Tag Archives: rules

FreeD6, Game Mechanisms, Powers and Abilities

Pillars of Gaming

There are three pillars of gaming in a FreeD6 game: skirmish, social interaction, and problem-solving. Role-playing means approaching each of these pillars using the attitude and abilities of a created character. The results of the game create the emergent narrative which feeds memorable role-playing. The three pillars are the ways in which characters interact with the setting of the game.

The Skirmish Game

The skirmish game allows players to make tactical decisions and resolve conflict within a tactical framework. Skirmish conflicts involve tactical scenes in which the order of action is important and in which the players are being actively opposed by the environment or other characters. Some common skirmish conflicts are melee combat, ranged combat, and pursuits.

The skirmish game is essentially a contest of resource depletion, where characters try to create damage or composure conditions on their opponent in an attempt to take them out of action.

CombatPursuit
MeleeRangedPersonalMounted
Skirmish Games

The Social Interaction Game

The social interaction game allows characters to interact with non-player characters and cause them to make decisions or take actions. Social interaction conflicts involve dramatic scenes or simple checks in which the order of action is not important, and which allows the characters to influence the behavior of NPCs. Some common social interactions are bluffing your way past a guard, interrogating a source of information, and charming your way into a mark’s good graces.

Social interaction is a way to control the actions and decisions of other characters in the setting. Social interactions allow players to force a reaction, prompt an action, coerce a decision, or weaken an opposing character’s resolve. The social interaction game involves an attempt to influence and control the decisions and actions of opposed characters.

A back-and-forth argument, or any type of verbal battle, is a type of social interaction. An argument conflict typically takes place for the purpose of impressing an audience rather than as an attempt to influence a character. Some examples of argument conflicts are: courtroom trial, formal debate, stage microphone battle (eg, rap or poetry), or schoolyard put-downs.

The social interaction game is essentially a press-your-luck exercise in which characters attempt to gain advantages or concessions from their target until they either cease to press their influence or they fail badly enough to lose all of their progress.

Skills to ConvinceSkills to Coerce
insight (resistance)discipline (resistance)
bluffrapport
fast-talktaunt
charmintimidate
commandpressure
Social Interaction Games

The Problem-Solving Game

The problem-solving game allows players to interact with otherwise passive elements of the setting in a dramatic scene or a simple check. Problem-solving conflicts involve dramatic scenes or isolated decision points in which the order of action is not important, and which allows characters to explore the setting and to react to the actions of the environment or other characters. Some common problem-solving conflicts are disabling traps, crossing treacherous terrain, and tracking a target.

Exploring the setting and making decisions about where to go and what to do next are also forms of problem-solving. Any time a player is presented with incomplete information, confronted with a situation that requires a reaction, or offered a choice between courses of action, they engage in a form of problem-solving. The problem-solving game includes interaction with characters and obstacles that are not actively opposed to the players in order to determine the outcome and effectiveness of the NPC actions. Problem-solving includes crafting traps, preparing equipment, conducting investigations, and exploring locations.

The problem-solving game is essentially a timed opportunity-cost game in which a player attempts to accomplish a goal within a limited time frame.

Investigation SkillsPreparation SkillsExploration SkillsInfiltration Skills
technicalresearchsurvivalstealth
contactsrepairtechnicaltradecraft
researchtacticsrepairfast-talk
surveillanceoperationsacrobaticscommunications
survivaltradecraftathleticsbluff
communicationscontactstradecraftcharm
Problem-Solving Games
FreeD6, Game Mechanisms, Rules Articles

Boost and Penalty Dice

Some abilities, powers, or effects add boost dice or penalty dice to an ability check. This is written as “Boost-“, “B”, or “Penalty-“, “P”, followed by the number of dice. For example, Boost-1 (B1) adds a single boost die, and Penalty-2 (P2) adds a two penalty dice.

Boost and penalty dice directly cancel each other out. If an effect adds B2 and another effect adds P3, the final effect is P1 (3 penalty dice minus 2 boost dice equals 1 penalty die).

Boost and penalty dice should always be a different color or design from the dice rolled for an ability check so they can be easily identified.

Boost Dice

When using boost dice, roll the boost dice alongside the regular dice. Then discard the same number of dice from the roll, removing the lowest values from the roll.

Penalty Dice

When using penalty dice, roll the penalty dice alongside the regular dice. Then discard the same number of dice from the roll, removing the highest values from the roll.

