Game Design

Adventures

The action of a role-playing game plays out in a setting called an adventure. An adventure could be a single battle or a series of battles, a haunted castle full of secrets, a story which the players can influence through their characters' actions, or an open-ended scenario where players choose which goals their characters work toward. A campaign is a complex adventure which requires players to meet together for several sessions of playing, or a series of simple adventures using the same characters.

Creating Adventures

To create an adventure, you'll need a system for recording ideas and organizing information such as a notebook and pencil or a word processor. You may need hex mats or graph paper to create maps. Templates, occupations, ability and equipment lists can be designed on paper or using office software. Blank character sheets can be printed or copied for creating templates and characters. Equipment lists can be created using with detailed descriptions of each item or a single equipment list. Important non-player characters (NPCs) should have character sheets, especially characters the players' characters can fight. (See Character Creation and Game Design/Equipment.)

Some adventures are a sequence of challenges like an obstacle course which forces the characters to follow a story line, but letting the story develop naturally in an environment that encourages the players to play their characters creatively is usually more engaging.

Adventures can provide opportunities for player character development, improving the characters' builds, abilities, equipment or occupations. These opportunities can depend on the choices players make, the actions of their characters, the outcome of the adventure, specific experiences or general experience gained in the adventure. For example, an adventure might have a secret old hermit that the player characters can discover and train with, thus giving the player characters extra CP to improve their abilities. As another example, after defeating a particularly difficult enemy, player characters might discover treasure that their fallen foe was protecting. (See Character Development.)

Sourcebooks

A sourcebook is a document with information for creating and playing adventures. A sourcebook can contain a complete adventure or compaign. A more general sourcebook might describe a setting used in several adventures, such as a sourcebook for generic fantasy adventures. A more specific sourcebook might focus on one detail of a setting, like a book with extra monsters for a scenario. Some sourcebooks provide material for adventures in multiple settings. For example, a sourcebook for characters with thieving and burgling skills might apply to both modern adventures and fantasy campaigns.

A sourcebook containing a complete adventure will include a detailed description of the setting, what kind of characters the the players should control, descriptions and character sheets for NPCs, maps and diagrams, and rules for how the action of the adventure should play out. The sourcebook may contain a detailed inventory of the items in every room and the goods for sale in every store. A good adventure sourcebook should not leave the GM in a situation where he has to invent new material during the game.

Limitations

Adventures can limit PC templates, occupations and CP Value. Some adventures are more suited to characters with low CP and may be too easy for more powerful characters. Other adventures are more challenging and better suited to characters with more CP.

Templates, equipment, new characters and character development have limitations which you may want to modify for specific games. A superhero game for example might allow characters to have more qualities, greater abilities, and more speed, agility, strength and toughness. A game where PCs are average folks or inexperienced kids might have lower ability limits and allow less speed, agility, power or toughness development. (See Game Design/Templates, Game Design/Equipment and Character Creation.) The normal limitations are:

Templates can have no more than 3 speed.
Template agility is between -5 and 5
Templates can have no more than 5 levels of template abilities.
Equipment can have no more than 2 offense.
Equipment can have no more than 2 control.
The maximum ability of new characters is 4 plus their template ability.
Characters can later develop ability levels up to 10 plus their template ability.
New characters can have only a few qualities their template does not have - all of them disadvantages.
New characters can have no more than double their template speed or 1 plus their template speed, whichever is less.
The maximum agility of new characters is 2 plus their template agility.
A new character can have 0%, 50%, 100% or 200% more strength than his template, depending on the template's variability.
A new character can have 0%, 50%, 100% or 200% more toughness than his template, depending on the template's variability.
Through training and experience, characters cannot develop any more qualities, speed, agility, strength or toughness than a new character of the same template can start with.

Templates

Templates are used to generate characters. Each template represents a certain type of character. The character could be a person, animal, alien, monster or even a machine depending on their template. A template can be a race, species, model, stereotype or archetype. Age categories and sexes can have separate templates if the differences are significant. A template includes:

The template's name, average mass, average length and length type, variability, and CP value
The template's speed, agility, strength, toughness, running and possibly swimming and airspeed
abilities and disabilities
natural weapons and armor

Dimensions and Build

Mass: Record the average mass of characters based on this template.

Length and Length Type: Record the average length of characters based on this template and how it is measured: length, height or wingspan for example.

Variability: Variability determines how much characters with this template can differ from the average size and proportions.

variability	CP	description
none	-10	Characters of this template always have the average length, mass, agility, toughness and strength for their template. For example, a specific model of robot might be built to exact specifications and have no variability.
low	-5	Characters of this template are always within 10% of the average length of their template. Bird species often have low variability.
medium	0	Characters of this template can be up to 20% longer or shorter than the average length of their template. Humans and most mammals have medium variability.
high	5	Characters of this template can be up to 30% longer or shorter than the average length of their template. Many reptiles grow slowly throughout their lives and have high variability. Species whose growth adjusts to the space or food available also have high variability.

