RULES - CHARACTERS AND RULES

1. Purchase characteristics

   Value  1   2   3   4   5  6 7*   Cost (points)   0 2 3 5 7  10 14* * At the discretion of the referee ONLY.

   Example: Lady Janet Smedley-Smythe-Smythe (2) The player running Lady Janet buys BODY [3] = 3 points MIND [4] = 5 points SOUL [4] = 5 points Total 13 points. 8 points are left.

   The table to the right shows the cost of characteristics. Average human characteristics are 3 or 4. 5 is above average, 6 is very good (for example, BODY [6] might be a professional athlete), 7 is extraordinarily unusual and is available only at the referee's discretion.

   BODY (B) covers physical strength, toughness, speed, and dexterity.

   MIND (M) covers all intellectual capabilities, reasoning, and observation.

   SOUL (S) covers emotions, charisma, and psychic ability.

   See below for full details of the effect of characteristics.

2. Purchase skills.
   

   Skill Base Value Notes Actor AvM&S Any form of stage performance. Artist AvM&S Any artistic endeavour. Athlete B Swimming, running, etc. Babbage Engine   M Use also for computers, golems, etc. Brawling B Boxing, wrestling, & improvised weapons. Free at base value Business M Any financial or organisational work. Detective AvM&S Good at noticing small details. Doctor M/2 Knowledge and licence to practice. Driving AvB&M Any ground vehicle. First Aid M Emergency treatment to stop bleeding etc. Linguist M Linguist/2 languages (round UP) are initially known. Marksman M Use of directly aimed projectile weapons. Martial Arts   AvB&S/2 Any martial art. Allows multiple attacks. Mechanic M Any form of engineering etc. Medium S/2 A genuine medium, not a fake. Melee Weapon AvB&M All close range non-projectile weapons Military Arms M Use of field guns, explosives, etc. Morse Code M Knowledge of Morse and telegraphy. Pilot AvB&M/2   Use for aircraft, submersibles, etc. Psychology AvM&S Use to spot lies, calm people, etc. Riding AvB&S Riding all animals, and training them. Scholar M Detailed knowledge of Scholar/2 related fields (round UP) Scientist M Use of any science. Stealth B/2 Hiding, camouflage, sneaking, etc. Free at base value Thief AvB&M/2 Pick pockets, locksmith, forgery, etc.

   This game uses very general skills; for example, Scientist covers everything from Archaeology to Zoology, Pilot covers everything from Autogyros to Zeppelins. Players may spend up to three points per skill during character generation.

   Skills are based on one or more characteristics, to which at least one point must be added. For instance, Actor is based on the average of MIND and SOUL, plus at least one point. A character with MIND [3] and SOUL [3] would get Actor [4] for one point, Actor [5] for 2 points, or Actor [6] for 3 points.

   Brawling and Stealth are available at the values shown without spending points on them. Naturally they can be improved if points are spent.

   See later sections for full details of the purchasing system and use of skills, and a more detailed explanation of each skill.

   Example: Lady Janet Smedley-Smythe-Smythe (3)
   Lady Janet doesn't bother to learn to fly her sphere-ship; that's what servants are for. Her hired pilot will be another player-character. She owns factories and other businesses which will need occasional attention, but her main interest is "collecting" (shooting) any alien animals she encounters. Obviously useful skills for this include Scientist and Marksman; she spends two points on each. For awkward situations First Aid, Athlete, Brawling and Stealth are useful; she has Brawling [3] and Stealth [2] for nothing, and spends a point each on First Aid and Athlete. Finally, any lady must be able to ride; how else does one fit into society? Ten points buy the following skills:

   Athlete [4] - 1 point Brawling [3] - 0 points Business [5] - 1 point First Aid [5] - 1 point

   Marksman [6] - 2 points Riding [5] - 1 point Scientist [6] - 2 points Stealth [2] - 0 points

   No points are left.

   Save for use in play.
   Points can be used to improve skills at a later date, or optionally to improve the odds in emergencies. If points are saved for this purpose, double them and record them as bonus points.

   Example: Lady Janet Smedley-Smythe-Smythe (4)
   Lady Janet has no points left, so gains no bonus points.

   At the end of an adventure the referee should give players bonus points for successes, for unusually good ideas, for unusually good role playing, and anything else that seems appropriate. Try to give each player 3-6 points per successful adventure, less if they blow things completely. Bonus points should be noted in the Bonus box on the character sheet, and deleted as they are used.

   For example, here is a genuine sample of dialogue that earned a player a bonus point:
   

   1st player: "I say, isn't breaking and entering illegal?"
   2nd player: "Don't be silly, we're gentlemen!"

   Special thanks to Nathan Gribble for this gem.

OPTIONAL RULE: Buying Advantages

Under this system Lady Janet would need to spend eight points to get her special advantages. Use it if players seem to want to take unfair advantage of the referee. Referees who can take care of themselves are advised to omit it! One of the appendices covers more options for character background and traits.

Sample Character Record Player Name Character Name   Profession Eric Jones Lady Janet Smedley-Smythe-Smythe Incredibly rich eccentric explorer Characteristics Skills Age 25 Sex F BODY MIND SOUL Bonus [3] [4] [4] [0] Business [5], Scientist [6], First Aid [5], Marksman [6], Athlete [4], Brawling [3], Riding [5], Stealth [2] Notes and Equipment Owns numerous factories, houses, flats, cars, Cavorite sphere-ship. Carries £50 gold, £1500 gems, Derringer, laudanum, smelling salts. Keeps shotguns, rifles, and other supplies aboard sphere-ship and in some of her homes. Laboratories in mansion and sphere-ship. Weapon Fist Kick Wrestle Derringer Hunting Rifle Large Shotgun Large Shotgun Mult? No No No Max 2 No Max 2 No Effect 3 3 3 4 7 7 14*/7 A   B B B F F F I B   B B KO F I I C C KO F KO/I I/C C/K C/K K Notes 1 barrel 2 barrels *Short range only Wounds   B[   ]   F[   ]   I[   ]   I[   ]   C[   ]