Other Dice and Boost or Penalty Dice

Not all dice are six-sided; a standard set of role-playing dice include four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided, twelve-sided, and twenty-sided dice. Other dice used as boost or penalty dice behave in exactly the same way, replacing the lowest or highest value regular die rolled.

FreeD6, Game Mechanisms

Core Mechanisms

FreeD6 is a narrative conflict role-playing game compatible with OpenD6. The abilities and skills have a slightly different emphasis, the application of the Health Track is slightly different, and there is a greater emphasis on relative values instead of absolute values. Character creation and the dice rolling mechanism are the same, and conditions are emphasized as a core mechanism. The core mechanisms in FreeD6 are: narrative structure, abilities and skills, conditions, and taking action.

Narrative Structure

Players in a FreeD6 game take on the role of one or more characters they create. Characters are described in terms of their narrative background, the set of tropes and descriptions that determine which abilities and skills the character is able to access and describe their role in the adventure. In cooperation with a Game Master, players create an adventure narrative in which their characters take a central role. The Game Master describes the scenario, the players have their characters take actions and make decisions, and the Game Master adjudicates the outcome and describes the consequences.

The FreeD6 core rules use narrative conflict to describe scenarios in which player characters and NPCs oppose each other. Instead of tracking pawns and tokens on a battlemap, the Game Master describes the location, the opponents, and the results of the conflict. Descriptions and actions are to be understood in the ordinary usage of the language. Players are free to have their characters take any action within the scope of their abilities. Randomly determined outcomes and scales of effect are determined by rolling dice. All actions, events, and effects in the game are interpreted by the Game Master.

Abilities and Skills

Characters are described mechanically within the game as having abilities; the specific abilities a character possesses are determined by the character’s narrative background. Abilities are usually attached to a die code (ranked) and further described by one or more skills which may enhance the die code. Abilities are either normal or extranormal. Abilities describe broadly defined actions which they allow the character to perform.

All characters are described as either Dynamic or Stock in relation to their importance in the narrative, both of these are normal abilities which describe the scope of abilities to which the character has access. All player characters are automatically Dynamic. Some abilities require a character to be Dynamic in order to acquire the ability. Some conditions only apply to Stock characters.

Normal abilities are possessed by most characters and elements, and do not have a narrative background requirement. The most common normal abilities are: Strength, Dexterity, Presence, Wits, Intelligence, and Perception. Some uncommon normal abilities are: Body, Fatigue, Energy, and Sanity.

Extranormal abilities are not possessed by most characters and elements, and usually have a narrative background requirement. Some common narrative backgrounds and their associated extranormal abilities are: wizard (magic), mutant (super powers), adept (metaphysics), and cyborg (cybernetics).

Skills describe specific uses or actions within the broadly defined actions of an associated ability. A skill’s die code is added to the die code of the associated ability when making a skill check. A skill check may be referred to as an ability check if there is no skill associated with the roll. The terms are interchangeable and both refer to rolling the dice.

Die codes describe the number of six-sided dice and adds (pips) rolled when an ability or skill check is made. A die code is written as “number of dice” followed by “D”. If the die code has adds (referred to as “pips”), they follow the “D” and are written as “+1” or “+2”. To make an ability or skill check, roll the die code and add the pips to generate a skill total. For example, a die code of 3D+2 would roll three six-sided dice, add them together, and add 2 to get the final skill total. The skill total is compared to a difficulty; the difference between the two numbers – positive or negative – is the result points. Result points are used to describe the success, failure, or degree of effect of the action.

Conditions

Conditions are the single words or short phrases used to describe abilities and skills. They are to be understood in the common usage of the word or phrase. They enable or restrict abilities with a narrative effect, or they modify abilities with a mechanical effect.

Conditions are either discrete, progressive, or cumulative. Discrete conditions are created once and are not related to other conditions. Progressive conditions are related to other conditions, and replace the related condition when they are created. Cumulative conditions may be created multiple times and the effects of multiple creations are combined. Conditions are used to measure health, willpower, quantity, duration, or any other game element.

Taking Action

Characters in FreeD6 advance the narrative of a game by making decisions and taking actions. Making decisions means that a character responds to the narrative of the game with an action that does not require a roll of the dice. The Game Master adjudicates the outcome of the decision and narrates the results within the game. Making a decision may involve the character doing things related to his skills, but the circumstances are such that there is no need to roll dice to determine an uncertain outcome.