Speed: Speed is maximum number of times a character based on this template can attack per round with a single weapon. Very large creatures typically have less speed. The main difference between speed and agility is that agility affects the success of actions while speed affects how fast actions can be performed.

speed	CP	description
¼	-30	very slow (sloth, tortoise)
½	0	slow (python, elephant, turtle)
1	30	medium (horse, average human speed)
2	60	fast (dog, maximum human speed)
3	90	fast (cat, shrew, tasmanian devil)

Agility (15 CP per level): Agility is roughly based on size, but some templates are awkward or slow moving for their size, and others are surprisingly agile for their size. Human agility is 0, but agility for other species can be as high as 5 or as low as -5. Template agility determines the average and maximum agility characters created using this template can have. Each point of agility is worth 15 CP, so -5 agility would be worth -75 CP and 5 agility would be worth 75 CP.

Strength (10 CP per level): Strength helps a character use heavy equipment and cause more damage. Template strength is usually less than template toughness and never less than 0. Creatures of roughly human size and power have 3 strength. Creatures with 0 strength cannot do any damage with their natural weapons. Each point of template strength is worth 10 CP.

Toughness (5 CP per level): Toughness determines how much damage an average character based on the template can take without being injured or incapacitated. Template toughness is usually greater than or equal to template strength and never less than 0. Creatures of roughly human size and toughness have 5 toughness. Each point of template toughness is worth 5 CP.

Toughness, agility and strength are all related to a template's size. The following examples should help guide template creation, but some creatures will be stronger or weaker, quicker or clumsier than their mass would suggest.

Agility	5	3	2	0	-2	-4	-5
Example	mouse	rat	cat	human	horse	elephant	whale
mass (kg)	0.02	0.3	5	80	500	8000	50,000
agility CP	75	45	30	0	-30	-60	-75
Speed	1	1	1	1	1	½	½
speed CP	30	30	30	30	30	0	0
Toughness	0	1	2	5	12	40	100
toughness CP	0	5	10	25	60	200	500
Strength	0	1	2	3	8	25	50
strength CP	0	10	20	30	80	250	500
Cover	0	0	0	0	0	10	10
Absorption	0	0	0	0	0	1	2
armor CP	0	0	0	0	0	50	100
Total CP	105	90	90	85	140	440	1025

Running (10 CP per level): Running determines how fast a typical character based on this template can travel on the ground. Running is measured in meters per second. Humans have 5 running. Running is never less than 0. Creatures with 0 running cannot move under their own power on land. Each point of running is worth 10 CP.

Swimming (10 CP per level): Swimming determines how fast an untrained character based on this template can travel in water. Swimming is measured in meters per second. Humans have 0 swimming but they can learn to swim with training. Swimming is never less than 0. Creatures with 0 swimming cannot move under their own power in water. Each point of swimming is worth 10 CP.

Airspeed (10 CP per level): Airspeed determines how fast a typical character based on this template can travel while flying. Airspeed is measured in meters per second. Only templates with the flying quality have airspeed (See Abilities and Qualities below.) Airspeed is never less than 0. Creatures with 0 airspeed have no control in the air but can float or glide with the speed and direction they were moving when they left the ground. Each point of running is worth 10 CP.

Abilities and Qualities

Abilities (8 CP per modifier level): Templates can have natural abilities with a modifier level from 1 to 5. This is the minimum amount of this ability that all characters of this template will have and it affects the maximum ability modifier which they can develop. Each level of template ability modifier is worth 8 CP. (See Game Design/Abilities.)

Qualities are aspects of a template which do not have levels. Either a template has a quality or the template does not have it. Qualities can have a positive CP value, negative CP value or no CP value, depending on whether the quality is more of an advantage or disadvantage. A character can have some qualities which his template does not have, but in most games a character cannot have the mechanical quality or any of the flight-related qualities unless his template has it.

flying (15 CP): This quality allows powered flight, like a bird that can fly by flapping it's wings.

gliding (10 CP): This quality allows a character to steer while falling. A template cannot have both gliding and flying because flying includes the ability to steer while falling.

soaring (5 CP): This quality allows a character to gain altitude by riding thermals. Soaring requires gliding or flying

parachuting (5 CP): This quality prevents a character from taking falling damage. A template cannot have both parachuting and flying because flying includes the ability to take no damage from falling.

perfect regeneration (10 CP): A character with perfect regeneration always heals successfully without having to roll. As a result, the character heals slightly faster than normal, even when exerting himself. The perfect regenerator is immune to many common types of infections (but not necessarily all diseases), and can regrow complete limbs and organs if he can live without them for long enough.

daily regeneration (10 CP): The character heals daily instead of weekly, but still requires healing rolls and cannot regenerate most limbs and major organs unless he also has perfect regeneration.

hourly regeneration (30 CP): The character heals hourly without healing rolls, and is able to regrow complete limbs and organs. (A character cannot have both hourly and perfect regeneration, because hourly regeneration includes all of the advantages of perfect regeneration.) In practice hourly regeneration usually means a character is automatically healed between battles, but does not heal during battles.

sudden regeneration (50 CP): The character recovers half of his damage instead of all of his stun when he uses the rest action and has no stun.

