Editing Scratch:Basic Rules
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===Turns=== | ===Turns=== | ||
− | + | Characters take ''turns'' performing actions during ''encounters''. At the beginning of each encounter, roll a twenty-sided die for each character to determine the order of their turns. This is the character's ''initiative'' roll. Characters take turns in order from the highest initiative to the lowest. If two characters have the same initiative, break the tie by rolling another die for both characters until one of them rolls higher. That character goes before the other. | |
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''Regular actions'' require a character's full attention, so characters can only perform one regular action per turn. Most actions are regular actions. | ''Regular actions'' require a character's full attention, so characters can only perform one regular action per turn. Most actions are regular actions. | ||
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===Defenses=== | ===Defenses=== | ||
− | '''Agility''' is 10 plus the character's stealth, acrobatics, quickness or flying ability level, whichever is greater | + | '''Agility''' is 10 plus the character's stealth, acrobatics, quickness or flying ability level, whichever is greater. Agility is the difficulty of ''normal'' attacks which should be physically avoided or blocked. If a character has 2 levels of acrobatics and 3 levels of quickness, then his agility is 13. If he is targeted by a normal attack and the attacker's roll is 13 or more, then attack is successful. (If the roll is 12 or less the attack fails fails.) |
− | '''Intelligence''' is 10 plus the character's detection, command, healing or craftsmanship ability level, whichever is greater | + | '''Intelligence''' is 10 plus the character's detection, command, healing or craftsmanship ability level, whichever is greater. Intelligence is the difficulty of actions like deception, persuasion, intimidation, mind reading and mind control. These are called ''psychic'' attacks regardless of whether their power is psychological or supernatural. |
− | '''Strength''' is 10 plus the character's wrestling or swimming ability | + | '''Strength''' is 7 plus the character's toughness, 10 plus the character's wrestling ability or 10 plus the character's swimming ability, whichever is greater. This is the difficulty of ''force'' attacks that should be resisted physically, but not by moving out of the way or parrying the attack. |
Strength can be used to estimate how much weight a character can carry or lift. | Strength can be used to estimate how much weight a character can carry or lift. | ||
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'''Engage''' is a bonus action which an attacker can use before a close range attack. The attacker adds 2 to his close range attack rolls until the end of his current turn, but the attacker's agility is reduced by 2 until the beginning of his next turn. Lowering the attacker's agility may encourage enemies to target the attacker instead of his allies. | '''Engage''' is a bonus action which an attacker can use before a close range attack. The attacker adds 2 to his close range attack rolls until the end of his current turn, but the attacker's agility is reduced by 2 until the beginning of his next turn. Lowering the attacker's agility may encourage enemies to target the attacker instead of his allies. | ||
− | '''Take cover''' is a bonus action which | + | '''Take cover''' is a bonus action which an attacker can use before a long range attack. A character can only use this action if there is some kind of cover, like a hill, a wall or a large box to hide behind. The attacker subtracts 2 from his long range attack rolls until the end of his current turn, but the attacker's agility is increased by 2 until the beginning of his next turn. |
===Abilities=== | ===Abilities=== | ||
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===Toughness=== | ===Toughness=== | ||
− | '''Toughness''' ability level is a character's maximum hit points. Characters | + | '''Toughness''' ability level is a character's maximum hit points, and represents armor, size or other damage-resisting traits. Characters who are big, physically fit, armored or highly motivated usually have 4 or more toughness. A cop who stays in shape and wears light body armor would have at least 4 toughness while a large, highly trained, veteran medieval warrior in heavy body armor could have 8 toughness. A child or elderly person may have only 2 toughness. The average horse might have 6 toughness. A war elephant with light body armor would have at least 10 toughness. Some characters might have only 1 toughness because they are particularly fragile or because they are unmotivated and give up as soon as they are injured. Characters without toughness may not perform actions during encounters. |
===Attack Abilities=== | ===Attack Abilities=== | ||
− | '''Shooting''' is used to perform a powerful long range normal attack against one character. | + | '''Shooting''' is used to perform a powerful long range normal attack against one character. Make a shooting roll against the target's agility. If the attack is successful, it causes 2 damage. If the attack is automatically successful it causes 5 damage instead of 3 damage. |
