Fundamentals

What a character is made of, and how the dice answer a question.

Quick reference for play - read Part 1-5 for character creation

Quick Start

Core Loop: checks roll dice pools; attacks roll d20 + stat modifier + weapon bonus vs AC

Combat Round:

1. Tactical Phase: Declare spells/tactics, pick ONE Maneuver each
2. Initiative: d8 + Mind die (reroll each round)
3. Turns: Roll Vigor regen at the start of your turn, then movement + action + reaction (no bonus actions)

Key Differences from Other RPGs:

• Stats have BOTH dice (for rolls including initiative) and modifiers (for AC)
• Initiative rerolls every round
• A missed attack can still deal Vigor damage (Glancing Blow, set by Body)
• Vigor is a shield, not damage: it starts full and Majors roll it back at the start of each of their own turns
• Spells/tactics declared before initiative, resolved on your turn
• Tier = half level (rounded up), added to check dice pools and DCs (attacks add NO Tier)

Your Character

Stats & Modifiers

Each stat has TWO values: a stat die and a flat modifier.

Use stat die for: Saves (plus your Fate die), ability tests and disruption checks, initiative (Mind die), Glancing Blow (Body die)
Use flat modifier for: The size of a dice pool check, attack rolls, AC (Sense modifier), Vigor cap (Heart modifier), Cunning crit range

Tier

Tier determines:

• Dice pool size (add Tier dice to skill/checks)
• Successes needed (need [Tier] successes)
• Attack rolls (d20 + stat modifier + weapon bonus, no Tier)
• Vigor generation
• Damage on a hit (your Tier die: d4 / d6 / d8 / d10 / d12 for Tiers 1-5)

What Your Stats Do

Every character benefits from every stat:

Body

• Glancing Blow (on a miss): When you miss with a weapon or mystic attack, deal Vigor damage to one target within range: roll your Body die if positive (Body 12+), a flat 1 at Body 10-11, nothing if your Body die is negative

Mind

• Initiative: d8 + Mind die (reroll each round)

Sense

• AC: Armor base + Sense modifier

Heart

• Vigor: Shield capped at your Tier + Heart modifier (minimum 0). At the start of your turn, roll Tier exploding d4s: each 4 restores 1 point
• Each point negates one incoming point of harm

Cunning

• Crit Range: Expands at high Cunning
  • Cunning 9 or less: Cannot crit
  • Cunning 10: Crit on 20
  • Cunning 12: Crit on 19-20
  • Cunning 14: Crit on 18-20
  • Cunning 16: Crit on 17-20
  • Cunning 18: Crit on 16-20
  • Cunning 20: Crit on 15-20
  • Cunning 22: Crit on 14-20

Fate

• Saves: Add Fate die to all saves
• Rerolls (d20): Add Fate modifier + Tier when rerolling
• Rerolls (Deed): Use Fate die instead of original stat die

Rolling Dice

Checks (Dice Pool)

Roll [Stat modifier + Tier] d6s. Count successes:

• 1: Lose 1 stamina, gain 1 Fate point
• 2-4: Nothing
• 5: Success
• 6: Success + roll another die (explosion)

Need [Tier] successes to pass.

Negative Stats: If your stat modifier is negative, roll only Tier dice and successes require a 6. A +0 modifier is not a penalty: at a stat of 10-11 you roll your [0 + Tier] pool and succeed on 5+ as normal.

Fate Points: Spend 1 Fate point after rolling to add 1 die to your pool. Can spend multiple. You begin play with 3, and at the start of each session your Fate refreshes to 3 if you are below 3; anything above 3 carries over, so banking points between sessions is possible but slow.

GM Option - Narrative Consequences: When a player rolls 1s on a check, the GM can replace the standard stamina cost with a more fitting narrative consequence instead. The "1" represents something going wrong - this could be stamina loss, or it could be a broken lockpick, a torn rope, alerting a guard, or any other setback appropriate to the situation. The player still gains the Fate point. This keeps the fiction dynamic and responsive to context.

Saves (d20)

Roll d20 + the save stat's die + your Fate die, plus any bonus, against the DC.

DC by effect tier:

Key Differences from Checks:

• A save is one d20 roll, not a dice pool. There are no successes to count, no 1s to pay stamina for, and no dice to buy (saves are reactive, not active effort)
• Fate rides along on every save. On a Fate save you roll the Fate die once as the save stat; it is not added twice
• Advantage: roll 2d20 and keep the higher. Disadvantage: roll 2d20 and keep the lower. Both at once cancel. Exhaustion forces disadvantage on every save

The Six Saves:

• Body: Poison, disease, exhaustion
• Mind: Illusions, arcane effects, knowledge-based deceptions
• Sense: Divine/primal magic, curses
• Heart: Fear, despair, domination
• Cunning: Dodging, traps, feints, misdirection, pickpocket attempts
• Fate: Death effects, destiny manipulation

Advantage & Disadvantage

Advantage and disadvantage work one way on a dice pool and another way on a d20.

On a dice pool check:

• Advantage: Succeed on 4+ (50% per die)
• Normal: Succeed on 5+ (33% per die)
• Disadvantage: Succeed on 6 only (17% per die)

On a d20 roll (attack rolls, saves, ability tests, disruption checks):

• Advantage: Roll 2d20 and keep the higher
• Disadvantage: Roll 2d20 and keep the lower

If you have both, they cancel (normal). Multiple sources don't stack.