ZeroSpace 3e EN:Actions

Now we come to the most complicated part of ZeroSpace: actions! There are a lot of rules here because we tried to address the most common actions a character would attempt. However, just because we wrote it down doesn't mean you have to use it, nor should you feel constrained from making a call if a situation arises that we did not anticipate. You should treat these rules as examples, not as restrictions on your own sense of fun and fair play.

Don't use the rules unless you need to.

If you can play a fun game of ZeroSpace without referring to these rules, you should. Applying your best judgement is often a better solution than trying to find a rule that applies to a specific situation. Remember that player choice, not the roll of the dice, drives the game.

Time And Distance

Time

Time is important. Without some way to keep track of time, everything would happen at once, and that would be terribly confusing.

Time in the game is usually divided into scenes. A scene typically starts when the characters arrive at a place, and ends when they leave. A scene could also be a period of time while the characters are together and moving toward a destination. In some cases, a scene might end even though the characters haven't moved at all, such as when they go to sleep, or when a fight ends and they begin talking about their plans for what to do next. Any time you feel would be a good time to "go to a commercial" or "start a new chapter", that's a good time to end the scene and start a new one.

If the characters are in combat or in some other tense situation, time seems to slow down. Every decision takes on a greater importance. A video game designer from the early 2000s might call this "bullet time", but we just call it combat time.

Combat time is divided into rounds. One combat round is six seconds, give or take, giving us ten rounds per minute. In a round, each character gets a turn. During their turn, a character can travel a distance up to their base movement (walking, typically) and still have time to do something useful (such as making an attack or using a skill) as well as engage in some banter with their teammates or anyone else nearby (such as telling one's lackeys to "run, you fools!"). We call these "movement actions", "task actions", and "roleplaying actions", respectively. A character can perform a task before they move or after they move, but they can't usually break up their movement to perform a task in the middle of it.

Example:

Round 1	Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn
Round 2	Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn
Round 3	Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

Movement

In a round, a character can normally walk three times their Agility in meters and still have time to take an action (such as attack). This is referred to as the character's base speed, or walking speed. A character's running speed is double their walking speed, and their sprinting speed is six times their walking speed.

A character's base swimming speed is one-third their Agility in meters, and their base standing long jump is one-half their Brawn in meters. Swimming may be used to "run" (make a double move) or "sprint" (move all-out), but jumping may not. However, with a running long jump, the character's ground movement is added to their long jump distance.

Table: Agility based movement

Rank Walk Run Sprint 1 2 m 3 m 9 m 2 3 m 6 m 18 m 3 5 m 9 m 27 m 4 6 m 12 m 36 m 5 8 m 15 m 45 m 6 9 m 18 m 54 m 7 11 m 21 m 63 m 8 12 m 24 m 72 m 9 14 m 27 m 81 m 10 15 m 30 m 90 m

Rank Swim Fast Swim Swim Sprint 1 1 m 1 m 2 m 2 1 m 1 m 4 m 3 1 m 2 m 6 m 4 1 m 3 m 8 m 5 2 m 3 m 10 m 6 2 m 4 m 12 m 7 2 m 5 m 14 m 8 3 m 5 m 16 m 9 3 m 6 m 18 m 10 3 m 7 m 20 m

Table: Long jump

Brawn	Long jump
1	1 m
2	1 m
3	2 m
4	2 m
5	3 m
6	3 m
7	4 m
8	4 m
9	5 m
10	5 m

If the character is running or sprinting, they can cover more ground, but skills are more difficult, and their attacks are easier to avoid. A character who is running or making a double move incurs a +2 difficulty modifier on any attacks or task rolls. A character who is sprinting or making an all-out move incurs a +4 difficulty modifier on any attacks or task rolls.

A character may move all-out for up to one minute, but then may move no faster than their base speed for an amount of time ten times as long as they were sprinting. So a character who sprinted for three rounds (18 seconds) may not run or sprint for thirty rounds (180 seconds).

Range Modifiers

Weapons and powers that are useful at a distance have an effective range given in their description. Attacking targets at more distant ranges is more difficult or impossible (at the GM's discretion). If the GM declares that the attack is possible, the defender gains a +2 difficulty modifier (or defense bonus) for each additional range increment.

For example, if a character is being attacked by someone 500 meters away, and the attacker is using a pistol which has a normal range of 130 meters, the defender would gain a +6 defense bonus (500 is less than 130 + 130 + 130 + 130, or three additional range increments).

Order Of Play

Everything that happens in a round is assumed to occur more or less simultaneously, but the players can't all speak at once. To keep the game orderly, we need a way to determine the order in which characters act when combat starts.

The most important factor in determining who acts before whom is situational awareness. If a character is not aware of their opponent, then they don't have the opportunity to attack. For example, if a player character is lurking on a rooftop and observes a squad of Voyan troopers breaking into a storehouse, there is no need to roll to see who goes first. The Voyans are unaware that there is anyone to fight, so they continue carrying crates of supplies out of the storehouse. In the first round of combat, only the player character has the opportunity to act. Depending on what the player character does and how sneaky they are, it's possible that they might be the only one with an opportunity to act for several rounds. Only after the Voyans become aware of the player character do they get the opportunity to act. At that point, the order of action in each round is the player character first, and then the Voyans. If the combatants become aware of their adversaries in a set order, then that is the order in which they act in combat -- at least, until someone changes it.

Normally, characters take their actions in the same order that they have an opportunity to act. However, if the various combatants become aware of each other more or less simultaneously, or if you would prefer to roll dice to see who goes first, the players and the GM should each make a Perception task roll at the beginning of the scene. Turns proceed each round from the highest roller to lowest.

The environment always goes last in a round. Any falling objects (including characters) fall, and any uncontrolled vehicles move, after all characters have had the opportunity to use their actions. This does not include thrown projectiles or character-controlled vehicles. If any object or vehicle is under direct control by a character, then the object or vehicle will move when that character moves it or at the end of the round, at the character's option. If a character chooses not to control a vehicle, then the vehicle will move at the end of the round.

If your character starts the scene by going last, either because your character was caught unaware or because you rolled poorly at the beginning of the scene, don't worry too much about it. Any character may delay their turn in a round, or force their next action to do something defensive.

Of course, this is all just an abstraction to make task resolution easier. In reality, everything that happens in a round occurs more or less simultaneously. The difference between going first in a round and going last in a round is less a matter of time and more a matter of who has the better awareness of the situation at that moment.

Delaying A Turn

If a player does not wish to use their character's turn when they have the opportunity, perhaps wanting to wait and see what an opponent does, the character may delay their turn, with the option of using it later in the round or on a successive round. The character may then pre-empt another character's turn.

Delaying a turn does not alter the order of play. After the character has taken their turn, the order of play resumes its previous sequence.

Example:

Combat starts when Soraya runs around a corner and sees Virek-Kohl, who is giving commands to his lackeys. The GM declares that the order of play is Soraya, then Virek-Kohl, then Virek-Kohl's lackeys.

