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.
Combat
Pursuit
Melee
Ranged
Personal
Mounted
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 Convince
Skills to Coerce
insight (resistance)
discipline (resistance)
bluff
rapport
fast-talk
taunt
charm
intimidate
command
pressure
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.
Whenever FreeD6 calls for an ability check, it’s calling for a dice roll. Sometimes FreeD6 calls for a skill check when referring to a specific skill or specialization. All skill checks are also ability checks; all skills are also abilities. Any time the dice are rolled, it is referred to as an ability check, no matter the circumstance.
Ability Checks
To make an ability check:
figure the dice value by adding the die codes of the ability, skill, and specialization used in the check;
modify the dice value according to any effects;
roll the dice, add them together, and add the pips;
modify the rolled value according to any effects.
This is the total value of the ability check.
Abilities are ranked by a die code. A full rank in an ability is 1D. A partial rank in an ability is +1 pip. When an ability would be increased to three pips (+3), it instead increases in rank by 1D; an ability must have two partial ranks (pips) before it increases to the next full rank.
When adding die codes to get a dice value, add the full ranks together (eg. 1D + 2D = 3D) and add the pips (eg. “+1” + “+2” = “+3”) and then convert pips to ranks by trading +3 pips for 1D. For example: 1D+1 added to 2D+2 yields 3D+3 which converts to 4D; 2D+2 added to 3D+2 yields 5D+4 which converts to 6D+1.
Fixed Values
All abilities have a fixed value which can be referenced by other actions. The fixed value is figured by multiplying the full ranks of an ability by 3 and adding the pips.
Rank
Fixed Value
Rank
Fixed Value
Rank
Fixed Value
1D
3
3D
9
5D
15
1D+1
4
3D+1
10
5D+1
16
1D+2
5
3D+2
11
5D+2
17
2D
6
4D
12
6D
18
2D+1
7
4D+1
13
6D+1
19
2D+2
8
4D+2
14
6D+2
20
Fixed Values
Modifying the Dice Roll
Some effects and abilities modify the dice roll. Effects which modify the dice are always applied before the roll is made. Effects which modify the rolled value are always applied after the roll is made.
For example:
Spending a luck point before a roll is made doubles the number of ability dice rolled in a check.
The Wild Die effect substitutes a Wild Die for a regular ability die before the roll is made.
Advantage and Disadvantage rolls a second set of dice and uses the better/worse roll before any dice are flipped or substituted.
Boost and penalty dice are rolled alongside the ability dice and substitute higher/lower values for lower/higher ones after the roll is made.
A dice flip alters the value of rolled dice after the roll is made.
In order of application, dice actions are performed:
Spend a luck point to double the ability dice.
Substitute Wild Dice for regular ability dice.
Roll the regular ability dice.
Roll the Advantage or Disadvantage dice.
Roll and apply any boost or penalty dice.
Apply any dice flip effects.
Using Other Dice
A standard set of role-playing dice includes four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided, twelve-sided, and twenty-sided dice which are ranked along a dice track. When another type of die is used, it is written as “D” followed by the number of sides, for example: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, or D20. FreeD6 uses six-sided dice (D6) for all checks unless an effect alters the dice.
Result Points
The final value of a dice roll is the result points.
If the dice roll is not being compared to another number, the final value of the dice roll stands as the result points.
If the dice roll is being compared to a difficulty or a fixed resistance, the difference between the dice roll and the difficulty is the result points. Result points always favor the higher value.
If the dice roll is being compared to another dice roll or an active resistance, the difference between the two dice values is the result points. Result points always favor the higher value.
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.
Characters are described as having abilities; the specific abilities a character possesses are determined by the character’s narrative background. Abilities are ranked by a die code and further described by one or more skills and specializations which enhance the die code. Abilities are either normal or extranormal. Abilities describe broadly defined actions which they allow the character to perform. Rolling the dice to test an ability or skill against a difficulty is called an ability check (when not testing a specific skill, or when using a default value) or a skill check (when testing a skill or specialization). The term “ability check” is a blanket term for rolling the dice to test against a difficulty number and applies to both abilities and skills.
All characters are described as either Dynamic or Stock in relation to their importance in the narrative, both of these are unranked normal abilities (no die code). All player characters are automatically Dynamic; opponents that are central to the adventure are also Dynamic. Opponents and NPCs that are relatively unimportant to the adventure are Stock. 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. Characters possess the normal abilities of Strength, Dexterity, Presence, Wits, Intelligence, and Perception. Vehicles and equipment possess the normal abilities of Body, Energy, Handling, or Speed.
