Chapter 1: Core mechanics

This chapter introduces the core mechanics and key permutations.

Two types of dice are used: d10s to determine success or failure, and d6s to determine variable damage and initiative.

The Success Check section outlines how to set Target Numbers (TN), calculate skill bonuses, and roll dice to determine success or failure for skill checks, attacks, and other endeavors. This is further expanded by explaining how Advantage/Disadvantage, Margin of Success (MoS), and Rolling Doubles interact in determining success or failure.

Mechanics for Variable Damage Rolls and the Armor System explain how you deal damage—and how armor can stop or reduce it.

Finally, the Edge system is detailed, providing ways for players to influence rolls, manipulate initiative, boost damage, survive otherwise fatal blows, and even avoid outright death with the costly Edge Burn mechanic.

Success checks

The game’s mechanic for resolving skill checks, attack rolls, and more is the Success Check (SC):

1.       Determine Target Number (TN)

2.       Determine Advantage/Disadvantage

3.       Roll 2d10 (3d10 if Advantage/Disadvantage)

4.       Add Skill Bonus (skill ranks + 2 governing attributes)

5.       Success if dice and skill bonus ≥ TN

6.       Margin of Success (MoS) is equal to the result minus TN.

1. Determine the Target Number (TN)

The GM sets a Target Number based on the task's difficulty. TN values typically range from 15 to 30, though higher TNs are possible for exceptionally difficult tasks. TNs below 15 are rarely used; anything that easy is probably not worth checking for—unless the character has a low chance of success and the task is of dramatic importance.

2. Determine Advantage and Disadvantage

Determine whether you have Advantage or Disadvantage on the check.

·         Advantage: Advantage can be granted by favorable conditions, gear, or character talents. Another way to gain Advantage is by spending a point of Edge (see below).

·         Disadvantage: Disadvantage can be imposed due to unfavorable conditions, lack of proper gear, or using certain game options.

Using Edge in conjunction with Advantage/Disadvantage:

·         Edge can be spent during this step to gain Advantage if you do not already have it or to remove Disadvantage, but you cannot do both for the same check. For example, if you have Disadvantage on a check, you can spend a point of Edge to remove it, but you cannot also spend another point of Edge to gain Advantage.

3. Roll Dice

Roll 2d10 and add the results together.

·         With Advantage: Roll 3d10, then remove one die of your choice (usually the lowest result, but there are exceptions) before adding the results together.

·      With Disadvantage: Roll 3d10, then remove one die chosen by the GM (usually the highest result, but there are exceptions) before adding the results together.

4. Add the Skill Bonus (SB)

Identify the relevant skill for the task, then add your Skill Bonus (SB) to the dice roll.

Calculating the skill bonus:

·         Skill Ranks: Add the character’s ranks in the skill being used.

·         Key Attributes: Combine the values of the two key attributes for the skill.

5. Determine Success or Failure

If the total meets or exceeds the TN, the check is successful. Otherwise, it is a failure.

6. Magnitude of Success/Failure (MoS)

Not all successes and failures are equal. Some checks may require only a simple success or failure, but for many checks, how well you succeeded (or how badly you failed) is essential.

Calculate Margin of Success (MoS): MoS is the total from the SC minus the TN. MoS indicates how well the check was performed.

·         Positive MoS:

o    0 to 4: Marginal (but still a success).

o    5 to 9: Significant Success.

§  Attack: Add 1d6 to your damage pool.

§  Non-attack: At the GM’s discretion, gain Advantage on your next related SC.

o    10 or more: Complete success.

§  Attack: Add 2d6 to your damage pool.

§  Non-attack: At the GM’s discretion, gain Advantage on your next SC (even if unrelated). Alternatively, the GM might offer another benefit.

·         Negative MoS:

o    -1 to -5: Marginal failure.

o    -6 to -10: Significant failure. You gain Disadvantage on your next related SC.

o    Below -10: Complete failure. You gain Disadvantage on your next SC and additional penalties at the GM’s discretion.

Success/Failure example: Let’s say you’re trying to climb a sheer cliff to escape some Fenrisian wolves chasing you. This is governed by the Athletics skill, which is Strength/Agility-based. You’re a decently strong (ST 9) and agile (AG 7) Space Wolf wannabe, with a skill rank of 4. So you’ve got a massive +20 bonus to your climb checks. But the cliff is a hard climb, TN 30. For this example, there are no other factors such as Advantage, Disadvantage, or Edge; it’s just your skill + 2d10 vs. TN 30. That means you have about a 64% chance of success (see below for the math)—basically, a two-thirds chance.