Taking action involves an uncertain outcome in which the dice are rolled in order to determine the degree of success or failure. The player makes a decision and then rolls dice for an ability check, a skill check, or a random event before the Game Master narrates the outcome of the decision. Taking action necessarily involves the character making decisions, but the outcome is variable or uncertain.

The ability of a character to influence the game is determined by their Health and Willpower conditions. A character may be able to make a decision but unable to take action (Incapacitated). A character may be able to take action, but unable to make a decision (Unresisting).

The types of decisions and actions that a character may take, and the effectiveness of those actions, are determined by the character’s narrative background, abilities and skills, and their conditions.

FreeD6, Game Mechanisms, Rules Articles

Results and Conditions

Taking action produces results. Results are measured with conditions. Elements within the game are understood to function and respond in the game setting in the same way as their real-world counterparts. It would be exhausting to try and detail all possible circumstances and assign them game mechanics. Instead, conditions are used to describe ways in which results restrict or enable game elements.

Conditions are single words or short phrases that describe an element within the game. Conditions must be understood to be used in their common and ordinary meaning. All elements within the game (characters, objects, or locations) are in a normal or neutral condition unless something changes. In the normal condition, an element behaves in the same manner as its real-world counterpart, with the same abilities and restrictions.

Conditions have two effects: the narrative effect, and the mechanical effect. The narrative effect restricts or enables abilities, and influences actions, according to the commonly understood definition of the condition. The mechanical effect applies a specific game mechanic as long as the condition is in place.

Creating, Modifying, and Removing Conditions

Conditions are created, modified, or removed through the use of skills, abilities, powers, or game effects. Creating, modifying, or removing a condition is accomplished by an ability check that generates enough result points to affect the condition. The result points generate ranks that describe the severity and duration of a condition. Creating a more severe condition requires a larger difference between the result points and the resistance value. Conditions are discrete, progressive, or cumulative.

Discrete conditions are not created multiple times. They may be narratively related to other conditions or they may be unrelated to any other condition. If a character already possesses a discrete condition, and the same condition would be created again, the second creation is ignored.

Progressive conditions are narratively closely related. When a new progressive condition is created, it replaces the previous condition.

Cumulative conditions may be created multiple times. Each instance of the condition is created and removed individually, and all of the effects are added together, even if some of them cancel out others.

Conditions last until they expire or they are recovered. An expired condition is automatically removed at the end of its duration. Conditions may be recovered with an ability check. Recovering (removing) a condition requires the same number of result points as needed to create it.

All elements in the game use conditions to measure their ability, effectiveness, and persistence.

Condition Severity

A condition either restricts an existing ability or imparts a new ability. The severity of the condition describes the scale and scope of the condition, while the number of mechanical effects affects the roll of the dice or the numerical value of a skill, ability, or attribute. The result points of an ability check create a number of ranks to be spent on effects which describe the severity and duration of the condition.

Some ability checks generate an effect roll, such as damage in combat. The effect roll is always considered a rank 1 effect. If the ability check created more than 1 rank, the additional ranks may be spent on additional effects. Effect rolls always generate result points which are translated into ranks and used to create a condition; an effect roll cannot normally be used to create another effect roll.

Result PointsRankCondition SeverityCondition Duration
1-51minimalone full turn
6-102adequateone full round
11-153moderateuntil the end of the encounter
16-204completeuntil the end of the scene
21-255excessiveuntil recovered
26+6overwhelming
Rank Benchmarks

When creating or modifying a condition, ranks are spent to apply one or more of the following effects. An effect may normally be purchased multiple times; only one effect roll may be created in a single ability check. Effects may be purchased from more than one rank. The effects should always be narratively related to the ability check that created them.

For example, a character makes a stamina: endure ability check while preparing to cross a challenging obstacle field. If the stamina ability check creates 3 ranks of effects, options for effects for 3 ranks include: +3WD to acrobatics skill checks until the end of the next turn; or +1 bonus action for one round and acrobatics skill checks are made with Advantage until the end of the next turn; or +1D to acrobatics skill checks until the end of the encounter.

