paradox inversion core: a universal roleplaying system

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Core Core

A Universal Roleplaying System

Paradox Inversion

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Section 1Paradox Inversion Basics

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Paradox Inversion Basics

What is Paradox Inversion?Paradox Inversion is an Open Tabletop Role Playing Game. That can sound a little daunting for someone who’s never played a Tabletop RPG, so let me break that down for you. A tabletop RPG is a game in which you and a group of friends play the roles of different characters within in a story. In a way, it’s a form of interactive fiction, which each person contributes to. The ‘open’ aspect of Paradox Inversion comes in its ability to be used in many, many different settings from dystopian, cyberpunk futures, to swords and sorcery in times long past. Paradox Inversion itself has no genre or story. What you’ll find here are rules for how to deal with situations characters in the game come across.

How do you play this game?So, you might still be wondering, how exactly does one play this game, anyways? If you’ve already played a tabletop game or two, you can skip this section. If you’ve never played one before, this is a really basic overview of how the game works. Normally, games follow a storyline, which is predetermined by the person leading the game. These storylines can last anywhere from one game session, to many sessions over days, months, or even years, depending on how long the leader wants to continue the story, and most importantly, how much the players want to continue. There aren’t any boards or pieces to protect between game sessions, either. Players keep sheets that have all of the information they need about their character, including how adept they are in various different facets such as Intelligence or Strength, equipment they’re carrying, and more. Players use their characters to interact with the world.

Games are played by the leader, or Game Master (GM from here on out), describing a scene, and the players reacting, by describing what they do in response. Some like to act out these situations, and some prefer to just explain what their character is doing, and either is correct as long as everyone knows what’s going on.

Mike (The GM): You pull up to your chosen getaway spot near the bank. The streets aren’t too busy, and traffic is pretty low. There aren’t many people on the sidewalk, but you see a couple of people in the bank, though it’s hard to tell how many with the reflection of the glass, and adds plastered all over the windows.

Ryan (played by Joe): (Out of Character, Talking to Mike) I’m going to get closer to the glass. I hop out of the car, pull out my phone and get up close to the glass while I pretend to call someone. I’m gonna try to look inside while I’m close up.

Ryan: (To the players in the car, in character) This doesn’t look bad. Kill the engine, and I’ll get a look, we don’t want anybody looking too close. I’ll text what I see, alright? When a player wants to do something that may affect other people, or has a chance of failure, the GM will ask for a dice roll. What Ryan just did was one of those situations. We’ll get more into that as the system unfolds for you.

How to use these materialsThis book gives you all the information you need to start your own game. If you’re planning on running a game of your own, it’s a good idea to take a look at the section just for GM’s, at the end of the book to get the idea of how (basically) to plan out a story.

What you need to playTo play Paradox Inversion you’ll need a few

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things, which you’ll find on the list below.The Paradox Inversion Core Book• At least two people.• Dice (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12). You’ll need

mostly d12 (twelve sided) dice.• Character sheets for recording Character

information and notes. Paper can also be used.

• Pencils and erasers. Pens can be used, but bear in mind, pen usually can’t be erased.

• Any settings or supplements needed for the game you intend to run.

DiceDice are used to resolve most situations in the game, via dice rolls called ‘Action Checks’. When an Action Check is needed, you roll a certain amount of 12 sided die. Other dice types (six sided, four sided, etc) have uses in the system as well. When a dice roll is needed, it will be listed as <die number>d<die type>. In other words, 2d12 is two twelve-sided die. Often, you will need to roll multiple dice, and sometimes, you may need to roll more dice than you have on hand. If that is the case, simply keep track of your dice totals, and reroll dice where necessary.

Paradox Inversion StructureParadox Inversion is broken up into several tiers, each of which will complexity to the core game.

Here’s a basic rundown of how the overall system stacks up.

Core (This book)Paradox inversion core is the book that contains the mechanics (And only the mechanics) of the Paradox Inversion system. While it assumes human characters, the rules can easily be tweaked for monsters, animals, or other creatures.

SettingsSettings will introduce broad detail into games, and comprise of Fantasy, Modern, and Future. These supplements offer guidelines and ideas for GMs who want to have rules for particular eras that have working sets of balanced rules.

SupplementsSupplements will allow GMs to introduce or remove certain mechanics from the game, including Magic, Advanced Combat, and others.

GamesGames within the Paradox Inversion system are amalgamations of all components that precede it. All games use the Paradox Inversion Core system, and together with Settings and Supplements, GMs can create worlds of certain themes, quickly and easily. Games also feature their own plots, so if you want to run a game ‘from the book’, you have that option as well.

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Common TerminologyThere are some terms that will help to know when reading through this book and playing the game. Some are specific to role-playing in general, while others are specific to the Paradox Inversion System.

(Combat) Action: An imaginary unity of time, about 1-2 seconds. Combat is broken up into actions, turns, and rounds.Action Base: The total of two attributes and often a skill related to a particular action. The action base acts as the base amount of a dice roll, and determines how many dice are used.Action Check: A dice roll involving two attributes and often a skill, possibly against a Target Number. ‘Action Check’ can refer to Contested, Skilled, or Unskilled Action Checks.Action Bonus: A number added to a character’s Action Check, after rolls.Contested Action Check: An Action Check, in which one Character sets a target number that the other must beat.Degrees of Success: The amount of times a character has effectively reached a target number after all rolls are finished. Derived Attribute: One of 6 attributes determined by the character’s standard attributes.Dice Penalty/Bonus: An amount of dice added or taken away from a dice roll, before it is rolled. Episode: A game session. Very short Series can be called ‘Episodes’.GM: The Game Master. This person is the one in charge of setting up the story for the game, and making sure the rules are correctly followed.Luck: Dice that players receive for dice rolls of 12.NPC: (Non-Player Character) A ‘non-player character’. NPCs are played by the GM and (usually) not the players.PC (Player Character): A ‘player character’. PCs are characters that are played by characters and not the GM.Player: The real-world person playing a character in a role-playing game.Reroll: The act of re-rolling a die under certain circumstances.Roll: A basic dice roll with any bonuses, before any rerolls.(Roll) Set: The total dice roll, after rerolls.Round: In combat, when all characters have completed their turns, the round advances.Scene: A short length of time, often different major events happen in different scenes. Series: A collection of episodes making up a game’s story.Setting: A supplement for the Paradox Inversion System, providing information on time periods, and different worlds.Situation Condition: How the environment of a current scene helps or hinders a character.Skilled Action Check: A check involving two attributes and a specific skill.Skill: A special attribute representing the character’s mastery of a specific field of knowledge or physical aptitude. skills have four types: Physical, Personal, Social, and Mental.Standard Attribute: One of 9 basic Attributes which represent a character’s innate personal abilities.Supplement: A supplement for the Paradox Inversion system, providing optional mechanics and special features.Target Number (TN): The number a player must roll above to succeed in a task or contest.Turn: A ‘turn’ is the period in which a character has actions that they can use. When a character has no more actions, their turn is over.Unskilled Action Check: A check involving only two attributes, and no skill.

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Section 2Character

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What is a Character?A character represents the player in the game world. Characters don’t at all need to be based on the people who play them, either. There is, in fact, a large difference between the player and character, even if a player makes a character based upon themselves. In a way, just like a video game, the character is just an avatar that you control.

What you (May not) Know, or, What the heck does Metagame mean?In books, movies, and video games we often become privy to details that the main characters of the story are not. In Paradox Inversion and most other roleplaying games, these details are considered meta-game information, or, information about the game that the players are aware of but not their characters. If one person splits up from a group to go into a separate room, the GM may inform them of something going on there, and while others around may hear what the GM says, it only ‘applies’ to the character who was actually present. Remember, much like other forms of stories, sometimes we know more of what is going on in the background than a character does. Part of playing the game is knowing this and playing your character under those circumstances.

AttributesAttributes determine what a character is able to do. With Humans, attributes range from 0 to 5. An attribute of one represents a deficiency in that attribute and an attribute of five represents being one at the height of human possibility in that attribute.

Most people average out at about 2, content to be enough that life requires them to be. Whether hero or villain, more often than not, player characters are a cut above the norm for some reason or other, pushing themselves by desire or necessity to become more experienced individuals.

Standard AttributesStrength (Str)Strength represents the raw physical power a character possesses. High Strength helps characters deal more physical damage in combat, climb ladders and other surfaces, force open doors, lift heavy objects, increases overall their health, and more. Stronger characters can also most efficiently utilize heavier weapons.

Dexterity (Dex)Dexterity represents a characters manual finesse. Anything that requires manual precision uses the Dexterity attribute. Some actions that use Dexterity include firing a projectile weapon, creating art with one’s hands, driving, and picking locks.

Agility (Agl)Agility governs a character’s physical prowess, and how innately quick they are. It represents their ability to control the way their body moves, with a fine-tuned finesse. Dodging attacks, jumping to a specific position and a character’s Speed are governed by agility.

Intelligence (Int)Intelligence represents a character’s ability to learn, retain, remember, and understand situations, puzzles, and other enigmas. Intelligence is used to program electronic devices, research information, and digest information from reading books or instructions. When a situation requires mentally ‘putting the pieces together’ Intelligence will be a major factor.

Charisma (Cha)

Character

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Charisma is the social force a character has. Characters with high Charisma can more easily persuade and deceive individuals. Charisma does not dictate, however, how likeable a character is, and a character may be very disagreeable, but still have a powerful presence. A Charismatic character may, for instance, use their Charisma to be feared, rather than adored, or even maybe convince someone they’re just ‘one of the crowd’ and ‘no one to worry about’.

Alertness (Alt)Alertness represents how aware a character is of their situation and surroundings. Alertness helps characters notice details that they otherwise wouldn’t, and act quickly when the need arises.

Spirit (Spi)Spirit represents the will of an individual, both mental and metaphysical. Characters of high Spirit are less easy to coerce or forcefully persuade. They can also more easily manipulate metaphysical components of reality if they have knowledge of magic or psychic arts.

Endurance (End)Endurance is the physical toughness of a character. Characters of high Endurance can take more damage before they go down or feel the effects of intense physical challenges.

Offense (Off)Offense represents a character’s ability to effectively attack an individual. It is a character’s innate offensive ability.

Derived AttributesDerived Attributes are made up of combinations of Standard Attributes, and are calculated, rather than given a chosen number. Derived Attributes cannot be raised directly but instead by increasing the Attributes that contribute to them. When a derived attribute is in the middle of two

numbers, always round down.

Combat Actions (C.A.) (AGL+ALT)/2Combat Actions are the amount of full actions a character can make during their turn in combat. Combat actions last 1-2 seconds.

Damage Threshold (D.T.)(Str+End) x2Damage Threshold is the character’s pain threshold, and when the damage they have taken exceeds this amount, they run the risk of passing out.

Health Points (Hp) (STR+END) x7Health Points determine how much damage a character can take before they can no longer withstand more damage. It is a measure of their immediate health. When a character’s HP becomes too low, they risk unconsciousness, coma, or death.

Initiative Modifier(Alt+Agl)The initiative pool represents what bonus a player will receive, when determining combat initiative.

Passive Dodge (P.D.) (Agl+Alt)Passive dodge represents a character’s innate ability to dodge attacks, without actively taking a defensive stance. It sets the difficulty an opponent must roll to strike the character. This is rolled after an attack has been made. If an attacker rolls less than a character’s passive dodge, without their Action Base, they miss. Characters get no bonus, unless specifically stated, on a Passive Dodge Roll.

Speed (Spd) (Str+Agl)Speed represents how quickly a character is capable of moving. Speed is roughly equal to

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the amount of feet a character can move at a standard walk (not ‘slow’ or ‘hurried’), in about 3 seconds.

Attribute Deficiencies Zero AttributesWhen an attribute has absolutely no points, it can have disastrous effects that most likely leave characters dead or simply unable to go on any further.

Weak Attributes [Optional]An attribute with only one point is considered a weak attribute. Weak attributes are detrimental in all cases. The use of weak attributes is entirely optional.

Strength, EnduranceZero Attribute: With a 0 in Strength or Endurance, a character’s body simply no longer has the physical power to continue working, and they die. Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Strength or Endurance, characters receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring physical action.

DexterityZero Attribute: With a 0 in Dexterity characters are completely unable to use their hands, and anything requiring manual Dexterity must be done for them. These characters do remain playable, but may not be as useful, depending on setting or genre.Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Dexterity, characters receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring dexterous action.

IntelligenceZero Attribute: With 0 in Intelligence, characters are no longer capable of conscious thought. Characters with a Zero Attribute of Intelligence are left in a vegetative state. These characters are considered dead.Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Intelligence, characters receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring

AgilityZero Attribute: With 0 in Agility, characters do not have the necessary motor skills to move on their own ability, and are completely paralyzed. Only with highly specialized equipment or assistance can they move at all.Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Agility, characters receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring physical prowess.

CharismaZero Attribute: With 0 in Charisma, characters have no idea how to deal with social situations or people, at all, and always spin situations in the wrong direction, usually ending in getting themselves into deadly trouble. They take an additional -2d12 penalty (for a total of -4d12 when you add the Weak Attribute penalty) on any roll requiring social skills, and only add half of their Action Base, with these penalties in place. Remember, they still get 1d12 if their pool is reduced to zero.Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Charisma, characters have nearly no social understanding and have trouble empathizing or understanding people. They receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring social skills.

AlertnessZero Attribute: With 0 in Alertness, characters are completely unaware of their surroundings, at any given point, more or less experiencing something else entirely. Not quite in a vegetative state, they are so disconnected with reality that they can’t even function regularly. Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Alertness, characters are prone to a wandering attention span and the disability to quickly adapt to new situations. They receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring a quick response.

Spirit

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Zero Attribute: With a 0 in Spirit, characters have effectively lost every last shred of willpower. Like a Zero Attribute of Intelligence, these characters are more or less in a vegetative state.Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Spirit, characters live, but they don’t (or only very weakly) assert any sort of will power or interest in the world. They receive a -2d12 penalty on all rolls requiring any sort of will power (attacks and damage excepted) or persuasion.

OffenseZero Attribute: The Offense attribute has the least disadvantages (depending on your perspective) for having a value of zero. These characters are for some reason or other, completely unable to properly fight, if they have any interest in fighting, whatsoever. All of their attacks, are limited to a single d12, and do not ever explode, however they do still gain luck points.Weak Attribute: With a 1 in Offense, characters don’t quite understand how to fight back when attacked. They receive a -2d12 penalty to all attack rolls.

Outstanding/Super AttributesOutstanding attributes range from 6 to eight. These are attributes are possessed by people who are among the top in their fields, whatever they may be. These attributes require rigorous training and often a lot of experience, depending on the general level of power within a campaign. When a Character gains an Outstanding attribute, they may choose a Skilled Action which uses that attribute. Dice rolled for Action Checks for that particular action explode on 10. The additional points that would go to the Action Base from Outstanding Attributes are instead treated as an Action Bonus, added to the score after all rolling has been completed.

