Difference between revisions of "Urchins: Setting"

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==Distinction SFX==
 
==Distinction SFX==
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SFX [pp61] give distinctions [and certain other traits] a bit of extra oomph.
 
Each of your three distinctions comes with the '''Hinder SFX''' active:
 
Each of your three distinctions comes with the '''Hinder SFX''' active:
  

Revision as of 16:36, 2 September 2021

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A Fantasy RPG for Cortex Prime

Urchins00006.png

We watch. We see. Your secrets are ours to sell.


PRIMARY TRAITS

The Primary Traits for this game are Approaches, Roles. and Distinctions. In any test or contest requiring dice, you get to roll one die from each of your 3 primary traits as well as applicable assets, knacks, etc.

Approaches

Rather than measurable individual character attributes such as Physical | Mental | Social, this game will use Approaches, broad goals that an action is aimed at achieving. Approaches represent HOW you are trying to accomplish a given task. Approaches are the first of your three Prime Traits to be included in each roll along with, Roles, and Distinctions.


Your Approaches each start at d8 but you can step an approach up if you step another back to a max of d12 and a minimum of d4 If you have done your maths right your total should add up to 32.


Savagery - The savage approach has you tackling a task or problem with viciousness and an utter lack of mercy.
Cunning - The cunning approach has you tackling a task or problem with razor intellect and shrewd reason.
Finesse - The finesse approach has you tackling a task or problem with subtlety, subterfuge, and misdirection.
Rapport - The rapport approach has you tackling a task or problem with empathy and concern.

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Roles

Roles are the second Prime Trait, along with Approaches and Distinctions that should be included in every roll you make. If Approaches describe how you tackle a problem, the role you choose describes WHAT you are attempting to do.

Urchins are required to fill multiple roles in their daily struggle for survival, but as happens, each Urchin tends to develop more in certain roles, becoming top tier skilled in one, highly skilled in another, competent in most of the rest, and abysmally less competent at that one role that just eludes them.


Assign your primary Role the value of d10 || Assign your secondary Role the value of d8

Assign your lowest Role the value of d4 || Assign your remaining Roles the value of d6


Fixer: Repair, fabricate, and maintain stuff. Sometimes even people.
Infiltrator: Sneak about, get into places you weren't meant to get into.
Runner: Run messages, contraband, supplies, etc.
Saboteur: Destroy strategic targets, really strategy is secondary to the destroying.
Scrapper: Get into it. They ain't made the fight you didn't want a piece of.
Tracker: Track shit down. Locate people, resources, and rumors.
Trickster: Experts at misdirection and the use of words, gestures, and props.

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Knacks

Knacks are specific specialties under a given role that the Urchin is just a natural at. Starting knacks are worth an extra D6a.png to the roll it applies to but can be stepped up as outlined below.

Each player gets to assign one free D10a.png knack and one free D8a.png knack to their Character's Primary Role, one at D10a.png and one at D8a.png

Each player gets to assign one free D8a.png knack to their Character's Secondary Role.

Each player gets to assign four additional knacks at D6a.png to any role rated D6a.png or higher or step up an existing knack at a one-for-one exchange rate not to exceed the rating of the Role the rank is attached to.

Knacks cannot be assigned to a character's D4a.png role.

No knack can be stepped up higher than the dice value of the role it is assigned to.

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Distinctions

Distinctions are unique personal traits or tropes that set characters apart from one another beyond the pure mechanics, and are the third of the prime traits that should be added to every roll along with Approaches and Roles.

If approaches tell HOW, and roles tell WHAT, then Distinctions give us a look at WHO is acting. [pp50]

There are three categories of distinctions for this game and you must choose one of each:

Background | Quirk | Free.


All distinctions default to a rating of D8a.png except when engaging the Hinder SFX.


Background Distinction

Urchins are orphans, forgotten and unseen, scraping by in the streets and sewers of Rattown and the Labyrinth and in the wretched depths of the Undercity. Despite sharing a similar fate with their fellows, however, each Urchin followed their own unique path to get where they are.

Sample Backgrounds might include Abandoned Royal, Kidnapped, Born in the Deep, Storm Rat, etc.


Quirk Distinction

Urchins are a hardy lot of survivors with their own bizarre coping mechanisms. Sample Quirks might include Obsessive Guar Chewer, Wears Clothes Backwards, Speaks in Rhyme, Kindness Tourette's, etc.


