Game Mechanics
Mechanics for Afterhack.
Afterhack uses d20 for nearly all mechanics, thought a range of smaller dice are in use for making effect rolls. At its most basic, the Afterhack mechanic is-
Roll d20 to succeed, your chance being [skill or ability] +/- Modifiers.
Lower results are better, a natural 1 is a critical effect, a natural 20 is a fumbled effect.
Most of the time, you will be making ‘quick’ skill or ability checks, generating a yes/no result. However, skills and abilities may also be used in different ways for more ‘detailed’results.
1. Effect numbers. This is the difference between your rolled result and your chance of success. The higher the effect number, the better result for the roller. These are used primarily in ‘Contests’ [see below]
2 Effect die. Effect die (from your attributes) are often used as the ‘next step’ in more complex skill resolutions. The most common use of effect die is in ‘Tasks’, longer term application of skills that require multiple rolls. The first attribute in any skill is used to generate effect die.
3 Averaging effects. Sometimes a check involves more than one skill [ driving while firing a pistol, or doing basic research to find a specific cure for a disease] In ‘ quick resolutions’ the two skills are generally averaged [two weapons and longsword for a dual scimitar wielder…] wheras in longer term ‘tasks’, skills may be averaged or rolled in sequence, depending on the type of task.
Types of skillchecks
Simple check. Did you notice something, could you remember the physics fact, did you drive well through a rough patch? Roll a D20 against your skill or averaged skills, allowing for modifiers. Contests. Who wins the chess game? Who dives on the gun first? Who bakes a meaner pie? Roll a d20 and compare effect numbers. Tasks. Reapairing a damaged cart. Researching a library for clues. Digging through a collapse. Designing a new town. Roll a d20 for each time period in the task [seconds for picking a lock, days for planting fields]. If successful, roll an effect die and note the results as task points. Once the point total for the task is met [set by the GM], then the task is complete. Critical results assume a maximum die roll. Fumbles remove a die roll.
Examples: Fix a seriously trashed engine [auto mechanic, Task points 30, time period 1 hour] Fix a problem on a well maintained engine [auto mechanic TP10, Time 10 min] Design and build a defensive perimeter [ cbt engineer, TP 10 per 10000sqm, Time 3 hours]
Combat
Combat uses a larger range of abilities to establish who does what when, but most of it comes down to simple contests that use effect numbers and effect die. Hth uses effect numbers to resolve how much of an effect a blow or counter had. Effect die are generally used to generate ‘damage’, modified by weapon of effect number. Missile cbt uses effect numbers for ‘aim’
Initiative determines who moves first. You will have one to three actions, spaced out through the initiative countdown. Each action allows you to do one basic, reasonable ‘thing’ in combat – running while dodging and spraying hipshots is acceptable as one thing, running while dodging and engaging in aiming is not. Being involved in attack and defence in hth combat is one thing. So is aiming a gun . We are all adults and will refer back to the books if unsure.