mechanical (5 CP): A mechanical character does not heal, but can be repaired using craftsmanship or abilities which allow characters to modify mechanical characters. Mechanical characters do not require surgery rolls when they are modified. Characters who do not have this ability are called organic characters. The main difference between mechanical and organic characters is how they are affected by trauma. (A very complex robot which can heal itself but can be easily destroyed by an attempted modification might not have the mechanical quality.) Mechanical characters do not decay as quickly as organic creatures, so they can be easier to resuscitate from fatal injuries. Mechanical characters can be repaired more quickly than organic (non-mechanical) character's heal. For each day of repairs the mechanical character recovers damage equal to the ability of the character performing the repairs plus circumstance modifiers. Mechanical characters recover from stun like normal characters. Even a simple machine can often correct temporary mechanical problems, especially autonomous and semi-autonomous robots with redundant systems like space probes.

blind (-70 CP): The character has very poor or no vision (legally blind or worse.)

deaf (-30 CP): The character has very poor or no hearing.

dumb (-10 CP): The character cannot speak. In other words the character cannot reproduce the complex sounds used by some species for communication. Most species who do not have a complex language are dumb even though they use their voices for simple communication and emotional expression. (This ability is not related to intelligence or competence. See the inept and unintelligent qualities for characters who are "dumb" in the pejorative sense.)

mute (-15 CP): The character has no voice. A template cannot have both the mute and dumb qualities because a mute character also cannot speak.

inept (-20 CP): The character has serious difficulty doing most things a normal person can do, but may still be able to do some things well. The character has a -4 modifier to all rolls unless the character has an ability which applies to that roll. Animals which are smart but not as intelligent as people are often inept.

unintelligent (-40 CP): The character does not do anything except what it was designed or trained to do, although it might be very good at those things. The things the character can do are basically limited to it's abilities. If the character does not have a fighting ability it cannot fight. If the character does not have a communication ability it cannot communicate. A template with this quality cannot have the inept quality because an unintelligent character cannot do any of the things which are difficult for an inept character.

Natural Armor

A template can have one or more types of natural armor.

Absorption: Each type of armor has an absorption feature with a value of at least 1. The absorption value is the amount of attack power the armor can block from a single attack.

	1	tough skin, scales or guard hairs
	2	big scales, small bones in skin, thick padding
	3-5	large bony plates, flattened ribs
	5-9	carapace, bony sheild, hard shell
	10+	extremely thick and tough armor

Cover: Each type of natural armor also has a cover feature with a value from 1 to 9 or complete. The cover value is the area protected by the armor.

	1	limited armor - protects a specific area of the body like a shield
	3	partial armor - more areas covered but less than 50%
	5	extensive armor - at least 50% cover like a shell or carapace
	7	mostly armored - covers most of the body but exposes large ares
	9	fully armored - covers the whole body but has weak points
	complete	tough hide - full cover without weak points

Natural Armor CP: The CP of natural armor is 5 multiplied by the cover and absorption values, or 50 multiplied by the absorption if the cover is complete. For example, natural armor with 3 cover and 2 absorption is worth 30 CP, and natural armor with complete cover and 4 absorption is worth 200 CP.

Natural Weapons

Describe each type of natural weapon and list the weapon's features. Natural weapons can have the following features:

quantity (0, -20 or -50 CP): Having more than one natural weapon allows a creature to attack more often. If a creature cannot use it's natural weapons quickly, they may count as a single natural weapon. For example, an Elephant has both tusks and a trunk that can be used as weapons, but the elephant cannot use them as separate weapons in a combo attack. If a character has no natural weapons he cannot attack at all. This is worth -50 CP. If a character has only a single natural weapon, this is worth -20 CP. Two or more natural weapons are worth 0 CP.

hand (10 CP each): A natural weapon may be a hand. Each hand allows you to wield one weapon. A character with at least two hands can do a secondary attack with a hand weapon - as long as the character has a weapon in each hand. Each pair of hands allows you to wield one two-handed weapon effectively. Each hand is worth 10 CP.

leverage (4 CP per level): Sometimes characters have a natural weapon which is significantly larger or more powerful than the rest of the character's appendages. Leverage increases the power of attacks with this limb, but it does not increase the character's carrying capacity or make it easier to wield hefty weapons. Each point of leverage is worth 4 CP.

Some limbs can have less power than the character's strength. These limbs can have negative leverage, but the absolute value of this negative leverage cannot exceed the character's strength. (For example, if a template had a strength of 10, the lowest leverage any of its limbs could have would be -10.) Limbs with hands on them have -4 CP for each point of negative leverage, as long as the template has no more than one limb that has a hand and higher leverage or power.

range (1 CP per meter): The maximum effective range of attacks with the weapon. Most natural weapons have no range. A weapon with range is typically a chemical or missile weapon (like spitting venom.) Exceptionally long limbs tend to have the offense feature rather than range. Each meter of range is worth 1 CP. The range feature is written with the number of meters of range followed by an "m" for meters. The word "range" does not have to be listed.

offense (5 or 10 CP): Offense is a number (1 or 2) which is added to a character's attack modifier with this weapon. Long limbs which can easily reach past an opponent's defenses and help grappling attacks may have this feature. 1 offense is worth 5 CP and 2 offense is worth 10 CP.

sharp (20 or 30 CP): Sharp weapons do all damage instead of half-damage and half-stun. One sharp natural weapon is worth 20 CP. Two or more sharp natural weapons is worth 30 CP.

padded (5 or 8 CP): Padded weapons do all stun instead of half-damage and half-stun. One padded natural weapon is worth 5 CP. Two or more padded natural weapons is worth 8 CP.

