other credits:

In addition, EABA owes a debt to the role-playing games

that have gone before. These may have themselves had
inspiration from other role-playing games, but I am just
crediting the ones that inspired me.

Dungeons & Dragons®(1974), by Dave Arneson and Gary

v2.00 ©2001, ©2012 greg porter Gygax, for starting the idea of formal role-playing systems,
as well as for some of the most fundamental game mechan-
rules: greg porter ics like attributes, skill rolls, and so on. Every role-playing
graphics: greg porter game owes something to Dungeons & Dragons.

art: dan smith, eric gideon, paul bourne Champions®(1981), by George MacDonald and Steve
Peterson, for internally consistent and intuitive game
gm quotes: dave arneson, luke crane, gary
mechanics, point-based adventurer creation and attribute-
gygax, steve jackson, robin laws,
based defaults. From beginning as a superhero game it has
steve long, george macdonald, sandy
morphed into the Hero System®(1984), a quite good
petersen, steve peterson, greg
universal system.
stolze, jonathan tweet
Call of Cthulhu®(1981), by Sandy Petersen, for making a
playtesters: daniel ansellv2, thomas bagwellv1,v2,
story-driven horror system that has taken on a life of its
russ bullmanv2, marc carlsonv1, travis
own. The depth and detail of the support material is a
caseyv1, george chisumv1, damien
benchmark that all role-playing games should strive for.
dyonv1, larry friesv1, grzegorz gacekv2,
viktor haagv1, ian haracv1, stephanie Fringeworthy™(1982), by Richard Tucholka, for being one
hostmanv1, william hostmanv1,v2, of many Tri-Tac games that stepped outside the traditional
leszek karlikv1, santtu luopajärviv2, genres and showed that there was room out there for solo
robert menardv1, john mcmullenv1, designers and niche rpgs.
alan nelsonv2, peter newmanv1,
charles reynoldsv1, bob ritcheyv1, GURPS®(1986), by Steve Jackson, for being the first
tim russellv2, sean simpsonv1, david “universal system” that didn’t have a particular genre
stampv2, franck ybertv2 welded to it, and for making a strong effort to have rules
that matched reality where reality was needed. GURPS has
useful more licensed fictional gameworlds than any other role-
comments: phil mcgregor
playing game, and that it works fairly well for all of them is a
special editing testament to the utility of its game mechanics.
assistancev1: neil asato
Over the Edge™(1992), by Jonathan Tweet and Robin D.
honorable Laws, for blurring the categories of adventurer abilities and
annoyance: russ bullman encouraging a free-form play style less dependent on having
a rulebook sitting in front of you.
loyal minion: john kolb

dedication: to cathy, always Underground™(1993), by Ray Winninger, for elegant

mechanics, over-the-top setting and eye-popping graphics.
EABA™ and EABAv2 are a trademarks of
blacksburg tactical research center. all rights TimeLords™(1987), 3G3™(1988) and CORPS™(1990), by
reserved. protected by the universal copyright Greg Porter. These are my own designs, and concepts I
convention. do not make us start using capital originated for these games and those inspired from the
letters on you... above systems are part of EABA.

0.1
 -- CONTENTS --
INTRO 1 MINUTIA 7
Game concepts . . . . . . . . . . .1.2 Starting goods . . . . . . . . . .3.44 Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.24 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.2
What is an RPG? . . . . . . . . .1.3 lifestyle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.45 what is damage? . . . . . . .5.24 Tech eras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.2
Rule guidelines . . . . . . . . . . .1.4 savings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.45 crippling damage . . . . . . .5.25 Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.11
investments . . . . . . . . . . . .3.46 continuous damage . . . .5.25 armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.12
THE SYSTEM 2 outfitting list . . . . . . . . . . . .3.48 bleeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.27 mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.16
Best three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.2 Finishing up . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.49 armor interactions . . . . .5.27 weapons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.22
Dice & levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.3 Durnok the Lame . . . . . .3.51 explosions . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.29 integrated gadgets . . . . .7.23
Difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.3 Pre-gen adventurers . .3.55 breaking things . . . . . . . .5.29 vehicle cost . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.25
EABA Universal Scale . . .2.4 ammunition types . . . . . .5.30 vehicle combat . . . . . . . . .7.27
The Chart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2.7 BASIC COMBAT 4 Adv. combat example .5.32 hit locations . . . . . . . .7.28
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.2
special situations . . . .7.30
ADVENTURERS 3 Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.2 POWERS 6 vehicle repair . . . . . . . . . . .7.33
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.2 time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.2 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.2
Cost of living . . . . . . . . . . . .7.35
What is an adventurer? 3.3 maps/distance . . . . . . . . . . .4.2 What is a power? . . . . . . . .6.2
Impressions . . . . . . . . . . . .7.36
Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.4 How combat works . . . . .4.3 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.4
Hiding things . . . . . . . . . . .7.39
starting levels . . . . . . . . . . .3.4 What you do . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.4 Power design . . . . . . . . . . . .6.6
Mass combat . . . . . . . . . . . .7.40
Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.5 initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5 Gameworld base . . . . . . . . .6.7
Drugs & diseases . . . . . .7.43
Strength . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.7 action & reaction . . . . . . . .4.7 Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.7
The great outdoors . . . .7.45
Agility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 the turn scale . . . . . . . . . . . .4.7 mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.7
scrounging . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.45
Awareness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 closing the encounter . . .4.8 information . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.9
stamina . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.46
Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9 Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.9 offense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.10
supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.48
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9 ranged combat . . . . . . . . . .4.9 defense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.12
Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.50
Fate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.10 combat example . . . . .4.11 control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.14
melee combat . . . . . . . . . .4.12 alter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.17
derived stats . . . . . . . . . . .3.11 GAMEMASTERING 8
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.12 unarmed combat . . . .4.13 Frameworks . . . . . . . . . . . .6.22 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.2
skill rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.13 blocking & parrying . .4.13 suites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.22 Things you should do . . .8.2
free skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.13 combat example . . . . .4.15 Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.23 What is gm’ing? . . . . . . . . .8.3
specializations . . . . . . . . . .3.14 Damage & armor . . . . . . .4.16 Duration of . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.25 The 36 plots . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.5
enhanced skills . . . . . . . . .3.14 hit location . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.16 power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.25 Gamemastering tricks . .8.6
enabling skills . . . . . . . . . .3.14 armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.16 effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.27 Gamemastering faults . .8.9
skill packages . . . . . . . . . .3.15 damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.18 Defense against . . . . . . . .6.29 Player types . . . . . . . . . . . . .8.11
Skill listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.16 applying damage . . . .4.18 Contingencies . . . . . . . . . . .6.31 Genre-based reality . . . .8.13
Agility skills: Combat . .3.16 damage example . . . .4.19 visibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.32 Experience points . . . . . .8.13
Agility skills: Transport .3.17 Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.20 circumstance . . . . . . . . . . .6.33 What is this game? . . . .8.17
Agility skills: Other . . . . .3.18 enhancements . . . . . . . . .6.37
Aware skills: Academic 3.18 ADV. COMBAT 5 linkages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.38 GEAR 9
Aware skills: Magic . . . . .3.20 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.2 usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.40 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.2
Aware skills: Other . . . . .3.21 Initiative . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.2 Flexibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.44 How gear works . . . . . . . . .9.3
Will skills: Other . . . . . . .3.23 stamina use . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.2 degree of flexibility . . . . .6.45 Gear tidbits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.8
Health skills: Other . . . .3.24 complex situations . . . . . .5.3 ease of flexibility . . . . . . .6.46 horses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.8
special skills . . . . . . . . . . . .3.24 multiple combats . . . . . . . .5.4 targeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.47 armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.8
Traits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.26 tweaked turn scale . . . . . .5.4 Frequency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.50 breaking stuff . . . . . . . . . . . .9.9
Advantages . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.26 Spotting things . . . . . . . . . .5.5 drain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.50 camping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.9
Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.28 Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.6 stored power . . . . . . .6.52 accessibility . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.10
Background . . . . . . . . . . . .3.28 maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.7 energy replacement . .6.55 daily routines . . . . . . . . . . .9.10
Boon/Bane . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.29 Skill use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.7 Gadgets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.58 wear & tear . . . . . . . . . . . .9.10
Enemies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.30 outmatching . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.7 mundane cost . . . . . . . . . .6.60 Gear listing . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.11
Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.31 General combat . . . . . . . . . .5.9 Sample power list . . . . . .6.62 ranged weapons . . . . . . .9.11
Favors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.31 weapon arcs . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.9 Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.62 melee/other weapons . .9.12
Forte/Weakness . . . . . . . .3.32 mass fire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.9 Armor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.63 personal armor . . . . . . . . .9.13
Friends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.33 Ranged combat . . . . . . . . .5.10 Energy blast . . . . . . . . . . . .6.64 general gear . . . . . . . . . . . .9.15
Increased/decr. hits . . . .3.33 autofire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.10 Flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.64 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.18
Larger than life . . . . . . . . .3.34 shotguns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.11 Growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.65 EABA OSL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.19
Looks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.34 continuous beams . . . . .5.12 Healing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.65 Adventurer sheets . . . . .9.21
Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.35 covering fire . . . . . . . . . . . .5.13 Intangibility . . . . . . . . . . . .6.66 Reference sheets . . . . . . .9.26
Mythic archetype . . . . . . .3.35 advanced aiming . . . . . . .5.14 Invisibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.66
Neat trick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.38 throwing things . . . . . . . .5.16 Mimic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.67
Organization . . . . . . . . . . . .3.39 Melee combat . . . . . . . . . . .5.17 Mind control . . . . . . . . . . . .6.67
custom combat forms .5.17 Remote viewing . . . . . . . .6.68
If you are new to role-
Permits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.40
cutting vs. thrusting . . .5.21 Telekinesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.68
playing, read these first
Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.40
Secret . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.41 feints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.21 Telepathy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6.69 If you are an experienced
Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.41 all or nothing . . . . . . . . . . .5.22 Teleportation . . . . . . . . . . .6.69 role-player, read these first
Unusual background . . .3.43 shields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.22 Putting it all together .6.70 If you love details, you will
Wealth/poverty . . . . . . . . .3.44 bashing & falling . . . . . . .5.22 Power modifier tables .6.72 love these
0.2
1.1
Introduction
 Game Concepts
EABA is a role-playing system for the new
The rules for EABA were designed around a
millennium. Maybe not for the next thousand handful of simple concepts:

years, but for enough of it for your purposes. I've 3Dice rolling is fun. Tossing a handful of dice
and not knowing what's going to come up can
tried to put everything I have learned about be exciting. Ask any casino. You can have too
much of a good thing, though. EABA gives you
game design and everything I've loved about
a couple of reasonable levels of dice rolling, for
game play into EABA, from the way it looks on whatever floats your boat.

the page to the sweaty feel of dice in your hands 3It's cool to be heroic. The damage system in
EABA makes it harder and harder to take a
when you know it all hinges on one die roll...
person out as they are injured. You can get
yours. EABA gives you the ability to be heroic horribly beat up and still stay on your feet.
Adding trauma to an already battered body
and get away with it, tempered by the realization has less and less effect.

that it's still realistic enough to get you hurt if you 3Variety gives character. EABA adventurers do
not all look alike in terms of abilities and skills.
are stupid or careless.
There is sufficient depth to the system to
generate a world of unique adventurers.

3No risk, no reward. EABA is heroic, but you

can still blow a roll and get killed, or go into
shock and die before help arrives to patch
INTRODUCTION you up. If there was no genuine risk of an
EABA (pronounced ee-buh) is simple adventurer getting taken out of the adventure,
and to the point. Once you read the the adventure would not be half the fun.
rules, they should come naturally to
you, and most of the info you will need will 3Story, rules. The EABA rules should be the last
end up on your adventurer sheet. thing on your mind when you play. So, they
are easy to learn and remember. What you
You can use EABA like you would any generic need should be on your adventurer sheet.
system, or you can modify it to fit any genre
you want. It will play modern espionage as Presentation
well as high fantasy or superheroes. Larger EABA is not designed to wow you with its
than life characters can play in the same world looks. It is not pretentious, it is not flashy. It is
as those only slightly better than the average designed to be clear, open, easy on your eyes
person, and both can have a good time. and if you print it, easy on ink. It is designed
in every respect to be usable as a printed
There are two special things about this pdf. game or a pdf on a tablet. If it looks a little bit
If you have an advanced pdf reader, tapping the like a textbook, it is supposed to. You read it,
logo at the top left brings up a nav menu to take you learn it, you put it down and only come
you to different rule sections. Second, tapping the back to it when you need it. If you need a
die in the upper right brings up an on-screen die fancy presentation to make your gaming
roller that handles EABA dice conventions. For an experience complete, you will have to look
iPad we highly recommend PDF Expert as the elsewhere.
reader of choice, and qPDF for Android devices.

1.2
 You are pretending to be someone else, in
What you need a different time and a different place. You
To get started with EABA you need a handful temporarily leave the mundane world behind
of things: and become someone larger than yourself, in
stature and power if not in imagination. In this
• dice. The EABA system runs exclusively on six- alternate world you adventure and do things
sided dice, usually called ‘d’. If the rules say to ‘roll impossible or impractical in the real world, and
2d’, you roll two six-sided dice and add the results you have the luxury of risking death in the
together. If the dice type has a number after it, add name of heroism...because in the end it is just
that amount to the total. If the rules say to ‘roll a game and no one really gets hurt.
2d+1’, you roll two six-sided dice, add the results
together and then add 1. You will seldom need Two, it’s a story. There is no way to tell if
more than six dice. storytelling is older than game-playing, but
• pencil. To mark up any printed adventurer sheet both are ancient. Stories in understandable
with. An eraser would be nice, too. written form go back almost as far as writing
• printer. For printing the adventurer sheet and itself. The Epic of Gilgamesh contains all the
any other bits you want to hand out. Please do elements of a great story and dates back
not pirate this game. It is cheap enough that your almost five thousand years. The Lascaux
friends can afford their own copy. It is the best cave paintings might well have been a story
damn rpg you are going to find, so encourage us or an aid to storytelling, and date back over
to keep it available... seventeen thousand years!
• priorities. Chapters 2,3,4 and 8 are the meat of
the rules. The rest? Think of EABA as just a 100 Something in us is inherently enthralled by
page game with 200 pages of supplements thrown stories, because there is always something
in. And remember: your mind is your ‘game legs’, that appeals to our desires which someone
the rules are a crutch. You do not need the crutch if else can give a new perspective on. Different
your legs can do the job on their own. cultures have different outlooks, but everyone
is captivated by a good story, a captivation
What is a RPG? that lasts into adulthood, as evidenced by the
A role-playing game is two things: continued popularity of movies, plays, and
novels. Even card games and video games
One, it's a game. A less athletic version of are adding sophisticated storylines to set
the games you played as a child, but a game themselves apart from the rest.
nonetheless. Today, it might be valiant rebels
fighting an evil interstellar empire. In other A role-playing game is not just a game, or the
generations it could have been caped crusaders telling of a story, but both. One person is the
vs. masked villains, axis vs. allies, cowboys vs. creator of the story and arbiter of its changes,
indians, probably going all the way back to who is usually called the gamemaster.
homo sapiens vs. neanderthalis (“It’s my turn,
you got to invent the wheel last time!”). Everyone else is the players, those who take
on the roles of the heroes in the story. We will
A role-playing game just formalizes the rules call those heroes ‘adventurers’, but they can
of that play. Instead of “bang! you’re dead!” be called characters, actors, avatars or other
we have rules for rolling dice. Instead of terms in other games. The gamemaster may
physically wrestling your friends to the ground create a plot as fine or coarse as they can
we have numbers on a page that say who is manage, but the gamemaster does not dictate
stronger or faster. But the idea is the same. how the story unfolds. Instead, they guide it,
It is entertainment, with added aspects of herd it, shape it.
competition, cooperation and creativity.
1.3
 Rule guidelines
As do the adventurers. As the gamemaster EABA is organized in a particular way, as are
describes the setting and what is happening, all its supplements.
the players describe what their adventurers
do in response. This could be anything that Examples of how to use an EABA rule will look
would happen in a story, novel, movie or like this.
other narrative. It could be basic, but require
a particular adventurer’s talents, like the Advanced Rule
investigation of a crime scene or searching Rules that are optional, but which add some
dusty libraries for clues to ancient treasure. It detail or depth to the subject being discussed will
might also involve talents like picking locks or look like this. Use them if you want. Or not.
sneaking past sentries, and of course it can
involve physical combat, like a dogfight, or a A special note about a rule or game topic
martial arts challenge, or mental challenges will look like this. These are often things that
like tricky negotiations or dealing with a foe’s have potential to unbalance a game or which
behind-the-scenes plots and machinations. are generally important that you know about.

No lone adventurer is likely to have all the This is generally reserved for advanced rules or
talents needed to overcome the obstacles the notes particular to a specific gameworld, so you
gamemaster presents. Different adventurers will not see any of them in the core EABA rules.
have different strengths, and together they
can overcome obstacles that no one of them If you are reading this on-screen and you see
could overcome alone. An adventuring group some isolated text in red, it is almost certainly
has to pool their talents to have a chance a hyperlink to another part of the rules (this
of succeeding, each adventurer using their one goes back to the table of contents).
strengths as best they are able, and counting
on the other adventurers to do the same. The The EABA rules use the metric system, but for
plot of an adventure is like the plot of a movie temperatures and speeds, English units will
or novel, but there is no guarantee that all the often be provided as well.
adventurers will make it to the end of the plot,
nor any certainty that the good guys will win in The only dice used in EABA are six-sided dice.
the end. For consistency, even die rolls will usually be
referred to like 2d+0. Unless otherwise stated,
And that is the challenge. all bonuses or penalties to dice convert to no
more than a +2 on a roll, with a +3 becoming
The story never ends. When an adventure is an extra die, and dice rolls will always be a
completed and a plot resolves, everyone picks number of dice and +0, +1 or +2.
up the pieces and moves on. The villain may
have been defeated, but escaped in the end to A roll of 2d+2 with a +3 for some circumstance
plot new mischief. One evil ruler may be would usually be rolled as 3d+2.
deposed, but somewhere else a new one
arises. That plot may be over and done, but In addition, for most rolls on an attribute or
the adventure is not. And as long as people skill, you can count one full die (before rolling)
enjoy telling stories and playing games, it as a ‘+2’ instead of any existing extra amount.
never will be. See also ‘taking 2’s’.
- Greg Porter
A roll of 4d+0 or 4d+1 could be rolled as 3d+2 if
desired.

1.4
2.1
The System
 Best Three
Any adventurer can attempt to do anything.
That’s all you really need to remember when
Their chance of succeeding is another matter. making an attribute or skill roll. Your total is
the sum of the best three die results, plus any
EABA tries to break things down the way you fractional bonuses. If you are rolling three or
less dice, you simply use all of them. You may
would: Things you are sure you can do, things you always sacrifice one die from a die roll (before
rolling) to count as a +2 on the rest of the roll.
are not sure about, and things that you know are

impossible. You are sure you can walk and chew If an adventurer has a Awareness roll of 2d+1
and is trying to spot something, they just roll 2d
gum at the same time. You are equally sure that and add +1. If the dice came up ‘4’, ‘6’, the
total would be 11 (remember the +1). For a
you cannot leap over tall buildings in a single
Firearms roll of 5d+0, you roll 5d and keep only
bound. Neither of these is very important to an the best three results. For instance, if you rolled
‘2’, ‘3’, ‘5’, ‘4’, and ‘1’, you would keep the ‘3’, ‘5’,
adventurer. The drama and suspense comes from and ‘4’ for a total of 12. But before rolling, you
could choose to sacrifice one die, and roll as if
that big grey area in between... your adventurer’s skill was 4d+2 instead of 5d+0.

In game terms, if you are rolling more than 4d

and do not have a +1 or +2, it is usually to
your advantage to sacrifice a die, since you
only keep ‘best three’ anyway. For instance,
the average of 3d+2 is higher than the ‘best
three’ average of 4d+0. Try it a few times to
INTRODUCTION see how it works.
This short chapter is ‘the system’, how
you make rolls, succeed, fail and figure Taking 2’s
out how hard it is to do whatever it is The gamemaster can choose to let a player count
your adventurer is up to. all their dice instead of ‘best 3’, but you count
each die as a result of ‘2’, and you decide this
Whenever something happens that is not a before rolling. This is called ‘taking 2’s’. This
foregone conclusion, someone will have to roll allows an automatic success for tasks of difficulty
dice to see if the action is successful. Dice in of no more than 2 per die you would have rolled
EABA are always the standard six-sided dice, (plus any leftover +1 or +2). So, if you had an
and you just roll as many as are appropriate adjusted skill roll of 3d+2 or 4d+0, you could
for your attribute or level of skill. You are ‘take 2’s’ to automatically succeed at tasks of
trying to match or beat a ‘difficulty’, which difficulty 8 or less. Odds are, if you did roll 4d+0,
represents how hard that task is. If you get your chance of getting 8 or more is over ninety-
this number or better with your roll, you seven percent. You can ‘take 2’s’ in any situation
succeed, and some tasks give you an extra that involves a die roll. For instance, you could
benefit based on the amount you succeed by. have weapons ‘take 2’s’ on their damage (after
If you do not reach the difficulty with your roll, armor) if you want to avoid doing too much
you fail at what you were trying to accomplish, damage (trying to wound rather than kill). Note
and in some cases, a very poor roll will have that any extra dice or plusses you may get for
adverse consequences (your gun jams, etc.). time bonuses on a task usually do not count for
‘taking 2’s’, otherwise anyone could succeed at
anything if they just tried long enough.

2.2
 Dice and levels
The ‘best three’ applies to any task in EABA All rolls in EABA use the idea that 3 levels
that is competitive, or tasks where you are equals 1d, and remainders are a +1 or +2 to
figuring a chance of success. Sometimes you the roll. So, a Strength of 7 and a Strength of
just use the total of all the dice. For instance, 2d+1 are the same thing. Whether an attribute
the damage you do with a kick is your default is referred to as dice or a value depends on
Strength roll, using all the dice. the situation. If you are comparing Strength to
a weight to see how far you can throw it, you
Dice and penalties use the value. If punching someone, you use
So, we have a number of dice you roll, and a the dice. Unless otherwise stated, bonuses
difficulty to match or beat. Sometimes, things turn amounts of more than +2 into extra dice.
will vary one or both of these.
If you have a Strength of 2d+1 (or 7) and
The general rule is things internal to you will something gives you a +4 to Strength for a
affect the number of dice rolled, and things particular roll, your effective Strength is 11, for
external to you affect the difficulty of the task. an adjusted Strength roll of 3d+2.

Go back and read that again. It is important. Difficulty

This is any number you need to match or beat
Slick mud may affect the total an adventurer with a die roll. An ‘average’ task is a difficulty
needs to reach with an Agility roll, but that of 7, meaning that your ‘best three’ total has
slick mud affects everyone equally, so it to equal or exceed 7 in order to succeed at
increases the difficulty of the task. However, that task. The average person (Attribute of 6)
a sucking chest wound will affect the number has a little bit better than 50-50 chance of
of dice the adventurer gets to roll, and only successfully completing an average(7) task on
affects the adventurer. that attribute. If you have to arbitrarily decide
a difficulty, that’s your guideline.
The things that will most commonly reduce the
dice you get to roll are: task difficulty average take 2’s
automatic 1 0d+1 0d+1
• penalties for doing multiple actions very easy 3 1d+0 1d+1
• encumbrance easy 5 1d+1 2d+1
• injury or exhaustion average 7 2d+0 3d+1
challenging 9 2d+2 4d+1
The thing that will most commonly increase hard 11 3d+0 5d+1
the dice you get to roll is: formidable 13 4d+0 6d+1
heroic 15 5d+1 7d+1
• extra time spent on the task superheroic 17 6d+2 8d+1
impossible 19 8d+2 9d+1
Dice penalties generally affect all Attribute or
skill rolls, but may be limited in scope, and it The ‘average’ is the attribute or skill roll you
is a gamemaster call if there is any question. need to have for around a 50-50 chance of
succeeding at a task of that difficulty with a
If your adventurer were carrying enough gear ‘best 3’ roll. The ‘take 2’s’ column is the roll
that they were taking a -1d penalty from their you would need to automatically succeed if
encumbrance, then their default Agility roll would you just took a result of ‘2’ for each full die.
be reduced by -1d, but this would not penalize
their Awareness rolls or their Will roll if they were
trying to avoid being stunned.

2.3
 The EABA Universal Scale
If your adventurer’s skill roll is 5d+1, you One of the key features of EABA is that most
know they have a decent chance at completing real-world relationships are handled using the
heroic(15) tasks and are good enough to get an table on page 2.7. This is the EABA Universal
automatic success on hard(11) ones. On the Scale, or as you are more likely to call it, ‘the
other hand, if your adventurer only has a roll chart’. With a few limits and tweaks, it can
of 2d+0, you know they can never succeed at a handle just about all combat-related tasks, as
formidable(13) task, because you can’t roll a well as most other in-game relationships. The
total of 13 or more on only two six-sided dice. basic EABA rules have a table with eleven
columns, but other supplements may expand
Something that is very technology- and skill- both the scope and range covered by the
dependent is the need for tools and supplies. table. The columns are:
Not having the right tools or parts can make
even easy tasks next to impossible. Changing a level: This is either a starting point or an end
tire is normally an easy(5) task. Try doing it point. For instance, if you wanted to see how
without a tire iron and it gets a lot harder. This much you can lift, you would start with your
will be very skill and situation dependent, but Strength at this level and go right to find the
generally speaking, if it is twice as hard to do, it appropriate ‘carry’ amount.
is worth +2 to the difficulty.
A Strength of 11 can lift and carry 160 kilograms.
The previous difficulty chart is a subjective
one. Many tasks in EABA will have a difficulty On the other hand, if you wanted to see the
based on measureable circumstances, like the difficulty to hit a target at a given range, you
range to a target. would find the range in meters, and then go
left to find the level of difficulty.
Other times, the difficulty of a task is based
on some characteristic of the object of your A range of 16 meters is a distance level of +11.
attention. In this case, difficulty is based on
the value of that characteristic. For instance, It is very important to remember that the
trying to punch someone. Odds are they are word ‘level’ always refers to the value in this
going to try and dodge your fist. In this case, column. You then look under the appropriate
the difficulty for you is the result of their heading on that row to get an in-game value
Agility or skill roll. Or, if you try to sneak by associated with that level.
someone, the chance is your ability to sneak
vs. the result of their Awareness roll. These A range level of +14 is 45 meters. A time level of
are called ‘opposed rolls’. For opposed rolls, +14 is 2 minutes. Conversely, a range of 45
ties usually go in favor of whoever is initiating meters is a range level of +14 and a time of 2
the action. So, if you attack someone in melee, minutes is a time level of +14.
your skill is an opposed roll against their skill,
and on a tie, you hit them, since you initiated Levels are useful in comparing things to get a
the action. The rules or skill descriptions will third result.
usually tell you which way to do things if there
is any question. If you take your throwing Strength as a level and
subtract the mass level of an item, it tells you the
distance level you can throw it. If you take a
money level for a day’s wages and add a quantity
level for a year’s worth of working days, this
gives you a yearly salary.

2.4
 money: EABA uses ‘credits’ or ‘Cr’ as the
dice: You already know that each +3 is 1d, generic unit of currency. Items of more than
and remainders are either +1 or +2. This just 1000 Credits will use kilocredits, or ‘KCr’.
lists it in case you have trouble doing it in your
head. quantity: This column is used most often to
represent consumed items, like bullets used in
damage: This is just a subjective column combat, but it can also represent information.
showing items that roll that many dice in The quanity compared to time corresponds
damage, just to give you a feel for how the pretty well to words of spoken information.
scale goes up. The melee weapon damage
assumes a person of average Strength. The quantity column is useful as a ‘paper
calculator’ for abstract amounts or anything
mass: What someone of a given Strength where you need to know how much of X goes
attribute can lift and stagger around with (full into Y.
encumbrance). This is also used for any other
mass comparisons. An example would be if you have to pay 1000
soldiers (quantity level of +20) a salary of 250
distance: A given distance will have a level Credits (money level of -4) per week for 8 weeks
associated with it, in meters, or in extreme (quantity level of +6), then the money required
cases, in kilometers. This column is also used is (20 - 4 + 6) = a money level of +22, or 2
for movement purposes. A distance level plus million Credits.
a time level tells you how far you have moved.
With some tweaks, the distance column may recovery: Whenever you do something to
also be used for area-based calculations. deplete yourself (like exertion), or have
something done to you (like getting injured),
size: The approximate size of an object in its you will need to recover. Different types of
longest dimension. This is used for combat injury or insult will require a certain recovery
targeting, among other things, and assumes threshold to recover them. Your adventurer’s
roughly human proportions. Things that are ‘Recover’ rating plus a time level is how you
exceptionally wide or narrow have effective see how long it takes.
size modified up or down by one or more
rows, like trying to torpedo the front of a ship turn mod: EABA uses an advanced combat
instead of its side. Size is really just an inverse model that ups the threat level and ability to
of distance, with human size set at +0, and is do things as an encounter progresses. The
just a convenience so you always remember value in this column is just a reminder of the
that bigger things decrease the difficulty to hit. scaling factor used in each round of a fight.

time: Which is abbreviated as seconds(s), Turn mod is really just time levels, but
minutes(m), hours(h), and days(d). It is because it is used in a very specific way over
important to note that in any competitive a specific interval, it gets its own column to
endeavor over time, time is not a factor unless keep track of it easier.
one person is using a different amount of time
than the other. The ‘ ’ and ‘ ’ marks are the
default times for recovery of one non-lethal or
lethal hit, respectively. Your ‘recovery’ stat
may shift this default time one or more levels.

2.5
 If you are a number-crunching kind of player
So, how do I use it? who likes to know their exact chance of doing
About like you would expect. Most of the values something before they make a roll, then the
combine in fairly obvious ways. Values in your following table is for you. This is your chance of
favor reduce the difficulty. Values against your getting a given difficulty with the listed die roll.
favor increase the difficulty. They are listed as d+2 amounts because that
also works for cases where you drop a die to
If you move a distance of +5 (2 meters) for a get a +2, like rolling 4d+0 as 3d+2. The table
time of +8 (15 seconds), the total distance you shading for each column is ‘90% or more’,
have moved is +13 (32 meters). Close enough. ‘50-89%’, ‘10-49%’and ‘less than 10%’.

If you shoot at a distance of +12, the target is die roll

+1 difficulty for size and you spend a time of +2 difficulty 2d+2 3d+2 4d+2 5d+2 6d+2
taking the shot, then the final difficulty you need 5 97% 100% 100% 100% 100%
to roll is 11 (remember that the aiming time is in 6 92% 99% 99% 99% 99%
your favor, so it reduces the difficulty). 7 83% 98% 99% 99% 99%
8 72% 95% 99% 99% 99%
If you have an Awareness of +9 and read a story 9 58% 91% 98% 99% 99%
with an information content (quantity) of +25, it 10 42% 84% 95% 98% 99%
will take a time of +16 (again, the Awareness 11 28% 74% 90% 96% 98%
reduces the difficulty). 12 17% 63% 83% 92% 97%
13 8% 50% 73% 86% 93%
You will certainly find other uses as you get 14 3% 38% 62% 77% 87%
into a game, and there will also be some 15 0% 26% 49% 66% 78%
exceptions where the relationships do not 16 0% 16% 36% 52% 66%
apply perfectly. For instance, your Strength 17 0% 9% 23% 38% 51%
for throwing things is not the same as your 18 0% 5% 13% 24% 35%
Strength for lifting things, so the distance 19 0% 2% 6% 12% 18%
you can throw something is not your Strength 20 0% 1% 2% 4% 10%
less the weight level. But, the table is still 21 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
exceptionally useful and it beats having to leaf
through the rules for special case tables. Looking ahead to making an adventurer, you
might think “I want my archer to be able to hit a
Combined endeavors difficulty 14 target about ninety percent of the
In a situation where people can work together time.” And then use this table to see that you will
towards a task (like lifting a heavy object), each need a skill roll of 6d+2 and give your adventurer
time you double the effort it increases effective an Agility and Archery skill that gives them this
Strength by 3 or alters the difficulty by 2. That is, roll.
two people of Strength 6 can, when working
together, lift as much as a person of Strength 9. Remember that EABA only uses the ‘best three’,
For unequal values, you generally average them not the entire die roll. Adding in a +2 means a
and round down. So, a Strength 6 and a Strength ‘best three’ roll of 18 can actually get a result as
7 person working together would count as high as 20. Anything harder than a difficulty of
Strength 9, but a Strength 6 and a Strength 8 20 is simply impossible for mere mortals. There
working together would count as Strength 10. are ways around this, but that is in the next
chapter...

2.6
 EABA Universal Chart
level dice damage mass distance size time money quantity recovery turn mod
-12 - .8kg - 125m - 15Cr - -10
-11 - 1kg(pistol) - 80m - 22Cr -
-10 - 1.3kg - 65m - 30Cr - -9
-9 - 1.6kg - 45m - 45Cr -
-8 - 2kg - 32m - 65Cr - -8
-7 - 2.5kg - 23m - 90Cr -
-6 - 3kg - 16m - 125Cr - -7
-5 - 4kg(rifle) - 11m - 175Cr -
-4 - 5kg - 8m(tank) - 250Cr - -6
-3 - 6kg .1m 6m(truck) - 350Cr -
-2 - 8kg - 4m(car) .5s 500Cr x.5 -5
-1 - 10kg .3m 3m(horse) .7s 700Cr x.7
+0 0d+0 13kg 2m(person) 1s 1KCr x1 -4 turn 1:+0
+1 0d+1 16kg .5m 1.4m 1.4s 1.4KCr x1
+2 0d+2 20kg .7m 1m(torso) 2s 2KCr x2 -3 turn 2:+2
+3 1d+0 knife 25kg(child) 1m .7m(leg) 3s 2.8KCr x3
+4 1d+1 32kg 1.4m .5m(arm) 4s 4KCr x4 -2 turn 3:+4
+5 1d+2 40kg 2m .4m 6s 5.6KCr x6
+6 2d+0 sword 50kg 3m .3m(head) 8s 8KCr x8 -1 turn 4:+6
+7 2d+1 pistol 65kg 4m .2m 11s 11KCr x11
+8 2d+2 80kg(human) 6m .1m(hand) 15s 16KCr x15 +0 turn 5:+8
+9 3d+0 hvy pistol 100kg 8m - 23s 23KCr x23
+10 3d+1 125kg 11m - 30s 32KCr x30 +1 turn 6:+10
+11 3d+2 160kg 16m - 45s 45KCr x45
+12 4d+0 200kg(cycle) 23m - 1m 64KCr x60 +2 turn 7:+12
+13 4d+1 rifle 250kg 32m - 1.4m 90KCr x90
+14 4d+2 320kg 45m - 2m 125KCr x125 +3 turn 8:+14
+15 5d+0 hvy rifle 400kg 65m - 3m 175KCr x175
+16 5d+1 500kg(horse) 90m - 4m 250KCr x250 +4 turn 9:+16
+17 5d+2 640kg 125m - 6m 350KCr x350
+18 6d+0 machinegun 800kg 175m - 8m 500KCr x500 +5 turn 10:+18
+19 6d+1 1.0 tons 250m - 11m 700KCr x700
+20 6d+2 1.3 tons(car) 350m - 15m 1MCr x1000 +6
+21 7d+0 1.6 tons 500m - 23m 1.4MCr x1400
+22 7d+1 2.0 tons(truck) 700m - 30m 2MCr x2000 +7
+23 7d+2 2.5 tons 1km - 45m 2.8MCr x2800
+24 8d+0 light cannon 3.2 tons 1.4km - 1h 4MCr x4000 +8
+25 8d+1 4.0 tons 2km - 1.4h 5.6MCr x5600
+26 8d+2 5.1 tons 2.8km - 2h 8MCr x8000 +9
+27 9d+0 6.4 tons 4km - 3h 11MCr x11k
+28 9d+1 8.1 tons 5.6km - 4h 16MCr x16k +10
+29 9d+2 10.2 tons 8km - 6h 23MCr x25k
+30 10d+0 12.5 tons 11km - 8h 32MCr x32k +11
+31 10d+1 16 tons(APC) 16km - 11h 45MCr x45k
+32 10d+2 20 tons 23km - 16h 64MCr x64k +12
+33 11d+0 med cannon 25 tons 32km - 1d 90MCr EABA rules
+34 11d+1 32 tons 45km - 1.5d 125MCr x125k +13

2.7
3.1
Adventurers
 Attributes, skills and powers are purchased
Every adventure needs an adventurer. That is
with points, and the number of points you get
the role you will take on, that of a figure as large depends on the type of campaign. Traits can
either give you extra points, or cost you
or larger than life, created from your imagination points. Points only for Attributes are marked
‘A’, points only for Skills are marked ‘S’, and
for the purpose of fighting injustice, winning glory, points only for Powers are marked ‘P’.
seeking treasure, or just simply kicking ass. An
Level or point-based adventurers are not realistic.
adventurer can be an alter ego, someone you The world does not work that way. Some people
are rich, strong, smart and highly skilled, while
would like to be, someone you think it would be others are poor, weak, stupid and inept. Buying
adventurers with points is equitable. It means
interesting to be, but most especially it is someone
that all players start on an equal footing, and
you will have a fun time adventuring with. In the where they go from there is based on luck and
how well they play.
end, your adventurer is worth as much or as little

as you put into them.

INTRODUCTION
Adventurers are just concepts, driven
by your creativity and personality,
but to keep things consistent, who and
what your adventurer is will be created from a
set of guidelines that all players have to follow.
Adventurer design consists of four things (plus
a good concept!):

attributes: Characteristics defined by genetics and

experience, like how strong you are.
skills: Training that enhances the usefulness of
your Attributes. Anyone can throw
punches using their natural agility, but a
trained fighter will have an advantage.
traits: Things that you know or things that
have happened to you that may modify
your lifestyle, your attributes or skills. If you are a beginning role-player, this sheet
Being deaf is a trait. So is being filthy is what is used to record and represent your
rich. So is being hunted by ninja. adventurer, listing their various attributes and
powers: In many campaigns there are powers abilities, possessions and things like wounds or
like magic or psionics which some fatigue. Click or tap on it for details.
adventurers may be able to harness.

3.2
 What you get out of your adventurer is going
WHAT IS AN ADVENTURER? to come from what you put into them. You do
EABA is a rule-based system, and not have to write a lifetime biography of your
the old saying goes, “when all you adventurer before you design up their stats,
have is a hammer, everything looks but you should consider the following checklist
like a nail”. That is, EABA looks to rule-based before you do so:
solutions to problems and situations of a role-
playing nature. But an adventurer is far more • circumstances of your birth
than a collection of numbers and an allotment • the type of childhood and family you had
of points. • the level and type of education you have
• the breadth of your cultural knowledge
An adventurer in a gameworld represents a • the nature of the work you do
‘real’ person. Someone who was born, had • the sort of status and wealth you have
a family life, a childhood, friends, school, • the kind of people who like and dislike you
apprenticeship, college or whatever, a nation, • how you gained any special talents you have
race, religion or creed, hopes, dreams, desires,
loves gained and loves lost, triumphs and
defeats, goals, dreams and disappointments.

And there is no way we can put that on the

front and back of an adventurer sheet. Your
adventurer in the most complete and accurate
sense will exist only in your mind. The rules
and stats are merely a poor crutch to allow
this person to interact with the physics and
culture of a particular gameworld. Is this
object too heavy to lift? How fast can I run?
Do I have sufficient social standing to be
invited to a swanky event?

So, before we get back to the rules and math

and dry, featureless numbers, stop. Stop, and
think about the gameworld. Have you read the
intro for that gameworld, and any chapter that
gives details on daily life and culture? What
place and role do you want your adventurer to
have? This is a goal. What place and role do
they actually have at the start of play? This is
reality.

There are in-game traits like personality,

friends, enemies, status, background, and
motivation, but giving life to these traits and
everything else in the second paragraph is Answer each of these in a phrase or short
going to take a lot more than just making a sentence and it will help you immensely, not
line entry on the adventurer sheet. just in creating your adventurer, but as you
play and campaign and build the backstory of
your adventurer as you move forward in game
time.
3.3
 Starting levels
BASICS The quantity and type of points you get to
Adventurers as a bundle of numbers purchase an adventurer with depends on the
are going to have attributes, skills, type of campaign the gamemaster is running.
traits and possibly powers. You will be This is sometimes referred to as the ‘power
getting points to pay for these, and in the case level’ of a campaign, like “who wants to
of traits, you can take on negative traits to get make adventurers for a heroic swashbuckling
extra points. Points are split up between those campaign?”
usable only for attributes(A), only for skills(S),
and those only for powers(P). campaign attribute skill power trait
low normal(6) 30A 5S - ≤9
attribute costs: Points are simply divided normal(7) 35A 10S - ≤11
between the possible choices you have for that heroic(8) 40A 15S 5P ≤15
type of points and cost 1A per point of an grand heroic(10) 50A 20S 10P ≤20
Attribute. If you have 40A for Attributes, then superheroic(13) 65A 25S 30P ≤30
with 6 Attributes you have an average score of grand super.(18) 85A 35S 60P ≤45
about 7 per attribute.
The more points, the more powerful your
If you want a Strength of 7, it costs 7A. If you adventurers will be, and the more powerful
want an Agility of 9, it costs 9A, etc. you can expect your foes to be as well. The
number in parentheses is the average level in
skill costs: Skills will start at basic training each Attribute that you could get with that
that merely lets you roll the attribute the skill amount of points if you take most of your limit
is based on, and more advanced training adds in traits and put the points towards Attributes.
one or more dice to this. A +0d skill costs 1S,
and each +1d costs double the skill bonus There are six Attributes, so the 30A you get at
(+1d costs 2S, +2d costs 4S, etc.). the ‘low normal’ level only gets you an average
Attribute level of 5. However, if you take 6 of the
Take a look at the basic adventurer sheet. It 9 points you can gain from traits and put them
is pretty clear where everything has to go on towards Attributes, that gets you 36A, enough
it, and we will cover each section in turn. The for an average Attribute level of 6. In addition,
front has room for all the important stuff, and ‘real-world’ people have low values in Fate, which
there is lots more room on the back for other bumps up the average for the other Attributes.
information if you need it. If you think you are
going to be using all the features of EABA, Points for powers are always optional. ‘Real-
then go ahead and start using the advanced world’ campaigns will have no powers. Or, the
adventurer sheet. There is no problem with gamemaster might decide to make a ‘grand
upgrading during play, so if you want you can heroic’ campaign where powers are much less
start with the basics and work your way up. common and points are harder to come by, or
a magic-rich ‘normal’ world where powers are
Instant adventurers all over the place. Because they can have such
This is a fifty page chapter. If you just want an a powerful effect on a campaign, the game-
adventurer but do not want the rules, then you master can place any limits on powers they
have two options. The first option is that there want, including things like whether or how
are pre-generated adventurers at the end of this many P can be put towards specific effects or
chapter. The second option is the separate EABA powers. A good power limit is that no more
creator pdf. This lets you answer a series of than half the starting points (round up) can
questions about your adventurer, and then it be spent on a single power.
generates one for you!

3.4
 ATTRIBUTES
If you really want to get straight into playing, Adventurers will have six attributes,
just assume you have extra points from Traits which are the foundation for their
at say three-quarters of the maximum, buy skills and some traits. These are
Attributes and skills, grab some gear and worry Strength, Agility, Awareness, Will, Health
about the details later. and Fate. The ‘average’ person has enough
points to purchase a 7 in all the attributes
For reference, an ‘average’ person has a score except Fate, which is as low as is allowed for
of 6 to 8 in most Attributes and a 3 in Fate. the ‘real world’ campaigns or those without
A level of 11 in an Attribute would be in the magical or other paranormal powers (usually a
top one percent of human potential. Even a Fate of 3 or 4).
‘normal’ adventurer can be exceptionally good
at one or maybe two things (you can make an There are two limits in assigning levels to
Olympic athlete from a ‘normal’ adventurer’s your starting attributes. The first is that no
points). For campaigns or gameworlds that attribute can be more than 3 points higher
are mostly filled with ‘normal’ people, we than the next lowest one. This keeps you from
recommend that adventurers be ‘heroic’. This favoring one attribute at the expense of all
gives them enough points to be very good in the others.
one attribute or better than average in most of
them, and have sufficient skill points to have a If your highest Attribute is an 11, then your next
wide variety of useful or interesting skills at lowest one must be at least an 8. If your next
decent levels of competence. A ‘normal’ person lowest one was a 9, then the next lowest one
can be as good or better at something than a after that would have to be at least a 6.
‘heroic’ adventurer, but would have far less
depth as a person. Making an Olympic athlete The second limit is that if you are a ‘normal
out of a ‘normal’ set of points means that you human’, you cannot have any attribute at a
do not have much of a life outside that narrow level of more than 12. This upper limit may be
set of skills, while a ‘heroic’ adventurer can be adjusted by the Age trait. For instance, an old
about that good and have several other skills adventurer would have a lower upper limit on
as well. their Strength.

Skill-poor gameworlds Superhuman attributes

Many primitive gameworlds, especially ones with Points in the P category can be put towards
slow travel or communications, are often skill- Attribute levels that exceed the normal human
poor as well. Adventurers for such worlds have a maximums. So, a Strength of 13 would cost 12A
reduced number of starting skill points, usually and 1P. You can buy paranormal powers to
half the listed amount, rounding up. The average increase attributes, but buying attributes with P
person will only have a handful of useful talents, makes them an inherent part of you, rather than
and must use their default roll for everything the effect of an external power. Attribute levels
else. If adventurers are by default from an upper bought with P do not count towards the previous
class or otherwise have access to a variety of rule about the next lowest attribute.
knowledge not available to the vast majority of
the populace, then you can ignore this for them, Attributes can be improved in a campaign with
while remembering that most people will not training (like weightlifting), but this is fairly
have this depth of training available to them. hard, and you should be satisfied with the
starting levels in your Attributes and should
not expect to be able to boost them quickly
during play.

3.5
 You do not have to provide a justification for
Attributes are more inherent to an adventurer the level you decide to purchase for attributes,
than skills. You can be dextrous without being though it does add depth and background if
an Olympic gymnast, or smart without being a you actually explain why you are exceptional
Nobel Prize winner. Attributes are general in one way or the other. Having a high attribute
application, and while a good Attribute will makes it possible to have higher levels of any
help you be more skilled, a person who is skill that is based on that attribute, so if you
highly skilled will be better off than a person have a specific idea for an adventurer in mind,
who is just relying on natural talent. plan the attributes first.

default rolls: An attribute will be a number, Advanced adventurer sheet

like a Strength of 7. This gives you a ‘default We already mentioned there were two versions
roll’, which is 1d for every 3 points in the of the sheet used to keep track of your stats.
attribute, and +1 for each leftover point. So, Most of the differences between the two are in
An Agility of 7 gives you a ‘default Agility roll’ secondary functions of attributes. For instance,
of 2d+1. The default roll is used for tasks differentiating how well you can see from how
using the ‘pure’ attribute, like “make an Agility well you can hear. As various attributes are
roll to avoid slipping on the ice”. It will also described, items on the basic sheet are marked
represents raw talent or life experience as a m, and those only on the advanced sheet will be
basis for skilled tasks, like an Agility-based skill marked n.
for using a sword and shield. An adventurer
who has no formal training in a skill uses their So, what should I get?
default roll minus 1d, which is called your Depends on the sort of adventurer you had in
‘unskilled default’. Note that some skilled tasks mind. You can be a generalist and have similar
will have no ‘unskilled default’. scores in all Attributes, or you can emphasize
some over the others depending on what you
The adventurer with an Agility of 7 has a 2d+1 want an adventurer to do or be. If you want
roll to use their basic Agility, but only a 1d+1 roll to be significantly better than an average
to do a skilled Agility task they have no training person at something, an attribute should be at
in. A gamemaster could say anyone could throw least a 9. This gives you a default roll of 3d+0
a punch using their default Agility minus 1d, but and means your best possible roll is an ‘18’,
they could probably not do an acrobatic routine compared to a best roll for 2d+2 of ‘14’.
or pilot a helicopter with their default Agility roll,
regardless of how good it was. A high Agility fighter(melee): Strength (to do damage), Agility
would make them better at it once they got (to base combat skills on), Health (for endurance)
some training, but without training they would fighter(ranged): Agility (to base skills on),
be just as clueless as everyone else. Awareness (to better see your targets), Strength
(if using something like a bow)
The term ‘default roll’ will be used a lot in EABA. scholar: Awareness (to base your skills on)
It always means the die roll for your level in artist: Agility (to base physical skills on),
an attribute, and this is listed on the adventurer Awareness (to base mental skills on)
sheet next to the Attribute. Looking at Durnok leader: Will (to base social skills on), Health
the Lame (page 3.52), you see that his Health is (for leading in battle), Awareness (for leading in
an 8, and his default Health roll is 2d+2. Your the legislature)
‘unskilled roll’ is simply the default roll minus 1d athlete: Agility (to base skills on), Health (for
for whatever attribute is most applicable for the endurance and movement), Strength (depending
task. on field of endeavor)

3.6
 The lowest encumbrance penalty is a usefully
Sheer physical large weight, but is not entirely realistic. After all,
power. Your you would not expect a pair of Strength 6 twins
average adult to run a hundred meter dash in the same time if
man has a Strength of 6 to 8, and a one of them was carrying 7kg of extra weight
woman a Strength of 5 to 7. A professional (not quite a -1 penalty). Encumbrance is a design
weightlifter would have a Strength of 12 or 13, compromise between tediously realistic and no
while a frail old man or small child might be a effects at all. If you do not need it, do not use it.
4. Most people will fall in the 5 to 9 range.
For measuring how much you are carrying,
What Strength does: EABA uses an abstract system and the most
directly affects melee and unarmed damage important thing is the heaviest items carried.
directly affects how much you can carry
contributes to your Hits encumbrance
heaviest item carried its level
m strike:Default punch damage is your Strength each doubling of items this heavy +3
roll minus 1d. If you are using a melee weapon each item within 2 levels of this weight +2
like a sword, it will be rated as an addition to each item within 4 levels of this weight +1
strike damage, like ‘lethal strike+2’.
Anything lighter than this generally does not
An adventurer with a Strength of 7 (roll of 2d+1) count, but do not overdo it. Encumbrance is a
has a default strike damage of 1d+1. If this necessary evil, otherwise adventurers could
adventurer were using a weapon with ‘strike+1’ carry loads with no ill effect.
damage, they would do 1d+2 when using it.
If you were carrying something of mass level +1
n kick: Default kick damage is your Strength (16kg), mass level +0(13kg) and two items of
roll, but kicks take a -1d to your skill roll to hit mass level -2(8kg), then you would count as
someone (more powerful, less accurate). having a total load of mass level +5(40kg). This
is less than the actual weight of 45kg, so doing it
n throw: Default damage for the impact of a in the abstract way is usually in your favor.
thrown item is your Strength roll minus 1d.
Your Strength for throwing distance is also this If you end up with negative movement, it just
amount. means it takes you an added time level to go
any useful distance (e.g. a move of -2 for time
m encumbrance: In the lower right of +6 is a distance of +4). A negative Attribute
section of the adventurer sheet are five means a task which would require an Attribute
boxes marked ‘Enc.’ Put an amount in roll is going to fail. If you are overburdened
each box appropriate to the listed and you step onto a patch of ice, you will slip.
Strength level. The small box in the However, you can do things to offset these
upper right is the penalty on all physical penalties, like taking extra time (stepping very
tasks if you are encumbered. This is a carefully onto the ice). You might still slip, but
subtraction from your Attribute dice you have a chance of pulling it off.
before you roll them, and it also affects
your movement. If you do not want to use the abstract system,
encumbrance levels on the adventurer sheet
If your adventurer has Strength 6, then the first can use the equivalent kilogram levels for that
Encumbrance box has ‘Str-8’. So, you put a ‘-2’ amount of Strength and have the exact same
there. If you are carrying a total mass level of -2 game effects. So use whatever method you are
in stuff, you take a -1 to your rolls. most comfortable with.

3.7
 Thinking &
percieving.
Nimbleness & People in the
dexterity. A academic fields will usually be above
person who has a job based on an average, as are those whose livelihood or
Agility skill or who enjoys a lot of Agility-based survival depends on a keen eye or sharp wits.
recreation will be higher than average, but the
run-of-the-mill person will be in the 6 to 8 What Awareness does:
range. is the base roll for most academic skills
is the base roll for most mental or artistic skills
What Agility does: reflects your sensory acuity
is the base roll for most combat skills
is the base roll for most physical or craft skills It would be impossible to get a skill roll that is
generates your Dodge score comparable to a university degree unless an
adventurer’s Awareness was at least a 6. Most
m dodge: Your ability to get out of harm’s way. colleges with admission standards would not
Dodge is the maximum difficulty increase you even let you in without an Awareness of at
can give to one attacker you can see, and half least 8. With no other mitigating factors, most
that to everyone else (round up). And yes, people will fall into the 5 to 9 range. Some
dodging for 1 means that everyone gets +1 skills based on Awareness cannot be used
difficulty to hit you. Dodge is double the full without at least +0d training. That is, no
dice in your Agility. You may use up to your full unskilled default roll is allowed on many
Dodge to avoid being hit, but it subtracts from Awareness skills. If you do not know how to
your skill rolls when you do. speak Quéxúiy, you cannot just wing it...

An adventurer with an Agility of 7 (roll of 2d+1) m spot:

This is your sight perception, or for non-
has a Dodge of 4. If this adventurer uses their human races, their primary sense.
full Dodge to avoid attacks, any rolls they make
in that turn take a -4. If they only dodged for n hear:
This is your hearing perception, or for
2, they would only take a -2 on their own rolls. non-human races, their secondary sense.

n fight: This is your fine motor control. We call it n think: This is your Awareness if it is higher or
‘fight’ because that’s how it will apply much of lower for purposes of most Awareness-based
the time, but it could also apply to lockpicking, skills.
playing a guitar or brain surgery.
If using the Forte and Weakness traits, an
n balance: Your ability to keep your feet and to adventurer could have an overall Awareness of
coordinate actions involving your entire body. 2d+0, but a ‘think’ rating of 3d+0 and a near-
For instance, if you had a higher than normal sighted ‘spot’ rating of 1d+0.
balance, it would improve your dodge or your
default for athletic skills that involve the whole
body.

n throw: Your hand-eye (or possibly foot-eye)

coordination for the purpose of throwing things
or the base level for a subset of a skill that
involves this sort of activity, like a baseball
pitch or a soccer kick.

3.8
 Fitness &
Leadership & endurance.
charisma. The This combines
forcefulness of aspects of overall fitness, stamina,
your personality, emotional fortitude, recuperative ability and resistance to disease.
and your ability to make your willpower
override temptation or physical discomfort. What Health does:
is the base roll for some athletic skills
What Will does: generates your walk, run and sprint
is the base roll for most interpersonal skills contributes to hits
helps you avoid stun or shock affects how fast you recover lost hits & stamina
reduces non-lethal damage taken
Outdoors types, athletes and anyone who
Dice rolls to avoid unconsciousness or shock engages in hard labor for a living will be above
from injury are based on Will. Fighters or average, while the elderly or sedentary will
anyone whose occupation puts them in harm’s probably be below average.
way or in adverse conditions will be above
average, while those who have never endured m walk: Below Health are boxes labeled ‘walk’,
hardship will be below average. Most people ‘run’, and ‘sprint’. Your Walk movement level
will fall into the 5 to 9 range, based on their is your full Health dice plus 2, your Run
occupation and upbringing. movement level is your full Health dice plus 4,
and your Sprint movement level is your full
m toughness: This is your ability to ignore non- Health dice plus 6. Put these distance levels
lethal damage. You subtract toughness from in the appropriate boxes, or if you prefer, use
each incident that makes you take non-lethal the real-world measures in meters.
hits. Toughness is the full dice of your Will.
If you have a Health of 10, your Health roll is
If you have a Will of 9, your toughness is 3. If 3d+1. Since your largest full die of Health is 3,
someone punched you for 1d+0 and rolled a ‘3’ your walk level is +5 (2 meters), your run level
or less, you would take no damage. It would still is +7 (4 meters), and your sprint level is +9 (8
be unpleasant, but you would take no effect in meters).
game terms.
m recov:Your recovery rate is half your Health
n charm: This is your Will for personal tasks, (round down), minus 4. This is the value on
where you can try to sway someone. It can the Recovery column of the Universal Chart
have elements of attractiveness, but does not corresponding to your level of Health.
have to. It could just be a winning personality.
If you have a Health of 10, your recovery is +1.
n resist:
This is how well you handle subtle or
overt attempts by words, powers, or whatever The short version of how recovery works is
to make you do something against your will. that you get a particular type of recovery
(stamina, non-lethal, lethal) whenever your
(recovery plus the time level spent resting)
reaches certain thresholds.

3.9
 The first time you use Fate in a session, it is
Luck & magic. automatic (roll your default Fate dice to match
The ability to or beat a total of 1). The second time, it is
alter the natural very easy(3), the third time it is easy(5) and
order of things to your will. If you want so on, continually increasing. You can try for a
to be lucky, magically or psionically powerful, multiple-die effect, counting it as that many
you want a high Fate. uses before you roll. After attempting to use
Fate this way in a game session (successful or
What Fate does: not), cross off the lowest of the small boxes
lets you adjust or tweak die rolls below Fate on your adventurer sheet. Using
can be used as a genre-specific Attribute Fate does not decrease the Attribute, it just
increases the number you have to match or
n shield:
In gameworlds where power is resisted beat with the default Fate roll. The penalties
with power, this is your ability to resist effects. on using Fate to be lucky reset at the end of
each session (or adventure, if you prefer).
n power: In gameworlds where paranormal
powers are based on Fate, this is your raw If you wanted to use Fate to stop 2d of an effect
ability to project power. on you, then you would roll as a very easy(3)
task (two uses at 1d, so you go straight from a
m luck:Luck is a standard EABA ability that lets difficulty of 1 to 3). If you succeed, you stop 2d
players tweak dice in crisis situations. of the effect. Otherwise, you do not, and either
way you put marks through the ‘1’ and ‘3’ boxes
The default use of Fate is for an adventurer to on your Fate track.
be ‘lucky’. It is a way for a player to twist fate
when they need to for their adventurer’s sake. In gameworlds without paranormal powers, we
You could call it latent psi, unfocused magic, a recommend that Fate as a luck ability have a
guardian angel, whatever you want. maximum level of 5 (a roll of 1d+2).

You have a default roll with Fate just as for Unlike the other attributes, Fate can be genre-
other Attributes. Each game session you may specific. In a campaign that has no unusual
invoke Fate to (at gamemaster option): abilities, it would be ‘luck’. In a magical game-
world, it would be ‘power’, while in one with
• give ±1d or ±2 to anything you do psychic abilities it would be ‘psi’. In general, it
• give ±1d or ±2 to anything done to you is used to represent some sort of inherent
• reroll any one die for anything done by or to you characteristic that is both specific to a game-
• move you from unconscious to having 1 hit left world and independent of the adventurer’s
physical condition. For instance, if your family
Your unarmored adventurer just got shot by a honor is an inherent and vitally important facet
2d+1 bullet. You decide that they will be ‘lucky’ of your life, then you could take out Fate, and
and reduce damage by 1d, so you only take 1d+1. put ‘Honor’ in this slot. It would not matter
You could also let the 2d+1 damage be rolled as how badly you were injured, your Honor roll
normal, then force a reroll of the highest die. You would stay the same and in fact could have
could adjust their skill roll to hit you by -1d, wait the same uses as Fate in some situations.
for them to make the skill roll and force a reroll
of the highest die. If you had armor, you might Making Fate a flexible attribute slot lets a
reduce blunt trauma through the armor by 2 gamemaster configure an EABA-based campaign
points. If you had enough Fate, you could mess to fit virtually any genre. Obviously, there are
with their skill roll to hit you, and if they hit some limits. If you use the slot as ‘Honor’, then
anyway, then adjust the damage result. it is not available for things like magical power.

3.10
 Racial templates
Other The default system is designed for making human
You have a few secondary attributes adventurers. Fantasy races or aliens or genetic
that have multiple factors or are set modifications may have different defaults or
apart from an attribute. These are limits. The easiest way to do this is to set up a
mostly bookkeeping functions whose ‘racial package’, something like this:
values will change during play.
attributes traits
m stamina: Your default stamina is equal Strength: -1 inherent Forte: Sight
to your Health. Stamina is a reserve Agility: +1
that is quickly used up when you exert
yourself. You can burn through it The numbers represent an amount that is added
quickly, but it recovers almost as fast. or subtracted from the levels bought for the
If you burn through more stamina Attribute or skill, with a final adjusted level of at
than you have, you take the excess as least 1 in all Attributes. In the case above, the
non-lethal hits. Mark off all boxes on race is on average weaker but more agile than
the Stamina track that are greater humans. Spending 6 points on each of Strength
than your Health. and Agility would result in a Strength of 5 and an
Agility of 7. In addition, this race has inherently
If you have a Health of 10, then your keener eyesight than humans.
Stamina is 10.
For purposes of Attributes being within 3 points
m hits:This is how much damage of of each other, this is determined before the racial
various types you can take without package modifiers are applied. So, you could buy
passing out or dying. It is simply your an Agility of 9 and a Strength of 6, and then the
Strength plus your Health. Mark off all racial package would modify this to an Agility of
boxes on the hits track greater than 10 and a Strength of 5.
this amount. You can take more hits
than you have, but this means you Races that have inherent Weaknesses or Fortes
are dying... should usually be able to adjust these values the
same way a human could. So, a member of this
If you have a Strength and Health of 7, race could have exceptionally keen vision (+2d
then you have 14 hits. Put a mark bonus), or a Weakness that reduces their vision
through the hits box labeled ‘15’. to merely normal levels (+0d bonus).
Everything above that is your hits.
In addition, different races might have inherent
n hitbrackets: On the basic sheet your hit boons and banes that are unique to them, like
boxes have occasional notations like ‘-1d’. The genuine night vision, an allergy to iron, strong
distance between these is your ‘hit bracket’, personality traits and so on, which they would
how much damage you can take before it get or pay points for as part of the package.
starts to affect you. On the advanced sheet,
these are blank, but the spacing would be each Individual EABA gameworlds with non-human
number of hits equal to a quarter of your races will probably have templates for any of
(Strength + Health), rounding nearest. those races that can be used by players.

If you have a Strength and Health of 7, then

your ‘hit bracket’ is 4. Every fourth hits box past
the first (always ‘-0d’) gets a value, starting at
‘-1d’ and going up from there (‘-2d’, ‘-3d’, etc.).

3.11
 The second is that no full skill can be bought,
SKILLS utilized (or later improved) to a level more
If you are trying to do something than the full dice in its governing Attribute.
that should require a skill, but can Specializations can exceed this limit by 1d.
sort of be done with only minimal
training (“point it that way, pull the trigger”), If you have an Agility of 2d+2, you have 2 full dice
you use the most likely governing Attribute in Agility, so the maximum skill bonus you can buy
with a -1d penalty, your ‘unskilled roll’. If you is +2d, for a skill roll of 4d+2. If you later improve
do have a skill, it means you have enough your Agility to 3d+0, you can then work towards
experience to avoid a penalty. You cannot use improving your skill bonus to +3d, which would
the unskilled default unless you have at least give you a skill roll of 6d+0.
seen the skill in use. If you have never seen
a gun before, you cannot use it, even with a The ‘full dice in the governing attribute’ is
-1d penalty. usually considered to be the unencumbered,
healthy level in that attribute.
Skill costs: Your S points represent formal
training or experience at doing various things. If you have an Agility of 3d+0 and an Agility-based
If you apply 1S towards a skill, it makes your skill at +3d, but you are taking a -1 penalty from
roll for that skill +0d. That is, instead of using encumbrance, your effective Agility is now 2d+2 for
the default roll minus 1d for unskilled use of making Agility rolls, but you are still counted as an
an Attribute, you get the default roll. This is Agility of 3d+0 for determining the maximum skill
usually called ‘familiarity’ with the skill. bonus you can use.

If you have no skill at automobile driving and If this is too much trouble to keep track of, then
have an Agility of 3d+2, your unskilled roll do not worry about it. It is a more realistic effect
behind the wheel of a car is 2d+2. If you put than ignoring Attribute penalties, but not at the
1S towards Automobile skill, you have a +0d skill cost of getting in the way of play.
bonus and roll 3d+2 instead.
The last limit is that a starting adventurer can
Complicated skills often require familiarity to only have ten skill slots (not coincidentally, the
use them at all. You do not expect someone to number on the front of the adventurer sheet).
have any chance of doing surgery or landing a You can have up to ten knowledge sets at a
fighter jet using only an unskilled default. They level above your unskilled default. For the
would at least need a familiarity with the skill adventurer who is an exceptional generalist,
in question. If you want more than familiarity, there is a skill called ‘Jack of all Trades’ that
the cost is twice the skill bonus. can help you bypass this (page 3.24), and a
gamemaster can just say starting adventurers
skill bonus +0d +1d +2d +3d can have as many skills as they want. Just list
cost 1S 2S 4S 6S them on the back of the adventurer sheet.

There are three limits for applying points to Skills and time
skills. First, you cannot spend more points on Some skills take longer than others to do, and
one skill than the rest of your skills combined. this is often gameworld-dependent. To shoot a
gun may take a second, while a safecracking may
A ‘normal’ adventurer starts with 10S, so they take hours. The gamemaster will have to set a
could not spend 6S of them on one skill. If they ‘default’ time for such tasks. Spending more time
had +2S from traits for a total of 12S, then they (or turn mod) gives a bonus of the difference,
could spend 6S on one skill. spending less is a penalty of the difference.

3.12
 Complementary skills
Skill rolls If you have two skills that can be combined for a
Within the EABA system and using the normal particular task, you get -2 on the difficulty of the
levels of task difficulty, a skill roll (attribute task when using the lower of the two skills. If the
plus skill bonus) of 4d+0 is the minimum to be two skills are within 1d of each other, the benefit
considered ‘professional’. The minimum roll applies to both skills. For instance, if you are an
after graduating a four-year college in your architect and a demolitions expert, it is easier for
chosen field would be 4d+0, preferably more. you to plant charges to take down buildings...or
design buildings that are harder to blow up. If
The minimum skill roll for a useful familiarity your skill is really just a subset of another skill,
with a skill is 2d+0, but a skill roll of 2d+0 you buy it as a specialization for an extra +1d
makes you barely functional rather than on the skill rather than a change in the difficulty.
competent. For instance, a roll of 2d+0 means This is significant, since at high levels of difficulty,
you do not have enough to ‘take 2’s’ on an a drop in difficulty is far more important than
easy(5) task, yet many drivers on the road getting an extra die to roll.
are probably at that level of skill. And if you
are from a region that has snowy roads in the Free skills
winter and watch drivers from other regions All adventurers get certain skill rolls at no cost
when snow falls, you appreciate the difference and without taking up one of their ten starting
a point or two of skill makes (a 2d+1 roll can skill slots. Everyone has +0d skill in speaking
‘take 2’s’ to get an automatic success against their native language, and writing it if this is
a difficulty of 5). appropriate to the background and gameworld.
Everyone also has a +0d skill for rolls relating
On the other hand, skill rolls of 6d+0 or more to where they have spent most of their life, its
are considered ‘expert’. Anyone in that field culture, geography, and so on. Look at your
of endeavor recognizes your competence. A own life for examples. If you spent ten years
skill roll of 6d+0 is not the peak of human in a particular town, you could go back there
performance, but it is sufficient to represent after a long absence and still be able to find
an advanced college degree. The maximum your way around. This cumulative experience
possible skill roll for a normal human is around is your ‘Native Culture’ skill, and all these rolls
9d+1 (4d+1 attribute, +4d skill, and a +1d are at +0d on your Awareness. In addition,
specialization). An Olympic-level archer has a everyone gets one free skill related to their
skill roll of 7d+2 or more. their culture at +0d. This skill is chosen by the
player, but the gamemaster can veto it if it is
For campaign purposes, people with very high unreasonable. An example might be that a
skill rolls are probably known to each other in modern American adventurer probably knows
some way. If you are a gunslinger, you likely how to drive a car, so this is could be the free
know about other top gunslingers. If you are a ‘culture’ skill for that adventurer.
Nobel-winning physicist, you likely know about
other top-level physicists, and so on. In game If you want one of your free starting skills to
terms, you can say it gives you the effect be at more than a +0d level, it costs you one
(but not the actual skill) of having +0d in ‘Area fewer point to buy it higher, and it will take
Knowledge(experts in that skill)’. That is, you one of your starting skill slots.
do not have that written down as a skill, but do
you get the skill roll if you need to ask a question If the aforementioned American adventurer wanted
on that topic. Whether or not this skill roll gets a +2d skill in driving, it would only cost them 3S
higher for exceptional levels in that skill is up to from their starting skill points instead of 4S.
the gamemaster.

3.13
 Enhanced skills
Skill specializations This is a different form of specialization. Instead
Many skills can be specialized. For instance, a of getting a +1d on the skill roll, the user of the
doctor can be a general practicioner or could skill gets a +2 benefit to something other than
specialize as a combat medic or brain surgeon. the skill roll. This benefit usually affects damage
If you specialize in a particular aspect of a skill, or an Attribute in a specific way. A martial artist
it costs +1S but gives you +1d on your skill might have strikes doing +2 damage, a technique
roll for tasks within that speciality, even if that gives them +2 to their Agility for Dodge
your governing Attribute is not high enough to purposes, or a +2 to any armor they have as
support this roll. For tasks within the general they use it to deflect attacks better. Or, a doctor
skill but outside the specialty, you just the the might be able to give a patient +2 on their Health
regular skill roll. A specialized skill still only for Recovery purposes. Not all skills can be
takes up one skill slot, and you just put the enhanced, but gamemasters are encouraged to
specialty in parentheses after the skill. A skill create gameworld-specific enhanced skills. An
can theoretically have more than one specialty, enhancement on a skill costs +1S, and a skill can
but specializations cannot stack on each other be enhanced in more than one way, as long you
for additional effect. only use one enhancement at a time.

If you have an Awareness of 3d+0 and a Biology Enabling skills

skill of +2d, you can specialize in ‘Xenobiology’. Some skills have unique subsets that are not
This gives you a Biology skill roll of 5d+0 and a normally learned, and for which you take a -1d
Xenobiology skill roll of 6d+0, and you would list penalty at if you are forced to use the skill in that
it as Biology(Xenobiology). If your Awareness way. For instance, you might be an expert with
was only 2d+2, for a Biology skill roll of 4d+2, shooting a rifle, but you have no idea how to
you could still do this, as the +1d specialization reload an archaic muzzle-loading rifle, or have no
can exceed the normal limit allowed for skill training in the use of autofire rifles. An ‘enabling
bonuses. In this particular case, the skill and skill’ costs 1S and lets you ignore this penalty for
specialization would cost 5S, 4S for the +2d skill all skills where it might apply. An enabling skill
and +1S for the specialization. works for all specializations or enhancements a
skill might have and a particular enabling skill
If at some point in a campaign you have spent never needs to cost more than 1S. Enabling skills
enough points on specialties that the total are often tech and culture dependent. Campaigns
points would be able to increase your overall set in the 1700’s would not need an enabling skill
skill level, you may combine all the points, for muzzle-loading weapons, since all firearms
lose the specializations and get a higher were muzzle-loading weapons.
overall skill bonus (which can in turn be
specialized later on). The presence of an enabling skill is usually
denoted by a ‘+’ after the skill, like ‘Firearms+’,
A +2d skill costs 4S (twice the dice bonus). A +1d where the enabling skill is usually pretty obvious.
skill and two +1d specializations also costs 4S, so In the rare case where you would need more than
you might as well just combine this into an overall one enabling skill, you could just mark it ‘++’.
+2d bonus. Practically speaking, you only ever Enabling skills may be a side effect of a skill
have one specialization, since for two or more the package. Instead of needing to buy an enabling
cost as an overall higher level of skill is the same skill, you buy the skill package and get the
or lower. enabling skill for free, within the limits of the
skill package. A modern soldier knows how to
use their assault rifle in normal and autofire
mode, even without a special enabling skill.

3.14
 Skill trees
Skill packages As a generic system, EABA is going to have
Many EABA professions are based on a single a fairly generic skill list. Particular gameworlds
skill and everything you do associated with that will often have their own unique skills, and
skill. A carpenter has ‘carpentry’, for instance. may have narrower ranges for a given skill
But sometimes a profession is composed of than the normal list. For instance, EABA has
several unrelated skills. A gamemaster can a ‘Blade’ skill, which you can specialize for a
create sets of ‘skill packages’ to represent this. particular weapon. A fantasy campaign might
give each type of melee weapon its own
A skill package only takes up one starting skill separate skill, and then allow a specialization
slot and costs 1S. A skill package has up to five for a specific sub-type of weapon or fighting
very specific skills at +0d. Any of these can be style. A skill list for a particular gameworld
broken out as a separate skill by a player and should have the depth necessary for the feel of
improved to a full +0d skill for 1S, but this will that gameworld.
require a spare skill slot. A sample package:
The basic skill list has a ‘Firearms’ skill. In an
Modern soldier modern campaign, you might have separate skills
Your military’s regulations: +0d for pistols, rifles, crossbows and maybe shotguns,
Your nation’s assault rifle: +0d with enabling skills for muzzle-loading weapons
Your nation’s infantry rocket: +0d and autofire weapons.
Your mission specialty(varies): +0d
Your military’s tactics: +0d Note that doing this will decrease the overall
competence of adventurers. Instead of getting
Think of these narrowly defined skills as a very +0d competence in ‘Firearms’ for 1S, they would
limited familiarity. You a get +0d familiarity with need to spend 4S to get +0d in each of the four
that narrow focus, but the unskilled default with cases in the example. One way to compensate
everything else. You have +0d with your nation’s for this is to give players a free specialization in
rifle, but -1d with anyone else’s. Skill packages the sub-skill for any skill you break up in this
are ‘entry level’. You would expect a person with way, or an enabling skill appropriate to that skill.
experience to upgrade to one or more full skills. So, a person who spends 1S on ‘Pistols’ for +0d
overall skill would get a free +1d specialization in
A gamemaster can place prerequisites on skill the pistol of their choice or an enabling skill like
packages. For instance, someone with a ‘modern ‘autofire’.
solider’ skill package has to meet minimum fitness
requirements. You could define a skill package as Similarly, the basic EABA skill list is not
part of a career option, saying that a term of a exclusive. If a player wants to be a farrier and
few years in the military gets the skill package, there is no ‘farrier’ skill listed, they can still
with one of the skills upgraded to +1d, one to buy the skill. All that you and the player need
+0d and one new +0d skill of player’s choice, to know is what a farrier does, the tools
somehow related to the package (you learned needed, the circumstances in which the skill
Farsi while serving overseas), for a total cost of, can be used, and some idea of the difficulty of
in this case, 5S. This might also have some traits various tasks. Almost every genre will have
attached to it, like a Friend (veterans benefits), some skills specific to that genre, so players
an Enemy (you could be recalled to active duty), and gamemasters are encouraged to make up
Status (your former rank), and so on. new skills as needed.

Skill packages can be more than just skills, they

can be part of an adventurer’s background, their
career and explain some of their personality.

3.15
 Agility skills: Combat
Skill listing This is one of the more important
Skills will be listed by governing Attribute and groupings, since a lot of roleplaying
a broad category, like ‘Agility skills: Combat’. is about getting into (and getting out
However, it is possible that a skill can have of) fights. Unarmed and melee skills can be
more than one governing Attribute, and if so, custom designed using the rules on page 5.17.
the player chooses which Attribute the skill is
based on. Are you a good climber because you archery: Use of any sort of bow. Techniques
are agile as a monkey, or because you have may also be applicable for firing a slingshot, or
amazing strength? Once you decide, that is the maybe some types of speargun. Specialization:
Attribute that skill roll will be based on. bow, slingshot, speargun.

A skill includes common sense knowledge that blade: Use of a light, balanced weapon like a
goes with the skill. If you are a marksman, you knife or sword. This or just about any melee
are not a gunsmith, but you still know how to weapon skill may be taught with a shield as
care for your weapons. If you are a skilled defense, which allows the adventurer to fully
horseman, you are not a groom, but still you utilize a shield in combat. In fantasy-oriented
know how to saddle a horse and care for it gameworlds, there would be at least two
when out in the field. In game terms, this separate skills, one for knives and one for
‘common sense’ is probably a roll of 2d less longer bladed weapons (‘short blade’, ‘long
than the skill roll. Keep this depth of knowledge blade’). Depending on how blades are used in
in mind when using the skills you buy. a gameworld, use of a shield or two-weapon
styles may be specializations, enhanced
Speed learning skills or enabling skills. Specialization: knife,
We mentioned that you generally need some shortsword, longsword, greatsword.
exposure to a skill to be able to use the unskilled
default. Similarly, if you get a ‘crash course’ in a brawling: Semi-trained unarmed combat,
skill, you might be able to get the equivalent of including punching, kicking, biting, head butts
one piece of a skill package. That is, a +0d level and eye-gouging. Specialization: punch, kick,
of skill in a very narrow range of that skill. For grab, block.
instance, getting a crash course in ‘art history’
so your spy can infiltrate a gang of art thieves. club: Use of any unbalanced weapon like a
Remember that this is an optional rule. The club or axe. Specialization: mace, flail, axe.
requirements and limits of speed learning are:
firearms: Use of any sort of self-powered
• only one skill can be done at a time ranged weapon appropriate to the genre.
• you need a teacher with a skill roll of >5d+0 Note that in a gameworld without firearms,
(self-study w/gamemaster permission) this skill would probably be called ‘crossbow’
• it takes a time level of (40 minus Attribute) and would be separate from Archery skill
• it ‘wears off’ at the end of the adventure and not a specialization of it. In modern
gameworlds, this would probably be several
Using the skill in this way does give an in-game separate skills. Specialization: pistol, rifle,
excuse to buy the skill later if desired. shotgun, grenade launcher, crossbow.
Enabling skills: autofire weapons, muzzle-
Remember that players buy skills for adventurers loading weapons.
expecting they will get to use them. So, as the
gamemaster, you will want to look at adventurers
and see what the players are expecting their
adventurers will be doing, and plan accordingly.

3.16
 wrestling: Any combat style primarily
heavy weapon: Use of heavy weapons concerned with controlling the actions of your
appropriate to the genre, often restricted to opponent, such as Judo, Juijutsu, or Chute
military use. Depending on genre, this skill Fighting. Wrestling with an enhanced skill
could be broken down into several separate adds +2 to Strength for grappling, throwing or
skills rather than specializations. For instance, damage purposes, depending upon the specific
in a science-fiction campaign you might have a maneuver attempted. Specialization: grab,
separate skill for using starship weaponry and hold, throw.
in a medieval campaign using a trebuchet
might be a different skill than using an onager. Agility skills: Transport
Specialization: cannon, machinegun, rocket Transport skills are gameworld-
launcher, catapult. dependent, but the broad categories
here should give you a starting point.
martial arts: Formal training in efficient or All these skills are for forms of transport where
esoteric unarmed combat. It has no inherent personal agility can make a difference. For
differences from Brawling in terms of game large vehicles, Awareness will be the governing
mechanics, but it is more likely than Brawling attribute to pilot the vehicle, or Leadership the
to have individual martial arts delineated by skill used to direct a crew. Individual aspects
one or more enhanced specializations. In of making a vehicle function might require
certain gameworlds, the enhancements that non-vehicle skills (like a warp drive engineer).
are available to martial artists may not be Transport skills also include working knowledge
commonly available or require an unusual of social conventions or laws regarding that
background. Specialization: punch, kick, grab, skill. So, if you know how to drive, you know
parry. the rules of the road, at least for where you
learned how to drive.
polearm: Use of any unbalanced weapon like a
pike or halberd. These weapons often require beast riding: Ability to ride and maintain
both hands and thus preclude use of a shield. gameworld-appropriate transport animals. If
there is only one type of animal, you might call
sling: An example of a combat skill only the skill ‘horsemanship’. Specialization: horse,
usable with a single, unusual weapon. Since camel, dragon.
the skill is already for one particular weapon,
specializations would be in techniques for that air vehicles: Ability to pilot gameworld-
weapon. Other such weapons might be things appropriate air vehicles. Specialization: ultra-
like bolas or nunchaku. light, light plane, glider, jet, helicopter, flying
carpet, jetpack.
staff: Use of any balanced blunt weapon like a
staff or balanced bladed weapon like a spear. land vehicles: Ability to drive gameworld-
These might be used in one or both hands and appropriate land vehicles. Specialization:
one-handed styles may be used with a shield. automobile, motorcycle, tracked, hovercraft,
Specialization: quarterstaff, spear. chariot, wagon.

throwing: Using weapons like a thrown axe, water vehicles: Ability to pilot gameworld-
or lobbing things over obstacles to land in a appropriate water vehicles. Specialization:
particular spot. Because of the vastly different minisub, powerboat, jet ski.
throwing techniques involved, this could be
broken into separate skills. Specialization: space vehicles: Ability to pilot gameworld-
grenade, knife, axe, spear. appropriate space vehicles. Specialization:
work pod, shuttlecraft, interceptor.
3.17
 trades: A number of professions can be based
Agility skills: Other off Agility, and are genre-dependent. Each
These would be skills that are most trade is a separate skill, and each of the skills
likely based off Agility, but do not fall might have a specialization. Examples might
into one of the other categories. be Blacksmithing, Stonemason, Carpentry or
Jeweler, or entertainment skills like Dancing,
climbing: Techniques for scaling cliffs, walls, Juggling, Acrobat, etc. Artistic trades like
trees, etc. May also be based off Strength. Painting, Sculpting or a skill with a musical
instrument may be based on either Agility or
security systems: The ability to bypass locks Awareness. A trade deals with the practical
and alarms. Based on Agility, it would be a and economic (i.e. making a living) aspects
mechanical skill, like lockpicking and traps. As of a skill, while its academic counterpart
an Awareness skill it would usually deal with deals more with theory. Trades can often be
electronics or computers. Specialization: complementary skills for academic fields and
alarms, lockpicking, traps, bomb defusing. vice versa.

sleight of hand: The ability to perform certain Awareness skills: Academic

types of magic tricks, con games and pick- These are skills that are highly
pocketing. In the case of magic, a trick has a dependent on cognitive ability, and
difficulty to be matched, and how impressive it which usually require formal training of
is depends on the difficulty and how much the some kind for a useful level of proficiency.
roll is made by. In the case of pickpocketing That is, you do not get an unskilled default roll
it is an opposed task against the target’s unless the gamemaster allows it. This list is a
Awareness roll, modified by the ease of getting tiny subset of the skills available. Anything you
at the object to be pilfered and any modifiers can get a two- or four-year college degree in
for the wariness of the target or whether they is likely an ‘academic’ Awareness skill, and
are distracted. Specialization: pickpocket, advanced degrees are often specializations.
magic tricks, con games.
chemistry: Knowledge of how to make (as
stealth: The ability to sneak, to hide yourself, safely as possible) various chemical mixes
or prevent someone else from detecting that known and useful in a particular genre or
they are being followed. Stealth is opposed by gameworld. It might be called ‘Alchemy’ in
the Awareness of observers, and the difficulty fantasy genres. Specializations: poisons,
is adjusted by the level of concealment, the pharmacy, explosives.
range level and camouflage available. All
penalties or bonuses that would apply to the history: Knowledge of things past, including
sense used to spot someone would apply. wars, people of note, legends, myths and
Against groups of people, the easiest way to geographical tidbits. This can often be a
do this is to use an averaged Awareness and complementary skill for other skills with ties
give a bonus for the quantity level for the to the distant past. A superficial history of the
number of observers, or use the Awareness of area you grew up in is something you are
the best observer, whichever is higher. assumed to know as part of your free Native
Specialization: shadowing, stealth. Culture skill. Specializations: ancient history,
military history, legends.
If you are trying to sneak by four people (quantity
of x4) with an average Awareness of 8 (roll of
2d+2), then they get a +4 on their roll and would
roll 4d+0 once in opposition to your skill to see if
at least one of them spots you.

3.18
 medicine: Knowledge of how to diagnose and
language: An adventurer needs a skill roll of treat injuries or illnesses appropriate to a
2d+0 to be reliably understood in a language particular type of biology, like ‘mammals’.
(3d+0 to be fluent with minimal accent), and Medicine as an enhanced skill lets a doctor
this roll requires at least a +0d skill level (do add +2 to the patient’s Health (effectively +1
not use unskilled default for most languages). to Recovery) or helps a paramedic stop a
In societies with a high literacy rate, +0d skill bleeding injury faster. The techniques/tools
also represents basic literacy, while in largely will be appropriate to the genre, and may have
non-literate ones, +1d skill is needed to be inherent bonuses or penalties. A witch doctor
able to read and write a language. If in a who is trying to banish disease spirits is going
particular gameworld, languages are closely to have a less effective skill than a modern
related, the gamemaster may allow use of a doctor (unless disease spirits actually exist!).
skill at -1d in the related language. In general, the tech era will be a cap on the
maximum difficulty a doctor can succeed at,
A fun way to use languages other than your regardless of skill. This means that medical
native tongue is to say players can only use and treatments of certain difficulties are simply
understand words of one syllable at a skill roll of not possible without underlying technological
2d, and one extra syllable for each extra die in advances.
the roll. For instance, an adventurer of 2d skill
(say 2d+0 Awareness and +0d skill) trying to tech best roll
find the “temple by the river” would have the Primitive Era 10
player ask “where is place where you pray to Basic Era 12
gods near big stream?” It does a good job of Industrial Era 14
conveying the awkwardness of partial fluency, Atomic Era 16
and also demonstrates the need for a good Post-atomic Era 18
language skill if trying to translate complex Advanced Era 20
concepts, as needed for science or diplomacy. early or late part of an era ±1

sciences: Theoretical/practical knowledge If you say that organ transplants are a procedure
applicable to a specific field, the usefulness of with a difficulty of at least 16, then they are simply
which varies with the genre. Examples might not possible until the Atomic Era, no matter what
be Aerospace Engineering, Biochemistry, your skill roll. Similarly, if you say treating a
Archaeology, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical punctured intestine is difficulty 13, then medieval
Engineering or Warp Drive Engineering. Each doctors can be of zero assistance.
of these might have its own specializations.
The more tangible sciences allow you to design ‘Tech era’ as a concept can apply to things like
things, but not necessarily how to construct magic as well. A magical gameworld could have a
them (see Technician). certain limit on what magic can do based on the
understanding of the underlying principles, just
law: Knowledge of the genre’s legal system. as technology can be limited.
From an adventurer’s standpoint this is often
attempting to acquit someone accused of an At gamemaster option, the specializations on
offense under that system, or figuring how to Medicine may be separate skills, which is often
do something that is unethical without it being dependent on the depth of the medical skills
illegal. The difficulty varies with situation (and available in a gameworld. So, you could be a
guilt). A layman’s knowledge of the law in one paramedic and have that set of skills without
region is free, as part of Native Culture skill. being able to also make a roll to do brain
Specializations: business law, criminal law. surgery. Specializations: paramedic, surgery,
veterinary.
3.19
 religion: Knowledge of religious tenets in the
programming: Knowledge of how to write genre, including philosophical concepts. This
and manipulate any programmable system skill is usually dedicated to one religion. It
appropriate to the genre, usually computers. would be less useful for questions relating to
But, this or a similar skill could also be used other faiths. Depending on the gameworld,
for making contracts with higher powers, knowledge of a particular religion may also
phrasing wishes just right, or setting up the require a Personality that leans towards traits
parameters your guard golems follow. If the approved of by that religion. At the very least,
situation can generate reliably predictable your personality should not run counter to
results based on following a flowchart, odds your best religious knowledge unless there is a
are that a programming skill of some kind sufficient Background to justify it.
would be useful. In a modern genre this
could easily be a complementary skill with Awareness skills: Magic
Security Systems. These are Awareness skills that are
only applicable in gameworlds with
psychology: Knowledge of the human (or magic or other paranormal abilities. In
other) psyche. To unravel the motivations of some gameworlds these skills would be Will-
an individual so that you can maybe gain an based.
advantage or try to turn them to your way of
thinking would be a roll against their Will or sorcery: The basic knowledge of how to work
Awareness, modified for situation and quite spells, the detail varying with genre. For
often, for the time that can be spent on the instance, Sorcery could be an overall skill, or
task. Any specialization of psychology that each spell might require a separate skill. It
relates to personal charisma can probably be depends on how a particular gameworld views
bought as a separate skill that would be based paranormal powers and the time it takes to
on Will instead of Awareness, and whose acheive mastery of them. ‘Psionics’ would be
difficulty could be adjusted by Looks. an equivalent skill in many science-fiction
gameworlds, or a skill called ‘power use’ might
Note that aspects of Personality will almost be needed to activate superpowers in that
always apply to any situation where you are genre. Specializations: Spells of a particular
trying to influence a person’s way of thinking, element, particular spell types, particular
and Psychology is a way to help you find ways spells.
to deal with this. This skill can also be based
on Will. Specializations: con artist, seduction, enchantment: Similar to Sorcery, but used
intimidation, analysis. with specialized spells that allow you to cast
magical effects into items for later use. This
Because so much of roleplaying is interacting would often be an enhanced skill, and the +2
with other inhabitants of a gameworld, it is benefit would be on the effect or possibly its
possible to abuse this skill as a dodge to avoid duration. Specializations: potions, scrolls,
‘being in character’. Even adventurers with a amulets.
high level in this sort of skill should be role-
played according to the situation rather than
having a player just state “I am using my
Psychology skill on them”.

3.20
 If you have an Area Knowledge of ‘New York’ in
Awareness skills: Other general, it is not any harder than normal to point
Skills that are based off cognitive someone towards New York City, nor to locate
ability or keen perception, but which someone whose specialty is New York City. But,
are more likely to be informally taught you would be at +4 difficulty if someone asked
or self-taught. Some may have an unskilled you the boroughs of New York City. Someone
default, but this is up to the gamemaster to whose skill was Area Knowledge of ‘New York City’
decide on a case-by-case basis. could answer that question at no penalty, but they
would be at a penalty trying to answer questions
area knowledge: A catch-all skill group that about upstate New York.
covers memorized rather than analytical
knowledge of a particular group of people Because it relies so much on memorization
(mobsters), a large place or group of smaller rather than raw talent, Area Knowledge is
places (Paris), or a category of things (like seldom a skill that can apply an unskilled
mythical animals or birds of North America). default. So even if you are taking a significant
Native Culture (a free skill) is a very broad penalty for being out of your depth, a person
area knowledge. A successful use of the skill with this skill that is of some use is better off
means you remember something useful about than someone without it at all. And remember
the subject when needed, and you also know that Area Knowledge is quite often useful as a
where to look for information that you cannot complementary skill.
recall at this time. The broader your area
knowledge, the more difficult it will be to armorer: The knowledge of how weapons
remember or find specific information. and armor of a particular technology range
work, and how to maintain and repair them.
As a general rule, an Area Knowledge will fit Specializations: A weapon type or armor type.
into one of these groups:
bribery: A subtle blend of psychology and
knowledge examples diplomacy. The adventurer knows various
very broad New York, animals ways to encourage people to look the other
broad NYC, mythical animals way or perform illegal or unethical actions,
average Manhattan, mythical hoofstock and can also judge how likely a given person
narrow Chinatown, Unicorns will be vulnerable to these techniques. The
very narrow Roosevelt Park, Kirin difficulty of a task will depend on culture, the
action desired and how much incentive can be
If you are trying to use an Area Knowledge applied. In gameworlds or parts of gameworlds
outside its normal depth, either too broad or where this can apply, the gamemaster should
too narrow, you take +4 difficulty to the task set up a ‘fee schedule’ and difficulty ratings for
per row of difference. Simply pointing yourself various extra-legal bits of influence. That is,
or someone else in the right direction is not at if bribery is a part of daily life, then people
any extra difficulty. skilled at the ‘system’ will have a roll high
enough to ‘take 2’s’, do the deed and move
Area knowledge actually works surprisingly well on. Specializations: extortion, smuggling.
for spirits and deities. The ‘spirit of the grove’
knows a lot about the grove but not much else,
while the ‘god of all things’ has a grasp of the big
picture, but does not have ready access to the
little details like individual mortals.

3.21
 scrounging: The ability to find something
diplomacy: The ability to blend in with social where other people cannot. This could be
groups other than your own, say the right rooting through dumpsters for electronic parts,
things, smooth over minor social gaffes, and or rooting through the dirt to find edible grubs.
so on. It is a skill for manuevering around You pick a specific type of scrounging when
highly structured or formalized social systems you purchase the skill, and you may have
like castes, bureacracies, treaties and easily several types of scrounging skill. Examples of
offended people in positions of power. This this skill might be Wilderness Survival,
skill could also be used to deliberately offend Database Mining or Junkyard Connoisseur. The
someone or sabotage a relationship if that is difficulty of scrounging for food and water
an adventurer’s intent. Specializations: court depends on the environment. Natives living in
etiquette, bureaucracy. a severe environment would naturally learn
this skill to a level that lets them survive there
technician: Technician is a class of skills, like (and it might be their free culture-based skill).
Trades, but usually Awareness-based instead Their averaged skill roll would reflect the
of Agility-based, and they are often dependent difficulty outsiders would face, and depends
on technology. An electronics tech is a ‘tech’, on the harshness of the environment. The
as is a bomb disposal tech, reactor operator, gamemaster will set the time required for a
auto mechanic or an air traffic controller. A given type of scrounging. For instance, they
tech has knowledge of the tools and systems might say that foraging for food takes at
appropriate to their skill, but usually only least two hours for a skill roll at no penalty
within the framework of that skill. Both an air Spending more time might give a bonus,
traffic controller and a reactor operator use spending less would certainly be a penalty.
computers, but neither will be any better off
than the average person in front of the other’s If an average desert native has a skill roll at
console. A tech skill will let you repair or ‘Desert Scrounging’ of 3d+2, their ‘take 2’s’ skill
construct something from plans or copy an roll is a total of 8. So, it stands to reason that
existing object (within limits), but does not if the average native can reliably survive in that
convey skills needed to design it. Conversely, region, the difficulty of finding sufficient food
a science skill may let you design a microchip, and water each day away from reliable sources
but it does not give you any practical skill at is somewhere around a difficulty of 8 or 9.
soldering an electronic circuit. A Technician Outsiders without supplies would be using an
skill and a corresponding Science skill are unskilled default to try and get this number to
usually complementary skills. find sufficient food, water and shelter each day.

Remember, many skills require tools to be useful. Scrounging rolls can have varying degrees of
Also remember that the nature of a genre’s tools success, the effects of which depend on the
is subjective. A hairpin is the stereotypical nature of the scrounging. In general, if you
improvised lockpick of the 20th century. People spend a given amount of time and make your
do not think you can do it or they overlook it, so roll, you get what you are scrounging for, and
an adventurer (or foe) is more likely to have one each 2 points you make the roll by means you
available. A 22nd century equivalent might be get twice as much. If you are only scrounging
your ‘holographic projector earrings’. After being to get a certain amount of something, each 2
captured, the heroine uses the electronics in the points you make the roll by halves the amount
earring to pick an electronic lock. Just keep in of time it takes to find it. If you are scrounging
mind that neither the gamemaster or player for food, you might want to find enough for
needs to know how the skill is used, merely that several people. If you are scrounging through
an adventurer has the skill and tools to use it. a junkyard for a spare part, you just want to
find it quickly.
3.22
 Will skills: Other
tracking: The ability to trace a path taken by In EABA, Will represents force of
someone else, usually in the wilderness. The personality and charisma, as well as
difficulty varies with conditions, but if it is your ability to resist temptation or
something that the average untrained person overcome pain or hardship. People with high
cannot do, then that is a guide for the low end Will are not necessarily good looking, but they
of difficulty. Obviously, some sorts of tracking do have a compelling personality. Will skills
are harder than others. Tracking is usually will be those that are based off these
dependent on sight, but many animals track characteristics.
by scent. In either case, a Forte or Weakness
on the sense will affect the skill roll (if you leadership: The focus and talent required to
have +1d in your sense of smell, then if you run an organization or get others to follow you.
track by scent you get a +1d on your roll). This skill is used to convince others to follow
any unpopular decisions you might make, and
If appropriate to a genre, the skill could is compared to their Will rolls, modified by
instead apply to operating advanced sensors circumstances like danger, rank or status,
or tracing someone through an electronic potential gain and past experience with that
network. The default time increment for no sort of situation. See Psychology for skills
time penalty will vary with the tracking type. that reflect the use of charisma in one-on-one
For following someone through the woods, it situations. Specializations: rabble-rousing,
might be an hour, but for following someone preaching.
through a computer network it might only be
a few seconds. The difference between the acting: This skill is about voice, mannerisms
default time and the actual time will be a and convincing observers that the actor is the
penalty on the roll (use the Universal Chart). role they are playing. A visual disguise might
fool someone from a distance, but acting is
If the default time was one hour, and the tracker needed for anything past superficial verbal
shows up two hours after the tracks were made, interaction, and this skill deals with both. This
then the modifier will be the difference on the skill is usually used as an opposed roll. Status,
chart, or a 2 point penalty on the tracker’s skill situation and length of the interaction would
roll to follow the fading traces. all adjust the difficulty for impersonations,
while a fixed difficulty would probably be more
This skill can be used oppositionally to cover appropriate for dramatic uses of the skill. Tools
a trail. If the pursued wins the roll, the and accessories of varying sophistication may
amount they beat the tracker adds to the be required to do certain tasks. Trying to
base difficulty of the task, with appropriate mimic someone’s voice could be a natural
time and condition modifiers. talent. Trying to mimic someone’s face will
require some supplies. Acting can also be a
complementary skill with many skills that
involve deception or diversion. Specializations:
mimic, disguise.

3.23
 Special skills
Health skills: Other This section is for skills that for
running: Running as a regular skill whatever reason, deserve a separate
does little other than show that you mention. They will be based off
know how to prep for a run, sprint Attributes particular to that skill.
without pulling a hamstring and avoid blisters
better than the average person. However, if jack-of-all-trades(any): This is a special skill
bought as an enhanced skill, you add +2 to that can be bought at +0d only, and applies
your Health for determining your walking, only to one Attribute. Jack-of-all-trades skill
running or sprinting speed. The skill itself is costs 10S for this +0d, but it means that every
only rolled in contests between people with possible skill you could use off that Attribute is
equal movement, like to see who wins a race. at a minimum of the +0d skilled level, not the
unskilled default level. Unless the gamemaster
An adventurer with a Health of 7 (default roll of gives permission, no adventurer can have
2d+1) and an enhanced Running skill would have more than one Jack-of-all-trades skill. This skill
a walking speed of 2 instead of the normal 1.4 is usually exempt from the ‘you cannot spend
and a running speed of 8 instead of the normal 6. more than half your skill points on one skill’
rule.
swimming: Swimming as a regular skill
means that you know how to swim, and your If you have Jack-of-all-trades on Agility and you
skill roll helps you stay above water better in have an Agility of 3d+0, then every skilled task on
less than optimum conditions. If bought as an Agility for you has a roll of at least 3d+0 instead of
enhanced skill, it will act similar to Running the unskilled default of 2d+0.
skill.
This skill may not be improved past the +0d
There is very little reason to ever buy Running or level. It does count as having already spent 1S
Swimming past the +0d level as an enhanced towards buying a normal skill at a higher level.
skill. This costs 2S, takes up 1 skill slot and gives This does not count during creation of an
you all the benefits you will usually need. adventurer, only towards upgrades during play.

carousing: The ability to hold your liquor (or If you have Jack-of-all-trades on Agility but do not
anything else), usually learned from years of have any formal training in ‘Dancing’, if you buy
experience. Your roll is usually compared to ‘Dancing’ at a +1d proficiency later in the campaign
a difficulty based on the intensity of your it will only cost 1S instead of 2S.
carousing. Making the skill roll means you
suffer no (or fewer) adverse effects. Failing Jack-of-all-trades represents a lot of worldly
the roll usually results in non-lethal hits experience, practical knowledge and an
representing drunkenness. This skill would eclectic assortment of memorized tidbits (as
also be used oppositionally in contests against might be the case for an older adventurer),
other carousers (like trying to drink them a natural knack for picking things up, which
under the table). Specializations: a particular works for adventurers of any age, or just
vice. being unnaturally lucky or intuitive, which
could be the case in gameworlds with
paranormal powers.

3.24
 If you have a skill roll of 4d+1 bought as a hobby,
The actual way in which it works in play then in a pressure or crisis situation you only get
depends on the gameworld and the skill you the best two dice, plus 1, instead of the best three,
are trying to use. If you have just made first plus 1.
contact with aliens, then clearly you are not
speaking their language at +0d proficiency. In order to qualify for the discount as a hobby,
However, you may still be communicating the skill chosen has to have both hobby and
intent and concept better than you would with real-world uses. And the final skill roll for a
an unskilled default roll. Or, if you are a time hobby counts as 1d lower if you use it for any
traveller from 1860CE transported to 2010CE, income determining purposes. A skill bought
you cannot use Jack-of-all-trades to have a as a hobby can be improved into a real skill,
default roll with a helicopter (or to buy skill provided the adventurer has accumulated
with a helicopter at a reduced rate). However, some real-world experience in using it.
you are much better equipped to understand
the principles involved in its operation than You can get the benefits of enhanced skills
someone without the skill. for a hobbyist skill, and the increased and
decreased costs cancel each other out.
Jack-of-all-trades does not count towards
complementary skill bonuses. We have talked about skills and real-world
benchmarks like college degrees, but to put
hobbies: A ‘hobby’ is merely a different way things in more solid terms, learning a new skill
of classifying any other skill (aside from special takes a lot of time. Even with supervision, 1S is
ones like Jack-of-all-trades). The adventurer several months worth of training. A four-year
has technical proficiency with the skill, but college degree is a +2d skill, or 4S. This is two
does not have a large depth of experience or years of study under various teachers, and
real-world use. The easiest example would be another 4S split between college courses outside
a person who is a casual martial artist vs. the specific degree requirements (like a +1d in a
someone with the same skill who learned minor field of study and +0d in two other fields).
martial arts on mean streets to help them stay And this is for a full-time course of study. Very
alive. In the structured and sterile format of a intense training could give you 1S in five weeks,
competition they might have the same skill which could be a single +0d skill, or a Skill
roll, but in a real fight the real fighter has the Package (military ‘boot camp’ would be an
advantage. A skill bought as a hobby costs 1 example of very intense training). On the other
less point than normal, with a minimum cost of hand, just learning a skill on your own in your
1S, but in any situation outside the structured spare time could take most of a year for a single
scope of the hobby, the adventurer’s skill roll skill point. Look at it this way: Practical fluency
only gives them ‘best two’ instead of ‘best in a new language (a +0d skill level) is 1S.
three’. In practical terms it means you can get Realistically, how long would it take to do this?
a +1d proficiency as a ‘hobbyist’ for 1S.
All of this is worth thinking about in creating
an adventurer, but is more important when
adventurers start gaining experience from play.
This is dealt with more fully in the Experience
section of the rules.

3.25
 n Advantages -varies
TRAITS Advantages is a ‘meta-trait’. It is a way of
Traits fall somewhere between skills classifying any other trait that the gamemaster
and attributes. They often come from wants to limit to one example per group of
chance, whether environmental or adventurers. A real-world example might be
genetic, either to your benefit or disadvantage. ‘ambidexterity’. This exists, and in the real
In EABA, you choose what type of chance has world is present in less than one percent of the
happened to or for your adventurer. Traits will population. But, if you can buy it with points,
have a value after the name. Positive values you could easily have an entire group of
mean you gain points for taking that trait, ambidextrous adventurers! If the gamemaster
and negative values mean you pay points for is fine with that, it is just another trait. If the
acquiring that trait. If a word in the rules gamemaster says only one adventurer can
references the use of a trait, it will probably be have that trait, it is ‘an Advantage’.
capitalized, like Status. Traits fall into three
broad categories: If only one player wants an Advantage, then
it simply has the listed cost. If more than one
m open: Suitable for any campaign or genre. player wants the Advantage, then they have to
i limited: Suitable for some campaigns or genres, bid for it. Secretly and one time only, you bid
and the gamemaster should appraise players of some amount of future experience gains from
limits or exclusions before adventurers are play (at least 0 experience), plus the up front
designed. cost of the Advantage. In the case of ties, tied
n restricted: Suitable only for a few genres, only players bid again, but if they do not increase
available with gamemaster permission and with their bid they cannot win. High bidder gets it,
any arbitrary limits the gamemaster desires. but keeps no experience gains until it is ‘paid
off’. A gamemaster can start a campaign with
The sum of the starting points an adventurer several Advantages of their own creation and
can gain from traits is about a quarter of the players are free to connive and deal with each
total points given as a base amount. This is other to minimize the cost to each other, but
the net gain in levels, on a trait-by-trait basis. for a very desireable Advantage that only one
If a trait both adds and subtracts points, count adventurer can have, there may be a little pre-
the sum of the points, not the individual game backstabbing going on. If an Advantage
facets. Some special traits are exempt and do can be acquired during play, the same process
not count towards the total points gained. is used, but the bid is only in experience, but
with a minimum bid of 10 per point the
Most traits have levels that can come from or Advantage is worth.
go to any part of adventurer creation, unless
the gamemaster has set limits on the point For 1 point, an Advantage can offset a natural,
distribution. If a trait costs or grants points of biological or social penalty that other people
a particular type, they must be allotted to or generally have. Again, ambidexterity. Ordinary
from the proper type (A, S or P). people take an -1d penalty for doing an
Agility-based skill with their non-dominant
A trait that gives ‘3 points’ could be spent as hand. Fully ambidextrous people do not take
any combination of points that added up to 3. If this penalty. Or, maybe an Advantage is an
the campaign had no paranormal powers, none immunity to some types of snake venom, or
of the levels gained could be spent on things that having the birthmark that denotes you as the
cost Power points. If the trait gave ‘3S’, then Chosen One and allows you to speak truth to
these are points that can only be spent on skills, power without fear or retribution.
or traits that can be bought with any points or
skill points in particular.

