Here are the rules of GRIMWIRE. Be aware that GRIMWIRE is a work in progress and these rules are subject to tweaking and overhauling as development progresses. Changes will be documented in the GRIMWIRE devlog (currently in the works).

It’s helpful but not necessary to read through these rules prior to playing. Players are encouraged to dive in and learn as they go. This page is designed to help players easily look up a rule when it comes up during play.

What You’ll Need to Play

To play GRIMWIRE, you will need:

• A group of friends, one of which is willing to be the Game Master (GM).
• A scenario. (Note: GRIMWIRE adventure modules, containing everything you need to play a short campaign are in the works, as is a full guide to designing your own scenarios.)
• A set of dice including a d20, d12, d10, d8, d6, and d4. A d4, d6 or coin can be used for d2 rolls. 
• A way to take notes.
• Your imagination and an appetite for fun.

Rolls 

Success is never guaranteed.

Whenever the characters created by players (player characters or PCs, as opposed to those created by the GM) attempt to do something that isn’t totally straightforward and easy, the GM may call for a roll. That means that the player has to roll a 20 sided die, aiming for a target number. 

If the player rolls that number or higher, they succeed. If they roll below the target number, they fail. Rolls are almost always based on a particular attribute, Agility or AGL in the example below. Attributes add directly to the value of the players’ rolls, allowing them to roll lower but still succeed.

Here’s how it works:

In the example above, the GM told the player what the target number was but usually the GM will not disclose the target number. Instead, the GM may choose to give a general assessment of the task difficulty as perceived by the PC. For example, the GM may say something like “this creature looks like it should be pretty easy to hit.” However, looks can be deceiving and these assessments are no guarantee of the actual target number.

20s and 1s

Rolling a 20 (in other words, without attribute modifiers) for an attack always succeeds, even if it falls short of the target number, and doubles the damage. 

Rolling a 20 for tasks or actions other than attacks does not necessarily succeed. Say a character tries to hack into a high level security system. The target number is INT 25. The character has 4 INT. In this case, rolling a 20 would only be 24, not enough to succeed. However, rolling a 20 may cause other beneficial effects determined by the GM. 

Rolling a 1 always fails and, depending on the circumstances, can cause dire consequences. For example, rolling a 1 on an attack roll can cause a character to hit one of their allies.

Knowledge and Skills

Many tasks, such as lying to someone or breaking through a wall, do not require specialized knowledge but still require a roll. 

Other tasks such as picking a lock or identifying a species require specialized training or factual knowledge. The GM determines whether a PC has the knowledge needed to perform the task in question. Knowledge is gained from backgrounds, studying, training, experience, or observation.

If the GM determines that the PC does not have the relevant knowledge for a particular task, the GM will give the player a penalty. Depending on the complexity of the task, the penalty may be so high as to make the task impossible for that character even by rolling a 20.

Player Knowledge vs. Character Knowledge

PCs know things that the players don’t. For example, a PC with a scholarly background could roll MND to see if they remember some details about Aarda’s history, which the player does not know, that could help identify an artifact they encounter. If the PC succeeds, the GM tells the player what the PC remembered. 

There may be times in the adventure when the player knows something that their character does not. For example, if the player hears other players at the table having a conversation that their character isn’t present for in-game. In such a situation, when the player role-plays as their character, they should act as if they didn’t hear anything.

Assisting

One or more characters can assist a character with a task. When assisting, all players involved make a roll, each applying their own bonuses or penalties. The highest result is used.

Characters may not necessarily all need to roll the same attribute to help out with the same task, depending on how they are helping. For example, one character could roll MND to understand how to put up a tent, giving instructions to another character who rolls COR to assemble it. Assisting another character while in a conflict costs an action.

Attributes

Attributes are numbers which represent different aspects of a character’s capabilities. Unlike Condition and Focus (see below), attributes are not reduced when they are used. 

Leveling up allows players to add points to their character’s attributes, improving their chances of succeeding at more difficult tasks. 

In addition, some items or conditions PCs encounter on their adventure can raise or lower attributes temporarily or permanently.

Below is a summary of the seven attributes in GRIMWIRE and what they do.

Toughness [TOG]

The power of a character’s muscles as well as their physical durability.

TOG Governs: 

• Gripping and Holding (including Grappling)
• Breaking objects
• Lifting, Carrying, and Throwing 
• Enduring conditions that affect the body such as poisons

TOG adds directly to damage from melee and thrown weapons, 1 damage for every point of TOG. Having a negative TOG attribute reduces the damage to a minimum of 1.

TOG is also required to use heavy weapons and armor effectively.

Agility [AGL]

A character’s ability to move quickly and skillfully.

