Behin Batean: Players Manual

HOW TO PLAY

Role Playing Game

     Behin Batean is a role playing tabletop game where real-world players role play as a fictional character- with the exception of the Game Master (GM) whose job is to moderate the game. Players play a specific "campaign" in which there is a defined goal for the group of fictional characters along with options for alternative missions- or side-quests.

A Fantastic World

     Behin Batean takes place in a fantasy setting based on the Medieval Period- however, there are elements derived from peoples and cultures of the real world thrown into the mix to make for a diverse and dynamic world in which the players can interact.

What's In A Behin Batean Game?

     Behin Batean consists of one game master and a minimum of three character players- making for four minimal players. The GM must coordinate and moderate the game while the players with characters must navigate the fictional world to achieve the end goal of the campaign. Necessary for any campaign is game dice (a minimum of one each of a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20), the Player Manual, the Game Master Manual, and a Campaign Book- along with pencils, character sheets, and scratch paper.

How Do You Play?

     Players role play in the fantasy world by interacting with fictional characters the GM role plays as within an encounter. (To better understand "campaigns" and "encounters", if the game was a television show, a campaign would be a season, and an encounter would be an episode.) Within an encounter, plays my have to combat enemies and monsters, or attempt to solve puzzles. Players can also explore the fictional world during the encounter by traveling and interacting with cities and settlements. During the majority of an encounter, players do not need to take "turns" but can freely tell the GM what their character would like to do in the moment. However, if the players engage in combat during an encounter- these fights are turn-based.

The Core Mechanic

     The core of Behin Batean is to have fun- so the GM must place entertainment above anything. That being said however, making the game just difficult enough to establish the risk of failure is important to prevent boredom. While the rules of the game are meant to be simple, the GM has the option of breaking the rules in the name of keeping the players entranced and entertained.

MAKING CHARACTERS

Character Creation

     Each player- with the exception of the GM- gets their own personal character to role play as and gets to create their character prior to the start of the first encounter of a campaign. They then get the opportunity to alter their character along a campaign as they encounter new weapons, level up, and adjust for different conditions like colder weather, etc. A player gets to chose their character's race, class, ability scores (innate abilities like strength or charisma which influence skills), skills, equipment, and powers.

Role Playing

     Because Behin Batean is a role playing game, each player with a character must role play as that character to their best ability. For example, a player role playing as a lawful good paladin would never break the laws of their people. That being said, the GM may put characters such as these into impossible circumstances that force a player to make decisions for their character that alter their alignment, allegiances, and morals that will have consequences over the player's character and their abilities.

Making Checks

     During an encounter, a player may have to make a "check" that forces them to roll a die or dice to determine the outcome of an action. A player attempting to unlock a door may have to roll to see if their character succeeds or a player attacking an enemy may have to roll to see if their attack lands. Players get bonuses to die or dice rolls as a result of their character's skills and ability scores.

Gaining Levels

     Characters- both player and non-player all have a preset level and tier. Tiers rank the divinity of a character or creature while a level ranks the skill of a character or creature. For example, a player playing as a demi-god fighter could have a tier of 3 and a level of 1 if their character is new to their class. The tier of a character or creature is based on the conditions of their body- which can effect things like health, strength, or base speed- while levels are like the job of a character. A level two fighter for example may be a veteran of combat and thus more skilled at combat abilities. Characters gain level-up through gaining experience through their respective class. They have the ability to gain tiers by altering their biology (for example, if a player's character becomes a vampire, they automatically upgrade to tier 2), or through obtaining a cult following for their achievements.

CHARACTER RACES

Deep Gnomes

     Deep gnomes are a hybrid race combining dwarves with drow (or dark elves). They stand between 2'6" and 3'6" in height, weigh 50-75 lbs, have white hair, and have blue-gray skin. Their eye color can be brown, blue, or green; but have exceptional low-light vision (+1 per tier). Tier 1 deep gnomes have 20 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 3 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 250 years. For common names of deep gnomes, see dwarves*. There are no sub-races of deep gnomes.