If both attributes related to the chosen Action are outstanding, dice explode on 9.

Character ArchetypesCharacter Archetypes serve as guidelines for people intending to build certain characters, and GMs needing quick NPC ideas.

The BrawlerThe brawler is able to stand on their own in combat, and display fighting prowess. The highest of their stats is likely to be offense, followed by either Strength or agility, depending on whether the character is simply strong or quick and unpredictable. Stronger characters may keep watch over a third stat, Endurance, whereas agile ones will likely lean toward Alertness. They will most definitely have at least one hand-to-hand combat skill, and may be skilled in using improvised (or simple melee) weapons. Some characters likely to be brawlers are Gang Members, Adventurers, and Security Guards.

The AcrobatThe acrobat moves gracefully, and is just as capable as her strong counterparts, preferring finesse to brute Strength. Acrobats have high agility and Strength, and decent Dexterity or Alertness. For making precise jumps and death-defying chasm leaps, these attributes give acrobats a keen physical ability. In combat, Acrobats often frustrate their enemies, as they continue to chip away at the ‘big guys’ while they can’t even land a hit. High-speed characters like Acrobats have a lot of options, since they are likely to have many combat actions. Their skills, as the archetype states, are likely to be Acrobatic in nature, but anything based on Dexterity and agility is good idea to go with. Some characters likely to be acrobats are Monks, Circus Performers, Gymnasts, and Spies.

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The AcademicThe Academic uses Intelligence and cunning to their advantage. Intelligence and Alertness are the two most important Attributes for an academic, followed by Spirit. When information needs to be found, the Academic’s well-roundedness and attention to detail and study make them invaluable assets. Their skills tend to involve theoretical and encyclopedic-type knowledge, but more experienced Academics often have specialized skills in their certain fields. Some characters likely to be Academics are Forensic Scientists, Apothecaries, and Engineers.

The BuilderThe Builder is an interesting character. She most often uses her Dexterity and Intelligence to create what she needs, though it doesn’t have to be something industrial—Creative types can be builders as well. They are marked by their high Dexterity and Intelligence. Strength is also a viable option, if what the builder generally creates is large. They have keen attention to detail, though their mind may not necessarily be ‘mechanical in nature’. Characters likely to be Builders are Architects, Construction Workers, Entrepreneurs, and Blacksmiths.

The CharmerThe charmer has high Charisma and Spirit. Decent Intelligence is also a good idea, for one wishing to gauge the people they are talking to. Charmers are able to impose their will or perspective on someone else with ease. Their high Spirit is a boon many wouldn’t expect. Many Charmers are able to hold their composure in situations others would easily fall under, making them great secret-keepers and helping them generally resist tempations they don’t choose for

themselves.

Creating a CharacterCreating a character is broken up into a series of steps. Your character sheet will hold all of the information you need, and everything about making characters is explained here.

Step One: Who are you?The first step of creating a character is figuring out just who that character is. It can be based on yourself, or perhaps based on another character whose qualities you would enjoy playing. It’s important to take a bit of time to actually think about your character, as it will help you figure out what to do when things happen within the campaign. The more details about that character you know, the better you’ll be able to figure out how to play them, and the more rewarding the game will be for everyone involved. Knowing your character thoroughly will also give you a good idea of where to allocate the points given to you for character creation. Always check with your GM to make sure your character is appropriate for the game that they are running, as different GMs may want different things. Once you’ve figured out a decent concept, it’s time to start thinking about just what that character can do, and break things down into Attributes.

Step One: Determine PointsThe first step of character creation is technically decided by the GM. Depending on the level of game they are running, characters will start with different amounts of attribute and skill points. Chart 2-1 shows what each rank is representive of. The suggested starting amount of attribute points is 14. This may be changed by the GM for higher experienced stories. Every character has one rank in every

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attribute to start. Characters can have one Notable (4) attribute, and up to three Above Average (3) attributes.

(Optional) If a character has at at least one Weak Attribute, they get at most one additional Above Average allowance at character creation.

Note As characters become more experienced, the ability to raise their attributes will be directly related to the skills they have. In order to raise the attribute of Strength from 3 to 4 for instance, a character would need to have at least 10 ranks in skills such as Fighting, Running, Climbing, or other Strength related activities. This is covered in Section 7: Character Advancement.

Step Two: Determine AttributesDepending on what point amount your GM has set, decide how many of your attribute points will go into which attributes.

Step Three: Determine Derived AttributesRemember to round down if you get a ‘half number’.

Combat Actions (C.A.) (Agl+Alt) /2Damage Threshold: (Str+End) x2Initiative Modifier: (Alt+Agl)Health Points: (Str +End) x7Passive Dodge: (Agl+Alt)Speed: (Str+Agl) x2

Step Four: Determine SkillsPlayers have 10 points to spend on skills. At character creation, skills can have 3 ranks at most. These points can be spent on any combination of skills. Chart 2-2 shows the effective Ability Scale, by skill level. Step Five: Advantages & Disadvantages

At Character Creation, characters get one Advantage. There are two types of Advantages: Action Base Advantages and Dice Advantages.

Action Base AdvantagesAction Base Advantages are Action Bonuses of 6 added to a roll. It works for one specific action. Action Base Advantages must be associated with a skill the character has.

Dice AdvantagesDice Advantages add directly to the amount of d12 dice a character rolls for a specific action. These dice explode like any others. The Action must be associated with a skill the character has. Dice do not add to damage or damage resistance rolls.

Both Action Base and Dice Advantages can stack at most 3 times for a certain action.

Example AdvantagesDodgy: Dice Advantage +1d12 for dodging in combat

Twitchy: Action Base Advantage, +6 on Reflex rolls

Silver-Tounged: Action Base Advantage, 6 on Lying Rolls

Daredevil: +1d12 on actions that pose serious immediate risk the character, using the jump skill (such as jumping between two buildings, both several stories stall)

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Section 2 Charts[2-1] Attribute Ability Scale

Rank0 Completely deficient1 Weak2 Average3 Above Average4 Notable5 Exceptional

[2-2] Skill Ability Scale

Rank0-1 Completely deficient2-3 Weak4-5 Average6-7 Above Average8-9 Notable10+ Exceptional

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Section 3Skills

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Character SkillsSkills determine what specialized abilities characters have. A character with high Dexterity and agility may be good with a bow, naturally, but skill with it increases that ability to a formidable level. Skills in the Paradox Inversion System are not set in stone. In fact, while there are skill examples, the game itself has no set ‘skill list’. Players are encouraged come up with their skills, which are in turn approved (or disapproved) by their GMs. GMs are also very much encouraged to create skills they believe will be useful, and add flavor to their games. Skills should be clearly named, and have a specific purpose. A skill such as “Firearms” for instance isn’t as clear as, “Gun Service” or “Hip Shooting”. Depending on the nature of your campaign, your GM may decide that one skills may be useful for several aspects (e.g. Shooting guns and Servicing guns are the same skill), so make sure that uses of your skills are clear. Skills most often come into play when characters are faced with sitations in which failure has direct consequences. Any character can attempt anything, but when the results matter, skill can and does make all the difference. Remember, Skills add to Action Bases, which means more dice to roll and a bigger bonus to the roll. Skills also factor into Character Advancement. In order to increase a Standard Attribute, a character must have a sufficient amount of experience in skills that use it.

Skills in Paradox Inversion range from 1, novice, to 10, renowned mastery.

Skill TypesSkill types specify what attributes go into

them. They are broken down into Physical skills, Social skills, Mental skills, and Combat Skills.

Physical skills add dice to direct physical actions, outside of combat. Related attributes are Strength, Dexterity, Agility, and Endurance. When determining what attributes go into a physical skill, keep in mind the purpose and use of the skill. Any skill requiring hand-eye coordination use Dexterity. If a character’s physical limits are being tested, use Endurance. If it involves moving quickly or with a certain degree of finesse, use Agility. If it requires simple brute Strength, use Strength. When an action uses more than one of these elements, decide with the GM which are the most appropriate use those.

Personal skills add dice to rolls that involve interacting with people and keeping oneself alive on the basest level. Related attributes are Charisma, and Spirit. Being able to handle oneself in a crowd, small gathering, or even on the street with another individual on the street would all generally fall under Charisma, as would deception and seductive acts. When a character generally empathizes with someone, Spirit is the most appropriate. Spirit also comes into play when a character is using their own willpower and mental energy to complete their task. Artistic and even some Charismatic endeavors (e.g. gaining members for an organization) will use Spirit.

Mental skills add dice to rolls that require thinking, practice, or knowledge. Related attributes are Intelligence and Alertness. These skills often involved study and attention. Intelligence can sometimes be used in social situations—Using what you know to impress others or get them to give you more by piquing their interests can pay off. Alertness matters when you need to think

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very quickly.

Combat skills add dice to combat rolls, and all utilize the Offense attribute. Special combat maneuvers require at least basic combat skills.

Common SkillsCommon skills are possessed by every player character. These are Observation, Active Dodge, Running, Balancing, Jumping, Climbing, Hiding, and Lying. While every character has these skills they are still effectively at rank 0.

Observation (Alt+Int)Observation represents a Character’s ability to analyze something they are seeing. Whether or not someone notices a quick flash in the night sky would be governed by their Observation skill. Observation is also useful for getting details about things that are visible. Characters can use it to assess items and other Characters, if they have the knowledge to process what they are seeing.

Example Difficulty• Spotting obvious different between

paintings/pictures: Easy• Spotting a shining key in a cluttered

room: Average• Assessing a person or item from a

distance: Average• Spotting a person in a heavy crowd:

Difficult• Eyeing the rear license plate of a car

driving past a Character at 90mph: Arduous

Active Dodge (Agl+Alt)Active Dodge is a skill that can only be used when a Character is aware of impending danger, and knows the source of it. If a Character is completely unaware of an incoming source of danger, they cannot Actively Dodge it. Sometimes, it’s possible to get a Reflex Action Check, but that depends

on just what endangers the Character.

Running (Agl+Str)Running is a common action, and used in many situations. When a character begins running, they roll Agilty + Strength vs TN 14. Each round they continue running, they continue this roll. Failing this roll would have character trip, slip, fall, or otherwise stop running abruptly. This does assume that the Character is running (or attempting to run) at their fastest speed. Jogging or some light running may not require a roll, depending on the circumstances (Such as best conditions).

Distance Running• The round after a character begins

running, they roll an Endurance Check of TN10 - against their Endurance score, as a target number to continue running the next round.

• This target number is increased by 2 each action a character runs.

• When a character fails to reach the target number, they can no longer run.

• This lasts until at least an amount of turns equal to 6 minus the character’s Endurance has passed.

Balance (Agl+Alt)In some situations, a character must keep their balance or fall, possibly to an early demise. The difficulty of balancing can vary greatly, depending on how wide, or treacherous the terrain a character seeks to travel is.

Example Difficulty• Gently rocking ship, at sea: Basic• 8 inch wide sturdy surface: Basic• City Bus (Without holding on): Average• Slack Line/Tight Rope: Difficult

Jumping (Str+Agl)Jumping allows characters access to ledges and allows them to cross gaps they can’t or

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don’t want to walk over. The difficulty for a horizontal jump of about 6 feet (1.8m) or a vertical jump of 3 feet is 14. For vertical jumps, each success increment adds 2 feet to the total height of the jump. For long jumps, each success increment adds 2 feet of distance and about 2 inches of height. If a character is jumping on to a small area, the character may need to roll a Balance Check when they land.

Climbing (Str+Dex)Climbing allows characters to climb a wall or outcropping, or pull themselves onto a surface. The target number for a climb varies with the type of climbing surface.

If there is no structure to which a character can securely brace themself, such as a ladder, pipe, or trellis, a character will need to make an Endurance Check each round they climb or hold onto the surface after they begin their climb. If they fail the contest, they can no longer hold onto the surface they have climbed onto.

Example Difficulty• Rickety Ladder: Difficult • Chain Link Fence: Average• Artificial Rock Climbing Wall: Difficult• Fixed Vertical Pipe: Difficult• Weak/Crumbling Natural Rock Face:

Arduous

Regaining Grip (Optional)When a character loses their grip under the above circumstances, they make a Reflex Check of average difficulty. If they succeed in this roll, they regain themselves, and may reroll their climbing attempt. If it fails, they fall as normal.

Hiding (Int+Agl)Hiding allows a character to hide from another in shadows, or behind/under/above objects. The hiding character sets the Target Number for any person seeking them. Any persons entering a room where a person

is hiding gets an automatic Observation Check. The hiding character may roll each round to adjust their hiding position; however they must take that roll, even if it is dismally worse. A character seeking a hiding character can make a search every round. The GM may, at their discretion give a searching character a bonus if they are nearby the query. Bonuses may also be granted depending on how Characters are Hiding or Seeking. Hiding inside of something can generally grant a bonus, where Seeking someone in a place you know very well can grant a bonus as well.

Lying (Int+Cha)Lying encompasses white lies to grandiose fantasies, told as truth. It is a contested roll. The lying character sets the target number against the opponent’s Intelligence and Spirit. If they have a lying or lie detection skill, they may use that as well. In some circumstances, Liars (or Lie Detectors) may get bonuses or penalties to their rolls, such as when the Detector knows the truth about what the Liar just said. The extent to which the decieved party believes the Liar depends on how many successes they earn in the roll.• One degree of success implies that the

opponent generally believes whatever the character just told them.

• Two degrees of success imply that the opponent is firmly convinced the character is telling the truth.

• Three degrees of success imply that the opponent not only is convinced that the character is telling the truth, but will defend that truth, if necessary.

Example SkillsPhysical Skills:Pistols (Dex + Agl)Pistols skill represents a person’s ability to handle a handgun, and is used with the ranged attack pool, when using them. GMs, take note, this may differ from say, ‘Lasers’

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in a future setting.

Driving (Dex+Alt)Driving is the skill of safely driving a motor vehicle.

Horse Riding (DEX+SPI)Horse Riding is the skill of effectively riding a horse—This skill only covers actually riding the horse, caring for it would be a different, mental skill.

Martial Arts (Str+Off)Martial Arts represents martial arts training a character has had, and may be either weapon or unarmed training, but that should be specified. GMs may wish to have this extend to both categories if their game requires. It would be used with the base attack pool, or weapon attack pool if the form is weapon-based.

Sharpshooting (Dex+Agl)Sharpshooting is a specialized firearms skill. The sharpshooting skill, unlike Pistols, is about posting up, eyeing your target, and taking the shot that truly cripples or kills their target. It applies to long range weapons.

Sword Fighting (Dex+Off)Sword Fighting, as expected, is the skill of using sword in combat, and uses the weapon attack pool. The type of sword(s) a character knows how to handle should be understood between the GM and player.