RankEffect
1create an immediate effect roll (eg., damage)
+/- 1D: an effect roll created this turn gains +/- 1D
+/- 2: a single skill check gains +/- 2 until the end of the its next turn
B1: a single skill check is made with Boost-1 until the end of its next turn
P1: a single skill check is made with Penalty-1 until the end of its next turn
+/-1WD: a single skill check gains +/- 1 Wild Die until the end of its next turn
Advantage: a single skill check is made with Advantage until the end of its next turn
Disadvantage: a single skill check is made with Disadvantage until the end of its next turn
Add/remove one full round to an existing condition.
2+/- 1D: a single skill check gains +/- 1D until the end of the next round
+/- 3: a single fixed value gains +/- 3 until the end of the next round
+/- 1 bonus action in the next round
Extend an existing condition to the end of the encounter.
Reduce an existing condition’s duration from the end of the encounter to 1D rounds.
3+/- 1D: a single skill gains +/- 1D until the end of the encounter
+/- 1 full action in the next round
Extend an existing condition to the end of the scene.
Reduce an existing condition’s duration from the end of the scene to the end of the encounter.
4+/- 1D: a single ability gains +/- 1D until the end of the scene
+/- 1 Action point
Require an existing condition to be intentionally recovered.
Reduce an existing condition’s duration from requiring intentional recovery to expiring at the end of the scene.
5+/- 1 ability until the end of the scene
Condition Effect Benchmarks

Conditions as Damage and Composure

Damage and composure describe groupings of narratively related pre-defined conditions related to a character’s ability to take action. Damage and composure conditions are cumulative.

Damage conditions are created as a result of a character taking damage. When a damage roll against Strength resistance creates result points, those results create a damage condition.

Composure conditions are normally created as the result of a successful Wits or Presence ability check. When an ability check against discipline or insight resistance creates result points, those results create a composure condition.

Body conditions are created as a result of an object taking damage. When a damage roll against toughness resistance creates result points, those results create a body condition.

As a character or object accumulated damage, composure, or body conditions, they will be less able to act until those conditions are recovered. The more conditions they accumulate, the more likely it is that they will be taken out of action.

RankDamageComposureBody
0NormalNormalNormal
1StunnedStartledDefaced
2HurtDisorientedDisrupted
3WoundedDiscouragedDamaged
4IncapacitatedDemoralizedBroken
5Out of ActionOut of ActionOut of Action
Damage, Composure, and Body Conditions

Conditions as Attitude and Willpower

Attitude and willpower describe groupings of narratively related pre-defined conditions related to a character’s ability to make decisions. Attitude and willpower conditions are progressive. A character’s attitude and willpower conditions modify their discipline and insight resistance.

Attitude refers to a character’s general outlook on situations, people, and challenges. It encompasses their beliefs, values, and emotional tendencies. A more helpful attitude leads characters to see conflicts as opportunities for growth or resolution. They will approach conflicts with a problem-solving mindset, seeking solutions and compromises. A more hostile attitude views most interactions as obstacles or threats. They will tend toward a fight-or-flight response, act irrationally, and escalate tensions.

Willpower is the character’s ability to exert self-control, remain disciplined, and persist in the face of challenges. It describes their capacity to stick to their decisions and follow through with actions. A centered character is more likely to commit to decisions when faced with adversity. They remain focused on their goals, and resist immediate gratification in favor of their principles. A broken character will be quick to abandon their commitments as soon as conflict arises. They tend to follow emotional impulses or the directions of others; they do not act with deliberation or rationality.

Resistance ModifierAttitudeWillpower
-15HelpfulBroken
-10FriendlyStressed
-5CooperativePressured
+/- 0NeutralNeutral
+5UncooperativeEngaged
+10UnfriendlyFocused
+15HostileCentered
Attitude and Willpower Conditions

Conditions as Measurements

Status conditions are used to measure game elements that have a limited use. Conditions always have a narrative description, but do not necessarily have a narrative or mechanical effect. In this way, a condition is used to measure quantity or duration without requiring the players or Game Master to keep track of individual units.

Each status condition is specific to each individual ability; the description of the ability will include the description of the status and which skill or ability is used to test it. When a status is tested, a failed check moves the status to the next condition; a successful check means the status stays on the same condition. A check that is failed by 5 or more points does not necessarily move the condition by more than one place.

All status conditions are progressive. As the status grows more difficult to test, a failed check becomes more likely, causing the status to deplete more quickly. Status conditions are also used to time a scene with an unknown duration; as the situation comes closer to resolution, the difficulty of a test becomes greater and failure becomes more likely.