Now we factor in MoS. What does success mean? Do you climb straight to the top on a Complete Success? What about A Significant or Marginal Success? And what does failing mean? Do you get nowhere? Do you fall? And if you fall, from how high, and is there any chance of recovering?

There is no one definite answer to how the GM wants to structure this, but in this example, we’ll say that a Complete Success means you climb to the top, no problem. Getting a Significant Success means you get about halfway up the cliff, then have to make another check, but with Advantage (thus VERY likely to succeed). Marginal means you get halfway, need to check again, but don’t get Advantage on the second roll. If you get a Marginal Failure, however, you don’t get anywhere. So, depending on your progress, you’re either at the bottom, looking up at the cliff, or halfway up. You’re free to try again, but it’ll take time, which means the wolves might catch up to you... which will be a problem if you’re trapped below the cliff. A Significant failure also means you’re getting nowhere, and you now take Disadvantage on your next try. If you’re still on the ground, maybe this will make you give up (but remember the wolves); if you’re halfway up, you have to decide whether to try to make it to the top or get down again. A Complete Failure, however, means you fall. How high you fall depends on how far you’ve made it, so it would be better if you just fumbled the initial check.

This example is meant to illustrate how Success Checks and MoS can help shape the narrative and make otherwise pretty boring dice rolls interesting.

Rolling doubles

Rolling doubles amplifies success and failure. For this reason, you might want to keep a double instead of the highest number when rolling with Advantage. For the same reason, the GM might tell you to remove a lower number if that leaves you with a double—and he knows you’ll fail even more spectacularly.

·         If You Succeed: If you rolled a double and succeeded, add 5 to your Margin of Success (MoS). This represents an extraordinary performance.

·         If You Failed: If you rolled a double and failed, subtract 5 from your Margin of Failure. This represents a significant mishap.

·         If You Used Edge: Always add 5 to your MoS, even if you would fail the check. This might make you succeed after all—or at least reduce the severity of your failure.

·         If you rolled a double ‘10’: Always add 5 to your MoS, even if the check failed, in the same manner as if you spent Edge. A double ‘10’, however, is not an automatic success!

·         If you rolled a double ‘1’: Always subtract 5 from your MoS, even if the check failed. If you used Edge on this check, the net modifier is +0.

Understanding the probability curve of 2d10

Rolling 2d10 creates a bell-shaped probability distribution. Unlike a single d20 or d100, 2d10 rolls cluster results around the middle, making mid-range results more common.

Probability breakdown for 2d10:

1.       Probability of Rolling 5 or Higher: Approximately 94% (compared to 80% for 1d20)

2.       Probability of Rolling 10 or Higher: Approximately 64% (compared to 55% for 1d20)

3.       Probability of Rolling 15 or Higher: Approximately 21% (compared to 30% for 1d20)

4.       Probability of Rolling 20: Approximately 1% (compared to 5% for 1d20)

This distribution helps address design challenges by providing a predictable range of results, allowing for a balance between variability and success. The rules for Advantage/Disadvantage, Edge, and rolling doubles add another layer of complexity and depth to the equation.

Difficulty

Some challenges and tasks may be assigned intermediate TNs. For example, if something is slightly more complex than Moderate but not quite Challenging, a TN of 22 could be appropriate.

If the difficulty level is pretty obvious, like a check being Very Difficult (i.e., beyond what most people can achieve), the GM should say “Very Difficult”, and the players should interpret that as “around 35”. The GM may hint (or straight-up lie) if the difficulty is less apparent—or not tell you the difficulty at all.

Moderate difficulty has a TN of 20. Assuming a +15 skill bonus, a professional in the field should succeed approximately 95% of the time, while a less skilled but still trained person (+10 skill bonus) will succeed about 2/3 of the time. The same professional would have a 2/3 chance of succeeding at a TN 25 task, but this would drop dramatically to 1/5 for a TN 30 check. Using Advantage, they could significantly increase their chances of success, and, if able to spend Edge, further improve them.

Most checks will be in the 15-30 range, but knowing players, they are likely to try stuff that’s, if not downright impossible, then close to it. There is no hard upper limit for TNs, but anything above 40 is virtually impossible for all but the most epic of characters.

If a task is literally impossible, such as a normal person flapping their arms to fly, then it cannot even be attempted. Don’t bother rolling the dice—it’s an auto-fail, and the GM is well within his rights to punish your character for just being stupid and the player for behaving in a way that’s really not in character.