Circus Acrobatics (Dex+Agl)Circus Acrobatics encompasses the crazy and unique stunts seen in the center ring. Rather than focusing on personal gymnastic flair, however, the Circus Acrobatics skill focus on using the environment and even other characters in their acrobatic stunts. When taking the situation of trying to get past someone, the Circus Acrobatics skill would be useful to a character attempting to bound off of or leap frog over their target.

Lock Picking (Dex+Int)Lock Picking is a character’s skill in opening doors and other locked objects with the use of tools. This skill would use the skills Dexterity and Intelligence.

Social SkillsSpeech Presentation (Cha+Int)Speech Presentation helps characters make compelling arguments—When they have a little bit of time to talk. When they have time to get going, they can spin a very convincing, and possibly moving presentation.

Mental SkillsTracking (Alt+Int)Tracking is the skill of finding a query by clues they leave behind. This is not a high-science forensic type of skill, but rather helps a character get an idea as where their query may have gone, if there are even clues to be found.

Auto Repair (Dex+Int)Auto Repair is the skill of repairing automobiles, and perhaps even motorcycles

Bow Making (DEX+INT)Bow making is the skill and art of crafting bows. Computer Programming (Int+Spi)Computer Programming allows Characters to make applications for various systems (Internet, Desktop Computers, Phones, etc). Computer programming is specific to one type of programming. (HTML, Java, C+)

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Section 4Playing the Game

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Playing the Game

If you’ve got your story prepared and all of the characters for the game are squared away, you’re ready to start playing.

The EpisodeEvery session of Paradox Inversion is called an Episode, in which characters endure several situations which advance the story. Each individual situation of an episode is called a Scene.

ScenesScenes within an Episode are just as one would imagine. Scene are situations that occur in one general area without any large change of location or passage of time. In each scene, the GM describes the setting: What is around, who is there, what’s happening, and what seems to be of interest. The players in turn respond by investigating the scene. Generally, talking to characters to get more information, inspecting the environment, and getting more details about the situation by using their skills. In some scenes, characters may see combat, but in many, they will be uncovering or learning parts of the story, and effecting it in their own ways.

Playing In CharacterPlayers can respond to what the GM gives them in first person (“I walk up to the building and look up”) or third person (“Billy walks up to the building and looks up”). Interacting with NPCs is done in this same way—Players can converse with characters to try to coax information out of them naturally (“When did this building get finished? I remember it being and empty lot yesterday,”) which may require dice rolls if the other participant is hesitant. They can also directly ask (“I ask Joe how the building got built so quickly”)

which will much more often require a dice roll if the other party is at all hesitant or suspicious. A large part of all Role Playing Games is playing the role of your character, responding to the story, and enriching it with your own input in the game. What Players put into the game is most of what makes it truly enjoyable.

Rolling DiceDice are used to determine the outcomes of challenging situations in the game. When a character is faced with a task that has a chance of serious failure or consequence, the GM determines what attributes and skills are relevant to the task. The total of these is the characters Action Base for that action. The Action Base is divided by 4, to determine how many dice are rolled. This is always rounded down. When you roll the dice, add the Action Base to the total of the roll. When Dice are rolled to determine the outcome of a situation, it is called an Action Check. When a character has a skill that relevant to the action they are doing, they are making a Skilled Action Check. The Action Bases for these checks always includes one skill. When a character has no relevant skill to whatever they are doing, they are making an Unskilled Action Check. The Action Bases of these checks never include a skill and only use the relevant attributes.

Scenario 1 A character is faced with jumping across two building rooftops. The character has 3 Agility , 4 Strength, and 4 in the Parkour skill. Their Action Base is 11. They would get two dice from their Action Base, and add 11 to the roll. Since one die is free, they roll a total of three dice.

Scenario 2The same character attempts a backflip across two buildings. They already know

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what their Jump action base is... But the GM has decided gymnastics is necessary for this display of flair. Since this character doesn’t have that skill, their Action Base is only 7, with 2 die to roll.

When to Roll DiceAs mentioned, dice need to be rolled when there is a direct consequence for the character’s failure for a particular action. Very simple tasks should not need to be rolled, unless the character is under extreme stress. Tasks that require a specific skill almost always require a roll. Contested rolls, mentioned later, also require rolls.

Who Rolls?The GM rolls dice for NPCs and things they only they need to know. Players roll dice for Actions their players make during the game.

Multiple AttemptsRolls can be attempted more than once if the character fails, in many cases. Some rolls can be attempted again, even if a character succeeds (such as improving a work of art). Some rolls do not have this luxury, however. Under stress, however, it is more difficult to perfect something that is repeatedly giving a character trouble and adding to their frustrations. For each failure, if a character is able to attempt again, they may do so at a -1 die penalty, compounds with each attempt. The first attempt after the failed attempt would be -2, the second, -3, and so on. Characters are always able to roll one die, even if their pool is reduced to zero or below. Players should be wary though, that multiple attempts have their cost. At the least, they waste time retrying what they’ve already failed at. In other situations, characters may find themselves breaking their tools, being locked out of computer systems, accidently rendering locks completely broken, and so on.

Dice ExplosionWhenever a player rolls an 11, or 12, they roll again and add the result to their total. They continue to roll again, until they have no more 11s or 12s.

LuckOn a roll of 12, a player also gains a Luck point. A player can use this counter to gain extra die on an action. Luck points do not have to be used immediately, and are considered ‘safe’ until the next scene. After that point, however, a GM may decide a character’s luck is ‘running out’ and take one luck point, and use it for an NPC or event of their own. Luck points earned at the end of an Episode do not carry over into the next. Players can hold up to their Spirit in Luck points.

Target NumbersDifferent tasks have different levels of difficulty which are represented by Target Numbers (TN). Target numbers are either set by the GM, for a skill check, or set by the aggressor of a contested roll, both discussed very soon. When a player’s dice roll amounts to the target number, they succeed at the action they were attempting. Not succeeding the roll isn’t automatically always a failure—Since some rolls accumulate over time, it may just take a few rolls, and thus more time, to get something done. Sometimes, there’s just margin for error. Target numbers for certain actions can vary slightly depending on the situation a character is faced with. Chart 4-1 shows the difficulty scale, and the average target number for each type of challenge.

The Path of Simplicity (Optional)Many GMs who are familiar with Target Numbers like to vary their amounts for specific situations. If you want a more simplistic way to handle Target Numbers, and how to figure out how much to roll,

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simply figure out the difficult of the action a character is attempting to make, and apply that that amount as the target number. Are they attempting something you would describe as ‘Very Hard’, but not ‘Arduous’? 45. Is it ‘Basic’? 15. Target numbers set by characters for contested rolls and combat should not be changed in this manner, when using this method.

Cumulative RollsSome rolls, particularly ones that need a lot of time put into them, are cumulative. They are rolled while the character is working on them, at various intervals of time. When a character rolls for these actions, they add the new value to any existing one they had before. If a task takes time, such as building or researching something, a character gets one roll toward success every three hours. This represents three hours of solid time spend working on whatever they are doing. Assistance, detailed later in this section is generally also cumulative.

Effective AbilityChart 4-2 breaks down, in how many dice you roll, how effective a character is at an action.

Attribute ChecksWhen a character is faced with a situation in which they have to use their own innate abilities, such as fighting off poison, or keeping their cool under pressure, they roll an attribute check. Common Attribute Checks are Endurance, Reflex, and Composure. Attribute Checks are always contested rolls. They are technically Unskilled Action Checks.

Endurance (Str+End)/2Endurance checks are used to see if a character can withstand some type of physical difficulty, be it poison, or strenuous action.

Endurance checks are rolled when: • A character is exerting physical strength

over multiple rounds• A character is fighting off poison or

disease

Reflex (AGL+ALT)/2Reflex checks are used when a character must react as quickly as possible to avoid a bad situation. When a character must quickly physically react in an unexpected situation they likely have to roll a reflex check to see if they move in time. Reflex, when another character is involved, can become a contested action.

Composure (SPI+INT)/2When a character is faced with something that frightens or truly infuriates them, they stand the chance giving into a fight or flight reaction. The target number to resist this is set by whatever upset the character.

Contested RollsContested rolls are rolls in which two characters are pit against one another. The aggressor of the contested roll sets the target number for the opposing character. If the target number is not achieved, the aggressor wins the roll. Some common contested rolls are lying, chasing, persuasion, hiding, and coercion.

Lying/Detecting DeceptionLying to someone is an Action Check using Intelligence + Charisma + Lying Skill versus the opponents Intelligence + Spirit + Investigation/Lie Detection Skill/Lying Skill (any of these would be appropriate). Details for this contested roll are in Skills: Lying. When a character is trying to discern whether an NPC is telling the truth, the GM rolls a Lying roll for the NPC, which sets the target number.

ChasingWhen a character chases another, the

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character running away (the chasee) sets the target number for the chaser. This roll is both contested and cumulative, as failure on the part of the chaser does not immediately mean the chasee escapes. A running total of both character’s rolls is kept, and successes are compared. When the Chasee has 2 or more degrees of success over the chaser, or the chaser can longer run, the chasee escapes. If the Chaser ever succeeds against the chasee’s target number, they catch their quarry, and the chasee must wait to run again.

PersuadingPersuasion is attempting to find a logical argument or reason to get someone to do something. The usual roll for persuasion uses Charisma + Spirit versus Intelligence + Spirit. Any persuasion skills can be used for either side of the contest. If a character’s argument is entirely logically based, use Intelligence instead of Charisma for the Persuader.

HidingHiding is noted in Skills: Hiding.

CoercionCoercion is forcing someone to do something (or not do something) through use of through mental or physical violence. Most often coercion is used by way of Intimidation, making threats of violence to get ones way. The recommended Attributes for coercive actions are Charisma + Spirit. Resisting coercion uses Spirit + Intelligence.

The condition of a SituationSituations that characters must overcome will be many, and of all types. When characters have to use their skills, the condition of the situation matters and it can help or hinder a character. Generally speaking, each conditional step could provide a -1d12 penalty, depending on the situation.

Best ConditionsIn terms of skills and skill use, ‘Best Conditions’ refer to a situation in which someone has no time, personal, moral, or safety worries. ‘Best Conditions’ assume that there’s no inherent danger to the character or anyone else, for that matter, even if the character does something ‘wrong’, such as pushing a wrong button. Characters in these situations have time to correct their mistakes, often with much time to spare even if there can possibly be a bad outcome. There is no suggested penalty for working under the best conditions. In some cases it may grant a bonus, of the GMs discretion.

Fair ConditionsFair conditions can comprise of deadlines, cars on the road, some possible imminent danger, or something along those lines. A -1d12 penalty is suggested for characters in fair conditions.

Rough ConditionsRough conditions are stressful. In rough conditions, even skilled characters begin to struggle, though the diligent (or innately gifted) can succeed without too much worry, if they make sure to be careful. Doing things during serious storms or intense events can prove to be much more difficult than usual. A -2d12 penalty is suggested for characters working in Rough Conditions.

Challenging ConditionsChallenging conditions are the extremes—Trying to loose an arrow into the throat of a diving dragon, or drift into a turn on a rainy mountainside at 50 miles an hour are just a couple examples of challenging conditions. Being in that same car trying to spot something is just as difficult. A -3d12 penalty is suggested for characters working under Challenging Conditions.

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SuccessWhen a player’s total dice roll is higher than the target number of the task they are attempting to complete, they succeed.

Degrees of SuccessThere will be times in which a player will roll against a target number and score twice or more it’s value. In this case, each increment of the target number is a level of success. Being particularly successful in an activity has a very useful effect, as well—you get into the swing of things. If the action is Uncontested, for each extra level of success you achieve, you get an additional die to use, the next time you attempt the same type of action or skill. Unlike a Luck point, this cannot be taken away by the GM. The end of a session, and passage of time will eliminate this bonus—so if a character receives several degrees of success at the end of a session, they would not have that bonus in the next. In ‘game time’, generally, degrees of success will remain useful for one scene. Storing degrees of success for later use has the same limitations as luck points: You can only have as many as your Spirit Attribute.

Getting AssistanceSometimes, a character may need or want assistance to complete an action. If the action requires a specialized skill, only characters with that skill are able to assist. If the action requires no skill (e.g. phyiscal labor), anyone can assist. Assisting characters roll dice as per their Action Base for an action, but do not add their action base. Only the main character attempting the action adds their action base to the final score. The rolls of everyone involved are added together, and used as the final score.

Coordinated EffortWhen two or more characters are

attempting to do one thing that each understands different parts of, it is a coordinated effort. A coordinated effort can be as simple as working together to make a little booklet, or as complex as building a spacecraft. When coordinating an effort, every character involved must be aware and able to participate in said effort, and if the effort is for a complex task, each participating character must have a proper skill. A proper skill in a coordinated effort is up to the GM, but any skill required for the action is always useful. Characters who have no skills that are helpful to the task at hand are not able to contribute toward the coordinated effort, with the exception of combat. In the coordinated effort of creating something, each character rolls their attempt at whatever they are working on. If any one person fails a roll along the way here, it’s usually not too bad, unless that character is working on a vital part.

Coordinated efforts in CombatIn combat, coordinated efforts affect the initiative order. To execute a coordinated combat effort, each participating character must be aware of the effort, whether it be pre-planned or communicated in the moment. Also, each participating character must have at least one remaining combat action in their turn; if for some reason they have none left when the time comes to coordinate the effort, that character cannot participate. A coordinated effort is rolled when it is the turn of the last character involved in the effort. Each character, in their relative initiative order, then takes action in the coordinated effort. When the coordinated effort is complete, all characters involved are moved in initiative order to the lowest character’s initiative.

Octavia and Cyris are on a covert operation to retrieve sensitive information from a high-security compound. Having been spotted , the

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two attack three guards (Guard A, B, and C, respectively). The initiative order is:1. Octavia2. Guard A3. Guard C4. Guard B5. Cyrus

Cyrus figures it’s best to take out the biggest guard, A, first. Octavia agrees, and holds her action, until Cyrus can act. All of the guards act first, then Octavia and Cyrus take action. Octavia, being higher in initiative order acts first, then Cyrus. The new initiative order is

1. Guard A2. Guard C3. Guard B4. Octavia5. Cyrus

In combat, when a coordinated effort is successfully executed and the intent is damage, or in other words, when two or more characters deal damage, all of that damage happens in a single round, and applies toward the victim’s Damage Threshold.

Assistance and Degrees of SuccessWhen a character receives assistance for a task, they get no bonus for extra degrees of success.

SizeEach character and object fits into a size category. The one players are most concerned with is Medium, which is human sized. It’s assumed that most characters will be human-sized. There are eight basic size steps, and some rolls are modified depending on differences between the character making a roll, and the size of the object or character they are attempting to interact with.

Observation checks and attack rolls in combat are modified by 1 die, increasing

with each size step. Chart 4-3 has each size and its related bonus or penalty.