AGL Governs: 

• Evading Attacks and other hazards
• Moving Stealthily
• Movement including Running, Jumping, Swimming, Balancing and Climbing 

In addition, AGL increases a character’s movement speed by 1 m per point, or reduces the range if their AGL is negative.

Coordination [COR]

How well a character manipulates objects.

COR Governs: 

• Accuracy of attacks with ranged and melee weapons
• Crafting, Building, Disassembling, and Repairing
• First Aid
• Pickpocketing and Sleight of Hand 

COR also allows characters to make multiple attacks with light weapons.

Mind [MND]

A character’s ability to retain and analyze information and exert self-control. 

MND Governs: 

• Crafting, Building, and First Aid (to understand recipes, blueprints, or procedures)
• Self-Control and Willpower
• Diagnosing injuries or broken technology
• Memory 
• Learning 
• Analyzing and Applying Information
• Detecting Lies
• Operating Technology
• Resisting Mental Effects

Perception [PER]

A character’s alertness and awareness of their surroundings.

PER governs: 

• Initiative (who goes first in a conflict) 
• Observation
• Reading and Manipulating People
• Sensing Danger 
• Staying Conscious
• Resisting Mental Effects

Resonance [RSN]

A character’s attunement to the metaphysical and supernatural. 

RSN governs: 

• Evading supernatural attacks
• Perceiving supernatural energies or phenomena
• Interacting with some ancient artifacts

In addition, RSN increases a character’s range for supernatural attacks by 2m per point, or reduces the range if their RSN is negative.

Reassigning Attributes

At the GMs discretion, players can move points from one state to another after they have been assigned. This usually requires a story event to justify it, the PC getting operated on by a cyurgeon for example.

Condition

Condition is a character’s “health” or “hit points”. It represents how well a character is doing physically from moment to moment and will rise and fall frequently during the course of a game.

If a character’s Condition drops to 0 or below, they begin dying and must be stabilized through medical attention by another character. The farther below zero a character’s Condition is, the harder they are to stabilize. 

Condition can be restored in a variety of ways including resting, using items, getting repaired or patched up by a medic, or using certain supernatural abilities.

Focus

Focus is analogous to “technique points” or “magic points” in other rpgs. It’s essentially a meter that regulates a character’s use of special techniques. In story/role-play terms, it can be thought of as a character’s energy level–mental, physical, or supernatural depending on the technique being used.

Negative Focus

Unlike Condition, a character’s Focus dropping to 0 has no consequences other than preventing them from using techniques that cost Focus.

However, if a character does not have enough Focus to use a technique, they can push themselves beyond their limits and use it anyway. Doing so places their Focus in the negative. A character with negative Focus takes one level of burnout. PCs can not use any Specialty Techniques, even passive abilities, until their focus is restored to 0 or greater. 

Note that resting does not automatically restore Focus to max, it gives a character Focus equal to their max. So if a character has a max Focus of 15 and current Focus of -5, resting would only restore their Focus to 10.

Resting

Resting is the primary method by which characters recover spent Focus and Condition, as well as recover from burnout.

Short Rest

Resting for at least 30 minutes allows characters to restore Condition equal to 20% of their max Condition and Focus equal to half their max Focus.

Long Rest

A rest lasting at least 5 hours allows characters to restore Condition equal to half their max Condition and Focus equal to their max. Focus will not be fully restored if a character had negative focus before the rest. 

Characters can only benefit from two short rests and one long rest per day. 

In order to benefit from resting, characters must be in a sheltered location away from enemies or other dangers. In addition, when taking a long rest the characters must have access to food and drinkable water and a reasonably comfortable place to sleep. Mechanicals do not require food, water, or a bed but must have access to an energy source. 

When resting for at least 5 hours, characters can spend 1 hour performing actions such as keeping watch, cooking, scouting, studying, repairing equipment, building or crafting, or using special techniques that require 1 hour to perform.

Burnout

Burnout is also a representation of the character’s state of health, but over a longer time frame. Levels of Burnout are more difficult to acquire, but also harder to overcome, than a loss of Condition. 

Burnout is caused by:

• Condition dropping to 0 or below 
• Focus going into the negative (see below) 
• Going 3 days without resting 
• Severe hunger and thirst 
• Disease 
• Exposure to temperature extremes or other grueling conditions

Instead of the conditions that would cause burnout in a biological lifeform, mechanicals get burnt out by:

• Prolonged exposure to dampness or immersion in water, which damages their circuitry.
• Ambient radiation, which damages their circuitry.
• Going 3 days without performing routine maintenance.
• Going 3 days without recharging. [Note: Mechanicals can not die from lack of power but just power off when they reach the fourth level of Burnout.]