10 (Very Easy)

This task is straightforward and requires minimal effort. Most people, even without specialized training, should be able to accomplish it easily. It’s typically not worth rolling unless you’re under significant pressure or have Disadvantage in conjunction with a low skill modifier.

15 (Easy)

A task that might require some attention but is well within the capabilities of most people with a basic understanding or some relevant experience.

20 (Moderate – Default)

The standard difficulty for tasks that present a challenge but should be manageable for someone with relevant skills or experience. A professional in the field should succeed most of the time.

25 (Challenging)

A more difficult task requiring a higher level of skill or expertise. Success is not guaranteed, even for a professional, and may require some level of preparation or focus.

30 (Difficult)

A task requiring significant skill or expertise. Only those highly trained or experienced can regularly succeed.

35 (Very Difficult)

A challenge only the most skilled individuals can achieve. Even for experts, success is far from guaranteed.

40+ (Near Impossible)

A task almost beyond the reach of even the most skilled experts. Success requires exceptional skill, luck, perfect conditions, or extraordinary effort. Failure is highly likely.

Advantage/Disadvantage

While some situations may apply flat bonuses or penalties to success checks (usually when your skill is directly impacted rather than the circumstances of the check), the system more commonly utilizes the Advantage/Disadvantage mechanic to represent dynamic changes in a situation.

·         Advantage means you roll an extra die (3d10 instead of 2d10) and then remove a die of your choice.

o    You will usually want to remove the lowest roll, but sometimes, you might want to remove another result to get a double.

·         Disadvantage means you roll 3d10 and then remove a die of the GM’s choice.

o    You will usually have to remove the highest roll, but sometimes, you might be forced to remove another result to force a double.

How Advantage and Disadvantage Affect Rolls

·         Advantage and Disadvantage are roughly equivalent to a +2.5 or -2.5 modifier on your success check (discounting the effects of rolling doubles), but do not affect the maximum or minimum you can roll.

Multiple sources of Advantage/Disadvantage

·         If you have multiple sources of Advantage, there is no additional benefit.

·         If you have multiple sources of Disadvantage, there is no additional penalty.

o    If you already have Disadvantage, you cannot use a game effect, such as a talent or attack option that would incur Disadvantage. Chapter 6: Combat has more on this.

·         If you have BOTH Advantage and Disadvantage on the same check, you have neither.

Example 1: You have two sources of Disadvantage. Your check has Disadvantage.

Example 2: You have two sources of Disadvantage. You spend 1 point of Edge to gain Advantage. Advantage and Disadvantage cancel out, so you have neither.

Removing Advantage/Disadvantage

Some game effects may call for removing Advantage or Disadvantage from a check. This is NOT the same as giving Advantage or Disadvantage.

For example, night vision goggles remove Disadvantage from combat checks made in low-light conditions (among other things), which means you can gain Advantage from another source without it being canceled out.

Using Edge with Advantage/Disadvantage

If you spend Edge to gain Advantage or remove Disadvantage, there are two added benefits:

·         Using Edge happens after all other sources of Advantage/Disadvantage are checked/cancel each other out. For example, if you’ve got both Advantage and Disadvantage on a check, they cancel each other out, and you have neither. If you are using Edge now, you can gain Advantage on that check.

·         Any double will increase MoS by 5, even if the check would normally result in a failure (and thus normally incur -5 MoS). For example, if you spent Edge to gain Advantage, but rolled 2, 2, and 4 vs TN 20 with a modifier of +12, you’d normally cancel a ‘2’ and get a total of 18 (Marginal Failure), but in this case you could retain the double ‘2’ and gain a 2+2+5+12=21, which is a Marginal Success. The same applies if you spend Edge to remove Disadvantage and the dice come up a double—it’s always +5 MoS, even on a failure, which means you’ll either fail less badly or maybe you’ll push it up to a Success after all.

Initiative and Actions

During combat and other high-stakes situations, the game goes into Structured time. Structured time is divided into Rounds, and characters take their Turns using a framework of Actions to accomplish their objectives. Each turn, each character can use three Actions: one Major (an attack, a spell, or a special ability), one Move (walking, jumping, driving a vehicle, etc.), and one Minor (using an attack option, a talent, etc.).

The system uses Initiative both to determine who acts first and how much they can accomplish.