Round 1

Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

On the second round, Issvisk runs around the corner, startling Virek-Kohl's lackeys because, wow, that guy is huge. The GM declares that the order of play is Soraya, then Virek-Kohl, then Issvisk, then Virek-Kohl's lackeys.

Round 2

Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

On the third round, Soraya delays her turn, waiting to see what Issvisk does. When it is Issvisk's turn, he attempts to grapple with Virek-Kohl. Soraya uses her delayed turn to assist Issvisk by coordinating her attack with his.

Round 3

Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Soraya's turn (delayed) Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

On the fourth round, order of play returns to its previous sequence.

Round 4

Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

Forcing An Action

Sometimes a character might need to take a desperate action before they have had the opportunity to take their turn in a round or after they have already taken their turn in a round. This is known as forcing the character's action. Forcing an action allows a character to sacrifice their next turn in order to block, dodge, dive for cover, activate a defensive power, or take another purely defensive action. A forced action can also be used to take a defensive action on someone else's behalf, such as diving in front of an attack to protect an innocent bystander. The character may not force an action which the GM could construe as an attack, such as blocking a blaster bolt with an opponent's unconscious body or running into someone. When a character forces their action, they sacrifice their next available turn, whether that action would be in the current round or on the next round. A character may only force an action once per round.

Because a forced action is always defensive, it always takes place at the appropriate time, either before or during the attack which triggered it. The attacker does not have the opportunity to "take back" their attack.

Forcing an action does not alter the order of play. After the character's next available turn has passed (the turn they sacrificed in order to take a defensive action sooner), the order of play resumes its previous sequence.

Example:

Continuing from the previous example, on the fifth round, the order of play is Soraya, then Virek-Kohl, then Issvisk, then Virek-Kohl's lackeys.

Round 5

Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

On the sixth round, Soraya makes short work of two of Virek-Kohl's lackeys with a sweep attack. Virek-Kohl then pulls out a sinister-looking weapon, aims it at Issvisk, and fires. Soraya forces her next action to leap between Virek-Kohl and Issvisk, taking the full brunt of Virek-Kohl's attack.

Round 6

Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Soraya's turn (forced from round 7) Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

On the seventh round, Soraya loses her turn because she forced it in the previous round.

Round 7

Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

On the eighth round, order of play returns to its previous sequence.

Round 8

Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

Actions

There are four kinds of actions a character may perform during their turn in a round: free actions, movement actions, task actions, and roleplay actions. Under normal circumstances, a character can perform one movement action and one task action during their turn. In addition, a character can perform as many free actions and roleplay actions as the GM deems reasonable.

When it is not a character's turn, they can still react to events around them. Reactions can be attempted at any time, as often as the GM deems reasonable.

Free Action

A free action takes essentially no time. A character can't perform free actions until it is their turn to act in the round, but during their turn, they can perform as many free actions as the GM deems reasonable (perhaps as many as a half dozen). Typical free actions include activating a power (but not attacking with it), deactivating a power, dropping a weapon, crouching behind cover, and so on.

Movement Action

With a movement action, a character may stand up from a prone or seated position, they may move the distance permitted by their Agility and/or Brawn rank (depending on whether they are running, swimming, jumping, or running and jumping), or they may use a movement power to move up to the distance that the power allows. With the GM's permission, the character may instead perform any equivalent action: opening an access hatch, squeezing the acceleration lever on a hoverbike, or what have you.

Movement does not generally require a task roll, although the GM may require an Athletics task roll if there is some obstacle to the character's free movement (distractions, inclement weather, injury, etc.).

Task Action

With a task action, a character may attempt to perform one task. This could be attempting a skill task roll, attempting to attack an opponent in combat, activating a power and attacking someone with it, or a similar activity. Under normal circumstances, a character may perform a task action before or after a movement action, but not during it.

Roleplay Action

Like a free action, a roleplay action takes essentially no time. During their turn, the character can perform as many roleplay actions as the GM deems reasonable (perhaps as many as a half dozen). Typical roleplay actions include banter with the character's teammates, making fun of an enemy's name or uniform, or declaring that the opponent "shall not pass".

Unlike free actions, a character can usually perform roleplay actions at any time, whether it is their turn or not. ZeroSpace makes roleplaying an explicit action during combat to encourage players to roleplay. In the heat of combat, it can be easy to forget that roleplaying is an essential part of the game.

Reaction

Reactions are usually responses to something another character does, and are usually made at the request of the GM. For example, when a character is successfully attacked, they must make a protection roll against the damage rating of the attack to see how much the attack took out of them. A character can perform reactions at any time, as often as the GM deems reasonable.

Rolling Dice

When a character attempts a task, and the outcome is either contested or there is some random element involved, the player rolls 2d6, counts the dots, and adds the result to their character's relevant attribute. This roll is compared to a difficulty number the GM assigns. The attempt succeeds if the player's roll equals or exceeds the assigned difficulty.

Unopposed Tasks

Unopposed tasks are those tasks where no one is actively working against the character. When attempting an unopposed task, the GM simply sets a task difficulty. More difficult tasks have a higher task difficulty. The attempt succeeds if the player's roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty.

Easy tasks do not require a roll at all: if a character has any competence at all with an easy task, they succeed. Similarly, routine tasks should rarely require a roll unless there is some dramatic need for it. In most cases, if the GM requires the player to roll dice to successfully complete a task, it's because the GM has deemed that task "challenging". Challenging tasks require a roll to resolve, and have a task difficulty of 12. More difficult tasks have a higher task difficulty, requiring a greater roll in order to perform the task successfully. If the task difficulty exceeds the character's relevant attribute (plus bonuses) by more than 12, the task is just too difficult for that character to perform.

Table: Difficulty examples

Task difficulty		Examples
--	Easy	Operate simple machines
9	Routine	Understand and modify simple machines, operate familiar technology
12	Challenging	Understand and modify familiar technology, operate advanced technology
15	Demanding	Design and build familiar technology, understand and modify advanced technology
18	Frustrating	Design and build advanced technology, operate advanced alien technology
21	Nigh-impossible	Understand and modify advanced alien technology

Opposed Tasks

Opposed tasks are those tasks where the character is actively competing against an opponent. This is often the result of combat, but it may be something non-violent. For example, a computer hacker may be trying to penetrate a system, while the system administrator is trying to close the back door and locate the hacker. The person initiating the conflict rolls the dice, and the attack succeeds if the attacker's roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty.

When attempting an opposed task, the task difficulty is equal to 8 plus the defender's relevant attribute.

If the circumstances of the conflict favor one side or the other, the side with the circumstantial advantage receives a bonus. A circumstance which favors the attacker grants a bonus to the task roll (often called an "attack bonus" when the conflict is a violent one). A circumstance which favors the defender imposes a difficulty modifier (typically called a "defense bonus" when the conflict is violent).

Generally, only the largest bonus to the task roll and the largest difficulty modifier apply.