Any natural weapon can be used to do blunt attacks which are not sharp or padded. As long as a character has some speed and mobility, he can fling some part of his body to bash, whip or slap an opponent. This means many short, blunt natural weapons do not have to be listed on a template or character sheet: a humanoid template might have only hands and feet listed as natural weapons, but they can also attack by biting, head-butting, and knee and elbow strikes, which are not listed.

Make a Template - Template Generation Example

To demonstrate the creation of a character template, this tutorial will show how to create a human template which can be used for many RPG settings. This template can be used to create most adult human characters, including both men and women.

1. Build - A quick Internet search suggests that average humans are around 75 kg and 1.7 meters tall. Most humans are within 20% of average height but many are more than 10% taller or shorter, so humans have medium variability (worth 0 CP.) Humans have 1 speed (worth 30 CP), 3 strength (worth 30 CP), 5 toughness (worth 25 CP), 0 agility (worth 0 CP), 5 running (worth 50 CP). Humans have no swimming, although individuals can learn to swim, and no airspeed because they cannot fly.

2. Abilities and Qualities - Humans have no special abilities or disabilities.

3. Natural Defenses - Humans have two or more natural weapons, which is worth 0 CP. They have two hands, which together are worth 20 CP. Humans have no natural armor.

4. Template CP - The total CP value of our new human template is 105 CP.

	0	variability CP
	25	toughness CP
	30	strength CP
	30	speed CP
	0	agility CP
	50	running CP
	0	ability and quality CP
	20	natural weapons CP
+	0	natural armor CP
	105	template CP

human, 75 kg, 1.7 m height, medium variability, 155 CP
1 speed, 0 agility, 3 strength, 5 toughness, 5 running
2 hands (hand)
2 feet

Occupations

Occupations describe what a character does: how the character makes a living and fits into society. Sometimes occupations are professions, careers, jobs or businesses, but volunteer work, hobbies and even crime can also be occupations. An occupation should include a description, at least one advantage and at least one requirement. Occupations can also have liabilities: effects which are not advantages. A game's list of occupations should balance the advantages and requirements of each occupation. Occupations can provide character development opportunities during the game. Characters can change occupations and have more than one occupation at the same time, as long as they meet the occupation's requirements and the game or GM allows it.

Description

Give the name of the occupation, what it's practitioners are called, and special terms for the occupation's activities. Explain what characters do in this occupation. Indicate the setting, culture, communities, nations, or worlds where this occupation is found, and how the occupation relates to them. Describe the organization of the profession: societies, traditions, rituals, competition, initiation, apprenticeships, status, reputation, etc. Explain how characters training for this occupation develop the requirements.

Requirements

Most occupations require minimum ability modifiers in one or more specific abilities. This reflects the training and education required by the occupation. An occupation may also require the character to have another occupation, or to have had that occupation in the past. This may indicate professional experience or rank. Occupations might require other specific accomplishments - things the character must do before acquiring the occupation. For example, a character might have to win a competition, or spend a certain amount of money.

Opportunities to acquire the occupation can be limited. Some occupations require the character to be elected or appointed. If there are a strictly limited number of positions available, a character may be unable to acquire the occupation until there is a vacancy. For example, a kingdom usually has only one king at a time.

Occupations might discriminate against certain types of characters. The occupation may not be allowed for characters of a particular template, sex, age, culture, social class or political alignment. If the occupation is allowed but significantly less compatible or popular with certain types of characters, explain why. (Or explain why the occupation is particularly popular or compatible with certain types of characters.) The occupation might also depend on the character's social connections, reputation or popularity, or the occupation might only be available as an inherited position.

Advantages

The advantages of having an occupation can include income, opportunities, status and privileges. An occupation can also improve or hurt a character's reputation. A better reputation is an advantage, but a worse reputation is a liability. The list of equipment required by an occupation is considered an advantage. When a character acquires the occupation, they receive this equipment if they don't already have it. An occupation's equipment list will often include multiple choices. If the character must invest a substantial amount of their own money to get this equipment, that cost might be a requirement of the occupation.

Liabilities

Occupations can require time commitments. They may limit how many other occupations the character can have. An occupation may even prevent the character from having any other occupations. Occupations can include duties which require a character to do certain things. An occupation can have standards of conduct and penalties for not keeping the occupation's rules. A character's reputation can be adversely affected by an unpopular or notorious occupation.

Occupation Examples

In this example each item is worth it's CP value in small silver coins.