The burnout level continues to rise by one level per day if the conditions creating the burnout are not dealt with–i.e. a wounded character receives medical attention, a starving character eats, a freezing character finds warmth, etc. 

Burnout has four levels. As it escalates, it inflicts harmful effects on the PC including penalties to rolls, movement, and a cap on Condition. At the forth and most severe level of burnout, the character begins dying. 

Level 1: -1 penalty to all rolls

Level 2: -3 penalty to all rolls, max Condition reduced to 80% (rounded down) movement speed halved 

Level 3: -5 penalty to all rolls, max Condition reduced to 50% (rounded down), characters can only crawl, characters can not use specialty techniques

Level 4: Character drops to 0 Condition and begins dying

Burnout also takes longer to remedy than a loss of condition. Burnout is reduced by one level at the end of a long rest. A character with burnout can still choose to do downtime activities during a rest, but they will not recover from burnout. Characters can only recover from one level of burnout per day.

Dying

When reduced to 0 Condition or below, a character is dying. Their condition drops by 1 every turn (or every 6 seconds out of conflict). A dying character is out cold and therefore can’t do anything. Attacks targeting them automatically hit, as they can not make any defensive rolls. If a character falls below -10 Condition, they are dead.

It may be possible to bring a character back from the brink of death if their allies act quickly. Stabilizing a dying character requires a medkit, medical knowledge or an INT roll, and a COR roll based on the extent of their injuries and how long they have lain dying. Administering healing items and techniques cannot revive a dying character but can raise their Condition up to 0, making them easier to revive. 

A successfully revived character has 1 Condition and 0 Focus is out cold and takes one level of burnout.

Leveling Up

PCs earn experience points (XP) representing growth in their knowledge, strength, and skill. XP is a reward given by the GM for exploring, fighting, and interacting. This allows them to level up, gaining new and greater abilities. Whenever a PC gets enough XP, their level increases and they receive improvements to their stats as well as unlocking improvements in their specialties.

Rewards by Level

Level	Reward	Total XP
1(starting level)	+5 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +5	0
2	+1 Attribute Increase+3 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +7	20
3	+1 Attribute Increase+3 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +8	60
4	+2 Attribute Increase+3 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +10	120
5	+1 Attribute Increase+3 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +12	200
6	+1 Attribute Increase+4 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +15	300
7	+1 Attribute Increase+4 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +17	420
8	+2 Attribute Increase+4 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +18	580
9	+1 Attribute Increase+5 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +20	780
10	+1 Attribute Increase+5 Max Condition/Focus Specialty Learning Capacity +24	1000

Learning Techniques

The maximum number of special techniques a character can have available for use is equal to half their character’s maximum Focus rounded down. So at 7 Focus max a PC would have 3 special techniques. 

During a rest of 5 hours or longer, characters can exchange active abilities for others they have learned.

Each time your character levels up, they receive specialty learning hours. This is the total number of in-game (as opposed to real-world) hours a character can spend learning a new technique. 

Each technique has a multiplier attribute associated with it and a number representing the effort required to learn that technique. During the hour a character spends learning that ability, they can put as many points as they have in the multiplier attribute toward learning the technique.

For example, a PC wants to learn the technique Throwing Expert which has COR for its multiplier and a learning effort of 15. The PC has a COR bonus of 3 and 8 learning hours. The PC must spend 5 learning hours learning this technique since: 

5 learning hour x 3 COR = 15 learning effort

After learning the technique, the PC has 3 learning hours remaining that they can put toward learning another technique. If a character runs out of learning capacity points, they will have to wait until they gain more at their next level up in order to continue learning techniques.

The hours spent learning a technique do not need to be back to back, a PC can learn a technique incrementally over several learning sessions. Players must remember to note down their progress toward learning a given technique and how much of their learning capacity points they have left.

Learning certain techniques provides bonuses to learning effort when learning similar techniques.

PCs can work on learning multiple techniques at once.

Persuasion

You may have noticed that GRIMWIRE does not have a charisma-type stat. Persuasion in GRIMWIRE is accomplished through role-play, with the GM determining whether an NPC has been successfully persuaded. 

Characters can use a combination of PER and MND to assist them in conversations by guessing the motivations of others and how to manipulate them. 

PER and MND can also be used to surmise whether a character is telling the truth. Failing to do so doesn’t mean that the PC necessarily believes the person, just that they can’t tell if they’re being truthful or not.

Intimidation can be based on any attribute. For example, a PC could pull a knife on someone with blinding speed and hold it to their throat. This would be a COR roll. 

Building and Crafting

The ability to create unique objects and weapons is extremely useful in GRIMWIRE. This includes creating objects from scratch as well as modifying or upgrading existing objects.