For example, if the defender can't see the attacker (which normally grants a +4 task roll bonus to the attacker) and the target of the attack is surprised (which normally grants a +4 task roll bonus), the attacker would gain a +4 bonus, not +8. Similarly, if the attacker is sprinting (which normally imposes a +4 difficulty modifier) and the defender is also sprinting (which normally imposes a +2 difficulty modifier), this would impose a +4 difficulty modifier, not +6.

Table: Task roll modifiers

Circumstance	Modifier
Attacking a held item	Defense bonus +2
Attacker is distracted	Defense bonus +2
Attacker can't see the defender	Defense bonus +4
Attacker is restrained	Defense bonus +4
Attacker is completely blind	Defense bonus +6
Attacker is running (base move x2)	Defense bonus +2
Attacker is sprinting (base move x6)	Defense bonus +4
Defender has partial cover	Defense bonus +1
Defender is prone; attack is ranged	Defense bonus +1
Defender is running (base move x2)	Defense bonus +1
Defender is sprinting (base move x6)	Defense bonus +2
Defender is prone; attack is hand-to-hand	Attack bonus +1
Defender can't see the attacker	Attack bonus +4
Defender is restrained	Attack bonus +4
Defender is surprised	Attack bonus +4
Defender is completely blind	Attack bonus +6
Defender is unconscious or helpless	Attack bonus +6

Extended Tasks

Some tasks are more complex or time-consuming than can reasonably be resolved with a single task roll. For example, constructing a starship and racing through a city would both be extended tasks. When attempting an extended task, the GM sets a task difficulty and the required number of successes. The GM might also set a maximum number of attempts, to indicate tasks which have a time limit or a penalty for failure, such as disarming a bomb before it explodes. If a character attempting an extended task rolls an extreme success, this counts as two successes toward accomplishing the extended task. In extended opposed tasks, such as a competition between rival scientists to create a cure for a disease, the first person or team to achieve the required number of successful task rolls succeeds at the task.

Some extended tasks might benefit from a multidisciplinary approach. For example, disabling an alien doomsday weapon would obviously benefit from engineering expertise, but a keen understanding of alien psychology or linguistics could also be helpful. This allows characters with different skills to combine their efforts to accomplish the task.

Failure

Failing a task roll, particularly a skill roll, is not the end of the world. A failed attempt may not give the character the result they wanted, but it should not mean the game grinds to a halt. Rather than having a failed skill attempt be a dead-end, it should mean that the desired outcome has a greater cost, or perhaps the desired outcome has undesirable side effects. Remember that success and failure are both paths to the same goal: to make the game more fun. Failure is okay. Boredom is not.

Failure should never make the game less interesting.

For example, Virek-Kohl is trying to intimidate a low-level G'Dri technician into revealing details about the organization's plans to distribute a new, highly addictive psychoactive chemical disguised as an energy drink. The GM sets the difficulty of this task to 12, but Virek-Kohl's player rolls a 9. Rather than having this be the end of this line of inquiry, the GM has several options.

• Quid pro quo: The technician will give Virek-Kohl the information, but only if Virek-Kohl gives the technician something in exchange. This could be something as prosaic as credits, but with a G'Dri the cost is more likely to be something rare or unique, such as blueprints for an experimental device or a sample of Virek-Kohl's DNA.
• Red herring: The technician tells Virek-Kohl what he wants to hear, but the information is not true or it leads Virek-Kohl off on a wild goose chase. If the technician is clever, he may send Virek-Kohl after a local Voyan installation that has been causing problems for the G'Dri.
• Stirring the pot: Virek-Kohl gets the information, but his activities attract attention. A rival alien interest, the Dreen, learns of the G'Dri psychoactive energy drink as a result of Virek-Kohl's activities, and they try to beat him to the prize. Alternately, the rival organization might use Virek-Kohl as a stalking horse, allowing Virek-Kohl and the G'Dri to fight each other so that the Dreen will have an easier time taking the spoils from the winner.
• Alerting the enemy: Virek-Kohl gets the information, but the G'Dri learn of Virek-Kohl's interest in their activities and they begin to make preparations against him. It could even be that the technician was intended to be captured by Virek-Kohl all along in order to set him up for an ambush!

Taking The Average

If the character is under no pressure, and there is either no penalty for failure or no time limit, then the player may choose to "take the average" rather than rolling. In effect, the player is assuming that they would roll average: 7. If the player chooses to take the average, the character does not attain an extreme success regardless of the difficulty.

Note that opposed rolls -- whether it is physical combat (such as a gunfight), psychic combat (such as a battle of wills), or a social conflict (such as a marital dispute) -- typically involve both a time limit and a penalty for failure, so taking the average is not an option.

Taking The Max

If the character is under no pressure, there is no penalty for failure, and there is no time limit, the player may "take the max", and assume that they would roll the maximum amount: 12. In effect, the character is trying over and over until they do the best they are capable of doing. If the player chooses to take the max, the character does not attain an extreme success regardless of the difficulty.

Note that opposed rolls -- whether it is physical combat (such as a gunfight), psychic combat (such as a battle of wills), or a social conflict (such as a marital dispute) -- typically involve both a time limit and a penalty for failure, so taking the max is not an option.

Extreme Success

If the player's roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty, the character succeeds at the task in a completely satisfactory manner: the clue is found, the hyperspace engine is repaired, or the blaster bolt finds its target. However, rolling higher than the required task difficulty may grant additional benefits. If the player rolls three or more over the task difficulty, the character achieves an extreme success. So if a character attempted a challenging task (task difficulty 12), and the player rolled 15 or more, this would be an extreme success.

If the player rolls an extreme success when making a skill roll, perhaps the character has a "eureka!" moment, or perhaps they have found answers to questions they didn't even know they should ask. If the player rolls an extreme success in combat, the attacker may choose one of three bonus effects: overwhelming the target, smashing the target, or staggering the target.

One repercussion of extreme success is that characters with very high Prowess or Accuracy can often rely on doing extra damage with their attacks. Conversely, characters with very low Prowess or Accuracy will often take extra damage from attacks.

Overwhelming

An overwhelming attack adds one rank to the damage rating of the weapon or power, solely for the purposes of that attack. When the target of the attacks makes their protection roll to see how much that attack took out of them, the difficulty modifier of the protection roll is increased by one.

Smashing

Only attacks that normally inflict endurance damage can result in a smashing attack. If a smashing attack hits a character, the target of the attack may attempt a Brawn task roll to resist being smashed. The target rolls 2d6 and adds their Brawn; the task difficulty is 8 plus the rank of the weapon or power. If the target succeeds with their Brawn task roll, they shrug off the smashing portion of the attack with no ill effects. If the target fails their Brawn task roll, they are "smashed" and knocked off of their feet.

A character who is smashed does not normally take additional damage, but they are prone and must use a movement action to get back up.

Staggering

Only attacks that normally inflict endurance damage can result in a staggering attack. If a staggering attack hits a character, the target of the attack may attempt a Willpower task roll to resist being staggered. The target rolls 2d6 and adds their Willpower; the task difficulty is 8 plus the rank of the weapon or power. If the target succeeds with their Willpower task roll, they shrug off the staggering portion of the attack with no ill effects. If the target fails their Willpower task roll, they are "staggered" and lose their next turn (their turn on this round if they have not yet taken one; otherwise, their turn on the following round).