DifficultyEffectQuantityDurationCoverage
9Full EffectFullFullFull
123/4 EffectHeavyWaningCovered
151/2 EffectLightFadingPartial
181/4 EffectDepletedDiminishedExposed
—No EffectEmptyExpiredVanished
Status Conditions

Other Conditions

Conditions are not limited to damage, willpower, or status, and conditions are not unique to characters. Conditions are used to measure the state of every element within the game, depending on the particular game’s genre and emphasis.

An element always has at least two conditions: normal, and out of action. The normal condition means there is no effect on the character or game element. The out of action condition means the character or game element can no longer take action or make decisions. An element with only these two conditions as options is essentially a simple skill check.

An element or conflict may have any number of conditions. More conditions means that conflicts will have a greater emphasis in the game and take longer to play out. Fewer conditions will have less emphasis and play out very quickly.

An element usually begins in the normal condition and ends in the out of action condition. Every rank (five result points) between them is considered another condition. The number of ranks (conditions) in between the beginning and the end determines the length of the conflict.

Brief EncounterModerate EncounterLengthy Encounter
0 ranks (Normal)0 ranks (Normal)0 ranks (Normal)
1 rank1 rank1 rank
2 ranks (Out of Action)2 ranks2 ranks
3 ranks (Out of Action)3 ranks
4 ranks (Out of Action)
Encounter Length and Importance
FreeD6, Game Mechanisms, Rules Articles

Dice Flip

Some abilities, powers, or effects call for a dice flip when a certain number is rolled during a skill check. A dice flip is also called a difference flip. This is written as “Flip-6” or “F6”, meaning that if any die on a roll shows a 6, it should be flipped to a 1 before being totaled to figure result points.

There are six different values for a difference flip: Flip-1 / F1, Flip-2 / F2, Flip-3 / F3, Flip-4 / F4, Flip-5 / F5, Flip-6 / F6.

With standard casino dice, the opposite sides of a six-sided die always add up to 7. When the die is flipped, the final number will be the difference between 7 and the original number. The number pairs are 1:6, 2:5, and 3:4.

Other Dice and the Difference Flip

Not all dice are six-sided; a standard set of role-playing dice include four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided, twelve-sided, and twenty-sided dice. When the difference flip is applied to any die, the result must always equal the difference between the number rolled and a value one greater than the highest value of the die. Not all dice are designed with the same rotational symmetry or value distribution pattern, so that physically flipping a die does not yield consistent results between manufacturers. “Flipping” mathematically is the only way to get a consistent result.

d4d6d8d10d12d20
1:41:61:81:101:121:20
2:32:52:72:92:112:19
3:43:63:83:103:18
4:54:74:94:17
5:65:85:16
6:76:15
7:14
8:13
9:12
10:11
Difference Flip Table
FreeD6, Game Mechanisms, Rules Articles

Advantage and Disadvantage

Status conditions, abilities, and effects can give a character Advantage or Disadvantage on a roll.

Advantage

When a character has Advantage on a roll, after the dice are rolled for the skill check, roll the dice a second time and use the higher of the two values to figure result points.

Disadvantage

When a character has Disadvantage on a roll, after the dice are rolled for the skill check, roll the dice a second time and use the lower of the two values to figure result points.

If more than one condition, ability, or effect gives Advantage or Disadvantage, the effect is not applied multiple times. If both Advantage and Disadvantage are applied at the same time, the two effects cancel each other out and neither effect is applied. Every instance of Advantage or Disadvantage must be removed or canceled to remove the effect.

Character Options, Rules Articles

Fear and Fame

New Rule: FEAR and FAME

Player characters will not always be necessarily expecting to run into everything they may end up experiencing. A lot of players and creatures will be experienced that a character likely has never seen or experienced before. Many of these things can be intimidating or even terrifying for the character.

Each time a character encounters a monster or creature, or sometimes even a place, for the first time, they must make a Fear Check. This will indicate whether Fear has an effect on the character.

The characters make a Willpower skill roll (or Wisdom if no Willpower skill) against the Fear rating of the creature. That Fear number is multiplied by the number of creatures present. So if a creature has the Fear rating of 4, but there are five of that creature present, the difficulty of the Willpower roll is 20.

If the Willpower roll equals or exceeds the Fear rating total, the character is unaffected by site of the creature/place. Rolling under the Fear rating total means the character is affected by trepidation for a time while interacting with the creature or place.