3.26
 inheritance(-1 to -3): The last common
Some traits that could be Advantages in many Advantage is that the adventurer has a hidden
different genres are below: heritage the player has only vaguely defined.
This is something that the gamemaster gets
ambidextrous(-1A): The adventurer can use to spin out the details on for the adventurer,
Agility skills equally well with either hand. Less without consulting with the player. The benefit
than one percent of people have this ability. is that the gamemaster gives the adventurer
2 points worth of benefits for each 1 point the
mutant(-1A): The adventurer can exceed player spends on the Advantage, with a
human or racial norms in their Attributes. They maximum additional benefit of +3 points. This
can either buy Attributes up to +2 above the can include negative traits and positive ones,
limit for their age and ignore the maximum so long as the net benefit is 2 for 1. The only
spread of 3 levels from highest to next highest limit is that the benefit must somehow relate
Attribute (page 3.5), or have an unusually to the vague description given by the player.
large or small body size (+1 reach and mass,
-1 to be hit or vice versa), or double the As the background for an unknown inheritance,
duration of one of their Age brackets. a player says that their adventurer was adopted
under unusual circumstances. The gamemaster
mad scientist(-1A): The adventurer has a decides that the adventurer is secretly the heir
non-transferable knowledge of technology one of the King of the Gypsies, and was hidden away
full era ahead of the rest of the world (see through adoption because of threats against the
Tech Eras). The adventurer can design, build Gypsies by the nefarious Malforian League. That
and repair gadgets that no one else can even was long ago. The Gypsies still seek their lost
figure out, but they have to build them one at King, and the Malforians see the death of that
a time. They still have to buy the skills to heir as the blow that will break the will of the
reflect this expertise. Because no one else Gypsies. The adventurer has some levels of
can understand it, the knowledge cannot be Status among the Gypsies, and also an Enemy
passed on to anyone else. An adventurer can of unknown scope and power. Neither of these
supervise construction done by others, but are known to the player or the adventurer yet,
their personal touch is always required. If this but both will be revealed in time.
advantage is allowed, the adventurer should
also have the option to be Larger than Life on You can see how each of these traits might be
Awareness. interesting in a group of adventurers, but you
also see how odd it would be for all of the
destiny(-1A): The adventurer is meant to, adventurers to have the same trait, so we put
driven to or prophecied to do ‘something them in as ‘Advantages’.
important’. This could be fulfilling a lifelong
dream, getting a long-delayed vengeance, or Remember that the Advantages just listed are
maybe even being the unwitting pawn of examples, not the entire list, and that players
prophecy. What Destiny does is that once per and the gamemaster can make up their own for
encounter, if failing a Fate roll for luck would particular gameworlds or genres, and the
threaten your Destiny, you may claim success gamemaster can classify some of the traits that
on that Fate roll without actually rolling for it, follow as Advantages.
and then pick the result on any one die that is
affected by that Fate roll. This does count as
using Fate, so you still mark off a Fate box.

If you used Fate to reroll a die, Destiny would let

you choose the result on that die.

3.27
 If an adventurer suffers aging changes during
m Age ±varies play, points gained may be used just like
Adventurers have a default age somewhere during generation of the adventurer. These
in the lowest adult age range for the game- points may also be used for traits. Any levels
world, usually somewhere between 16 and 20 lost on Attributes are divided between
years old. Adventurers may gain or lose points Attributes as desired, or a trait taken that
if they wish to start the game in a different somehow applies to aging, like a Weakness.
age range. Age is one of only three traits in Decreased Attributes do drop the maximum
the basic rules that does not count towards the level of skill an adventurer can use, and no
number of points you can gain from traits. points are gained if an adventurer loses the
ability to apply skill dice because of aging
age range(human) points maximum effects. Points gained on skills from aging
young adult(13-15) -5A -3S 9(3d+0) represent general experience, and may be
adult(16-20) +0A +0S 11(3d+2) used for any skill or applicable trait.
physical prime(21-25) +5A +3S 13(4d+1)
mature(26-40) +0A +6S 11(3d+2) The gains from age are as much a matter of
middle-aged(41-60) -5A +9S 9(3d+0) experience as a matter of years. If it is part of
elderly(61-80) -10A +12S 7(2d+1) your adventurer’s background, you can have the
extr. elderly(81-100) -20A +15S 5(1d+2) level adjustments for a particular age but be
chronologically younger. For instance, a very
Yes, you do get an overall level bonus for being young Olympic gymnast is in the ‘young adult’
in your physical prime. Many Olympic athletes range, but intensive training has honed their
have a limited span in which they remain Agility and skill to that normally only acquired by
competitive at that rarefied level. someone older. On the other hand, you can be
very old yet not have learned very much. In
The maximums are the highest level humans game terms it just means you got the benefits of
can have in the physical Attributes (Strength, the levels earlier than normal.
Agility, Health) in that age bracket. Aging
normally is not a game concern unless the m Background +1
campaign runs a very long time or has long Every adventurer has a background. But, if
breaks between adventures. If adventurers you write up at least 300 words of background
reach these arbitrary breakpoints appropriate on your adventurer (about half the text on this
to their biology and the game world, apply the page), you get 1 point to spend how you want,
point difference between their current age and which does not count towards your overall limit
their previous age. The gamemaster may wish from traits. So, you can get a benefit and
to adjust the points gained and lost for an there is no downside to it. You need to explain
exceptionally long or short-lived races, or if an something about your past, your goals for the
advanced technology allows exceptionally future, and some detail on any quirks in your
extended lifespans. If any Attribute is reduced personality or unusual traits you might have.
to zero because of aging effects, the person Answering the questions on page 3.3 or 3.50
dies of old age. would be a good way to do this.

An adventurer starts play in their physical prime, In addition, a Background lets you expand on
and the campaign lasts long enough for them to the scope of one skill you have. For instance, if
reach the ‘mature’ age bracket. At this time they you were raised on a farm and have skill with
lose 5A and gain 3S, the difference in points an automobile, your background might let you
between the two age brackets. They should be to claim that it also covers self-propelled farm
applied gradually, in context with the game. equipment and light construction equipment.

3.28
 boons costs
n Boon/Bane ±varies age one-half as fast 1P
Sometimes an adventurer’s very existence or age one-quarter as fast 2P
nature of being is dramatically different than age one-eighth as fast(near zero) 4P
the norm. In EABA, this will be a Boon or a walk speed of +3 normal 1P
Bane. A Boon or a Bane is almost always recovery rating of +3 over base 1P
specific to a particular gameworld or genre. recovery rating of +6 over base 3P
For instance, if a vampire bursts into flames if recovery rating of +9 over base 5P
exposed to sunlight, that is definitely a Bane. biological requirements of one-half 1P
On the other hand, the vampire is immortal biological requirements of one-quarter 3P
and immune to poisons, diseases and the like, biological requirements of near-zero 5P
which is obviously a Boon. The limit on points superhuman forte(+2d) on an Attribute 1P
that can be gained or spent on this trait is up +4 toughness 1P
to the gamemaster, but since they are meant +4 stamina 1P
to be low-level powers, a total limit of around +5 hits 1P
half the starting P is reasonable. Note the 2d armor against a broad class of damage 1P
almost any of these, even the smallest, mean
the person is different in a way that defies banes gains
human expectations. For instance, an ordinary age twice as fast 1P
adventurer with a +3 Walk speed could easily age four times as fast 3P
break every running speed record. You usually walk speed of -4 normal 1P
cannot get a cumulative effect from a Boon or recovery rating of -4 normal 1P
Bane (so you cannot get 6d armor for 3P). biological requirements of double 2P
biological requirements of quadruple 4P
This trait is just shorthand for the paranomal biological requirements of near-constant 6P
powers section of the rules. The cost in P for 2 stamina lost from uncommon item 1P
the Boons that follow is about the same as if 1d non-lethal hits from uncommon item 1P
you had designed them as a power. Once you 1 lethal hit from uncommon item 1P
are more familiar with the power creation +1d from a broad class of damage 1P
system, you can create your own set of Boons +2d from a broad class of damage 3P
and Banes appropriate to the gameworld they
are creating or running or just use this list as a Let’s say you are in a science-fiction campaign
guideline for how much you pay or get for a and want to be an android. You would, among
given expenditure or liability. other things, want boons of age and biological
requirements of ‘one-eighth normal’ (near zero).
Once you become more familiar with the rules,
you can reassign any power-specific points It is important to remember that all of these
from this trait to a custom-designed power cost P, so if the campaign does not have or
that does the same thing, possibly with a more allow for paranormal powers, you cannot have
efficient design or custom tweaks. The most any Boon, and whether or not you can have a
important thing about this trait is that it is one Bane that mimics a natural debility (and grants
that is exceedingly difficult to change in play. generic points) is up to the gamemaster. In
If sunlight is a Bane to a vampire, you would campaigns with only small amounts of powers,
have to be a really special vampire to be able remember the maximum in any one starting
to buy off that Bane. power (or power-like effect) is half your
campaign base. So, if you started with 5P, you
This short list should cover player and could only buy Boons that cost 3P or less.
gamemaster needs until you become more
acquainted with the Powers chapter:
3.29
 i Enemies +1 to +4
Explanations: People who do not like you and who are in a
recovery: At high levels, this is close to full position to do something about it. A minor
regeneration. A normal person with the +9 enemy gives you 1 point and also gives the
recovery could be shot in a pistol duel at gamemaster free rein to cause minor grief in
breakfast and be completely healed by lunch. your life an average of once per adventure.
Minor enemies can be temporarily disrupted,
superhuman forte: You are exceptionally, evaded or intimidated by adventurers. A major
inhumanly talented at a subset of an attribute. enemy is worth 3 points. They will tend to
You could have the physique of a demigod, cause major disruptions in your life, capable of
eyes like an eagle, amazing agility, astounding removing you from an adventure if successful.
luck, or whatever. Major enemies cannot be intimidated, but they
can be avoided. Minor enemies may be major
biological requirements: Any three of: food, enemies with limited geographical reach.
water, air and sleep. Note for the bane, that Pervasive enemies are worth +1 point. This
having to get four times the normal amount represents a major or minor enemy that has a
of sleep would be a pretty serious problem. lot more resources than you, with a longer
This also affects the timeframe of things like reach and a greater ability to find ways to
poisons. If you want reduced requirements in make you miserable, or an ability to make you
two instead of three, you can get the next miserable in a permanent fashion.
highest level of effect, and if you only want
one, you can get a requirement of one-eighth That pesky robbery conviction from ten years ago
for 1P. Conversely, if you require extra effect makes the police your minor enemy. Every time
and do not want to apply it to three items, you you apply for a job or get pulled over at a traffic
get 1P less for having it apply to only two, and stop, you can expect questions and raised
2P less for having it apply to only one. eyebrows. This worth 1 point. This is a minor
enemy because in the real world there are plenty
If you want a Bane that says you need quadruple of places you can go where your home region’s
normal food and water, but not any change in air, law enforcement and your own checkered past
this would be worth 3P instead of 4P. will make no difference. If the gameworld was
such that the conviction could affect your actions
damage from uncommon item: If you are everywhere, you could count the police as a
merely touched by the item or condition, you pervasive minor enemy, worth 2 points. An
take damage. It is like a paranormal power example might be a conviction that affects your
that you have no defense against. It may be ability to get a visa or a work permit overseas.
possible for an external power or gadget to
shield you, however (a vampire can be carried Guido is unhappy. You disrupted his cousin’s
around in daylight while in their coffin, your racket of using nuns to sell dope to school-
allergy to bee stings can be negated with children, and he is important in his organization.
regular treatments, etc.). Damage is taken on Guido wants you to be made an example of, but
exposure and each +1 time level of exposure his reach and sources of information are limited.
after that. If it is a common item, it is worth Guido is a major enemy, worth 3 points. If his
1P more. This Bane might be allowable more goons get a hold of you, expect serious hurt, but
than once for the same condition. his reach is limited and like local police, you can
go to areas where he has no influence over you.
+1d damage: If you are attacked with a If on the other hand, you were on the hit list of
particular effect, the power or attack does +1d an international crime syndicate, this would be a
effect or damage over the normal amount. You major pervasive enemy, worth 4 points.
cannot have this and the Boon against it.
3.30
 i Favors -1
An Enemy can be anyone who has the power, This is like a powerful, one-shot Friend, but
official or otherwise, to make an adventurer’s without the reciprocal obligation. For a cost
life miserable. Even employers can be an of 1 point you have one ‘get out of jail free’
enemy of sorts, and government employers card that will work in a particular set of
can be major or even pervasive Enemies. An circumstances. But once used, it is gone, as is
employee who is insubordinate can get fired. the point spent on it. A Favor can be awarded
However, a soldier who is insubordinate can in play by the gamemaster if adventurers
get jailed or dishonorably discharged, or in obligate someone or something powerful to
primitive armies, whipped or keelhauled. help them out (the faeries award you a minor
Employers who are powerful enough to be wish). Depending on who owes you a favor, it
Enemies can also be Friends, but usually at will usually get you out of jail with charges
one level less. dropped if you are arrested, get you released
by criminals with only a savage beating instead
Do not think you can simply grab the points for a of killing you, pay off or cancel a significant
trait and then run away from your enemies. Think debt, allow you to acquire something seriously
of how many books and movies center around illegal, or set up a meeting far beyond what
someone who thought they were safe, but who your own abilities could arrange. It is possible
ends up being chased by an agent of a distant that favors could be used to arrange the
enemy. opposite for someone you do not like. That is,
get someone else arrested, beaten, driven into
i Experience -1 debt, etc. However this would only tend to
Experience is part of your life or training that work if they were of similar or lower social
for a cost of 1 point allows you to negate up to status. Cashing in a favor as a peasant does
2 points of a particular type of penalty on an not let you get the Duke in trouble...
attribute. For instance, a knight could have
experience at fighting in heavy armor, and If a player wants their adventurer to start play
takes up to 2 points less penalty from any with something that would normally be beyond
encumbrance on their physical attribute rolls. their means or legal ability to acquire, the game-
A Sherpa’s experience at high altitude may master may let them buy it with a Favor. The
mean they take a smaller reduction on their favor is expended before the game even starts
Stamina. An experience cannot reduce a and the adventurer has the item in question. This
penalty to less than 1 point of effect. So, the obviously has limits. Your homeless crazy psychic
knight cannot reduce an encumbrance penalty does not own a corporate jet, nor does your
all the way to zero (you would not want them wealthy industrialist have a nuke hidden away
to be on an even footing with a sprinter in somewhere.
gym shorts). Similarly, you usually cannot buy
an experience that reduces damage penalties
on your actions, since part of this is structural
effects that experience will not help with (you
cannot not get exprience in fighting with a
broken arm). Any given experience can only
be bought once (the gamemaster may make
exceptions), and the player must describe how
the adventurer came to acquire it. A good way
to do this would be in a Background.

3.31
 Forte & Weakness options:
i Forte/Weakness -1A/+2A carry(Strength) Your load carrying capacity for
If you use the advanced adventurer sheet, encumbrance purposes. Also
you will see that each attribute has multiple affects your hit brackets.
aspects that you can specialize in. If you have strike(Strength) Your damage with punches or
no special strength or weakness in that aspect, melee weapons.
the value is unchanged. If you buy a Forte, throw(Strength) Your force and distance for
you get +3 on that attribute as relates to that thrown objects and weapons.
aspect, but it costs you 1A. This allows you to fight(Agility) Your manual dexterity for doing
have a significant strength in one aspect of an fine work with your hands.
attribute without having an overall high level. balance(Agility) Your overall bodily grace for
Each +3 in an attribute makes it about twice skill and dodging purposes.
as good. You would just mark ‘+3’ in that spot throw(Agility) Your hand-eye coordination for
and then show your adjusted value (if needed) throwing purposes.
in the appropriate box. cognitive(Awar.) Your ability to reason and think.
sight(Awar.) Your ability to spot things with
If you decide to take a Weakness in part of your eyes, or your primary
an attribute, you get -3 on the attribute for sense for races that use some-
figuring that aspect, but it gains you 2A. This thing other than sight.
allows you to have a significant weakness in hearing(Awar.) Your ability to hear things with
one aspect without having an overall low level. your ears, or your secondary
Each -3 in an attribute makes it about half as sense for races that use some-
good. If a weakness is readily offset by easily thing other than sight.
available technology, it is only worth 1A. A toughness(Will) Your ability to resist or shrug
common example would be a weakness on off minor injuries or bruises.
sight that is easily correctable with glasses. charm(Will) Your force of personality and
inherent ability to sway others.
This is someone Charisma often has elements of
with an overall physical attractiveness.
Awareness of 8. resistance(Will) Ability to resist temptations or
However, they are fairly smart (a Forte on their overcome emotional obstacles.
cognitive ability), but with poor vision (Weakness speed(Health) How fast you move with your
on their ability to spot things), and have normal primary means of movement.
hearing (no adjustment either way). stamina(Health) Your reserves of energy for
long-term exertion.
A Weakness can be taken more than once, but recovery(Health) How fast you can recover from
the roll for that aspect of the Attribute should sickness, injury or exhaustion.
not be less than zero. You would go to zero if Also affects your hit brackets.
you wanted to have an adventurer who was shield(Fate) In gameworlds where power is
blind or deaf (Awareness as applied to that resisted with power, your ability
aspect of perception) or unable to walk (Health to resist unwanted effects.
as applied to your Walk movement distance). power(Fate) In gameworlds with paranormal
powers, your potential for
Similarly, if it is important for game purposes, projecting power.
animals with exceptionally slow movement luck(Fate) In gameworlds allowing use of
rates may have a penalty on that aspect of luck, your ability to twist fate.
Health, without affecting their overall Health
score. The specific aspects for Attributes are:

3.32
 i Friends -1 to -4
An adventurer takes a Weakness on recovery. People who like you aside from the other
They took a bad fever as a child and it has adventurers. Friends cost a minimum of 1
affected their health ever since. They take a -3 point, and like enemies can be minor, major
on Health for determining what their recovery is. and pervasive. Friends do you favors rather
They get 2A for this, and spend the points on a than make your life miserable. Unlike your
Forte on hearing and a Forte on toughness. These enemies, your friends also expect you to do
cost 1A each. These are all separate traits, so them favors in return, appropriate to your
the weakness counts as 2 points towards the adventurer’s skills, abilities and status. An
maximum the adventurer can have (you do not adventurer can call on a Friend for help
say that because they all fall under the same whenever needed, and the adventurer can
trait heading that the net value is zero). expect to have the Friend ask for a favor on a
fairly frequent basis. Not so much as to disrupt
A Forte does not let an adventurer have an the campaign, but often enough to be an
adjusted Attribute level higher than racial inconvenience or an occasional focus for their
norms unless the gamemaster allows it. The adventures. An adventurer who does not help
maximum level of skill that you can use is the their Friends can expect that the gamemaster
effective level of the attribute governing that will eventually downgrade or even end the
skill, so if the Forte is the nature of the skill, friendship. Friends are above and beyond the
then the adjusted level is what you based the casual loyalties that come from collecting a
skill roll on. So, a Forte on your cognitive paycheck from the same employer. Friends
ability will improve all your Academic skill rolls will bend the rules for you, because they are
by +1d. friends. In game terms, friendship as a trait
trumps ideology, blood, race or nationality.
The cost of buying all three aspects of an This can put the adventurer in a difficult
attribute with a Forte is the same as buying the situation sometimes, but any trait is fair
entire attribute at +3 over its previous level, so game to use to make your adventurer’s life
there is never any reason to do this. interesting.

Animals will often have multiple levels of a i Increased/decreased hits +1/-1

Forte in the movement aspect of Health. A People can be easier or harder to kill than
horse can run far faster than a human of the normal. You can gain a point by having 1
same Health, and a cheetah even faster. fewer hit than normal for your Strength and
Similarly, birds fly very fast for their Health Health, or spend a point to have 2 more hits
and fish and marine mammals swim far faster than normal (and no, you cannot do both).
than humans. They simply have an adjusted You generally cannot do either more than
Health for movement purposes high enough to once without gamemaster permission and
match their real-world performance. the gamemaster can restrict points gained or
spent to particular types.
Superhuman Fortes
With gamemaster permission, points for powers Hard to kill
can be spent on Fortes, and Fortes bought with P If the increased hits only count for whether or not
can be stacked up to +9 effect instead of the you are dead, you get 4 hits per point spent. So,
normal +3 limit. They are points for paranormal you might suffer injury penalties just as easily,
abilities, after all. This is the simplest way to but you are harder to kill than normal. For any
have a limited super-attribute, and if you expect rule involving death, dying or optionally, crippling
to have powers that use lots of stamina, just injury, you use the increased hits total. You could
spend 3A right now for +9 stamina. also say the reverse, that the increased hits only
count for unconsciousness rather than death.

3.33
 m Looks ±1S
n Larger than life -2P/-5P All adventurers have an appearance. But not
The adventurer is somehow able to bend the many appearances are notable enough to be
normal laws of the universe. While most worth points one way or the other. Generate a
adventurers will use the ‘best three’ of their few words to describe what others see, like
die rolls, an adventurer who is larger than life “black-haired roguish-looking fellow”, or
will use the ‘best four’ or even more. Each 5P “blond, muscular valkyrie”. Normally, looks
spent on this trait increases the number of will be worth no points. If an adventurer’s
dice they can utilize by one (see Best Three). appearance is so unusual it causes a reaction
This is an extremely powerful trait, and is lim- in those around them, it would be worth ±1S.
ited strictly to gameworlds where exceptional This reaction is generally strong enough to
individuals can routinely violate the normal preclude the use of skills to affect it.
laws of nature. By this, we do not mean things
like magic or psionics, but things like skilled If you are an Orken, and the tavern has a ‘no
tasks that simply should not be possible for Orken’ policy, it does not matter how charismatic
anyone (requiring difficulties of 21 or more and glib you are, you are not going to get in.
to accomplish), or attribute rolls beyond all
reason, like reading newsprint from across the This is beyond the charm aspect of Will and
street, or hearing a pin drop a block away. is something that cannot be mundanely
The main genre that will use this trait is super- disguised. Generally, Looks is something you
heroes. Extremely skilled but otherwise human would get 1S for because of negative effects,
heroes might have one level, your four-color but if you have a Looks that can give you a
superheroes might have two, and some nearly automatic benefit, then it is something
extremely powerful beings might have three. you would pay 1S to get. This would require
The feats possible with multiple levels of this approval of the gamemaster.
trait shatter the real-world notions of what is
and is not possible. If you look exactly like the King, you would get
nearly automatic deference from anyone who
At gamemaster option, an adventurer can have knows what the King looks like. But, looking like
this trait on one attribute or one skill (rather this would require gamemaster consent, because
than all attributes and skills) for a cost of 2P it is going to have much greater campaign
per extra die they can keep. This will still give ramifications than if you looked exactly like the
an adventurer the potential to be legendary, tavern owner down the street.
like the world’s best marksman, fastest runner,
most talented wizard or luckiest man alive. Looks should be a subjective thing, but if you
Any levels of this trait are only available with need to apply in terms of a game mechanic,
gamemaster permission, and the gamemaster it is worth ±4 to difficulty as relates to the
may also set the maximum benefit allowed specific nature of the looks. If your looks is
with the trait or consider it an Advantage that ‘scruffy, nasty beggar’, then expect a +4
must be bid for. difficulty when trying to get into a nice
restaurant. If someone is a lecher, your
Note how limiting certain points to certain traits ‘blond bombshell’ looks is worth a -4 difficulty
affects things. For instance, if you wanted a to manipulate him to get what you want.
mostly normal gameworld with just a tiny
amount of exceptional bits, then simply give all Looks can also be reflected elsewhere. If your
the adventurers a maximum of 1P or 2P to looks is ‘fat’, then you might take a Weakness
exceed normal human abilities with. on Health for running speed. or stamina.

3.34
 the Hero: The Hero is in transition. He or she
m Motivation +1S is becoming something more than what they
All adventurers have a motivation. It is why ever thought they could be. The Hero is
they get involved in adventure rather than dedicating their life to something bigger than
tilling the fields or working in a cubicle some- themselves. Giving birth is a heroic act in this
where. It could be simple. A secret agent’s context. The Hero does not have to be a big
Motivation might be ‘patriotism’. It could be hulking man. The widow who leads her family
complex. A warrior’s Motivation might be to across the country by covered wagon is as
‘overthrow the despot whose soldiers pillaged much a Hero as any dragonslayer. The Hero
his farm and killed his parents’. Normally a is the undisputed leader of the adventurers,
motivation is worth no points, but one which is so any group can only have one Hero. Any
sufficiently interesting to the gamemaster is adventurer who does not like it can leave and
worth 1S because it makes it easier for them not come back. This does not mean the Hero
to design adventures, and an added bonus is can order the other adventurers around, but it
that this 1S does not count towards the does mean that when the Hero has made up
maximum number of points allowed in traits. their mind, that’s the way things are going to
A motivation compelling enough to be worth be, for right or wrong, and everyone else in
points is one that the adventurer will not the group has to accept it.
waver from. It is part of what makes them
who they are. The patriotic secret agent will The Hero is required to have the best Strength
never betray his country, the warrior seeking or Agility roll of all the adventurers, superior
to overthrow the despot will never turn down by at least 1d to anyone else (this can be due
a chance for revenge. to a Forte). Whichever of these Attributes is
not the best must be at least as good as the
n Mythic Archetype special second best in the group. If most conflict uses
This is not a Trait for one adventurer, it is a other Attributes, the gamemaster can use
set of Traits for an entire group of at least them instead, keeping in mind the Hero is
heroic level adventurers. Each adventurer supposed to be the best in the group in terms
becomes an archetype common to stories and of combat or conflict. Leadership skill would be
adventures dating as far back as we have a suitable substitute for a combat skill in most
recorded legends. These roles will have some cases. The Hero must be adult or physical
limitations, but also some unique benefits. But, prime for Age (normal point gains or losses),
a group of players has to play the archetypes and must purchase at least two conflict-
as a whole, each player taking on one of the appropriate skills at +2d or more. No other
traditional roles. If even a single player decides adventurer can begin play with a higher total
not to join in, then no one can have any part skill roll in that field of endeavor than the Hero
of the package. You do not have to have (a ‘field of endeavor’ is something like ‘melee
enough players for all the archetypes, and you combat’). The Hero also has to take +4 effect
can have more players than the number of in each of two different ‘heroic’ Personality
archetypes, since some of the roles can have traits (normal points). These will vary with the
more than one player in that role. A group type of Hero and genre, and approved (or are
may also have more archetypes than there are mandated) by the gamemaster. Because of
players, players taking turns with the extra these requirements, a Hero must be designed
adventurer. The archetypes are: first, and other players must design their
adventurers around the results. In game
terms, the Hero is someone who is already the
Hero, not the new guy yet to become one.

3.35
 The Mentor gets certain intangibles for this
What the Hero gets for meeting all these role. While the Hero has status, everyone
requirements is the ability to be heroic. The except the Rogue recognizes that the Mentor
Hero can use their Fate in the normal way for is the wise one. The cynical Rogue just thinks
‘luck’, but can also use it to be ‘Larger than the Mentor is a crazy old coot. The Mentor
Life’, just as if they had that trait. This is knows the way to the Truth. Instead of using
treated just like a luck roll, except instead of it for a die bonus, the Mentor can make a
getting an extra 1d to roll, they get to use luck roll to ‘get a clue’. If the situation seems
‘best four’ instead of ‘best three’. If the Hero unresolvable, the Mentor can get an idea of
already has ‘Larger than Life’, the ability is some physical, emotional or other direction to
cumulative, but the ability cannot be used head in order to find a solution. That is, the
more than once on any given die roll. In gamemaster secretly gives them a hint. It may
addition, the Hero automatically gets +1 level not be the solution or the best solution, but it
of limited Status for free. When adventurers will be a solution.
enter a room, people will automatically know
the Hero is someone to be reckoned with. Trapped in an enemy stronghold, adventurers
don’t know which direction to go in order to
Neo is the Hero of The Matrix, but does not really escape. The Mentor doesn’t know either, but the
qualify in game terms until late in the movie. player successfully makes a ‘luck’ roll and the
gamemaster has to give a suggestion that will
It might seem easy to be the Hero, but the help them figure the way out. Note again that
role can be quite constraining. the gamemaster does not point the way out,
they just point to a way in which adventurers
the Mentor: Gives a Hero an emotional center can figure their own way out.
to work from. The Mentor does not show the
truth, they show the way to the truth. The The Mentor can also be a martyr. In a hopeless
Mentor could be the elderly sword master, the situation, the Mentor can call on reserves that
kindly but gruff old magician, a tribal shaman, even they were unaware of. If they choose
the grandfather who raised you after your this path, they gain the ‘Larger than Life’ trait
parents died, or maybe even an old Hero on a luck roll, just like the Hero. However, if
whose time of fame and glory has long since the Mentor fails any of these luck rolls, the
passed. There is only one Mentor in a group. consequences are fatal. That last action counts
as if the roll it was used on was successful, and
The Mentor is required to be old. Their Age while the action performed might be key to the
must be elderly or extremely elderly (normal survival or success of the other adventurers,
level gains or losses). The Mentor’s Strength the Mentor suffers mortal injury or death as a
or Agility must be second only to the Hero if result. If by some stroke of mercy or luck the
possible, and if not, must be the maximum for Mentor is kept alive, they will permanently lose
their age, though this can be reached with a three points of Fate.
Forte appropriate to the skills they are best
suited for mentoring. The Mentor is supposed Obi-wan Kenobi is clearly the Mentor in Star Wars.
to be wise and skilled. Their cognitive
Awareness must be the highest in the group If any Mythic Archetype is going to be a non-
by at least 1d. The Mentor must also pay for player extra, it should be a Mentor, especially
some type of ancient wisdom, philosophy or for new groups that need some hints and help.
general inscrutability skill of at least +2d, and Traditionally, it is the Mentor who ends up
pay for two combat or conflict skills at the dying heroically to allow the Hero a chance at
maximum allowed for their physical abilities. the ultimate victory. Just ask Obi-wan...

3.36
 the Companion: A Companion is the Hero’s
the Rogue: The Rogue is flawed and proud of true friend, sounding board and absolute
it. The Rogue is the Hero without a cause, the confidant. The Companion will always be just
Mentor in the making, the Companion who still one step away from the eternal glory and fame
looks out for himself. There can easily be more that will hopefully accrue to the Hero, but is
than one Rogue in a group, though there is no never jealous or envious because of it. A group
guarantee they will get along with each other. can have more than one Companion, but it is
not recommended.
The Rogue defies social convention and may
be an outcast. They have a level of negative The Companion is required to be competent. If
limited Status to reflect this (they get normal possible, they can have no Attribute at a level
points for this), and also at least a pervasive of less than two points below the average for
minor Enemy (they also get points for this). the power of the campaign (see page 3.4),
The Rogue must have all Attributes within and must divide at least three-quarter (round
three points of each other, and purchase at down) of their total skill points on four skills
least +1d in four separate skills which are useful in an adventuring sense. This makes
either outright illegal or frowned upon in the them flexible and talented, but the point cost
region of the campaign. The Rogue also has of the required skills makes it more difficult for
+2 or +4 effect in the Personality trait them to purchase high levels in anything other
‘cynical’ (they get normal points for this). The than these four skills.
Rogue thinks the worst of any motivation,
person, or situation, since they always see The Companion gets the Forte in Will for
others as they see themselves. ‘Resist’ at no cost. This is +3 to Will when
trying to avoid or withstand any situation
The Rogue has a heart of gold, though they where they would be forced to betray the Hero
seldom show it. While they may perform any or anyone else they care about. But, the Hero
number of anti-social acts, inside they are a trusts the Companion implicitly. So, if the
decent person who doesn’t show it very often Companion is somehow subverted, the Hero
for fear of being taken advantage of. Any time will never suspect it. The Companion also has
the Rogue makes a luck roll in a situation the ability to ‘loan’ their skill. For any skill
where they go against their cynical judgement which the Hero and Companion share, the
and ‘do the right thing’, they get +2d instead Companion may ‘loan’ +1d of skill to the Hero
of +1d on a successful roll. Normal use of luck in any cooperative endeavor (the Companion’s
gives the normal +1d. Note that ‘doing the roll is reduced by 1d while this is happening).
right thing’ is never easy for the Rogue, and The Hero and the Companion work so well
certainly not automatic. There must be times together that the Companion can anticipate
where they let bad things happen when it was the Hero’s needs and work to increase the
within their power to stop them, but they will Hero’s chance of success.
never admit feeling guilty about it, even if
inside they are ashamed at their inaction. Samwise is the Companion in Lord of the Rings.
Robin is the Companion of Batman.
Captain Jack Sparrow is the Rogue in Pirates of the
Caribbean. The Companion is tough to play because the
Hero is always the one to get the glory.
The Rogue is the easiest archetype to play, Companions may someday move on and
since it is close to the way most adventurers become a Hero in their own right, but not for
are designed and played to begin with. several years.

3.37
 i Neat Trick -1
the Goddess: The creative force personified. This is a very specific skilled task that you can
She transforms those she touches, protects do, that combines two actions into one, letting
those she loves, is ruthless to any who would you do them both as a single major or minor
harm those in her care. While the Mentor has action, as appropriate. Obviously, you need to
insight into the esoterica of their field, the be able to do both things as skilled tasks, and
Goddess has practical know-how. Alone among each one of them rolls separately for success if
the archetypes, the Goddess must be a female needed, but they happen at the same time in
adventurer and there is only one Goddess in a terms of combat sequencing. However, the
group. price you pay for doing them both as one
action is that both of them take a penalty on
The two highest total skill rolls for the Goddess your skill roll equal to what the second action
must be in skills that can be used for nurturing would take had you sequenced them normally.
or healing. This is also the general nature of
her personality, though she can be formidable Your samurai’s neat trick is the ‘scabbard fling’.
in combat if wronged. When you draw your katana, you simultaneously
use the drawing motion to fling the scabbard off
In ambiguous cases like magic or skills with your katana at your opponent (drawing a weapon
several uses, interpret this requirement through and making an attack are both ‘major actions’).
the intent of this archetype. If this was your first action in a turn, then both
the attempt to draw the katana and the flinging
For taking these limits, once per adventure of the scabbard would happen on your Initiative,
the Goddess can be ‘Larger than Life’ in a but both would be at a -3 penalty off your skill
nurturing, healing or growth-related task, even roll, just as if each was your second major action
if that task takes a while. This may require for the turn.
extensive preparation or exotic materials, but
it is an ability outside the bounds of normal Other neat tricks might be things like drawing
medicine, science or magic (so it would not be two guns or blades at once, firing two guns or
subject to things like the technology limits on throwing two knives at once, shooting two
the use of Medicine skill). In addition, once arrows at the same time, drawing and firing as
per adventure she can be the ‘Vengeful a single action, or running and attacking as a
Goddess’, and be ‘Larger than Life’ for one full single action. All of these are things you know
turn’s worth of combat skills or tasks. how to do individually, but which you have
spent extra time training so that you can do
Hermione Granger is the Goddess in the Harry both of them at once.
Potter movies.
Neat tricks can be combined, with a -3 penalty
Despite its few limits, the Goddess is not an for each extra one. So, you could have ‘draw
easy role to play, but those who choose it can two guns’ and ‘draw and fire’ go off at the
often do it well. It is an understated role that same time so you could draw two guns and
is often of great importance. shoot both as one action, if you were willing to
take a -6 penalty on each task with each gun.
Neat tricks can be powerful advantages in
combat, so to prevent abuse, the gamemaster
can say that an adventurer cannot have more
than a tenth of their S (round nearest) in neat
tricks. That will limit most adventurers to one
or two of them, with the potential to develop
more as they gain experience.
3.38
 Budgeting for an organization is represented
n Organization -varies by your Wealth (specifically, their wages are
If an adventurer has Status, they are probably paid from your money). Even though there is
part of some larger group and have a formal usually a personal loyalty involved above and
or informal role in that group that gives them beyond the paycheck, they will quit if you do
some status and authority. However, they do not pay them. Each point spent on the trait for
not ‘own’ that group. A general or president loyalty gives you the effect of a level of Status
or even a king has rules or organizational for the organization (up to +4). You should
guidelines they have to follow or at least pay automatically win contests of status in the
lip service to. However, an adventurer who has organization, since you are at the top. Second,
paid for an ‘organization’ is the top dog of a your levels of effective status grant the usual
group for which the adventurer calls all the modifiers on difficulty, if your underlings are
shots and makes all the rules. It is like very loyal to you.
limited Status, with the adventurer at the top.
The levels spent on the organization define its If you had two effective levels of Status, anyone
size and competence. trying to turn the loyalty of one of your underlings
would be at +4 difficulty (+2 per level of Status).
The default (cost of 1 point) gets you +2 in
quantity level of subordinates (that’s two of A group of adventurers can pool points for a
them) at a competence of ‘low normal’ (using support organization. One of the adventurers
the campaign starting levels on page 3.4). will have to spend more than the rest and be
Then modify this as follows: ‘in charge’, and other adventurers have status
in the organization proportional to their points.
organization cost
+1 competence grade (not ≥ you) ±1 This trait is not for you to make globe-spanning
±1 level of people(use quantity scale) ±1 empires. After all, it would take a ‘heroic’ leader
±2 loyalty (up to ±4) ±1 12 points just to have a hundred or so Normal
followers. The trait is meant to allow adventurers
There is an assumed Friendship between you (or some foes) to create small, close-knit groups
and members of your organization (this does of assistants, agents or trusted support personnel
not cost points, it just represents organization with skills you need but do not personally have.
loyalty). If they are just in it for the paycheck For instance, the doctor who will treat your
and you treat them as disposable assets, the gunshot wounds without reporting them to the
organization costs less. Organizations always police, the mechanic who will install an oil slick
cost a minimum of 1 point. on your car, or a hacker who will do searches of
secret databases for you. It gives them a reason
If the adventurers start at a ‘heroic’ level, you to design interesting extras, and it gives them
could create an organization with eight ‘low normal’ minor adventurers to play when the nature of the
members loyal to you for a cost of 5 points (+1 adventure has people doing things in widely
for two ‘low normal’ level people, +4 to make it separated places at the same time. This way you
eight people). You could subdivide this and say it can keep the adventurers together and have the
is one ‘normal’ lieutenant and four ‘low normal’ underlings working together somewhere else.
regular followers.
If a heroic person put half their maximum point
An organization could be a business, criminal total (about 33 points) into having Normal
gang, cult or subgroup of a larger organization followers, they could have 175,000 people in
that has a personal loyalty to you. People in their organization. If you pay them 10 Credits an
your organization are generally willing to do hour, your weekly payroll is 70 million Credits!
anything you would personally do.
3.39
 m Personality +varies
i Permits -1S This is any learned or acquired behavior. It is
Once society gets to a certain level of central worth 1 point per +2 difficulty it adjusts your
government, some things are only permitted rolls. Anyone who is generally considered ‘well-
to those who have the sanction of a higher adjusted’ can have a maximum of +4 difficulty
power. The simplest modern example would be per situation, but you can have more than one
a permit to own or carry a firearm. In effect, a situation happen at the same time (locked in a
permit is a way for someone to get away with tiny box full of spiders...).
doing something that is illegal for everyone
else. Permits need to be designed by the There are no ‘neutral’ personality traits. If they
gamemaster, are entirely subjective and quite do not have a way to affect a dice roll, they
often are geographically limited. For instance, are worth no points. Generally, the more
a permit involving firearms in the United interesting personalities are the ones that are
States is far broader than a permit involving constraining or which compel an adventurer.
firearms anywhere else. The four things to
remember when creating a permit are: When the adventurer is confronted with any
situation that matches the trait, they either
• a permit has preconditions and a limited duration. adjust the difficulty of what they are doing, or
Do not expect to get a concealed weapon permit offset penalties as appropriate (that’s different
if you are an ex-felon. from getting a bonus!). They also make it a
• a permit has limits. A permit for a weapon will priority in their lives to avoid the bad and
not let you carry it onto an airliner, but it might enhance the good.
let you check it into secured baggage.
• a permit is not needed for something that is a For instance, a ‘racist(2)’ might be at +2
requirement of your job. Soldiers do not need difficulty when using any social skills with a
permits to carry guns while soldiering. member of the race they didn’t like, making it
• ‘Native culture’ permits generally do not cost difficult to gain acceptance or cooperation. A
points and only require a qualifying skill roll. A ‘claustrophobe(4)’ would be at +4 difficulty if
driver’s license does not normally cost 1S. doing things in a confined space, and would
avoid such spaces if possible. A ‘cynic(2)’
While we are using weapons permits as an would have +2 difficulty on ‘people’ skills,
examples, things like a security clearance, matters of trust or judging motivations. On
commercial pilot license or a license to practice the other hand, an ‘acrophile(4)’ loves heights.
medicine could also be permits. In general, if a They negate penalties normal people take
player pays for a permit, the permit is usually for vertigo, are comfortable in high places,
good until the adventurer does something that and probably spend a lot of time climbing,
would cause it to be rescinded. Remember that parachuting, bungee-jumping and so on.
a cost of 1S is a significant investment for a
permit, so players will not use this trait Personalities can be used indirectly to modify
unless the perceived benefits are worth it. skills. If you are known to be a heavy drinker,
someone might be able to find you by keeping
Permits can be a way for the gamemaster to an eye on bars or pubs. If you are obsessive-
direct the actions of adventurers, something to compulsive, someone might be able to pick you
try to acquire, or something to deal with if you out of a crowd by looking for tell-tale behaviors.
are unable to acquire it. If you do not have a Each 2 point shift from Personality is worth a -1
driving permit and drive anyway, your response to the difficulty of an indirect task involving you,
to a police checkpoint will be different than it if the person making the roll can properly utilize
would be if you had a permit in good standing. their knowledge of how you think and act.

3.40
 i Status ±varies
Cultural personalities An adventurer’s default status is average for
Cultures may have global personality traits, which the game world, typically the equivalent of a
the gamemaster has to create. Anyone who does middle-class citizen in terms of their rights,
not ‘conform to the norm’ will take a penalty in duties and privileges. There will usually be
interacting with ‘normal’ people. It costs an one level of global Status below this, and four
adventurer points to not have that personality. If global levels above it. Status can come from
everyone believes in gods, it costs an adventurer an accident of birth (your father is the King),
to be an atheist. In addition, most people are some sort of accomplishment (you won a
assumed to have ‘self-preservation(10)’, which is Nobel Prize) or be a side effect of the way you
important against coercive paranormal powers or are employed (you have military rank).
credible threats of “your money or your life”.
Before we get into how you buy status, let’s
i Secret +1 to +4 talk about what it does in a gameworld. Status
There is something about the adventurer that is always relative, between you and who you
you do not want the rest of the world to know are dealing with. When you are rolling dice
about. Trivial secrets are worth 1 point, minor against a fixed difficulty, each level of Status
secrets are worth 2 points and major secrets you have that is more than the person you are
are worth 4 points. A Secret must be worth dealing with gives you a -2 to the difficulty of
the points you get. To put it in perspective, if the task. You can intimidate better, bargain
the secret is widely revealed (and thus is no better and so on (“How dare you demean the
longer secret), the adventurer must take on Duke by trying to haggle with him!”) Similarly,
another trait to reflect this revelation and its if you are at a status disadvantage, such tasks
side effects. For instance, a major secret is are +2 difficulty per level of Status difference
the same amount of points as a major enemy. (“The offer is most generous, your Lordship.”).
The penalties if a secret is revealed encourage
the adventurer to protect the secret. A player In contests of status, whoever has the most
can suggest a secret, but the gamemaster wins. No dice rolling is required. If a Senator
ultimately decides what it is worth in points. and a nobody show up at a hotel and there is
only one suite left, the Senator gets it... In
Secrets are subjective from culture to culture. case of ties, the sphere of influence for the
Being a pagan in 17th century Salem is a bigger status contest usually decides the winner, and
deal than being a pagan now. Remember that in Wealth decides other ties. The ‘highest status
some cases you cannot get rid of the problems a wins’ is especially applicable in cases of limited
revealed Secret causes without fundamentally or very limited Status. If the Major gives a
changing who you are. If you belong to a fringe Lieutenant an order, the Lieutenant does not
religion in a militant monotheistic culture and get into a status challenge with the Major. He
people find out about it, you are not going to says “yes, sir!” and follows the order. You do
change social attitudes with your experience not backtalk those who have more of your
points. To get rid of any stigma, you will have to type of status, because they win, every time.
change to match the culture, because the culture
will not change to tolerate your beliefs. This can Status can also be a threshold. If you do not
have its own side effects. For instance, if your have a certain amount, there are things you
Friends were associated with your Secret, and just cannot do. If you have the low status of
you change your beliefs, you might be forced by the ‘underclass’, you may be excluded from
societal pressure to no longer associate with certain clubs, businesses or professions, no
them. The cost of having the secret revealed is matter how wealthy or charming you might
losing your friends. be. Institutionalized racism could be negative
Status, negative Looks, or both.
3.41
 The following table gives you a rough idea of
Note that there are some cases where a lesser how different types of Status compare to each
form of Status can trump a superior form. The other. Remember that each lesser type of
police can arrest a senator. That is because Status is only worth half as much outside its
this is not really a contest of status. The police sphere of influence (round the total down).
are merely acting as an agent of an authority
that is above both of them, and personal A famous celebrity (global Status of +1) has the
status is not an issue. If the law does make same influence among the general public as a
exceptions for certain forms of status, that’s police commissioner (very limited Status of +4),
another matter. No one arrests the President... since the commissioner’s very limited Status is
halved twice to determine its global rating. In a
To be useful, Status has to be known about. If place where celebrities shop or dine or vacation,
you are the King in disguise, do not expect to the celebrity gets more respect. In any sort of
be treated like the King but still stay disguised. police context, the commissioner gets far more
respect.
Status comes in three flavors: global, limited
and very limited. Global status is just that. status equivalent global limited v.limited
Everyone (within communication of where it king/president 4 - -
originates) recognizes it at full value. “Yes, Mr. prince/prime minister 3 - -
President. Of course, Mr. President.” duke/senator 2 - -
high government 2 - -
Limited status only operates at full value within business magnate 2 - -
a profession, caste, region or fairly well-known ambassador 1 - -
subset of society. Military rank, or a status famous celebrity 1 - -
derived from ludicrous wealth would be an 4-star general - 4 -
example. Limited status only counts as half its general - 3 -
level if using it as global status. A general colonel - 2 -
might have four levels of limited status, but a captain - 1 1
Prime Minister with three levels of global status lieutenant - 1 -
has more mojo when it comes to anything police commissioner - - 4
outside of the military. police detective - - 2
policeman - - 1
Very limited status is local or particular to a skilled tradesman - - 1
narrow profession or group of professions. senior professor - - 3
Police have very limited status. Members of professor - - 2
prestigious academic organizations have very graduate student - - 1
limited status. Very limited status is quartered prominent doctor - 2 -
if trying to count it as global status. doctor - 1 -
pope - 6 -
Each level of global Status costs 3 points, each cardinal - 5 -
level of limited Status costs 2 points, and each bishop - 4 -
level of very limited Status costs 1 point. crimelord - 4 -
Negative Status gives points instead of costing
them. As a matter of game balance, starting If you need finer gradation than this, you can
adventurers should not have more than ±3 add types together. Intermediate military ranks
points spent or gained on Status, and no more might be levels of limited and very limited
than ±1 level in global Status. Note that Status (see the captain as an example).
certain sorts of Looks (like race) can be tied
to Status.
3.42
 i Unusual Background -1
In the case of underlings confronted with This is a catch-all trait that the gamemaster
multiple status problems above their level, the can ask players to take for an adventurer
usual and smart response is to pass the buck that has some ability or characteristic that is
upwards to someone in their own status unusual for the gameworld, the type of
structure who can deal with the problem on adventurer, or both. It costs 1 point. It is
a more equal basis. basically a surcharge to get an ability that
others cannot. An unusual background is also
Some forms of status can be required for certain worth a -2 adjustment to difficulty in social
adventurer backgrounds in a gameworld. For situations where the unusual background is
instance, in a Victorian Era gameworld like relevant.
Verne, racism and sexism would have non-
whites and women as an oppressed underclass In a ‘monster hunter’ campaign, a player wants
that have permanent negative levels of Status. an adventurer who has werewolf blood in his
This would not prevent them from gaining the family’s past so they can justify the trait of
benefits of other types of status, just that in an Increased hits. The gamemaster says that the
equal match, they would always lose. A famous adventurer must have an Unusual Background.
female scientist would lose in matters of status The player takes a minor Secret of his ‘family
to an equally famous man, or an Indian prince past’ for 2 points, enough to pay for both the
would take second place to a British Duke. Unusual Background and +2 hits (the Secret is
Inherent status and wealth limits on certain that in ‘monster hunter’ campaign, some of his
groups of the population is a powerful tool for relatives are ‘monsters’). In addition to the traits
shaping how players interact with the gameworld. bought, the Unusual Background gives him a
subliminal scent that makes most werecreatures
Remember that if status conveys real power, in human form more accepting of him. He is not
then it usually carries real responsibility. A part of the ‘us werecreatures’ group, but he is
policeman’s status comes with privileges and also not part of the ‘them humans’ group.
Permit equivalents (like being able to carry a
firearm) but also comes with responsibilities The obvious way to pay for your adventurer’s
that involve risking your life (like catching unusual background is to detail it sufficiently in
criminals). While a status difference is usually a regular Background.
worth a change in the difficulty of social or
legal dealings, it is only to the extent that
society allows.

The gamemaster should be wary of letting

adventurers start with any status that puts a
crimp on adventure possibilities. After all, if you
start play as someone with an active military
rank, you cannot just pack up and go on an
adventure any time you want, unless the
campaign setup allows for the soldier to be an
official watcher, guard or liaison for another
adventurer or an organization that the rest of
the adventurers work for. If status is tied to
a job, then that job needs to be compatible with
the sort of adventures you expect to run. After
all, if you lose the job, you lose the Status.

3.43
 STARTING GOODS
m Wealth/Poverty ±varies Money is notoriously number-
Adventurers will have a starting lifestyle and intensive in most role-playing games.
savings level based on their skills and the Keeping track of what you have saved
gameworld. You can adjust both of these up, what you are spending and how much you
amounts. Spending 1 point gets you +2 on are making is important, but not to the level of
your starting lifestyle or +4 on savings, and keeping track of every last credit. EABA tries
you gain 1 point if you take a -2 on lifestyle or to push this to the back by using a less finicky
-4 on savings. You can do this more than once scale for keeping track of things. Adventurers
with gamemaster permission, and you can will have three ratings related to money:
increase one and decrease the other. The
player needs to explain why any numbers are
different than the norm, noting that increased
savings levels can possibly be turned into
investments that generate income on their lifestyle: This is a rating that represents the
own (i.e. a high savings level could actually level of expenditure you can maintain on a
become a trust fund or inheritance). steady basis if you have steady work. It is
allows for some non-essentials proportionate
How this altered wealth works within the game to your income, but more than this will dip into
depends on the adventurer’s background. They your savings. Lifestyle is EABA’s way to say
might have a job that is in exceptionally high ‘you do not need to keep track of money
demand (wealth), or maybe a checkered past unless you overdo it.’ Your lifestyle rating is
has caused them to be blacklisted (poverty). essentially one-quarter of your total income.

If you have decent skills for income and a few savings: This is a rating that represents your
years experience, your default lifestyle will be cash reserves. Spend beyond your lifestyle and
lower middle class, around -5. You would want you get marks against it. Too many marks and
+0 on your lifestyle to be upper class, or +6 to you lose a level. Get a windfall and you get
be worth a million Credits a year. This gives you marks towards gaining a level. If unemployed,
a quick guide to how many points you may want expenses normally covered by your lifestyle
to put towards Wealth. instead come out of savings. You can have
a high lifestyle and low savings, a high savings
In some gameworlds, wealth is inextrictably but low lifestyle or anything in between.
tied to Status (and possibly Organization),
and you cannot have one and not have the investments: This is things like stocks, trust
other. In these cases, the gamemaster will funds, and so on. It is similar to lifestyle, but
determine the relationship between the two you get it even if you are not working. But,
and all use of these traits must follow those you cannot overspend it as easily as lifestyle.
guidelines. You get a certain amount per unit of time and
that is it. The advantage is that you always get
A gameworld is a fantasy setting, and the it (within the limits of money delivery in the
gamemaster says you cannot have a title of gameworld), and things you buy with it do not
nobility without sufficient lands and retainers to count towards lifestyle expenditures.
defend it, nor can you be something like a
wealthy merchant without acquiring some Honestly, if you are just starting out, you can
inherent status to show your increased influence probably just skip this for the first couple game
with your peers. sessions. Just grab some reasonable gear or have
the gamemaster assign you some and come back
to this later.

3.44
 Savings is based on your lifestyle rating, with
At the start of play you have a lifestyle of the modifiers for your age (the length of time you
full dice of your best income-generating skill, have had to accumulate it) and Will (the more
minus 10. If you do not have an income- self-control you have, the more you are able to
generating skill, use the full dice of your best set aside). Savings is your lifestyle level plus
Attribute roll and assume the skill is in low 12, adjusted as below. You can have a savings
demand (you will be poor). Adjust as follows: level of +0, meaning you have no savings at
all and are living paycheck to paycheck.
adjustment lifestyle
applicable complementary skill +1 adjustment savings
skill is in high demand +1 Will of 3-4 -2
skill is in low demand -1 Will of 5-6 -1
each level of wealth/poverty applied ±2 Will of 7-8 +0
less than 1 year at job -1 Will of 9-10 +1
1-4 years at job +0 Will of 11+ +2
5-15 years at job +1 adult (16-20) -1
16+ years at job +2 physical prime(21-25) +0
mature (26-40) +2
A craftsman with a skill roll of 5d+0 and twelve middle-aged(41-60) +3
years experience would have a lifestyle level of -4. elderly(61-80) +4
A level of -4 is not bad, it just approximates your extremely elderly(81+) +3
weekly disposable income on the cost column of each level wealth applied to savings +2
the Universal Chart. Your approximate weekly pay each level of poverty applied to savings -2
is about your lifestyle level plus 4 and your hourly
wage is about your lifestyle level minus 7. So our The craftsman from the previous example is
craftsman has an actual weekly pay of about probably in the ‘mature’ age range. If they had a
1,000 Credits (≈50KCr per year) and makes the Will of 8, then their savings level would be +10
equivalent of 25 Credits an hour. (lifestyle of -4, plus 2 for age, +12 to get savings
level). They would mark off all but ten savings
In terms of conventional income brackets, circles.
lifestyle levels in modern terms would be:
The way savings works is that spending from
lifestyle class equivalent yearly income savings marks X’s in one or more circles, and
-12 homeless ≈3KCr adding to savings erases X’s. If savings is all
-9 poverty ≈8KCr marked in X’s and you spend more, savings
-6 lower class ≈23KCr level goes down and you erase the X’s. If it
-3 middle class ≈65KCr has no X’s and you add to it, savings level
+0 upper class ≈175KCr goes up and you fill it with X’s.
+3 ≈500KCr
+6 ≈1MCr If our craftsman had a savings of +10, then
+9 ≈4MCr spending 10 marks against savings drops their
+12 elite >10MCr savings level to +9, or adding 10 marks towards
savings increases it to +11.
As an aside, an adventurer can support more
than just themselves. One extra person is a -1 As a lump sum, a savings of +3 is worth a total
on your lifestyle rating, and an extra -1 each of your lifestyle+3, savings of +6 is worth life-
time this is doubled. An extra person of the same style+7, savings of +9 (a year’s worth of saving
income in the same household is +1 to the over- money) is worth lifestyle+9, and savings of +14
all household lifestyle. is worth lifestyle+11.

3.45
 Loans
At the start of play, your savings rating is the The abstract savings system works for moderate
cash supply to buy everything of significant income and average expenses. Huge windfalls or
value that you own. You will certainly be big expenses in play usually require separate
making marks against this value to acquire accounting. Very few people buy a house or even
your starting ‘stuff’. a new car with their normal cash on hand.

Investment income starts with no value. You Whether or not loans are done in a gameworld or
have no investment income unless you buy it, are worth the trouble are up to the gamemaster.
and you buy it by reducing your starting The easiest way to do a loan is to say that the
savings level. Some of the money you have adventurer gets the money to buy an item or pay
set aside has been put into income-generating a debt without using savings marks. This would
investments rather than things like a car or be a short, medium or long-term loan. For a
computer or gun or armor. short-term loan (2 years), the weekly lifestyle
cost of repayment is the cash level of the loan
If you lose a level of savings (marks equal to minus 13. For a medium-term loan (6 years) it
its full level), you can get a passive income of would be the level minus 15. For a long-term
your savings level before the loss, minus 24. loan (20 years) it would be the level minus 17.
Each extra level of savings you lose increases Adventurers can start play in debt if the game-
the result by 1. Passive income amounts of master allows, and this can actually be part of
less than -12 are generally not allowed. their motivation (having a bank or a loan shark
as an Enemy, for instance). Legitimate lenders
If our craftsman had some investments, the will not usually loan to you if the weekly cost is
minimum amount would drop their starting savings more than your lifestyle (which would equate to
from +10 to +9, and would give them a passive about one-quarter of your total income).
income of -14, which is too low to be worth
noticing. If they chose to drop their starting savings Paying off the loan is simply a matter of applying
down to +7, then their passive income would rise the payments as a continual drain on lifestyle. If
from -14 to -12, which is barely on the table. you miss payments, you might have to pay more
on the next payment. Miss too many payments
For reference, your investment income is and the repo guy or the loan shark’s goons come
approximately one week of interest on the calling. If you come into a chunk of cash, you can
value invested at a five percent yearly rate of always pay it off at a cost of the remaining debt
return. level plus 1.

Investment income can usually be turned back If our craftsman with a lifestyle of -4 needed a
into savings with some delay, and an overall lot of money, they could get a loan with a weekly
penalty. You get a number of check marks lifestyle cost of no more than -4. An 23,000
towards increasing savings equal to your Credit (cost level of +9) short-term loan would
investment income level plus 22. be a weekly lifestyle cost of -4. A 45,000 Credit
(cost level of +11) medium-term loan or 90,000
If our craftsman really needed some cash and had Credit (cost level of +13) long-term loan would
a investment income level of -12, they could get 10 also have this weekly lifestyle drain. If they
marks towards increasing their savings level (their gradually paid off half of a 23,000 Credit loan,
investment income plus 22) and then drop the this would leave a balance of 11,500 Credits or a
investment income to -13, pretty much disposing cost level of +7. Paying off this remainder as a
of the investments. lump sum would be a cost level of +8.

3.46
 Any item whose cost is equal or less than your
Buying stuff lifestyle, and is legal to own, and for which you
In play, it is fairly simple. You simply keep have at least a +0d skill, status or other trait
track of the most expensive things you spend appropriate to, you are assumed to have.
money on each week.
Say you have a starting lifestyle of -4 and starting
weekly expense savings of +10. Each savings box for you is about
most expensive item its level 250 Credits). You want to have a a used car (11
each doubling of that cost +2 savings marks), a decent computer (4 savings
each item within 1 or 2 cost levels +1 marks) an apartment (free if within your lifestyle)
and all the furnishings and clothing that go with it
If you bought something with a cost level of -4 (we will say 4 savings marks). These items cost
and two things with a cost level of -5, then your you a total of 19 marks against your savings. Ten
expenses for the week had a cost level of -3. marks drops your savings to +9, nine more marks
drops your savings to +8, so your remaining
Items less costly than this do not count, as savings is +8 with no marks on it. But, you do own
long as they are in moderation. Your expenses outright all the stuff described. Since you have a
compared to your lifestyle are your expenses, starting lifestyle of -4, everything related to your
not you and all your friends’ expenses. Just skills and interests with a cost level of -4 or less
because something does not count does not (250 Credits), you are assumed to have or can
mean you can buy a thousand of them... readily get.

If the game situation is such that your total Because of the way savings works, one ‘mark’ of
spending is not at or within 2 points of your savings varies in value, but is usually about your
lifestyle, you erase an X, or if there are none lifestyle (for a lifestyle of +0, each mark would
marked off, increase your savings level. be worth about 1,000 Credits). The total number
of savings marks is something like the level
If spending is equal or less than your lifestyle squared, divided by 2, plus half the level (so a
level, you are done. You are living within your savings of +10 would have (10 x 10)/2 + 5 =
means and no bookkeeping is needed. 55 boxes worth about your lifestyle each).

If the amount is greater than your lifestyle, You will note that throughout the rules, costs
then you put an “X” in a number of savings for goods will have a price in Credits and a cost
circles equal to the difference. If you are not level. Not everyone will want to use the abstract
employed but wish to keep up appearances lifestyle and savings rules and will prefer a
appropriate to your lifestyle (like making rent straightforward cash economy, so the rules will
payments), this takes a number of savings cater to both needs.
circles each week equal to your lifestyle plus 4,
with a minimum of 1 box marked. Fancy & drab
All the basic rules for buying stuff and initial gear
starting gear: At the start of a campaign or assume a uniform cost structure. Anyone who
start of an adventurer’s career, you have to has ever compared urban and rural apartment
acquire your starting possessions. You can prices knows this is not the case. The easiest
either use the outfitting guidelines to be ways to handle this are to simply say that costs
generally equipped according to your income of goods and services are more or less than
and social station, or you can simply add up normal. Note that home prices on the outfitting
the items you want that exceed your lifestyle, are set low just to encourage adventurers to own
and take marks against your savings for the a place to live.
full value of each one.
3.47
 Outfitting
Tech-based income Players can, if they wish, go through the
Later in the rules we will bring up the concept minutia of the gear listings in the back of the
of ‘tech eras’, which have a lot to do with the rules and decide what they want to start play
amount of industrialization in a society and its with. Or, to speed things up, they can just
overall wealth. The equivalent cost for durable choose from one of the packages below and
goods is higher in times and places with less just select the handful of tech- or gameworld-
automation and where fewer labor-saving devices specific items in that package. So, you can get
are available. Less advanced societies will use the into the game a lot quicker, and can go back
same lifestyle levels, but the prices for goods will later and fill in the details. The cost for the
be greatly increased. The prices in the rules items in a package is a number of marks on
are set at about the Late Atomic Era, or the starting savings, which will probably lower its
present-day. Each fraction of a tech era below level. Other notes on cost of living are on
this is a +1 to the cost of any goods purchased, page 7.35.
with exceptions for things produced mostly with
low-skilled labor or static services (agricultural lower-class package (lifestyle of -5):
products and rents, mostly). Look at whatever appropriate clothing(2)(350Cr)
you are wearing right now. Imagine what it would weapon & armor if appropriate(2)(350Cr)
cost you if every last thread in that amount of minimal quality transport(11)(2KCr)
fabric had been hand-spun, and then those skill- or interest-related possessions(2)(350Cr)
threads hand-woven into fabric and that fabric rented lodging for lifestyle(0) or minimal home
hand-stitched into garments. The labor cost (45)(8KCr), -7 lifestyle cost for either
would make it a lot more expensive and you
would own a lot less clothing... middle-class package(lifestyle of -2):
appropriate clothing(2)(1KCr)
If the previous craftsman were for a campaign in average weapon & armor if appropriate(4)(2KCr)
the Basic Era (16th century or thereabouts), this average quality transport(40)(20KCr)
would be seven fractions of a tech era earlier. skill- or interest-related possessions(4)
They still start with a lifestyle of -4 and savings rented lodging for lifestyle(0) or average home
of +10, but most prices for goods or outfitting (100)(50KCr), -4 lifestyle cost for either
are +7 to the listed amount. For instance, a
flintlock pistol on the gear list has a cost level of upper-class package (lifestyle of +1):
-4, or 250 Credits. This would be within their appropriate clothing(4)(5.6KCr)
lifestyle, if you were using modern manufacturing good weapons & armor if appropriate(4)(5.6KCr)
methods. However, with the +7 for the low-tech good quality transport(40)(56KCr)
manufacturing methods, it is 7 points more than skill- or interest-related possessions(8)(11KCr)
their lifestyle and costs 7 boxes off savings, a professional staff(0, but lifestyle cost of +0)
major hit to your bank account. Or in cash rented lodging for lifestyle(0) or high quality
terms, it would be like a modern person making home(100)(140KCr), -1 lifestyle cost for either
an 2,800 Credit purchase. A 30 Credit pair of
jeans would be 350 Credits! This is why things If a modern adventurer had a starting lifestyle of
like a sword or armor were matters of status. If -5 and savings of +6, this would be lower class or
you were a peasant with a sword, it was simply lower middle class. The adventurer has a total of
assumed that you stole it, because there is no 21 savings boxes, so they could get all the lower-
way you could earn the money to buy it. class items (17 savings boxes) plus anything that
was related to their skills and cost -5 or less.
The gamemaster can also adjust specific This would drop a starting savings of +6 down
technologies in this way to make them more or to +3 (17 marks drops 6 to 5, 5 to 4, 4 to 3 and
less expensive to the average population. then marks two boxes off the 3).

3.48
 Finishing up
Lifestyle and to some extent savings are not so Whether you are a new or experienced player,
much about money as they are about standard by this point you probably have some ideas for
of living and what it costs to have a given level what sort of adventurer you want, and have
of it. An ancient king can have musicians from probably absorbed more of the rules of the
across the land play in his feast hall. A modern EABA system than you realize. But there is
person barely getting by on a low wage job can more to it than that.
do the same by hitting the play button on their
MP3 player. The ancient king can have servants The numbers on your adventurer sheet, and
heat water over a fire and carry it in buckets to for that matter, the entire adventurer sheet is
a tub for him to bathe in. The modern person really just a memory aid and an anti-cheating
just turns a tap. The king can have ice in his device. You cannot just make up abilities you
drinks if he had people carve it up in the winter want when you need them, nor claim to have
and store it in insulated caverns, carving off certain goodies you did not pay for nor which
chunks and making him ice cubes as needed. are an assumed part of your lifestyle or career.
The modern person just opens the freezer. This
is why there is the advanced rule for tech-based The heart of the adventurer is you. Without
cost adjustments. The things that even the least you it is just a piece of paper or pixels on a
of us in the ‘first world’ take for granted in the screen. The heart of the adventurer is also
Late Atomic Era would have taken a noble’s level someone else, that persona that you have
of income to support in the distant past, if those created. You are the one playing it, but there
things we take for granted even could be is a really good chance you have created an
duplicated. adventurer who thinks and acts in ways that
you would not. And just as you came by your
In the 14th century the richest person in all of beliefs, attitudes, traits and skills by your
England had an annual income of £12,000, which upbringing, various events, coincidences, and
depending on exchange rates would be about maybe just plain luck, so did your adventurer.
US$6,000,000 in modern terms. Someone who
was merely a baron would probably have to run We have tried to encourage this in small ways
their barony on the equivalent of US$250,000 a by giving you free points and side effects for
year. Which is not all that hard if you consider an adventurer for things like Background, but
that a common paid laborer (not a serf) had an a good adventurer is going to have a lot of
annual income of about US$1,000. detail. And you might not even know this
detail to begin with. It is perfectly acceptable
We can project into the future and think that to fill in the background of your adventurer
things horribly expensive for us may be trivial during play, as long as this does not affect the
and commonplace for them (“let’s eat lunch at history of the game. If you say that you have
that new orbital cafe I read about!”). powers because your ancestry includes some
‘monsters’, that’s cool, but kind of vague.
And that relative scale is really what money and Maybe later on you decide that your grand-
stuff are about. If you have more, you can get a mother had an affair with a werewolf, it was a
hold of better stuff. So it is not about the exact big scandal at the time and a dirty little family
value of what you have in Credits, but just a secret that no one talks about. Same basic
measure that you have more Credits than them, thing, but you have fleshed it out in a way that
and those other folks have more Credits than is more interesting and gives the gamemaster
you, and your lifestyles and level of possessions more to work with.
differ accordingly. Your lifestyle rating is a single
number that tells you how well you are living
compared to everyone else.

3.49
 Who do you know?
If you are a new player, or any player trying to No one is truly alone. Who is there in the
get a feel for a particular gameworld, read the world that you know by name and is useful or
background for that gameworld, then go memorable? Your brother who still lives in the
through the following topics and see what the mother country? The weasel at the desk of the
answers are to make the adventurer a little flophouse you live in? The flunky who screens
more real. You will benefit and so will the the supplicants to the high priest? The gate
gamemaster. guard you routinely bribe when sneaking out
of town at night?
What do you eat?
Are you a vegetarian, or do you feel vegetables Who knows you?
are only suitable for fattening up your meat Who knows you by name and thinks it worth
animals? Does the local cuisine suit your taste, remembering, even if you don’t know them?
or are you constantly complaining that you The bartender at that place where you were
cannot get any good Bogosian Ale around tossed through the front window? The loan
here? Is your stomach made of steel and your shark you finally paid off? The detective who
taste buds burned off, or can other people questioned you about some shady goings on in
see that you have a refined palate and can the warehouse district?
appreciate the finer things?
Why are you here?
What do you wear? You are in the area for some reason. It could
What is your station in life, your status and be as simple as a mundane full-time job. Are
your job, and how does this affect the way you you here for the annual faire? Is this area the
dress? Does your rough attire mean you have headquarters for your organization? Has your
to sit and wait for service while better dressed mercenary troop set up camp outside the walls
patrons are served immediately? Does your while the captain negotiates a contract?
bearskin cloak make you stand out in a crowd?
Do you routinely avoid official buildings and What do you like?
their metal detectors because you carry an Name five things that you like. Little things,
illegal concealed weapon? Does that court big things, it does not matter. Particular foods,
finery you are so fond of make you a beacon countries, people, animals, colors, whatever.
for pickpockets? Does your skintight superhero What are the things that you would tend to
costume leave too little to the imagination? care for, both emotionally and physically? Does
your warrior have an emotional attachment to
Where do you live? their sword because it is a family heirloom, or
Are you in town for the long haul, or just is it just another sword? Does your cat burglar
passing through? A new arrival, or lived here have a fondness for Ming pottery? Things like
all your life? Staying in a flophouse and paying this give the gamemaster ways to make an
by the week, or living on the ancestral family adventurer’s life (and thus the adventure)
estate? Do you have to carry everything you more interesting.
own with you because there’s no place secure
to store your things, or does your penthouse
apartment have guards and a security system?

3.50
 Durnok the Lame
What do you dislike? Durnok is our ‘start-to-finish’ adventurer
Name five things that annoy you. Little things, example, in case you need a reference of that
big things, it does not matter. What kind of depth. If not, and you are not using one of the
people just rub you the wrong way? What pre-generated adventurers that follow, then
colors or clothes would you not be caught dead you are done! Head to the next chapter,
wearing? because you will not need this one again until
you want to make another adventurer.
What do you want to do with your life?
Short and long term. Give the gamemaster background: The very first thing the player
and yourself something to go on. What are you needs to know is the background of the world
doing today? What do you plan on doing that Durnok exists in. The gamemaster
tomorrow? Next week? Next month? What are describes a world on the verge of an Industrial
your long term goals? Where do you want to Revolution, but also a world that is desperately
be a year from now? Five years from now? short of industrial metals. So short, in fact,
What do you really want to get done before that things like copper and iron are used for
you die? Does your adventurer even think that high-denomination coinage. This makes things
far ahead, or do they look no farther in the like metal armor, swords or guns playthings of
future than their next payday, next score or the wealthy (the gamemaster decides to use
next battle? modern wages and costs to keep things
simple, but says all metal-rich tech is +4 cost).
Answer (or at least think about) all of these Everyone else has to make do with creative
questions and it will improve your adventurer use of more primitive materials like wood,
immeasureably, and the gamemaster will have leather, stone and various types of glass. The
a much better idea of how to create scenarios gamemaster says there is no real magic, but
that will draw the adventurers together. there are alchemists who can make various
potions and charms whose effects are not
Keep all this in mind as you finish things up explainable by existing science. Politics is some
and dig into the background detail of whatever mish-mash of early parliamentary government
gameworld it is you are about to enter. and hereditary nobility, and varies from place
to place.

Armed with the basic outline, the player makes

Durnok a former miner turned prospector. He
hopes to someday find the lost city of Gordo
Gato, where the rocks were so rich with iron
you could taste the rust, and copper was as
common as dirt.

3.51
 The Forte on
points: The gamemaster sets a campaign sight means
base of ‘heroic’, for 40A and 15S, with the that Durnok has
possibility of getting up to a total of 15 more keen vision. Seeing things is normally his
points from various traits. The gamemaster Awareness roll, which would be 2d+1.
says that there are no points for powers for However, the Forte means that when Durnok
starting adventurers, but leaves open the has to roll to see something, he gets +3 and
possibility for later on. rolls 3d+1 instead.
Durnok is also the
attributes: Durnok buys attributes as follows: kind of guy who
wants to get rich
Strength 8 (cost 8A) quick, though he
Agility 9 (cost 9A) seems to be taking a while to do it. He is
Awareness 7 (cost 7A) drawn like a magnet to ‘the big score’, and this
Will 9 (cost 9A) lure gets in the way of his common sense. This
Health 8 (cost 8A) sort of temptation is usually a Will roll of some
Fate 4 (cost 4A) kind to resist. Durnok has a pretty good Will
roll of 3d+0, but when confronted with this
This is a total of 45A, Weakness, he only gets to roll 2d+0.
so we know right
away that Durnok is Last, Durnok is
going to need at least lame. He got
5A from traits to out of mining
make this adventurer. after a cave-in nearly killed him, leaving him
with a permanent limp. Walking movement is
based on Health, which is 2d+2, but in figuring
Durnok’s movement, the Weakness makes his
Note that the attribute levels run 4,7,8,8,9,9, Health count as only 1d+2. This means that
so there is no more than 3 points between any while a normal person with his Health would
two, as per the guidelines on page 3.5. have a walk, run and sprint of +4, +6 and +8,
his are only +3, +5 and +7.
The player writes down the costs and die rolls
for all of these on their adventurer sheet, and Durnok has two other traits. He is not a spring
uses the spot on the back of the sheet to chicken anymore. Not as spry as when he was
record the points spent so far. a young man, but not yet suffering debilitating
effects of age. He has an Age of ‘Mature’,
traits: Next, we will work on traits, since which is worth 0A and +6S, and also means
these can affect secondary characteristics like he cannot use later experience to improve his
running speed, perception rolls, and so on. Strength, Agility or Health past a level of 11.
Durnok takes a Forte on sight (costs 1A), and Durnok is also ornery (a Personality). He has
two Weaknesses, one on his walk speed and a bad temper, so any social skills he uses are a
one on his resistance to temptation (gets him fair bit harder (+4 to difficulty, for +2A). He
2A for each), each of which will affect his has +6A and +6S in traits, for a total of total
Attribute rolls in particular circumstances. of 46A and 21S. The +6S from Age does not
count towards his allowed 15 points of traits,
so he could take several more traits if he
wanted. He has spent 45A for Attributes, and
1A for traits, leaving him only the skill points.

3.52
 bookkeeping stats: Since Durnok has spent
skills: Most skills are going to be based on his points out exactly, we can figure all of his
Agility or Awareness. Remember that largest secondary statistics without worrying that
skill bonus you can get is equal to the full dice something we buy will change them.
in the Attribute that skill is based on. With an
Agility of 3d+0 and Awareness of 2d+1, the encumbrance: Since his Strength is
biggest skill bonus Durnok can get is +3d for 8, he puts the appropriate amounts
Agility skills and +2d for Awareness ones. So, in the encumbrance boxes, starting
barring specializations, this means his best with a level of +0 in the first box.
Agility skill roll can be 6d+0 and his best Durnok can carry a total weight of 13
Awareness skill roll can be 4d+1. kilograms (mass level of +0) in gear
and clothing before he starts to take
The player decides to round out Durnok with a any penalties on his physical actions.
selection of skills befitting his background,
along with some rough-and-tumble experience stamina: Since he has a Health of 8
he picked up once he started working on his and no problems that affect his
own. Durnok gets the following skills: endurance, his Stamina is 8.

agility-based skill roll cost hits: With a Strength of 8 and Health

equestrian, +0d (free skill) 3d+0 0S of 8, Durnok has 16 hits.
brawling: +1d 4d+0 2S
throwing: +0d 3d+0 1S hit brackets: If Durnok uses the
club: +0d 3d+0 1S advanced adventurer sheet, he would
crossbow: +1d 4d+0 2S have a hit bracket of a quarter his
Strength plus Health, rounding
awareness-based skill roll cost nearest, which turns out to be 4,
mining(demolitions): +2d(+3d) 5d+1 5S which is the default amount anyway.
area knowledge (local mtns): +1d 3d+1 2S
scrounging (mtn survival): +1d 3d+1 2S money: Durnok has no traits affecting
wealth and the gamemaster gives no
strength-based skill roll cost bonus or penalty for his profession.
climbing: +1d 3d+2 2S With that, Durnok’s default lifestyle is
going to be:
health-based skill roll cost
running(enhanced): +0d 1d+2 2S lifestyle modifier
carousing: +1d 3d+2 2S default -10
best skill(demolitions) +5
This has a total cost of 21S, exactly what 5-15 years at job +1
Durnok has available. Note that his Running total -4
skill gives a +1 to movement rate, which
counters out the -1 he takes from being lame. By the table on page 3.45, this makes Durnok
He can hobble along as fast as a normal middle-class by most standards. He’s not really
person, but not as fast as a normal person good at what he does, but he is good enough.
who is also a good runner. Technically, what we
did was use the Weakness plus Running skill
as a dodge to shift some points from the skill
side to the attribute side (gained 2A from the
Weakness, spent 2S on the skill).

3.53
 Tweaks
Durnok’s accumulated savings will be: Looking at Durnok at the end of the process,
we can see a little room for improvement.
savings modifier Durnok can have several more points in traits.
default +12 Durnok has no Background. This worth 1
lifestyle rating -4 point, and it does not count towards his total
Will of 5-6 (adjusted for his Weakness) -1 for traits. We could put this towards Durnok’s
mature (26-40) +2 passive income to make his old investments
total +9 pay a little better, or maybe improve one of
his attributes or skills. Durnok might also be
The player wants Durnok to start a little down avaricious enough to claim it as a Motivation.
on his luck and cash-poor, but to have done His past as we have described it could also
well enough in the past that his stake in give him Friends or Enemies.
various operations gives him some investment
income. Giving up one level of savings would and last...
give Durnok an investment income of that The gamemaster provided some weight stats
level of savings minus 24. So, with a starting for Durnok’s gear. If we use the abstract
savings of +9, he could have an investment encumbrance guide in the Gear chapter, we
income of -15. This is too low to count. If see that his heaviest item has a weight of -3,
Durnok drops his savings by 5 (down to +4) and that if he is carrying everything else, it
he could raise this passive income to -11, or is increased by 3 points (+1 each for the
about 22 Credits a week. This is not much, but crossbow, tools and leather armor), making
barely enough for to hold body and soul his total weight carried +0, putting him at
together if unemployed, and that is really all the -1 encumbrance penalty level. However, if
the player wants. he drops his tools, he would be back to no
encumbrance. If we had gone with a straight
Looking at the outfitting page, we can give kilogram measurement for encumbrance, those
Durnok a weapon and armor (non-metal), items would have total mass of 17 kilograms,
basic gear for his skills, and some appropriate which would be a mass level of +1. This would
clothing for a total of 6 marks on his savings. end up in the same encumbrance penalty
This would drop his remaining +4 of savings to bracket, for no change in game effect.
+3, plus 2 more marks, leaving him with little
ability to exceed his lifestyle and no margin The gamemaster has the player answer the
should he lose whatever job he now holds. questions on page 3.50 to flesh out Durnok.
Durnok is a meat & potatoes kind of guy. He
Durnok’s lifestyle means that he can spend up likes lots of calories, lots of salt and lots of fat.
to a cost level of -4 each week (about 250 It served him well in his mining days, and he
Credits) without dipping into his savings, and still has some muscles to feed. He tends to
if he does not spend a cost level of -6 (about wear well-worn work clothes, with some
125 Credits), then he can add a mark to his leather reinforcement here and there. He has
savings. Looking at this from an adventurer to deal with rough critters and the occasional
standpoint, it seems that Durnok is getting rough person, so he covers his innards with
back on his feet after a bit of unemployment. a padded leather cuirass, and has a rock
He has a job, but no expensive possessions hammer on one hip, a cudgel on the other
and little money in the bank. Maybe he got and a crossbow on his back (though the
burned because of a bad investment? Maybe gamemaster might make him pay a few more
he got blacklisted and was unemployable? marks of savings for the crossbow).
Maybe the injury that made him lame ate up
his savings?
3.54
 Suggested changes or additions that are easy
Durnok does not really live anywhere, but he and always useful would be increasing their
spends his time on the fringes of the Jirto Wealth, picking up an Advantage if the
Wastes, tracing lost legends among the shifting gamemaster has any for the campaign, or
sands, and hiring out his knowledge to mining seeing if there is any Forte or Experience or
concerns large and small. Neat Trick that would make the adventurer
significantly better at what they do.
Durnok knows just about everyone, and just
about everyone knows him, but that is as far A Forte on the attribute their income-generating
as it goes. He has no powerful friends, and no skill uses makes the attribute more useful in that
powerful enemies. He likes his climate dry, his respect, and so it will increase their listed
liquor straight, unambiguous women, a good Lifestyle and Savings numbers by +1.
game of cards, and while he would never
admit it, sunsets. He hates skunks, boiled
vegetables, busybodies, people who sing off-
key and official paperwork. He’s
not sure he ever really wants to
retire, but the thought of being
rich enough to do so in style has
a certain appeal.

And that’s Durnok.

Pre-generated adventurers
On the next few pages are a
handful of pre-designed
adventurers, designed at a
heroic level of starting points
(40A/15S), but with no powers.
Most of them are suitable for
multiple genres, and you can
tweak attributes up or down a
little so long as you keep within
the maximum spacing allowed
(page 3.5) and remember that if
you change the number of full
dice in an attribute that this will
change the maximum skill bonus
allowed for anything based on
that attribute. Players have to
add their own Background and
Motivation to gain the benefits of
these.

3.55
 Academic
Rogue Strength 7(2d+1)
Strength 8(2d+2) Agility 7(2d+1)
Agility 9(3d+0) Awareness 11(3d+2)
Awareness 9(3d+0) Will 8(2d+2)
Will 7(2d+1) Health 6(2d+0)
Health 10(3d+1) Fate 3(1d+0)
Fate 4(1d+1)

skills:
+1d in an unarmed combat skill
+1d in a ranged or melee skill
+1d in security systems
+0d running(enhanced)
+1d in area knowledge(choose) skills:
+1d in a trade +3d in a science
+1d in a vehicle or animal riding skill +1d in a science
+0d in a second language +1d in a second language
+0d in climbing +1d in a combat skill as a hobby
+1d in any skill as a hobby
traits: other: +1d in area knowledge(choose)
age(phys. prime,+5A/+3S) dodge of 6 +1d in area knowledge(choose)
overconfident(2)(+1A) move of 6/8/10 +0d in a vehicle or animal riding skill
disdain for authority(2)(+1A) hits of 17
very limited Status(1)(-1S) stamina of 10 traits: other:
minor, limited Enemy(+1S) lifestyle of -5 age(mature,+0A/+6S) dodge of 4
minor, limited Friend(-1S) savings of +7 elitist(2)(+1A) walk/run/sprint of 4/6/8
one Favor(-1S) very limited Status(2)(-2S) hits of 14
minor, limited Enemy(+1A) stamina of 6
Another word for ‘rough-edged generalist’. The minor, limited Friend(-1S) lifestyle of -1
rogue has a good selection of skills, some of wealth(1)(-1S) savings of +13
which are not the sort you would put on your
job application to someplace respectable. You Anyone whose fundamental training involves
rely mostly on your wits, and if that does not the pursuit of knowledge. Not usually well-
work, your reflexes. And if neither one of those equipped to deal with the world outside their
is likely to do the trick, you cheat. All your controlled environment, but can be specialized
endeavors are planned with two things in to be passably competent in one or two self-
mind: winning and getting away with winning. defense or survival skills.
3.56
 Mechanic
Warrior Strength 7(2d+1)
Strength 9(3d+0) Agility 10(3d+1)
Agility 9(3d+0) Awareness 10(3d+1)
Awareness 8(2d+2) Will 6(2d+0)
Will 8(2d+2) Health 7(2d+1)
Health 9(3d+0) Fate 4(1d+1)
Fate 5(1d+2)

skills:
+2d in a trade
+1d in a related trade
skills: +1d in area knowledge(choose)
+1d in an unarmed combat skill +0d in a combat skill
+2d in a ranged or melee skill +0d in another combat skill
+1d in a ranged or melee skill +1d in a trade-related scrounging skill
+0d in swimming +0d in security systems
+1d in area knowledge(for career) +0d in diplomacy or bribery
+0d in area knowledge(any) +1d in a vehicle or animal riding skill
+0d in stealth
+0d in a vehicle or animal riding skill traits: other:
+0d in leadership age(mature,+0A/+6S) dodge of 6
early adopter(2)(+1A) move of 4/6/8
traits: other: eccentric(2)(+1A) hits of 14
age(physical prime,+5A/+3S) dodge of 6 unkempt(2)(+1A) stamina of 7
violent tendencies(2)(+1A) move of 5/7/9 minor, limited Enemy(+1A) lifestyle of -3
stoicism(2)(+1A) hits of 18 minor, limited Friend(-1S) savings of +10
limited status(1)(-2S) stamina of 9
minor, limited Enemy(+1A) lifestyle of -5 The genre-specific ‘fix-it’ person. They could be
minor, limited Friend(-1S) savings of +7 a mechanic, an electronics tech, an armorer or
anyone who knows how to make, break and
Someone whose career somehow relates to repair something important in the gameworld.
skill and willingness to causing harm. You Plus how to find and acquire bits that are not
could be a soldier, policeman or bouncer. You available through normal channels. Always has
have enough experience to have some rank a little dirt under their fingernails, has a few
within whatever organization you work for or personality quirks and is always interested in
community you work within. ‘the latest thing’.
3.57
 Agent
Grifter Strength 8(2d+2)
Strength 7(2d+1) Agility 8(2d+2)
Agility 9(3d+0) Awareness 9(3d+0)
Awareness 8(2d+2) Will 8(2d+2)
Will 7(2d+1) Health 7(2d+1)
Health 8(2d+2) Fate 5(1d+2)
Fate 4(1d+1)

skills:
skills: +2d in a trade(detective)
jack-of-all-trades(agility) +1d in psychology
+1d in security systems +1d in acting
+1d in stealth +0d in area knowledge(related to trade)
+1d in sleight-of-hand +1d in an unarmed combat skill
+1d in area knowledge(police) +1d in a melee or ranged weapon skill
+1d in an unarmed combat skill +0d in security systems
+1d in a ranged or melee skill +0d in running(enhanced)
+1d in climbing +0d in diplomacy or bribery
+1d in rumor scrounging +0d in a vehicle or animal riding skill
+1d in a vehicle or animal riding skill
traits: other:
traits: other: age(mature,+0A/+6S) dodge of 4
age(physical prime,+5A/+3S) dodge of 6 by the book(2)(+1A) move of 5/7/9
self-interest(2)(+1S) move of 4/6/8 conservative(2)(+1A) hits of 15
cowardly(2)(+1S) hits of 15 image-conscious(2)(+1A) stamina of 7
minor, pervasive Enemy(+2S) stamina of 8 permits(-1S) lifestyle of -3
major, limited Friend(-3A) lifestyle of -7 minor, pervas. Enemy(+2A) savings of +11
one Favor(-1S) savings of +7 minor, limited Friend(-1S)
Wealth(-1)(+1A) minor, limited Friend(-1S)

Career criminal, always looking to make it An investigator and fix-it person, but in a
big. The rogue, but seedier. Has a number of social rather than mechanical sense. The
useful skills, none of them legal. Always a warrior in a three-piece suit. Usually part of a
useful sort for some people to have around, larger organization like a police detective,
but never the sort you want marrying into your corporate troubleshooter or government agent,
family. As an adventurer, redeemable, but but could just be a respectable independent
needs a bit of work. operator like a private detective.
3.58
4.1
Basic Combat
 Time
Not all adventure involves combat. But there
The default time unit in EABA is one second, a
does seem to be an awful lot of it on occasion. time level of +0. What you can do in a second
matches what you can do in the real world:
Combat never determines who is right or wrong, it Take a step or two, say a few words, or pull
a trigger, throw a punch or toss something.
just decides who gets the spoils and writes the However, EABA does not use a constant time
scale over the course of a combat or other
account of what happened. Sometimes it can be
dramatic situation, but the minimum practical
avoided, sometimes it cannot. We generally root time for doing ‘an action’ is a little less than
one second.
for the ‘good guys’, or maybe the ‘not quite as bad
Maps/distance
as the other guys’. In a role-playing campaign, this
All distances in EABA are measured in meters.
is the adventurers and their friends. If you are metric-impaired, you can use yards
and the game results will be the same. If a
combat or scene in the game requires a map,
we recommend using paper with a hexagonal
grid, each hexagon (or ‘hex’) being one meter
across from face to face:

INTRODUCTION
Combat and conflict in EABA is fairly
straightforward, and we will just hit
each concept in appropriate order. This
chapter covers the basic rules for combat.
Advanced topics, things that are exceptions or If it matters, the 120° arc is an adventurer’s
rarer cases are in the next chapter. So, if you front. Everything else is a side or rear arc. In
do not see it here, look there. basic combat, you can only attack or defend
into the front arc. Normally, one person can
SCALE occupy a hexagon one meter across, but if you
Any combat involving adventurers do not need elbow room, you can cram more
will usually operate on the following into this amount of space.
scales, which are based on the
Universal Chart. Measurements will be both One hexagon is three-quarters of a square meter,
in ‘levels’, which are the rows on the chart, and as a unit of volume, a hexagon is three-
and their real-world value, which is the result quarters of a cubic meter (a hexagon of area
on that chart. Obviously, people will be more one meter tall). In non-metric terms, a hexagon
comfortable with real-world values, but things of area is eight square feet, or about the area
like ‘distance level’ are needed because they taken by twelve sheets of letter-size paper, and a
are the base difficulty to succeed at hitting hexagon is a volume of about 26 cubic feet, or
something at range. the volume of 194 gallons of water.

4.2
 Combat in EABA uses different amounts of
HOW COMBAT WORKS time for different turns. Each turn of a combat
Combat takes place in ‘turns’, which is longer than the previous one, which is a
are variable amounts of time, with major departure from the way most role-
adventurers and their foes and allies playing games do things. Why the difference?
taking actions in order based on their skills Well, consider this.
and how badly they want to go first. Basic
combat is: There is a classic fight scene in a building
lobby in the The Matrix(1999), a movie most
• determine Initiative (who goes first) gamers have probably seen at least once.
• act in order of initiative (do stuff) From the first revealing of weapons to the
• repeat as necessary final body falling is about one hundred fifty
seconds. Even if the time on-screen was
Within a turn, you can do one or more major divided equally between the two protagonists,
actions, which take a lot of your attention, and in a game with one-second rounds, this would
one or more minor actions, which take some take seventy-five rounds to play. Or, about
attention, but not as much. Walking is a minor three days of your typical gamer wrangling,
action. Shooting a gun is a major action. planning and arguing.

You can do multiple actions in one turn. In the In EABA, this entire scene would be seven or
simplest case, each adventurer acts in order eight rounds long. You would do it, it would be
of initiative, does all their actions, then play just as accurate and dramatic, if not more so,
proceeds to the next person. To be a bit more and then you move on.
realistic, you would do one action, and after
everyone else has done one action, then The EABA combat system is a fusion of both
you can take another action, repeating until the realistic and the dramatic. In a game
everyone is done for that turn. If you are where everything else is based on real-world
just getting started with role-playing, we considerations, you have to be able to deal
recommend that you start simple and work with modern firearms, capable of firing several
your way into detail as you feel you need it. shots per second, with the implication that
EABA is designed to fit itself to your desired several targets could be at risk per second.
level of detail, so use the level you are most However, for the sake of enjoying the game,
comfortable with. you also have to highlight the dramatic. Look
at your average movie or television show fight
In a turn, your actions will either consist of scene, especially the longer ones. There is an
simply ‘doing things’, like walking, shouting awful lot of ‘dead time’, where people are
orders, or other things that usually require no merely assessing the situation, or trying to set
skill or attribute roll, and things that do require up or find an opportunity. Or take a car chase.
a roll of some kind. For these, you just take Shooting and manuvering is not happening
your skill or attribute roll, apply anything that every single second. Would you actually enjoy
adjusts the roll, and then roll against the role-playing a minute-long car chase if it
difficulty of the task. If you succeed, you do meant you had to make sixty manuevering
what you were trying to do. If not, you fail at rolls, sixty turn initiative rolls, and so on?
the attempt. Either way, that is your action, Probably not. In EABA, a sixty second car
and then whoever acts next gets to try their chase would be six rounds, and pack in just as
hand at things. Theoretically, this is pretty much action and tension. And more important,
simple. Players, however, have a way of it would feel more real, both in the moment
making even simple things complex... and in hindsight.

4.3
 INITIATIVE
EABA gets around all this by using a variable Combat, or most any sort of time-sensitive
time scale for combat, increasing the time encounter will run in ‘turns’. A turn is just an
in each round after the first by using the arbitrary “how much stuff can I do?” interval,
Universal Chart. In the beginning of a fight, but practically, turns are just punctuation
the timescale is very short, you do not get to marks in the story of the conflict.
do much and the situation is very chaotic. As
the combat progresses, the timescale gets Each turn begins with determining ‘initiative’.
longer. You can move farther, engage more This really just means “I act before you do”.
targets, take time to make plans, and so on. It This can be really important for two people
is a system where being able to draw your gun with guns pointed at each other. Going first
faster than the other guy is important and can is usually important enough that people are
be a single turn, but it is also a system where willing to take a penalty to do so, and that is
being able to run around the building, break what initiative is about.
into a car, hotwire it and drive it through the
wall to surprise the bad guys can also be a Initiative is a secret declaration process. Each
single turn. player takes any number of dice or tokens
and just cups them behind a hand, with an
However, as the time spent in a conflict amount showing from a minimum of zero to a
increases, so does the chance of resolution. If maximum of their Agility (for combat skills) or
the situation that brought about the combat an attribute of their choice. You can always
has not resolved by the end of the tenth declare zero. Most combat actions will have
round, one side or the other will surrender, initiative based on Agility (using your fight
withdraw or otherwise do something to end value if using the secondary attributes), but if
the conflict. If it is a chase, one side either you decide to base your action on some other
gets away or gets caught. Remember, by the Attribute, you have to declare it before your
time you finish the tenth round of a fight in initiative is revealed. In addition, the first
EABA, the total elapsed time for adventurers major action you take in the round must be
has been sixteen minutes. That’s more than based on that Attribute.
enough time for reinforcements to arrive, for
you to elude pursuit, or whatever it takes to If you put some dice behind your hand and say
end the conflict and move on. There are ways “Strength”, you are committing yourself to a first
to reset this clock, and all sort of special cases, action that somehow involves a direct use of
but we will get to them later. Strength or a skill based on Strength.

The important conceptual thing to remember In addition to your initiative declaration, you
about EABA is that you are no longer doing may add a die or tokens of a different color,
things on a second-by-second basis. If the with an amount showing up to your Dodge.
gamemaster says a turn is thirty seconds long, This does not affect when you act in a round,
it does not mean you get to make thirty skill but it is a penalty on your actions just like
rolls to shoot or hit things. Start thinking about your initiative. The difference is that the
a goal for each turn rather than an action for amount of your Dodge also is an increase in
each turn. the difficulty for one other person to hit you
and half that amount (round up) for everyone
So, with that high bar set for expectations, let else to hit you. Dodging is immediate. It does
us get into how it actually works. This will be not have to be your turn to act for dodging to
in the order of initiative, action types, and turn be in effect. Note that dodging halves any
sequencing. distance in meters you move in that turn
(which is a -2 to the distance level).
4.4
 If you look up videos of real-world firefights, like
If you have a Dodge of 4, you can put a die of a police shootouts caught on dashboard cameras,
different color behind your hand when declaring you will see a lot of people desperately trying to
initiative, with an amount showing of no more get as much lead in the air as fast as possible.
than 4. If you had a ‘2’ showing, you would take Or imagine a duel at twenty paces or gunslingers
an additional -2 penalty on all your rolls, but one facing each other in the Wild West. Declaring high
foe you were aware of who is trying to hit you initiative to go first, to have a chance of putting a
will take a +2 to the difficulty of their task, and bullet in the other guy before they shoot back is
everyone else would take a +1 to their difficulty. the way things often work in the real world.

Everyone acts in order of initiative declaration, Ambush!

from high to low, with ties resolving in order of lf you are in a situation where a person or group
Agility or whichever attribute is being used. A has the drop on another, or the disadvantaged
gamemaster can choose to let each player do party has no idea something is about to happen,
all their actions (AA,BB,CC), or let everyone do it is an ambush. The attackers have an initiative
one major (and/or minor) action in initiative of their Agility or whatever attribute they are
order, and then act again in the same order using, but take no penalty for that ‘declaration’,
until everyone is done for the turn (ABC,ABC). while the defenders are counted as initiative of
zero. The defenders will get one major and minor
The thing about initiative is that you take a action on the first turn, on initiative 0.
penalty of your declaration on most external
tasks you initiate that round. So, your aim (an If you have won initiative and are going first, it
external task) is affected, but not your melee does not mean you are acting in your own little
damage (not a task) nor your roll to avoid time bubble. You do not get to run around a wall
being stunned (an internal task). If you are and flank someone without them noticing, nor do
hurrying to go first, you hurt your chances to you get to saunter across an enemy field of fire
succeed. But if you take your time and go last, because you move before they shoot. Having
you may not be in any condition to act when initiative means that the complex situation that is
your turn finally comes around... combat allows you to do certain things in spite of
your enemies being able to see your actions and
If you declare ‘3’, then your rolls for external wanting to interfere with them. For instance,
tasks on that turn are reduced by 3. someone might see you trying to flank them, but
be pinned down and unable to seek new cover.
This is why you may be technically capable of You might be able to run across an open area
doing several actions, but succeeding at them because your foes are reloading or distracted. You
all is another matter. Between the penalty for are still noticed, but their ability to act on what
multiple actions, dodging and your initiative they see is based on their initiative declaration.
declaration, you may have no dice left to roll!
The initiative system does add a step to each
Most of the time, bad guys will all declare the turn, but it adds lots of tension, drama and
same initiative, just to make it easy for the leads to more realistic-feeling combats. It is a
gamemaster. High profile foes are exceptions. life-or-death wager, trading chance of success
for chance of going first, without knowing
You may have noticed that since the maximum ahead of time what your foes are planning. If
initiative declaration is your Agility, someone you would rather not use it, just do initiative
with a higher Agility should always be able to like everyone declared zero, and they declare
go first. This is indeed the case, if they are how much Dodge they are using before their
willing to take a penalty on all their rolls for an first action or when the first attack is made
initiative declaration that is that high. against them, whichever comes first.
4.5
 ACTIONS
Action & reaction In a turn of combat you get to do certain
Combat is interactive. Seldom will you be able things for free. That is, with no penalty to your
to do something without someone else noticing rolls. You may do one ‘major action’ or one
it and likely trying to interfere with it. Initiative ‘minor action’ with no penalties. Remember
is the degree to which people are willing to that these internal penalties are subtractions
go in order act first, or to react to what they to your die rolls, not adjustments to difficulty.
expect others to do. There are two special
cases to the initiative rules. A major action is an attack, whether with a
sword, gun, fist or paranormal power. A major
holding action: If you have the initiative, you action is also any move of more than your
can declare a specific major or minor action as walk distance and up to your run distance, or
‘held action’. This lets you react to something part or all of a complex action like picking a
before it happens or has an effect. Your melee lock, drawing a weapon or reloading a weapon.
opponent retreats and you advance at the If you use more than your run distance and up
same time. You kick a gun out of the guard’s to your sprint distance, this counts as a major
hand before they have a chance to shoot you. action, but generates penalties for two major
You fire at someone the instant they pop out actions. This means that any skill or Attribute
from cover. If a turn ends and you still have roll that has to be made while sprinting (like if
not acted, on the next turn you may continue you hit a slick spot) is at an extra -3 penalty.
the held action, or get a penalty-free +2 on
declared Initiative (or cinematically, Initiative A minor action is blocking, parrying, talking,
of your full Agility). You are still waiting. In a moving at walk distance or less, or aiming or
case where people have held actions based on adjusting a weapon (like flicking a safety). You
each other, the one with higher Agility goes can do a minor action at the same time as a
first. Imagine two gunslingers, each waiting major action. So, you can walk and punch,
for the other to go for their gun. Held actions flick off the safety on a weapon and shoot it,
normally resolve with a +0 turn mod. They are talk and run, and so on. However, the order
individual actions, not a series of actions. can be important. Do you shoot, then take a
few steps, or take a few steps, then shoot?
desperation action: The other exception is a
‘desperation action’. Say you are at a small Movement is a sort of continuing action. You
store and you see a car barrelling towards the never do more than one movement action in
plate glass at the end of your aisle. This may a turn, so you do not say “I am running twice”.
change your plans for the turn. If you give up However, for whatever movement action you
as much turn mod as is being used against declare, you can apply turn mod to it when
you, you may defensively react to an imminent you have a chance to act (we will get to ‘turn
threat to your life. This can be one major or mod’ in a minute). So, you can walk, but later
minor action at a turn mod of +0. That is, on you can decide you want to ‘walk further’,
something you can reasonably do in one and apply more turn mod to your distance.
second. If a car is going to run you down,
diving out of the way is an action. You may not You may do more than one of any non-move
do desperation actions to react to anything action in a turn. But, later, separate actions in
faster than your reflexes. This is subjective. that turn get a cumulative penalty. For each
You could not dive out of the way of a close prior minor action, the penalty is -1, and for
pistol shot, but if you somehow spotted a each prior major action, the penalty is -3. Most
rifle’s muzzle flash three hundred meters away, skill uses are separate actions, but movement
you might be able to dive for cover before the of the same type is a continuation of the same
bullet arrives. action.
4.6
 TURN MOD
If you take a few steps (walk), then shoot a gun This is the heart and soul of the EABA combat
twice (two major actions), the walk is no penalty system, it is different than anything you have
(in case you have to roll for footing), the skill roll played before, and it is the most important
for your first shot is at a -1 penalty for the minor section of this chapter. So, read it until it is
action of walking, and your second shot is at -4 perfectly clear to you.
off its normal skill roll because it is your second
major action and you were walking. The shots The default scale for EABA is zero. That is, if
will also be at increased difficulty because of the you are looking at the Universal Chart, a
distance you moved. Note that you could walk time level of +0, a distance level of +0 and a
(minor action) and shoot (major action) at the quantity level of +0 (which is a value of x1).
same time, so the order you do them in matters. That is the starting point for any combat or
lengthy encounter.
If you acted second in a melee combat and had
already blocked two attacks before your chance So, in the first round of a conflict, the time for
to swing, your attack would take a -2 penalty. If that round is 1 second (time level of +0),
you had to block a third time after this attack, it movement distances have a +0 modifier, skills
would be at -5, because of the previous two have +0 added to them and any consumables
minor(-2) and one major(-3) actions. used are x1 the listed amount.