Any esoteric powers which must be activated, such as Barrier and Object Animation, normally turn off when a character is staggered. However, a staggered character may attempt a challenging Willpower task roll (task difficulty 12) to keep their powers activated while staggered. Any powers which are deactivated can't be turned back on until the character is able to take their next turn.

Combat

Combat generally has three steps:

Attack and defense: The attacker, using a task action, makes a task roll to see if the attack is successful (this is known as an "attack roll"). "Attack bonuses" make the attack easier: the largest of these modifiers is added to the attacker's roll. "Defense bonuses" make the attack roll more difficult: the largest of these modifiers is added to the task difficulty the attacker is rolling against (typically, 8 + the defender's rank in Agility or Prowess). If the attacker's roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty, the attack is successful. If the attack is successful, the defender may choose to use a task action to attempt to block or dodge the attack.

Damage and protection: If the attack is successful (and the defender has neither blocked nor dodged it), the defender, using a reaction, makes a task roll to see how much the attack took out of them (this is known as a "protection roll"). Most characters use their Brawn rank for protection rolls, but characters with the appropriate advantages may choose to use their Agility or Willpower, instead. If the character has equipment or powers which provide protection, such as armor or energy shields, the protection rating (PR) is added to the attribute indicated in the description of the equipment or power (this protection only helps the character if that is the same attribute the character is using to make their protection roll).

Endurance and recovery: If the character rolls less on their protection roll than the damage rating of the attack, their endurance level is reduced by one level. If the character rolls three or more under the rank of the attack on their protection roll, their endurance level is reduced by two levels. When the conflict has ended, the combatants may rest and recover. Recovery from injury is much faster with appropriate medical care.

Attack And Defense

To attack a target with a weapon or power, the attacker uses a task action to make an attack roll. The largest relevant attack bonus is added to 2d6 and the attacker's relevant attribute (typically either Accuracy or Prowess).

The task difficulty is equal to the largest relevant defense bonus added to 8 and the defender's relevant attribute (typically either Agility or Prowess). If the attacker's roll equals or exceeds the task difficulty, the attack is successful.

attack attribute + 2d6 + attack bonus vs. defense attribute + 8 + defense bonus

Combining Attacks

Multiple characters can gang up on an opponent to increase the damage they inflict when they hit. All of the characters ganging up on an opponent must strike simultaneously (meaning every attacker but one must delay their attack). The successful attack with the highest damage rating provides the base damage rating for the combined attack. Each additional successful attack increases the damage rating of the combined attack by +1.

Coordinating Attacks

Multiple characters can work together to increase their chances of hitting an opponent. One character will actually make the attack, and the rest of the characters will attempt to assist them. Each character wishing to assist with the attack attempts a challenging task roll (task difficulty 12) using the appropriate attribute (usually Prowess or Accuracy). Each successful task roll increases the attack bonus of the attack by +1. If one of the characters attempting to coordinate their attacks rolls an extreme success, this increases the attack bonus of the attack by +2 rather than by +1. The character who actually rolls to hit the target provides the base damage (or effect) for the coordinated attack. If the character who actually rolls to hit the target fails their task roll, the entire coordinated attack fails.

Distracting

Distraction can be used by a character to mislead an enemy into dropping their guard. Distracting an opponent requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the opponent. If the distraction is successful, the next attack against the distracted opponent on the following round receives a +2 attack bonus.

Grappling

A grapple involves using one's extremities to hold or restrain another character. The maximum mass the character can effectively grapple is the same as the maximum mass they can lift, based on the rank of their Brawn.

Grappling requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target. Grappling inanimate objects is generally automatic, unless the GM wants to make it difficult for some reason. To break free of the Grapple, the defender must make a successful task roll using their Brawn or Agility attribute (whichever is greater) against the attacker's Brawn or Agility (whichever is greater).

If the attacker rolls an extreme success, then the rank of their Brawn (or Agility) is increased by 1 for the purpose of breaking free of it. For example, if a character is being held by an attacker with rank 6 Brawn, and the attacker rolled an extreme success, the affected character would need to make a task roll against task difficulty 15 (6 + 1 + 8) to break free of the grapple.

If the defender succeeds at the task roll to break free, they may use their remaining movement action. If the character being grappled gets an extreme success on this roll, then they break free as a free action instead of a task action. For example, if a character is being held by an attacker with rank 6 Brawn, they would need to make a Brawn (or Agility) task roll against task difficulty 14 (6 + 8). If they roll a 17 or more, they achieve an extreme success, and breaking free is a free action. If the defender has Telekinesis, they may use the rank of their Willpower in lieu of their Brawn or Agility to break free.

Characters being grappled are considered "restrained". A restrained character is not helpless, but they can't use normal movement until they break free of the grapple. Attacking the held character is easier (attackers gain a +4 attack bonus when attacking the held character), and their attacks are easier to avoid (defenders gain a +4 defense bonus when the held character attacks them).

If the attacker wishes to exert strength or leverage in an attempt to hurt the grappled character, this causes endurance damage, and the damage rating (DR) of this attack is equal to the attacker's rank in Brawn or Agility (whichever is greater). The protection rating (PR) of any power or equipment that provides protection from endurance damage, such as armor and energy shields, is effective against the attack, as usual.

If the attacker wishes to move or throw the grappled character, the distance an attacker may move the defender is based on the Brawn of the attacker and the mass of the defender. First, look up the mass of the defender or object to be moved in the "Lifts" column of the Brawn table (rounding to the nearest mass value), and find the corresponding rank for that mass. Subtract that rank from the Brawn of the attacker, and look up that resulting rank in the "Throws" column of the Brawn table. This is how far the attacker could move an object of that mass in one round. This rank is also the damage rating (DR) of the impact if the attacker makes the defender hit a solid object such as a wall or the ground. Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.

Ramming

A ramming attack involves using the velocity of the attacker to increase the damage inflicted. Ramming requires the attacker to use their movement action to travel directly toward the target, followed by a hand-to-hand attack. The ramming attack itself requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target, and the target receives a +1 defense bonus against the ramming attack. The damage rating (DR) of the ramming attack is equal to the attacker's rank in Brawn + 1. Ramming may be called by various names depending on the technique the attacker uses, such as "flying tackle", "charge", or "pounce".

Slamming

A slam or takedown involves using a target's mass and velocity against them so that they fall to the ground. Slams are only effective against targets whose feet are on the ground to begin with. A slam can represent an aikido throw, a leg sweep, a judo hip toss, or even tripping someone with an umbrella, depending on the attacker's fighting style.

A slam requires a Prowess task roll against the Prowess of the intended target. If the slam attack is successful, the defender falls to the ground and may be injured by the impact. The damage rating (DR) of this attack is normally equal to the attacker's rank in Agility.

A character who has been slammed is prone and must use a movement action to get back up.

