B-Grade Basic Rules

Basically the ORE system but heavily converted.

BASIC RULES

• The basic dice mechanic of ORE is designed to provide all of the information needed to determine the speed, quality, and effect of an action with a single roll, rather than the multiple sequential rolls found in many other systems.
• The Cardinal Rules
  1. Roll only when you need to. There's no sense in rolling for trivial tasks.
  2. You CAN roll more than 10 dice. (unlike normal ORE rules)
  3. Round down. Whenever dividing or averaging results in a fractional result, round down.
• Dice Pool
• Character abilities, skills, and actions are resolved using a Dice pool of 10-sided dice.
• The dice pool for any action is the appropriate STAT + appropriate Skill. Sometimes, there are bonuses and penalties to the dicepool. Sometimes difficulty numbers must be met.
  • eg. Wolfman Jackson has a Body Stat of 3 and a Brawl Skill of 4. To hit someone in hand-to-hand combat, Wolfman's player generally rolls 7d10 (3 from Body and 4 from Brawl).

STATS AND SKILLS

• There are 6 stats
• There are around 4-5 skills per stat.

SETS AND WIDTH, HEIGHT AND AREA

• When a player rolls dice, the results are examined to see if any dice match, and those matching dice are called Sets. A set has Width, Height, and Area. and is written as W x H when it's described (and Area is derived by multiplying the two together). The Width of a set is how many dice came up matching, while the Height is what number is matched.
  • eg. Wolfman Jackson takes a swing at a nazi. The results of the roll are 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, and 10. Since three dice came up 5, he has a Set. The set is Width is 3 (three dice are in it), and it's height is 5. This is written as a 3x5 set. The area of the set is 3 times 5 = 15.
• Sets indicate a number of things about the roll. The Area of the Set indicates, in general, how quickly the task is performed (like initiative), the width of the set determines how successful the task was performed, while the Height of a set determines whether the task was done sufficiently well enough to overcome certain difficult circumstances. Large area sets are faster, and wider sets are more successful. Tall sets (in height) are successful in most difficult situations.
• As you probably guessed, if your roll results in no Sets, your attempt to perform a task fails.

DEGREES OF SUCCESS

• Different width sets represent different degrees of success
  • Width2 = minimal success
    • Success occurs but it takes time, generally a few units of time (such as 3 rounds later). You slam the door repeatedly with your shoulder. It finally comes crashing down
    • In combat, you get a small bonus to your next attack plus an extra benefit that you choose from a list (such as causing a point of shock on your foe).
• Width3 = adequate success
  • • The Success occurs this round. The door crashes to the ground.
    • In combat, you will cause 1 wound plus an extra benefit that you choose from a list (such as bonus dice next attack, etc)
• Width4 = good success
  • • The success occurs this round and something extra happens. The door crashes to the ground, flat-footing the ninjas waiting in the room beyond.
    • In combat, you will cause 2 wounds plus an extra benefit that you choose from a list (such as disarming your foe, etc)
• Width5 = spectacular success. The door crashes to the ground, crushing the two ninjas waiting in ambush in the room beyond.
  • • The success occurs this round and something truly spectacular happens.
    • In combat, you will cause 3 wounds plus an extra benefit that you choose from a list (such as knocking out your foe, etc)

DIFFICULTY

• Typically, any roll that results in sets is sufficient to succeed at a task (even if only barely). However, for challenging tasks, the Gamemaster may decide to set a Difficulty for the roll. The Difficulty of any task is the tallest set of width2 that can be rolled that is still considered to be a success. Widths of 3 or greater automatically beat the difficulty rating (as they are rare enough as it is).
  • Example: Wolfman Jackson is trying to break down a door. The door has a strength of 4, which establishes the Difficulty of breaking it down. Wolfman's result will need to have a height of 5 or more to succeed if he rolls only a width2 success. Heights of 1 to 4 on Width2 Sets will fail in this task. Width3 or greater sets will automatically succeed.

Static and Dynamic Contests

• Static contests occur when a character is attempting a task, but is not competing with any person or other entity to complete it. Dynamic contests mean that you have an opponent, usually a person, but very occasionally some other factor.

OTHER THINGS

• Multiple Actions
  • Performing multiple actions is simple: declare multiple actions, and if you roll multiple sets, allocate them as you desire to the actions you wish to take (if you only roll one set, you'll need to decide which action you wish to perform). There is a -1d penalty to dicepool for multiple actions.
• Working Together
  • Characters can cooperate to perform a task, provided two requirements are met:
    1. The task can be accomplished in a cooperative fashion.
    2. The combined dice pools are for the same Stat + Skill.
  • To cooperate on a static contest, the two characters simply combine their pool, and the pool is rolled normally. This method is also used for dynamic contests where time is not a factor. In dynamic contests where time is a factor, both individuals roll separately, and combine their hands for the best set (however, one character must get at least one set, or the attempt fails).