Creating an object requires knowledge, materials, tools, time, and succeeding on both a MND and a COR roll. Creating an objects of a supernatural nature or using magic to create an object requires a RSN roll.

Knowledge

The character must know how to make the type of object they are attempting to create, either through training or reading. If they have never made an object of that type, they must succeed on a MND roll based on the complexity of the object. This determines if the PC understands how the object works and how to build it. If they fail, they can still create the object but it will be unstable (see below). Once a character has succeeded on a MND roll for creating a type of object, they don’t need to make any additional MND rolls for creating that object in the future.

Materials and Tools

Simply put, the PC must have access to the ingredients and tools needed to create the object. The GM will give you the specifics for each object.

Time

The time it takes for a character to build an object can vary from a few seconds to a few weeks depending on the complexity of the object. The time does not need to be taken all at once, but the character needs to be fully focused on the task during that time.

Assembly

In order to assemble the object, the character must roll COR based on the complexity of the object. This determines if the character has the skill needed to physically assemble the object.

Extended Crafting

If an object will take a long time to build, the character must succeed on 2 out of 3 COR rolls, representing different phases of construction.

Instability

If a character succeeds on both MND and COR rolls, the object is well made. If the character fails both, they fail to create the object.  If the character succeeds on one but not the other, the object is unstable (see below).

If a character passes one but not the other the object turns out ‘unstable’. This means that every time the character uses the object, they must roll a die:

• A d20 is used for the roll
• If a 3 is rolled, it doesn’t work 
• If a 2 is rolled, it breaks but can be repaired
• If a 1 is rolled, it breaks permanently and may cause damage to nearby characters

If the object is consumable:

• A d10 is used for the roll
• If a 2 or a 3 are rolled, it doesn’t work and can’t be reused
• If a 1 is rolled, it has a harmful effect determined by the GM

The more unstable a weapon, tool, or consumable is, the smaller the die used to determine whether it works. An object using a d10 for instability has a higher chance of malfunctioning than one that uses a d20.

Unstable objects are still unstable even after being repaired. An unstable object can only be made stable by completely disassembling it and successfully rebuilding it from scratch.

Repairs and Upgrades

Repairing and upgrading equipment follows the same rules for building and crafting, but with a lower target number.

Base Building

Bases offer PCs a place to rest and relax, store materials and equipment, or even earn some income. A base can be something as simple as some tarps held up by rope or complex as an entire city.

PCs may need to invest time, money, and other resources to keep their base up and running. Your GM has guidelines for base building and will tell you what you need to know.

Conflict

Conflict is a mode of gameplay in which the two or more opposing parties are actively competing for an objective. Conflicts are different from normal gameplay in that they are organized into rounds. GMs may also put the game into conflict rounds when a situation is escalating quickly, if the characters are running away from an avalanche or someone is drowning, for example.

During a conflict, players are allowed to ask the GM questions to help them decide what to do. But if they hesitate too long in making a decision, the GM can rule that they lose their turn. This is to keep up the pace and intensity of conflict.

Initiative

When a conflict begins, all PCs roll PER to see in what order they take their turn and the GM rolls for the other NPC participants. The character of the player who rolls highest takes their turn first, the next highest takes their second, and so on.

In ties for initiative, enemies are prioritized. If the tie is between two characters on the same side, they can decide who goes first each round.

Rounds and Turns

Conflicts are organized by rounds in which each participant gets a turn. A turn consists of:

• Action
• Movement
• Auxiliary Action

Not necessarily in that order.

Each round lasts 6 seconds of in-game time.

After everyone has taken their turn, the round ends and if the conflict is not resolved, a new round begins with the same initiative order.

Passing a Turn

A player can pass their turn and choose to act later in the round after others have acted, or not act at all that round. In the next round, players return to their original place in the initiative order. A player choosing not to act loses their turn for that round–they can’t carry over their turn and act twice in the next round. If multiple characters are trying to go last in a round, the order defaults to the original initiative order.

Actions

A character can use their action to attack with a weapon, use a specialty technique, activate a mechanism or anything else that requires the character to use their body to perform a task other than movement.

Auxiliary Actions

Things like brief communication (limited to a short sentence per turn) with allies or enemies, making PER or INT rolls to gather information, are considered auxiliary actions. 

Players can sacrifice their action to make a second auxiliary action on their turn.

Reactions

Certain special techniques can be used as a reaction. This means they can be used whenever a predefined trigger happens (such as enemies moving into melee range) regardless of whether it’s the player’s turn or not.

If a reaction is taken before the player’s turn, that counts as their action for that round unless specified otherwise in the technique description. 