Knight: A Knight is required to have at least a +6 modifier in law ability and a +4 modifier to sword fighting ability. To maintain the occupation of Knight, the character must always obey the law in public, must always resist attempts to break the law in public, and must obey all direct orders from the King. Knights are always entitled to 500 coins worth of equipment from the King. (If this equipment is damaged or lost, it may be restored at the King's armory.) Knights are entitled to the property of any Robber they capture. In addition to the Robber's property, the knight is rewarded with pile of coins equal to the robber's CP.

Robber: A Robber is required to have at least a +4 modifier to stealth ability and a +2 modifier in any armed combat ability. Robbers can always trade stolen items for half of the item's CP in coins on the black market. A Robber may lose these privileges if he aids in another Robber's capture.

If a character meets both of these occupation's requirements they may begin as either a Robber or Knight. If this character begins as a Robber, but gains the reputation of being a hero who is loyal to the king, and if he ceases to take advantage of his robber privileges, the King may choose to give this character the occupation of Knight. If this character begins as a knight, but proves himself disloyal to the king by participating in unlawful activity, he has the option of becoming a Robber, but loses all of his Knight privileges.

Consider two characters who are identical except that one character is a Knight and the other character is a Robber. The Knight has an advantage over the Robber, but the Knight also has stricter requirements.

Abilities

Each of a character's abilities has a modifier. This modifier is added as to success rolls when a character uses the ability to try something difficult. Abilities can also give the character other advantages based on ability modifier. Each game may have an ability list adapted to the setting and style of play. The following ability list is just one example of the abilities a game might have. Some abilities may be available to all characters all the time. Others may only be available to certain templates, or may only be changed while creating a character.

Ability Modifier Limits

Unless otherwise stated, the maximum ability modifier for a beginning character is 4 more than it's template default. (For example, if a template had a stealth modifier of two and no natural weapons modifier, the beginning character's maximum stealth ability modifier would be 6, and his maximum natural weapons ability modifier would be 4.) 4 is an advanced "expert" level of training. Games that start off with very untested characters may have a lower beginning character ability modifier limit, and games that start of with very advanced "super" characters might start with a higher beginning character ability modifier limit.

Unless otherwise stated, the maximum ability modifier for all character is 10 more than his template's default modifier for that ability. (For example, if a template had a stealth modifier of two and no natural weapons modifier, the character's maximum stealth ability modifier would be 12, and his maximum natural weapons ability modifier would be 10.) Games that aim for brutally realistic character development may have a lower maximum ability limit, and games which allow characters to train to extreme or "super" levels may have a higher maximum ability limit.

Combat Abilities

Natural weapons: A character's natural weapons modifier is added to attempts to strike using parts of the character's body, including such natural weapons as fists, feet, elbows, claws, horns, etc.

One-handed weapons: A combat ability which can be used with striking weapons held in one hand, such as a club, mace, axe or sword.

Two-handed weapons: A combat ability which can be used with two-handed striking weapons held in two hands, such as a staff, polearm or two-handed sword.

Grappling: Is a combat ability used for any grappling move the character might attempt, with or without a weapon.

Throwing: A combat ability used when throwing striking weapons or using a sling or atlatl. This ability can be used for catching and throwing both weapons and other items.

Marksmanship: A combat ability used with guns and bows

Combat Engineering: Knowledge of fortifications, siege engines, sabotage, setting and disarming traps.

Tactics: The ability to improve the performance of a group of characters in battle when this character is leading them.

Stealth and Detection Abilities

Detection: The ability to detect others sneaking around, avoid ambushes, and search for hidden objects and characters. Detection can also be used to spot traps and secret doors, find evidence at a crime scene or track down people and creatures. This ability modifier is added to success rolls to detect characters using stealth.

Illusion: The ability to make things appear to be that are not, or to make things that are there look as if they are not. This is the main ability behind stage magic (though some Magic Tricks instead use Sleight of Hand,) and concealing hidden goods.

Sleight of hand: The ability to use distraction, misdirection and suggestion as well as manual dexterity to perform subtle actions in plain sight without being noticed. Sleight of hand can be used to conceal weapons, draw them without being noticed, pick pockets and pass notes in class.

Stealth: The ability to remain undetected while sneaking around, ambushing, or hiding from searches. The difficulty of detecting a hiding character is usually 10 plus the character's stealth modifier plus circumstance modifiers.

Movement Abilities

Climbing: An ability that improves a character's ability to climb. (See Action/Movement.)

Acrobatics: An ability which helps a character perform acrobatic feats, such as jumping and tumbling without getting hurt. (See Action/Movement.)

Navigation: This ability is used to control water vehicles. For piloting planes, see piloting ability. Navigation includes both the ability to steer the vessel and the ability to use charts, instruments and visual cues to get where you want to go.

Piloting: This ability is used to control air vehicles. For piloting boats see navigation ability. Piloting includes both the ability to steer and land the vehicle, and the ability to use instruments, charts and so forth.

Driving: This ability is used to control mechanical ground vehicles. This ability includes both the physical skill of driving and knowledge of roads and traffic systems related to driving.

Animal handling: A knowledge of animal behavior, maintenance and safety. Animal handling includes the ability to control riding animals, but not the physical ability to do riding stunts. (See riding ability.)