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− | Make a shooting roll against the target's agility. If the attack is successful, it causes 2 damage. | ||
− | If the attack is automatically successful it causes 5 damage instead of 3 damage. | ||
When an injured character uses this attack he delays himself until the end of his next turn. | When an injured character uses this attack he delays himself until the end of his next turn. | ||
− | '''Blasting''' is used to attack multiple opponents simultaneously. | + | '''Blasting''' is used to attack multiple opponents simultaneously. The blasting attack is a long range normal attack which targets up to three separate enemies. A character cannot target a single target more than once with the same blasting attack. Make a blasting roll against the agility of each target. Each target successfully attacked receives 1 damage. |
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− | The blasting attack is a long range normal attack which targets up to three separate enemies. | ||
− | A character cannot target a single target more than once with the same blasting attack. | ||
− | Make a blasting roll against the agility of each target. | ||
− | Each target successfully attacked receives 1 damage. | ||
When an injured character uses this attack he delays himself until the end of his next turn. | When an injured character uses this attack he delays himself until the end of his next turn. | ||
− | '''Knockout''' is used to perform an extremely devastating close range normal attack against a single target | + | '''Knockout''' is used to perform an extremely devastating knockout attack. |
− | + | This is a close range normal attack against a single target. | |
− | If the attacker is healthy, the attack causes 4 damage. | + | If the attacker is healthy, the attack causes 4 damage. If the attacker is injured, it causes 2 damage. |
− | If the attacker is injured, it causes 2 damage. | ||
When a character does a knockout attack he delays himself until the end of his next turn. | When a character does a knockout attack he delays himself until the end of his next turn. | ||
Knockout ability level can also be added to basic attack rolls if no other abilities have been added to them. | Knockout ability level can also be added to basic attack rolls if no other abilities have been added to them. | ||
− | '''Fighting''' ability level can be used to make basic attack rolls. | + | '''Fighting''' ability level can be used to make basic attack rolls. If the attacker is healthy he can do two basic attacks as a single action, using his fighting ability level for both rolls. |
− | If the attacker is healthy he can do two basic attacks as a single action, using his fighting ability level for both rolls | ||
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− | '''Wrestling''' ability level can be added to make basic attack and hold rolls. | + | '''Wrestling''' ability level can be added to make basic attack and hold rolls. Holds using wrestling ability cause 1 damage when the attacker is healthy. |
− | Holds using wrestling ability cause 1 damage when the attacker is healthy | ||
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===Stalking Abilities=== | ===Stalking Abilities=== | ||
− | '''Stealth''' helps a character go first in combat by sneaking around. | + | '''Stealth''' helps a character go first in combat by sneaking around. Add 2 times the character's stealth ability to initiative rolls. If a character has 3 levels of stealth ability and rolls 17 with his initiative die, then his initiative is 23 (17 plus 6.) |
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− | Add 2 times the | ||
− | '''Detection''' helps a character go first in combat by detecting enemies who are sneaking around. | + | '''Detection''' helps a character go first in combat by detecting enemies who are sneaking around. Add 10 times the character's detection ability to initiative rolls. If a character has 5 levels of detection ability and rolls 8 with his initiative die, then his initiative is 58 (8 plus 50.) |
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− | Add 10 times the | ||
A character can use this ability to make hold rolls. | A character can use this ability to make hold rolls. | ||
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===Movement Abilities=== | ===Movement Abilities=== | ||
− | A character can use movement abilities to | + | A character can use movement abilities to evade or make hold rolls only when the character is in the right type of terrain. |
'''Acrobatics''' is used to get up, across, or over three-dimensional structures and obstacles like ropes, nets, ledges, ladders, fences, trees and cliffs. | '''Acrobatics''' is used to get up, across, or over three-dimensional structures and obstacles like ropes, nets, ledges, ladders, fences, trees and cliffs. | ||
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'''Quickness''' is used for movement on relatively level ground. | '''Quickness''' is used for movement on relatively level ground. | ||