If the character has already made their action for the round, they can still use a reaction in that round. In this situation, the reaction counts for their action in the next round, meaning they won’t take an action the next round. Characters can continue to take reactions in this way round after round as long as they have Focus to pay for the use of the technique but will not be able to take a normal action until after they have gone one round without taking an action.

Example: 

Auxiliary Reactions

A few special techniques are used as auxiliary reactions, meaning that they follow the rules for reactions but use the character’s auxiliary action instead of their regular action.

Free Actions

Some special techniques are listed as free actions or free reactions. This means that using them does not cost an action or auxiliary action. However, they can only be performed once per turn unless otherwise specified.

Swapping Gear in Conflict

Characters can give or take gear from allies on their turn as an auxiliary action, provided they are standing within 3m of one another. 

Throwing gear from person to person requires COR rolls from both the character that throws and the character that catches based on the distance thrown. Characters can catch gear as an auxiliary reaction.

Movement

On their turn, a character can move up to a set distance, more if they have AGL bonuses, in addition to taking an action. A character can move before or after their action but not both.

Dash

A character can sacrifice their action on their turn to move double their normal movement range.

Terrain

Standing in overgrown, uneven, or otherwise difficult terrain incurs a -2 penalty to AGL. Moving through difficult terrain requires an AGL roll with the target number based on how difficult the terrain is. If the roll is failed, the character can only move half their normal movement range.

Blocking Movement

If a character moves past another character during their turn, the stationary character can attempt to block the character’s movement. The characters must be within 3m). The character attempting to block can make a COR or AGL roll. The moving character can make a TOG or AGL roll to juke or push through. Characters standing near to one another can form lines, protecting their allies in the back row.

Swimming

Swimming speed is half of the character’s normal movement speed. Swimming in rushing water or with clothing, armor, or gear requires an additional TOG roll based on how heavy the gear is.

Falling

Characters take damage from falling and are knocked down. Characters can succeed on an AGL roll to break their fall, taking half the damage they normally would and are not knocked down. 

A character that intentionally jumps from the 2nd story or lower takes no damage if they succeed on an AGL roll to break their fall, but takes full damage if they don’t. 

For falls less than 45m, if the character lands on a soft surface like a bush, loose sand, or an open dumpster, their fall is automatically broken. Water can serve in this way only for falls less than 45m. 

For falls greater than 45m, the character must land on a soft surface to even attempt breaking their fall.

After falling 180 m, a character ceases to accelerate due to wind resistance and thus takes the same amount of damage with the same break fall difficulty. 

Distance Fallen	Time Until Impact	Damage	Target Number to Break Fall	Special Rules
4.5m(1 story)	1 sec (1 turn)	d6	10	No damage if jumped intentionally AND fall broken Fall automatically broken if landing on a soft surface or water
9m(2 stories)	1.5 sec (1.5 turns)	2d8	13	No damage if jumped intentionally AND fall broken Fall automatically broken if landing on a soft surface or water
18m(4 stories)	2 sec (2 turns)	2d12	16	Fall automatically broken if landing on a soft surface or water
45m(10 stories)	3 sec (3 turns)	3d20	19	Character must land on a soft surface AND succeed on an AGL roll to break falls this height or above Water is not considered a soft surface above this height
81m (270’, 18 stories)	4 sec (4 turns)	4d20	22
126m (420’, 28 stories)	5 sec (5 turns)	5d20	25
180m (40 stories)	6 sec (6 turns)	6d20	28	Terminal velocity reached, no further increases in damage or difficulty

Stealth, Hiding, and Concealment

Characters must roll AGL to move undetected. The difficulty of this roll is based on the PER of whoever they are sneaking up on or past and other factors such as how far away they are. Characters can make a PER roll to detect others nearby.

Characters can use PER to detect where another character is directing their attention, and use this information to act while they are focused elsewhere.

Failing a stealth roll may cause enemies to go on alert, meaning that they are aware of a possible threat nearby, but not its exact nature or location.

If enemies are on alert, hiding PCs may be detected by a PER roll from an NPC. The difficulty is based on how well the PC is hidden. This depends on light levels, line of sight, and other factors. A PC can be hidden from one enemy but not hidden from another.

If a character moves while nearby enemies are on alert and fails another stealth roll, whoever they are sneaking up on or past knows exactly where they are.

Surprise

If characters are able to attack a group of enemies who are unaware of their presence, all the attacking characters get one turn before initiative is rolled. In addition, the first attack gets a +5 COR bonus to hit. 

If the enemies are aware of a possible threat nearby, but not its exact nature or location, initiative is rolled after the first attack and the bonus to the first attack is only +2. Enemies also receive these benefits if they surprise the PCs.