Drow

     Drow (or dark elves) are derived from elves who took to living underground. They stand between 5'6" and 6'6" in height, weigh 150-225 lbs, have white hair, and have subrace-specific skintones. Their eye color is red; but have exceptional low-light vision (+2 per tier). Tier 1 drow have 30 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 5 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 1000 years. Common names for men include Catahecassa, Hokolesqua, Sequoyah, Lalawethika, Methoataske, Ohiyesa, Shikoba, Tasunka, Tatanka, and Wawatum while common names for women include Awinita, Galilahi, Isi, Kawineshawe, Kimimela, Nita, Nonhelema, Shikoba, Tagwanibisan, and Winona.

• Snow Drow have gray skin and have a +2 Endurance Skill or Fortitude Defense

• West Wood Drow have dark gray skin and have a +2 Nature Skill or Will Defense

• Mountain Drow have blue skin and have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Diplomacy Skill

• Plains Drow have indigo skin and have a +2 Nature Skill or Religion Skill

• East Wood Drow have purple skin and have a +2 Athletics Skill or Diplomacy Skill

• Peninsular Drow have black skin and have a +2 Religion Skill or Engineering Skill

Dwarves

     Dwarves stand between 4'6" and 5'6" in height, weigh 100-150 lbs, and have pale skin. Their eye color can be brown, blue, or green. Tier 1 dwarves have 25 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 4 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 250 years. Common names for men include Amets, Basajaun, Edur, Garaile, Hodei, Ibai, Kemen, Oroitz, Sendoa, and Zigor while common names for women include Aintza, Berezi, Erlea, Irati, Lore, Maite, Naia, Oihana, Usoa, and Zorion.

• Red Dwarves have red hair and have a +2 Perception Skill or Fortitude Defense

• Orange Dwarves have ginger hair and have a +2 Diplomacy Skill or Perception Skill

• Yellow Dwarves have blonde hair and have a +2 Religion Skill or Will Defense

• Black Dwarves have black hair and have a +2 Athletics Skill or Religion Skill

• Brown Dwarves have brown hair and have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Will Defense

Elves

     Elves stand between 5'6" and 6'6" in height, weigh 150-225 lbs, have black hair, and have subrace-specific skintones. Their eye color is brown; but have exceptional diurnal vision (+2 per tier). Tier 1 elves have 30 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 5 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 1000 years. Common names for men include Bai, Cheng, Gang, Hong, Jianhong, Kai, Lin, Qiang, Tao, and Xun while common names for women include Ai, Juan, Mei, Na, Nuan, Shu, Xiu, Xiulan, Yaling, and Yawen.

• Snow Elves have gray skin and have a +2 Speed or Fortitude Defense

• Mountain Elves have pale skin and have a +2 Endurance Skill or Religion Skill

• Hill Elves have tan skin and have a +2 Diplomacy Skill or Engineering Skill

• Wood Elves have brown skin and have a +2 Endurance Skill or Religion Skill

Fairies

     Fairies are a hybrid race combining halflings with elves. They stand between 4'6" and 5'6" in height, weigh 100-150 lbs but have the unique ability to change their size depending on their tier (plus of minus 1 size per tier), have black hair, and have pale skin. Their eye color is brown; but have exceptional low-light vision (+1 per tier). Tier 1 fairies have 25 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 4 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 500 years. Common names for men include Chan, Dara, Makara, Pich, Samnang, Sopheap, Soth, Vanna, Veasna, and Vibol while common names for women include Bopha, Botum, Channary, Chantrea, Chenda, Kolab, Kunthea, Sothy, Sovanna, and Tola.

• Mainland Fairies have a +2 Stealth Skill or Intimidate Skill

• Island Fairies have a +2 Stealth Skill or Nature Skill

Farthings

     Farthings are a hybrid race combining halflings with humans. They stand between 5' and 5'6" in height, weigh 125-150 lbs, have black hair, and have tan skin. Their eye color is brown. Tier 1 farthings have 27 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 4 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 100 years. For common names of deep gnomes, see humans*. There are no sub-races of farthings.

