Chapter 2 - System Rules

For determining strike chances it is possible to go into negative numbers. If this occurs take the negative amount and subtract it from one hundred and treat it as if it were the second number rolled after the 01.

One must also determine success level differently if one's roll is less than 01. Add 100 to the FSC you had and calculate your success levels from the number you rolled after the 01.

Example:

Example 1: Joe the driver has a 15% chance to headbutt; Glenda the barmaid has a 20 defense; Joe, therefore, has a negative 5% chance to headbutt her. 100 minus 5 is 95 - so Joe must roll a 01:95 to headbutt Glenda.

 Example 2: Alex has a 20% chance to hit the barn, he rolls a 01:65. His CSN is 25% of his success chance, so 05%. Add 100 to 05 and you get 105. 105 minus 65 equals 40. 40 is the critical effect number. 40/10=4+1=5, so Alex has 5 success levels  or 5*0.5= 2.5* effect!

Time, Initiative, and Speed

INITIATIVE

Managing flow of actions, sequencing of occurrences, and time-flow in Bardic Tales is modeled by breaking time up into discrete units called counts. Each count is the equivalent of a fifth of a second.

 There is a system called "initiative" that manages when a character acts and reacts in counts. This is based on the character's stats, their skill levels in both the skill being used and other supporting skills, and their knowledge of similar skills.  Modifiers may be applied for physical or mental condition, previous successful or failed actions, and the situation in general. These variables are all bundled together under a single number called SPEED (SPD).

To simulate the variability of our interface with the world, the "initiative" is generated by rolling two 6-sided dice and adding them together and then modifying them by subtracting your Initiative Points (INIT)- which equals SPD/2(rounded up).

 The resultant number is the number of counts a character must wait until they can start an action. This is their "reaction time" in counts. Reaction speed is the measure of how long it takes before a person can react to a situation enough to begin implementing a response to it. It compresses decision making time and muscle reaction time into one secondary stat for ease of game play.

 During the course of a combat or specific interaction, the GM will walk through time count by count. In each count there is an action phase and then a reaction phase. When a person "rolls initiative" and generates a number, that number is the number of counts the person takes to "react" to their environment and start an action. If the number is negative(due to modifiers) then it is declared as zero counts and the person can declare what action they are starting in the reaction phase of that count, and it will start in the action phase of the next count.

All negative initiative PLUS SPD/2[rounded down]gets turned into ACTION POINTS(ACT), which can be used to speed up the time it actually takes to do the action.

Each action has a speed assigned to it. This is called WeaponSpeed(WSD- this is another layover from the time when all skills were modeling combat!). This speed is a measure of the "counts" it takes to perform the action. So once the person is finished reacting(in the reaction phase of the count their reaction completes) they would confirm which action they were starting in the action phase of the next count. That would be the first count of the action. When they reach the action phase of the count which is (modified WSD) counts later they would roll their skill roll and the action would take place.

SPEED mechanics are explained in more detail below.

ON SPEED

Speed Points allow one to perform actions faster than their normal WSD (Action Speed).

First, some definitions:

Speed Points(SPD) => the number generated by the character's PSPD/MSPD stat, plus the LVF/10, plus the RANK modifiers: primary(RANK-2), secondaries([RANK-2]/2), and general([RANK-2]/2), plus any SPECIAL POINTS(Support skills like Quickstrike, Environmental variables, Physical and Mental state of the character)

Initiative points(INIT) => the number subtracted from the character's initiative roll.  It is equal to half the speed points, rounded up. Is added to directly by some SUPPORT SKILLS like Kata.

Action Points(ACT) => the points used to speed up actions, perform passive actions or add to-hit.  It is equal to half the speed points, rounded down. Is added to directly by some SUPPORT SKILLS like Quickdraw.

Using Initiative Points

Initiative Points are subtracted from your initiative roll. Negative initiative turns into ACT on a 1 per 1 basis.

You cannot buy more reaction time beyond the base, you can only reduce action speeds, or buy to-hit and damage points.

Quickstrike generates 1 SPD per RANK. Kata generates 1 INIT per RANK.

SUMMARY:

INIT will be:

INIT = ([PSD or MSD] + LVF/10 + RANK_MODS - SITUATIONAL MODS)/2.

RANK_MODS = {Rank in skill about to be used} - 2 + {General Skill - 2}/2 + {Secondary#1 -2}/2 + {Secondary#2 -2}/2*

*NOTE: The general and secondary skill values can never be less than zero, although the primary can! Characters may not have all the values.