Fine objectsFine objects are extremely small, but they can still be seen— small bits of lint and long strands of hair fit into this category. Forensic type skills and knowledge, as well as some type of magnification equipment both go very far in helping uncover these items.

Tiny ObjectsTiny objects can fit in the palm of your hand. Coins, bobby pins, and accords are all tiny objects.

Small ObjectsSmall objects don’t take up much space, and rang from a few inches to at most a few feet. Small objects (and creatures) include cats and most dogs, cell phones, glassware, small blades including daggers, and small firearms.

Medium ObjectsMedium objects are at least a few feet long, and can be about the same size around. Many objects fit into this category, from rifles, to Humans, statues, bicycles, and coffee tables.

Big ObjectsBig objects take up a lot of space. They don’t need to be very tall, but they are large and cumbersome to carry or deal with. Cars, refrigerators, cauldrons, large thoroughbred horses, and large bookcases are examples of big objects.

Huge ObjectsHuge objects easily tower over people. Big rigs, boulders, elephants, most small aircraft (and spacecraft), and small buildings such as residences, fit into the huge category.

Gigantic ObjectsGigantic objects take up sizable space. Some most moving gigantic (and beyond)

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objects are immobile, but many large vehicles fit into the gigantic category, such as large commercial jets (or spacecraft), and extravagant cruise liners. Many buildings also fit into this category.

Small ObjectsSmall (and ‘smaller’) objects cannot be hit automatically, even at point blank range. A small object can even be something specific a character is trying to hit, on a larger object.

Big (and bigger) objects [Optional]Objects of the ‘Big’ size step or higher are very easy to spot and unless they are hidden or camouflaged, they usually don’t require a Observation Check to notice. These large objects usually can be automatically hit, at point blank range. A character would automatically hit a building if they were to shoot a gun or fire an arrow at it, however, hitting a certain spot would be much more difficult, requiring a roll.

WeightWeight factors into gameplay by modifying the distance and ease of throwing or carrying an object.

Weight ScoreItems, detailed later, carry a weight score. The weight score determines the minimum Strength a character must have to wield an object without penalty. If a character’s Strength is above an item’s weight score, they take no penalty wielding the weapon, but if the character’s Strength is below the weight score, they incur a -2 die penalty for each point in the item’s weight score, above their Strength. If a character with a Strength of 3 wields a weapon with a weight score of 2, for instance, they take no penalty. If you flip those stats though (2 Strength, and 3 weight), the character then has a -2 die penalty to using the weapon.

(Optional) Carrying CapacityFor every point a character has in Strength, they can carry up to 4 points in weight. Once they pass this capacity, they take a -2d12 penalty on physical rolls for every additional 2 points of weight.

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Section 4 Charts[4-1] Difficulty Scale

Difficulty Target NumberBasic Challenge 15Average Challenge 25Very Hard Challenge 45Arduous Challenge 60‘Impossible’ Challenge 75+

[4-2] Effective Ability Scale

Dice w/o Bonuses1 Weak/Unskilled2 Average3 Skilled4 Extremely Skilled5 Exceptional

6+ Unmatched

[4-3] Size Bonuses/Penalties

Fine -3Tiny -2Small -1Medium 0Big +1Huge +2Gigantic +3Massive +4

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Section 5Items and Equipment

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ItemsMany items in Paradox Inversion help characters do things they may otherwise be unable to do. Many others are simple things everyone needs. Items are anything characters physically use in the game. They are broken down into a few categories: Utility Items, Weapons, Armor, and Vehicles.

Utility ItemsUtility items help characters do things. A wrench, for instance, allows a character to adjust a bolt which they wouldn’t have been able to with their bare hands. A rope with a grappling hook allows a character to scale a wall, given a ledge they can find purchase on. A garment of clothing is an even simpler utility item—The majority of people tend to wear clothes, and its often illegal in modern times not to do so in public.

WeaponsWeapons deal damage in combat, giving armed characters an edge. Against the unarmored, an attack from a weapon is devastating. Weapons are broken up into two basic categories: Melee and Ranged. Melee weapons are held in some way and swung, jabbed, or otherwise used to directly attack an opponent. Ranged weapons are used to attack from a distance, and whatever projectile is causing the damage is not directly held by the assailant. Bows (which shoot arrows), and firearms (which fire bullets) are two obvious ranged weapons. Rocks, javelins and spears (when thrown) are also ranged weapons. When fighting characters with weapons, armor, cover if the assailant has a ranged weapon, or the ability to dodge very precisely are almost mandatory, unless you plan on dying a very quick death.

ArmorArmor prevents damage at the expense of mobility. It directly absorbs certain types of damage, and over time, can break. While some types of armor may seem ‘obvious’, any piece of clothing that would prevent some kind of physical damage can be considered armor. Armor, like a weapon, gives a character a big advantage in combat, especially when the opponent is lacking one or the other.

VehiclesVehicles, lightly detailed in this book, give characters the advantage of mobility.

Item DetailsUtility ItemsUtility Items are used to help characters do tasks or make certain actions possible that are not, without equipment.

RopeRope can be used to tie things together, such as boats to piers, horses to hitching posts, and so forth. Rope can also be used to assist Characters when climbing, if tied to somethign secure. Rope is generally very light.

Grappling HookUsed with a rope, a grappling hook can help a character scale a building or other surface if they can manage to latch it on to something.

Spylass/BinocularsThese magnification items allow characters to see things at a distance. If they are attempting to observe something far away, penalties may be reduced or negated. If used on something nearby (but not too close) they may grant bonuses for observing details about items or people.

Pen and PaperMemory isn’t perfect, and a pen and paper is

Items and Equipment

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always useful to have,

Backpack/Bag/PurseUtility bags allow people to carry things more easily, in various fashions. Their weight varies, largely depending on what’s inside. Without a utility bag of some sort, Characters can only carry what they can fit into the pockets of their clothing and their hands.

WeaponsIn combat, weapons make a very large difference. They allow even unskilled characters to do very large amounts of damage. This, obviously, is extremely dangerous to anyone fighting an armed character. There are luckily several safeguards against weapons. There always exists the ability to attempt to dodge a melee weapon strike, and finding cover can make ranged attacks useless. Armor is the largest protector against weapons in any case, though armor has its penalties as well.

Average DamageAverage Damage is the measure of how much damage an ‘average’ version of the weapon would deal. Quality and modification can change this amount, at the GMs discretion. In general, a high quality version of an item would have an additional die, and a lower quality one would have one less.

Melee WeaponsMelee weapons are handheld instruments of death. They are meant to be held and swung or jabbed at their target. Melee weapons can be dodged, or the some of the damage can be taken by armor. Each weapon type has an associated Damage Sequence and Weight Score. These are the best suggestions for these items types, but they can be modified if needed for your story. Remember, higher values tend to

be better.

Melee Weapon TypesShort BladesAverage Damage: 3 DiceWeight Score: 1Short blades are melee weapons with bladed edges between roughly 3 to 12 inches. These weapons often have one or two cutting edges, and a pointed tip. They are most often utilized one-handed. Blades (short and long) have the possibility of causing targets to bleed.

Long BladesAverage Damage: 5 DiceWeight Score: 3Long blades have bladed edges between one to three feet. Most swords fall under the Long Blades category. Blades on the shorter end of this spectrum (less than two and a half feet) tend to be used one-handed, while the longer blades tend to require two, due to their weight.

Blunt WeaponsAverage Damage:5 DiceWeight Score: 3+Blunt weapons deal damage with sheer traumatic physical force. Any blunt object that deals damage can be considered a blunt weapon. Blunt weapons have the possibility of stunning targets.

Flexible WeaponsAverage Damage: Varies, see AppendixWeight score: VariesFlexible weapons are either entirely flexible, such as a whip, or partly flexible with the part that deals damage attached by some method, such as a flail. These weapons vary in shape and type, and deal different types of damage, depending on the method by which it deals damage. Anything that causes physical blunt trauma deals Blunt force Damage, anything that causes lacerations or bleeding (i.e. has a blade attached) deals piercing and/or slashing damage.

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Ranged WeaponsRanged weapons are projectiles either fired or thrown. Their effectiveness is limited by their range, and if a target is behind cover, the chances of hitting them are reduced. On the flip side, they do allow a character to attack from a very long distance.

Ranged Weapon AttributesCapacityThe capacity of a ranged weapon is how much ammunition it can fire before having to be releoaded.

Reload TimeA weapons reload time equates to how many actions it takes to reload the weapon. Most ranged weapons have a reload time of 1.

Effective RangeA ranged weapon’s effective range is the distance category it is effective up to. Beyond that category, there is a -1 die penalty for each extra distance category. Equipment can be used to offset this penalty.

Archaic Ranged Weapon TypesThe weapons below can be most often found in medieval or settings without firearm technology.

BowAverage Damage: 4 DiceWeight Score: 2Bows are projectile weapons that fire arrows by way of pulling a string attached to either end of a specially curved handle. Bows require both hands to use, and one action to ready an arrow.

CrossbowAverage Damage: 5 DiceWeight Score: 3Crossbows are bows, mounted on a specialized grip, which loose heavy bolts, rather than arrows.

Firearm TypesThe weapons below are most often found in modern settings with similar technology to our own real world.

HandgunsAverage Damage: 3 DiceWeight Score: 2Handguns are weapons often designed to be held with one hand (sometimes braced with a second) that fire bullets or other ballistic ammunition. They fire either single shots or short bursts, but they are not capable of automatic fire. Many hold their ammunition in clips, which contain multiple bullets. These take one round to reload in combat. Otherwise, characters are able to load invidual bullets equal to their Dexterity per round. They are most effective at short to medium range, after which their accuracy tends to dive off.

RiflesAverage Damage: 4Weight Score: 3Rifles are long firearms usually raised to the shoulder in order for the user to look down the barrel and line their shot. As with handguns, rifles fire single or rarely burst shots and are more available to the general market. These weapons have a much longer range than other categories of weapons and are intended for distance shooting.

ShotgunsAverage Damage: 5 (Point Blank Range); 2 (Short Range)Weight Score: 3Shotguns, like rifles, are fired from the shoulder. They fire either spherical pellets from a shell, or a single solid projectile called a slug. They have a generally small capacity, though some tactical shot guns have near-pistol capacities. The disadvantages of shotguns are mainly their short range and limited capacity.

Assault Rifles

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Average Damage:3Weight Score: 3Assault rifles are weapons meant to deal mass amount of damage with automatic capability. The drawback of these weapons is their recoil, causing them to be less accurate at automatic settings, unless somehow stabilized.

Submachine GunsAverage Damage: 2Weight Score: 2Submachine guns, like assault rifles, are capable of fully automatic firing, but use smaller sized ammunition, decreasing their damage but increasing their portability, and accuracy. Submachine Guns are slightly larger than pistols, making them favorable to conceal with proper clothing.

Energy Weapon TypesThe weapons below are most often found in futuristic settings. Technically not quite firearms, rather than using an explosive (gunpowder) to deal damage, they instead use lasers, focused beams of energy, or other sources of power to deliver damage. These are among the most damaging weapons, because with the advancement of technology also comes killing power. Energy weapons may have much higher capacities than ‘traditional’ firearms, and sometimes they contain absolutely no clip with the weapon charged for battle directly.

Laser WeaponsAverage Damage: 2Weight Score: 2Laser weapons use concentrated beams of light to pierce flesh and directly burn their targets. These weapons act much like submachine guns with the ability to fire single shots, short bursts, and fully automatic capability. These come in styles similar to firearms, but each uses roughly the same type of energy.

Plasma Weapons

Average Damage: 5Weight Score: 4Plasma weapons fire charged energy particles at their targets. These weapons tend to be some of the heaviest, even in the Future, due to the complex machinery the weapon encases.

ArmorThere aren’t many ways to stop damage. Armor protects characters from serious harm, at the expense of freedom of movement. Generally, the more effective armor is, the more bulky it is, and the less characters are able to take advantage of attributes such as Agility or Dexterity. When a character wears armor, there is a possibility that they will take an Attribute penalty, lowering the amount dice they get to make certain actions. Almost always, these actions are physical.

Damage ReductionAll armor has a damage reduction amount. Armor reduces damage by that amount. Anytime a character takes damage beyond the armor’s reduction, the armor itself takes damage, depending on how powerful the strike was.

Armor DurabilityDurability is the measure of how much damage a piece of armor can take before it is no longer useful. This is not to be confused with Damage Reduction, how much damage a piece of armor can effectively stop. Lighter, more flexible armors tend to have a higher durability rating, they are only made to absorb smaller amounts of damage, but aren’t as easily permanently damaged. Heavier armors, which offer much higher damage reduction however, are in a way much more vulnerable to damage. When used against weapons and Strengths these armors are intended for, they protect their user extremely well—But when those heavy types of armor take strikes that they

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cannot withstand, they begin to crack, indent, and sometimes shatter away under strikes they were never meant to take.

Armor DamageWhen armored characters take damage, a single die is rolled, depending on how much damage they took that round. Starting with a d4, every 10 points of damage increases the die type by one step. 11-20 damage deals a d6, and so forth. Chart 5-1 explains Remember, for each instance, only one die is rolled, but it is rolled every single time the character takes damage that exceeds their armor’s damage reduction. When the Armor itself has taken damage equal to its own durability, it is rendered completely useless and no longer provides damage reduction of any sort; however, any physical penalties for wearing it still apply.

Reduction TypeArmor is only good against certain types of damage. A Kevlar vest, for instance, would be useless against a person wielding a knife, but if a character wearing one was tagged with a shotgun, it would likely save their life. Armor reduction types are directly related to the three damage types, Piercing, Slashing, and Blunt Force.

ShieldsShields are extremely valuable to trained warriors in combat, as both an active type of armor, and in some cases, a weapon. Actively using a shield to block a strike does take a combat action to do, but used properly, it can prevent otherwise disastrous damage. Shields, unlike regular armor will take much more damage than their more passive counterparts, however, when damage breaches a shield’s DR, the rest goes directly to it’s durability—not the character. Shields are the only armor that do not take a roll for taking damage.

Armor Ranges

Possible Ranges for Armor Durability and Damage Reduction have wider ranges than Weapon Damage, so they are presented in scales, here. Each attribute a piece of armor has is decided by a rank, which is determined by the armor’s category. An average piece of equipment will have a value toward the middle of the rank, a better one toward the top, and lower-quality toward the bottom. Chart 5-2 shows each rank, and how many points it corresponds to, roughly. These ranks are used both for Durability and Damage Reduction, but they will not necessarily have the same value with one item or another.

Armor Physical PenaltyAs mentioned before, using Armor comes with a physical penalty. Heavier armor has a higher physical penalty than lighter armor, but the tradeoff is protection. The Physical Penalty is a dice penalty on rolls using Agility, while the character is wearing the armor.