Gnomes

     Gnomes are a hybrid race combining dwarves with elves. They stand between 2'6" and 3'6" in height, weigh 50-75 lbs, have subrace-specific hair colors, and have pale skin. Their eye color can be brown, blue, or green.. Tier 1 deep gnomes have 20 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 3 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 250 years. Common names for men include Chavdar, Desislav, Goran, Krasimir, Milu, Nayden, Radko, Tsvetan, Valko, and Zlatan while common names for women include Albena, Bisera, Darina, Iskra, Kalina, Malina, Nevena, Ruzha, Vesela, and Zora.

• Snow Gnomes have red hair and have a +2 Stealth Skill or Fortitude Defense

• Forest Gnomes have red hair and have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Fortitude Defense

• Plains Gnomes have red hair and have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Will Defense

• Mountain Gnomes have red hair and have a +2 Endurance Defense or Fortitude Defense

Goblins

     Goblins (or orcs) are derived from drow (or dark elves) who mastered living underground. They stand between 5'6" and 6'6" in height, weigh 150-225 lbs, have black hair, and have subrace-specific skintones. Their eye color is red; but have exceptional low-light vision (+2 per tier). Tier 1 goblins have 30 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 5 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 1000 years. Common names for men iAntiman, Antinaco, Aucaman, Inti, Nahuel, Quidel, Waman, Wayna, and Wayra while common names for women include Aylen, Calfuray, Killa, Millaray, Nina, Quispe, Rayen, Saqui, Sayen, and Tamaya.

• Island Goblins have green skin and have a +2 Nature Skill or Arcana Skill

• Mountain Goblins have black skin and have a +2 Engineering Skill or Religion Skill

• Jungle Goblins have blue skin and have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Stealth Skill

Half-Dwarves

     Half-Dwarves are a hybrid race combining dwarves with humans. They stand between 5' and 5'6" in height, weigh 125-150 lbs, have black hair, and have tan skin. Their eye color is brown. Tier 1 farthings have 27 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 4 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 100 years. For common names of deep gnomes, see dwarves*. There are no sub-races of half-dwarves.

Half-Elves

     Half-Dwarves are a hybrid race combining elves with humans. They stand between 5'6" and 6'6" in height, weigh 150-225 lbs, have black hair, and have tan skin. Their eye color is brown. Tier 1 half-elves have 30 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 5 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 500 years. Common names for men include Adir, Chayyim, Dekel, Eyal, Maor, Nitzan, Ofek, Rotem, Yaniv, and Zeev while common names for women include Ahuva, Hila, Lihi, Menuha, Naamah, Orit, Raziela, Shamira, Talya, and Yaara.

• Mountain Half-Elves have a +2 Diplomacy Skill or Fortitude Defense

• Coastal Half-Elves have a +2 Religion Skill or Will Defense

• Twin Rivers Half-Elves have a +2 Religion Skill or Engineering Skill

• Delta Half-Elves have a +2 Arcana Skill or Engineering Skill

• Desert Half-Elves have a +2 Religion Skill or Endurance Defense

Halflings

     Halflings (or hobbits) are descended from elves who adapted to living on islands. They stand between 4'6" and 5'6" in height, weigh 100-150 lbs, and have tan skin. Their eye color is brown; but have exceptional diurnal vision (+2 per tier). Tier 1 halflings have 25 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 4 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 250 years. Common names for men include Kahurangi, Manaia, Moana, Nikau, Rangi, Tama, and Tane while common names for women include Anahera, Awhina, Hine, Kiri, Ngaio, Ngaire, Roimata, Waimarie, and Whetu.

• Fire Halflings have a +2 Athletics Skill or Perception Skill

• Fey Halflings have a +2 Nature Skill or Intimidate Skill

• Earth Halflings have a +2 Nature Skill or Endurance Defense

Half-Orcs

     Half-orcs are a hybrid race combining goblins (or orcs) with humans. They stand between 5'6" and 6'6" in height, weigh 150-225 lbs, have black hair, and have dark green skin. Their eye color is brown. Tier 1 half-orcs have 30 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 5 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 500 years. For common names of deep gnomes, see dwarves*.

