Game Terms
This RPG uses several terms, abbreviations, and definitions in presenting the rules of the game. The following are among the most common.
Ability: A unique skill or an action that is used by a creature to perform tasks. These can both be taught through action in the game and rewarded to the player, or purchased with build points.
Ability Score: Each creature has six ability scores: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. These scores represent a creature’s most basic attributes. The higher the score, the more raw potential and talent your character possesses.
Action: An action is a discrete measurement of time during a round of combat. Using abilities, using chi, using special actions, and making attacks all require actions to perform. There are a number of different kinds of actions, such as standard action, move action, swift action, free action, and full-round action.
Alignment: Alignment represents a creature’s basic moral and ethical attitude.
Armor Defense Score (ADS): This score is used to determine how much damage you can take in a hit. As well as figuring in your character’s weakness in defense.
Armor Bonus: Each Class helps train characters in how to take a more defensive position in combat. Thus the classes grant a bonus to ADS per level of the class.
Background Abilities: Each player to better individualize their character can add Defects and Quirks to their character giving them a type of social and physical standing.
Base Attack Bonus (BAB): Each creature has a base attack bonus and it represents its skill in combat. As a character gains levels, his base attack bonus improves. When a creature’s base attack bonus reaches +6, +11, or +16, he receives an additional attack in combat when he takes a full-attack action.
Build Points: A set number of points used to buy unique abilities, Special Attacks, Extra uses of ability a day, Bonus feats, Bonus Skill points, and Extra HP. While this can be an optional rule, the build point system is a strong way to enhance the system.
Bonus: Bonuses are numerical values that are added to checks and statistical scores. Most bonuses have a type, and as a general rule, bonuses of the same type are non-cumulative (do not “stack”)—only the greater bonus granted applies.
Chi: The source of all life, the way a ninja is able to perform unique and learned abilities and tasks power and ability when casting spells. When a creature uses chi, it often contains a number of variables, such as range or damage. That is based on the user’s level.
Class: Classes represent chosen professions taken by characters and some other creatures. Classes give a host of bonuses and allow characters to take actions that they otherwise could not, such as unique abilities or chi use. As a creature gains levels in a given class, it gains new, more powerful abilities. Most PCs gain levels in the core classes or prestige classes, since these are the most powerful.
Check: A check is a d20 roll which may or may not be modified by another value. The most common types are attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws.
Concentration Check: When a creature is using Chi or powers, but is disrupted during the casting, he must make a concentration check or fail to perform the action being performed.
Creature: A creature is an active participant in the story or world. This includes PCs, NPCs, and monsters.
Damage Reduction (DR): Creatures that are resistant to harm typically have damage reduction. This amount is added to the players’ ADS score to allow them to take on greater hits.
Difficulty Class (DC): Whenever a creature attempts to perform an action whose success is not guaranteed, he must make some sort of check (usually a skill check). The result of that check must meet or exceed the Difficulty Class of the action that the creature is attempting to perform in order for the action to be successful.
Exceptional Abilities (Ex): Exceptional abilities are unusual abilities that do not rely on Chi to function.
Experience Points (XP): As a character overcomes challenges, defeats monsters, and completes quests, he gains experience points. These points accumulate over time, and when they reach or surpass a specific value, the character gains a level.
Feat: A feat is an ability a creature has mastered. Feats often allow creatures to circumvent rules or restrictions. Creatures receive a number of feats based on their Hit Dice, but some classes and other abilities grant bonus feats.
Game Master (GM): A Game Master is the person who adjudicates the rules and controls all of the elements of the story and world that the players explore. A GM’s duty is to provide a fair and fun game.
Hit Dice (HD): Hit Dice represents a creature’s general level of power and skill. As a creature gains levels, it gains additional Hit Dice. Monsters, on the other hand, gain racial Hit Dice, which represent the monster’s general prowess and ability. Hit Dice are represented by the number the creature possesses followed by a type of die, such as “3d8.” This value is used to determine a creature’s total hit points. In this example, the creature has 3 Hit Dice. When rolling for this creature’s hit points, you would roll a d8 three times and add the results together, along with other modifiers.