Riding: An athletic ability similar to animal handling ability except that it can only be used to control animals that are ridden. Riding ability helps with physically challenging riding stunts.

Communication Abilities

Most characters can communicate in at least one language: their first or native language. Each additional language the character can understand and use is a quality worth 5 CP. Effective conversation in languages other than the character's first language usually requires a success roll.

Communication: This ability improves a character's ability to communicate in all languages, including the character's native language. Communication ability success rolls are required for simple communication, like asking for the general direction to a named place, except in the character's first language. Complex communication can require a success roll even in a character's first language.

Acting: This ability is used by a character to change their own behavior for entertainment or deception. Acting can be used to conceal beliefs or intentions, or for impersonation. Acting ability can make a believable lie more convincing, but making a lie believable may require both communication and acting ability. Acting ability can be used to manipulate characters who are susceptible to deception, flattery or intimidation.

Persuasion: This ability improves a character's ability to influence others, negotiate and lead. It is also useful when haggling over prices. Persuasion ability can also include a character's honor, status, reputation and prestige.

Other Abilities

Agriculture: The ability to produce raw materials by growing plants and animals.

Art: This ability is used to make effective visual presentations, including decoration, sculpting, painting and drawing.

Chemistry: This is used to make substances involving complex chemical processes, including explosives, alcohol, etc.

Cooking: This ability is used to produce food from appropriate raw materials.

Craftsmanship: General proficiency in creating "low tech" products in a variety of materials from textiles to smithing, carpentry and stonework. Craftsmanship ability can be used to create armor and weapons from an equipment list, to modify armor and weapons, or to create new items designed by a player or GM.

Engineering: The ability to design and repair technologically sophisticated things, from structures to gadgets.

Law: Understanding how systems of government work, and the ability to use those systems.

Locksmith: This ability is used both to create locks and to defeat locks, including lock-picking and safe-cracking. Locksmith ability includes general knowledge of physical security systems including ways of breaking into secured places without picking the lock.

Medicine: This ability is used to help injured characters heal, to treat sickness, disease and poisoning, and to help characters stay healthy. (A character can also use their medical knowledge to poison others or spread disease.) Medicine ability modifier can be added to the weekly healing rolls of any character being treated with the ability. However, if several characters use their medicine modifier to assist the same patient, only the highest medicine modifier applies.

Music: The ability to produce effective structured audio presentations. Music includes the ability to recognize, remember and repeat organized patterns of pitch and rhythm, as long as the character is physically able to hear and duplicate the sounds.

Surgery: The ability to physically modify organic characters. It is also used to create artificial organic characters.

Equipment

Decide what equipment will be included in the game, and who may use it. If the shapes or sizes of the templates are very different, each template might have a separate equipment list. Also decide what equipment characters should have when they start the game. Starting equipment may depend on a character's occupation. A character could start with a certain amount of CP in equipment or money to buy equipment. (See Game Design/Occupations.)

Equipment lists show the features of items in the game, mass, heft, power and CP value, similar to the equipment section of a character sheet, except that the equipment list is independent of the character using the equipment. A detailed equipment list may include details such as the reduced pull required to keep a compound bow drawn, the procedure for operating firearms (cocking, reloading, burst fire, etc.) or the type of damage inflicted by weapons.

Item CP

Some items, especially weapons and armor, have a CP value based on the item's features, mass, heft and power. This value could be used to determine equipment prices or to limit the amount of equipment a character can have.

Mass

This is the item's mass in kilograms. Weapon mass is based on heft (see below.) The mass of medieval armor is typically the wearer's mass multiplied by the armor's cover and absorption divided by 200. Some armor is heavier, especially scale armor and brigandine which are held together by a heavy cloth or leather backing. Modern armor can be lighter. An item's mass also modifies its CP:

mass	CP	mass	CP
0.000 kg	10	3-5 kg	-2
0.001 kg	9	6-10 kg	-3
0.002 kg	8	11-20 kg	-4
0.005 kg	7	21-50 kg	-5
0.01 kg	6	51-100 kg	-6
0.02 kg	5	101-200 kg	-7
0.03-0.05 kg	4	201-500 kg	-8
0.06-0.10 kg	3	501-1000 kg	-9
0.11-0.20 kg	2	1001-2000 kg	-10
0.21-0.50 kg	1	2001-5000 kg	-11
0.51-1.00 kg	0	5001-10,000 kg	-12
1.01-2.00 kg	-1	10,001-20,000 kg	-13

Heft

Each point of Heft is worth -10 CP. Heft is the power a character's limb must have (including leverage,) to wield the weapon easily. A weapon's heft is usually based on it's mass, but a hand weapon weighted for extra attack power, such as a mace, may have a little more heft. The heft of a bow reflects it's pull rather than it's weight. A firearm with a strong kick may have extra heft to reflect it's kick. If a weapon's heft is greater than the power of the limb holding it, the weapon is unwieldy. Unwieldy weapons may only be used to do one quick action per turn (and no strenuous actions.)