Example: Lady Janet Smedley-Smythe-Smythe (5)
In addition to the sphere-ship, Lady Janet owns factories (the source of her wealth), an ocean-going yacht, a stately home, jewels, furs, several houses and apartments, and numerous cars and horses. Most of this stuff stays in the background, or is mentioned as it is needed. For example, when she wants to go to Rome she says she'll stay in a villa she owns; since this won't affect the game the referee has no objection. The referee does ask for a list of items she regularly carries on her person; these include a Derringer pistol, gold and jewellery (enough to make her a high priority target for any thief, although the referee doesn't mention that), and small flasks of laudanum (a powerful opium-based anaesthetic) and smelling salts. She wants to add a powerful rifle and shotgun; the referee rules that they might be kept in her sphere-ship, or carried when she's in the wild, but aren't routinely carried in more civilised areas. He also accepts that she has her own laboratories (mainly used for dissection) aboard the sphere-ship and in her mansion.

The weapons section is used to record weapons that the character routinely carries. The columns list the weapon's name, whether it is capable of multiple attacks, the Effect number which determines how much damage it can cause, and the results of any damage caused. For now it isn't necessary to worry about the use of this system; it's explained in the section on combat below. Weapons are also listed below.

Example: Lady Janet Smedley-Smythe-Smythe (6)
Lady Janet has several weapons; her hands and feet, and the guns she owns. These need to be recorded on the character sheet. The only hard part of this process is calculation of the Effect number for some weapons, which may be dependent on BODY or one or another skill. Lady Janet uses the Brawling skill to fight with her hands and feet. For these attacks the Effect number is equivalent to her BODY, 3. She has several firearms; all of them have fixed effect numbers determined by the size and speed of the bullet.

The section marked "Wounds" is left blank for use during play. Note that this is the wound chart for humans and animals of roughly human size and toughness; some animals use different charts.

Depending on circumstances, characteristics may be used against other characteristics, against skills, or against an arbitrary "Difficulty". Skills give an edge in most of these situations, as explained in later sections, but it's occasionally necessary to use them directly. For this, and for all other use of characteristics and skills, roll 2D6 on the table below:

If the result is below 12 and less than or equal to the number indicated on the table, the attempt succeeds. A dash (-) indicates that there is NO chance of success, otherwise 2 is ALWAYS a success and 12 is ALWAYS a failure.

If you prefer to do without the table a little mental arithmetic can be used as follows:

Optional Rule: For both methods, to improve the odds very slightly assume that any roll of 2 is a success, regardless of Difficulty. This means that there will always be at least a 1 in 36 chance of success.

Whether the table or mental arithmetic is used, the referee may prefer to keep the target value a secret, and simply tell the player if the result is a success or failure.

For both methods, if the result is EXACTLY the number needed to succeed, the attempt has come very close to failure; referees may want to dramatise this appropriately. If the number rolled is much lower than the number needed to succeed, the referee should emphasise the ease with which success was achieved. Similarly, a roll just one above the number needed for success should be dramatised as a very near thing that came within an ace of succeeding, a very high roll as an abject failure. These dramatics aside, any success is a success, any failure a failure.

Example: Breaking down a door
Fred (BODY [4]) wants to break a household door (BODY [6]). The first attempt is a roll of 7.
  7 (the roll) + 6 (the door's BODY) - 4 (Fred's BODY) = 9
The kick's a failure, and the door rattles but stays shut.
  After a brief rest Fred kicks the door again. On a 2 the lock breaks. The referee dramatises this by describing the wood splintering and the knob flying across the room and shattering a priceless Ming vase.

Example: Arm Wrestling
Fred (BODY [4]) and Nigel (BODY [2]) are arm wrestling. In each round each should roll BODY as attacker with the other character's BODY as defender.
  Round 1: Fred and Nigel both roll 10, much too high to succeed. Nothing happens, apart from a slight flabby quivering of opposed muscles.
  Round 2: Fred and Nigel both roll 3, and succeed. Again, nothing happens. Since both succeeded this is described in terms of bulging muscles, a clash of titans.
  Round 3: Fred rolls 10 and fails, Nigel rolls 2 and succeeds. Nigel smashes Fred's arm to the table and wins the match.

This system isn't perfect. For example, a man with BODY [3] theoretically has a 1 in 36 chance of lifting a BODY [10] elephant; in practice the referee should make this task much harder. Referees should be firm if players want to do something that's physically impossible, or make them tackle the job in smaller chunks. "Pass the saw, I need to cut up this elephant..."

Example: Excuse Me, Where Is The British Consul?
Lady Janet has been captured by Venusian savages who have decided that she is their long-awaited god (her gender isn't obvious to Venusians). They have no common language. The referee decides that her SOUL [4] must be used against the native chief's SOUL [5] to make her manner sufficiently forceful, and ensure her release. On a 2 the natives build a sedan chair to carry her back to the sphere-ship.
Note: Sadistic referees might prefer to make players act out scenes like this...

Example: It's Up His Sleeve!
On their way back to the ship the native witch doctor decides that Lady Janet's charismatic presence undermines his authority. He challenges her to a duel of magic (actually conjuring), using his skill Acting [6]. She must use her MIND [4] to spot his tricks. He begins by making a fruit "disappear"; on a 3 she notices that he's tucked it into a fold of his loincloth, and points out the bulge to the audience. This causes so much lewd merriment that the duel ends in his abject defeat.

Example: I Can Take It...
The wily witch doctor has persuaded the chief that Lady Janet must be tested again. This time it's a test of endurance; she must put her hand into a jar of stinging insects. Their stings are extremely painful but do no permanent damage. Lady Janet must use her MIND [4] to attack an arbitrary difficulty of 8.
This is a tough test; on a 6 she fails, pulling her hand out before the test ends. Fortunately she has the sense to grab a handful of insects and throw them at the witch doctor; he also fails, and starts to scream as they sting him. The chief decides that nothing has been proved.
Incidentally, the referee might instead have asked for a roll of AvB&M, rather than just MIND, to check if the character has the will-power and endurance to overcome the pain, or SOUL to check if the character has the courage to endure it.

