Action and Initiative
Dramatic actions scenes, usually combat, are structured into rounds and turns:
Initiative: At the start of a dramatic action sequence, everyone rolls Initiative. You act in order from highest to lowest, on your Turn.
Actions: On your turn, you generally get one Standard Action (like attacking or casting a spell) and one Move Action, and one Minor Action (like opening a door, or shouting a command). Minor Actions can be Reactions to something in the round, and done out of Turn order,
A player takes an action on their Turn in the Round, a complete cycle in which everyone gets to participate. A Round is somewhere between 5-10 seconds long in time.
Action Rules
Things happen thus:
"Until the end of your next turn" - The effect lasts through your current actions and expires exactly when you finish your actions in the next round.
"For 1 round" - The effect lasts until the same initiative count in the following round (e.g., if you cast a spell on Initiative 15, it lasts until Initiative 15 of the next round).
"Once per turn" - You can do this on your turn, and potentially again on someone else's turn if you have a Reaction/Minor Action available still.
The Attack Roll
Melee: d20 + Force vs. Enemy Defense.
Ranged: d20 + Focus vs. Enemy Defense.
Magic/Hacking: d20 + Intellect vs. Enemy Discipline (Mind) or Agility (Reflex).
The Action Economy
On your turn, you get:
1 Main Action: Attack, Use FX Power, Sprint, Stabilize Ally.
1 Move: Move up to your Speed.
1 Minor Action: Reload, Open Door, Draw Weapon, Shout Order.
Damage
Weapons have static damage ratings (e.g., Sword/Pistol = 5 damage).
Bonus Damage: Add Force (for melee) or Method (for precise ranged shots).
Critical Hits: On a Natural 20, damage is doubled.
Damage Types
Damage is categorized into three types, handled by different Attributes for resistance:
Kinetic (Physical): Swords, bullets, falling rocks. Resisted by Warding (Armour).
Energy (Environmental): Fire, electricity, radiation, cold. Resisted by Agility (Dodge).
Psyche (Mental): Fear, psychic blasts, hacking (brain-jacks). Resisted by Discipline.
The "Surge" Mechanic
Players can push their limits. Before rolling, a player can declare a Surge.
Add +1d6 to the roll.
Take 1d4 Stress damage immediately.
Narrative: In Fantasy, this is over-channeling mana. In Sci-fi, this is overclocking your cybernetics. In Horror, this is adrenaline desperation.
The Three Types of Rolls
Almost every roll you make falls into one of these three categories:
Attribute Checks: Used for general tasks, like climbing a wall (Agility) or lying to a guard (Presence). The Target Number is set by the Gamemaster.
Attack Rolls: Used in combat to see if you hit an enemy. The target number is the enemy's Defence.
Resistance: Used to resist a negative effect, like dodging a fireball (Agility) or resisting a poison (Frame). The target number is determined by the Gamemaster or another players Attribute check. This Resistance is aka a Saving Throw.
The Death Spiral
When Vitality reaches 0:
You are Downed. You fall prone and cannot take Actions.
On your turn, roll a d20 + Frame.
< 10: Mark a Death Counter. (3 Counters = Permanent Death).
10-19: No change.
20+: You regain 1 HP and can stand up.
Luck Points
Luck Points are a meta-currency that represents plot armor, reality manipulation, or sheer coincidence. They allow players to wrest control of the narrative from the dice.
At the start of every session, your character resets to their base Luck Pool.
Base LP = 1 + (Instinct Score divided by 2, rounded down)
(Minimum of 1 LP).
Example: A character with Instinct +4 starts every session with 3 Luck Points.
Interaction: Luck vs. Stress
It is important to distinguish between Stress (Discipline) and Luck (Instinct).
Stress is a resource bar (like Health). It depletes as you use Powers or suffer trauma. When it hits 0, you break.
Luck is a currency. It is used to fix bad dice rolls.
The "Second Wind" Mechanic: If you are running low on Stress (mental exhaustion), you can spend 1 Luck Point to immediately recover 1d6 + Insight points of Stress. This represents finding hope in a hopeless situation.
Spending Luck Points
LP can be spent instantly, at any time (no Action required).
1. The Reroll (1 LP) Reroll any d20 check you just made. You must take the new result, even if it is lower.
2. The Soak (1 LP) Reduce incoming damage from a single source by half.
Narrative: The bullet hit your badge; the sword glanced off your pauldron; you tripped just as the explosion went off.
3. The Narrative Edit (2 LP) You establish a convenient fact about the immediate environment. The GM has veto power, but should generally say "Yes."
Player: "I spend 2 Luck. I check my pockets—I actually did remember to bring the keycard."
4. The Surge (1 LP) Cast a Power or use a Tech ability without paying the Stress cost.
Narrative: A moment of perfect clarity or adrenaline.
Earning Luck
You can earn LP during a session (up to a maximum of 5) by triggering The Flaw.
The Flaw Mechanic: During character creation, you define a Flaw (e.g., "Greedy," "Cowardly," "Code of Honor," "Addict").
The Rule: If you make a decision based on your Flaw that complicates the situation or puts you at a disadvantage, the GM awards you 1 Luck Point.
Example: The party is sneaking past a sleeping dragon. The "Greedy" Rogue decides to stop and pry a gem off the wall, requiring a noisy Force check. The GM awards 1 LP for the trouble they just caused.