• Island Half-Orcs have a +2 Arcana Skill or Intimidate Skill

• Jungle Half-Elves have a +2 Arcana Skill or Stealth Skill

Hobgoblins

     Farthings are a hybrid race combining halflings with goblins (or orcs). They stand between 5' and 5'6" in height, weigh 125-150 lbs, have black hair, and have tan skin. Their eye color is brown. Tier 1 farthings have 27 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 4 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 500 years. For common names of deep gnomes, see halflings*. There are no sub-races of hobgoblins.

Humans

     Humans stand between 5'6" and 6'6" in height, weigh 150-225 lbs, have black hair, and have brown skin. Their eye color is brown. Tier 1 humans have 30 Hit Points (HP) with an additional 5 per tier. Barring unnatural death- have a lifespan of 75 years. Common names for men include Faraji, Imamu, Jelani, Jengo, Khamisi, Kibwe, Mosi, Sefu, Tendaji, and Zuberi while common names for women include Asha, Chausiku, Furaha, Mchumba, Mwanajuma, Nia, Nuru, Sanaa, Subira, and Zuri.

• Blue Humans have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Endurance Skill

• Ivory Humans have a +2 Intimidate Skill or Arcana Skill

• Red Humans have a +2 Arcana Skill or Nature Skill

• Gold Humans have a +2 Diplomacy Skill or Religion Skill

• Green Humans have a +2 Perception Skill or Nature Skill

CHARACTER CLASSES

Cleric

     Clerics are the priests of their respective faiths- dedicated followers of a target pantheon of gods. Clerics come with a +2 to Religion with an additional +1 for each level after the first level. Clerics may only choose powers from their target pantheon.

Fighter

Fighters are soldiers- warriors trained for combat. There are only two subclasses of fighters- army or navy- with powers unique to combat at sea or on land. All fighters however come with a +2 to Athletics with an additional +1 for each level after the first level.

Paladin

Paladins are warrior monks within their respective faiths- combining clerics and fighters into a multiclassed expert in enforcing a faction's religion. As such, paladins can only utilize religious powers from a single pantheon of deities. All paladins however come with either a +2 to Athletics or Religion with an additional +1 for each level after the first level. Players playing as paladins can choose powers from both clerics and fighters.

Ranger

Rangers are experts in nature- being well versed in either the land or sea. Rangers come with a +2 to Nature with an additional +1 for each level after the first level.

Rogue

     Rogues are warriors with no allegiance who combine the features of fighters and rangers into a lethal multiclass. All rogues however come with either a +2 to Athletics or Nature with an additional +1 for each level after the first level. Players playing as rogues can choose powers from both fighters and rangers.

Warlock

     Warlocks are magic users aligned with a particular pantheon. More wizard than cleric, warlocks are nevertheless a powerful multiclass. All warlocks come with either a +2 to Arcana or Religion with an additional +1 for each level after the first level. Players playing as warlocks can choose powers from both clerics and wizards.

Wizard

     Wizards are magic users well trained in their craft. Drawing power from the mysterious aspects of the world around them, wizards have mastered spells and rituals. However, wizards train in only one race's magic- creating subclasses of wizards based on continents. Wizards come with a +2 to Arcana with an additional +1 for each level after the first level.

*Find all class powers available here

SKILLS

     Skills are abilities of a character a player typically uses outside of combat- such as Diplomacy on a local lord or Intimidate to scare off wild animals. Each character gets to train specific skills in their fictional lives, and those trainings increase the skill's success rate. A level one character is trained in a skill based on their class, but the player can opt to train a new skill each time their character levels up.