Fail by 1-6 = Character is hesitant to engage. Suffer -1D to any attack rolls for the first two rounds against the item/creature.

Fail by 7-11 = The Character is rather intimidated by the site. Suffer -2D to any attack rolls for the first two rounds against the item/creature, and then -1D to all attacks for the remainder of the battle.

Fail by 12-15 = The Character is frightened. It is difficult to concentrate due to the fear the character is experiencing. Suffer -3D to all attack rolls for entire battle, and -1D to all defense and skill rolls for the entire battle.

Fail by 16 or more = The Character is terrified. The urge of fight or flight is strong and the feeling of dread at the site of the creature/item is enough to cause panic. Suffer -5D to all attack rolls for entire battle, and -3D to all defense and skill rolls for the entire battle.

Note This Fear is useful when running Fantasy games with massive creatures or horrific things, or Horror games with macabre settings or vile creatures.

Fear will never force a character to flee. That will remain up to the player to decide. It will only affect the willingness of the character to present themselves in a bold manner to the dangers before them.

Removing Fear:

If the creature or place was successfully defeated or overcome when encountered, and no significant damage was done the character or other players in the group, any future encounters with the same type of creature or place will not require a Fear check. If, however, the character suffered dearly or others were killed or maimed from the first encounter, a new Fear check would still need to be made the next time.

If, after SIX encounters with the same creature or place has not successfully been defeated or overcome, then the character is assumed to have built up a tolerance to the fear of that creature/item and will not need to make further checks against it.

Fame:

Fame is when the exploits of the Characters has propelled them to famous status. Killing creatures, finding lost treasures, journeying to dangerous places and returning alive are all examples of what can increase the Fame of a character.

Fame can be gained, and lost, by the characters’ actions.

Effects of Fame:

Fame works to counteract Fear, and it can even have the same effect as Fear but AGAINST the creatures you encounter. Add up the Fame of each character in a group, and compare that against the total Fear rating. If the Fame is less than the Fear rating, the Fear is actually REDUCED by the amount of the Fame before the Willpower check is made. If the Fame exceeds the amount of the Fear rating, then the player characters will not need to roll for Fear, and the actual creatures will need to make an Intellect/Intelligence roll against the FAME of the group/character to see if the creatures even want to tangle with the characters.

Fame equivalency:
1-2 Fame = while you may be known to a few simply by name, most have probably not heard of you.

3-4 Fame = Your name has probably been spread around and chances are decent that a few know of you simply by your reputation.

5-7 Fame = You’re known by reputation only, but more than a few have heard of you, and there may even be some embellishments on your accomplishments. Some may even consider you to be a hero.

8-10 Fame = Most everyone has heard of something about you, and there will be some who will recognize you on sight. There may be larger-than-life embellishments made about your exploits and many will consider you a hero. You may even have a couple people who want to follow you or be like you.

11-15 Fame = You are known in all the land, and your exploits have been turned into folklore. Many consider you are hero or supreme caliber. Many will assist you in any way if you ask for help. You are known immediately upon being seen.

16-22 Fame = You are legend and will likely have many things made up about your exploits. Everyone in the nearby lands will know you and people will be able to identify you immediately. They will flock to see you. A statue might be erected in your honor.

23-30 Fame = Legends abound about you and people revere you. Groups may have been formed to carry on your ideals and beliefs, and a kingdom may even make significant changes to itself in your honor (coins with your image on them, renaming a town or other geographical feature for you, creating a special holiday for you, etc.)

31-40 Fame = You are such a legendary hero you will never be forgotten. Everyone, even from far distant lands have heard of you and respect you, even those that might be enemies. Books are written about you and your exploits, and some are exaggerated so much that many consider you “untouchable” due to your greatness.

41+ Fame = You are god among men and may even be worshiped by some as such.

Rules Articles

Tank! Tank!!

The mere word brings up images of steel beasts of war, capable of destroying vehicles, driving through buildings, and being all but impervious against normal bullets.

Tanks started out as slow, plodding, behemoths that bullets bounced off but artillery turned into flaming wrecks. Then tanks were refined, becoming faster, better armored, and with more impressive weaponry on them. There were light tanks which were fast and maneuverable. There were medium tanks with a nice blend of stout armor, dangerous main weapons, and decent speed. And there were heavy tanks which proved to be the true monsters on the battlefield. They had impressive armor and weapons that could punch through nearly all other tank armor. But they were slow and heavy.

