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A Rough Riff May Cause Rifts

Started by David Johansen, February 07, 2024, 11:55:55 PM

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David Johansen

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Characteristics
   The broad differences between characters are indicated by the core characteristics.  Roll 1d6 + 7 for each of the following traits.  The primary game effect of characteristics is to modify success rolls and resist them.  The modifier for a characteristic is found by subtracting ten from the base value.

Intelligence
Stability
Social
Strength
Agility
Endurance
Comeliness
Movement

Intelligence is an indicator of book learning, reading ability, reasoning, and memory.  It modifies rolls to study, learn, and understand material related to specific skills and resists attempts to deceive or confuse the character.

Stability tells us how strong willed, patient, sane, and self aware the character is.  It modifies rolls to overcome fear and doubt and resists  mind control and intimidation.

Social  reveals the character's ability to interact with others in a positive and compelling manner.  It modifies attempts to convince and seduce others and resists attempts to slander and demean the character.

Strength indicates the character's size, build, and muscular development.  It modifiers attempts to shove or lift things and is applied to damage with muscle powered weapons and resists shoving and tackling.

Agility tells you how well the character can climb and fight and maneuver.  It modifies attacks, stealth, and evasion and resists attacks.

Endurance measures general fitness and health.  It modifies swimming and distance running and resists fatigue and injury.

Comeliness measures the character's physical attractiveness and other traits that make one pleasing to the eye and desirable.  It modifies first impressions.  Social intelligence matters in the long term but that first impression has a huge impact.

Movement determines how fast the character can run, swim, climb, and otherwise get around.  It is most often compared directly but can modify rolls to determine the winner of races.


Skills
   Possessing a skill gives a bonus equal to the character's level to the activity in question.  Some skills also increase a characteristic.  All characters are assumed to be skilled in their own language, basic arithmetic, swimming, computer operation, bicycling, to a reasonable level.

A character will have ten skills at first level.  Some skills add one point to a characteristic on receipt.

Academic Skills
each Cultural Studies + Social
History + Intelligence
each Language + Intelligence
Law + Social
Literature + Social
Philosophy + Stability
Theology + Stability

Athletic Skills
Bicycling + Endurance
Gymnastics + Agility
Swimming + Endurance
Running + Movement
Weight Lifting + Strength

Combat Skills
Grapple + Agility
Kick + Agility
Punch + Strength
Throw + Strength
each Weapon + Strength

Piloting Skills
Airplane
Automobile
Boat
Helicopter
Motor Cycle
Ship
Truck

Scientific Skills
Archeology + Intelligence
Botany + Intelligence
Chemistry + Intelligence
Ecology + Intelligence
Genetics + Intelligence
Mathematics + Intelligence
Physics + Intelligence
Paleontology + Intelligence

Technical Skills
Computer Technician
Computer Programming
Radar Operation
Sonar Operation
Radio Communications
Mechanic
Nuclear Power Plant Operation

Experience
   Characters start out young and inexperienced.  Each time they accumulate 1000 Experience Points they gain a level.  Experience should be awarded relative to the challenge thus, a character must seek out greater challenges at higher levels to gain the same reward.  Around 250 Experience Points per session should be awarded or, perhaps 100 per hour of actual play, docking time spend off topic will get players back on track real fast.

Combat
   Fights are resolved in one minute rounds.  During the round, each combatant takes actions in an order determined by rolling 1d20 counting down.  If two combatants have the same initiative they are acting simultaneously and may attack or defend but not both.  Each combatant gets to take a total of six actions in a round but each combatant takes one action at a time, before cycling through the initiative order again. 

Movement
   In addition to their actions action character can run 20 meters per point of Speed or swim 5 meters.  This movement is spread evenly so they move the same distance each initiative point. However, they can only initiate movement on their own turn in the initiative sequence.

Melee Attack
   The character chooses a target within the reach of their weapon.  If they must move into reach, this may affect their initiative as discussed in movement.  1d20 is rolled and the character's Agility modifier and level in the weapon skill is applied.  If the total is greater than the target's Agility, the attack hits.  If the target wishes to parry or dodge they may attempt to do so.

Missile Attack
   The character chooses a target within the range of their weapon.  1d20 is rolled and the attacker's Agility modifier and weapon skill modifiers are added.  If the total is greater than the target's Agility, the attack hits.  There is a +5 modifier if the target is large and/or the attacker did not move this round.  There is a -5 modifier if the attack is made at more than half range, the attacker ran, and/or the target moved.

   Automatic fire allows a weapon to make three attacks that can be divided between adjacent targets or focused on a single one.  Automatic fire is indiscriminate and hits must be allocated equally and randomly among those engaged in melee.  Because it is hard to control, submachineguns and assault rifles wielded in one hand, battle rifles, machine guns, and machine pistols are all -5 to hit when fired on automatic.

Parry
   If a character is hit by an attack they can attempt to parry it.  Roll 1d20 and add the defender's Agility modifier and weapon skill modifier.  If the total is greater than the attacker's attack total the attack is deflected.  Parrying counts as one action from the character's next turn.

Dodge
   If a character is hit by an attack they can attempt to dodge it.  Roll 1d20 and add the defender's Agility modifier and Speed modifier.  Dodging requires movement so the character counts as having moved until their next turn as well as counting as an action.

Armour
   Protection against attacks can be heavy and cumbersome but when you get hit, it's worth it.  A suit of armour has a coverage rating, which is the range of attack totals that will be stopped by the armour.  Armour also has a number of damage points that it can absorb before being penetrated and a numbe of damage points it can absorb before being destroyed.  If an attack cannot inflict at least 1/10 of a suit of armour's single attack absorption, it is simply deflected without harm and it's time to try something else, something bigger.

Just A Helmet   Agility to Agility + 2, x 1 Total Absorption
Helmet And Torso   Agility to Agility + 5, x 5 Total Absorption
Full Suit   Agility to Agility +10, x 10 Total Absorption

Soft Leather 3
Hard Leather 6
Mail 9
Steel Plate 12
Ballistic Cloth 15
Ceramic Plates 18

Hit Points
   A character has Hit Points equal to their Endurance + 3 x their level.  When these are gone they are incapacitated and out of the fight.  Many foes will flee or surrender if they fall below half their Hit Points.  Vehicles, structures, terrain features and other objects have Damage Points instead of Hit Points.

Damage
Punch 1d4
Kick 1d6
Throw 1d8
Knife 2d4
Short Sword 2d6
Hand Axe 2d6
Long Sword 2d8
Great Sword 2d10
Great Axe 2d12
Light Pistol 3d4
Automatic Pistol   3d6
Assault Rifle   3d8
Sniper Rifle   3d10
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