Initiative is determined at the start of combat using Xd6 + AGILITY + CUNNING. Normal people roll a single d6 for initiative, but PCs and some NPCs can roll more d6s from their talents, equipment, magical powers, and more. If initiative is very low, you might not even get your Minor action, but if it is high, you will get bonus actions. Some epic heroes or lethal foes can move and attack twice, even thrice, in a single round.

The combat chapter has more details on Initiative and Actions.

Variable damage rolls

Damage, whether from weapons, spells, or environmental effects, is determined by rolling several d6 and adding a modifier based on the weapon’s Strength attribute. Melee weapons use the wielder’s Strength (see below); most ranged weapons use their listed Strength value (except for thrown weapons). The bell curve created by multiple d6 rolls means that the more dice you roll, the more likely you are to get average results, but you will still occasionally see extreme rolls.

Weapon examples:

While the Equipment chapter has all the details, it’s worth mentioning that for firearms, 2d6+4 is considered the "standard" damage of a light firearm, such as a light pistol. Heavy pistols do 3d6+5 damage; 4d6+6 is assault rifle damage; 6d6+8 is typical sniper rifle damage; while your trusted assault cannon does 8d6+10 damage.

Melee damage is less varied, with 2d6+ST being the standard damage for a weapon such as a sword. Punching someone with the intent to harm them does 1d6+ST Stun damage, which is dangerous but not as terrible as being stabbed or shot.

High damage bonuses:

If you have a high ST bonus compared to the number of dice you’re rolling, you must convert THREE (3) points of that bonus for each damage die of the base weapon.

·         You only do so if your bonus is greater than +3.

·         You only do this once for each damage die of the base weapon.

For example, if you’re attacking someone with a sword and your ST is 3, you do 2d6+3 damage. You can’t convert, because your ST is only 3. But if your ST is 4, you instead roll 3d6+1 damage. If your ST was 6, you could roll 4d6 instead of 2d6+6. But if you are ST 6 and only have a dagger (1d6 damage), you can only convert 3 points, so you would roll 2d6+3 and not 3d6.

Damage permutations:

There are many other sources of damage adjustments, including modifiers for how well you hit (your MoS, see above), the type of attack you made, the talents you have, and more.

Here are some examples to illustrate:

1.       Stracher P-11 Heavy Pistol vs. Inertial Body Armor: The P-11 does 3d6+2 damage vs. PT 20/DR 40. The attacker must roll at least 20 damage, so he needs a total of 18 on 3d6 to penetrate. Anything less is entirely stopped by the armor. That’s close to impossible. But for the sake of argument, let’s say the attacker landed a Solid hit (+1d6) and spent 1 Edge for bonus damage (+2d6), and suddenly the math is much more reasonable. Getting 18+ on 6d6 is not automatic, but it is very likely. Let's assume a total damage of 24. The armor soaks up 40% of that, or 9.6 points (rounded to 10), leaving 14 points of damage.

2.       FAM-90 vs. Medium Body Armor: The FAM-90 does 5d6+1 damage vs. PT 25/DR40. A French Legionnaire fires a burst, doing 6d6+1 damage (5d6+1 base damage, +1d6 from burst), for a total of 24, just shy of the 25 needed to penetrate the target’s armor. If the attacker had the Armor Piercer talent (reduced PT by 2), the shot would have penetrated. But wait. The FAM-90 is a Gauss weapon, so it reduces PT by 5 in single-shot mode and by 3 in burst mode. This was a burst, so minus 3, meaning the attack penetrates after all and does 14 points of damage.

The Combat chapter delves into damage in more detail.

Damage mitigation (armor)

If you get hit, you will suffer damage. Armor can help mitigate damage, either partially or fully. All forms of armor (physical, psychic, etc.) are rated for Penetration Threshold (PT) and Damage Reduction (DR).

·         Damage below the PT is entirely negated (although the armor itself can become degraded).

·         Damage that’s at least equal to PT has penetrated but is reduced as follows:

o    Penetrating damage is reduced by the armor DR as a percentage.

As a rule of thumb, light armor is PT15/DR20, medium armor is PT25/DR40, and heavy armor is PT35/DR60, but there is considerable variation between armor types and models. Anything heavier than light armor will slow the wearer and reduce their Dodge defense.

Edge

Edge is a fluid and powerful resource that players can use to influence roll outcomes, increase damage, and avoid catastrophic injuries. Edge is designed to be spent frequently, with the knowledge that it can be regained through rest, success, or even failure.