Free Distinction

A free distinction is exactly that. You are free to come up with any distinction that makes sense for the character and the setting.


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Distinction SFX

SFX [pp61] give distinctions [and certain other traits] a bit of extra oomph. Each of your three distinctions comes with the Hinder SFX active:

Check002.png Hinder: Sometimes your distinction works against you. Gain 1 plot point when you roll a D4a.png instead of a D8a.png

After that, each Urchin starts play with two more active SFX related to their distinctions. You decide how you want to arrange those. [pp61]


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Relationships

Relationships [pp55] represent an optional trait set. Relationships won't always apply to a roll, but when they do there is good reason. Urchins don't have much, and very often in their lives it is that one other soul who really matters to them or motivates them. Add a relationship die when the person or group it is attached to is affected by or affects the action in question.

Each urchin will start the game with a relationship to another urchin [GMC], one street vendor, shop keeper, innkeeper, artisan, guild, etc, and one free pick that cannot be a Faction at start of game.


Rate all relationships at D8a.png OR one relationship at D10a.png one at D8a.png and one at D6a.png


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Factions

Factions represent another optional trait set players might access if the roll might concern that faction in some way. Keep in mind, while you can roll a faction die to get extra mechanical clout to do something on behalf of a faction, the GM can choose to add that same die as a complication to his opposition roll, where player failure means the die gets stepped back - no lower than D4a.png - or stays the same on a tie (this is the only time a tie doesn't default to the player, it's just neutral), or get stepped up - no higher than D12a.png - on a success on the part of the player. Two steps on an ES.

The GM decides at the outset if an action is eligible to earn or lose faction standing.

Whenever your character attains a rating of d6 or higher with a faction, you may attach a Trait Statement to that faction's name [pp55/65 Reputation/Trait Statements].

The Player decides when to challenge a trait statement.

Player Characters are all rated at D4a.png with all guilds at start of game.


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Resources

Resources represent another optional trait set but it works a little different from the above [pp56]. Player characters have three different resources at their disposal: Bolt Holes | Caches | Grundle


Bolt Hole

Every urchin has a bolt hole or two that they can shimmy into and hide or seek emergency shelter. The bolt hole is rated at D6a.png and comes with three dice that refresh one die a day.

Cache

Bolt Holes are easily found and claimed by bigger urchins, so the smart urchin sets up caches around the city to hide their meager wealth and possessions. Caches are rated at D8a.png and come with four dice that refresh at two per day.

Grundle

The Grundle is an urchin's greatest treasure. The grundle is a carapace of elemental stone that the urchin has bonded with and allows them to explore and exploit the undercity within its protective lithic shell. The grundle cannot come to the surface during daylight hours. Grundles are rated at D8a.png and come with five dice that all refresh at Dusk every day.

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Grundle Roles

Your grundle has the same priority to role dice as the character but stepped up by one. So instead of assigning dice:

d10 d8 d6 d6 d6 d6 d4

You would instead assign them:

d12 d10 d8 d8 d8 d8 d6


All Roles d8 or higher come with the Hinder SFX. Add two SFX to your grundle's d128 role, one to your grundle's d10 role, and one other to any one of your grundle's roles you choose.

Limit: Grundle SFX can only be used while piloting the grundle.


Grundle Knacks

Knacks transfer at the same die value that you have in the flesh provided it makes sense you could use such a knack in a grundle.

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Signature Assets

Each character starts with two signature assets [pp64]. Signature assets are yet another optional trait set that can be added to a roll if the asset makes sense in the situation.

Each Urchin begins play with one Heirloom and one Keepsake.


Heirloom: This is a hidden treasure from someone important to the Urchin from before they were orphaned, a gift from a parent or sibling or other relative or a piece of family property that the urchin managed to sneak away with.
Heirlooms function at d8
Check002.png Heirlooms start with one active SFX. It cannot be the Hinder SFX.
Limit: Heirlooms cannot be used when sleeved in a grundle.

Keepsake: This is a small memento, a gift from another urchin or a minor found treasure since they became an orphan.
Keepsakes function at d6
Keepsakes don't start with active SFX.
Limit: Keepsakes cannot be used when sleeved in a grundle.

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