Aiming is a slight exception to the rules. Aiming Now for the interesting part. The levels for
does not generate a minor action penalty, but it each of these go up by +2 for each combat
is a minor action and does require you give up a round after the first. Turns get longer and you
certain amount of time to do it. get inherent bonuses for the increased turn
length. This bonus is called the ‘turn mod’. You
This is just common sense. If you quickly fire still only get one major action or one minor
two shots, the second one is going to be less action without multiple action penalties, but
accurate than the first. In addition, the number the turn bonus can counter some or all of this,
of major actions you can take in a turn may or even make your rolls better than normal.
be limited by physics and technology. How You may split turn mod between your various
many punches or kicks can you do in a given actions on a turn however you want, except
amount of time? The number of attacks you for ammo limits. And for skills that take a
can realistically succeed at will probably be long time, you only get the difference between
less than the number you can actually do, and the minimum time to use the skill and the time
we will get to that in a minute. you actually spend on it.

Penalties to skill or attribute rolls are based on In the fifth round of a combat, these quantities
the assumption that the more other things you have a +8 bonus. This means that the fifth round
are doing, the less time you have to spend on of combat lasts fifteen seconds (time level of +8),
that skill or attribute. These penalties would not all use of consumables like ammunition is x15 the
apply in the case of instantaneous comparisons. normal amount (quantity level of +8), and you
If you have to make a Health roll because of have a total of +8 worth of bonus that you can
injury, it will not take a penalty because you did split between your skill rolls, movement amounts
a previous major action. If someone tries to like walk, run or sprint, or any roll that could
kick a gun out of your hand, likewise. However, benefit from extra time spent on it. But, if you
if someone is trying to sneak past you and you had a skill that required a time level of +6 for its
are busy doing three other things, then yes, it default use (like perhaps picking a lock), using
would be reasonable that your Awareness roll for +8 turn mod to do it would only get you a +2
spotting would take a penalty. bonus (the difference between the two).

4.7
 To put just these modifiers into their own
Take a minute (a time level of +12) to wrap table, the way it works would be something
your head around the obvious ramifications. like this:

To give an in-game example, take an adventurer turn time elapsed skills distance qty
with a pistol, a skill roll with that pistol of 3d+2, 1 1 sec 1 sec +0 +0 x1
and a walk movement distance of 2 meters 2 2 sec 3 sec +2 +2 x2
(distance level of +5). So, on the fourth turn of 3 4 sec 7 sec +4 +4 x4
a combat things would be: time level +6 (8 4 8 sec 15 sec +6 +6 x8
seconds), quantity level +6 (x8), turn mod +6. 5 15 sec 30 sec +8 +8 x15
6 30 sec 1 min +10 +10 x30
So, one ‘firing action’ could use up to eight shots 7 1 min 2 min +12 +12 x60
(because a +6 quantity level is x8), have an 8 2 min 4 min +14 +14 x125
adjusted skill roll of 5d+2 (their skill roll of 3d+2 9 4 min 8 min +16 +16 x250
with a +6 for firing 8 shots), or that they could 10 8 min 16 min +18 +18 x500
as a ‘walk’, move a distance of (walk of +5 (2
meters) with a +6 turn mod (8 seconds), for a A fight lasting ten turns is sixteen minutes of
distance of +11 (16 meters). in-game time. That is more than enough for an
escape, for massive reinforcements to stop an
Or, some combination that adds up to +6. So, escape, for air support to arrive and blast
they could apply +2 to their walk distance level, things or anything else that might be needed
+1 on their first major action with the pistol, and to bring the combat to a close.
then using the remaining +3 to counter the -3 for
firing the pistol again as a second major action. Closing the encounter
Fights normally last no more than ten turns.
Think of this as a scene from a movie. The This ten turn maximum duration is arbitrary
hero is moving around a warehouse, going but is usually sufficient. But how exactly do
from one place of cover to another, firing at you wind things down if it seems like it will run
any targets that present themselves in the the full ten turns?
process. And this is all one turn’s action.
Well, at the start of things the gamemaster
That is how it works in the most basic sense. and players should be thinking fifteen minutes
Our shooter may have fired up eight shots, ahead. That’s a lot of time and distance and a
but if it is only one firing action, they only get lot of consumables. The gamemaster can set
to hit one target, and only hit it once on a conditions on which the encounter will end.
successful roll. If they split turn mod between Like “keep pursuers out of line of sight for at
multiple attacks, each attack has a lower least a minute and you get away”. That’s a
chance of success (and uses less bullets), but goal that players can work towards and which
each successful attack can get one hit. It is the fits into the turn scale. Or, “the bad guys have
old ‘quality vs. quantity’ argument expressed several hundred heavily armed reinforcements
in combat terms. Just remember that in EABA, about ten minutes away from here”. This
an ‘action’ is really your intent, and that intent means players have to escape before then, or
can involve multiple swings with a weapon or be forced to surrender (or get massacred). Or
fist, multiple trigger pulls, and so on. “the clock on the doomsday device says it will
go off in four minutes. If you can’t fight your
A reminder that if you put any amount of your way through the minions and disarm it by
initiative declaration into Dodging, your move then, Manhattan will be vaporized”. How to
distance is halved (-2 levels), and halved after close an encounter? Goals and deadlines.
you apply any turn mod to how far you are going.

4.8
 COMBAT
Ammo limits So, if you have decided you are
Generally, you cannot use more turn mod on one going to attack someone in a turn
action than the quantity level of ammunition you and figured when you will try it, how
are expending. If you have a six-shooter, six does it work? There are two main cases:
shots is a quantity level of +5, so one action can ranged combat and melee combat.
be no more than six shots. You are out of ammo
and have to use an action to reload! Ranged combat
This is for any sort of ranged weapon, from a
If you had a double-barreled shotgun, that is thrown rock up to a pistol, rifle, bow, crossbow
only 2 shots, for a maximum usable turn mod of and most paranormal powers that have a
+2. A single-shot weapon uses a turn mod of +0, range. First, keep in mind any practicalities of
since that is a quantity mod of x1. However, making the attack. Some ranged weapons
aiming lets you use +4 more turn mod that your require both hands to fire. Some need to be
quantity level of ammo, so a single-shot could braced against a shoulder, some need some
use up to +4 turn mod if you aimed it. free space in one or more directions (a bow
needs a space wide or tall enough for the bow,
An autofire weapon uses a quantity mod of the a rocket launcher needs a clear space behind
number of times you pull the trigger, not the it, etc.). Not being able to meet the practical
ammunition expended, because autofire requirements of the weapon can make it
weapons can get multiple hits from one attack. difficult or impossible to use. Once that is out
of the way, figure out the following:
If you empty a weapon, then you cannot do any
more attacks with that weapon until you reload. in your favor:
Reloading or drawing a weapon is typically a +whatever your base skill roll is
major action of average(7) difficulty. The time it +how much turn mod you will apply to the attack,
takes depends on the weapon, but it counts as a but no higher than the quantity mod for your
major action. If a turn is not long enough, you ammunition supply (if using that rule)
have to continue the action on consecutive turns against your favor:
until enough time has elapsed. Trying to reload a - any Initiative you declared
muzzle-loading rifle may take a while! The default - any Dodge amount you declared
time (and time level) for readying and reloading - any penalty for previous major or minor actions
is below: - any penalty for injuries
- any penalty for encumbrance
weapon action(type) time needed
draw a weapon(major) one action(+0) What this gives you is your adjusted skill roll,
aim a weapon(minor) 2 seconds(+2) which is your base skill roll, plus or minus
reload single-shot(major) 3 seconds(+3) everything affecting how many dice you get
reload revolver(major) 15 seconds(+8) to roll.
reload clip-fed(major) 3 seconds(+3)
reload muzzle-loader(major) 30 seconds(+10) You have a skill of 4d+0, a turn mod of up to +6
each extra reloading(major) +1 time level and a weapon capable of utilizing this much, and
have lost enough hits to take a -1d penalty. If
So, reloading a single-shot shotgun uses up a you use +4 of your turn mod on the attack, your
turn mod of +3 and a major action (with a skill adjusted skill is (4d skill, -1d injury, +4 turn
roll). Failing the skill roll means that major mod) = an adjusted skill roll of 4d+1. Note how
action is wasted and does not count. we use dice and fixed bonuses interchangeably,
turning the +4 turn mod into a 1d+1 bonus.

4.9
 Combat modifiers for movement are relative. If
You will be rolling your adjusted skill dice you are in a speeding car and your target is in
against the difficulty, which is the sum of: speeding car going the same direction, there is
little relative movement. This is also the case if
• the range level to the target. Round the distance something is coming right at you or moving
in meters down to the next lowest range level. directly away. Because there is usually some
• the size level of the target. If you are aiming at a relative motion, you usually count any target or
person, the size level is just +0. If you are trying firer movement as at least +1 difficulty. Situation
to hit a specific part of a person, it is harder. modifiers like hanging out a car window or being
This is a ‘called shot’. You can do this in melee as buffeted by slipstream are up to the gamemaster.
well. You simply adjust the difficulty from the Movement modifiers also represent how much of
Universal Chart: the turn is spent moving. After all, if you have +8
turn mod and add +6 of it to movement, you are
location difficulty spending more time moving than shooting.
torso +2
leg +3 Aiming
arm +4 Ranged weapons have a special stat called
head +6 Accuracy. If you aim a weapon (minor action)
hand +8 before firing or in combination with a firing
action (remember that you can do a major
• half (round up) the distance and minor action at the same time!), you can
level for the total of (how subtract the Accuracy from the difficulty for
much you have moved in meters plus how much range, down to a minimum difficulty for range
they have moved). If someone has not moved yet of zero. If you have an extra bracing point,
this turn, use their speed from the previous turn. Accuracy is improved by 1. For a one-handed
If the firer is moving at all, there is a minimum weapon like a pistol, this could be done by
+1 to the difficulty. using both hands. For a two-handed weapon,
• any Dodge the target is using. Remember that it could be done by bracing yourself against a
Dodge is only full against attacks you can see solid object (prone, against a wall, etc.).
coming and usually against one attacker at most. Aimed single shots can use a turn mod of up
Otherwise it is halved (rounding up). to +4, and may also use +2 more in turn mod
• any situational modifiers based on external as +1 on Accuracy (up to +2 Accuracy). You
conditions. Is the target partially obscured and are doing slow, careful shots.
hard to get a clear shot at?
However, aiming itself uses up +2 of turn mod
This number or better is what you need to get (it takes time to aim). So, you cannot aim and
on the adjusted skill roll you have for that fire on the first turn, since the first turn has a
ranged weapon. If you succeed, you get one turn mod of +0. Using that +2 turn mod gives
hit. If you fail, you miss. Because of turn mod, just the difficulty reduction on range. You are
one attack could be one shot or several shots, effectively trading quantity (turn mod) for
but if it is one attack, you can get one hit. quality (accuracy). We will not go into the
statistics here, but take a simple example. You
Some weapons or ranged attacks will be have a revolver with 6 shots and that is it. Do
limited in how many times they can be used in you use a +5 turn mod (firing all 6 shots in
a turn, mostly because of reloading concerns, one action) to maybe get one hit, or do you
but if you have sufficient ammunition, you can aim each shot, trading in turn mod for some
easily take several major actions with a ranged amount of decreased difficulty and a possibility
weapon in later rounds of a combat, and each of getting several hits over the course of
of these actions can expend several shots. several actions?
4.10
 BASIC RANGED COMBAT EXAMPLE
Whether or not aiming is to your benefit Let’s say it is turn 2 of a combat, a
depends on the weapon, range, your skill, how stereotypical deal gone bad in an old
much ammunition you have and how long the warehouse. Turn 2 is:
turn is. If you have a flintlock with one shot
and it takes a minute to reload? Aiming sounds time: 2 sec, turn mod: +2, quantity mod: x2
like a good idea. If you have pistol with a huge
clip and the turn is only four seconds long? The first round involved drawing weapons (a
Probably better to just pull the trigger a lot. major action) and starting to shoot at each
other (a major action). Some folks are down,
Remember that you need to have a target to others are wounded. Round two begins, and we
aim at. You cannot ‘hold action’ with an aim will deal with only two of those involved. We will
unless you are aiming at something, so you call them Able and Baker. Able has an Agility of 9
cannot get an aiming benefit on something (Dodge of 6) and a pistol skill of 5d+0, and Baker
that has just popped out from cover unless has an Agility of 8 (Dodge of 4) and a pistol skill
you guessed right and were aiming at that of 3d+2. Neither is currently wounded, and the
exact spot. If you are aiming at the right side range between them is about 8 meters. Baker
of a doorway and someone pops out from the has partial cover behind a crate (his legs are
left side, you could use a held action to shoot protected). The gamemaster says that attacks
them, but you would not get the benefits of against Baker roll against a random hit location
aiming. unless a called shot modifier is taken on the
difficulty to hit.
Not having your action ready because you are
busy min-maxing the game mechanics means initiative: Who goes first is very important to
the gamemaster can assess a -2 ‘delay of game’ both Able and Baker, but so is being successful
penalty on your actions. with their actions. A range of 8 meters is a
difficulty of 9. The average result for a die roll of
Aim and Dodge 2d+2 is also 9, so to have about a 50-50 chance
The basic aiming rules are simple: Spend some of hitting a target (barring other adjustments
time, get some Accuracy. To be a little more to the difficulty), they each need an adjusted
realistic about how aiming interacts with motion, skill roll of 2d+2.
you probably should not be allowed to use
Accuracy if you are dodging or moving at any Able gambles and secretly declares 5, and a
rate faster than your Walk. In addition, if you Dodge of 2. The Dodge does not affect whether
are dodging and someone is aiming at you, the he goes first, but regardless of whether he goes
effective amount of your Dodge subtracts from first it will affect Baker’s chance to hit as well as
their Accuracy (down to zero). So, not only does his own. Baker only declares 3, and hopes that
Dodge make it harder for someone to hit you, it the partial cover he has will make Able take extra
also makes it harder for someone to aim at you. difficulty for a called shot.
It is the difference between trying to swat a fly in
mid-air or one that is sitting still. So, in game The result? Able goes first, and takes a -5 to his
terms, the best way to avoid being hit at long first skill roll (-5 for initiative and -2 for dodge,
ranges where Accuracy matters most? Dodge! but he decides to use the +2 turn mod on his
first action), while Baker goes second but only
That is it for basic ranged combat! Everything takes a -1 to his skill roll (-3 for his initiative and
else on ranged combat is in the Advanced +2 because when it comes to his first action he
Combat chapter. will also use his +2 of turn mod).

4.11
 Melee combat
combat: Able fires first. The range is 8 meters, Melee combat includes unarmed combat like
a difficulty of 9. Able’s penalties are such that he brawling or martial arts, or use of any weapon
does not increase the difficulty with a called shot. or power that needs to strike an opponent by
Able’s base skill roll was 5d+0, and he applies -5 getting past their skill with a melee combat
(initiative), -2 (dodge) and +2 (using his turn form. These different sorts of attacks may
mod), which makes his adjusted skill roll 3d+1. have different rules for specific aspects of how
If it makes it easier to figure out, turn skill rolls they work, but all melee combat operates on
into regular numbers first. This would make his the same basic principles.
base skill a +15 instead of 5d+0. Then we apply
the modifiers, making it a +10, which turns back Melee combat is an opposed skill roll. When it
into a roll of 3d+1. is your turn to act, you make an attack roll as
a major action that tries to match or beat their
So, Able does a major action and fires at Baker, block or parry roll (which is a minor action for
with adjusted skill roll of 3d+1 against a difficulty them). Their defense is a reaction and it does
of 9. Able rolls an 8 and just barely misses. Able not have to be their turn to act in order to try
decides to take another major action and fire to block or parry your attack. Whoever has the
again. Since he has used up his turn mod he will higher initiative may choose who rolls first.
have a 5d+0 skill roll with the previous -7 in This is important because one person could
penalties, and an extra -3 for his second major theoretically ‘take 2’s’ to match the opposing
action, which makes his adjusted skill roll to difficulty. When you attack, you are either
1d+2, making it impossible to match a difficulty going to get a clean hit, a clean miss, or a
of 9. Able decides to use Fate to get an extra miss that is because of an altered roll for a
+1d on the roll. He rolls a 9 this time, and barely shield bonus or parry penalty. This allows you
hits. Since it was not a called shot, 3d+0 are to judge any special combat effects that are
rolled for a random hit location and the result related to whether you actually touched the
is 15, a leg hit. This is blocked by the crate Baker other person, their weapon or shield.
is standing behind and has no effect. Drat!
If you were fighting a creature with an ‘electrical
Now it is Baker’s turn. The difficulty for range is aura’, you would want a miss to be a ‘clean miss’.
a 9, but Able is dodging for an additional +2, for
a final difficulty of 11. The gamemaster makes a When it is their turn to act, they may try to
judgement call and says that even if Able cannot make an attack on you as a major action for
see bullets, the close range means he can see them and you attempt to block or parry it as a
exactly where Baker’s gun is pointed and can try minor action for you. If someone is unable to
not to be where he knows the bullets will end up. defend or is completely surprised, the base
Since Able is only facing one foe, the gamemaster difficulty to hit them is very easy(3). It is
gives Able his full Dodge against this attack. possible you could fumble and miss, but not
likely. If they have no melee skills to apply to
Baker has an adjusted skill roll of 3d+1, and rolls an attack, they use an unskilled default on
a 13, for a hit. Since the gamemaster specified Agility to attack or defend with. Anyone can
that only people under partial cover used hit throw a punch or swing a club. Maybe not very
locations, this hit is a generic torso hit with no well, but it might be well enough...
special location effects.
If you have declared a Dodge and are in
damage: We have not done the damage rules melee combat, the effective Dodge adds to
yet, so this example will be continued when we your defensive skill roll, and subtracts from
get to that point. But it does not look good for your offensive one.
Able...

4.12
 Unarmed combat
You have a base skill roll of 4d+0, have Initiative Punches and kicks use all the normal melee
of 2 and a Dodge of 3. Your roll to defend would combat rules. However, kicks and foot-based
be 4d+1 (base skill minus Initiative, plus Dodge), maneuvers are at a -3 penalty to skill rolls but
and your roll to attack would be 2d+1 (base skill do +3 strike damage, and punches and hand-
minus Initiative, minus Dodge). based manuevers are at no penalty and do +0
strike damage. You kick harder than you can
You can attempt to block or parry any number punch, but usually not as accurately. Damage
of attacks made against you, but each is a from punches usually non-lethal and from
minor action, so they will accumulate -1 kicks is half-lethal, and if it matters for any
penalties on your skill roll after the first block other rules, counts as a blunt thrusting attack.
or parry. And note that if you have already
made an attack, your first block or parry is at Specialized combat
-3 because of the prior major action. Aficionados of any specific combat form will find
fault in any generic combat system, because it
This means that no matter how skilled you does not cover their favorite in sufficient detail.
are, if there are enough attackers, someone However, EABA can model specific types of
is likely to overcome your defensive skill. melee combat for genres where this is required.
However, as a practical matter, three people Between the basic and advanced combat rules,
with swinging weapons or six with thrusting there is a differentiation between cut and thrust,
weapons is as much as can practically blunt and sharp, lethal and non-lethal damage.
surround and attack a single person. Weapon reach is dealt with, as are specializations
in skill and the effects of particular attack types
In an attack, if it is important for the weapon, on different sorts of armor. Add into this the
you should announce ‘cut’ or ‘thrust’. Advanced combo maneuvers that you can do with one or
weapon and armor rules may give different more Neat Tricks and you should be able to
types of attacks more or less effect against handle everything from fencing to martial arts,
different types of armors. An armor that might giving extra depth to a genre-important combat
be good against slashing attacks might not do form and allowing players to specialize their
so well against thrusts. Or, certain weapons adventurers in ways that simulate real-world or
may have only an edge or only a point and fictional techniques and styles.
would be limited to one type of attack.
Blocking and parrying
Since called shots affect your difficulty, and In game terms, a ‘block’ is usually something
your difficulty is their skill roll, trying to make done with a non-weapon (like a shield). This is
a called shot to hit a particular part of an the default reaction for a defensive melee skill
opponent simply adds to their skill roll to roll. You take the full force of the attack on
defend against the attack, or the difficulty of what you used to block with (clang!), and if
making an unopposed attack. Similarly, half the attack exceeds the armor of that item, it
of your movement level adds to their roll (the and you (your arm) can take the remaining
difficulty) just as it does for ranged combat. damage. A block uses your adjusted skill roll
for whatever is appropriate for the blocking
Against punches, the head is a target with a object. You can block with a weapon, but it is
difficulty modifier of +4. So, if trying to punch a possible that this will badly damage or even
foe in the face, they get a +4 to their defending ruin one or both weapons. A battle axe used to
skill roll. If trying to punch someone who is not block a staff? Not a problem. A staff blocking a
defending, the default difficulty is 3, so a punch battle axe? Much more likely to be a problem.
to their face would be a difficulty of 7. Your punch blocked with their knife? Ouch!

4.13
 Reach
A ‘parry’ is a defensive maneuver designed to It should be easier than normal to kick someone
deflect an attack rather than taking its full in the leg or punch them in the head. If using
force. A skill roll to parry an attack is done random hit locations, punches get a -4 to the
with a -3 (or -1d) penalty. However, if a parry roll (minimum result of 3) and kicks get a +4 to
succeeds, the attack is deflected away from the roll (maximum result of 18). If attempting a
you. Only when the damage is large compared called shot, punches to the head are +4 difficulty
to the parrying item do you need to worry and kicks to the legs are +2 difficulty.
about breaking it. As a quick rule, if you feel
this is the case, subtract 1d from the attacking Reach also matters in melee combat as a matter
weapon’s damage and apply the remainder to of weapon length. Sword vs. knife, for instance.
the item doing the parrying (see Breaking Melee weapons have a stat called ‘length’. Short
Things). Subtract an extra 1d for each 2 weapons like punches, kicks and knives barely
points the parry roll is made by. reach into adajcent hexes. Medium weapons like
like swords can hit anywhere in any adjacent hex,
You can parry a battle axe with a fencing foil, you and long weapons like polearms can hit targets
just have to make the roll by enough... up to 2 hexes away. When a melee combat roll is
about to be made and one person has superior
Some armors may be good at deflecting melee reach, the other person gets a -2 penalty on their
attacks and will give the wearer an inherent skill roll per level of length difference. On the
bonus to their parrying attempts or to their other hand, if the person attacking with the
base defense even if not defending. shorter weapon can find a way to keep the range
to their benefit, this effect is reversed. People can
Shields can usually be used to block a blow or advance and retreat (walk as minor action, then
deflect (parry) it. Shields also give an inherent attack), so to force a shorter melee ‘range’ means
bonus to the melee skill of the user, depending putting someone in a position where they cannot
on their size. Shields are usually worth a +2 to retreat (like backing them against a wall).
+4 bonus to skill on the defense. This would
mean that attempting a ‘parry’ with a large If you try to grapple someone who has a polearm,
shield(+4) would be at a +1 bonus to skill. you first have to get in range of their weapon,
Now, note that you are not deftly turning and are at -4 on your defense roll against their
blades aside with something like a large shield. attacks (the grapple has short range, the polearm
Instead of taking the attack head-on, you are has long range, so -4 for two levels of difference).
merely angling the shield so that the attack However, if you get well inside their weapon’s
glances off without penetrating the shield. reach, the length of the polearm is a liability, and
they would take a -4 penalty on their defense roll.
You can attempt to block or parry with bare
(or preferably armored) hands or arms. This Having increased/decreased physical size can act
resolves in exactly the same way. For any non- to adjust the effective reach of a melee attack, or
lethal damage you take from a block or parry, be an edge in case of equal weapons. If your
you get to subtract your Toughness. Note that opponent has the same sword as you, but their
the only benefit to blocking punches or kicks arms are half a meter longer, they have longer
with your bare arms is that you get to take the reach and can utilize this to their advantage.
damage on your arms, which has lesser effect
(page 4.16). Generally, you do not parry lethal A martial art bought as an enhanced skill can,
weapons with bare hands. You instead parry as its enhancement, have a one step increase in
the hand holding the weapon. Even so, the the effective length of its unarmed attacks to
note about attacks doing 1d less to a parrying represent a particular attack or defense style.
item (your hand) should probably apply.
4.14
 If we wanted to narrate the situation, we could
BASIC MELEE COMBAT EXAMPLE compare the skill rolls. Say that Carmen rolled a
Let’s say it is round 2 of a combat, a total of 13 and Danielle rolled a 14. Danielle won
stereotypical deal gone bad in an old and avoided being hit, but since the margin of
warehouse. Turn 2 is: success was less than the -3 penalty for the
parry, this means the parry is what saved her. If
time: 2 sec, turn mod: +2, quantity mod: x2 Carmen had rolled a total of 10, then there would
have been a 4 point difference and the -3 for the
For melee, our combatants are Carmen and parry would not have been the deciding factor,
Danielle. Carmen has an Agility of 8 (Dodge of and we would narrate it as a clean miss. In the
4) and a Knife skill roll of 3d+2, while Danielle case of rolls of 14 and 13, the gamemaster says
has an Agility of 9 (Dodge of 6) and a Brawling “Carmen jabs at Danielle, but Danielle jigs and
skill roll of 4d+0. Carmen has a knife, which does deflects Carmen’s attack harmlessly to one side.”
strike-1 lethal damage. Carmen has a Strength Keep this sort of thing in mind. The way the dice
of 7, which means her strike damage is normally fall can help you generate the narrative, whether
1d+1 (the roll for her Strength, minus 3), and in combat or elsewhere.
her damage with the knife will be 1d+0 (but note
that it is lethal damage). Danielle has a Strength When it becomes Danielle’s turn to act, she
of 7 as well, so her punches have a damage of takes a chance and tries to punch Carmen. This
1d+1 in non-lethal damage. is taking a chance because Carmen will probably
choose to block this attack with her knife. If
initiative: Since you automatically get to defend Carmen succeeds in her defense, Danielle will
against melee attacks you can see coming, going punch the knife instead of Carmen! Danielle’s
first is not as critical as it was for pistol-armed adjusted skill roll for the attack is 3d+1 (base
Able and Baker. Danielle does not want to get skill of 4d+0, -3 for dodging, -1 for doing a block
sliced up with a knife, but Carmen knows that as a prior minor action, and she uses her +2
Danielle has more skill. Carmen declares 1 for turn mod), and Carmen’s adjusted skill roll for
initiative and Danielle declares zero, but puts in 3 defense is 2d+1 (base skill of 3d+2, -1 for
for her Dodge. Because it is turn 2, each of them Initiative, -3 because she has done a major
gets a +2 turn mod to apply. action already). Danielle wins the roll with a
total of 13 to Carmen’s 8, so she avoids the knife
combat: Carmen stabs at Danielle. Danielle and hits Carmen for 1d+1 non-lethal damage.
could block, but since she is unarmed, this would The narration would be “As Danielle deflects
mean she would take a knife jab to her arm. If Carmen’s knife with her left hand, she steps
she parries, she takes a -3 penalty, and because inside Carmen’s guard and punches her with the
the weapon is short enough and the range close right.”
enough, the gamemaster says that Danielle can
parry the knife arm rather than the knife itself. damage: We haven’t done the damage rules
Carmen uses her +2 turn bonus and stabs with yet, so this example will be continued when we
a skill roll of 4d+0 (skill of 3d+2, -1 for Initiative get to that point. Danielle has scored a hit, but
and +2 for turn mod), and Danielle parries with it is unlikely to end the fight.
an adjusted skill roll of 4d+0 (base skill of 4d+0,
+3 for dodging, -3 for the parry, and does not
use any of her turn bonus). Danielle wins the roll
and the knife misses its mark.

4.15
 The ‘after armor effect’ means that whatever
DAMAGE & ARMOR damage type is largest (ties to non-lethal) is
Okay, so you connected with a adjusted by that amount after defenses are
weapon (or foolishly let yourself get penetrated, plus there is a maximum you can
hit by one). What do you do now? take from a hit. The ±3 amounts usually
Usually, things go in this order: become ±1d. However, attacks always do at
least 1 hit if they penetrate defenses. In the
• determine hit location (optional) case of non-lethal damage, the 1 hit remainder
• reduce damage done by armor can be reduced to zero by Toughness.
• apply any location-based effects (optional)
• apply any damage reduction from prior injury If you took 1d+0 through armor on a head hit, it
would be increased to 2d+0. If you took 1d+0
Not all of these steps are going to apply to all through armor on a leg hit, it would be reduced to
hits. For instance, if none of them apply, you 0d+1 (because of the minimum effect of 1 hit).
just roll the damage and apply it to your hits.
The detailed hit locations are really just for
Hit location called shots and cases where only part of a
First, the gamemaster decides where you were hit location is actually covered. Like ‘did the
hit. The default is that hits go for the ‘center of snake bite you on your exposed leg, or the
mass’. If you are not aiming for something part where you have the heavy boot?’.
specific, then you are trying to hit ‘the middle’
of the target. And since this is where a lot of Armor
important bits are, this usually works. In this Once you have decided where damage has
case, any torso armor will be what is counted been taken, then you deal with armor. Armor
against the attack. This is fairly ‘cinematic’, in comes in two varieties, rigid and flexible.
that you can run around without a helmet and Flexible is more comfortable to wear, is less
still be counted as fully armored for purposes constricting on your movement and easier to
of taking damage. But if a target is partially conceal, but does not stop damage as well
obscured or you would rather use random hit as rigid armor. Armor has a rating in dice just
locations, roll 3d+0: like like damage. However, you do not roll
armor dice, you subtract them from damage.
roll(3d) location after armor effect Damage that gets through armor will probably
3-6 Head +3, max of 6d be in terms of dice. So a 3d+0 attack hitting a
face(3-4) 2d+0 armor does 1d+0 damage.
neck(5)
skull(6) As a basic armor rule, the difference between
7-8 Arms -3, max of 2d a rigid and a flexible armor is simple. Rigid
upper arm(7) armor transmits 1 non-lethal hit for every full
lower arm(8) 1d of damage stopped by armor, and flexible
9-12 Body +0, max of 4d armor transmits 2 non-lethal hits for every full
shoulder(9) 1d stopped by armor. Even non-lethal impact
chest(10) damage is transmitted through this way. Your
abdomen(11) Toughness does apply, but all non-lethal
hips & groin(12) damage from that hit adds together first.
13-18 Legs -3, max of 2d Location effects do apply.
upper leg(13-14)
lower leg(15-16) If you took 4 non-lethal hits from blunt trauma plus
foot(17-18) 2 more from armor penetration, your Toughness
applies once against a 6 point non-lethal attack.

4.16
 The EABA rules are a simple model that is
There is one very important subcase for how nonetheless very close to the way weapons and
armor and damage interact. What you do if armor actually interact. Things like modern
there are fractions on the armor and damage firearms are exceptionally consistent in how well
dice, like a 2d+1 attack hitting a 1d+2 armor? they penetrate, and armors are consistent in how
You just convert the attack and defense into well they resist penetration. If you shoot a bullet
numbers, subtract one from the other and at a steel plate and the first one does not go
then turn it back into dice. For instance: through, then if you shoot a hundred more at
that plate, none of them are likely to go through
damage armor result unless they hit a previously weakened spot by
2d+2(8) 1d+0(3) 1d+2 penetration(5) chance. If the first bullet penetrates the steel, it
2d+2(8) 1d+1(4) 1d+1 penetration(4) is almost certain that if you shoot a hundred
2d+2(8) 1d+2(5) 1d+0 penetration(3) more at the steel, they will all penetrate. So,
2d+1(7) 1d+2(5) 0d+2 penetration(2) subtracting armor dice from weapon dice before
2d+0(6) 1d+2(5) 0d+1 penetration(1) rolling handles this very well. If the damage dice
are less than or equal to the armor dice, nothing
If you take non-lethal and lethal damage ever penetrates. On the other hand, if damage
through armor at the same time because of dice are more than armor dice, something
blunt trauma, you apply the non-lethal always penetrates.
damage first.
People are another matter. A large attack might
Blunt trauma miss everything vital, or a small attack could hit
The basic rules differentiate between rigid and a key location. And EABA handles that too. Once
flexible armor, but this can be expanded on. you get through armor, then you roll remaining
The idea of blunt trauma really only applies to damage to give random variation in the damage
something that has a physical impact, like a done. A low damage roll represents a grazing
bullet, arrow, chop or thrust. Slices and things hit, while a high damage roll indicates something
like energy weapons generally do not do blunt more vital was struck.
trauma. For purposes of applying Toughness, all
non-lethal hits from blunt trauma plus armor EABA damage runs along the following scale:
penetration add together before applying
Toughness once. If you wish to add a little more damage equivalent
detail to non-penetrating hits, assume that any 1d+0 light pistol (.22 is 1d+1)
full die of armor not used to stop a hit adds 1 to 2d+0 medium pistol(9mm is 2d+1)
Toughness against that blunt trauma. 3d+0 heavy pistol (.44 Mag is 3d+0)
4d+0 light rifle(5.56mm is 4d+1)
If a 3d+0 attack does blunt trauma through a 4d+0 5d+0 heavy rifle (7.62mm is 4d+2)
armor, it does 1 point less because of the 1d of 6d+0 heavy MG (12.7mm is 6d+1)
armor that the attack did not penetrate. 8d+0 light vehicle cannon (30mm)
12d+0 medium vehicle cannon (75mm)
It is possible in many settings and historical 15d+0 heavy vehicle cannon (120mm)
periods to have armor that is next to impossible
to penetrate. A pair of heavy knights in melee This would be the guide for comparing wierd or
are unlikely to breach the steel plates of their foe. alien weapons to current technology.
However, powerful hits can badly bruise someone
through otherwise impervious defenses. Imagine
someone ‘getting their chimes rung’ by a head hit
that does not penetrate their helmet.

4.17
 Non-lethal damage is like a stunner or most
Damage punches. Weapons that do only non-lethal
You have hit, figured out where you hit, and damage can bruise or disorient, but have no
figured out how much damage you dealt. Now effects that are likely to require hospitalization.
you figure out what it does. All dice and fractions in this damage do non-
lethal hits. However, once you have taken all
Damage comes in three varieties: lethal, your hits, further non-lethal damage is marked
half-lethal and non-lethal. You can also deal as lethal. Toughness applies against non-lethal
damage to Stamina, but that’s a special case damage before it is applied.
that is usually the result of paranormal
powers. Damage dice are always all the dice, Applying damage
not the ‘best three’. And remember, you are You have a damage track on the
only rolling dice that got through any defenses. right of the adventurer sheet.
Damage taken is a notation of
Lethal damage is like a bullet or blade or ‘ ’ and ‘ ’ marks. A ‘ ’ mark
fragmentation grenade. Weapons doing lethal indicates a non-lethal hit, and an
damage tear, cut or puncture, and usually ‘ ’ mark indicates a lethal hit. You
bleed quite a bit. All the dice and fractions in start at the top of the track and
lethal damage do lethal hits. Bruising hits work your way down.
through armor may be partially or completely
overwritten by the lethal hits done. This adventurer has taken 2 lethal
hits and 3 non-lethal ones.
A 2d+1 bullet does 2d+1 lethal hits. Roll 2d+1,
take the result and mark off that many hits. The three most important things
to remember are:
Half-lethal is like a club, a mace, an explosion
or a kick. Weapons doing half-lethal damage one: if lethal and non-lethal damage is dealt
bruise, break and crush tissue. They may not by the same attack, you mark the non-lethal
bleed as much, but they can cause internal hits first.
damage more severe than the outward
appearance of a wound might show. Mark the If a hit did 4 points of non-lethal damage and 2
hits that penetrate defenses as non-lethal, points of lethal damage at the same time, like a
then upgrade half (round down) of the hits lethal attack that mostly just bruised you through
done by the attack plus the blunt trauma to your armor but barely penetrated, you mark four
lethal hits. You apply Toughness against the ‘ ’ and then turn two of them into ‘ ’.
non-lethal hits before upgrading to lethal hits.
two: If you take more non-lethal hits than you
If after Toughness, you took 7 half-lethal damage have, the remainder counts as lethal hits.
from a club and 2 non-lethal from damage that ‘Bruising’ starts to become ‘breaking’.
your armor partially stopped, you would mark 9
non-lethal hits and then upgrade 4 of those hits three: you always mark lethal hits on top of
to lethal damage. existing non-lethal ones (turning into an ),
starting at the top of the damage track and
Cracking heads working your way down.
Half-lethal melee weapons are ‘less lethal’ melee
weapons. However, on called shots of +4 difficulty If you had 5 non-lethal hits marked off and then
or more, you can choose to hit a muscular spot took 2 hits of lethal damage, you would turn the
and do all damage as non-lethal, or a bony spot top two ‘ ’ into ‘ ’.
and do all damage as lethal damage.

4.18
 The real world is full of examples where people
Damage effects survived attacks even though they were shot
These are pretty simple. Whenever you mark multiple times or stabbed dozens of times.
a or an through a box with something in EABA reflects this. You can be impaired and
it like ‘-1d’, almost all skill and attribute rolls take a penalty fairly easily, but you can often
are reduced by that amount. In addition (and take quite a beating before you go down.
this is very important), all damage you take
from that point is also reduced by 3 for Speaking of which, during the creation of your
each -1d penalty, but you always take at adventurer, you marked a spot on the hits
least 1 lethal or non-lethal hit for anything that track equal to your Strength plus Health. If
gets through defenses or Toughness. If you you take more damage than this, you pass out
take lethal and non-lethal hits at the same until you have at least one unmarked hit. If
time, the reduction is proportionate to the you have taken more than your hits in lethal
damage done. Think of it this way: If you get damage, you have to make a Health roll with a
shot in the arm, getting shot there again will difficulty of 11 (this does not take the penalty
not incapacitate it as much as the first shot for your injury). If you fail, you die. If you
did. This reduction of damage applies last. succeed, you are just unconscious or in shock.
Generally, damage is done in this order: If you take more damage (any kind) and cross
another dice threshold, you have to make
1. blunt trauma plus armor penetration another Health roll, but each threshold past
2. ±location effects your actual hits is a -1d penalty to the roll.
3. apply Toughness if appropriate
4. roll damage dice Stunning
5. then apply any prior injury effects Any time you take damage, there is a chance it
disrupts your concentration or disorents you. If
Say that you are wearing a 2d+0 rigid armor, the damage taken made you cross a dice penalty
have a Toughness of 2, have taken enough hits to threshold (including the -0d one), you have to
put you at a -1d penalty, and are hit in the head make a Will roll with a difficulty of easy(5). This
with a 3d+1 lethal attack. This is as complex as roll is adjusted by injury penalty effects and you
it ever gets in EABA, and would resolve like: may use unallocated turn mod for it. This roll
does not count as a major or minor action, it is
1. A total of 1d+1 penetrates armor (3d+1 vs. merely your instantaneous reaction to being hurt.
2d+0), and you take 2 points of blunt trauma
(because rigid armor stopped 2d of damage) If you fail the roll, your concentration is broken.
2. Since this is a head hit, +1d damage to the If you were doing a major or minor action across
lethal part, making it 2d+1 (add to lethal multiple turns, you have to start over. Recovering
because the blunt trauma was a lesser your poise if you fail the initial roll is a major
amount than the lethal damage) action, using damage-adjusted Will and all
3. Toughness reduces the blunt trauma to zero remaining turn mod, up to that needed for an
4. Roll 2d+1, in this case getting a total of 7 automatic success (‘taking 2’s’). You may attempt
5. Apply the prior injury effect of -3, so you this action immediately upon being failing the
take a total of 4 additional lethal hits free roll. For as long as you remain stunned, your
Dodge is zero, and you may take no other major
Because the damage roll was 2d+1 and you take actions until you recover from being stunned. You
a minimum of 1 hit from anything that exceeds may take minor actions normally, so you can
defenses, this attack could have done anywhere defend yourself against attacks in melee, walk or
from 1 hit (on a 2d+1 roll of 3 or 4) to 10 hits do things that take little effort or concentration.
(on a 2d+1 roll of 13). Stunning is an advanced topic, but it is highly
recommended.

4.19
 RECOVERY
DAMAGE EXAMPLE Once you have taken damage, and
We ended the ranged combat example usually after the fighting is over, you
with Able taking a hit from a pistol at can start to recover from it. This is
short range. If we say this is something where your Recovery stat comes in.
like a 9mm, then the damage will be around
2d+1 lethal. We have already done examples of stamina: Whenever you could recover any
armor, so we will say Able has no body armor non-lethal hits due to time spent resting, you
and takes the full 2d+1. The dice are rolled, and recover all lost Stamina. Stamina will be used
the result is a total of 7. Able has taken no hits more in some gameworlds than others. The
before this, so he just marks off seven ’s on his next important mention of it will be in the
hits track. This means he has crossed the -0d Advanced Combat chapter.
and -1d thresholds for damage effects (you only
count the highest one). The important thing is non-lethal hits: When level time recovery
that he has crossed a damage threshold and has the time level spent +18 8m +5
to make an easy(5) Will roll to avoid being resting plus Recovery +19 11m
stunned. Able has a normal Will roll of 2d+2, but equals 20, you recover +20 15m +6
he takes a -1d penalty for severity of his injuries, 1 non-lethal hit, and 1 +21 23m
giving him a 1d+2 to reach a difficulty of 5, a more non-lethal hit +22 30m +7
50-50 chance. If he fails, he could immediately each time this interval +23 45m
try again as a major action on this turn, but his elapses. +24 1h +8
roll would take all penalties for previous major
+25 1.4h
actions on that turn. lethal hits: When the +26 2h +9
time level spent resting +27 3h
If he failed the initial roll, then on the following plus Recovery equals +28 4h +10
turn he might try again as his first major action, 32, you recover 1 +29 6h
on his normal turn initiative. This puts him in a lethal hit, and 1 more +30 8h +11
bind, as he really wants to go first so he does lethal hit each time this +31 11h
not get shot again, but he needs to make the Will interval elapses. +32 16h +12
roll, and even if he does make the Will roll, doing
so will use some part of his turn bonus for that If you have a Recovery of +1, you recover one
turn, leaving him less or even none to apply to non-lethal hit each 11 minutes and one lethal hit
his combat skills. The moral of the story? Have each 11 hours. Also, after 11 minutes you would
a decent Will roll and keep a little turn mod get back all Stamina that had been used.
unspent if you think you will need it.
When we say ‘each time this interval elapses’,
DAMAGE EXAMPLE we mean each time the clock runs out the
In the melee combat example, we ended with amount of time for the initial recovery. So, if
Danielle clocking Carmen with a 1d+1 punch. you recover your first non-lethal hit at a time
Carmen has a Will of 7, which means she has a level of +20 (15 minutes), you recover another
Toughness of 2. So, she can ignore the first 2 non-lethal hit every 15 minutes.
points from any non-lethal hit. Danielle rolls her
1d+1 damage for a total of 5, so Carmen takes 3
non-lethal hits, marking three ’s on her hits
track. This crosses the -0d damage threshold, so
she has to make a Will roll with no penalty and a
difficulty of 5. Rolling 2d+1, she can ‘take 2’s’ to
automatically get a 5. She has not taken enough
damage to suffer any ill effects...yet.

4.20
 Realistic recovery
There are things you can do that can affect The basic recovery rules are meant to get
your recovery rate. Rest, supplies necessary adventurers back on their feet fairly quickly, and
for recovery and comfortable surroundings can are far faster than is realistic for lethal damage,
add +1 or +2 to your Recovery. In the case of even with modern medicine. To make things
lethal injury, medical care using an enhanced more realistic, hits after the first are recovered
skill can add +2 to your Health, which is good after an elapsed time of +2 time levels, not for
for a +1 to your Recovery. Advanced tech (or each time the initial time level repeats. In the
magic or other powers) can also provide previous example, this would mean Able would
benefits, especially for wound recovery. Regen not get back the seventh lost hit until 16 days
tanks and autodocs are staples of the science- after he had been shot, and that is assuming he
fiction genre, and magical spells to speed does not engage in activity to slow the recovery
healing are part of the fantasy genre. process. Severe injuries can take months or
even years to fully recover from. If you want to
On the other hand, pushing yourself when you compromise, use an elapsed time of +1 instead
are injured, ignoring doctor’s advice, poor of +2. In the previous example, Able would take
medical care or conditions can decrease your 2 days to recover his injury at that rate.
recovery or negate it altogether. Recovery
implies not doing the things that caused the In the damage example for melee combat,
problem in the first place. Strenuous activity Carmen had taken 3 non-lethal hits from getting
resets the recovery clock for lethal and non- punched. If Carmen had a Recovery of -1, then
lethal hits. after the fight, she would get back the first non-
lethal hit (and all lost Stamina) after a time level
If you would normally recover one lethal hit each of +21, or 23 minutes, and the second and third
16 hours and you do something to strain yourself hits at further 23 minute intervals. If we were to
8 hours into it, you lose that 8 hours and restart use the advanced rule mentioned above, she
the clock from when you stop aggravating your would recover the first non-lethal hit at a time
injury. level of +21, the second at a time level of +23
and the last after a total time level of +25.
What counts as ‘strenuous’ is fairly subjective
and up to the gamemaster, but the player That’s it for basic combat! Everything else is
would be advised to err on the side of caution Advanced Combat, the tweaks, special cases
for their adventurer... and details that are only relevant to certain
gameworlds. You will surely use some of them,
In the damage example for ranged combat, Able but probably not all of them.
took 7 lethal hits. If that is where he was when
combat ended, then he would be able to start
recovering that damage. Let’s say he has a
Recovery rate of +0 and ends up in a hospital,
for a bonus of +3, giving him a total of +3, as
long as he stays in the hospital. A time level of
+29, plus his Recovery of +3 is +32, so he gets
back the first lethal hit of damage after a time
level of +29, or 6 hours. Assuming he stays in
the hospital, he continues to get back lost hits, 1
every 6 hours, so it will take 42 hours for him to
recover the 7 lethal hits he took.

4.21
5.1
Advanced Combat
 INITIATIVE
The more you want to get out of a game system,
This will be all the advanced topics
the more you have to put into it. But not everyone relating to initiative, sequencing and
turn structure.
wants minutia and obscure details. Putting all of
Stamina use
those in the basic combat rules would bog it down Fighting is inherently stressful. ‘Fight or flight’
reflex has kicked in, adrenaline is pumping,
and turn off many gamemasters or players. So,
and you are running, punching, swinging
the core of combat and conflict resolution is the weapons and dodging or blocking attacks. This
can wear you out very quickly. This is probably
basic rules, and everything else is optional, and the single most important advanced topic for
combat, and one that is usually ignored in
you can gradually work your way into it.
most game systems.

At the end of each turn of a combat, all those

in the combat burn some Stamina. If you are
out of Stamina, then you take one-third of the
excess (round nearest) as non-lethal hits.
Toughness does not apply, since it is ‘fatigue’
rather than ‘damage’. The gamemaster can
adjust this 1:3 ratio for a particular gameworld
or genre. Add up everything that could cost
you stamina:

action amount
INTRODUCTION activate/use a power its drain
The combat and damage system in running +1
EABA is designed around a simple sprinting or maximum physical effort +3
principle: One medium-caliber pistol in combat +1
shot or a well-placed sword blow should be in melee combat +2
able to kill a normal person, or at least render turn mod used +amount used
them unconscious and bleeding. And years of sustained use of power +time level
adventuring experience do not matter. You do
not magically gain the ability to absorb more Add this up and divide the total by 5, rounding
damage. At best, you become healthier and nearest. This is the stamina you use up at the
stronger, and more likely to survive that bullet end of the turn.
or sword, but it is never guaranteed.
If you were in melee(+2) and used +6 turn mod
The EABA advanced combat rules are merely during the turn, this adds up to +8. Divide that
embellishments of this principle, side cases of by 5 (round nearest) and you use 2 Stamina on
damage for specific weapons, or bits of realism that turn. An average person only has 6 or 7
and detail that you may or may not want or Stamina, so you can use it up very fast.
need. Consider everything in this chapter as
an ‘advanced topic’. Things in blue would be activate/use a power: If you turned on a
‘really advanced topics’. The length of the power and it has a drain on your stamina, it
chapter is irrelevant. Take what works for you, counts once on any turn which the cost
and leave the rest. applies. If a power has special modifiers on its
stamina cost, that would be reflected here.
5.2
 There are two ways to reduce stamina use.
running: If your movement rate for the turn is The first is to exit the combat. If you leave the
more than your walk distance level but not scene and do not come back, you are no
more than your run distance level, add +1. longer in the fight and are no longer burning
stamina at that rate. The other way is to
If you applied a turn mod of +3 to movement reduce your level of participation in the fight.
and your walk, run and sprint rates were +5, +7 The biggest factors in stamina use are turn
and +9, then a movement distance for the turn mod and any stamina-using powers that you
of up to +8 (walk+3) would count as a walk, a are sustaining. If you slack off and avoid the
distance of up to +10 would count as a run most intense part of the fighting (by using less
(run+3) and a distance of +12 would count as a of your turn mod), you use less stamina. And
sprint (sprint+3). of course if the turn is long enough, you can
just spend part of it resting (see page 5.24)
sprinting: If your movement rate for the turn so you can get your stamina back!
is more than your run distance level, add +3.
Debilitating losses of stamina are what really
in combat: Simply being in a fight is stressful, end a lot of fights. One side or the other is
so this is worth +1. If you are in melee simply too exhausted to continue!
combat, this is worth +2 instead. If do you not
make any attacks or defenses, do not apply Complex situations
either. If you want to give people more combat In basic combat, a person does everything
endurance, leave this factor out. If you are just they want to do when it becomes their
dodging, count it as +1. Initiative to act, or everyone does one major
and/or minor action, then people repeat this
turn mod used: The turn mod you use is just sequence until everyone is done.
the fraction of the turn you are doing things
that can wear you out. The gamemaster can If you want to subdivide a turn, say that each
reduce this for long but non-tiring actions. independent major or minor action someone
wants to initiate has to be separated by 3
sustained power use: If a power has a drain points of initiative, and the turn ends when
to use and is kept in play for a long duration, everyone has finished for the turn (initiatives
the time level you keep the power active adds can go into negative numbers). Minor actions
to the total. If the power is used in pulses (like that are responses to other people (like blocks)
a firebolt), the amount you are using it is do not count.
already reflected in the amount of turn mod
you use. If you declare ‘4’ for initiative in a round and
want to draw and fire a gun, then your draw
Say it is turn 10 of a fight (8 minutes long, +18 happens on an initiative of 4, and the shooting
turn mod). You have a flight power and a force on an initiative of 1. In between these two things,
field, both of which have drain of +1 to activate, people with Initiatives of 3 or 2 get to act, and
and you use both of them the whole turn, in might do things that affect your shot. In game
addition to using +18 of turn mod on skills. Your terms, what you do on Initiative 4 happens on
total for the turn is +56 (+2 for powers, +18 for Initiative 4, but in practical terms, it is a series
turn mod, +36 for two sustained powers), so you of actions that begins on initiative 4 and
burn 11 Stamina that turn. Anyone with long continues down the initiative numbers until you
duration powers needs to have a good Stamina. get your next action. This would be a case where
a Neat Trick of ‘draw and fire’ would let you do
both actions on initiative 4.

5.3
 If reinforcements are notified of a problem on
Remember that each action you take normally turn 3, insert them into the combat timeline at
suffers a penalty of your initiative, plus any turn 3. Their movement towards the combat
penalties for doing more than one major (and Stamina use) will have the same turn
action. If you do complex sequencing, the mod as everyone else in the fight, and when
maximum turn bonus you can apply to one they arrive, plug them seamlessly in.
action is based on the action. Ranged weapons
will be limited to a quantity mod of their However, if the combats are separate entities
remaining supply of ammunition. Movement, that started at different times, the best thing
melee and unarmed attacks can use any to do is at the start of the next turn, you reset
portion of the turn mod they wish. For purpose back to turn 1. The situation that separated
of combat modifiers, you are counted as using combatants leads to new opportunities and
the maximum movement that you did at that new chaos, so the time scale starts short and
or any previous point in the turn. lengthens again as the situation restabilizes.
This is one of the few ways in which a combat
You declare ‘4’ for initiative. Let’s say the turn can last more than ten turns, when a situation
mod you have available is +4 and your run changes dramatically enough that it is like
distance is normally +8. If you apply your +4 starting a new combat!
turn mod to movement, your movement level
becomes +12, or 23 meters. If someone shoots If someone becomes a participant in ongoing
at you, the modifier for your movement is +6 combat by surprise, on their first round in the
(half the level for your movement plus their combat they will get no turn mod and count
movement). Even if this was a turn where you as ambushed. So, if you are fleeing pursuit,
took three actions, and you did not change turn a corner and there is a guard napping on
position on your last action, you are counted as a chair, he gets inserted into the combat, but
moving the maximum rate you had during the the guard’s first turn in the combat starts on
turn. The reason for this is to keep you from Initiative 0 of that turn.
running really fast, then stopping and taking no
penalty on your action. Tweaked turn scale
The normal combat system has turn length
Multiple combats increased as described elsewhere. If you are
The ever-lengthening turn scale works very not comfortable with this, or it does not seem
well for combats where everyone is at the right for you for a particular encounter or
same location. But what if a situation divides genre, you can always go to fixed turn length
the combatants into separate groups? This and run combats as many turns as you want,
could be a problem if a group with a turn or adjust the turn scale to match what you
length of 2 seconds runs into a group having a want the players to be able to do in a turn.
turn length of 2 minutes! You would just find the appropriate turn mod
for that turn length and apply it to each turn.
First, you have to make sure this is actually
the case. If a turn is long enough that people If you were running a fantasy gameworld and felt
in one part of the combat can move to or that a turn length of 6 seconds was about right,
launch attacks against where the other one is then you could just arbitrarily declare that turns
going on, then it is still all one combat and one were 6 seconds long and every turn had a +5
location. It is just one large combat and one turn mod for players to apply as they wished
large location. If the gamemaster expects that between skills, attributes and movement. Or, you
separate groups are going to run into each could see that things were bogging down and just
other, the best thing to do is synchronize them say “Okay, next round is going to be a minute
from the start. long and have a +12 turn mod.”

5.4
 In conditions of poor visibility, the difficulty for
Spotting things spotting things will be increased, and it could
It was not mentioned in basic combat, but it be that nothing is obvious and that actions are
should be pretty obvious: You cannot attack required to spot anything.
something you cannot see. Sure, you can lob a
grenade blindly into a room, but you are at vision arc awareness roll
least assuming the presence of a target. But front +0 penalty
movies, stories and even real life are full of side -3 penalty
situations where someone gets the drop on rear -6 penalty
someone else because of distraction or cover indirect -varies
or good planning. The easiest way to handle
spotting in combat is to assume that anything vision condition difficulty
happening that is obvious is...well...obvious. default vision +range level/2(d)
No roll is needed. Do not make life more well lit & open +0
complicated than it has to be. If you have to poor lighting +2
determine what ‘obvious’ is, it would be a dusk +4
difficulty you can ‘take 2’s’ to meet with an moonlight +6
appropriate Awareness roll. starlight +8
no light vision n/a
If you an Awareness for seeing things of 3d+1,
then anything of difficulty 7 or less is ‘obvious’. light obscurement, 50% cover +2
medium obscurement, 75% cover +4
Anyone who leaves your sight or other senses heavy obscurement, 90% cover +6
during combat has to be reacquired if they total obscurement vision n/a
reappear stealthily or from an unexpected item motion -move level/2(d)
direction. This is an Awareness roll against half item size ±size level
the difficulty for range (round down) for visual
spotting, or the normal difficulty for range for hearing condition difficulty
things you try to spot through hearing. Any default hearing +range level
penalties for weapon arcs will apply to your no background noise +0
Awareness for visual spotting (it is harder to background conversation +2
see something sneaking up from behind). If traffic noise or light machinery +4
there are multiple ways to spot something, you background melee combat +6
use whichever one you want or think gives you background gun combat +8
the best chance, but you do not use all of
them. to hear gunshots -level of damage
to hear obvious powers -level of effect
Spotting rolls for something that is happening to hear silenced gunshots -dice of damage
in the midst of other actions does not count as to hear subtle powers -dice of effect
an action, you are merely noticing changes in to hear your name -4
an evolving situation, and such free Awareness sound related to a ≥4d skill -2
rolls may not apply any turn mod. However,
making a deliberate spotting or listening roll is You are looking in your front arc and something
a minor action. In the case where you are person-sized moves a few meters, out at 200
spending time on the action, you may apply meters (distance level of +18). Noticing it is half
any part of your turn mod towards the roll. If the range level (+9), minus half its movement
you spend time looking, you have a better level (say this gives a -2), for a final difficulty of
chance of seeing something. 7. Odds are pretty good you will spot it.

5.5
 Movement
indirect: This modifier is worth noting as a There are not many special rules for move-
special case. It means you are seeing things ment that you will need on a regular basis.
through some other device, like a surveillance The ones that do exist are here just because
camera or a periscope, which limits the range you may occasionally need to look one up.
and quality of what you can see.
acceleration: In the basic rules, you walk as
Bear in mind you can have gear which alters a minor action, run as a major action and
these modifiers, from a flashlight that changes sprint as a major action that counts as two,
lighting for everyone, to night vision goggles noting that your total movement level for a
that affect the apparent lighting for just the turn is your appropriate movement rate plus
wearer. Similarly, the level of obscurement can turn bonus. So, you may not take three major
be changed in an instant. Going prone in actions and run for each of them to cover more
waist-high grass takes you from 50% cover to ground. Instead, you choose your movement
nearly 100% cover (they can’t see you, but level and then apply turn mod to represent
they can see if the grass moves). And also how much of the turn is spent moving.
bear in mind that obscurement is not always
the same as armor. The tall grass might hide In the real world, you cannot get up to full
you, but it does not stop machinegun bullets... speed instantly. In order to sprint, you have to
have been running on the previous turn, or
The ‘your name’ difficulty adjustment for hearing use +2 of your turn mod to go from stationary
is what is known as the ‘cocktail party effect’. or a walk to a sprint, which effectively means
Having become used to hearing it all our lives, you cannot sprint on the first turn of a combat,
we are very good at pulling our name out of the since the turn mod is +0.
clutter of background noise. So, you might not
hear what someone is saying about you, but you You have a walk, run and sprint movement level
would be likely to catch that someone was talking of 4, 6 and 8. It is turn 3 of a combat, so the
about you. A low-tech society’s non-scientific turn mod is +4. If you had been running on the
awareness of this might be what is behind the previous turn, you could sprint on this turn and
superstitions of not speaking certain names (like move a total distance during the turn of +12
devils or fey), lest the being in question hear you (movement of +8 with a +4 turn mod). If
and show up to see what is being said about however, you were going from a walk or standing
them. Similarly, the skill-related adjustment start and wanted to sprint this turn, it would cost
reflects that you are attuned to the sounds of you +2 of your turn mod, so you could move a
your profession and are more likely to hear them. maximum distance level of +10. You would use
For instance, as a gamer, odds are that you all of your turn mod to do this (+2 to accelerate,
would pick up the rolling of dice over background and +2 on your sprinting movement level).
noise easier than most people.
jumping: Unless you have an enhanced skill
If you look at them, all of these visibility and to affect it, your standing jump distance level
hearing modifiers are really just interpretations of is half of Strength or Health (round nearest),
values on the Universal Chart. For instance, the whichever you are basing the jump off of.
modifier for object under 50% cover is the same Your vertical jump distance is a quarter your
as the modifier for a torso-sized target (about Strength or Health (round nearest). A ‘vertical
50% of a person). So, once you remember that jump’ is what you can get your whole body
sight rolls are half the difficulty for range and over. If you are moving, you can add half
hearing is the full difficulty for range, you should (round nearest) your movement distance level
be able to wing most of the rest. to your attribute.

5.6
 SKILL USE
If you have a Health of 10, you have a standing There are lots of special cases
horizontal jump distance of +5 (2 meters) and regarding the use of skills in a game
vertical jump distance of +3 (.7 meters). If your system with a sliding duration turn
sprint distance was +9, you could add +5 to your scale. The first few topics will be general
Health to get +15, for a running jump distance of cases, and then we will handle ranged combat,
+8 (6 meters) and vertical jump distance of +4 melee combat and other specialized situations.
(1.4 meters).
Outmatched
swimming: Swimming distance is handled like In any competitive situation in EABA where
walk/run/sprint, except all the numbers are you have a base skill roll or attribute roll that
reduced by 6. is at least 2d more than your opponent, you
win. The outcome may take a while, but the
If you have a walk movement level of 4, then result is not in doubt. This is the roll between
your swimming equivalent of walk/run/sprint is the professor vs. the student, a 1st degree
-2/0/2 (the world record speed would be 5). black belt vs. the dojo master, or a chess
grand master vs. the talented kid at the high
Maps school chess club. Unless there is a pressing
Combat maps are glossed over in the basic time consideration or the underdog can narrow
combat rules. This is deliberate. Maps will the dice gap to less than 2d, the better person
inherently slow things down and can turn an can just say they ‘outmatch’ the loser and
emotionally dramatic combat into a tactical describe in dramatic terms how it happens.
board game. A good gamemaster can describe This is a competitive version of ‘taking 2’s’,
scenery and positions of people in sufficient and is useful for neutralizing sentries, sneaking
detail for short encounters, or make a very past inattentive guards, running con games on
simple diagram showing relative positions and unsuspecting marks, picking the pockets of the
ranges. As each turn gets longer, the exact unwary or other tasks that really do not need
distances become less and less important. If to be handled as a detailed, time-sequenced
you can run fifty meters in a turn, it’s pretty encounter. It will not work in every competitive
safe to say the gamemaster should let you run situation, but it is a way to speed up many
fifty-one meters if that puts you in a more encounters when you have an adventurer of
advantageous range band for shooting high skill dealing with a normal person. It is
someone (or getting away from being shot!). also a way for a high-skill extra to deal with an
adventurer without the player knowing about
However, in some cases a map or detailed it. Outmatching and taking 2’s can turn simple
diagram is integral to the situation. If you are combats into the statement “I deal with the
trying to rescue hostages, you want the total sentry quickly and silently”, and then you
floor plan of the building. If you are infiltrating move on to the next part of the encounter. If
an enemy castle, you might not know the floor outmatching requires multiple skills, all must
plan, but the gamemaster needs it because if outmatch the opponent.
things go south (and you know they will!),
then rooms and corridors and placement of However, if time is a consideration, you have
guards and traps all become something you to play it out. If the alarm has not been raised,
need at your fingertips. outmatching to get past the outer ring of
sentries can take as long as it needs to. On
The moral of the story is to use no more (and the other hand, if the alert has been sounded,
no less) detail on the table than is needed. then every turn an obstacle can slow you down
Determining that level comes with experience. is a turn that ways for you to escape can be
closed off...
5.7
 Dialogue
If you want, you can even apply outmatching As turns get longer during the course of a
to group situations. Take the lowest applicable combat, the extra time allows for the witty or
skill in the more skilled group and the highest gritty repartee between foes that you often see
of the applicable skills in the other group. Each in the movies. This usually has no direct game
group gets the level of the quantity mod they effect, but a clever player could and should use it
have (i.e. x8 guys would get a +6). If the to try and turn the situation to their advantage.
difference between the groups is 2d or more, Knowing things that could cause a foe to act
one group outmatches the other. Note that irrationally or predictably can give you the same
you should assess some stamina use for long sort of bonus as a feint, or cause someone to
outmatching situations. make a Will roll because of a personality Trait.
The difference is that you can just say you are
You have two martial artist adventurers with skill feinting. Using dialogue to get a combat bonus
levels of 6d+0 against six thugs with skill levels requires that the player actually get into the role
of 3d+0. The martial artists have a quantity of x2 and the situation and make it happen. Not all
for a quantity level of +2, adjusting their skill to players can or are willing to make the effort to
6d+2. The thugs have a quantity of x6 for a do the dialog and find the game mechanic
quantity level of +5, adjusting their skill to 4d+2. advantage in it, but they should be encouraged
The difference is 2d, so the pair of martial artists when they do.
do their thing and ‘outmatch’ the six thugs. The
gamemaster would just narrate the adventurers In the final fight scene of the movie Quantum of
tearing through the thugs, and you then move on Solace, James Bond has defeated Dominic
towards a more challenging confrontation. Greene, and the only thing keeping Greene from
plummetting into fiery wreckage is Bond’s grip
It is even possible for the gamemaster to on his hair. A single gunshot is heard from the
outmatch a player or a group of players, but rooms of General Medrano, where Bond’s female
not without good reason. You can tell the compatriot (Camille Montes) is at. Greene, either
players “The guards outnumber you enough to realizing he has failed Quantum and is doomed
outmatch you. We do not need to play it out. anyway, or desperately seeking an advantage,
You can surrender and go along quietly, or tells Bond in a mocking voice “Sounds like you
they can drag your unconscious bodies off to just lost another one!”. Greene is using his
the the holding cells after beating you bloody. knowledge of Bond’s history and personality. He
Your call.” Players will probably be unhappy is either trying to goad Bond into dropping him
with you, but it might be giving them the best (a fate preferable to capture) or to cause Bond to
choice in a bad situation. Of course, having hesitate, or lift Greene up to the walkway where
done this to the adventurers, you are now he might be able to escape or turn the tables. In
obligated to create a situation where the this case, the latter.
players can extricate them...
Depending on how you look at it, Bond either
Just remember that outmatching is usually not does not fail his Will roll, does not succumb to a
for tasks based on a single, short action, which desire for revenge and drop Greene into the
is what ‘taking 2’s’ is for. A chess grandmaster flames, or does fail his Will roll and puts saving
outmatching a talented kid still needs a certain Camille ahead of capturing Greene. Bond yanks
number of turns to do it. To quietly dispose of Greene up to the walkway and leaves him there,
the sentry still requires that you sneak up on and runs off to find out what has happened in the
him, and unless this sneaking is a single move general’s rooms. Greene then makes a limping
from nearby concealment, you would do it as escape attempt from the exploding facility.
outmatching rather than ‘taking 2’s’.

5.8
 Remember that because of the length of a
GENERAL COMBAT turn, simply moving to someone’s side or rear
There are a few advanced topics is no guarantee they will take a penalty. They
that apply to both ranged and melee could easily have seen you coming and turned
combat. to face you without needing initiative or an
action to do so.
Weapon arcs
The 120° arc in front of a person is where they Unless a player sets up a compelling game
can make combat rolls and visual spotting at situation, it is unlikely they can start an action
no penalty. The 60° arc to one side is a -3 in front of a person and then get a combat
penalty to attacks and defense rolls. Which advantage by moving around behind them to
side this will be depends on your situation. For make their attack.
instance, pretend you have a rifle against your
shoulder and see which side arc it is easier to Nonetheless, there are situations where you
fire into. Pretend you have a sword and shield can make this work for you. For instance, if
and see which side is harder to protect with two people are fighting one, the two can
the shield. Visual spotting to either side takes manuever so the one cannot keep them both
a -3 penalty because it is in your peripheral in the front arc.
vision. Attacks, defenses and visual spotting to
an off side or rear 120° arc are at a -6. These Mass fire
combat penalties are things that can be There will occasionally be situations where
partially offset by relevant Experience, an there are a lot of people trying to do the same
effect of an enhanced skill, or simply by use combat action against a single target. Usually
of turn mod. this is a lot of people shooting at adventurers
or something similar. Rather than having every
last one of the extras make a skill roll, clump
them into groups of similar weaponry and skill
rolls, and then apply a quantity level based on
the number of them in that group. This adjusts
their skill roll and becomes the chance that the
group as a whole gets a single hit or combat
result.

Eight people would be a quantity level of +6, so

In addition to weapon arcs, people can be you could make one skill roll with +6 on top of
disadvantaged because they are prone or any other modifiers, to see if that group of x8
otherwise hindered. Trying to attack or defend people gets one success.
while prone is a -6 penalty to unarmed or
melee combat. Being seated, kneeling or at a For each ten attacks (round down), a success
similar disadvantage is a -3 penalty. You can at mass fire gets one hit, and each 2 points
have an Experience or enhanced skill to deal the difficulty is beat by becomes an extra hit
with these penalties, like a martial art that or hits. So, if there were thirty attacks, a
deals with manuevers from these positions. barely successful roll would result in three hits
to the target. Making the roll by 2 would result
There are also situations that have to be dealt in six hits to the target.
with on a case-by-case basis. For instance, if you
have a knife and your foe is prone, you might
have to kneel to stab them.

5.9
 RANGED COMBAT
A dozen bandits shoot their sixguns (once) at These will be advanced topics
a fleeing bounty hunter, who is 20 meters away relating almost exclusively to the use
(difficulty of +11), on a horse with a movement of ranged weapons. Odds are good that
modifier of +6 (half its distance level), for a final you will find something in here that you will
difficulty of 17. The bandits only have adjusted want to use on a regular basis.
skill rolls of 3d+2, giving them as individuals a
pretty poor chance (about 9% each). Rather than Autofire
rolling for them individually, you see that the Some weapons or powers have a mode that
closest quantity level to a dozen (x11) is +7. So, would be called ‘autoburst’ or ‘autofire’. For a
apply a +7 modifier to their skill roll (making it firearm, this means that each time you pull
6d+0) and roll once to see if the bounty hunter the trigger, the gun fires three or ten times,
gets hit. Since there are more than ten but less respectively. This is still only one major action,
than twenty attackers, making the roll to hit though. For each 2 points you beat a difficulty
means the bounty hunter is hit once, and again needed to hit, you get one extra hit from the
for each 2 points the roll beats the difficulty. weapon, up to a maximum of the shots fired.
Weapons without recoil get an extra hit for
The cumulative probability of doing things this each 1 point. Weapons with extremely high
way is not exactly the same and its accuracy rates of fire can get the autofire effect multiple
varies depending on the skill level, starting times, getting two or more extra hits for each
difficulty and quantity, but it is a lot more 2 points you beat the difficulty, up to a
streamlined to resolve. It can also be used to maximum of the number of shots.
speed up certain melee combats, like where
the martial arts master faces down several The maximum turn mod you can apply to an
lesser foes at once but cannot quite outmatch action using an autofire weapon is based on
them for an automatic victory. All of them the quantity mod for the number of autoburst
make one roll as a group to hit him once, or autofire attacks you do. That is, you apply
while he makes rolls to try and hit one of turn bonus based on how many times you pull
them, to try to reduce their numbers and thus the trigger, not on how many shots are fired.
their mass fire bonus.
If your weapon has an autofire mode and a 30
Dramatic called shots round clip, then you pull the trigger three times
This is where you want to do something showy and the clip is empty (10 rounds per trigger pull).
or cinematic. It is an extra +4 difficulty on top of Trigger pulls x3 would be a +3 quantity level, so
the normal called shot or task difficulty, but if you can use up to +3 of turn mod on this action.
you pull it off, you get any beneficial side effect If you do so, you empty the clip. If you only
or visual effect from the attack that you want, wanted to fire 10 rounds, you could. This would
within reason. For instance, Zorro slicing a ‘Z’ be a x1 quantity (+0 quantity level), so you could
into the shirt of his enemy, or slicing through apply no turn mod if you did this. However, you
a candelabra of lit candles without knocking any would still have 20 rounds left in your clip for
of them over. Or, a motorcyclist lays their bike future actions (and remember that unlike a
down to slide under a low obstacle and then normal firing action, you can get multiple hits
pops it back upright and keeps on riding. Or, you on a good roll). If the weapon had autoburst
shoot at a tank of something flammable and use capability, you could pull the trigger ten times
the dramatic called shot to guarantee that it (x10) at 3 rounds per trigger pull. This would be
explodes for you. There are all kinds of things a +6 quantity level, so you can use up to +6 of
you can do with a dramatic called shot, and the turn mod on this action, and since autoburst fires
modifier is meant to allow clever players with 3 shots, this action could get up to 3 hits.
skilled adventurers to do cinematic things.

5.10
 Shotguns
And this kind of makes sense, since you probably For rule purposes, a ‘shotgun effect’ is what
have a better chance to hit something with ten you get from a ranged weapon or any attack
short bursts than you do with three long ones. that makes multiple attacks simultaneously
The difference is that if you are only doing 3-shot rather than sequentially. ‘Buckshot’ from a
bursts, you can get a maximum of 3 hits. To shotgun is the most common example.
make this clearer, a more detailed example: Shotguns are also capable of firing a single
large projectile, called a ‘slug’. The rules for
If you have +0 turn mod to apply, then you can shotguns can also apply to some melee
use a quantity level of +0 (x1 trigger pull), and attacks. A claw might be treated as several
you can get one hit, plus another hit for each 2 small attacks that happen at the same time,
points you make your roll by. If you have at least rather than one large one. You could also use
+3 turn mod to apply, then you can apply a +3 this effect for a weapon which fires bursts so
turn mod if you have a 30 round clip (x3 trigger rapidly that they all hit at about the same
pulls for a quantity level of +3). This would time, even though they are technically
empty the clip, and you can get one hit, plus separate shots.
another hit for each 2 points you make your roll
by. Or, you might do two major actions, a 20 A shotgun can fire a small number of large
round blast with a +2 turn mod and a 10 round shot, or a large number of smaller shot. The
blast with +0 turn mod. Each of these actions can way you work it out is to take the damage for
get one hit, and each can get another hit for each the ‘slug’, add 1d, and then split this amount
2 points its roll is made by. so that the damage dice plus the number of
hits adds up to this total.
In the occasional case where you can see the
effects of the weapon, because of something If you had a 3d+1 slug, you would add 1d to get
like tracer ammunition or because you see 4d+1, and you could choose to load ammunition
dust kicked up by bullet impacts, it reduces that would do one of the following:
the difficulty for range by 2, if the weapon
is using sustained autofire (using maximum • 1 hit at 3d+1 (because 1 + 3d+1 = 4d+1)
quantity mod allowed). • 2 hits at 2d+1 (because 2 + 2d+1 = 4d+1)
• 3 hits at 1d+1 (because 3 + 1d+1 = 4d+1)
A 30 round clip would give you a +3 quantity • 4 hits at 0d+1 (because 4 + 0d+1 = 4d+1)
level for autofire (3 trigger pulls). If you had
tracer ammunition and used this full quantity All of these add up to 4d+1. The difference is in
level on one action you could reduce the difficulty the size and number of the pellets. If you make
for range by 2. your roll to hit with a shotgun, you hit with all
the pellets. Each of the pellets will act against
If there are multiple rules in play that give armor separately, and may have different effects
extra successes for making a roll by a certain against different hit locations. But the total
amount, then you increase the number of hits damage that gets through defenses counts as
by 1. one hit, so for instance, blunt trauma through
armor would only apply Toughness once against
Whether or not autofire is in your best interest the total of the non-lethal damage.
depends on the situation. For instance, if you
have a turn mod of +0, then autofire gives you A weapon or damage that has a shotgun or
the chance of multiple hits with each attack. On shotgun-like effect will have a small ‘g’ after
the other hand, if you have a turn mod of +8, the damage, like this: 2d+1g.
you might be better off firing two major actions
of individual shots with a +4 turn mod each.

5.11
 Continuous beams
While a pellet blast from a shotgun is far less Futuristic weapons like lasers, or some kinds of
effective against armored targets, it can be paranormal effects can fire a continuous beam.
more effective against unarmored ones. Instead of multiple shots fired as a single
Because the multiple pellet hits happen action, an uninterrupted stream of energy goes
simultaneously, they count as a single hit for from the attacker to the target. This is a nearly
purposes of crossing damage thresholds or infinite rate of fire. Such weapons count as
crippling damage. This means that it would autofire and can get a quantity mod of up to
be a better stopper than an autofire attack +14 over the normal turn mod allowed. That
of similar damage, which counts each hit is, it counts as a huge number of shots (large
separately for these purposes. Any other quantity) that happen in a small amount of
combat effect that acts the same way could be time.
counted as doing this, so if your master archer
fires two arrows simultaneously at a target Such a weapon would have an energy bank
(with a Neat Trick), the total damage would rated in a number of shots, and you would
be used for determining if there was crippling apply the quantity mod desired, up to +14 per
damage, not the individual hits. turn, plus any turn mod used. In addition, to
represent the potential of extra damage by
Pellet spread holding a beam on a single spot on a target,
Because the pellets from a shotgun spread out you can trade in +2 of this extra quantity mod
after firing, a shotgun using pellets can lose some on an attack to get +1 damage if you do hit,
of its extra hits at range, as the spread becomes and you can do this for up to +7 damage.
bigger than the target. The easiest way to handle Continuous beams can be steered towards a
this is to roll for hit location of the first pellet hit. target like autofire.
Remaining hits alter the hit location roll by one-
quarter the distance level to the target (round You have a continuous beam laser with 250
nearest), alternately adding and subtracting from shots and the current turn mod is +2. So you
the initial location. If the initial location roll is have up to +16 that can be applied to your skill
odd, add the amount, if even, subtract it (or just (+14 for the laser, +2 for turn mod), or +14 that
flip a coin). Hit location results of less than 3 or can be traded 2-for-1 for extra damage on your
more than 18 are misses. hits. An example might be to give your skill roll
a +8 bonus and apply the other +6 as +3 (or
You hit a foe with three pellets at a range of 11 +1d) on the damage. Using a +14 quantity mod
meters. This is a distance level of +10, so the means you use 125 shots and a +16 quantity
location shift is 3 points (one-quarter of +10, mod is 250 shots (your laser plus the turn mod),
round nearest). The first location rolled is 9, a so you could empty the weapon with a single
shoulder hit. Since this an odd number, the action on this turn. As you can see, any weapon
second hit adds and goes to location 12, in the using the continuous beam modifiers has to have
hip. The third hit subtracts 3 and hits in location a really large energy supply or a really frugal
6, the skull. On the other hand, if it had been at user.
a range of 2 meters, the displacement on each
would only be 1 point, and the hits would have Damage that has a continuous beam effect will
been to the shoulder(9), chest(10) and lower have a small ‘c’ after the damage, like this:
arm(8). 2d+1c.

In addition, very small shot can suffer from

losing energy at range (see Damage at range).

5.12
 Some bad guys are around the corner, 11 meters
Covering fire from your position. You lay a burst of covering
If you have a ranged attack that can utilize a fire at the corner to discourage them from
quantity mod of at least half the turn mod for coming around. You have a skill of 4d+2, and a
the current turn, you can lay down fire into +3 turn modifier for the rate of ammunition you
an area, and anyone and everyone who enters are using. The difficulty for range is +10, and +3
that area (friend or foe) has a chance of being more because you are covering an area 1 meter
hit. Your skill represents your ability to not wide (just that corner). If someone crosses the
have part of the fire plow into the dirt or go covered area, you get a 5d+2 skill roll (your
over people’s heads, and to evenly distribute skill plus the turn mod you are using) against a
the fire over the area you are trying to cover. difficulty of 13 (the range plus the area of your
covering fire) to hit them. If someone just peeks
Your effective skill roll for filling the area with their head around the corner, a head shot is +6
fire is as normal for the situation, but with an difficulty, so you would need to roll a 19 on 5d+2
additional difficulty on the task of the distance to hit someone who only did that.
you are spreading the fire across (minimum of
1 meter). For instance, a distance of 1 meter You never get more than one hit on a target
is a difficulty of +3, so spreading fire across with covering fire unless you are using an
one hex would increase the difficulty by +3. attack that gives multiple hits for a basic
success. Standard autofire gives one hit on a
If a target is in the area or the instant a target basis success, but shotgun effects can give
enters the covered area, you get a skill roll to more than one, as can very high rates of
hit them, based on the difficulty for range and autofire. Assume that the total number of hits
the size of the target. So, someone who could you can get with covering fire is not more than
not see you behind a hedge could lay covering the number of shots fired. So if your covering
fire into some or all of the hedgerow and might fire is two quick shots while your friend dashes
hit you by sheer chance. People may combine past the open doorway, you can hit no more
attacks to get the minimum rate of fire needed than two people showing themselves.
for covering fire (like a bunch of bowmen).
Covering fire lasts for 3 initiative points or until
If the turn mod is +10, half of this is +5, which the end of the turn, whichever comes first. So,
corresponds to a quantity of x6. So, six bowmen if you declare an initiative of 6 and laid down
could combine efforts to do one covering fire on covering fire on initiative 6, no one could enter
this turn. That is, bows are single shot weapons that area without a chance of being hit until
which would have a quantity mod of x1, so we your turn to act on initiative 3. People are well
have to get enough bowmen to fill an area over aware of when covering fire stops, and may
that turn despite their time spent reloading. Note take advantage of the lull in fire to then pop
that while you have to use a minimum quantity out and take action against you.
of shots, the amount of turn mod you apply to
the covering fire is up to you. If you are using covering fire but not advanced
sequencing, assume that covering fire lasts
Target movement or Dodge does not really until the end of the turn.
matter against covering fire, since you are not
aiming at them, you are just hoping to hit Technically speaking, covering fire might hit
them by accident. You are exactly as likely to anything between you and the covered area, so
dodge into the path of a random shot as you you should include anything in that arc of fire as
are to dodge out of its way. The size of the the area that is dangerous to be in, enter or
target does matter, as they might just be cross at no additional increase in difficulty.
peeking around the corner.
5.13
 Advanced aiming
Damage at range An important note about aiming is that if a
Many ranged weapons are slowed by passage weapon has recoil or requires some sort of
through the atmosphere. This is not noticeable manipulation of the weapon between shots,
at short range, but is a siginificant effect at then aiming only applies to one shot or one
longer range. For instance, the real-world energy action. If you have to draw another arrow from
of some commonly used calibers is about: your quiver or work the bolt of a rifle or the
weapon jerks in your hand, or you change
weapon muzzle 50m 100m 200m targets, the aiming bonus is lost after your
9mm 100% 78% 66% 49% firing action, as is any benefit from turn mod
5.56mm 100% 91% 83% 68% used.
7.62mm 100% 93% 87% 75%
12.7mm MG 100% 95% 90% 80% If none of the above apply, you can retain the
full Accuracy of the weapon or attack from
And so you know, in EABA, a 25% change in action to action with a basic aiming action.
energy is about ±1 damage. If you want to drop
damage with range, the general rule is that If you have +8 of turn mod to play with and a
ranged weapons lose 0d+1 of damage at a range laser rifle with no recoil, you could aim (using +2
level of its full dice of damage plus 12, and turn mod), spend up to +4 more turn mod for a
another 0d+1 each +2 range levels after that. +2 to Accuracy and make your first shot using
the Accuracy of the laser rifle plus 2. This leaves
A 9mm pistol with a damage of 2d+1 goes to you with +2 turn mod out of your original +8, so
2d+0 at a range of +14 (45 meters), to 1d+2 at you could do a second aimed shot at the same
a range of +16 (90 meters) and 1d+1 at a range target by using that +2 of turn mod, and this
of +18 (175 meters), while a 5.56mm rifle with a second shot would also get the Accuracy+2, but
damage of 4d+1 would drop to 4d+0 at a range you would have a -1d on your roll for the second
of +16 (90 meters) and 3d+2 at a range of +18 major action.
(175 meters).
You may try to aim something like an autofire
This is not all that accurate. Ranged weapons or autoburst weapon with recoil (you are
lose energy based on their drag, weight, density pulling the trigger once for one firing action),
and velocity, while the only game stat we have but only the very first shot counts as aimed.
to model it with is raw damage. Light bullets Whatever difficulty is offset by Accuracy does
may lose energy faster as they slow down, not apply to later shots, so the Accuracy used
heavy bullets slower. Long arrows with a high is added to the amount you have to make the
surface area slow down quickly, while heavy roll by to get the first extra hit.
rounds from a cannon lose energy very slowly.
The only real reason for using a declining damage If you have an autofire rifle with an Accuracy of
rule is for dramatic effect. If the adventurers are 3, you normally get one extra hit for each 2
being chased, increasing the range means that points you make the roll to hit by. If the first
even if they are hit by their pursuers, they will shot was aimed, you would need to make the
take less damage or their armor has a better roll by 5 to get a second hit (the normal 2 points
chance to stop it. And similarly, fleeing villains plus Accuracy), and then by the normal 2 more
have the same advantage. Remember that this than this for each additional hit.
rule only applies if the weapon is impeded by the
medium it is passing through. Bullets fired in the
vacuum of space do not slow down, or weapons
with an explosive payload do not care how fast
they are going when they arrive at the target.

5.14
 At the most rarefied end of performance, it is
Accuracy tweaks fairly safe to say that a person with a handheld
The maximum Accuracy possible for a human weapon can never utilize more Accuracy than
using nothing more than open sights is 4. You double the full dice in their base skill roll. A more
could tweak this to allow differences for alien skilled person can better compensate for their
races by saying the ‘open sights’ limit is the full own heartbeat, breathing and so on, all of which
dice in Agility plus 1. Time and bracing can are very important when trying to hit a tiny
improve this base level, but peering across a target at long range.
couple of grooves or holes at either end of a
weapon is going to have a fairly low limit If you had a super-accurate sniper rifle with an
compared to what you can do with technology. Accuracy of 12 but only had a skill roll of 4d+1,
The conditional benefits to aiming mentioned in the maximum Accuracy you could utilize would
the basic combat chapter break down something be double your full skill dice, or an Accuracy of 8.
like this: On the low end, if you were firing a rifle with an
unskilled default roll of 1d+2, the maximum
pistol accuracy Accuracy you could utilize would be 2. In both
using one hand(default) +0 cases, you could get the benefit of turn mod for
using both hands +1 a higher adjusted Accuracy, but this does not
braced against solid object +1 adjust the Accuracy you can utilize from your
base skill roll.
submachinegun accuracy
using both hands(default) +0 The technology scale of EABA is broken into
using one hand -2 eras (page 7.2), and the maximum possible
braced against solid object +1 Accuracy of a weapon at various eras is below
(right now we are between Atomic and Post-
rifle/shotgun/crossbow accuracy Atomic):
using both hands & shoulder(default) +0
using one hand & shoulder -2 tech era acc limit
firing from hip no aiming primitive 4
braced against solid object +1 basic 7
industrial 11
mounted weapon accuracy atomic 18
tripod or mounting(default) +0 post-atomic 29
dismounted no aiming advanced 47
fractional era change (round acc up) ±25%
Technology allows for improvements on the
inherent Accuracy of a weapon. The most likely Yes, the potential Accuracy of high tech weapons
improvement is a telescopic sight, which can be is incredible, but remember that we are talking
added to many weapons for extra Accuracy (+1 about weapons that can handle starship combat
or +2 for readily available models). Larger or ranges (an Accuracy of 47 makes a range of
more advanced weapons can have stabilized 4,000 kilometers a range difficulty of 0!). The
mounts, and can even compensate for target higher the Accuracy, the more specialized the
movement, changes in temperature, air pressure, weapon is going to be. A sniper rifle might be
wind, even the cumulative wear and tear from customized for a particular user and have
using the weapon. All of these increase the ammunition custom loaded for that particular
potential Accuracy of a weapon, though some of gun. A different user or different ammunition
them actually just offset a particular increase in might not be able to acheive the same Accuracy
difficulty (like wind). as the most specialized configuration.

5.15
 Throwing things
For those into the technical side of things and In theory, you can throw something a distance
understand what these terms mean, Accuracy level of your Strength minus the weight level
compared to MOA is about as follows, assuming of the object. And if you happen to be in a
Accuracy, +1 for bracing, +2 of turn mod and total vacuum and do a two-handed, full-body
a dice roll to hit of 14 (about a 90% chance of throw, the numbers probably work. However,
success). for the more likely case of throwing something
one-handed in an atmosphere, you need to
MOA accuracy ‘head shot’ range adjust things. Thrown objects, no matter how
4 3 125m light, are never counted as having a mass level
3 4 175m of less than -6 (negative mass levels add to
2 5 250m throw range). This covers the effects of wind
1 10 500m resistance against maximum throw range.
.5 12 1000m
.25 14 2000m throwing distance mod.
base distance Str-3(or throw)
If you don’t know what all this means, the rough two-handed throw(if possible) +3
version is that a lower MOA is a more accurate preparation(major action) +1
weapon and that an MOA of 1 means the bullets running throw(per +4 dist.) +1
will fall within about 2.5 centimeters of the target light/dense object ±1
at a range of 100 meters. A modern military rifle
using bulk ammunition is between 2 and 4 MOA A Strength 8 person throws a grenade after a
(note that this Accuracy goes well with the skill windup on the previous action. This is a one-hand
roll of a soldier with little experience). A good throw. The grenade counts as a mass level of -6,
hunting rifle is capable of 1 MOA (though many so throw range is Strength-3(5), preparation(+1),
rifles and many hunters are not that good), while minus the grenade mass(-6), for a total distance
something like the US M24 sniper rifle can do .5 level of +12 (23 meters). This could be increased
MOA and the finely tuned (and impractically this to a distance of +13 or even +14 with a
bulky) competition rifles can do about .25 MOA. running throw or it might count as a dense object
for +1 range. Remember that you can have a
Forte on throwing, and also buy Throwing as an
enhanced skill to give extra throwing power.

A miss with a thrown object or indirect fire is

usually in a random direction, off by a distance
level of +1 per point of miss (maximum of half
the range). Thrown weapons generally do
throw damage, modified by the weapon type.
MOA .5 Sharp or pointy objects do lethal damage, hard
MOA 1
but blunt objects like a rock do half-lethal
damage. Very dense blunt objects can do
lethal damage as thrown weapons.

Thrown weapons that use forms of leverage

MOA 2 or stored energy (like a sling) count as a
Strength or bonus to Strength, increasing
MOA 4 range and damage, and often use blunt
projectiles that count as lethal damage. A
MOA actual size (on iPad), 200 meters sling stone would be a typical example.
5.16
 If you want to create a custom combat form,
MELEE COMBAT just pick and choose from the manuevers.
These will be the advanced topics Each maneuver can take whatever name you
relating almost exclusively to the use want and each can have variants. A ‘round-
of melee weapons and unarmed house punch’ is a strike, and so is a ‘round-
combat forms. If you are trying to customize house kick’. They are just different maneuvers
melee combat for a particular genre or game- with different modifiers.
world, this is the place to be.
‘Followup’ maneuvers require that you first
Custom combat forms succeed at a basic maneuver, like ‘grab then
In basic combat your melee options are limited. throw’. By default, a followup maneuver uses
Unarmed attacks can punch and kick, weapon the same Strength or damage as the basic
attacks can strike, and both can block and maneuver for any comparison purposes, but it
parry. Mention is made of enhanced skills and can have its own modifiers to increase or
specialization to customize things, but this is decrease this. A followup is part of the same
insufficient if you want to have a campaign major action as the basic maneuver and the
where intense specialization is the norm (like a followup intent is declared before you know if
martial arts-based campaign). So, if you want the basic maneuver is successful.
to go that route, use the following guide.
If your intent is to ‘grab and throw’, then that’s
For custom purposes, an unarmed or armed how you announce the attack. If you do not
combat skill gets a number of maneuvers. This declare the ‘throw’ at the time of the basic
starts at three maneuvers for a skill of +0d, maneuver, then you cannot add it after you see
and +1 more for each +1d of skill. if the ‘grab’ was successful.

A skill of +3d means you know six maneuvers for basic manuevers followup maneuvers
that skill. strike(thrust) disarm
strike(swing/cut) throw
These maneuvers are bought with ‘points’ (not strike(throw) crush
character points, just a bookkeeping measure block move
for this section). The sum of ‘points’ for the grab
entire skill has to be zero. For the basic
combat options, the maneuvers are: The basic maneuvers are explained elsewhere.
If you are not differentiating between thrust
brawling: punch (strike(thrust)+0, +0 to skill) and cut effects (page 5.21), then just call that
kick (strike(swing)+3, -3 to skill) maneuver ‘strike’. Each maneuver can have
block (+0 defense, +0 to armor) unique modifiers, but before we get to that, an
parry (-3 defense, +3 to armor) explanation of maneuvers:
melee: thrust (strike+weapon, +0 to skill)
swing (strike+weapon, +0 to skill) strike: An attack with a body part (bare or
block (+0 defense, +0 to armor) armored) or a weapon (held or worn). Strike
parry (-3 defense, +3 to armor) (throw) requires a weapon, which you lose
wrestling: grab (allows followup) possession of by using it this way.
throw (-2 to your Dodge)
crush/pin (+1 to your Strength) block: Interposing something between an
move attack and its target. Any bonus to armor
gained by modifiers on this manuever will
Note that someone with only a +0d skill level either apply to what is used to block with or
would only get three of the listed maneuvers. to any armor in general.
5.17
 move: Lets you pivot the pair of you in place
grab: A grab done like any other melee attack. or move at a rate appropriate to you carrying
We call it a ‘grab’, but it can be any maneuver them. A classic use of this in the movies would
that lets you leverage an opponent somehow. be to pivot the grabbed person in place just in
You declare if it is a one- or two-handed grab, time to have them be a bullet shield for you.
or this could be inherent in the situation. Your If done as as followup to anything but a grab it
opponent may attempt to break free as a cannot do more than have you trade positions.
major action or as a minor action as part of
defending against a followup maneuver. Any Once you have some ideas for maneuvers,
difference in ‘hands’ involved is +3 for whoever apply the following modifiers to customize
has more hands in the attempt. So, if you each maneuver, noting that while the total
have a two-handed grab and they can only cost for the skill is zero ‘points’, individual
resist with one hand, you get +3. maneuvers do not have to cost zero. Tactical
benefits have a negative ‘point’ cost on this
disarm: You may attempt to knock a weapon table.
from someone’s grip. Your damage or Strength
(if you grabbed them) is rolled against their modifier points
Strength. If you win, the weapon is knocked final required ‘point’ total on skill zero
from their grasp, landing no more than a step skill is an enhanced skill special
or so away. A disarm that follows a block does ±1 manuever ±2
not require a called shot, but all other disarm maneuver may use followup maneuver -1
attempts require the basic maneuver target maneuver adds 1 point to your Dodge -3
the attacker’s arm, which is +4 difficulty. maneuver offsets -1 penalty of some type -1
maneuver negates 1 point of your Dodge +1
throw: You attempt to knock someone down. maneuver negates 1 point of opponent’s -1
Your damage or Strength (if you grabbed Dodge
them) is rolled against their Strength. If you +1 initiative on maneuver(max. +1) -2
win, this puts your opponent in a prone -1 initiative on maneuver(max. -2) +1
position. If done as a followup from a grab, ±1 strike/Strength(max. ±3) ±1
you may do half-lethal damage of up to your ±1 skill on maneuver(max. +3) ±1
strike+5 with the throw (you slam them into ±2 strike/Strength on followup(max. ±6) ±1
the ground). ±2 skill on followup(max. ±6) ±1
+1 deflect with maneuver(max. +6) -1
crush: As a followup maneuver you are using +1 rigid armor with maneuver(max. +3) -1
leverage or nearby objects to cause damage +1 on reach(maximum of +2) -1
by pressure alone. Crush damage usually make unarmed combat lethal -2
counts armor like a bash (page 5.22), but make unarmed combat non-lethal -1
crush damage from one hand is -6 on normal maneuver can be done armed or unarmed -2
strike damage (-3 if using both hands). A
crush can happen in addition to a normal Take the standard ‘parry’ maneuver. This is a zero
attack, so it is possible for a strike/crush to cost maneuver that gets +3 points for ‘-3 to skill’
have the strike be stopped by armor but still and -3 points for ‘+3 deflect with manuever’,
have the crush cause damage. A crush that which balances out to a +0 cost.
follows a grab can also be defined as a ‘pin’.
You are putting an opponent in a position The gamemaster may arbitrarily declare that
where movement, if even possible, would certain maneuvers have to be learned first, or
cause damage. If your potential roll for in a specific order as skill increases.
damage is more than their Strength, they are
pinned and cannot move or use weapons.
5.18
 offset penalty: Your maneuver lets you ignore
enhanced skill: If the skill can only be bought some degree of internal dice penalty. This
as an enhanced skill, you get +2 points per could be injury, visibility, consecutive actions or
maneuver. You can allot these evenly or cram even a style that offsets penalties for being
them all into one maneuver if it is appropriate prone or positionally disadvantaged.
for the skill or gameworld. However the ‘point’
total for the sum of the skill must be zero. You have a ‘dragon fighting with broken wing’
maneuver that has a built-in offset to counter
maneuvers: You can increase or decrease the some of any injury penalties you may have taken.
maneuvers available at the +0d level of skill.
So, you could get +2 points for the overall skill ±1 Initiative: Your maneuver is slower or
if a +0d level of skill only had two maneuvers. faster than your declared Initiative. This means
that if everyone declared zero for Initiative, you
followup: To do a followup maneuver, you would either automatically go first or last. In
need to have that maneuver be part of the the Gear section, you will see that some melee
skill, and the basic maneuver you use has to weapons have this effect inherent to them,
have this modifier. A maneuver and followup they are just slower to bring to bear than a
count as one action, though it may have more lighter weapon wielded with the same Agility.
than one skill roll. A followup maneuver cannot
lead into another followup maneuver. ±1 strike: Your maneuver has more or less
force than normal, affecting your unarmed
If you wanted to be able to disarm someone after strike damage or that of any weapon used. A
a strike, you would need to have the ‘disarm’ kick does +3 strike damage but also has the
maneuver and your ‘strike’ maneuver needs the ‘-3 skill on maneuver’ modifier. If you can only
‘followup’ modifier (and be successfully used). apply it on a followup maneuver, it has double
effect. The maximum total benefit is +6.
increase your dodge: Declaring a maneuver
with this modifier increases your Dodge by 1 If you have a grab that follows up into a throw,
until your next opportunity to take a major you can either spend 1 point to get +1 on the
action. The maneuver becomes a deft motion Strength of the grab and the throw, or spend 1
that makes you an unpredictable target. point to get +2 on the Strength of just the throw.

negate your dodge: This is a maneuver that ±1 skill: Your maneuver is more or less
requires a solid, predictable stance. A common accurate than normal. This modifier does not
use would be with a grab, where you sacrifice care about attribute levels or skill limits and is
your dodge to pay for the modifier ‘negates merely a function of the maneuver. A common
opponent’s dodge’. This modifier never reduces use is to allow easier called shots, while a less
effective Dodge to less than zero and you skillful maneuver may be taken to pay for
cannot get more points for it than your Dodge. increased strike damage. If you can only apply
it on a followup maneuver, it has double effect.
negate foe’s dodge: Your maneuver affects The maximum total benefit is +6.
your opponent’s ability to dodge attacks.
Strictly speaking, any effect in this modifier is +1 deflect: This is normally applied to a
adjusted down 1 for each full +3 of Strength ‘block’ maneuver, and means that if successful
and/or size between those involved. the attack is deflected rather than taken head-
on. Whatever is used to block with gets +1 to
If you grab the foot of a giant robot, its Dodge is its armor or toughness to reflect the deflection
not going to be affected (not that it matters (even if it had no defense to begin with). This
much, anyway). is how the standard ‘parry’ maneuver is done.
5.19
 Let’s say you wanted to make a ‘secret ninja art’
+1 rigid armor: This modifier means you use that is offensively oriented and has a small
the maneuver to make the most of any rigid number of powerful moves for someone who is
armor you are wearing. Until your next meant to attack from a position of surprise.
opportunity to take a major action, any rigid
armor struck by an attack gets +1 to its value, You choose the following maneuvers: strike,
up to +1d on its effective value. disarm, throw, and apply the following overall
modifiers of ‘enhanced skill’, which gives +2
+1 reach: This maneuver has a longer reach points for each maneuver, and -1 maneuver for
than normal. Generally this means you are (at +0d the skill only has two maneuvers).
extending your body to push the attack just a
little bit further than expected. strike disarm throw
enhanced(+2) enhanced(+2) enhanced(+2)
make lethal: This modifier only applies to +1 Initiative(-3) +4 Str(-2) +4 Str(-2)
half-lethal or non-lethal attacks, usually kicks followup allowed(-1)
and punches. Either through toughened body -1 maneuver(+2)
parts, precise placement or other techniques,
the attack counts as lethal damage rather than Our ninja art effectively only has one maneuver,
half-lethal. This is not cutting someone open a strike, with two potential followup maneuvers.
with your bare hands, but could be something If we started off with a ninja who had a Strength
like a kick to a joint, an elbow to the temple and Agility of 9 and only +1d in the skill (he is a
and strikes that can be lethal in effect even new guy), then his profile would look like this:
without breaking the skin. In some genres
these techniques will work equally well on strike: An attack that acts at +1 on declared
inanimate objects. You may require that such initiative, with a skill roll of 4d+0 and non-lethal
lethal attacks be at least a +4 called shot to damage of 2d+0 (their normal strike of 2d+0).
represent the precision of the attack. disarm: On a successful strike to the weapon
arm, make an attempt at 3d+1 (strike+4
make non-lethal: This modifier makes a half- damage) vs. the target’s Strength to knock a
lethal or lethal attack non-lethal, allowing it to weapon from their grasp.
be merely subduing rather than crippling. throw: On a successful strike you get a 3d+1
roll (strike+4) vs. the target’s Strength to knock
More them down.
If you are going to design a skill, doing it out
to the +3d level (six maneuvers) should take The followups happen as part of the same action
care of most of your needs, and the level of as the strike and take no extra action penalty.
customization should let you make a useful
copy of most martial arts, fighting styles and If you use these rules, keep in mind the subtle
specialized weapon moves. You could even variations that are possible. For instance, the
design only the maneuvers out to a +2d level difference between a ‘throw’ and a ‘takedown’
of skill and then let players create their own would be that the latter hurts your own Dodge
custom maneuver once their adventurer has as you go down with your opponent. A
become a master of that particular art. wrestler would have maneuvers designed to
‘pin’ instead of ‘crush’ (though they could use
The gamemaster may say that for armed combat, the crush damage if needed). A fencer might
the various +1 maneuvers require a specific have moves with high Initiative, and maybe a
weapon. For instance, you might have a +1 lunge with extended reach, while a ‘sword
Initiative maneuver that only works with katanas. dancer’ might have moves that improve their
If using a longsword, you would get no bonus. Dodge and ability to deflect attacks.
5.20
 Feints
Cut vs. thrust vs. chop In melee combat, the amount of any turn
Melee weapons vary in the ways they can do bonus you use for offensive or defensive rolls
damage. Not just in the sharp vs. blunt sense. represents the fraction of the turn you are
You can cut with a knife, or stab. However, you devoting to those actions. If you and a foe
can chop, cut or thrust with a sword, you can each have a +4 turn bonus and they use theirs
only chop with an axe, and only stab with a on attack and you use yours on the defense,
spike, though we suppose you could smack then they are being the more aggressive. Your
someone with the flat of an axe blade or badly ability to attack, feint, block or parry is your
slice them with a spike tip. Punches and kicks skill plus the time you devote to it.
count as blunt thrusting attacks. Cuts or slices
generally do not do any blunt trauma, and However, a feint can be a special melee or
lethal puncturing attacks unarmed combat action designed to throw an
opponent off guard, making a subsequent
Cutting attacks require that you have three attack more likely to succeed. This is done by
directions of ‘swing’ to make an unrestricted a bit of real-world bluffing and guessing. The
attack (right, left and up). If your sword attacker declares how much turn mod they are
extends a meter past the end of your arm and applying to their attack, then puts a red
there is only half a meter between the end of (minus) or black die (plus) behind their hand
your arm and the walls and ceiling, your style showing an amount that is no more than either
will be crimped. Each direction of freedom lost the turn bonus they have left after declaring,
will give your opponents +2 on their defense or twice their dice in the skill, whichever is
rolls or their difficulty to be hit, as your more lower. This is not their skill roll, but their dice
constrained attack is easier to defend against. bonus in the skill, like +1d, +2d, etc. So, if
Lethal cutting attacks cause blood loss 1 time you only have +0d skill, you cannot feint.
level faster than thrusting attacks. Lethal
cutting attacks have to do Health+2 from a Then the defender has to commit turn mod to
single attack to count as crippling damage on their defensive skill roll. The attacker then
a torso hit. Cuts and slashes often have to reveals the hidden die. If it is a red die, they
get past your ribs to get to the vital bits subtract the amount from their declared turn
underneath. bonus to determine the actual turn mod used,
and apply the result to their skill roll, and if it
Thrusting attacks only need one direction of is a black die, they add it to their declared turn
free movement, in the direction of the attack, mod to determine the actual turn mod used
and if you do not have that, then you cannot and apply the result to their skill roll.
attack anyway. Lethal thrusting attacks have
to do Health+2 in hits from a single attack If you were in the third turn of a fight, the turn
to the arms or legs to count as crippling mod would be +4. As an attacker, you might
damage. A hole in your arm or leg is less likely declare +2 of your turn mod on a melee attack,
to incapacitate it than a deep, muscle-severing then hide a die showing either up to -2 (red) or
gash. +2 (black). If you chose -2, you would actually
be using zero turn mod on the attack, and if you
Some melee weapons like war hammers, battle chose +2, you would actually apply all +4 of your
axes or poleaxes had reversible heads, with a turn mod to the attack. But your opponent has to
piercing spike that did 1 point less damage, but choose their turn mod for defense not knowing
counted it as armor-piercing vs. lower quality or how the attacker has applied their potential
lower-tech armors. spread.