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. If a character must make a skill check for a skill in which they have no ranks, they make an ability check instead.
Specializations describe specific uses or actions within the narrowly defined actions of an associated skill. A specialization’s die code is added to the die code of the skill and ability when making a skill check. If a character does not have ranks in a specialization, they use only their ranks in the associated skill. If they do not have ranks in the skill, they make an ability check instead.
A character may have ranks in a specialization without having ranks in the associated skill. If a character does not have a specialization, the associated skill score is used instead. If a character does not have a skill, the associated ability score is used instead. If a character does not have an ability, they cannot make associated ability checks. Sometimes the Game Master will call for a skill or specialization to be used with an ability other than the one it is normally associated with.
Some skills and specializations require training before they can be used. If a character needs to make a skill check with a skill that requires training, they must have ranks in that skill or specialization. Characters may not use only their associated ability score to make a skill check that requires training.
Rolling 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.
Adding die codes together is done by adding together the dice and pips of the ability, skill, and specialization of the skill check and applying the die code progression to get the final value. Every three pips increases the die code by 1D instead. For example, a skill check of Dexterity 3D+2 and Shooting 1D+2 yields a skill value of 4D+4; +3 pips instead increases the die code by 1D for a final skill value of 5D+1.
FreeD6 uses ordinary language to describe the conflicts and events of an adventure narrative. The conflict structure uses die codes (ranks) and difficulty numbers to turn narrative actions into a game. The action point economy allows players to influence the dice or to introduce elements to the narrative. The die codes, difficulty numbers, and result points help the players and Game Master determine how strong, fast, or effective something is within the context of the game.
Ordinary Language
The adventure narrative consists of a scenario involving characters who make decisions and take actions that advance the events of the narrative. All elements within the narrative are described in ordinary language and supported by a dice game. Characters and elements are described by a narrative background. The background description determines which abilities apply to the character or element.
The use of ordinary language allows elements to affect the narrative in a way that can be interpreted by the Game Master and communicated to the players using commonly understood words. This provides the abilities and effects of game elements with a flexible and organic application instead of a mechanical restriction. This is the narrative effect.
The use of dice and difficulty numbers transforms the descriptions into a game. This introduces an element of chance outside the control of the players or Game Master and provides a guide for interpretation. This is the mechanical effect.
Conflict Structure
Adventure games revolve around conflict. FreeD6 uses abilities, conditions, and dice to turn conflicts into a game. The main conflicts in a game are physical, social, and mental.
Physical conflicts include melee combat, ranged combat, maneuvering around obstacles, and piloting vehicles. Normal physical abilities are described by the Strength and Dexterity scores.
Social conflicts include trading arguments in an attempt to persuade a third party, convincing an NPC to take action on your behalf, and coercing or manipulating NPCs to take actions. Normal social abilities are described by the Presence and Wits scores.
Mental conflicts include defeating traps, shadowing suspects, trailing a target, deceiving others, and conducting investigations. Normal mental abilities are described by the Intelligence and Perception scores.
Vehicles, gear, and extranormal abilities both modify normal abilities and act as opponents.
Scale of Action
Elements must have parity of scale in order to affect each other. They must be of a similar size, speed, order of magnitude, social importance, hardness, or whatever other metric is being affected. When a lower-scale element attempts to affect a higher-scale element, if the Game Master permits the attempt, the result will always be less effective because of the smaller scale of the effect. When a higher-scale element affects a lower-scale element, the results will always be more effective.
Action Points
The Game Master controls the scenario and the action of all of the elements within the game. Players control only the actions of their characters. In order to provide players greater agency within the adventure narrative, and to mitigate the randomness of the dice, players have access to action points.
Action points are used to give players extra dice for skill checks and to create advantageous narrative effects. Action points are also used as a reward for accepting a mechanical penalty driven by the character’s narrative background.
Die Codes
Die codes are used to quantify game elements that possess a range of effect. Die codes consist of a number of six-sided dice, followed by “D”, and possibly followed by a number of adds. For example, a die code of 3D+2 means to roll 3 dice, add them together, and add 2 to the total. This will generate a value between 5 and 20.
