INTRODUCTION 5 What is a Role-playing Game 5 Rules for the game 5 Rolling dice 5 The D6 game system in a nutshell 5 Campaign settings 6 Glossary 7 BASIC GAME MECHANICS 9 Dice Codes 9 Dice Codes Math 9 Additions 9 Subtractions 9 Multiplications 9 Average 9 Rolling the Dice 9 Unopposed rolls 10 Opposed rolls 10 Hidden difficulty 10 Hidden rolls 10 Bonus and Penalties 10 A little bit of statistics 11 [Optional] The Wild Die 11 Wild 6 11 Wild 1 11 [Optional] Fumble – « All 1 » 12 [Optional] High MS – High MF 12 Skill Points (or Character Points) 12 Fate Points 12 General Mechanics 12 Dice Codes Modifiers 12 The Fate Points Rationale 12 Multiple Actions 13 Round per round sequence 13 Other types of resolution 13 Order of Resolution 13 CHARACTER CREATION 14 Character Concept 14 « Pre-rolled » characters 14 « Roughly estimated » characters 14 The character sheet 14 Character’s Name 14 Species 14 Height, Weight and physical description 14 The D6 System is © copyright West End Games 1 Background 14 Motivation 14 Relationships with other characters 15 Attributes 15 Skills 15 Move 18 Merits and Flaws 18 [Optional] Appearance 18 [Optional] Social Status 18 [Optional] Wealth 18 Wounds / Localized Wounds / Health penalties 18 Fate Points 18 Character Points 18 Veteran Points 18 Creation Points 18 Selecting a Template 19 Fleshing out the Template 19 Name, Physical description, Background, Motivation, Quirks 19 Relationships with other characters 19 Species 20 Appearance, Move, Social Status, Wealth 20 Attributes 20 Skills 20 Specialization 20 Advanced Skills 20 Fate Points 20 Special Abilities 21 Merits and Flaws 21 Character Points 21 MERITS AND FLAWS 22 Secret Merits and Flaws 22 Merits 22 Physical flaws 26 Mental Flaws 28 Social Flaws 30 TEMPLATES 32 What is a template? 32 Predefined templates 32 Template’s values 32 Selecting a Template 32 Creating new Templates 32 Species 33 Attributes dice codes and Move 33 [Optional] Appearance 33 [Optional] Social Status 34 [Optional] Wealth 34 The D6 System is © copyright West End Games 2 [Optional] Starting equipment 34 Special abilities 34 Merits and Flaws 35 Paperwork 35 Completing a Template 35 NON-HUMAN SPECIES 36 Foreword 36 TP Value 36 Description of a sentient species 36 The Human, the base species 36 Species concept 37 Bulk 37 Lifespan 37 Assigning Attributes minima and maxima 38 Minima 38 Maxima 38 Assigning Move minimum and maximum 38 Minimum move 38 Maximum Move 38 Define special traits 38 Finishing touches 38 Recording 38 Recapitulation table 38 Non-human species example 39 Exotic trait for non-human species 39 Advantages 39 Drawbacks 40 ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS 41 Deciding what skill to roll 41 Skill redundancy 41 Several skills involved 41 Attributes vs. Skills 41 Skill levels 42 Specializations 42 Basic Skill’s Improvement 42 Attribute’s Improvement 42 Advanced Skills 42 Prerequisites 42 The D6 System is © copyright West End Games 3 Reaction Skills 43 Abstract Skills 43 Restrictive Skills 44 Mastery 44 Character points 44 Fate Point 44 Dice code modifiers 44 Multiple actions 44 Trying again 44 How to read these lists 44 Prerequisite 45 Required Time 45 Description 45 Specializations 45 Agility Skills 45 Coordination Skills 47 Strength Skills 49 Perception skills 51 Perception rolls 51 Charisma Skills 56 Knowledge Skills 58 Knowledge rolls 58 Technical Skills 64 CHARACTER’S ADVANCEMENT 69 Character Points 69 Acquiring Character Points 69 Advancement through Experience 69 Development 69 Training Time 69 Basic skills 69 Specializations 70 Advanced Skills 70 Attributes 70 Move 70 Special Abilities 70 Merits and Flaws 70 [Optional] Appearance 70 [Optional] Social Status 70 [Optional] Wealth 71 [Optional] Pure Training Improvement 71 The D6 System is © copyright West End Games 4 Introduction What is a Role-playing Game When playing a role-playing game, you will impersonate a character. This character is fully described as an individual, with memories, motivations, quirks, that are surely different from yours. He will evolve in the middle of a story, imagined and told by a game master, or GM. It’s a matter of imagination. You will listen to the GM’s description of a scene, and you will describe what your character does, in that scene. Remember that it’s your character that is acting. He surely has abilities you haven’t. You become like an actor, playing a movie character. The only exception is, usually, an actor follows the instructions of a director, while playing his character. You are not. You are