Hit Points (hp): Hit points are an abstraction signifying how robust and healthy a creature is at the current moment. To determine a creature’s hit points, roll the dice indicated by its Hit Dice. A creature gains maximum hit points if its first Hit Die roll is for a character class level. Creature’s first Hit Die comes from an NPC class or from his race roll their first Hit Die normally. Wounds subtract hit points, while healing (both natural and magical) restores hit points. Some abilities and spells grant temporary hit points that disappear after a specific duration. When a creature’s hit points drop below 0, it becomes unconscious. When a creature’s hit points reach a negative total equal to its Constitution score, it dies.
Initiative: Whenever combat begins, all creatures involved in the battle must make an initiative check to determine the order in which creatures act during combat. The higher the result of the check, the earlier a creature gets to act.
Level: A character’s level represents his overall ability and power. There are three types of levels. Class level is the number of levels of a specific class possessed by a character. Character level is the sum of all of the levels possessed by a character in all of his classes. In addition, the build points are gained at each new level based on the game power level.
Monster: Monsters are creatures that rely on racial Hit Dice instead of class levels for their powers and abilities (although some possess class levels as well). PCs are usually not monsters.
Non-player Character (NPC): These are characters controlled by the GM.
Penalty: Penalties are numerical values that are subtracted from a check or statistical score. Penalties do not have a type and most penalties stack with one another.
Player Character (Character, PC): These are the characters portrayed by the players.
Powers: Unique attacks and abilities granted to the player through Family or Possession, however Monsters and some classes also offer these as means of attacks. Powers have a use per day based on the build points bought. A basic Power is granted to Possessed and Family Ninja and they start 1 use of it a day. New powers can be created and others can be expanded on.
Protection Score (PS): All creatures in the game have a PS score. This score represents how hard it is to hit a creature in combat. As with other scores, higher is better.
Reputation Score (RS): This score determines how Famous or Infamous the character has become. High fame can grant the character a bonus on purchases or even rewards. High Infamy grants bonuses to intimidation and fear-inducing abilities.
Resistance (R): Some creatures are resistant to elements and gain spell resistance. When a creature with resistance is targeted by an attack, the user of the attack must make a level check to see if the attack affects the target. The DC of this check is equal to the target creature’s R (some attacks do not allow R checks).
Round: Combat is measured in rounds. During an individual round, all creatures have a chance to take a turn to act, in order of initiative. A round represents 6 seconds in the game world.
Rounding: Occasionally the rules ask you to round a result or value. Unless otherwise stated, always round down. For example, if you are asked to take half of 7, the result would be 3.
Saving Throw: When a creature is the subject of a dangerous attack, or effect it often receives a saving throw to mitigate the damage or result. Saving throws are passive, meaning that a character does not need to take an action to make a saving throw—they are made automatically. There are three types of saving throws: Resistance (used to resist poisons, diseases, and other bodily ailments), Reflex (used to avoid effects that target an entire area, such as explosives), and Will (used to resist mental attacks and Genjutsu).
Skill: A skill represents a creature’s ability to perform an ordinary task, such as climb a wall, sneak down a hallway, or spot an intruder. The number of ranks possessed by a creature in a given skill represents its proficiency in that skill. As a creature gains Hit Dice, it also gains additional skill ranks that can be added to its skills.
Special Abilities (Sp): Spell-like abilities function just like normal abilities, but are granted through a special racial ability or by a specific class ability.
Stacking: Stacking refers to the act of adding together bonuses or penalties that apply to one particular check or statistic. Generally speaking, most bonuses of the same type do not stack. Instead, only the highest bonus applies. Most penalties do stack, meaning that their values are added together. Penalties and bonuses generally stack with one another, meaning that the penalties might negate or exceed part or all of the bonuses, and vice versa.
Supernatural Abilities (Su): Supernatural abilities are attacks, defenses, and qualities. These abilities can be always active or they can require a specific action to utilize. The supernatural ability’s description includes information on how it is used and its effects.