Using a Skill

     To use a skill in-game, a player rolls a 20-sided die, then adds their ability score to the number shown on the die. If the die shows a 1- regardless of the character's ability score- this is known as a critical fail and the player must roll a 10-sided die and multiply that number by ten to determine just how badly the attempt failed. If the die shows a 20- regardless of the character's ability score- this is known as a critical success and the player must roll a 10-sided die and multiply that number by ten to determine just how well the attempt succeeded. Additionally, a player may not have to roll the die at all. If their ability score by itself is high enough to pass the check, this is known as a "soft roll." No roll of a die is necessary and the player's character succeeds by default.

Abilities

     Abilities are the root of skills and defenses along with other key factors of a character. These are Charisma, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence, Strength, and Wisdom. Every level 1 character starts with a score of ten for each of these abilities plus 5 points they can add to any combination of them. For example, a player can opt to "max-out" Strength and therefor have a character with a Strength of 15 and all the other abilities equal 10. Alternatively, they can spread out those points and have a score of 11 for each ability but one. Each time a player levels up, they get to add 1 point to any ability of their choice. For each point added to an ability, there is also a free point added to the corresponding skill(s). Every character gets a skill score of half their level (round down) plus the ability bonus, plus any additional bonuses (such as a race, class, training, or equipment modifier).

Charisma Skills

     Charisma skills include Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Streetwise. A player may make a Bluff check for more than card games. Bluff is used for telling lies in the hope that their target will believe them. The higher the Bluff, the more believable the lie. A player may make a Diplomacy check to speak with politicians and attempt to convince them to act a certain way. A player may use Intimidate on anyone or anything in an attempt to frighten their target into either fleeing or divulging information. A player may use Streetwise to speak with commoners to earn their trust with "street cred" to gain information.

Constitution Skills

     Endurance is the only Constitution skill. In combat, a player may make an Endurance check and use the result to move that many squares instead of a regular move action to mimic running while in battle. A character's Endurance score also details how many turns a character can stay underwater as well as how many hours a character can be exposed to harsh weather conditions like a blizzard or extreme heat.

Dexterity Skills

     Dexterity skills include Acrobatics, Stealth, and Thievery. A player may use an Acrobatics check to jump in an encounter with the resulting score equalling the number of feet jumped. A player may use a Stealth check to attempt to camouflage or hide while a Thievery check can be used to pick pockets, unlock locks, or stealthily move through a building or settlement.

Intelligence Skills

     Intelligence skills include Arcana, Engineering, History, and Religion. A player may make an Arcana check to improvise a spell or ritual. For characters that are not magic-user classes, a player may also make an Arcana check to use a particular known spell. A player may make an Engineering check for a number of things- but all of which boil down to design. If the party needs to build a catapult, repair a wall, or create an improvised explosive device- someone will need to make an Engineering check. A player may use a History check two potential ways. A ranger spotting animal tracks or the remains of a campfire may make a History check to determine how long ago their target had been at the location or a fighter who finds a chest of gold after a siege may make a History check to learn the origin of the treasure. A player may make a Religion check to improvise a prayer. For characters that are not religion focused classes, a player may also make a Religion check to use a particular known prayer.

Strength Skills

     Athletics is the only Strength skill. A player may make an Athletics check in place of an Endurance check for running in combat or for lifting a heavy object. A player may also combine an Athletics check with another to perform in a particular sporting event. For example, a character competing in a horse race rolls both an Athletics check and a Nature check and takes the average of the two rolls to determine their place in the race. The combination of rolls for sporting events is up to the DM's discretion but should only involve Athletics and one other skill check.

Wisdom Skills

     Wisdom skills include Heal, Insight, Nature, and Perception. A player may make an Heal check to use a Healing Surge. The player rolls the check and regains a number of HP equal to the roll. A character can also use a Healing Surge on an adjacent ally. A player may make an Insight check to gain information about something in the game. Think of it as the ability to ask for advice from the GM while in-game. A player may use a Nature check to tame a wild animal- like a wild donkey they wish to turn into a mount or a monkey they wish to turn into a companion. They can also use a Nature score in place of their Endurance score to determine how long they can remain underwater or endure extreme weather conditions. A player may make a Perception check to make observations- through sight, sound, or smell- such as locating a hidden object or enemy. Some characters have bonus to Perception in low-light or in day; so keep that in mind.