Sweep Attacks

A sweep attack permits a character to make a hand-to-hand attack against everyone within reach. A sweep attack requires a single Prowess task roll against the Prowess of each of the intended targets. Each defender receives a +2 defense bonus against the sweep attack. The damage rating (DR) of the sweep attack is equal to the attacker's rank in Brawn.

Taunting

Taunts can be used to goad an opponent into attacking. Taunting requires a Willpower task roll against the Willpower of the character being taunted. If the taunt is successful, then the target of the taunt will use their next available action to attack the taunting character. If that attack misses the taunting character, the attack will instead strike whatever or whomever is directly behind the taunting character.

Blocking

During their turn, or as a forced action, a character may use a task action to attempt to block a hand-to-hand attack against them. A block might entail using brute force to withstand the attack, or it might involve using finesse to harmlessly divert an attack away: the choice is up to the player. Blocking an attack requires a Prowess task roll against the damage rating of the attacker's weapon or power. For example, if the attacker had a psiblade with damage rating 6, the task difficulty to block it would be 6 + 8 = 14. If the defender has expertise with blocking, they gain a +3 bonus on their Prowess task roll. The defender may continue attempting to block additional attacks until their next action with no penalty.

If the defender rolls an extreme success on their block, then the order of play is revised so that on future rounds, the character whose attack was blocked acts after the character who successfully blocked the attack. If the Prowess task roll fails, the character is struck by the attack and must make a protection roll to see how much the attack cost them, as usual.

Example:

Virek-Kohl attacks Issvisk, and Issvisk forces his action in order to block. Issvisk rolls an extreme success on his block. This revises the order of play so that Virek-Kohl's turn comes after Issvisk's turn on successive rounds.

Round 1	Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Issvisk's turn (blocks attack by Virek-Kohl) Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn
Round 2	Soraya's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

Normally, only hand-to-hand attacks which inflict endurance damage may be blocked. However, if the defender has the same power as the attacker, they may use that power to attempt to block. For example, a defender with Telepathy may attempt a Willpower task roll to attempt to block the Telepathy of an attacker. With the GM's permission, a character may attempt to block with a power that has a similar theme or power source. For example, a GM might permit a character with Telepathy to attempt a Willpower task roll to block an attacker's Mind Crush.

A character chooses to block after the attacker has determined that the attack will successfully hit: there is no need to block an attack that misses. A successful block completely negates the attack. An unsuccessful block has no effect on the attack.

Dodging

During their turn, or as a forced action, a character may use a task action to attempt to dodge a hand-to-hand or ranged attack against them. Dodging an attack requires an Agility task roll against the damage rating of the attacker's weapon or power. For example, if the attacker had a blaster with damage rating 6, the task difficulty to dodge it would be 6 + 8 = 14. If the defender has expertise with dodging, they gain a +3 bonus on their Agility task roll. The defender may continue attempting to dodge additional attacks until their next action with no penalty.

If the defender rolls an extreme success on their dodge, then the order of play is revised so that on future rounds, the character whose attack was dodge acts after the character who successfully dodged the attack. If the Agility task roll fails, the character is struck by the attack and must make a protection roll to see how much the attack cost them, as usual.

Example:

Continuing the example above, Soraya attacks Virek-Kohl, and Virek-Kohl forces his action in order to dodge. Virek-Kohl rolls an extreme success on his dodge. This revises the order of play so that Soraya's turn comes after Virek-Kohl's turn on successive rounds.

Round 3	Soraya's turn Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's turn (dodges an attack by Soraya) Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn
Round 4	Issvisk's turn Virek-Kohl's turn Soraya's turn Virek-Kohl's lackeys' turn

Normally, only attacks which inflict endurance damage may be dodged. However, if the defender has the same power as the attacker, they may use that power to attempt to dodge. For example, a defender with Telepathy may attempt a Willpower task roll to attempt to dodge the Telepathy of an attacker. With the GM's permission, a character may attempt to dodge with a power that has a similar theme or power source. For example, a GM might permit a character with Telepathy to attempt a Willpower task roll to dodge an attacker's Mind Crush.

A character chooses to dodge after the attacker has determined that the attack will successfully hit: there is no need to dodge an attack that misses. A successful dodge completely negates the attack. An unsuccessful dodge has no effect on the attack.

SIDEBAR: Why Power Rank?

Basing the task difficulty of blocking and dodging on the rank of the attacker's power or weapon might seem strange to you. Wouldn't it make more sense to make these rolls against the attacker's Accuracy or Prowess?

A character only chooses to block or dodge if the attack has already hit them, which means that there has already been an Accuracy or Prowess roll, and the attacker rolled well enough to hit. There is a good chance that a second roll would have a similar outcome, so we base the block and dodge rolls on the rank of the attacker's weapon or power in order to give the defender a chance to change the odds, particularly against attackers with very high Accuracy and Prowess.

Having Partial Cover

If a character is hiding behind an obstruction that conceals at least half of their body from an attacker, the character is said to have partial cover. A character with partial cover is more difficult to hit. The defender gains a +1 defense bonus, which increases the difficulty of the attacker's task roll by +1.

Diving For Cover

Attacks which are particularly large, such as a crashing starship, are much more difficult to avoid. The only way to avoid such attacks is to not be under them when they land. If a character is about to be hit by a large attack, they can take a forced action to dive for cover. When diving for cover, the character moves to the nearest open ground beyond the area of the attack or behind the nearest cover, and ends up on the ground prone. A character may perform a forced action to dive for cover from an ordinary attack, if they want, but since it leaves the character prone and vulnerable, and it sacrifices their next action, doing so is probably unwise.

If the nearest safe area or cover is too far away for the character to reach it with an all-out move, then there is no benefit to diving for cover. Sorry.

Being Prone

A prone character is easier for adjacent attackers to hit, but harder to hit with ranged, non-adjacent attacks. If the defender is prone and the attacker is adjacent or engaging in hand-to-hand combat, the attacker receives a +1 attack bonus on their task roll to hit the defender. If the defender is prone and the attacker is non-adjacent and using a ranged attack, the defender gains a +1 defense bonus, which increases the difficulty of the attacker's task roll by +1.

Damage And Protection

Once the attacker successfully makes their attack roll against the target and the consequences of extreme success (if any) are determined, the defender may attempt a protection roll against the damage rating (DR) of the attack to see how much of their endurance has been lost in resisting the attack.

In hand-to-hand combat, an unarmed character's damage rating is equal to their rank in Brawn. Hand-to-hand weapons such as vibroswords and electrostaves have a damage rating equal to the rank of the weapon or the character's Brawn rank + 1, whichever is greater. A vibroknife with damage rating 1 wielded by a character with rank 2 Brawn would have an effective damage rating of 3.

Psiblades and psistaves are a special case. Although these are hand-to-hand weapons, the damage rating of psiblades and psistaves is independent of the Brawn of the character wielding them. The damage rating of these weapons is indicated in their descriptions.

The damage rating of a ranged weapon is indicated in its description.