Turn: In a round, a creature receives one turn, during which it can perform a wide variety of actions. Generally in the course of one turn, a character can perform one standard action, one move action, one swift action, and a number of free actions. Less-common combinations of actions are permissible as well, see Chapter 8 for more details.
Generating a Character
At the start of the Game, the GM will state what difficulty they are giving the game which will determine the starting build points.
20 – Tough the GM is giving a stronger restriction on early build and is keeping a tighter grip on players
30 – Average the GM is granting the player plenty of room to create while keeping it balanced overall
40 – Weak the GM is granting the players a strong role in playing a character and often battles weigh toward players
Either copy the character sheet we provide or create your own.
Step 1— Determine Ability Scores: Start by generating your character’s ability scores. These six scores determine your character’s most basic attributes and are used to decide a wide variety of details and statistics. Some class selections require you to have better-than-average scores for some of your abilities.
Step 2—Pick Your Race: Next, pick your character’s race, noting any modifiers to your ability scores and any other racial traits. There are many to choose from, although your GM might have others to add to the list.
Step 3—Pick Your Class: A character’s class represents a profession, such as Ninja or other classes. If this is a new character, he starts at 1st level in his chosen class. As he gains experience points (XP) for defeating monsters, he goes up in level, granting him new powers and abilities.
Step 4—Pick Skills and Select Feats: Determine the number of skill ranks possessed by your character, based on his class and Intelligence modifier (and any other bonuses, such as the bonus received by humans). Then spend these ranks on skills, but remember that you cannot have more ranks than x5 your level in any one skill (for a starting character, this is usually one). After skills, determine how many feats your character receives, based on his class and level.
Step 5—Buy Equipment: Each new character begins the game with an amount of money, based on his class and background abilities that can be spent on a wide range of equipment and gear, from armor to backpacks. This gear helps your character survive while adventuring. Generally speaking, you cannot use this starting money to buy Chi items without the consent of your GM.
Step 6—Finishing Details: Finally, you need to determine all of a character’s details, including his starting hit points (hp), PS and ADS scores, saving throws, initiative modifier, and attack values. All of these numbers are determined by the decisions made in previous steps. Aside from these, you need to decide on your character’s name, alignment, Background Abilities, and physical appearance. It is best to jot down a few personality traits as well, to help you play the character during the game.
Creating a game
Under these rules, the game holds a unique system of working together. The Game master as they work out the basics of the game to handle this game system is broken into categories to run games by. This system is designed to handle a variety of gaming styles and gameplay. To start this off the system starts with an HP system designed for the gameplay style. Additionally, gameplay time lines determine the types of abilities weapons, and even some class choices based on the timeline of a game that the GM is set to run.
Game Play Styles
Survival – In this game style the GM runs the player through a low HP rate which causes the players to find a high challenge in the basic tasks. Other options of this gameplay is altering the healing rate and allowing the loss and damage of body parts. In exchange basic challenges grant a higher reward of experience for players.
Standard – The typical fantasy roleplaying game with a standard healing system. The classic form of gameplay in role-playing games. Options in this gameplay for rules include slower experience gain and restricted equipment choices based on the game timeline.
Power – A higher rate of power for players, In this form the GM grants ways for players to increase their HP rate and have high-powered attacks. Players of our previous titles this is the most common play for our systems.
Comedy – The less often used but open form of game play, In most games in this choice while having HP, its loss does not result in death but a KO for the player. The difference it is that the EXP rate is harder to level as players have to meet a requirement to gain EXP.
HP Rates
| Game Style | EXP Rate | HP Per Level |
| Survival | High | Class Hit Die at Level 1+Endurance, +1 HP every level after & End. Bonus |
| Standard | Medium | Class Hit Die Per level +Endurance Bonus |
| Power | Medium | Class Hit Die +Endurance Bonus, Build Points Gain extra die = to level |
| Comedy | Low | Class Hit Die +Endurance Bonus, characters do not die (optional) |
Game Play Time Lines
Ancient – This covers the types of games that occur at any point from the dawn of time to about the Dark Ages in weapons, classes, and skills
Revolution – This covers the Middle Ages to Post World War, Opening new powers, technology, new classes, and skills. One of the broadest times covers most things outside of a few skills, classes, and technology
Modern – Modern day covers post-war to modern times and a little bit beyond. Most Archaic skills, tech, and a few classes have been lost for new ones.