Armor TypesPadded ArmorDR Range: ADR Type: Blunt ForceDurability Range: CPhysical Penalty: 0Weight Score: 1Padded armor is the most basic type of armor one can find. Heavy enough clothing, such as heavy leather jackets or snow coats could even apply as padded armor, if they are thick enough.

Leather Armor (Soft)DR Range: BDR Type: Blunt ForceDurability Range: CPhysical Penalty: 0Weight Score: 1Leather Armor is some type of cured flesh or similar material, in thick enough (or multiple) layers to reduce blunt force

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damage. Like Padded Armor, (soft) Leather Armor carries a very low penalty. A firmer, but less mobile option for one wishing for more protection with leather would be Hardened (leather) Armor.

Hardened ArmorDR Range: CDR Type: Blunt Force, SlashingDurability Range: CPhysical Penalty: 1Weight Score: 2Hardened Armor refers to stiff armor, leather, (hard) plastic, or otherwise. Hardened armor is not the same as metal armor-- It’s only good for blocking blunt and slashing damage—Piercing attacks will still damage the armor and injure the character.

Reinforced ArmorDR Range: CDR Type: Blunt Force, Piercing, SlashingDurability Range: BPhysical Penalty: 2Weight Score: 2Reinforced Armor refers mostly to armor types that take advantage of putting protective plating on leather or cloth armors through improvisational techniques. Due to the nature of this armor, it is slightly cumbersome, if light.

Light Plated ArmorDR Range: DDR Type: Blunt Force, Piercing, SlashingDurability Range: BPhysical Penalty: 3Weight Score: 3Light Plated Armor consists of strong, model pieces, specific to the task of protecting the body with fixed plates, leaving joints exposed. Agile characters will find themselves slightly bogged down with extra weight, though it’s not so much that they become unable to perform their practiced tasks.

Reinforced Plated Armor (Heavy)

DR Range: EDR Type: Blunt Force, Piercing, SlashingDurability Range: BPhysical Penalty: 5Weight Score: 4Reinforced Plated Armor, also known as Heavy or Full Plate Armor covers the entire body with metal or some similar protective material. These offer some of the best protection, however, they are very cumbersome, and this type of heavy armor is definitely not appropriate for a character that relies on their agility.

Weak PointsThe Armored foe can truly be a great challenge to even skilled fighters, but even great armor has its weaknesses. Aiming for these weak points can allow a character to completely bypass armor and damage reduction completely, making armor completely useless. When aiming for these weak points, use the scales for aiming in melee combat—Except in this case, the character is aiming for joints and small openings within the armor. They take an additional penalty of -2 dice.

VehiclesVehicles allow characters to more quickly get from place to place.

Motor VehiclesMotor vehicles are any land-moving vehicle with an engine that uses some type of fuel or energy. A motor vehicle may require some person-power (a character’s physical action) to start or power the vehicle initially, but after this, they move on their own. If a vehicle requires constant person-power, the vehicle is then considered a Person-Powered Vehicle.

Driving a Motor VehicleDriving a motor vehicle is a Skilled Action using Dexterity + Alertness to avoid obstacles and other road hazards. It is assumed

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skilled drivers know the rules of the road. Nonskilled drivers must make additional Nonskilled Action Checks using Intelligence + Alertness to avoid making obvious mistakes, and figure out just what those symbols on signs mean.

Air VehiclesAir Vehicles, as their name implies, fly in the sky by propulsion, gliding, or hovering. Most air vehicles have some kind of engine for propulsion, but some only glide, or use air currents that already exist.• Propelled Vehicles move forward and

gain altitude by using speed and lift from the air. Airplanes and Modern Space Shuttles are the biggest examples of Propelled Vehicles. Propulsion can generally come from jet engines, propellers, and rocket assistance.

• Gliders require some speed and height to be effective—Or some type of powerful wind. Gliders, since they have no propulsion of their own rely on the pilot’s skill and knowledge of using the vehicle and air patterns in order to stay abreast. Gliders are the most difficult Air Vehicle to successfully pilot.

• Hovering Vehicles do have some type of propulsion system, such as a helicopter’s rotors, but they are not generally propelled forward. Hovering vehicles, unlike Propelled Vehicles, are able to hover and stay in (generally) one position in the air, and from there are able to strafe, turn, and in some cases, pitch up or down. Hovering vehicles are

Piloting an Air VehiclePiloting a plane or other flying vehicle requires a roll to get in the air and stabilize. This takeoff roll is a Skilled Action Check using Dexterity +Intelligence with a target number 35.

Person-Powered VehiclesUsing a person-powered vehicle such as a bicycle is a Skilled Action and uses Dexterity

+ Agility to successfully maneuver. An exception can be made for skateboards, or other vehicles that use only lower body Strength, and no manual Dexterity. For these, instead use Alertness +Agility. The average target number for utilizing Person-Powered Vehicles is 18.

Vehicle AttributesDurabilityDurability represents how much damage the vehicle can take before being rendered unusable. It is similar to a character’s health. In general, the lighter a vehicle is, the less it’s durability.• 8: Skateboard, Longboard• 20: Motorcycles, Bikes• 50: Most consumer motor Vehicles, small

aircraft• 80: Big Rigs, Humvees; Most Civilian

Aircraft• 100: Armored Trucks; Commercial

Aircraft• 150: Tanks, Military Jets

AccelerationA vehicle’s acceleration attribute represents how many rounds it takes before a vehicle is at it’s maximum speed. Vehicle acceleration varies with each different vehicle, but it can make the difference in a chase or a race.

SpeedSpeed represents how fast the vehicle is. It is similar to a character’s speed. This amount is added to the difficulty of driving checks when the vehicle is moving at/near top speed. Each Speed point equates to roughly 8 miles per hour.

Vehicle Speed ScaleFollowing is a general scale of a vehicle’s speed stat. Most vehicles in a medieval setting would likely have a maximum speed of 2 to 3, depending on the level of technology a certain group has. With the modern Era, civilian characters would easily have access to vehicles of a speed up to 12,

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or up to 20 for the more sports and speed oriented. Vehicles in the modern era can be extremely fast, and remember some require clearance (such as racing in an event or military usage) to use. These vehicles have extreme speeds.

• 1:Askateboard;Skates(~8MPH)• 2:LightHorseDrawnCarriageataslowtrot(~16MPH)• 4:MotorDrivenCycle;Moped;Motorized Scooter; Horse Carriage at a ‘safe’ gallop(~32MPH)• 8:LowSpeedConsumerVehicle;Unmodified Vintage (Pre 1960) Motorcycles; UltralightAirplane,SingleEngine(~64MPH)• 12:AverageMidRangeConsumerVehicle; Police Cruiser; Low End Motorcycle (~96MPH)• 16:AverageSportsCar;AverageMotorcycle; Average Helicopter, forward cruising(~128MPH)• 20:HighEndSportsCar;CrotchrocketMotorcycles; Small Airplane Takeoff/Landing(~160MPH)• 24:RacingCars(~192MPH)• 68:CommercialJetcruisespeed(~544MPH)• 96:SonicSpeed,JetsatMach1(~768MPH)• 113:SupersonicSpeed,Mach1.2(~912MPH)• 240:Mach2.5,ManyFirearmProjectiles(~1920MPH)• 285:Mach3,ExperimentalAircraft(~2280MPH)Remember, this and all other scales are here for your reference, if you want a general idea. Between certain vehicles, no rolling would ever even be necessary, such as when the speed difference between the two is grossly different.

Relative Vehicle SpeedsAs a general rule, when two vehicles are moving at maximum speed, if one is faster, it will always ‘break’ a chase in the second round of action, unless for some reason

slowed down. This situation isn’t always likely though, especially when avoiding obstacles.

HandlingSome vehicles have a handling penalty or bonus. This is similar to a character’s Agility. Many vehicles will have a handling modifier of 0, which would mean the vehicle is average among its type.

Vehicle Crashes• When a vehicle crashes, the character

takes the vehicle’s speed as falling damage.

• If the vehicle has some sort of crash protection system, the amount of damage steps are reduced by the value of that system, i.e.: a car with a 3 point protection system would negate 30 damage, and its dice.

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Section 5 Charts[5-1] Armor Damage

Damage Die1-10 d411-20 d621-30 d831-40 d1041-50 d1251+ d20

[5-2] Damage Reduction/Durability Range

Rank Point Range (Average amount)A 0-15 (Average 8)B 16-23 (Average 20)C 24-34 (Average 29)D 35-51 (Average 43)E 52-76 (Average 64)F 77-114 (Average 96)

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Section 6Combat, Damage, and Death

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Combat, Damage, and Death

CombatDamage TypesCertain types of weapons and attacks deal certain kinds of Damage. Slashing damage involves some type of edge, cutting flesh, such as with cutlass, or kukri. Piercing damage involves some kind flesh being punctured with a point, such as a the tip knife, bullet, dart, or spear. It always requires some kind of piercing point (or force). Blunt Force damage involves any impact that doesn’t break flesh. Fists, clubs, and staves fit into this damage category.

Slashing DamageSlashing damage is applied when the aim of the attack is to cut, but not impale. There are weapons that designed to be used in this manner, however, a character can use a weapon that is not a slashing weapon for a slashing attack. In that case, they take a -2 their attack roll. If a character succeeds a slashing attack by two or more steps, the defender rolls and Endurance Check against the attacker’s roll. Failing this roll causes the victim to Bleed.

Piercing DamagePiercing damage is done by bullets, arrows, sabers, knives, and other implements. Weapons that are made to deal piercing damage can be used for slashing in some cases, but using these weapons as such incurs a -2 penalty to the attack. Some projectiles, such as arrows, can be used by hand, as a piercing weapon. Success by two or more steps with a piercing weapon can cause bleeding, and the defender rolls an Endurance Check against the attack roll vs a TN of the damage dealt times 2.

Blunt ForceBlunt force is used with various implements

that don’t particularly cut or stab. Most unarmed damage dealt is blunt force, using feet, fists, knees, elbows, and so force. There are also many specialized (and makeshift) blunt weapons. Blunt weapons cannot deal piercing or slashing damage. Serious blunt force, exceeding a character’s Damage Threshold, can stun them. Characters taking such damage must succeed an Endurance check against their enemy’s attack roll or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.

Combat Actions (Agl+Alt)/2Combat Actions are the amount of actions you can make, during your round in combat. Specific tasks may take multiple actions, and those are divided into Normal Actions, Extended Actions, Quick Actions, and Instant Actions.

Free ActionsFree Actions do not use a character’s allotted combat actions. Anything a character can do without having to think or move should be considered a free actions. Actions that are always ‘Free’ include Dropping an Item (or weapon), talking, catching something.

Standard ActionsStandard Actions take up one of a character’s allotted actions. Most attacks, movements within a character’s speed, and basic tasks are standard actions.

Extended ActionsExtended actions use multiple actions and represent effort over time. Some extended actions include reading a long passage, researching something, shaping a spell.

Instant ActionsInstant Actions are very similar to free actions, except they require some physical motion. Pushing a button once is a free action—Pushing the button again is an instant action.

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Base Attack Pool (Str + Off + Fighting Skill)The Base Attack Pool is used when a character makes an unarmed melee attack. It is a Skilled Action using Strength and Offense.

Weapon Attack Pool (Dex + Off + Weapon Skill)Weapon The weapon fighting skill governs melee weapon ability. It is a skilled action using Dexterity and Offense.

Ranged Projectile Attack Pool (Dex + Agl + Ranged Weapon Skill)The Ranged Projectile Attack Pool is used when a character utilizes a weapon such as a bow or gun. It is a skilled action that uses Dexterity and Agility.

Thrown Attack Pool (Dex + Str + Throwing Skill)The Thrown Attack Pool is used when a character throws an object with the intent to hurt someone. It is a skilled action, using Dexterity and Strength.

Combat ProcedureInitiativeInitiative is the first step of any combat situation. When combat begins, all combatants roll 1d12 and add their Initiative Modifier. The highest number goes first, followed by the next, and so forth. When two characters match scores, the one with the higher speed goes first. If the speed is the same for both characters, roll again. The winner goes first.

Taking ActionWhen it is a characters turn, they are able to:• Make a Movement• Make an Attack• Interact with an item/the environment• Wait• Attempt to dodge an incoming attack

MovementA character can move about twice her/his speed in feet, per action. Characters are also free to make certain actions while in movement. These actions are brandishing a weapon, talking, and loading a projectile weapon such as a gun or bow. Note that ‘acrobatic movements’ such as tumbling a distance, do not allow characters to do other things—It all depends on what the situation is, and what a character can reasonably do while moving. Any major movement, short of pivoting on one foot (which really doesn’t cause you to move anywhere) is a movement action and takes one combat action, even if your character does not move the entire possible distance. A character may be able to get 6 feet of distance in one action, but opt to duck behind something only a couple of feet away. A character can move twice their Speed in feet per action at a regular pace, and four times that at a hurried pace.

AttackIf a character is in range (or has a ranged weapon they can use) to attack an opponent, they roll the respective pool. Melee Attacks use the Base Attack Pool. Projectile Weapons such as Guns and Bows use the Ranged Attack Pool. Thrown Weapons such as Knives, Hatchets, and also rocks and other blunt thrown objects use the thrown weapon attack pool. Any character can attack when it is their turn (or they are waiting after having begun to act), and they are not rendered unable to attack for any reason. The attacker sets the TN for the defender. If a player rolls less than the defender’s Passive Dodge, they miss.

InteractCharacters can use items they have, if they can be used in a round, they can make quick ‘look-about’ searches, push nearby buttons,

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etc.

WaitA character can also wait, or hold their action until further notice. The GM can remind characters who’ve opted to hold their actions to take them, before the combat round is over, but they don’t have to. Players should keep track of their actions. When a character waits, they are ‘dropped out of initiative’ until they act again. They are reinserted into the initiative when they next take action, and if they take no action, they are placed at the very end of the initiative order.

Dodging A character has a couple of options to dodge: Passive and Active. They work as they sound, Active dodging is the active attempt to dodge, and passive dodge is simply a character’s natural self-preservation response.

Passive Dodge (Agl+Spd)/2 Passive Dodge represents a character’s inherent reflexes and ability to avoid damage, due to sheer instinct. The character’s Passive Dodge score acts as a target number for the attacker, and if the amount rolled by the attacker is less than the Passive Dodge score of the defender, the attacker misses, regardless of their Action Base. Passive dodge is reflexive, and takes up no combat actions. No bonus from any dodging skill is added to passive dodge.

Active Dodge (Agl + Spd+Dodge Skill)Active Dodge represents a character’s learned and practiced ability to avoid damage in combat. It takes one action in combat and allows to the character roll against their attacker’s attack roll to avoid damage. A character must declare that they are going to dodge an incoming attack before the attacker rolls their dice. Remember, if a character actively dodges, passive dodge does not apply for that action.