After the second world war, tanks went through another transformation. They had improved armor and even better weapons. They weren’t as slow and sluggish. They had better equipment, allowing for them to fire their deadly weapons while moving. Armor changed to better resist the most damaging weapon types. So new weapon types were designed.

Into the future, tanks were advanced even more, with armor that previous tanks could only wish to have. Weapons were computer assisted and capable of dealing death to enemies at longer ranges. And the future tanks became faster and even more dangerous than any version before.

Eventually future tanks evolved into enormous mobile battle platforms, capable of delivering their deadly payload to target in air and space as well as on the ground. They ruled the battlefield.

Then “walkers”, or mechanized constructs (“mechs” for short) debuted and the apparent superiority of tanks was tested, and rivaled by the mechs. It was a new age, where both mechs and tanks battled it out for supremacy on the battlefield.

That’s how tanks came about, but what does this have to do with explaining them?

Well, it begins to show how tanks have changed over the limited years that they have existed. They started with weak armor, were slow and ponderous, but giant and lords of the battlefield. Then they became the back-bone of warfare, and advanced in both armor and weaponry.

But how does a person represent that in D6? Oh sure you can stat a tank and say it has 8D Toughness and is at a Scale 11. But then how do you handle the difference between that tank (say a Medium tank) and a better tank (such as a Heavy tank)? Do you put Toughness at 10D?

Okay, then what do you do when you introduce that 10D Toughness tank against a more advanced tank with better armor and better weapons? Do you increase the Toughness again, say to 14D? But then you have to increase the damage for the guns on the tank too. And then you get even more advanced tanks, futuristic tanks! What do their stats become? 18D? 20D? Where does the amount stop?

And then consider what happens when you compare a tank at 18D vs. a space cruiser with only 10D in Hull and 4D in shields. Is the tank really more powerful than a space cruiser a kilometer long? Not hardly!

That’s where some changes were made to better reflect the changes that have happened with Tanks over the years. In addition to Toughness and Scale, there are Armor ratings (which add to the Toughness) and Performance Levels (which represent fundamental improvements in either the armor or weapons of the age) to help distinguish Tanks over common vehicles.

A bulldozer might be a heavy piece of machinery, but it’s not designed for combat. It might have a Toughness of 8D, but does that mean it stands a chance against a Tank? Maybe against a man with a rifle, yes, a bulldozer is formidable, but against a Tank, there is no contest. This is where for Armor and Performance Level (PL) comes in.

A bulldozer with a Toughness of 8D vs. a Tank with a Toughness of 8D.
Now let’s look at a tank. What does a tank have that a bulldozer doesn’t. One, it has armor all over. And that armor is specifically designed to prevent damage. So the Tank receives an Armor value to reflect that. Let’s give the Tank an Armor of +3D in the front.

But the bulldozer has a super thick blade up front! Okay, we’ll give the bulldozer an armor of +2D in the front to reflect that.

Now let’s look at the sides. Tank is armored, bulldozer is not. Tank armor is lighter on the sides, so we only give the Tank an Armor value of +1D on the sides, where the bulldozer gets no armor bonus. And then we have the rear. Again, the tank is armored, the bulldozer is not. The rear armor is even weaker, so we only give the Tank an Armor value of +1 in the rear, and the bulldozer gets no armor bonus.

Now is the armor even in the front for both the Tank and bulldozer? Not hardly. One is a blade used to push dirt around. Sturdy, yes. Thick, yes. But it’s not designed to deflect damage. The Tank armor IS designed to deflect damage. It’s angled, and made differently, so it withstands damage better. This is where Performance Level comes in. The performance of the armor on the tank is superior to the performance of the “armor” on the bulldozer. How much better would depend on when the tank was created. We’ll give this tank, being from World War 2, a slight performance edge, and give the Tank a PL of 3. The bulldozer gets no PL, as it is not designed for combat.

So now we have the bulldozer at Toughness 8D, and frontal “armor” of +2D.

That means if the bulldozer is hit in the front, it adds +2D to its Toughness rating when resisting damage.

The Tank, is also at a Toughness 8D, but it has Armor of +3D (front), +1D (sides), +1 (rear)

It also has a Performance Level (PL) of 3.

We’re going to assume that each vehicle has the same weapon, doing 8D damage.

