UMBRA SUMUS

On Systems

Updated 2019-01-21

Simple use of Skills

Roll d% under a Skill level to succeed.

00 result is low.

  • If the task is described as Easy roll d% under (Skill x 2) to succeed.
  • If the task is described as Difficult (or Hard) roll d% under (Skill ÷ 2) to succeed
  • Difficult and Easy modifiers may stack.

Special results

  • A double – 00, 11, … 88, 99 – may be a special result if there is such a thing in the issue in question. Whether is is specially good or specially bad depends whether it is above or below the skill.
  • 00 – is a very special, automatic success, maximum effect and so on.
  • 99 – is a very special, automatic fail, even if effective skill is 99 or over, and probably with extra consequences.

Skill Improvement Checks

By Experience

  • When a character uses a skill successfully, non-trivially, at normal or difficult level (so not at Easy level) mark the skill with a tick or whatever as a reminder to check for improvement later.
  • At significant downtime, usually after the end of the adventure or start of the next, for each ticked skill roll d%.
  • If the result is OVER the existing skill, add 5 to the existing skill level.
  • Clear all the tested experience check ticks, success or fail.

By Training

  • Abstracted into the Character Point system below.

Character Points

Getting character points:

  • Player characters, and some others, get a Character Point at the start of each game.
  • Players can get extra points for their character by contributing to the game by keeping the GM amused with game reports, a character background description, relevant quips, epigrams, pictures and whatnot. Limited to one point per game session.
  • Gin Lane players can have a point for a “Whatever happened to…” report, once.

Spending Character points

– If your character gets a permanent benefit from a character point spend then the CPs are expended permanently.

– Character points spent on a short-term benefit may be recovered at the end of the adventure.

  • Declare a fact
    • make minor, non-contested declarations of background facts. See On Aspects for more details.
    • May be a temporary spend, recoverable at the end of the adventure.

  • Improve a skill
    • Strike out a Character point, add 5 to an existing skill.
    • One skill only, between sessions.
    • Permanent spend.

  • Add a skill
    • compatible with existing Aspects, at half default (average two Attribute rather than add them). This is through out-of-game practice and training.
    • One only, between sessions.
    • Permanent spend.

  • Improve an Attribute
    • take an attribute improvement roll – d20 over an existing attribute to increase that attribute by 1 (again, through out-of-game practice and training).
    • One only, between sessions.
    • Permanent spend.

  • Evade near-certain death
    • at the cost of all character points, provided that death is evadable (and preferably off-stage) and the character has any such points. This option converts Dead results to ‘only mostly dead’ per Miracle Max.
    • Note that otherwise character points pass on to a new character as ‘karma’.
    • Permanent spend.

  • Adding new Aspects
    • may be possible, but if so it'll cost at least THREE character points.
    • One only, between sessions.
    • Permanent spend.