SITUATIONAL_MODS = Failed last roll: +4; Dazed: +4; Crit failed last roll: +8(or more); Stunned: +8; Surprised: +12; Double Stunned: +16.
See Situational Modifiers in Chapter 3: Combat

 normal action initiative roll = 2d6 - INIT

 pre-set action initiative roll = 2d6/2 - INIT

 instant attack initiative roll = 0 - INIT

Pre-sets and Instant Attacks

Some skill options that change this slightly are the pre-sets and instant attacks mentione din the above formula. The only difference is that when using a pre-set you roll 2d6/2 [rounded up] instead of 2d6 for the reaction variation. In an instant attack you proceed as if you had ROLLED a 0[normally impossible] on your 2d6/2 pre-set roll.

 If the character has pre-set an action they roll 2d6/2 -SPEED for INIT but all perceptions will be cut in half, and the player must specifically detail out their actions at the time they announces the pre-set- which must be after a full reaction. Any number of pre-sets can be set at that time to a limit of half the character's intelligence.

Using ACTION Points

You can buy ACTION points by reducing your success chance, reducing your effect(damage), or via negative initiative.

You can buy one ACT for 10% to hit, 3 points of damage, or 1 point of negative initiative.

One ACT will buy you 2% to-hit, 1/3 of a DAM, and 1 count of a passive action.

 A specific Quickdraw skill generates 1 ACT per RANK.

SUMMARY: To buy 1 ACT => 10% to-hit or 3 points of damage(only for muscle-powered, non-stored-energy actions) or 1 negative initiative.

One ACT will buy you:  2%-to-hit or 1/3 DAM or 1 count off of a passive action.

How to Reduce Action Speed with Speed Points

10 speed points cut WSD in half. After half, 20 more(30 total) speed points lower WSD to 1/4, 20 more (50 total) lower to 1/8, and so on. At WSD=1 every 20 speed points gives another action.

You can do smaller WSD reductions by figuring out the cost to the nearest breakpoint (half, quarter, eighth, etc.) and evenly distribute that number of speed points across the count spread. For instance, with a ten count action, 10 SPD points will reduce it to a 5 count action. It is a five count spread between 10 and 5, therefore you take ten SPD points and evenly as you can spread them across. With a 10 count action it is an even split- 2 SPD points per count! So to reduce a 10 count weapon to 8 costs 4 SPD points!

 Always round up when you are cutting in half. If the WSD to be cut in half is odd then the cost is reduced 80%. So 8 speed points would cut a 9 WSD action to a 5 WSD. If you reduced a 10 WSD action to a quarter of its speed, the first cut to 5 WSD would cost 10 points, but then from 5 to 3 would cost 16 points for a total cost of 26 speed points.   See table below for the example of a weapon with a base weapon speed of ten...

 (OPTIONAL RULE) Instant Activation and Perception

You can also use ACT points to activate certain functions in no time. The cost is two ACT points per count an action would normally take. A few examples: perception[8 counts], support skill initiation[usually 8 counts], general skill activation[usually 8 counts, Kata [not a general skill but a support skill that required activation- is 4 counts], etc. So 8 ACTION points will buy you a full passive perception or general skill activation. If the action is not completely bought off with ACT points it is treated as a primary action of "WSD-ACT" counts.

Drawing Speed

Drawing speed will be 1 count for a 2" draw or less, 2 cts for a 4" draw or less, 3 cts for 8", 4 cts for 12", 5 cts for 24", 6 cts for 36", etc. (length in feet + 3 for foot long or longer weapons. There will also be a three count period before draw speed can be used- that is one count to move the hand to the weapon, one count to orient the hand to the weapon, and one count to grasp the weapon properly. For WSD purposes these three will be tacked onto the draw speed as part of that action

Double Time

Double time (taking twice as long to perform the skill) will require a miss of 100 to critical miss instead of 50. It will insure not badly failing.

Expanding on Derived Statistics

Movement

Movement is in feet per count. Normal walking movement is MVM/5. A jog is a walk *2 and a run is a walk *3. A dash is MVM. Players can decide whether they are acting before or after movement in a particular count.

The movement skill adds.25 feet per [RANK] to the MVM secondary stat. If used actively it will add another.25 feet per [RANK] to the MVM and will last RANK*3 counts before requiring a re-roll.