Heft	Mass	Heft	Mass
0	0 kg	12	7 kg
1	0.01 kg	14	10 kg
2	0.1 kg	16	15 kg
3	0.4 kg	18	20 kg
4	0.7 kg	20	30 kg
5	1 kg	25	50 kg
6	1.5 kg	30	70 kg
7	2 kg	35	100 kg
8	2.5 kg	40	150 kg
9	3 kg	45	200 kg
10	5 kg	50	300 kg

Power

Each point of power is worth 10 CP. A weapon's power is almost never less than it's heft. A well balanced hand weapon might have more power than it's heft, and a firearm can have much more power than heft.

Features

Some features are numbers and some are not. To show that an item has a feature which is not a number, just list the feature's name. If an item has a feature which is a number, such as range, cover, absorption, shots or turns, list the number followed by the name of the feature.

range (1 CP per meter): Range is a number which is the weapon's maximum effective range in meters. To save space, range can be listed as the number and an "m" (for meters) instead of the word "range". Most natural weapons and hand weapons have no range. Small amounts of reach which make a big difference in combat are reflected by higher template agility and combat abilities or control for some hand weapons (longer swords, staffs and polearms.)

cover and absorption (5 CP × cover × absorption or 50 CP × absorption): Cover and absorption are numbers which describe the effectiveness of armor, helmets and shields. Absorption is the amount of attack power blocked by a piece of armor. Cover increases the difficulty of hitting a part of the body which isn't armored. Items with cover always have absorption and item's with absorption always have cover. The CP value of absorption and cover is 5 multiplied by cover and absorption, or 50 multiplied by absorption if the cover is complete. For example, a piece of equipment with 5 cover and 2 absorption has 50 CP worth of absorption and cover, and a piece of equipment with complete cover and 6 absorption has 300 CP worth of absorption and cover.

offense (5 or 10 CP): Offense is a number (1 or 2) which is added to a character's attack modifier with this weapon. Most flexible weapons have this feature because they are difficult to parry and help grappling attacks by trapping limbs and weapons. 1 offense is worth 5 CP and 2 offense is worth 10 CP.

control (10 or 20 CP): control is a number (1 or 2) which is added to a character's attack and defense with this weapon. Weapons which have extra reach but are still easy to control have this feature. 1 control is worth 10 CP and 2 control is worth 20 CP.

sharp (20 CP): sharp weapons do all damage instead of half damage and half stun. Making a useful cutting or piercing tool is more difficult and makes the item a deadlier weapon, so this feature is worth 20 CP.

padded (5 CP): padded weapons do all stun instead of half damage and half stun. Padding a weapon so that it only does stun damage is difficult and actually increases the weapon's CP value by 5 CP.

two-handed (-10 CP): Two handed weapons are normally used with two hands. It is possible to wield a two-handed weapon in one hand, but then there is some penalty: If the weapon has the control or offense advantage, it loses those advantages. If the weapon does not have control or offense then it's heft is increased by 50% when wielded in one hand, possibly making the weapon unwieldy. This feature is worth -10 CP.

shots (up to 20 CP): Shots describes a weapon's rate of fire. Weapons without the shots feature, such as hand weapons and most thrown weapons, never need reloading. Not having the shots feature is worth 20 CP. This feature has two numbers. The first number is the number of times a character can fire the weapon without reloading (shots before reloading.) The second number is the number of turns required to reload a weapon after all of it's shots have been fired (reload time.) Each shot can represent a single bullet, a burst of bullets or a full turn of continuous automatic fire.

	shots before reloading	CP value
	1	-2 × the reload time
	2	5 - 2 × the reload time
	3	10 - 2 × the reload time
	4	12 - 2 × the reload time
	5	14 - 2 × the reload time
	6	16 - 2 × the reload time
	7	17 - 2 × the reload time
	8	18 - 2 × the reload time
	9	19 - 2 × the reload time
	10 or more	20 - 2 × the reload time

flash (-5 CP): The weapon makes a bright, but not blinding, flash when fired, like a gun.

noise (-10 CP): The weapon makes a loud, but not deafening, noise when fired, like the report of a gun.

smoke (-20 CP): the weapon makes a lot of smoke when fired, which impairs stealth and future aiming, like a black powder gun.

Equipment List

Blades

knife/gaff/spurs (40 CP, 1 kg, 2 heft, 2 power, sharp)
rapier (49 CP, 2 kg, 3 heft, 3 power, sharp, 1 control)
short sword/pick (39 CP, 2 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, sharp)
broadsword (48 CP, 3 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, sharp, 1 control)
longsword (48 CP, 5 kg, 4 heft, 5 power, sharp, 2 control, two-handed)
axe (38 CP, 4 kg, 4 heft, 5 power, sharp)

Bludgeons

stick/cane/baton (30 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, 1 control)
staff/pole (39 CP, 2 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, two-handed, 2 control)
wooden sword (38 CP, 3 kg, 4 heft, 5 power, two-handed, 2 control)
club/hammer/mace (29 CP, 2 kg, 4 heft, 5 power)
mattock/maul (8 CP, 5 kg, 7 heft, 6 power)
warhammer (18 CP, 3 kg, 5 heft, 6 power, two-handed)
chair (8 CP, 3 kg, 4 heft, 3 power, two-handed, 1 control)