just given the psychology of your character, and you’re free of interpreting it. The GM then will modify the scene’s description, to reflect your character’s actions on it. Expand the picture, including other players, each interpreting another character, who will also influence the scene, and you got the basis of a role-playing game. Rules for the game The only rules for a role-playing game are « everybody should have fun ». There is no winner or loser. The GM is the key element for everybody to have fun. He is the only one to decide how the scene evolves, when the players describe what their character’s actions are. For that, you must leave every sensitive decision, like if an action is possible or not, how the Non Player Characters (NPC for short, all those people that are not incarnated by players) react to your character’s doings. That’s why there are, indeed, only a few real rules for any role-playing game: The GM is always right: whatever the subject, as long as it is related to his game. What happens, when to roll dice, when not, how much the dice must roll, what is the interpretation of the result of a roll... If ever you think the GM is wrong, refer to the first rule. That is to say, when you think he is wrong, never say so. You never know what the GM has in mind, what secret lies beyond that door. If he decided something, it’s because he has his own good reason, one you not have to know, until the end of the adventure or the campaign or even never. Example: « What? That NPC shoots at my character, but that’s impossible. I’m under cover and he can’t see me. » Yes, it is possible, because that NPC has a gun, able to shoot in corners, and your character is unaware that the NPC’s fellow is right behind you, invisible, and communicating your exact position, through a telepathic link. What do you say to this? Nothing, and you should know that you should have kept your mouth shut, thus avoiding breaking the mood of this dramatic combat scene. These are the only Rules. And they are universal for any RPG. All the rest would be better qualified as Gaming System. It is a mistake to call it rules, but it is a common, fairly accepted, one. Rolling dice It is important that, at some points, players and GM decides if an action succeeds or fails. Otherwise, every thing would be determined in advance, and that would not be fun. That’s why a game system is used. The game system translates in numbers, what a character is, how hard an action is... Based on these numbers, your GM will ask you to roll some dice, just to introduce a part of randomness in your character’s actions, and in the NPC’s actions too. However, while every roll, a player makes, is made in front of the GM (which does not mean it has to be in front of all the players), every roll made by the GM is made secretly, just so he can apply the result he wants. Don’t take that as cheating. There is no such thing as cheating for a GM. It is merely adapting the result, for everybody to have fun. Thereafter, when we refer to the term of Rules, read it like Gaming System. The Gaming System describes how the Players and GM will roll dice. Again, this is subject to the GM interpretation. He always has the final word, on anything related to his game. You rolled 15? No! The GM said you roll 11, or 19, whatever. If he did so, he has good reasons, trust him. The GM controls the game system, not the opposite. The gaming system is to provide an easy way, for the GM, to give you fun. Everything written further, in that book, is only provided as guidelines. The GM follows it to the letter? Fine, that means we did a good job and he likes it. He doesn’t? No offense, as long as you’re having fun with it. The D6 game system in a nutshell D6 is a generic role-playing game system. Its purpose is to offer guidelines, for game masters who want to develop their own heroic gaming universe. Each section of this book describes, in D6 terms, the most current situations, encountered in such settings: combat, chases, character interaction, health... And if a situation is not covered in this book, at least it should provide enough comparison elements, for the GM to invent his own home rule. But remember this important thing: this is your game. If a set of rules does not suit your campaign settings or even your own tastes, feel free to change it or drop it. Actually, as it’s a generic system, there are certainly some aspects of your campaign’s setting that won’t be properly simulated, if simulated at all, in this book. Then do your own adaptation.