Concealing Supernatural Abilities

Most supernatural abilities have visible and audible signals that they are being used. PCs must succeed on a PER roll to use them without being noticed.

Player vs Player

When PCs get in conflict with other PCs, instead of the GM setting a target number, each PC rolls and the higher of the two (with bonuses and penalties included) succeeds. 

Example:

Dealing Damage

Hitting an enemy with a weapon requires a COR roll. Melee weapons are easier to hit with than ranged weapons. Other types of attacks such as supernatural abilities may use RSN or other attributes for rolls to determine if they hit.

Identifying Targets

When making attacks, characters must be able to perceive their target. For characters that rely on sight, this usually means being able to see them. Characters may need to make a PER roll to perceive their target. In addition, the space between the character making the attack and the target must be free of obstructions.

Collateral Damage

Rolling a 1 on an attack may cause a character to hit an unintended target. 

The target can be any character within melee range of the intended target, including the intended target, chosen randomly by the GM.

The unintended target must make an AGL roll with target number 11 to avoid being hit.

If the character doesn’t want to hit the unintended target (because they’re an ally, for example) they can add their COR to the AGL roll of the unintended target.

Melee Weapons

Melee weapons are designed to be used in close quarters combat. A characters’ TOG attribute is added to the damage for melee and thrown attacks. If the character’s TOG is negative, it reduces the damage. Damage for a successful attack cannot be lower than 1.

Light Weapons

Increasing a character’s COR allows them to make multiple attacks with light weapons in one turn. Attacks can be made with the same or different light weapon. 

COR	Attacks Per Turn
1	1
2	1
3	2
4	2
5	2
6	3
7	3
8	3
9	4
10	4

Unlike heavy and ranged weapons, light weapons do not have attribute requirements to be used effectively. However, they do less damage.

Heavy Weapons

The heavier a weapon is, the more damage it does and the harder it is to use. The rules for multiple attacks based on COR do not apply to heavy weapons.

Each heavy weapon has a TOG requirement that a character must meet in order to use the weapon effectively.

If a character does not meet the requirement, they can still use the weapon. However, they must make a TOG roll before each attack. If the character fails this roll, they aren’t strong enough to swing the weapon. In addition, the risk of hitting an unintended target increases.

Example:

Unarmed Attacks

Unarmed attacks do damage equal to the PC’s TOG attribute, to a minimum of 1. Unarmed attacks are considered an attack with a light weapon, and thus a higher COR score allows characters to make multiple attacks.

Throwing Weapons

Any melee weapon can be thrown, doing the weapon’s normal damage including bonuses from TOG.

Ranged Weapons 

Each type of ranged weapon has a distance within which they are effective. Ranged attacks incur a -5 penalty to COR for being used beyond their range up to 9m(30’) and a -10 penalty for being used on targets greater than 9m(30’) beyond their range. 

Particularly heavy ranged weapons may have a TOG requirement to lift them. Not meeting this requirement reduces accuracy and increases risk of hitting an unintended target.

Combat Ranges

Melee – 3m

Thrown Weapons – Up to 9m

Handguns – 9 to 18m

Rifles – between 18 and 36m 

Long Rifles – between 36 and 72m

Sniper Rifles – Anything above 72m

Cover

Characters partially hidden behind an object get a bonus to AGL for evading ranged attacks (but not melee or supernatural attacks).

Magical/Supernatural Attacks

Supernatural attacks are not affected by cover. However, the character making the attack must be able to perceive their target. A character’s magic range is equal to 18m plus (or minus if the attribute is negative) 2m for every point a character has in RSN.

Friendly Fire

If a player rolls a 1 while attacking, or a higher number if they are using a weapon they do not have the attribute requirements for, the weapon hits a target determined randomly by the GM. The attack can land on any target in melee range for melee attacks, any target in a 30° cone for ranged attacks, and any target within range for supernatural attacks.

The new target must make an AGL or RSN roll with target number 11 to avoid the attack. The attacker can try to avoid hitting the new target by applying their COR to lower the difficulty of the AGL roll or applying their MND in the case of supernatural attacks.

Example: 

Other Kinds of Attacks

Non-Lethal Attacks

When making an attack that would otherwise kill a target, a PC can choose to hold back, wounding them enough to incapacitate but not kill them. Just let the GM know. An enemy attacked in this way is reduced to 1 Condition and is out cold.

Targeted Attacks

Players can make ranged or melee attacks with the intent to cause effects other than damage such as impairing senses or movement, disarm, or disrupt the target. Such attacks are made with an increase to the target number for their COR roll, making it more difficult than a general attack. The target number usually increases by 3, but the GM can decide to increase it by more or less, depending on what the character is attempting to do.