Difficulty Numbers
Difficulty numbers are used to quantify game elements when it is not appropriate to assign them a die code. Elements that are not variable, where random factors are not influential, or which are relatively insignificant to the narrative use the fixed value of a difficulty number to quantify their mechanical influence. The difficulty number is also referred to as the resistance value.
Result Points
Result points quantify the effects of an action. When a die code is used in an action, the sum of the dice roll is compared to either a difficulty number or to the sum of another dice roll. The difference between the two values is the result points. Result points are used by the Game Master to interpret the outcome of the action in favor of the element with the higher value.
Luck is an extranormal ability. A character must be a Dynamic character to have the Luck ability. Luck is a ranked ability; for every rank of Luck, the character begins a play session with one luck point. Normal: a Stock character does not have the luck ability.
Before making a skill check, a character may spend a luck point to double the number of dice in the die code rolled for the skill check. If the character has Wild Dice, they replace normal dice after the luck point doubles the die code. Only skill and ability dice may be doubled by a luck point. Only one luck point may be spent to affect dice during a single turn, regardless of the number of characters with the Luck ability participating in the action.
When a character spends a luck point, it is used up for the session.
Game Masters may award bonus luck points to players who engage in memorable role-playing that entertains the entire table. Trash talking opponents and witty banter between allies are two ways to earn bonus luck points.
The Game Master has the option of vetoing a player’s use of a luck point and narrative influence if he feels it is not justified.
The Wild Die is an extranormal ability. A character must be a Dynamic character in order to have the Wild Die ability. All player characters are automatically Dynamic. Normal: a Stock character does not have the Wild Die ability.
A character with the Wild Die ability designates one of his dice as a Wild Die. This die should be a different color or design than the regular skill dice.
Whenever he makes a skill check, a character with the Wild Die ability rolls the Wild Die in place of a skill die. If the Wild Die rolls a 6, the die explodes and another Wild Die is rolled to add to the total of the skill check. If that Wild Die explodes, another is rolled, until a Wild Die rolls a number other than 6.
If the skill check succeeds, and the Wild Die rolled a 6, the result is a critical success. A fortunate narrative event occurs in addition to the success of the skill check.
If the skill check fails, and the Wild Die rolled a 1, the result is a critical failure. An unfortunate narrative event occurs in addition to the failure of the skill check.
Using Other Dice
A standard set of role-playing dice includes four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided, twelve-sided, and twenty-sided dice. If an effect causes another type of die to be substituted for the Wild Die, the die only explodes on a roll of 7 or greater. For example, if an effect changes the Wild Die to an eight-sided die (WD8), the die would only explode if it rolled a 7 or 8; a WD10 would explode on a roll of 7, 8, 9, or 10.
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.
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 Points
Rank
Condition Severity
Condition Duration
1-5
1
minimal
one full turn
6-10
2
adequate
one full round
11-15
3
moderate
until the end of the encounter
16-20
4
complete
until the end of the scene
21-25
5
excessive
until recovered
26+
6
overwhelming
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.
Rank
Effect
1
create 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.
Rank
Damage
Composure
Body
0
Normal
Normal
Normal
1
Stunned
Startled
Defaced
2
Hurt
Disoriented
Disrupted
3
Wounded
Discouraged
Damaged
4
Incapacitated
Demoralized
Broken
5
Out of Action
Out of Action
Out 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 Modifier
Attitude
Willpower
-15
Helpful
Broken
-10
Friendly
Stressed
-5
Cooperative
Pressured
+/- 0
Neutral
Neutral
+5
Uncooperative
Engaged
+10
Unfriendly
Focused
+15
Hostile
Centered
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.
Difficulty
Effect
Quantity
Duration
Coverage
9
Full Effect
Full
Full
Full
12
3/4 Effect
Heavy
Waning
Covered
15
1/2 Effect
Light
Fading
Partial
18
1/4 Effect
Depleted
Diminished
Exposed
—
No Effect
Empty
Expired
Vanished
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 simpleskill 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.
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.
d4
d6
d8
d10
d12
d20
1:4
1:6
1:8
1:10
1:12
1:20
2:3
2:5
2:7
2:9
2:11
2:19
3:4
3:6
3:8
3:10
3:18
4:5
4:7
4:9
4:17
5:6
5:8
5:16
6:7
6:15
7:14
8:13
9:12
10:11
Difference Flip Table
A System Reference Document and Development Forum for OpenD6.