Attack & Defense

     Abilities also affect attack and defense scores. Any attack involving a sharp melee object attacks AC defense. Any blunt melee weapon attacks Fortitude defense. Missiles like javelins or arrows attack Reflex defense, and anything on fire- like a flaming arrow or artillery- or psychological attacks attack Will defense. When it comes to basic attacks, any melee attack uses a Strength attack- equal to the character's Strength bonus + their Tier; ranged weapons (including artillery) use Dexterity attack- equal to the character's Strength bonus + their Tier. Powers however may allow a player to utilize other attacks such as Charisma or Intelligence- both of which follow the same pattern as Strength or Dexterity attacks.

EQUIPMENT

Clothing & Armor

     Clothing, jewelry, and armor are more than just cosmetic in this game. Particular clothing can help a character endure longer in harsh weather or hide in tall grass. The right armor can protect against swords and arrows. Some clothing and armor can even be enchanted- giving the wearer special abilities.

     A Note on Sizing: Any basic clothing (not magical) can be adjusted to match the height of a character- so the weight of the clothing and armor fluctuates. The GM should make an estimation for clothing based on common sense. Featherweight items (tunic, shoes, trousers, etc) should weigh about 1% the wearer's weight each. Lightweight items (leather armor, fleece coat, boots, etc) should weight about 2.5% the wearer's weight each. Medium weight items (chainmail, scale armor, light shield, etc) should weight about 5% the wearer's weight. Heavyweight items (plate armor, heavy shield, etc) should weight about 7.5% the wearer's weight each. Since jewelry is so small, each individual item has no measurable weight, but once a character has ten jewelry pieces, it will weight 1 lb.

Weapons

     From unarmed melee to giant catapults, weapons can be the deciding factor in an encounter when diplomacy breaks down and negotiations turn violent different weapons have different abilities that provide their user- and some have been enchanted through use by powerful figures. Check out the galleries below to decide which weapons are for your character. As a not to the GM- weapons that are rare or located in the Warehouse Realm (more on that in the Atlas) should not be given to players creating their character but may be acquired later in a campaign to the GM's discretion. Also, make special note of the size of each weapon as some races are too small to be able to use larger weapons.

Adventuring Gear

     Gear is vital to a player's character as things like food and warm clothing keep them healthy, and armor and weapons keep them protected. Unfortunately a character cannot carry infinite items. Each character has a "Can Carry Capacity" which is the product of a mathematical formula based on size and Strength of the character. While most characters move on foot, some may chose to travel with on horseback, in a carriage, or on a ship at sea. Each type of mount has a size that allows certain races to ride them and smaller races to either take a "size penalty" or be unable to ride at all. Vehicles often require a minimum number of people to ride them or a maximum crew able to fit in or on.

Miscellaneous Items

     There are an infinite list of other items players can acquire during the game including musical instruments, food, and magical stones- just to name a few. Different types of musical instruments grant their users different abilities, different types of food and drink provide unique health or abilities to their consumers, and characters who possess magical objects can be imbued by their powers.

Food & Drink

     Certain foods and beverages come with different bonuses to a character's defenses, health, or speed; but some ingredients can even decrease a character's stats in certain fields Check out the food items below to learn more about how specific foods, drinks, and drugs impact a character.

• Meat

  • Dairy (+1 Will for 24 hours)

  • Beef (+1 Str, -1 HP for 24 hours)

  • Mutton (+1 Str for 24 hours)

  • Poultry (+1 Fort for 24 hours)

  • Pork (+1 Will, -1 HP for 24 hours)

  • Seafood (+1 Will for 24 hours)

• Fruit & Vegetables

  • Fruit (+1 Refl for 1 hour)

  • Vegetables (+1 HP for 24 hours)

  • Chocolate (+1 Will for 1 hour, -1 HP for 24 hours)

  • Grains (+1 Fort for 24 hours)