BIG Numbers

Example: Tom Sloth And His Pneumatic Coveralls (1)
Tom Sloth, the brilliant but somewhat misguided engineer, has developed a mechanical exoskeleton which can be worn over normal clothing. It looks like a pair of silver coveralls, and will theoretically let him lift things as though his BODY (normally 5) is 30. He decides to test it by lifting an elephant at the zoo. The exoskeleton attacks with BODY [30], and the referee has decided that lifting an elephant will be difficulty 20. Neither number is under 12, so he divides both by 3 to make them fit. Now the attacking force is 10 and the defending BODY rounds up to 7.
  On a 3 Tom lifts the elephant; unfortunately its weight is now attacking his ankles and wrists, which aren't boosted by the power of the coveralls... BODY 10 is attacking Tom's unmodified BODY 5; the weight will cause him serious harm on an 11 or less!

Improving The Odds

At the discretion of the referee ONLY players may spend bonus points to temporarily modify an attacking or defending value as appropriate. Players must declare that they are doing this, and mark off the point(s) used, before the dice are rolled.

Example: She's Buying A Stairway To Heaven...
Lady Janet and the Venusians are being chased by a huge predator, and want to take to the trees to avoid it. The Venusians are natural climbers, and sprint up the trees without any trouble, leaving Lady Janet stranded four feet below the lowest branch. She tries to jump (Athlete [4] attacking difficulty 5) and fails on an 8. The predator roars and pads toward her. Before trying again she spends two bonus points to temporarily boost her Athlete skill to 6. Propelled by a sudden surge of adrenalin she zooms up the tree, passing the Venusians before they're half-way up.

This rule does NOT mean that you can spend points to perform the physically impossible. No matter how many points are spent, a BODY [1] weakling will not lift an elephant single-handed. Regardless of points spent, a 12 is still a failure.

Common Characteristic Rolls

Situation Difficulty Something that will probably happen anyway   1-3 Something that will happen if things go well 4-5 Something moderately difficult 6-9 A "million to one shot" 10 Lifting an elephant 20

Here are a few more examples of the use of characteristics. Use the table to the right to choose the difficulty number for the roll.

• Characters may occasionally need sheer luck. Ask them to use SOUL against a difficulty number.
• If they need to notice things, such as a concealed movement or a faint smell, use MIND against a difficulty number (incidentally, the skill Detective can be used to improve this ability).
• To get a bright idea use a roll of MIND against a difficulty number.

All of the above situations have something in common; they should not occur frequently, and must not be an essential stage in an adventure. There must always be an alternative which does not rely on the luck of the dice. Sometimes players get unlucky in situations where their characters should succeed; in one play-test five adventurers failed to hear something at difficulty 3, and an extra clue was needed to put them back on the right track.

Example: It's Behind You...
A Venusian predator has chameleon-like camouflage abilities. One is about to pounce on the witch doctor's son, and Lady Janet is the only person with a chance to spot it. She must roll MIND against difficulty 6 to notice. On a 3 she succeeds and yells just in time to save his life, finally earning the witch-doctor's friendship. The referee might instead have had her roll against the creature's Stealth skill.

Temporary Skills

Example: What If I Press This Button?
Lady Janet's sphere-ship is hit by a meteor. Her pilot is knocked out, and the ship is veering wildly off-course. No-one else aboard has the pilot skill; the referee decides that Lady Janet has been in the control room often enough to have a sketchy idea of piloting techniques. She will use the skill at AvB&M/2, or Pilot [2]. Normally the roll to restore the ship to its correct course would be against difficulty 4; because she isn't properly trained, the referee changes that to difficulty 8. On a 2, she just succeeds.

Bonus points may not be used to help in this situation.

Projects

Some projects simply require routine use of a skill for a prolonged period, with any failure extending the time. For example, the creation of an average quality monolithic sculpture might need five Difficulty 6 Artist rolls at intervals of a month; any failure leads to major revision of the work, extending the time needed by two months. The project is completed when the fifth successful skill roll is made.

Sometimes practice is all that is needed. This is especially true when learning languages.

Example: Que..?
Fred doesn't understand Spanish. During an adventure in Spain he tries to learn the language; since he already knows some related languages the referee rates this as difficulty 8 after a week, Difficulty 7 after two weeks, and so forth. A lucky roll of 2 allows Fred to learn the language in a week, and it's added to the list on his character record.

NOTE: This considerably underestimates the difficulty of learning a new language. Linguistic problems are not usually much fun to role-play, unless you particularly want to inflict an unreliable translator on characters, and most scientific romances either ignore them completely or assume that their heroes will easily teach the natives English! The Astronef stories, in FF II, are a little more honest; after weeks of contact with the cultures of Venus and Ganymede, the hero and heroine remain completely ignorant of the native languages. In The Lost World (FF III) the heroes spend weeks with an Indian tribe without learning much of their language.

Research projects, such as the development of a new invention, are resolved a little differently. The referee should decide how difficult the work will be, and how long it will take, then require a series of skill rolls of gradually increasing difficulty, repeated until the final difficulty level is reached. The same procedure might also be used for creation of an artistic masterpiece.

Example: What Goes Up...
Lady Janet's colleague Professor Polkington wants to develop a new antigravity paint and smash the Cavorite monopoly. The referee decides that this project will start at Difficulty 5, but will eventually be Difficulty 10, and each stage of the project will take 1D6 months; initially 4 months.
  At the end of 4 months the skill roll fails. Polkington has achieved nothing, apart from shutting off a few dead ends. The referee rolls 1D6 again, and determines that the project will stay at Difficulty 5 for another 3 months. This cycle is repeated until there is a success, then the difficulty is raised to 6 for the next round of attempts. Difficulty continues to escalate until Polkington eventually overcomes difficulty 10 to complete the synthesis. Most of this occurs off-stage between adventures, but occasionally it impinges on the game; for instance, the referee might tell players that Polkington must spend the next 48 hours in his laboratory to finish the current round of experiments, depriving them of his skills at a vital moment, or that he will need a rare chemical or manuscript for the next step. Finding the missing ingredient might be an adventure in itself.