Exploding, penetrating, and stunning attacks modify how much damage is caused or how a character defends against it.

Exploding

An exploding attack causes its damage to everyone within a certain range of the target. Because an exploding attack does not need to be aimed at a specific target, the difficulty of the attack roll is 9. However, because exploding attacks are not targeted at specific individuals, they do not benefit from extreme success.

The damage rating of the explosion diminishes with distance from the center. The damage rating is at its full value within half of the total radius, and at one-half of its full value in the remainder of the explosion. For example, a typical fragmentation grenade would have a damage rating of 5 from the center out to a radius of 8 meters (half its total radius), and a damage rating of 3 from 8 meters out to the limit of its radius of 16 meters.

Penetrating

When making a protection roll against a penetrating attack, the defender reduces the protection rating (PR) of any equipment or power by one-half (round in defender's favor).

Stunning

Damage from a stunning attack is temporary. Record it separately; it all comes back after the fight is over, when the character has had a chance to rest and recuperate.

Protection Rating

If the attack is successful (and the defender has neither blocked nor dodged it), the defender, using a reaction, makes a protection roll to see how much the attack took out of them. Most characters use their Brawn rank for protection rolls, but characters with the appropriate advantages may choose to use their Agility or Willpower, instead. If the character has equipment or powers which provide protection, such as armor or energy shields, the protection rating (PR) is added to the attribute indicated in the description of the equipment or power (this protection only helps the character if that is the same attribute the character is using to make their protection roll).

Multiple layers of the same type of protection do not stack: only the greatest protection rating applies. For example, a character with rank 6 armor would not benefit from a rank 5 energy shield.

Endurance And Recovery

Normally, an injured character recovers one endurance level they have recently lost after they have had a chance to rest and recuperate for half an hour or so. After that, the character recovers additional endurance levels only with extended rest and medical care. With this rest and medical care, the character will regain one endurance level per day; without it, they will regain one endurance level per week.

Death

XXX

If a character's endurance is reduced to zero, they are rendered unconscious. If a character's endurance is reduced to the negative of its starting value (-6 for a character whose normal endurance is 6, for example), death is the most likely result. However, if most of the damage was mental rather than physical, the character may be rendered comatose for an indefinite period of time.

Even if the character dies, there is precedent in the Kalos Universe for death not being final. Depending on the character, their background, and the needs of the story, death may be temporary or merely a transitional phase. For example, when Dryad was killed during the Audobon Park Massacre, her oak tree on the grounds of the Vanguard headquarters seemed to die as well. It was only later when Doctor Morpheus joined Vanguard that it was discovered that her tree was not dead, but merely dormant, setting the stage for Dryad's eventual return.

Whether death is final for a character also depends on how they died. Did the manner of their death leave any room for doubt? Might their powers provide a way for them to return from the circumstances that killed them? And most importantly, did their death have an important impact on the story? The way a character dies may be their most defining moment; if so, it would cheat them and the story for their death to be temporary. Still, there is always a loophole if you need one. The most important thing to remember about death is that it should never be decided by a roll of the dice.

Plot Points

Each player begins each game session with one plot point. A player gains a plot point when one of their character's complications causes a serious problem for them during the game, or as a reward when they do something particularly entertaining or interesting, or when they cooperate with the GM to make things more difficult for the characters. Plot points are spent for an automatic success, to gain a temporary increase in power, to gain a temporary power, or to alter the game world in some way.

Gaining Plot Points

Players receive plot points for helping make the game more fun, and they spend them to make their character more effective. Each player starts each game session with one plot point, and should get one or two more during each game session. It's in the players' best interests to spend these plot points before the end of the game session, because any unspent plot points do not carry over to the next game (unless the GM makes an exception).

Plot points shouldn't be given to a player just for roleplaying their character -- they should be doing that anyway. The GM should give out a plot point when the player does something really exceptional or inventive, or when the player volunteers for their character to suffer some dramatic setback. The player might even suggest ways that their character's complications can come into play, giving the GM an opportunity to ramp up the tension. The GM can also reward a player for roleplaying in accordance with their character's motivations when it's not in the character's best interests to do so. For example, if a character upholds their ideals rather than choosing the easy or expedient solution, this would earn them a plot point.

It's important for the GM to remember that while plot points are a reward for making the game fun, they also make the characters more powerful. A game in which plots points are handed out by the handful will have a much different feel than one in which they are given out sparingly. It's probably reasonable for each player to receive two or three plot points over the course of a typical three or four hour game session.

Spending Plot Points

The examples listed here are the most common uses for plot points, but they aren't the only ones. If a player wants to spend a plot point to make something fun happen, and it has about the same impact on the game as these examples, the GM should consider permitting it. For example, let's say an invasion of lava pygmies has caused extensive damage to a street, destroyed a few cars, and melted a mailbox. If a character with time control powers wanted to spend a plot point to reverse time and undo this damage after the lava pygmies have been repelled, should the GM permit it? Sure! It's fun, and it doesn't unbalance the game.

Automatic Success

An automatic success is just that: the player spends a plot point, and their character succeeds at the current task roll. This can be a skill roll, or it can be an attempt to hit in combat. If the player wants to check for extreme success, the player should roll as usual: anything less than extreme success is treated as a normal successful roll. The GM may forbid the use of a plot point to achieve an automatic success if the task is simply impossible.

An automatic success lasts as long as the effects of the roll would normally last.

Inspiration

Despite the best intentions of the GM, sometimes players get stuck. All of the leads have been followed, all of the witnesses have been interviewed, and the players are oblivious to the obvious solution the GM has given them to their dilemma. When all else fails, a player can spend a plot point to make an intuitive leap and receive a hint from the GM on what to do next.

If the GM finds this happening with any regularity, it might be worthwhile for them to make their plots a bit less challenging.

Power Boost

A power boost increases one of the character's attributes or powers by one rank (rank 14 maximum). A character with Brawn 5 could gain a temporary boost to Brawn 6, or a character with Flight 7 could gain a temporary boost to Flight 8. Power boost can also be used to add a power enhancement to a power. For example, a character with rank 4 Healing could use a power boost to add the Diseases and Toxins power enhancement, or a character with the Blast power could use a power boost to add the Explosive Damage power enhancement.

Power boosts usually only last for one round, but they might last as long as a scene if that seems to make sense and the GM agrees.

Power Stunt

A power stunt permits a character to use their current powers in new and creative ways. For example, a character with a rank 4 Ice Blast might use a power stunt to hack into a computer by freezing its memory, giving them a rank 4 in Computing for that purpose. A character with a rank 8 Force Field might use a power stunt to turn their force field into a rank 8 force blade. The outcome of a power stunt is not automatically successful: the player still needs to roll to determine the outcome, if the outcome is contested or subject to some uncontrolled factor. A character who used a power stunt to gain rank 4 in Computing would still need to make a Computing task roll in order to hack the computer.

Power stunts usually only last for one round, but they might last as long as a scene if that seems to make sense and the GM agrees. For example, if a character with a rank 6 Time Control used a power stunt to gain rank 6 Extra Attacks, then the Extra Attacks power should last until the end of the scene or until the six Extra Attacks are used, whichever comes first.