When a character has exceeded their amount of actions, or decides to wait, it is the next character’s turn to act.

Melee CombatWhen a character attacks something or someone with their fists, feet, or mlee weapons, they are making a melee attack. Each attack takes one action to execute. Unarmed attacks used the Base Attack Pool for attack rolls, and those using a weapon use the Weapon Attack Pool.

Main HandMost characters are considered by default to have a dominant or main hand, which they are more comfortable using. When using this hand, characters take no penalty to actions in which they must use it, however, when user the other hand or ‘off hand’, they take a -2d12 penalty. Ambidextrous characters do not take this penalty, however, ambiDexterity must be selected as a character advantage.

Aiming in Melee CombatWhen aiming at certain body parts, there are penalties for aiming for those targets.

Head: -2d12Strikes to the head always deal an additional exploding d12 of damage.

Hands/Feet: -3d12Strikes to the hands cause characters to drop objects, lose their grip on objects and opponents. Dealing damage equal to a characters damage threshold to a character’s hands or feet renders them unusable until the rest of the scene, causing hands to shake and feet to be too painful to move on. Movement or dexterous actions all take a penalty of -2 dice, depending on the location.

Legs/Arms: -1d12Striking the arms of a character has the same effects of striking the hands, but the damage

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dealt must be at least twice the character’s damage threshold to disable them.

Situational Conditions for Melee CombatBest Conditions: No obstructions or distractions around the combatants• Characters take no penalty.

Fair Conditions: Few obstructions/distractions around or near the combatants. Nothing and no one is ‘in the way’ of the scuffle, but likely random distractions (lights/cameras/cheering crowds). Indoor fights in open spaces are generally Fair Conditions for melee combat. • Characters may take a -1d12 penalty.

Rough Conditions: People and/or obstructions very close to the combatants.• Bothcombatantstake-2d12when

Attacking and Dodging.

Challenging Conditions: People and obstructions in the direct way of the fight. Large distractions, keeping focus away from the fight (disaster, a riot, etc).• Both combatants take -4d12 when

Attacking and Dodging.

Ranged CombatWhen a character throws or shoots something, they are making a ranged attack. Ranged attacks use the Ranged Attack Pool. Similar to melee attacks, the ranged attack roll must beat the target’s passive dodge. Targets of ranged attacks still get an active dodge, to attempt to move out of the way if they are aware in immediate danger. Targets who are not aware of a ranged attack, however, get no active dodge.

DistanceThe distance between an attacker and their opponent has an effect on their accuracy. At point blank range, a shooter gets no penalty to firing their weapon. Ranged weapon

attacks beyond their range take a -1 die damage penalty for every range step. This penalty may be mitigated by modifications to the weapon. Melee Combat ranges are Point Blank, Short, Medium, Long, and Sniping. See chart 6-1 for details. For every 40 feet beyond sniping range, you can increase the penalty by 1d12.

Situation Conditions for Ranged CombatBest Conditions: Good sunlight, overcast skies in the daytime as well. No obstructions between the attacker and target. No other people are nearby. The attacker has time to aim.• Characters take no penalty for thrown or

ranged attacks with a weapon.

Fair Conditions: Twilight & Dawn. Drizzling or light rain is possible. Some small obstructions may be between the attacker and target. Other people may be nearby, but not necessarily in the way.• Characters take a -1d12 penalty for

making ranged attacks.

Rough Conditions: Night or a dark setting. Heavy rain or snow. People and/or objects obstruct path and possibly the line of sight between the target and attacker.• Characters take a -2d12 penalty for


Challenging Conditions: Heavy rain, wind, and or very low light. Snowstorms, sandstorms are possible. • Characters take a -3d12 penalty for


AimingIn combat, a character can use combat actions to aim a weapon, and gain an additional die on their next turn. Aiming takes two combat actions. A character’s aim bonus does not apply until the next action of combat, but actions spent aiming do carry

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over into other rounds, as the character continues to aim. Doing anything else, being struck, or majorly jostled in some way causes the character to lose their aim bonus. Characters can gain an aim bonus up to their Dexterity.

Shooting Specific AreasTrying to simply shoot a person or an object has no particular penalty, but trying to shoot something specific does. The smaller the area a person intends to shoot, the higher the penalty to the attack roll.

The penalties for shooting particular targets on people are:• Head: -3d12• Hands: -4d12• Legs/Arms: -2d12

Remember to also apply penalties for firing at ranges beyond Point Blank.

Moving TargetsWhen a target is moving, there are more difficult to hit in ranged combat. When firing at a moving target, the following penalties apply:

• If the target is moving slowly, such as a person walking casually, or a horse trotting slowly: - 1d12

• If the target is moving at a medium pace such as a person jogging, a car driving in a backed up parking lot, or on a residential street.: -2d12

• f the target is moving or changing direction quickly such as a bicyclist riding down a hill, a person ziging and zagging to avoid gunfire, or a car driving down a busy city street: -3d12

• If the target is moving extremely fast such as a car on the freeway, or a sprinting cheetah, a diving bird: -4d12

CoverIn ranged combat, placement matters. A character that is on the ground is harder to

hit from a distance than one that is standing. One crouched around the corner of a wall, peeking out only moments at a time is even more difficult. Characters making ranged combat attacks on others who are prone (from a distance) or behind some kind of cover take penalties to their attacks.

• Barely Covered: If the target is crouched or standing behind an object that covers less than half of their body, the character takes a -2d12 penalty.

• Somewhat Covered: If the target is crouched or standing behind an object that covers half of their body, the character takes a -3d12 penalty.

• Mostly Covered: If the target is crouched or standing behind an object that covers almost all of their body, the character takes a -4d12 penalty.

• Totally Covered: If the target is crouched or standing behind an object that covers all of their body, ranged attacks will fail.

An adult that is about 6 feet tall would probably be Mostly Covered by a city trash can, or even a car, but much smaller person might be totally covered in these situations. Someone standing behind a thin sign pole wouldn’t be considered covered, but a bigger pole (like the kind street lights or stop lights are connected to) might be Barely or Somewhat covering at least. Ultimately, this is up to the GM.

Caveats to CoverThere are some disadvantages to being behind cover. While a character behind cover is more protected, it becomes more difficult to assess situations, without exposing themselves to danger.

• Characters behind cover take the same penalties to Observation checks as their attackers take to attack them, unless they expose themselves.

• Characters behind cover take the same penalties to ranged combat as their

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attackers, unless they expose themselves.

ExposureWhile behind cover a character can briefly expose themselves to better assess a situation, or make a ranged combat attack more accurately. By exposing themselves more, they are able to forgo the penalty they take on attacks and Observation checks, however their opponent’s penalty is lowered by the same amount. As a general rule, if an attacker is aware of a character and they can see each other, one or both is exposed to some extent.

Blind FireBlind fire is simply making a ranged combat attack at a target your cannot see, or are not looking at, but do know the general direction of. There are a couple types of blind fire, depending on whether or not a character is standing behind something.

If a character is not behind cover…• They can make a ranged or thrown

combat attack with any weapon at -2d12, with any penalties for enemy cover. Any accuracy bonuses from the weapon do not apply while blind firing.

If the character is behind cover…• They can make a ranged or thrown

combat attack with some weapons at -2d12, with whatever penalty they take for being behind cover, unless they expose themselves.

• Bows and similar weapons cannot be blind fired from behind cover, unless a character exposes themselves to make an attack. In that case, treat the character as not being behind cover.

Burst FireBurst fire releases a burst of bullets, equaling 3 rounds from a clip and deals an additional 2dx damage, with x being the damage die type of that weapon. These attacks take a -2d12 penalty.

Automatic FireAutomatic fire releases a volley of ammunition equaling 8 for each round the weapon is fired. The first action is fired at no penalty. Each action afterward has an additional -2d12 penalty. Characters can dodge automatic fire as any other attack, unless they are caught in it. When a character is hit with an attack from an automatic weapon, they lose their ability to dodge for the remainder of the gunman’s attack, though the increasing penalties to accuracy can cause unskilled gunmen to miss their targets, even after striking the first time.

Weapon Jamming/OverheatingThe disadvantage of using such complex technology and firearms or future technology is that the weapons have their own mechanical limitations. With sudden repeated use, parts inside of a mechanical ranged weapon can heat up, causing the metal parts to expand and jam, or, in the case of future energy technology, either shut the weapon down as a failsafe to explosion, or melt firing mechanics entirely.• When a weapon is fired for 3 consecutive

actions, roll 4d12 vs a Target Number of 28. This die can explode up to four times.

• If the roll fails, the weapon is jammed and must be fixed, with a Skilled Action using Dexterity + Intelligence + Weapon Servicing Skill vs a TN of 35 to fix the jam. Overheated energy weapons can be fixed in the same way by venting heat via specialized mechanisms on the weapons. This takes two actions in combat.

• If less than 8 is rolled, the weapon is completely destroyed and cannot be fixed.

Special ManeuversSpecial Maneuvers are used in combat by skilled characters. The Base Attack pool a character has covers punching, kicking,

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biting, tackling, and most of those basic things. These maneuvers are considered a bit more advanced than basic instinctual life protection, and while they can be attempting by anyone, they are considered Skilled Actions.

GrapplingCharacters can grapple using Strength+Offense + Melee Combat Skill versus opponent’s Alertness+Agility+Dodge Skill, if the defender wishes to avoid the attempt. Characters that do not opt to resist are simply grappled without need for a roll.

Grappler ActionsWhile grappling, characters can make a number of actions.Attackers Can• Immobilize Enemies• Take Down an enemy• Wrestle an item away• Attack Unarmed• Attack with a Weapon• Release the grappleAnytime an attacker makes uses an action while grappling, the defender gets a reflexive attempt to break free.

Immobilize Immobilizing a character disallows them to do anything but make a contested grapple check, at -2d12. The attacker is unable to take any other action, aside from sustaining the grapple. If the hold is broken, normal grapple rules apply.

Take DownTakedowns render both characters in a grapple prone.

Wrestle an Item AwayWrestling an item away requires a contested Dexterity + Strength + Combat Skill roll. If the offender succeeds, they are holding the item in question.

Attack Unarmed

The Attacker rolls an attack roll. The defender can make a reflexive grapple roll to escape the grapple. This is rolled before the attack roll.

Attack with a WeaponA grappling character that is not immobilizing their enemy can use any weapon they are currently wielding. Medium weapons in this situation receive a -2 die penalty, while small (and smaller) weapons take none. The grappled Character still recieves a reflexive grapple roll to escape.

Release An attacker can release a grapple at any time, as a free action, but this invokes a counter-attack from their opponent.

Grappled Character ActionsDefenders Can• Break Free • Attack• Attack with a Weapon• Reverse the Grapple*Immobilized characters cannot use weapons.

Break FreeA character can attempt to break free of a grapple with a contested roll of Strength + Offense + Melee Combat Skill, if they wish to use brute strength, or Strength + Agility + Melee Combat Skill/Escape Skill if they wish to use finesse to slip out of a hold. This takes a standard action. If a character sucessfully breaks free of a grappler, they may make free attack. The grappler can defend against this as normal if they have an action to use.

AttackA character can make an unarmed attack against a grappling opponent if they are not currently immobilized. If the attack beats the grappler’s damage threshold, they lose their grip. Characters being grappled are not able to throw Characters that are grappling

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them.Reverse GrappleA character can attempt to turn the tide of the grapple with a Contested Action using Stregth + Offense+ Melee Combat Skill. Agility or Dexterity cannot be used for this roll. This takes a standard action.

Attack with a WeaponA grappled character that is not immobilized can use any weapon they are currently wielding. Medium weapons in this situation receive a -2 die penalty, while small (and smaller) weapons take none.

Prone PositionProne is a position in which a character is flat on their back or their stomach. There are benefits and drawbacks to this.• Prone characters make melee attacks at a

penalty of -2d12.• Standing attackers make melee attacks on

prone characters with a bonus of +2d12.• Characters armed with projectile

weapons get a -2d12 penalty to attacking prone characters at ranges farther than Point Blank.

• Prone Characters get a +2d12 bonus to hitting standing characters with range weapons.

• If unnoticed and in the shadows (or in an otherwise stealth-friendly environment) prone characters get a +2d12 bonus on stealth and sneaking rolls, but they move much slower.

• Standing from prone takes one action, but dropping prone is a free action, unless all actions have been used (in combat).

• [Optional] If rising next to a combat enemy, that enemy may use an action to attack the rising character. If the character takes damage that breaches their threshold, they fall back down.

Trip EnemiesCharacters can trip enemies as a Contested Action using Agility + Offense + Melee Combat Skill vs the opponent’s Alertness+

Agility + Dodge Skill. A trip cannot be blocked. If the attack fails , the opponent gains a free counter-attack. Tripping enemies uses one action. If successfully tripped, a character is knocked prone and takes 1d6 damage.

Throw Enemies A character can throw an enemy as a Contested Action using Strength + Dexterity + Combat Skill. The defender immediately gets a reactive action using Alertness + Agility + Dodge Skill to slip out of the attempt or Alertness + Strength + Melee Combat Skill to attempt to forcefully break out of the throw. If the attack is successful, the defender is rendered prone, and takes 2d6 damage. If the defender breaks the throw, combat continues as usual. Throwing enemies uses one action.

Feint A feint is a deliberate attempt to trip up an opponent during combat. A character feints with Charisma + Offense + Combat Skill. When a character successfully feints in a combat attack, they receive a +1d12 bonus to their next attack. A character who fails this attempt is open to a counterattack. Feints do no damage.

BlockingA character can block an attack, rather than dodge it at all. This is a slightly different manuever than some others, and the character will take damage, however, they will take that damage at a reduced rate, and have the possibility of counterattacking their opponent. A blocking character forgoes their passive dodge bonus, and when the attacker strikes, they make a Skilled Action Check using Strength + Endurance + Combat Skill against the attacker’s roll. If the block succeeds, the player reduces the damage amount by an amount of d8 equal to the degrees of success they achieve. Blocking

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takes one action.Relevant Combat SkillsYou’ll notice that no specific combat skills are mentioned in the actions above, meaning it’s possible that a standard hand to hand skill could suffice for executing them. Your GM may decide that these actions require specific skills, such as ‘Boxing’ or ‘Karate’ for Feint as an example. Make sure your GM has clearly stated the way they want these skills to work. If your GM decides that multiple skills are necessary for different feats (e.g. Throws require ‘Martial Arts’) then those particular skills are used for specific actions. All ranks in specific combat skills are added together for the general attack pools. As an example, assume a GM Rules that throwing does require Karate. A Character has the Karate skill (2 Ranks),and a Street Fighting skill (3 Ranks). For the purposes of throwing, only the Karate skill factors into the Action Base. For more common melee attacks (punches, kicks, etc.) they would combine their Karate and Street Fighting skill to determine their action base.