The referee need not say that characters are attempting the impossible, but it's advisable to drop a few hints if serious amounts of time are being wasted on a completely fallacious idea.

To try to improve a skill use the relevant characteristic(s) to attack the current skill rating:

• If the result is a success, the skill has been improved.
• If the attempt is a failure, but the dice roll is not a 12, the character loses the points but does NOT improve the skill; more training is needed. After some more experience (another adventure) the player can try again. This can be repeated until the skill has been improved. A skill's rating may not be improved more than one point per adventure.
• If the result is a 12 the character has "peaked" with this skill; she loses the points, does not improve the skill, and CANNOT improve it at a later date.

Example: You Must Read My Latest Monograph...
Lady Janet wants to upgrade her Scientist skill from 6 to 7, reflecting her detailed study of Venusian anthropology, Zoology, and Botany. This will cost 7 points, and she must roll her MIND [4] against difficulty 7 to gain the improvement. On a 3 she succeeds.
  After another adventure she tries again, spending 8 points for the next improvement. Unfortunately the dice roll is 12; she is beginning to encounter concepts that she doesn't understand, and will never raise the skill past Scientist 7.

Characters with the Linguist skill may add extra languages by practice during the campaign, as described above, or by spending one or more Bonus points per extra language for training between adventures (most will cost one point, something particularly obscure will cost more). Only one language may be added per adventure. Improving the Linguist skill itself costs the new value of the skill, e.g. 5 bonus points to raise Linguist [4] to Linguist [5], as above.

Characters with the Scholar skill may only add new areas of knowledge by improving the skill.

The referee should decide if a new skill is appropriate for the character; for example, a priest shouldn't normally be allowed to buy the Military Arms skill without a good reason. The new skill is acquired at its lowest possible value.

An attempt to add a new skill costs DOUBLE its rating; eg, an attempt to add a skill with rating 5 costs 10 bonus points. This represents the considerable investment in time and money needed to learn a completely new skill.

To try to acquire a new skill use the relevant characteristic(s) against the first rating the skill will have:

• If the result is a success, the skill has been acquired.
• If the attempt is a failure, the character loses the points but does NOT acquire the skill; more training is needed. After some more experience (another adventure) the player can try again. This can be repeated until the skill has been acquired, or until a 12 is rolled, indicating that the character is incapable of learning that skill.

Example: I Want To Be An Engine Driver...
Gordon (MIND [4], BODY [3]) has decided that he wants to be an engine driver. This skill (actually Driving) begins with a rating of 5, so it costs ten bonus points. To gain the skill he must use the average of MIND and BODY (4) against Difficulty 5. Unfortunately he rolls a 7, a failure. After his next adventure he pays another ten points, representing more training, succeeds on a 3, and adds Driving [5] to his skill list.

The referee may make things easier for players if a new skill is a natural result of events in the game:

Example: Klatuu Barada Nichtu, My Dear Chap...
Lady Janet has spent several months on Venus, and the referee agrees that she has probably picked up some of the language, and thus earned the Linguist skill. She has MIND 4, so this skill will begin with a rating of 5. Normally an attempt to learn the skill would be a roll against difficulty 5, costing ten points; because of her experience the referee reduces the difficulty to 3 and the cost to six points. On a roll of 4 it's an easy success, and she adds Linguist [5] (Venusian aboriginal) to her skill list. Since this is a new skill, she initially knows no other languages, but this can be improved by experience.

Example: If I Had The Wings Of An Angel...
Gordon, a glutton for punishment, has decided that he also wants to be a pilot. The referee warns him that he must spend several months of his spare time in training (see difficult skills, below). After several adventures the referee finally lets him roll the dice; on a 12 the instructor has a nervous breakdown after a few flights with Gordon, and he is permanently barred from the training course. The points he spent are wasted.

Difficult Skills

Doctor:	Needs several years of training at a medical school.
Martial Arts:	Needs years of training and a suitable instructor.
Medium:	Cannot be acquired after character generation unless events in the game somehow trigger psychic sensitivity.
Pilot:	Needs several months of training.
Stealth:	This skill is automatically given to all characters.
Thief:	Needs months of training and a suitable instructor; referees may optionally wish players to make luck rolls to avoid arrest while training.

Adding Skills Below Base Values

Example: Everyone's Jumping...
In a world based on a revival of ancient Greek customs, it's customary for every citizen to participate in the Olympics or face ostracism. All characters should have the Athlete skill automatically at BODY; extra points push it to BODY+1 etc.

Skills are listed in the following format: Name, basic value (to which the points spent should be added), and explanation. The following abbreviations are used:

B = BODY, M = MIND, S = SOUL, Av = Average, / = Divided by

AvM&S	= average of MIND and SOUL (round up)
M/2	= MIND divided by 2 (round UP)
AvB&S/2	= average of BODY and SOUL divided by 2 (round UP)

Medical Skills, Recovery, and Death

Without first aid the wound may eventually deteriorate; roll the recovery Difficulty against the patient's BODY, if the result is a success the wound will get worse. Flesh wounds become Injuries and Injuries become Critical (usually as fevers and illnesses such as gangrene) if they get worse.

The Doctor skill acts like First Aid, and also speeds healing. If a successful roll is made recovery time is halved. Since the Doctor skill usually begins at a lower level than First Aid, devoted healers may wish to take both skills.

To recover from wounds without medical help, roll BODY against the recovery difficulty - AFTER the minimum recovery period. If the result is a success, the wound is healed. If the result is a failure, the illness drags on for another period before the roll can be made again.