 People will accelerate at 1 foot per 3 counts. One can turn 30 degrees in one count when walking, 15 degrees when one is running, and 5 degrees when one is dashing. Here is a chart showing how acceleration works:

A successful agility save, or an acceleration skill roll will allow the character to jump up one row on the above table OR turn that many more degrees in one count. A success by half will allow a jump of two rows. A critical success is worth another jump as is every level of critical success thereafter. A failure means no advancement at all, and a critical failure means moving down a row, and making an agility save versus falling. Acceleration rolls take 3 counts to make and can be strung together one after the other with no penalty. If the acceleration skill is not high enough to be better than the agility save it may be used as a secondary to the agility save.

 See ENCUMBRANCE below for following:

 Standing Jump is [(MVM) - ENC_LEVEL] in feet. You may not apply an active movement skill to this.

 Running jump is the same as standing jump but you may add 1 foot for every yard of movement before the jump- up to twice your standing jump plus your RNK in movement (if you activate it and have the space and time).
  

On Movement Mods

It is exceedingly difficult to target an opponent that is moving.   Therefore these are the mods:

If you are moving at all: -40% to-hit
(Possible support skill: Shoot-While-Move.  Adds 3% per rank to your shot.)

If your target is moving at all: -40% to-hit
(Possible support skill: Targeting Perception.  If you make an ACTIVE targeting perception- i.e. follow the target, lead the target- that is successful you cut all the target based movement mods in half- including the velocity differential.)

For every foot per count your velocities are different: -10% to-hit.
(NOTE: If the velocity differential is at a significant angle- less than 45 degrees- then you may reduce the minuses in direct relation to the angle*2 as a percentage.  I.e. If it is at 45 degrees then you can
take 90% of the velocity differential minuses[9% per ft/ct instead of ten]. If it is heading straight towards or straight away it is 0% and you take no velocity differential but still take the opponent moving mod.)

An opponent is defined as moving if they:
(a) have a velocity greater than 1 ft/count, or
(b) are engaged in a maneuver skill of some sort (dodge, acrobatics, gymnastics, running, swimming, falling, actively riding).  Climbing or defense is usually not counted unless the climber/defender can fulfill condition (a).

Another mod is "Unstable Platform": -40%.  Includes: moving cars, helicopters, crumbling/unsteady standing/kneeling/lying surface

Perception

The basic perception stats are the secondary stats PER, MPR, and MAP. PER(Perception) applies to physical perceptions, such as combat perception, targeting perception, small-scale perception, movement perception or any other perception skill that involved the five physical senses. Awareness is the skill applied to general physical perceptions. MPER (Mental Perception) applies to mental perceptions, such as distinguish pattern, find reference, scan text, scan view or any other perception skill that involves internal space. Read Pattern is the skill applied to general mental perceptions. MAP (Magical Aptitude) is used as a base for magical perceptions.

 I will discuss perception using the physical perceptions as an example. However MPR and MAP (when used as a perception) operate the same way.

 Awareness is used when you are generally aware but looking for nothing in particular. If you are aware and you roll a general perception roll (PER) you get your secondary stat or your appropriate skill whichever is higher. An awareness roll takes 8 counts.

 Specific perceptions (combat, targeting, small-scale, etc.) are narrower in focus. When you activate one of these, your PER for those events double, and for all other events are cut in half. To activate a specific PER you must spend 4 counts (or less if you use spd points), after which your PER is doubled for that type of perception for (DRIVE + RANK {in that specific perception}) counts- after which you must reactivate it. The act of making a perception roll in that specific perception is enough to activate it if you declare it so.

Passive perception rolls are the fastest and least focussed perceptions. You may make passive perception rolls at 0 time at any reaction. They can also happen at a GMs discretion if the situation violently changes during a PCs action and the PC would likely notice the change. A passive perception roll is half of whatever you would normally roll.

 *Unactivated perceptions are:

[PER + RANK {in appropriate perception or Awareness}*3]/2

*Activated perception (being aware) is:

 PER + RANK {in appropriate perception or Awareness}*3

*Activated specific perception is:

 [PER + RANK {in the appropriate perception}*3]*2

*When a specific perception is activated all others are inactivated.

Magical perception (SCF) and Divine Perception (DVF) utilize MAP as their default perception. INF perception (INF), Craft Perception (SKF), Artistic Perception (CTF), and Technology Perception(TCF) utilize MPR as their default.

 Light sleep cuts all perceptions in a quarter. Heavy sleep cuts perceptions in an eighth.

 Most of the perceptions follow the same general rules. We will use Combat Perception as an example- take your cues from it.

 Combat Perceptions

The skill Combat Perception is more than raw perception- it is half a lore skill- knowing how people move... knowing weapons, etc.

 It takes 4 counts to make a combat perception. It lasts for [DRV + (RANK)] counts. During that time you may make perception rolls as a full primary at every reaction at no speed penalties. Or you can make specific perception rolls at 4 counts and have double your chance.