5.21
 Shields
The idea is that if the attacker declares a lot of Shields were mentioned in the basic combat
turn mod and reveals a subtraction, they might rules, and simply provide a bonus to your
fake an opponent in committing a lot of their defensive roll. If the bonus for the shield is
turn mod to that defense, and have less for what makes the difference between being hit
dealing with the next attack. Or, if they declare and not being hit, then the shield takes the full
a low amount of turn mod but then add to it, brunt of the attack. This can bounce off the
they might overcome an opponent who did not shield, or penetrate its armor and damage its
devote enough to their defensive roll. hits (see Breaking Things). Cutting attacks
that damage a shield will take gouges out of it,
This takes extra time, but can add a bit of doing hits to it. Thrusting attacks, including
dramatic tension to a duel or other one-on-one arrows and bullets, generally do no hits to
situation. the shield itself, and any leftover damage
penetrates the shield and hits the user, either
All-or-nothing in the arm holding the shield or a part of the
If you give up all ability to defend yourself in body being protected. The user of the shield
melee (including dodging), you can attack with can elect to sacrifice 1 hit of the shield and
a bonus to your skill or to the damage you do. have a thrusting attack that penetrates the
An example might be grabbing a sword with shield miss them instead. This is not entirely
both hands to plunge it deep into an armored realistic and has its limits, but it is a dramatic
monster, knowing that if you fail, you have way to model a shield being pincushioned with
left yourself wide open to the monster’s arrows until it has to be discarded.
counterattack. An all-or-nothing attack acts as
one of (your choice): Bashing & falling
Bashing and falling are the same thing in
+3 bonus to skill roll terms of the rules. One is falling horizontally
-3 penalty to opponent’s defensive skill roll into something, the other is vertical. There is
+3 to damage done with the attack not much difference between falling off a
building and getting hit by a bus...unless the
You have no defense and are only a difficulty bus runs you over.
of 3 to be hit by other melee attacks until your
initiative on the next turn (or your next action Falling damage is usually lethal damage, it is
if using Advanced sequencing). The benefits just spread over a larger area than something
of an all-or-nothing attack are by nature a like a punch, kick or weapon hit. The ground
supreme or last-ditch effort, and so it is not to might be soft, but falling is often a structural
be done lightly. disruption. You crack your skull, twist an ankle,
break your arm, that sort of thing. So even if it
If you look at stats and weapons and armor, you is not a cut or a bullet wound, it is still lethal
can see that a medieval warrior can wear armor damage for how long it takes to heal from it.
that is unlikely to be penetrated by medieval Because this damage can affect a large area,
melee weapons. This can be sort of boring from you usually do not apply location modifiers.
a gaming standpoint, but is nonetheless realistic.
This is what made knights powerful. No one Attacks against your legs may take -3 to the
except a knight could withstand attacks by one, damage they do after armor, but not if that
and knight vs. knight combats would be decided damage comes from jumping from a height.
by called shots, desperation moves or the sheer
exhaustion of your opponent.

5.22
 The nature of what hits what will adjust the
If an impact is a controlled attack like a tackle, effective damage:
it is half-lethal damage and hits one part of the
body, usually the torso. If it is falling or the condition impact effect
equivalent, it usually affects the body as a preparation -2
whole unless you are choosing to take the proper gear -1
impact on a certain part. For falling, it does better of Strength or Agility -1 per +3 attribute
lethal damage the same as the dice roll for the water(damage is half-lethal) -1 per +2 distance
distance level fallen, with a maximum of 7d+0 very soft surface -1 per +3 distance
(terminal velocity). If you bash yourself into soft surface -1 per +4 distance
someone it is half-lethal and you take half the average surface +0
damage you deal to them (round down), rough surface +1 per +4 distance
usually as a torso hit. These numbers assume enhanced skill -2
a relative parity between the objects involved
and reasonable speeds. A bug hitting a car If you jumped off a third story balcony (about 8
windshield does not damage the windshield. meters) onto normal dirt, the better of your
A bird hitting an airliner cockpit is another Strength and Agility was 8 and you were wearing
matter. sturdy boots to protect your ankles, you would
take 1d+1 lethal damage (distance level of +9,
Remember that Toughness can be used to -2 for controlled fall, -1 for proper gear, and -2
subtract from any impact damage that does for your attribute. Against the boots’ likely armor
non-lethal hits. Unless specifically designed to of 0d+1, you would take 1d+0 lethal hits. Lethal
protect against whole-body impacts, armor damage of 1d+0 means you take an average of
does not help all that much. It is not the 3-4 lethal hits. Odds are good you would cross a
ground that is the problem, it is the sudden damage threshold, it would hurt quite a bit, and
stop when you hit it. Having armor means you you would be limping for a while until the lethal
are merely falling onto your armor instead of hits healed up. The minimum damage would be 1
the ground. Armor does protect against pointy lethal hit, and you would be hurt, but you could
bits, and bashes that hit that part of the body tuck and roll and keep going. Maximum damage
(think of American football padding), and will would be 6 lethal hits, possibly enough to be
act to stop extra damage from something like crippling damage, snapping an ankle or leg and
a rough or irregular surface. rendering you unable to walk. If you had simply
fallen, you would not get the -2 for preparation
Regular armor on the spot taking the impact or -1 for gear, so damage would be (distance
gets 0d+1 per 1d of armor, with a maximum level of +9, -2 for soft surface), equals +7 or
effect of 0d+2. Armor designed for just this 2d+1, potentially doing up to 13 lethal hits! You
purpose has a maximum effect of 1d+1. Armor might take as little as 3 hits and just be sore for
is mostly useful when a big thing and a small a few days, or land on your head and snap your
thing run into each other. One is the bug, the neck!
other is the windshield.
An enhanced skill for falling would be some-
thing like acrobatics or gymnastics or any
skill that teaches the proper way to land and
absorb the stress of impact. Obviously, this
and other modifiers in your favor are only
good up to a point. Your sturdy boots and an
ability to tuck and roll is not going to be all
that helpful if your parachute fails to open...

5.23
 9 hits: This is an incapacitating, or in the case
DAMAGE of lethal damage, a crippling or life-threatening
These are advanced topics relating to injury. Individuals of low Will may pass out.
how damage is done and its effects Effects are sufficient to negate the combat
on people or objects. First, since many potential of poorly skilled individuals (a skill roll
players have never taken any real damage, a of 2d+1 becomes 0d+1).
little perspective... non-lethal: A solid connect from a prize fighter,
a beanbag round from a riot gun at close range,
What is damage? a blast of pepper spray to the face, a long jolt
For an average person with a Strength and from a taser, a nearby stun grenade.
Health of 7, they have the default hit bracket lethal: About average damage for a modern police
of 4. This means they can take 5 hits before it pistol, average for a sword wielded by a stronger-
starts impairing their dice rolls (-0d at 1 hit, than-average man or their maximum damage for
then -1d at 5 hits). But, in real-world terms, a dagger, the average result from trying to jump
what is damage like? Well, any lethal damage, to the street from a third-story balcony. If
even a single hit, is something that you would untreated, can cause sufficient blood loss to be
probably go to an emergency room to get fatal, and is too difficult for an untrained average
treated. If done as a single injury, it is person to be able to stop the bleeding.
something like this:
13 hits: This will immediately take down or render
1 hit: You feel it and do not like it. most people ineffective (-3d penalty to skill and
non-lethal: A hit strong enough to leave a bruise attribute rolls). For any human, the result of this
and tempt you to utter some choice profanity. A much damage in one hit is going to be crippling
stubbed toe, a black eye, cracking your head on a damage.
low overhang. Cowards, low Will civilians and non-lethal: A knockout punch from a prize fighter,
those with no experience at dealing with pain and a solid boot to the head from a martial artist,
damage will do things to avoid a repeat of the the non-lethal part of damage from a 2kg high
experience. Visual effects (bruising) may last a explosive charge going off in an adjacent hex
few days, but ‘damage’ disappears pretty quickly. (however, the lethal part of the blast would
lethal: A gash that requires a few stitches, a probably kill you).
broken nose, a deep bruise, a barely cracked rib. lethal: About average damage from an assault
Visual signs could last days, but in game terms, rifle hit, a blast of large buckshot to the chest, a
the ‘damage’ is usually gone by the next day. well-placed axe blow to the head, a modern
grenade going off at your feet, or the average
5 hits: Something painful and impairing enough to lethal damage from getting hit by a car moving
cut attribute use in half and destroy unskilled 115kph(72mph).
defaults (a -1d penalty cuts an attribute roll of
2d+1 to 1d+1, and an unskilled default of 1d+1 Stamina recovery
to 0d+1). Sufficient to cause poorly motivated Stamina is recovered all at once to minimize
individuals to immediately stop what they are bookkeeping, but if you want to recover it
doing, vacate the scene and tend to their injuries. incrementally, it would be 1 point each time
A good chance of stunning an average person. your recovery plus the time level equals 10. This
non-lethal: A strained ankle, a mild concussion, would allow you to take short recoveries during
a severe abdominal bruise or strained shoulder. long combats to get back some lost stamina.
lethal: A serious knife slash or stab, light damage
from a 9mm pistol, a skull fracture, cracked jaw, If your Recovery was +1, you could get back 1
lost teeth, multiple cracked ribs, hairline fracture point of Stamina each 45 seconds (time level of
of an arm or leg, several broken fingers or toes, a +11). You would just give up an appropriate
modern grenade going off 3 meters away. amount of turn mod for the amount of time.

5.24
 For non-lethal damage, you have had the wind
Crippling damage knocked out of you. For lethal damage, you may
In games, most real-world effects of injury are have broken ribs, internal bleeding, pierced
just glossed over. You get hurt, you heal up, organs or other effects that will be fatal without
you move on. But the world is full of disabled extraordinary luck, magic or good medical care.
veterans, and accident or crime victims for
whom one unlucky blade, bullet, landmine or arm: You lose all ability to use the arm and hand.
slip down a stairs became an extended, maybe You cannot hold, lift or use objects in a combat
even life-long disability. We do not suggest you situation, though once out of combat, slow,
do that to your adventurers, but for long-term non-stressful tasks might be possible. Roll to
plot potential and realistic short-term combat see whether the arm hit was the one the person
effects, EABA has ‘crippling damage’. favors (50% chance). All lifting tasks can only
be done with one hand. For non-lethal damage,
To use this rule, total the damage done by that this is a severe bruise and temporary nerve
attack, then add back in anything subtracted damage and it will stay that way until a time
for location or prior injury effects. If this total elapses sufficient for you to recover one non-
is equal or greater than your Health, the result lethal hit, after which it is usable but still bruised.
of that hit is ‘crippling damage’. This would For a lethal crippling effect, it could be severed
usually be one bullet, one slash, etc. Damage muscles, nerves or tendons, broken bones
that is actually taken is not changed. or even loss of fingers, hand or even arm,
depending on the weapon and the damage done.
If your Health is 8 and you are shot for 3d+0 in
the arm (-3 effect) then you roll 2d+0 to see legs: You lose the use of a leg. It can bear no
how many hits you take. To see if it is crippling weight, and the best you can do is use it to help
damage you add 3 to this amount and see if it you balance on the other leg. You cannot kick,
is 8 or more (your Health). The actual hits you run or sprint, and your walk movement level is a
lose from that shot are unchanged. maximum of +3 (1 meter, plus any turn bonus
used). For non-lethal damage this is a severe
If you are not using hit locations or the hit is bruise, cramps or temporary nerve damage and
to an unimportant extra, then the result of will stay that way until a time elapses sufficient
crippling damage is being knocked unconscious for you to recover one non-lethal hit, after which
and staying that way until enough time elapses it is usable but still bruised. For lethal damage, it
sufficient for you to recover one non-lethal hit. could be severed muscles, nerves or tendons,
Technically, you might not be unconscious. You broken bones or even loss of toes, foot or even
might be rolling on the ground screaming.... some or all of the leg, depending on the weapon
and the damage done.
head: You are knocked unconscious and will stay
that way until a time elapses sufficient for you to whole body: You are automatically stunned. All
recover one non-lethal hit. In the real world, parts of the body will be affected by the damage
crippling effects from non-lethal damage would be penalty you have taken, as for normal damage
a concussion. A hit from lethal damage could rules, but there is no additional immediate effect.
result in brain damage, lost teeth, broken jaw or For non-lethal damage, you have had the wind
nose, loss of an eye or possible disfigurement. knocked out of you. For lethal damage, it varies
by type. You may have organ damage, temporary
torso: You are automatically stunned. All parts of blindness or deafness, extensive lacerations or
the body are affected by the damage penalty burns. No single part of you is extensively
taken, as for the normal damage rules, but there damaged, but all of you is somewhat damaged.
is no additional immediate effect.

5.25
 Continuous damage
In addition to the location-specific effects, all Some attacks and damage sources are going
crippling damage takes +4 time to heal those to have a continuous effect. Being stabbed
hits if using the basic recovery rules, or happens. Being on fire continues to happen.
you can use the Realistic recovery rule to Damage effects that continue over time usually
represent the additional time the body requires decline with time as well. The way these things
to repair a crippling impairment. normally work is that they have a maximum
duration measured as a time level. Each time
Variable toughness level that elapses between exposure and when
All adventurers have a Toughness, which is how the effect runs out does additional damage.
much non-lethal damage they can ignore from a Weak effects may do 1 additional hit each 2
single hit, either because they do not bruise time levels, normal ones do 1 additional hit
easily or can shrug off the pain. But, not all body each time level and strong effects may do 2
parts are equally tough. Your solar plexus (or for additional hits each time level. If defenses are
some, parts further south) are not nearly as not penetrated by the initial attack, this extra
tough as your skull. If you really want to add the damage adds to the damage of the attack.
detail, you can use the table below for random
hit locations or called shot effects involving non- If a flaming liquid is a 1d+0 effect and lasts a
lethal damage, using this instead of the generic minute (time level of +12), then after being hit,
‘after armor effects’ on page 4.16. You can also each time level that elapses does 1 extra hit. So,
choose to say these modifiers only affect damage you would take up to 12 extra hits of damage. If
at the instant it is taken for purposes of being you were wearing a 2d+0 armor against this
stunned or knocked out, but it does not actually attack, you would start taking flame damage
alter the hits marked off. through the armor once the extra effect reached
+4 (this would raise the 1d+0 base effect to
hit location toughness 2d+1, sufficient to penetrate your armor).
face(3-4) -1
neck(5) +0 To keep track of things like this in the middle
skull(6) +4 of a fight, the time level and turn mod are
upper arm(7) +0 interchangeable.
lower arm(8) +0
shoulder(9) +1 If the previous example happened late in a fight
chest(10) +2 and you quickly put yourself out, the gamemaster
abdomen(11) -2 might say it that it took you +6 of turn mod to
hips/groin(12) +1/-3 extinguish the flames, and this would let you
upper leg(13-14) +1 know how much damage you took or how much
lower leg(15-16) +0 got through your armor.
feet(17-18) +0
The best armor
If you are a man with a Toughness of +2 and you Is other people... In the event that the only
get kicked in the crotch, your adjusted Toughness thing between you and an attack is someone
goes to -1, so you actually take 1 more non- else (a common movie situation), the structure
lethal hit than normal after armor is penetrated. of a person’s torso is generally good for reducing
This could either be ‘real’ damage or just to see damage going through them by half their Health.
if that particular stereotypical hit stuns you a bit. Less their armor, of course. Front and back of
On the other hand, if you had been punched in an armor counts as the armor’s rating plus 1d,
the skull, your effective Toughness would be so going through front and back of a 2d+1
+6, but for a punch in the face your effective armor counts as 3d+1. This is a dramatic rule.
Toughness would be +1. Also remember the mess this is going to cause...

5.26
 Blood loss is a special case of lost hits when it
Bleeding comes to recovery purposes. Any society
Any lethal attack has the potential to cause advanced enough to do blood transfusions can
continuing blood loss, which means losing replace the lost blood, which presumably
more hits. In extreme cases this can be fatal. replaces the lost hits. Sufficient transfusions
Subtract half the lethal damage of the largest can recover hits lost due to bleeding, allowing
single injury from your total hits. If the injury normal healing on any remaining injuries.
is not treated in this amount of time, you will
lose 1 additional hit from blood loss, and Technology like ‘quick-clot bandages’ or futuristic
another each +2 time levels. Generally, you equivalents may provide bonuses to skill rolls
will not lose more hits from blood loss than the made to stop bleeding.
hits of the largest injury, and hits lost from
bleeding do not affect rate of future bleeding. Structural recovery
However, if you have taken half or more of As a gamemaster judgement call, some sorts of
your hits in lethal damage from a single hit, injuries can be ‘healed’ for impairment purposes
hits lost from bleeding can eventually be fatal. fairly quickly, but remain damaged for keeping
If you are using bleeding as an advanced topic, track of hits lost. Most of these cases are where
you may use Fate to deal with a bleeding broken bones are involved. You would not expect
injury. A successful adjusted Fate roll will stop a broken forearm to be something you would
the bleeding, though this may be a fragile want to use, but anyone who has ever had their
situation that precludes any activity for fear of arm in a cast is aware that you have functional
starting the bleeding again. use of the arm long before the bones are fully
knit. You still do not want to do anything that will
If you have 14 hits and just took 10 hits of lethal impede healing, but the cast negates some of the
damage, subtracting half of the damage from hits penalty you would take for having broken a
is a time level of +9, or 23 seconds. If you do structural element your arm depends on.
not stop the bleeding in 23 seconds you will take
another hit, and additional hits at time levels of Armor interactions
+11, +13, +15 and +17, until you have taken 5 The way specific attacks interact with specific
additional lethal hits from blood loss. On the armors is part of the history of warfare. Each
other hand, if you had taken 14 out of 14 hits advance in armor has been met by an advance
from one attack, you would take additional in weaponry, or vice versa. Sometimes poor
damage after a time level of +7 (11 seconds), defenses made a particular attack type the
giving a medic little time to stop the bleeding king of the battlefield, sometimes a particular
before you crossed a negative threshold and died. attack rendered virtually all defenses useless.
Look at firearms. Once reliable firearms found
Blood loss can be stabilized in one minute with their way to battlefields in quantity, personal
a medical skill roll against a difficulty of the armor like plate or mail disappeared. It was an
hits lost in the largest hit, or faster if you wish expensive encumbrance that would not save
to add to the difficulty by the time levels less you from bullets, so it was discarded in favor
than one minute. Trying to bandage yourself of mobility. On the other hand, modern, well-
up means taking your injury penalties on the funded armies now typically armor all their
roll. A medical skill can be specialized to stop soldiers, giving them a large advantage
bleeding injuries, or bought as an enhanced against unarmored opponents.
skill decreasing the time required to make a
roll, or increase the time before hits are lost. If Following are some game notes that you might
you are in combat and apply turn mod to a want to apply to your gameworlds as you
medical roll, this means the roll is made at the become more comfortable with EABA:
end of the time represented by that turn mod.
5.27
 area effects: If damage fills an area (like an
flexible armors: Materials that are softer than explosion or running through fire), then the
the weapon (like a knife vs. leather) usually damage does not have a ‘hit location’ and it
count as inappropriate against lethal thrusting does not hit your center of mass. It hits all of
weapons or attacks, so the total armor is you at the same time. So there is no simple
reduced by 1d against the attack. and accurate way of dealing with how much
damage hits you if you are partially armored.
organic armors: Like wood, bone, and leather.
They are inappropriate vs. modern firearms, The quickest way to do this is to reduce your
which are also counted as thrusting attacks. effective armor if you are not fully covered.
So, a 2d+0 flexible leather armor would be like Break your armor coverage into the average
having no armor at all against a gun. (round nearest) for each of your head, torso,
arms and legs. Your ‘whole body’ armor will be
Silk would be an exception to this, and silk armor the average of these four areas. If your head
would act normally against most firearms through armor is the lowest of these four areas or the
the middle of the Industrial Era. armor on the arms is the highest, subtract
0d+1 from the average result, down to a
rigid armors: These provide a glancing surface minimum of zero effective armor.
that can cause marginal hits to be deflected.
Rigid armors or rigid items that are incidental You have on a 3d+2 bulletproof vest and a 4d+2
barriers get +1d effect if the hit roll is made frag grenade goes off next to you. An armor of
exactly. This includes a blocking roll with a 3d+2 is a total of +11. You divide this +11 by
shield or a parry with a weapon or shield. Rigid the four areas (head, torso, arms, legs) to get a
armors, depending on the technology and the result of +3 or 1d+0 of effective armor. Since
gameworld, may also provide a permanent +1 you have no head armor, subtract another point,
or +2 bonus to defensive melee rolls or an for an effective armor of only 0d+2, meaning that
increase in difficulty on ranged attacks because you would take 4d+0 damage. If you had on an
of superior glancing surfaces. This would be equivalent 3d+2 helmet, then the average for the
listed in the notes for a particular armor. four areas is +6, with no ‘head’ penalty, so you
would have an effective armor of 2d+0 and take
Gambesons 2d+2 from the 4d+2 attack.
This is a padded underlayer worn under many
types of medieval armor. It has low inherent If an area is unprotected, special effects of
protection (0d+2), but when worn in conjuction damage (and crippling effects) are assumed to
with another armor it gives +1 to Toughness in be to the most vulnerable of the unprotected
addition to any benefit it gives from layering. For parts. If your legs are unprotected, damage is
instance, in combination with a 1d+2 armor it going to affect your movement. If your arms
gives a total protection of 2d+0 and stops 1 more are unprotected, your hands may be useless.
point of blunt trauma than normal. The padding In the case where only arms and legs, or only
of a gambeson makes it more bulky (but still the head is unprotected, it may be reasonable
concealable under a thin armor like mail), but its to apply location modifiers to the damage.
insulating nature can increase stamina costs
because of heat buildup.

Armor rules in any game involve compromises

between realism, adventurer survivability and
ease of use. We hope that this is the best mix of
those compromises, but there will still be things
you will want to make ‘house rules’ for.

5.28
 Breaking things
Explosions If it matters, stuff breaks. Gear and weapons
Explosions come in two types, fragmentation have an Armor and Hits. Inanimate objects do
and blast. It is possible to have both at the not take non-lethal hits. If an object loses all
same time, but to keep things simple you its hits, it is definitely broken, and depending
usually just use one or the other. Blast damage on the nature of the damage and the object,
is half-lethal and fragmentation is lethal. Blast may or may not be repairable. A book with
damage is mostly non-lethal, but includes the bullet holes in it may still have some utility, a
damage from explosion-generated debris. book that has been burned to a cinder does
not. This has to be decided on a case-by-case
Explosions all work the same way. In the hex basis if the usability of an object is important
of the explosion and adjacent hexes, damage to an adventure one way or the other. For
is normal. This is effectively everything within instance, a book with bullet holes can still be
a range of 1.4 meters (range level of +4). Out mostly read. A spellbook with some runes
to a distance of +2 from this, damage drops blasted out of it may be a different matter.
by -2d, and the process repeats until you run
out of damage. Something in contact with an And in almost all cases, even a total repair can
explosion probably takes +2d effect and counts have side effects. If your hard drive crashes,
blast as lethal damage, +1d more if tamped. the drive can be replaced, but the same
cannot be said of the contents of the drive
A 7d+0 explosion does 7d+0 in the hex where it unless you had a backup.
happens and the adjacent hexes (out to a range
of +4). At longer distances, damage Items can be incidental armor in
drops off like this: some cases, and can be a
gamemaster prop for the
range level effect use of Fate to mitigate
0-4(0-1.4m) -0d damage. Everyone has
heard tales of the lucky
5-6(2-3m) -2d coin, cigarette lighter or
iPod that saved some-
7-8(4-7m) -4d one’s life by stopping a
bullet. In general, any
9-10(8-15m) -6d object that an average
person cannot break with their
It is possible that some types of bare hands probably has an armor
explosion will drop in effect faster or slower of at least 1d+2, and if it can be structurally
than this, but the default is suitable for most damaged and still have a chance of working,
types of explosion and fragmentation weapons. then it has at least 2 hits. There is a little
As a quick note, a modern frag grenade has a more detail on this in the Gear chapter.
lethal explosion damage of somewhere in the 3d
to 5d range, making it a serious threat to about 3 In detail, in order to keep working an object
meters, and capable of injury out to 7 meters. gets a roll of its hits (0d+1 per hit) and needs
to make an average(7) roll to keep working.
Just so you know, a ten kiloton atomic bomb is a Rugged or durable objects get +1d to the roll.
blast damage of about 26d+0 and could possibly Many weapons and tools will count as durable.
kill someone (6d+0 blast damage) out to a range
of 500 meters. Not a perfect simulation, but you An item with 6 hits has taken 2 from damage. It
should not have to use it very often... gets a roll of 2d+0 and has to roll a 7 or better
to keep working.

5.29
 There is also something called ‘semi-armor
Ammunition types piercing’, which is usually a normal round with
Over the ages, weapons have been optimized a small hardened core. It is better than normal
to have certain effects, or have them as a side at penetrating, but not as good as full armor-
effect of the weapon itself. Weapons of war piercing. If you really need this degree of
have even been downgraded in effectiveness detail, such rounds would count as armor
by both sides in a conflict. The Pope once piercing against incidental cover and flexible
banned crossbows as being too inhumane for armor but not against anything designed as
use against Christians, though one suspects rigid armor. So it might be great at getting
the ease with which a marginally-trained through a car door or a heavy table or a soft
peasant could use one to puncture an upper- bulletproof vest, but has no extra ability
class noble had something to do with it as against rigid body armor or an armored car.
well. Hollow-point or other bullets that expand
on impact leave larger, more lethal wounds penetrating: A penetrating attack is the poor
than bullets that are merely penetrators, yet cousin of armor-piercing. It is not designed to
the Hague Convention (1899CE) prohibits be any better at penetrating armor, but does
expanding bullets as weapons of war. Most so as a side effect of its speed or geometry.
nations have signed onto this document, and A small, high-velocity bullet will often be
adhere to it even today. Fielding armies to penetrating. The damage of the weapon is
slaughter each other is fine, but using nasty increased by 1 before being compared to
ammunition apparently hurts people’s feelings. armor, but any damage that penetrates armor
is reduced by 2, to a minimum of 1 hit of
The specialty ammunition or special weapon damage. Against unarmored targets, the net
effects adventurers might run into are: armor effect is to reduce the damage done by 1
piercing, penetrating, stopping power, and point. A weapon will not be both armor
battering, all of which can apply to melee piercing and penetrating. Damage that has
weapons if you want to customize them. The a penetrating effect will have a small ‘p’ after
default attack type in the basic combat rules the damage, like this: 2d+1p. Modern rounds
has no special effect on armor or the target, that have this characteristic might be the
and would be the equivalent of a round-nose 5.56mm x 45, 5.7mm FN or 4.6mm HK.
copper jacketed lead bullet.
There are interminable arguments on the merits
armor piercing: Armor piercing is both a of particular types of bullet, caliber and such,
characteristic of an attack and a comparison with very strongly held opinions on each side.
between an attack and a type of armor. For EABA does not make any value decisions on a
instance, a modern lead bullet is not all that particular weapon, but just gives you tools to
armor-piercing, but against primitive armors it model a particular effect in game terms if you so
acts that way. An armor piercing effect simply desire.
reduces the total effect of armor (plus any
incidental cover) by 1d. If it is a designed Lucky shots
characteristic of an attack, it reduces the effect At gamemaster option, a dramatic called shot
of armor at that level of tech or lower by 1d (or possibly any called shot that succeeds by 4
(this includes fractional era differences). So, a or more) can be used to reduce an foe’s effective
previous generation’s armor piercing rounds armor by 1d. This only applies to defenses or
will not get the benefit against modern armor. armor with weak spots like joints or gaps. History
Armor piercing as a designed characteristic is has documented examples where improbable but
not cumulative with incidental armor piercing possible lucky hits have gotten past defenses, like
effects like bullets vs. organic armors. Richard of Cornwall taking an arrow through the
eyeslit of his helmet at Berwick in 1296CE.

5.30
 Fortunately, the parameters that make an
stopping power: Whether real or imagined, attack ‘battering’ also drop its damage dice.
some weapons have a reputation for being You cannot simply take a 5d+0 rifle and give
man-stoppers, with an incapacitation potential it special ammunition that makes it do 5d+0
more than their energy would indicate. Big, battering. The stopping power modifier is what
slow bullets often have this characteristic. An you use for specialized ammunition for regular
attack with stopping power is considered to weapons. Damage that has a battering effect
have 1 point less damage before being will have a small ‘b’ after the damage, like
compared to armor, but any amount that this: 2d+1b. No modern hand-held weapons
penetrates armor is increased by 2. The net would be counted as battering damage.
effect is +1 damage against unarmored
targets. A lethal 2d+0 attack of each type hits rigid 2d+0
armor. We are just going to look at armor
Damage that has a stopping power effect will penetration and ignore the blunt trauma effects..
have a small ‘s’ after the damage, like this:
2d+1s. Modern rounds that are considered to default: 2d+0 attack vs. 2d+0 rigid armor,
have this characteristic might be the .45ACP target takes no damage.
and .357 Magnum. armor piercing: 2d+0 attack vs. armor reduced
in effect to 1d+0, target takes 1d+0 damage.
battering: Battering damage is for attacks penetrating: Effective 2d+1 attack vs. 2d+0 rigid
that are not very good at penetrating armor, armor, target takes the minimum of 1 lethal hit.
but if they do penetrate, they can have a stopping power: Effective 1d+2 attack vs. 2d+0
devastating effect. Really big, fairly slow rigid armor, target takes no damage.
projectiles might have this characteristic. An battering: 2d+0 attack vs. 2d+0 rigid armor,
example would be solid shot from a large target takes no damage.
cannon, or a rock hurled by a catapult. Neither
of these would be as effective at penetrating A 2d+0 attack of each type hits rigid 1d+0 armor.
a barrier as a special projectile, but if one
does plow through a barrier, the results are default: 2d+0 attack vs. 1d+0 rigid armor,
catastrophic. An attack with battering affects target takes 1d+0 damage.
armor normally, but any damage that gets armor piercing: 2d+0 attack vs. armor reduced
through armor is increased by +2 per die of in effect to 0d+0, target takes 2d+0 damage.
damage in the weapon before armor was penetrating: Effective 2d+1 attack vs. 1d+0
applied. This is usually considered a fixed rigid armor, target takes 1d+1 damage,
bonus, but you can choose to make it a roll if reduced by 2 to 0d+2 damage.
you want. stopping power: Effective 1d+2 attack vs. 1d+0
rigid armor, target takes 0d+2 damage,
A 5d+0 battering attack hitting a 4d+0 armor increased by 2 to 1d+1 damage.
gets 1d+0 through armor, so it does 1d+10 hits battering: 2d+0 attack vs. 1d+0 rigid armor,
(1d through armor, +2 for each die of the initial target takes target takes 1d+0 damage, +4 for
attack). You could also roll it as 4d+1 instead of the battering effect, for 1d+4 damage.
1d+10 (the +10 becomes an extra 3d+1).

5.31
 Setup: A good setup is vital. This cannot be
ADVANCED RANGED COMBAT EXAMPLE emphasized enough. Not just the physical
Here is the classic scene from The parameters, but setting a mood or feel for things.
Matrix that was mentioned in the A good verbal description goes a long way to
Basic Combat chapter. To keep things eliminating the need for a map. Using a
simple we assume: description that matches a common experience
of the players helps a lot too. If all the players
Neo/Trinity guards soldiers have been to ‘Squires Center’, then saying “the
attributes 13 7 9 area looks a lot like the entrance lobby of Squires
skill rolls 7d+1 3d+1 5d+0 Center” gives the players a feel for things far
hits 26 14 18 better than a diagram on a sheet of paper ever
toughness 4 2 3 could.
stamina 13 7 9
dodge 8* 4* 6* In our case, the setup is a corporate lobby, a
central access point with a metal detector, a
Neo and Trinity have 5d+0 effective Strength if conveyor belt for bags to be scanned, and chairs
using martial arts as an enhanced skill (page or desks for a few guards on either side, one
3.14). This would give them a punch damage guard sitting about three meters to the right,
of 4d+0 and a kick damage of 5d+0. Because of another standing at the metal detector, and three
the nature of the gameworld, Neo and Trinity more about four meters to the left. Beyond this is
have a more-or-less ‘invisible dodge’. Even if a long open area maybe twenty meters long with
they are not visibly bobbing and weaving, they a bank of elevators in an alcove at the end. The
do seem to be harder to hit if they choose to. long axis of the open area has numerous square
columns faced with marble a few meters from
*Remember that Dodge is only at full value the walls and three meters apart, plus a column
against one attacker and attacks you can see. on either side of the elevator alcove. This gives
Most of the time it will be halved against gunfire. three paths from the metal detector to the
elevator with the central area between the pillars
For all the good it did them in this scene, any being about six meters across. Keeping with our
armor the guards or soldiers had was as effective own guidelines, we will not use a diagram and let
as soggy tissue paper, so we will act as though you visualize the ongoing action in your mind as
they have none. Given the nature of the world, it is described. And, you can always find a video
Neo and Trinity probably have Larger than Life clip of the scene online if you want...
(page 3.34), and we will assume that they use
‘best four’ instead of ‘best three’ when rolling We begin as Neo walks through the metal
4d+0 or more. Neo is apparently ambidextrous detector, and the guard asks him to remove all
(page 3.27), and this is a major consideration, metal objects. Neo flips open his coat to reveal a
since he fires two pistols for much of the combat. veritable arsenal. The guard utters a few choice
He also has the Neat Trick (page 3.38) of words. Neo and Trinity are effectively ambushing
‘double draw’. He can, as a single major action, (page 4.5) the guards, so they will get some
draw a weapon with each hand, a trick he ends free actions. Because we are using a lot of
up doing several times in this scene. advanced rules, we will run the combat using
complex sequencing (page 5.3). This adds
some complexity to the turn structure (naturally),
but also helps show the action in a way that
more closely matches the movie.

5.32
 On Initiative 10 (0m3s), Neo draws a machine
Because a few of you are going to watch and pistol with each hand (his previously mentioned
re-watch this scene while comparing it to the neat trick). Drawing a weapon as a major
EABA description, times in parentheses like this action is a task of Average(7) difficulty on the
(0m22s) will be based on the ‘0m0s point’ at appropriate skill. This is his second action,
the first (and last) utterance of profanity by the but because it is a neat trick it counts penalties
first guard. And if you do not intend to go watch like it was his third action, which would be
this scene again in an EABA context, you should. a -6 penalty. So he would be rolling 5d+1 against
an Average(7) difficulty to draw each machine
TURN 1 (turn mod: +0, quantity mod: x1)
Turn length: 1 second ∂
Initiative: It’s an ambush, Neo and Trinity act
pistol. He is good enough to ‘take 2’s’ (page
2.2) on each and get an automatic success.

first as though they had held action (page 4.6), On Initiative 7 (0m4s), he fires a machine pistol
and the guards do not get any major actions until in autofire mode (page 5.10) at the guard on
Initiative 0. With an Agility of 13, Neo and Trinity the right. This is a range of 3 meters, which is a
have an effective Initiative of 13, but no difficulty of 6. This is Neo’s fourth major action,
penalty. This means they theoretically can take so it takes a -3d penalty, dropping his effective
five major actions before the guards, on skill from 7d+1 to 4d+1. Neo rolls 4d+1 and
Initiative 13, 10, 7, 4, and 1. gets a result of 10, for 3 hits (note that he could
have also done a ‘take 2’s’ for a result of 9 and
Neo: On Initiative 13 (0m1s) he punches the automatically gotten two hits). The machine pistol
guard, using a skill roll of 7d+1 against a fairly has a lethal damage of 2d+2 for each hit. The
low difficulty for the guard’s unarmed combat first hit rolls 8 damage, putting the guard past
skill, which is 3d+2. Remember that even though the -1d threshold. This means the second hit only
they are ambushed, the guards can take reactive does 1d+2 damage because of the declining
minor actions like defending themselves in damage effect (page 4.19), and gets 5 damage,
melee, or making Awareness rolls to gain putting the guard at the -3d threshold. The last
information on something they could or should hit only does the minimum of 0d+1 damage, but
be seeing or hearing. this is a total of 14 hits, which is what the guard
has, so even if he had not taken crippling
Neo succeeds and plants his palm in the guard’s damage from the first hit, he is now unconscious
chest for 4d+0 half-lethal damage. The guard and bleeding (page 5.27) to death.
takes 2d+0 non-lethal hits and 2d+0 lethal hits.
The non-lethal damage rolls 8 hits. This is more Technically, both this shot and the next one were
than the guard’s Health, but he subtracts his into side arcs for an extra -3 penalty (page 5.9).
toughness (page 3.9), so he only takes 6 and In practical terms, Neo could have made the first
this is not crippling damage (page 5.25). The shot into one edge of his side arc (rolling 3d+1
lethal damage does not apply toughness and also instead of 4d+1) and the following shot into his
rolls 8, which is crippling damage, knocking him front arc (at no additional penalty).
out of the fight.

5.33
On Initiative 4 (0m6s), Neo fires at one of the
three guards on the left. Neo takes his fifth
TURN 2 (turn mod: +2, quantity mod: x2)
Turn length: 2 seconds ∑
Initiative: Neo and Trinity each declare 8, which
major action, which is at a -4d penalty, so he means they will lose 8 points off their skill rolls.
has a 3d+1 skill roll against a difficulty of 7, This guarantees they go first since the guards
since the range to the guards is 4 meters. He cannot declare more than their Agility of 7. The
rolls a 9, and gets two hits. Rolling damage, the remaining two guards however, do not know this.
results are 7 and 5, for a total of 12 lethal hits, They just know that three other guards just went
one of which did crippling damage. By the time down in an eyeblink. From a game standpoint,
the first guard hits the ground, Neo has drawn they have a skill roll of 3d+2 and need to hit a
and fired two machine pistols. difficulty of 7 for the range. So, the amount they
use for Initiative should be enough to let them
On Initiative 1, Neo holds action in case one of reliably hit someone at close range. They each
the remaining guards is fast enough on the declare 5. This would drop their effective skill to
uptake to be a threat, and starts to swing both 2d+2 on their first major action (skill roll of
machine pistols around to face them. 3d+2, -5 for Initiative, +2 for turn mod).

Trinity: On Initiative 13 she draws a machine Neo: On Initiative 8 (0m9s) he swings the
pistol as a major action, ‘taking 2’s’ for an machine pistol from the right and shoots it at a
automatic success, and steps forward to go guard on the left. The difficulty is 7 and his
around the metal detector. adjusted skill roll is 4d+2 (7d+1 skill roll, -8 for
Initiative). He rolls a 14 and hits the guard 4
Guards(2 remaining): The ambushed guards times, each at 2d+2 lethal damage. Even with
only get one major action on Initiative 0 (0m7s). declining effects (page 4.19) on damage after
One guard is drawing a weapon, and the other the first hit, he goes down.
guard is diving out of his chair and declaring his
full Dodge of 4 (possibly as a desperation On Initiative 5 (0m10s), both Neo and the
action (page 4.6)). remaining guard act (Neo goes first because of
higher Agility). The guard is diving for cover and
That ends the turn. Everyone still up is ‘in dodging, Neo is shooting at him. The difficulty is
combat’ for +1 towards stamina use (Neo uses 11 (range difficulty of +7, +2 for the guard’s
+2 for being in melee combat). Since the amount movement and +2 more for the guard’s Dodge).
divided by 5 rounds nearest, no one uses Neo’s adjusted skill roll is 4d+1 (7d+1 skill roll,
stamina. Neo has also expended 10 rounds (one -8 for Initiative, -3 for second major action and
autofire) from each of his two machine pistols, +2 for using his turn mod on this action). Neo
each of which has a 30 round clip. rolls a 10 and barely misses. The guard
successfully gets behind a pillar.
EABA elapsed time: 1 second
On Initiative 2 (0m12s), Neo ducks behind a
pillar. Because the quantity modifier for the turn
is x2, his autofire use expended 20 rounds from
one weapon (emptying it) and 10 rounds from
the other (leaving 10 left), while the remaining
guard has a fully loaded revolver. The guard
grabs his walkie-talkie and says “Backup! Send
backup!” (0m13s).

5.34
 Taking into account changes in perspective and
Trinity: On Initiative 8 she walks around the slow-motion, roughly 15 ‘real’ seconds have
metal detectors. This is a minor action, and over elapsed.
the course of the turn she and the remaining
guard come into line of sight of each other Because it is merely a leadup to the real meat of
(0m16s). She has an action, he does not. She the fight, the first three turns might have been
plugs him at close range with an autofire blast run using the Outmatching rule (page 5.7).
from her machine pistol, expending twenty Neo and Trinity would have had a “group” skill
rounds in the process for a +2 turn modifier on roll of 8d+0 (their skill, +2 for a quantity mod
the shot. She can ‘take 2’s’ and still hit him of x2) and the guards would have had a “group”
(difficulty of no more than 11 and she has an skill roll of 5d+0 (their skill, +4 for a quantity
adjusted skill roll of 5d+1). Perhaps fortunately, mod of x4). This beats the minimum 2d
the camera only lingers on this guard for a difference for outmatching, so Neo and Trinity
moment as he goes down. could simply declare victory and move on. Of the
five guards, only one managed to draw a weapon
The time modifier for the turn is +2, both of them and call for help by the time it was over, which is
were ‘in combat’ for +1, a total of +3. Since you a pretty clear indication that they were totally
divide by 5 and round nearest, this turn costs outmatched by Neo and Trinity. However, the
each of them 1 stamina. ‘calling for help’ was dramatically important, so
playing it out made a difference in this case.
Neo: Has used 1 stamina
Trinity: Has used 1 stamina

EABA elapsed time: 3 seconds

TURN 4 (turn mod: +6, quantity mod: x8)
Turn length: 15 seconds π
Initiative: Neo and Trinity expect things will be
happening, but not just yet, and declare zero.
TURN 3 (turn mod: +4, quantity mod: x4)
Turn length: 4 seconds ∏
Initiative: Neo and Trinity are the only people
Neo/Trinity: At a certain point (0m30s) they
hold action (page 4.6). They expect there to
here. The combat could reset to zero at this be trouble on the next turn and want to count as
point, but the gamemaster says that it is a having declared their full Agility, but without
continuing scene. taking a penalty for it. Because there is a slight
lull in combat, they can do this with no problem.
Trinity: Discards her empty weapon, picks the
duffel bag off the conveyor belt (0m23s) and Soldiers: Run up to the scene (0m33s), take
walks forward. Both of them walk an effective positions under partial cover (0m38s), and the
distance of +6, or 3 meters. leader shouts “Freeze!”. There are ten soldiers, in
two equal groups, one group on either side of
Neo: Discards his two empty weapons (0m26s) pillars on the right and left close to the elevator.
draws two regular pistols (0m28s) as a single
action and walks forward. The soldiers are using turn mod, and running, so
they expend 1 stamina (+6 for turn mod, +1 for
No real combat is taking place and both of them running, divide the total by 5, rounding nearest).
are merely walking, so the gamemaster says no
stamina is used. The sound of running, booted Neo: Has used 1 stamina
feet is heard in the distance. Trinity: Has used 1 stamina
Soldiers: Have used 1 stamina
EABA elapsed time: 7 seconds
EABA elapsed time: 15 seconds

5.35
 On Initiative 7 (0m46s) he repeats the process
While the arrival of the soldiers was well-timed with the other pistol, for an adjusted skill roll of
for movie pacing, the soldiers, fully armed and 4d+0 (he loses -1d for a third major action). He
organized, must have been on break right down chooses to roll 3d+2 instead of 4d+0 and misses
the hall to respond to a call for assistance that again. Dramatically speaking, we can say that
fast. From the guard’s call of “Backup! Send the guards have partial cover, so either the
backup!” to the fully deployed soldiers yelling difficulty of the shot was a little higher, or the
“Freeze!” was only seconds of movie time. shots that might have hit actually hit what they
were standing behind. Note that because he is
TURN 5 (turn mod: +8, quantity mod: x16)
Turn length: 15 seconds ∫
Initiative: Neo and Trinity have a held action, so
using semi-automatic pistols rather than full-
auto, he could have gotten a maximum of one
hit on each action.
their initiative counts as their Agility, which is
13, but they take no penalty for it. However, they Trinity: On Initiative 13 (0m42s) she dodges,
each add their full Dodge of 8 to the mix. This drops the duffel bag and runs towards the
will not affect sequencing, but will affect their opposite side of the gallery. She takes cover
use of skills. Note that since they cannot see any- behind a pillar while the soldiers’ attention is
thing to dodge at the moment, the effect of the drawn towards Neo’s gunfire. She then holds
Dodge will be halved, even though the penalty action on her second major action (on Initiative
on Neo and Trinity’s action is not halved. The 10), waiting for an opportunity.
guards, not knowing what they are up against
yet, declare 6, an amount that shows an Soldiers(10 of them): We will say that three on
unwillingness to let someone get the drop on each side have automatic rifles with 30 round
them, but not so much that it would keep them clips, and two have pump shotguns with 8 round
from being able to hit normal targets. internal magazines. This is important to note for
several reasons. The shotguns can only fire 8
The soldiers are behind the four columns flanking shots before they have to be slowly reloaded, so
the elevator alcove and one column on each side the maximum turn mod they can use is +6 (for a
towards Neo and Trinity. Since Neo and Trinity x8 quantity). Doing this would empty the
have moved 3 meters down the 20 meter hall weapons this turn, and it would take them quite
and the last pillar is 17 meters down the hall, the a while to reload the shells one at a time. So
soldiers are from 11 to 14 meters distant. they will choose to use no more than a +2
quantity mod each time they are fired (2 shots).
Neo: On Initiative 13 he runs as a major action The assault rifles will be used in an autofire
(0m42s), heading for one side of the gallery mode, which limits them to three pulls of the
where the soldiers are using pillars as partial trigger, a quantity modifier of +3. However, they
cover. On the way there he uses a second major do get the possibility of getting multiple hits for
action on Initiative 10 (0m43s) to start shooting the action. Remember that three trigger pulls
at the closest guard. The range will be 8 meters is not three actions, it is one action at a +3
after he gets close to the wall, for difficulty of 9. for quantity mod and the possibility of getting
He has an effective skill roll of 5d+0 (7d+1 skill multiple hits.
roll, -8 for dodging, -3 for second major action,
and uses +4 of his turn bonus (using 4 bullets). This turn has a length of 15 seconds, so they can
He rolls 4d+2 against a difficulty of 12 (range fire on Initiative 6, try to reload on Initiative 3
of 8 meters is a difficulty of 9, +3 for half his and then fire again on Initiative 0 if they still
running distance level). Note that the distance he have a chance of success...
moved is half normal because he is dodging
(page 4.4). He rolls a 9 and misses (even with
Larger than Life (page 3.34)).

5.36
 Trinity: Had a held action and was waiting for a
The soldiers take shots with autofire rifles and soldier to pause to reload. This happens after he
pump shotguns at Neo and Trinity on Initiative 6 finishes his Initiative 6 action (1m7s). She acts
(0m42s). They have an adjusted skill roll of 3d+2 right after he shoots (she also acts on Initiative
or 4d+0 (base skill roll of 5d+0, -6 for Initiative 6), popping around a pillar and kicking him
and +2 quantity mod for the shotguns and +3 (1m8s). Her adjusted skill roll is 5d+1 (7d+1
quantity mod for the assault rifles). The range skill roll, using +8 of turn bonus, -8 for dodging,
is about 11 or 14 meters, both of which are -3 more for the second action, and -3 because
difficulty of 10, with an additional +4 because of she is kicking). The difficulty for him to defend is
Neo and Trinity’s (halved) dodge and another +3 his adjusted melee skill roll of 6d+0 (4d+2 skill
because Neo and Trinity have moved a distance roll with a +4, half her movement from earlier in
level of +6, for a final difficulty of 17. They all the turn (page 4.10) because she was running
miss. It is easier for him to defend because she has
spent part of the turn moving towards him. She
They would have been better off firing lots rolls 5,4,3,3,2 and he rolls 6,4,3,3,2,1. However,
of individual shots for a +8 turn mod and not Trinity has Larger than Life and keeps ‘best 4’
having to reload, but we are just replaying the for a total of 16 (remember the +1 in her 5d+1
action as shown on-screen. roll), while the soldier only keeps ‘best 3’ for 13.
If he had chosen to roll 5d+2 instead of 6d+0 his
Their chances were about 9% for a 3d+2 roll. If total would have been 15, so Trinity would have
their targets had been people with Dodge of 4 gotten him either way.
instead of 6 or a run distance of +4 instead of
+6, their chances would have been 16%. And if Trinity connects for 5d+0 half-lethal damage
they had in addition declared an Initiative of 3 (3d+0 non-lethal, then 2d+0 lethal). Even after
instead of 6, they would have an extra +1d on the soldier’s Toughness is applied, the non-lethal
the skill roll and the chances would have been damage does over his Health in one hit, so it
36%. So you can see that your choice of tactics counts as crippling damage. Against an extra,
and the quality of your foes can make a huge this takes him out. He staggers back from a kick
difference. Note also that Neo and Trinity’s dodge to the gut and neck, hits the wall and goes down.
negated any Accuracy bonus that the soldiers
might have gotten from aiming (page 4.10). In the movie, Trinity kicks the gun out of his
hands, then rather angrily kicks him in the chest
The other option the gamemaster could have and then in the neck. The important thing is that
used would have been mass fire (page 5.9). he goes down. The player or gamemaster can
If we said there were two groups of four auto- embellish the results in dramatic fashion as long
rifles, each group would have a quantity mod as it does not affect the outcome. However,
of +4, in addition to the quantity mod for the Trinity will try something later that is both
rate of fire in the group (+3). This would have dramatic and requires a rule-based adjudication.
made their adjusted skill roll 5d+1. In addition,
since there are multiple rules being used that
give a chance for multiple hits, any result that
gets a hit would get an extra hit (see the end of
the autofire rules on page 5.11).

For their next action, they would attempt to

reload (on Initiative 3), but other things happen
first.

5.37
 Soldiers(9 remaining): On Initiative 0, the ones
Neo: On Initiative 4 (0m53s), he uses some of who have reloaded realize that firing again would
his movement to dive and roll behind a pillar and be at an adjusted skill roll of 2d+0 (base skill roll
provide cover from the soldiers, drops his pistols of 5d+0, -6 for Initiative, -6 for their third major
(which are not actually empty) and attempts to action and +3 for their remaining turn bonus), so
draw a pair of machine pistols. His adjusted skill they do nothing. Even if they fired in semi-auto
roll is 0d+2 (7d+1 skill roll, -8 for dodging, -12 mode they could only get a +3 quantity bonus,
because this pair of draws counts as his fifth since that is all the turn bonus they have left
major action). but he decides to use Fate to give (remember that you can never have a bigger
him a +1d on this roll (you figure Neo has a lot quantity bonus than your remaining turn bonus).
of Fate and can afford to burn some). This keeps
his roll at 1d+2 for each draw, and he rolls a 7 The ones who have not reloaded have nothing to
and an 8, barely succeeding. He now has a pair lose by trying to reload again. They would also
of ready machine pistols. He has used up all of have an adjusted skill roll of 1d+2. For the sake
this turn’s +8 bonus already, so he had nothing of making the example easier, we will say the
left to apply to rolls like this. He does nothing rest of them reload.
else this turn.
Everyone is using stamina. Neo and Trinity are
Trinity: On Initiative 3 (1m11s), she ducks back are both running and dodging, plus Trinity was in
behind a pillar to get cover from the soldiers. melee, so they will expend 2 points of stamina
(+8 for turn mod, +1 (or +2) for combat, +1 for
Soldiers(9 remaining): On Initiative 3 (1m11s), running, divided by 5). The soldiers use 2
the soldiers with assault rifles are busy reloading. stamina (+8 turn mod and +1 for being in
This would have an adjusted skill roll of 2d+2 combat, divided by 5), and that’s it.
(skill roll of 5d+0, -6 for Initiative, -3 for their
second major action and +2 for turn bonus). Neo: Has used 3 stamina
Since they have a total turn bonus to use of +8 Trinity: Has used 3 stamina
and only +3 can be used emptying their clips Soldiers: Have used 3 stamina
(on Iniative 6 and maybe Initiative 0), they are
applying the remaining +2 to this action. The EABA elapsed time: 30 seconds
difficulty of reloading is Average(7). There are
seven soldiers with assault rifles left, and we will The gamemaster pauses the action at this point
say four of them reload successfully. to describe bullets flying, the marble facade
disintegrating under a hail of gunfire, exposing
One of the soldiers with a shotgun is not out of the cement pillars underneath, the staccato
ammunition, and is 3 meters away from Trinity bursts of gunfire echoing wierdly up and down
(near the soldier she just kicked). The difficulty the gallery, and over the din, the barely audible
of his shot is 12 (+6 for a range of 3 meters, +4 tinkle of brass shell casings hitting the floor by
for her Dodge, +3 for her movement). His the hundreds. This sets a visual picture in
adjusted skill roll is 2d+2 (base skill roll of 5d+0, everyone’s minds that cannot be duplicated with
-6 for Initiative, -3 for a second major action and miniatures on a map. The player for Trinity says
+2 quantity mod for the shotgun). He needs to that since Neo is armed and shooting and Trinity
roll well on 2d+2 to reach a 12, and fails. Either is unarmed, most of the soldiers’ attention should
Trinity successfully gets behind the pillar first, or be focused on him. The gamemaster agrees, so
he misses (1m11s). Either way it is the same Neo is being shot at from both sides of the lobby.
result. The player for Neo shoots Trinity’s player a dirty
look. Trinity’s player shrugs and says “hey, it was
your plan.”

5.38
 If Neo used the normal one bullet per trigger
TURN 6 (turn mod: +10, quantity mod: x30)
Turn length: 30 seconds ª
Initiative: Neo and Trinity continue to make the
pull, he would be able to get a quantity bonus of
up to +10 on an action (quantity of x30) on
either machine pistol, but then each pistol would
most of their superior skills and attributes. Neo only get a maximum of one hit. By taking a
declares 12 and uses no Dodge, and Trinity smaller bonus but using autofire, he has the
declares 9 and a Dodge of 3. The soldiers declare potential to get multiple hits on a target with a
6, as this gives them a reasonable chance of single major action, and his superior skill makes
success at 3 major actions when you factor in the this a more effective (and visually dramatic)
+10 turn mod. Remember that people using option.
autofire and 30 round clips can use a maximum
of +3 turn mod on any one action. On Initiative 6 Neo acts before the soldiers due
to his higher Agility. He uses the other machine
Neo: On Initiative 12 Neo pops out from behind pistol to shoot at the last soldier on this side of
a pillar and starts shooting at soldiers with his the hall (1m29s). Neo has a total of +7 turn
machine pistols as he walks towards them bonus remaining, and he can use a maximum of
(1m17s). His adjusted skill roll is 3d+1 (7d+1 +3 turn mod on the shot (3 autofire bursts of 10
skill roll, -12 for initiative, and he uses none of shots each). His adjusted skill roll is 3d+1 (7d+1
his turn mod, which only uses 10 rounds of skill roll, -12 for initiative, -6 for a third major
ammunition). His walk closes the distance to the action, +3 turn mod, and +3 because he uses
soldiers by 3 meters (he applies none of the turn Fate for the second time to add to the roll). The
bonus to it). This closes the range to the soldiers previous shot was at 8 meters, but Neo uses +2
to 5 meters (closest) and 8 meters (furthest). He of his remaining turn bonus to increase his walk
shoots at the furthest one, which is a difficulty of distance from 3 meters to 6 meters. This closes
12 (+9 for range, +3 for half of Neo’s walking the range to the last soldier to 5 meters, a
distance level). He rolls a 14 and hits the soldier difficulty of +7, +4 for walking (distance level of
2 times for 2d+2 lethal damage on each hit. The +8) is 11. He rolls 3d+0 and gets a 13, hitting
soldier goes down (1m22s). the guard twice, and he goes down.

On Initiative 9 (1m27s) he repeats the process. Trinity: On Initiative 9, she sees a soldier on her
His skill roll drops by -3 for a second major side of the gallery drawing a bead on Neo. She
action, but he uses the +2 turn mod allowed by slips around the other side of his pillar (walk
emptying the rest of the machine pistol’s clip (2 movement) and kicks him (1m34s). In a fancy
bursts of 10 shots), for an adjusted skill roll of way. She aims for his shotgun, which the
3d+0. He shoots at one of the closer soldiers, gamemaster says is a +4 difficulty, and she
which drops the difficulty to 9 due to the shorter wants to disarm him in such a way that she can
range. He rolls a 9, only hitting with one shot. catch the weapon and use it (a dramatic called
Because one hit might not take the soldier out, shot, page 5.10), which is another +4 difficulty.
Neo wants to roll for a random hit location She has an adjusted skill roll of 4d+2 (7d+1 skill
(page 4.16). Rolling 3d+0, he gets a total of 5, roll, -9 for initiative, -3 more for Dodge, and uses
for a head hit, specifically, the neck. The location +4 of her turn bonus for the attack). He has a
effect for a head hit is +1d damage after armor defending skill roll of 5d+2 (4d+2 skill roll, -6
is taken into account, so the 2d+2 hit becomes a for initiative, -3 because she came out of his
3d+2 hit. Rolling for damage, the result is 10, side arc (page 5.9), he uses +3 of his turn
over half the soldier’s Health. This is crippling bonus, gets +1 because Trinity was walking, her
damage to the head, which is an automatic movement (page 4.10) improves his defense
unconsciousness result. rather than penalizing her attack, +4 for the
called shot and +4 for the dramatic called shot).

5.39
 The soldier closest to Trinity is focsed on
Trinity wins the contest of skills (mostly because shooting at Neo and does not turn to deal with
she keeps ‘best 4’ and he only keeps ‘best 3’, so Trinity until he gets his action on Initiative 3. All
she lands a kick to the weapon. Even though this the remaining soldiers are shooting at Neo
is a dramatic called shot, the gamemaster says (1m43s), who is across the lobby and just past
she has to break his grip on the weapon, other- the pillars, a distance of about 9 meters. Their
wise people would be kicking the swords out of adjusted skill rolls are 4d+0 (5d+0 skill roll, -6
the hands of giant robots. The gamemaster says for Initiative, +3 for the maximum turn bonus
her damage will act like a Strength, and the they can use with their assault rifles). The
soldier has to use his Strength to keep a grip on difficulty is +10 for the range of 9 meters, +4 for
the weapon. Neo’s movement (his most recent move was at a
rate of +8) and the gamemaster gives an extra
Trinity’s kick damage is 5d+0 vs. the soldier’s +1 difficulty because of the pillars that block
Strength of 3d+2 (or 4d+2 if we give him a part of the view, for a total difficulty of 15. They
bonus for a two-handed grip). She rolls a total actually have a decent chance (≈26% each), and
of 15, he rolls a 13, so the shotgun goes flying. the gamemaster says they will choose to roll
Doing something with it is her next action. 3d+2 instead of 4d+0 (page 2.2). One of them
hits, rolling a 6,4,3 and the +2 makes 15. Neo
On Initiative 6 she acts before the soldiers. She uses Fate for the third time (successfully) and
catches the shotgun (part of the dramatic called makes the soldier reroll the die (page 3.10)
shot effect), turns and shoots him in the back that came up ‘6’. He does and gets a ‘5’, which
(1m38s). This is a difficulty of +3 for the range makes his total 14 instead of 15, for a near
of 1 meter, and +1 because she was walking, for miss.
a total difficulty of 4. Her adjusted skill roll is
2d+1 (7d+1 skill roll, -9 for Initiative, -3 for her Neo: Neo is starting to get to where he is risking
Dodge, -3 for her second major action). She uses failure if he uses Fate, and is on his fourth major
none of her remaining turn bonus, and ‘takes 2’s’ action. His adjusted skill roll for anything would
to get an automatic hit. If the shotgun is using be 1d+0 (skill roll of 7d+1, -12 for Initiative, -9
heavy buckshot, she probably gets three hits at for fourth major action and he has +2 turn bonus
1d+1 each. left if he needs it. He does nothing at Initiative 3.
He does not actually change position at this time,
Because these all hit at the exact same time but he is still counted as using the maximum
(page 5.11), there is no declining damage effect. movement he had done at any point in the turn,
On average, three 1d+1 hits would do about 14 which is a distance level of +8 (6 meters).
lethal hits. This might not kill him, but it is
certainly going to be crippling damage, so it is
safe to say he is out of the combat.

Soldiers(5 remaining): They get their first

action on Initiative 6, after Neo and Trinity. All
three of the ones on Neo’s side of the gallery are
down, leaving two near the pillar next to the
elevator alcove on his side. Trinity has taken out
the two closest to her, leaving one 3 meters away
at the next pillar and two more at the pillar next
to the elevator alcove on her side.

5.40
Trinity: One of the soldiers saw what she did to
his nearest companion on Initiative 6, but he was
TURN 7 (turn mod: +12, quantity mod: x60)
Turn length: 1 minute
Initiative: There are four soldiers left, all of
º
engaged in shooting at Neo. Trinity sees him turn whom have loaded weapons, one of them a
at nearly point blank range to shoot at her, but shotgun with two shots left. Neo has a pair of
she goes first on Initiative 3. Still holding the empty machine pistols, and Trinity has an empty
shotgun, she shoots him first (1m40s). Her shotgun. Neo and Trinity continue to make the
adjusted skill roll is 2d+1 (7d+1 skill roll, -9 for most of their superior skills and attributes. Neo
Initiative, -3 for her Dodge, -6 for her third declares 9 and a Dodge of 2, and Trinity declares
major action, and she uses Fate for the first time 9 and bids a Dodge of 3. The soldiers do 6 again,
to get an extra +1d). She only fires one shot, so hoping to take advantage of the high turn mod.
she gets no turn bonus. The difficulty is +5 for a
range of 2 meters, and +1 because she was Neo: On Initiative 9 (1m50s) Neo moves at his
walking for a total difficulty of 6. She rolls a 6 walk rate down the side of the lobby, and
and hits the soldier, with results similar to the acrobatically cartwheels as a major action so he
last one she shot. can grab a soldier’s dropped (but loaded) assault
rifle. His adjusted skill roll is 3d+2 (base skill roll
Soldiers(4 remaining): On Initiative 3, all their of 7d+1, -9 for Initiative, -2 for Dodge). The
weapons are empty from having shot at Neo, gamemaster says this is a challenging(9) task,
except one with a shotgun who shoots again and and Neo makes the roll. He now has an assault
misses. The ones with empty weapons attempt rifle in one hand and is a few meters from the
to reload. Their adjusted skill rolls are 3d+0 end of the lobby. Neo reminds the gamemaster
(4d+2 skill roll, -6 for Initiative, -3 for second that he has ‘Acrobatics’ as an enhanced skill
major action, and they use +4 of their turn (page 3.14) and that when he uses it as a major
mod). We will say they all make the average(7) action he gets +2 to his effective Agility for
reloading task. Dodge without taking the corresponding penalty
on his own actions. This gives him an effective
At this point, everyone is pretty much ruined in Dodge of 4 instead of 2 (because his base Dodge
terms of trying to do further actions. Trinity increased by 2 when his Agility for Dodge
ducks back behind the pillar so the remaining purposes went from 4d+1 to 5d+0, but he still
soldiers cannot see her. Trinity was engaged in only takes a -2 penalty on his own actions.
melee combat and walking (3 Stamina), while
Neo was in ranged combat and walking (2 On Initiative 6 he continues to move towards the
Stamina). The remaining soldiers were merely far wall, while doing a one-handed autofire shot
in ranged combat (2 Stamina for use of turn at one of the guards while cartwheeling (2m4s).
mod). His adjusted skill roll is 2d+2 (7d+1 skill roll, -9
for Initiative, -2 for dodging, -3 for his second
Neo: Uses 2 more stamina, a total of 5 so far. He major action, and +0 of turn bonus (using 10
has used enough to notice it, but is a ways from rounds). The difficulty is +7 for the range of 5
having to worry about it. meters and +3 for his move distance for a total
Trinity: Has used a total of 6 stamina, which puts difficulty of 10. The gamemaster docks Neo an
her in about the same condition as Neo. extra -1d on this skill roll for firing one-handed,
Soldiers: Use 2 stamina, for a total of 5 stamina and Neo uses Fate again to get a +1d to counter
out of 9. They will start feeling the effects of this. He rolls 2d+2 and gets lucky with exactly a
exertion before anyone else. If they start burning 10, for a hit (a 42% chance). The assault rifle
into non-lethal hits from overuse of stamina, their has a damage of 4d+1 lethal, and odds are very
first -1d threshold is at their 6th hit. high this will be a crippling hit and take down the
soldier.
EABA elapsed time: 1 minute

5.41
 Trinity: She is absent for the rest of the combat
Soldiers(3 remaining): They all act on Initiative actions and is presumably staying out of the way
6 (2m4s). The closest is 3 meters away with an of Neo’s gunfire and looking for opportunities.
assault rifle. His adjusted skill roll is 3d+2 (4d+2 She uses none of her turn bonus and is neither
base skill roll, -6 for Initiative, +3 for the highest running nor fighting, so she uses no Stamina.
turn bonus he can use). The difficulty is +6 for a
range of 3 meters, +3 for Neo’s move distance Soldiers(2 remaining): On Initiative 0 they can
and another +2 for Neo’s dodge (remember that not see anyone, and given what has happened to
Neo has an effective Dodge of +4, even if he everyone else, they are not feeling particularly
only gets half effect (round up) against all this courageous. The furthest one does nothing,
gunfire), for a total difficulty of 11. He rolls a 10 and the closer one lays down a short burst of
and narrowly misses (the soldier had a 74% covering fire (page 5.13) against the pillar Neo
chance). The second closest soldier has a blinding is hiding behind. This is not the smartest idea,
flash of self-preservation and ducks back behind since the covering fire expires at the end of the
a pillar so Neo cannot shoot him. The third soldier turn, but hey, not all combat decisions are smart
is furthest away, near the opposite wall, and ones.
shoots at Neo. The modifiers are the same,
except the range is 6 meters instead of 3, for a Neo: Only used +2 turn bonus and he was in
final difficulty of 13. He also misses (he had combat for another +1, so he would burn 1 more
a 50% chance). stamina and be at a total of 6 used.
Trinity: Used no part of her turn bonus. She is
Neo: On Initiative 3 he continues his cartwheel staying ‘in combat’ but burns no stamina, staying
and will end up behind a pillar (2m10s), but on at 6 used.
his way there he uses the last 20 rounds in the Soldiers: None of them used enough turn bonus
assault rifle to shoot at the closest soldier. His or did actions that use stamina, so even though
adjusted skill roll is 2d+1 (7d+1 skill roll, -9 for they were all ‘in combat’ so they burn no stamina
Initiative, -2 for dodging, -6 for his third major and stay at a total of 6 used.
action, and +2 of turn bonus (using 20 rounds).
EABA eapsed time: 2 minutes
The player says that Neo is just doing one long
autofire burst to empty the clip and that his use
of Fate from the previous shot should apply here
if the gamemaster is going to assess the one-
TURN 8 (turn mod: +14, quantity mod: x125)
Turn length: 2 minutes Ω
Initiative: There are only two soldiers left. Neo
hand penalty on him again. The gamemaster declares 6 and no dodge, the soldiers declare 6
grudgingly agrees, but says Neo’s Fate track is again, with the closer one also declaring a dodge
bumped up a notch as though he had rolled Fate of 2. Trinity is busy somewhere polishing her
again. The player starts to argue, but then thinks nails.
better of it. The difficulty of the shot is +6 for a
range of 3 meters and +4 for his movement, for Neo: Draws yet another pair of machine pistols
a final difficulty of 10. Neo makes the roll (a 28% on Initiative 6 (2m14s). His adjusted skill roll is
chance), the guard takes 4d+1 lethal damage 4d+1 (7d+1 base skill roll, -6 for Initiative, -3
and goes down. Neo finishes his move behind a because this counts as a second major action).
pillar. He ‘takes 2’s’ and automatically makes the
average(7) task for each weapon draw.
Neo: On Initiative 0, Neo has +10 of his turn
bonus left unused, but he has also mindful of his
stamina use, so he does nothing except drop the
empty assault rifle (2m12s).

5.42
 Soldiers(1 remaining): On Initiative 3, the sole
On Initiative 3 Neo steps out from behind remaining soldier pops out from the behind his
the pillar, starts walking down the hall and lays pillar (after Neo’s covering fire ends) and Neo is
down covering fire (page 5.13) against the at point blank range (2m25s). However, his gun
pillars the soldiers are hiding behind (2m19s). is empty, as are Neo’s machine pistols. Oops.
Neo’s player says that since he is not aiming at a This is a situation where a gamemaster could
particular target, he should be able to fire both ask a player how much turn mod they are going
machine pistols to generate a large volume of fire to commit to the action, and then after the turn
and have it count as a single action. Since Neo is mod is allocated, tell them that their weapon is
ambidextrous and this is not quite a neat trick, empty. It would be mean, but fair.
the gamemaster allows Neo to use a quantity
mod for the total ammo capacity of the machine Neo: On Initiative 0 Neo walks up the soldier’s
pistols on the covering fire, emptying both in the chest and kicks him in the head, literally knocking
process. Neo chooses to do this as a smaller him head over heels (2m26s). In practical terms,
number of autofire actions (x6), as this gives the Neo is just doing a punch on him to avoid the
possibility of multiple hits. Using the x60 shots extra -1d penalty for a kick, and just embellishing
would allow a bigger modifier, but could only get the details of what happened after the fact. Neo’s
one hit per target. adjusted skill roll is 4d+1 (base skill of 7d+1, -6
for Initiative, -9 for his fourth major action, and
Neo is covering a line of hexes 4 meters long to he uses +6 of his turn bonus). The soldier has an
pin down anyone who might pop out from behind adjusted defensive skill roll of 4d+2 (base skill
the three pillars to Neo’s right. His adjusted skill roll of 5d+0, -6 for Initiative, +2 because he is
roll is 2d+2 (7d+1 base skill roll, -6 for Initiative, dodging, +3 for Neo’s movement). Neo wins the
-6 for his third major action, -7 for filling an area roll (mostly because he gets to keep ‘best four’)
4 meters across, +5 for using the maximum turn and hits him. His strike damage is 3d+0, and
bonus for x6 bursts of 10 shots (instead of up to if we say it is a punch it is all non-lethal hits. The
a +12 bonus for x60 individual shots). damage roll is a total of 15. The gamemaster
sees that the soldier has no chance and just
The difficulty for the range of 3 meters (to the takes him out. The player says the excellent
closest soldier) is +6 and and Neo’s walk is +3 damage roll is the aforementioned kick to the
more, for a total difficulty of 9. The difficulty for a head, ending the scene with a dramatically
range of 6 meters (to the furthest soldier) is 8 described flourish.
and Neo’s walk is +3 more, for a total difficulty
of 11. Anyone who shows themselves from The combat is over. Screen time is about 2m30s,
behind that pillar will attacked before they get a while elapsed game time is somewhere around 4
chance to do anything, using this skill roll and minutes. Neo uses up 3 more stamina from using
appropriate difficulty. +11 of turn mod, and +2 more from melee
combat, putting him at a total of 9 stamina
The covering fire will last until Neo could take used, while Trinity ends the fight with a total
another action, so it extends from Neo’s Initiative stamina use of 6. If Neo had been close to
6 action up until Neo could act on Initiative 3. ‘normal’ people in stats, he would be on the edge
The closest soldier chooses not to show himself of taking non-lethal hits from exhaustion effects.
at this time. The furthest soldier pops out from
behind cover to shoot at Neo, and is subject to a
covering fire roll. Neo’s adjusted skill roll of 2d+2
rolls an 11, hitting for 2d+2 lethal damage. The
result is 10, and the soldier takes a crippling
injury and goes down without firing a shot.

5.43
 After this time, they recover all lost stamina.
Critique: Obviously, the movie scene was Or, if we had reset the combat clock after the
scripted to have a certain outcome, and we guards were eliminated, there would have only
chose stats and skill levels for this example to been six turns in the second combat, so
generate that outcome. Nonetheless, it is still Stamina use would have been less per turn.
reasonable. Most of the dice rolls used were in
the average range. If we had skewed the stats Stamina and non-lethal hit recovery works this
of the combatants a little more, the outcome way to try to mimic real-world effects. If you
would have been much more certain and have just run a marathon, you are physically
maybe even have ended a turn sooner. drained, but you can recover some energy fast
enough to be up and about in a short time, but
There are a few options that could have been you will not recover long-term reserves sufficient
done, but were not. The soldiers could have to run another marathon for quite a while. Letting
used mass fire in their opening salvo against you recover all your stamina quickly allows you
Neo. The turn clock could have been reset to to do multiple short bursts of activity, but the loss
zero after the first five guards were eliminated, of non-lethal hits makes you pay a longer term
or they simply could have been outmatched. price for extended periods of exertion or stress.
This would have had soldiers arrive in a more
realistic amount of time rather than the near- The second combat probably would have taken
teleport they did in the movie. six turns instead of four because of lower turn
mod bonuses, so people would not have been
Note that from a rules standpoint, all that doing as many actions. So, in about 8 turns
discarding and drawing of weapons made of combat (and a dozen pages of descriptive
sense for Neo. Reloading is a two-handed task, text), we dealt with seventeen combatants,
so with two weapons he would have to put the melee and ranged combat, called shots,
first weapon down, reload the second, then put covering fire, dramatic actions, autofire, mass
the second one down, reload the first weapon fire, outmatching, taking 2’s, reloading, the
and then pick up the second one again. expenditure of several hundred rounds of
Dropping the weapons and just drawing new, ammunition, and adequately simulated both
fully loaded ones was far faster. realistic and near-superheroic levels of ability
in this classic movie scene. Without using a
The movie has this scene last about 2m30s, single map or diagram.
with some slow-motion scenes and time split
between the characters, while the EABA Of the 15 opponents in this scene, 3 were
version took about four minutes. If it had been incapacitated by unarmed combat and likely
run as two combats, the total EABA combat survived (1 guard, 2 soldiers), while 12 were
time would have been a little more than one shot (4 guards, 8 soldiers). Of those who were
minute. If run as one combat and it took one shot, probably half were killed instantly, while
less turn, it would have been two minutes. the rest were immediately incapacitated.
Whether they were evacuated by the time the
Aftermath: In game terms, Neo and Trinity elevator came back down is another matter...
have burned a lot of stamina. With a Health of
13, this means their Recovery is a +2. They And being able to do something this complex
can, if resting in the elevator for a bit, recover this easily, without a map, is why we have
1 non-lethal hit when their recovery plus the adopted the expanding time scale for EABA
time level equals +20 (8 minutes). They might combats. Just as much drama, just as much
be able to speed this a little, or maybe have a neat skill and gun-fu, in a lot less real-world
Forte on Recovery. playing time.

5.44
6.1
Powers
 A ‘force field’ is an effect that stops damage, and
Those afraid of the universe as it really is, those
uses energy to power it. ‘Armor’ is an effect that
who pretend to nonexistent knowledge and envision stops damage, is in a gadget and requires no
energy, but it could also be inherent to you and
a Cosmos centered on human beings, will prefer not a gadget, like armored skin. A ‘force wall’ is
an effect that stops damage, is usable at range,
the fleeting comforts of superstition. They avoid protects an area and uses energy. Instead of just
having a list of powers with ‘armor’, ‘force field’
rather than confront the world. But those with the
and ‘force wall’, we just have the building blocks
courage to explore the weave and structure of the that can be combined to make these powers and
let you customize them how you want.
Cosmos, even where it differs profoundly from
The power system in the core EABA rules is
their wishes and prejudices, will penetrate its
going to be an explanation of the system,
deepest mysteries. sample powers to show you how it works and
ways to modify them.
- Carl Sagan
Which way you do it is up to you. For new
players, we recommend letting the game-
master set things up or just playing with and
modifying the sample powers. For veteran
role-players and system geeks, look over a
few sample powers and then dive into the
meat of this chapter.

What is a power?
INTRODUCTION Everything, nothing, and most of the stuff in
If you are a fan of science fiction, between. Power is not about exactly what
fantasy, horror or alternate history, something does, but the relative advantage it
you are aware there is a nearly infinite gives you compared to everyone else in the
number of odd paranormal effects used in situation.
fiction, and used in ways that are often unique
to a particular setting. This means that to set For instance, you might not think of a modern
up a paranormal power list for a universal rpg military rifle as a ‘power’. It is lethal, it is
like EABA could require hundreds of pages, powerful, and you certainly do not want to
giving each possible power its own writeup. be on the wrong end of one, but there are
millions and millions of them out there, so no
Or, we could use a lot less pages and instead army is at a disadvantage for not being able to
create a system of parameters and options have them.
that let you mix and match components,
enhancements and limits to create the exact On the other hand, take a squad loaded to the
effect you want. It is a little extra work up eyeballs with extra clips and dump them back
front, but gives you a lot more flexibility. The at the Battle of Hastings (1066CE). That eight-
basic EABA rules will also give you some pre- man squad would decide the battle, changing
designed sample powers and enough detail to the course of history. They might not have
use them as a base to create dozens more. held back the Persians forever if they fought
beside the Spartan 300, but they would have
saved Custer at the Little Big Horn.

6.2
 For rule examples in this chapter, there will be
The point is, the rifles remain the same. Only few limits or mandatory modifiers, but as you
the relative power has changed. Or as Arthur read through you will see how they could be
C. Clarke said, ‘any sufficiently advanced applied to different settings. Remember that
technology is indistinguishable from magic.’ any sort of situational modifier for power
design will have a value relative to the game
This is what powers do. On the large scale, setting. ‘Proximity to a large body of water’ as
they tip the scales to those who have more a condition for casting a magic spell is a bigger
of them. On the small scale, they can make modifier for a desert campaign than for one
individuals powerful enough that non-powered set on an island. If the area adventurers will
individuals cannot cope except in groups. wander has both, the modifier will be some
Godzilla has powers. Tokyo does not. intermediate value.

One thing that is a measure of how much the You can design ‘negative powers’. This is some
powers available in a gameworld can tip the thing that has a cost in P that harms you. This is
scales is the ‘helicopter gunship’ test, and is a Bane, and reflects something that can or does
especially useful for fantasy worlds. It is very mess with you in a way beyond your control. If
simple: Can you make a wizard who can stop/ you are a vampire, the gamemaster can design
deflect ranged attacks, fly and hurl fireballs? If up a power called ‘holy symbol’ and you can take
you can, then properly trained mages can that as a Bane for its value in P. Or it could be a
ignore all mundane threats, and people on the lich lord’s hidden heart, or a fire elemental’s
ground can flee or get flamed, limited only by vulnerability to water, and so on. So long as you
the mage’s endurance. In a world like this, remember that you can never have a power that
every army must have mages that can do this defends you against that bane. If you try to
or stop this, and the side that runs out of design a Boon or Bane and the effect is not easily
mages first loses. Conan always ends up quantifiable, assume a +3 effect is a doubling or
beating the wizard, but he never ran into a halving, and that each additional +3 doubles or
flying wizard who could deflect arrows... halves it again. For instance, ‘aging one-half as
fast’ might be a +3 effect that negates a specific
Genre conventions penalty (being exposed to time).
A power has to fit within the confines and
expectations of the gameworld it is part of. Anything that only a minority of people have
One way a setting book or gamemaster can access to, either by birth or specialized training
take it into account is with genre conventions. is in a way, a ‘power’. If almost everyone is
This is nothing more than a list of mandatory illiterate, simply knowing how to read could
and forbidden power modifiers that give the make people think you had magical powers
powers in that particular setting their flavor. (Sequoyah, the inventor of the Cherokee
written language, was accused of witchcraft
If you had a fantasy world where magic exists, because of his invention). The same goes for
but all powers had to be channeled through an real medicine in an era of superstition.
object, then you could say that all magic had
to have a gadget and that this gadget has to In a published gameworld, all the social and
have certain usage requirements (wands have other ramifications of powers are usually taken
to be waved, scrolls have to be read, etc.). into account. If you are inserting powers into a
setting you have created, you need to do the
same. Look at powers and how they affect
things from every angle. Because if you leave
loopholes, you know the players are going to
find them...
6.3
 • final power level: In most cases you can boost the
Terminology base power level by +2 for each +1P spent. The
To keep things straight, EABA is going to use gamemaster will decide if there are any limits on
some specific terms to describe the various how many extra P can be spent. A power level can
parts of a power. For instance, the words in end up as a fixed value or a die roll, as appropriate.
green would be specific terms for this chapter:
A gun that did +8 damage would have a power
A firebolt power is a collection of modifiers that level of 2d+2. A +8 boost to Strength would have
determine its base power level, which costs 1P. a power level of +8. A +8 boost to Strength of 7,
Extra points spent on the power will increase this being used in an arm-wrestling contest, would be
to get the final power level, which after applying a Strength roll of 5d+0 (each +3 is 1d+0).
any defenses the target might have, becomes the
residual power level the target is affected by. • gameworld base: This is a two-part number, like
0/9. The first part is a freebie, an amount that adds
That is wordy, but all it means is “a power is (or subtracts) from the final power level of the
made up of factors that determine how much power you create. The second part is an efficiency
‘bang for the buck’ you get, the amount of threshold. If the sum of modifiers for your power
points you spend increases this amount, and exceeds this value, you only get one-quarter of
powers are usually affected by appropriate the excess, rounding down. This makes it harder
defenses like damage is affected by armor.” to increase the base power level past a certain
So, the actual terms are: point. Mundane gadgets have ‘tech base’ that does
the same thing.
• power: The collection of rule concepts that result
from a combination of modifiers. A power is both a If the tech base was 0/6 and the total for a tech-
collection of modifiers and the subjective parts of based power’s modifiers was +10, the excess
its name and description. For instance, you would amount of +4 is quartered to +1, for a total
not expect a ‘laser pistol’ to extinguish fires, nor benefit from the modifiers of +7 instead of +10.
have a ‘water cannon’ set them.
• mundane: If a power has something in its
A gun is a power that affects the hits of a target, description referring to the ‘mundane’, it means it
which uses a skill roll to hit, has a limited number is related to the real world. Guns are mundane
of bullets and so on. expressions of certain power effects. Mundane
powers are things that people without powers can
• modifier: Something that represents a specific create. A ‘sleep spell’ might be paranormal, but a
aspect of a power’s overall utility. Modifiers are ‘drugged sleep dart’ would be mundane.
generally conceptual and deal with what the power
is supposed to do and the way the power is used. A • paranormal: References to the ‘paranormal’ mean
power can have few or many modifiers. that some aspect of the power involves things that
cannot be duplicated without resorting to things
An armoring power might only protect part of outside the abilities of ‘mundane’ people. This is
your body. This would be a modifier on the power. gameworld-specific. In today’s world, a matter
transporter beam would be ‘paranormal’. In a
• effect: One thing that a power does. Powers must science-fiction setting, it could be mundane.
have at least one effect, but could have several.
The effects of a power are modifiers. • esoteric: Or unusual. Something that is rarer than
normal within some other category. ‘Rare earth
• base power level: What you get after spending magnets’ might be an esoteric but mundane part of
1P on the power. It is simply the modifier total a gadget. ‘Unicorn blood’ might be an esoteric
adjusted by the gameworld base. paranormal part of a magic spell.

6.4
 So, how much power are you going to want?
Notes Knowing this ahead of time helps you plan.
The idea behind the power design system is Look at the Universal Chart to see the power
three-fold. First, a large base power level that equals a level of real-world damage, what
requires a lot of positive modifiers, which tend movement is as fast as a jet, what Strength
to limit the power in some way. A powerful you need to lift a car, etc. Also keep in mind
mundane cannon is probably heavy. A powerful the nature of the gameworld and how powers
magic spell is probably complicated. interact with both other powers and the
mundane world. If the best conventional armor
Second, there needs to be a correspondence a person can wear is about 2d+2 and powers
with science and real-world considerations are throwing around 5d+0 lethal attacks, then
when necessary. A modern body armor is armor is not all that useful against powers.
better at stopping things than a primitive one.
A magic spell that generates a certain amount Scaling
of fire will do more damage to a single target One way to shape or model a particular setting
than it will if you spread it over an area. or generate a power framework you want is
to apply varying efficiencies. All powers will
The third idea is that in the end, almost have a gameworld base, or in the case of
everything is a power. So, the system should mundane gadgets, a tech base. Adjusting
let you create a plasma cannon, a teleportation these will adjust the base power level for any
spell or a laptop computer. The system cannot given design. Adjusting the gameworld or tech
do everything. You cannot create a pair of base for specific effects or modifier categories
jeans, a snowglobe or a box of paperclips as a will do the same, but only for powers with high
power, but almost all the things useful to modifier totals in that category.
players as weapons, armor or tools can be
created with the system. If you say that conventional attacks have a base
of 0/6, mental powers have a -3/3 and defense
Power intensity effects are 6/12, then you have a defense-heavy
Most powers are going to affect a target’s world where mental effects are the least effective
attributes, stats or derived characteristics. On sort of powers. If guns get a 0/9 tech base and
the EABA scale, this means that each ±3 in blasters are -3/18, then people will prefer blasters
modifiers generally means the power is twice over guns when the modifier total gets high
as powerful and in general, twice as useful. enough (guns would quarter modifier totals more
than +9, while blasters do not do so until +18).
Having +1d Strength over someone else means
you can lift twice as much. Having +4d more So, if you are using this to create powers for
means you can lift sixteen times as much. an existing gameworld or to recreate someone
else’s power system and the results are not
Modifiers contribute to the final intensity of coming out right, it might just be a matter of
the power in different ways. A power with long tweaking the fundamentals for a couple of the
range may have no more energy than one effects or power types.
with a short range, but the long range is more
useful and is a negative modifier, which will In addition, each type of modifier for a power
reduce the power level. The thing to remember has its own symbol, and these are color-coded
about the EABA power design system is that just like Traits. Green ones() are fairly safe,
you get the biggest bang for the buck from the blue ones() should be watched and red
first 1P. Each +1P after that only gets you +2 ones() should be used with gamemaster
to the power level. permission only.

6.5
 After you have the subjective definition for a
POWER DESIGN power, the modifier groupings for conceptual
You do not buy powers from a list, purposes are:
like ‘energy blast’ or ‘magic missile’.
Rather, you have an effect you want to  effect: what the power actually does
generate and a lot of other characteristics ˛ framework: groupings of separate powers
which you can apply to make the power as range: how far the power goes
unique or common as you want. Powers can be 6 duration of: how long the power lasts
very normal, like ‘damage that is stopped by “ defense against: what impedes the power
mundane barriers’, or as very bizarre as the contingencies: things that affect power use
gamemaster lets you make them, like ‘mind +
_ flexibility: how much you can change the power
control that is resisted by shoe size’. While the g frequency: how often you can use the power
system is very number-based (but simple), the gadget: a physical form for the power
absolute first thing you do is define the power
with three subjective criteria: Some of these are necessary for all powers,
some are optional. All will be modifiers that
• its name (e.g. ‘laser eyes’, ‘mass charm’, ‘frag can increase or decrease the level of effect.
grenade’, ‘teleport belt’), usually at least two For instance, putting a power in a gadget is
useful words. generally a positive modifier. You get a bonus
• whether or not it is ‘mundane’ or ‘paranormal’, for the risk of losing control of the power. A
within the framework of the game setting it is power that is hard to defend against is a
meant for, and the primary effect of the power. negative modifier. A power you can only use
A grenade might be ‘mundane offense’. once a day is a positive modifier. And so on.
• its concept (e.g. ‘superpower’, ‘spell’, ‘gadget’),
and at least one design-based keyword other Powers, regardless of their complexity and
than its effect. Note that it is possible to have subtlety, usually boil down to doing one or
paranormal powers generate mundane effects. more of the following six effects:

Wand of fire: Step 1  mobility: generating motion or its equivalent

We will do a running design example that we  information: collecting it, altering it, moving it
call a ‘wand of fire’. So, right there we have the  offense: cause harm or reduction to something
first item, the name. This also tells us a useful  defense: preventing harm or reduction
thing about the power (fire). It also leads us  control: taking control or giving orders
to the second item, which is that it is paranormal,  alter: game stat or a physical characteristic
(magic is not mundane). The concept is that
it is some kind of magical gadget. This gives us: The broad category a power falls into will be
one of these, like ‘a mobility power’. If a power
name type concept is designed to do more than one thing at the
wand paranormal lethal same time, you just classify it accordingly, like
of fire offense magic ‘a defense/mobility power’.
gadget
A particular game effect can often be created
in more than one way. For instance, telekinesis
The subjective description is quite important and might be an attribute effect (Strength) usable
cuts both ways. A power that shoots laser beams at range, but it might also be designed as the
from your eyes is more specific than just a laser. control effect, allowing you to animate objects
There are ways to use this to your advantage, and make them do your bidding or a morph
and ways it can be used against you. that lets you stretch your arms.

6.6
 
Effects
Gameworld base This is a very complex topic that we
The first number-based part of design is the could parse so fine as to be unusably
gameworld base. This can vary, but for the complex, but they generally fall into
core rules the value is 0/9, just to make things the six types listed on the previous page. If a
easy to work with. Tech base defaults to the single power does multiple effects, they usually
values below. share all non-effect modifiers.
tech base
Primitive Era -9/0. Mobility
Basic Era -6/3. As a power, it either acts on it own or adds to
Industrial Era -3/6. some other form of mobility. Mobility is defined
Atomic Era 0/9 as a particular kind and method of movement
Post-Atomic Era 3/12 as part of its subjective description. So, if you
Interstellar Era 6/15 have an ‘extra-dimensional’ move, it might be
Advanced Era 9/18 ‘teleportation’, or it might be defined as an
each fraction of an era ±1/±1 ‘extradimensional doorway’, but it is not both.
The default power duration and effect duration
For more details on tech eras, see the start of of a mobility power is ‘an action’. If a power
chapter 7. The gameworld or tech base is the can do multiple forms of movement at the
starting point. same time, you use the lowest modifier and
apply an extra -2 for each additional mobility
We are in the latter part of the ‘Atomic Era’ right type.
now, so if you used these rules to make up
something like a modern firearm, ‘tech base’ mobility modifier
would be a 1/10 (0/9 for the era, +1 more for primary natural -4
the latter part of the era). secondary natural -2
tertiary natural +0
Because of the way the efficiency system works, artificial +0
most Primitive Era gadgets should be designed as paranormal -4
‘Late Primitive Era’, with a tech base of -8/1. extra-dimensional -6
more than one mobility -2 extra
The values for gameworld base and the
difference between the two can be changed to The final power level for a mobility power is
suit both a gameworld or a particular tech or either a distance that you can move in one
power. A low efficiency value (the second second (time level of +0) or an amount that
number) will make things like large gadgets adds to the level of some other movement,
less efficient (gadget size can be a very large depending on the actual power effect. For
positive modifier, which would be crimped by a some specialized movements, a negative
low efficiency). So, if you say that ‘weather power level can still be useful, since negative
magic is 0/18’ and ‘necromancy is 6/3’, then distance levels are merely distances of less
you are making different types of modifiers than one meter, and when combined with extra
more likely to be used for the two. time spent, can slowly move a useful distance.

If you had a mobility power that let you move

through stone at a residual power level of -6, this
still means that you could move through a one
meter thick stone wall (distance of +3) in a time
level of +9 (23 seconds). If that one meter of
stone was the wall of a treasure vault...jackpot!

6.7
 paranormal(-4): This is a form of movement
primary natural(-4): This would be running that is generally not possible for the target, but
for a person, swimming for a fish and flying for whose special effect or definition does not
a bird. Whatever form their walk distance takes exceed mundane limits. Being able to turn to
is their primary natural movement. A power mist and pass through barred windows would
with this effect adds its final power level to the be a paranormal movement. You could not
Walk, Run and Sprint values of the target. do this as a real person (which makes it
paranormal), but the mist is constrained by the
secondary natural(-2): This would be mundane features of the gameworld (a genie
swimming for a person or running for a bird, cannot mist his way out of a stoppered bottle).
something you can do, just not as well as your Other aspects of the target are unchanged
primary natural movement. A power with this unless this is part of the power. A person who
effect adds its final power level to the Walk, Run has turned to mist to move through a set of
and Sprint values of the target for that mode of jail bars can still be punched or stabbed or
movement. The nature of what you are moving shot as normal, unless they had some sort of
through may further adjust this. defensive power linked to their ‘body of mist’.

tertiary natural(+0): This would any form of The power level of a paranormal movement is
movement the target could theoretically do the distance level that can be moved. This
unaided, just very poorly. A person digging effect may have a ‘defense against’ modifier to
through dirt with their hands would be an reflect the limits of the movement, and these
example. limits can reduce the distance moved.

All the natural mobility powers imply use and A ‘body of mist’ power at +12 might move a
movement of the body and cannot take extra distance level of +12, but if it had to go through
modifiers for this use unless it is a special case. a narrow set of bars that the gamemaster said
was an 8 point barrier, you could go through the
Wolfman has a mobility power to give him extra bars and then only move a distance level of +4.
natural running speed. You cannot normally take
a modifier for ‘gestures’ for a power like this, but extradimensional(-6): This is movement
Wolfman has to go from running on two feet to capable of ignoring most mundane obstacles.
running on all fours to use the power, so the Teleportation would be a good example. The
gamemaster allows him to take a modifier that movement normally proceeds as discrete
makes him use both hands for the power, which jumps, but the special effect may allow for
means he cannot hold weapons or other items longer durations in which a traveller effectively
in his hands when using the extra movement. does not exist in the game setting and merely
reappears at the destination after an interval.
artificial(+0): This is a type of movement
that is possible by natural means, but not in the For game balance, you might require that all
special effect used by the power nor by the extradimensional movement have a ‘defense
person with the power. People cannot fly, so a against’ modifier with a total value of at least
rocket pack or typical ‘superhero flight’ would +4. This allows people who have the wealth,
be a good example. Artificial movement does knowledge or resources to block this sort
not add to natural movement. It is a separate of movement into or out of an area. Without this,
quantity and has no Run or Sprint equivalents. teleportation is an amazingly unbalanced power.
Any level of the power use counts as whatever
type of action is specified by other modifiers
(usually a minor action).

6.8
 A time level of 15 minutes is a time level of +20.
Information So, to use a magic spell to extract 15 minutes
Information can be transmitted, received, worth of someone’s conversation or memories in
jammed and stored. One or more of these 1 second of power use would require an adjusted
is what the effect does. You can think of power level of +20. The power level represents
information in a lot of ways. The contents of a the speed at which you receive the information.
DVD are information. So is memory or surface
thoughts, or the bending of blades of grass store(+0): The effect of the power is to hold
that tell you someone walked this way half an and retreive information. Obviously, this means
hour ago. So, information as a power is that information is transmitted and received
defined as what it does and its subjective by the power, but this is not the same as the
description. A power that reads DVD’s does not transmit or receive effects. For instance,
read minds, and vice-versa. An information writing information to a flash drive does not
power has a base power level of the lowest tell you what that information is. The effect is
value item from the following list, with an simply a means to put information into a
additional -2 for each additional item from the ‘container’ so that it can be recalled later in
list. The normal power and effect duration for the exact same form that it was stored. At
an information power is one action. a high power level, this could be used for
‘photographic memory’ The power level
information modifier represents a quantity of ‘words’ that are
store +0 stored, as described earlier.
recieve -2
jam -3 receive(-2): The power is like a radio or
transmit -4 television receiver, allowing you to accept and
more than one information effect -2 extra translate a transmission into a form you can
understand. This is a real-time process and
A gadget that can receive wireless signals and does not store the information. This means that
store the information has a modifier of -4 (the anyone who receives the information later has
-2 for receive and -2 for the addition of being to make some sort of Awareness roll to recall
able to store the received information). particular details, based on the quantity of
information received and the time spent trying
The amount of information that a power can to recall it, while if they had the information
process is always going to be dependent on a stored they could go through it at leisure to find
game setting. You would not expect a steam- the exact bit they were looking for.
punk telegraph to be able to transmit high-res
video, while this would be the norm for a If you had 15 minutes of ‘received information’
modern videophone. and you were trying to recall a specific piece of it
after having only seen the information once, this
For purely power-based effects like magic or would be a difficulty of +20 to do (the time level
superheroes, the power level after any of that much information). If you spent a minute
defenses is the approximate quantity value of thinking about it (a time level of +12), then the
‘words’ of information you get or seconds of a difficulty would only be +8.
person’s memory. A bit of memory would be
what you are perceiving and experiencing at A receive effect is going to have a range if it is
that time. For instance, one second of ‘reading any sort of wireless reciever or ranged mental
a book’ is not the page they are looking at, power, and the range of powers in gadgets is
it is the words they are reading at that time the greater of the transmit and receive ranges
plus some awareness of their surroundings. (a powerful transmitter can compensate for a
weak receiver, and vice versa).
6.9
 Offense
jam(-3): The power disrupts information. This This is a big and very broad type of effect and
can be by any of several means, depending on will have more detail than the simple ones you
the gameworld and the special effect of the have seen so far.
power. A radio transmission can be jammed so
that it does not go through. Information that is Offense is any effect which is designed to harm
jammed is rendered unusable for the duration something. This is usually different than most
of effect on the power. The level in the power of the ‘alter’ effects. Reducing a quantity like
either messes up a particular quantity of Strength is subtly different than harming it.
information or reduces the rate of information For the most part, an ‘alter:reduce’ effect on
transfer for any information power in its range powers will have the same modifier as an
that would be affected. A computer virus will equivalent ‘offense’ effect, but for simply
not affect your personal memories, a radio doing damage to someone or something’s hits,
jammer will not erase books, and so on. ‘offense’ is the best choice.

Altering information would be a function of the Anything that can cause harm is an offense of
‘alter’ effect. A person who has had memories some sort. Dying of starvation is an ‘offense’
‘jammed’ knows that there is a chunk of their of some kind, albeit a very low-level one that
memories gone. A person who has had them will take a long time to kill you. All forms of
altered might not realize it. offense have a particular description that
defines them, a gun, a knife, a mental blast, a
transmit(-4): The power is like a television or force-field negator, whatever. This is part of
radio transmitter, pushing out information in the subjective description you did as the first
real-time or from some source of stored part of the power design. Whether or not an
information. The amount of information offensive power destroys, negates or reduces
transmitted is the power level, and larger something is really a function of its duration.
amounts of information simply take more time The default power and effect duration for an
to transmit. Note that the rate of information offense is an action. Note that most of the
transfer is based on the lower of a transmitter offense effects will want to have a different
and receiver. If a receiver has no value as a effect duration than the default. For instance,
power (like pushing thoughts into someone’s you normally want the effects of lethal damage
head), use their Awareness if the target has it, to last longer than ‘an action’.
or the transmitter value if they do not.
The base effect for an offense power depends
If you had an information content of +26 to on how it works or what real-world effect it
transmit and only had a transmitter with a power mimics while it is operational. Use any of the
of +10, it would take you a time level of +16 to below that apply, and if more than one applies,
send it all. use the one with the lowest value and apply an
extra -2 for each additional item.
Because so much of role-playing is about the
solving of mysteries, powers that can get info
out of people’s heads (or computers) can be
unbalancing. The gamemaster should look very
closely at the possible ramifications of not just
this sort of power, but what other modifiers
should be required to keep the power from
being a disruption to having fun.

6.10
 These effects are not exactly the same as the
offense modifier damage type...yet. Later on you have to define
acts like lethal damage +0 how long the effects last. So, to actually be
acts like half-lethal damage +2 ‘lethal damage’ it has to affect lethal hits and
acts like non-lethal damage +4 last as long as lethal hits do. You could have a
acts like lethal melee damage +2 power that does lethal hits but recovers as fast
acts like half-lethal melee damage +4 as non-lethal ones, or vice versa.
acts like non-lethal melee damage +6
affects a very broad power category -10 power category(-varies): The power reduces
affects a broad power category -6 a different power or group of powers by its
affects an average power category -4 power level or optionally, a die roll appropriate
affects a narrow power category -2 to that power level (e.g. a power level of +9
more than one offense -2 extra could damage a power by 9 points or by 3d+0).
The broadness of the power category is defined
A power that does lethal damage and harms by the subjective definition of the power. The
an average category of powers would have a ‘items’ below are words in that part of the
modifier total of -6. If the final power level was description. This definition also holds for other
+9, the power would act like a 3d+0 lethal modifiers using these terms.
attack and a 3d+0 attack against the level of
the powers that could be affected by the ‘power very broad: second & third items
category’ definition. broad: first & second, or first & third items
average: first, second & third items
lethal damage(+0): The power marks off narrow: all of first, second & third items
hits from the target in the same way that lethal
damage does, and the power interacts with The first item used in the samples of subjective
defenses like lethal damage does. power description was ‘laser eyes’. This is:

half-lethal damage(+2): The power marks name type concept

off hits from the target in the same way half- laser paranormal lethal
lethal damage does, and the power interacts eyes offense superpower
with defenses like half-lethal damage does.
If you wanted a power that could harm the above
non-lethal damage(+3): The power marks description, it could be defined as offense against
off hits from the target in the same way that any of the following:
non-lethal damage does, and the power
interacts with defenses like non-lethal damage paranormal lethal powers(very broad)
does. Note that inanimate objects do not take offense superpowers(very broad)
non-lethal hits and ignore that part of damage. parnormal laser powers(broad)
eye-based superpowers(broad)
In general, damage to hits is hierarchical. A lethal eye-based paranormal powers(average)
defense power that protects you from lethal paranormal laser superpowers(average)
damage also protects you from half-lethal and paranormal lethal laser eye superpowers(narrow)
non-lethal damage.
The more narrowly focused the attack, the less
acts like melee damage(+varies): The negative the modifier, and the less likely it is that
power level adds to strike damage and acts as the gamemaster will disallow it for being too
damage from a melee weapon. As gadgets, broad and potentially abusive.
melee weapons generally have a tech base of
3/-6.
6.11
 Defense
The way in which your power works or appears Defense is any power designed to reduce some
to others is based on the how the offense is other effect on a target. Like an offense, a
described. A power that harms eye-based defense is a specific power that affects a
powers could do so by blocking the target’s specific attack type. Defenses can have a
eyes, while a power that harms laser-based range of things they protect against.
powers could be a cloud of thick smoke. A
power that affects paranormal lasers might be A ‘laser’ and a ‘gun’ are two different attacks, but
a psionic jammer, while a power that affects you could buy one defense power that worked
mundane lasers might be an EMP device. against both.

An important distinction to make is whether How you design and subjectively define a
you are targeting your offense against the defense power makes a lot of difference when
effect of the power or the source of the power. determining if it counts as a ‘defense against’
If you are merely trying to reduce the effect, an offense or offensively used power.
you are really looking for the ‘defense’ effect.
If you are trying to reduce what is generating defense modifier
the effect, this is an offense and does require a affects a very broad power category -4
‘defense against’ modifier. affects a broad power category +0
affects an average power category +2
An offensive power that harms bullets in flight affects a narrow power category +4
is really just a form of defense. You are not protects vs. lethal and below -4
harming what is generating the power, merely protects vs. half-lethal and below -2
the effect. If you had an offensive power that protects vs. non-lethal only +0
harmed guns, then this power would be an protects vs. attacks on power category +0
offense and would need a ‘defense against’ protects like armor (no blunt trauma) +0
modifier, since you are preventing the power protects like rigid armor +2
from being used. protects like flexible armor +4

Wand of fire: Step 2 threat type(±varies): The broadness of a

The effect of our wand definitely falls into the type of defense is gameworld dependent, but
offense category. We want it to shoot lethal little the notes under the ‘offense effect’ are the best
balls of fire at people. So, the wand is: guide. Not coincidentally, the ‘very broad’
category matches the ‘lethal damage’ type,
name type concept much like it would for something whose
wand paranormal lethal description had ‘mundane’ and ‘lethal’ in the
of fire offense magic second and third subjective terms.
gadget
A ‘mental shield’ power is going to apply against
gameworld base: 0/9 modifier any offensively used power that involves an
effect: offense(lethal damage) +0 attack against a person’s mind. Looking at how
you would want to classify such a defense and
what it would work against, look at possible word
Just a reminder that any offense power used combinations, like ‘mental paranormal’ or ‘mind
against a target that does not or cannot consent control’ (first and second terms), or ‘mind magic’
must have a ‘defense against’ modifier, which is (first and third terms). This seems to indicate
not the same as the ‘defense’ effect that follows. that this defense effect would probably count as
a ‘broad’ type.