Example: It's Only A Flesh Wound...(2)
Lady Janet has a flesh wound. She bandages it herself, using First Aid [5] against recovery Difficulty [4]. On a 9 she doesn't do a good enough job of cleaning the wound and applying pressure to prevent further bleeding.
  She rolls BODY [3] against Difficulty [4]. On a result of 10 the wound gets worse; by the time she reaches help Lady Janet is bleeding severely, and must spend some time in bed. Her doctor fails to help, so her first roll for natural recovery is made after a month. Fortunately she succeeds and finally heals.

Death is death, and is usually permanent. In some settings there may be some rationale for reanimation or resurrection, but in most games there is no recovery. The referee should explain if this applies.

Some examples of common forms of injury follow the combat rules below; they are clearer if you understand some details that are introduced in the combat rules.

The following things can be done in a combat round

1. Movement.
   A normal human can walk about ten feet, or run twenty. On a Difficulty 6 BODY or Athlete roll, or on expenditure of a bonus point, this can be pushed to thirty feet.
   OR
2. An action, such as ducking for cover or opening a door.
   Referees may OPTIONALLY allow two actions, or an action and a movement, in a round; for instance, opening a door and diving through.
   THEN
3. An attack, or several attacks with some weapons and skills.
   THEN
4. Wounds take effect.

1. All players should state who or what they intend to attack; the referee should explain who NPCs are attacking. This should be done before any attacks are made.
2. Each character and NPC attacks the chosen target. Roll the attacking skill or characteristic against a defending skill, or against a difficulty number of 6 if there is no better defence available. There are various modifiers for distance etc.
3. If the roll to hit succeeds, the Effect of the attack is used to attack the BODY of the victim. Damage is calculated according to the success of this roll.

Rolling To Attack

Situation Modifier   Notes Attacker hasn't moved +1   Target is immobile/inanimate +1 Target is twice man sized or more +1 Target is very close +1 Projectiles only Using a fully automatic weapon +1 Machine guns Firing both barrels of a shotgun +1 Target is TOO close -1 NOT brawling Target is running/moving fast -1 Target is half man sized or less -1 Target is distant -1 Projectiles only Target partially hidden / camouflaged   -1 Attacking two or more targets -2 Attacker is ducking or dodging -1 Target is ducking or dodging -2 Attacking for limited damage -1 See below Attacking for minimal damage -2 See below

The bonuses and penalties shown on the right are available, and should be added to the attacking skill if appropriate (to a maximum of 10) or subtracted (to a minimum of 1).

One modifier may need explaining, since it is frequently misunderstood; machine guns are a little less accurate than other firearms, but more than make up for it by firing LOTS of bullets, increasing the chance of a hit over that for a normal gun. This is the main reason why automatic weapons are used. The idea that machine guns rarely hit and do less damage than other firearms is a myth. Even when used for single shots they are no less accurate than other weapons of similar size.

Example: Collecting A Specimen (1)
Lady Janet (Marksman [6]) wants to "collect" a Ganymedan lion. The lion isn't defending itself, so she must fire the shot against a basic difficulty of 6. The lion is immobile (+1) and large (+1), so her skill would normally be modified to 8; unfortunately it's a long way off (-1), and has skin coloration that makes it harder to see (-1), so the skill stays as Marksman [6]. On an 8 the shot misses; the lion is startled and runs away.
  In the second round the lion is moving (-1), but Lady Janet didn't move (+1). The lion is still big (+1) and isn't trying to dodge or hide, and is no longer camouflaged, but it's still a long way off (-1), so Lady Janet uses an effective Marksman [5] for her next shot. On a 4 it's an easy hit.

Example: Take That You Cad! (1)
Bobby and George have decided to settle their differences in a boxing match. Both have BODY [4] and the Brawling [5] skill.
  In the first combat round Bobby dodges and weaves (-1) then tries to punch the immobile (+1) George; George stays still (+1) and tries to hit the dodging (-2) Bobby when he gets close.
  In this round Bobby has an effective skill of Brawling [5], George an effective skill of Brawling [4]. On a 3 Bobby easily breaks past George's guard, but on a 2 George also hits Bobby.

Some attacks can be used via two or more skills; for example, a longbow might be used via the Marksman or Martial Arts skill, a club via the Brawling or Melee Weapons skill. Use whichever skill is best. If all else fails weapons may be used via characteristic rolls; these are usually poorer than skills.

Defences may also be based on skills or characteristics; for example, someone might try to avoid an arrow by ducking (BODY versus the attacking skill), by hiding (Stealth skill), or by use of the Martial Arts skill to catch it! If no better skill is available, the basic defending value is 6.

If the result of any attack is a success, some damage occurs. Roll for damage as described below.

Damage

Roll Needed Column A if result Column B if result Column C if result 2 3-12 2 - 3 4-12 2-3 - 4 5-12 3-4 2 5 6-12 3-5 2 6 7-12 4-6 2-3 7 8-12 4-7 2-3 8 9-12 5-8 2-4 9 10-12 5-9 2-4 10 11-12 6-10 2-5 11 12 6-11 2-5

Roll to cause damage, using the Effect of the attack (see below) against the victim's BODY.

All attacks have an Effect number. For hand-to-hand weapons, martial arts, and other unarmed combat skills it is either the skill level or the user's BODY plus a bonus; for example, a club gains most of its power from the user's strength, and has an Effect equal to the user's BODY +1. A fencing foil, like all swords and daggers, has an Effect equal to Melee Weapon skill. For firearms the Effect number is usually intrinsic to the weapon, and thus independent of the user's skill or BODY.

Damage is determined by using the Effect number to attack the target's BODY. The result of this roll will sometimes be a failure; this is interpreted as minimal damage for the weapon, from column A of the weapons table. While this is always preferable (for the victim!), many weapons have a flesh wound or worse as their minimal damage.

If the result is a success, but more than half of the result needed for a success, check column B of the weapon table.

If the result is a success, and the dice roll is less than or equal to half the result needed for a success (round DOWN), check column C of the weapon table. If in doubt, use the table to the right to calculate which damage column is used.

