Encounter Core Rules

We are using a three-die system where you keep the middle number unless otherwise stated. You take a Power and Quality of your choice, and your Zone as your dice pool. Keep all of your rolled dice out until the end of your turn as they may be used for additional effects. When lacking an applicable Power or Quality, roll a d4 for that die.

Standard Actions

Attack

Boost

Hinder

Overcome (skill checks, saves, etc.)

Defend

Risky Actions — Add an extra effect to a basic action by accepting a minor twist (pages 29–30)

Damage

Damage equals the number on the die.

Enemies roll a Save using their own die. If the result is equal to or greater than the incoming damage, they survive but drop a die size (if possible). If they fail, they are defeated.

PCs take damage directly. No Save

Overcome

Used for anything outside of standard actions. Major and Catastrophic Twists likely not present outside of Action Scenes. If they are, players will be alerted before attempting. Should you be required to roll an Overcome using a D4 as a Power or Quality, but still gain a Success Beyond Expectations of a 12+, you will gain a new appropriate D6 Power or Quality.

Effect Die | Outcome

0 or less — Action utterly, spectacularly fails. If attempted Action is in an Action Scene, a Catastrophic Twist may occur.

1–3 — Action fails. If in an Action Scene, add a Major Twist. Situational possibility of success only if a major decision is present.

4–7 — Action succeeds with a Minor Twist.

8–11 — Complete success.

12+ — Success beyond expectations and granting a boon to at least one participant.

Example: You attempt to disarm a bomb.

Minor Twist: You have to focus all of your attention on the problem and take damage while doing so.

Major Twist: You half the amount of remaining time on the bomb timer.

Catastrophic Twist: The bomb goes off

Boost / Hinder

Adds or subtracts from a target’s next roll.

Effect Die | Bonus/Penalty

0 or less — No effect

1–3 — ±1

4–7 — ±2

8–11 — ±3

12+ — ±

Defend

Reduce the next instance of damage to a target (self or ally) by the number rolled.

Hit the Deck! 

Occasionally, an Attack looks so serious that you want to throw yourself into a defensive position, heedless of other dangers. A basic Defend action can be done once per round, out of turn, as a reaction by activating a minor twist (page 30). You may only Defend yourself this way and not others.

Heroic Sacrifice

Occasionally, an Attack that is directed towards another looks so serious or comes so suddenly that you feel instinctively obligated to throw yourself in its path, heedless of all danger to your person. This may only be done in protection of an NPC (or a PC that is at critical HP and in danger of going down). Out of turn and using a Reaction, you may choose to either absorb all of the damage yourself or take a Twist. Should you choose to take the damage, reduce the damage taken to yourself by the Mid die on your Defend roll. Should you choose the Twist, gain a Catastrophic Twist on a 7 or lower and a Major Twist on an 8-12. Should you somehow manage a 13 or higher, only take a Minor Twist and 1 point of emotional damage as your DM curses you for finding a way to pull off the impossible.

Persistent and Exclusive:

Persistent: Persistent mods last until an effect gets rid of them, until it makes sense

for them to stop (someone makes an Overcome action to stop it, for example), or until the end of the scene at the longest.

Exclusive: You can only use one exclusive bonus and one exclusive penalty per roll. You may

use other mods alongside exclusive mods, but only one exclusive positive and one negative mod.

Custom Rules

Limit Break Dice

At the end of each session, each player awards one 1d4 Limit Break die to another player based on roleplaying or creative contribution. These dice:

Last only for the next session

May support another character (but not by request)

Are added after rolling, not before

Encounter Initiative

We are not using “pass the baton” initiative. Instead:

A set turn order is established at the start of combat

The GM creates an initiative list, generally alternating PCs and NPCs

Players may request to swap their position in initiative, where they’ll remain until changed again

Players can act on the same turn if coordinated

The Environment acts at the top of the Round and cannot be skipped or rearranged

Eyriatsun

Structure

16 lines total, alternating between players (8 turns each).

Each turn consists of:

A rhymed line to the last line spoken by the opponent.

A second line of your choice to be rhymed by opponent’s new first

Either of these two lines using a word from the Lore Tree.

Lore Tree Categories:

Person 

Object 

Creature 

Emotion

Action 

Penalties (+/-1 for each):

Breaking world logic (e.g., impossible tech, world-breaking magic).

Controlling the opponent’s character or actions.

Failing to incorporate assigned word.

Failing to rhyme.

Overtly nonsensical lines.

At the end of each round, audience reaction is represented mechanically with an Overcome roll by the appropriate side. Based on the roll’s outcome, Valero will gain or lose points to reflect how favorably the performance was received. Each party member can only Boost whoever is doing the Audience Roll ONCE for the entire event.

Player’s Roll:

Fail: +2 Valero points

Major Twist: +1 Valero point

Minor Twist: +0 Valero points

Success: –1 Valero point

Overwhelming Success: –2 Valero points

Valero’s Roll:

Fail: –2 Valero points

Major Twist: –1 Valero point

Minor Twist: +0 Valero points

Success: +1 Valero point

Overwhelming Success: +2 Valero points

Eryoncato

Where an Eryatsun is a competitive lore or story clash and an Eryoncato is a musical way of healing through the communal creation of a story.

Step 1 – Subject

Is the song about a:

Person / Group / Faction

Place

Thing (Object, Event, Battle, Concept)

Step 2 - Whose point of view is this song by?

Is it a single person or a group?

Male or female?

Step 3 – Style (Intent)

Pick one:

Drinking Song

Work Song

Protest Song

Hymn

Training Montage

Lullaby

Sea Shanty

Battle Anthem

Mourning Song

Hard Choice Monologue

Corporate Jingle

Love Song

Villain Theme

Proclamation of Identity

Other

Step 4 – Core Emotion

Pick one primary emotion.

Examples:

Defiant

Triumphant

Jealous

Yearning

Bitter

Hopeful

Nostalgic

Furious

Lonely

Reverant

Silly

Sweet

Step 5 – Genre

Rock

Hip-Hop

Country

Pop

Metal

Opera

Funk

Blues

Jazz

Regee

Synthwave

Folk

Choral

EDM

Spoken Word

Other

Step 6 – Chorus Seed

Group writes 4 lines that will make up the chorus, one line per person (does not need to rhyme yet)

Step 7 – Verse Breakouts:

2 Verses of 4 lines each, pair off and do 2 lines each (does not need to rhyme yet)