This is very much a work in progress. I borrowed heavily from FFG’s Genesys and THAT_OTHER_GAME but without the funny dice. I’ll just update this post in the future.

Basic ideas

A character has scores that determine:

• their bodily strength, speed, and general constitution body
  • hit points are body score multiplied by adventure level
  • in physical combat body will also determine how effective their attacks are and how hard they are to hit
• their general intelligence and memory intellect
• how aware they are of others and their surroundings senses
• their force of personality and presence
• their ability to manipulate the unknown. This is a catchall score for magic, psychic abilities and the like.

These scores will range from 0 to 5. A character starts with 0 on each score and gets an additional 6 points to distribute among them. Starting characters cannot go above 2 in a score.

Characters gain 1 point to distribute to their scores per adventure level above 1.

Skills

Untrained skill tests are made with 1 bane die

There are several levels of training

• 1 - Trained
• 2 - Competent
• 3 - Proficient
• 4 - Expertise
• 5 - Mastery

Each level of training adds 1 boon die to the skill test

The GM will need to determine what skills are available, which score to use when testing them.

Characters get 10 skill points per adventure level. With the exception of Magic skills, characters need to spend 1 skill point to get Trained. To get trained on Magic skills, characters will need to acquire a feat.

Characters can then spend 2 more points to become Competent, 3 more points to become Proficient, another 4 points to gain Expertise, and a final 5 points to gain Mastery. Feel free to adjust this as you feel fit.

Example of skills and their usual scores are:

• body
  • strength
  • agility
  • endurance
  • combat skills
• intellect
  • know (specific field)
  • navigate
  • various tools
  • calm
• senses
  • notice
  • search
• presence
  • seduce
  • negotiate
  • threaten
  • banter
• unknown
  • arcane
  • divine
  • primal
  • psychic

Skill Tests

Players will roll a d20 for each score point during tests and pick the highest result. If this is equal to or more than the passing mark set by the GM then the character passes the test. The default passing mark is 10.

Each additional d20 that passes the test awards +1 boon.

A roll of 20 on a d20 awards +2 boon.

A roll of 1 on the d20 incurs -2 bane.

The GM can also add boon or bane dice to these tests as they deem fit. These represent circumstances that do not affect the success of the test itself but may alter the results either to the characters advantage or detriment.

A boon die is a d12 where the values are as follows:

1-2  -1 (bane) 
3-6   0
7-11 +1 (boon) 
12   +3 (boon) 

A bane die is a d12 where the values are as follows:

1    -2 (bane) 
2-6  -1 (bane) 
7-11  0
12   +1 (boon) 

The GM and players will need to work out what the banes and boons mean.

The GM can also boost or hinder the test, for reasons

• boost means to apply a +1 bonus to the score used to make a test
• hinder means to apply a -1 penalty to the score used to make a test If this reduces the score to 0 the character rolls 2d20 for the test and picks the lowest die. For each score below zero the character adds 1d20 to the test roll and picks the lowest die.

1 boon can be used to either add a bane die to your opponent’s next test, or add a boon die to an ally’s next test

2 boons can be used to add 1 additional damage to an attack

2 banes can be used to add 1 general damage reduction to an attack

Simple test example:

Alice (PC) wants to haggle the price of a horse with Bob (NPC). Alice has 1 in prescence and is not trained in negotiate. Bob has 2 in prescence and is Competent at negotiate.

The GM sets the passing mark as

9 + Bob's prescence + Bob's negotiate skill
= 9 + 2 + 2 = 13

Alice’s player roll 1d20 + 1 bane die because she has 1 **prescence and is untrained in negotiate.

She gets a 14 and -1 bane.

The GM decides that Alice succeeded in getting a lower price from Bob for the horse but Bob is annoyed with her now. Further interaction with Bob might incur a bane die.

Contested tests

This is when two or more player characters are competing against each other to do the same thing at the same time. Characters do a test against a 10 passing mark. The character who passes the test with the most boons wins

Tests affecting multiple targets

The GM might allow tests to affect multiple targets Determine the number of targets Determine the skill and score used to defend The passing score = 9 + the highest defensive score + the highest defensive skill tier For every even number of targets (2, 4, 6,…) add a bane die For every odd number of targets (3, 5, 7,…) hinder the test

Feats

Characters gain 2 feats per adventure level.

Characters need to get a feat to get trained in Magic skills.

Characters can get a feat to get the medium or heavy armour feats if they meet the body score requirement: 2 for medium, 3 for heavy

Characters can get a feat to change the score used to determine how hard they are to hit, within GM limits

Characters can get a feat to grant +1 to hit bonus

Characters can get a feat to grant a +1 physical/elemental/arcane/divine/primal damage reduction bonus (one feat for each)

Characters can get a feat to grant a +1 general damage reduction bonus

Characters can get a feat to specialise in a skill and add +2 boon to that skill’s tests

Equipment

Weapons are categorised by size, each corresponds to a Melee skill:

• Small 1 (darts, daggers, slings, scimitars)
• Medium 2 (longswords, rapiers, shortbows, warhammers)
• Large 3, requires 2 or more body score (greatswords, longbows, pikes, mauls)

Armour provides physical damage reduction

• Light 1, available to everyone
• Medium 2, requires 2 body score and medium armour feat
• Heavy 3, requires 3 body score and heavy armour feat

Specific equipment might have additional features

Combat

Test initiative, either calm, normally, or notice if surprised.

Characters have 3 actions per turn.

Attack (1 action)

Test combat skill to hit against target’s agility (body). Passing mark is 9 + target’s to hit which is usually their body score + their agility skill

Alternatively, the character can spend an extra action to make a called shot. The test’s passing mark increases by 2, but they get 2 additional boon dice

If the attack hits, determine damage which is weapon damage + skill tier + damage from boons - damage reduction

Move (1 action)

The character moves 1 distance unit

Use Item (1 action)

Use an item

Dodge (2 actions)

The character tests agility (body). On a pass, the character hinders every incoming attack test. For every 3 boons, the character can apply another level of hindrance

Magic

Oooo magic! Mystery~~! Characters need an unknown score of more than 0 be trained in magic. GM can allow characters to attempt magic untrained because doing so at a disadvantage could be fun