely physique, flowing hair, and a melodious voice are advantageous in social situations and performances but they are not universal across cultures and species.
Amphibious
The creature can function equally well on water and land.
Aquatic
The creature has evolved to live in the water rather than on land.
Hearing
Adds to Performance and detects ambushes.
Nocturnal
The creature regards day as bad light and night as good light.
Reflexes
Neurological feedback and awareness levels influence all Driving, Gunnery, Piloting, and Melee Weapon skills and Initiative rolls.
Sight
Adds to Artistic, Gunnery, and Missile Weapon skills.
Size
Being bigger makes a creature stronger and slower. Size is represented by increasing Strength and reducing Agility, Dexterity, Speed, and Reflexes.
Smell
Detects ambushes. adds to Tracking
Wings
Fly at up to 4 times Speed. Glide at Speed. Fall at less than Speed.
Combat
In a roleplaying game, the exact nature of the battle field can be pretty vague. Even fully modeled scenery and miniatures can’t really show everything. For this reason spotting and hiding are used to represent these factors. If the roll fails there was probably a clump of grass or cardboard box in the way.
Surprise
At the start of a battle, the readiness and preparation of each combatant may be in doubt. Roll Perception on 3d6 for each combatant to see if they are taken by surprise. Those who fail do not act in the first round. If the situation is a planned encounter where both sides have showed up to fight no surprise roll is needed.
Initiative
Each round roll 3d6 + Reflexes to determine the order in which the combatants take their action. This represents the ebb and flow of the action as they look for openings and watch what is going on around them.
Waiting
Sometimes the opportune moment hasn’t arrived when a combatant’s turn has. In such a case they can chose to wait. This allows them to attack out of turn with a melee weapon if a foe runs into their reach or to fire a missile weapon if a target crosses their field of vision. Waiting can be carried forward from one round to the next giving some hope to the slow and unlucky.
Movement
A combatant can walk or run while making most combat actions. This makes it harder to hit with missile attacks and involves certain risks when entering melee. Combatants move their Speed at a run and up to half that at a walk. Swimming, Climbing, and Sneaking are done at half Speed.
Facing
A combatant’s facing is flexible. They’re living beings who can look around and turn on the balls of their feet to face a threat. If a combatant runs, their facing is locked in the direction they moved.
Sneaking
A combatant can try to use available cover and concealment to move unseen right under the noses of their enemies. A successful Stealth roll indicates that a combatant is “hidden” and must be spotted with a penalty equal to the result points before they can be attacked. Sneaking can be done at half speed but suffers a -3 penalty.
Spotting
A combatant can try to see any sneaky, hidden foes. Roll Watch skill minus the sneaker’s result total on 3d6 to spot them. Spotting is penalized for range and light, just like a shooting attack.
Melee Attacks
A combatant’s target must be within the length of their weapon to strike a blow. Walking does not affect melee attacks. They can run towards their target but a waiting foe with a longer weapon can make their attack first if they do so. A contested success roll is made to determine if the attack hits.
Missile Attacks
The attacker must be able to see the target to make a missile attack. This means they must not be hidden and must be in front of the attacker. Shooting while walking suffers a - 3 to hit and running suffers a -6. The distance to the target also imposes a penalty which is doubled in bad light. Really large targets have a size bonus which matches and inverts the range penalty. For example, a target 100 meters long is attacked at +3. Attacks made at more than half the weapon’s Maximum Range suffer a -3 penalty.
Range Size Distance
0 0 1 - 3 meters
-1 +1 4 - 10 meters
-2 +2 10 - 33 meters
-3 +3 33 - 100 meters
-4 +4 100 - 333 meters
-5 +5 333 - 1000 meters
-6 +6 1000 - 3333 meters
-7 +7 3333 - 10000 meters
-8 +8 10000 - 33333 meters
-9 +9 33333 - 100000 meters
-10 +10 100000 - 333333 meters
x 2 Bad Light
-3 Long Range
-3 Walking
-6 Running
Damage
The amount of damage inflicted by an attack is the result value of the attack roll is added to the damage value for the weapon. This is first applied to the target’s armour and then to their wound total. Armour can absorb a fixed number of damage from each hit. If the armour is superior to the weapon it ‘resists’ the attack, subtracting its absorption value from the damage before absorbing any damage. When the combatant has taken more damage than their Toughness they are incapacitated or too wounded to carry on fighting. When they have taken more damage than their Toughness plus Strength they are dead.
Example: Joe is shot with an arrow. He is wearing a steel plate cuirass with an absorption of 3 and 30 damage points, he’s got a 12 Toughness. The arrow has a Damage of 3 and the attack roll is 3,2,4, for 3 result points making the damage total 6. The armour resists the arrow so it deflects 3 points of damage and absorbs the remaining 3 reducing the armour to 27 damage points.
Weapon Damage
Hand Axe Strength +1 Slash, Slow
Battle Axe Strength +3 Slash, Slow
Short Sword Strength -2 Slash or Piercing
Sword Strength Slash or Piercing
Great Sword Strength +2 Slash or Piercing
Club Strength Blunt, Natural
Mace Strength +1 Blunt, Slow
Staff Strength +1 Blunt, Long, Two Handed
Hammer Strength +3 Blunt, Slow
Spear Strength +1 Piercing, Long
Bow 100/200 meters Strength - 2 Pierce
Crossbow 150/300 meters Strength Pierce, Slow
Longbow 150/300 meters Strength Pierce
Sling 75/150 meters Strength Blunt
Pistol 50 / 500 meters 12 Ballistic
Rifle 250 / 2500 meters 15 Ballistic
Leather Armour 6 / 30 Resists Blunt
Chain Armour 9 / 45 Resists Slash, Resists Natural
Plate Armour 12 / 60 Resists Slash and Piercing, Resists Natural
Ballistic Armour 9 / 27 Resists Ballistic
Encumbrance
For the purposes of tk a character’s load is either Stripped, Normal, or Burdened. When stripped they have nothing more than the clothes on their back and a single item they can hold in one hand or stick in a pocket giving them a +3 to their Speed. If they are wearing heavy armour or carrying a loaded backpack they are Burdened and take a -3 to their Speed.
Fatigue
There are three fatigue levels: rested, tired and exhausted. If a character is tired they take a -3 to all actions. If a character is exhausted they take a -6 to all actions. Missing a night of sleep or working or traveling eight hours (four if Burdened) will make the character’s fatigue level increase by one step. So, they’ll be exhausted after a sixteen hour shift or a sleepless night and a full day of work.
Lifting
A character can lift a weight in kilograms up to their Strength times five.