Chargen
You have 18 points to spend on stats and 24 to spend on skills
stats go from 0 to 6: physical, mental, social, metaphysical
Stat Cost
0 0
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 5
5 8
6 13
skills go from +0 to +6: arts, athletics, craft, combat, esoterics, interaction, investigation, languages, operation, outdoors, profession, science, shadow, technical
Skill Cost
+0 0
+1 1
+2 2
+3 3
+4 5
+5 8
+6 13
Esoterics is more about general knowledge that isn't filled by Science and Technical, like general arcane knowledge or useless trivia.
For each full stat point or skill, you can add a specialization to it. Specializations can be added to specializations (so you can have Languages 2 (Spanish (Spanish Cuss Words)).
You gain +1 to a contest for each relevant specialization.
Contests
When a character wants to do something difficult or opposing another party, the GM should determine a Contest. Define the victory and defeat/setback results beforehand.
Simple Contest (man vs nature)
Stat + Skill + relevant bonuses + 1d6 vs. Difficulty + 1d6
Challenge Contest (man vs man)
Stat + Skill + relevant bonuses + 1d6 vs. Stat + Skill + relevant bonuses + 1d6
Longterm Challenge Contest (man vs man, includes combat)
Stat + Skill + relevant bonuses + 1d6 vs. Stat + Skill + relevant bonuses + 1d6
loser cuts the margin of loss from stat
repeat until stat of one side is halved (minor setback) or zeroed (great setback and defeat)
A setback is any lingering damage to your character (such as a broken arm or loss of profits). Death is a great setback, of course.
On each round each side may do one or more of the following:
Mini-Contests: Each round, you may be allowed to take a number of extra actions (usually one or two) to improve your chances. In a mano-a-mano combat you might feint or swing on a rope, in a larger battle you might cast a spell or raid the enemy's supplies.
Mini-contests are rolled normally (as one-sided or two-sided short contests, or maybe long contests - which might end up in a recursive thing).
Mini-Contests can be used for:
Main Contest Bonus: Success yields a bonus to the main roll. failure might yield a penalty, if the players aren't being creative with their boosts.
Breakaway: Success ends the main contest or de-escalates it (a combat may turn into a chase).
Escalates: Resets all parties' stat meters and reinitiates the contest with higher stakes.
Party Contests
Combat between more than two people, divided in two or more teams.
- Each person picks a target for their roll and tries to outdo that roll.
- It's perfectly possible for A to roll against B while B faces C. in that case, only B and C might take damage. (rules for multiple targets? must consider.)
- Each unit may employ their Mini-Contests to help or hinder any other party in the contest. (The wizard may make a Metaphysical + Spellcasting or whatever roll to strengthen his friends or a knight may cover his weaker partners)
Mass Contests
- Two people can join their efforts if they so choose. It works like this:
- If they have the same stat, their combination has that stat +1. Two Physical 1 mooks will count as a group with Physical 2.
- If one is weaker, they do not add in any significant way to the other's capabilities.
- Start by grouping the smaller stats and work your way up to see the strength of the whole group.