6.12
 protects like armor(+varies): The default is
Remember that defenses are conceptual. You do that a defense simply subtracts its value from
not normally disallow something as a defense an offense like armor does, and no blunt
because of trivial semantic variations. A ‘mental trauma is figured just for simplicity’s sake. The
defense’ should work just fine against a ‘mind defense acts like a wall between you and the
blast’. attacking effect. If you want a defense to
transmit blunt trauma like either rigid or
If you want a power whose only effect is to be flexible armor, you would use one of these
armor on one of your other powers, that would modifiers. This modifier may not be applied to
be a ‘narrow’ power category. If you had a a defense if an attack it works against has no
group of powers you wanted to protect, the conceptual means of delivering a blunt trauma-
modifier would depend on how closely aligned like result.
those powers were.
If you are designing armor as a mundane
damage type(-varies): The defense protects gadget, the maximum allowed extra P that can
against threats to hits of that type. Normally be spent are based on the mass of a full body
you will choose for this defense to be either suit at that level of protection.
mundane or paranormal, just like you were cre-
ating a ‘very broad’ defense type. The If a full body armor had a mass of 8 kilograms
lesser types of defense can just be considered (size modifier of +9), you could spend +3P on
a sort of situational or lesser effect modifier. it (1P per +3 in the mass modifier). If you bought
a just a helmet, the protection and mundane cost
A special note would be how a ‘half-lethal’ could be as if you spent +3P on it, even if though
defense works against lethal attacks. You just it masses less than 8 kilograms. In general, the
use the same concept as half-lethal damage. gadget modifiers are such that altering the mass
Take half the power level and round down. This and coverage of a piece of mundane armor
is the extent to which a half-lethal defense balance out (the positive modifier for reduced
stops a purely lethal attack. coverage is offset by the reduced modifier for
lower weight).
The contingency modifiers are later on, and
will let you further adjust this if the listed threat Designing mundane armor as a gadget is
types are not fully suitable. For instance, you about generating a power level to match
might have a defense that works against what you want for the setting. You can
mundane lethal attacks, but works at reduced always tack on modifiers to make a defensive
effect against such attacks that are electrical in power extremely effective, and historical
nature. recreations are no exception. If player wishes
to design their own armor for something like a
medieval or fantasy setting, the gamemaster
needs to make sure that some modifiers are
mandatory, others are forbidden and that the
tech base is appropriate for the ‘science’ of the
setting. For instance, if ‘cybernetics’ is not a
well-developed science, then the tech base for
strength augmentation on powered armor will
be less than that for the armor itself. If metal-
working technology is poor, you might say that
you cannot spend the maximum secondary P
on upgrading an armor.

6.13
 If you have objective control a statue and the
Control resisted level of effect is only +3, then the statue
Control as an effect means that you are swings its fists with an Agility of 3, hits with a
asserting control over something. This could Strength of 3 and moves like it had a Health of 3.
be a person, a thing or even an abstract like If you had subjective control of a person and the
a concept or the weather, if you have a resisted level of effect was only 3, they would
sufficiently powerful effect. The base level follow your orders, but do so in such a miserable
of a control effect depends on what you are fashion that regardless of their skill, they are
trying to control, and whether that control is counted as never using an Attribute at more than
objective or subjective. a level of +3 or a skill at a level of more than +3
(or +1d).
Objective control is like puppetry, you are
choosing each and every action or possibility If the level of control you have meets or
by will alone. If you do not will it to happen, it exceeds that of the quantity being controlled,
does not. This is precise, but takes effort. You it is assumed that you have total control. This
can model the degree of effort with other really just means that if a target is actively
modifiers in the Contingency section. resisting, they can no longer do independent
actions that might go counter to your wishes.
Subjective control is more like ‘giving orders’. If the level of control is not this high, then the
You set a course of action in motion and the target may act outside the parameters of the
thing you are controlling acts according to control at a level of the difference.
guidelines within the limits of its ability, which
is really a projected aspect of your judgement If someone controlled you and commanded you
on the matter. to attack your friends and the resisted power
level was only +3, then if your Agility was 9, you
If you control a statue and tell it to ‘bludgeon would have to attack your friends (poorly), but
that guy to death’, the statue will bludgeon the you could also use your Agility and skills at a
guy until he appears to be dead and then stop. It level of up to +6 against anyone else you wanted
is your skill at determining ‘does that guy look to attack. The fact that you are only attacking
dead?’ that tells the statue to stop. You are not with an effective Agility of 3 could be because
actually there making the decision, it is just that one of your hands is throwing off the aim of the
the statue has no ability beyond your normal other one! However, if the control was at a level
senses. If you really wanted to be sure the guy of +9 or more, the person giving you the order
was not going to ‘play dead’ on you, you would has exerted a level of control that prevents you
order the statue to ‘bludgeon that guy into bloody from doing anything except what was ordered.
paste’.
Anything that is not prohibited by the nature of
Control effects have a default power and effect the control is allowed, and control can be total
duration of an action. Control over anything is in some aspects and incomplete in others.
resisted and must have a ‘defended against’
modifier. After all, it is not an ‘ask nicely’ Take the previous example. If the level of control
effect, it is a ‘control’ effect. The level of effect was +10 and you had a Will of 11, then you
you have after defenses is the maximum value might be under total control as far as your Agility
you can force when doing objective control, or is concerned, but even if the order was ‘be silent
the maximum number that can be used by a and attack your friends’, the incomplete control
target under subjective control. The level of over your Will would mean you could croak out a
control you have represents the degree to warning.
which you have overcome any resistance.

6.14
 objective(+0): The control is based on real-
Like other powers, control is a specific type time commands by the user of the power.
with a specific type or class of targets. Use all Each command to the controlled item counts
modifiers that apply. as a minor action for the controller, and a
‘command’ is more or less any group of
control modifier movements or behaviors that could be an
control is objective +0 adventurer’s major or minor action. Any part
control is subjective +3 of control that is incomplete means the target
control over animate object only +2 can act independently in that aspect of the
control over inanimate object only +0 control. Any part of the control that is total
control over sentient object only -2 means the target may do absolutely nothing
control over an abstract only(subjective) +3 that is not a specific action initiated by the
control over broad type +0 controller. Note that because of the puppet-like
control over single type +2 control, any attributes or skills of the target
control over unique subtype +4 are irrelevant. The target of the power acts
with the skills of the user of the power, up to
If you wanted to be able to ‘control plants’ and the limits of the control. The target can act
manipulate them with conscious control, this with Attributes up to the level of control, even
could be: if they do not have Attributes that high.

objective control: +0 If you were controlling a statue with a power

inanimate object: +0 level of +9, then your objective control would
broad type(plants): +0 act like you were the statue, so you would not
need to be able to see the statue in order to
If you wanted to be able to give orders to intelligently direct it. As long as the power is in
granite rocks (and have those rocks gain the operation, part of your awareness is the statue.
ability to move and carrying them out), this
would be: subjective(+3): Control is in the form of
general or specific commands that are followed
subjective control: +3 to the best of the target’s ability (and the level
inanimate object: +0 of control), as long as the effect of the power
single type(of rock): +2 continues. This can be as detailed or vague as
the controller wishes, noting that a target who
If you wanted to coerce the demon Abraxiz to has a choice in the matter may try to do the
follow your orders (as it interprets them!): commands as poorly as possible.

subjective control +3 If you have a gun in one hand and a feather

animate object +2 pillow in the other, and you are commanded to
sentient object -2 ‘attack your friend’, then even if you are under
unique subtype(of demons) +4 total control you are free to yell “I am being
mind controlled!” and attack them with the
pillow. However, if you are ordered to ‘be silent
Control might be resisted or defended against and shoot your friend’, then if you are under total
by a certain trait, but control is a totality. If control you will be silent and you will use the gun
you have control at a +10, it means you can to shoot your friend. The archetypical notion of
control anything on the target that can be demons and genies doing their best to subvert
manipulated, at a level of up to +10. the intent of those trying to control them would
be a perfect example of this concept in action.

6.15
 If someone ‘hates orcs-2’, then a ‘control hate’
animate(+2): The target of the power is power could raise this to +4 or lower it to +0.
something ‘animate’, usually with an inherent or You are not actually changing the person, you
prior capability for motion. A person is are simply using the different value to see what
animate. A zombie is animate. A corpse is sort of social response is more appropriate. A
animate. Weather is animate. person with ‘hates orcs-4’ is more likely to be
loud, obnoxious or violent about it than someone
inanimate(+0): The target is ‘inanimate’, with ‘hates orcs-2’. You are controlling the
one that you do not normally associate with a emotion and personality by removing or adding
current or prior ability to move. A tree or a to inhibitions, but the exact response is going to
vine is inanimate. A statue is inanimate. A be situational, and is not ‘I make him hate orcs
computer is inanimate. so much he punches the nearest one’.

sentient(-2): The target is capable of A normal person has ‘self-preservation-10’. If

independent thought and/or action. It does you controlled this up to ‘self-preservation-20’,
not have to be ‘intelligent’ but it does have to a threat to this person’s life would be more
be capable of making choices at more than an important than friends, family, spouse, children,
automaton level. A person is sentient, a lizard money or anything else. On the other hand, if
is sentient, a vampire is sentient. someone was ‘greedy-2’ and you reduced their
self-preservation instinct to zero, they would risk
Virtually all items with a physical manifestation their life to try and lug a heavy bag of gold out
will have some combination of these three of a burning building. You are not giving them an
modifiers. For instance: order, you are just controlling the priorities they
assign to things and letting nature take its
a tree: inanimate course. The same could be said for reducing an
a zombie: animate enemy’s loyalty to zero in a fight. Their self-
a vampire: animate, sentient preservation takes over and they flee the battle.
an AI: inanimate, sentient
mundane weather: animate You can see that this is a modifier with a bit
storm spirits: animate, sentient of complexity, which is why it is rated as
‘gamemaster permission only’. The positive
abstract(+3): The control is over something value of the modifier reflects that you have
that has no physical form, but is merely some very limited options for your control. Telling
characteristic or concept. Color is an abstract. someone to ‘hate that group of orcs more’
Love is an abstract. Any power that controls does not give you any control over how that
an emotinal abstract can alter the level or hate is going to be expressed. The person
expression of that abstract down to zero or up could draw a sword and start swinging, or just
to double its normal amount, but may not bribe the bartender to piss in their beer.
change its type (this would be the ‘alter’
effect). In fact, you are not actually changing An abstract has a size of the area over which
the level of that abstract, you are just acting you want to control it. So, if you want to stir
like it in order to see what ‘control’ you have, up ‘hate’ in a crowd, you either need to be
and this control can only be of a subjective able to fill the area or target that many people.
type. Normally, the level in that abstract adds
to any defense against the power. Reducing an
abstract to zero generally gives an automatic
success to any competing aspect in a given
situation.

6.16
 Alter
broad type(+0): A broad type means that you This means a power that affects some real-
can use the power to control something which world aspect of the target that can be seen,
would match the second and third subjective felt, heard or otherwise measured. Game
criteria defining it. attributes, size, shape, color, weight, that sort
of thing. Within this, you can generally restore,
A normal person would be a ‘mundane human’, increase, reduce, limit, expand or alter them.
while a vampire or zombie could be a ‘paranormal Alter effects almost always have a ‘defense
human’. Things like ‘plants’, ‘rocks’ or ‘undead’ against’ modifier unless they are being applied
would be broad types. to the person using the power.

single type:(+2) This is a sub-category within An alter effect could change your mass without
a broad type. ‘Vines’ or ‘trees’ would be single changing your size, alter your looks, lengthen
types in the broad category ‘plants’. ‘Liches’ or your arms, make a foe weaker or heal a friend.
‘vampires’ would be single types in the broad
category ‘undead’. ‘Monotheists’ or ‘polytheists’ If you want a power to have multiple effects
would be single types within the broader within this category, you take the one with the
category ‘religions’. ‘Marble’ is a single type of lowest value and apply a -2 for each additional
‘rock’. ‘Statues’ (of any type of rock) could also effect that happens at the same time at the
be a single type of ‘rock’. same level. You cannot have inverse effects on
the same target (e.g. you cannot increase and
unique subtype(+4): This is a unique name decrease someone’s size at the same time). If
or type of item within a single type. So, a the power has more than one target, do the
particular demon would be a unique subtype of same. Attribute effects have a default power
‘demons’. ‘Grapevines’ is a unique subtype of and effect duration of an action.
‘vines’. ‘Statues’ could be a unique subtype of
‘marble’, and ‘marble’ could be a unique alter targets modifier
subtype of ‘statues’. a physical characteristic -2
a mental characteristic -3
If appropriate for a gameworld or a power, the a spiritual characteristic -4
broad, single and unique modifiers can also be a Forte only(plus the characteristic) +2
used to limit the type of control that can be done. derived characteristic(see text) -6
Only being able to control one Attribute would be affects a very broad power category -10
a ‘single type’. Only being able to control a single affects a broad power category -6
emotion would be a ‘unique subtype’. affects an average power category -4
affects a narrow power category -2
Control effects are like any other power, multiple alter targets -2
mundane or paranormal. Most of the time they
will be paranormal, but you can imagine things alter effects modifier
like computer viruses, hypnotism or truth restore -6
serums that have control effects which are increase -1
generated in a mundane fashion. reduce +0
expand +0
limit +2
morph +0
transfer -6
indirect transfer -2
multiple alter effects -2

6.17
 a physical characteristic(-2): This is usually
A power that both restored and increased your one of Strength, Agility, Health, size, weight.
Strength would have a -8 modifier. This is -6 for The gamemaster may allow the power level to
the ‘restore + increase’, and -2 for the ‘one be split among these in a particular proportion
physical characteristic’. to handle effects like increased size.

It will be mentioned elsewhere, but it is worth a mental characteristic(-3): This is usually

repeating that any power or effect other than one of Awareness or Will.
damage which could be applied multiple times,
has a maximum cumulative effect of the level a spiritual characteristic(-4): This is usually
of the largest power. So, if you have a power one of Fate or personality traits. Note that for
that increases your Health by +3 and a friend personality traits, they can be reduced to below
has one that increases it by +6, the maximum zero, in which case they start becoming positive
is +6, not +9. If you have a ‘transfer’ power at values in the opposite of that trait.
+15 that moves energy from incoming bullets
to your Strength, once you have boosted your If you did something like a ‘reduce hate’ on
Strength by +15, you stop transferring energy someone who had ‘hates orcs-4’ and ended up
from the bullets! with a +5 effect on them, you would turn it into
‘loves orcs-1’.
Like any other power, alter powers can be
mundane or paranormal. Alter powers that are a Forte only(+2): This is in addition to one of
mundane should have contingency modifiers the above and means the effect is only on a
to limit their maximum effect, but the extent specific sub-aspect of an Attribute, as listed on
of these limits is gameworld-dependent and page 3.32. This is not a separate target, just a
may involve other modifiers. clarification of an existing one.

A futuristic gameworld could have mundane Each of the six primary attributes falls in the
‘regeneration tanks’ to heal people in, or bionic range of a ‘narrow’ to ‘average’ power effect. For
eyes that let you see in the dark, both of which instance, Strength is fairly narrow, while Fate is
are a form of alter (restoring hits and expanding conceptually broader. Counting only a Forte
a mental characteristic, respectively). So, the makes the effect narrower still.
gamemaster will have to define what is and is
not ‘mundane’ and what limits a mundane ‘alter’ derived characteristic(-6): This is usually
power will have. one of Walk, Dodge, Toughness or Hits. If
you want to affect all characteristics that are
The targets an ‘alter’ effect can have are as derived from something, in the same way
follows. If the power affects more than one they are normally generated, this is just an
item in a category (like Strength and Health additional -2 modifier on that alter target.
are both ‘physical characteristics’, you can
usually split the adjusted effect by a defined If you increase your Health, it does not affect
proportion or count them as multiple targets to your Walk distance, and would be a -2 modifier.
get the adjusted power level for each category. If you increase your Walk distance, it would not
affect your Health and would be a -6 modifier. If
If you have +9 power level and increase Strength you wanted your Walk to increase with Health in
and Agility (both physical), you usually have to the same way it normally does (Health dice + 2),
split the +9 between them. If you have a +9 this would be increasing your Health, but with an
power level and increase Strength (physical) and extra -2, making the modifier -4. In this case,
Will (mental), you usually get +9 to both. each +3 to Health gives you +1 to Walk.

6.18
 increase(-1): An increase is just that. The
power category(-varies): This just uses the target of the power is raised by the adjusted
guidelines on page 6.11 for any target that level of the power. This would be a good
does not fit into one of the previous types. example of the difference between a mundane
and a paranormal power. A mundane power
You want a power to ‘expand’ the capabilities of that increases Strength would be something like
your Wierd West six-shooter so you can perforate a cybernetic enhancement or something that
ghosts and make them feel it. Since you are only gave you enormous muscles, both of which
trying affect your gun, this is pretty clearly a might take contingency modifiers that limit
‘narrow’ power category that is being altered. On them to the mundane strength of your skeleton.
the other hand, if you want to throw a hex to On the other hand, someone who looks like
gum up any form of magical motion, this would a ninety-year old grandmother could have a
be something like the terms ‘magic mobility’, paranormal increase in Strength and be able to
which looks like the second and third terms, pick up a locomotive without looking any
making it a ‘very broad’ power category. different or breaking like a rotten twig.

An alter effect on a power category is is not a reduce(+0): The opposite of increase. Values
substitute for flexibility modifiers, and the can be reduced in level by the adjusted power
type of alteration that you can make to a level. Some targets can be reduced to a level of
power is limited. The power category modifiers less than zero, others can only go to zero. For
are mostly meant for cases where you need to instance, negative levels in mass are simply
restore or repair a power, or need an ability to objects lighter than about 13 kilograms. On
suppress a power, like magic shackles to keep the other hand, a negative Agility would be
wizards from escaping. meaningless. A value of zero means you cannot
use any Agility-based skill and all Agility rolls
restore(-6): This aspect of alteration means automatically fail.
that you can take a target that has been
reduced in some way and bring it back towards Increase and reduce are alterations that can
its normal or natural level. This is what you have bizarre consequences, and this is both
would use for healing or repair powers. A deliberate and something the gamemaster
restore effect cannot improve a reduced target may have to interpret or prevent if it is not
to more than its natural or intact level. This appopriate to the gameworld. You also have
effect normally has its ‘duration of effect’ to determine who or what is targeted. For
bought as ‘semi-permanent’. This just means instance, if you were targeted by a power that
the restore lasts until something breaks the ‘increased distance’...how would that work? It
item again. A healed person stays healed, but would not make you become physically further
can be re-injured. Restore effects require a away from the user of the power, but for
‘defense against’ unless the target of the effect purposes of interacting with that person you
can and does consent to the power. would seem to be further away. It would take
you longer to run to them, attacks would count
Restore effects are coded red because of the as being at an increased range, and so on. It
potential for ‘I can restore my hits faster than would be a local warping of reality that only
you can hurt me’ powers, which may be fine affected the two of you. It is interesting and
for supervillains and big scary monsters, but cool and really, really weird, but it is also
not so much for adventurers. something the gamemaster might just say “I
do not want to deal with that” and disallow it.

6.19
 Paranormal changes in size do not have these
Or, a power that ‘decreases cost’. The object constraints. You could become small and stay
does not actually get a different price tag, so the same weight and strength, or become
how would that work? Would it make you more huge but get no heavier or stronger.
likely to buy it, would it make the seller ask
you for less money because they thought it expand(+0): This effect does not change the
was a lesser item, or would it make your definition of a target, it merely expands the
copper pieces look like gold pieces when you range over which the target does its thing. An
tried to pay for it? Does it fool a computer ‘expanded’ range of hearing might let you hear
when you run a scanner over the bar code? radio signals as well as sound. An ‘expanded’
Strength might let you punch ghosts. The
There are all kinds of possibilities with the adjusted power level is the maximum value
various alter categories and it is up to the you can get from use of the expanded target.
gamemaster to arbitrate and decide which
possibilities are allowable. If you had ‘expanded vision’ to let you see in the
dark with a power level of +4, then if you are
It is common for some alter effects that making Awareness rolls in the dark, the highest
several things are affected at the same time, your roll will count as is a 1d+1. If you had it to
especially for the increase and reduce effects. act like a telescope, you would be able to reduce
If they are in different categories (like physical the effective range to what you were looking at
and mental), you can simply apply a new by 4.
modifier for the extra category. If they are in
the same category, you can either take the The effects of an ‘expand’ can mimic other
modifier for that category again and get each powers, especially in the case of the senses.
characteristic adjusted by the full amount, or You could buy a ‘receive information’ effect to
take the adjusted power level and split it let you see heat signatures, or you could just
between the characteristics. expand your normal vision. You could create a
mobiity power to let you skim at high speed
A specific and common use of increase and over the surface of a lake, or you could expand
reduce in some genres is a change in physical your running to let you walk on water.
size. This change could be reflected by
appropriate changes in other characteristics, An expand is always very specific in the way it
or it could stand alone. works, even if the target the expand works on
is broad. If you have expanded Awareness that
A realistic change that would more or less lets you see in the dark, it does not let you see
correspond to mundane biology would be one radio waves. However, if your power has a
power that did all of the following: flexibility modifier, it is possible that you
could have an ‘expanded vision’ power that
each ±1 in size (adjusted power level of +8) you could adjust to see any one part of the
±1 to be hit in combat or to be spotted spectrum you wanted. So, you might be able
±1 to walk, run and sprint to see in the dark or see radio waves, just not
±1 to reach in melee both at the same time.
±2 to mass
±3 to Strength

each +2 in size (adjusted power level of +18)

+1 hex of reach in melee
+1 hex of space taken up on a map

6.20
 morph(+0): A morph effect would be used
limit(+2): This is an uncommon effect and to alter shape, composition, or appearance.
can be used offensively, defensively and The effect can be used offensively, defensively,
otherwise. A limit fixes the nature of the target socially and probably several other ways,
so that it cannot change. You could use it to noting that if it is used on anything other than
prevent a grenade from going off, a mage from yourself it probably has to have a ‘defense
casting a spell or a computer from deleting a against’ modifier. The adjusted power level in a
file. A limit is usually on no more than a morph is usually one of the following. If you
‘broad’ power effect. want to take more than one, each additional is
a -2 modifier.
The residual power level is usually a total block
on what is being targeted unless that item i adjust function - does not alter the fundamental
exceeds the power level of the limit. capabilities like an ‘expand’ but can alter any
modifiers for tool use. For instance, turning
If you hit someone with a ‘teleport disruptor’ and fingernails into screwdrivers or a fist into a socket
had an adjusted effect of +12, you would roll wrench. The power level cannot exceed the
4d+0 for the value of +12 and the teleport would default effect for proper tool use, and the function
roll dice for its power level. If the teleport available is based on the nature of the target. The
disruptor wins, the teleport fails. If the teleport effect can offset increased difficulty for not having
wins, it gets its full distance. tools to begin with.
i add range - part of the target changes in one
A limit effect has to be defined as to what can dimension, giving extended range or reach.
overcome it. This is quite often what it is This could be used for powers that mimic
limiting if the target is an active quantity like stretching or with some modifier combinations,
the aforementioned teleport. But if the target as a form of telekinesis.
of the limit is a passive quantity, then usually i adjust appearance - becomes a target number
any active effect that could adjust it can work instead of Will for social comparisons, or adjusts
towards overcoming the limit. Will up or down, or is a bonus to any skill that
involves changes in appearance.
A limit does not act like armor. Rather, a limit n adjust composition - for purposes of subjective
is an all-or-nothing affair. Either the limit stops description, the target can be changed. For
the change, or the change is unimpeded. It instance, flesh could be turned to stone. This
would be like the sword in the stone. You does not affect function, merely special effects.
either pull it free or you do not. None of the If the adjusted power level equals the target’s
claimants tugging on it got it halfway out of hits and for each doubling, one feature can be
the stone. changed.
i adjust skill - act as a bonus to a skill which is
A limit does not hold things in abeyance. If an based on appearance. This could be personal, like
effect is thwarted by the limit, it simply has no a power that disguises you as someone else or
effect. A grenade that is prevented from going camoflauge to hide you, or it could be external,
off is a dud, it does not go off when the limit is like assisting your ability to paint a picture or
turned off. Usually, if something is prevented sculpt a statue. In general, the maximum benefit
from happening and has a side effect that is is equal to the governning Attribute for that skill
associated with failure, that side effect or ability.
happens.

6.21
 FRAMEWORKS
If a morph effect would by its nature generate What you have at this point is what
a different power effect (giving you claws to do your power does and looks like in the
damage, wings to fly, a body tough enough to most basic sense. Our ‘wand of fire’ has
be armor, etc.), then the effect you get in that certain subjective characteristics and we know
ability is based on a modifier total with those it does lethal damage. Everything else is still
new modifiers and any change in the game- up in the air. The next thing to determine is
world base. the framework. We only list one framework
type (suites), but you can create more.
Turning your fist into a socket wrench merely
removes a penalty and falls under the normal suites: These are groups of powers that can
morph effects. Turning your fist into a spiked club only be used one at a time. For instance, if
to hit someone with would add the modifiers ‘acts you have a magic ring with multiple functions,
like lethal melee damage(+2)’, and ‘melee you might be able to use it to levitate or to
range(-1)’ for a total of +1 on the morph total. deflect arrows, but not both at the same time.
However, melee weapons generally have a This would be a suite of two powers. You get a
gameworld base of 3/-6, so this would probably positive modifier for having a suite of more
end up as a lower power level than the normal than one power, since you are giving up the
morph. ability to use those powers at the same time.
A suite is often in a gadget (like the magic
transfer(-2 or -6): A transfer takes something ring) but does not have to be. You might have
from one target and gives it to another. The to devote all your effort to a psionic talent,
thing being transferred from is the target of leaving you nothing left to do a second talent
the effect. What is being transferred to is an at the same time. The modifier for a power
additional target modifier that counts as the suite applies to each power in the suite. Each
difference between the two. Transferring to power in the suite is designed separately.
something with a more positive modifier is a
bonus, while transferring to something with a power suite modifier
more negative modifier is a penalty. ˛ one power (default) +0
˛ two powers +1
An ‘indirect transfer’ means a transfer from the ˛ three powers +2
results of a power rather than the power itself. ˛ four powers +3
A gun is a power. The bullets fired at you from ˛ five powers +4
the gun are the results of that power. ˛ six powers +5

Any ‘transferred to’ target other than yourself Wand of fire: Step 3
is going to have the potential to resist the If we wanted to have a wand with multiple
effect (a ‘defense against’ modifier on the functions, this is where we would do it, but we
power). Whatever it is you transfer has to just want a single effect. So, this gives us:
make sense within the context of the power
and the gameworld. What is taken from one name type concept
target recovers at the normal rate for that wand paranormal lethal
characteristic if it has a natural recovery rate, of fire offense magic
otherwise it is gone for the ‘duration of effect’. gadget
Things lost to an indirect transfer are simply
gone (bullets become inert and fall to the gameworld base = 0/9 modifier
ground, etc.). Similarly, the amount gained by effect: offense(lethal damage) +0
a target lasts only until the ‘duration of effect’ ˛ suite: single power +0
ends.
6.22
 You have a power that lets you copy the form of
RANGE anything within very short range. The power
All powers have a range. Even would have a range of ‘self/very short(+1)’, for
something that simply boosts your what the power affects (self) and the range at
Strength has a range, which would be which the ability can target (very short).
‘self’. Very restrictive ranges are a positive
modifier, and the more useful or long a range self only(+4): Basically, your naked body
is, the more negative the modifier gets. and what is inside it. If you turn into a were-
wolf, you are still wearing clothes. The modifier
range modifier can also apply to a power that only affects
self only +4 itself (like a teleporting message capsule). If
aura +2 the effect of the power generates its own
touch +0 range level (like teleportation), then the range
melee -1 modifier represents how far the effect can
thrown -1 originate from the user. Gadgets that are
very short(6 meters, distance of +8) -1 flexible body armor usually have this range.
short(23 meters, distance of +12) -3
medium(90 meters, distance of +16) -5 aura(+2): You plus what you are carrying or
long(350 meters, distance of +20) -7 wearing as long as no item included is more
very long(1.4km, distance of +24) -9 than a -1 penalty from encumbrance. Your
extended range -2 stuff shifts position, transforms, is protected,
declining range -1 comes with you or whatever is appropriate for
minimum range +1 the nature of the power. Gadgets that are rigid
+4 non-combat range -1 body armors usually have this range.
subjective benefit -4
indirect range -2 If you are of inherently altered size (like a giant
unconventional range -4 or dwarf), add your size level to the self, aura,
touch or melee range modifiers.
Range is ‘how far from you the power effect
can be made to happen’. Things like flight or touch(+0): The power affects anything you
teleportation do not have a range of more than can touch, as long as you can lift that object
‘aura’ unless you are trying to fly or teleport in your current state. You may choose not to
someone else. This is also the difference affect things within your ‘aura’, so you could
between something that affects another power have flaming hands that ignite other objects,
and something that merely affects the results without burning holes in your gloves.
of that power.
melee(-1): The power extends onto anything
If you want to affect a gun a few hundred meters you can use as a melee weapon and affects
away, you need a power with that range. If you anything you strike with that weapon. Like a
just want to affect the bullets fired from that gun range of touch, you can choose to not affect
at you, then you can have a power with a range the item used as a weapon. So, a ‘flaming
of ‘self’ or ‘aura’. sword’ does not melt the sword, but it does do
flame damage to what you hit with it.
You can have multiple ranges if appropriate,
like a melee weapon that you can also throw. thrown(-1): The power acts like a thrown
If you have a power with two ranges that weapon with a mass level of +0. It might not
apply at the same time, you use the average actually be thrown, but it has characteristics of
and round towards zero. a thrown object. For instance, you can toss it
over walls, bounce it around corners, etc.
6.23
 minimum range(+1): This is often used with
very short(-1): The power has a range of 6 gadgets, and means there is a minimum range
meters. The other ranges are the modifiers in addition to the maximum range. The power
listed. This is the maximum range of the cannot be used on targets inside the minimum
power. ‘Extended’ range simply means you range. This is usually 8 range levels less than
continue the scale, quadrupling the maximum the maximum range and the normal range of
range for each extra -2. This allows for very the power has to be at least ‘short’.
long ranges with gamemaster permission.
A power with medium range (range level of +16,
Wand of fire: Step 4 or 90 meters) would have a minimum range level
We want the wand to have a range of about 90 of +8, or 6 meters.
meters, so we buy a range of ‘medium’ with no
other tweaks. So: +4 non-combat range(-1): This means that
if the power is used in a non-combat situation
name type concept (including getting into or out of combat), a
wand paranormal lethal range of ‘very short’ or more is increased by
of fire offense magic +4 distance. This can usually only be taken
gadget once, but the gamemaster can allow multiple
uses. It is useful for extending range for things
gameworld base = 0/9 modifier like teleportation or scrying or reading an
effect: offense(lethal damage) +0 object to find its history (extending range in
˛ suite: single power +0 time levels instead of distance).
range: medium (90 meters) -5
subjective(-4): The power affects any
targets that interact with the source of the
declining(-1): This is taken in addition to one power. The prime example is invisibility, where
of the ranges listed in meters. It represents a anyone who looks at you has ‘you’ subtracted
power that fades in effect after a certain range from their Awareness, regardless of the range.
rather than stopping all at once. The bullet If you look at (interact with) a medusa, you
from a gun might be an example. A bullet can get turned to stone.
harm a target that is too far away to aim at.
The effect of the power drops by -3 or 1d for indirect(-2): The power can be bounced off
each 2 range levels past its bought range. things or lobbed over obstacles much like a
thrown object. An indirect, subjective power
A power with short, declining range and damage can affect things one level removed, like a
of 3d+1 would do 3d+1 at a range level of +12 gorgon that could turn you to stone even if
(23 meters), drops to 2d+1 from there out to a you were only looking at it through a mirror.
range level of +14 (45 meters), then to 1d+1
out to a range level of +16 (90 meters), then to unconventional(-4): The range of the power
0d+1 out to a range level of +18 (175 meters) is measured in something other than distance,
and nothing past that. but which still has levels. This modifier is taken
in addition to the level equivalent for a range
This modifier is coded blue because of the in meters.
extra step of figuring the effect at range, and
the gamemaster can disallow it if they think it Short range is 23 meters, a distance level of +12.
will slow things down. Note that gadget-based A power with ‘short unconventional range’ would
powers like explosive charges will not have a be a total modifier of -6, and could operate out to
declining range, as they do full damage to a level of +12 in something other than distance.
whatever they hit at any range.
6.24
 Power duration
DURATION OF Power durations of more than ‘an action’ are
All powers will have two inherent tricky as combat powers. Normally, once you
durations. The first is the ‘power have hit someone with an attack, they stay
duration’, which is ‘how long is the ‘hit’. If the power lasts more than an action,
power under my active control?’. The other is then each +1 in time level the power is
‘effect duration’, which is ‘how long do the maintained increases the initial effect by +1,
consequences of the power continue after I am usually up to a maximum of +6 (you cannot
done conntrolling it?’. cut into a battle tank with a pocket torch, no
matter how long you hold it in one spot).
The difference is simple. The bullet from a gun
is only under your control for an instant, but If you had a sustainable damage power that did
the effects of the bullet can be very long hits to someone through their armor, then if you
indeed (dead is forever...). So, a power will did not get through their armor, each +1 of
have ‘duration of power’ and ‘duration of elapsed time you can maintain the power is +1
effect’ as two separate modifiers. to your power level to see if you can get through
the armor, with a maximum benefit of +6. And if
duration of power modifier you finally get through the armor each +1 of
6 an instant +2 total elapsed time after the penetration, they will
6 an action +0 take +1 hit of damage, for however long the
6 until stunned -2 power duration is, up to a maximum of +6 hits.
6 until knocked out -4
6 continuous -4 6an instant(+2): The effect lasts exactly long
6 always on -2 enough to do its thing as an action or reaction,
6 time level -time/4 but does not exist any longer than that. Most
6 declining -1 attacks will have this power duration. Guns,
6 time delay +2 arrows, blades and such are usually a power
6 triggered -2 duration of an instant. A defense that lasts an
6 triggered gadget -2 instant only works against attacks with a
power duration of an instant.
duration of effect modifier
6 until power duration ends +0 6an action(+0): The power comes into being
6 as stamina recovery -2 as a result of your action or someone else’s
6 as non-lethal hits recovery -3 action, and your control ends right before the
6 as half-lethal hits recovery -4 start of your next action. This is probably the
6 as lethal hits recovery -5 minimum practical level for a defensive power.
6 time level -time/6
6 semi-permanent -6 You have triggered force field to stop bullets. If
6 severable -1 you are shot six times between your chances to
act, the force field would activate six times if it
lasted for an instant, or one time if it lasted for
an action. Note that if you were hit six times by
one attack (like an autofire attack), then the
force field would only need to activate once, as
either an instant or an action.

6.25
 6time level(-level/4): Once turned on, the
6until stunned(-2): Once turned on, the power power runs unattended for the listed time
lasts until you turn it off or you are stunned. level. A time level modifier of -15 is presumed
We recommend that powers with this modifier to be ‘forever’, but in many cases you would
also have an operational effect of ‘any power probably just use the ‘always on’ modifier.
that is on like this is a -1 to all other skill rolls Time levels round up. You do not have to use
because it requires part of your concentration’. the maximum time level for a given modifier,
Think of it as a constant minor action penalty. but you do have to take the full modifier.
Turning the power off is a minor action.
If you want a time level of +5 as effect duration,
6until knocked out(-4): Once turned on, the you have to take a -2 modifier.
power lasts until you turn it off or you are
rendered unconscious or fall asleep. Otherwise Continuous, time level and some other long
it acts like ‘until stunned’ and should probably duration modifiers might be used with discrete
have the operational effect mentioned. units of power like ‘charges’. This just means that
you have a ‘charge’ that once activated, lasts
6continuous(-4): Once turned on, the power for a certain amount of time, or an ‘always on’
stays on until a particular condition is met. The power with 1 charge, which if disrupted, is gone
condition must be quantifiable in game terms, and does not come back.
like ‘until I say the magic word’, ‘until I have
only 1 stamina left’, and so on. This duration 6declining(-1): This means that when some
does not count as a separate modifier, but other defined duration runs out, the effect
note that the power is not turned off at will. It slowly wears off, at the rate of 1 point or 0d+1
only turns off when the condition is met. The of effect per time level after that duration.
gamemaster should make sure this modifier is This is coded blue because of the extra book-
used in the spirit of its nature. keeping it requires.

If your power lasts ‘until sunset’, it lasts until If you had a power at +6 that lasted until you
sunset whether you want to turn it off or not. were stunned, then at a time level of +1 after
you were stunned it would drop to +5, at a time
6always on(-2): This is a ‘permanent’ power. level of +2 it would drop to +4, and so on.
The power cannot have any drain and cannot
be turned off. A fixed effect in a gadget (like a 6time delay(+2): This is usually combined with
suit of armor) is ‘always on’. A gun is not two other durations. The first is the duration
always on. While it is always a gun, it is not the time delay lasts, and the second is how
always doing what a gun does. Always on long the power lasts once the delay ends.
means ‘whatever the power’s effect is, it is
always happening’. Unless you take a modifier If you have a power go off for ‘an action’ after a 1
limiting the power to full power use, you may hour delay (time level of +24), then the total
‘turn the power down’ to a minimum level of modifier would be -4 (+2 for time delay, +0 for
+3 or the final power level, whichever is lower. ‘one action’, -6 for a delay of a time level of +24).
The power may not have modifiers related to
activating it or turning it off, since it is ‘always
on’. If ‘turned off’ by some other power, it will
turn back on when that power’s ‘duration of
effect’ ends.

6.26
 Effect durations
6triggered(-2): The power has a specific Effect durations are trickier. While most powers
trigger condition that is usually based on the will work sensibly with power durations of an
senses or powers available to the power user instant or an action, it would be odd for the
at the time the power was put in place. effect duration of getting hit with a lethal
Triggered powers ‘go back in time’ and can attack to be ‘an action’. But, this is the default
undo the effects of what triggered them. for most effects. So, you need to make sure
the effect duration of your power matches the
If you have a force field that is triggered by actual effect. You can de-link them. You could
‘taking damage’, then the force field activates cause lethal damage that wears off as fast as
when you would have taken damage, but it might bruising damage, or non-lethal damage that
also prevent you from taking that damage. A lasts until you are stunned, or whatever. You
triggered power that heals you gives you back may use most of the values for power duration
lost hits, while a triggered power that armors you for effect duration as well, but not necessarily
prevents you from losing those hits to begin with. the other way around.

Until the trigger goes off, the power is counted effect duration modifiers modifier
as ‘in use’, so you cannot use it again (or any 6 until power duration ends +0
other power in the same suite) until you 6 an instant +2
deactivate the trigger (a minor action). 6 an action +0
6 as stamina recovery -2
6triggered gadget(-2): This is much the same 6 as non-lethal hits recovery -3
as a normal triggered power. The difference 6 as half-lethal hits recovery -4
from a normal trigger is that you usually have 6 as lethal hits recovery -5
to be at the gadget in order to deactivate it 6 time level -time/6
and if it is a mundane gadget you may have 6 semi-permanent -6
more than one active at the same time (you 6 breakable +special
can buy a crate of land mines and put all of 6 severable -1
them in play). 6 range-limited +2

Triggers of either type need to be thought out. Wand of fire: Step 5

An invisible person will still set off land mines, We want the power duration for our wand’s effect
but an intangible person might not set off a to be an instant, just long enough to make a skill
motion sensor. The subjective descriptions on roll on the attack, and for the effect duration to
the triggered power and what might trigger it match the nature of the attack, which would be
are the best guide. ‘as lethal hits recovery’. So:

name type concept

wand paranormal lethal
of fire offense magic
gadget

gameworld base = 0/9 modifier

effect: offense(lethal damage) +0
˛ suite: single power +0
range: medium (90 meters) -5
6 duration of power: instant +2
6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5

6.27
 Since a time level of +36 is a modifier of -6,
If you match up the ‘offense’ effects with their the same as ‘semi-permanent’, you are
appropriate natural durations, you end up with: probably better off making a ‘breakable
semi-permanent’ duration for anything longer
damage modifier than this.
lethal damage and recovery -5
half-lethal damage and recovery -1 6severable(-1): This means that you can turn
non-lethal damage and recovery +1 off the effect duration as a minor action. So,
you could have a power that does lethal
So, all other things being equal, a non-lethal damage and then say you want the lethal hits
attack has a +6 advantage (or +2d) over a lethal you did to go away...and they do!
one, more if you add in that you get to use
Toughness as an additive layer with armor vs. 6semi-permanent(-6): This just means the
non-lethal attacks. effect becomes the default state for the target.
If you light a fire, it stays lit until it runs out of
6until power duration ends(+0): This just fuel. If you are healed, you stay healed until
means that the effects end when the power you are injured again. This is the preferred
duration does. If you have a power that gives duration for any ‘alter:recover’ effect. Another
you +6 strength and the ‘duration of power’ is way to judge the duration would be to say it
1 minute, then when the 1 minute is up, the lasts ‘until the situation is opposed, completed
‘duration of effect’ ends. If the power duration or negated’. For instance, a geas might end
is affecting an area, this means the effect ends once you have completed it.
when you leave the area.
6breakable(+special): A breakable duration
6as recovery(-varies): The power effects of of effect means that the target of the effect or
wear off or are reduced in exactly the same an outside force can cause the effect to end
way as damage heals on that type of target. before some other duration has happened.
For instance, a magical pentragram can be
If you have a power that does non-lethal damage ‘broken’ by erasing part of its outer edge.
and you want it to wear off quicker, change the The value of this modifier is a circumstance
the effect duration to ‘as stamina recovery’, which modifier based on how easy or likely it is for
would be a -2 modifier instead of the -3 for ‘as the power to stay in operation.
non-lethal hits recovery’.
If we say that the magic of a desert shaman lasts
There is no such thing as ‘half-lethal hits’. You either until it rains, we could say the power is
just use this modifier for half-lethal damage extremely like to stay operating for a while. This
effects to represent that some of the hits could be an effect duration of ‘semi-permanent
recover as non-lethal and some as lethal. (-6)’ but ‘breakable(+1)’, because ‘extremely
common’ as a circumstance modifier is only a
6time level(-level/6): The effects of the +1 modifier.
power completely wear off or end after the
time level. If you did this effect duration on a 6range-limited(+2): This just means the effect
damaging power, all the effects of the damage wears off if the target gets further away from
would just vanish at the end the duration. the source of the power than its range, even if
However, the permanent consequences of the the power duration has ended.
damage will remain. A damaged book will have
missing content. A killed person will remain The geas on you to ‘go away’ wears off once you
dead, but if they had not been dead very long, get far enough away.
their now-intact body might be revivable.
6.28
 defense against modifier
“ is a very broad type

“
DEFENSE AGAINST +4
Any power that can be used on a “ is a broad type +0
target against their will must have “ is an average type -2
a ‘defense against’ modifier. Targets “ is a narrow type -4
that cannot consent (like rocks) are considered “ is esoteric -4
to be acted on against their will. Powers used “ works as decreasing layers +0
on the expression of a power effect do not “ adds together +4
need a defense against the power, but may “ only uses highest value -1
have one, or the gamemaster may decide that “ requires specific coverage +varies
the power needs a defense regardless of the “ protects absolutely +4
target and the effect. “ can be improvised +2

Defense against a power takes several forms. “type(+varies): The broadness of a defense
The normal one is that the defense acts just against your power is gameworld dependent,
like armor and in many cases is armor. A suit but should be the same as the guidelines on
of combat armor defends against bullets. This page 6.11. Note that the color coding is
is an active defense, and would be a power reversed from normal. Giving your power a
with the effect of ‘defense’ designed to stop a defense that is difficult to acquire is more likely
particular ‘offense’ or group of ‘offense’ effects. to require gamemaster approval or scrutiny.
The broader the defense against your power,
the more favorable the modifier. Note that for paranormal ‘defense against’
modifiers to have the same value as mundane
Another sort of defense is situational. If the ones, they have to be as common in the game
target cannot have the defense, it is often setting, otherwise you would make them one
considered to be transparent or infinitely level narrower or add ‘esoteric’. The last item
resistant to the power, as appropriate. If your in parentheses on the examples below show
power is resisted by Strength,then a rock which subjective items make up that defense.
which has no Strength attribute is considered
to have an infinite Strength for resisting your example defenses modifier
power. A power that makes you invisible to “ ‘defense on lethal hits’(2,3) +4
sight has no effect on a blind person. Air is “ ‘mundane armor’(2,3) +4
effectively non-existent for purposes of “ ‘mobility gadget’(2,3) +4
conventional attacks. “ ‘mental defense’(1,2) +0
“ ‘mundane forcefield’(1,2) +0
The last sort of defense is absolute. You define “ ‘forcefield spell’(1,3) +0
the power so that a particular defense at any “ ‘Strength attribute’(1,2) +0
level completely stops the power. This would “ ‘mass characteristic’(1,2) +0
be something like ‘an evil spirit’s ability to “ ‘mundane radiation defense’(1,2,3) -2
move through walls is completely blocked if “ ‘paranormal Awareness attribute’(1,2,3) -2
they have not been invited into an area.’ It “ ‘Dodge derived attribute’(1,2,3) -2
would not matter if the walls were a bank “ ‘pentagram, paranormal defense magic -4
vault or made of tissue paper. A defense with ritual’(all of 1,2,3)
a certain quality completely blocks the power. “ ‘mundane anti-missile laser defense -4
gadget’(all of 1,2,3)
If a power can be defended against by multiple
things, you use the average, rounding towards
zero, and you must have one of the layering
modifiers.
6.29
 “adds together(+4): It may be appropriate
Note that attributes/physical characteristics fall for some attacks to allow all appropriate
into the ‘alter’ set of effects for definition as a defenses to add together. For instance, your
defense. In general, conventional armor effects Toughness usually adds to non-lethal defenses.
are +4, attributes or characteristics that are
not a fraction of something else (like hits) are “only uses highest(-1): This means that no
+0, derived characteristics that are a fraction matter how many appropriate defenses a
of something else (like dodge) are -2 and target has, you only count the one with the
exact, specific defenses are -4. highest value.

So, while you can make a power that very few These three modifiers are only allowed if they are
people are likely to have a strong defense relevant. For instance, if you define the power so
against, you are giving up +8 in potential a specific defense stops an entire effect (tinfoil
power level to do it compared to something hats stop mind control rays of any intensity),
more easily defended against. then none of the layering modifiers would apply.
Similarly, the modifiers are mutually exclusive. A
“esoteric(-4): The defense is of a particular power should not have more than one of them.
type, but has some quality or rarity that
makes it harder to acquire than normal or is a Wand of fire: Step 6
limited subset of the available defenses. The We want the damage from our wand to act like
gamemaster can adjust the value of this mundane fire (the power is paranormal, but the
modifier based on degree of ‘esoteric-ness’. fire it makes has no special characteristics),
which would be a ‘very broad’ type of defense.
If we wanted the wand of fire to have an average,
esoteric ‘defense against’ it, we might say that name type concept
only metals and minerals can withstand the wand paranormal lethal
searing heat of the lethal firebolts. So, soft of fire offense magic
body armors would be of no use, hiding behind a gadget
wooden table would be no protection, and so on.
gameworld base = 0/9 modifier
‘Esoteric’ could also be reflected by some of effect: offense(lethal damage) +0
the ‘contingency’ modifiers. You might say that ˛ suite: single power +0
instead of having an esoteric defense, the range: medium (90 meters) -5
firebolts were armor-piercing. This would have 6 duration of power: instant +2
a similar but not identical effect. 6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5
“ defense against: very broad type +4
“decreasing layers(+0): In terms of ‘real- “ defense against: in decreasing layers +0
world’ systems and the EABA rules, armor is
not cumulative. Twenty sheets of 1d+0 armor
will not stop a 20d+0 attack. Instead, you “coverage(+varies): This just means that a
count the best layer, and each layer after that proper defense must also protect a specific
is halved, rounding down. This is a cumulative part of the target. The value of this modifier is
process, so three 4d+0 armors would be half (round up) of any contingency modifier for
4d+2d+1d=7d. Amounts with fractional dice the location.
convert the same way. 1d+1 would be halved
to 0d+2, and 1d+0 would be halved to 0d+1. If you say that only ‘armor on the head’ applies,
then this is a +4 modifier, since the modifier for
head armor is +7.

6.30
 CONTINGENCIES
“protects absolutely(+4): If the proper This is a big category, because it is
defense exists, it stops the entire effect, composed almost entirely of special
regardless of its level. For instance, saying that cases, which fortunately can be lumped
a metal armor stops an electrical attack like a into a fairly small number of groups. Rather
taser. It does not matter if it is a suit of than making them very broad and subjective,
powered armor or a layer of tinfoil, if it is we are going to give them a bit of detail
metal and covers the target, it stops the because these modifiers also give a power a
effect. lot of personality. Plus, they are a way to rack
up a lot of positive modifiers to boost the base
“can be improvised(+2): This means that if a power level...
power can be seen (and understood), that
someone can spend turn mod to generate a Contingencies are things that affect the active
defense equal to half the turn mod used, and use or situational use of a power. If a power
this defense lasts for the duration of the ‘only works during the full moon’, that is a
encounter. If an improvised defense can contingency. If you need ‘both hands free’ to
‘protect absolutely’, the gamemaster needs to use the power, that is a contingency. If a
assign a difficulty to improvise the defense in power is ‘armor-piercing’, that is a contingency.
the current situation, and turn mod can apply
to rolls to reach this difficulty. The general nature of contingency modifiers
tends to be one of the following:
Improvised defenses generally have negative
side effects associated with the nature of the visibility: how well people can see the power
defense. circumstance: things outside the power
probability: the chance the power fails to work
You give a harpy a ‘magical screech’ ability that side effects: things that happen when you use it
causes non-lethal damage, with a defense of enhancements: benefits other than power level
‘armor protection on your head’, assuming that linkages: connecting the power to other things
ear covering provides some protection against it. usage: how you make the power happen
If you say the defense can be improvised,
someone could spend +8 turn mod to stuff their Each of these will have its own subsection and
ears full of mud and get a +4 defense against list of modifiers. Unless otherwise specified,
the power for the remainder of the encounter. each of these modifiers is cumulative with all
This +4 defense also makes any mundane the others. Modifiers in red on a table are the
hearing tasks take a +4 difficulty, since you default condition for powers unless otherwise
have stuffed your ears with mud. specified.

In general, you do not use this modifier on

broad or very broad defense types. For
instance, just because you can dive behind a
rock to hide from arrows or bullets or firebolts,
that does not make for an improvised defense.
An improvised defense implies that you can
take the defense with you, move about and
engage in combat while using it. While you
might be able to hide behind a slow moving
car, things like this are situational rather than
a function of the power.

6.31
 subtle(-1): The power is not immediately
Visibility obvious, but can be detected with mundane
The default for a power, especially for a power senses if you know what to look for or where
that projects energy or has a range, is that to look. The difficulty of spotting the power is
it is readily visible and/or audible, that an reduced by -1 per +12 (or 4d) in the power,
appropriate Awareness roll can detect where rounding up. Most silenced firearms and
the power originates from, often what it is flexible body armors fall into this category.
aimed at, and if you have a technological or
cultural familiarity with that type of power, also A 4d+1 silenced rifle is -1 difficulty to be heard.
what the power does. The difficulty of spotting A 2d+2 concealed body armor is +0 difficulty to
the power is reduced by -1 per +3 (or 1d) in be spotted.
the power, rounding the power level down.
hidden(-3): The power usually cannot be
A 4d+1 rifle is -4 difficulty to be heard. Bang! A detected without a power or gadget that can
4d+1 body armor is -4 difficulty to be spotted. operate outside the normal sensory range
(which is gameworld-dependent). Close range,
The exception is powers whose nature is to not clever or skilled observation may be able to
be visible, like ‘invisibility’. But if you could ‘see discern that the power is operating.
magic’, a person with 4d+1 magical invisibility
would be a bright magical beacon, but that A normally hidden laser beam might be detected
does not mean you could identify the person if you know where to scatter dust or smoke to
the magic is hiding (just a person-shaped show the beam. An arrow from a bow can be
magic aura trying to be sneaky). Powers can virtually silent, but can be heard at close range.
have different levels of visibility. The sample
powers are mostly using the default visibility of Many mundane tech gadgets will have this
‘obvious’. The available levels are: modifier. After all, you do not see radio waves
coming out of an eavesdropping bug...
visibility modifier
power is very obvious +1 undetectable(-5): The power cannot be
power is obvious +0 detected in use without a specific power (which
power is subtle -1 may be a gadget), but can otherwise only be
power is hidden -3 inferred or guessed at. Undetectablility can be
power is undetectable -5 mundane or paranormal. Magic might simply
be invisible to most people, but radiation
Most powers are obvious in their effect if you poisoning might as well be evil magic to
have an altered sense or a receive information someone who does not understand the concept
power appropriate to the nature of the power. or the means of detecting it.
The altered sense or receive information power
needed becomes more and more specific as A magical curse that causes someone to have a
the power decreases in visibility. heart attack looks like ‘death by natural causes’.
A nanotech disruption of cardiac function might
very obvious(+1): The power cannot be be just as undetectable.
hidden from view, its source, destination and
path are readily determined, as is the nature This modifier can be much more unbalancing
of the power. than it seems at first glance and should be
looked at very carefully for player-controlled
A rifle is obvious. A flamethrower is very obvious. powers. It is very useful for gamemaster-
controlled plots and villains, however.

6.32
 ceiling(+varies): Powers whose effect would
Circumstance or could allow them to be ‘stacked’ generally
This is things that are usually outside your have a ceiling on the cumulative effect of the
control, but which affect whether or not the power level of the effect.
power works at all or works at reduced effect.
For instance, your ability to be invisible in If you have a power that gives you +3 Strength,
shadows requires the presence of shadows. Or, you cannot use it twice to get +6 Strength. Two
your solar-powered ability to fly is proportional mind controls at +8 do not equal one at +16.
to how much sun is available.
A power can have a lower ceiling than this.
ceiling modifier A lower ceiling means that the maximum
limited to ±half value or ±2d +2 combined effect from the power is half the
limited to ±1d +4 value of the target, or ±2d, whichever is
smaller, or ±1d, whichever is smaller.
circumstance modifier
works 3/4 of the time(extr. common) +1 If you have a power that gives someone else -10
works 2/3 of the time(very common) +2 Strength and it has a limit of half the value of
works 1/2 of the time(common) +3 the target, using it on someone with a Strength
works 1/3 of the time(uncommon) +4 of 8 could lower it to no lower than a 4. If the
works 1/4 of the time(very uncommon) +6 power raised Strength, on this Strength 8 person
works 1/8 of the time(rare) +9 it could raise it to no more than 12.

reduced to 3/4 eff.(-1d) -3 circumstance(+varies): This is ‘of all the

reduced to 1/2 eff.(-2d) -2 circumstances in which the power could be
reduced to 1/4 eff.(-3d) -1 useful, in how many of them does it actually
reduced to zero effect +0 work at full effect?’ modifier. For instance, if a
reduced proportionally -1 power ‘only works at night’, this is about half
the time, so it is worth a +3 modifier. This is
coverage modifier not a die roll. If something works ‘half the
head & neck except face (locations 5-6) +8 time’ you do not flip a coin. Rather, it is a
head & neck(locations 3-6) +7 gamemaster call. Is it day or night? You
chest & abdomen(locations 10-11) +5 cannot take a modifier for a power that works
chest, abdomen & head (locs 10-11,5-6) +4 less than an eighth of the time, but you can
full torso(locations 9-12) +3 have a set of very uncommon circumstances
full torso & head +2 that add up to the one-eighth modifier.
arms(locations 7-8) +6
upper legs(locations 13-14) +5 You could not have a modifier for ‘only works on
full legs(locations 13-18) +4 the day of the full moon’, since this is only 1
day out of each 28. However, you could say
success on 3d modifier ‘only works within a day of the full moon’, which
6 or less (or fails on 14 or less) +9 is 3 days out of 28. This is about one-ninth
7 or less (or fails on 13 or less) +8 instead of one-eighth, but it is close enough for
8 or less (or fails on 12 or less) +6 gaming purposes.
9 or less (or fails on 11 or less) +4
10 or less (or fails on 10 or less) +3 ‘Opposing a power’ as a circumstance is most
11 or less (or fails on 9 or less) +2 likely a ‘common’ thing, for a +3. So a power
13 or less (or fails on 7 or less) +1 that does something at reduced effect if it is
ablative chance +1 being actively opposed would count as +3.
secondary ablative chance -1

6.33
 coverage(+varies): This is more or less a
Circumstance is a two-part modifier. The first circumstance of ‘only works if an offense hits
part is one of the top six items on the list and you in a protected spot’. This usually applies to
the second is one of the bottom five. The first mundane gadgets, but the gamemaster can
part lists the circumstances in which the power say that things like magic have their own tech
is fully effective, and the bottom five list the era equivalents.
degree of impairment. This is either a fraction
of the original power, or a subtraction, which- random on 3d(+varies): This is like the
ever is larger. coverage modifier, but without a real-world
equivalent. Sometimes the power just fails to
If you had a power that worked at full effect work and you do not know why. Perhaps it is a
3/4 of the time, and in the other circumstances gadget with an inherent unreliability, perhaps
it only worked at 1/4 effect, this would be a net it is a magic spell and the spirits are fickle.
modifier of +0. If the power normally worked at
full effect 1/2 of the time, and in the other ablative(+1): The ‘ablative’ modifier means
circumstances did not work at all, this would that each time the power could activate after
be a net modifier of +3. the first time, the success chance drops by 1.

This is the modifier pair you would use if the A random chance of 13 or less with the ablative
‘very broad’ through ‘narrow’ modifiers some chance is a total modifier of +2. The first time
effects have are insufficient. It is what you you use the power, it works on a roll of 13 or
would use if you wanted an armor that could less. The second time, it works on a 12 or less,
stop bullets but did not work as well against and so on.
blades, or laser that went to reduced power if
there was fog or smoke in the air, or a holy The probability generally refreshes to its full
flame spell that only burned the undead amount at the end of an encounter, but the
(‘reduced to zero effect’ against the living). gamemaster can require use of some aspect
of flexibility or energy replacement to
The ‘proportional’ modifier may be taken by refresh the chance to full. With gamemaster
itself or in combination with the others. This permission, the ablative modifier may be taken
modifier means that the effect is in proportion multiple times, and would adjust the chance of
to something in the environment. If you have success by 2 or more per use after the first.
a power that channels fire, you need a fire to The second use of an ablative power cannot
channel from. If your superpowers work in have a chance of less than ‘3’ on a 3d+0 roll.
proportion to the light available, then indoors
might be brightly lit and outside might be A random chance of 13 or less with the ablative
dark. This requires work on the part of the chance taken twice is a modifier of +4. This
gamemaster and requires permission to use. means the first use of the power is a roll of 13 or
less, the second use is 11 or less, the third is 9
With gamemaster permission, the reduction in or less and so on.
a power could be applied to things other than
the power level. For instance, the power level
might remain the same, but the range might be
cut by 2, 4 or 6 levels. Or the power level might
be the same, but an energy cost to use the
power might be doubled, tripled or quadrupled,
or the power level might remain the same but
the chance of a critical failure might be a roll of
7, 11 or 15 or less.

6.34
 operational effect(+1): This is a negative
secondary ablative(-1): This means that the effect on the user associated with the use or
power works the first time, but the second and continued use of the power. It does not do
later uses are ablative based on some other 3d damage, but it is disruptive in some way. An
probability. example would be that conventional firearms
have recoil, which disrupts your aim, forcing
A power that is guaranteed to work the first time you to spend time re-aiming between shots.
you use it, but which drops to a 10 or less the An operational effect happens during the
second time, then a 9 and so on, would be a ‘duration of power’.
+2 modifier (+3 for the ‘10 or less’, -1 for the
‘secondary ablative’. We recommend that any power which is
maintained or controlled for a long period have
You could use this for resisted powers that the operational effect of ‘-1 distraction’. This
have a chance of failing after repeated efforts just means that each such power kept in
that would not normally overcome them. For operation is a -1 to all skill rolls because part
instance, a stable force wall with a limited of your concentration is being used on the
amount of energy. Each hit on it does not power. If you are flying, it might be effortless,
weaken its armor, but does generate an but you still have to keep an eye on where you
increasing chance the barrier just collapses. are going, just like texting while driving (or
Or, you could use it for an entangling web that vice versa) shows that you are not doing either
immediately slows someone down, but which at full efficiency.
they will eventually break free from.
failure side effect(+2): The ‘failure’ side
If you really want to have rules for things like effect can be taken if the power has a chance
armor degrading in combat, you can do some- of not working (activation roll, skill roll, etc.).
thing like an ablative chance combined with a This is different than ‘the power works, but
‘reduced proportionally’ in the circumstance ‘if you just missed your aim’. If you have a power
the ablative roll is failed’. This might look like: modifier such that the power can fail to turn
on, you take the side effect when you try to
degradable armor modifier turn it on and fail to do so.
works 3/4 of the time(extr. common) +1
reduced proportionally -1 A side effect is always bad for you, you cannot
13 or less (or fails on 7 or less) +1 defend against it, and it has an intensity of +1
ablative chance +1 per +3 in the final effect, rounding up. The
secondary ablative chance -1 default side effect is taking non-lethal hits, but
total +1 the side effect must always be relevant to
whatever or whoever is generating the power.
Side effects You can take the modifier multiple times for
These are things that happen in addition to increased non-lethal damage, or increase the
the power, when you use the power, and type of damage for +2 on the modifier.
sometimes even when you just try to use the
power. A power with basic failure side effect would be a
modifier of +2 for non-lethal damage, +4 for
side effects modifier half-lethal and +6 for lethal damage. If you took
operational effect +1 double the normal effect, these amounts would
failure side effect +2 be increased by +2.
mandatory side effect +4
special effect +1

6.35
 A special effect is not required, but practically
A lethal side effect is useful for making the evil speaking, all powers should have one. It is a
priest burst into flames when the adventurers no-hassle +1 modifier, so what’s not to like?
disrupt the ritual to resurrect his evil dead god... You get a benefit from having a special effect
for several reasons. First, it adds to the flavor
mandatory side effect(+4): The same idea of the campaign. Second, a power’s special
as the failure side effect, but it happens every effect is its ‘compatibility’. If your special effect
time the power turns on and every time you is ‘9mm handgun’, then you can use other
try to turn the power on but fail. You can people’s 9mm handgun ammunition. Third,
increase this modifier by +2 for each more other people might have powers that work
severe damage type, just as for the failure better against your special effect. So, do not
side effect. You can also have a conditional take the +1 modifier for a special effect unless
mandatory side effect for -2 to the listed you understand that it can have a downside.
amount, which is a mandatory side effect that
only happens if you misuse the power. An Wand of fire: Step 7
example might be a cleric using divine powers Looking at the first three sorts of contingencies,
for personal gain, or using a rocket launcher we decide we want the firebolts to have normal
with backblast inside an enclosed space. visibility, we want the wand to work in every
circumstance except when it is completely wet
A power with a conditional mandatory side effect (not being completely wet would be ‘extremely
would be a modifier of +2 for non-lethal damage, common’) and it has a special effect of ‘sets
+4 for half-lethal and +6 for lethal. things on fire’. We would probably define this as
‘readily flammable objects will eventually lose
Neither of the side effect modifiers can be all their hits from this attack if their defense is
taken for powers which are always on or have penetrated.’ So:
a ‘duration of effect’ longer than a day. The
side effect modifier has to actually be a risk name type concept
and a limitation, and if you have a power that wand paranormal lethal
lasts a year once you turn it on, then a side of fire offense magic
effect for failing is not really a limit unless it gadget
has a very real chance of happening and is
severe enough to kill you. gameworld base = 0/9 modifier
effect: offense(lethal damage) +0
special effect(+1): This is an easy modifier. ˛ suite: single power +0
You can only have one special effect on a range: medium (90 meters) -5
power. A special effect is a +1 modifier that 6 duration of power: instant +2
gives you an automatic secondary effect that is 6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5
either subjective or the equivalent of a similar “ defense against: very broad type +4
power at -18 off the main effect or a 0d+1 “ defense against: in decreasing layers +0
effect, whichever is greater. The special effect contingency(visibility): obvious +0
always relates to the first two of a power’s contingency(circumstance): not wet +1
subjective characteristics. contingency(special effect): sets fires +1

Use of your ‘water blast’ gets things soaking wet.

Anything that is adversely affected by water is
affected by having your power used on it. If your
foes were using primitive firearms that had the
limit ‘unreliable when wet’, then your special
effect deactivates their weapons.

6.36
 autofire, etc.(-varies): The power acts like a
Enhancements weapon with the characteristics listed on page
These are things that usually improve the 5.10 and following. Note that autoburst
quality of an attack or other power without powers have any drain multiplied by 3 and
directly affecting the power level or nature of autofire powers have it multiplied by 10. If a
what the power does. This is a list of the most power uses ‘charges’ (like bullets), then
common enhancements. autoburst uses 3 charges and autofire uses 10.
If a power would act like continuous fire, you
enhancement modifier simply use a ‘duration of power’ of ‘an action’
+4 non-combat effect -1 or longer, to represent that the power is active
penetrating -1 over the entire duration of an action.
stopping power -1
armor-piercing -2 variable spread(-1): Before rolling to hit with
battering -4 an attack, the user may drop the adjusted
autofire -2 effect to increase their skill roll for melee or
autofire only -1 unarmed attacks or decrease the difficulty for
autoburst -1 range by 2 for ranged attacks. You get +1d
shotgun effect -2 skill or -2 difficulty per -3 to the power level.
variable spread -1 The nature of the power must allow it to be
accuracy, per +2 -1 spread out to cover a wider area. The limit for
hardened -1 variable spread is usually no more than +3d or
-6 to difficulty for range. For increases to
+4 non-combat effect(-1): This means that melee skill, varable spread does not count
if not in a combat or non-consensual situation, towards the maximum skill bonus allowed.
the power level you can use is +4 normal.
With gamemaster approval this modifier can accuracy(-1): The default Accuracy of a
be taken multiple times (usually no more than power with at least short range is 1 for each
-3). This is not subject to rules-lawyering. +6 in the power effect (round Accuracy down).
While you might be able to use a non-combat Melee and thrown attacks will have a default
effect to escape or evade a combat, you Accuracy of zero. Each time this modifier is
should not be allowed to re-enter the scene if taken, the aimed Accuracy of a ranged attack
you do so. is increased by +2. This modifier can be used
on a power usable in melee (like a shield) to
penetrating, etc.(-varies): These first four give +2 to the user’s defensive skill roll or on a
modifiers are exclusive. If you have one, you passive armor to give it +1 to the chance of
cannot have the others. These simply make randomly deflecting a blow. For such defensive
the power act like the special ammunition uses there should be no more than -3 in the
types listed on page 5.30. The dice of effect modifier, split between the two possibilities.
would be labeled appropriately: You can decrease a power’s default Accuracy.
Making it 1 per +12 is a +1 modifier, and 1
p - penetrating b - battering per +18 is a +2 modifier.
s - stopping power g - shotgun
a - armor-piercing v - variable spread hardened(-1): This negates the effect of
armor-piercing or penetrating powers on
A power with damage of 3d+1vg would be a attacks against a defense. For mundane
power with user-variable damage and the ability gadgets, it also requires that the defense be
to use the shotgun modifier on that damage. of at least the same tech era as the attack.

6.37
 exclusive delegation(-1): You can give the
Linkages power to someone else, but if you do, you
These are ways to connect powers together, lose all use of it. It becomes their power until
usually so that you can have one power have they choose to give it up. Mundane gadgets
multiple, different effects. Linkages are also a are assumed to have this and may not take
means to connect the originator of the power the modifier, since the inherent nature of
with one or more targets. Linkages are usually mundane gadgets is that anyone can use
either dependencies or delegations. them. Gadgets bought with points rather than
cash do not need to have delegation. You may
delegation modifier lose the power if you lose the gadget, but you
none(default) +0 may choose to design it so the gadget still only
exclusive -1 works for you.
shared 2x -2
shared 4x -4 A gadget that has this modifier or acts like this
shared 8x -6 modifier usually means that the power is in the
contagious -3 gadget and the person with the gadget merely
severable -1 controls it.
at range -level/4
password -1 The previous example had a magic wand that
you simply had to possess, but which had no
dependency modifier inherent power. If the wand had ‘exclusive
dependent effect +1 delegation’, it would most likely mean that the
wand was the source of the power, not just a
Delegation conduit for it.
Delegation modifiers are for powers that you
create but which can be used by others. A shared delegation(-varies): You can loan
power can be delegated by contact (voluntary the power to someone else and retain use of it
or involuntary) or possibly by using the power for yourself. You each have the power, but they
on the delegation target. do not get the ‘shared’ quality and cannot
share it with someone else). This requires
You can hand a gun to a minion to delegate it to some common sense interpretation by the
him, but you could not shoot them to delegate it creator of the power. For instance, for most
to them. However, your ‘replicating slime ray’ mundane gadgets, this modifier means that
could be shot at someone, and then anyone that you have multiple copies of the gadget. You
person touches also gets slimed. buy a crate of grenades and hand them out to
the troops. Or it might be a necromancer
none(+0): It is your power, no one else can granting his ‘death touch’ power to all his
use it. If the power is in the form of or linked undead minions.
to a gadget, your ability to use the power
might be taken from you, but no one else can contagious(-3): If you buy a power as
gain the use of your power unless they have a shared, adding this modifier means the power
power that copies your power. is sharable without consent. Those you share it
with can involuntarily share it with others, and
You could have an inherent power like magic that the maximum number of people who can have
requires a gadget like a wand, but the wand has the power is based on the amount of sharing
no power of its own. It is merely something you you took a modifier for.
have to posess to use the power.

6.38
 Dependencies
You would use this for a hostile power that you Dependency is one modifier, but you can take
wanted to affect a large number of people that modifier multiple times in different ways.
with. The duration of any new exposure is like
the power was just used on the new target. dependent effect(+1): The power requires
Contagion cannot spread back to the either the some other effect be in place first or be in your
original or secondary sources of the power. possession, or both. Powers can be mutually
dependent, and count as one power for
While it is possible to design a hugely contagious purposes of turning them on and off. Powers
power, it is impractical in terms of the points it can be dependent operationally, or if they are
would require in most cases. The gamemaster in gadgets, dependent physically. Each power
should look closely at any contagious power. that is dependent on another gets a +1
modifier for each power it is dependent on.
severable(-1): The original source of the The maximum you can gain from this modifier
power can un-delegate it to any or all people is a total of +3 on each power involved. You
it has been shared with as a minor action. can have more dependencies than this, you
Powers in mundane gadgets are usually just do not get any extra modifier value for it.
exempted from this, but it is possible that the
gadgets could be deactivated at range. You have a spacesuit with the power of armor
and life support. The life support is dependent
at range(-level/4): Powers can normally only on the armor being complete and without holes in
be delegated by touch or at touch range (you it, so the life support power gets a +1 modifier
hand your gun to someone). A power that (if someone has your helmet, you cannot use
can be delegated at range costs more. The the life support). The armor can operate without
exception is for powers in a gadget, which can the life support being operational, so it does not
be left somewhere to be picked up, or even get this modifier. However, the life support is
thrown to someone or sent through the mail. integral to the armor, so someone cannot take
one without also taking the other. So, you end
password(-1): In addition to some other form up with life support getting +2 from dependency
of delegation, there is some sort of test or skill and the armor getting +1:
or requirement for use of the power that is not
covered by other modifiers like a minimum armor physically dep. on life support +1
Strength, etc. Failing to pass this test means life support physically dep. on armor +1
the power does not work, and at designer life supp. operationally dep. on armor +1
option, may trigger a side effect modifier. In
general, bypassing the test is challenging(9)
on either a skill or unskilled attribute use. In general, if a dependency condition is lost,
Requiring special tools to bypass the test or the ‘duration of power’ ends and may not be
increasing the difficulty by +4 is an additional restarted until the dependency is restored. If
-1 modifier, with a normal maximum for the someone takes away your space helmet while
modifier of -3. the life support is running, the life support
stops. This requires common sense design of
If your blaster rifle has a biometric trigger lock, the powers. If the life support ‘duration of
this would be a -1 modifier. If you needed a effect’ was not linked to actually having a
set of electronic lockpicks to attempt the task space suit, then you have to explain how this
at the normal difficulty, it would be a -2 modifier. would work.

6.39
 Usage
Wand of fire: Step 8 Usage modifiers are the ‘what do I need to do
For enhancements and linkages we merely go to make the power work?’ modifiers. For
with +2 Accuracy and the default delegation of instance, a power that is a gun requires that
none. So: you make a skill roll to hit someone with it.
This would be a usage modifier. You also need
name type concept to be able to hold the gun and aim it, which is
wand paranormal lethal also a usage modifier.
of fire offense magic
gadget The usage modifier for many powers is going
to be ‘none’. You simply will the power into
gameworld base = 0/9 modifier being as a minor action. A superhero leaping
effect: offense(lethal damage) +0 into the air and taking flight is a good example
˛ suite: single power +0 of this.
range: medium (90 meters) -5
6 duration of power: instant +2 In general, any power that is used or usable
6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5 against an unwilling or non-consenting target
“ defense against: very broad type +4 has to have some sort of roll involved, usually
“ defense against: in decreasing layers +0 either an opposed roll like a melee attack, or a
contingency(visibility): obvious +0 roll against a varying target number like the
contingency(circumstance): not wet +1 range for a projectile weapon. When a power
contingency(special effect): sets fires +1 affects a target that can have a roll associated
contingency(accuracy): +2 -1 with it, an opposed roll is usually more
appropriate for dramatic purposes.

Dependencies can be creatively interpreted with usage modifier

gamemaster permission. For instance, use of a no preparation needed +0
power might be physically dependent on a opposed combat skill roll +4
location rather than an object, like ‘you have to ranged combat skill roll +2
be in a mana-rich zone to cast this spell’. Physical opposed non-combat skill roll +2
dependencies do not have to be the same average(7) skill roll +1
object. A magic ritual might be cast anywhere, hard(11) skill roll +2
but require several separate items as part of the heroic(15) skill roll +3
ritual, each of which is a +1 dependency. minimum Fate of 5 +1
minimum Fate of 7 +2
minimum Fate of 9 +3
gestures +1/+3
voice +1/+3
concentration(prep) +2
concentration(active) +2
preparation time +level/4
warmup(+3 per time level) +1
warmup(+2 per time level) +2
warmup(+1 per time level) +3
requires 2 users +4
each doubling +4
may use 2 assistants +2
each doubling +2

6.40
 Opposed combat rolls can happen at any range
no preparation needed(+0): The power can the power has, so a mental power could rely
be activated as a minor action, deliberately or on an opposed Will task to hit someone a
because it is triggered by something else. This hundred meters away if your power had that
is the default case for powers. range, but would not take range modifiers to
hit. You should have to make an appropriate
If you have a flight power, using it could be as Awareness roll to spot the target, however.
natural and easy as walking.
ranged combat skill roll(+2): The power
A power with ‘no preparation needed’ cannot requires that you make an unopposed combat
force anyone or anything else to make a roll or roll against a difficulty based on the range. The
apply a defense because of your action. You power acts like a ranged attack and anything
can however, have a power that does a hostile that could affect a ranged attack can affect the
effect, triggered by their action, and if the power, within the parameters of what the
power has the triggered modifier, it does not power does. The skill itself may either be a
even require a minor action on your part. specialized one for this power, or a more
conventional skill that matches the way the
If you have a flaming force field that activates in power is used.
response to you being hit, this can do damage,
but does not need preparation. You could have an ‘energy blast’ skill, a ‘sorcery’
skill that applies to all aspects of a magical task,
opposed combat skill roll(+4): The power or a gadget that uses your ‘projectile weapons’
requires that you make an opposed combat skill roll.
roll against the target, as a major action if you
are initiating it, or as a minor action if you are opposed skill roll(+2): The power requires
responding to someone else’s combat roll. This that you make an opposed skill roll against the
is the modifier you would use for a power that target, as a major action. This is not a combat
acts like a melee or unarmed combat attack. skill roll, and the ways in which it can be used
The power can be blocked, parried or have are fairly limited. An example might be you
anything done to it that a melee attack could. vying against someone else in order to affect a
A power with this modifier can be used against target that is neither of you.
targets incapable of making an opposed roll, if
the effect of the power is appropriate. You are trying to make it rain, which requires a
contest of skills with the sky spirits to see whose
You can use your ‘flame hands’ against a door. will prevails. Or you might have to play chess
against the spectral guardian to open the magic
The modifier for opposed combat skill roll can portal.
also be used for opposed Attribute checks, like
Strength vs. Strength or a contest of wills. If average skill roll(+1): The power requires a
you win the opposed test, the effect of the skill roll to use it correctly, usually as a minor
power applies to the target. The target still action. This is not for combat targeting, but
gets to apply any defense they might have, more akin to driving a car or flying a plane.
and the opposed test is merely to see if the For each +4 difficulty on the roll the modifier
attack or effect hits. can be increased by +1. You can ‘take 2’s’ to
make this roll.

6.41
 A power that mimics a flaming sword could have
All skill rolls related to successful power use ‘requires an opposed skill roll’ and ‘gestures’. A
happen at the time the power ‘turns on’. So, if rifle could have ‘requires a ranged combat skill
you have a preparation time and a skill roll, you roll’ and have the larger ‘gestures’ modifier
do not know if the preparation is going to be (because you need two hands to use a rifle).
successful until the power is on the cusp of
activation. Skill rolls related to power use vocalization(+1 or +3): The power requires
generally assume that any costs, side effects or an unobstructed voice to activate it, but this
consumption of energy do happen, even if the can be in the confines of a helmet or from
power use is not successful. If you have a power behind a mask. If the voice needs to have no
that can only be used once a day and you blow barrier in front of the face and for the voice to
the skill roll, that is it for the day. be loud and obvious, you can take the larger
modifier.
minimum Fate(+varies): The power requires
a potential user to have a certain inherent concentration(prep)(+2): If a power takes
magical or other potential, as measured by the more than an action to prepare, the power can
level of their Fate attribute. The base level be designed so the user must devote all their
modifier is +1 for a Fate of 5, and the modifier attention to the power. During a concentration
goes up by +1 for each +2 Fate required. This period, the user of the power can take no
is a ‘setting’ modifier, like saying ‘all magic major actions and cannot take any minor
requires that a person have a certain innate actions except to communicate and possibly
magical potential’. People with insufficient Fate walk. Having to make any roll not related to
cannot learn that particular power or use a the power that cannot be succeeded at by
gadget that has this modifier. This could be ‘taking 2’s’ will break the user’s concentration.
tied to a Forte/Weakness on power projection.
With gamemaster permission, a variation of If you take 1 hit of damage and cross the -0d
this modifier could be applied to different damage threshold, this requires a Will roll to
attributes or even to characteristics, like ‘only avoid being stunned. Since a roll is required,
Kardathu can work the firing mechanism of your concentration is broken if you cannot make
Kardathu battle rifles’ or ‘you need a Strength this roll by ‘taking 2’s’.
of 13 to use the Osmium Sword’. This can be
different than the ‘password’ modifier in that it concentration(active)(+2): If the ‘duration
can require certain physical characteristics to of power’ is longer than an action, the power
use the power rather than a test to be passed can be designed so that total concentration is
or bypassed. If you do not have the brain required to keep the power going. This is the
structure of a Drithi, then you cannot use a same as ‘concentration(prep)’, but the user of
Drithi psi-helm, regardless of what fancy high- the power may also make any rolls directly
tech tools you might have access to. related to the use, manipulation of the power
or resistance to the power. A power can have
gestures(+1 or +3): The power requires one of these modifiers or both, depending on
unimpeded gestures with at least one hand. the special effect desired.
If both hands are required to be free of
restrictions and are clearly part of the power An objective control power normally only takes
use, you can take the larger value. This a minor action to manipulate the target. If you
modifier can also be used on gadget-based took an ‘active concentration’ modifier, it would
powers or powers meant to mimic firearms or take your full concentration for the task, leaving
other weapons (pistols are +1, rifles are +3). you vulnerable.

6.42
 In combat, a power that is ‘warming up’ and
prep time(+time/4): The power requires a targeted by something else is assumed to have
certain amount of time before it is ready to an elapsed time of the turn mod that has
use. The modifier rounds towards zero, so time elapsed from the time it was activated.
levels of less than +4 are worth no bonus.
If you activate a power with this modifier and
A power that takes 15 seconds from when you someone spends +6 turn mod on an attack
start activating it to when it finally turns on (a against you, it is assumed to happen after your
time level of +8) is worth a +2 modifier. power has been on for a time level of +6.

The default is that once you make the ‘turn on requires 2 users(+4): The power cannot be
the power’ decision, you do not need to do activated by only one person. Enough people
anything else except wait. However, any limits with the identical power must be available,
that would cause the power to turn off will also (you can have more than you actually need).
be applicable during the waiting period and will You may take this modifier multiple times,
keep the power from activating. doubling the required people each time.

A power that takes 15 seconds to activate and A power that requires 8 people with the same
which has an power duration of ‘until stunned’ power to activate it would be a +12 modifier.
will not activate if you are stunned during that
15 seconds of waiting. It would have to be One person uses and directs the power, but
activated again and start a new 15 second all are required for the power to work. If the
preparation time. power can operate with a subset of the full
total, you get a +3 modifier instead of +4, but
The power is considered to be ‘active’ from the the effect is reduced if you have less than the
moment preparation starts, so you cannot use full number. The power cannot be used solo. If
the same power again just because the first any preparation limits like concentration are
‘power duration’ has not technically begun. broken for any member, the preparation is
broken for all members, which does include
warmup(+varies): the power is ready to use things like triggering of side effects.
almost immediately, but only at a low level. It
starts at zero effect and increases by +3 (or A power that requires 8 people has a +12
+1d) each time level that elapses after this, modifier but does not work at all if you only have
up to a maximum of the designed power level. 4 people to use it. A power can can use up to 8
If the warmup is per +2 per time level the people has a +9 modifier. If only 6 people show
modifier is +2 and if the warmup is +1 per up, you use it with a -3 to the power level (the
time level the modifier is +3. Steam engines difference between a +6 modifier for 4 people
and really large gadgets can often use this and the +9 for 8 people).
modifier to good effect. The modifier adds
some bookkeeping and should be approved This modifier and the ‘assistants’ modifier are
before use. designed for powers of a ceremonial nature,
and the assumption is that all the users are
A 6d+0 force field (effect of +18) with ‘warmup’ within touching range of at least one other
would start at +0 effect (or 0d+0) and increase user or assistant for the power. A gameworld
by 1d each time level, reaching its full 6d+0 might have a different efficiency value for
power at a time level of +6 (8 seconds). If it had ‘ceremonial magic’, making it the only way to
‘warmup’ of only +1 per time level it would have generate really powerful effects for reasonable
taken a time level of +18 (8 minutes) to reach point costs.
full power.

6.43
 Flexibility
may use 2 assistants(+2): The power may This is a set of conceptual modifiers
take advantage of skilled or semi-skilled that is amazingly important. Flexibility
assistants, up to the maximum number for the as a type of modifier means ‘what can
modifier. You may take the modifier multiple I do to adjust this power and make it do things
times, doubling the number of assistants each differently?’. Properly applied, this lets you turn
time. At least 2 assistants are always required. one power into a group of powers. Flexibility
can be ‘wild magic’, it can be a superhero
A power with 8 assistants has a +6 modifier and doing something creative with a power, or a
acts like a power with 3 extra users. gadget-maker improvising something in the
heat of combat.
Lacking the required number for the modifier
chosen means you reduce the power level. Flexibility has two aspects, the degree of
Assistants usually must have spent 1S or 1P to flexibility and the ease of flexibility. A wizard
be useful. That is, they have some minor who can simply alter a few arcane syllables
amount of power or skill to contribute. has an easier flexibility than a merc who has
to go back to his armory to alter a weapon.
Wand of fire: Step 9
At this point we need to decide how the wand degree of flexibility modifier
of fire is actually used. Conceptually, we have +
_ each point of flexibility within a power -3
already decided it is a gadget, and since it is +
_ each point of flexibility within an effect -2
a ranged attack power we know a certain type +
_ each point of flexibility within a detail -2
of skill roll is required. We go with a ranged
combat skill roll and gestures with one hand. So: ease of flexibility modifier
+
_ adjustable each action -2
name type concept +
_ adjustable each encounter +1
wand paranormal lethal +
_ adjustable each game session +2
of fire offense magic +
_ adjustable each adventure +3
gadget +
_ adjustable each day +1
+
_ adjustable each week +3
gameworld base = 0/9 modifier +
_ reactive adjustment -1
effect: offense(lethal damage) +0 +
_ no change at all +1
˛ suite: single power +0 +
_ location-based adjustment +1
range: medium (90 meters) -5 +
_ usage modifiers +special
6 duration of power: instant +2
6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5 omni-power modifier
“ defense against: very broad type +4 +
_ omni-power -12
“ defense against: in decreasing layers +0
contingency(visibility): obvious +0 targeting modifier
contingency(circumstance): not wet +1 +
_ increased number of targets -(lev.+1)
contingency(special effect): sets fires +1 +
_ increased area(radius) -radius lev.
contingency(accuracy): +2 -1 +
_ explosion -8
usage: ranged combat skill roll +2 +
_ line of hexagons(plus incr. area) +6
usage: gestures (one hand) +1 +
_ narrow cone(plus incr. area) +4
+
_ wide cone(plus incr. area) +2
The modifier total at this point is +1. To save +
_ boundary effect(plus incr. area) +2
space, we will just start with this subtotal from +
_ slow power(-1 initiative) +2
from now on.

6.44
 You have a power that has ±2 flexibility and
Degree of flexibility for sake of the example we will say that it is our
The extent to which the normal effect can be wand of fire. With a flexibility of ±2 we can
stretched out or modified. Powers do not have change 2 modifiers and have a total change in
to have any flexibility and the default is ‘none’. the modifier total of ±2 from the original
If you want a power that can do anything, see configuration. As a default, we have the flexibility
the ‘omni-power’ modifier. in +2 over the normal power level. We could give
up this +2 to give the power a range modifier
+
_ adjust flexibility in a power(-3): The user of that was 2 points different. We might increase
the power can, within the same power and the Accuracy instead. Or we might do something
other modifiers on that effect, change any of fancy like change the requirement for a ranged
them to any other value or combination of combat roll (a +2 modifier) to an opposed Will
values. Each ‘point of flexibility’ can: roll (a +4 modifier). Or, we could just look at
the final power level for the wand and increase
• add a new modifier with a value of up to ±1 per it by +2 (or -2, if you really wanted to).
point of flexibility
• adjust an existing modifier by ±1 per point of +
_ adjust flexibility in an effect(-2): This is just
flexibility like the previous modifier, but you may only
• adjust the power level by +1 make the alterations within the effect chosen.

You may not make more changes or additions Using the wand of fire again, its designed effect is
than the points of flexibility you have. If you ‘offense(lethal damage)’, which is a +0 modifier.
are not using the flexibility for any other As-is, we could leave the 2 points of flexibility in
purpose, it is assumed to be increasing the increased damage. Or, we could change the effect
power level. and say it does half-lethal damage instead, or say
that instead of doing lethal damage, the power
Altering one modifier by +1 and another by -1 is harms a narrow category of other powers. Both of
a total of 2 modifiers being changed, with no these are -2 modifiers, which places them in the
modifier being changed by more than 1 and the range available to 2 points of flexibility.
sum of the change being +0. Since the largest of
these values is 2 (changing 2 modifiers), doing +
_ adjust flexibility in a detail(-2): This is just
this would require a flexibility of ±2, which would like the previous modifier, except you may
be a modifier of -6. only make the alterations within one of: range,
duration, defense against, contingencies,
You could in many cases simply have a flexibility, frequency and gadget. Theoretically
multiple power suite that had a selection of you could use this to adjust flexibility in a
similar powers with different modifiers and end different way (2 points of detail flexibility could
up with a bonus for the suite instead of a become 1 point of effect flexibility), but this is
penalty for flexibility. The difference is that generally frowned upon.
each power in the suite costs P, while one
power that is flexible only costs P for itself. Any of the above three modifiers can be used to
increase the power level. It is assumed that if
you are not using the flexibility in some other
way, that it is being utilized to boost the power
level. This is important to remember for things
like small guns or weapon gadgets, where an
extra point of damage can be important.

6.45
 +
_ usage modifiers(+special): This means that
Ease of flexibility changing the flexibility is subject to a set of
This is how frequently you can use flexibility in restrictions like those used to turn the power
a power and how easy it is to make changes. on. The amount you get for these restrictions
Changing something ‘as an action’ may still is half the total for usage modifiers needed to
take significant time, depending on other use the flexibility, rounding down. You normally
modifiers. Changing a tire is ‘an action’, it just only get one attempt to change the flexibility
happens to be complex, time consuming in the listed interval.
action.
If altering the flexibility in your power requires
+
_ each action(-2): You may as a minor action, both hands (the ‘gestures’ modifier for +3), then
adjust the flexibility within the limits you have you get a +1 modifier for it.
set.
Usage modifiers may not be used unless they
+
_ each encounter(+1): Once between each are actually a restriction within the timeframe
combat or other turn-based encounter, you of changing the flexibility. Having to use both
may as a major action adjust the flexibility hands to change a power is no real penalty if
within the limits you have set. you can only do it once per adventure and
have all the time in the world to do it. On the
+
_ each session(+2): Once between each other hand, a preparation time of an hour is
session of play, you may adjust the flexibility significant if you can change the power once
within the limits you have set. per encounter or once per day. Since this is
subjective, the gamemaster decides if there is
+
_ each adventure(+3): Once between each any question.
adventure, you may adjust the flexibility within
the limits you have set. +
_ reactive(-1): The overall frequency with
which the flexibility can be used is unchanged,
+
_ each day(+1): Once each day, you may as a but you can do it at any point in that interval.
major action adjust the flexibility within the This is most useful with something like ‘each
limits you have set. encounter’, so while you can still only change it
once, you can do so in the middle of an
+
_ each week(+3): Once each week, you may encounter to reflect changing conditions.
as a major action adjust the flexibility within
the limits you have set. +
_ no change at all(+1): You cannot take this
modifier unless you have at least a -1 modifier
+
_ location-based(+1): This modifier is taken in in some other aspect of flexibility. All this
addition to another ease of flexibility modifier. means is that your power is doing something
The points of flexibility may only be applied at like having increased targets or area, this is
that location. A ‘location’ is fairly subjective as the only way in which it differs from a normal
a definition and should be a fairly small area power and you do not have any need to
appropriate to the nature of the power. A change it.
mercenary might be able to change up his or
her weapons at their armory room, while a Your power is ‘forked lightning’, which always has
mechanic might adjust a car in their garage the option of hitting two separate targets. This
and a wizard might only be able to adjust would be ‘increased targets(2)’ for a -3 modifier,
spells in their contemplation chamber. and ‘no change at all’ for a +1 modifier and a
total modifier of -2.

6.46
 Targeting
+
_ omni-power(-12): This is a special case of This is modifiers related to area effects or
flexibility. You design a power simply by hitting more than one target at the same time.
taking the gameworld base, this modifier and
any other modifiers that are mandatory or +
_ increased targets(-varies): This means
otherwise cannot be made more positive. After that instead of hitting one target, you may
you apply the gameworld base, omni-power hit multiple targets of the same type. The
modifier and other modifiers, the total must be negative modifier would be the level associated
at least +0. Your final result is a power level to with the maximum quantity of targets, plus 1.
which you can apply any effect or modifier,
giving you a power at the resulting level. A quantity of x11 is a quantity level of +7. So,
a power that could hit 11 targets at once would
If you had a modifier total for your omni-power of have a modifier of -8 (the negative value of the
+10 and then said it had these characteristics of (modifier plus 1)).
the wand of fire for your action:
This modifier means that the power acts in a
offense: damage to lethal hits +0 way that can hit multiple targets, and does so
˛ suite: single power +0 without filling an area. Something like a bolt of
range: medium (90 meters) -5 lightning that arcs through a group of foes, for
6 duration of power: instant +2 instance. Normally, you would pick one target
6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5 and roll whatever you needed to hit them.
“ defense against: average type +2 Each 2 points you make this roll by chains the
contingency(visibility): obvious +0 effect to the next target, which is usually
whichever one is closest to the original target.
the result would be a power level of +4 (the +10 If a followup target has different modifiers
from your other modifiers, plus the list above. associated with hitting it, you may apply these
The benefit of the omni-power is that if you as though they altered the die roll. Once you
could change it every action and your target was miss a target, all subsequent targets are also
just a few meters away, you could drop the range missed.
to ‘very short’ (a -1), and get +4 to your power
level. Or, if you knew your foe had no bronze If the second target is one range level further
armor, you could make the defense ‘bronze away than the first target, you need to make
armor’ and thus render their defenses useless. roll by 3 to hit it. If it is one range level closer,
then you only need to make the roll by 1 to hit
You can change the omni-power anytime you the second target.
can alter the flexibility with ‘ease of flexibility’
modifiers you have set. +
_ increased area(-varies): This means that
instead of hitting a specific target, you are
The note about some other modifiers being filling an area and everything in the area is
mandatory is this: If you take a limit on the hit. You may still have additional targeting
omni-power, it is a function of the omni-power. modifiers. So, you might fill an area with a
If it is in the form of a ring that has 3 wishes mental blast and then everyone in that area
(in game terms, 3 charges), then you cannot has to oppose your Will roll in order to take
use a wish to give the ring more wishes. If the any effect. Or, it might be like a fireball where
omni-power can only be used during the full simply being in the area applies the effect
moon, you cannot adjust the modifier to allow directly to any defenses.
you to use it at any other time. You probably
have to take some positive modifiers to get the
overall total up to +0 or more.
6.47
 +
_ cone(+varies): The effect of
The negative modifier for an increased area as the power extends in a 15° or
a radius is the distance level of that radius. 30° arc from the source of the
power, which means it spreads
A distance of 4 meters is a distance level of +7, one hex to each side for each 5
so a power that fills a circle with a 4 meter radius or 10 hexes of range. A narrow
has a modifier of -7. cone effect reduces the difficulty
for range by 3 and a wide cone
This modifier can also be used to generate by 6. If the area has hexes filled
any one shape that can fit inside this radius. with effect on all sides, a potential
Changing the shape would require 1 point of target does not get to use Dodge
flexibility in ‘flexibility’, which would be an as they are fully within the effect.
additional -2 modifier. If they are on the edges of the
effect, they can use Dodge. If you
Areas are assumed to be half as high as they are not using a map, a target can be fully
are wide if on the ground, and as tall as they enclosed in a cone if they are far enough away
are wide if in the air. So, a circular area on the that it has spread at least one hex to either
ground appears as a hemisphere, but would be side.
a full sphere in the air. And if it matters while
on the ground, it would also be a full sphere, it The cone, line and boundary effect modifiers
is just that half of it is underground. can only be used in combination with an
explosion or radius modifier to generate the
Offense effects usually have to penetrate any other dimensions of the area.
appropriate barrier or defense in the area. So,
a circular area on the ground does not melt If you had a radius effect of 4 meters and a wide
rock under your feet, nor does a fireball cone modifier, then you would make a wide cone
appear inside a closed container just because that was 4 hexes long. The range of the power
the container was in the area. would be the furthest point you could put the
narrow end of the cone at.
A target’s Dodge does not apply vs. any effect
that fills an area, since you are not targeting +
_ line(+6): A line effect is an area one hex
the person, just the area they are in. You may wide, extending from the source of the power.
get out of the area before the attack lands if It reduces the difficulty for range by 2. Targets
you have initiative or a held action and your with Dodge can use it to help avoid the beam,
Walk distance or any move you can do as a but static targets are likely to be hit. Because
minor action is sufficient to exit the area, or you can only draw a straight line on a hex map
you choose to use a desperation action to dive in six directions, just use common sense and
clear. give the player the benefit of the doubt if
trying to put multiple targets in a line of fire.
+
_ explosion(-8): The effect of the power is full A slight zigging and zagging is permitted,
at the center of the effect and in adjacent especially if there is an adjustable flexibility in
hexes, and drops by -6 (or -2d) for each 2 the power or its details.
distance levels past this. See the advanced
rules for explosions for details (page 5.29). A previous example gave a -7 modifier for an
an area effect with a radius of 4 meters. If this
were instead just a line of hexes 4 meters long,
the total modifier would be -1.

6.48
 Wand of fire: Step 10
+
_ boundary effect(+2): This will usually only Just to demonstrate the flexibility modifiers, we
apply to powers that also have a cone, radius decide that a skilled user of the wand can make
or shape effects. It means the area affected occasional slight adjustments to the effects. We
is a border, wall or fringe. It only affects decide to give it 1 point of flexibility in one detail,
targets that it passes over or which try to which can be changed between game sessions if
cross it. A ‘force wall’ or ‘wall of fire’ would be the user makes a hard(11) skill roll. Remember
an example. that usage modifiers applied to flexibility only
count half, so the skill roll modifier will only be
Any power with a boundary effect is assumed +1 instead of +2. So:
to be a separate layer from any other defense modifier
for purposes of being compared to attacks. So, previous total +1
armor and a force wall would layer like two +
_ flexibility: 1 point of details -2
layers of worn armor. Any defensive power +
_ flexibility: change between sessions +2
with an area or boundary effect transmits zero +
_ flexibility: hard(11) skill roll to change +1
blunt trauma. There is enough separation subtotal +2
between the defense and you that you feel no
adverse effects from anything that hits it. So, If we do not use the flexibility, the default is that
you should not normally take the ‘acts as rigid it adds to the power level, so we would have an
armor’ or ‘acts as flexible armor’ modifiers. effective power level of +3. As an example of the
things we could do with the details, we could
+
_ slow power(+2): This modifier means that if adjust the range modifier by 1, extending it from
you use this power, it acts with an initiative of 90 meters to 350 meters. We could change the
1 point less than what you declared. This sort ‘defense against’ modifier to something a little
of means that you have to declare use of this harder to protect against, or change the visibility
power as part of your initiative if it going to be from ‘obvious’ to ‘subtle’. You could even turn it
your first action, and the effect on initiative into a distress beacon by turning the visibility up
has to be considered if you use it as a second to ‘very obvious’. Just remember that you have
or third action in a turn. Slow powers will to choose which detail is flexible when you design
automatically lose initative ties in case of equal the power.
results.
If you look at the flexibility modifiers you will see
If you had a slow power an declared an initiative that you can get 1 point of different types of
of 1, you would act at initiative 0, and do so after flexibility that you can change each game session
everyone who declared an initiative of 0. or adventure as a +0 modifier or even a small
positive modifier. This is deliberate and meant to
You may only take this modifier on powers encourage players to have and use flexibility,
which can be turned on or off no slower than a reminding you again that flexibility that is not
major action. So, if you have a power that applied just counts towards the power level.
takes a minute of preparation time, you cannot
also say it is a ‘slow power’. With gamemaster
permission, this modifier can be taken up to
three times. This modifier may be used for
making slow projectile weapons or unwieldy
melee weapons.

6.49
 gdrain per power level(±varies): Powers are
Frequency an expenditure of energy. You can say that the
This is a set of conceptual modifiers energy has to come from somewhere. To make
that is also important and meant to design easier, the default is that powers can
integrate into the sliding turn scale for just happen with no more effort than willing it
EABA combat. Frequency relates to the macro to happen. If a power has drain, the default is
scale of how often you can use a power on the that it comes from the user of the power, and
long scale, like ‘once per day’, and also on the costs +1 towards stamina use per some
small scale, like ‘my gun has a fifteen round amount of final effect (rounding up). The
clip and I have two extra clips’ or ‘using this amount power use contributes to stamina loss
power is physically exhuasting’. is called ‘drain’. If you are not using the full
stamina rules, assume each 5 points of drain
Frequency has two major subdivisions, which in a turn (round nearest) burns 1 stamina.
are ‘drain’ and ‘stored power’. Because of the
number of permutations, these will be split More severe drains give a positive modifier,
into two tables. less severe drains are a negative modifier.
Remember that in combat, the drain for using
Drain a power is counts the portion of the turn you
The default for a power is that it costs you are using the power, even if you are not using
nothing but time to use. A power with a drain turn mod on actions, and it applies to each
modifier costs you something from a personal power used in this way. For powers that are on
reserve. Most of the time, we assume this is all the time (like a force field), this can add up.
just like regular exertion and is handled using Remember that if a power has no drain, the
the stamina rules at the start of chapter 5. The turn mod you apply to it is irrelevant!
reason you would take drain as a modifier is
that you want or need a boost to your power If the available turn mod is +8 and you are flying
level because of a bunch of negative modifiers and maintaining a force field for the whole turn,
you have taken, and drain is an easy and fairly then you are spending +16 towards stamina use
realistic way to do it. The other reason is that just for the time, plus any amount for the drain
your gamemaster has mandated some level of the powers.
of drain for all powers in a particular game
setting. If you have a power with a separate energy
reserve, it calculates things the same way.
drain modifier An energy reserve is measured in points that
g +2 per +3 power level +9 are the equivalent of stamina. If the drain of a
g +1 per +3 power level +7 power is something other than stamina (like
g +1 per +6 power level +5 draining your hits), you would calculate its
g +1 per +9 power level +4 drain completely separately.
g +1 per +12 power level +3
g +1 per +15 power level +2 If you have a +15 (or 5d+0) power, a drain of
g +1 per +18 power level +1 +1 per +12 means it would be +2 drain, while
g no drain(default) +0 +1 per +15 means it would only be +1 drain.
g zero drain -1
g drain is non-lethal hits +2 If it matters, drain happens after the power
g drain is lethal hits +4 activates (or fails to activate), so any penalties
g drain is an attribute +4 the drain might cause do not apply to actions
g steady drain -level/4 involving that power.
g pushable -1

6.50
 gdrain is lethal hits(+4): Instead of stamina,
A power with ‘no drain’ and ‘always on’ is usually all use of the power does lethal hits (leaving
some sort of permanent characteristic. If in the stamina untouched), but is otherwise like drain
form of a gadget, it might be something like a of non-lethal hits.
piece of armor. If not in physical form it could
be something like the ability to see in the dark, gdrain is an attribute(+4): Instead of using
a medusa’s ability to petrify things or even a stamina, all use of the power subtracts from
curse like King Midas’ touch. The important the usable level of one or more Attributes
things to look at are the subjective definition and (leaving stamina untouched). This heals like
any ‘special effect’ modifier. the default for attribute damage (same as non-
lethal hits), but is otherwise like drain of non-
gzero drain(-1): This is different than ‘no lethal hits.
drain’. What it means is that you have a drain
based on a power level, but that amount is gsteady drain(-time/4): This just means that
less than 1 and rounds to zero. This is a the power does not have its energy or stamina
special case modifier in case you need a power use tracked like individual activations. You
that actually does consume energy or has an instead determine what drain per amount of
energy source that can be disrupted, and for effect you want, then say that you use this
which the ‘always on’ and ‘no drain’ modifiers amount of stamina (not conventional drain)
are not quite appropriate. Potential for modifier or stored power in the time interval for this
abuse exists, so gamemaster permission is modifier. A power cannot have a ‘steady drain’
required. unless it actually has a drain.

gdrain is non-lethal hits(+2): Instead of You have a power with +18 effect and a drain
being applied towards use of stamina, all use of +1 per +9. If part of the power design was a
of the power is calculated like stamina but the ‘constant drain’ modifier of -5 for a time level of
result applied to non-lethal hits. This is treated +20 (or 15 minutes), then the power costs 2
like non-lethal damage for all game purposes, stamina (1 per +9) per 15 minutes of use. This
with the note that effects of the damage cost of 2 stamina could also be a cost of 2 energy
happen after any power that activates at the from an energy reserve for that power. In terms
same time. This to ensure that you do not stun of actual modifiers, it would look like:
or knock yourself out until after the power has
a chance to work. g frequency: drain of +1 per +9 +4
g frequency: constant drain, +20 time -5
You have a power with +18 effect and a drain total -1
of +1 per +9. This would count as +2 towards
stamina use. If you only used this power with a You can see that once you get to a certain point,
turn mod of +0 and nothing else applied, this it is easier to just take a drain of zero and the
would be no drain at all (since you take losses for ‘always on’ modifier.
each 5 points of drain and it rounds nearest). So,
even if this power drained non-lethal hits, you
could still find ways to use it that would no cost
you anything. On the other hand, if you used the
power with a turn mod of +8, this would be a
total drain of 10 (power is +2, +8 for turn mod).
This would normally be a loss of 2 points of
stamina, but if the power drained non-lethal hits,
your stamina would be untouched by the power
use and you would take it straight off your hits.

