I. The
Basics
This game is based on West End Game's D6 system,
specifically its Star Wars Role-Playing Game. I
recommend picking up a Star Wars rule book (available at
some game stores and on many online auctions) to fill in
gaps that I don't cover here. If you have any
questions or comments, please email me and
I'll try to answer them for you. GAME
MECHANICS
The Dice
The system requires players to roll six-sided dice (D6),
which represent a character's attributes and
skills. When appropriate, the Game Master will tell
a player to roll a number of dice equal to either the
attribute or skill being used. The player rolls the
appropriate number of dice, adds the values together and
tells the GM the sum. If the sum is equal to or
greater than the difficulty number (See
below), the character succeeds. If it is lower,
the character fails.
Example: Rom is trying to
walk along a thin ledge without falling. He has
a Dexterity of 3D. The GM sets a
difficulty number and then the player controlling Rom
will roll 3 dice and sum the results to see if he is
successful.
Example 2: Rom is trying to operate a
forklift and the GM tells him to roll his Mechanical
skill (2d+2). Rom rolls two six-sided dice and
adds 2 to the resulting sum.
The Wild Die
Each player should designate one of his or her dice to be
the Wild Die (it is helpful if it's a different color or
shape).
Whenever the the Wild Die comes up with a 2,3,4, or 5,
add the result to the other dice as normal. But, if
the Die comes up with a 6, add 6 to the dice total and
roll the Wild Die again and add the new value to the dice
total. If another 6 comes up, roll and add
again. This continues as long as the player
continues to roll 6's on the Wild Die.
Example: Rom has a Firearms
skills of 4D. When he fires, he rolls 4
dice. His values are 2,5,3 and on the Wild Die,
a 6, resulting in 16. He rolls the Wild Die
again and gets another 6! The total is now 22
and he gets to roll again. This time, he gets a
1 and adds that to the sum to get a 23 for his shot.
If the Wild Die comes up with a 1 when a character is
first rolling a Skill or Attribute Check, roll the Wild
Die again. If the value is 1 through 5, remove the
Wild Die and the die with the highest value from the dice
to be added.
Example: Rom is shooting
again. He rolls a 2,5,6 and on the Wild Die a
1. He rerolls the Wild Die and gets a 2.
He removes the Wild Die and the die that came up 6
and adds the remaining two dice together to get 7.
If the second Wild Die roll comes up to be a 6, then
the character has Complicated. He or she has
screwed up in a particularly bad way...perhaps dropping
his gun down into a sewer grating or twisting an ankle
while trying to dodge. Complications should make a
character's life more difficult, but never kill them
outright.
Example: Rom is running
away from a pair of Agents on a crowded street.
The GM has him make a running roll with a difficulty
of 10 to avoid colliding with a bystander. Rom,
with a Running skill of 3D, rolls 3 dice. He
gets a 2,3 and on the Wild Die a 1. He rerolls
the Wild and gets a 6! He not only fails but
complicates. The GM tells him that he runs into
a homeless woman pushing a shopping cart and drops
his cellular phone into the gutter, short-circuiting
it. He'll have to find another way to contact
his Operator outside the Matrix!
The GM could have just as well said that Rom got a
muscle cramp and is -1D to all Dexterity actions for the
next 5 rounds, or that he is stunned for the next
round. Anything that makes Rom's life a little more
scary.
Difficulty
Numbers
When a character makes an Attribute or Skill check, they
are usually rolling against a difficulty number.
Difficulties are divided into the following categories:
| Difficulty |
Difficulty
Numbers |
Description |
| Very Easy |
1-5 |
Anyone should be able to do
this most of the time. Example: Driving a
car in moderate traffic. |
| Easy |
6-10 |
Most characters should be able
to do this most of the time, though there is
still a chance for failure. Example:
Driving a car in moderate traffic during a
rainstorm. |
| Moderate |
11-15 |
Requires a fair amount of
skill and/or effort. Most unskilled
characters will fail such an attempt. Example:
Avoiding jaywalkers who suddenly step in front of
your car during a high speed chase. |
| Difficult |
16-20 |
Only highly skilled characters
succeed at these with any regularity. Example:
Driving through an intersection full of speeding
cross traffic. |
| Very Difficult |
21-30 |
Even pros have a hard time
pulling these attempts off. Example:
Steering your car into oncoming traffic and
avoiding collisions while at high speeds. |
| Heroic |
30-50 |
Only the luckiest and most
skilled are successful. Example:
Jumping from a rooftop into a small window across
the alley (like Trinity from the movie). |
| Unearthly |
50-75 |
A character must have advanced
skill in the Matrix in order to even think of
attempting such an action.
Example: Stopping
bullets in mid-air. |
| Impossible |
75+ |
Only those who have mastered
the Matrix may attempt these tests. Example:
Decoding an Agent. |
Opposed
Rolls
When a character is testing his or her Attributes or
Skills against those of another (PC or NPC), the parties
involved make Opposed Rolls. The one with the
highest roll wins.
Example: One character
tries to shoot another. The first makes a
Firearms roll while the other makes a Dodge
roll. If the attacker's roll is higher than the
others' Dodge, then he hits.
Character Points
A character may spend his or her Character Points to gain
additional dice during an action. They receive an
additional die for each point spent. A character
may spend up to 3 CP's per action or attack, and up to 5
CP's for any defensive action (Dodging, Strength rolls
versus damage, etc.). If the die purchased with a
CP comes up a 6, the player may re-roll it and add the
new value to the total (as for the Wild Die, though there
is no penalty for rolling a 1).
Example: Rom gets shot with
an Assault Rifle for 23 points of damage. He
rolls his Strength of 3D and gets a 10. That's
13 points below the damage level, which is Mortally
Wounded. Rom's player decides to spend some
Character Points. He spend one for an
additional die and gets a 5, reducing the difference
to 8, meaning Rom's Wounded. The player decides
to spend an additional CP and rolls a 6! He
gets to roll again and gets a 4, which means his
Strength roll is 2 over the damage roll. Rom
suffers no damage from the attack!
Character Points may be used in or out of the
Matrix. However, they may not be used the same
round a Chi Point is used.
Chi Points
Chi represents a character's inner strength and the
extent to which they have control over the Matrix. When a
character spends a Chi point, all skill and attribute
dice totals are doubled. Anything which is not part
of a character (a weapon or vehicle), is not affected.
Example 1: Rom is in
hand-to-hand combat with an Agent. He decides
to spend a Chi point one round. His Martial
Arts is normally 5D while in the Matrix. This
round, it goes to 10D! For purposes of damage,
his Strength doubles from 3D to 6D!
Example 2: Rom is in a
firefight with an enemy and decides to spend a Chi
Point. His Firearms skill doubles from 4D to
8D, but the damage from the gun (5D) remains the same.
See Characters:
Chi for rules about using and regaining Chi.
Remember, Chi may only be used while inside the
Matrix. Also, Chi may not be used the same round
Character Points are spent.
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