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Action! System Core Rules Table of Contents Action! System Core Rules TM C re Role-Playing Game Rules Volume 1 Core Rules Mark Arsenault Patrick Sweeny Ross Winn ACTION! SYSTEM CORE RULES TABLE OF CONTENTS ACTION! SYSTEM CORE RULES....................3 SKILLS.......................................................................7 COMBAT..................................................................15 THE BASICS .............................................................. 3 Why Skill Groups?.................................................7 Combat Turns......................................................15 Dice....................................................................... 3 Skill Group Scores ................................................7 Initiative...............................................................15 The GM................................................................. 3 SKILL LEVELS............................................................7 Modifying Target Numbers ..................................15 Players and Characters.......................................... 3 Specialties.............................................................7 Autofire................................................................16 Attributes & Skills ................................................. 3 Types ....................................................................8 Explosions...........................................................16 Skill Rolls.............................................................. 3 BUYING SKILLS.........................................................8 HIT LOCATIONS.......................................................17 Attribute Rolls ....................................................... 3 USING SKILLS...........................................................8 Targeting Specific Locations................................17 Damage................................................................. 3 When to Roll..........................................................8 DAMAGE..................................................................17 Campaign Level .................................................... 3 Difficulty Levels and Target Numbers ....................8 Types of Damage.................................................17 ATTRIBUTES ..........................................4 Which Attribute to Use?.........................................9 Forms of Damage ................................................17 BODY GROUP............................................................ 4 Making the Roll.....................................................9 Wounds and Effects of Damage ...........................17 Strength (STR) ...................................................... 4 Effect Numbers....................................................10 Recording Damage ..............................................18 Reflexes (REF)....................................................... 4 Contested Skill Rolls ...........................................10 Healing................................................................18 Health (HLT).......................................................... 4 Skill Roll Modifiers..............................................10 THE ENVIRONMENT.................................................19 MIND GROUP ............................................................ 4 WHICH SKILLS TO USE? .........................................10 Falling .................................................................19 Presence (PRE) ..................................................... 4 ACTION POINTS.....................................11 Asphyxiation and Drowning.................................19 Intellect (INT) ........................................................ 4 WHEN TO USE ACTION POINTS..............................11 The Elements.......................................................19 Will (WIL).............................................................. 4 Dramatic or Heroic Actions..................................11 POISON AND DRUGS...............................................19 ATTRIBUTE SCORES.................................................. 4 After the Dice Are Rolled......................................11 Mode...................................................................19 BUYING ATTRIBUTES................................................ 4 WHAT ACTION POINTS DO .....................................11 Speed of Poisons and Drugs ...............................20 Maximum Attribute Scores.................................... 4 Boost a Skill Roll.................................................11 Effect ...................................................................20 Unspent Attribute Points........................................ 4 Boost a Control Roll ............................................11 Duration of Poisons and Drugs............................20 Using a Single Point Pool ..................................... 4 Boost an Attribute................................................11 Treating Poison Victims.......................................20 Creating New Groups ............................................ 4 Reduce Damage...................................................11 Making Poisons...................................................20 DERIVED ATTRIBUTES............................................... 5 Increase Damage.................................................11 MAPS AND FIGURES...............................................20 Defensive Target Number (DEF) ............................ 5 GAINING ACTION POINTS .......................................11 Figures ................................................................20 Initiative (INI) ........................................................ 5 When to Award an Action Point ...........................11 Maps...................................................................20 Toughness (TGH).................................................. 5 How Many AP to Award.......................................12 WEAPONS................................................................20 Life (LIF) ............................................................... 5 RULES OF PLAY ....................................13 Weapon Attributes ...............................................20 Move (MOV) ......................................................... 5 TAKING ACTIONS....................................................13 Sample Weapon Lists..........................................22 Creating New Derived Attributes............................ 6 What Can I Do? ...................................................13 ARMOR....................................................................23 WEALTH .................................................................... 6 Limitations on Taking Actions .............................13 Armor Attributes ..................................................23 TRAITS AND SKILLS .................................7 Declaring Actions................................................13 Armor List ...........................................................23 TRAITS....................................................................... 7 AVAILABLE ACTIONS ..............................................13 INANIMATE OBJECTS..............................................23 Advantages............................................................ 7 Defensive Actions................................................13 Realistic Values ...................................................24 Disadvantages....................................................... 7 Movement Actions...............................................13 Cinematic/Extreme Values...................................24 Control Rolls......................................................... 7 Offensive Actions.................................................14 Buying Traits......................................................... 7 Special Actions....................................................14 Tuesday, November 18, 2003 2 Action! System Core Rules ACTION! SYSTEM CORE RULES THE BASICS Target Number Chart). The more difficult the action being attempted is, the greater the Diffi- culty Level and the higher the Target Number. In this section we present a quick overview of the most basic rules of the game. The Target Number is the number that the player must meet or beat when making a dice roll in order for the task to be successful. A Target Number of 18 would be shown as “(TN DICE 18).” The game rules use three six-sided dice. It’s traditional to abbreviate “three six-sided dice” by writing “3d6.” In this custom, the first number is the number of dice being used (in this case Making the Roll 3) and the second number represents the type of dice being used (specifically, number of To make a skill roll, a player rolls 3d6 and adds his character’s attribute and skill scores to the sides they possess), so “d6” means “six-sided dice.” number rolled on the dice. If this new total is equal to or more than the Target Number, the Six-sided dice are the common, square-shaped dice that can be found in many board attempted action is successful. If the total is lower than the Target Number, the attempt fails. games. They can also be purchased in many general department stores, but chances are you have at least three of these dice somewhere in your house, in other games. ATTRIBUTE ROLLS There are options to use other numbers and kinds of dice, which are discussed later and in Attribute rolls are made much the same as skill rolls, with the GM determining
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