Example: Collecting A Specimen (2)
Lady Janet's hunting rifle is recorded as follows:

Weapon	Multiple	Effect	Damage
	Targets		A	B	C
Big Rifle	No	8	F	I	C/K

This means that it does the following damage:
  A: Flesh wound
  B: Injury
  C: Roll the Effect against BODY again; if the result is a failure the injury is critical, otherwise it's a kill.
Effect [8] attacking BODY [8] succeeds on a 7 or less.
  If the result is an 8 or more the lion suffers a flesh wound.
  If the result is 5-7 the lion is injured.
  If the result is 2-4 the lion is critically injured or killed.
On 4, then 6, the lion is killed.

Example: Take That You Cad! (2)
Both combatants are using fists, which are rated as follows:

Weapon	Multiple	Effect	Damage
	Targets		A	B	C
Fists	No	BODY	B	B	KO

There is no reason to modify these results, so both must use BODY [4] against BODY [4].
On a 9, George just grazes Bobby. On a 2, Bobby catches George with a perfect right hook and knocks him out.

Machine guns use a special rule for Effect. If they are used on more than one target, the Effect is reduced by 2. The attacker must roll separately to hit each target, and to damage the victim if the attack is successful. It's easy to abuse machine guns; players often say that they are trying to shoot at victims in two or three different areas, which should not be allowed. Shooting at several targets in one direction (such as a group of men running along a corridor) is acceptable, but the targets in front will conceal those behind, or at least reduce the Effect. They are powerful weapons, but not all-powerful.

Example: Budda Budda Budda.... oops
Arnie, with Marksman [6] and a submachine gun, stumbles into a German trench during the First World War. Despite Arnie's cry of "Eat hot lead, you scummy krauts!", the referee accepts that they are surprised; Arnie will get one free attack before they can shoot back. There are five Germans, and he tries to shoot them all. His Marksman skill is raised to 7, because he is using a machine gun, but reduced to 5 because he is shooting at multiple targets, and the Effect is reduced from 9 to 7. Arnie succeeds in hitting and injuring three of the Germans, but there are no critical injuries or kills. All five will be able to shoot back in the next round!

Pulling Punches & Aiming To Wound

• Attacking for limited damage; damage effects are limited to column A and B only, column C damage is taken as column B. Skill -1.
• Attacking for minimal damage; damage effect is limited to column A only, column B and C damage are taken as column A. Skill -2.

It isn't possible to limit damage with shotguns, machine guns, or area effect weapons such as explosives or flame throwers, or with ANY attack on multiple targets.

OPTIONAL RULE: Hit Locations

Location Skill modification Effect Random hit Head -2 +2 2 Arms -1 -1 3 Right, 4 Left Torso None 0 5-9 Legs -1 -1 10-12

Players may sometimes wish to aim at a specific part of the body. To do so, modify the attacking skill and the damage Effect as on the table to the right. This makes it harder to hit if you are aiming at someone's limbs or head, but increases the likelihood of serious damage from a head injury.

If it is used, someone who rolls to hit a target without trying to hit a specific area should roll 2D6 for a random hit location as indicated above, and modify the Effect accordingly.

Armour	Effect	Notes
Bulletproof vest	-4	projectile and blade attacks
Kevlar Body Armour	-6	projectile and blade attacks
Bullet Proof Glass	-4	projectile attacks
Medieval Plate Mail	-4	melee weapon attacks
Medieval Chain Mail	-2	melee weapon attacks
Motorbike Leathers	-2	impact weapons (eg clubs)
WW1 Steel Helmet	-3	attacks to head ONLY
Crash Helmet	-2	impact damage to head ONLY

Armour isn't often worn in the stories on which this game is based, but may occasionally become important. It can reduce the Effect of weapons, but doesn't modify the roll to hit; in fact, someone wearing heavy armour should theoretically be slower and easier to hit.

The list to the right includes some modern armour as well as equipment that might be available in the late 19th century. The level of protection depends on the type of armour. Naturally only the area covered by the armour is protected; for example, motorbike leathers cover the torso, arms, and legs, but don't protect the head. A full-face crash helmet protects the head only. Similarly, body armour doesn't protect limbs or the head.

It's possible to imagine heavier armour, possibly as part of a powered suit, but generally speaking if it gives much more protection than this it should be treated as a building or a vehicle, not as personal armour. A good example of heavier armour is the steel plate legend ascribes to the outlaw Ned Kelly, which could allegedly resist rifle fire, but must have restricted visibility and mobility and restricted skills. The photograph of Ned Kelly's real armour, to the left, makes the legend seem somewhat suspect; a more realistic assessment would give it a -2 or -3 Effect modifier.

Remember also that armour is usually heavy and conspicuous, especially in a modern city. It will soon attract attention, both from the public and from the authorities.

Example: Tom Sloth And His Pneumatic Coveralls (2)
Tom Sloth's mechanical exoskeleton lets him lift things as though his BODY (normally 5) is 30. He decides to add some armour and use it to fight crime. The referee decides that plate mail will have a point of BODY for each point of Effect it stops, double that if it is going to be effective against bullets as well as simple impact forces. Tom wants to stop all bullets; the referee decides that this must mean it must reduce Effect by at least 10. The rebuilt suit will have 20 BODY in armour plate, reducing Tom's effective BODY (for lifting things etc.) to 10.
  It's good armour and performs as specified. However, it hampers Tom considerably - he won't be very good at wrestling, dodging, etc., and has his vision severely restricted by its bullet-proof glass eye-slits. And he can forget any idea of using Stealth or disguises, swimming, or walking on any surface that won't support several hundred pounds of weight...

Weapons

Abbreviations F Flesh Wound I Injury C Critical KO Knockout K Kill M.Arts   Martial Arts

Use the tables below to determine the capabilities and effects of combat skills and weapons. Where damage results are shown (eg C/K), roll the effect against BODY again; if this roll fails the first result is used, otherwise the second result is used.

