Sample file System Guide Sample file Table of Contents Introduction and Welcome .. 2 Movement ..........................................2 3 The Player Core and Player Character . 4 Measurement ................................. 23 The Ability Pools . .. 5 Speed ............................................. 23 The Attributes . 5 Carrying Capacity ...................... ........ 24 Generming the Player Core and Player Pu~hing the Limits .............................. 24 Character . 6 Resnng ......................... ................. 25 Life and Death . 9 Vehicle:, anJ Special Movement ............... 25 Beyond the Core ................... .............. I I Combat ............................................. 25 Professions and Skills ... ..................... 12 Combat Sequence .............................. 26 Starring Skills ................................. 14 Advantage ........................ ..... ....... 26 Ahi li ry Checks ........ .. ....................... 15 Declaring Actions ........................... 27 Unski lled Characters ........................... 16 lntttattve .................................... 27 Margin Rattng ................................. 18 Hitung Your Target ........................ 28 Experience ....................................... 19 Target Are<ls ................. ................ 29 Awardmg and Earning Experience ......... 20 Ranged Comhat ................................. 30 Expcnence and Multiple Univer es ......... 20 Combat Modifier.. .............................. 30 Taxing Abilirie ................................. 21 D.unage .......................................... 30 Improving Your Player Character ............ 21 Lethaltty Ratmgs .............................. 31 Improving The Player Core .................. 22 Magic, Psionics, and Special Powers ......... 31 Transfer to New Characters .................. 22 Player Core Sheet .............................. 32 Experience and Character Death ............ 23 Sample file 2 Credits: Original Concept by the "Old Worlds" Product Group Designed by David "Zeb" Cook Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden and Michelle Carter Special Thanks to Tim Beach, Colin McComb, and Lester Smith Copyright © 1993 by TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. AMAZING ENGINE, BUGHUNTERS, MAGITECH and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. A ll TSR characters, character names and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products ofTSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United Stares of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent ofTSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End, Cherry Hinton Lake GenevaSample Cambridge file CB 1 3LB Wl 53147 U.S.A ~TSR Inc. - United Kingdom 3 Introduction & Welcome Welcome to the AMAZING ENGINE setting does not mean AMAZING ENGINETM System starting over from the beginning; this means play­ ers and gamemasters can experiment with the What is this? wide range of universes. For example, the experi­ ence earned when playing space marine Sergeant The AMAZING ENGINPM game system is Kilrake in the BUGHUNTERSTM universe can more chan just a single role-playing game, be it be applied to Lord Manchester, Ambassador to fantasy world or science fiction universe. Instead, the Court of Queen Titania, in the For Faerie, the AMAZING ENGINE system provides the Queen, and Country universe. basics for creating a wide variety of role-playing settings- anything from consulting detectives The Player Core and investigating fairy realms to deadly aliens stalk­ Player Character ing hi-tech space marines- and as much as can be imagined in-between. The heart of the AMAZING ENG INE game is To do this, the AMAZING ENGINE system the combination of the player core and the pla)·er consists of two parts. The fi rst part is this book, character. The player core is the framework from the System Guide. Here one finds the basic rules which player characters are built. The same for creating player characters and having those player core is used from universe to universe. characters use skills, fight, and move. These rules The player character is the actual collection of and procedures are found in all AMAZING numbers, skills, and other abilities used to role­ ENGINE settings. The System Guide also details play in a given universe. A player will have a dif­ how players and GMs can change settings while ferent character in each universe, but these transferring benefits player characters have characters may all be generated from the same gained from previous play. player core. The second part of the AMAZING ENGINE When the player core is created, the player system are the different settings to play in. Each must make certain decisions about the type of setting is called a universe and is described in its character he wants. He can choose different own book, naturally called Universe Books. Each emphases for the four different pools (see below) Universe Book is a complete role-playing game that define a character: Physique, Intellect, and only requires the System Guide to play. It is Spirit, and Influence. These choices, made when not necessary to buy every Universe Book in the player core is created, are reflected in all the order to play in the AMAZING ENGINE sys­ player characters spun off from chat core. Each tem. Universes range from hard science-fiction pool offers a pair of choices. Does he want his worlds to strange fantasies set on alternate characters to be generally strong and influential, Earths. Gamemasters can run campaigns in just a or does he prefer ones who are intellectually single universe, run science-fiction or fantasy superior and athletic? For example, physical universes only, or play in both trying whatever characters can choose to be muscular or quick; universe catches their fancy. spiritual characters can be endowed with psychic The AMAZING ENGINE system is more than potemial or strong wills. just a collection of universes. In the AMAZING Of course, the same ability is nor always the ENGINE system the advances a player character best in every universe. A muscular but psychically gains in one universe can be used to help player weak ch aracter who does quite well in the Samplecharacters in another universe. Starting in a new BUGHUNTERS universefile may be at a disadvan- 4 The Player Core & Player Character Ability Pools (the player core) Physique I Intellect I Spirit I Influence Attributes (the player character) Fitness Learning Psyche Charm Reflexes Intuition Willpower Position cage in the MAGITECHTM universe, where wiz­ Reflexes are the two attributes of PhyMque. ards who need strong psyches to manipulate magic Intellect. This defines the character's mental are a common sight. Therefore, rhe same player power for learning useful ski lls. Learning and character is not used in every universe. Instead, the Intuition are the two attributes of this pool. player core allows each character to be tailored to Spirit. This abili ty pool is the source of the the needs of that universe- within the limits of character's mystical potential and strength of the player's original choices. Players who empha­ will. Psyche and Willpo wer are paired under sized physique will still have characters who are Spirit. e1cher faster or stronger chan most others. Those Influence. This pool is used to generate the val­ who chose intellect will have smaner characters, ues that affect the character's abilities at relating e1 ther m learned skills or intuitive understanding. w1th others. The artnbutes of Charm and Posi­ The player core forms the archetype around tion are grouped under this pool. which a single player's characters are all set. The Attributes The Ability Pools As noted, each abili ty pool has two attributes. The player core consists of four d1fferent ability These eight attributes are more precise break­ pools: Physique, Intellect, Spirit, and Influence. downs of each ability pool, and define a specific Each ability pool has two attributes that define character in a specific universe. Begmnmg char­ the player character. When creating the player acters' attributes have values from 3 to 50, with core, only rhc ability pools arc used. When creat­ 25 bemg the approximate average score. {Char­ ing a player character, or playmg that character acters generated later m a campaign may have in a single universe, only attributes are used. higher scores.) The eight attributes are: Once the first character is generated, ability Fitness: A measure of bodily strength, Fitness pools never affect the actions of a player charac­ reflects the character's muscles and his abiliry tO ter and attributes do not affect abil•ty pools. The use them effectively. Fitness affects the amount of four attribute pools are: damage a character can cause in hand-to-hand Phys1que. This pool IS useJ to measure all combat, and the amount of body damage he can thingsSample physical ahout the character. Fitness and take. file 5 .