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'''Flying''' is used to move through the air when there is room to fly. (There is usually room to fly outdoors but not indoors.) A character with no flying ability cannot fly, and cannot get flying ability without a good explanation for why he can fly now when he could not fly before. | '''Flying''' is used to move through the air when there is room to fly. (There is usually room to fly outdoors but not indoors.) A character with no flying ability cannot fly, and cannot get flying ability without a good explanation for why he can fly now when he could not fly before. | ||
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When a flying character evades or uses a long range attack, he cannot be attacked with a close range attack until his next turn, unless the attacker can also fly. | When a flying character evades or uses a long range attack, he cannot be attacked with a close range attack until his next turn, unless the attacker can also fly. | ||
− | '''Swimming''' is used to move in water. A character without this ability does not know how to swim. | + | '''Swimming''' is used to move in water. A character without this ability does not know how to swim. Most land-dwelling species can only develop one or two levels of swimming ability without special equipment. |
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When a character is in water, add his swimming ability to his agility and close range attack rolls in addition to the ability levels normally added to agility and attack rolls. | When a character is in water, add his swimming ability to his agility and close range attack rolls in addition to the ability levels normally added to agility and attack rolls. | ||
In deep water, characters who use swimming ability to evade cannot be attacked with long range attacks or characters who do not have swimming ability. | In deep water, characters who use swimming ability to evade cannot be attacked with long range attacks or characters who do not have swimming ability. | ||
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===Support Abilities=== | ===Support Abilities=== | ||
− | '''Healing''' allows a character to try to revive incapacitated characters and heal injured characters. | + | '''Healing''' allows a character to try to revive incapacitated characters and heal injured characters. A character cannot heal himself with this ability. The difficulty of reviving an incapacitated character is 10. The difficulty of healing an injured character is 10. After being successfully revived a character is still injured, and has only one hit point. After being successfully healed a character is barely healthy, with 1 hit point more than half of his maximum hit points (rounded down.) |
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− | A character cannot heal himself with this ability. The difficulty of reviving an incapacitated character is 10. The difficulty of healing an injured character is 10. After being successfully revived a character is still injured, and has only one hit point. After being successfully healed a character is barely healthy, with 1 hit point more than half of his maximum hit points (rounded down.) | ||
− | '''Craftsmanship''' is an ability which allows a character to maintain and improve his allies' equipment. | + | '''Craftsmanship''' is an ability which allows a character to maintain and improve his allies' equipment. For each level of this ability, a character can give a traveling companion a temporary +1 bonus to an ability which is already at least level 1. He cannot give a second temporary bonus to an ability which has a temporary bonus from himself or someone else. The bonus lasts until he removes it or they are no longer traveling companions. He cannot remove or add bonuses during an encounter. He must make a success roll to add a temporary bonus in a hurry (usually difficulty 10.) If the roll fails he cannot use that temporary bonus until he is no longer in a hurry. |
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− | For each level of this ability, a character can give a traveling companion a temporary +1 bonus to an ability which is already at least level 1. He cannot give a second temporary bonus to an ability which has a temporary bonus from himself or someone else. The bonus lasts until he removes it or they are no longer traveling companions. He cannot remove or add bonuses during an encounter. He must make a success roll to add a temporary bonus in a hurry (usually difficulty 10.) If the roll fails he cannot use that temporary bonus until he is no longer in a hurry. | ||
− | '''Command''' is an ability that provides a character with one or two minions | + | '''Command''' is an ability that provides a character with one or two minions whose total ability level is no greater than the character's command ability level. These followers cannot have command ability. A character 4 command could have 1 minion with 4 total ability levels, 2 minions with 2 total ability levels each, or a minion with 1 toughness and another minion with 3 total ability levels. For example: |
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− | A character 4 command could have 1 minion with 4 total ability levels, 2 minions with 2 total ability levels each, or a minion with 1 toughness and another minion with 3 total ability levels. For example: | ||