Some of the weapons shown have very high effect numbers, which go well off the "attack versus defence" table. This usually indicates an attack which will do maximum damage unless a 12 is rolled, or the effect number is somehow reduced; for example by distance (e.g. explosives), by the damage being spread to cover several targets (mini gun), or by armour.

Note that most unarmed attacks and some weapon attacks don't show death as a possible outcome; it simply isn't very likely in the course of a fast-moving fight. Referees should feel free to ignore the suggested result in unusual conditions; for example, if someone is attacked by a mob, while unable to resist, or is completely outmatched by his attacker.

Melee Weapons Effect is based on BODY or skill.
Weapon	Multiple Targets	Effect	Damage			Notes
			A	B	C
Fist	No [1]	BODY [2]	B	B	KO	See above
Kick	No [1]	BODY [2]	B	B	F	See above
Wrestling	No	BODY [2]	B	KO	KO / I	See above
Animal Bite	No	BODY+2	F	I	C	See above
Animal Claw	No	BODY+1	F	I	C	See above
Animal Horns	No	BODY+2	F	I	C/K	See above
[1]	Using the Martial Arts skill it is possible to perform one fist and one kick attack in a single round against one target, or against two targets that are close together. Against two targets the attacks are at -2 Effect.
[2]	Users of the Martial Arts skill can use BODY or Martial Arts for Effect in these attacks, whichever is better.
Club	Max 2 [3]	BODY+1	F	F	KO/K	Eg. Cricket Bat
Spear	No	Melee	F	I	C/K	e.g. bayonet on rifle.
Axe	No	BODY+2	F	I	C/K
Sword	Max 2 [3]	Melee+1	F	I	C/K
Dagger	No	Melee+1	F	I	I/K	Eg. flick knife
Whip	No	Melee/2	B	B	F
Chair	No	Brawling	B	F	I/KO
Broken bottle	No	Brawling+1	F	F	I
Nunchuks	Max 2 [3]	M. Arts	B	F	KO/K	Martial arts skill ONLY
Staff	Max 3 [3]	Melee+2	F	I	KO/C
[3]	Targets must be within 5ft. Multiple attacks are at -2 Effect. Multiple attacks are available with the Martial Artist skill ONLY.
Range	For all melee weapons, targets are TOO CLOSE if they block effective use of the weapon; within a couple of feet for swords and axes, within 6 ft for whips (a lousy weapon, despite Indiana Jones), and so forth. If unsure, give players the benefit of the doubt.
Projectile Weapons Effect is usually based on skill (for thrown weapons), on BODY (for longbows and thrown axes), or on the weapon rather than the user for firearms etc.
Weapon	Multiple Targets	Effect	Damage			Notes
			A	B	C
Spear	No	Melee	F	I	C/K	Thrown
Axe	No	BODY+1	F	I	C/K	Thrown
Dagger	No	BODY+1	F	I	C/K	Thrown
Shuriken	Max 3	M.Arts ONLY	B	F	F	Thrown
Boomerang	No	Marksman	B	F	KO/I	Thrown
Cricket Ball	No	Marksman	B	F	KO/I	Thrown
Longbow	No [4]	BODY+1	F	I	C/K	Hunting bow
Crossbow	No	7	F	I	C/K	Military bow
[4]	Maximum 2 targets if attacking with Martial Arts skill.
Small handgun	Max 2 [5]	6	F	I	C/K	e.g. .22 revolver
Big handgun	Max 2 [5]	6	I	I	C/K	e.g. .38 revolver
Huge handgun	Max 2 [5]	8	I	I	C/K	e.g. .45 revolver
Small rifle	No	5	F	I	C/K	e.g. .22 rifle
Big rifle	No	7	F	I	C/K	e.g. Winchester
Huge rifle	No	9	I	C	K	e.g. Elephant gun.
Small Shotgun	Max 2 [5]	4	F	I	I	One barrel
Small Shotgun	No [5]	8* / 4 * short range ONLY	I	I	C	Both barrels
Large Shotgun	Max 2 [5]	7	F	I	C/K	One barrel
Large Shotgun	No [5]	14* / 7 * Short range ONLY	I	C	K	Both barrels
Machine pistol	Yes [6]	7	F	I	C/K	e.g. Schmeisser
Submachine gun	Yes [6]	9	F	I	C/K	e.g. Tommy Gun
Machine gun	Yes [6]	11	F	I	C/K	e.g. Gatling / Maxim Gun
Harpoon	No	15	I	C	C/K	Non-explosive whaling
Harpoon	No	25	C	C	K	Explosive whaling
[5]	Hand guns can be used to fire at two targets, or twice at one target. If firing at two separate targets each attack is at -2 to hit. If firing two shots at one target there is no modifier. Each attack is resolved separately. Shotguns can fire twice at one target (no modifier to hit, small effect), fire at two different targets (modifier -2 to hit, small effect), or fire both barrels at once (+1 modifier to hit, big effect at SHORT range ONLY). In all but the last case the two shots are resolved separately. The doubled Effect of firing two barrels simultaneously is felt at short range ONLY!
[6]	Reduce Effect by 2 if fired at additional targets
Ammunition	Players will undoubtedly have their own ideas about the number of rounds in their weapons, and usually keep track without prompting. If you don't want to bother with bookkeeping it's perfectly acceptable to ignore the matter. As a rule of thumb six shots for all rifles and handguns, and three bursts or twenty single shots for machine guns, should satisfy most players. Gatling guns (including chain guns, rotary cannon, and mini-guns) cannot fire single shots, but the referee may wish to allow many more bursts to be fired.
Range	Normal range for all hand-thrown weapons, handguns, machine pistols, and submachine guns is 10-20 ft; normal range for bows, rifles, machine guns, and mini guns is 50-100 ft. Anything closer is at short range, anything further away at long range. Targets are too close if they are closer than the end of the weapon!
Area Effect Weapons All explosives damage everything at full effect inside the radius shown, at effect -1D6 to double that radius, at effect -2D6 to three times the radius, and so forth. The effect of these weapons is not reduced if there are multiple targets.
Weapon	Damage Radius	Effect	Damage			Notes
			A	B	C
Stun Grenade	6 ft	8	B	KO	I+KO
Hand Grenade	10ft	10	F	I	C/K
Dynamite	10ft	10	F	I	C/K	+2 Effect per additional stick.
Mortar Shell	10ft	12	I	C	K
Howitzer Shell	10ft	15	I	C	K
Anti-tank mine	10ft	20	I	C	K
Car Bomb	20ft	15	I	C	K
Truck Bomb	20ft	20	I	C	K
Flame Thrower	10ft	10	I	C	K	No damage outside 20ft radius.
Exotic Weapons Things that might conceivably come into play in a campaign, in no specific order.
Weapon	Multiple Targets	Effect	Damage			Notes
			A	B	C
Radium gun	No	8	F	I	C/K	Burrough's Mars
Disintegrator	Yes [6]	15	I	C	K	Most SF
Mini gun	Yes [6]	8	I	C	K	Terminator II
Weapon	Damage Radius	Effect	Damage			Notes
			A	B	C
Stun Gun	3ft	8	B	KO	KO	Most SF
Heat Ray	75ft	30	C	K	K	War of the Worlds
Black Smoke	500yd	10	C	K	K	War of the Worlds
Hydrogen Bomb	1 mile	40	C	K	K	Not recommended!