If the Tank hits the bulldozer in the Front, the damage is 8D vs. 10D. Chances are the bulldozer will not be damaged. If the Tank manages to hit the bulldozer on the SIDE, though, the roll is 8D damage vs. 8D Toughness. An even roll, and a decent chance of damaging the bulldozer.

If the bulldozer hits the Tank in the front, the damage is 8D vs. 11D (PL3). Not only is the amount of damage significantly less than the resistance of the Tank with its Armor, there’s also the PL to consider. Subtract the lower PL from the higher PL. The difference between the two is SUBTRACTED from the lower PL’s roll. Since the bulldozer is a PL 0, 0-3 equals a difference of 3. So after the 8D in damage is rolled, 3 would be subtracted from the total. So it’s even more difficult for the 8D damage to affect the Tank.

And if the bulldozer hits on the side, the damage is 8D vs the Tank’s 9D (8D Toughness + 1D Armor) with a PL 3. So again, the PL comes into effect.

The bulldozer would have to hit in the rear of the tank to even have a close chance of damaging the Tank. It would be 8D vs. 8D+1 (PL3). So even with fairly equal rolls, the bulldozer would still have reduce the total rolled by 3 because of the PL of the armor.

This makes Tanks much more stout in comparison to other large or stout machinery that isn’t designed for the performance of war.

When you add in the Scale modifiers, there’s also a chance the total could be reduced even more.

But tanks aren’t just armored. They also have significant weapons as well! The main gun on a tank is designed to shoot deadly projectiles as fantastic speeds and penetrate some of that heavy tank armor.
Tank weapons use special ammunition, with armor penetrating capabilities. An Armor Piercing round fired from a tank might have the ability to defeat 2D worth of Armor. The gun might also be optimized to shoot that round with incredible speed, giving a gun its own Performance Level.

So a gun on Tank might have special AP ammunition, capable of doing 8D damage with a Penetration of 2D and Performance Level of 3.

Now, that Tank shooting at the bulldozer from the front had an advantage with special ammunition. The Tank does 8D Damage (PEN 2D) (PL3)

The bulldozer from the front has Toughness 8D +2D “armor” for the bulldozer blade.

When that shot hits, the Penetration subtracts up to the amount listed in ARMOR on the target. In this case, the PEN 2D subtracts 2D from the target’s armor. Since the armor on the bulldozer is 2D, that armor is then IGNORED. If the Penetration is greater than the Armor rating on the target, the Penetration does not reduce the Toughness. Any extra Penetration is simply lost.

Now the roll is just 8D vs 8D! But the PL comes into affect here too. Comparing the PL of both, the Tank’s gun has a PL 3, while the bulldozer is still PL 0. The difference is 3, which is subtracted from the roll of the lower PL, which means the bulldozer’s resistance roll is reduced by 3. This gives the Tank a slightly better than equal chance of damaging the bulldozer FROM THE FRONT! That’s all due to the use of special ammunition which the Tank has access to.

So now the Bulldozer hitting the Tank from front is rolling 8D damage vs 11D of the Tank with PL of 3.

The Tank hitting the bulldozer from the front is rolling 8D damage (PEN 2D) (PL3) vs. 10D of the bulldozer with its armor. The Penetration removes the armor bonus, making it 8D Toughness only. So an even roll of 8D vs. 8D is made, but the bulldozer must also subtract 3 due to the Performance difference.

This shows the significant difference between a Tank and another large vehicle, such as a bulldozer, tractor trailer, or other big piece of machinery. It also shows how changes can be made in Tanks to reflect the differences in them between “light tanks”, “medium tanks”, and “heavy tanks”, as well as the differences in types and effectiveness of armor using Performance Levels. Instead of massively inflating the Toughness dice to 14D or 18D or greater, the differences are reflected with better or worse Performance Levels of armor and weaponry. Tanks of the same Performance have no better or worse chance against Tanks made in the same time period or with the same level of technology. Only when a lesser performing tank goes up against a better performing tank does it matter…or when a tank is going up against a non-tank.

Using both Armor (in addition to Toughness and Scale) for resisting damage, and Performance Level for adjusting based on technology or advancements in construction, Tanks become the thing that is feared on the battlefield and that can instill that sense of dread when the GM tells the player that they hear the squeaking rattle of the tank treads as they crunch over the piles of bones in a post-apocalyptic world of Terminator. Without heavy weapons capable of punching through some serious armor, the best option may be to run away from the steel monstrosities that are TANKS!