Using Edge

·         Improve Initiative:

·         Boost Initiative: Spend 1 Edge to boost your initiative by +2d6 for one turn. Essentially, you try to push yourself to the next higher initiative bracket for a bonus action.

·         Use a Reaction:

·         Use a Reaction: Spend 1 Edge to gain an additional Reaction outside your turn. You can do this only once per turn (essentially once between each of your turns).

·         Gain Advantage or Remove Disadvantage:

·         Gain Advantage: Spend 1 Edge to roll 3d10 and choose which die to remove.

·         Remove Disadvantage: Spend 1 Edge to negate Disadvantage and roll 2d10 normally.

When using Edge in this manner, any double adds 5 to the total (instead of subtracting 5 if it would otherwise be a failure. Thus, a double could potentially transform a failure into a success.

·         Boost Damage:

·         Boost Damage: Spend 1 Edge to add +2d6 when determining variable damage. If you spent Edge on your attack roll, you cannot also spend Edge to boost damage.

·         Reduce Injury Severity:

·         Lessen Injury: Spend 1 Edge to reduce the severity of an injury by 1 step. This can prevent a serious injury from becoming life-threatening or turn an inconvenient moderate injury into a grazing blow. You don’t change the number of points of damage you take, just the effects of the damage, so cumulative damage can still take you out. This is a separate effect from Edge Burn (see below).

Edge Recovery

Edge is designed to be a fluid resource, encouraging players to spend it freely, knowing they can regain it through rest or gameplay.

There are two methods for recovering Edge: simple or complex. The two methods cannot be combined; it’s either one or the other.

Simple:

You recover all spent Edge between sessions.

·         If sessions are especially long or intense, the GM is free to declare (but is not obliged to do so) an additional refresh befitting the situation.

·         The GM can also award a single point for truly remarkable feats, but this is an exception rather than a rule.

The benefit of the simple method is that it’s simple to keep track of. The downside is a lack of dynamism.

Complex:

·         Long Rest: Regain 1 Edge point, but only if the rest is part of an active adventure situation, rather than downtime.

·         Between scenarios (not sessions): Regain all Edge points, regardless of success or failure.

o    The length of a “scenario” can, of course, vary, but it is generally considered to be any story arc with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Most scenarios take multiple sessions to play, with 2-4 being normal.

·         Edge Regained During Play: In addition to recovering during rest and downtime, players can regain Edge based on their actions, achievements, and setbacks. The ease with which Edge is regained is influenced by both the character’s current Edge and their maximum Edge, as well as the magnitude of their successes (or failures). The bigger the gap and the greater the success/failure, the greater the gain. For example, a character with max Edge 7 and current Edge 1 will recover more easily than a character with max Edge 2 and current Edge 1.

1.       Achievements and Success:

Characters regain Edge after achieving significant objectives, defeating major enemies (bosses), or devising clever solutions.

Example: Overcoming a major obstacle or defeating a powerful (boss) enemy might restore 1 or more Edge. Taking down the Big Bad will restore Edge to its maximum value for everyone.

2.       Failures and Setbacks:

Edge can also be regained when the team faces significant failures or setbacks, reflecting the characters’ resilience in the face of adversity.

Example: Coming up with a good plan that, for whatever reason, fails might restore some Edge as the characters grit their teeth in the face of adversity. No Edge is restored if the plan was stupid or never likely to succeed in the first place, but Edge can definitely be rewarded for bold (if dangerous) or even desperate plans.

When using the complex method, players should feel incentivized to actively use Edge during play, rather than hoarding it as a last resort.

Edge Burn

Edge Burn is a last-resort mechanic used to prevent a character’s death. By permanently sacrificing a portion of their Edge, a character can avoid immediate death but still require urgent medical attention and a lengthy recovery period.

·         Effects of Edge Burn:

o    Avoids outright death but needs immediate medical attention and long-term recovery.

o    Cost: Edge Burn reduces the character’s current Edge by 1 and permanently reduces their maximum Edge score by 1. This means they can no longer regain that point of Edge, limiting how often they can use this feature.

o    Restrictions: Edge Burn is only used to prevent outright death—it cannot be used to avoid other forms of harm or failure. For example, if a troll rips off your arm and beats you to death with it, you will somehow survive long enough to be brought to the ER, but the arm still needs to be reattached, regrown, or replaced.

This mechanic provides players with a safety net in extreme situations, but at a cost that grows heavier over time, ensuring Edge Burn is used only in truly life-or-death moments.

Edge Burn might not be appropriate for all settings, so check with the GM to see if this rule is in use.