Weapon Multiple Targets Effect Damage Notes A B C Small shotgun  No 6 F I C/K single shot Huge revolver Max. 2 8 I I C/K 9 shots

The .40 Le Mat is a 9-shot .40 revolver and single-shot shotgun, manufactured in France and the USA from the 1860s onwards in percussion cap and, later, cartridge models. There are two barrels; the revolver cylinder revolves around the lower shotgun barrel. It can fire two shots per round as a revolver, or one as a shotgun, but can't fire both in the same round. The long-barrelled model (more than 2ft long) is in most respects no better than any other big revolver, and harder to aim at nearby targets, -1 to Marksman skill at short range. However, it is very accurate at long range, +1 to skill, and looks very intimidating.

Weapon Multiple Targets Effect Damage Notes A B C Huge rifle  No 8 I C K -2 Effect at long range

The Mauser Balkan is a modified two-barrelled big game rifle designed expressly for use against vampires. The elongated chambers accommodate a special round, an enlarged cartridge propelling a silver-tipped teak stake with a Minie-ball style lead base. Although it is a two-barrelled gun only one shot can be fired per round; the recoil makes a second shot virtually impossible, and is so severe that BODY 4 is needed to handle it. Marksmen with BODY 3 or less must use their BODY to overcome the Effect of the gun to be able to fire again in the next round. Reloading takes another round, in which no other actions are possible. The rifled barrel gives good accuracy and knock-down power; by comparison the similar-looking smoothbore Continental 'Transylvania' (Effect [9], damage results the same) quickly loses its punch, -2 Effect at Medium range, -3 at Long range.

Non-Combat Injuries

Cause of Damage Effect Damage Notes A B C Falls 1+1/storey B I C/K Car crash (inside car)  1+1/10MPH F I C/K Run over 2+2/10MPH F I C/K "Micky Finn" 8 KO KO C/K knock-out drops. A small amount of strychnine 6 I C K A lot of cyanide 10 C K K A tiny amount of arsenic 3 - I C/K See below A lot of arsenic 6 I C K See below It is possible to build up an immunity to some forms of arsenic with repeated small doses, reducing the Effect of large doses. It is also possible to kill yourself trying this stunt. Cobra venom 8 I C K Bite must hit first. Chloroform or ether 6+1/round KO KO C/K Martian Gas 5+1/round F C K See FF II Chlorine (WW1 poison gas) 7+1/minute I C K Coal gas filled room 3+1/round F C K Not natural gas. Electric Cattle fence 4 - B F 110 V 6 F I C/K US mains 220-240 V 8 F I C/K European mains Electric fence (5000 Volts) 15 C K K Drowning / suffocation 1+1/30 sec I I C/K See main text Exposure to Vacuum 6+1/5 sec F I C/K See main text Match 1+1/round F F F Candle flame 2+1/round F F F Bonfire 4+2/round F I I Petrol bomb 7+3/round I C C/K Blast furnace 10+10/round C K K Volcano 20+10/round  C K K

Combat is the main cause of wounds in most RPGs, but characters occasionally run into other problems that can cause damage. For instance:

• Falling: The damage hits automatically; the Effect number is 1 plus 1 per storey fallen, to a maximum of 20. For example, someone tripping and falling to the ground risks damage with Effect 2; someone falling 20,000ft takes damage with Effect 20. Note that falls of less than 10ft are a common cause of accidental death in the home. In campaigns with space travel the lesser or greater gravity of different planets may modify the Effect of falls; see the FF II worldbook for details.
• Car Crash: Effect 1 plus 1 per 10 MPH. Halve the Effect if wearing a seat belt or protected by an air bag.
• Run Over: Effect 2 plus 2 per 10 MPH, to a maximum of 10.
• Poison: Effects vary with type of poison as below. Most poison gases have an increasing effect with time as shown below.
• Electrocution: The effect varies with voltage as below.
• Drowning, suffocation, etc: Characters can hold their breath without harm for BODY x 20 seconds; after that take damage with Effect 1, +1 per 20 seconds submerged. If the character survives, any damage (other than death) is cleared in a few hours, not the days required for other forms of damage.
    Exposure to vacuum is faster and much more deadly. Brief exposure may result in skin lesions (F result), more than a few seconds in space will result in ruptures and decompression injuries (I result) or serious damage to the lungs etc. (C/K) Damage heals normally, not at the accelerated rate for drowning and suffocation.
• Fire: Effect varies with severity of fire, starting at 1 (a match) and working up to 7 (a petrol bomb or flamethrower) and onwards. The effect increases for each round of exposure after the first.
• Execution: Numbers aren't provided for execution methods such as the electric chair; it's assumed that they will always succeed unless someone sabotages them or the victim somehow escapes before the execution begins.