Future – The time beyond the modern, most obsolete skills are gone replaced with high tech, and new ways to tackle skills and weapons become the strength of the world.
What kind of Game do you want to play?
When a GM is starting to run a game they need to choose the game style and timeline that best fits their choice of their game. I have listed the most common choices based on their game
| Timeline | |||||
| Style | Ancient | Revolution | Modern | Futuristic | Mixed |
| Survival | Ancient Horror, Pre-human survival | Fantasy Horror, Revolution Horror | Horror, Survival Adv., Noir Detective Anime Horror | Post Apocalypse, Scifi Horror Space Horror Scifi Survival | Time Travel Survival |
| Standard | Early human Adv., Ancient Adventure Civilization Adv. | Fantasy Adv. Revolution Adv. Western Adv. | Steampunk, Modern, Adventure, Detective Adv. | Cyberpunk , Science fiction Magical Science Space Adventure | Time Travel Adv. |
| Power | Ancient Super Hero, Ancient Gods | Anime Fantasy, Power fantasy | Super Hero, Martial Arts, Action Anime Magic Detective Kajiu | Cyber Hero Scifi Anime Space Hero Adv. | Time Travel Hero |
| Comedy | Early man comedy Ancient God comedy | Comedy Fantasy, Comedy Anime Fantasy, Western Anime | School Anime, Anime comedy, Comedy Adv. | Scifi comedy | Mix genre Comedy |
| Game Type | Media Example | Game Type | Media Example | |
| Pre-human survival | 300 (Comic series/movies) | Ancient Gods | Hercules (Book/TV/movies) | |
| Fantasy Horror | Dracula (Book/Movies) | Anime Fantasy | Lodoss War (Anime/manga) | |
| Ancient Horror | Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Book/Movies) | Power fantasy | One Piece (Anime/Manga) | |
| Revolution Horror | Sleepy Hallow (Book/Movies) | Super Hero | Avengers (Comics/Movies) | |
| Horror | Friday the 13th (Movies) | Martial Arts | Street Fighter (Anime/video games) | |
| Survival Adventure | Lord of the Flies (Book/ Movie) | Magic Detective | Dresden Files (Books/TV series) | |
| Noir Detective | Maltese Falcon (Movie) | Kaiju | Godzilla (Movies) | |
| Anime Horror | Hellsing (Manga/Tv show) | Cyber Hero | Reboot (TV Series) | |
| Post Apocalypse | Fallout (video games) | Scifi Anime | Macross (Anime/Books) | |
| Scifi Horror | Aliens (movies) | Space Hero Adventure | Guardians of the Galaxy (Comics/Movie) | |
| Scifi Survival | Hunger Games (Book/Movies) | Early man comedy | The Life of Brian (Movie) | |
| Time Travel Survival | The Time Machine (Book/Movies) | Comedy Fantasy | Princess Bride (Book/Movie) | |
| Civilization Adventure | Game of Thrones (Books/TV Series) | Comedy Anime Fantasy | Slayers (Anime/Manga) | |
| Fantasy Adventure | Lord of the Rings (Books/ Movies) | School Anime | Kampher (Anime/Manga) | |
| Western Adventure | Deadwood (TV Series) | Western Anime | Afro Samurai (Anime) | |
| Steampunk | Howl’s Moving Castle (Books/Movie) | Anime Comedy | Ranma ½ (anime/manga) | |
| Modern | Grand Theft Auto (video games) | Comedy Adventure | Hot Shots (Movies) | |
| Adventure | Indiana Jones (Movies/ TV) | Scifi comedy | Spaceballs (Movie) | |
| Detective Adventure | Sherlock (TV series) | Scifi Anime Comedy | Tenchi Muyo (Anime/Manga) | |
| Science fiction | Cowboy Beebop (anime) | Mix genre comedy | ||
| Magical Science | Ben 10 (TV series) | |||
| Space Adventure | Star Trek (Tv/movies) | |||
| Time Travel Adventure | Doctor Who (TV series) |
Experience and HP based on gameplay styles
Survival – Low HP rate High EXP
Players gain their class HP and Endurance Bonus at the start of the game. Every level they gain they get 1 HP plus Endurance Bonus to add to their HP max. The rate of leveling in the game is for every 5 points of Experience the character levels up. Extra HP cannot be bought with Build points. Experience points are given when characters defeat encounters, avoid a hazard, complete objectives and survive on limited resources. Additionally, the Gm may reward EXP points for impressing the GM with the creative use of abilities and skills.