Ambidextrous AttacksWhen a character attacks with both hands at once, they are making an ambidextrous attack, whether or not they are actually ambidextrous. The advantage of these actions is that they effectively allow a character to make two attacks for the combat action cost of just one. The disadvantage is that both attacks are made at a penalty. • If the attacker is not ambidextrous,

meaning they do not have the character advantage ‘Ambidextrous’, their first attack roll takes a -2d12 penalty. Their second takes a -4d12 penalty.

• If the attacker has AmbiDexterity, they take no penalty on their first attack and a -2d12 penalty on the second.

Dealing DamageDamageWhen an attack is successful, damage is

dealt. That damage depends on a few factors, such as the type of attack, weapon, or other variables. Unless otherwise mentioned, the highest number on any damage die explodes.

Unarmed DamageUnarmed attacks deal Xd4 damage, where X is the attacker’s Strength.

Weapon DamageMelee Weapons deal XdY damage, where X is the user’s Strength, and Y is the type of weapon’s die. Ranged weapons deal XdY damage, where X is the user’s Dexterity and Y is the type of weapon’s die. Thrown weapons deal XdY damage, where X is the user’s Strength, and Y is the type of the weapon’s die. Chart 6-2 shows each Major Weapon Type and the Damage Die associated with it.

[Optional] Damage ReductionCharacter with a high Endurance are more resistant to damage, and reduce damage taken by 1 die for every other point a character has in the Endurance Attribute, over 3. At least one die is still rolled for damage in any case.

Elemental and Environmental DamageSometimes, characters are dealt damage from natural elements or changes to their environment. Damage for these situations is broken down here.

FallingWhen a character falls from a height of at least their own size, they risk taking damage. The damage for a fall is dependent upon the height of the fall, depending on the size category. As a general rule, when a character falls from at height at most their own size category (About 10 feet for medium size),

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they may make a Skilled Action using Agility + Strength + Athletic Skill to avoid taking damage from these falls. The TN to beat is 25. Any damage characters take from a fall is dealt in d12s.• If the character falls from a height that is

at most their own size category, they take 1d12 damage.

• For every 10 feet beyond this, the character takes damage equal to the amount of feet plus an additional d12.

You can adjust the units (inches, centimeters, yards, etc) to fit the size of your characters if they are not ‘Human Sized’, such as mice or giants.

Permanent Damage from Falling (Optional)When a character takes at least two times their damage threshold in falling damage, they lose one point in Strength, Dexterity, Agility or Endurance. You can use a d4 to randomly determine which.

ElectrocutionWhen a character is experiences electrical damage, they run the risk of severe damage, and being stunned.

Brief ShockA brief shock is an instantaneous and momentary contact with an electrical source. The damage a character takes from these sources depend upon the amount of electricity behind the shock. Even brief shocks can be extremely fatal.

Shock Damage Scale• Small Shocks from sources such as light

switches and small chords is 1d12.• Medium shocks from sources such as

running car parts or electrical breakers are 4d12.

• Large shocks from sources such as lives power lines are 8d12.

Sustained Contact

Even more deadly that a brief shock of electricity is sustained contact with it. Sustained contact deals damage in the same scale as shock damage, however, characters take that amount of damage each round they are sustaining contact with the source of electricity. The worse issue is that the character must roll an Unskilled Action Check using Strength +Agility or Strength + Dexterity (depending on the situation) to let go, or move out of contact as the electricity causes their muscles to seize. It gets worse. Damage from electricity can still stun characters, by dealing damage over their threshold, causing them to be stuck in a fatal position.

Permanent Damage from Electrocution (Optional)If a character takes damage that’s more than two times their Damage Threshold, they lose one point in a physical attribute, as they would from falling.

SuffocationWhen a character is rendered unable to breathe, either by choking or an environmental lack of oxygen, they begin to take suffocation damage each round they are unable to get air.

Suffocation DamageA character is assumed to be able to hold their breath for an amount of seconds equal to twice their health points. Beyond this time, characters take 1d12 of damage every 2 actions (or about 5 seconds) they are without oxygen.

Permanent Damage from Suffocation (Optional)When a character takes two times their Damage Threshold in suffocation damage, or falls into a coma a result of suffocation damage, they lose 1 point of Intelligence or Endurance.

Fire/Immolation

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Characters can take damage from being briefly burned by fire, or being caught on fire themselves.

Fire Damage Scale• Small open flames and burning embers

from torches and small logs deal 2d12 damage, and have a chance to burn their victim.

• Characters with parts of their bodies such as arms or legs lit ablaze take 3d12 damage each round they are in contact with the source of the fire.

• Characters completely immolated take 8d12 damage each round they are engulfed.

• Characters caught within a massive amount of intense fire (a firestorm) take 12d12 every round they are caught within in.

BurningWhen characters takes twice their Damage Threshold or more damage due to fire, they are burned, and take a -3d12 penalty for every physical action they make that causes the burned area to be used or agitated in the future. Characters burned by fire heal at a rate of 1 week for every ten points of damage they took, minus half of their Endurance.

Permanent Damage from Fire (Optional)When a character takes two times their Damage Threshold in fire damage, they lose one Agility, Dexterity, Charisma, or Endurance, depending on what part of their body took the most damage.

FreezingLeft exposed in the cold, characters will begin to slowly freeze to death, as their bodies begin to shut down. When characters cannot find refuge in deadly-cold places, they will begin to take damage.

Freezing Damage Scale• For every 15 minutes out in the cold

(less than 30 degrees F, more than 0), characters take 1d12 damage.

• For Harsh Cold (0 to -25), they take 3d12 damage every 15 minutes.

• For Extreme Cold (Beyond -25) they take 6d12 every 15 minutes.

Permanent Damage from Freezing (Optional)When a character takes twice times their Damage Threshold in freezing damage, they lose point in a physical attribute, Strength, Dexterity, Agility, or Endurance, as they would from falling or being electrocuted.

Combat EffectsBleedingSucceeding by two or more steps on an attack roll with a piercing or slashing weapon has a chance of causing an opponent to bleed. When this happens, the opponent rolls an Endurance Check vs the attack roll against them. If they succeed, they receive no additional effect or damage. If they fail, they bleed profusely for 2d4 rounds. During this time, any strenuous action, such as running or attacking incurs 2d6 damage. Resting causes only 1d4 damage.

StunnedIf a character takes damage equal to or greater than their Damage Threshold from Brute Force attacks, they may become stunned. Stunned characters are unable to make any action for 1d4 rounds. Their passive dodge does not apply, and they cannot actively dodge.

Low HP, Unconsciousness and DeathLow HPWhen a character’s HP is less than half of their damage threshold, they receive a -2 die penalty to all rolls.

Staying Awake

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Once a character’s HP has dropped blow half of their damage threshold, they must make an Endurance check vs TN 25 to stay conscious. Failing this roll causes the character to fall to the ground. This is rolled each round, before any action is taken. Characters who succeed this roll three times consecutively, and take no damage between, no longer have to roll again for to stay awake, until they are again damaged.

Coma and DeathWhen a character’s HP is 0, they are immediately rendered unconscious, and considered effectively ‘in coma’. Characters can still be attacked while in coma, though, they are not immediately dead until they reach the negative value of their damage threshold. When at 0 HP or less, the character must succeed roll against TN 15 using Spirit and Endurance as the Action Base. If they fail this roll, the character dies. If they succeed, the Character regains HP as normal.

HealingEvery night a character rests, if injured, they roll Xd4, where X is the character’s Endurance. They regain this must HP after a nights rest. These dice to nto explode. When resting (actually resting, not going out and about running errands, fighting monsters, etc) but awake, characters regain their Endurance in HP.

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Section 6 Charts[6-1] Weapon Range Penalties

Point Blank Range (0-10ft) No PenaltyShort Range (10ft-40ft) -1d12

Medium Range (40ft-80ft) -2d12Long Range (80ft-120ft) -3d12Sniping Range (120+ft) * -4d12

[6-2] Weapon Damage Die Types

Weapon Type Damage DieBlades/Arrows d8Blunt Weapons d6Light Firearms/Low Calibur

d10

Heavy Firearms/High Calibur

d12

Energy Technology/Explosives

d20

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Section 7Character Advancement

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requirements that must be met in order to be raised. At least one of the related Attributes a skill uses must be at a certain level to raise that skill. Refer to Chart 7-2 when increasing your skills. Remember, only one related Attribute needs to reach the minimum in order to raise a skill.

Character AdvantagesFor every 80 Experience Points a character gains, they recieve one Advantage.

Attribute/Skill CapIn Paradox Inversion Core, attributes are capped at 5 ranks and skills are capped at 10 ranks. Remember, this is the suggestion. If the action in your game goes above and beyond the normal, the regular cap may not apply.

ExperienceExperience represents growth that characters have made through the course of an adventure. This concept goes beyond simply being successful at what they attempt and slaying their enemies. What grants the most Experience depends on what is important. If combat and killing enemies is the goal of the game, than that will grant Experience. If the goal of the game is to experience a story and drive the action by reacting, then that will grant Experience. Experience points are generally granted for playing in character, providing solid ideas and plans, involving oneself in the story, and helping move it forward.

Character AdvancementRaising AttributesThe next rank in any Standard Attribute costs the next rank x12. Attributes ranked 5 and above have a multiplier of x16 associated with their cost. Attributes have certain skill requirements that must be met before they can be raised. Chart 7-1 shows how many skill points a character must have that are associated with the attribute in order to raise it. All skills that use the attribute the player wishes to raise will factor into this requirement. In other words, if a character wanted to raise their Strength from 3 to 4, they would check the total of all of their skills that used Strength against the preceding table. Remember, Derived Attributes cannot be raised directly.

Raising SkillsSkill points can be raised at the new value’s cost times 2. When a skill reaches five ranks, the cost is x3. At 9 ranks, it’s x4. Like Attributes, skills have

Character Advancement & Experience

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Section 7 Charts[7-1] Attribute Raise Requirement

Related Skill Minimum

1 No Minimum2 No Minimum3 54 105 15

[7-2] Skill Raise Requirement

Related Attribute Minimum

2 14 26 38 410 5

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(Section 8) GM SectionInfo for people running games

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GM ConsiderationsIf you plan on running a game with the Paradox Inversion system, this is a great section to really get the idea behind of the mechanics, as well as notes as well a bit of clarification with some items. Players are perfectly welcome (and encouraged) to read through the GM section of Paradox Inversion Core, if they want a better understanding of how the game works.

Rule ZeroWhen running your game, remember that the most important rule of GMing is that you control the world. You are the final referee of your game, and ultimately, what you say goes. Your rules trump even what is written in this book. What you say goes. This comes with the responsibility of making your game fun for your players. Roleplaying games aren’t like many others, and there’s no reason to lord over everyone. What I said above is important because it’s true. You can stop the game and tell everyone to go home if you like, but where’s the fun in that? Not to mention, if your players aren’t having any fun, why are you wasting the time talking? Use your power to keep the game moving, but be fair. Make sure that your players are getting what they want out of the experience, too. While you’re GMing, you’re a storyteller a referee and a player, all in one. If you do intend to stray from the book, make sure to be clear about that with your players. They can read these rules any time, but if you have special rules of your own, you should be sure to make them available, or remind your players.

Starting off on the right footWhen you create your story, you need to have enough information available for players to create the characters they need to. The less information you give players beforehand, the more likely it will be that character concepts don’t fit into the story as

easily as you’d hoped. These kind of hangups can potentially be the end of a game. It’s vital that you lay your expectations on the table, and give Players ample enough information to build their characters off of.

Equipment ImportanceThe importance of equipment can vary from game to game—Some of you may prefer that characters actually have a tool for a task, after all, how can a street urchin pick a lock with her bare hands? On the flip side, the skill may be enough, and you may decide the characters simply have all of the tools they would reasonably use on a regular basis—thinking of the same street urchin, if she’s such a master of breaking and entering, why wouldn’t she carry a pin to shimmy the lock? It’s all about what you want to do, and how you want to do it. It’s also part of the reason why lists of items are particularly sparse. Equipment can be as abstract or concrete as you want it to be, but anything that has a definite effect on the outcome of a situation (other than storywise) really should have concrete details, especially if that object can be used as a weapon. Be sure to let Players know what equipment is important, as it will definitely effect how they start.

CharactersWhat are appropriate Concepts?A player’s concept is what gives them the best idea of their skill, but it should be appropriate to the game you’re running. Make sure all of the player’s concepts are compatible. If a situation calls for a group of teenage students running from a (lot of) murderer(s), the concept of an ex-soldier might not be appropriate.

Attributes and Skills: In CharacterIn the same vein of appropriate choices, keep in mind who characters are when players make their attribute choices. A

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farmer, for instance wouldn’t likely have skills like Lockpicking or Alchemy. Strange choices often require some reasoning or explanation. If that same farmer actually made his living by stealing from a nearby town and selling to another, Lockpicking might be much more reasonable. Again, make sure these types of characters are in line with the game you’re running. One way to keep a handle on this is by thinking of your campaign in a ‘Mundane vs. Fantastic’ perspective. At the start of the game, are the characters mundane, everyday people? If that’s the case, let them know. Make sure players know that while they might not be able to have all the skills they want at character creation, they can possibly get them throughout the story through experience. With a more ‘Fantastic’ scenario, give the characters experience points and a bit more freedom in their choices. Again, be sure these things fit the Character.

NPCsIt’s good to have a handful of well-fleshed out NPCs that you can use, but on the whole, it depends on what the purpose of the NPC is. You can ‘abbreviate’ NPCs, such as ones that won’t ever see combat, or do more than one single thing that requires a roll. One easy way to think about NPCs is in three types. The first is ‘The Microphone’. The Microphone is only there as a means of information, will never see combat, and literally doesn’t require any attributes. People that appear in visions, or characters that are on a different scale than the players, but don’t do anything and aren’t effected by anything that would require a roll, would be a Microphone. The second is “The Mook”. The Mook is most often used for weak allies or enemies. They are ‘full characters’, but often built with a few less points, and usually lacking any advantages. They generally have one purpose, and don’t generally appear as more than lackeys.

The third is “The Outlier”. The Outlier is a character on par with the players, and meant to offer serious help or challenge, depending on their relationship. As per the name, there aren’t many outliers in stories, and if they’re evil, they’re often main threats. They often have an Advantage or two, just like the players as well. You can flesh out your NPCs as much as you like, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a large portfolio of completely filled out NPCs to use and reuse in your campaigns.

Failing a rollPlayers may often fail rolls, but that doesn’t mean they absolutely fail at what they are trying to do. In the case of something high-pressure that requires a good amount of skill, outright failure is definitely a possibility—But in some cases, you might simply want ‘a different direction’. A character picking a lock for instance, might accidently break it—while managing to get the lock open. They did certainly succeed, but their goal of being completely undetected is now a moot point, and you have another facet to your story, if you so desire. On that note, failure of extended rolls, for things like mechanics might have dire (if not immediately seen) effects, and so forth.