6.51
 Stored power
This modifier is generally not for stamina- A power can use energy, but use it from some
costing offensive powers, but is instead good sort of storage. A flashlight has batteries, a
for long-duration things like vehicle fuel tanks, gun has bullets. This stored power is not part
flashlight batteries and such. It is also useful of the adventurer’s stats, but is tied to the
for force field gadgets or other powers that power. This means that the power can in
have an energy reserve. It is also a way to some cases operate independent of the the
assign a long power duration. The power adventurer (anyone can use a gun).
operates until the energy reserve runs dry.
Stored power modifiers relate to the type, the
A power that is just a ‘battery’ is a gadget quantity and how you can replace, replenish or
using the ‘independent reserve’ modifier (in the recharge the supply. Because this is detail that
next section). has a lot of importance for gadgets, there are
a lot of modifiers in this group.
gpushable(-1): This means that if a power has
a drain or an energy reserve of some kind, stored power modifier
you can get more power than normal at a g charges -2
cost of drastically increased energy use. You g energy reserve +0
can increase your power level by +1 for 1 g communal reserve +1
stamina, up to a maximum bonus of +3 for g independent reserve -9
mundane powers and +6 for paranormal ones. g reserve discharge rate +time/4
If the drain is in the form of something other g linked to stamina +1
than stamina, the extra cost is paid in that
form. quantity of power modifier
g 1 +7
If using a power costs you non-lethal hits, then g 2 +6
‘pushing’ the power costs you non-lethal hits. g 3 +5
g 4 +4
If a power is something that can be sustained, g 6 +3
then the time level it is used over adds to the g 8 +2
extra cost paid. g 11 +1
g 15 +0
If you have a force field with a duration of ‘an g 23 -1
action’ and the current turn has a duration of g 32 -2
+4 time, then pushing the forcefield by +3 for g 45 -3
the entire turn would cost you 7 stamina instead g 65 -4
of +3. g 90 -5
g 125 -6
This modifier is coded red because of the g 180 -7
potential for abuse. For purely mundane game g 250 -8
settings, you can make them a little more g 400 -9
heroic by saying that anyone can ‘push’ their g 700 -10
Strength at the cost of 1 non-lethal hit per +1 g 1000 -11
Strength, up to a maximum of +3. g each +1 quantity level -1

6.52
 A charge runs at the level of power specified in
power subdivision modifier the power, cannot be adjusted and is assumed
g quantity in 1 set +0 to already have the ‘full power only’ modifier.
g quantity in 2 sets +1
g quantity in 3 sets +2 You cannot fire a bullet at less than full damage.
g quantity in 4 sets +3
g quantity in 6 sets +4 genergy reserve(+0): An ‘energy reserve’ is
g quantity in 8 sets +5 more like a battery. It holds an amount of
g quantity in 11 sets +6 stamina or its equivalent (electricity, mana,
etc.), and this can be used for a power just
It is important to note that the default for as stamina would be. Charges are usually
stored power is that it is non-renewable. If you something that is used up and replaced, while
want an energy supply to be reusable or an energy reserve is like a battery that is
rechargeable, you will also need one or more depleted and then recharged in the same way
of the following modifiers. that stamina is used.

energy replacement modifier The different between the two is that charges
g replace as an action +0 are most often used for powers with a power
g replace as time level +time/4 duration of ‘an action’ or ‘an instant’, while an
g incremental time level +2 energy reserve is usually more appropriate for
g average(7) skill roll +1 power durations of more than an action. You
g hard(11) skill roll +2 can have something like a force field that runs
g heroic(15) skill roll +3 off of charges, but this means that each time
g power replenishment -special the force field turns on, it uses up a charge.
g extra hands to repl. +special
g special equip. to repl. +1 A power running from an energy reserve can
g energy size/weight ±special be adjusted up or down to alter the energy
g disposable (see rules) +6 tech consumption. Bear in mind for both charges
g replenish from stamina +2 and energy reserves that power duration is not
g mundanely replaced -1 affected. If you have a power duration of ‘until
g grid power +1 stunned’ and the power runs off charges, then
g full replacement only +1 one charge lasts until you are stunned.
g set replacement +level/4 This could be very appropriate for things like
magic spells. If you are stunned, then the
gcharges(-2): ‘Charges’ are discrete units of magic is dispelled and the charge is used up.
energy. Bullets would be the ‘charges’ for a
gun. The wishes in a wishing ring would be glinked to stamina(+1): This only applies to
‘charges’. A power with charges automatically energy reserves, and means that if the energy
has no drain and must take a +0 modifier for reserve runs dry, the power will automatically
that category. When the power runs out of start draining the user’s stamina at whatever
charges, you cannot use it until you replace the drain rate is for that power. Otherwise,
them. This modifier is often used in a tech when the energy reserve runs out, the power
context, but it can also apply to magic. For can no longer be used.
instance, a ‘wishing ring’ might be really
powerful but only have one ‘charge’.

A magic wand (or gun) with 8 charges would

have a ‘number of charges’ modifier of +2.

6.53
 gdischarge rate(+time/4): A mandatory
gcommunal reserve(+1): This only applies feature of an independent energy reserve is a
to power suites of at least two powers. The ‘discharge rate’. The default is that the entire
energy available is shared between the reserve can be discharged in an instant (or 1
powers, and you get a +1 modifier on each second), but combined with the large negative
power in the suite and each power in the suite modifier for an independent reserve, it makes
must have the same energy reserve and each a reserve that can be used up as fast very
power has the same modifiers for that reserve. inefficient. Especially for gadgets like batteries,
you can have a much slower rate. The time
If you have a magic wand with three powers and level/4 is the minimum time in which you can
fifteen charges in a communal reserve, then use 1 energy from the reserve. This makes it
each power gets this modifier for +1, and using ideal for powers with the ‘constant drain’
any of the three powers uses one of the charges. modifier, you simply make an energy reserve
with the same rate of energy output as the
With gamemaster permission, a communal power needs. Most technological batteries will
reserve can apply across multiple power suites, have a ‘discharge rate’ modifier of +4 or +5,
so you can have several powers that operate good for anything except weapons, which
at the same time, drawing from a common generally have the default of +0 or possibly a
energy pool that is separate from stamina. +1 for weapons with a 4 second cycle time.
Note that you can get around this somewhat
Stored power generally has the same subjective by using multiple batteries, so the gamemaster
characteristics as the power it is used in. It may needs to be aware of the possibility for abuse.
have its own unique sub-characteristic. A gun
might take ‘9mm pistol bullets’ and a flashlight An Atomic Era ‘battery’ (tech base of 9/0) for
might use ‘AA batteries’. This is only important small devices might look something like this:
if the stored power has characteristics allowing it
to be transferred from one power to another. tech base = 9/0 modifier
g frequency: energy reserve +0
g independent reserve(-9): This is a special g frequency: independent reserve -9
modifier on an energy reserve that you would g frequency: discharge 1 per 4 min +4
use to create a floating pool of energy that is g frequency: x8 energy +2
separate from both your own stamina and any g frequency: replace energy in 15 min +5
particular power. You apply the gameworld or g frequency: incremental replacement +1
tech base, this modifier and any frequency g frequency: special equipment +1
or gadget or usage modifiers that are gadget: obvious +2
appropriate (and modifiers outside this with gadget: carried +2
gamemaster permission). You do this such gadget: mundane +1
that the ‘quantity of power’ modifier and the gadget: .1 kilogram -9
second value in the tech base give a final total +0
power level of +0. The independent reserve
has to have a subjective description just like a We picked a value for the quantity of power that
power, and this defines its nature. It can be made the power level +0. This battery has 8
used to power or recharge any power that ‘energy’ that can be used to run any power with
uses that sort of energy. With gamemaster a compatible subjective description. In this case
permission, an independent reserve can take a it could be something like a ‘D cell’ and have ‘D
modifier so it can be ‘pushed’, counting each cell battery’ as part of its description. The battery
point of energy like it was stamina. needs a charger to get its energy back, and can
recharge 1 energy per 15 minutes.

6.54
 gskill roll(+varies): In addition to the action,
Energy replacement it requires a skill roll to successfully replace the
A power with an energy supply can have energy. This roll is usually done at the end of
modifiers related to how its energy is replaced, the time interval to see if it was successful,
distributed, and recovered. These are mostly and the skill roll is normally the same one
to help recreate weapons and certain tech required to target the power, or an Agility roll
gadgets. if there is no skill roll needed.

A power that simply has a drain or uses gextra hands(+varies): It normally takes one
stamina gets back that energy naturally. A free hand to exchange energy. The quantity
power that uses bullets or a battery pack or a level of hands needed is a bonus.
mana gem does not, and these powers must
have modifiers to represent how, when and A quantity of x6 is a quantity level of +5. So, a
sometimes where this energy can be replaced gadget that required ‘6 hands’ (i.e. 3 people) to
or replenished. replace its energy would get a +5 modifier.

gmultiple sets(+special): If the total energy You would normally use this modifier if the
is in separate packages, you get a +1 modifier energy was very bulky or heavy.
for each quantity level of sets past x1. So if
your gun has 32 shots in two 16-shot clips, gspecial equipment(+1): This just means the
you get a +1 modifier (level for x2 quantity is power cannot be replaced or recharged without
+1 past the level x1 quantity). If it were four some sort of tools or other gear. This could be
8-shot clips you would get a +3 modifier (level the ammo crane for a battleship gun, a special
for x8 quantity is +3 past the level for x1 electrical connector for a gadget, or something
quantity). as a simple as a screwdriver to get at the
battery compartment. Any skill roll done to
greplace as an action(+0): This is the default replace the energy without the equipment is
and just means that swapping out one set of at +10 difficulty. If the replacement does not
energy for another takes one major action with have a skill roll, then it is impossible without
a default time level of +0. the special equipment.

greplace as time level(+level/4): It takes This goes well with a ‘power replenishment’
longer as the default time level to replace or modifier on a battery (an ‘independent
swap out the energy supply. It still counts as reserve’), and the special equipment is just a
one action, and if the process is disrupted it battery charger, allowing you to have a net +0
has to be restarted from scratch. modifier for the combination of charging rate
and charger.
gincremental time-dependent(+1): This
means that when energy replenishment starts,
it has a time-dependent interval, but you only
get 1 energy each time this interval passes.

If you get back the first charge or unit of energy

after a time level of +8, you get the next one
+8 time after that, then one more at +8 after
that, and so on.

6.55
 gsize/weight(±special): This modifier can
The ‘powercells’ on the gear list are designed only be taken if the power is in the form of a
with these modifiers and are about the equivalent gadget with a listed mass. There is a general
of a ‘D cell’ in real-world terms. They design out assumption that the energy for a power is
as more expensive in mundane cost, but at that about one-eighth the mass of the gadget (or
minor level of expense should not be breaking -9 off the gadget’s mass level). This is part of
the bank account of most adventurers. Actual the gadget mass, not an addition to it. This
consumer batteries have the following masses ratio is for the energy that is usable by the
(for NiMH batteries) and modifiers. The ‘energy’ gadget. So, if you have 32 charges for a gun
value is the levels of energy difference between in four 8-round clips, each of the clips has the
this battery and the EABA-standard powercell. mass of one-eighth of the gadget. While the
one in the gun is assumed in the mass of the
mass modifier gun, the other three clips count towards your
AAA cell(energy-11) ≈.01kg -20 encumbrance.
AA cell(energy-6) ≈.03kg -15
C cell(energy-2) ≈.08kg -11 A gadget with a mass of 6 kilograms (mass level
default powercell(energy+0) ≈.10kg -9 of -3) will have a default mass level of -12 (or
D cell(energy+1) ≈.17kg -8 .8 kilograms) for its energy supply. This could
9v battery(energy-4) ≈.05kg -13 be the power gems in a magic staff or the
bullets in a rifle.

If you really needed to know the energy in a If the energy supply for the gadget can be
AA battery in the Atomic Era, then you would removed and replaced, you can change this
look up the Atomic Era powercell, see that it ratio. Changing it by +3 is a +1 modifier and
had x8 energy (a level of +6), then subtract 6 changing it by -3 is a -1 modifier (heavier
for the reduced size of the AA cell for a level reloads are positive, lighter ones are negative).
of +0 and thus a quantity of x1 energy. Note Obviously, you cannot make reloads bigger
that any sort of powercell rules are subject to than the gadget, so the maximum positive
the vagaries of tech and cost. Higher-priced value of the modifier is +3.
‘lithium batteries’ might give you +1 level of
energy, as might ‘Late Atomic Era’ batteries as If you wanted a rocket launcher to have bulky
compared to ‘Atomic Era’ ones. Cheap batteries reloads, you would change the ratio one way
from the discount store might have -1 level of (heavier reloads) and if you had a single-shot rifle
energy. you would change it the other way (lighter ones).

Designing genre-plausible future or near-future This modifier is really only for versimilitude
energy weapons is going to require appropriate when trying to recreate certain weapons. In
modifiers to reflect that particular reality. For general:
instance, if you set up the tech base so that modifier
plasma weapons were 3/18 and lasers were 0/9, reloadable rocket launchers +3
but plasma weapons had a required drain of 2 crew-served machineguns +1
per +3 power while lasers were 1 per +6, then assault rifles with ≈30 round clip +0
you are skewing plasma weapons to be favored submachinegun with ≈30 round clip +0
for big weapons with very few shots and lasers most semi-auto pistols +0
for smaller weapons with lots of shots. Rules for revolvers -1
powercells can contribute to this as well. hunting rifles or hunting shotguns -2
muzzle-loading weapons -2

6.56
 ggrid power(+1): This means that the power
gdisposable(+6 tech): This is a special case gets its energy from a fixed source and is
for powers that are ‘used up’ (like grenades). usually tethered to that source. This could be a
All the energy must be in one set that is in the power outlet in the wall, a waterwheel in a
power, so you cannot use any of the reloading river or whatever. The power must have some
or energy size and weight modifiers. You can energy storage, but this can be as little as 1
have more than 1 energy or charge, you just energy. The energy automatically replenishes
cannot reload it. Disposable powers get +6 to full at a rate of 1 per second if connected to
to both parts of their tech or gameworld the source of power.
base, as appropriate. This is not a modifier,
just an adjustment to the tech base. The gfull set(+1): This just means that you get
mundane cost of the power as a gadget would back all the energy at once. This only works
be -6 from normal, and a disposable power for time-dependent replacement and only for
bought with P would lose any P invested after more than 1 unit of energy or charge.
its use. The latter case would be appropriate
for gameworlds where magic items were rare You have a magic wand with 8 charges that gets
and required an investment of lifeforce back 1 charge per hour (time level of +24). So,
(someone’s character points!) to be created. every 8 hours the wand refills itself to the full 8
charges, whether it was empty or almost full, and
greplenish from stamina(+2): This means it only gets charges back once per 8 hours.
you recharge the energy from your personal
stamina on a 1-to-1 basis. The rate at which Wand of fire: Step 11
stamina is used for this is decided when you So, how to power the wand? The easiest thing
create the power and is usually an additional would be to say it has no drain at all and you just
time-dependent modifier. After using stamina use it. But, the gamemaster has said that all
to replenish the power, your stamina recovers magical gadgets have to run off of charges. So,
normally. You may usually start and stop the we add some frequency modifiers:
replenishment at will, choosing when and how modifier
much stamina to use, noting that you do have previous total +2
to do it in increments of at least 1 stamina. g frequency: charges -2
g frequency: 8 charges +2
You could say replenishment was time-dependent, g frequency: replenishment -1
draining 1 point of your stamina every 4 minutes time level of +12(one minute)(+3)
(time level of +16) until the power is recharged. 1 energy per time interval(-6)
hard(11) skill roll(+2)
gmundane replacement(-1): This just means g frequency: replenish from stamina +2
that there should be little difficulty in obtaining subtotal +3
replacement charges or energy in any area in
which the gadget can be acquired in the first What these modifiers mean is:
place. Places that sell guns also have places • the power has 8 non-removable charges
that sell bullets. Places that sell flashlights also • by making a hard(11) skill roll over the
have places that sell flashlight batteries. This • course of 1 minute, you can recover 1 charge
modifier does not mean you can carry more • each charge replenished costs you 1 stamina
gadget-ready energy than you paid for, but
you can probably replace the supply between
encounters without too much difficulty. That is,
you might only have one 10-round clip but 100
rounds of loose ammunition you can use to
reload into that one clip.
6.57
 A ‘real-world’ gadget can only do things
Gadgets appropriate to the technology base of the
Many real-world effects are simply a game setting, both in nature and in power
power effect in a mundane gadget. level, and it probably has a tech era. On the
However, a gadget can be inherently other hand, it can be bought with money
paranormal, like a magic wand. Most powers rather than P. Items on the gear list have their
can be embodied in gadget form. equivalent cost in P just as a reference. If you
wish magical or paranormal gadgets to have
Gadgets are going to be either ‘paranormal’ or power levels appropriate to their physical size,
‘mundane’. A paranormal gadget uses the you may use this modifier for them as well.
gameworld base, while a mundane gadget
uses a tech base instead. Paranormal gadgets Gadgets do not have to be mundane. A magic
are usually bought with P, but a mundane ring might just be a magic ring. A tech era
gadget is designed with a cost in P, and this is implies that there is developed ‘science’ around
converted to a mundane cost in Credits (page the making of the gadget and ‘mundane’
6.60). means that no paranormal powers are needed
tech base to create the item. Whether or not a tech
Primitive Era -9/0. gadget counts as ‘paranormal’ depends on the
Basic Era -6/3. game setting. An assault rifle today is clearly
Industrial Era -3/6. mundane. A distintegrator pistol in today’s
Atomic Era 0/9 world would be paranormal, as would an
Post-Atomic Era 3/12 assault rifle at the Battle of Hastings in
Interstellar Era 6/15 1066CE. In general, if it requires two or more
Advanced Era 9/18 two or more industrial or technological leaps to
each fraction of an era ±1/±1 duplicate the gadget, it is paranormal.

gadget modifier An assault rifle at Custer’s Last Stand would be

obvious +2 mundane. They had machine tools, they had
subtle +1 autofire, cartridge-based, magazine-fed weapons,
hidden +0 so the assault rifle is just a refinement of the
carried +2 concept using better propellants that people
worn +1 could have made at that time. On the other
embedded +0 hand, an assault rifle at the Battle of Hasting is
immobile +4 paranormal. They did not have gunpowder, much
mundane +1 less modern propellant. They lacked both high-
mundane cost: cheap (-2 to cost) -2 quality steel, machine tools and a bunch of other
mundane cost: expensive (+2 to cost) +1 things needed. There is no way they could take it
mundane size ±varies apart, figure out what made it work and duplicate
it, making it ‘paranormal’ by their standards.
Gadgets can be a liability. They can be taken
from you, destroyed and it is often obvious Tech mixing
that you have the gadget and what it does. A If you are making an archaic gadget using
wizard who can cast spells at will is harder to modern materials, use the second value of the
disarm than one who relies on a magic wand tech base for the technology and the first value
to cast their spells. of the tech base for the modern materials. So, if
a crossbow is a Basic Era technology (tech base
of -6/3) and you make one with Atomic Era
materials (tech base of 0/9), you could say the
tech base for the design was 0/3.

6.58
 subtle(+1): You have to take at least a
tech base(special): Any gadget can have a minor action to appraise the situation to see
tech era, the level of mastery that the society the gadget or associate it with any visible
or maker of the gadget has with that particular power effect. A concealed bulletproof vest or
science. A muzzle-loading flintlock and a hidden camera is usually subtle. A skill roll
modern machine pistol might weigh the same appropriate to the nature of the gadget may
and operate on the same principles, but one be substituted for an Awareness roll to spot it.
has a different tech base, giving you more
damage for the same modifier total. Your skills as a bodyguard help you spot other
people who are wearing concealed body armor.
In real-world terms, consider that World War 2
was fought with Late Industrial Era tech and hidden(+0): Even if the power generated by
we are now at Late Atomic Era tech, one full the gadget is obvious, the gadget itself is
tech era of difference. How well would an hidden from casual view and has no obvious
World War 2 army fare against a modern one? connection to the power.

Because this is an equivalent to gameworld carried(+2): The gadget is held in one or

base, you should look at it in the context of both hands, and can be dropped, grabbed, set
your gameworld and specific technologies. It is down or confiscated.
not like a rare spell that ‘only works during the
full moon’, but instead is ‘this affects each worn(+1): The gadget is worn or otherwise
weapon and bit of armor used by a mundane attached in a way that prevents it from being
soldier’. For the future, the tech base assumes removed unless you are incapacitated under
that things get better and more efficient, but duress (‘take it off or we shoot you’).
just like the crossbow in the ‘tech mixing’ note
on the previous page, at some point things like embedded(+0): The gadget is not usually
normal guns will become archaic and start removable without a lot of work, though its
using the concept. effects can be negated under the conditions a
worn gadget can be taken from you. Your eye
obvious(+2): Anyone who looks at you can laser can be covered with an armored patch,
see the gadget. A suit of armor or a blaster your claws can be locked in armored mittens.
rifle is obvious. Whether a primitive alien
knows what a blaster rifle is, is another matter. immobile(+4): The gadget is considered
Whatever the largest modifiers on the power non-portable. While it might be movable, it
are should be visible or readily deducible. cannot be used except as a stationary,
prepared item. It is large, heavy, delicate or
If the biggest modifiers on your gadget are ‘16 a combination of the above. It can still be
kilogram gadget (+12)’, and ‘1 charge (+7), then obvious, hidden or subtle. You may take a
anyone who can see the gadget can tell it is big ‘concentration’ modifier to use the gadget if
and you can probably only use it once. The latter you have to be immobile as well (like seated at
determination is something that may be skill or a control console). A wire-guided anti-tank
culture-dependent. missile would be an example of an immobile
gadget that requires preparation time and
The visibility of the gadget is different than the concentration to both prepare and use it.
visibility of its effect. A laser pistol might be an
obvious gadget with a silent and invisible effect. mundane(+1): This is just a +1 modifier as
a consolation prize for not having a paranormal
gadget.

6.59
 A gadget that is not mundane does not have
mundane cost(±varies): Mundane gadgets this limit on extra P spent, and has double the
are designed with points, but paid for with armor and hits (at least +1 hit) of a mundane
money. You can take a modifier that does gadget, but it also can only be bought with P,
nothing but affect the mundane cost. You while mundane gadgets can be bought with
would usually take either one no more than cash. At least in game terms. Paranormal
twice (and not take both at the same time). gadgets can presumably be bought with cash
or favors or whatever within the normal
mundane size(±varies): A mundane gadget economy of a gameworld, but for play balance
has to have a size and is limited in power. we set up an artificial difference between
A gadget of 1kg or less can have no more than mundane and paranormal gadgets.
+1P in secondary cost. Each doubling after
this (rounding up) means you can spend an Mundane gadgets have a mundane cost.
additional +1P. Paranormal gadgets may have You buy them with money instead of points, so
a size as well but are not limited in P that can anyone with sufficient wealth can own one.
be spent. They are paranormal, after all. The default cost level of a mundane gadget is:

gadget size/weight max +P modifier • the level for the power quantity (count as +0 if
+ -9+
≤.1 kilogram gadget 1 less than +1)
+ -6+
.25 kilogram gadget(knife) 1 • plus the total cost in P
+ -3+
.5 kilogram gadget 1 • plus one-quarter (round up) of:
++0+
1 kilogram gadget(pistol) 1 the size modifier plus
2 kilogram gadget 2 +3 the second value in the tech base
4 kilogram gadget(rifle) 3 +6 • +1 for each power in a suite after the first
8 kilogram gadget 4 +9 • minus half (round towards zero) of any modifier
16 kilogram gadget 5 +12 for coverage of the gadget (items that cover less,
32 kilogram gadget(lmg) 6 +15 cost less)
64 kilogram gadget 7 +18 • then subtract 12 (subtract 18 if disposable)
125 kilogram gadget 8 +21
250 kilogram gadget 9 +24 The first step is the tricky one. Turn the power
500 kilogram gadget 10 +27 level into a quantity and find the equivalent
1 ton gadget(cannon) 11 +30 quantity level. So, a power level of x11 is +7.
each ±1 mass level(±25% weight) ±1
A 4d+2 assault armor is designed with a tech
A 5 kilogram mundane gadget (modifier of +7) base of 0/9. It has a power level of +14, covers
can spend up to +4P over the base power cost the torso (a +3 modifier), has a gadget size
(because you round the mass up). modifier of +9 (8 kilograms) and we will say
it costs 2P to get it to that power level (1P for
This modifier is both hugely important for the base and +1P secondary cost). So:
gadgets and also the most likely to be affected
by a gameworld or tech base. +7 for a power level whose quantity is x14
+2 for 2P in the power
Because anything exceeding the tech base is +5 for one-quarter of (tech base(9) + size(9))
quartered, rounding down, a 16 kilogram gadget -1 for half its coverage(3), round towards zero
(+9 modifier) at the Primitive Era (tech base of -12 as a final step
-9/0) only gets a +2 bonus, while an Atomic Era
one gets a +9 bonus, a difference of 2d+1 if equals a final cost level of +1, or 1400 Credits.
these gadgets were weapons or armor, plus all
the benefits that would occur in other categories.

6.60
 Armor and hits
Having a ‘standard’ set of modifiers for a type of The quick guide is that a strictly mundane
real-world gadget is very useful if you are trying gadget has 1d+0 of armor and zero hits at a
to recreate modern firearms. mass of 1 kilogram and gets +1 armor and +1
hit each time this is doubled. A paranormal
tech base(varies) gadget with mass gets +3 armor and +1 hit,
effect: offense(lethal damage) +0 so a 2 kilogram paranormal gadget has an armor
˛ suite: single power +0 of 2d+1 and 2 hits. Items defined as ‘durable’ (a
range: short to very long -varies subjective measure) get +2 armor. Items that
range: declining damage -1 can realistically take damage and still work have
6 duration of power: instant +2 at least 2 hits, regardless of their size.
6 duration of effect: as lethal hit rec. -5
“ defense against: very broad type +4 Wand of fire: Step 12
“ defense against: in decreasing layers +0 At the very start we defined the wand as a
visibility: obvious +0 gadget, so we have to add the modifiers. We go
1
conditional: /4 effect underwater +0 with some obvious modifiers.
operational effect: recoil +1 modifier
special effect: looks/acts like a gun +1 previous total +3
enhancement: autofire, etc. -varies obvious +2
enhancement: accuracy -varies carried +2
usage: ranged combat skill roll +2 mass of .5 kilogram -3
usage: gestures +1 or +3 final modifier total +4
+
_ flexibility: 1 point detail per session +0
g drain: charges -2 Since the final modifier total is +4, this means
g drain: number of charges ±varies our wand has a damage of 1d+1 for a cost of 1P.
g drain: replace charges in time level ±varies Since we do have 1 point of flexibility in the
g drain: replace w/average skill roll +1 design, if we are not using it on something it
g drain: charges mundanely replaced -1 will default to extra effect for a damage of 1d+2.
gadget: obvious +2 Each +1P we spend will give us an extra 0d+2
gadget: carried +2 of damage, and since the gadget is paranormal
gadget: mundane +1 we can do this as much as we want. If the
gadget: weight ±varies gamemaster said that magic items were limited
gadget: cost variation ±varies like tech items we would be able to add no more
than +1P, which would give a damage of either
Ranged weapons in the gear list were created 2d+0 or 2d+1, depending on how the flexibility
using these guidelines, with minor adjustments. was allocated. For damaging the wand, as a .5kg
For instance, crossbows are quieter than guns, paranormal item it has an armor of 2d+0 and
etc. Archaic weapons may lack flexibility and 1 hit. If it takes 1 hit in damage, it is probably
have more severe conditional modifiers. For destroyed beyond repair, but if it was paid for
instance, flintlocks do not work underwater at all. with an adventurer’s points, they can probably
replace it. If we costed the wand like it was a
Adventurer’s edge mundane item it would end up as a cost level of
For adventurers to have an edge with gadgets, -3, so if it could be bought for cash, this is the
the gamemaster should consider allowing some value to compare to other magical items. It may
degree of customization. For instance, spending end up costing differently on the open market,
a lot of money on the gadget might give them but relative to other items you can use the value
a bonus to the power level. Or making supplies of -3 as the starting point.
for the gadget hard to come by takes away the
-1 modifier for ‘charges mundanely replaced’.

6.61
 m Absorption +0
Power listing This power takes mundane lethal damage that
This is a set of a common, useful powers that hits you (range of ‘aura’) and adds it to the
overlap in a lot of genres and gameworlds. power level of one specific other power you
Each is listed with a description that uses have. The maximum cumulative benefit you
keywords from the design rules, a base power can get is your power level. This effect can
level and some suggested variations. To make take place before or after the damage, as
the description as clear as possible, terms in appropriate. For instance, you could absorb the
that are modifiers will be in single quotes, like damage and then turn it into armor to stop
range of ‘aura’, or a duration of ‘until stunned’. any damage that exceeded the power. In any
This will let you find the baseline value for that event, until the maximum benefit is gained,
modifier in case you want to change it to the energy transferred from the attack is
something else. All powers include a ‘special diverted and does not affect the target in
effect’ modifier of +1 in their design. Modifiers its usual fashion. The special effect is that
that are relevant but not listed are assumed to whatever you transfer the power to is visibly
be at their +0 or default values. changed for the duration of the effect.

All the sample powers show you key modifiers The ability to absorb power lasts until you are
on the power, and also some variants of the stunned, and the effects last 15 seconds from
power. The number at the top right of the when they started, and slowly wear off after
power description is its modifier total, which that. The power has a drain of +1 per +6 in
will be the power level for 1P if this amount is the final power level. Note that the low starting
equal or less than the efficiency. modifier simply means you need to apply more
modifiers to get an effect from 1P or that you
If a power is listed with a modifier total of +8, need to spend extra P to get the final power
then if the efficiency is 8 or more it has a power level into positive territory.
level of 8 for 1P. If the efficiency was 4, this
power would only have a power level of 5 for 1P gameworld base: 0/9
(the +4 that is over the efficiency is quartered). effect: indirect transfer -2
effect: average power (mundane lethal) -4
It is expected that players will want to adjust effect: transfer to narrow power +2
the powers, but this means you have to dig range: aura +2
in to learn what the modifiers mean. Similarly, 6 duration of power: until stunned -2
particular gameworlds or gamemasters may 6 duration of effect: 15 seconds -2
require or ban certain modifiers to alter the 6 duration of effect: declining duration -1
‘feel’ of powers for a setting. operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1
special effect (visible increase) +1
The starting description for a power is meant drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
to be usable, but is certainly not optimal. total +0
There are few preparation times, side effects,
gadgets, conditional modifiers and all the other altered versions of power:
things you normally use to boost the base m dervish: Damage done is transferred to your
power level and maximize the points you have Dodge or movement, which would be an
to put towards powers. additional -2 modifier.
m hits boost: Damage done is added to your hits
The basic list is meant to give you enough total, which is an additional -2 modifier. Any
information to get you started on your own damage you take comes off the extra hits first,
customization. Quite often the customizing and vanishes when the extra hits wear off.
ends up more interesting than the power itself!
6.62
 Just to give you a feel for what a full one of these
m Armor +5 powers looks like as a start to finish list of
Armor protects your hits from any effect or modifiers, the deflection bracer is:
real-world circumstance that would mark off
non-lethal or lethal hits. The modifier total is name type concept
based on a ‘self only’ effect like an armored deflection paranormal armor
skin that is ‘always on’, acts like flexible armor bracer defense gadget
and has no drain.
gameworld base: 0/9 modifier
gameworld base: 0/9 effect: defense vs. lethal damage -4
effect: protect vs. lethal damage -4 effect: protect as armor +0
effect: protect as flexible armor +4 ˛ framework: single power only +0
range: self only +4 range: self only +4
6 duration of power: always on -2 6 duration of power: an instant +2
6 duration of effect: as duration +0 6 duration of effect: as duration +0
special effect (rough and raspy skin) +1 zero effect vs. non-physical attacks +2
full power only +1 special effect (adamantine bracers) +1
total +5 full power only +1
requires opposed skill roll +4
This power stops all mundane lethal damage requires gestures +3
effects. If you did not want it to apply to a gadget: obvious +2
particular mundane lethal attack type, you gadget: worn +1
would want to add contingency modifiers like total +16
‘zero effect vs. that attack’ with a value based adjusted for efficiency +10
on how common that sort of attacks were.
The power is designed to be used against normal
altered versions of power: attacks (‘mundane offense’), and the ‘zero effect’
m force field: protects you out to aura range and conditional means that you cannot use them
costs stamina or other energy to use. against things like toxic gases or lasers (your
m force wall: Apply the power with a range, an reflexes are not faster than the speed of light).
area effect and a boundary limit on the area.
m suit of armor: Armor as gadget of some kind. Right now the power has a fairly inefficient total
m deflection: Requires an opposed combat skill in modifiers. If it were +17 we would get an
roll against the attacker in order for it to extra point of power level, and we could drop it
activate, possibly with gestures or a gadget +13 and not affect the power level at all. So, we
modifier (like a shield or bracers). could drop the ‘gestures’ to +1 (one hand) to
m limited coverage: Protects only certain hit make the total modifier +14, or maybe add in a
locations or has a random activation roll. drain modifier to reflect the effort in the power to
m mental shield: Say the power only protects bring the modifier total to +17 and increase the
vs. rare attack types (e.g. mental damage). power level to +11.
m realistic armor: Is a mundane gadget with
appropriate weight and mundane cost. Since this is a paranormal gadget, we can spend
as many extra P on it as we want. If we wanted a
warrior who could deflect 3d+0 arrows, 1P would
suffice. If you wanted to deflect 4d+2 assault rifle
bullets, you would need +3P. If it was a mundane
gadget, the extra P we could spend would be
limited by its mundane mass modifier.

6.63
 m Flight +4
m Energy blast +2 This is ‘superhero flight’, where you fly about
This is a lethal beam of energy, like a high- by will alone. It requires a minor action to
powered laser or a firebolt, a single pulse of activate, but once on it can be set to autopilot
damage to lethal hits that is blocked by armor. and has a power duration of ‘until stunned’.
It has a drain cost of +1 per 2d of final effect The drain cost is +1 per +6 in movement, and
(round drain up), a default Accuracy of 1 per the power can optionally be used ‘non-combat’
2d of final effect and ‘long range’ (350 at +4 distance, at the drain cost for the move
meters). without this bonus. The power has a range of
‘aura’ to protect the user’s gear.
effect: acts like lethal damage +0
range: long (350 meters) -7 effect: artificial movement +0
6 duration of power: an instant +2 effect: +4 non-combat effect -1
6 duration of effect: as lethal hits -5 range: aura +2
“ defense against: very broad type +4 6 duration of power: until stunned -2
“ defense against: acts as layers +0 6 duration of effect: as duration +0
usage: ranged combat skill roll +2 usage: no preparation needed +0
special effect (for attack type) +1 operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1
drain: +1 drain per +6 +5 special effect (for flight type) +1
total +2 drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
total +4
altered versions of power:
m sniper blast: Longer range, more accuracy. Remember that the average person has a Walk
m bruising blast: Non-lethal damage instead of distance level of +4, so any movement power
lethal damage, defense includes Toughness needs to be at a good power level to be fast
m frag blast: Add the explosion modifier. (an average car can go +14, Mach 1 is about
i mental blast 1: Change the defense to a +20 and orbital velocity is about +29).
mental attribute or armor with a ‘rare attack’
modifier, change damage to non-lethal. altered versions of power:
i mental blast 2: Say that the power has range m enhanced running: Add a modifier for ‘zero
but uses an opposed combat skill roll like your effect unless next to a surface’ (lets you run
Will against theirs. up the side of a building or over water).
i bypass blast: Change the defense to the value m rocket boots: Power as a worn gadget with an
of lethal hits rather than a defense for lethal energy reserve and steady drain, possibly with
hits, so it is the bulk of a target rather than a skill roll.
its hardness that blocks it (meaning that it m wings: Require gestures with both hands
ignores non-material barriers like force fields). (wings as arms) or add a conditional modifiers
i sensory blast: Targets Awareness, defended that require you to have freedom to move the
against by armor protecting that attribute or a wings.
circumstantial defense or partial effect modifier m gliding: Remove non-combat bonus, require a
(looking away, welding goggles, etc.). skill roll to gain altitude.
m weapon 1: Put the power in a gadget using an m swinging: Add conditional modifiers to require
energy reserve or charges of some kind to a vertical object at least as high as flight
mimic a gun. altitude, within the maximum movement
m weapon 2: Put the power in a gadget using distance and in the direction you want to ‘fly’
strike-based damage, melee range and an (a circumstantial or partial effect modifier).
opposed combat roll to mimic a melee m leaping: Power duration is one action, and can
weapon. only be activated when standing on a surface.

6.64
 m Healing -1
m Growth +5 This power lets you heal lost lethal hits on
Makes you bigger. Each +8 in power level yourself or others. It requires a hard(11) skill
increases your size level by +1 and each +18 roll with laying on of hands, a willing target (so
by +2, with the following effects: no defense is needed), and the power level is
the damage healed. If used outside of combat,
each +1 in size: the effect is +4 normal, but at the drain cost
-1 to be hit in combat or to be spotted before the bonus is applied. Using the power
+1 to walk, run and sprint takes an action, it has a range of ‘touch’ and
+1 to reach in melee has a drain of +2 for each +3 in the power
+2 to mass, +3 to Strength level. Note that the total amount this power
can heal on an person is its level, regardless of
each +2 in size: how many times the power is used.
+1 hex of reach in melee
+1 hex of space taken up on a map effect: alter(restore) -6
effect target: lethal hits -6
The growth takes place at the rate of +1 size effect: +4 non-combat effect -1
level per +1 time after activation, and lasts range: touch +0
until ‘until stunned’. The power has a range of 6 duration of power: an action +0
‘aura’, so your clothing and gear adjusts in size 6 duration of effect: semi-permanent -6
(but not in capability). The power has a drain circumstance: zero effect on non-living +3
of +1 per +6 in the final effect. usage: gestures +3
usage: hard skill roll +2
effect: alter(increase) -1 special effect (based on healing type) +1
effect target: size (natural split of effect) -2 drain: +2 drain per +3 +9
range: aura +2 total -1
6 duration of power: until stunned -2
6 duration of effect: as duration +0 Healing, regeneration or repair powers are
usage: no preparation needed +0 insanely useful, even at low levels, which is
usage: warmup time (+3) +1 why the negative modifiers are so high. Most
operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1 fights are about incapacitating your foe, and if
special effect (based on growth type) +1 they can recover damage as fast as you can
drain: +1 drain per +6 +5 deal it, this can be difficult.
total +5
altered versions of power:
altered versions of power: i regeneration: Range of self only, triggered by
m shrinking: Reduces your size instead of taking damage.
increasing it. i regeneration tank: Immobile tech gadget that
m densification: Only increases mass and requires physician supervision and extra time.
Strength (split power level between the two). m lesser healing: Applies to non-lethal hits or
m extended reach: Growth that only applies to stamina, or with a 1d upper limit on healing.
one body part. You can use a modifier like the m physician-assisted: Requires a skill roll and
hit location conditionals, so being able to preparation time to first diagnose the injury.
extend just your arms would be a +6 modifier m empathic healing: Add a conditional side
(one body part of a pair would be +1 more). effect where there must be an emotional
The power level needed for each +1 in partial connection to the person healed or add a
size would be (8 minus body part modifier), so mandatory side effect where the healer takes
for ‘stretchy arms’ each +2 in power level damage from the process.
would give you +1 size.
6.65
 m Invisibility +5
i Intangibility +6 You are invisible to normal sight. The effect is
This power allows you to change yourself and reduced by the Awareness of a viewer, so in
your gear (range of ‘aura’) into a form that order to have any effect, your power level has
can pass through solid objects without a trace. to exceed their Awareness. Anyone trying to
The defense against the power is the solidity of see you has sight Awareness dropped by the
the barrier (a ‘mundane attribute’) which is the residual power level for purposes of seeing
armor plus the hits of one hex of material, what is within the normal range of the power
which in general is: (within your aura). That is, it subtracts ‘you’
from what they see. The power has a range
material armor+hits per hex of ‘aura’, so you are immune to having paint
water 6 splashed on you (but you may leave paint-
sand or dirt 12 smeared footprints). The power is, however,
soft rock 15 reduced by intangible visual obstructions (you
hard rock 18 leave a person-shaped hole in smoke or fog).
soft metal 21 Using the power is a drain of +1 per +6 in the
hard metal 24 power level and it takes you 4 seconds (time
level of +4) to fade from view. Once activated,
The residual power level is the maximum the power lasts ‘until stunned’.
movement level you are capable of. The power
also grants a flexible armor equivalent of the effect: alter(reduce) -2
power level minus the user’s hits. The power target: Awareness -3
has a drain of +1 per +6 power level, plus target: Forte only(sight) +2
whatever time level it is maintained over. range: aura +2
range: subjective benefit -4
effect: extradimensional mobility -6 6 duration of power: until stunned -2
effect: protect vs. lethal damage -4 6 duration of effect: as duration +0
effect: protect as flexible armor +4 “ defense against: Awareness +0
range: aura +2 “ defense against: layers +0
6 duration of power: until stunned -2 conditional: 1/2 effect in visual cover +1
6 duration of effect: as duration +0 usage: 4 seconds to prepare +1
“ defense against: armor & hits per hex +0 enhancement: full power only +1
“ defense against: adds together +4 operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1
zero effect vs. anything > than level +1 special effect (animals are uneasy) +1
operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1 drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
special effect (leaves traces in objects) +1 total +5
drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
total +6 altered versions of power:
m shadow-walking: Like ‘only works in shadow’,
Note that the power does not allow movement ‘requires a stealth skill roll against a particular
through anything with a defense higher than difficulty’, ‘only if moving no faster than a
the power level. walk’, and so on.
m psychic invisibility: Is defended against by
altered versions of power: Will, does not work against things that have
i pseudo-intangibility: A form of the power Awareness but no Will (like security cameras).
using ‘paranormal’ mobility, limiting it to i total invisibility: Affects all forms of sensory
passing through barriers that have an opening Awareness (the whole attribute). You would
in them, like a ‘mistform’ power. not register to the sense of touch, but would
still be a barrier to touch.
6.66
 i Mind control +3
i Mimic +8 This power allows you to overcome the will of
This power allows you to change your body a target within short range and make them do
(range of ‘self’) into the form of anything you your bidding. The power is defended against
can touch and understand by making an with Will (normally a power roll vs. a Will roll),
‘opposed skill roll’ with a skill for this power and note that the normal defense against this
against the hits of what you are copying. The sort of thing is to buy one or more points of a
power level is the equivalent Will roll for social superhuman Forte in the aspect of Will that
interactions or the target number for people resists such effects. The power has ‘short
to penetrate the disguise, whether by sight, range’, a drain of +1 per +6 power level, and
hearing or things like asking questions the you are counted as using it for whatever time
person being copied should know. level you are controlling someone.

The power lasts until you are stunned and has The power duration and effect duration are
+1 drain per +6 in the power level. Note that ‘until stunned’, which means the target will act
the power does not change composition, only unsupervised according to your command for
shape (which can include color and texture). the duration, but you can also change the
The power also lets you adjust size as part of commands during this duration. While in
the shape change. operation the residual power level can be used
up to the level of the target’s Attributes, either
effect: alter(morph): appearance +0 as raw Attribute use or as a skilled task. It
target: physical characteristic(size) -2 takes a minor action to alter the commands
range: self/touch +2 given, and if this would change the resistance,
6 duration of power: until stunned -2 the level of effect may change.
6 duration of effect: as duration +0
“ defense against: hits +0 effect: control(subjective) +3
“ defense against: layers +0 target: animate +2
conditional: opposed non-combat roll +2 target: sentient -2
usage: 4 seconds to prepare +1 range: short -3
operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1 6 duration of power: until stunned -2
special effect (for nature of morph) +1 6 duration of effect: as duration +0
drain: +1 drain per +6 +5 “ defense against: Will +0
total +8 “ defense against: layers +0
visibility: hidden -3
altered versions of power: operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1
i limited mimic: You can only mimic a particular special effect (as for nature of power) +1
trait, like voice, appearance or scent. drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
i full mimic: You can also adjust composition, total +3
so instead of looking like a rock but being
soft as flesh, you can also be hard as rock. altered versions of power:
i destructive mimic: You can only mimic things i command: Make it objective control, the
if the original is destroyed or killed in the power duration is only an action and the effect
process and the power also does damage. duration is made into a time level.
i mutation: You can adversely affect the i hypnotize: Add gestures, voice, prep time, a
physical form of others, decreasing their skill roll and make the range very short.
attribute rolls in some way.

6.67
 m Telekinesis -4
n Remote viewing +0 Allows you to use your normal Strength at up
Allows you to see great distances and through to ‘medium’ range, either as a melee attack or
solid objects, within limits. The power level is a for skilled non-combat tasks. The power acts
sight Awareness that negates 4 range levels like your Strength, so you have a sense of
(in addition to Accuracy from the power level) touch, but doing things that require sight
and whose perceptive roll is blocked only by perception might take distance penalties on
the hits of intervening obstacles. If viewing in the difficulty, especially for fine work. The
a non-combat situation (no opposition to your power has a drain of +1 per +6 in the final
spying) you get +8 to the power level. The effect.
power is ‘hidden’, lasts until you are stunned,
and has +1 drain per +6 in the power level effect: alter(expand) -2
before any non-combat bonus. As designed, target: Strength -2
for 1P it lets you use your Awareness-2 for this range: medium (90 meters) -5
task, plus the potential non-combat bonus. 6 duration of power: until stunned -2
6 duration of effect: as duration +0
effect: alter(increase) -1 operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1
target: Awareness -3 special effect (nearby objects quiver) +1
target: Forte only(sight) +2 drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
range: self only +4 total -4
6 duration of power: until stunned -2
6 duration of effect: as duration +0 Remember that the maximum level you can
“ defense against: intervening hits -2 use in an ‘expanded’ characteristic is the
“ defense against: layers +0 power level. So for 1P, this would let you use
visibility: power is hidden -3 up to a Strength of -4 at range. If you spent
enhancement: +4 Accuracy -2 +6P on the power as designed you could use
enhancement: +8 non-combat effect -2 up to a Strength of +8 in this way, or your
operational effect (-1 distraction in use) +1 own Strength, whichever was less (‘expand’
usage: concentration(in use) +2 effects never exceed the level of what they are
special effect (your eyes glow) +1 expanding the capability of).
drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
total +0 altered versions of power:
m stretching: Reduce the range, add conditional
altered versions of power: modifiers so that intervening objects block the
n remote sensing: Add full sensory Awareness effect. You could also do this as a morph
(remove the Forte), so you can sense what is effect.
as though you were actually there. m web: Make the power use a ranged skill roll, a
n danger sense: Give the power a range of ‘duration of power’ of an instant and a long
‘self/unconventional range’ to let you see ‘duration of effect’. Those who are hit by it
threats to yourself into a certain time level are ‘grabbed’ by the Strength and held there
of the future rather than distance. Add an without you having to focus on the power.
additional effect to do something like boost Other circumstance modifiers can be used to
your Dodge (a linkage), that only works if you represent special effects of different types of
successfully spot a threat. immobilization. For instance, a ‘breakable’
i bugging: Make the power a gadget that has to duration, an ‘ablative’ activation chance that
be placed at the location to be sensed, and decreases with repeated escape attempts, etc.
which has a range to which it can transmit.
This might also be done as an information
effect.
6.68
 i Teleportation +9
i Telepathy +2 This is an extradimensional movement that
Telepathy lets you peer into someone’s mind lets you travel between points without visibily
and rummage around for information. The crossing the intervening distance. The power
power requires laying hands on the person to costs +1 drain per +6 distance moved. Your
be scanned (range of ‘touch’), and this can movement distance is reduced by the armor
be done in combat. The power level is like a of any object you have to teleport through,
damage roll that is resisted by the quantity of and if this is not sufficient to get you through
information to be sifted through plus the Will that object, you materialize again next to that
of the target. Information is from the most barrier and take non-lethal hits equal to +1
recent memories and going backwards. per +3 in distance level you tried to move.
Success at penetrating this defense yields a
quantity of information (your answer) equal to effect: extra-dimensional movement -6
the residual power level (e.g. ‘yes’ or ‘no’ is a range: aura +2
quantity of x1). The power has +1 drain per 6 duration of power: an instant +2
+6 in the power level. 6 duration of effect: as duration +0
“ defense against: very broad type +4
effect: information(receive) -2 “ defense against: layers +0
range: touch +0 enhancement: +4 non-combat distance -1
6 duration of power: an action +0 side effect: failure side effect +2
6 duration of effect: as duration +0 special effect (for teleport type) +1
“ defense against: level of information +2 drain: +1 drain per +6 +5
“ defense against: Will +0 total +9
“ defenses: only use highest -1
special effect(grabs random extra info) +1 Remember that for long distance teleports, the
visibility: power is hidden -3 efficiency part of the gameworld base is going
drain: +1 drain per +6 +5 to make it more and more difficult to get the
total +2 effect for 1P up to a high level.

altered versions of power: altered versions of power:

i mind scan: Covers an area centered on you (a m mass-limited: The defense is based on the
‘radius’ modifier and lets you seek a mind that hits of a barrier rather than its armor, allowing
contains a particular piece of information. Is for easy teleportation through force fields.
defended against the same as the base power. i wiring: You can only ‘teleport’ through a
m mind link: Opens a one-way communication particular type of conduit, like wires, plumbing,
channel. Uses ‘transmit’ instead of ‘receive’, shadows, etc., reappearing at an outlet for
using non-combat range modifier and non- that conduit. This would be a ‘zero effect’
combat power level, so that only willing circumstance based on the commonality of the
targets can be communicated with. conduit.
i teleportals: Immobile gadgets with multiple
non-combat additions to distance, possibly
with grid-based energy usage and preparation
time.
n displacement beam: Teleporation usable
against others, defended against by their mass
level, requires a ranged combat skill roll to hit
them and a range for the power at which you
can hit them.

6.69
 You can also add flavor to a gameworld by
Putting it all together requiring or forbidding modifiers. A world with
We could have devoted an entire book about magic might require that all magic use magic
the size of the EABA v2 rulebook to just the wands, an obvious, carried gadget. Take away
subject of powers. It is that complex a topic. the wizard’s wand and they are powerless. Or
Even so, this chapter is a quarter of the entire you do the opposite and say that magic can
rules. But you now have the tools behind the never be in gadgets. Or say that all magic
sample powers and the ability to make as requires chanting and gestures, or that all
many new ones as you want. Here are some psionics requires a drain in non-lethal hits, or
last notes: that all powers must have a drain of +1 per
+3 power level.
Power design includes an inherent gameworld
or tech base. modifier. Adjusting either value in If you are setting up a power system and
this base up or down dramatically changes the frameworld for a setting of your own design,
nature of powers in the gameworld. remember that the world has had time to
adapt to the presence of these powers and
Changing the first value lets you tweak how that adventurers are not the only clever
much power level you can get for 1P. Make the people out there. If you overlooked something
value negative enough and no power can be obvious that causes problems because players
useful for 1P. take advantage of it...go back and change it. If
the problem would alter the way you want the
Changing the second value adjusts how gameworld to work in a social, political or
efficient it is to keep adding positive modifiers economic sense, retcon the power parameters
to a power. Make it very high, and powers can so that it puts things back on track. The idea
conceivably be very useful for low cost. Make of paranormal powers is that they are not
it zero, and all positive modifier totals are normal. They may follow certain rules, but that
quartered. Why would you do that? If you had does not mean they are rules that are readily
a gameworld where magic was designed to be understood. For instance, vampires are not
very difficult for combat, then people could still supposed to be able to cross running water.
design powers with the ‘+4 non-combat effect’ Why not? People in the gameworld may have
to get around having a low power level. This no idea, but it is still a ‘rule’ that you can
would allow for powerful healing or movement implement as a modifier with a particular
spells despite the low efficiency, but make it value.
hard to do combat effects unless you put a lot
of secondary P into the spell. A game setting that introduces a very small
number or amount of powers where none
You can also adjust the starting modifier in existed before is asking for chaos. Movies and
specific ways. You could say that powers are books and legends have been based on worlds
elemental and that whichever element you where one person with a power or a gadget
choose has a 6/12 base for powers, the does amazing (and sometimes horrible) things.
opposite element has a -6/0 base and neutral The Invisible Man, the One Ring, Excalibur, etc.
elements have a 0/6 base. So, if you are a fire One power is unbalancing. Lots of powers
mage, you are really good at powers which means they will probably balance out in the
can use fire or are thematically associated with end.
fire (like anger), but have great difficulty with
any power that involves water.

6.70
 Most published game settings that incorporate
The rules of an rpg define how reality operates powers will already take this into account in
in a given game setting. Rules for paranormal the description of the setting, but it is worth
powers are part of ‘reality’ in many settings, reminding the gamemaster and players.
but are far from our everyday experience, so Remember that the author has hopefully
we tend to look at them in a different way. thought through all of the ramifications and
side effects of powers in that setting, and that
To make powers real and believable is more people (including the adventurers) live and
than just adding up modifiers and generating believe and do things in a certain way in that
efficiencies. To a person who lives in a world setting not just because the author was being
with these powers, they are an everyday part arbitrary, but because all the various bits work
of life. Either you have these powers and use together to generate what people as a whole
them, or you do not have them and take them think and believe and how they act and
into account. respond when dealing with powers.

For instance, in the world where you are Similarly, if you are using EABA for a setting
reading this, many pray but few actually of your own or adapting it to some piece of
expect immediate results that violate the laws existing fiction you like, remember that you
of physics as we currently understand them. are translating not just rule mechanics but
That leads to certain attitudes and beliefs attitudes, and to the extent that attitudes and
about prayer, god (or gods) and one’s aspects of society can be mirrored in game
relationship with that deity or deities. Say you mechanics, you should use them. If you have
had a game setting where magic or a form of to pray to a deity for a magical effect, then
paranormal power came from beseeching this requires time, which is a straightforward
divine beings. If you asked for a god to smite power modifier. But it also requires piety and
your enemies with a lightning bolt...and it humility and need. One must be loyal to that
might happen...then attitudes about religion deity, one beseeches a higher power rather
and faith and taking a god’s name in vain than commanding it, and does not do so for
would be a whole lot different. trivial reasons. These also can be mirrored in
game mechanics, like requiring a personality
Every game setting is going to generate its trait to do the magic (piety), having conditional
own unique spin on this. The commonality of effects based on actual need, skill rolls to
power, the intensity of power compared to represent your eloquence in beseeching the
mundane technology, the source or perceived deity, and negative side effects if you fail in
source of power (“magic is consorting with the your attempt (god aims the ‘smite’ ray at your
devil and witches should be burned!”), how it self-serving ass). These are more subjective
is acquired, what training is needed to use it, and harder to adjudicate in play, but are quite
cultural, national, religious, gender, age or important to both frame the magic and put
experience-based differences in power, all of players in the proper frame of mind when their
these will affect the society which has these adventurers try to use it.
powers as part of it, and just as importantly,
this will reflect on the adventurers who have
those powers, and they will reflect back on the
people they encounter, use these powers on,
with or near. Even here in the early 21st
century there are still people who would burn
witches if they could get away with it.

6.71
 effect: defense modifier framework: suites modifier
Combined modifier table: affect v. broad power -4 ˛ single power only +0
Just to have it one place, here are affect broad power +0 ˛ two power suite +1
all power modifiers. Those in bold affect average power +2 ˛ three power suite +2
are ‘defaults’, so if a power does affect narrow power +4 ˛ four power suite +3
not list it, assume this is the case. protect vs. lethal -4 ˛ five power suite +4
protect vs. half-lethal -2 ˛ six power suite +5
campaign base value protect vs. non-lethal +0
˛ free/efficiency +
varies protect vs. a power cat. +0 range modifier
protects as armor +0 self only +4
effect: mobility modifier protects as rigid armor +2 aura +2
primary natural -4 protects as flex. armor +4 touch +0
secondary natural -2 melee -1
tertiary natural +0 effect: control modifier thrown -1
artificial +0 control is objective +0 very short(6 meters) -1
paranormal -4 control is subjective +3 short(23 meters) -3
extra-dimensional -6 medium(90 meters) -5
each extra mobility -2 control targets modifier long(350 meters) -7
control over animate +2 very long(1.4km) -9
effect: information modifier control over inanimate +0 extended range -2
store +0 control over sentient -2 declining range -1
recieve -2 control over an abstract +3 minimum range +1
jam -3 control over broad type +0 +4 non-combat range -1
transmit -4 control over single type +2 subjective benefit -4
each extra information -2 control over unique +4 indirect range -2
unconventional range -4
effect: offense modifier effect: alter modifier
acts as lethal dmg +0 restore -6 duration of power modifier
acts as half-lethal dmg +2 increase -1 6 an instant +2
acts as non-lethal dmg +4 reduce +0 6 an action +0
acts as lethal melee +2 expand +0 6 until stunned -2
acts as half-lethal melee +4 limit +2 6 until knocked out -4
acts as non-lethal melee +6 morph +0 6 continuous -4
affect v. broad power -10 transfer -6 6 always on -2
affect broad power -6 indirect transfer -2 6 time level -time/4
affects average power -4 multiple alter effects -2 6 declining -1
affects narrow power -2 6 time delay +2
each extra offense -2 extra alter targets modifier 6 triggered -2
a physical characteristic -2
a mental characteristic -3 duration of effect modifier
a spiritual characteristic -4 6 until power dur. ends +0
a Forte only(plus other) +2 6 as stamina recovery -2
derived characteristic -6 6 as non-lethal hits rec. -3
affect v. broad power -10 6 as half-lethal hits rec. -4
affect broad power -6 6 as lethal hits rec. -5
affect average power -4 6 time level -time/6
affect narrow power -2 6 semi-permanent -6
multiple alter targets -2 6 severable -1
6 range-limited +2

6.72
 success on 3d modifier usage modifier
defense against modifier ≤6 (or fails on ≤14) +9 no preparation needed+0
“ is a very broad type +4 ≤7 (or fails on ≤13) +8 opposed combat roll +4
“ is a broad type +0 ≤8 (or fails on ≤12) +6 ranged combat roll +2
“ is an average type -2 ≤9 (or fails on ≤11) +4 opp. non-combat roll +2
“ is a narrow type -4 ≤10 (or fails on ≤10) +3 average(7) skill roll +1
“ is esoteric -4 ≤11 (or fails on ≤9) +2 hard(11) skill roll +2
“ works as decr. layers +0 ≤13 (or fails on ≤7) +1 heroic(15) skill roll +3
“ adds together +4 ablative chance +1 minimum Fate of 5 +1
“ only use highest value -1 secondary abl. chance -1 minimum Fate of 7 +2
“ requires specific cov. +varies minimum Fate of 9 +3
“ protects absolutely +4 side effects modifier gestures +1/+3
“ can be improvised +2 operational effect +1 voice +1/+3
failure side effect +2 concentration(prep) +2
visibility modifier mandatory side effect +4 concentration(active) +2
power is very obvious +1 special effect +1 preparation time +level/4
power is obvious +0 warmup(+3 per time) +1
power is subtle -1 enhancements modifier warmup(+2 per time) +2
power is hidden -3 +4 non-combat effect -1 warmup(+1 per time) +3
power is undetectable -5 penetrating -1 requires x2 users +4
stopping power -1 may use x2 assistants +2
ceiling modifier armor-piercing -2
±half value or ±2d +2 battering -4 degree of flexibility modifier
limited to ±1d +4 autofire -2 +
_ 1pt of flexibility in power -3
autofire only -1 +
_ 1pt of flexibility in effect -2
circumstance modifier autoburst -1 +
_ 1pt of flexibility in detail -2
works 3/4 of the time +1 shotgun effect -2 +
_ omni-power -12
works 2/3 of the time +2 variable spread -1
works 1/2 of the time +3 accuracy, per +2 -1 ease of flexibility modifier
works 1/3 of the time +4 hardened -1 +
_ adjust each action -2
works 1/4 of the time +6 +
_ adjust each encounter +1
works 1/8 of the tim +9 delegation modifier +
_ adjust each session +2
none(default) +0 +
_ adjust each adventure +3
reduced to 3/4 eff.(-1d) -3 exclusive -1 +
_ adjust each day +1
reduced to 1/2 eff.(-2d) -2 shared 2x -2 +
_ adjust each week +3
reduced to 1/4 eff.(-3d) -1 shared 4x -4 +
_ reactive adjustment -1
reduced to zero effect +0 shared 8x -6 +
_ no change at all +1
reduced proportionally -1 contagious -3 +
_ location-based adjust. +1
severable -1 +
_ usage modifiers +special
coverage modifier at range -level/4
head & neck (loc. 5-6) +8 password -1 special targeting modifier
head & neck(loc. 3-6) +7 +
_ increased targets -(lev.+1)
chest & abd.(loc. 10-11) +5 dependency modifier +
_ area(radius) -rad. lev.
chest, abd. & head +4 dependent effect +1 +
_ explosion -8
full torso(loc. 9-12) +3 +
_ line(plus area) +6
full torso & head +2 +
_ narrow cone(plus area) +4
arms(locations 7-8) +6 +
_ wide cone(plus area) +2
upper legs(loc. 13-14) +5 +
_ boundary(plus area) +2
full legs(loc. 13-18) +4 +
_ slow(-1 initiative) +2

6.73
 power subdivision modifier mass +P modifier
drain modifier g quantity in 1 set +0 ≤.1kg 1 + -9+

g +2 per +3 power level +9 g quantity in 2 sets +1 .25kg(knife) 1 + -6+

g +1 per +3 power level +7 g quantity in 3 sets +2 .5kg 1 -3

g +1 per +6 power level +5 g quantity in 4 sets +3 1kg(pistol) 1 +0
g +1 per +9 power level +4 g quantity in 6 sets +4 2kg 2 +3
g +1 per +12 power level +3 g quantity in 8 sets +5 4kg(rifle) 3 +6
g +1 per +15 power level +2 g quantity in 11 sets +6 8kg 4 +9
g +1 per +18 power level +1 16kg 5 +12
g no drain +0 power replacement modifier 32kg(lmg) 6 +15
g zero drain -1 g replace as an action +0 64kg 7 +18
g drain is non-lethal hits +2 g replace as time level +time/4 125kg 8 +21
g drain is lethal hits +4 g incremental time level +2 250kg 9 +24
g drain is an attribute +4 g average(7) skill roll +1 500kg 10 +27
g steady drain -level/4 g hard(11) skill roll +2 1 ton(cannon) 11 +30
g pushable -1 g heroic(15) skill roll +3 each ±1 mass ±1
g power replenishment -special
stored power modifier g extra hands to repl. +special mundane gadget cost
g charges -2 g special equip. to repl. +1 • level for the power quantity
g energy reserve +0 g energy size/weight ±special • + total cost in P
g communal reserve +1 g disposable (see rules) +6 tech • + 1/4 (u) of (size modifier plus
g independent reserve -9 g replenish from stamina +2 second value in the tech base)
g reserve use rate +time/4 g mundanely replaced -1 • +1 for each extra power
g linked to stamina +1 g grid power +1 • - half (round towards zero) of
g full replacement only +1 any modifier for coverage
power quantity modifier g set replacement +level/4 • then -12 (-18 if disposable)
g 1 +7
g 2 +6 tech base value vehicle-specific modifier
g 3 +5 Primitive Era -9/0. rail movement +0
g 4 +4 Basic Era -6/3. on-road movement only -2
g 6 +3 Industrial Era -3/6. off-road movement -4
g 8 +2 Atomic Era 0/9 walking movement -6
g 11 +1 Post-Atomic Era 3/12 flight/vertical flight -4/-7
g 15 +0 Interstellar Era 6/15 gliding -4
g 23 -1 Advanced Era 9/18 water movement -11
g 32 -2 each fractional era ±1/±1 mundane acceleration +1
g 45 -3 mundane handling +2
g 65 -4 gadget type modifier altered mobility size ±1
g 90 -5 obvious +2
g 125 -6 subtle +1 weapon arcs modifier
g 180 -7 hidden +0 half-sphere +3
g 250 -8 carried +2 quarter-sphere +6
g 400 -9 worn +1 sixth-sphere +7
g 700 -10 embedded +0 eighth-sphere +9
g 1000 -11 immobile +4 fixed facing +12
g each +1 quantity level -1 mundane +1 slightly limited +1
cheap(-2 cost) -2 elevation-limited +2
expensive (+2 cost) +1 slow +time/4
unprotected +3

6.74
7.1
Minutia
 TECH ERAS
The more comfortable you become with any
Most of the time a gameworld will
game system the more you will want it to do. operate under one consistent set of
scientific possibilities. For instance, in a
As adventures become more detailed and the fantasy gameworld, one would not expect to
find anti-tank missiles, nor is medieval armor
adventurers more bold, situations will come up common in a science fiction setting.
that just aren’t adequately handled by “make a
In EABA, the broad grouping of available
hard(11) Agility roll”. Many of these situations will items, ways of thinking and the general
understanding of the cosmos are called ‘eras’.
only come up in very specific game worlds, and A world can have multiple eras in place at the
same time. Areas can be backward or more
just aren’t needed as part of the basic rules. We
advanced than the average. Within each era
present these as a ‘starter package’, by no means there is an early, middle and late period if the
gamemaster desires or needs to break it down.
exhaustive, but enough to give you an idea of how
For instance, the French Revolution was Late
to expand things on your own. Basic Era, while World War 2 started in the Late
Industrial Era.

From that example, you see that a lot can

happen in an era, but not so much that the
world is no longer understandable to a person
born during that era. This understanding is
part of your free ‘native culture’ skill. What
INTRODUCTION follows is a short breakdown of the eight eras
Most of what a gamemaster or that will apply to ninety-nine percent of all
adventurer should need for an EABA gameworlds.
game session will be on the adventurer
sheet or the universal chart. But not quite Segmented Tech Eras
everything. Every genre has unique features Tech Eras are presented as sort of a monolithic
and every gamemaster has their own set block of acheivements, but in reality, some techs
of things they want to have happen in a are ahead or behind the curve, and some regions
campaign, things that they do not want to are ahead of or behind their neighbors. If you
just arbitrarily decide. Others are pervasive need to break it down by category, try:
features of the world, like technology, or
background details like the weather or taxi information tech transport tech
fares. This chapter just covers a bunch of materials tech energy tech
these sorts of things. Odds are you can just military tech(offensive) medical/biology tech
skim over and come back to it later it you military tech(defensive)
need it.
You only need to note the techs that are different
than the overall tech era. So, if the gameworld
is Early Basic Era, but there is one place in the
world capable of making better quality steel
(‘Damascus steel’), then you say that this
location’s materials tech is Middle Basic Era, with
whatever benefit that might give in game terms.

7.2
 The Primitive Era is cash-poor, goods-poor and
Primitive Era: Technology varies from stone labor-intensive. In terms of an adventurer’s
tools up to primitive iron working. There are lifestyle and savings, the cost of manufactured
no complex machines, or controlled energy items from the gear list (or their Primitive Era
more advanced than a blacksmith’s forge or a equivalent) is going to be about +9 cost levels.
water wheel. The physical nature of the world However, money spent on non-manufactured
is largely misunderstood and the average items or raw materials is generally at normal
personis in awe of unknowable forces, usually rates.
portrayed as deities. While some visionaries
glimpse the mathematics of basic science, they Say that according to the rules you have a
are largely ignored. Knowledge is generally starting lifestyle of -5 and savings of +12. A
gained by trial and error and applied with ‘rule knife has a normal cost level of -9, well within
of thumb’ level of accuracy. Misconceptions are your weekly expense limit...for a Late Atomic Era
common, true innovations are few and far adventurer. For a Primitive Era adventurer, the
between. Standardization is impossible since cost of the knife is +9 over normal. This makes
everything is made by hand. The most its price tag a cost level of +0. This is +5 over
advanced hand-held weapons are crossbows your lifestyle, so it sets you back 5 savings boxes.
and the most advanced personal armor is On the other hand, money spent on vegetables,
interlocked links of metal (chain mail) or metal grain and such goes as far as it would for a
plates on a flexible backing (scale armor or modern adventurer.
lorica segmenta). Earth anywhere between the
building of the Pyramids and the end of the As you read through the eras, keep in mind that
Dark Ages would be Primitive Era. you could also have ‘magic eras’, or ‘cultural eras’.
The ‘eras’ are just ways to denote the norm for a
For best results in gadget design, use a tech base particular set of things, whether those things are
of -3/3 for Primitive Era bows, -3/1 for crossbows the quality of steel or the quality of incantations.
and -8/1 for archaic body armor.
Crossbows
Primitive Era techs Crossbows (Late Primitive Era) act like bows,
writing(early era) except the energy required to draw them back
wheels(early era) can be stored, allowing the weapon to be carried
stone tools(early era) in a ready state or aimed for a prolonged period
copper tools(early era) without fatiguing the user. A crossbow can be
bows(early era) cocked by anyone whose strike+3 damage meets
windmills(middle era) or exceeds the crossbow’s damage, unlike bows
bronze tools(middle era) which use strike damage to see if the bow can be
plumbing(middle era) drawn. A cranequin is a gear arrangement that
sawmill(middle era) multiplies strength for drawing back exceptionally
heliograph(middle era) strong crossbows. A cranequin crossbow takes
block & tackle(middle era) +4 time to reload compared to a normal
iron tools(middle era) crossbow, but you use strike+6 to see
sundial(middle era) if you can reload it. A windlass
glass(middle era) crossbow uses multiple pulleys
waterwheels(middle era) for even more leverage. It
catapult(middle era) takes +8 time to reload,
crossbow(late era) but you use strike+9
stirrup(late era) to see if you can
compass(late era) reload it.

7.3
 Gunpowder
Basic Era: Machinery exists, sometimes of Gunpowder (Early Basic Era)
great complexity, but it is still almost always sounds the death knell
hand-made and completely non-standardized. for personal armor and
Iron-working is common and can be of very fortifications in the Primitive and Basic Eras,
high quality. Gunpowder weapons exist, but though practical or widespread use does not
are primitive and unreliable. Rational thought happen until the middle of the Basic Era and
and the invention of ways to produce books in heavy armor continues to see limited use through
quantity spread knowledge, but entrenched the end of the era. In addition to gunpowder
groups may resist new knowledge and often weapons treating most Primitive and Basic
have the backing of whoever is in power. armors as inappropriate (armor gets -1d to
Superstition is still the rule rather than the value), it is in some ways easier to outfit an
exception. The most advanced handheld entire army with gunpowder weapons than it is
weapons are fairly inaccurate flintlocks and the to outfit and train them with bows or crossbows.
most advanced personal armor is metal plates, Cannon become more portable and battle-worthy
articulated and contoured to match the wearer than a Primitive Era catapult, and are capable of
(plate armor). Earth from the end of the Dark battering down the walls of any castle. However,
Ages to the end of the eightteenth century Basic Era gunpowder weapons are crude. With
would be Basic Era technology. only a few exceptions they require an average(7)
task to reload a single shot in a minute, and even
Basic Era techs a skilled person cannot load one in less than a
grenade(early era) printing pr.(middle era) quarter this amount of time. They are also
eyeglasses(early era) mech. clock(middle era) unreliable, a term which means that in any sort
universities(early era) vaccines(middle era) of adverse conditions the weapon will fail to fire
buttons(early era) flintlock(middle era) if the user fails to succeed at an average(7) task
loom(early era) airguns(late era) on their skill roll to hit. This will jam up the
distillation(early era) telescope(late era) weapon and often requires the weapon be
soap(early era) microscope(late era) unloaded and reloaded again. An Early Basic
plate armor(early era) firearm would be very unreliable, which means
steel tools(early era) they would fail to ignite on a hard(11) task in
matchlock(early era) adverse conditions. Adverse conditions means if
firearms(early era) roughly handled, in excessive damp, heavy wind
rockets(early era) or light rain, or if untended for more than a day
paper(early era) while loaded. Anything worse than this would
clockwork(early era) make them even more likely to fail. As a modifier
on paranormal powers, the conditional reliability
The Basic Era is still of matchlocks (Early Basic Era) would be a +2
cash-poor, goods- modifier, and flintlocks (Middle Basic Era) would
poor and labor- be a +1 modifier.
intensive. Cost of
manufactured items For gadget design, melee weapons reach tech
from the gear list (or maturity in the Late Basic Era, and most are
Basic Era equivalents) is actually just Basic Era. Melee weapons built
going to be at about +6 in modern times count as Basic Era unless they
cost levels. Money spent are made with techniques and materials that are
on non-manufactured only available in that later era and these are
items or raw materials things which improve the damage of the weapon.
generally goes just as far. So, chromium-molybdenum steel might help, but
chrome plating would not.

7.4
 Industrial Era techs
Industrial Era: Craft, balloon(early era) light bulb(middle era)
science and art electric battery(early era) plastics(middle era)
combine to allow dirigible(middle era) radio(middle era)
projection of force far steam engine(middle era) airplane(middle era)
beyond that of earlier X-rays(middle era) railroad(middle era)
eras. Mass production automobile(middle era) telegraph(middle era)
is introduced on a gene theory(middle era) nerve gas(late era)
large scale, resulting in scuba gear(late era) elec. computer(late era)
standardization and the ability to create submarine(middle era) jet engine(late era)
extremely large machines like battleships. machinegun(middle era) photovoltaics(late era)
Scientific thought comes into its own and pocket watch(middle era) atomic theoty(late era)
results in rapid progress, starting with steam torpedo(middle era) antibiotics(late era)
engines and ending with jets and atomic germ theory(middle era) television(late era)
bombs. Superstition largely falls by the sewing machine(middle era)
wayside except for the most entrenched ideas. cartridge ammo(middle era)
Reliable transport leads to contact between mechanical computer(middle era)
groups once separated by distance, and this internal combustion engine(middle era)
contact leads to colonialism, conquest and
war. Rapid-fire firearms and portable rockets
become the most advanced handheld weapons,
and personal armor largely falls by the wayside
as it becomes more and more unable to cope
with the power of these weapons. Melee The Industrial Era is the first one where
weapons are all but abandoned as tools of standardized, mass-produced consumer goods
organized warfare (rifles still come equipped exist, along with the infrastructure to support
with bayonets). The most advanced handheld them (electricity, telephone lines, gas stations,
weapons are anti-tank rockets and the most etc.), at least in the more developed regions.
advanced personal armor is early synthetic Income and starting cash for purchase of
materials and hardened steel plates, typically manufactured items from the gear list (or their
called a ‘flak vest’. Earth from the start of the Primitive Era equivalents) is going to be about
nineteenth century through the early parts of -3 cost levels. However, money spent on non-
World War 2 would be Industrial Era tech. manufactured items or raw materials generally
goes twice as far.

Historically speaking, the Industrial Era is the first

one with several major conceptual and practical
changes happening in a single human lifetime.
You could have been born in the light of an oil
lantern in a horse and buggy town, and died in
an era of electric lights, radios and airplanes. The
rapid technological advances over this era are a
parallel to the generational differences between
those born in the latter half of the 20th century.

7.5
 Atomic Era: The basic scientific
Cartridge ammunition underpinnings of the universe
Metal-cased cartridges (Middle Industrial are, if not understood, at least
Era) for gunpowder weapons make warfare given educated guesses about.
even deadlier than before. A single unit of Uncontrolled atomic power
ammunition is now standardized, water (bombs) is developed first, and
proof and strong enough to be fed through controlled atomic power (power plants) become
a weapon mechanically, leading first to widespread, culminating with the development
semi-automatic (fires and reloads one shot each of controlled fusion power at the end of the
time the trigger is pulled) and then to full auto Late Atomic Era. Early space travel occurs in
weapons (fires and reloads several times each this era, though the cost and risk precludes
time the trigger is pulled). In addition, invention widespread use. The first electronic computers
of high explosives leads to ‘smokeless’ powder, are developed in the middle of this era, and
which leaves less residue in the weapon and gives will be ubiquitous by its end, possibly with the
greater power to the bullets. Armies whose rate first quasi-artificial intelligences developed as
of fire used to be measured in shots fired per research projects. Advanced materials allow
minute are now measured in shots fired per personal armor capable of stopping many
second. Advances in armor that were just modern weapons, and medical technology
catching up to Basic Era gunpowder are left allows survival of injuries or conditions that
behind by the power of Industrial Era weapons, would have been uniformly fatal in a previous
and the only armor typically worn is a helmet to era. The most advanced personal weapons are
stop low velocity fragments and nearly-spent still firearms and rockets, whose power has not
bullets. In terms of paranormal power design, significantly increased from the Industrial Era,
cartridges are reliable enough to have no but whose efficiency, accuracy or range has
conditional limitations, however, early autofire increased, in some cases due to embedded
weapons might have a +1 modifier for a failure computers. Enough power groups may have
on an average(7) skill roll. access to enough nuclear weaponry to drop
civilization back to an early or mid-Industrial
Mass-production and standardization can actually level. The most advanced hand-held weapons
decrease the rate of innovation. Businesses based are bulky homing rockets for anti-aircraft or
on one tech are going to resist changes that anti-tank use, or autofire rifles augmented with
would be expensive to implement. And when sensors and electronic sighting aids. The most
they do implement them, everyone wants to have advanced personal armor is body armor or
their standard be the standard. The light socket helmets made from sophisticated ceramics or
regular bulbs screw into has been in use for over composite materials, capable of stopping
a century. The .45 automatic pistol cartridge armor-piercing projectiles even
likewise. Only for tech that has a high turnover at close range. Earth from the
rate can major changes be profitable on a scale end of World War 2
of years rather than decades. to the present and
to some decades in
the future is Atomic
Era technology. The
publication of EABA
would be during the Late
Atomic Era. Income, gear
and other costs in the
EABA rules assume
the Atomic Era.

7.6
 Exotic materials
Atomic Era techs Superstrong exotic materials (Late Atomic Era)
lasers(early era) bionic limbs(late era) change the way things are built and protected.
contr. fission(early era) port. computer(late era) Synthetic materials (plastics) are first developed
uncontr. fusion(early era) cell phone(late era) by the Late Industrial Era, but a plethora are
organ transplant(early era) created in the Atomic Era. Whether synthesized
semiconductor electronics(early era) from petroleum or made of advanced ceramics
integrated circuit(middle era) or composites of exotic materials, by the Late
space travel(middle era) Atomic Era they are stronger than steel in many
ballistic fabric(middle era) respects. This allows their use in weapons to
genetic therapy(late era) make them lighter, and in personal armor capable
global networks(late era) of stopping or blunting the impact of Atomic Era
advanced composite(late era) firearms. By the end of the Atomic Era, most
armies and police forces will be equipped with
armor for head and body capable of transforming
an otherwise lethal hit into just a severe bruise.

Post-atomic Era: Fission power is largely

The extremely rapid advances in electronics blow abandoned, replaced by
any simple rule-based progression in capability cleaner, more efficient
out the window for this tech. The capabilities fusion reactors. Fusion
of a futuritistic Star Trek communicator (as power allows extensive
envisioned in 1966CE) are inferior to many exploration of the solar
early 21st century cell phones (circa 2010CE), system, followed by early use of
and a tablet computer and some peripherals can antimatter as a power source. Tech
do just about anything a tricorder can. And capable of bridging an interstellar
compare Lt. Uhura’s massive earphone to a distance without having to cross normal
modern Bluetooth rig... Computers that filled space is developed at the end of the era.
warehouses at the start of the Atomic Era now fit Artificial intelligence, universally embedded
on your wrist. A Late Atomic Era pocket flashlight and networked computers, cloned body parts,
is brighter than an Early Atomic Era car headlight, space colonies and a jump in average lifespan
and a video camera that would have massed should occur in this era. The ability of small
several hundred kilograms is now the size of a groups of even individuals to cause havoc by
thumbnail. There is no way to predict if or when use of biological, chemical, or nuclear weapons
the increase in capability will slow down. On the is greater than in previous eras. Biowarfare is
other hand, Buck Rogers (circa 1929CE) had capable of dropping a civilization back to a late
handheld ray guns, but we are nowhere close to Basic or early Industrial level, simply by killing
that yet. So, the parameters you set for making enough people that advanced machines can no
gizmos and their capability will need a lot of longer be maintained, or knowledge to rebuild
attention to have any chance of matching actual them is lost. The most advanced hand-held
tech in terms of size and capability. weapons are portable lasers or particle beam
devices, and the most advanced personal
armor is made of exotic materials. Full-body
suits may include an artificial musculature that
amplifies strength, allowing a wearer to carry
bigger weapons and heavier armor. Earth from
the development of sustainable fusion power
to the development of the first interstellar
drive is Post-Atomic Era technology.
7.7
 As an example of how technology affects the
Post-Atomic Era techs energy available to the average person, the
controlled fusion(early era) following list is a relative ranking of the energy
hot superconductors(early era) available in a given mass of that tech. This would
artificial intelligence(middle era) be on an EABA-like scale where each 3 points of
hand-held energy weapon(early era) ranking is double the energy of the previous
workable FTL theory(late era) number, mostly because the actual values range
military exoskeleton(early era) from .0003 up to about 9,000,000,000! Items
quantum computers(early era) marked as ‘theoretical’ are the raw energy
synthetic organs(early era) content, not the lower amount that can be
practical nanotech(early era) extracted by a machine using that source.
medical regeneration(middle era)
doubling average lifespan(early era) item relative dice
Industrial Era clockwork .0003 0d+1
The Post-Atomic Era is the first one where the Late Atomic Era supercapacitor .02 6d+0
ability to produce things is easier than it is to Early Atomic Era battery .13 8d+2
acquire the materials to make the goods. The Black powder .3 9d+2
cost of manufactured items from the gear list Nitrocelluose propellant .4 10d+1
(or their Post-atomic Era equivalents) could be Middle Atomic Era battery .4 10d+1
less than listed. However, the costs for non- Late Atomic Era battery .7 11d+1
manufactured items or raw materials could be TNT 4.6 14d+0
higher. That is, advanced tech gets cheaper, wood(theoretical) 15 15d+2
but food, shelter and real estate gets more coal(theoretical) 31 16d+2
expensive. This cost adjustment is subjective, gasoline(theoretical) 45 17d+1
and really depends on how a particular Post- Fission(theoretical) 90,000,000 38d+0
Atomic culture’s resource and population Fusion(theoretical) 500,000,000 40d+2
situation has evolved over time. Antimatter(theoretical) 9,000,000,000 45d+0

Inflation of prices could offset reductions you Yes, these numbers are correct. The difference
might see from automated manufacturing. between a chunk of wood and a chunk of TNT
Scarcity of particular elements or very high is that you can get the TNT to give up all its
demand could do the same. Or, an expensive potential energy at once, making it far more
device might be sold at a low cost, and profit useful in military applications. Similarly, the
taken from an expensive subscription service to difference between a department store flashlight
use it. battery and nitrocelluose propellant is that we
have not yet developed an efficient means of
Hot superconductors turning the battery’s energy into combat-effective
Aside from efficiency, one problem facing the damage. The figures also put into perspective the
designers of energy weapons is a compact means relatively small amount of energy in the form of
of storing the energy required and delivering it magic that you need to overwhelm a world that
fast enough to be useful. Hot superconductors lacks energetic technologies like gunpowder.
(Early Post-Atomic Era) capable of operating at
ambient temperatures and in intense magnetic
fields would make this possible. Superconductors
of this type could also be used in a primitive
form of magnetic shielding, or for high speed
magnetically levitated transport systems.

7.8
 Income and cost of goods in the Advanced Era
Advanced Era: A new understanding of the and later are purely speculative and would
universe opens new vistas, including reliable have to be based on numerous gameworld
anti-matter power and interstellar travel. By considerations. When items can replicate
the end of the era, limited access to alternate themselves and automated mining facilities
forms of space or reality such as mutable can utilize all the resources of a solar system,
matter, hyperspace or disruptor beams are what people do to make a living and how an
common. Nanotechnology or other forms of economy functions when supply is nearly
micromanufacturing allow for objects with infinite compared to demand is anyone’s
limited self-repair capability. All degenerative guess. You can use the price lists for any
conditions and diseases are preventable or comparable items if desired, but that would
curable, and any injury except destruction of only be the coarsest of guidelines.
the brain is repairable. By the end of the era,
even personal knowledge can be stored and Disruptors
replaced if lost. The most advanced weapons Disruptors (Early Advanced Era) are derived from
and armor available are unknown, but will breakthroughs occurring at the end of the Post-
obviously be more advanced than those in the Atomic Era. Disruptors are energy beams that
Post-Atomic era. Earth from the development only interact with a particular type of matter. The
of the first interstellar capability to points weapons are initially large and difficult to tune,
unknown is Advanced Era technology. The but by late in the era they are hand-held and can
inability of us (circa 2000CE) to figure the be programmed by sensors mounted on the
details of what Advanced Era tech and society weapon itself. Disruptor weapons completely
will be like means this is probably the last era ignore everything except the elemental or
suitable for most gameworlds. Early molecular structure it is keyed to, and re-enters
Advanced Era will allow for some real space upon encountering it. Tuned to ‘bone’,
interstellar travel, but the espe- it would ignore armor and detonate in the body
cially disruptive tech will not of the person wearing it. Tuned to ‘diamond’ it
reach hand-held size until would ignore other forms of carbon like coal.
later in the era. Mutable matter allows ‘flux armor’ to be tuned to
the same characteristics as that which it protects,
but the weapon’s effect upon earlier era military
machines is as devastating as you would expect.

In our opinion, the Culture series of novels by

Advanced Era techs Iain Banks is probably a perfect example of not
prenatal genetic programming(early era) just an Advanced Era civilization, but of how you
controlled antimatter(early era) can make interesting, human-scale stories work
hyperspace FTL(early era) in a campaign with that level of technology.
mutable matter(early era)
disruptor weapons(early era)
all diseases cured(early era)
sophisticated nanotech(early era)
mind backups(middle era)
quadrupling average lifespan(early era)

7.9
 Final Era: A species which reaches the end of
Interstellar Era: More forms of interstellar this era has reached a complete understanding
travel become possible, and advances in all the of the most fundamental structures of the
sciences make Advanced Era items more and universe, and with sufficient energy, is capable
more efficient. Further refinement of Advanced of manipulating time, space and dimension on
Era theories allows for incredible but energy- an interstellar scale. It is different from the
intensive processes such as the creation of Interstellar Era mostly in the scale at which
pocket universes, teleporters and bidirectional the technologies can be implemented. This era
matter-energy conversion. These are generally is not really suitable for role-playing (at least
impractical because of their cost, but they are not for crunchy, rule-based game systems),
possible. The energy and time required to but elements of it can be incorporated as fixed
make new scientific advances means that few gameworld elements forever beyond the
if any interstellar species will ever develop past comprehension of its inhabitants (ancient alien
this stage. Anything from the Late Advanced ruins, etc.).
Era onwards is sophisticated enough as to be
indistinguishable from magic to an Atomic Era Final Era techs
person, and it is difficult for Atomic Era fiction time travel
writers to even convincingly generate stories stellar engineering
that take place at the Interstellar Era or later. dyson spheres
However, individual aspects of Interstellar Era dimensional travel
tech might be a major feature of a civilization synthetic universes
or gameworld that generally operates in the
Advanced Era (like matter transporters and The unknown
food replicators). Any culture at the Final Era will have the ability
to manipulate the fabric of spacetime far beyond
Advanced Era techs the principles used for disruptors and jump torps.
matter replicators(early era) The ability to create spatial discontinuities,
virtual universes(early era) casually manipulate negative energy and alter
teleportation(early era) the flow of time all have military possibilities in
unlimited lifespan(early era) the realm of galactic-level extinction events. In
pocket universes(middle era) game terms, at this point you are just making
ringworlds(late era) stuff up, because neither you nor the players will
have any idea how you would actually do this
Jump torpedos sort of thing...
Interstellar Era cultures can make self-contained
starship weapons that bypass normal space and
reappear inside a mass at their destination.
Technologies that defeat disruptors have no effect
on jump torps. A variant of the technology to
phase a target out of normal space is used as a
defense against this or any other form of attack.
Both of these technologies have portable variants
by the end of the era.

7.10
 The other type is the the ‘bulky superhero suit’
VEHICLES type of vehicle. Your average car lets you run
In game terms, vehicles are really faster than any cheetah, protects you from
just big, multi-purpose gadgets built moderate extremes of heat and cold, protects
using some special applications of the you a little from damage and lets you listen
paranormal power rules in chapter 6. BTRC into on radio waves. And it is strong enough to
has done elaborately complex vehicle design carry you and your friends around. A tank is
rules in the past, but EABA will break from merely a very formidable upgrade of the
that. A vehicle will either be an extension of concept.
the will and abilities of the adventurers, or a
place where the adventures happen. A fighter So, with that in mind, personal vehicles are
plane or a car is an example of the first. An going to use the power system to deal with
ocean liner or star cruiser would be an some basic concepts:
example of the latter.
armor: A vehicle is going to have an armor gadget
Think of the difference this way: No matter of a size sufficient to hold all its occupants and any
how complex and amazing a vehicle location other vehicle gadgets
system is, if the enemy battleship happens to mobility: A vehicle is going to have a mobility
lob a 15 inch high explosive shell into the spot gadget with a power appropriate to the tech and
where all the adventurers are standing, the type of mobility
gamemaster is going to re-roll it and decide weapons: A vehicle may have weapon gadgets,
that all the adventurers were not blown to bits depending on the type of vehicle
after all. This makes the ‘adventure setting’ other: any other gadgets for things a vehicle might
vehicle very simple to design. have (radio, radar, etc.)

step 1 draw a picture of any part of the vehicle After that, we can deal with:
players might need to visualize
step 2 generate the relevant stats for any part of cost: How much it costs in mundane terms
the vehicle adventurers need to interact combat: How vehicles and adventurers interact in
with in a way that requires game stats. combat and how vehicles take damage
step 3 there is no step 3 aftermath: How you repair vehicles, how long it
takes and how much it costs.
If the centerpiece of the adventure is a group of
terrorists taking hostages in the main ballroom of The aircar
the starliner and planting an antimatter bomb in We have a group
the main life support bay, then all you need is the of adventurers in
ballroom and the life support bay. You might need a near-future
to make up a number for how tough the interior setting that wants
bulkheads are, but that is about it. You really do a vertical take-off
not care how much the starliner cost, how fast it and landing vehicle
goes or how long the emergency life support (VTOL) that is not a
lasts. If something happens to the life support, helicopter, is pretty fast,
either it will get fixed or help will arrive, or it will armored enough to protect
not. Similarly, if you are being fired on by pirates, them against small-arms fire, has a little bit of
either the ship can outrun them or it cannot. If cargo space and room for a concealed vehicle
the gamemaster has decided the adventurers will weapon. How they would go about acquiring it
be fighting off boarding parties of space pirates, or having it made is up to the gamemaster
then the starliner will be slower than the pirates. and the nature of the setting. All we are going
to do is design it.
7.11
 component hexagons
Armor default size per ton of loaded mass 4
Every vehicle will have armor of a sort, even armor 0
if it does not protect people using the vehicle weapons, per ton 2
(like on a motorcycle). For vehicle design, mobility power, per ton 2
armor is a power that represents the structure other gadget, per ton 2
of the vehicle as well as its surface. You are one person, riding the vehicle 0
paying for a volume to put other things in. The one person, riding/controlling the vehicle *0*
easiest way to do this is the ‘radius’ modifier one person, seated or standing 1
on a ‘defense’ effect. This will normally be: one person, luxury or large seating +.5+
one person, control or weapon station +1+
defense: protects vs. lethal and below -4 one person, minimal bunk space 16
+
_ increased area(radius) -radius lev. one person, small room 32
+
_ boundary effect(plus incr. area) +2 one person, large room/double occupancy 64
mundane gadget +1 one person, luxury room 125
special effect +1 lab facilities *2*
entertainment facilities *2*
The ‘special effect’ is normally just a useful cargo, per ton varies
description. Steel armor? Magnetic mines can
stick to it. Wooden hull? It can burn. And so size: Vehicles will have a default size of 4
on. The hexagons of volume protected will hexagons per ton of loaded weight. You can
depend on the radius, and is going to have alter this. Each time you cut this size in half
the following modifier for the above factors: you increase the damage limit of the vehicle
by 1, and each time you double this size you
hexagons radius modifier decrease the damage limit by 1.
1 .5 meter -1
2 .7 meter -2 armor: The armor of a vehicle takes up no
3-4 1 meter -3 space. While not entirely true, it works for the
5-8 1.4 meter -4 most part.
9-16 2 meter -5
17-32 3 meter -6 weapons: Any weapon gadget will take up 1
33-64 4 meter -7 hexagon of volume for each 2 tons of weapon
65-125 6 meter -8 or ammunition. Ammunition that is in the
126-250 8 meter -9 weapon counts as part of the weapon. Extra
each 2x +1 level. -1 ammunition not in the weapon takes up
separate space.
There are going to be more modifiers for
armor (an obvious gadget, for instance), but mobility power: A mobility power includes
this is just to give you an idea of how far all aspects of the vehicle necessary for that
negative things will start for a large vehicle. mobility. So on a car it is probably the engine,
transmission, drive train and wheels. On a
The amount of space taken up by one person plane it includes the wings. On a ship it would
or vehicle component is going to be as follows, include the structure unique to a streamlined
with a description at the end of the list. The watertight hull, and so on. This takes up one
amount of space taken by some components hexagon for each 2 tons of mobility power.
can be modified, like getting a positive
modifier on a mobility power for having a other gadget: Most other vehicle gadgets will
bulkier than normal mobility system. take up 1 hexagon per 2 tons of gadget.

7.12
 As a general note, a civilian passenger vessel
rider: Someone who is simply on a vehicle but with a normal mix of quarters (first, second
cannot control or influence it takes up no and third class) will have about one-third of
space. A pilot, passenger, seating or lodging the passenger complement as crew to serve
space is assumed to mass .1 ton per hexagon. the passengers.

rider/driver: This would be something like a small room: A junior officer’s stateroom on
motorcycle driver. They take up no space in a military vessel or the minimum civilian
the vehicle, but there are vehicle components quarters on a passenger ship.
that take up space because of them (like the
controls). large room: A senior officer’s stateroom on a
military vessel, a medium-quality single room
passenger: This is just the space and weight on a passenger vessel or an average double
for a person in a normal vehicle seat. A occupancy room.
‘luxury’ passenger simply has more space or a
bigger seat, and this would also be used if the luxury room: The minimum volume for a
seating has to accomodate people in bulky luxury room, or the captain’s quarters on a
outfits like armor or spacesuits. Any seat that large military vessel.
can fold flat for a minimally useful sleeping
space takes up +1 hex but no extra weight. lab facilities: A lab is any vehicle space that is
dedicated to a particular science, which does
control/weapon station: Each person not actually have to be a ‘laboratory’. It could
involved in the piloting, sensor operation or the be a library or an observatory dome. A lab lets
operating, targeting or reloading of a weapon you do tool-based tasks on that skill. The
has extra space alloted for this task. This minimum lab is a +0 bonus, and each doubling
space has negligible mass compared to the is a +1 to your skill roll. The maximum bonus
overall vehicle and never takes up more than you can use is +1 per full 1d in your skill, or if
an eighth of the vehicle or the size of the the lab is specialized, a specialized skill.
weapon (round to nearest .1 hexagon).
A 64 hexagon lab would be worth a +5, but if
A 3 hexagon motorcyle would have three-eighths your skill roll was 4d+1 you would only get a +4
of a hexagon devoted to controls. This is .375 benefit.
hexagons, so it rounds to .4.
entertainment facilities: This is whatever you
minimal bunk: This is the absolute minimum want, whatever volume it needs to take. A
space for a person to sleep and a little room in casino, a swimming pool or just a small VR
the vehicle to maneuver to get to it. Sleeping lounge on your cramped mining ship.
on top of the torpedoes in an old submarine,
bunks stacked three or four high in the hull of cargo: A cargo or luggage area takes up as
a ship, etc. Unless under duress, civilians will much volume as you want it to. The important
not put up with this or pay for passage that thing is that the loaded mass of the vehicle
only includes this sort of accomodation. The has to include the maximum amount you are
civilian crew of a ship might be stacked up like going to stuff into that cargo area. A suitcase
this, but they are getting paid for it. This and full of clothes weighs a lot less than a crate of
other accomodation volumes includes a share gold bars. You can overload a vehicle, but its
of hallway space, kitchen and dining facilities, designer performance assumes no more than
etc. This separates them out from folding seats its designed weight. An empty cargo area has
because they can be used as living quarters. no mass.

7.13
 size: This is the big modifier. How much armor
Where we are at (steel, wood, whatever) does the vehicle
At this point you probably know what range of carry? You can load on as much as you want,
hexagons your total vehicle size is going to be. but bear in mind that your mobility power level
For quick comparison purposes: is going to take a penalty based on the size
and weight of the vehicle. So a ton of armor is
vehicle type hexagons weight going to generate a ton of speed penalty.
motorcycle 2-4 ≈.4 ton
passenger car 8-16 ≈2 tons A special feature of vehicle design is that
armored personnel carrier 45-64 ≈23 tons you may usually spend no more than +1P
main battle tank ≈64 ≈64 tons on increased armor protection. You are
luxury yacht ≈2k ≈500 tons getting your protective value from the passive
WW2 submarine ≈1.5k ≈1k ton effects of technology and sheer mass, not an
nuclear missile submarine ≈24k ≈16k tons active power that you can pump energy into.
destroyer ≈20k ≈2.5k tons
medium airship ≈64k ≈11k tons After taking all the modifiers into account, a
battleship ≈100k ≈50k tons vehicle usually needs to have enough mass
modern cruise ship ≈400k ≈100k tons spent on armor to give it an armor of at least
the second value for the tech base (like +9 for
In general, once you get past a thousand tons an Atomic Era vehicle with a tech base of 0/9).
or so, you are out of the ‘vehicle as gadget’ This value can have conditionals that reduce
range and getting into the ‘vehicle as setting’ the effect for weapons, so long as the effective
range. Now it is a matter of filling out the armor is at least 0d+1.
modifiers and seeing what the cost in points is
going to be. Other armor modifiers you may You can grant exceptions to this rule if it seems
need are: appropriate. The rule is designed to force you to
have a reasonable body weight for vehicles. You
gadget: obvious +2 can reduce this minimum by 1 for each level the
reduced to 1/2 effect vs. weapons(-2d) +1 vehicle size exceeds the norm of 4 hexagons per
gadget: mundane size ±varies ton, down to a minimum of 0d+1. So something
like a zeppelin that is very large and thin skinned
obvious: The toughness or lack of toughness could have a much lower armor rating.
of a vehicle is obvious. A tank has obvious
armor. A normal car is obviously not armored, Our aircar is going to mass 8 tons and we decide
but the fact that it has a metal skin is pretty it will have a volume of 32 hexagons and have 4
obvious. A vehicle with concealed armor would tons of armor. In this, we know it will have:
have a lower visibility modifier for the power. A
vehicle does not get the ‘immobile’ modifier item tons hexes
unless it is actually being designed as a fixed armor 4 0
emplacement. pilot & controls x 1 .1 2
luxury seating x 6 .6 9
reduced effect: This is the ‘civilian vehicle’ weapon controls x 1 - 1
modifier and just means that actual weapons luggage(200kg capacity) .2 2
reduce the effective armor by half or by 2d, total 4.9 14.0
whichever is greater. Most vehicles that are not
designed for combat should take this modifier This leaves us a total of 18 hexagons and 3.1
or something like it. tons for the power plant and other gadgets (like
weapons) we will want to add.

7.14
 specialized armor: You may spend 1P and no
A 16 hexagon passenger car at the Atomic Era more on an armor that only works against a
(tech base of 0/9) is designed with 125 kilograms average or narrow range of attacks and which
of sheet metal. This would be: layers on other armor (the smaller armor of
the two layers is halved).
defense: 16 hexagon vehicle -5
reduced to 1/2 eff. vs. weapons(-2d) +1 If we wanted to add a 125 kilogram layer of
gadget: obvious +2 ‘laser refractive paint’ to our aircar, it might look
gadget: 250 kilogram +21 like this:
total +19
adjusted for tech base +11 defense: narrow category +4
defense: layers add +0
This means the car has an armor of 3d+2 vs. the +
_ increased area: radius -6
hazards of the road, but against actual attacks it +
_ increased area: boundary effect +2
only counts as 1d+2. gadget: obvious +2
gadget: mundane +1
A 125 hexagon ship at the Basic Era (tech base gadget: 125 kilogram +21
of -6/3) is designed with 16 tons of wooden hull. special effect +1
This would be: total +25
adjusted for tech base +15
defense: 125 hexagon vehicle -8 adjusted for layering(halved(d)) +7
gadget: obvious +2
gadget: 16 tons +42 If we did this, the anti-laser layer would add
total +36 +7 to the aircar’s armor against laser fire, but
adjusted for tech base +5 nothing at all against any other kind of attack.

Remember that we have a negative freebie of -6 Specialized armors may be combined, but
on the power level for the Basic Era, but that we this is a gamemaster call. If the nature of a
also only have a minimum armor requirement of specialized armor is that it has to be the
+3 for the Basic Era. outermost layer, then clearly it cannot layer
effectively with something else that also has to
Special cases be the outermost layer.
Armor on a vehicle can have a few special
cases, only some of which are modifiers on the Re-entry damage on a controlled re-entry is a
power. 7d+0 attack to the front and bottom of a vehicle
and a 3d+0 attack elsewhere, which counts as an
rearranging armor: The default armor applies area effect if it penetrates.
equally on every side of a vehicle. However,
you can rearrange the armor on a vehicle. A ablative armor: A regular or specialized
vehicle is counted as having six facings: front, armor can have a decreasing activation roll to
rear, top, bottom, right and left. Each -2 you represent that the armor is blasted off, burned
apply to one of these facings will get you a +1 off or otherwise becomes less effective after
on a different facing. So, you could have a repeated hits.
tank where you removed some armor from the
top, bottom and rear to bulk up the front. A Even if you are designing a rocket, vehicle design
raft has nothing but bottom armor! is not rocket science. You never need to be more
than three digits of accurate. For instance, a 100
ton vehicle can round things to the nearest 1 ton.

7.15
 Mobility
Our aircar is going to mass 8 tons. This means it Mobility for a vehicle is almost always the
has a base size of 32 hexes. For now: ‘artificial movement’ effect. This will have a
few standard modifiers, a few special ones and
Post-Atomic Era Aircar a lot of room for customization.
loaded weight: 8 tons
tech base 3/12 One very important note for vehicles is that
you only get +1 power level for each +1P
We have already decided the aircar is going to spent over that for the base power level.
have 4 tons of armor. We also want the armor to Allowing you to double the vehicle speed for
not be obvious, so we take the ‘power is hidden’ +1P would be very unbalancing. You also only
modifier to reflect that the armor is underneath a get to spend extra P in proportion to having
normal-looking exterior, and only a close-up your mobility system take up extra volume.
examination will reveal the extra-thick windows. Either you cram in more engine, or you occupy
So, with a tech base of 3/12, the power looks more of the vehicle with other mobility-related
something like this: items (like wings).

defense: 32 hexagon vehicle -6 A special modifier is vehicle size. It is harder

gadget: obvious +2 to push a big or heavy vehicle, whether a very
gadget: 4 tons +36 heavy tank or a very bulky zeppelin. The
power is hidden -3 mobility power also has to encompass the
total +29 area of the vehicle, but uses the ‘artificial
adjusted for tech base +19 movement’ effect. And unlike the armor, it
does not get the boundary effect modifier (this
The adjustment for the tech base is that the first would end up as the modifier on the page
+12 of modifier is unaffected, and the excess of 7.12 table with an extra +3).
+17 is quartered to +4. Then we add the +3 free
bonus for the first value in the tech base, and the mobility: artificial movement +0
sum of these is +19, or an armor of 6d+1. We +
_ increased area(radius) -radius lev.
spend the maximum extra of +1P on the power mundane gadget +1
to make the final level +21, or an armor of 7d+0. special effect +1
physical dependence with armor +1
On the assumption that most hits will be at the
front or underside of the aircar, we pull 2 points Our aircar has a volume of 32 hexagons, which is
of armor off each of the top, rear and sides (a a radius modifier of -6, with the modifiers for
total of 8 points) to add 2 points to each of the ‘mundane gadget’, ‘special effect’ and ‘physical
bottom and front, so the aircar looks like this: dependence’, making it -3.

front: 7d+2 right: 6d+1 rear: 6d+1 In addition, you take a negative modifier equal
bottom: 7d+2 left: 6d+1 top: 6d+1 to the one-third the mass modifier for the
loaded vehicle, rounding towards zero. A given
Morale amount of power will push a lighter vehicle
Long trips wear you down, and the better the faster than it would a heavier vehicle.
quality of your seating or quarters, the more
acceptable the confinement. Adventurers and Our aircar has a loaded mass of 8 tons. The
extras will chafe at cramped arrangements, and gadget modifier for a mass of 8 tons is -39, so
you should reflect this with cumulative penalties. the modifier on the movement power is -13.
Lacking escape or a means to blow off steam,
you will eventually get a mutiny...