Shove 

Characters can shove other characters by making a successful COR roll to land the attack followed by a TOG roll. If the shoving character succeeds on both these rolls, the character being shoved is pushed back a distance up to 3m) determined by the GM. In addition, a shoved character must make an AGL roll based on the force of the shove and the terrain to avoid being knocked down.

Trip

Characters can attempt to trip enemies by making an AGL roll opposed by the target’s AGL.

Grapple

Characters can attempt to grapple enemies by making a successful COR roll to grab the enemy followed by a TOG or COR roll to hold them. 

While grappling someone: 

• Your movement speed is halved and you must make a TOG or AGL roll to move based on the weight of the target being grappled.
• You can block any action/movement attempted by the grappled target by making a STR or COR roll opposed by their STR or COR.
• You can make a COR roll to attack the target you are grappling, opposed by their AGL.
• You can attempt to knock down the grappled target by making a STR or COR roll opposed by the target’s AGL. You can grapple a target on the ground while remaining upright.
• You can choke a grappled target by making a STR or COR roll opposed by their STR or COR. Choked targets begin suffocating. Only lifeforms with respiratory and/or circulatory systems are vulnerable to being choked.
• Attacks against the grappled target have a chance to hit you. You must roll an AGL 11 if they miss, reduced by the attackers COR if they don’t wish to hit as with friendly fire.

While being grappled:

• You must make a STR or COR roll opposed by the STR or COR of all enemies grappling you in order to take actions. 
• You must make a STR roll opposed by the STR of all enemies grappling you in order to move. Movement is halved, even if you succeed on the roll.
• You can attempt to grab onto something to avoid being moved.
• You get a -5 penalty to AGL.
• You can attempt to break out of the grapple or grapple the one grappling you as your action. 
• Penalties from being knocked down and grappled do stack.

Characters can grapple and be grappled by multiple targets. Penalties from multiple grapples do not stack.

If a character is being grappled by multiple opponents, they must beat the highest of the opponent’s rolls when making a roll. 

A double grapple is possible, in which case both characters involved are considered grappled by one another with relevant benefits and penalties.

Damage Types and Resistances

Some lifeforms are weak to certain types of damage, meaning they take double damage when hit with this damage type. Lifeforms can also be resistant to certain types of damage, meaning they take half damage from this damage type. Lifeforms can also be immune to certain damage types.

Physical Damage

• Bullets 
• Edged weapons
• Blunt weapons
• Explosions

Energetic Damage

• Heat 
• Cold
• Electricity 
• Radiation

Other Types of Damage

Chemical

Damage from toxic or caustic chemicals

Biological

Damage from venom, decay, or disease

Supernatural

Damage from extradimensional objects or beings as well as other metaphysical sources.

Splash and Persistent Damage

Some sources of damage, notably grenades, damage anyone within a certain radius. Characters can make an AGL roll to avoid the worst part of the blast, taking half damage. 

Some sources of damage, such as those created by molotov cocktails, persist for multiple rounds. If a character is caught in one of these, they can avoid taking damage a second time only if they move out of the area of effect immediately at the start of their turn–i.e. before taking any other actions.

Ambient Damage

PCs can take damage from their surroundings such as radiation, toxic chemicals, freezing or intensely hot temperatures.

Drowning and Suffocation

A character can hold their breath for 2 mins plus one additional minute for each point they have in TOG. After this time, the character begins to drown or suffocate and the game goes into conflict rounds. The character must succeed on a MND 11 roll each round to stay conscious. If a character falls unconscious underwater they take 6 damage per round.

Mechanicals drown at roughly the same rate as humanoids due to water damage to their circuitry rather than lack of oxygen, which mechanicals do not need.

Vacuum

Characters in a vacuum cannot speak, hear, or smell. Targets can not hold their breath in a vacuum and, if they require air, immediately begin suffocating. Mechanicals are generally unaffected by exposure to a vacuum.

Damage Mitigation

Wearable armor, consumables, effects of techniques, or inherent resistances can reduce incoming damage of a specific type by either a set amount or a percentage (usually half).

Armor

Armor reduces physical damage, and in some cases can reduce other damage types. Each point of armor reduces damage by 1 for each attack to a minimum of 1.

Example: A PC has 3 Armor. They are hit for 5 damage, their armor reduces it by 3, so they take only 2 damage. They are then hit again for 2 damage. Their armor cannot reduce the attack below 1, so they take 1 damage.

Most armor has a TOG requirement representing the weight of the armor. Not meeting the requirement causes a penalty to the PCs AGL.

Shielding Others

A character can use their body to act as cover for another character in melee range. The character attempting to be the shield must make an AGL roll opposed by the COR of the attacker with a +5 bonus. They receive a bonus because they are actively trying to get hit by the attack. If successful, they take the damage instead of the shielded character. If they fail, the shielded character makes an AGL roll to evade the attack as usual. 