Polearms
spear/trident (58 CP, 3 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, sharp, two-handed, 2 control)
pike (39 CP, 10 kg, 4 heft, 5 power, sharp, two-handed, 2 m)
other polearm (57 CP, 6 kg, 4 heft, 5 power, sharp, two-handed, 2 control)

Flexible Weapons

flail/nunchaku (34 CP, 2 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, 1 offense)
3 section staff (18 CP, 3 kg, 4 heft, 4 power, 2 offense, two-handed)
ball and chain (17 CP, 8 kg, 5 heft, 5 power, 2 offense, two-handed)
whip/riding crop (25 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 3 power, 1 offense)
bullwhip (32 CP, 2 kg, 4 heft, 4 power, 2 offense, 3 m)
rope dart (63 CP, 1 kg, 2 heft, 3 power, 2 offense, sharp, 3 m)
chain whip (49 CP, 2 kg, 4 heft, 4 power, 2 offense, sharp)

Thrown Weapons

stone (20 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 3 power)
boomerang (30 CP, 1 kg, 2 heft, 3 power)
grapple (29 CP, 2 kg, 4 heft, 4 power, 2 offense)
tomahawk/javelin (40 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 3 power, sharp)
harpoon (38 CP, 4 kg, 5 heft, 5 power, sharp)
atlatl (48 CP, 3 kg, 4 heft, 6 power, sharp, 30 m, 1/1 shots)
sling (43 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 4 power, 15 m, 1/1 shots)
staff sling (57 CP, 2 kg, 5 heft, 6 power, 30 m, 1/1 shots)

Bows

light bow (198 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 6 power, sharp, 150 m, 1/1 shots)
composite bow (258 CP, 1 kg, 4 heft, 10 power, sharp, 180 m, 1/1 shots)
longbow (327 CP, 2 kg, 5 heft, 12 power, sharp, 240 m, 1/1 shots)
compound bow (238 CP, 1 kg, 3 heft, 10 power, sharp, 150 m, 1/1 shots)
crossbow (284 CP, 3 kg, 6 heft, 12 power, sharp, 210 m, 1/2 shots)

Guns
blowgun (43 CP, 0 kg, 2 heft, 2 power, sharp, 15 m, 1/1 shots)
pistol (154 CP, 1 kg, 4 heft, 8 power, sharp, 90 m, 6/6 shots, flash, noise)
submachinegun (155 CP, 2 kg, 5 heft, 8 power, sharp, 90 m, 15/2 shots, flash, noise)
hunting rifle (512 CP, 3 kg, 6 heft, 10 power, sharp, 450 m, 5/5 shots, flash, noise)
shotgun (117 CP, 3 kg, 6 heft, 11 power, sharp, 45 m, 6/6 shots, flash, noise)
assault rifle (544 CP, 3 kg, 6 heft, 12 power, sharp, 450 m, 30/2 shots, flash, noise)
machinegun (666 CP, 15 kg, 9 heft, 25 power, sharp, 600 m, flash, noise)
grenade launcher (267 CP, 2 kg, 5 heft, 15 power, sharp, 150 m, 1/1 shots, flash, noise)
rocket launcher (342 CP, 5 kg, 7 heft, 20 power, sharp, 200 m, 1/3 shots, flash, noise, smoke)

Helmets

leather cap (20 CP, 0 kg, 1 cover, 2 absorption)
helmet (48 CP, 5 kg, 1 cover, 8 absorption)
full helmet (77 CP, 10 kg, 2 cover, 8 absorption)
crash helmet (49 CP, 2 kg, 2 cover, 5 absorption)
ballistic helmet (40 CP, 1 kg, 1 cover, 8 absorption)

Body Armor
padded coat (68 CP, 4 kg, 7 cover, 2 absorption)
leather armor (102 CP, 8 kg, 7 cover, 3 absorption)
scale armor (171 CP, 15 kg, 7 cover, 5 absorption)
chainmail (221 CP, 15 kg, 9 cover, 5 absorption)
brigandine (146 CP, 15 kg, 5 cover, 6 absorption)
lamellar (206 CP, 15 kg, 7 cover, 6 absorption)
full plate (355 CP, 25 kg, 9 cover, 8 absorption)
half plate (166 CP, 15 kg, 5 cover, 8 absorption)
breastplate (117 CP, 6 kg, 3 cover, 8 absorption)
leather jacket (49 CP, 2 kg, 5 cover, 2 absorption)
ballistic vest (74 CP, 2 kg, 3 cover, 5 absorption)
rifle plate (48 CP, 3 kg, 1 cover, 8 absorption)

Shields
buckler (49 CP, 2 kg, 3 heft, 3 power, 1 cover, 6 absorption)
wooden shield (68 CP, 3 kg, 4 heft, 4 power, 2 cover, 5 absorption)
leather shield (63 CP, 4 kg, 4 heft, 4 power, 3 cover, 3 absorption)

Mano a Mano:Game Design

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