Star Worlds:System Mechanics

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Revision as of 15:00, 29 January 2020 by Malkavian Grin (talk | contribs) (Adding problems and failures)
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Rolling Dice

When you attempt something risky or opposed, roll 2d6 and total the results, adding one of your Attribute scores based on the action you're taking. The GM will tell you some of the possible risks before you roll, so you can decide if it's worth the chance or if you want to revise your action.

When rolling against an opponent there must be a clear winner. Ties result in rolling again until the tie is broken.

2d6 Roll Result
6 or less A total of 6 or less is a Failure; things don‟t go well, and the GM will describe the consequences.
If you can use a Skill, it‟s a Close-Call instead.
7 - 9 A total of 7 - 9 is a Problem; you do it, but there is some cost, compromise, retribution, harm, etc.
10 - 11 A total of 10 - 11 is a Success; you do it without any complications.
12 or more A total of 12+ is a Critical; you do it perfectly and receive some extra benefit or advantage.

Problems and Failures

When your roll results with a Problem or a Close-Call, the GM will use a setup move to escalate the situation. When you get a Failure, the GM will use a hard and direct move that hits you with consequences immediately. The severity will depend largely on the fiction – what you were trying to accomplish, what was opposing you, and what was happening nearby. What follows are some general examples of appropriate consequences.

Problems & Close-Call Examples (Soft and Setup Moves)

  • Counter their action with another – the enemy attacks them at the same time, a socialite throws a fit when they confront her, another speeder cuts them off.
  • Delay their next action – they are stunned from a sharp blow to the head, they have to stop and gather dropped items, one of the crew is lagging behind.
  • Distract them – they don‟t immediately notice the tripwire up ahead, a dancer draws their attention away from an assassin, an enemy uses a flash bang.
  • Disturb their sensibilities – reveal how their mistakes had a negative effect on the world, expose them to terrible truths, show them the desperation of the rebellion.
  • Escalate the situation – a fire spreads to a neighboring building, a crowd starts to run in panic, the ship starts a self-destruct mechanism.
  • Exaggerate what they experience – make things seem more terrible than they are or, conversely, safer..
  • Impair their abilities or actions with minor Conditions – look at the fiction and see if there are any minor conditions that the player should incur.
  • Impose a compromise on their success – they can only succeed IF they allow something else to happen, too.
  • Provoke them into action – taunt them into attacking, introduce some danger and ask “What do you do?”
  • Temporarily take their stuff - knock away a useful tool or weapon, have them drop a key item into a dangerous or hard to get to location.

Failure Examples (Hard and Direct Moves)

  • Capture them – kidnap them, drop them in a pit, have a one of them arrested
  • Conceal something important – they find nothing of interest in the room...because it was hidden!
  • Control their actions, directly or indirectly – an ally is mistaken for an enemy, they are blackmailed into inaction.
  • Corrupt their minds or bodies – exposure to the Dark Side taints their soul, they contract a noxious disease or fall victim to a deadly poison.
  • Defame their actions or intent – they are mistaken for thugs, their words are misconstrued by the court magistrate.
  • Inflict harm or effects – they take some Vitality damage or get a Condition
  • Destroy something important to them – a weapon is broken in the middle of a fight, a loved one is murdered during the night.
  • Overwhelm them with great force, while leaving an opportunity – a strike hits them for great damage but leaves the attacker vulnerable, a mob rushes at them but makes it easier to slip away in the fray.
  • Prevent them from doing something – a sophisticated lock keeps a door barred, Imperials destroy the bridge they want to cross.
  • Reinforce the enemy – the enemy Storm Troopers are joined by elite Crimson Guard, the Sith Inquisitor gains power from killing an innocent.
  • Separate the characters – a cave-in splits them into two smaller groups, Storm Troopers put them into different detention cells for questioning.

Vitality and Damage

Be it by expertise, rolling with the punches, blind luck, trust in the Force, or heroic destiny, Vitality represents your character's ability to avoid damage when really they should have gotten hurt. Think of it as "plot armor" – your character is so important to the story that they get to have a buffer before they get seriously injured. Vitality loss is represented in the fiction as minor bumps, bruises, scrapes, cuts, and scratches – surface level damage that doesn't hold you back much.

Your max Vitality starts at 12+MEN and increases as you Level Up. When you take damage, it decreases your current Vitality. When your Vitality hits zero (it doesn't go negative), your character gets the Wounded Condition. Any further damage while Wounded results in your character getting the Dying Condition.

When you inflict damage, roll the dice listed for your weapon, and add any applicable bonuses to the result.

Armor and Speed

When damage is inflicted on you, subtract your Armor value from it from before decreasing your Vitality. Armor also determines your Speed, which is how fast you can move and react. Whenever a question of "who goes first" or "who runs the fastest" comes into the play, refer to the Speed of the characters first, and then a Daring roll if it's a tie.

Recovery

If you can arrange a scene within the game where your character can get something to eat and good night's rest, you can remove the Wounded condition and recover your Vitality back to full as long as you're not Dying. If you have the Dying Condition, a full week's rest is required to remove the condition and recover your Vitality to full. This can be cut down to a few days if submerged in a bacta tank.

Other conditions can be removed simply by resting, per the GM's discretion. For example, rest almost always removes the Exhausted condition. You can also remove Conditions by taking care of the problems in the fiction directly, such as getting medicine to cure a Sickness or even just coming to after getting knocked Out-Cold for a while. Sometimes you might even lose a limb (lightsabers are good for that) and you'll need to get a cybernetic prosthesis to replace it.

Hero Points

When you achieve something heroic, portray your character in a fun and interesting way, or just do something plain awesome in the game, the GM will award you with Hero Points. You spend these during the game to get special benefits. Here are some ways you can spend them during the game:

  • Reroll on any Attribute roll and the take the result you like best
  • Evade 1d6 damage from an attack on you
  • Do an extra 1d6 damage with an attack
  • Recharge an Ability that you‟ve already expended that day
  • Use an Ability from your career that you don't have yet

You can have a maximum of twelve Hero Points at any one time. You can share Hero Points with other players by describing how you help, directly, indirectly, or via retcon.

When you spend a Hero Point, keep track of it. Each time you spend 12 Hero Points you will level up and gain the benefits as seen below. Your newfound expertise will grant you access to more Skills and Abilities, increase your Damage and Vitality, and give you extra bonuses for Attributes. When you level up, consult the chart below to determine what rewards you receive at your new level. You don't level up on the spot - you must rest for a while and spend some time training or reflecting to actually Level Up.

With the GM's approval, you can also choose to have Multiple Careers. When you would Level Up and earn a new Skill, you can forgo taking that Skill in exchange for gaining access to a new Career's Abilities. From then on when you level up, you can choose Abilities from either of those two Careers. You can do this procedure twice, ultimately giving you access to a total of three Careers and their Abilities.

Level Vitality Attributes Skills Abilities Damage
1 12 + Menace​ Roll or Assign​ Species +1​ Per Career​ Per Weapons​
2 +1​
3 +1​
4 +4​ +1​ +1​
5 +1​ +1d6​
6 +1​
7 +4​ +1​ +1​
8 +1​
9 +1​
10 +4​ +1​ +1​ +1d6​

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