If you have not taken the time to fully activate your perception a passive perception roll is allowed at reactions at half the normal value.

If you are using the specific Combat Perception skill, you gain a level of success automatically. I.e., Crit fail becomes failure, failure becomes partial success.

On timing of hit, the percentages are applied to the action time. For a Partial success (+/- 30%) versus a ten count action, you know the timing within +/-3 counts. For a 5 count action, +/-2 counts.

The player chooses how to apply the success levels. Instead of picking one from the level that the roll indicates, the player may drop a level and pick two, drop two levels and pick three, etc. So a Crit 1 can allow a player to know the Partial success info on all three types of info (location, timing, and efficacy of the blow).

If you parry or block a specific part of your body or thing you get, as a positive modifier, the modifier you would have taken if you had made a called shot there.

Time modifies perception rolls, on the idea that the farther an action has progressed, the easier it is to perceive. Characters get the most efficient time- if he/she does a 4 count perception the timing is considered from the last count. If it is a passive perception it is considered from the count before the passive perception.

A parry or block must occur in the last half of the WSD of the weapon being parried. In other words a long sword, a ten count weapon, must be parried within the last five counts to be effective. Uneven weapons round the parry window time up. If the parry/block goes off before or after that window it is not effective.

Timing of perception Modification to perception roll

•  1 count before action starts -50

• 1st count of action: -25

•  2nd count of action: +00

• 3rd count of action: +25

• 4th count of action +50

• 5th count of action +75

Surprise results from a critical failure on a perception roll; or two failures in a row on the same action; or a GM call that the person wasn't even expecting that kind of event (i.e. a sentry not expecting trouble might be surprised on a single failure when grabbed from behind...).

Awareness

Awareness is a general sensory perceptions of your immediate area. It is your PER stat or Awareness skill. I takes 8 counts to do.

Missile Combat Perception

Missile Combat Perception is the selection and tracking of targets.

Healing

Recovery of HTK or POW requires a health save. In normal game play, is assumed that the health saves for the first quarter's healings are successful. With each successful health save 1 HTK is healed back.

Combat medicine can provide a 2d6 + RANK*2 of restoration to the body. The amount of healing points required to restore a HTK is dependent on the level of the wounds.

Endurance, Exhaustion, and Fatigue

In this conversation Physical and Mental Endurances are equivalent.  Therefore we refer to END and EXT.  In this discussion, END refers to both Physical Endurance(END) and Mental Endurance(MEN).  Likewise for exhaustion- EXT refers to both Physical Exhaustion(EXT) and Mental Exhaustion(MEXT).  Physical and Mental endurance and exhaustion are recovered simultaneously and identically.

Currently END, EXT, and M-EXT (Endurance, Exhaustion, and Meta-Exhaustion) use the idea that Endurance is like a pool of energy that you have a certain amount of and that increases as one becomes more skilled.  Actions use up Endurance like fuel.

 
***
ENDURANCE:  Basic "fuel unit".
It returns after use at 1 per ten counts... usually all back in 3-5 minutes.  Resting or sleeping doubles the return rate.

 
***
EXHAUSTION: EXT comes off the top of END at a rate of 1 per 10 END expended.
It returns at 1 per two hours of rest, 2 per hour of light sleep, 4 per hour of medium sleep, and 8 per hour of full deep sleep.  Meals can also restore 1-3 EXT three times a day.  Meditation is as medium sleep.

***
META-EXHAUSTION: M-EXT comes off END as well.  One accumulates one M-EXT for every 10 EXT and MEX one accumulates.  END/MEN and EXT/MEXT are physical/mental specific, but there is only one pool of meta-exhaustion which applies to both physical and mental endurance, and is derived from both physical and mental exhaustion.

It returns at a rate of: 1 per 4 hours of complete rest(not doing any activity- not expending more than 20 endurance in an hour), 1 per 2 hours of deep sleep(Deep sleep is usually achieved in the third hour of sleep)

***
Your first hour of sleep is light sleep and gives you 2 EXT, .25 M-EXT
Your second hour of sleep is medium sleep and gives you 4 EXT,.25 M-EXT
All following hours of sleep are deep sleep and give you 8 EXT,.5 M-EXT

If a character is moving or acting at some percentage of full effort (travelling with slower companions, taking their time, only punching white belts) they only expend that percentage of the END cost of the action.  i.e. if a character has a walk of 1.4 and the group is moving at .7, she only expends 50% of the END cost for that type of movement.