7.16
 If you say the difficulty is 7 and the base time
In addition, the artificial movement modifier is a minute, then after a minute you roll against a
will be further adjusted by the nature of the 7, after 2 minutes it is an 8, after 4 minutes it is
artificial movement. A train will use a different a 9, after 8 minutes it is a 10 and so on. You will
modifier than a walking mech, for instance. eventually run into something that will get you
stuck.
artificial movement type modifier
rail movement +0 off-road(-4): The vehicle can operate on- or
on-road movement only -2 off-road, but is still limited to fairly regular
off-road movement -4 terrain. Obstacles of certain sizes or types can
walking movement -6 still impede movement (swamps, boulders,
flight -4 etc.). Vehicles with off-road capability but only
vertical flight -7 in certain types of off-road (like snowmobiles)
gliding -4 would be a -3 modifier instead of a -4. Tracked
water movement -11 vehicles are better off-road than wheeled ones
and for any passable off-road condition would
Most mundane vehicles will also have: have +1 speed over a wheeled vehicle of
otherwise identical performance. On roads,
artificial movement type modifier wheeled vehicles would have +1 performance
mundane acceleration +1 over an equivalent tracked vehicle.
mundane handling +2
mobility size ±1 walking(-6): The vehicle can go anywhere a
person could by walking, limited by vehicle
You can qualify these with special conditional size and space between obstacles. A walking
modifiers. An ordinary speedboat and a racing vehicle 4 meters wide will have trouble going
hydrofoil might differ because one has: through a forest with trees 3 meters apart.

conditional 1/2 effect (imperfect water) -2 flight(-4): The vehicle can do normal flight,
conditional effect: common +3 most likely with wings. It has to reach at least
one-quarter of its top speed (its movement
Which gives the hydrofoil a +1 modifier over level minus 4) to become airborne, and until
the normal speedboat. then counts as an ‘on-road’ vehicle. It can trade
horizontal movement for vertical movement at
rails(+0): The vehicle is restricted to a a 4:1 ratio once it is airborne.
special, pre-prepared path. This could be steel
rails, an evacuated underground tube, a cable As a practical matter, the limits of material
car or a hyperspace wormhole. The vehicle can- science in a given tech era limit flight in an
not move at all outside of that path and it effec- atmosphere to a top speed of +24 for the
tively has an infinite handling penalty, since you middle of the Atomic Era, ±2 for each fraction
always know exactly where it is going. of an era before or after this. This still lets you
make air vehicles faster than are historically
roads(-2): The vehicle is limited to roads known, but not terribly so, especially if you
or other hard, flat surfaces. Leaving this apply the advanced rule for tech-limited
controlled environment is possible but risky. power.
You will eventually get stuck. The fast way to
handle this is to just assign a difficulty to the
terrain and roll 3d+0 against that difficulty
after a certain time level and add +1 to the
difficulty for each elapsed +2 time after that.
7.17
 You have a gliding vehicle with the normal chassis
vertical flight(-7): The vehicle can fly, take size for its weight and normal mobility size for its
off vertically and hover. The extra power weight. If it is going a distance level of +16 (90
required is the main reason for the extra nega- meters), it will drop a distance level of +12 (23
tive modifier compared to normal flight. Levels meters). Not much of a glide ratio, at 4:1. If you
in forward movement can be traded for vertical increased the size of the mobility system by 4
movement at a 4:1 ratio, but unlike regular levels, you would change this drop to a distance
flight, the vehicle does not have to be moving level of +8 (6 meters), or a glide ratio of 15:1.
forward to do so. However, if it is a mundane
vehicle, it might still have to ‘warm up’ until it A glider usually cannot have more than +1P
has enough power that it could take off as a spent as a secondary cost, regardless of the
winged vehicle. size of the mobility system or tech era. Gravity
is a fixed power source, so extra P spent is
You have a vertical flight vehicle with a top speed really just improvements in aerodynamics.
(distance level) of +24. It can take off vertically,
but it needs to reach a ‘speed’ of +18 first (its water(-11): The vehicle operates on the
distance level minus 6). Since it has ‘mundane surface of the water. The penalty is mostly
acceleration’, it gets +3 per time level, so it takes because of the huge drag caused by the water.
a time level of +6 (8 seconds) to rev up enough Because water has a huge amount of drag (it
for liftoff. With a maximum speed of +24, its is 700 times as dense as air), water vehicles
maximum vertical movement rate is +6. may use the submerged fraction of the hull to
adjust the modifier for this movement. Assume
A helicopter or other vertical flight vehicle that the modifier of -11 is for a vehicle that is half
has a propulsion system that needs a large in and half out of the water. This can be
volume to operate in would just use the notes dropped as low as -8 for something like a
for increased mobility system volume. hydrofoil or up to -13 for a fully loaded tanker.
Note that a fully submerged vehicle would
Some vehicles will have radically different loaded probably be a -10 modifier instead of -11,
and unloaded weight. If the weight change is since you avoid the drag-inducing turbulence
sufficient to be a different weight modifier, you of the water-air interface.
may with gamemaster permission have a loaded
and unloaded top speed. Similarly, you might be Water vehicles need to float, and submarines
allowed to overload a vehicle by a weight level to have neutral bouyancy. A vehicle is the same
and take a speed penalty. You generally cannot density as water if its mass in tons is three-
overload flying vehicles. quarters of it volume in hexagons. Anything more
than this and it sinks. Anyting less is the fraction
The large negative modifiers for some forms of of its volume that is submerged. Vehicles that are
movement mean that it is almost necessary to not watertight will eventually count any non-
use the ‘increased mobility size’ modifier to offset watertight hexagon as weighing three-quarters
it. If you look at the average airplane, it is mostly of a ton extra.
wings and engine.
mundane acceleration(+1): acceleration
gliding(-4): The vehicle can do winged flight would be handled using the minimum value of
but has no actual power plant. It has to rely on the warmup modifier. This just means that it
gravity, and generally drops a distance of its takes time for the mobility to reach full speed,
movement level minus 4, and an extra minus 1 going up by +3 per time level. Very large or
each time mobility size level is increased. Skill slow to accelerate vehicles could use the
rolls can decrease the rate of descent, based on warmup(+2) or warmup(+1) modifiers.
conditions.
7.18
 mobility size(±1): A mobility system has a
mundane handling(+2): A default vehicle default size of 2 hexagons per ton. If you make
is assumed to be as manueverable as an the mobility system bulkier, you get a +1
adventurer, which is rarely the actual case. modifier for each level of extra bulk. If you
Unless you are used to requiring a several make the system more compact, you get a -1
meter wide space just to turn yourself around. modifier for making the mobility system .7 tons
per hexagon and a -2 for making it 1 ton per
In an abstract sense, a vehicle will give a hexagon instead of the normal 1 ton per 2
penalty of its size level in hexagons on the hexagons.
quantity row of the Universal Chart, ±1 for
each full era before or after the Atomic Era. You cannot spend more extra P on the
mobility power than half the value of this
Our aircar has a size of x32 hexagons, so it has a modifier, rounding down.
maneuvering penalty of +10, which drops by 1 to
+9 because it is a Post-Atomic Era vehicle. If you increase the volume of your mobility
by +5 levels (like from 2 hexagons to 11
This just means that in any sort of critical hexagons), you cannot spend more than +2P
maneuvering skill check the driver takes this past the base cost of 1P. You may spend less
number as an increased difficulty. In any sort than +2P on improving the power level, but you
of comparison between vehicles, you use the cannot spend more.
difference in the maneuvering capability of the
vehicles as a penalty on any oppositional skill Mobility and energy
rolls by the vehicle with the higher value Most mobility powers will require an energy
(higher value is less manueverable). You can source. This is usually handled with an energy
drop this penalty by 2 for each 1 point of reserve, a constant drain and some sort of
final power level you sacrifice as part of the modifiers related to replenishing the fuel
permanent vehicle design. supply (often the ‘mundane replacement’
modifier). For something like an average
If someone on a hoverbike were trying to avoid civilian vehicle, the most realistic combination
pursuit by our aircar and the hoverbike had a is:
maneuvering penalty of +4, then the aircar pilot
takes a -5 on their skill roll in any manuevering g energy reserve +0
contest between the two (the difference between g 15 energy +0
the manuevering value of the two vehicles). g steady drain, 1 per 15 minutes -5
g replace in 4 minutes (refill the gas tank) +4
You can have a vehicle with maneuverability so g mundanely replaced -1
poor that critical maneuvering is impossible. Such total -2
vehicles cannot do difficult maneuvers, but they
can be compared in contests of maneuverability This means that your vehicle can run at full
with similarly ungainly vehicles. power for about four hours before you need to
refill the fuel tank. It is reasonable to assume
A person outside a vehicle would have a that you can run it longer at lesser power, each
comparable modifier of +0, less any Dodge halving off the top speed giving you double the
that might apply. A vehicle trying to hit a duration.
person would get a benefit of its size (a bigger
vehicle is harder to get out of the way of, even
if it cannot maneuver that deftly).

7.19
 Tech-limited power levels
You can model other engine types by playing The refinement and tweaking of virtually any
with these modifiers. A nuclear submarine mundane technology is proportional to the time
might only have a few energy in its reserve, but that has elapsed since its introduction. Super-
have a constant drain slow enough that this powered dragsters or high-revving Formula 1
reserve will last for years. A rocket might go engines did not show up at the same time as the
through its fuel very quickly. Both vehicles Model T. The ability to spend secondary P on a
might require specialized equipment and long mobility power (or any mundane gadget, for that
time periods and large crews to refuel them. matter) depends on how long it has been since
that technology had been introduced. To model
Other mobility modifiers this for a gadget, at its earliest introduction the
Most mobility powers are going to have a maximum extra P you can spend on a mobility
‘special effect’, and because of the definition of system of a given size is no more than +1P. Each
a special effect, this can be useful. The most fraction of an era after the tech’s introduction lets
common special effect on modern vehicles is you utilize up to one-quarter (round up) of the
‘provides auxiliary power’. That is, some maximum extra P you could use for a mobility
fraction of the mobility system generates system of that size. For instance, if you use
energy for the radio, headlights, heater, air tech-limited power on a vehicle that has a +8
conditioner, life support and so on. These other modifier for increased mobility system size, and
gadgets can simply have the operational a particular mobility system was invented in
dependence of ‘requires functioning mobility the early Atomic Era, then you could spend a
system’ for +1. Power-hungry energy weapons maximum of +1P over the base in the early
probably need a separate power source unless Atomic Era, a maximum of +2P in the middle of
the mobility system is very powerful. the era, +4P in the late Atomic Era, +6P in the
Early Post-Atomic Era and the full +8P in the
Much of the time a mobility system will require Post-Atomic Era. The same could be applied to
gestures, for either a +1 or +3 modifier. A weapons or armor if you want. Some of these
typical civilian vehicle does not require a skill things will be judgement calls. For instance,
roll, but a specialized or military vehicle piston engines and jet turbines are both ‘internal
probably does require an average(7) skill roll combustion engines’. Is one an advancement of a
for another +1 modifier. concept pioneered by the other, or do you count
them as two separate techs with different eras of
Odds are pretty good that operating a vehicle introduction?
will require some degree of concentration, so it
is possible to take the +2 modifier for that. Magical vehicles
Paranormal vehicles would be designed up just
Archaic or very large vehicles may need a crew like mundane ones, except they would have a
just to handle manuevering tasks (adjusting gameworld base for the sophistication of their
the sails, etc.), so may take modifiers for that magic and would be paid for with points rather
as needed. Odds are pretty good that modern than mundane cash. Magical vehicles have all
vehicles of 250 hexes or less only require 1 sorts of potential for weird modifiers, like armor
person to do the actual maneuvering tasks. that only works against spirits, having to chant
to keep the mobility spell running, being able to
Vehicles whose mobility power operates at power the vehicle off a chained djinn, etc.
multiple tech eras (like a high-tech sailboat)
will use the second value of the tech base for
the technology and the first value of the tech
base for the materials (see page 6.58).

7.20
 We design the mobility system for an Atomic
We now have enough information to fully design Era motorcycle, a 3 hexagon vehicle with a 125
the mobility power for our aircar. Our modifiers kilogram mobility system and loaded weight of
look something like this: 350 kilograms:

mobility: vehicle size -3 mobility: vehicle size +0

mobility: vehicle mass -13 mobility: vehicle mass -8
mobility: vertical flight -7 mobility: road movement -2
mobility: +4 size levels (15 hexagons) +4 mobility: +5 size levels (2.0 hexagons) +5
mundane acceleration +1 mundane acceleration +1
mundane handling +2 mundane handling +2
g energy reserve +0 g energy reserve +0
g 15 energy +0 g 15 energy +0
g steady drain, 1 per 15 minutes -5 g steady drain, 1 per 15 minutes -5
g replace in 4 minutes +4 g replace in 1 minute +3
g mundanely replaced -1 g mundanely replaced -1
gestures (sophsticated VTOL controls) +3 gestures (hands and feet) +3
concentration(when not on autopilot) +2 concentration +2
gadget: 2 tons (4 hexagon default) +33 gadget: 125 kg (.25 hexagon default) +21
total +20 total +21
adjusted for tech base of 3/12 +17 adjusted for tech base of 0/9 +12

Now, what does all this mean? First, if you If we leave the handling penalty at its default of
remember the mundane handling example on +3, then the motorcycle has a top speed of +12
page 7.19, our aircar has a base handling penalty for 1P, or 83kph. Since we have a +5 modifier
of +9. We want to drop this to +5, which means for extra mobility system size, we can spend up
giving up 2 points of speed, making our base to +2P more for extra performance, raising this
power level +15 instead of +17. Normally we to +14 of 162kph. If we made the mobility
could spend +1P and an additional +11P to system a little larger we could add +1P more,
improve performance, but the size modifier of -3 and with a few more modifiers or going to a
drops this to a maximum of +8P, and each +1P tech base of 1/10 for Late Atomic Era, we could
only gets us +1 to power level. We want the final get performance up to +16, or 324kph.
vehicle speed to be +17, which costs +2P. This
has no extra mass or volume, but it does mean a For both of these examples we assumed that the
more sophisticated power plant and this will end tech of their mobility system was fully mature
up as an increased mundane cost when we get to and not tech-limited.
that step. If we add in mobility, we get:

item tons hexes

armor 4 0
pilot & controls x 1 .1 2
luxury seating x 6 .6 9
weapon controls x 1 - 1
luggage .2 2
mobility 2 15
total 6.9 29.0

This leaves us with 1.1 tons and 3 hexagons of

space for everything else.

7.21
 slightly limited(+1): This is a lot like an
Weapons operational side effect, where you have some
If a vehicle has weapons, they are a straight- arc of fire, but with a few spots you cannot get
forward application of the gadget rules. at, like a machinegun on a tank that cannot
depress enough to hit someone crouching next
If the weapons can only be used from and as to the tank or hit someone on the weapon
part of the vehicle, they get the ‘immobile’ turret.
modifier for +4 and a ‘physical dependence’
modifier of +1. If the use of the weapon elevation limited(+2): An ‘elevation limited’
requires that the mobility power is operational weapon is one with some other arc, but which
(even if the vehicle is stationary or stuck), this has little or no ability to hit aerial targets, or
would be an ‘operational dependence’ for an anti-aircraft gun that cannot be depressed
another +1. to hit ground targets.

Most vehicle weapons will require something slow(+time/4): This is separate from a
like a ‘concentration’ modifier for +2, to reflect gadget with an Initiative penalty. A ‘slow’
that you are usually strapped into a control vehicle weapon is one that requires the listed
station and cannot do much else while using amount of time to change targets. You have to
the weapon. If a weapon is aimed manually, traverse the turret, adjust your windage and
you usually need a full hexagon for the ‘control elevation, or otherwise take extra time
station’. You are not twitching a joystick, you separate from reloading and aiming (though
are moving your body to move the weapon. someone else could be reloading while you are
acquiring a new target).
People trying to use handheld weapons from a
moving vehicle will possibly have limited arcs unprotected(+3): This just means the
of fire, take the relative movement penalty weapon is not protected by vehicle armor. If
between them and their target, and depending the weapon is hit, it only gets its inherent
on the vehicle, may take any dodging done by armor. A cannon on the deck of a ship or a
the driver or pilot as a penalty on their skill pintle-mounted machinegun would be an
rolls. A car, certainly. A battleship, probably example of this.
not.
In addition to this, a vehicle weapon is going
Vehicle weapons may also take conditional to require volume for a control station. In
limitations for being in limited arcs, having some cases a ‘control station’ is merely the
slow traverse or long reload times. Here are hardware overhead for bolting the weapon
some new modifiers you might use: down and installing a firing link to a different
part of the vehicle.
vehicle weapons modifier
full arc +0 If we look at the notes on the previous page, we
half-sphere +3 have 1.1 tons and 3 hexagons left. If we install a
quarter-sphere +6 weapon of 1 hexagon, this will mass .5 tons and
sixth-sphere +7 leave us with 2 hexagons and .6 tons left for
eighth-sphere +9 other gadgets. We are not going to design up
fixed mount +12 this weapon, but figure that the adventurers
slightly limited +1 probably want something like a small machinegun
elevation-limited +2 turret with a ‘hidden’ modifier on the power to
slow +time/4 represent that it can be retracted and unseen
unprotected +3 when not in use.

7.22
 A full list of the various gadgets available
Gadgets across the tech eras would be a book all by
If you design up other gadgets, important itself, so we are going to assume if you want a
modifiers to keep in mind are: particular vehicle gadget bad enough, you can
design it up as a power and install it. As a
• power: You can apply a physical dependency to reminder, if its actual stats are not needed for
the gadget so that the mobility system (engine) adventuring purposes, do not worry about it. If
has to be running or functional for the gadget to you are not worried about fires, do not waste
operate. You could give the gadget a separate your time designing a vehicle fire suppression
energy reserve that requires special equipment to power.
recharge (the battery recharges only when the
engine is running). You can design whatever you want, but here
• delegation: If the gadget can be run by more are guidelines for common vehicle gadgets:
than one person or from more than one spot in
the vehicle, you need to take this into account. A Modifiers
manual gun turret has a gunner. A computerized Powers that are vehicle gadgets are normal
one might be usable from any terminal in the powers in normal gadgets. They get the
vehicle. Each delegation requires space equal to a modifier for whatever their size is, and this will
set of vehicle controls. limit the amount of extra P that can be spent
• skills: gadgets often require specialized skills to on them if they are mundane gadgets.
use them.
• visibility: not all common vehicle gadgets are area: Powers that affect part or all of the area
obvious when in use. A radar might be a big of a vehicle need to have a ‘radius’ modifier on
spinning dish, or it might be a flat panel or the power to match the appropriate sized area.
hidden under a dome. If the power encompasses the vehicle it fills an
• tech: effect modifiers for tech era apply to real- area, while if it just acts as a boundary or wall
world gadgets, and many effects will require a it can use the ‘boundary’ modifier on the
certain level of sophistication to be done at all. radius. A range of ‘touch’ means the power is
You cannot make a Basic Era radar dish. at and within the skin of the vehicle, and a
• built-in: Anything that is ‘standard equipment’ for longer range means the power extends from
a vehicle at a particular tech era does not have to the surface of the vehicle by that amount, and
be bought as a power. On a modern car, a radio, presumably can protect anything within that
headlights, air conditioner, heater and airbags distance.
would be standard equipment.
• separation: If a gadget is not intrinsic to the A power that affects our entire aircar would
vehicle, design and figure its mundane cost have a modifier of -6 because that is the radius
separately from the vehicle’s cost. Using it still modifier we used to determine its size. Or, if it
takes up space. A pintle-mounted light machine- was just a boundary effect, a modifier of -4. The
gun can be taken off the vehicle and used as an only power the aircar might have that would use
infantry weapon, but to use it while in the vehicle this modifier would be a life support system,
requires that you have room to move around. and we could design that to take care of a radius
sufficient for the passenger compartment rather
For purposes of final vehicle cost, combining than the whole vehicle.
reasonable power effects into a single power
will probably save you money. Vehicle cost is
influenced by the total number of ‘powers’ in
the vehicle, so combining similar effects into
a single gadget or system saves money.

7.23
 Communications
Defenses These are usually some sort of an ‘information’
We have covered armor, but powers mean power. This will have various range limits and
there are more defenses than mundane armor. often requires some degree of compatibility,
A vehicle can have force fields, more limited based on the special effect and the subjective
things like magnetic shielding, specialized description of the power. Your laser comm will
defenses like protection against psionics, or not talk to a cell phone. The special effects
active defenses like an anti-missile laser. All of and characteristics of different types of
these will take up space in the vehicle that communications may use weapon modifiers as
inert mundane armor does not. appropriate. Your laser communicator can be
in a turret, for instance.
Your space opera fusion tank has a gadget that
protects against psionic mind control. Clearly, this Automation
only needs to cover the area the crew is sitting The degree to which this is possible is highly
in, since no other part of the vehicle is vulnerable tech-dependent. It would be bought as a
to this sort of attack. If it permeates the crew gadget which has an ‘alter:increase’ on a
area (fills an area), it also blocks such attacks specific skill if it only does one thing (like an
from within the vehicle, but if it is a boundary autopilot), or which has an overall Awareness
effect, it only blocks attacks cross that boundary. and possibly Agility and then several increased
skills (like an artificial intelligence). Any vehicle
Sensors gadget which can operate in a skilled fashion
These are usually some version of an ‘alter: without a person using it needs some form of
increase’ or ‘alter:enhance’ sight Awareness’ inherent skill. Vehicle gadgets which do not
power. That is, a person in the vehicle is require skill can simply have a triggered
looking at a screen that shows them some- modifier of some kind (like an anti-theft alarm
thing they could not normally see and/or see it on your car). The ‘ignition key’ of a vehicle can
better than they could see things normally. just be a separate 1P gadget whose function is
The power level is the amount of bonus to the to be a ‘physical dependency’ modifier that is
user’s sight (or in some cases, hearing) needed for the vehicle to be unlocked and
Awareness. The special effect is inherent to operated, possibly with a ‘password’ modifier
the sensor type (thermal vision, radar, etc.), to reflect the sophistication of the security.
and the range of the sensor would be an
Accuracy modifier to represent how well you Most vehicles you design will have a ‘crew’ of
can pinpoint things. one, the pilot or driver. If this person is going
to pay full attention to what they are doing,
Most of the special modifiers for weapons can then you need other crew to pay full attention
also be applied to sensors. You can have a big to other tasks, like a tank has a driver, gunner,
radar in a half-sphere mount and have a loader and commander. Really large vehicles
smaller gun in a fixed mount attached to the may require an engine crew, which could use
radar. Or have an operational dependency of the ‘power may use assistants’ modifier to
‘this radar is only used to target this weapon’. represent a boiler crew or rigging crew. Very
large weapons might be automated, or require
Remember that a ‘sensor’ can also be things multiple people to load in heavy shells.
that let you use the MkI eyeball better. A
searchlight is a sensor that enhances your
ability to see at night, probably over a limited
arc, and probably with a limited range. You
should only spend time designing these if they
are going to be regularly used in play.
7.24
 At this time our aircar has 2 hexagons and .6
Life support tons of unused capacity. What our remaining stuff
This is probably best designed as a ‘defense’ does is not that big a deal at this point, only its
effect of some kind, narrowly tailored to offset cost in P and whether it fits. We are just going to
a particular problem, which uses energy or say that we have:
supplies to do so. Really, if you just say ‘I have
spent 1P on a life support power against X’, it protection against vacuum 1P
is usually sufficient, assuming you have a protection against lack of air (plus the 1P
reasonable amount of volume and mass left in free climate control)
the vehicle for that sort of protection. radar plus autopilot 1P

Life support could in some cases be passive, We can design all of these as gadgets later, but
like a specialized armor to stop radiation, but we can guess at certain things. The protection
most of the time life support is assumed to use against vacuum is probably a boundary effect
energy and/or consumables, thus giving it a over the volume of the vehicle (airtight hull). The
limited duration and a need to replenish it. oxygen supply fills the passenger and luggage
area, as does the climate control. The autopilot is
The physical parameters of a vehicle are a skill roll inherent to the vehicle, and the radar
already covered by the special effect modifier has reduced visibility as modifiers (you cannot
(which is inherent to the chassis). Boats are see radar waves).
watertight (below the waterline), spaceships
are airtight, and so on. Vehicle cost
With a few adjustments, a vehicle’s mundane
In general, life support as a vehicle gadget is cost can be figured out like it is one big
not an exact science. You should simply strive gadget. A vehicle’s total cost as one gadget is:
for something reasonable that has appropriate
game effects and remember that there is • X, where X is the level associated with the
usually room to make minor adjustments. If quantity of hexagons in the vehicle or tons of the
your spaceship is going to run out of air one vehicle, whichever is larger
hour before you reach safety, the players may • plus Y, where Y is the level associated with the
have to resort to interesting measures, but quantity of powers (including armor and mobility)
odds are the gamemaster is not going to • plus Z, where Z is the level associated with the
asphyxiate all of them just to stay within the quantity of secondary P spent on the vehicle
exact bounds of the designed vehicle gadget. (including armor)
• plus 2 if it is a high-performance vehicle
Safety • plus 4 if it is an extreme performance vehicle
Some environements or conditions are worse • plus 2 if it is a paramilitary vehicle
than penalties. Being on fire, for instance. • plus 4 if it is a military vehicle
Safety gadgets are often bought as specialized, • plus 2 if it is a flying (atmosphere) vehicle
possibly one-shot armor against a particular • plus 4 if it is a VTOL vehicle
threat, with a power duration appropriate to • plus 6 if it is a space-capable vehicle
the nature of the threat. Fire extinguishers are • (optional)±3 for each era different than Atomic
a good example. An ejection seat would be (earlier eras are cheaper)
something that moved you away from a • (optional) minus 2 for each of: low quality,
vehicle and got you safely to the ground. In large quantity produced or somewhat used
extreme cases, a safety measure is its own • (optional) minus 4 for each of: mass produced,
vehicle, like a lifeboat. A given tech era’s very low quality or very used
‘standard equipment’ has no cost. • (optional) plus 4 for a prototype or custom job

7.25
 Our aircar has the following cost calculation:
high-performance: If a vehicle has more than
half its volume or weight in mobility systems factor amount
or has a handling penalty of less than half its X= x32 hexagon/x8 ton vehicle +10
default, it is a ‘high performance’ vehicle and will Y= powers, quantity of x6 +5
cost more. Only take the increased cost once, 1: armor(1P, +1P secondary)
even if both apply. The maximum allowed P does 2: mobility(1P, +2P secondary)
count point limits imposed by technology. 3: protection against vacuum(1P)
4: protection against lack of oxygen
If you use the tech-limited power rules and a (and climate control)(1P)
mobility system can have a maximum of 3P for 5: radar plus autopilot(1P)
its primary plus secondary cost, then spending 6: weapon(1P)
2P makes it a high-performance vehicle. Z= secondary P, quantity of x3 +3
paramilitary (armed and armored) +2
extreme performance: If a vehicle has more VTOL flying vehicle +4
than three-quarter of its volume or weight in total cost level +24
mobility systems, it is an ‘extreme performance’
vehicle and will cost more. If a vehicle is high So, our aircar has a cost of +24, or 4,000,000
and extreme performance, you count it as Credits. If we applied the optional tech era
extreme performance. adjustments, it would rise to +27 or 11,000,000
Credits. This is pretty steep, but it is an armed
Because of the various technoloigies and modifiers and armored VTOL that can stop light machine
on vehicles, a vehicle can be high- or extreme- gun fire and has a cruising range of a few
performance and still not be all that fast. thousand kilometers. You would trade in a
modern corporate jet for one of these in a
paramilitary: If a vehicle has any of: more than heartbeat and you know it...
one-eighth its mass in armor, does not have the
‘reduced effectiveness vs. weapons’ modifier on The motorcycle we designed the mobility for on
its armor, or any P spent on vehicle-mounted page 7.21, spending +4P on mobility:
weapons, it will count as a paramilitary vehicle.
factor amount
military: If a vehicle has more than half its X= x3 hexagon/x.35 ton vehicle +3
mass in armor or more than 2P on vehicle- Y= powers, quantity of x2 +2
mounted weapons, it will count as a military 1: armor(1P)
vehicle. 2: mobility(1P, +2P secondary)
Z= secondary P, quantity of x4 +2
The ‘paramilitary’ and ‘military’ cost adjustments high performance +2
are mostly cultural and assume a separation mass produced -4
between civilian and military gear, in terms of its total cost level +5
manufacturing and procurement. If the distinction
does not exist, you can ignore these two cost So, the motorcycle has a cost level of +5, or
adjustments. 5,600 Credits.

7.26
 hits: A vehicle will have a number of hits
Vehicles in combat based on its loaded mass. Hits for a vehicle
The point of a vehicle is that it does something serve the same function as they do for
for you that you want or need. Armor, mobility, adventurers, but generally accumulate more
weapons, extra senses, ability to carry lots of slowly. If they ran on the same scale as
stuff and so on. And for these reasons, people people, a car would have several hundred hits,
who do not like you will try to get rid of your and this would become tedious to deal with.
vehicle, often with you still in it.
damage limit: A vehicle or any sufficiently
At this point in the design process, you will large gadget will have a damage limit. This
know the following things about your vehicle: value reduces or eliminates the damage done
by simple penetrating attacks on a vehicle.
• the number of hits it has You can put a lot of bullets into a car, but if all
• its damage limit they do is perforate sheet metal and break
• how hard it is to hit windows, you are not actually harming the
• its size in hexagons function of the vehicle beyond superficial
• its weight in tons effects. These can be important, like letting
• the armor on each facing water into a boat or air out of a spaceship, but
• its top speed they are not likely to be important an an
• its handling penalty immediate sense.
• the size of all the components
Damage limit works like this: For each hit that
All of these will be useful when it comes time penetrates armor, roll 3d+0, plus the full dice
to dismantle it by violent means. The first that got through armor. Not the roll of those
three are the only ones you do not know dice, just the number of them. So, if 2d+0
already. got through armor, you would roll 3d+2. The
default to damage amount of this roll that exceeds the damage
mass size(hex) hit hits limit limit of the vehicle is the number of hits you
.12 ton .5 -2 7 7 actually do. Results of zero or less do nothing,
.25 ton 1 -1 8 8 and on large vehicles, small arms fire is more
.5 ton 2 +0 9 9 or less useless.
1 ton 4 -1 10 10
2 ton 8 -2 11 11 Damage limit is normally the same value as
4 ton 16 -3 12 12 hits, but vehicles that are not the default size
8 ton 32 -4 13 13 for their weight have an adjusted damage
16 ton 64 -5 14 14 limit. A vehicle that is smaller than the default
32 ton 125 -6 15 15 gets -1 to its damage limit for each row it is
64 ton 250 -7 16 16 shifted form the default, and a vehicle that is
125 ton 500 -8 17 17 larger than normal gets +1 for each row it is
250 ton 1000 -9 18 18 larger.
500 ton 2000 -10 19 19
1000 ton 4000 -11 20 20 Our aircar was 8 tons, for a default size of 32
each 2x x2 -1 +1. 21 hexagons and a damage limit of 13.

7.27
 Basic hit locations
Damage limit can be influenced by certain The default hit locations on a vehicle are a
types of attack. Attacks with the ‘battering’ very simple roll of 1d, which is based on the
characteristic add +1 to the roll for each +2 in fraction of volume taken up by the following:
the battering effect.
• mobility(main & fuel)
A battering attack that penetrated armor with • passengers & cargo
2d+6 would add +5 to the roll against the • gadgets(including weapons)
vehicle’s damage limit, +2 for the 2d and +3 • structure
more for the +6.
One location is always ‘structure’, so the rest is
Collisions between vehicles reduce each one’s split between the other five numbers. Since
damage limit by the difference between the some of these have more than one component
damage limits. Collisions between vehicles a lot of the time, you may make a separate 1d
and immovable objects reduce the vehicle’s roll to split these up, or just list them in the
damage limit to zero. A ship can be holed from order you want them affected. If you do not
running aground, even if it does so slowly. want to make up a table for a vehicle, just use
the following:
If a small car (damage limit of 10) ran into a
tractor-trailer (damage limit of 14), the car’s roll location
damage limit would drop to 6 and the tractor- 1 structure
trailer’s to 10. 2 mobility(main)
3 passengers
Explosions or area effects get double the dice 4 gadgets
that penetrate armor for determining how 5 cargo
many hits are done to the vehicle. 6 mobility(fuel)

If a 4d+0 grenade goes off next to a car which These are the approximate percentages of
has an effective armor vs. weapons of 1d+0, then space taken by the components of an average
the roll against damage limit is 3d+6 (the 3d that car. For a lot of uses, this will be sufficient.
got through armor are doubled). What a hit to a particular vehicle part does will
vary. One common effect of accumulated
hard to hit: A vehicle’s size decreases the damage is that vehicles have a hits track just
difficulty to hit it. This is based on the actual like adventurers, and it operates in the same
size in hexagons from the previous table. way, including declining damage effects.
Damage penalties generally apply to specific
Our aircar was 8 tons, for a default size of 32 vehicle systems, but there can be exceptions.
hexagons. This would be a -4 difficulty to hit.
If you cross a damage threshold, the vehicle
Facings has to make a roll of its hits against a difficulty
If a vehicle is very asymmetrical, you can make it of 11. This roll is adjusted by the damage
1 point harder to hit on attacks against the small penalty. If it fails this roll, something bad
facing and 1 point easier to hit against the larger happens, usually related to the item that was
facing, like the difference between a bow shot hit when the roll was failed. When a vehicle
and a broadside shot against a ship. loses all its hits, it stops working. It still exists,
but it is a hunk of junk with no active abilities
that can be used, and is probably not safe to
remain inside of.

7.28
 This person counts their personal armor as a
structure: Any hits done past the damage layer with the vehicle, which will usually halve
limit simply subtract from the hits of the it, and the damage that got through the
vehicle. Structure is not destroying the fabric vehicle hits them. If it is an explosive weapon,
of the vehicle, but is accumulated damage to it affects everyone in the same compartment
things that make the vehicle work. Do enough or part of the vehicle as that person.
of them and the vehicle stops working. Each
threshold means that everything on the vehicle If a shaped charge penetrates a tank with 3d+0
takes a -1d to rolls or a -3 to its performance. to spare, then everyone in the tank takes a 3d+0
Armor is not affected, but any active item is. lethal attack. Any personal armor is halved, and
Weapon targeting and damage, top speed, if the armor does not cover their entire body,
sensor acuity, maneuvering, etc. then you would use the rules for partial armor
against explosions and area effects (page 5.28).
mobility(main): Any hits done past the
damage limit simply do hits unless the damage gadgets: Any hits done past the damage limit
crosses a threshold. The vehicle has to make a do hits to the vehicle, but also hit a random
roll with the damage penalty or the mobility gadget or weapon, which can be determined
power stops working. One attempt can be as previously outlined. That gadget’s defenses
made to restart it as an hard(11) roll by the are counted as the vehicle’s, so the hits harm
driver or pilot, with any damage penalty and the workings of the gadget and take it offline.
using turn mod is allowed for this roll. If the The gadget can be made operational just like
mobility continues to work, it is at a 3 point main mobility can, but it will operate at a
penalty to either handling rolls or top speed penalty if it can be made to function again.
(randomly decide).
cargo: Any hits done past the damage limit
mobility(fuel): Any hits done past the do hits to the vehicle, but also hit a random
damage limit simply do hits unless the damage item in cargo storage, if any. This is figured as
crosses a threshold. The vehicle has to make a for a passenger hit, with similar effects.
roll with the damage penalty or the fuel use of
the vehicle is increased by a factor of sixteen We know the stats for our aircar, so if we wanted
(8 time levels faster). Your fuel system has a custom hit location table, it would look like:
sprung a leak. If a vehicle does not have a fuel
supply (like a glider or sailboat), then count roll main roll gadgets
this as a structure hit. If you do not want to 1 gadgets 1 weapon
count fuel as a separate item, roll 1d and 2 pilot 2 weapon
assume that one-third of mobility hits are fuel 3 front passengers 3 air supply
hits (1-4:engine, 5-6:fuel). 4 rear passengers 4 climate control
5 structure 5 radar
passengers: Any hits done past the damage 6 mobility 6 autopilot
limit do hits to the vehicle and have a chance
of hitting one or more passengers or crew. This is not perfect, but it is close enough. Any roll
Divide the number of people on board by the that would hit ‘gadgets’ rolls 1d on the second
number of hexagons of seating, accomodation, table to see what is hit. Any explosive weapon
labs, etc. Roll 1d for this fraction, with a roll of that hit pilot or passengers hits them all, but
‘1’ always counting as a bad day for someone other weapons hit a specific area. Note that the
on board. If the weapon is explosive or fills an protection against vaccuum is not included, as
area (including shaped charges, plasma anything penetrating the passenger area puts a
weapons and such), a ‘1’ or ‘2’ is always a hole in that protection. You could give it a ‘self
passenger hit. sealing’ roll if you wanted to, however.

7.29
 Vehicle combat rolls
Let’s say someone shoots a 9d+2 explosive In combat, vehicles will act like a lot like a big
rocket at our aircar, and the aircar has a full tank adventurer. They will have an initiative based
of fuel and three people on board (pilot and two on their driver or pilot, a movement rate that
passengers). We will say it hits the bottom armor, turn mod can be applied to, they can Dodge,
which has a value of 7d+2. Remember that the they have a size modifier that affects difficulty
aircar has a damage limit of 13 and 13 hits. A to hit them, and so on. Anyone with a weapon
damage of 2d+0 gets through armor and the or gadget they can use may do so on their
weapon gets 3d+4 to beat damage limit (the 2d own initiative, which is separate from that of
is double for an explosion). We will assume that 5 the vehicle.
points gets through on a roll of 18.
Vehicles operate in combat according to all the
structure hit: This crosses the -1d damage basic rules. They are going to have a speed
threshold, so everything on the vehicle with a roll that determines how far they can move, and
or stat takes a -1d or -3 (except for armor). more importantly, whether they can catch or
outrun someone or how hard they are to hit,
mobility(main): This crosses a -1d threshold, so a handling penalty for comparing to other
the main power plant has to make a roll to keep vehicles in the combat, and a size that adjusts
operating, which would be 3d+1 vs. a hard(11) how hard they are to hit.
task (a roll of its hits with a -1d penalty). The
pilot would make the roll, and may use Fate on How all of these interact depends on the
the task. If the roll is made, either top speed is situation. If it is a wide-open space, the faster
reduced by 3 or the maneuver rating is made 3 vehicle can run away or close to minimum
points worse. If the -2d threshold was crossed practical range. That’s all there is to it, it is
later, you would randomly decide to see where just a matter of how long it takes.
the next -3 penalty went.
Because EABA tries to avoid mapping things
mobility(fuel): The -1d damage threshold is out, there are a few special rules to handle
passed, so the vehicle has to make the 3d+1 roll common vehicle combat situations.
vs. a difficulty of 11 to avoid a fuel leak. If it fails,
the fuel consumption goes from 1 energy per 15 initiative: Having initiative in a vehicle combat
minutes to 1 energy per minute (8 time levels of means that your slower opponents have to
difference). commit to an action and you get to know what
it is before you decide what to do, and if there
passengers: Since the aircar is one compartment is a firing decision to be made, your attack
and an explosive weapon was used, all occupants resolves first. If you start the turn in a position
take the effects of a lethal 2d+0 explosion, with to make an attack and your gunner wins the
their personal armor halved, plus any reduction initiative over the other vehicle’s driver, they
for partial armor vs. an explosion. may fire before an opponent has a chance to
maneuver out of the way.
cargo: Whatever was in the trunk gets trashed by
a 2d+0 lethal explosion, but since this is separate If part of a vehicle combat involves opposed
from the passenger area, the passengers are skill rolls, these usually count as major actions
unaffected. for all the involved vehicle operators, and each
operator is assumed to be making this roll
gadgets: We have several gadgets, so we would when it is their turn to act. The benefit of
roll to see which one is affected. It will get a having initiative is that the winner gets to take
3d+2 roll vs. a difficulty of 11 to remain advantage of any situational change first.
operational.

7.30
 terrain: Terrain and top speed are going to be
dogfights: Or any contest where two vehicles the major factors in a vehicle combat. For any
are jockeying for a superior position or a given turn the terrain for vehicles is going to
particular position compared to the other favor top speed, better maneuvering, or be
vehicle, like bringing a limited-arc weapon to neutral. In the neutral case, both pilots make a
bear, preferably on a facing where the other skill roll at the start of the turn without the
vehicle cannot shoot back. This situation handling penalty of their vehicle. The winner
implies that both sides want to fight or that gets to choose whether the terrain and the
the slower of the two has no choice because immediate situation for that turn favors speed
of terrain or situation (like fighter escorts or manueverability.
defending a bomber formation). This could be
possible from the very start of a combat for If you are being pursued over a canyon, you can
something like a close range car chase, or try to outrun your pursuer (speed) or dive into
might only be possible once turn lengths are the canyon to try to lose them (maneuvering). If
longer or ranges get close enough for the you are pursuing, you can try to keep them from
maneuvering to make sense for the vehicles in descending (speed) or try to make them descend
question (like a dogfight between jets). (maneuvering). It depends on who ends up with
the initiative for the turn.
This is a manuevering contest each turn, with
each side choosing to apply whatever turn closing range: The time level it takes to
mod they want, in order of initiative, and increase or decrease range by ±1 level is:
declaring their manuevering intent as well. The
winner of the roll succeeds and may attack (or • the current range level
have someone else attack) after this resolves. • minus the higher speed level of the vehicles
Note that no one can use more turn mod on a • minus the speed level difference
followup attack than remains in the turn. • plus 2 to increase distance, plus 1 to decrease it

If you have +8 turn mod available and use +6 of A range of +20, a top speed of +15 and a speed
it on manuevering, then if you succeed at getting difference between vehicles of +1 means it takes
into position for a shot, then neither you nor your a time level of +6 for the faster vehicle to
gunner can use more than +2 turn mod on the increase the range from +20 to +21 or a time
shot, because that is all that remains of that turn level of +5 to decrease the range from +20 to
by the time you are done manuevering. +19.

It is a question of priorities and balance. If you Larger amounts of time increase the range by
spend less time manuevering you have more +1 per +2 extra time, or decrease the range
time to make a shot, but a lower chance of by -1 per +1 extra time.
being in position to take that shot.
On the other hand, if it is a congested area
multiple foes: If you have multiple threats that requires lots of manuevering, a faster but
that you have to deal with, then you have to less manueverable vehicle might not be able
make rolls against each, splitting up turn mod to escape a slower but more agile one. You
between them. Your vehicle’s handling penalty add in a contest of skills to the calculation,
applies in full to each roll, whether to your where the winning party gets to adjust the
benefit or detriment. speed difference by +1, and another +1 for
each 2 points the roll is made by.

7.31
 evasion: Vehicles do not really have a Dodge
Our aircar has a top speed of +17 and a handling like adventurers. The chance to hit a vehicle is
penalty of +5. Let’s say it is chasing something usually based on its size and speed. However,
through a crowded three-dimensional cityscape if you declare that you are evading, you can
where manuevering is more important than top add to the +1 to the difficulty for one attacker
speed and current range is 500 meters (distance to hit you per full die of Agility you have, or
level of +21). What they are chasing has a top half this (round up) against all attackers. Like
speed of +20, a handling penalty of +9 and the regular dodging, this cuts the distance you
turn mod is currently +8 (a 15 second turn). So, move in the turn by half. For vehicles large
the aircar is slower, but more maneuverable. In enough that they are piloted with Awareness
a straight line chase the other vehicle would just (tactics) rather than Agility (reflexes), then you
outrun it, but here in the crowded traffic of the use Awareness in the same way, manuevering
city, maneuvering will be more important. In fact, to anticipate your enemy’s fire rather than
the gamemaster says that the maximum speed avoiding it. However, on vehicles this large this
you can go is +16, no matter how reckless you will only make a difference at extreme ranges.
are. This becomes the top speed of both vehicles, No matter how good a captain you are, a
so it is purely a question of handling. So, how battleship is still a very large target. Manuever
would it play out on this turn? of a vehicle piloted with Awareness does not
usually affect the actions of passengers.
The pilot of the aircar and the pilot of the other
vehicle roll their skills, but the other pilot has a Our aircar has a top speed of +17. Let’s say it is
-4 on their total because the aircar has better being chased in an open setting by a vehicle with
handling by 4. If the aircar wins the roll, it closes a top speed of +20. If the aircar pilot has an
distance, even if the other vehicle is technically Agility of 3d+0 and declares they are evading,
faster. Let’s say they made the roll by 2, for a net then any shot taken from the other vehicle will
bonus of +2 on effective speed, allowing them to be at +3 difficulty. However, the aircar’s top
close. So, the time it takes to close the distance speed will be counted as +15 instead of +17
by 1 range level is: (half the distance is a -2), as it is spending more
time trying to be hard to hit and less time
current range level of +21 moving in a straight line.
minus the higher speed (-16)
minus the speed level difference (-2) positioning: Relative movement between
plus 1 because you are decreasing the range combatants is very important at high speed.
Head-on and tail shots count as a maximum
This adds up to a time level of +4. You get -1 movement penalty of +1. Side shots use
to the distance for each +1 time, so over a time relative speeds for determining any movement
level of +8 we can decrease the range 5 levels, penalties on chance to hit.
from +21 (500 meters) to +16 (90 meters).
cover: If you have custom hit locations, you
Note that this example presumes both pilots are can arrange them in a front-to-rear fashion,
spending the entire turn on their piloting tasks. and declare that one location will protect one
If one had to spend part of their turn mod on other location roll from a particular angle.
something other than driving, the other driver
would get a bonus on their roll equal to the We look at our aircar and say that the gadgets
difference in turn mod spent. protect the pilot from the front, and that structure
protects the rear passengers from the rear. So, a
hit location roll of 4 on a hit from the rear will hit
‘structure’ instead of the ‘rear passengers’.

7.32
 Things you can do to adjust the difficulty:
Vehicle repair
If you have taken the time to design a vehicle, item modifier
you have some emotion invested in it, so if (or jury-rigged repair -6
when) it gets damaged, you will probably want basic repair -2
to fix it. It may be that you need to repair it fully cosmetic repair +0
within the framework of an adventure, so the improvised tools +4
time and difficulty can be important. If your basic tools +2
seaplane has a burned-out engine and the full tools +0
volcanic island you are stranded on is about to dedicated facility -4
blow, the gamemaster is unlikely to blow up all replacement parts available -6
your adventurers even if you fail, but being each 2x people on repair -2
able to get to the other side of the island to
rescue the missionaries and the orphans will jury-rigged repair: This is the minimal repair
require getting the repair done with a certain that restores function. This restores the
amount of time to spare... component to working condition, but any
damage to any part of the vehicle will take it
In general, a vehicle is repaired system by offline again. In this case, you do get one
system. Repairing each damaged item usually attempt to restart or reactivate the item, just
counts as 1 hit of repair, and after this is done, as if it had been damaged. You generally
all other lost hits are repaired as ‘structure’. cannot do a jury-rigged repair to ‘structure’
The base difficulty of doing a repair is based damage.
on the mass of the vehicle and the size of
what is being repaired. The base difficulty to basic repair: This restores 1 hit to the
repair 1 hit is the vehicle’s hits plus the damaged system and makes it operational
absolute modifier for the size in hexagons (this again, but does not repair cosmetic damage. A
always adds), and the default time to roll boat with a patched hull looks like a boat with
against this difficulty is 1 hour (you get no a patched hull. Bullet holes, burn marks,
time bonus unless you spend more than an dented bodywork and other signs of prior
hour). This difficulty is adjusted as follows: damage are clearly visible on the part that was
repaired.
item modifier
each hit location for that item +1 cosmetic repair: This restores the damage so
item is only a sub-location -2 that it looks like it never happened.
each 2 hits currently done to vehicle(d) +1
You can upgrade any repair by re-repairing the
Our aircar has 13 hits, the mobility system takes vehicle,urning one repair type into another, like
up 1 hit location and the damage example had doing a real repair after a jury-rigged one. The
the vehicle taking 5 hits. This means the base new repair gets an extra -2 modifier.
difficulty for the repair is 22 (hits + 6 for the size
modifier + 1 hit location + 2 for half of 5 hits). tools: Improvised tools are the absolute
minimum that you could do the repair with,
This base difficulty is likely to be completely and this will vary by vehicle and vehicle size.
impossible, which is where other modifiers to Clearly the minimum set of tools to repair a
the difficulty come in. The main reason the star cruiser is more than that needed for a car.
default difficulties are so high is that repair of In general, the tools you can carry on a vehicle
vehicles, especially large ones, can take a very are probably no better than improvised tools
long time and require a lot of people and for the repair.
specialized equipment.
7.33
 This is not particularly easy with a 4d+2 roll, but
facility: A facility dedicated to this type of remember that you can get a bonus to the roll by
repair. A garage would be such for cars, a spending extra time. Spending 8 hours on the
spacedock would be such for a star cruiser. A repair would be +6 time over the minimum, and
facility that is dedicated but too small would be this could either be +6 to the skill roll, or +2 to
a -2 instead of a -4. the skill roll and -4 to the difficulty (because your
time bonus exceeds the +2 repair crew level).
parts: If you have spare parts available, you
just rip out the damaged ones and install You have a battleship that comes back into dock
brand new ones. Normally you cannot use with 1 hit of damage to be given a basic repair.
spare parts for more than 1 hit of structure The base difficulty is 45 (26 hits + 18 for the size
damage. modifier + 1 hit location + 0 for 1 hit of damage).

people: You can get a reduction in difficulty if base difficulty 45

you have multiple people working on the repair basic repair -2
and the vehicle is big enough to support multi- full tools +0
ple people working on the repair. A vehicle of 8 dedicated facility -4
hexagons can support two people on the 250 people on repair -16
repair, and each 4x size (+4 quantity level) parts replacement -6
lets you double the number of people on the total difficulty 17
repair. You use the average skill level of the
better half of the repair crew. Repair cost
Repairing vehicles can be expensive, as you
If you are using a maximum repair crew, any might know first-hand. The normal cost level
time bonus that exceeds the quantity level of to repair the total damage is the new cost
the crew will subtract from the difficulty. level for the vehicle minus 16, plus 2 for each
hit done to the vehicle. Jury-rigged repairs
If the maximum a repair will support is 4 people have no immediate cost, but you did use up
and you are using 4 people, this is a quantity some sort of supplies. Basic repairs are -2 to
level of +4. Any time bonus of more than +4 the cost, and cosmetic repairs are +0 to cost.
may instead be applied to reducing the difficulty. Incremental repairs simply count the cost of
(the number of hits repaired +1) rather than
Let’s say that our aircar was grounded after the the full repair cost. Doing the repair piecemeal
missile hit with a fuel system problem. Getting costs more than doing it all at once. If you
back to civilization with the remaining fuel will want to, you can say that the yearly cost of
require patching up the fuel system. We will say simply maintaining a vehicle is like repairing 1
that part of the luggage space included sufficient hit of damage, and that if you fail to pay this
wrenches and screwdrivers and such to dismantle cost the vehicle takes 1 hit of damage.
the vehicle sufficient to get at the problem and
repair it, and one of the adventurers has a 4d+2 The basic cost level of our aircar was +24 and it
skill roll to do the repair. If we do a jury-rigged took 5 hits. The cost to repair this is 24 (cost)
repair, the difficulty looks like this: +10 (2 per hit of damage), minus 16, for a repair
cost of +18, or 500,000 Credits.
base difficulty 22
jury-rigged repair -6 If you run through these rules, you will find
improvised tools +4 that after a certain amount of damage it is
two people on repair -2 cheaper to simply replace the vehicle than to
total difficulty 18 repair it. The vehicle has been ‘totaled’.

7.34
 travel availability cost
COST OF LIVING walking, 3kph Early Primitive -
In EABA, a monetary unit known as horse, 6kph Early Primitive -
a ‘credit’ represents a general cost of sail ship, 12kph Middle Primitive -11(20Cr)
labor compared to what is required to stagecoach, 12kph Late Basic -11(20Cr)
buy the necessities of life in any situation taxi, 6kph Late Basic -9(50Cr)
where wages and supply are ‘fair’ and not train, 50kph Middle Industrial -14(5Cr)
manipulated for political purposes. However, as steamship, 10kph Middle Industrial -11(25Cr)
mentioned elsewhere, differences in availability sail ship, 20kph Middle Industrial -11(20Cr)
of manufactured goods will make a difference steamship, 30kph Late Industrial -9(50Cr)
in what you can buy with a given amount of auto, 50kph Late Industrial -
labor (see Tech-based Income). mass transit, 20kph Late Industrial -14(5Cr)
taxi, 20kph Late Industrial -9(50Cr)
The equipment list in the back of the EABA zeppelin, 100kph Late Industrial -9(40Cr)
rules has many of the goods adventurers will airplane, 500kph Late Industrial -9(50Cr)
need, and while some things vary in capability train, 100kph Early Atomic -14(5Cr)
and quality across time, they are still available auto, 100kph Middle Atomic -
in every era (like clothing). This list gives you taxi, 40kph Late Atomic -9(50Cr)
some costs for services adventurers may need. airplane, 1000kph Late Atomic -11(25Cr)
Travel cost is per 100 kilometers of travel or to bullet train, 200kph Late Atomic -13(10Cr)
a destination (i.e. orbit), and other services ground-to-orbit Late Atomic +11(50KCr)
are usually per day. For increased quantity, ground-to-orbit Post-Atomic +2(2KCr)
distance or duration, you adjust cost in Credits interplanetary Post-Atomic +7(10KCr)
accordingly, or adjust the cost level by +2 for interstellar Post-Atomic +11(50KCr)
each doubling and +1 for lesser multiples. ground-to-orbit Advanced -7(100Cr)
interplanetary Advanced -2(500Cr)
If you take a taxi eight times in a week, or take interstellar Advanced +2(2KCr)
an airplane flight of 800 kilometers, the total
cost level you have spent is +6 more than listed. service(per day) availability cost
If this is your biggest expense and it is equal physician(+1 Rec.) Middle Primitive -4(250Cr)
or less than your Lifestyle rating, then it is a hospital(+2 Rec.) Early Industrial -2(500Cr)
sustainable expense that costs you no Savings. ICU(+3 Rec.) Early Atomic +2(2KCr)
regrowth(+4 Rec.) Early Post-Atomic +6(8KCr)
The ‘availability’ of a service is the earliest era lodging Middle Primitive -7(100Cr)
in which that service is likely to be used. Costs lodging(per week) Middle Primitive -2(500Cr)
are subject to availability and demand, as well semi-skilled work(3d)Early Primitive -8(60Cr)
as local or government restrictions. An airfare skilled work(5d) Early Primitive -5(180Cr)
may cost more if bought at the last second, elite work(7d) Early Primitive -2(450Cr)
while a taxi fare may be standard, regardless
of how many people need a ride. Apartments in general cost
in a large city could be much more expensive low demand -2(half)
than the equivalent in a small town. Or, elite average demand +0(normal)
military units may be paid on nearly the same high demand +2(times two)
scale as regular soldiers. If adventurers own very high demand +4(times four)
the transport (no cost listed), travel costs are low quality -4(one quarter)
just for supplies and maintenance and possibly average quality +0(normal)
crew salaries, and would be about one-quarter high quality +4(times four)
(-4 cost level) on the listed amounts. luxury quality +8(times sixteen)

7.35
 IMPRESSIONS
Quality means as much the opulence the service Emotional reactions to adventurers is
is associated with as the items represented by quite important. How someone will
the service. A first-class airline ticket does not respond to a first contact varies from
get you there any faster, but you have better individual to individual, their job, the day of
seats, better service and you get on and off the the week and how well they slept last night.
plane faster. Some think this is worth four times In all, it is hard to accurately quantify and the
the normal ticket price. The food at a swanky gamemaster is probably best off if they just
restaurant is no more nutritious, but you’re play it by ear. This first impression is not a
paying for atmosphere and the better skilled matter of the adventurer’s skill, it just sets the
services of the chef. stage for use of those skills. Does the bouncer
like your looks? Or do you remind him of that
Taxes: A sad reality of the cost of living is fellow who threw up on him last night?
taxes. This money taken from wages before
you see it, or added to the cost of goods and If you want to roll dice for the reaction to that
services. In the Primitive and Basic Eras, taxes first glance or those first few words, feel free.
are usually collected yearly as a lump sum, Roll dice appropriate to that person’s Will or a
backed by significant force, and often as goods social skill, adjusted for any character traits
rather than money. For peasants, taxes might that might apply to the situation. An ‘average’
be in bushels of wheat. Actual taxes due are contact (someone with no preconceptions or
based on the class of person collected from, attitude one way or the other) is going to be
such as serf, freeman, knight, etc. Normally a an average(7) task. Making the roll means at
person with authority collects taxes from those least a non-committal response. It may not be
below them, and pays taxes to those above what the adventurer wanted to get, but at
them. In the Atomic Era and later, taxes are least it is not hostile. Any implied inducements
usually paid incrementally, added to other or obvious blunders will alter the difficulty of
costs, and balanced out at the end of each the task, as will any prior commitments that
year by a further tax payment or refund. In might get in the way. And of course, you do
the Industrial Era it may work either way, or not know the person’s mood. They might have
transition from one to the other. The actual tax just been chewed out by their boss, had a fight
rate depends on what the government is doing with their significant other, or gotten a traffic
with the money. Wars tend to increase the tax ticket on the way to work. What you thought
rate (paying for soldiers and equipment), and was going to be an ‘average’ task and a simple
universal rights (housing, health care, etc.) request might be harder than you think. The
will also raise them. Taxes will run from a low more complicated or intimate the implications
of maybe five percent to a high of perhaps of the first contact are, the more difficult it is.
seventy-five percent. In game terms, taxes
are generally unseen, factored into everything Making the task by four or more generally
the adventurers buy. If there are specific, means a quite favorable response. Failing it by
excessive taxes, it might be reflected by a +1 four or more means a quite negative one.
to the cost of particular goods or services. Favorable responses reduce the difficulty of
Taxes and how they are applied and enforced any interpersonal tasks by two, and negative
will have a great deal of influence on social responses increase the difficulty by two.
stability. That is, once you get to a certain Bonuses or penalties will tend to stick, bad
level of inequity, corruption or inefficiency, it reactions being harder to lose than good ones.
is worth the effort to try and change the They will remember you. Sometimes, people
government. At a certain level beyond this, it just do not like you and you can never figure
is worth the effort to try violent means of out why.
changing the government...
7.36
 An ambitious politician might have ‘power’,
Extras (what EABA calls NPC’s) are as vital or ‘wealth’ and ‘duty’ in varying order. A samurai
as trivial as the gamemaster wants to make might have ‘duty’, ‘honor’ and ‘friends’ and a holy
them. They can be like a cutout in a computer warrior might have ‘faith’, ‘duty’ and ‘honor’.
game, someone for whom you provide an
incentive and they give you what you need. Or, What is the depth of their belief? How strong
they can be a lot more. People are complex, are these things as motivators? Consider this
contradictory beings with varied personalities like a personality trait and just give it a value
and priorities. Either as groups or individuals from 1 (superficial) to 12 (life-defining). If the
we can do great things, or as history shows, person cannot ‘take 2’s’ to reach that number
are easily persuaded to act against our own with their Will, then they are prone to make
best interests or commit the worst atrocities. snap judgements regarding these traits and
For anyone important enough to be worth can generally be considered judgemental or
talking to in a scenario or as a permanent inflexible on that subject.
fixture in a campaign, consider the following:
If an extra has a Will of 2d+1 and faith-6, then
What is the most important thing in their life? ‘faith’ is something that is important enough
That is, take the three most important things that average daily tasks are done according to
from the following list, or something not on the the dictates of faith, automatically and without
list if applicable: honor, duty, country, wealth, thought. On the other hand, someone with
power, family, friends, honor, faith, id. faith-1 has only a superficial faith. They probably
have to be told to think about whether or not
honor: A sense of internal adherence to a code, something they are doing is according to their
but usually one that can be recognized by others faith, and if it is not, their faith is only a -1
and thus any failings are also visible. penalty on the task.
duty: What you are expected to do by others,
which can be completely different than what you What is the nature of their belief? This is how
want to do or be. they respond to threats or challenges to what
country: Patriotism or loyalty to a real-world entity they consider important. This can usually be
like a king, church or corporation. broken down into: accepting, argumentative,
faith: Mostly religious faith, a belief in a higher exclusional.
power or code personified outside of humanity.
wealth: The acquisition, posession or control of accepting: An accepting person tolerates
money. Basically, greed. changes imposed on things they consider
power: Secular, religious, familial or business important, but does not change their belief or
influence or status, either directly or from behind desires regarding that thing. They can live in
the scenes. Can also be seen as an aversion to harmony with those having opposing views.
being under the power of someone else. argumentative: An argumentative person
family: Your immediate family in whatever sense disputes changes or attempted changes and
you have it. A cousin you see every day might be will act to preserve the situation as it was
closer than a sibling you see twice a year. before the change. They tolerate those with
friends: Your non-family companions. They could opposing views.
be co-workers, fellow soldiers, classmates, anyone exclusionary: The exclusionary person is like
you have a bond with. the argumentative one, but will instead act to
id: A creature of the present, desiring satisfaction remove the source of the change from their
of its immediate needs over all else. life, either removing it or themselves from the
equation. They avoid and do not wish to deal
Self-preservation is something everyone has and with those who have opposing views.
is a +10 modifier unless otherwise specified.

7.37
 Dealing with these motivations can be part of
An officious bureaucrat in a single-party state an adventure, or can actually be an adventure.
might have a defining personality trait of power-3 If the adventurers have to get some sort of
(exclusionary). They will want to eliminate or official blessing to do something, they have to
marginalize any threat to their power, but only deal with some sort of official or authority
if it is brought to their attention. If challenged figure. If this official cannot stand the thought
to act in a different way, they would be at +3 of a woman leading a group and the group
difficulty to their Will roll and if they fail or have has a female leader, then the adventurers are
a negative response to such attempts, their doomed to failure, regardless of their skill
response will be of an exclusionary nature. levels or inducements. Unless they did some
research ahead of time, found this out and
You can apply any sort of reaction you want worked around it. Or, the adventurers might
to, like ‘fearful’, ‘defensive’, ‘manipulative’ or have beliefs an official knows of and absolutely
whatever, but odds are very high that this disapproves of. The adventurers could find
reaction will manifest as one of the previously their appointment or permit requests ignored
listed reactions. or turned down for no apparent reason. And it
might turn out that the actual adventure is
Any of these three motivators automatically finding a way to get around this roadblock in
trumps anything not listed, and also trumps their path.
anything listed but with a lower intensity.
If as the gamemaster you intend to use a lot
If you have faith-8(exclusionary) and family-5 of extras with personality, make sure to make
(accepting), you will probably disown your notes for any the adventurers have to deal
own children if they leave your faith. On the with more than once. Hostilities, friendships,
other hand, if the values were reversed, you favors and other useful in-game things can
would accept it if a family member left the faith, result from especially good or bad encounters,
but you would not deal with outsiders who have and these can happen for better or worse even
done so. if the players spend or gain no points for them.
Similarly, beneficial relationships players want
It is important to realize that these motivators to spend points on should require some actual
are the norm for that person, what that person in-game building of that relationship first.
expects from those around them. The officious
bureaucrat expects to deal with those from If you have a player who wants to buy a highly
their political party and expects to be treated placed Friend in a some organization, they need
like their desire for power is what everyone to actually have an in-game experience with
should be working towards. So, being a ‘yes someone highly placed in that organizations,
man’ who helps this person get more of what who by the adventurer’s actions, is favorably
they want is merely a +0 to skill rolls or inclined towards the adventurer and thus justifies
persuasion, not a bonus. You have to exceed the purchase of that trait.
what this person expects as their due to get a
bonus to your roll. Finding out what an extra If you want to have a short but amusing delay of
wants and how to use that to your advantage game, have all the players (and the gamemaster)
requires some thought, and preferably some describe themselves in terms of their top three
role-playing, not just falling back on dice rolls priorities (honor, duty, etc.) and whether they are
for persuasive skills. accepting, argumentative or exclusionary, and
have every person write what they think the
person to their left will say about themselves.
Then compare the two and be prepared for some
lively discussion...

7.38
 However, using turn mod means that you are
HIDING THINGS clearly paying attention to what you are
Sometimes adventurers need to hide looking at, and someone looking at you might
things, sometimes things are hidden see this. You usually get one attempt to spot
from them. This has been touched on something. If you fail, you decide there is
in the large scale under perception in combat, nothing to see until something makes you
or in the context of being able to more easily suspicious enough to check again. If you have
spot things you have a skill in. But what about at least +0d in a skill appropriate to what you
the small scale? Like noticing if that guy at the are looking for and use the skill in that way,
end of the bar has a pistol under his coat? you get a normal Awareness roll, otherwise the
gamemaster can say the roll is at -1d.
First, trying to spot something that is obvious
is...well...obvious. Second, an obvious object The difficulty of spotting that something is
that is concealing something will be obvious to hidden is adjusted by the concealment quality
the trained eye of someone with at least +0d and the size of the item. The item concealed
in a skill that would let them know where or has to be no larger than the unmodified value
how to look, or the person is doing the exact of the concealment. A manual or pat-down
same ‘obvious’ thing themselves. search has a starting difficulty of +0.

If your adventurer carries a sword cane, you will concealement value example
recognize other sword canes. If your adventurer minimal +0 bathing suit
is a police officer, they are trained to notice such very light +3 shorts & t-shirt
‘concealed’ weapons. light +6 slacks & shirt
average +9 slacks & jacket, suit
Anything that is not obvious in either sense, heavy +12 formal attire, coat
you have to roll for. This is typically handled very heavy +15 trench coat
like ranged combat, but using extra modifiers
to represent the quality of the concealement, situation modifier example
the size and shape of the item and the context concealment rig +2 shoulder holster
in which it is being concealed. two-hand access +1 ankle holster
target is active -2 running, fighting
If you have something hidden in a shoebox, the target is stationary +2 sitting, standing
shoebox is pretty obvious, but it does an good hands-on search -6 manual pat-down
job of hiding the nature of what is inside it. If
you are wearing a swimsuit, the size and shape item size example
of what you can reasonably conceal is extremely very small +0 small knife
limited. If you are wearing a jacket on a hot, small -3 small pistol
humid day, you might readily be able to conceal medium -6 large pistol
something under it, but anyone with a gram of large -9 submachinegun
suspicion will be wondering why you are sweating very large -12 shotgun, rifle
inside a jacket rather than taking it off. in general -(15+mass lev.) most metal items

You get a sight Awareness roll to spot things Someone wearing a pistol(-6) in a concealed
that are not immediately obvious, using half holster(+2) under a jacket(+9) would be at +5
the difficulty for range as the base. Usually, to the sight difficulty for range to have someone
you have to take at least a minor action to spot it. A range of 6 meters is a sight difficulty of
look, it is not part of your general awareness. 4, so it would be a difficulty of 9 to spot it, if you
If you apply turn mod or a time level to it, you were looking for it. An unskilled roll of 1d+2 or
can get a bonus on the roll. less has no chance of spotting it.

7.39
 If there is a riot, the gamemaster might say the
MASS COMBAT spectrum of outcomes is:
The normal combat rules are built
around the idea that the adventurers roll result
are the main focus of the encounter, 3-4 rioters defeat authorities, run amok with
and what they do is going to determine the burning and looting
success or failure of whatever is going on. 5-9 rioters push back authorities with minor
However, adventurers can get caught up in property damage, then disperse before
situations beyond their control, where their reinforcements show up.
part is at best, only going to influence the 10-11 tense but peaceful standoff after some
outcome rather than be the deciding factor. minimal rioting, rioters peacefully
disperse
Adventurers are in a city when local protests turn 12-16 authorities forcibly disperse rioters,
into a full-fledged riot. If the riot is something numerous arrests and minor injuries
related to why the adventurers are in town, 17-18 authorites use excessive force, rioters
perhaps they want to get involved. Or maybe it are dispersed and arrested with
is unrelated and the adventurers just want to exit numerous serious injuries or fatalities
the scene without getting caught up in things.
The players simply need to be informed that the
You can use adventurers as part of a larger rioters have demands and are willing to use
encounter or battle using some simple violence, and the authorities are prepared for a
guidelines and the Universal Chart. crackdown on the rioters, but the situation is
currently in flux.
outcomes: First, the gamemaster needs to
determine what the likely outcomes of the risk: Any course of action has a certain degree
mass encounter are. This could be simple or of risk. Adventurers need to choose a value
complex, there can be several of them, and between +3 and -3, where +3 is acting in a
the players do not necessarily know more than very risky way, and -3 is trying very hard to
the superficial details (and even these might avoid risky actions. This is almost certainly
be wrong!). The players do need to know correlated with their level of participation in
enough that their adventurers can make some the encounter, whether they are in the heat of
sort of informed choice, even if that choice is things or trying to get out of the way. This
“I do not want any part of this, get me out of value will affect an adventurer’s personal
here!”. results for the encounter, and also influence
the overall result for the group of adventurers.
The gamemaster needs to assign probabilities
for each outcome, so that the entire spectrum The level of risk for an adventurer will affect
of outcomes is on some combination of the any personal consequences that result from
results on a 3d+0 roll. The chance of a given their participation in the encounter.
result does not have to be equal to other
chances. Some results can be very unlikely, We are going to look at one adventurer in the
battles can begin with unfavorable odds for group caught up in the situation, and the player
one side. says their adventurer goes for +2 risk. They are
getting heavily involved, but are not quite on the
This table allows you to plan ahead for certain front lines of the situation. In case things get
scenarios or events, and you can have several really bad, they want someone else between
pre-designed ones on hand. The five-result them and the riot police.
example table is a nice mix of probabilities for
assigning a spectrum of results to.
7.40
 If the riot takes half an hour (time level of +22)
scale: This is how big the situation is, and and an adventurer was at a +2 risk level, then
determines how much of an influence an at the end of the riot that adventurer will have
adventurer or group can have on the chance burned 10 Stamina (+6 for one-quarter of the
of a particular outcome. Use the ‘quantity’ duration level, +4 for double their level of
column on the Universal Chart to get a value participation). This will almost certainly cost
for the number of participants who are acting them some non-lethal hits from exhaustion.
to make a difference on whichever side of the
encounter the adventurers are acting on. competence: The last thing to determine is
The bigger this value, the harder it is for an how good the adventurers are compared to the
individual to make a difference. The minimum other participants. This is usually based on the
scale for a mass combat or encounter is +10. number of points the adventurers are based on
compared to the bulk of those involved in the
If the riot starts in the palace square and there encounter. Each level of ‘ranking’ is going to be
are 2,000 angry citizens there, then this is a worth +2 on the group’s effect on how the
starting level of +22 (the quantity level for encounter resolves.
X2,000). Remember that this quantity is those
trying to make a difference. In this case, 2,000 If the adventurers were ‘heroic’ and the majority
of the crowd is rioting. The total crowd might be of the rioters were ‘low normal’, then they would
2,000 or 20,000. get a +4 on their effect.

time: A mass encounter is really just a one- Resolution

round combat done in an abstract fashion. So, at this point you have situational factors,
Adventurers in the encounter will burn stamina factors relevant to the group of adventurers,
as part of the encounter. Take one-quarter the and factors for the individual adventurers.
time level for the total length of the encounter,
rounding nearest. Quite often this will just be Each player needs to decide the outcome they
the maximum of +6 (for one-quarter of the want their adventurer to work towards for the
+22 time level of elapsed time in a ten turn situation, to the extent they understand it.
combat). Then for each adventurer, adjust this
by double the amount of risk they chose (the For our riot example, the players do not know
riskier your behavior, the more stamina you all five possible outcomes the gamemaster has
use). This is how much stamina the adventurer figured out, but they do know there are two
has used at the end of the encounter, with the extreme sides and a middle, so their choices can
overflow being taken off non-lethal hits as likely be assigned to a particular outcome.
normal. One way or the other, they will get
to recover lost stamina afterwards, so the The adventurer can use any Attribute as an
important part is any overflow into non-lethal unskilled task or any applicable skill roll they
hits. If the encounter involves use of stamina have, against a difficulty of the previously
from powers, add the amount for the time determined scale of the situation. This difficulty
level for each draining power regularly used. is adjusted in their favor by the competence of
So, if your part involves flying and force fields the adventurer, their personal level of risk and
and energy bolts you will be using more by 2 for each doubling of adventurers working
stamina than a guy on the ground throwing towards the same goal. The player then rolls
rocks. against this difficulty, determines if they
succeed or not, and if they do succeed, by
how much.

7.41
 Aftermath
Let’s say there are four adventurers, and they all A mass combat or other encounter is going to
want to defuse the situation. The adventurer we have winners and losers, and adventurers are
are rolling for has a leadership skill roll of 3d+2. going to be on one side or the other. Rate the
The difficulty for scale is +22 (the number of seriousness of the situation on a scale of 1 to
rioters), dropped by 2 for the adventurer’s risk, 6, where ‘1’ is ‘negligible chance of serious
by 4 for their competence, and by 4 more for harm’ and ‘6’ is ‘war’. This will be the number
because all four adventurers are going for the of dice that will be rolled. Add or subtract an
same goal, for a final difficulty of 12. Which is adventurer’s risk, and if the outcome of the
not bad, considering it is one person (and three encounter was the one the adventurer was
helpers) trying to influence a crowd of 2,000 trying for, subtract 2. If an adventurer has
people. They roll 3d+2 and get a 14, succeeding armor or a defense that is better than any
and making the roll by 2. attack likely to be used against them, subtract
1 for any full die of difference.
Add the total amount each player rolling for a
particular outcome succeeds by. Remember Then roll a number of dice equal to this total.
that adventurers might not all be working All individual dice above the encounter
towards the same outcome. Any success is ‘seriousness’ are discarded. Of the remainder,
worth +1 (total, not per adventurer), and you the two highest die results are taken as
get an additional +1 for making rolls by a total non-lethal hits, and the rest are taken as lethal
of 2 points and each time this is doubled. hits. Toughness applies to the total of non-
lethal hits taken.
If after all the rolls are done, three adventurers
succeeded and the total amount rolls were made The gamemaster said that this was an encounter
by was 8, then the adventurers get to modify the with a seriousness of ‘4’, so we start with a base
situation by up to ±4 (±1 for success, ±3 more of 4d. The adventurer was doing a risk of +2, the
for 2, 4 and 8 successes). adventurers got the result they wanted, which is
-2, and they did not have any superior armor, for
The gamemaster then rolls 3d+0 on their no adjustment and a final roll of 4d. The roll is 5,
outcome table and adjusts the result by the 3,2,1. The ‘5’ is higher than the seriousness of
influence of the adventurers. the situation and is discarded. The ‘3’ and ‘2’
add up to be a total of 5 non-lethal hits (less any
If the gamemaster rolled an 8 on their table, Toughness), and the ‘1’ is taken as a lethal hit.
this is ‘rioters push back authorities with minor So, in addition to any stamina loss or non-
property damage, disperse before reinforcements lethal hits taken from excess stamina use, the
show up.’ However, the actions of the adventurers adventurer also takes some non-lethal hits, then
are enough to shift this by +2 to a result of 10, 1 lethal hit from cuts, scrapes and bruises
or ‘tense but peaceful standoff after some acquired during the riot.
minimal rioting, rioters peacefully disperse.’ If
the adventurers had been trying to encourage These situatuions can also have less numerical
violence, they could have shifted the result from consequences. Others can notice the actions of
8 to 4, or ‘rioters defeat authorities, run amok the adventurers. Someone in the heat of the
with burning and looting.’ Similarly, if they had action might be remembered by the enemy, or
wanted to shift things to the police, they could might be noticed by a friendly commander. If
have shifted the result up from 8 up to 12, you are a bystander caught up in a situation,
disrupting the rioters enough that the police felt no one will fault you for trying to stay out of
confident about moving in to nab the ringleaders. the way, but if you are a soldier and seem to
be avoiding the enemy, then that might be
seen as cowardice.
7.42
 DRUGS & DISEASES
options: As a subplot for big situations like Drugs and diseases have all sorts of
this, the gamemaster can set up one or more odd effects on mind and body, but to
groups of extras, each with their own agenda be useful in the framework of game
and dice rolls for trying to manipulate the mechanics, they need to operate on things with
situation. Players can be pitted against these numbers attached to them. So, they generally
groups in an abstract sense, or as a smaller, affect Attributes or hits, and sometimes have
individual-scale combat whose small-scale effects on traits, most often Personality.
outcome determines who gets to make rolls to
affect the larger situation. The simplest case is that if you get something
sufficient to impair your performance, it does
Adventurers might see a group they recognize enough hits to put you at the -1d threshold. If
as pro-government, dressed up as rioters, trying you are up but barely functional, hits up to the
to incite the mob to violence in order to justify a -2d threshold, and if it is an effort to just get
government crackdown. The adventurers could out of bed, the -3d threshold. Whether non-
try to deal with these people on the regular lethal or lethal hits are taken is based on the
encounter scale, and the outcome of that nature of the ailment, and recovery of the
encounter determines who gets to try and damage only starts after your body has
influence the riot and by how much. mounted a defense or purged the toxin.

narrative: You do not use something like mass Drugs are typically inhaled, ingested, injected
combat rules just because they are there. You or applied. The more potent or toxic the
use them because the situation is important to substance, the more likely it can use more
whatever plot the adventurers are in or about than one route. Diseases will typically be
become eyeballs-deep in. It can make them inhaled or ingested, but almost certainly can
noticeable players in a much larger situation, be injected as well. Quite often, exposure to
drawing the attention of or drawing them to something is an accident of the environment.
the important people they might not otherwise It is usually a special situation to deliberately
have been able to find, meet or get the atten- poison or infect someone, and in a game
tion of. context, is something that should have some
role-playing involved. Both drugs and diseases
Perhaps our riot example is part of a larger will work the same way, the difference being in
‘overthrow the corrupt dictatorship’ plot the special effects and social effects associated
gamemaster has brewing. By actively taking with them (a disease might be contagious).
part in the riot in such a way as to resolve it
with minimal loss of life and property, this could delay: After any sort of chemical or biological
be their introduction to the ‘government in exile’, exposure, there will be an interval in which it
expatriates and dissidents who have returned spreads through the body but has not yet
from abroad to restore a legitimate government had any game effect, though there might be
to their native land. Without the highly visible tell-tale symptoms to give the afflicted a hint
actions of the adventurers, any attempts they of what is going on. If there is a treatment or
might have made on the street to get in contact antidote, it gives double the bonus against the
with this community might have failed due to effects if administered during this time.
suspicion that the adventurers were working for
the secret police. This suspicion might still exist, effects: Almost all drug or disease effects have
but it is now greatly reduced. So, the resolution a die roll associated with their severity, and
of the mass combat is integral to the future this will usually be compared to the Health of
direction of the plot. the target, possibly adjusted by treatments or
antidotes.
7.43
 You need to be careful not to go overboard
If the drug or disease exceeds this, it has with drugs or diseases, but in certain game-
one or more effects. Hallucinogens or other worlds and certain situations they can add to
psychoactive compounds may automatically the drama and keep players on their toes.
have an effect, but dealing with these effects
would be a roll compared to Will. The table As a matter of game balance, drugs in many rpgs
gives an idea of the attribute level needed to have amazingly severe side effects. In reality, this
resist a given severity fifty percent of the time. does not seem to be the case. People can drink
Doubling a dose of something usually increases coffee or chew coca leaves for decades with no
its severity (and ease of detecting it) by +2. real side effects, and athletes have been using
performance-enhancers with minimal (known)
severity roll 50% resistance side effects. So it is possible a readily available
light 1d+0 3 substance can give a near-permanent minor
moderate 2d+0 7 boost, and the only side effect is if the supply is
heavy 3d+0 10 cut off. As drug and biotech improves, the ability
very heavy 4d+0 14 to tailor drugs to boost natural function will
probably become more precise and benign. How
The actual effects can be just about anything you as a gamemaster deal with this is up to you.
desired. They can change over time, one result If something is nearly universally available, the
might only happen if a different result happens easiest thing to do is just assume that nearly
first, the effects might wear off if a particular everyone partakes (“would you like some coffee
result is resisted, and so on. If you are making or soda?”), and assume no one has a benefit
something up, the sky is the limit. If you are from it compared to anyone else.
trying to duplicate a real-world result, then
look it up and do the best you can, and if you Drug/disease effects: EABA does not provide
are merely trying to generate a particular a pre-designed list of toxins or diseases. If it is
game result, then do so and then make up important enough for you, you will make up
window dressing for it afterwards. what you need according to the guidelines. To
assist in that, here are some suggested effects:
The gamemaster wants to make up a paralytic
toxin to put on blowgun darts. It is clearly an generic illness/poison: Does non-lethal hits.
injected toxin, so protection against the darts is
the first line of defense. The toxin stings at first anesthetic: Reduces effect of hits lost for
but the dart site quickly goes numb and this is a determining impairment, but has a negative
ten second delay. Pulling out the dart in this effect on Awareness and Agility.
period removes some of the toxin, good for a +2
to Health. For effects, the gamemaster says the hallucinogen: Reduces Awareness but may
drug has a severity of 2d+2, and each +2 of turn increases the level of some Personality traits.
mod (cumulative) that elapses after the delay is
a roll against Health, and failing means losing a neurotoxin: Does half-lethal damage and
point of Strength and Agility, which are recovered damages Awareness and Agility.
like non-lethal hits. Rolls are only needed out to a
time level of +16. So, a person struck by a dart hemotoxin: Does lethal damage.
has the drug roll 2d+2 against their Health roll at
elapsed time levels of +2, +4, +6, +8, +10, +12, paralytic: Does non-lethal damage and
+14 and +16. If they quickly pulled the dart out, damages Strength, Agility and Health.
they would get +2 on their Health. If they had
been shot with two darts, the severity of the mood-altering: Reduces Will and reduces level
effect would go from 2d+2 to 3d+1. of some Personality traits.
7.44
 A basic shelter task will offset one point of
THE GREAT OUTDOORS negative effect from extreme heat or cold. If
Many adventures will have times you have a basic fire, this can offset another
when nature itself is a problem. point of effect from cold, rain or snow. Larger
Burning heat, freezing cold, and a lack groups may require a bigger fire, which really
of food, water or sleep can all take their toll. just means more people involved in collecting
fuel for it. Improving a shelter is +2 time or
Scrounging +2 difficulty for each extra point of offset it
This skill (page 3.22) is a general foraging can provide, and the maximum quality of an
talent, and can be adapted to almost any ‘skill improvised shelter is up to the gamemaster.
at finding stuff’ situation. Its overall use has
already been covered, but if you want to add Unless you can find a cave or other permanent
more detail for use in survival situations, keep shade, there is only so much you can do to
reading. mitigate desert heat.

Survival in a wilderness situation is all about water: For survival needs it is highly variable
shelter, water and food. Depending on the and based on location and climate. If there are
environment, the first items will alternate in continuous supplies, the difficulty of the task
priority, but water is always high on the list and the time spent is about finding one in an
and food is almost always last, since you can area you are unfamiliar with, after which you
go without it the longest if you have the other are set and do not need to worry about it until
two. The difficulty for each is going to be as you break camp and go somewhere else. If
described under the skill. It is not something there are not reliable supplies, then the task
an untrained individual can easily do, and for is a daily one, where you have to find, harvest
such a person, any chance of success will or extract moisture from ephemeral sources.
probably require spending extra time. This could be a solar still, collecting dew in the
mornings, finding moisture-rich plants, small
shelter: This covers protection from the hidden pools, and so on. If water is ephemeral,
weather, and if needed, the ability to make a then finding it is probably going to take about
fire or adapt clothing or covering to protect an hour (time level of +24), and success in
you from local climate when you are out and a given climate should be sufficient for one
about. In very hot areas you want shelter from person for one day under conditions of light
the sun, in cold areas you need shelter from exertion. Each 2 points the roll is made by
snow and wind (and a fire is nice), and in doubles the amount. A roll for water may also
some areas you want a fire because it keeps include making or improvising some way of
the bugs away and available food is safer if carrying at least a day’s supply with you, or
cooked. Making a shelter or a fire has a base this could be a food-based scrounging task.
time level of +24 (1 hour), and this covers
collecting the material needed as well as If you are wondering why there are modifiers on
putting it together. Finding a natural shelter (if the difficulty but no actual difficulties, remember
available) would take a similar amount of time. that things like this are based on situation. As a
The time can be cut in half if multiple people gamemaster, you have to decide how hard it is to
are working on it. A basic shelter is sufficient survive in a particular wilderness ahead of time.
for up to two people, and +2 to the difficulty Also remember that survival skills are not a test
each time this is doubled (or +2 to the time of player knowledge. As long as the players are
and keep the same difficulty). A fire task is trying to do something sensible and not just
good for half a day. Keeping the fire going saying “I use my skill”, assume that the skilled
simply requires that someone spend the time adventurers are doing the actual ‘right thing for
to tend it and keep gathering fuel. the situation’.

7.45
 Stamina
food: This is a matter of knowing what is The use of stamina in a combat or other long
edible and how to acquire it. This will usually encounter has already been covered. However,
be some combination of hunting and foraging. there are things that can modify stamina use,
For a given difficulty, foraging takes about an and exceptions for prolonged exertion, like
hour (time level of +24) and probably gives marching.
more consistent results. Success is sufficient
for one person for one day, with each 2 points climate: This is probably the most important
the roll is made by doubling this amount. factor. Sweating in your armor, being generally
However, the difficulty of the task may be uncomfortable, getting tired, these are all
high enough that two or four hours might be part of the normal expenditure of stamina in
needed to have a reliable chance of success. an encounter. Climate plays a part when
Hunting is often a ‘feast or famine’ situation, simply being exposed to it causes stamina to
you either get a lot or you get nothing. Set the be expended. A really hot or humid day, or
difficulty for any success at +4 over that for cold enough to make you shiver, that sort of
foraging, but if you do succeed, count it as thing, which is going to be adjusted by your
having made the roll by at least 4. gear and its quality. Obviously, cold is less of a
problem if you are dressed for it.
So, if you make the hunting roll exactly, it means
you get enough for four people for one day. Debilitatingly hot or cold weather that you are
improperly equipped for will add to the total
Success at acquiring food should also be worth drain in a turn, either 1 per +3 in turn mod
at least a -1 to the difficulty of future tasks used, 1 per +2 of turn mod used or 1 per
involving water and shelter. Hides can be +1 of turn mod used, rounding down, in
turned into clothing, hollow plant stalks can be increasing severity of temperature. If you are
used to store water, sinews can be made into only somewhat ill-equipped, your penalty is
lashings, and so on. Or, being able to find reduced one or more levels (note that it is
game might mean finding where the game easier to equip for cold weather, since there is
goes to find water. In this sense, successful only so much you can do about the heat).
scrounging tasks to stay alive could give you
a slightly decreased difficulty at all the other If the heat is at the 1 per +3 turn mod used
aspects of that scrounging. level and you use +2 in turn mod, then you take
no extra drain. If you used +10 or more of turn
tools & supplies: Scrounging is about finding mod, you would add +3 to the total drain for that
stuff. This can be aided by things you bring turn. Obviously, if turn length is short enough,
into the situation. Containers do not help you there is not enough time to be affected by
find water, but do help you transport and store extreme heat or cold.
it. A tent is ready-made shelter that you can
then improve. Weapons or tools may help you Outside of the turn structure for encounters,
aquire food. Decide on the difficulty modifiers heat or cold is merely a constant drain on
that apply for useful things, but you only use stamina, and would be handled like marching.
the best item in each category, and only get Extraordinarily bad ‘climate’, like falling in an
an extra -1 to difficulty for doubling the usable icy river, would normally count as forcing you
quantity of that item. to use maximum turn mod for purposes of
drain and stamina. And of course, you cannot
If the best scrounging tool you have for food make any recoveries until you get out of the
gives a -2 to the difficulty, and you can use two situation that is causing the stamina loss.
of them, you get a -3 to difficulty.

7.46
 To keep it simple, just say that an hour of
If you fall into an icy river and then scramble out manual labor or constant low-level effort costs
and the turn mod is +8, then you are counted 6 stamina, +1 for each -2 penalty from
like you were in a combat and used +8 turn mod, encumbrance, and +1, +2 or +3 from climate
plus 8 added to the drain from the cold. effects. Each additional hour without rest is +2
stamina on the total.
This is not a big deal on the scale of a few
seconds, but can be very important when You are marching on a really hot day while
combined with the prior scrounging notes. carrying enough to give you a -2 encumbrance
penalty. At the end of the first hour, this costs
If you fell into an icy river and then scrambled you 9 stamina, 6 for the base, +1 for your
out, you are not going to freeze to death if the encumbrance and +2 more because it is nasty
turn length is only 15 seconds. However, if the hot, even if you have a nice hat and plenty of
base time to build yourself a fire is an hour, then water. If you have to march four hours before
you could very easily burn through all your taking a break, it will be a total of 15 stamina
stamina, all your non-lethal hits, pass out and used, and you are really tired and certainly have
freeze to death before you get a fire lit. This is taken a lot of non-lethal hits from fatigue. But,
where having tools that decrease the difficulty of with a rest break for lunch you can get the
starting a fire come in very handy, as they allow stamina and a point or two of non-lethal damage
you to increase the difficulty by taking less than back, enough that you can slog on again until
an hour and offset this with your firestarting you are exhausted. Make camp, rest and recover
tools. So, if the gamemaster said it is pretty easy the fatigue, and the next day you can do it all
to get a roaring fire going in an hour (difficulty of over again. This is a perfect example of the value
7), and you have a firestarter and dry tinder for of an Experience. Experience with hot weather
a -2 to difficulty, then it is only a difficulty of 5 to could let you avoid some of the penalties for
get a fire going in an hour. Or, a difficulty of 7 to climate. Experience with carrying stuff could let
do it in half an hour, difficulty of 9 to do it in 15 you take less encumbrance penalty. These in turn
minutes, and difficulty of 11 to do it in 8 minutes. mean that you suffer less stamina loss in a
You decide how much time you spend and what ‘marching’ situation and can do it better or longer.
your skill roll will be at the end of this time, and
make your plans accordingly. The non-lethal hits from marching or other
continuous work can really only be avoided by
marching: Or any sort of continuous effort taking frequent enough recovery breaks that
that has the long-term effect of wearing you you can get back losses taken as fast as they
out. A quick exertion and loss of stamina can accumulate. However, if you have to get
be quickly recovered, but if you have been somewhere in a hurry, you cannot afford to
working in the fields all day or marching or take a long recovery break every hour.
chained to the oars of a galley, the effects are
slower to wear off. The nature of long-term ‘Marching’ like this means your distance covered
effort is that you are not pushing yourself, you is your walk distance level plus the time level. So,
are trying for a level of effort that you can if your Walk is +3 and you march for a time level
sustain for long periods. However, it is often of +24 (an hour), then you have marched a
impractical to take a full stamina recovery distance level of +27, or 4 kilometers. If the
break often enough to avoid taking non-lethal circumstances are too hostile for you to maintain
hits from overexertion. this rate, you can decrease stamina use by 1 for
each -1 to the distance (you are marching slower,
taking frequent breaks, or both).

7.47
 water: Sufficient water should be considered
Supplies necessary for any form of recovery, whether
Basically, air, water and food. A lack of any of stamina, non-lethal hits or lethal hits. You can
these is fatal, on timescales from immediate to do without water for a time level of +30, plus
agonizingly long. your Recovery, minus any ‘marching’ effects
from heat. Each 2 stamina already expended
air: You can hold your breath for a time level or used during this period subtracts from the
of +12, plus the current value of Recovery. time level, with a minimum time level of +20.
Any Stamina you expend while holding your Drinking up and having a ‘full tank’ adds +1 to
breath or any Stamina you are down from your the time, and being ‘dormant’ (like sleep) adds
maximum subtracts from your maximum time, +2 to the time. Sufficient water for this period
down to a minimum time level of +4. If you is about a liter for a average human and
hyperventilate first, you get +1 to the time. proportional to body size for other creatures.

If you have a Recovery of +1, you can hold your If your Recovery is +0, then the base time is
breath for a time level of +13 (1.4 minutes). If +30, or about 8 hours. If you used 10 stamina,
you use 2 Stamina while holding your breath, the time would drop to +25, or about 1.4 hours.
your maximum time level drops to +11 (45 If it were hot enough for +1 stamina use while
seconds). If you started holding your breath marching, the time would drop to +24, or an
while you had 4 Stamina marked off, your hour. You would need a liter of water to reset the
maximum time level would be +9 (23 seconds). clock on this. A 400 kilogram horse would need
four or five liters for the same interval.
If you need to breathe and cannot, you have
until the next time level to fix the situation or Not getting water by the end of this interval
you pass out. If you pass out, you take lethal means you take non-lethal hits up to your next
hits up to the next dice penalty (including the dice penalty (including the -0d level), each
-0d level) each subsequent time level until subsequent time level until you pass out, and
you die. If you need to breathe and the rescuers have until the next time level after
environment is harmful, toxic or non-existent, that to help you, otherwise you die. Going on
any lethal damage taken is counts as crippling reduced water rations simply stretches out the
damage. time involved. Lacking half your water needs
would add +2 to the time, lacking a quarter of
If air is merely limited rather than absent, like your needs would add +4 to the time.
high altitudes or lower oxygen percentage, you
simply say that all personal stamina is reduced With a Recovery of +0, if you lack water, then
by 1 or more points. The limit for any human you start taking non-lethal hits at an elapsed
activity is where a person’s maximum Stamina time level of +30, then at a time level of +31,
is zero. Any use of stamina causes non-lethal and so on. If you were on half water rations, you
hits at this point. Anything worse than this would not suffer effects until a time level of +32.
counts as using stamina even you are doing
nothing, and you will eventually pass out and When your body needs water, it really needs
die. water. People die from dehydration remarkably
quickly. Animals (or alien races) adapted to dry
A very high mountain pass might be a -6 to climates may have an Experience regarding
effective Stamina. So, if you had a Stamina of 7, water use, an adjusted time before which they
you would be counted as having a Stamina of 1 start taking effects, built-in water storage
for seeing how quickly you would start taking which they can ration themselves on, or some
non-lethal hits from exertion. combination of the above.

7.48
 sleep: In game terms, sleep is merely several
food: Food is fuel. You need it for repair, consecutive recoveries, usually of non-lethal
recovery and maintenance. If you have less hits, but for the sake of convenience, recovery
than you need, all these functions suffer. of lethal hits is assumed to happen sometime
Unlike air and water, you can get by on a while you are asleep as well.
permanent basis with less food. Your body just
consumes itself until you are small enough to Sleep is difficult to individualize, since people
be sustained on the food you have available vary widely in the amount of sleep they seem
(within reason). The rules we will use do not to need. In general, if you do not get at least a
take this into account and really just deal with time level of +28, minus your Recovery, in
acute starvation rather than dieting. solid sleep, you will be feeling it the next day
in a measureable way. If you do not get
If you have no food, your Recovery drops by 1 enough sleep, your Recovery is reduced by 1
each day (to a maximum of -10) and you take on the following day and you start off the day
1 lethal hit. You can recover the lethal damage with 1 non-lethal hit. If you do not get any
as normal, but eventually your Recovery will sleep, your Recovery is reduced by 1 and you
drop to where the damage sticks around and take exactly enough non-lethal hits to put you
accumulates. Going on partial rations simply at the -1d damage threshold. You are tired
stretches out the time involved. and it shows. This would also be a good way to
describe a hangover. Missing more than one
Three-quarter rations means you are effectively night’s sleep would just compound the effects
getting no food one day out of four, and half (go to -2d penalty, then -3d, etc.).
rations means you are effectively getting no food
every other day. Staying awake when you would rather be
asleep would be an average(7) task on Will
Once your normal food ration is restored, (modified for any lack of sleep), which you
Recovery increases towards its normal level at really only need to roll if there is a situation
the rate of a point per day. Keep in mind that where it would be important (someone is
if you are working harder than normal you sneaking up on camp, the sargeant is checking
need more or better food than normal, so to see if you are asleep on watch, etc.). The
getting the same as before could count as only difficulty of the task is increased by 1 for each
getting less than you need. Similarly, if you non-lethal hit you have at the start of the
are in a very cold climate, you need a lot more period you are supposed to be awake in, and
calories to keep warm. This could be the same reduced by 2 if you have some mentally
mass of food, just in forms with more energy, stimulating activity or distraction to help you
like fats. stay alert. Things like coffee or other sorts of
innocuous stimulants are worth a +1 to Will,
Fasting for a single day or its equivalent generally and the act of making and drinking it is also a
will not do any lethal hits and many cultures have light activity to reduce the difficulty by 1 if you
full or partial fasts as part of important religious have nothing else to keep you occupied.
ceremonies.

7.49
 WEATHER
You are rousted out of slumber to take the Weather is a complication to an
midnight watch for your camp. You still have 2 adventure, not the adventure itself.
non-lethal hits of damage from marching earlier The gamemaster will usually have some
that day, so you have to make a Will roll against idea of what conditions will be like and that is
a difficulty of 9 to keep from nodding off at some the way they end up. If you really want to roll
point during your watch, something that would dice for weather, grab 3d, then choose a
surely be noticed the next day, since you would climate and season. If the roll succeeds
not have woken up anyone to take the next shift. against the difficulty, then rain/snow happens
Of course, your camp might also have been at least once in the one week period following
ambushed and everyone killed in their sleep the roll. The more the roll was made by, the
because of you... more frequent the event. Every 2 points the
roll is made by doubles the frequency.
For the record, your endurance in game terms in
various conditions, based on all Attributes being For a normal climate the chance of a precipitation
at the listed level and otherwise ideal conditions, event is hard(11). A roll of 15 would make this
is as follows. Note that these do not include by 4, so it would be a wet week where it rained
overlapping contributing factors, so the ‘work four times in that period.
until you pass out’ number assumes you have
sufficient water for that level of effort. It also Temperatures are assumed to be average for
does not count ‘pacing yourself’, so the person the region and season, but a 3d roll can be
with the Attributes at 12 is working a lot harder used to see if things are warmer or colder than
or marching faster than the person with normal. The deviance from an average of 10-
Attributes at 6. 11 gives a rough idea of the amount, perhaps
5°C per 2 points off. Nighttime temperatures
attributes are the same as daytime in very wet climates,
condition 6 9 12 and 5°C less than the daytime temperature
thirst, to first penalty 6h 8h 16h per climate type drier than this.
thirst, to unconsciousness 16h 2d 4d
thirst, to dehydration 1d 3d 6d On any result of 17 or more, a rare wet
air, breath holding 45s 1m 2m weather side effect occurs that week. This
air, to unconsciousness 1m 1.4m 3m could be flood, hurricane, tornado, mudslides
air, to asphyxia 4m 11m 30m or avalanche. On a result of 4 or less, a rare
food, to half hits lost 8d 11d 16d dry weather side effect occurs that week. This
food, to starvation 14d 20d 28d could be brushfires, dust or sand storms.
work, to unconsciousness 7h 12h 16h
no sleep, to unconsciousness 3d 5d 6d

Being at the peak of human ability certainly

helps, but you are still all too mortal. These
results are not perfect. EABA is not meant to
be a biology simulation, but the results are
sufficient for most gaming purposes.

7.50
 Climate
climate precipitation chance As a tool for worldbuilding and gamemastering,
arid heroic(15) do not ignore climate. Not the immediacies of
dry formidable(13) day-to-day weather, but more of the long term
normal hard(11) consequences on culture and daily life. We have
wet challenging(9) touched on this indirectly, talking about things
very wet average(7) like wearing armor in hot climates, scrounging
wet season one level easier rolls and such, but if whether you are running a
dry season one level harder published gameworld or creating one of your own,
consider how climate affects not just daily life,
region Jan Apr Aug Nov but the overall plot threads. Do your people have
equatorial 30°C 30°C 30°C 30°C a ‘siesta’ in the middle of the day because it is
tropical 20°C 25°C 30°C 25°C too hot to work? Without a reliable source of hot
subtropical 10°C 15°C 25°C 15°C water, bathing and clothes washing will be very
temperate 5°C 15°C 25°C 15°C uncommon in a cold climate. What are cultural
cold temperate 0°C 5°C 15°C 5°C attitudes towards water in a dry climate? How do
arctic -5°C 0°C 10°C 0°C people deal with a monsoon season? What if, like
high arctic -10°C -5°C 5°C -5°C on Christmas Island, migrating crabs form a living
coastal no change carpet across your community for a few weeks
inland +5°C day/-5°C night each year? Or, in a more mundane sense, do you
far inland +10°C day/-10°C night have harvest festivals, or in a modern society, the
vestigal equivalent of a state fair? There are all
Just because, the gamemaster rolls for weather kinds of seasonal and climate-based social details
in a desert area our adventurer is at. The roll is you can use to add some personality to a setting
13 for rain and 7 for the temperature. The roll is and get players more into thinking as adventurers
not high enough for rain in an arid area, but the would, rather than as disinterested observers just
temperature roll is well below normal. The game- moving a piece around on a map.
master decides that it will be cloudy a few days
in the next week, threatening rain but not And in the long term, look at how shifting climate
delivering it. Temperatures will be 10°C lower and human activity affects things? Famines and
than normal, down to 30°C during the day, plagues are often driven by short-term climate
almost comfortable. But, it gets down to 10°C changes. Long-term changes can result in entire
during the night. Oddly enough, it might get regions being abandoned, as when Greenland got
even colder without the clouds to hold in the too inhospitable for colonists during the Little Ice
heat from the land. Age. Major volcanic eruptions can turn summer
into winter, as happened in 1816CE. Even modern
A potential use for these numbers would be a societies can be affected. Changes in sea level
case of paranormal powers that can affect can flood coastal areas. Melting of sea ice can
probability. To have the weather you want expose new resources that nations are willing to
happen in an area affected by the power in the squabble over. Changes in solar weather can
timeframe of the power is what you are looking disrupt communications and electronics. Even the
to acheive. current climate change (or lack of it) is a political
and ideological issue.
Remember that atypical weather may
temporarily affect the difficulty of scrounging These details are beyond the scope of tables and
tasks, particularly for water. If you are trying die rolls, but they are important for long-term
to find water in the desert and it happens to campaigns and geographical regions within that
rain that day, then you are in good shape. campaign.

7.51
 Many of the situations addressed in this
Closing up chapter are predictable ones. Using a vehicle,
At a little more than fifty pages, this is a fairly complications from weather, mass combat,
long chapter in the game, but it will probably social encounters with important extras,
be the one you use the least. But it will also be disease outbreaks, wilderness survival, long
the first one you turn to when the normal rules marches with overloaded packrat adventurers.
do not have the answer you need. All of these are things that the gamemaster
should be able to see coming ahead of time as
Remember that minutia and special topics like a reasonable probability for the plot and the
the ones that fill this chapter are there to setting. Players, too. So, if you think you are
enhance the game, the story you are trying to going to need something here, look it up
tell, the adventure and drama and tension and ahead of time and make some notes. Save
to some extent the frustration of a world that yourself and everyone else some time. As a
does not always run the way the player’s plans player, being one step ahead of the game
would like it to run. helps to inspire the gamemaster. And as a
gamemaster, being able to deal with situations
These topics are not supposed to be points like this in a cool, competent manner certainly
where the game slows to a crawl while you does not hurt your credibility and reputation.
look things up and people argue over what
sort of modifier they should get for a particular But, very importantly for the gamemaster,
roll. If you are digging out rules and having do not feel you have to use something just
people make rolls for wilderness survival, because you spent some time preparing it.
there should be a reason for it other than the When you set up something you feel is really
obvious one of simple survival. The rolls are, cool and you have spent a lot of time on it, the
to be honest, often a secondary consideration, natural temptation is to herd the adventurers
unless you actually plan to have all your in its direction. Recognize this temptation and
adventurers die of thirst. The rolls and rules resist it (a challenging(9) Will task). Instead,
and success and failure is about how the work with and subtly guide the players and
players and adventurers face the challenge. the plot. Having the players go “damn, we
Dealing with each other’s foibles and flaws is should have seen that coming!” is a lot more
easy when you have plenty of food and a satisfying than “yep, that’s about what we
warm bed to sleep in. When you are cold and expected to happen.”
lost and hungry and you think, you know that
everyone would be better off if they would just And with this as a lead-in, the next chapter is
listen and do things your way... all about gamemastering and playing. Not just
for EABA, but for any rpg.
A lot of situations these rules address are also
team-builders. If there is a mass combat, can
the players operate under one adventurer’s
leadership to work towards a common goal? Is
a big vehicle involved in a fight just a bunch of
individuals at control stations or an opportunity
to turn yourselves into a crew?

7.52
8.1
Gamemastering
 THINGS YOU SHOULD DO
A lot of you are veteran players or gamemasters.
If you are just getting into this whole
You already know all the tips, tricks, pitfalls and gamemastering thing, mentally check
off everything below if at all possible:
slang. However, some of you are just getting into
3watch someone else: If there are other
role-playing for the first time and aren’t exactly gaming groups in your area, school, at the
local store or whatever, just watch someone
sure about this whole adventuring nonsense, how
else play or gamemaster for a few hours. Even
to play, or what makes a good adventure. This if they are not very good at it, you will see
some of what we are talking about in action.
section is meant for you, and delves into the good,
3time and place: The gamemaster is the one
bad and the ugly of playing and gamemastering,
responsible for coordinating where and when
what to do, what not to do and problems you’ll everything happens. Obviously, it needs to
work for everyone, but everyone also has to
eventually encounter. Veterans might find a few know when and where. If something comes
up at the last minute to cancel play, everyone
useful tidbits in here as well. needs to be informed. It is often important
that everyone be there every time. If your
last game session ended in the middle of a
fight with the Blathering Beast of Bogas, then
having a player not show up when you are
ready to finish the fight could be a problem.