  • Sugar (+1 Speed, -1 HP for 1 hour)

  • Nuts (+1 Will for 24 hours)

• Drinks

  • Dairy (+1 Will for 24 hours)

  • Wine (+1 Will for 1 hour)

  • Hot Chocolate (+1 Will for 1 hour, -1 HP for 24 hours)

  • Coffee (+2 Initiative for 24 hours)

  • Tea (+1 Initiative for 24 hours)

• Drugs

  • Hashish (+1 Will, -1 Initiative for 24 hours)

  • Tobacco (+2 Will, -2 HP for 24 hours)

  • Opium (+3 Will, -3 HP for 24 hours)

ADVENTURING

Exploration

   While outside any direct combat or puzzle-solving, players are free to use their character to explore the world around them. While exploring a local settlement (like a village or a city), the GM should ask each player what their character wants to do in the settlement. There are no formal turns, but the GM should explain each action will encompass an in-game time of about four hours. Alternatively, a player can choose to have their player sleep- which allows a character to regain 1 HP per hour of sleep. It should also be known that every hour a character goes without sleep after 16 hours, the character takes -1 HP and -1 to every defense. While traveling across nature (via a road or otherwise), each player can tell the GM what their character would like to do per day rather than per 4-hour windows of time.

COMBAT

Combat Sequence

     Before the start of a combat encounter, each player rolls a d20 and adds their Initiative score to decide their order in the turn-based combat. The GM will also do the same for the NPC's involved in the encounter. In the event of an ambush, the characters committing the ambush get a free round before the start of the normal rounds of the combat encounter. At any point, a player may opt to save their turn for the end of a round- they just need to tell the GM at what would be the start of their normal turn in the line-up.

Action Types

     There are three types of actions a player can make during their turn- and each player may make one of each action types during their turn. These are Move Action, Minor Action, and Standard Action.

     A Move Action is when their character moves. Typically these include either a movement or a shift. A shift only allows a character to move a single square (unless a separate ability says otherwise) and does not provoke an opportunity attack. If a character makes a normal movement starting from a square adjacent to an enemy, that enemy can make a basic melee attack against the character known as an opportunity attack. If a character is swimming as their movement, they must end their turn at the surface (unless a separate ability says otherwise).

     A Minor Action involved doing something small- like passing an object to an adjacent ally, yelling a command across the battlefield, or knocking an arrow. Note that some weapons require a Standard Action to load- and minor actions do not cover Skill Checks.

     A Standard Action is the bulk of what most players will do in their turn. This can include attacking an enemy or creature, making a Skills Check, or spending a Healing Surge. A Healing Surge is a Standard Action used to recover HP lost in combat that does not require any die roll. Each character has a number of Healing Surges equal to their level and the value is equal to 1/4 HP.

     Each character receives a number of Action Points per level- and a player may use an Action Point can be used during their turn to make a second action from any of the above action types- convenient for loading and firing a crossbow in a single turn. A character may use a maximum number of Action Points equal to their level in a 24 hour period.

     Immediate Interrupt: Some powers allow a character to do something during a separate character's turn- such as an opportunity attack. When special abilities allow this, be sure to check the "trigger" for when it is appropriate to use the ability.

Death & Dying

     When a character or creature drops below 1 HP, they are knocked unconscious. They must immediately make an Endurance check. If they roll a total score higher than 10, they wake back up and can continue in the encounter. If they fail their saving throw, they must reattempt it each turn until they pass. Other players adjacent to the player's character can also make a saving throw on the player's character. Saving throws may also be necessary for ending ongoing damage like when a character has been poisoned or is on fire. If a critical hit with a 100% badass check lands against a player's character, the character- the character is killed. The player still makes a saving throw, but must get a score of higher than 15 to return to life- again each turn if they fail their attempts. Once the character revives, they cannot participate in the remainder of the combat.

     When a character or creature reaches 1/2 HP, they are referred to as "Bloodied" which acts as a warning that they should consider spending a Healing Surge. While a character or creature is bloodied, they also move at half speed.