Another idea for Failing Rolls: The rule of 3When a character consistently fails on a certain action, you could also employ the rule of 3: On the third attempt, a character simply enacts unfortunate consequences on their actions in the form of breaking what they’re trying to fix, or making other costly mistakes.

Target NumbersTarget numbers set the difficulty for tasks that require a dice roll. With contested

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rolls, there is no need for you to set a target number, unless otherwise stated. For other tasks, however, the target numbers should be set before play. Target numbers are generally set what appears to be fairly high, however, when you factor in a character’s skill, a high target number is much easier to reach. Even with high target numbers, an unskilled character can certainly ‘get lucky’.

If you’re having trouble deciding what target numbers to use, just use the simple approach.

Difficulty Target NumberBasic Challenge 15Average Challenge 25Very Hard Challenge 45Arduous Challenge 60‘Impossible’ Challenge 75+

Here is the difficulty range, one more time.

The Values of Item Attributes are up to YouThroughout this book, there are many examples of different items, with the largest in the first Appendix. There is absolutely wrong with having the exact same attributes for items that are the same, such as two short swords. For some of you, this will be entirely too generic, and you’ll want different attributes, That’s perfectly valid as well. If you want an item to be stronger/newer/more desireable, push it’s attributes a little boost. Otherwise, do the opposite. If it’s average, the examples in the book should work just fine.

Preparing Your GameWhen GMing your own game, there are some things you’ll want to keep in mind before you have people make characters.

Before the Game: Story PlanningThe first order of business is the story.

Paradox Inversion and many other tabletop RPGs are all about telling stories. Without it, you’re just rolling a bunch of dice. You don’t need to have an entire script written out. In fact, this is a bad idea: One interesting and great thing about these types of games is that players will do things you don’t expect and derail your plans faster than you expect. Instead, focus on main points of your story. What themes are most important? What scenes actually tell the story? These are the scenes you want to flesh out most. At the very least, you’ll want to have some details for the beginning, some introduction for NPCs (which could also be in the beginning), a Climax, and a (couple of) resolution(s). Players can (will) always surprise you, so it’s best to anticipate characters doing things you don’t expect. If you have a couple of resolutions for each major scene, you’ll have most of your base covered with the occasional situation of having to wing it completely. Avoid extremely linear plots, and events that require your players doing things that they may never think to do in the first place. Again, when you’re ready to start making Characters, make sure your players know your intentions, and have the information they need.

Setting Your NumbersBefore your Story, be sure that all of the numbers you need are accessible. These will be the most common items, NPCs, and penalties you may need to apply if, for instance, one of your scenes happens during heavy rain in the dead of night. R

Running Your GameExplain what characters need to knowWith every new scene, remember to give all of the relevent details that characters need off the bat. These will usually be:

• Time of day

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• Location (Open field? Downtown warehouse?)

• Weather (is it sunny and clear? Foggy? Rainy?)

• Who’s around, who stands out• Anything grossly out of place

Obviously, some things are going to require some interaction to find out. Be sure to mention characters that stand out or may be important, unless you intend to reveal those things later. You can always have characters roll Observation checks to notice details that aren’t completely obvious.

Know which Attributes are most relevant to a rollRemember, all actions, skilled or not use two relevant attributes. You can find a refresher on what Attributes may be most relevent to a situation in the Skills Section.

Let the Players drive the story where possibleWhen designing and playing your game, remember, your players have a lot invested in the events of the game, and their actions should drive the actions where possible. If a player has a unique skill or advantage, try to find a way to work it into the current scenario. If a character is great at Eavesdropping, they might stumble onto a conversation between two enemies. If a character has a great climbing skill, there may be a place that is only accessible by climbable rocks, or a trellist. You are best off expecting your players to use the skills they choose, and you should expect your stories to take turns you don’t expect.

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Appendix AItems and Equipment

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Blades

Weapon Name Weight Damage Bonus D. TypeDagger* 1 1d8 P/S

Shortsword 2 2d8 P/SLongsword 3 3d8 P/STwo-Handed Sword 4 4d8 P/SPunch Dagger 1 1d8 P

*Daggers can be thrown at no penalty with any knife throwing skill.

Melee Weapons

Weapon Name Weight D. Bonus D. TypeClub/Bat 2 2d6 BMace/Maul 4 4d6 BQuarterstaff 3 3d6 BWar Hammer 5 5d6 BBrass Knuckles* 1 1d6 B

*Brass Knuckles are not treated like normal weapons. They do not use the Weapon Attack Pool, and instead use the Base Attack Pool.

Flexible Weapons

Weapon Name Weight D. Bonus D. TypeBullwhip 1 2d4 SNunchaku 2 2d6 BSectional Staff* 3 3d6 BFlail 3 3d6 BSpiked Flail 3 3d8 P/B

*The Sectional staff can be used either as a solid staff or a three-sectional weapon with a short chain between each link. Using the staff as such incurs a -3d12 penalty to rolls with it. Skill in this specific weapon reduces the penalty, point-per-point.

Archaic Ranged Weapons

Weapon Name Weight D. Bonus D. Type Range Capacity Reload

Short Bow 2 2d8 P Medium 1 1Long Bow 3 2d8 P Long* 1 1Crossbow 3 3d8 P Short 1 2Sling 1 2d6 B Short 1 1

*+2d12 on aimed shots beyond long range on unaware targets.

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Firearms

Weapon Name Weight D. Bonus D. Type Range Capacity ReloadPistol, S. Auto (Low Cal, Police Issue)

2 2d10 P Medium 8 1

Pistol, S. Auto (Low Cal, 9mm) 2 3d10 P Medium 8 1Shotgun, Double Barrel (12 gauge)

4 5/2d10* P Short 2 1

Sniper Rifle, Bolt Action 3 6d12 P Sniping 1 1Submachine Gun (Uzi) 3 3d12 P Medium 32 1Shotgun, Riot (Beanbag Rounds)

3 5/2d6* B Short 5 1***

Assault Rifle (Automatic) 3 5d12 P Long 32 1Hunting Rifle 3 3d12 P Long 4 1

*Shotgun damage is modified by distance. Shotguns do reduced damage at medium range and none beyond.

Energy Technology

Weapon Name Weight D. Bonus D. Type Range Capacity ReloadLaser Pistol 2 4d12 P Medium 12 1Laser ‘Magnum’ Pistol 3 5d12 P Medium 8 1Laser Rifle 4 7d12 P Long 8 1Plasma Rifle 1 8d12 B Long 1 1

Throwing Weapons

Weapon Name Weight D. Bonus D. Type RangeThrowing Knife 1 2d8 P ShortThrowing Axe 2 3d8 S ShortDart 1 1d8 P ShortJavelin/Spear 3 3d8 P MediumBoomerang 2 2d6 B Medium

Armor

Armor Weight DR DR Type Durability P. PenaltyOld Leather Armor 2 12 B/S 25 0Cured Leather Armor 2 20 B/S 28 0Motorcycle Jacket** 2 18 B/S 25 0Motorcycle Suit* 3 28 B/S 20 3Knight’s Plate Armor 5 52 S/P/B 20 5Chain Mail 3 20 P/S 28 0Heavy Leather Jacket 2 8 B 30 0Combat Suit, Armored 4 40 S/B 22 3Kevlar Vest 3 28 B*** 25 1

*The kind intended for serious racing.

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**Jackets only protect the torso.***Bullet damage, unless armor-piercing, is considered Blunt Force damage.

Vehicle Speed Handling Accel. DurabilityConsumer Car (Cheap) 10 0 6 50Sports Car 15 2 4 40Motorcycle 18 2 4 25Bicycle 2 1 3 20Skateboard 1 0 1 15Motor Scooter 5 3 3 40Moped 3 2 4 18Military Jeep 14 1 5 60Armored Truck 10 2 8 95Single Engine Airplane 20 0 12* 80Fighter Jet 60/113** -2 4 140Civilian Helicopter 16 0 8/4*** 70Muscle Car 12 0 4 60Tank 5 0 5 160

*Most airplanes need to build speed to take off, but once in the air, are already at their maximum speed.**Vehicles with afterburners have two effective speeds: One without afterburners and one with, if applicable.***Hovering vehicles like Helicopters have two effective Acceleration rates: One to take them info the air (the first) and the second to go from ‘hovering still’ to cruising at maximum speed.

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Appendix BSample Characters

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Sample CharactersCharacters are noted in a fairly simple format, as follows. Standard and derived attributes are noted by the numbers following them. Anything in brackets such as, “[1d12+1]” is a dice roll, with the Action Base on the right. Anything in parenthesis such as, “(Str+Dex)” are related attributes to a skill.

These Characters are provided as a resource to you. You are free to do whatever you like. If you don’t like an Attribute or Advantage, change it.

Basic CharactersThese characters are all built using the rules given in the Character Creation Section. Each is based on the examples given in that section as well. These characters are entirely functional, and work as NPCs.

AcademicStandard AttributesStrength 2; Dexterity 2; Agility 2; Alertness 3; Endurance 2; Charisma 3; Spirit 3; Offense 2; Intelligence 4

Derived AttributesHealth 28; Damage Threshold 8; Initiative Mod 5; Speed 2; Combat Actions 3, Passive Dodge 5

Common ChecksEndurance Check [2d12+4]; Reflex Check 2d12+5; Composure Check [2d12+7]

Combat RollsBase Attack 2d12+4; Weapon Attack Pool [2d12+4], Ranged Attack Pool [2d12+4]; Thrown Attack Pool [2d12+4]; Active Dodge 2d12+5

SkillsCoffee Binge (Research) 4 (Int+Alt) [3d12+11]; Why, yes I do speak _____ (Second Language) 3 (Int+Alt) [3d12+10];

Biology 3 (Int+Alt) [3d12+10]; Why did you feel that way? (Psychology) 1 (Int+Alt) [3d12+8]

AdvantageAll in the details (Dice Advantage)The Academic gets +1d12 to Research rolls.

AcrobatStandard AttributesStrength 3; Dexterity 2; Agility 4; Alertness 3; Endurance 3; Charisma 2; Spirit 2; Offense 2; Intelligence 2


Common ChecksEndurance Check [2d12+6;] Reflex Check [2d12+7]; Composure Check [2d12+4]

Combat RollsBase Attack [2d12+5]; Weapon Attack Pool [2d12+4]; Ranged Attack Pool [2d12+6]; Thrown Attack Pool [2d12+5]; Active Dodge [2d12+7]

SkillsDodge 3 (Agl+Alt) [3d12+10]; Tumbling 3 (Agl+Alt) [3d12+10]; Climbing 2 (Str+Dex) [3d12+5]; Jump 2 (Str+End) [3d12+8]

AdvantageCircus Acrobat (Dice Advantage)The Acrobat gets +1d12 when Tumbling off of a person.

BuilderStandard AttributesStrength 2; Dexterity 3; Agility 2; Alertness 3; Endurance 2; Charisma 2; Spirit 4; Offense 2; Intelligence 3

Derived AttributesHealth 28; Damage Threshold 8; Initiative Mod 5; Speed 2; Combat Actions 3, Passive

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Dodge 5

Common ChecksEndurance Check [2d12+6]; Reflex Check [2d12+7]; Composure Check [2d12+4]

Combat RollsBase Attack 2d12+4; Weapon Attack Pool 2d12+5; Ranged Attack Pool [2d12+6]; Thrown Attack Pool [2d12+5]; Active Dodge 2d12+5

SkillsReinforce with Badassery (Welding) 4 (Dex+Int) [3d12+10]; ‘Rod Research (Car Design) 3 (Int+Spi) [3d12+10]; Dismantle. Assemble. (Reverse Engineering Items) 3 (Int+Spi) [3d12+10]

AdvantageSure Weld (Action Base Advantage)The Builder gets +6 when using their welding skill on an item.

CharmerStandard AttributesStrength 2; Dexterity 2; Agility 2; Alertness 3; Endurance 2; Charisma 4; Spirit 3; Offense 2; Intelligence 3



Combat RollsBase Attack [2d12+4]; Weapon Attack Pool [2d12+5], Ranged Attack Pool [2d12+4]; Thrown Attack Pool [2d12+5]; Active Dodge [2d12+4]

SkillsSo... Deal? (Persuasion) 3 (Cha+Spi) [3d12+10]; My Lips are Sealed (Resist

Telling Secrets) 3 (Spi+Int) [3d12+10]; Trust Me (Coax Information) 4 (Cha+spi) [3d12+11]

AdvantageBabyfaced (Dice Advantage)The Charmer gets +1d12 when Lying to people.

BrawlerStandard AttributesStrength 3; Dexterity 2; Agility 3; Alertness 2; Endurance 3; Charisma 2; Spirit 2; Offense 4; Intelligence 2




SkillsCracking Heads (Unarmed Combat) 4 (Str+Off) [3d12+11]; Hit me! (Taunt) 2 (Spi+Int) [2d12+6]; Dash (Running Skill) 2 (Str+Agl) [3d12+8]; Bob & Weave (Dodge Skill) 2 (Agl+Alt)[2d12+5]

AdvantageWrestling Enthusiast (Action Pool Advantage)The Brawler gets a +6 bonus to Grappling rolls.

The MassesThese Characters are built on 10 Points instead of 14, and have no advantages. They are great NPCs to provide minor assistance or threats to the players. These characters

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are built the same way as player characters, otherwise, but their point allocations have been limited, like their points. They have 1 Notable Attribute, 1 Above Average Attribute, and 2 Weak Attributes. They have only 5 skill points, and their skills are capped at 3.

ThugStandard AttributesStrength 4; Dexterity 2; Agility 1; Alertness 2; Endurance 2; Charisma 2; Spirit 2; Offense 3; Intelligence 1




SkillsBruising (Melee Combat) 2 (Str+Off) [3d12+9]; Hitting Stuff with Stuff (Melee Weapon Combat) 2 (Dex+Off) [2d12+7]; Duck (Dodge Skill) 1 (Agl+Alt) [2d12+4]

ThinkerStandard AttributesStrength 1; Dexterity 2; Agility 2; Alertness 3; Endurance 2; Charisma 2; Spirit 2; Offense 1; Intelligence 4


Common ChecksEndurance Check [1d12+3]; Reflex Check

[2d12+4]; Composure Check [2d12+6]


SkillsJust Say Something (Lying Skill) 2 [2d12+6], Tell them nothing! (Resist Coercion) 3 [3d12+9]

SocialiteStandard AttributesStrength 2; Dexterity 2; Agility 2; Alertness 2; Endurance 1; Charisma 4; Spirit 3; Offense 1; Intelligence 2




SkillsSame Old Story (Lying Skill) 3 (Int+Spi) [3d12+9]; Play Dead (Pretend to be dead) 2 (Spi+Int) [3d12+8]

paradox inversion core: a universal roleplaying system

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