Rally

Under normal circumstances, an injured character recovers half the endurance they have recently lost after they have had a chance to rest and recuperate (maybe half an hour). Spending a plot point allows a character to rally, and recover as though they'd had a half-hour's worth of rest.

Retcon

"Retcon" is short for "retroactive continuity": changing the past in some way that supports the current needs of the plot. This can involve the realization that a needed resource is available, but had previously been overlooked ("Oh, what I wouldn't give for a holocaust cloak"), or it can take the form of a character revealing a previously unknown era in their history, thus giving them new background skills ("As a matter of fact, I spent my senior year of high school studying in Japan").

A good retcon should not overtly violate what has been established in the game: it should build on what has been established in a fun and inventive way.

Retcons are essentially permanent.

The Environment

Asphyxia

A character who needs to breath but is unable to do so, such as someone drowning or suffocating, loses one endurance per minute until they can breathe freely again. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Asphyxia is unaffected by asphyxia.

Darkness

Darkness, fog, rain, blizzards, and other visual impediments can make combat much more difficult. If an attacker can't see the defender, the defender gains a +4 defense bonus; if the attacker can't see at all, the defender gains a +6 defense bonus. Conversely, if a defender can't see the attacker but the attacker can see them, the attacker gains a +4 attack bonus; if the defender can't see at all but the attacker can, the attacker gains a +6 attacker bonus.

A character with Super Senses such that they can perceive normally suffer no ill effects from darkness.

Dehydration

A character who goes more than 24 hours without drinking begins to suffer the effects of dehydration. Initially, the character experiences headaches, loss of appetite, and dry skin, followed by rapid heart rates, elevated body temperatures, and fatigue. After three days without water, the character experiences tiredness, irritability, and dizziness. Severe dehydration results in death.

Characters suffering from dehydration lose 1 endurance per day until they either die or are rehydrated. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll the character attempts increases by 1 for every day that the character has been without water. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Starvation is unaffected by dehydration.

Exposure

Extremes of heat and cold can be dangerous to those without adequate protection from the elements. Characters exposed to extreme temperatures gradually lose endurance until they either die or find shelter. How quickly they lose endurance depends on the severity of the conditions. A hot summer day without shade or water, or a frosty winter night without a coat cost a character one point of endurance every six hours or so: brutal, but not immediately life-threatening. The same character in a blazing hot desert or standing on a ridge in the Antarctic would lose a point of endurance once per minute. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against this damage, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Exposure (Cold) is unaffected by extreme cold, while a character with Immunity to Exposure (Heat) is unaffected by extreme heat.

Falling

Falling inflicts damage based on the distance fallen. Look up the distance the character falls in the "Throws" column in the Benchmarks table, and find the corresponding rank. This rank is the damage rating inflicted by falling that distance. Under normal circumstances, the maximum damage inflicted by falling is 8, due to the resistance of the Earth's atmosphere.

Particularly soft or yielding surfaces can reduce the impact damage by as much as half.

Fire

The rank and damage rating of a fire depends on its heat and intensity. Any power or equipment that provides protection from endurance damage, such as armor and energy shields, reduces the amount of damage a character takes from a fire. The protection rating of the power is subtracted from the damage rating of the fire. The remaining damage is subtracted from the target's endurance once per round.

A character with Immunity to Exposure (Heat) may apply one-half of their rank in Immunity against the damage rating of the fire.

Table: Fire

Rank	Fire
1	Campfire, torch
2	Burning room
3	Burning house
4	Butane torch
5	Burning warehouse
6	Flame thrower, napalm
7	Burning flammable chemicals
8	Interior of a blast furnace
9	Burning explosive chemicals
10	Oxy-fuel cutting torch
11	Molten lava
12	Interior of a volcano
13	Surface of the Sun
14	Earth's core

Very cool and very hot fires are outside of this range. A common household match can cause painful burns, for example, but it's less damaging than a rank 1 fire. On the other hand, the interior of the sun is far beyond the temperature of even a rank 14 fire.

Pathogens

Pathogens are usually infectious microorganisms which cause disease, such as bacteria and viruses, or parasites, such as fungi and protozoans. Each disease has its own array of symptoms, and not every person afflicted with a given disease will present every symptom.

Most diseases caused by pathogens can be categorized as either acute or chronic. Acute infections affect the patent quickly, run their course, and the patient typically recovers completely. Chronic diseases are long lasting and may have debilitating effects.

If the GM determines that a character has been exposed to a pathogen that could cause an acute infection, the character must make a Brawn task roll against the rank of the pathogen (usually rank 4). If the Brawn task roll is successful, the character resists the pathogen and may suffer only incidental side-effects such as an itchy throat. If the Brawn task roll is not successful, the character has succumbed to the pathogen. The disease lasts for 2d6 days, during which the character feels terrible. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll the character attempts increases by 1 until the disease runs its course. Complete rest and appropriate treatment reduces the recovery time by one-half, and rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, is also effective at reducing the recovery time.

If the GM determines that a character has been exposed to a pathogen that could cause a chronic infection, the character must make a Brawn task roll against the rank of the pathogen (usually rank 4). If the Brawn task roll is successful, the character resists the pathogen, typically without any symptoms whatsoever. If the Brawn task roll is not successful, the character has succumbed to the pathogen, and they immediately lose 1 endurance.

The character must attempt another Brawn task roll once per week. Each failed Brawn task roll results in another point of endurance lost. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll the character attempts (other than the Brawn task roll to resist the pathogen) increases by 1 for every failed Brawn task roll. This continues until the character makes an extreme success on their Brawn task roll, or they are administered the appropriate cure for the disease (if one exists), or they die. Once the character makes an extreme success on their Brawn task roll against the rank of the pathogen or is administered the appropriate cure, they stop losing endurance and begin to heal normally. Rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, is effective at reducing the recovery time.

A character with Immunity to Pathogens is unaffected by infectious microorganisms, parasites, and other pathogens such as prions.

SIDEBAR: The Burroughs Plague

In 2011, a macabre linguistic infection known as the Burroughs Plague resulted in the deaths of hundreds of people in College Park and Beltsville, Maryland. The symptoms of the disease included aphasia, dyslexia, dementia, and psychosis, ultimately resulting in irreversible homicidal rage. The epidemic was contained and sterilized by the Justifiers before it could spread, and there have been no other outbreaks since.

Poisons

Poisons, venoms, and toxins are substances which disrupt biological processes when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism. The symptoms of poisoning are so variable that there is no easy way to classify them. Some poisons increase heart rate, while others cause lowered heart rate. Some poisons cause lethargy, while others cause hyperactivity. Some poisons cause pain or gastrointestinal distress, while others cause a mild, pleasant elation.