This works on melee, ranged, and attacks that cause splash damage. 

Shielding is considered an auxiliary reaction. A character can only shield attacks from one attacker per round. However, a character can shield from multiple attacks by the same attacker in one round.

Shielding Yourself

Shields and some large weapons provide a bonus to AGL rolls when evading attacks. When a character fails an AGL roll, they can raise their shield and apply the bonus. If bonus is sufficient to avoid taking damage, the shield or weapon is hit instead. This triggers an instability roll (typically d20) to see if the shield or weapon breaks.

Example:

Status Effects

In addition to taking damage, characters can receive and inflict a variety of status effects. Here are are some of the status effects that can be found in game:

Inebriated

Impairment resulting from consuming alcohol or other intoxicants.

• +1 to TOG due to reduction of muscle tension
• +3 temporary Condition due to relaxed muscles
• -3 Penalty to all other attributes due to loss of motor and cognitive skills 
• +3 and no penalty to MND rolls to resist pain and terror

The GM may choose to increase these penalties if they character consumes larger amounts of an inebriating substance. The duration of inebriation is determined by the character’s body weight and how much they had.

Knocked Down 

The character is knocked off their feet, wheels, or whatever they use for locomotion.

• -3 AGL 
• Until they are able to get up, characters can only crawl 3m (10’) per turn for their movement
• In order to get up during conflict, a character sacrifices their movement for that turn
• A character that is not knocked down can help a knocked down character get up as an auxiliary action, which allows the knocked down character to keep their movement

Agony

Intense pain causes the character to take a temporary level of burnout. This level of burnout is non-lethal: if a character progresses to the 4th level of burnout and any of their levels of burnout is due to agony, they do not lose any condition, they do not begin dying, but instead are merely out cold. The temporary burnout is removed after 1 minute or 10 rounds of conflict.

Frenzy

The character is filled with an overwhelming urge to slaughter their enemies. 

• Receive temporary Condition equal to your character’s critical level. 
• Can make 1 additional attack per turn. 
• Risk of hitting a friendly target increases by 5. 
• Can’t communicate coherently.
• Can’t use any techniques, take any actions other than making melee attacks or dashing if no targets are in range. 
• Immune to agony and fear.

Amok

A dangerous state that has the same effects as frenzy except the character can no longer distinguish their allies and will attack the closest target.

Stun

A stunned character cannot act or move on their turn and receives a -3 penalty to AGL and MND rolls and automatically fails PER rolls.

Paralysis

A character is conscious but cannot move and is either limp or frozen in place depending on the nature of the paralysis. They cannot move or act on their turn. They automatically fail TOG, COR, and AGL rolls but can still make MND, SOC, PER, and RSN rolls.

Sensory Impairment

A -5 penalty to PER and anything requiring senses including attack and evasion. Cannot choose targets for aimed ranged attacks but can still make attacks with splash damage, melee, or supernatural attacks (with the penalty). 

Sensory impairment is based on the type of senses a lifeform relies on. For example, lifeforms that rely on sight are impaired by darkness, but lifeforms that rely primarily on hearing or other senses are not.

Burning

The character takes 2d6 at the beginning of each of their turns until the character leaves the burning area and extinguishes any flames on their body. Causes agony.

Bleeding

Damages a player at the beginning of each of their turns. Bleeding can be stopped by using items or by holding pressure on the wound, which prevents a character from taking other actions.

Brainwashed

The character is indoctrinated with beliefs that are not their own, but can still think and act for themselves. Players must role-play their character as if they truly believe the brainwashing, though the player knows better.

Mind Controlled

A character’s will is completely supplanted by that of another being. They must do whatever the controlling character directs.

Terror

A terrified character must make a MND roll at the beginning of their turn. If they fail, they cannot do anything except cower or flee. If you succeed on the roll, the terror is removed.

Hexes

Hexes are supernatural status effects that last indefinitely and are difficult to remove.

Unconsciousness

An unconscious character is unresponsive and unaware of their surroundings. 

• While unconscious, a character goes limp.
• They can’t speak, act, move, or do anything else.
• While unconscious, a character is immune to mental status effects. Falling unconscious removes all such effects. 

Sleep

Can be awakened by noise or other stimuli.

Knocked Out

A knocked out character can be woken instantly as an auxiliary action by a conscious character (by kicking them awake or throwing water on them, for example). Otherwise, they wake up after a minute.

Out Cold

A character who is out cold requires 10 minutes of attention from a conscious character in order to wake up. Otherwise, they wake up after 8 hours.