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The Gameworld

Core Mechanic

For most rolls, the character succeeds on a result of 20 after rolling a 20-sided die and adding any relevant modifiers.

d20 + character bonus + modifiers

Different rolls use different level and modifiers. Some common examples are:

  • Attack Roll: d20 + combat bonus + target vulnerability (VLN)
  • Saving Throw: d20 + level + save type bonus
  • Characteristic Test: d20 + characteristic bonus + difficulty

Scale

Across the Known Universes, there is a huge variation in the sizes and masses of species and vehicles, all the way from nanoscale microteleians to the largest Vimana who measure in excess of 20 kilometers in length. To handle these discrepancies, all characters and vehicles have a scale class, or scale.

Scale Classes

  1. Anything from cat-sized to car-sized.
  2. Tanks, large construction vehicles, smaller mecha.
  3. Large mecha, Superheavy vehicles, small Starships or other entities in the range of 40-200 meters.
  4. Medium Starships.

Subscales

Within the same scale class, entities use T-shirt sizing including XS, S, M, L, XL, and so on. For reference, humans are scale 1M (scale class 1, Medium).

Adjusting for Scale

For the below: When a larger entity effects a smaller one: multiply by 10 x Scale difference.

When a smaller entity effects a larger one, divide by 10 x Scale difference.

  • Damage. Adjust the result of a damage roll. For example, a tank (Scale 2) weapon that does d8 damage to a human (Scale 1) target will do d8x10 damage instead.
  • Weapon Ranges.
  • Movement Ranges.

For the following: When a larger entity effects a smaller one: apply a +4 bonus per level of Scale difference.

When a smaller entity effects a smaller one, apply a -4 penalty per level of Scale difference.

  • To-hit rolls.

Fractions: Scale calculations should always round down, discarding fractional values. For example, when a weapon's target is 1 Scale greater than itself, that weapon must do at least 10 damage to deliver 1 point of damage to the larger target.

Determining the Scale of an Attack: In combat, the Size Class of the weapon is what matters. Tanks can have Size 1 weapons mounted, which will do normal damage to PCs, and some powerful PC weapons might hit at Size +1.

Timekeeping

Time Scales

  • 6 Dungeon Turns (name pending) = 1 Hour
  • 6 Hours = 1/2 Day. This assumes parties that adventure about half the time and rest half the time. In any case, the expiration of the Time Pool at the midpoint and end of the day are useful for anchoring major events.
  • 6 Days = 1 Week. Repair dice are tested at the expiration of this pool.
  • 6 Weeks = 1 Month. If being used, Faction turns occur monthly.

The Time Pool

Directly adapted from https://theangrygm.com/definitive-tension-pool/.

A die in the time pool represents a different length of time depending on what the party is currently doing.

When Time Passes

Add a single d6 to the Time Pool. If the Time Pool is full, or the Referee determines the party has done something that would attract undue attention, roll the Time Pool.

To roll the Time Pool, roll all of the dice in the pool simultaneously. If any die shows a 1, roll on the current locations' Complication table. Place all dice back into the Time Pool.

Clearing the Time Pool

When a sixth die is added to the Time Pool, immediately roll it. After resolving that roll, remove all dice from the Time Pool. At the moment the dice are removed from the Time Pool, an hour has passed. The hour doesn’t officially pass until the Time Pool is cleared.

Complication Tables

These are a Rarity roll.

Composite Entities

When entities of a scale larger than the attacker are being fought, their hitpoints may be divided into discrete components. These components are one of three types:

Vitals When all of these components are at 0 HP or less, the entity is dying according to its 0 HP rules.

Blocks These components can guard other components. While a Block with guarded components has more than 0 HP, those components cannot be targeted by attacks.

Abilities Each ability component corresponds to one of the entities’ attacks, abilities, or traits. When an ability component is reduced to 0 HP or less, the entity no longer has that attack, ability, or trait.

Example

A generic scale 1 battle tank with 10 HP (100 scale 0 HP) as encountered by scale 0 characters.

  • Block: Turret Armor (30 HP)
    • Ability: Main Cannon (10 HP)
  • Block: Chassis Armor (40 HP)
    • VITAL! Engine and Control Systems (10 HP)
  • Ability: Secondary Weapons (10 HP)

Secrecy and Information

These apply to gameworld elements including terrain hexes, affiliations, NPCs, and artifacts.

Landmark This information is plainly obvious. Characters should receive it when they encounter it (such as a mountain on the horizon).

Hidden Can be asked for or searched for, but at some cost of time, resources, and/or risk. On an excursion, searching for a hidden location can be done by rolling the Environment's Discover Hidden rarity.

Secret Secret information can't be asked for, isn't guaranteed at all, and must be won (i.e. it can be lost entirely via a roll or missed chance.)

Rarity

Rarity tables are used throughout the game, particularly during exploration and for encouters. To determine rarity, roll 1d8+1d12 and consult the rarity table. The rarities themselves are as below.


 1d8+1d12 Generic  Rarity
2 Ultra Rare
3 Very Rare
4 Very Rare
5 Rare
6 Rare
7 Uncommon
8 Uncommon
9 Common
10 Common
11 Common
12 Common
13 Common
14 Uncommon
15 Uncommon
16 Rare
17 Rare
18 Very Rare
19 Very Rare
20 Ultra Rare

Rarity classes occur with the following likelihood.

Common 42%
Uncommon 27%
Rare 19%
Very Rare 5%
Ultra Rare 2%
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