Immediately after exposure or ingestion (depending on the type of poison), a poisoned character must make a Brawn task roll against the rank of the poison. If the Brawn task roll is successful, the character takes no damage from the poison and suffers only incidental side-effects such as nausea. If the Brawn task roll is not successful, the character has succumbed to the poison, and they immediately lose 1 endurance. Periodically thereafter, the character must attempt another Brawn task roll (once a round for very potent poisons, once an hour for very weak poisons, and once a minute for normal poisons, at the GM's discretion). Each failed Brawn task roll results in another point of endurance lost. This continues until the character successfully makes a Brawn task roll, or they are administered the appropriate antidote, or they die. Once the character successfully makes a Brawn task roll against the rank of the poison or is administered the appropriate antidote, they stop losing endurance and begin to heal normally.

Some poisons have effects other than or in addition to endurance damage and eventual death. A few such effects are indicated in the table of poisons below.

Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against damage from poisoning, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Poisons is unaffected by poisons.

Table: Poisons

Rank	Poison	Type
3	Copper(II) Sulfate	injected
3	Lead Arsenate (gas)	inhaled
3	Lead Arsenate (solid)	ingested
3	Rattlesnake Venom	injected
3	Scorpion Venom	injected
4	Atropine	injected
4	Paris Green (gas)	inhaled
4	Paris Green (solid)	ingested
4	Puffer Fish Poison1	injected
5	Arsenic	ingested
5	Blue-ringed Octopus Venom	injected
5	Tear Gas2	inhaled
6	Chloroform (vapor)3	inhaled
6	Cyanide	injected
6	DDT	inhaled
6	Mustard Gas2,4	inhaled
8	Belladonna	injected
8	Chloral Hydrate3	ingested
8	Curare	injected
8	Knockout Gas3	inhaled
8	Cyanogen	inhaled
8	Sarin Nerve Agent	inhaled
8	Strychnine	injected
8	VX Nerve Agent	contact
10	VX Nerve Agent	inhaled

1. Also inflicts Hold at the poison's rank
2. Also inflicts Blindness at the poison's rank
3. Non-lethal: will not reduce endurance below 0
4. Corrosive effects on the skin, eyes, and exposed mucous membranes

Pressure

Characters exposed to extreme atmospheric pressure lose endurance levels until they return to their natural atmosphere, or their internal and external pressure is equalized (generally through the use of an air supply specifically designed for use at that pressure), or they die. How quickly they lose endurance depends on how prepared they are and the severity of the conditions. A trained diver 30 meters under water would need to make a protection roll once per minute: life threatening, but not immediately fatal. The same character 300 meters under water (approximately 30 atmospheres, or 3040 kPa) would need to make a protection roll once per round unless they had specialized breathing apparatus designed to maintain a constant pressure inside their bodies. At higher pressures, even specialized breathing apparatus is not enough to protect the body from the structural failure of tissue, not to mention the pressure on unprotected nerves causing them to stop transmitting impulses.

Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against exposure to extreme pressure, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Pressure is unaffected by high pressure.

Radiation

Radioactivity is caused by the decay of the atomic nucleus of an unstable atom. Living things exposed to high amounts of ionizing radiation develop acute radiation syndrome (ARS), also known as radiation poisoning or radiation sickness. Acute radiation syndrome is an umbrella term for a variety of symptoms which occur within 24 hours of exposure and which may last for several months.

The symptoms of acute radiation syndrome depend on the exposure. Relatively small doses of radiation result in nausea and vomiting, headaches, fatigue, fever, and a reddening of the skin. Intermediate exposure can result in more severe gastrointestinal and symptoms related to a drop in the number of blood cells, such as infection and bleeding. Larger doses can result in neurological effects such as dizziness, headache, or decreased level of consciousness, followed shortly thereafter by death.

Twenty-four hours after exposure, a character exposed to radiation must make a successful Brawn task roll against the rank of the radiation. Failure indicates that the character has developed acute radiation syndrome and they immediately lose 1 endurance. Each week thereafter, the character must attempt another Brawn task roll. Each failed Brawn task roll results in another point of endurance lost. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll (including Brawn task rolls) the character attempts increases by 1 for every week that the character has been suffering from acute radiation syndrome. This continues until the character dies or successfully makes the Brawn task roll. Once the character successfully makes the Brawn task roll against the rank of the radiation, they stop losing endurance and may begin to heal normally.

Suitable treatment grants a +4 bonus on the victim's Brawn task roll. Small doses of radiation are treated with blood transfusions and antibiotics, while greater doses of radiation require exotic treatments such as bone marrow transplants. Large doses of radiation are invariably fatal to normal human beings.

Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against damage from acute radiation syndrome, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Radiation is unaffected by radiation.

Table: Radiation

Rank	Radiation
4	Fallout from a recent nuclear explosion
6	Vial of plutonium
8	Interior of a nuclear reactor
10	Nuclear explosion

SIDEBAR: Liefeld Radiation

Exposure to Liefeld radiation typically results in spontaneous painful deformity followed by death. Symptoms include atrophy of the hands, feet, and abdomen, and a grotesque increase in musculature in the chest and thighs. However, in rare and isolated cases, exposure to Liefeld radiation has resulted in a permanent transformation from human to posthuman. Such cases are one in a million, at best.

Sleep Deprivation

A character who goes more than 24 hours without sleep begins to suffer the effects of sleep deprivation. Initially, the character experiences weariness, confusion, and irritability. After three days without sleep, the character experiences hallucinations and decreased cognitive ability. Prolonged, complete sleep deprivation results in weight loss and ultimately death.

A character suffering from sleep deprivation loses 1 Reason per day until their Reason equals 0. Once the character's Reason is reduced to 0, the character loses 1 Willpower per day until their Willpower equals 0. Once the character's Willpower is reduced to 0, the character loses 1 endurance per day until their endurance equals 0. Under normal circumstances, the character will fall unconscious at this point and remain so for at least a day. However, if the character is physically prevented from sleeping they will continue to lose 1 endurance per day until they die. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against the effects of sleep deprivation, nor is rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration.

A character with Immunity to Sleep Deprivation is unaffected by sleep deprivation.

Starvation

A character who goes more than 7 days without eating begins to suffer the effects of starvation. Initially, the character experiences weakness, confusion, and irritability. After three weeks without food, the character experiences hallucinations and convulsions. Starvation eventually results in death.

Characters suffering from starvation lose 1 endurance per week until they either die or eat again. Additionally, the difficulty of any task roll the character attempts increases by 1 for every week that the character has been without food. Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against the effects of starvation, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Starvation is unaffected by starvation.

Vacuum

Characters exposed to vacuum lose endurance until they return to their natural atmosphere or they die. How quickly they lose endurance depends on how prepared they are and the rapidity of the loss of atmosphere. A trained astronaut who is exposed to a loss of atmosphere over the course of a minute would lose a point of endurance once per minute: life threatening, but not immediately fatal. The same character exposed to a vacuum without warning would lose a point of endurance once per round.

Protection against conventional forms of damage, such as armor and energy shields, are not effective against exposure to vacuum, but rapid healing, such as that provided by Regeneration, may offset the effects.

A character with Immunity to Vacuum is unaffected by vacuum.