SPECIAL DICE

• There is one special dice available in B-GRade: Hammer-time Dice (HT dice)
• Hammer-time Dice (HD)
  • Hammer-time dice are very powerful. They can be set to whatever value you want, AFTER you roll. Thus, you can set them to make wide or tall sets as you see fit.
  • Furthermore, Hammer-time dice "buy off" penalties (such as wound penalties). When this happens, they remain in the pool, but are rolled normally (i.e., you don't set them). However, note that the buy off is MANDATORY - if you have a Hammer-time dice and you face a dice pool penalty, you must use the HD to buy off the penalty.

DRAMA DECK

(The drama deck is under review. Not sure if it really adds anything to the game). B-Grade makes use of a drama deck (much like the Torg system did). A normal deck of cards is used.

• Each character has a hand of 4 cards that he keeps to himself. When he uses a card he replaces it by drawing another.
• Card Hands
  • The cards (usually four) dealt into your hand are separate from the rest of the drama deck.
• You play cards directly from your hand, b ut must do so straight after you have rolled. You must play all the cards you intend to play after rolling and before finding out what effect you’ve had.
• Losing Cards
• Enemy action can actually remove cards from your hand through tricks, tests, and taunts used by the villains. If a villain successfully uses one of these skills on your character, the gamemaster may remove one card. You cannot play a card when it is being removed to avoid losing it. Once the card loss action succeeds the gamemaster will remove a card and it is gone.
• Trading Cards
• Players may trade eligible cards with other players on a one-for-one basis, and may make as many trades as they wish, but only with players whose characters are in the same “combat.” So if there is a combat in one room with a vampire, and another combat nearby with a werewolf, the players in each combat can trade with each other, but they can’t trade with people in the other combat. If the one group defeats the vampire, and then joins the fight with the werewolf, they can then start trading with the players already there.
• Replenishing You Hand
• At the end of each scene, and at the end of each combat that occurs in the middle of a scene, the characters undergo the hand reset. Any player with more than four cards must discard down to four. Then all players may discard one card, and receive enough new cards to bring the total cards in hand to four (usually).
• Card Descriptions
• Special Cards
  • There are three types of cards that are special - represented by the Kings, Queens, jacks and jokers. These types of cards represent subplot cards, connection cards, and alertness cards.
• Subplots
  • When a player plays a Subplot card, it immediately goes face-up into the pool, where it remains until used. If a player does not want the Subplot to take effect, he or she may discard it and add one Possibility to the character sheet. Likewise, a gamemaster may feel a specific Subplot is inappropriate, and remove it from the pool, giving the character a Possibility as compensation. If it is appropriate, the character earns one Possibility at the end of every act in which the Subplot influences the story. Subplots end when the adventure ends unless a Campaign card is played.
  • __Alertness__: This card allows a player to notice an otherwise unnoticed fact/clue, etc. This Subplot usually ends once the card activates. Alertness is a gamemaster-tinted card, & so does not count against your total of four cards when replenishing your hand; it remains in your pool until used.
  • __Campaign__: This card can only be played by a character with an active Subplot in effect. It allows the Subplot to influence other adventures beyond the current one.
  • __Connection__: This card allows a player to find another character in the area who can help out in a situation. It is up to the gamemaster to determine who the connection is and what help is available. Again, this Subplot usually ends when the card activates.
  • __Martyr__: This Subplot allows a character to prepare for his or her death, and at the appropriate moment, sacrifice his or her life to achieve a party goal with automatic success. It is important to remember that the character with this subplot in effect does not have to sacrifice his life, it is simply an option when all else fails. However, if you have this subplot in play and do not use it, your possibility award at the end of the adventure will be significantly reduced.
  • __Mistaken Identity__: This Subplot causes a character to make a mistake about another person’s identity.
  • __Nemesis__: This Subplot causes a character to acquire a nemesis, who will take special attention to the character.
  • __Romance__: This card introduces a romantic element into the story. It does not have to be reciprocated. Some of the more interesting story elements come from having someone having romantic feelings for a person who doesn’t notice what’s going on.
  • __Suspicion__: This Subplot makes a character suspicious of another character’s actions or intentions.
  • __True Identity__: As above, but the suspected identity is true. True Identity can also mean that the character discovers something about him or herself.

• Cards That Increase Value And Bonus

• Other Cards
  • __Escape__: This card insures that the group can escape an encounter alive. It has no effect unless it is the first card its player played into the pool in the current combat.
  • __Idea__: This card lets you ask about what course of action your characters should take. You will receive at least one useful idea about the next course of action.
  • __Inspire__: Use this card to remove all shock from one character (including yourself).
  • __Leadership__: This card takes two cards from your hand or pool and puts them in other players’ pools. You then draw cards until your hand (not counting your pool) contains four (usually) cards.
  • __Monologue__: This card stops hostile actions while you make a dramatic speech.
  • __Opponent Fails__: This card cancels an opponent’s action that was aimed at you. If the opponent aimed at multiple people, only the result against you is canceled.
  • __Rally__: This card allows all players in the combat to keep or discard any cards still in their hands. Once all players have done so, they each draw until their hand (not counting their pool) contains four cards.
  • __Second Chance__: This card lets you retry an action that has been ruled a failure.