Character Mechanics

Attributes and Skills
All character abilities are measured by the number of dice which they add to your roll.

Attributes
Normal human Attributes range from 1 to 7 dice with 3 dice as the human average. NPC’s have 3 additional Attributes: Intelligence, Morale, and Reaction. For social contests the player gets dice based on actions and roleplaying, and the NPC uses these Attributes to defend.


 * STR contributes strength and toughness to a die pool. STR includes parts of CON.
 * DEX contributes agility, awareness and hand/eye coordination to a die pool. DEX includes parts of WIS.
 * SPI (Spirit) contributes intuition and luck to a die pool. SPI is used for magic and the supernatural.
 * Hit-Points: STR + DEX + SPI.

General-Skills
General-Skills are Melee, Missiles, Athletics, Stealth (which includes perception), and Magic. Each applies to a broad array of actions. Normal human General Skills range from 1 to 9 dice. Do not confuse the General-Skills of Athletics and Stealth with the die rolls for Athletics and Stealth.

Melee, Missiles, and Magic are normally used together with a Narrow-Skill. Athletics and Stealth are normally used for their respective rolls.

Derived Values
05-04-22 Speed value has been added, formulae for Reflex Save has changed.


 * Fortitude Save: STR + STR + SPI
 * Will Save: STR + SPI + SPI
 * Reflex Save: DEX + SPI + Athletics
 * Magic Save: Hit Points + SPI - Magic
 * Strength Test: STR + STR + STR


 * Speed: 5 feet times (5 + Median of STR, DEX, and Athletics}
 * Dodging roll: DEX + SPI + Athletics.
 * Athletics roll: STR + DEX + Athletics; use for running, climbing, jumping, etc.
 * Stealth or Perception roll: DEX + SPI + Stealth; use for attempts to see, hear, etc. or to remain unseen, unheard, etc.

Narrow-Skills
08-May-22 Began adding individual skill descriptions.

For most actions you don't need a Narrow-Skill; you can roll using just the appropriate Attribute and General-Skill dice. Narrow Skills represent additional specialized training. A few actions (eg. spells) are difficult or impossible without this specialized training. Normal human Narrow-Skills can range from 0 to 12 dice. Melee weapon skills are used both for attacks and for parries.


 * Brawling: Includes unarmed, short light weapons, and short blunt weapons.
 * Club: Includes all blunt weapons except short weapons.
 * Sword: Includes all 1-handed blades larger than a dagger.
 * Spear: (Melee): Includes pole-arms and lances.
 * Axe: Includes all 1 handed chopping weapons.
 * 2-Handed Weapons: Individual Narrow-Skills for Greatsword and Battle Axe.


 * Throw: Includes rocks, daggers, hatchets, bombs, etc.
 * Individual Narrow-Skills for Sling, Crossbow, Short Bow, and Firearms.
 * Individual magical spells or similar powers.


 * Hand-to-hand, aka Brawling, aka Unarmed Combat (used for all weaponless combat)
 * Martial-Arts, Disguise, Lock Picking, Pitching aka Throwing, Tracking, etc.

The Basic-Die-Pool
The Basic-Die-Pool consists of dice from 3 abilities (ie. Attributes, General-Skills, and Narrow-Skills. Use whichever abilities are most appropriate to your action. Your final die pool may also include dice for such things as as armor, spell effects, and environmental factors. Action- and Defense-Rolls get a minimum of 3 dice in their final die pool; thus you always have enough dice to take an action. Characters who are unconscious, bound, etc. cannot act, but still get 3 dice if for some reason a roll is needed.]

Basic-Die-Pools For Standard-Actions
If an appropriate General-Skill and an appropriate Narrow-Skill exist for an action, then it is a Standard-Action. Add the most appropriate Attribute and you have the formula for your roll. Examples are
 * Melee attack: STR  + Melee + Narrow-Skill for weapon used.
 * Parry: DEX + Melee + Narrow-Skill for weapon used.
 * Missile attack: DEX + Missiles + Narrow-Skill for weapon used.
 * Magic spell: SPI + Magic + Narrow-Skill for the spell being cast.

Basic-Die-Pools For Other Actions
05-04-22 New lock-picking die pool Attributes and skills can be combined in other ways, if that better represents the situation being resolved. However, you may never use more than 3 of your abilities to form your Basic-Die-Pool for an Action- or Defense-Roll, nor more than 2 for a Second-Roll.
 * Lock-picking: DEX + SPI + Lock Picking

Damage and Recovery
Like abilities, Damage is measured in dice. Damage is the total of the below 4 values and is subtracted from Action- and Defense-Rolls (but not from Second-Rolls). The main difference between these different types of Damage is how rapidly they can be healed. Also, Wounds and LTD require a Healing Roll to be made.


 * Stun is momentary disorientation. All Stun is removed immediately after Action-Rolls are made.
 * Fatigue is reduced by 1 die after each 10 minutes of rest or 30 minutes of very light activity (eg. unburdened walking).
 * Wounds gets a Healing-Roll each dawn. All LTD (and any Coma) must be healed before any Wounds can be healed.
 * Long-Term-Damage (LTD) gets a Healing-Roll each week. Healing LTD requires rest in town or equivalent.

Healing-Roll
13-Mar-22 The Healing-Roll is Hit-Points reduced by [Wounds+LTD] vs. [Wounds+LTD]. Success heals 1 Damage, 4 or more Victories heal 2 Damage.

First Aid
First Aid prevents infection. It can also change Wounds to Fatigue if a Healing Roll is successful. First Aid only works on Wounds not older than 1 hour. First Aid takes 10 minutes under normal conditions (bandages, clean water, etc.) Requires Healing Kit or successful use of Doctor's Ingredients (see Potions).

Conditions Needed for Healing
Recovery of Wounds and LTD require requires attention to injuries (fresh bandages, clean water, etc.), restful days, and ample food and sleep. Don’t count any day which includes combat, strenuous exercise, or damage taken. LTD recovery requires rest in town or equivalent.

Unconsciousness and Coma
Recovery from unconsciousness is rolled once per hour, beginning after all Fatigue is healed. Recovery from coma is rolled each dawn, beginning after all LTD is healed and before any Wounds are healed.

Save vs. Death, Automatic Death
13-Mar-22 System-Shock occurs when total Damage exceeds Hit-Points; you fall unconscious immediately and must make a System-Shock roll on the table below at the end of the combat. Automatic death results when Wounds + LTD >= Hit Points.

The System-Shock roll is Hit Points reduced by [Wounds+LTD] vs. [Wounds taken in this combat].

Increasing Abilities
To increase an ability you must pick your field of study before each session of play. At the end of that session you will receive experience points in that ability. When you have earned enough experience points in an ability, you get a permanent increase of 1 die. Narrow-Skill cost is based on the number of dice to which the skill is being raised. Attribute and General-Skill cost is based on the total value of all your Attributes or all your General-Skills.