Levels of success can be used to decrease endurance cost just like they can be used to increase damage.  The following table describes the effect:

  Effect of Success Levels on Endurance
1 x2/3
2 x1/2
3 x2/5
4 x1/3
5 x2/7
6 x1/4
...
NOTE: In most cases you need to put at least one success level in a roll to effect or there will be 0 effect.  :-)  So, usually, you would never put all your success levels towards reducing endurance.

***

OPTIONAL RULE:

Whenever the rules call for recovering 1 ENDURANCE, EXHAUSTION, or META-EXHAUSTION it is read as 1% of the character's endurance.  The amount of endurance recovered is tallied and then the modifier is applied.

I.e. if a character recovers 54 points over night, and the character evokes this optional rule, then that is translated to 54% of total and rounded up to the nearest integer.  This rule will probably only be used by characters with ENDURANCES over 100... :-)

***

OPTIONAL RULE(DESIGN LEVEL):

PROBABLE: REQUIRES SECONDARY STAT RECONFIGURATION- END AND MEN BASE WOULD REMAIN THE SAME BUT EXPANSION EFFECTS(LVFs, SKILL EFFECTS) WOULD BE CUT IN AT LEAST HALF

Endurance costs for skills would be:  COST - RANK*(.05*COST) with the COST never dropping to zero.

>RNK 1 =  5% reduction
>RNK 2 = 10% reduction
>RNK 3 = 15% reduction
>  (etc.) -           -
RNK 10 = 50% reduction
>  (etc.)
>RNK 20 = 100% reduction (wow)-> becomes 1 END or EXt or M-EXT.

Regaining Exhaustion

There are a variety of methods of regaining EXT. Several follow:

Food

A meal on the road scraped together in 5 minutes will give 1 EXT. A hearty meal will return 2 EXT. A huge pasta-like meal with big portions will restore 3 EXT.

However, there are negatives to the bigger meals. After a heavy meal (3 EXT) the character will be stunned for 15 minutes and dazed for half an hour. This will be referred to as a heavy stupor. After a normal meal (2 EXT) the character will be dazed for half an hour. This is a normal stupor. After a light meal (1 EXT) the character will be dazed for 15 minutes. This is a light stupor. People in a stupor tend to be weary and want to go to sleep. This is not overpowering and can easily overcome but it is the character's inclination. A willpower save will overcome the effects of the stupor. The effect will also disappear after the completion of the first reaction roll in a critical situation. If the person was in a heavy stupor, he will become dazed unless a willpower save is made. If the willpower save is made the person is treated as if they were 50% exhausted if coming out of a daze and 75% exhausted if coming out of stun.

The meal advantage can only be used three times a day, at least one hour apart.

Sleep

Sleep will return EXT as per the following chart

Every person needs [8 - (CON + DSC - 20)/4] hours of sleep. For every hour less than normal sleep the character gets they start becoming tired one hour sooner. A normal person begins getting tired 12 hours after waking up- they lose 1 EXT an hour for 6 hours, then they lose 2 EXT an hour for another 6 hours, then 3 etc., etc. This is both mental and physical exhaustion. You must make a SYS save as if you were 50% wounded at the end of every 6 hour period once you start becoming fatigued.

The character must sleep at least half his/her required sleep to reset his "clock". If the character gets less it will turn back his/her fatigue "clock" one hour for every hour he/she sleeps. No time is accrued against the character while (s)he sleeps.

 Light sleep cuts all perceptions in half. Heavy sleep cuts perceptions in a quarter. If a person is woken up from sleep they wake in stages from stunned to dazed to normal. The normal person spends 10-20 counts in each stage with reactions in between. So it is done as follows:

A willpower save will jump the character to the next category- stunned to dazed to normal.

Endurance Costs

Encumbrance

You cannot have more than TLA/12 # of anything on your arms, or more than TLA/6 # of anything on your legs, or more than TLA/12 # on your head- without taking minuses. For every unit {for arms and head- (TLA/12)/10; for legs- (TLA/6)/10} above the limit rounded up you take a -2% to do any physical action that requires gross movement with that limb. You also pay half again END costs for those actions. Heavy weight on the head will give minuses to Balance rolls.

Also, I am going to break armor up into material and form. For form I was thinking Structured (Plate Armor, Samurai splint), Dress (Chain dresses, leather dresses), and Piece (a chest plate, greaves) Armor. Mobility, movement, and DEF mods would be based on form. Weight and Absorption of the Armor would be based on material. Weight will be based on surface area of various hit locations.

There are several "levels" of encumbrance they are based on multiples of the character's base encumbrance. They are as follows: