Phaserip Table of Contents
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PHASERIP TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION What is a Hero? System Primer A Definition of Terms I: PROTAGONISM Echelons Attributes Traits II: VS THE WORLD Panels Areas GESTs Combat Arete Continuity Renown II: SAVING THE PLANET INTRODUCTION WHAT IS A HERO? SYSTEM PRIMER Here is what a typical Hero might look like defined in game terms:ROBIN HOOD GIVEN NAME: Robin of oc!sley OCCUPATION: "utlaw Chief ORIGIN: e#en$ ARCHETYPE: The Archer CALLING: Rebel DARING: E%ce&tionalAGILITY: e#en$aryMIGHT: Goo$DURABILITY: E%ce&tionalWITS: E%ce&tionalINTELLIGENCE: 'ormalCOURAGE: (ncanny STAMINA: E%ce&tional )*+, PSYCHE: E%ce&tional )*-, RESOURCES: Puny TRAITS: Archery %- Charm Chicanery ea$ershi& Ri$e WEAKNESS: Cannot Resist a Challen#e )Pri$e. e#en$ary) ALLIES: /ai$ /arian. The /erry /en of Sherwoo$ 0orest Characters are $efine$ by - basic types of characteristics in #ame terms: Attributes and Traits. Attributes are $ivi$e$ into Primary. Secondary an$ Special Attributes3H' PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES All Heroes share 4 Primary Attributes. essential faculties &ossesse$ to some $e#ree by e2ery character in the #ame1 Daring. Agility, Might. Durability. Wits. Intelligence. an$ Courage3 PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES DARING is a measure of a Hero5s bol$nes, 2alour. an$ raw combat ability3 A Hero with hi#h Darin# is a #reat warrior. while a Hero with low Darin# is &robably a bit of a &usho2er3 AGILITY is an e2aluation of a Hero5s nimbleness, flexibility. an$ refle%es3 A Hero with low a#ility is clumsy an$ uncoor$inate$. while a Hero with hi#h A#ility is ca&able of &erformin# astoun$in# acrobatic feats MIGHT is an estimate of a Hero5s stren#th an$ &hysical &ower3 A Hero with hi#h /i#ht is able to lift #reat amounts of wei#ht an$ inflict $e2astatin# blows inb combat. while a Hero with low /i#ht is weak an$ im&otent in combat3 DURABILITY re&resents a Hero5s ability to resist or reco2er from in7ury3 A Hero with hi#h Durability is tou#h an$ $i8cult to in7ure. while a Hero with low Durability is frail an$ woun$s easily3 MENTAL ATTRIBUTES WITS estimates a Hero's &erce&ti2eness, intuition. an$ situational awareness. A Hero with hi#h Wits is obser2ant an$ $i8cult to sur&rise. while a Hero with low Wits is easily $istracte$ an$ often cau#ht o9:#uar$3 INTELLIGENCE is an e2aluation of a Hero5s in#enuity. reason. an$ memory3 Hi#h ;ntyelli#ence $enotes creativity an$ $ili#ence3 A Hero with low ;ntelli#ence is not necessarily stu&i$ so much as banal. irrational. or une$ucate$3 COURAGE re&resents a Hero5s will&ower. bra2ery an$ resol2e. A Hero with low Coura#e is cowar$ly an$ easily in6uence$. while a Hero with hi#h Coura#e is $e$icate$ an$ stea$fast Darin#. A#ility. /i#ht. an$ Durability are referre$ to as a Hero5s Physical Attributes. while Wits, ;ntelli#ence. an$ Coura#e are referre$ to as a Hero5s Mental Attributes3 ECHELONS Each Primary Attribute is <ualifie$ by a $escri&tor or a$7ecti2e. calle$ an Echelon3 Echelons re6ect the character5s com&etency in that Atribute. an$ other Phaseri& characters with the same Ec$helon in an Atribute are of commensurate &roficiency3 Each Echelon is associate$ with a numbere$ Rank between * an$ *=3 The ten stan$ar$ Echelons an$ Echelon Ran!s use$ in Phaseri& are Puny )*,. 'ormal )-,. Goo$ )>,. E%ce&tional )?,. e#en$ary )@,. (ncanny )+,. 0antastic )4,. Amazin# )B,. ;ncre$ible )C,. an$ (nearthly )*=,3 EXAMPLE Looking back to Robin Hood's character description, we see that his two most significant Attributes are his Uncanny Courage and Legendary Agility. Robin Hood faced overwhelming odds, turning to outlawry and organizing a band of rebels against the insurgent monarch, King John. He was renowned for his swashbuckling feats and extraordinary accuracy with a bow. Robin's Daring, Durability, and Wits are all well above average (Exceptional), and he possesses average Intelligence (Normal). Robin Hood's Might of Good indicates that, while not the strongest of fellows, he can easily lift up to 200 lbs without much exertion. However, imagine that Robin somehow gets trapped under a fallen tree trunk, weighing close to 600lbs. Robin must escape soon, or Maid Marian will fall prey to an ambush by the notorious Sheriff of Nottingham. This is where GESTs come into play. GESTs GEST iss an acronym for DGau#e of Extraor$inary Skill or TalentD3 A GEST roll is ma$e whene2er a character is attem&tin# a heroic act or extraor$inary feat3 When attemotin# a GEST. a Player rolls percentile dice )-$*=. one $ie set as the Dtens" an$ one $ie set as the Dones"E a result of D==D e<uallin# *==, an$ com&ares the result to the column corres&on$in# to their Echelon on the ARG! )Action Resolution Gra&h,3 The ARGF &rovi$es one of @ colour results, or Phases. which $etermine if an$ how well a character succee$s at the attem&te$ GEST3 A Green. Glue. or Re$ Phase result in$icates success, while a Hellow or Pur&le Phase result in$icates failure3 GEST Rolls are primarily modified in two ways: Phase Shifts(PS) and Echelon Shifts (ES). A Phase Shift is applied after the GEST is rolled, and alters the Phase result. An Echelon Shift, on the other hand, is applied before a roll, and alters the Echelon used for the GEST . (For example, a character with Typical Agility who receives a +1ES would roll on the Good Echelon column on the ARG!) A GEST roll may also be modified by the Difficulty of the action attempted, as set by the GM. IF the Difficulty of a GEST is below the Echelon used for the GEST, a Green Phase result is all that is needed to succeed. To succeed at a GEST where the Difficulty is equal to the Echelon used, the player must roll a Blue Phase result. If the Difficulty is above the Hero's relevant Echelon, the player would need a Red Phase result to succeed. EXAMPLE To continue with our &revious scenario. Robin Hoo$ is tra&&e$ beneath an o2erturne$ tree trunk wei#hin# close to +==lbs, so the G/ sets the Di8culty of Robin5s GEST as E%ce&tional3 As this is one Echelon hi#her than Robin5s /i#ht Echelon. he woul$ nee$ a Re$ Phase result on his GEST to succee$3 Normally, any Difficulty that is more than one Echelon above the relevant Attribute is considered impossible, though ultimately it is left up to the determination of the GM, who may instead impose an additional modifier to the roll. Any GEST that's difficulty is 2 or more Echelons below the player's relevant characteristic might be considered automatically successful, with no need to roll (again at the discretion of the GM). An Opposed Roll occurs when a Hero is attempting a GEST and another character is activelly attempting to resist or otherwise prevent them from succeeding. For an Opposed Roll, the Difficulty of the GEST is determined by the relevant Trait of the opponent/defender. EXAMPLE Robin Hoo$. mana#in# to esca&e from the fallen tree. must now race to /ai$ /arian5s location before the Sheri9 arri2es. (nfortunately. to reach /arian. Robin must ma!e his way &ast a #rou& of Iin#5s Guar$smen &oste$ on the main roa$3 Wantin# to a2oi$ a fight )so he can sa2e his ener#y for the inevitable clash with the Sheri9,. Robin $eci$es to try an$ trick the Guar$s into lettin# him &ass. Takin# a moment to $isguise himself beneath a &easant5s cloa!. Robin attem&ts to convince the Guar$sman that he is merely a villa#er &assin# throu#h on his way home3 The G/ $eci$es this will re<uire a Wits GEST. with the Guar$5s ;ntelli#ence settin# the Di8culty3 ;n this case. the #uar$s are all of 'ormal ;ntelli#ence. meanin# that Robin only nee$s a Green Phase result to succee$3 ;f the G/ $eci$e$ the #uar$s were not &articularly bri#ht )Puny ;ntelli#ence,. he mi#ht $eclare that Robin $oes not e2en nee$ to roll a GEST3 When a &layer /(ST succee$ at a GEST. they may spen$ Arete to mo$ify the results of the roll3 Arete is spent on a *1* basis to increase the result of a &ercentile roll3 All Heroes start with an initial &ool of Arete &oints e<ual to their Psyche an$ $urin# &lay a Hero may earn Arete by actin# heroically or lose Arete by actin# unheroically3 TRAITS A GEST roll may also be a9ecte$ by a character5s Traits. Traits are characteristics that $efine a character5s uni<ue talents, skills, an$ <uir!s. Traits may &rovi$e two kin$s of mo$ifiers to a roll. $e&en$in# on whether they are a&&lie$ actively or passively3 ;f a character is attem&tin# a task that s&ecifically em&loys one of their Traits )such as a character with the Trait ScienceF attem&tin# to mi% a chemical com&oun,. they are actively usin# that Trait3 Acti2ely em&loyin# a Trait allows the &layer to mo$ify the rele2ant GEST result by one colour result )a Phase Shift,3 EXAMPLE Robin Hoo$ &ossesses the Trait Ride3 Say he were to attem&t a com&licate$ horseback maneu2er. such as ri$in# $own a sheer cli9:face3 The G/ may call for an A#ility GEST. an$ as this is an acti2e use of his ri$in# Trait.