3no-show policy: Sometimes a player just

INTRODUCTION cannot be there. Life happens. Make sure
You have read the rules, you have a everyone knows the policy for adventurers if
cool idea and some players, but you a player cannot be there. Sometimes another
have never been a gamemaster before player can run both adventurers, sometimes
and have no idea what to do. Some of the gamemaster will. Effort should be made to
gamemastering you are just going to have to not have a no-show’s adventurer either die or
learn on your own, but we can give you as be the hero.
much help as possible.
3coordinate style: Different people will want
“The rpg is a game that merges the creativity of different things out of a role-playing game.
the game’s author with that of the participants. The gamemaster needs to make sure that their
Thus, using the game as a vehicle, the gamemaster own style of gamemastering is compatible with
and players together create a tale of one or another the desires of the players. If the players want
sort. In combination, these participants, through a fight every game session and the game-
enactment, devise and develop some sort of a story master would rather create puzzles and plots
- after the fact. When played out, the tale might be to be solved, both players and gamemaster
a comedy, tragedy, epic adventure, melodrama, or will end up frustrated.
simply a rather mundane but imaginary adventure.
The enjoyment is gained from participating in the
creation of the make-believe events, no matter
what the nature of the tale, or its outcome.”
- Gary Gygax, co-designer of Dungeons &
Dragons

8.2
 WHAT IS GAMEMASTERING?
Similarly, your gamemastering style should be Bluntly, being a gamemaster is
consistent. Players who know the gamemaster playing God. The gamemaster is the
is big on drama may get an unhappy jolt if eyes, ears and senses of all the
things become drastically realistic. Play style adventurers. Anything they know, they know
matches gamemastering style. Disturbing one because one way or the other, the gamemaster
will disturb the other. told the players. If an adventurer starts asking
questions in a seedy bar, the gamemaster
3have fun!: The object is to have a good time. plays the part of all the patrons, describes the
If you watch an action movie, you do not atmosphere, figures out who knows what, who
want half an hour of action and two hours of they are likely to tell, and how they feel about
boredom. If you read a book you do not want strangers coming in and being nosy. If there
six dull chapters for each page-turner and if is a fight, the gamemaster has to make the
you buy an album, you do not want two good combat decisions for anyone who gets
tracks and a bunch you never want to hear involved, and keep track of their injuries. All
again. Roleplaying is no different. You do not the people the adventurers will encounter are
want to cram half an hour of fun into four called ‘extras’. They are like extras in a movie,
hours of role-playing. Part of this fun is up to necessary for atmosphere, but usually not a
the players, but a lot of it is up to you. central part of the plot. They are also called
non-player characters, or NPC’s.
The rules you are reading are merely a means,
not an end. If you have a few game sessions How do you do all this? Practice. You will
and everyone seems ambivalent, open yourself always want to have some things written
to suggestions or make some to the players. It down, more when you are just starting, and
is alright to make a sharp turn in the middle of less once you have a good feel for what you
an adventure, if everyone agrees it is needed are doing. Things that are always useful to
because the fun quotient is going down. have are below. Pre-constructed settings or
gameworlds often incorporate these, but if you
”Don't be afraid to give a damn. Don't be afraid are trying to make up your own gameworld,
to take the game seriously. Don't be afraid to get you will want to have them available as a
emotionally invested. If you and your group enjoy a framework to hang adventures off of.
surface-only, lighthearted, no-big-deal game, that's
great. I like those too. But I also dig squirming, 3location: A central location in the gameworld
uncomfortable, choose-between-losing-and-winning where adventurers can initially meet and
-by-atrocity stories. If you want to go deep and get journey to and from. This is someplace where
messy, do it. Don't think you're too cool to care everyone knows the laws, where adventurers
because it's only a game and just characters in a can buy stuff, rest, recover, get information
story. Caring too little wastes your time a lot more and rumors and either get dragged into or plan
than caring a lot..” their own adventures. A map is good, at least
- Greg Stolze, designer of REIGN, A Dirty to the level of the main streets and types of
World and Dinosaurs...in Spaaace! region (palace district, slums, bazaar, etc.).
Failing that, a description that lets players
visualize it in a clear way is good (“it’s like
Cairo from Radiers of the Lost Ark.”). Within
this, use your imagination and come up with
some interesting places and sketch a rough
map of each, along with some notes on local
atmosphere. EABA provides some blank map
sheets so you have something to work with.
8.3
 3the notebook: Or laptop or tablet or iPad or
3people: Any adventure or location of any any other book. A central file where you keep
significance is going to have important people all your gameworld stuff. Whatever you are
(or creatures). Who or what they are, their basing your gameworld on, have some kind of
description and motivations should be at your reference handy. If you made up everything
fingertips. You only need to give numerical yourself, start a notebook with your thoughts
stats to the abilities the adventurers are likely on the gameworld. If it is based off a novel,
to encounter. If adventurers get an audience have the novel handy. If you use a lot of high-
before the king, all the king really needs is a tech hardware, keep a reference book of some
personality. If he doesn’t know something, he kind. Likewise for a flavor or particular type of
will have an expert find out for him, and magic.
unless someone can get through his guards,
his fighting abilities are irrelevant. Also make This reference material helps you keep a
up a dozen or so interchangeable extras to pull gameworld consistent. Adventurers expect
out as needed (thug, city guard or police, elite consistency in a gameworld, and usually need
soldier, beggar child, bureaucrat, and so on). some explanation when things don’t go the
How competent friends and foes will be way they assume the world works. There is a
depends on the power level of the campaign. certain amount of chaos in the world, but
EABA includes some blank sheets for recording when you drop something you expect it to fall
your own. down, not up. If you do something ten times
and the result is always the same, you expect
3the big picture: Every gameworld should it will be the same on the eleventh time as
start with something major happening, either well. If this does not happen, there needs to
obvious, behind the scenes, or even important- be a reason why, even if the players do not
but-far-away. It is a long-term focus for the know it and figuring it out is actually the meat
players and gamemaster. Demento the master of the adventure.
supervillain is trying to take over the world.
One of your nation’s neighbors has invaded “Be flexible. The players will think of things that
another of your neighbors. The corrupt and never would have occurred to you in a million
decadent Empire is rotting from within and civil years. When this happens, don’t forbid them, try to
war is imminent. The One Really True Ring has help them. But do try to think out the ramifications
been found and evil overlords everywhere are first. One useful trick, when they come to you with
scrambling to get a hold of it, become invisible a brilliant idea, is to figure out a reason why it can’t
and invade women’s locker rooms (campaigns be done right this instant. Then, while they’re doing
and gameworlds do not have to be serious...). other things, you try to think out the problem.”
“example: If a player comes to you and says he
This focus can change because of what the wants to force all the priests in his Temple to cast
adventurers do, and many times that is the Sunblaze at the same time tomorrow to burn the
point. The adventurers ultimately have to town to the ground, you can say it’s too cloudy
defeat Demento, find a way to make the right now, or that it will take time to gather the
collapse of the Empire as painless as possible priests together. This gives you a few minutes of
for its citizens, or return the ring to the unholy breathing time to figure out the possibilities. And
pawn shop from whence it came. just perhaps it would be a good thing to burn
down the town.”
Not every adventure has to center around this - Sandy Petersen, designer of Call of Cthulhu
“big picture” plot, but the plot is always there.
If it resolves, then the gamemaster can create
a new one, and the show goes on.

8.4
 Most good plots incorporate several of these,
THE 36 PLOTS intertwined and linked. Think of any movie you
The 36 Dramatic Situations, written have seen or book you have read and you will
by Georges Polti in 1913 is a guide to see that several of these plots immediately
the underlying plot or plots behind come to mind. Some classic examples that
dramatic works, and lists the name of the plot, could easily have been rpg plots:
the opposing force, the role of the characters,
and any other parties involved. Below is an movie some of the subplots
extremely condensed version of his findings. Star Wars pursuit, daring enterprise, revolt
Casino Royale ambition, revenge, enigma
plot obstacle adventurer other Total Recall pursuit, revolt, obstacle to love
supplication persecutor supplicant power in Predator revenge, enigma, pursuit
authority Alien deliverance, pursuit, bad judgement
deliverance threatener rescuer unfortunates Stargate enigma, revolt, conflict with deity
revenge criminal avenger victims
vengeance by guilty kin avenging relatives
Use the plot table to your advantage when
family on family kin
pursuit fugitive pursuer other plot you are stuck for ideas. Look at your cast of
victim of cruelty master/fate unfortu- pre-game adventurers, their personalities and traits,
or misfortune nates events the setting and their actions leading up to the
disaster vanquished victors messenger current moment, and odds are that something
revolt tyrant conspirators third parties will pop up that you can work with.
daring enterprise adversary adventurers goal, bold
leader “If you haul out a map at the beginning of
abduction abductor guardians abducted a fight scene and lay it on the table, you’re causing
enigma problem seeker interrogator your players to stop focusing on the action scene
obtaining foes seekers object in their heads and instead directing them to a
familial hatred relative relative cause of dead, lifeless piece of paper; now they’re like a
hatred
bunch of football players running a play on a
adultery betrayed adulterer adulterer
chalkboard instead of a bunch of football players
madness madman victim cause of
running like crazy and tackling like mad. It may be
madness
imprudence blackmailer imprudent victim or extremely useful to you to have a floor plan among
one lost object your notes, so you can judge where all the
crime of love revealer lover beloved combatants are. Just don’t show it to the players!”
kin kills kin revealer killer victim - Robin D. Laws, designer of Feng Shui
self-sacrifice reason hero the sacrifice
rivalry rival rival object of
rivalry
crimes of love lover beloved crime
discovery of guilty one discoverer reason
dishonor
obstacle to love obstacle lovers circumstance
an enemy loved enemy lover hater
ambition adversary ambitious coveted
one thing
conflict w/deity immortal mortal reason
bad judgement victims mistaken restitution
one
remorse interrogator culprit victim
recovery seeker seeker lost thing

8.5
 3yank chains: Adventurers generally have
GAMEMASTERING TRICKS Traits for two reasons, to gain points to make
The way you run a gameworld will the adventurer more powerful, and to give the
be as unique as you are, but the gamemaster a hook to hang adventures from.
best gamemasters know and use the If an adventurer has a Friend or Enemy, right
same tricks of the trade: there is the setting for an adventure! Most
other traits do the same, especially those that
3customize: The rules will never be absolutely give the adventurer significant points. Keep in
perfect for you. If a rule bothers you, then mind that anyone in the gameworld that deals
change it! Make up your own implementation with the adventurers will eventually learn a bit
of anything in the rules that gets on someone’s about them, whether for good or ill. If an
nerves. Strict adherence to the rules is not the antagonist knows that an adventurer has a
goal, having fun is the goal. So adjust the bad temper, they can use that knowledge to
rules as needed to maximize your fun. manipulate the adventurer. A Weakness can be
exploited, or Secret used for blackmail.
3adjectives: It is faster, easier and in some
cases more informative to use words than 3listen: Being a gamemaster is not about
diagrams. Maps are good, but the verbal ultimate power over the players. The game is
descriptions add atmosphere. A map does not supposed to be a challenge and entertainment
convey the grimy darkness of a back alley, for all involved. The players have joined your
shadows fading to pitch-black darkness, the game because it sounded interesting, but their
sound of unseen things squishing underfoot expectations are going to evolve over time.
and smells whose origin is best not thought As a gamemaster, you need to evolve the
about too much. Does that say more to you campaign accordingly. The things the players
than a pencil sketch of a rectangle three say to each other and the things adventurers
meters wide and ten meters long? Describe do that is not directly tied to the current plot
things using as many of the senses as is a guide to steering the campaign and future
appropriate, and let the players fill in the plots in a direction that everyone will have a
blanks. The more you talk, the less you have good time with.
to write.
3use props: A picture is worth a thousand
3the world turns: Certain things in the game- words. So is an object. If something in the
world stay the same, but many will change, gameworld matches an object or picture you
and if you do not write them down you might own or have access to, use it. If they are
forget. That would be a shame, because attacked by a pre-historic crocodile and you’ve
problems from the past can be a lot of fun in got a picture with a human to show the scale
the present. The evil mastermind adventurers of things, by all means dig it out and let the
put away five years ago might get paroled...or players see it. If a modern era game can use
escape. The magic trinket you gave them as a newspaper clippings, cut them out. If you
reward (and which they foolishly sold) might have got the right paper and fonts, you can
have been the key to a greater item and they make royal writs for a fantasy campaign,
now have to track it down before it falls into dossiers for an espionage game or even
the wrong hands. Political events outside the little three-d models of buildings for combat
adventurer’s control on the other side of the purposes. If playing in a candlelit room and
world might have an effect on the gameworld playing somber music helps set a sinister
years later. Having past mistakes come back to mood for your gameworld, by all means do it!
haunt the adventurers is fun, and it also saves
you some work, since a plot element is just
sitting there waiting to be used.
8.6
 Have a list of personalities and appearances
3foreshadow: Foreshadowing is like reading and names and typical stat blocks that you can
the newspaper. It will not tell you the future, toss out for various sorts of encounters outside
but it gives trends. Conflict in the Balkans? the ones you expect the adventurers will have.
That could mean air strikes, UN intervention,
diplomatic saber-rattling or all or none of the And make a list of everything that did not go
above. Foreshadowing is information the right for you as a gamemaster in your first
adventurers will pick up as rumor, gossip or few play sessions and make an effort in your
through their own personal sources. It gives preparations to overcome these problems.
players an idea of events that you the game- Learn from your mistakes.
master consider important. If the adventurers
are at a bar and the town guard rushes by the “Proper preparation is the key to successful
door in a hurry, that is foreshadowing. Maybe gamemastering. I typically end up spending about
the adventurers cannot do anything about the two hours of prep time for every expected hour of
events that caused the commotion, but you play time, and most of the gamemasters I know
have let the players know that something has whose games I enjoy the most say the same.
happened that they might want to take an Obviously you can't prepare for everything, and
interest in. Because you cannot be all the sometimes part of what makes gaming fun is the
senses of all the adventurers, the fact that spontaneous way the story evolves when you run
you are telling players something automatically things ‘off the cuff’. But in most situations things
gives it some importance. But if everything will go better if you plan ahead. A lot of the work
you tell them is always important, the players you do will never be seen by the players because it
do not have to work all that hard. Make sure is background work that lets you know your setting,
that some of your foreshadowing is blind leads, but it still helps you do your job. Even just a few
things that do not help solve the pressing minutes' advance work thinking about the various
problem, but which hopefully do not send possibilities can help you be calm, cool, collected,
the adventurers off in a completely wrong and ready for anything. In short, it’ll make you look
direction. like the great GM you are.”
- Steve Long, designer of Hero System, 6th
3prepare: There is a saying attributed to Louis edition
Pasteur that “chance favors the prepared
mind.” A lot of roleplaying and scenarios are 3socialize: Extras are people too. What they
about how the adventurers deal with chance, do in the gameworld, they do for the same
and a lot of gamemastering is how you deal reasons as the adventurers: Survival, wealth,
with players. On both sides, being prepared glory, respect and so on. If they are going to
increases the chance things will turn out spend time talking to or working with the
enjoyable for all involved. adventurers, think about what makes them
tick. What’s in it for them? And remember that
Often, it is the little details that are more even extras can have depth and subtlety. And
important than the big ones. Give the bouncer if they are useful enough to be regular fixtures
at the bar a name and he is more likely to be of the gameworld, they also have memory.
remembered. Even if he is a nobody, you will They will remember who has helped them,
have the players wondering why you have and who has done them ill, just like the
identified him so uniquely. Making him seem adventurers do. If the extra has long-term
important means the players have to treat him potential, give them their own little dossier,
as though he might be important. And who and write down their plans, how long they are
knows, maybe the interplay will actually give likely to take, and how this may affect the
him a role to play later on. adventurers.

8.7
 3overact: The real world is absolutely seething
3improvise: Despite the previous admonition to with subtle cues that we take for granted or
write things down, the gameworld is just too use on a subconscious level. The adventurers
big to put everything down on paper or hard do the same in their own particular game-
disk. When the players veer off the path of world, but the only way the gamemaster can
things that you know, you have got to make it communicate this to players is through words
up as you go. It is one of the most important and gestures. And if you are playing via chat,
talents a gamemaster has to develop, and one then you lack even the inflection of voice,
that the rules cannot teach you. The best tip making it doubly difficult. So, make what you
is to have the fundamentals of the gameworld describe strong enough to convey all the “feel”
in mind from the very start and maybe a of the situation. If you have to use ALL CAPS
generic kind of subplot that can fit in just to convey speaking loudly, bad accents (or
about anywhere and “hold the fort” until your deliberate mis-spellings), sweeping hand
brain can catch up with what the players are gestures or have to get up and get into
doing. If the gameworld is such that people someone’s personal space, do it! It draws the
respect titles and wealth, then a party of players closer to the adventurer’s world and
noble adventurers can expect deference from helps them make the adventure and the
serfs or freemen wherever they go, and the adventurer more real.
adventurers should expect to show the same
deference to anyone more highly ranked than 3cheat: What?! Yes, cheat. It’s not a formal
themselves. Local or universal behaviors, rule, but sometimes a good story demands it.
beliefs or traits put certain improvisations on The main reason a gamemaster cheats is if
“autopilot”, allowing you to concentrate on how terrible things happen to adventurers through
this alters the plot. no fault of their own. The terrorists blow up
the adventurer’s private jet when it’s ten
“Most entertainment is passive. The audience thousand meters up. No joy there! The
sits and watches, without taking part in the gamemaster decides the bomb is a dud and
creative process. But in roleplaying, the “audience” the adventurers discover it when they land,
joins in the creation. While the GM is the chief using it to drive an adventure based on
storyteller, the players are responsible for creating investigation of the incident. Cheating should
their own characters. And if they want something be done rarely and impartially, and only when
to happen in the story, they make it happen, it is necessary for the game to be enjoyable.
because they’re in the story. So, while other types Yes, adventurers do die sometimes, and you
of media are mass-produced to please the widest should not regularly bend the rules to keep
possible audience, each roleplaying adventure is them alive (the Fate attribute puts a lot of the
an individual gem, crafted by the people who take ‘cheating’ in the player’s hands). Without the
part in it. The GM (or the original adventure author) risk, the game is not as much fun. But
provides the raw material...but the final polish adventurers who perish should at least have
comes from the players themselves.” the chance to do so gloriously, rather than
- Steve Jackson, designer of GURPS getting hit by a bus because they did not look
both ways before crossing the street.

8.8
 GAMEMASTERING FAULTS
3details: Skill rolls represent the sum of an For every good gamemaster there is
ability, but convey no ‘feeling’. Saying “you find a bad one (maybe several), and for
pollen embedded in the illumination of the every laudable trait there is a fault:
ancient manuscript, and with a lot of work you
are able to ascertain the likely date and place 8 dicemeister: The dice are not your god.
where it was written” is a lot more satisfying Dice are a crutch, a game mechanic to let
than saying “you make your archaeology skill you arbitrate things that would normally be
roll by 4”. Even if the details are something random or influenced by random chance.
you just made up, they add depth to the plot. You should never let dice take the place of
But try not to add bogus details if a player common sense, or engage in pointless dice
knows more about the subject than you do... rolling when using your brain can get the job
done in a way that is more dramatic and more
3pizza: Pizza breaks are required for long game fun for all involved. If an adventurer wants to
sessions. It gives players a chance to wind talk to an extra, you do not have to roll dice to
down and discuss things without worrying see how they are going to react. Just take on
about boring the gamemaster. It also lets the the role of the extra and let the conversation
gamemaster figure out what to do next when happen. You might need to roll dice later, but
the players have poked holes in a carefully you might not. Give your right hand a break
crafted plotline. If you are going to be playing and use your imagination.
for six hours, take a break in the middle. Give
everyone, including the gamemaster, a chance 8 too tough: Adventures should be challenging
to literally take a deep breath of fresh air and to the adventurers. They should not all end up
get the circulation going again... dead or crippled. If they do, it means they are
dumb or you are mean. Adventurers can get in
“The status of the heroes is defined by the status over their heads on occasion, and there will be
of the villains they overcome. The best action challenges in the world that they are not and
movies are defined by the quality of their villains. may never be able to face, but an adventure
Die Hard, Silence of the Lambs, and Star Wars should be set at a level of difficulty and danger
all had powerful villains. And all of the villains were that the combined talents of the adventurers
introduced early in the movie. The audience had have a chance of overcoming. You may overdo
the whole movie to realize how smart and powerful things initially until you get a feel for a game-
the villains were. This made the triumph of the world or game system. Better to be a little
heroes much more valuable.” lenient, as long as you do not give the players
”Learn from these movies. Introduce the villain the impression that their adventurers are able
early. Make the villain powerful, smart, and to walk over any opposition.
memorable. Give the villain status. Make sure the
villain wins a battle early to establish credibility. “Secret or inner motivations for a character
Make the defeat of the villain a major challenge are really the soul of role-playing. They force
that requires a series of victories. The quality of the characters to become more than a big pile of
villain’s challenge will determine the quality of the powers designed to destroy anything in their paths.
hero’s victory.” The best comic books (and comic adventures)
- George MacDonald, co-designer of Champions supply more than just slam-bang fights. They
provide us with a feel for the characters, a
reason to cheer the heroes on, a reason to boo
the villains.”
- Steve Peterson, co-designer of Champions

8.9
 8 tough love: Sometimes when a gamemaster
8 scriptmeister: The dicemeister’s evil opposite. and player are romantically involved, there is
“Here is the plot, here are the roles you will a tendency to overcompensate. Instead of
play. Deviations are not permitted.” Early on, playing favorites with the player, the game-
most adventures will be ‘linear’. The plot is master goes too far the other way and ends
straightforward and each step logically leads to up being too harsh on that player. A case of
the next and each step is required. Escape good intentions gone wrong. If someone you
city, rescue hostage heir, return to city, quash are close too says you are being too harsh as
rebellion, install heir on throne, collect reward. a gamemaster, consider that they might be
Many adventure modules you buy or find right...
online will be the same, because you cannot
take every possibility into account. But, the 8 too generous: A gamemaster can be too
gameworld is often an infinitely large place, lenient or generous, making the rewards
and adventurers do not always jump in the of an adventure far outstrip the challenge.
direction you expect them to. Every decision The original term for this is a ‘Monty Haul’
leads to several other decisions, and the end adventure. If zillions in treasure and magic
of the adventure that you expected is only items were only guarded by a handful of
one of them. It might be the best one, but pathetic monsters, someone else would have
it is not the only one. A scriptmeister variation cleaned the place out decades ago. If the
is the ‘determinist’, a gamemaster who is so secret identity of the evil mastermind could be
caught up in their world that they have made found by a web search, someone else would
the adventurers into spectators, having have done it already. Adventuring is generally
forgotten it is the players who are supposed to more profitable than a regular day job, but
be making things happen. The adventurers the gamemaster has to know where to draw
should not be penalized for taking things in a the line. The biggest problem with being too
different direction, or for being clever enough generous is that it can increase the capabilties
to find away around pitfalls you place in their of the adventurers to where something that
path. challenges them becomes difficult to ludicrous,
and this can kill the campaign dead.
8 playing favorites: Your gaming group is not
a clique or a wolfpack. Players should not “A flexible character generation system is a
have to vie for dominance or attention, and Rorshach test. The players tell you what sort of
you should not make a particular player or game they want to play, even if they don’t know
adventurer the focus of the gameworld. Just they’re doing so.”
because player X is your best friend is not an - Jonathan Tweet, designer of Over the Edge
excuse for them to always get the best loot or
the most experience. Odds are that if someone
accuses you of favoritism and you deny it, they
are right and you’re wrong. Do not get angry,
do not be overly apologetic. Playing favorites is
a trait hardwired in some primitive part of our
brains. You just have to realize it and get past
it.

8.10
 PLAYER TYPES
8 too clever: The gamemaster knows more of Gamemasters can be defined by
what is going on in the gameworld than the their style of gamemastering, usually
players or adventurers ever will. It is easy to by bad styles, like Scriptmeistering.
fall into the trap of assuming the players can Likewise, players can be categorized, and most
figure things out because the clues are there of them have both good and bad aspects:
to be found. But if the players have no idea
that they have to go to an occult shop in the 3explorer: An explorer wants to discover things.
Spanish Quarter and ask for Madame Zelda to 8 Really enjoys learning about the gameworld,
get a necessary clue, then their adventurers talking to people and so on, sometimes so
will not know and will not go. You can make much that it is difficult to get them involved in
things too difficult to figure out, and that is actual plots. But, if something needs to be
not fun, it is frustrating. Yes, there will be found out, this player will come up with a
conundrums the adventurers do not have the clever way to do it. The explorer is usually
answer to, but they should not be the focus comfortable with any set of rules. It is playing
of their current adventure. Who the secret that matters to them, and they are usually
masterminds are is important, but figuring good at it. Do not crimp their style as long
out their identity can wait. Just give the as what they are doing is reasonable for
adventurers some of the clues they need as their adventurer’s abilities. Do not force them
foreshadowing for a future adventure and get to learn rule minutia, but encourage them
on with the one at hand. to know the fundamentals. Do try to have
something in each adventure where their
8 too obvious: The gamemaster can make social skills can be useful.
things too obvious. Players do not want to be
frustrated by not knowing which direction to 3combat god: The combat god lives to fight.
go, but can also be turned off by there only 8 Their adventurer is a lean, mean, fighting
being one possible direction to go, clues lit up machine. Role-playing is sometimes just a
with flashing neon signs saying “go this way”. creative way to get from one fight to another.
This is different than scriptmeistering, in that They are usually straightforward and blunt,
the gamemaster is not forcing a course of but this doesn’t mean they are not good role-
action on the players, but are just making it players, just that their adventurer’s social skills
painfully clear (and boring) which of the have been sacrificed for martial ability. Don’t
possible courses is the ‘right’ one. force the adventurer to play the bon vivant.
They will encounter situations that have to be
All courses of action are the right course of finessed, but the skills of the group will help
action, if the result is everyone having a good them through it. Do give them the chance to
time. Making sure that the world is saved also show what they are good at, even if not as
helps. What we are saying is that adventurers often as they want. That is how they have
need the opportunity to fail, and players need fun in the game. The combat god is often a
to feel the satisfaction of having to work for powergamer. Do not let them use rule minutia
their success. There is a fine line between ‘too to get away with things that are simply not
clever’ and ‘too obvious’ and it is one of those reasonable, or at the very least, make them
things you will always have to keep an eye on. cleverly narrate the rule use rather than just
pointing at the rule that says they can do it.

8.11
 8 powergamer: A powergamer (also called a
3mastermind: Likes to make long-term plans 3min-maxer) is a player who tries to wring
8 and make them come together. Can build every last drop of efficiency out of the game
empires out of nothing if given half a chance, system, to make the absolutely most powerful
and even if their adventurer is not a combat adventurer with the minimum amount of
god, they have a shrewd grasp of tactics and points. Most munchkins are powergamers,
usually have something up their sleeve that no but not all powergamers are munchkins. A
one is expecting. This player’s adventurer is powergamer might just have a very keen
likely to be a generalist, not the world’s best at survival instinct. As long as the powergaming
anything, but pretty competent at a number of habits do not last past adventurer creation, it
things, giving them a lot of flexibility. They typically is not a problem for the gamemaster.
could, however, be really good at something If the player insists on looking up rules to gain
that will totally ruin the gameworld (“Hey, if I obscure benefits on a constant basis, then they
use the economic rules and have this level of are disrupting play. If this happens, the game-
skill, I can eventually own everything!”) Do master can just declare that adventurers must
not give the mastermind too much, or they make quick decisions in crisis situations. If a
will start to shift the gameworld right out from player stops the game to look up a rule and
under your feet. Do give the mastermind some annoys the gamemaster by doing so, the
of what they want, with some parts missing or adventurer hesitates and loses their action.
flawed. No plan works perfectly, and there Remember, an adventurer’s actions are based
are plenty of other masterminds in the game- on their perceptions of the gameworld, not the
world, whose plans are mutually incompatible player’s ability to use arbitrary game rules to
with the player’s. For every Sherlock Holmes their advantage.
there is a Professor Moriarity...
3significant other: Someone who is playing
8 munchkin: A munchkin is someone who plays 8 only because they are romantically attached to
for the sole purpose of gaining loot, powerful another player. The significant other is not
items and lots and lots of experience points. likely to have a lot of initiative, might be
This is the kind of person who thinks a first- intimidated by the other players or the size of
person shooter with character levels counts as the rules, or feel that not knowing the rules
role-playing. It does not. If everyone is a means they cannot do anything useful. With
munchkin and the gamemaster likes to do no encouragement, they will not last past a
nothing but combats separated by cut scenes, few game sessions. The gamemaster and
then you are fine. Otherwise, any players who players need to be helpful and encourage the
want to adventure and learn and make a story significant other to join in the spirit of things.
get left out in the cold. Most of the cures for Explain if there are questions but do not
munchkinism are fairly harsh. If logic and patronize, do encourage the player to use the
reason fail to get through (“If you shoot up adventurer’s abilities and cut them some slack.
innocent people they lock you up and throw You did not know what you were doing the
away the key.”), then the consequences of first time you started role-playing, either. If
their actions should bite them in the ass until they are genuinely interested in role-playing,
they see that the non-munchkin players are they will put up with you regardless. If they
better off. Incurable munchkins should be left are not, then nothing you can do will get them
to play with their joysticks. to stay. It is the ambiguous cases where your
effort makes the difference between keeping
and losing a new player.

8.12
 EXPERIENCE POINTS
GENRE-BASED REALITY Part of adventuring (and for that
Something that cannot be dealt with matter, most of life) is about gaining
in the core rules of a generic system experience and learning new things or
like EABA is ‘genre reality’. A set of acquiring new qualities. In role-playing games,
game rules is an owner’s manual for ‘game this is done by acquiring ‘experience points’ or
reality’, how to adjudicate everything that is sometimes ‘XP’. In EABA, generic XP convert
not intuitive or in shared agreement, like ‘how to normal points (A, S or P) at the rate of
likely is it that I can hit that guard at this 20:1. For each 20XP, you get 1A, 1S or 1P. If
range?’. Stuff like this is common to almost you are accumulating XP towards adjusting a
all gameworlds. Other things are specific to specific Trait, keep these XP separate, and they
a particular gameworld or setting type. A convert at the ratio of 10:1.
published setting will describe these, but if
you are making up your own, you will need to This ratio is for a moderately realistic level of
figure out the exceptions that give that setting adventurer improvement. You can adjust this in
its unique flavor. general or for specific things if you want some
types of points to be easier or harder to acquire.
A perfect example is ‘superhero reality’. In For instance, if you want to encourage skills, say
superhero settings, you can have a power or it is 10:1 for skills and 20:1 for everything else.
weapon with no recoil for you, but which blasts
whatever you hit across the street and through The limits on how you can spend experience
a wall. You can fly at supersonic speed without may be limited by the genre or gameworld. For
tearing your clothing or skin off (eeuw!), pick instance, if a gameworld has no powers, then
up a car and hold it at arm’s length in defiance odds are you will not be able to turn your XP
of where the center of gravity is, and so on. into points for powers.

A horror setting may have rules for being There are two ways of improving your EABA
driven insane by the presence of eldritch adventurer: training and adventure experience.
monstrosities. A feudal Japan setting may
have rules for honor and ceremony, and a training: Training usually happens between
time travel setting may have special rules for adventures, or possibly during intermissions
handling paradox. like a long sea voyage from one part of a plot
to another. Basically, one full week of practice
Things like this are not in the basic EABA towards one thing is worth 1XP. This takes
rules, but they are an important part of that somewhere around forty to fifty hours a week
specific setting, and you need to incorporate on the task. This is possible with a full-time
them. Just as importantly, you need to make job, provided you have a job that is flexible
sure the players know about them, understand with the training, or training that is flexible
them and how it affect the adventurer’s with the job, which is dependent on the game-
perception of reality in that gameworld. world, the job and the training. Regardless,
trying to do both means you will have no social
life and little time at home or with friends.

If you are a college student for forty weeks a

year for four years, you get a total of 160XP,
sufficient for 8 points towards your education.
This is enough for one skill at +2d, one skill at
+1d and two skills at +0d.

8.13
 This takes as much of your free time as any
All this assumes you are getting professional other training, it just costs less, probably
training, and paying someone for it, one way -4 cost off paid training. You still have to pay
or another. The cost of training will vary with for supplies and training materials, but you do
the skill. Learning how to become a blacksmith not have to pay someone else for their time.
costs less than learning how to become a brain You can usually self-train towards removing
surgeon. The important thing to remember is negative traits at the normal training rate (1
that it is an expense that is either within your experience per 40-50 hours of work). This may
lifestyle (if employed), or comes out of your require Will rolls to keep from slacking off.
savings if it is too high or you are unemployed.
If you have a Weakness(2A) on your movement
Realistically speaking, the cost in XP for raising an because you are overweight, you could spend 20
attribute should double for each previous time weeks in a self-imposed diet/exercise program
you have raised that attribute. to get 20XP towards buying off the trait.

There are other training options. First is ‘on Last is ‘intensive training’. This is ‘boot camp’,
the job training’. If you are doing what you every waking moment spent hammering a skill
get paid to do (between adventures), you can or a set of skills into you. It is not sustainable
accumulate experience towards an attribute or for a long period without burning you out, and
skill (your choice) for that job at the normal it requires either coercion or a strong will to
rate. You can do this at the same time as you put up with it. This is worth 4XP per week, and
are getting training in your non-working time, you may do nothing else during this period. In
but doubling up on training like this means you the case of military basic training, you might
have little time in your life for anything else. get paid for this misery, but you will have little
The advantage to on-the-job training is that chance to spend it. Each week of intensive
you are getting paid for it. In the case of training has an average(7) Will roll, adjusted
something like an apprenticeship, odds are you for motivating or coercive factors. If you fail,
are getting paid less than what your skill level you drop out, with whatever consequences
is worth, perhaps even as little as room & that has, and you usually do not get to try it
board. For the gamemaster, getting experience again for several months. Extreme or elite
for working means the adventurer is actively forms of intensive training may have even
trying to improve and has the opportunity to higher Will rolls. Intensive training is usually
do challenging things. This will be obvious to towards a specific end and lasts either five or
co-workers or anyone above the adventurer in ten weeks, sufficient for 20XP or 40XP towards
whatever job they are doing. This could be a skills, attributes or powers. Military basic
possible lead-in to another adventure. training (ten weeks) is either a single skill at
+0 and a skill package or a skill package and
Note that if you are getting on-the-job training +1 to one attribute, usually the lowest of
it implies that you have the job. You are not Strength, Will or Health.
likely to keep this job unless your adventuring
is that job. Employers frown on employees In the real world, the benefits of basic training
taking unscheduled leave to go gallavanting off might be more than this, but we are keeping it
on adventures and your job will not be waiting low as a matter of game balance. Note that
for you when you get back. something like basic training also includes taking
on certain personality traits associated with
Next is ‘self-training’. If you are trying to learn military discipline, points that can contribute to
a new skill or improve a skill you already have, the cost of the physical and mental conditioning
you can gain experience for your self-training (strength, stamina, willpower) that are also part
at half the normal rate. of this military training.

8.14
 character: You get points for traits and the
Adventure experience personality of your adventurer. If you take
This is what you get during play, for your those points and then ignore what you got
actions as a player and the success of your them for, you lose experience points. Simply
adventurer. This takes a number of forms. For being ‘in character’ is expected. You do not
general adventuring: have to dress the part or use funny accents,
but the actions of the adventurer, the dialog
item experience spoken as the adventurer and the reasons the
short adventure +0 adventurer is doing things are supposed to
medium adventure +1 be according to the way the adventurer was
long adventure +3 designed. If your adventurer is claustrophobic,
very successful adventure +3 then they should be exploring every option
successful adventure +1 except climbing down the air shaft. Increasing
failed adventure -1 the adventurer’s depth can be worth a bonus.
epic fail of adventure -3 This is things like cultivating relationships with
acted out of character -2 extras, giving names and personalities to
stayed in character +0 them, going above and beyond to ‘be’ the
increased depth of character +2 adventurer and to be honest, make life easier
‘best of adventure’ vote +2 for the gamemaster by making the adventurer
‘epic win’ vote +2 more interesting and giving the gamemaster
‘best supporting role’ vote +2 more hooks to involve them in plots.

length: This is the ‘being there’ award, and “Tests - especially failed tests - lead you from
covers how many individual play sessions and conflict to conflict. They are not meant to build
time the plot covered. A ‘short’ adventure roadblocks or walls. When a test is failed or even
would be one session, a ‘medium’ one would unexpectedly passed, think about how the story
be two or three and a ‘long’ one would be four can twist around the characters.”
or more sessions. If an adventure or plot - Luke Crane, designer of Burning Wheel and
extends more than three sessions, experience Mouse Guard
for things other than adventure length can be
handed out every three sessions based on the votes: The previous items are all awards given
resolution up to that point, with the length by the gamemaster. The voting items are done
bonus tacked on at the very end. An adventure by the players, with the gamemaster being the
cannot be ‘medium’ unless it lasts at least two tiebreaker, and only apply if there are at least
weeks of in-game time, and a ‘long’ one is at three adventurers in the party. The ‘best of
least a month of in-game time. adventure’ is the player who contributed the
most to the adventure overall, even if it was a
success: How well the plot resolved from the failure. ‘Epic win’ is for the one action that was
standpoint of both what adventurers wanted to the coolest, most jaw-dropping or funniest
accomplish and what is good or preferable for thing of the adventure. ‘Best supporting role’ is
the gameworld. Deciding that ‘we will try to for the adventurer who might not have been
let the forces of evil only overrun half the the most dramatic, but whose actions did the
world’ might be something you can be ‘very most to help others be successful.
successful’ at, but is not particularly good for
the gameworld as a whole. So, consider this All ‘adventure experience’ is ‘generic’ XP, and
award to be an average of these two factors. would trade in at the 20:1 ratio, but can be
combined with training or other directed
experience to get what the player wants.

8.15
 Non-experience awards
Spending experience Not everything that happens to an adventurer
You can turn in accumulated experience at the in a permanent or near-permanent fashion
ratios described earlier, but you can usually involves experience or training. Some things
only do this between adventures, not between happen only because of specific in-game
game sessions. If you dedicate experience as actions. Getting knighted is not something you
it is earned towards a particular goal, then buy with experience or gain through training,
you can apply it immediately to that goal but it is nonetheless important. It would be an
once you get enough. That is the reward for award of Status that you could get without
planning ahead. You should also be working spending any experience. You could also be
this incremental improvement into play if owed a Favor by someone important. On the
possible, taking time to practice, showing the other hand, if you thwart the machinations of
gamemaster that your adventurer is acting in an evil organization that had, until that point,
a way that matches your ongoing training. On never heard of you, you have just acquired a
the other hand, if you have just saved up new Enemy. You get all the painful parts of
generic ‘experience’ to spend, each 1A, 1S or having an Enemy, but you get no points for it.
1P should require at least a month of in-game
time after you decide what you are spending it There are also rewards in the form of new
on to justify the purchase. So you cannot just opportunities. Maybe you have a mage who
say ‘I need to learn Spanish, so I’ll just spend wants to learn a particular spell, and part of
20XP.’ Similarly, anything that involves learning the reward for an adventure is that the only
something brand new requires either a teacher person around here who knows it will teach it
or materials sufficient for self-study. It is hard to you. You still have to spend experience on
to teach yourself how to play piano if you do it, but the ability to spend that experience
not have access to a piano... would not have happened without the help of
the person who knows it.
The other thing you can do with experience,
both in general or as a specific goal, is to alter Other things you can get points for, or perhaps
or remove certain traits. If you have a trait be given the option of getting points for.
that you decide you would rather not keep, like Perhaps your adventurer suffers a severe hand
an odious bit of personality, an Enemy that you injury. The gamemaster says this may take
have marginalized, a negative Status you have several months to heal, or you could say that
overcome, Wealth that you have gained or the hand needed to be amputated, which
something like that, then with gamemaster would be a penalty to certain tasks (probably
permission, you can ‘buy off’ that limitation. a Weakness towards two-handed tasks) that
Some things you cannot get rid of. You cannot you would gain regular points for, as well as
buy off being old. Some things cannot be likely getting an ‘increased character depth’
bought off unless you have done things in play award for that adventure. Something not as
to contribute towards that goal. If you have crippling might be a duelling scar (distinctive
done nothing to decrease the power or enmity Looks), or having a mystical encounter that
of an Enemy, you cannot buy off that trait, gives you the Unusual Background you
no matter how much experience you have needed in order to acquire some other ability
accumulated. What traits you can and cannot or skill.
buy off, and whether you can direct experience
towards that task or have to use generic XP is
up to the gamemaster.

8.16
 The main thing that separates a role-playing
WHAT IS THIS GAME? game from any video game that says ‘role-
We described what a role-playing playing’ is the intelligence and flexibility of the
game is at the start of the rules. We gamemaster. At the time of EABA v1 (circa
will finish the rules with thoughts of 2000CE), computer games just did not allow
what a role-playing game is not. deviation from the plot, and you either won or
you died. The capability to have several people
Most games are driven by ‘winning’. Board form a group and have an adventure that did
games, card games and video games have a not revolve around killing things was virtually
clear beginning and end. Someone wins, non-existent. Likewise, you could not just have
someone loses. Role-playing games have a an adventurer walk in a random direction and
beginning, but no real end. The only way you expect to do anything more sophisticated than
‘lose’ is if your adventurer dies, but even then a typed conversation with other players, trade
you can create a new adventurer and rejoin items or bashing a few random monsters or
the game already in play. And, you never aliens or whatever. As EABA v2 is released, it
actually ‘win’ in a role-playing game. Your is now 2013CE, and things have improved a
adventurer survives, overcomes the obstacles bit, especially in the graphics and the quantity
and villains, but there are always going to be of people involved. But the number of possible
new challenges. Instead of being driven by endings is still small, and the ability to run
victory, role-players are driven by the story or long-term campaigns or do anything significant
plot. Shoot-em-up video games are almost outside the pre-determined plot is still lacking.
entirely tactics, but as they become more
sophisticated they have incorporated long term A human gamemaster can think up new plots
plots and storylines. Card games and board on the fly and can deal with social interactions
games are almost entirely strategy, but more that are orders of magnitude more complex
and more of these are including story elements than a computer-based game can. You can
to give the game a longer-term appeal. expect lines to blur, and the most successful
items will probably use the best elements of
STRATEGY

every tool available. EABA v2 is trying to do

card this, optimized for the iPad and with built-in
games software for gamemasters and players.
role-playing
games “There are no other games that combine the
disciplines and arts that role-playing does. No
other hobby provides as many creative outlets.
You are a performer, designer, illustrator, tactician,
and philosopher, while socializing with your friends.
Role-playing is storytelling, theater, and strategy
video gaming. All of these can be found in no other art
games form.”
TACTICS

“It is what role-playing is that is exciting for the

player. A group of friends sit around someone’s
living room, and, by merely speaking to one
another, construct a fantasy which they all share -
VICTORY STORY playing it in their heads like a film. What computer
Video games do not require dice, role-playing game can compete with that?”
games do not require hand-eye coordination, - Dave Arneson, co-designer of Dungeons &
and card games do not necessarily require Dragons
either.
8.17
9.1
Gear & Reference
 Use whatever detail is appropriate for your
It is said that the love of money is the root of all
gameworld. Most items listed are from near
evil. It is not the money, it’s the neat stuff you can the end of their tech era, and variations of
some kind will be common. The EABA scale is
buy with the money. No role-playing game can list coarse enough that minor differences in
weapons often end up having the same game
every item adventurers will want or need, though stats. Remember that a +1 difference in
damage is about +25% more energy and a +1
some make an encyclopedic effort. For the most
difference in Accuracy is about +40% more
part all you really need is a selection of weapons accurate. Odds are that any variant in style or
accuracy or damage is going to be no more
and armor for a handful of gameworld possibilities, than ±1 on any stat.
and generic ‘stuff’ that can be plugged in or
There are probably hundreds of models of 9mm
mutated as needed to fit the situation. And of pistol with a clip capacity of around 15 shots. By
and large, all of them will have the same game
course, you can always import items from other stats, and choosing one brand or model over the
other is purely a personal preference. In a system
games. where the minimum possible roll is a .4% chance
(a 3 on 3d+0), there is no in-game difference
between a weapon with an average misfire rate
of .1% and .2%. When the difference between a
3d+0 roll of 10 and 11 is 13%, a weapon that is
2% more accurate than its counterpart is not
worth a special note.

INTRODUCTION Another quick way of looking at it is to say that

By now, almost every rule or idea ±1 in damage translates into ±25% capacity. A
you need in EABA should have been weapon with the same mass but +1 damage
covered. These last few rules are just over one in the gear listing might have 25% less
jargon or terminology or notes specific to ammunition capacity. One with +2 damage might
equipment, usually weapons. only have half the ammunition capacity.

The first ‘rule’ is the most important: Use only It is easy for ‘stat-chasing’ to sneak up on a
the information you need. If the gamemaster player, ending up as a time sink and goal
does not worry about armor and hits for gear, rather than paying attention to the adventure
do not bother writing it down. If an item’s at hand. People want the latest and the best,
weight is never going to contribute to your the fastest computer, the coolest, newest gun,
encumbrance, ignore it. If you are wealthy a teleportation belt with ten percent extra
enough that the cost is within your normal range, a disintigrator ray with a ‘clean up dog
expenses, assume you can replace it with little crap’ setting, or whatever. Only in the case
effort anywhere it is available. where the gear is so special that it is worth
being the focus of an adventure should it reach
the level of intruding into game play. Mostly
because in this case the adventurers and their
foes are obsessing over it, making the player
actions entirely reasonable.

9.2
 If a piece of gear adjusts the difficulty of a
How gear works task, it will have a minimum size and cost for
As a game concept, gear just does one or the minimum effect. You can increase the
more of the following: effect by +1 by increasing the size and cost of
the gear by +2, or by keeping the gear the
• lets you do something you could not do without it same size and adding +4 to the cost. Gear
• alters difficulty of something you could do anyway can both be required and provide a bonus, in
• changes game reality in some way which case the mandatory level of gear simply
provides a +0 bonus.
A tire iron lets you do something. It is remarkably
hard to change a tire without a tire iron or its A set of lockpicking tools is required for certain
equivalent. A telescopic sight on a rifle helps types of locks, and the gamemaster says this has
reduce the difficulty for range but does not a mass of -12 and a cost of -10. If a set of ‘+2
fundamentally change the rifle itself, a bucket of lockpicks’ were available, they would be a set of
paint changes the color of whatever you paint tools of mass -8 and cost -6 (+4 to each), or
it on and a gun punches holes in things or they could be ultra-specialized compact tools of
otherwise ruins someone’s day. mass -12 and cost -2 (+8 to just cost). The same
notion could apply to a chemistry lab, but the
The first two are the most important in terms minimum required size and cost would be far
of the rules. While they will follow general different.
guidelines, the specific details will be very
gameworld and technology-dependent. For the sake of expanding on the gear list,
assume that any set of tools listed are the
A computer to give you a certain bonus to minimum required for a +0 modifier on use of
mathemetical tasks in 1940CE might take up an the skill or task they apply to.
entire building and cost a fortune. In 2012CE it is
called a scientific calculator and most high school Gear stats
students have one. A set of tools a mechanic Stats for gear should be pretty obvious, but
needs to alter the difficulty of a repair task by -2 just in case, here is the full rundown.
is significantly different in size and cost than
the tools a particle physicist needs to alter the name: The name of the item. The EABA rules
difficulty of a research task by -2. just use generic terms, but gameworlds will
probably have specific names or real-world or
If a piece of gear is required for a task, it or imagined brand names to add personality to
its equivalent is well...required. If you can do the item. If an item has a ‘+’ after the name, it
the task without the gear, it is probably at +10 is only available in the late part of that tech
difficulty. You cannot take apart and reassmble era, and if it has a ‘-’, it is available during the
a mechanical wristwatch with a butter knife. early part of that era.
You cannot remove tightened lug nuts with
your bare hands. Improvised tools or partial And remember that you can just do minor stat
tools will reduce this increase in difficulty. For tweaking before you put a gameworld-specific
instance, a modern multi-tool would be far name to something. So, the generic ‘semi-auto
from ideal for taking apart a wristwatch or pistol’ might be an 18-shot Glock 17 in 9mm at
changing a tire, but it would be better than a 2d+1 damage or a 12-shot H&K P2000 in .357
butter knife or your bare hands. Sig at 2d+2 damage. And if all that does not
mean anything to you, that just means this level
of detail is not needed for you.

9.3
 covers: Used for armor. The area of the body
uses: The type of ammunition used in a and the 3d+0 values for a random chance of
ranged weapon. In general, weapons in the hitting that location.
same class (pistols, rifles, shotguns, etc.) with
the same type of ammunition can interchange damage: The normal damage of the weapon.
it, so two pistols using ‘7mm bullet’ probably In the case of muscle-powered weapons, this
use the same ammunition, but a rifle’s ‘7mm will be some addition to strike damage. The
bullet’ would not work in a pistol and vice minimum Strength to reload a ranged weapon
versa. The means of storing the ammunition with strike damage will be listed under ‘notes’.
might not be compatable (a clip from pistol A If a weapon’s damage has a superscripted
probably will not fit pistol B), but the bullets letter after it, like ‘2d+1p’, this means the
can be unloaded from A’s clip and put in B’s. damage has an advanced special effect (see
The types of ammunition are usually one of page 5.30 if you want to use these):
the following:
p - penetrating b - battering
ball: Multi-part ammunition like used in muzzle- s - stopping power c - continuous beam
loading weapons, separate projectile, powder and a - armor-piercing g - shotgun
other components. See the reloading guidelines v - variable damage
on page 4.9.
It is worth noting that the a, s and p modifiers
arrow/bolt: An arrow or quarrel, as used in a are sometimes a matter of ammunition type
bow or crossbow. These are not interchangeable. rather than a quality inherent to the weapon,
and can often be purchased and substituted
bullet: A self-contained unit of ammunition, in as part of the flexibility that is factored into
sealed. It is more reliable and easy to load. weapon design. There may be a question of
cost, legality and availability, however. For
needle: Used by ‘gauss weapons’, a weapon that instance, it might be illegal for civilians to
magnetically accelerates a metal projectile to possess armor-piercing ammunition.
high velocity. Needles and the electrical storage
to fire them are usually carried in the same clip. damage type: For melee weapons, they will
The thing to note is that the energy is useless be listed as doing lethal, half-lethal or very
without the projectile, and the projectile is rarely, non-lethal damage.
useless without the energy.
length: This is a relative ranking for melee
electric: Electricity as an ammunition type just weapons and is only used with the advanced
means the weapon turns electrical power directly rules for weapon length (page 4.14).
into damage, like a laser beam. This energy is
usually stored internal to the weapon or in a clip. weight: The mass of the weapon or gear in
kilograms, with its mass level in parentheses
Acc: The Accuracy of a ranged weapon, which after it. If this value is low enough, it is usually
assumes the weapon is used properly (you ignored, but it does not mean you can just
cannot get a rifle’s Accuracy if shooting it from carry an unlimited amount.The weight of a
the hip...). Ranged weapons with no Accuracy reload for a weapon is generally 8 points less
listed are assumed to have an Accuracy of 0. than the weapon for medium-capacity clip-fed
Remember that even with an Accuracy of 0, weapons or for a quantity of reloads equal
you still get the benefit of any turn mod used to perhaps 20 shots, but this can vary with
in making an attack, you just do not get any tech and weapon type. A rocket launcher will
reduction in difficulty because of weapon have proportionately heavier reloads than a
Accuracy. crossbow, for instance.
9.4
 internal: Ammunition is held inside the weapon in
The Atomic Era assault rifle has a listed weight of some non-removable form of storage. This term
-4 (5 kilograms). This would mean an loaded would also be used for the single shots of a bow
extra clip for it probably has a weight of -12 (.8 or crossbow. If a weapon has a value of more
kilograms). If you care about encumbrance, you than 1 it means that multiple units of ammunition
just figure the weight level for the total of the are stored. This could be an internal magazine
reloads you are carrying (e.g. one extra clip is like the internal storage on many bolt-action
a weight of -12, two is -10, four is -8, etc.). rifles, or it could mean a weapon with multiple
firing mechanisms, like a double-barrel shotgun.
Armor is given weights as a whole and in
many cases as sectional amounts, which do external: This would be something like a box or
not add up to the same as the whole. Assume hopper of ammunition that is external to the
that when you have a complete set that there weapon and is normally carried as a separate
is a weight savings from removing parts that item. It would be more common on things like
would otherwise be duplicated. machineguns. Obviously, it is difficult to fire such
a weapon if you are moving, though small
cost: The cost level of the weapon in Credits amounts of ammunition can often be left hanging
and cost level. Costs of -13 or less are usually from the weapon to make it semi-useful when
insignificant unless there are some cultural or being moved from one spot to another. An
technological income adjustments in play advantage of this type of storage is that you can
(page 3.48). Cost can be very mutable in usually make the ‘box’ as big or small as you
modern settings, when an item can be mass need or can carry. Reloading the weapon from a
produced by the billions (like bullets), or made readied box is like replacing a clip, but it usually
far away using very cheap labor and then requires both hands and takes more time.
shipped to a market with a higher standard of
living. For instance, if a modern person wants armor: If it matters whether or not the gear
to buy a suit of mail armor for costume or can withstand damage, this is its armor rating.
re-enactment purposes, the cheapest way to Remember that gear and weapons generally
do it might be to buy one made by hand in ignore non-lethal damage. Also remember
India rather than paying first world labor rates that even things that generally do non-lethal
to put it together. Or, a piece of consumer damage (like Strength) can leverage this
electronics is made by the millions and is into lethal damage by bashing the item into
made somewhere with low labor costs. something hard. In general, gear will be:

shots held: The ammunition capacity of a mass armor hits

ranged weapon, and how they are held in the 1kg 1d+0 0
weapon: 2kg 1d+1 1
4kg 1d+2 2
clip: This is an imprecise term, but generally 8kg 2d+0 3
means a removable box, drum or tube that holds 16kg 2d+1 4
several units of ammunition and can be quickly 32kg 2d+2 5
replaced with a full one when empty. Replacing 65kg 3d+0 6
a clip normally takes a time level of +4 as an
average(7) task on the skill used to operate the There are two exceptions. If an item is tough
weapon. Reloading an empty clip normally takes enough that an average person cannot break
a time level of +4 for the first shot it holds and it with their bare hands, it has an armor of
+2 for each doubling of capacity (so an empty at least 1d+2. And if an item can take real
8-shot clip would take a time level of +10, or damage and still remain functional, it has at
about 30 seconds). least 2 hits.
9.5
 As a design note, most of archaic armors can be
For items that are armor, the value in this slot boosted by 0d+1 either by ‘secret techniques’
is their protective ability, along with whether it (i.e. a fractional tech era boost) or by doubling
is a rigid or flexible armor. It is worth noting the weight and cost or by increasing the weight
that virtually all archaic armors will be worn by one level and quadrupling the cost. So, a very
with a padded cloth underlayer or gambeson, strong or wealthy person can be better protected
which will generally add 0d+1 to the armor than average. Conversely, you can halve weight
total and add 1 to the Toughness of the by dropping protection by 0d+2. So, a 10kg mail
wearer. Modern bulletproof vests or combat shirt that normally provides 2d+0 protection can
armors generally lack this. You might also see be dropped to 1d+1 protection and 5kg.
the advanced armor notes on page 5.28.
P: The equivalent cost in P if the gear had
Individual armor pieces will not add up to the been bought as a paranormal power in a
value of a whole-body armor. Assume that if gadget. This stat exists solely for comparision
you buy an entire set a piece at a time, the purposes, or if the gamemaster wants to allow
entire set counts as the whole-body stats. adventurers to have a certain value of gear
in points rather than credits, or is using points
Body armor is assumed to be for a being of as a balancing factor. For non-disposable gear
human size. You would have to alter the that uses consumables, the cost in P includes a
modifier total of the power to compensate for full clip or at least 10 ‘shots’ for the weapon,
altered body size. and as a rough guide, tripling the total amount
of consumables is an extra 1P.
If you are +1 to normal human size, the modifier
total that created your armor is 1 point smaller, There is not room to list all the power creation
so you should probably increase the mass modifiers that apply to each real-world gadget.
modifier by +1 to compensate for this. We have done the best we could in costing them
to match their actual capability, flexibility and
hits: How many hits the gear has. Damaged limitations, but the point cost is a guide, not a
gear may work erratically or with complete commandment. For most ranged weapons, their
loss of one or more functions, and lose value design as a power includes a mutability modifier,
because of cosmetic damage. Generally, losing to reflect being able to change ammunition types.
all its hit destroys it, but paranormal powers Other modifiers were chosen to give results
can often repair such damage. Gear that takes closest to real-world equivalents, rather than
twice its hits, especially by means of pervasive trying to design the weapon as an optimized
processes like fire or acid, is usually destroyed power. Using the power system to make mundane
beyond hope of recovery. gadgets without the gamemaster imposing some
real-world limits will easily exceed the real-world
Any piece of gear whose nature and purpose is performance figures.
distributed over a large area generally takes
no loss of hits from simple punctures. There
will be cosmetic damage and minor loss of
function, but on the coarse scale of hits, no
damage. A gun with a dented barrel may be
ruined, but a sleeping bag keeps you no less
warm if it has a dozen bullet holes in it.
Dealing with things like this is subjective
and up to the gamemaster. Gear with this
characteristic is usually noted as ‘durable’.

9.6
 Customizing
The cost in P is a better indication of the All the weapons were designed as ‘powers’, which
‘power’ of the item in a given tech era than its means you can greatly expand on the list with a
monetary cost, so it is also a gamemaster tool. few simple adjustments. The damage of the
For instance, you could say “your adventurers weapon is based on its point cost. The power
cannot buy any starting gear that has a cost of level is the damage for 1P, and +2 damage for
more than 2P”, or “you start the game with up each +1P in the cost. Since minor changes only
to 20P in mundane gear.” Items with a listed P affect the modifier total (which is divided by 4),
cost of zero would count as one-tenth of a P odds are you can alter a weapon by adjusting its
for such purposes. Non-weapons/armor that point cost or with minor changes to the modifiers.
cost 1P generally cost 1P because they grant
an ability you would not normally have. The Atomic Era submachinegun has a damage of
2d+2, a 32 round clip, uses both hands, has a
Low-tech stuff costs more P than high tech stuff mass of 2.5kg and costs 2P. So, if want to make
because the tech base for low-tech stuff will be it into a machine pistol we can use in one hand,
lower, so you often have to spend extra P in this would change the ‘gestures’ modifier from
order to get the same level of effect. +3 (both hands) to +1 (one hand). We could
leave the other stats unchanged, but this might
notes: Any shorthand about special capabilities probably drop the modifier total enough to reduce
like autofire or reliability. Gear is assumed to the power level to 2d+1. Or, we could drop the
be reliable unless otherwise stated. Melee clip size from 32 to 15 to offset the change in
weapons will have a note as to whether they the gestures modifier and keep the damage the
are balanced or unbalanced, which is an same. Or we could do something more complex,
advanced rule (page 5.19) about the inherent reducing the mass to 2kg (-1 change), reducing
Initiative of the weapons. A weapon noted as gestures to one handed use (-2 change), drop
2-handed (2h) obviously cannot be used with a the clip size from 32 to 15 (+2 change), increase
shield or if one hand is incapacitated. If it can the cost (+1 change). This gives a one-handed
still be used with one hand, it takes a -3 to its weapon with the same modifier total (and the
strike damage and may take a -1d skill penalty same damage, but lighter, more expensive, and
to be used at all. See also the advanced with a smaller clip.
Accuracy notes on page 5.15.
Tech maturity
Hidden stats One important thing you should do if designing
Things that factor into gear as part of a ‘power gear as powers is consider when a tech ‘levels
design’ may not show up in the stats you see. For off’. Once you get to steelmaking, the tech era for
instance, ranged weapons will have a ‘range’ as a a melee weapon usually does not go up, and is
modifier, and the advanced modifier ‘declining probably limited to Basic Era, as are bows and
range’. This just means the weapon has a useful crossbows. Conventional firearms probably hit
range and any attacks past that distance lose 1 final maturity in the Post-Atomic Era. Once a tech
point of damage per extra range level. You do not has reached its maturity, you would use the
see this in the stats because not everyone wants tech mixing optional rule. This leveling off allows
to put these extra steps in the middle of every new technologies to outstrip the old, even if they
combat. But the gamemaster should take things are limited at first (see Tech-limited power).
like this into account when their medieval player Conversely, you can say that low quality gear or
wants to take a 200 meter called shot with a weapons are built at the equivalent of a lower
blunderbuss (which happens to be designed with tech era.
a range of ‘very short’).

9.7
 A horse as part of your lifestyle is going to be
Gear tidbits a weekly cost level of -8. This covers food and
Adventuring tends to involve travel, and quite maintenance by you. If you are paying for
often this is away from the luxuries of home someone else to do the maintenance (like
and hearth. Some guidelines for making in- keeping it in a commercial stable), then the
game travel and use of gear follow weekly cost is -6. Both costs are +2 for each
doubling of horses (possible quantity discount).
horses: Your average horse has a Strength If you have a bigger horse or a meaner horse
of around 15, which means they take a -1 or both, expect to pay more. Bigger horses
penalty at a weight level of +7(65kg), a -2 at also eat more out of your lifestyle cost, as do
a weight level of +9(100kg), and a -3 at a fancy ones like racehorses, especially if you
weight level of +11(200kg). So, a horse and are also paying for a trainer.
rider with not much besides saddle is probably
acting at a -1 penalty to physical actions, and Whether or not you want to deal with the
one with some extra gear carried is probably minutia of horse ownership in a role-playing
at a -2. Keep in mind this will also add to any sense depends on the gamemaster and the
stamina the horse has to use, but a horse at nature of the campaign.
a -2 penalty can walk all day as easily as a
person at a -2 penalty. armor: Personal armor has a rating, which is
an average amount, and coverage, which is
Horses are not motorcycles. You cannot just generalized. Armor will have weak spots like
park them and come back to them the next joints and seams, and primitive armor will
day. They require food, water and minimal have actual gaps like eyeslits in a helm. These
maintenance, just like people. Food and water can be vulnerable to detailed called shots, and
will be proportionate to their size, which is are also readily expolitable if the owner of the
probably +7 mass more than a person. The armor is immobilized or incapaciated. If you
time you need to spend on a horse you are have six guys pinning a knight to the ground,
using depends on conditions and how hard you the seventh guy can lift up the faceplate of
are pushing it, but you are easily looking at a his helm and stab him in the eye. Similarly,
time level of +22 to +24 (half an hour to an someone wearing a suit of powered armor
hour) per horse per day (another reason might be more vulnerable at the elbows or
people have servants in societies reliant on armpits, a tank is vulnerable at the gap
horses). Maintaining several horses takes a between the turret and hull, and so on.
little less time per horse, but many of the
tasks do require individual attention. Getting This is only important if an attacker does not
insufficient maintenance can reduce the have a weapon that would penetrate defenses,
horse’s Recovery and possibly contribute to but does have sufficient skill or tactics to
injuries like saddle sores or lameness from be able to put a shot in weak spot. If the
things getting lodged in a hoof. gamemaster thinks this is going to be the
case, they should determine what situation or
level of called shot is necessary to target a
weak spot, and the benefit that can be gained
on a success. This is not a ‘critical hit’ system,
where called shots or good rolls automatically
generate increased armor penetration. It is
usually dependent on the circumstances, the
weapon, and the level of skill. That is, it is
something you can get if you are good and
roleplay the situation well.
9.8
 In high-tech cultures, a person can carry all
breaking stuff: Gear is going to have armor the necessities of civilized camping on their
and hits, and can be targeted by weapons or back. Bivvy sacks, titanium sporks, freeze-
suffer collateral damage. This is usually dried beef stroganoff, the works. A Late
handled by the guidelines on page 5.29. Gear Atomic Era hiker can have everything they
that has the notation ‘durable’ generally takes need (food, shelter, clothing for anything
no hits from punctures, penetrations or attacks except winter, stove, toiletries) for two spartan
that cannot affect the entire item at once. If but relatively comfortable weeks on the trail
you get shot, your jacket gets a hole or two for a total weight of about 20 kilograms. It
in it (and some nasty bloodstains), but it still does not include water for that two weeks, but
does all things a jacket is supposed to do. does include water purification. In low-tech
Gear with the notation ‘fragile’ automatically cultures, you either do without or have a horse
breaks and loses function if it takes any or pack mule. Heavy wool blankets, cast-iron
damage at all. A ceramic urn might take cooking pots, flour, cooking oil, dried meat and
several hits to be completely destroyed, but forage. A Napoleonic soldier, not counting his
its ability to hold stuff is ruined if it takes weapon, would have clothing, four days of
anything other than superficial damage. low-quality food, eating utensils, a blanket
and a canteen in that same 20 kilogram load.
camping: Setting up and tearing down a camp No tent, and heavy things like camp axes
can range from flopping down a bedroll and and cook pots had to be split up between the
hoping it does not rain, to the full tent, latrine, people marching together, so everyone would
fire pit, secure perimeter sort of thing. It really be carrying a bit more than that 20 kilograms.
depends on the gear, the tech era and the Plus their weapon and ammunition.
manpower. Assume that any camp providing
protection from weather for one or two people Camping out is a staple of many genres of
is going to take about a time level of +22 in adventure and while players do not need to
labor (half an hour), +2 for double the people. know the actual details of setting up and
tearing down a camp, the interplay of tasks
Setting up a real campsite for sixteen people will and who does them and how well can be part
take a time level of +25 (+22 base, +6 for three of the roleplaying, especially early on when
doublings past two people). This is about four there has not been a routine developed nor
hours, which can be split up between several any sort of habitual division of labor. For
people as needed. instance, do any of the adventurers even
know how to cook!
A decent camp, and supplies appropriate to
the tech era and possibly your status and Camping is a good example of ‘players do not
lifestyle, are required if you are to get your need to know the operational details of skills the
optimum Recovery during the night. If you are adventurers know’. A group of urban players
used to sleeping on a cot, and you have to should not have their adventurers penalized for
sleep on the ground, you will not sleep well. not knowing the ins and outs of camping any
If your toiletry kit got washed away and you more than a group of Atomic Era players should
have to shave with a knife and wipe your butt be penalized for their adventurers not knowing
with dried leaves, you will not be in a good how to maintain a warp drive in a science-fiction
mood. On the other hand, if you are a rugged campaign. However, in both cases, the players
nomad who is accustomed to eating bugs should try to learn something of how these skills
and sleeping propped up against a tree, your work in the context of the gameworld, if only to
minimal expectations and poor hygeine may add some depth to their gameplay.
offend your more refined peers, but you will
not be the grumpy one the next day.
9.9
 daily routines: One overlooked aspect of
accessibility: One difficulty with carrying lots camping and life in general is your daily
of stuff is getting to it when you need it. In routine, things and rituals that take up time
the first few turns of an encounter, individual and are part of your image and how other
seconds matter, so if something is not right people percieve you. Shaving, showering,
there, odds are you should wait until a later makeup, whatever. There is how you want to
turn. Here are some guidelines for the amount look, how you think you look and how you
of time you need to give up to get something actually look. To the extent that any of these
into your hands from an inconvenient location. are mirrored in game stats, disruptions to your
You can decrease the time for many of these daily routine can affect them. Sometimes this
by 1 if you are willing to rummage and disrupt can be overlooked, sometimes not. If your job
the other contents of the container. requires you be clean-shaven and you show up
with a weekend’s worth of stubble, it might
location turn mod cause problems.
holster +0
outside pocket/pants pocket +2 If you have stunning Looks, but you are filthy,
inside pocket/jacket pocket +2 you will not get any bonuses until you clean up a
sealed belt pouch +4 bit. On the other hand, being filthy might help
outside pocket of pack +6 conceal your Looks if that is what you are trying
somewhere inside a pack +8 for. Or, your Status as a lord comes with the
assumption that you look like a lord. If you were
If you have to take off your pack and open it up rolled in a back alley and left with nothing but
to find a first aid kit to try to stop someone from filthy rags to clothe yourself in, convincing guards
bleeding to death, it will take +8 time. If you who do not know you that you are who you say
frantically toss stuff out of the way to get to it, it you are may be difficult. And if you start putting
would be +7 time. If you had the kit in a known on lordly airs, there is a good chance they will
outside pocket, +6 time. This is why medics have beat the stuffing out of you...
special packs that open up quickly to display and
make accessible all the contents. wear & tear: Stuff wears out. Adventurers
have a tendency to break stuff before this
These times assume optimum conditions. If happens, but if not, things become obsolete,
you have to take off your gloves in order to worn or lose their like-new luster. The easiest
get at something in your pants pocket, it is way to deal with this is to not deal with it. If
going to take longer. If you have to get into an item is something that is part of your
your right-hand pocket with your left hand, it lifestyle and it becomes worn to the point of
is going to take longer. The point is that you unusability through general use, assume that
might not be able to have everything you want part of your lifestyle is accumulating the
instantly at hand, which may involve some money needed to replace it whenever this
role-playing as you stall for the time you need happens. This is different from “my laptop took
to get at the things you need. It also gives you a bullet”, and is more “my laptop’s keyboard
something to do with long turn mods in later has crapped out and the screen is starting to
rounds of a combat. flicker”. If you have an old car and it finally
gives out, you get another old car to replace it.
Only in the case of qualitative upgrades do you
need to cough up savings to replace worn out
clothes, gear and such.

9.10
Primitive Era ranged weapons
name uses Acc damage shots held weight cost P armor hits notes
Medium bow arrow 0 1d+2p 1 internal .5(-13) 125(-6) 2 1d+1 2 2h, minimum Str 7
Heavy bow arrow 1 2d+0p 1 internal .7(-12) 250(-4) 2 1d+1 2 2h, minimum Str 9
Light crossbow+ quarrel 1 2d+1p 1 internal 2.0(-8) 350(-3) 3 2d+1 2 2h, minimum Str 7
Heavy crossbow+ quarrel 1 3d+0p 1 internal 4.0(-5) 700(-1) 3 2d+2 3 2h, minimum Str 9
Basic Era ranged weapons
name uses Acc damage shots held weight cost P armor hits notes
-
Hand cannon 19mm ball 0 2d+2 1 internal 3.0(-6) 700(-1) 4 2d+1 2 2h, unreliable(≤9)
Flintlock pistol+ 12mm ball 0 1d+2 1 internal 1.3(-10) 250(-4) 2 2d+0 2 unreliable(≤7)
Flintlock musket+ 19mm ball 1 3d+0 1 internal 4.0(-5) 700(-1) 4 2d+2 2 2h, unreliable(≤7)
Blunderbuss 18mm ball 0 2d+1g 1 internal 2.5(-7) 350(-3) 3 2d+1 2 2h, unreliable(≤9)
Industrial Era ranged weapons
name uses Acc damage shots held weight cost P armor hits notes
Flintlock rifle- 12mm ball 3 3d+2 1 internal 4.0(-5) 2.0K(+2) 4 2d+2 2 2h, unreliable(≤7)
Light revolver 9mm bullet 0 1d+2 6 internal 1.0(-11) 175(-5) 1 1d+2 1
Heavy revolver 11mm bullet 1 2d+1 6 internal 1.6(-9) 350(-2) 2 1d+2 2
Repeating rifle 13mm bullet 3 3d+1 8 internal 3.0(-6) 1.4K(+1) 4 2d+2 2 2h
Hunting shotgun 19mm bullet 1 3d+0g 2 internal 4.0(-5) 1.0K(+0) 3 2d+2 2 2h
Atomic Era ranged weapons
name uses Acc damage shots held weight cost P armor hits notes
Light semi-auto pistol 7mm bullet 0 1d+2 11 clip .5(-14) 175(-5) 1 1d+2 1
Semi-auto pistol 9mm bullet 1 2d+1 15 clip 1.0(-11) 350(-3) 1 1d+2 2
Heavy revolver 11mm bullet 1 3d+0 6 internal 1.3(-10) 500(-2) 1 2d+0 2
Submachinegun 9mm bullet 1 2d+2 32 clip 2.5(-7) 700(-1) 1 2d+1 2 2h, autofire
Hunting shotgun 19mm bullet 3 3d+2g 2 internal 3.0(-6) 1.0K(+0) 1 2d+1 2 2h
Hunting rifle 7mm bullet 4 5d+0 6 clip 3.0(-6) 2.8K(+3) 3 2d+2 2 2h, scope
Assault shotgun 19mm bullet 3 3d+2g 10 clip 4.0(-5) 1.0K(+0) 3 2d+2 2 2h
Assault rifle 7mm bullet 2 4d+2 25 clip 5.0(-4) 2.0K(+2) 3 2d+2 2 2h, autoburst
Heavy crossbow quarrel 3 3d+2 1 internal 3.0(-6) 500(-2) 2 2d+1 2 2h, scope, -1 init.
Heavy machinegun 13mm bullet 3 6d+2 125 ext. 125(+10) 16K(+8) 4 3d+1 7 2h, autofire, -1 init.
Anti-tank rocket 90mm rocket 2 10d+1a 1 internal 8.0(-2) 5.6K(+3) 6 3d+0 3 2h, disposable
Post-Atomic Era ranged weapons
name uses Acc damage shots held weight cost P armor hits notes
Heavy revolver 11mm bullet 2 3d+2 6 internal 1.0(-11) 700(-1) 1 1d+2 2
Semi-auto pistol 6mm bullet 1 2d+2 25 clip 1.3(-10) 700(-1) 1 1d+2 2
Stunner(non-lethal) electricity 2 5d+0 11 clip .8(-12) 1.0K(+0) 2 1d+2 1 23m range, armor
stops all damage
Gauss SMG 3mm needle 2 4d+0a 65 clip 2.5(-7) 1.4K(+1) 2 2d+1 2 2h, autoburst
Laser pistol+ electricity 4 3d+1s 30 clip 1.3(-10) 1.4K(+1) 2 2d+0 2 autofire, no recoil
Hunting rifle 6mm bullet 6 5d+1s 6 clip 4.0(-5) 4.0K(+4) 4 2d+2 3 2h, scope
Assault rifle 6mm bullet 4 5d+0 50 clip 5.0(-4) 5.6K(+5) 5 2d+2 2 2h, autoburst, scope
Heavy laser rifle+ electricity 4 5d+2s 50 clip 5.0(-4) 8.0K(+6) 5 2d+2 2 2h, autob., no recoil
Gauss sniper rifle 6mm needle 8 8d+1a 8 clip 10.0(-1) 16K(+8) 4 3d+0 3 2h, scope
Advanced Era ranged weapons
name uses Acc damage shots held weight cost P armor hits notes
Disruptor pistol electricity 3 2d+0 15 clip 1.0(-11) 700(-1) 2 1d+2 2 ignores one armor
Disruptor carbine electricity 8 4d+1 30 clip 2.5(-7) 4.0K(+4) 4 2d+1 2 2h, ign. one armor

9.11
Melee weapons (cut/stab)
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Combat knife strike+0 lethal short .4(-15) 30(-10) 2 1d+2 1 1h, throwable
Short sword strike+1 lethal medium 1.0(-11) 65(-8) 2 1d+2 2 1h
Longsword strike+2 lethal long 1.6(-9) 250(-4) 2 2d+0 2 1h
Greatsword strike+4 lethal long 3.0(-6) 700(-1) 2 2d+2 2 2h, -1 initiative
Melee weapons (cut/chop)
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Hand axe strike+1 lethal medium .8(-12) 125(-6) 2 1d+2 2 1h, throwable
Battle axe strike+3 lethal medium 2.0(-8) 350(-3) 2 2d+1 2 1h, -2 initiative
Poleaxe strike+4 lethal very long 3.0(-6) 500(-2) 2 2d+2 2 2h, -3 initiative
Melee weapons (crush/blunt)
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Brass knuckles strike+1 half-lethal short .3(-16) 30(-10) 2 1d+2 1 1h
Riot baton strike+2 half-lethal medum .6(-13) 90(-7) 2 1d+2 1 1h
Club strike+3 half-lethal medium 1.6(-9) 125(-6) 2 2d+0 2 1h, -2 initiative
War hammer strike+2 lethal medium 1.0(-11) 175(-5) 2 1d+2 2 1h, -1 initiative
Morningstar flail strike+2g lethal medium 1.3(-10) 175(-5) 2 2d+0 2 1h, -1 initiative
Spiked flail strike+3 lethal long 2.0(-8) 350(-3) 2 2d+1 2 1h, -2 initiative
Melee weapons (other)
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Staff strike+2 half-lethal very long 1.0(-11) 90(-7) 2 1d+2 2 2h
Spear strike+2 lethal very long 1.6(-9) 125(-6) 2 1d+2 2 1h, throwable, -1 init.
Melee weapons (improvised)
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
g
Broken bottle strike+0 lethal short .3(-16) - 1 1d+1 1 1h, fragile
Metal bar/crowbar strike+3 half-lethal medium 2.5(-7) - 2 2d+1 2 1h, -1 initiative
Basic Era other weapons
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Black powder 3d+0 half-lethal expl. - .5(-14) 45(-9) 1 1d+1 1 2x size/+1P is +1d effect
Grenade 2d+1 lethal expl. - .4(-15) 45(-9) 2 1d+2 1 thrown
Industrial Era other weapons
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Dynamite 4d+1 half-lethal expl. - .5(-14) 90(-7) 1 1d+1 1 2x size/+1P is +1d effect
Grenade 3d+1 lethal expl. - .4(-15) 90(-7) 2 1d+2 1 thrown
Atomic Era other weapons
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Plastic explosive 5d+1 half-lethal expl. - .5(-14) 125(-6) 1 1d+1 1 2x size/+1P is +1d effect
Grenade 4d+1 lethal expl. - .4(-15) 125(-6) 2 1d+2 2 thrown
+
40mm rifle grenade 3d+1 lethal expl. - .3(-16) 125(-6) 2 1d+2 2 range of 350m
Stun grenade 5d+1 non-lethal expl. - .4(-15) 125(-6) 1 1d+2 2 thrown
Molotov cocktail 3d+2 lethal expl. - .4(-15) 20(-11) 1 1d+1 1 thrown, lasts 1 minute
Post-Atomic Era other weapons
name damage type length weight cost P armor hits notes
Nitramine 6d+1 half-lethal expl. - .5(-14) 175(-5) 1 1d+1 1 2x size/+1P is +1d effect
Grenade 5d+1 lethal expl. - .4(-15) 175(-5) 2 1d+2 2 thrown
Stun grenade 6d+1 non-lethal expl. - .4(-15) 175(-5) 1 1d+2 2 thrown

9.12
Primitive Era personal armor
name armor type covers weight cost P notes
Padded cloth+ 0d+2 flexible whole body 5.0(-4) 250(-4) 4 worn over or under clothing or armor
torso(9-12) 2.0(-8) 125(-6) 1
head(5-6) .8(-12) 45(-9) 1
arms(7-8) 1.3(-10) 65(-8) 1
legs(13-18) 1.6(-9) 90(-7) 1
Hardened leather+ 1d+0 rigid whole body 13.0(+0) 500(-2) 4 worn over clothing
torso(9-12) 5.0(-4) 250(-4) 1
head(4-6) 2.5(-7) 125(-6) 1
arms(7-8) 3.0(-6) 125(-6) 1
legs(13-18) 4.0(-5) 175(-5) 1
Scale armor+ 1d+2 rigid whole body 16.0(+1) 1.4k(+1) 5 worn over clothing
torso(9-12) 6.0(-3) 500(-2) 1
head(4-6) 3.0(-6) 250(-4) 1
arms(7-8) 4.0(-5) 250(-4) 1
legs(13-18) 5.0(-4) 350(-3) 1
Mail armor+ 2d+0 flexible whole body 32(+4) 2.8K(+3) 5 worn over or under clothing or armor
torso(9-12) 13.0(+0) 1.0K(+0) 1
head(4-6) 6.0(-3) 500(-2) 1
arms(7-8) 6.0(-3) 500(-2) 1
legs(13-18) 10.0(-1) 700(-1) 1
Small shield(6 hits)+ 1d+1 rigid any 4.0(-5) 250(-4) 1 +2 on defensive melee skill use
Large shield(8 hits)+ 1d+2 rigid any 6.0(-3) 350(-3) 1 +4 on defensive melee skill use
Basic Era personal armor
name armor type covers weight cost P notes
Plate armor 2d+1 rigid whole body 25(+3) 2.8K(+3) 4 worn over clothing
torso(9-12) 10.0(-1) 1.0K(+0) 1
head(3-6) 5.0(-4) 500(-2) 1 -1d reduced visibility if using eyeslits
arms(7-8) 6.0(-3) 500(-2) 1
legs(13-18) 8.0(-2) 700(-1) 1
Industrial Era personal armor
name armor type covers weight cost P notes
Plate armor- 2d+1 rigid torso(9-12) 10.0(-1) 500(-2) 2 appropriate vs. early Industrial Era
or earlier firearms
Silk vest 2d+0 flexible chest/abd.(10-11) 1.0(-11) 350(-3) 1 appropriate vs. mid-Industrial Era
or earlier firearms

9.13
Atomic Era personal armor
name armor type covers weight cost P notes
Fragmentation vest- 2d+1 rigid torso(9-12) 3.0(-6) 175(-5) 1 worn over clothing
Riot armor- 3d+1 rigid whole body 8.0(-2) 1.0K(+0) 2 worn over clothing, -2d vs. firearms
-
Riot shield(6 hits) 3d+2 rigid any 3.0(-6) 175(-5) 1 +4 on defensive melee skill use, -2d
vs. firearms
Anti-stab vest 3d+0 flexible chest/abd.(10-11) 1.3(-10) 500(-2) 1 worn under clothing, -2d vs. firearms
Level 2 vest 2d+2 flexible chest/abd.(10-11) 1.3(-10) 500(-2) 1 worn under clothing, -2d vs. melee
Level 3A vest 3d+2 flexible chest/abd.(10-11) 2.0(-8) 1.0K(+0) 2 worn over or under clothing,
-2d vs. melee
Level 3A vest 3d+2 rigid torso(9-12) 4.0(-5) 1.0K(+0) 2 worn over clothing
Level 4 vest 4d+2 rigid torso(9-12) 8.0(-2) 2.0K(+2) 3 worn over clothing, hardened
Steel helmet- 2d+1 rigid head(5-6) 1.3(-10) 65(-8) 1 worn over clothing
Kevlar helmet 3d+2 rigid head(5-6) 1.6(-9) 175(-5) 1 worn over clothing
Plastic SCA armor 2d+2 rigid whole body 8.0(-2) 250(-4) 1 worn over clothing, -2d vs. firearms
Post-Atomic Era personal armor
name armor type covers weight cost P notes
Ballistic bodysuit 3d+0 flexible whole body 2.0(-8) 2.8K(+3) 1 -2d if layered, effectively a high-tech
gambeson
Combat helmet 4d+2 rigid head(3-6) 1.3(-10) 2.0K(+2) 3 hardened, includes radio and heads-up
anti-blinding and night vision display
Combat vest 5d+0 rigid torso(9-12) 6.0(-3) 1.4K(+1) 1 hardened, worn over clothing
Combat inf. suit(20) 5d+2 rigid whole body 20.0(+2) 32K(+10) 4 hardened, gives +3 to Strength and
negates its own weight if powered,
uses 60 power per hour
Comb. spacesuit(20) 5d+1 rigid whole body 20.0(+2) 90K(+13) 6 Like combat infantry suit with helmet
capabilities and full life support, life
support uses 15 power per hour
Environment suit(5) 3d+1 flexible whole body 8.0(-2) 2.8K(+3) 2 Life support and radio, uses 15 power
per hour, -2d vs. weapons
Advanced Era personal armor
name armor type covers weight cost P notes
Flux armor(20) 8d+0 rigid whole body 40(+5) 125K(+14) 5 negates special effect of disruptors,
gives +6 to Strength and negates its
own weight when powered, may alter
structure to give +1d against one type
of attack, uses 240 power per hour

9.14
Primitive Era stuff
name weight cost P armor hits notes
Basic clothing 2.0(-8) 90(-7) 0 0d+1 3 durable. Includes footgear with 0d+2 protection
Luxury clothing 3.0(-6) 500(-2) 0 0d+1 4 durable. Includes footgear with 0d+2 protection
Winter clothing 3.0(-6) 90(-7) 1 0d+2 4 durable. Each layer adds 5°C to felt temperature,
each tech era adds +5°C per layer
Camoflauge drape 2.0(-8) 90(-7) 1 0d+2 3 durable. Adds +2 difficulty to be spotted if in
appropriate conditions, +4 if stationary. Negates
special benefits of surveillance devices of lower
tech than the camoflauge.
Scroll tube .1(-) 10(-13) 0 1d+0 1 weatherproof protection for small items
Waterskin(full) 4.0(-5) 10(-13) 0 1d+0 2 fragile. Holds four liters of water, enough for one
person for a day of moderate activity
Travel rations .8(-12) 10(-13) 0 1d+0 2 durable. Dried or semi-perishable food that carries
well (bread, hard cheese, fresh or dried fruit,
salted or dried meat), enough for one person for a
day of moderate activity
Saddle/tack 25(+3) 500(-2) 0 1d+0 6 required for carrying gear on horseback, includes
saddlebags for up to 40kg of normal density items
Camping gear 20(+2) 250(-4) 1 1d+0 6 durable. One person’s share of the weight for a
tent, blankets that count as a layer of winter
clothing, stove and personal items. This could be
part of a larger camp setup, or personal-size
items. Mass is -2 to listed per full tech era higher.
Rope, 25 meters 2.0(-8) 10(-13) 1 1d+0 3 strong enough to hold one person and their gear
Torch .8(-12) 5(-) 1 1d+1 2 negates increased difficulty for darkness out to 3
meters, penalties increase by +2 each range level
after this (past +8 is total dark), lasts 2 hours
Sewing kit .5(-13) 45(-9) 0 0d+1 1 needles, thread, leather stitching, buttons, patches
Basic Era stuff
name weight cost P armor hits notes
Small book .2(-18) 10(-13) 0 0d+2 2 equivalent to small reference or spellbook
Large book 1.0(-11) 45(-9) 0 1d+0 2 durable. equivalent to large reference or spellbook
Lantern .8(-12) 30(-10) 1 1d+2 1 negates increased difficulty for darkness out to 3
meters, penalties increase by +2 each range level
after this (past +8 is total dark), lasts 8 hours,
refill with .3kg of oil
Small pack 1.6(-9) 30(-10) 0 1d+0 2 durable. holds 10kg of normal density items. Mass
is -2 to listed amount for each higher tech era
Large pack 6.0(-3) 125(-6) 0 1d+1 3 durable. holds 40kg of normal density items. Mass
is -2 to listed amount for each higher tech era
Armory tool kit 200(+12) 1.0K(+1) 1 3d+1 8 durable. small anvil, portable forge, hammers,
tools, metal stock
Spyglass .5(-14) 45(-9) 1 1d+0 1 subtracts 4 from difficulty for range to visually spot
something in a particular narrow arc, usually can
only be used from a steady platform.
First aid kit 2.0(-8) 90(-7) 1 1d+1 2 suitable for treating non-crippling injuries. Its
capabilities increase with tech era and are often
genre-specific.

9.15
Industrial Era stuff
name weight cost P armor hits notes
Powercell .1(-) 15(-12) 1 1d+2 1 holds 3 ‘power’. If an item is listed like ‘item(2)’,
the number in parentheses is the number of
powercells used. Non-rechargeable powercells have
half the cost.
Telephone/telegraph .5(-14) 30(-10) 1 1d+0 2 requires a wired connection between units. Uses 1
power per hour. May be operated with powercells
Flashlight(2) .3(-16) 30(-10) 1 1d+2 1 negates increased difficulty for darkness out to 15
meters in a wide arc, penalties increase by +2
each range level after this (past +8 is total dark),
uses 1 power per hour.
Radio transceiver(6)+ 6.0(-3) 90(-7) 1 1d+2 1 has a range of +32(23km), takes a minute to
warm up, uses 4 power per hour
Binoculars .5(-14) 90(-7) 1 1d+2 2 subtracts 6 from difficulty for range to visually spot
something in a particular narrow arc, usually can
only be used from a steady platform.
Telescopic sight .3(-16) 175(-5) 1 1d+1 1 +1 to Accuracy of appropriate ranged weapon,
usually can only be used from a steady platform
Mechanical tool kit 10(-1) 175(-5) 1 2d+0 3 durable. Assortment of wrenches and screwdrivers,
hammer, saw, nails, screws and fasteners
Atomic Era stuff
name weight cost P armor hits notes
Powercell .1(-) 22(-11) 1 1d+0 1 holds 8 power
Solarcell 8.0(-2) 350(-3) 1 1d+2 2 durable. Fills a hexagon and generates about 90
power per hour in full sunlight. A folding model is
+2 cost and -1 to armor.
Radio/cellphone(1) .3(-16) 250(-4) 1 1d+1 1 fragile. Can reach a similar radio or relay station
up to a range of +28(5.6km). Uses 1 power per
4 hours on standby, 4 power per hour if active
Base station radio 4.0(-4) 500(-2) 1 1d+1 2 fragile. Can reach a similar radio or relay station
up to a range of +40(360km). Requires large
antenna for best performance or extended range
Portable computer+(4) 2.5(-7) 1.0K(+1) 1 1d+1 1 fragile. Capabilities will vary greatly within the
same part of an era. Uses 4 power per hour.
Night vision goggles(1) 1.0(-11) 2K(+2) 1 1d+2 2 negates all darkness penalties, but all sight
Awareness rolls and vision-based skills are at a -2
penalty. Uses 1 power per hour
Rope, 25 meters 1.6(-9) 90(-7) 1 1d+2 2 strong enough to hold several people and gear, or
a horse or small vehicle
Utility tool .2(-) 90(-7) 0 1d+2 2 allows rudimentary tool use for skills that require a
mechanical tool kit or subset of it.
Trauma kit .5(-14) 45(-9) 0 1d+1 1 medical supplies sufficient to stop bleeding or
shock on one injury. A ‘first aid kit’ of the this
cost and size would have a larger selection of
supplies for cuts, scrapes and very minor (1 hit)
injuries, but nothing for major trauma.
Electrical tool kit 5.0(-4) 250(-4) 1 1d+2 3 durable. Portable soldering iron, test meters, wires,
tools for disassembly of electronic devices.

9.16
Post-Atomic Era stuff
name weight cost P armor hits notes
Powercell .1(-) 30(-10) 1 1d+0 1 holds 23 power
Fuelcell 2.0(-8) 375(-3) 1 1d+2 2 generates 60 power per hour, takes the place of
20 powercells, only works in an oxygen-containing
atmosphere, refill with 1kg of fuel each 24 hours
Stealthsuit(2) 2.0(-8) 2.0K(+2) 1 1d+2 2 durable. Worn over clothing. Automatically adapts
to provide camoflauge in any conditions, uses 4
power per hour.
Night vision glasses(1) .2(-) 500(-2) 1 1d+1 1 fragile. Negates all darkness penalties, internal
powercell, uses 1 power per hour.
Videophone(1) .2(-) 250(-4) 1 1d+1 1 fragile. Can reach a similar device or relay station
up to a range of +28(5.6km). Uses 1 power per
day on standby, 4 power per hour if active
Portable computer(2) 1.0(-11) 2.0K(+2) 1 1d+2 2 fragile. Wearable computer with glasses-mounted
display. Can be programmed to perform a specific
Awareness task at 5d+0 or give a user +4 on their
roll. Use videophone stats for one that uses remote
computer for processing. Uses 4 power per hour.
Advanced Era stuff
name weight cost P armor hits notes
Powercell .1(-) 45(-9) 1 1d+0 1 holds 65 power
Fuelcell 2.0(-8) 500(-2) 1 1d+2 2 generates 240 power per hour, takes the place of
20 powercells, only works in an oxygen-containing
atmosphere, refill with 1kg of fuel each 24 hours
Flux clothing(1) 2.0(-8) 500(-2) 1 1d+0 2 durable. May be switched to any color or insulation
combination for 8 energy, or may be switched to
provide 1d+0 protection against any form of
mundane damage. One size fits all.
Link(1) .2(-) 500(-2) 1 1d+2 1 fragile. Serves functions of videophone, radio,
portable computer, translator and global tracking
system, possibly directly integrated into nervous
system and powered by biological fuel cells. Uses
1 power per hour.
Paramed kit(1) 4.0(-5) 1.0K(+0) 1 1d+2 3 durable. Includes small medical scanner, drug
synthesizer, trauma patches and other extreme
tech gizmos.
Flux tool kit(1) 5.0(-4) 2.0(+2) 1 1d+2 4 durable. Contains tools and raw materials needed
to service or repair small to medium mutable
matter devices.

9.17
 -- INDEX -- favors . . . . . . . . . . .3.31
A D Q forte/weakness .3.32
Accuracy . . . . .4.10,5.15 damage K R friends . . . . . . . . . . .3.33
adventurers . . . . . . . . .3.2 armor-piercing . .5.30 kick damage . . . . . . . .3.7
racial templates . . .3.11 hard to kill . . . . . .3.33
adv. questions . . . . .3.50 applying to hits .4.18
L recovery . . . . . . .3.9,4.20 increased hits . . .3.33
ambush . . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5 battering . . . . . . . .5.31
languages . . . . . . . . .3.19 casts/splints . . . .5.27 inheritance . . . . . .3.27
Agility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 bleeding . . . . . . . . .5.27
lifestyle . . . . . .3.44,7.35 lethal hits . . . . . . .4.20 larger than life . .3.34
armor continuous . . . . . .5.26
loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.46 non-lethal hits . .4.20 looks . . . . . . . . . . . .3.34
blunt trauma . . . .4.17 crippling . . . . . . . . .5.25
luck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.10 realistic . . . . . . . . . .4.21 mad scientist . . .3.27
flexible . . . . .4.16,5.28 decline w/range .5.14
stamina . . . .4.20,5.24 motivation . . . . . .3.35
gambesons . . . . .5.28 example . . . . . . . . .4.20
mechanics . . . . . .4.17 explosions . . . . . . .5.29 M resist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9 mutant . . . . . . . . . .3.27
mass combat . . . . . .7.40 rule guidelines . . . . . .1.4 mythic archet. . .3.35
organic . . . . . . . . . .5.28 half-lethal . . . . . . .4.18
meat shields . . . . . .5.26 neat trick . . . . . . . .3.38
rigid . . . . . . . .4.16,5.28 lethal . . . . . . . . . . . .4.18
vs. area effect . .5.28 non-lethal . . . . . . .4.18
medical care . . . . . .3.19 S organization . . . . .3.39
morale . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.16 sample advent. . . .3.51 permits . . . . . . . . . .3.40
Attributes . . . . . . . . . . .3.5 penetrating . . . . .5.30
movement savings . . . . . . . . . . . .3.45 personality . . . . . .3.40
autofire . . . . . . . . . . . .5.10 real-world ex. . . .5.24
acceleration . . . . . .5.6 scrounging . . .3.22,7.45 cultural . . . . . . . .3.41
Awareness . . . . . . . . . .3.8 stopping power .5.31
jump . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.6 shield . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.10 secret . . . . . . . . . . .3.41
spotting things . . .5.5 stunning . . . . . . . . .4.19
swim . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.7 skills status . . . . . . . . . . .3.41
hiding things . . . .7.39 default roll . . . . . . . . . .3.6
walk/run . . . . . . . . . .3.9 Agility-based . . . .3.16 super. fortes . . . .3.33
desperation action . .4.7
B muskets . . . . . . . . . . . .7.4 Aware.-based . . .3.18 unusual backgr. .3.43
dialogue . . . . . . . . . . . .5.8
balance . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 complementary .3.13 wealth/poverty . .3.44
difficulty . . . . . . . . . . . .2.3 N
best three . . . . . . . . . .2.2 cost . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.12 turn mod . . . . . . . . . . .4.7
dodge . . . . . . . . . . .3.8,4.5
enabling . . . . . . . . .3.14
C drugs & diseases . .7.43 O enhanced . . . . . . .3.14 U
outfitting table . . . .3.48
campaign power . . . .3.4 E free . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.13
camping . . . . . . . . . . . .9.9
outmatching . . . . . . . .5.7
Health-based . . .3.24 V
EABA Univ. Chart . .2.7 vehicles
charm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9 encumbrance . . . . . . .3.7 P hobbies . . . . . . . . . .3.25
armor design . . .7.12
combat energy table . . . . . . . .7.8 the 36 plots . . . . . . . .8.5 packages . .3.15,3.25
buoyancy . . . . . . . .7.18
Accuracy . . .4.10,5.15 experience points .8.13 penalties . . . . . . . . . . . .2.3 rolls . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.13
combat . . . . . . . . . .7.27
adv. example . . .5.32 adventure . . . . . . .8.15 power . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.10 specialization . . .3.14
damage limit . . . .7.27
aiming . . . . .4.10,5.14 training . . . .3.25,8.14 powers Will-based . . . . . . .3.23
gadget design . . .7.23
& dodging . . . . .4.11 explosions . . . . . . . . .5.29 area effect . . . . . .6.47 slots . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.12
hit locations . . . . .7.28
ammo limits . . . . . .4.9 extras(NPC’s) .7.36,8.7 batteries . . . . . . . .6.56 special . . . . . . . . . . .3.24
life support . . . . . .7.25
arcs . . . . . . . . . . .4.2,5.9 breaking . . . . . . . .6.28 skill-poor worlds . . . .3.5
magical . . . . . . . . . .7.20
autofire . . . . . . . . . .5.10 F circumstance . . . .6.33 sleep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.49
mobility design .7.16
bashing . . . . . . . . .5.22 falling . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.22 power duration .6.25 spot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8
morale . . . . . . . . . .7.16
block & parry . . .4.13 Fate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.10 effect duration . .6.27 stamina . . . . . . . . . . . .3.11
mundane cost . .7.25
called shots . . . . .4.10 fight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 definition of . . . . . .6.2 use of . . . . . . .5.2,7.47
occupant space .7.12
complex sit. . . . . . .5.3 drain . . . . . . . . . . . .6.50 starting goods . . . . .3.44
cont. beams . . . .5.12 G defense against .6.29 starvation . . . . . . . . .7.49
repair . . . . . . . . . . . .7.33
game concepts . . . . .1.2 sample sizes . . . .7.14
covering fire . . . .5.13 effects . . . . . . . . . . . .6.6 Strength . . . . . . . . . . . .3.7
gear tech-lim. power .7.20
crossbows . . . . . . . .7.3 energy replace. .6.55 strike damage . . . . . .3.7
accessibility . . . . .9.10 weapon arcs . . . .7.22
cumulative time . .4.8 enhancement . . .6.37 suffocation . . . . . . . .7.48
custom melee . . .5.17 breaking it . .5.29,9.9 super attribute .3.5,6.6
customizing . . . . . .9.7
flexibility . . . . . . . .6.44 W
cut vs. chop . . . . .5.21 gadgets . . . . . . . . .6.58 walk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9
dramatic shots . .5.10 fancy vs. drab . .3.47
gadget cost . . . . .6.60
T weather . . . . . . . . . . .7.50
endings . . . . . . . . . . .4.8 horses . . . . . . . . . . . .9.8 taking 2’s . . . . . . . . . . .2.2
gadget tech era .6.58 climate . . . . . . . . . .7.51
feints . . . . . . . . . . . .5.21 stats . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9.3 tech eras . . . . . . . . . . . .7.2
modifier table . . .6.72 Will . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9
hit locations . . . . .4.16 genre reality . . . . . .8.13 income . . . . . . . . . .3.48
range . . . . . . . . . . . .6.23 what is an RPG? . . . .1.3
lucky shots . . . . . .5.30 medicine . . . . . . . .3.19
mass fire . . . . . . . . .5.9
H sample design . .6.63
think . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 X
Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.9 sample listing . . .6.62
melee . . . . . . . . . . .4.12 thirst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7.48
hear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.8 special effect . . . .6.36
melee example .4.15 stored energy . . .6.52
throwing . . . . . .3.7,5.16 Y
hits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.11 toughness . . . . . . . . . .3.9
movement . . . . . .4.10
ranged . . . . . . . . . . . .4.9
hit brackets . . . . . . .3.11 suites . . . . . . . . . . . .6.22
variable . . . . . . . . .5.26 Z
holding action . . . . . .4.7 power category .6.11
ranged example 4.11 traits
terminology . . . . . .6.4
advantages . . . . .3.26
scale . . . . . . . . . .4.2,4.7 I usage adjust. . . .6.40
age . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3.28
shields . . . . . . . . . . .5.22 initiative . . . . . . . . . . . .4.5 pre-gen. adven. . . .3.56
shotguns . . . . . . . .5.11 ambidextrous . . .3.27
major actions . . . .4.4
special melee . . .4.13 background . . . . .3.28
minor actions . . . . .4.4
turn mod . . . . . . . . .4.7 boon/bane . . . . . .3.29
investments . . . . . . .3.46
vehicles . . . . . . . . .7.27 destiny . . . . . . . . . .3.27
weapon length . .4.14 J enemies . . . . . . . . .3.30
combined efforts . . .2.6 jumping . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.6 experience . . . . . .3.31

9.18
 3. Consideration
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effective on the date You accept this License, BTRC
Blacksburg Tactical Research Center has made EABA grants you a world-wide, royalty-free, non-exclusive
supplements by third parties possible under the terms License to the permitted uses described below.
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9.19
 9.2 Where BTRC determines an EABA-compatible
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License and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
being notified of such breach by BTRC.
10.5 This License constitutes the entire agreement
9.1 Where BTRC determines that a purportedly EABA- between the parties with respect to the subject matter
compatible work is in fact a violation of copyright, this thereof.
constitutes a breach of this License. BTRC may
terminate this License and the rights granted herein if The intent of all this legalese is that you can do
You fail to cure such breach within 30 days of being just about anything you want for EABA, but the
notified of such breach by BTRC. BTRC may, at its user of your product needs to own EABA to fully
option, use any applicable copyright law to protect its utilize the material for an EABA campaign. Their
intellectual property rights. having to buy EABA from us is the ‘licensing fee’.

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 other(Will)
General skill list
leadership
ADVENTURER SUMMARY combat(Agility)
acting
archery
campaign attr. skill pow. trait blade other(Health)
low normal 30A 5S - ≤9 brawling running
normal 35A 10S - ≤11 club swimming
heroic 40A 15S 5P ≤15 firearms carousing
grand heroic 50A 20S 10P ≤20 heavy weapon
special skills
superheroic 65A 25S 30P ≤30 martial arts
jack-of-all-trades(choose attr.)
grand super. 85A 35S 60P ≤45 polearm
hobbies
other - - - - sling
staff General trait list
Attributes
throwing (‚= in use in this campaign)
(‚= in use in this campaign)
wrestling name points
no attribute can be more than 3 advantages varies
transport(Agility)
points higher/lower than next ✔ age varies
beast riding
closest without gamemaster ✔ background +1
air vehicles
permission. boon/bane ±varies
land vehicles
enemies +1 to +4
Strength(STR) Will(WIL) water vehicles
✔ strike ✔ tough(dice) experience -1
space vehicles
favors -1
kick charm
other(Agility) forte/weakness -1A/+2A
throw resist
climbing friends -1 to -4
Agility(AGL) Health(HLT) security systems increased/decr. hits +1/-1
fight ✔ walk sleight of hand larger than life -2P/-5P
balance ✔ recovery stealth ✔ looks ±1S
throw trades(choose one) ✔ motivation +1S
✔ dodge(dice x 2) mythic archetype special
academic(Awareness)
Awareness(AWR) Fate(FAT) neat trick -1
chemistry
✔ spot ✔ luck organization -varies
history
listen shield permits -1S
language
think power ✔ personality +varies
sciences(choose one)
secret +1 to +4
Secondary attributes law
status ±varies
Hits: equals Strength + Health medicine
unusual background -1
Stamina: equals Health programming
✔ wealth/poverty ±varies
psychology
Skills religion Money
skill bonus +0d +1d +2d +3d
magic(Awareness) base stand. of living = best skill
cost 1S 2S 4S 6S dice - 10
sorcery
Free skills enchantment savings = standard of living + 12
area kn.(home region)(AWR): +0d
native language(AWR): +0d other(Awareness) Other rules
area knowledge (‚= in use in this campaign)
common skill in your culture: +0d
armorer hit locations
(governing attribute varies)
bribery stunning
diplomacy crippling damage
technician(choose one) blunt trauma
scrounging dramatic called shots
tracking encumbrance