Standard – Standard HP and EXP gain
Players gain their class HP and Endurance Bonus at each level , again the HP cannot be bought by build points. The rate of leveling follows the same chart given below. Experience is given when players, defeat an encounter, complete an objective, and avoid a hazard. The GM can still give bonus Experience for impressing the GM in the player’s actions.
Power – Higher HP, yet low EXP
Players gain their class HP and Endurance Bonus each level, They also can spend 1 build point to gain an extra hit die of their class, or 2 Build points to gain the HP of an extra hit die at the Maximum result. The game’s balance however comes into play with the EXP gain, while this version follows the chart for EXP players only gain EXP by completing Objectives. Additional Experience may be gained if the GM feels fit to reward the players for their actions in a game.
Comedy – Standard HP (cannot die unless the player wants to), Difficult EXP
Comedy is loose fitting, Player’s HP totals are till the Player is KO’d not dead abilities like Die-hard and other effects keep a player up despite the amount of damage they take until they fail an increasing Resistance check, at which time they pass out. Extra hit die can be purchased with build points but have to be rolled. Experience is hard to come by. The player is only given EXP when a difficult objective is met. The GM may also award a player if they are amused by the player’s actions at which point no matter the difficulty the player gains 1 EXP for the task following the standard chart progress for leveling. Due to the no-death rule players are restricted by the following. Players Build Point gain is set at the lowest setting, Death attacks cannot be taken. Players are required to take defects and advantages at a rate of
5 defects /2 advantages. Players can decrease their EXP gain at the end of an objective for not playing their character.
Optional Special Rules:
Honorable Death – When a Player dies in a game normally the GM will have the player bring in a new character at or around the same level as the lowest player, or equal to their last character’s EXP. However, an optional rule a GM can put in place is the Honorable Death, this is a final reward for a player who sacrifices their character in a way to help the other players / move the game along. With this rule, the GM can reward the player extra EXP (for their new character) for their death in helping the group out. This is a special rule that is completely in the hands of the GM on whether the player deserves the reward. It is set this way so you don’t have players leveling up new characters off of Kamikazing their former characters.
Player Rewards – It’s a good idea particularly in lower EXP, Bonuses toward roles, or extra Build Points games to reward players for doing certain things in character at the end of each game session, Given this is a reward and should only be given for the following actions of a player in a game. But the reward should remain 1 EXP per or some other in-game prize by the GM.
Best Role Player – The player that acted out their character the most
Best Team Player – The player that best supported the group through actions with the group or in actions that helped the team progress to their goal.
Team Organizer – The player that kept the team the most focused on the game and helped push the game along
Note Taker / Info Broker – The player that takes notes and is helpfully supplies information to the others from the notes they have on the game. This helps GMs greatly as they can easily lose track of where they are in games.
Time Keeper – The player that helps keep track of dates and times sometimes even weather patterns in the game. This allows the GM to focus more on the events and characters to interact with the players and thus the Time Keeper is a valuable role to reward.
Background Building Characters – One of the most interesting ways to help push the players into the characters they build is for the GM to offer a reward for their characters Background provides content for current or future events in the game. Because of this, it is suggested to offer an increased starting level for players that offer such content over others that just create a character.