techs-arcana

Multi-Genre Role-Playing Combat System

BARE BONES

Introductory Demonstration Rules Set

Copyright 2018 Techs-Arcana

Permission is hereby granted for the use, printing, and redistribution of electronic files for Personal Use Only.
Permission for commercial use, whole or in part, including but not limited to publication or redistribution is expressly not granted.

Version: August 2018

 Table of Contents
Techs-Arcana Bare Bones
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 TECHS-ARCANA “BARE BONES”
1.2 REPRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
1.2.2 So why is it Copyrighted?
1.3 DICE AND OTHER SUPPLIES
1.4 IF YOU’RE NEW TO ROLE-PLAY GAMING
1.5 ROUNDING NUMBERS
1.6 THE OBJECT OF THE BARE BONES GAME
1.7 ONWARD
2.0 CHARACTER CREATION
3.0 ATTRIBUTES
3.1 ATTRIBUTE GENERATION
3.2 CHARACTER POINTS
3.3 SPENDING CHARACTER POINTS
3.4 SWITCHING ATTRIBUTES
3.5 HIT POINTS
4.0 SKILLS
5.0 SPELLS
6.0 PURCHASING EQUIPMENT
7.0 MOVEMENT
8.0 ARMOR CALCULATIONS
9.0 CALCULATING INITIATIVE
10.0 MISSILE WEAPON CALCULATIONS
10.1 MISSILE WEAPON CHARACTERISTICS
10.2 MISSILE WEAPON CHANCE TO HIT
10.3 MISSILE WEAPON DAMAGE
10.4 MISSILE WEAPON RELOADS
11.0 MELEE WEAPON CALCULATIONS
11.1 MELEE WEAPON CHARACTERISTICS
11.2 MELEE CHANCE TO ATTACK
11.3 MELEE WEAPON DAMAGE
11.4 CHANCE TO PARRY
11.4.1 Parry Deflection
12.0 MAGIC CALCULATIONS
12.1 MAGICAL CHANCE TO CAST
12.2 MAGICAL TWEAK
12.3 MAGICAL SPELL POWER
12.4 DETERMINING SPELL EFFECTS
13.0 SUMMARY THUS FAR
14.0 COMBAT ROUNDS
15.0 INITIATIVE
15.1 MOVEMENT AND INITIATIVE
16.0 ARMOR
17.0 WOUNDS AND HIT POINTS
18.0 MISSILE COMBAT
18.1 MAKING A MISSILE ATTACK
18.2 RELOADING A MISSILE WEAPON
18.2.1 Time Required to Reload a Missile Weapon
18.2.2 Missile Weapon Reload Bonus
18.3 DEFENDING AGAINST MISSILE WEAPONS
18.4 MISSILE COMBAT EXAMPLE
19.0 MELEE COMBAT
19.1 MAKING A MELEE ATTACK
19.2 MAKING A MELEE PARRY
19.3 INITIATIVE OF A PARRY
19.4 MELEE CHANCE TO ATTACK OVER 20
19.5 MELEE COMBAT EXAMPLE
20.0 MAGICAL COMBAT
20.1 ATTEMPTING A SPELL CASTING
20.2 MAGICAL POWER AND TWEAK
20.3 MAGIC SPELL DESCRIPTIONS
20.4 SPELL CASTING EXAMPLE
21.0 PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER
22.0 MAPS AND FEATURES
23.0 CHARACTER SHEETS
24.0 WHAT’S IN THE FULL RULES VERSION?
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 TECHS-ARCANA -- BARE BONES
Welcome to Techs-Arcana – Bare Bones.
Techs-Arcana is a multi-genera tabletop role-playing
game that focuses on the details of combat, be they
melee, magical, or missile, in fantasy, modern, or
futuristic settings. This Bare Bones version is intended
as a demonstration set for the full rules version of the
Techs-Arcana game and its Supplements.
Both the Bare Bones version and the Full Rules version
are free downloads. But the Full Rules version—along
with the supporting Supplements—spans several
hundred pages. The Bare Bones version gets you in an
out much quicker. This allows you to get a preview of
the game without investing a lot of time.
While the full version of Techs-Arcana is intended as a
role-playing game, this Bare Bones version does away
with the role-playing aspect and the role of the Game
Master to concentrate only on demonstrating the very
basic elements of the combat and magic system.
Bare Bones is just about simplified characters knocking
the snot out of each other with a few melee weapons,
primitive missile weapons, and a few magic spells.
If you enjoy the test-drive the Bare Bones version
provides, and you see the potential for what the
expanded rules have to offer, consider taking a look at
the full version of the game system: Techs-Arcana Core
Rules and Supplements.
If Bare Bones doesn’t grab you, then you probably won’t
like the full rules version of Techs-Arcana either. Thanks
for taking the time to look.
1.2 REPRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION
You have our permission to copy, redistribute, print, and
post this Bare Bones PDF file for any non-commercial
purposes.
1.2.2 So, why is it Copyrighted?
We’ve copyrighted the game solely for the purposes of
keeping it under our control so that we can continue to
share it as we see fit. Essentially, we’ve copyrighted it so
that no one else gets the bright idea to take it and
copyright out from underneath us.
1.3 DICE AND OTHER SUPPLIES
So what sort of goodies do you need to play this game?
In addition to these rules, each Player will need the
following:
• Access to a printer. While you can use the rules
in electronic format, you’ll want to print out a
character sheet which is provided at the end of
these rules.
• Pencil and paper. Retro. Old School.
• Hex or square-grid graph paper are useful for
mapping out combats, but this is not essential.
• A simple calculator might come in handy.
• A set of polyhedral role-playing game dice.
1.4 IF YOU’RE NEW TO ROLE-PLAY GAMING
If you’re new to table-top Role-Playing Games (RPG),
this Section 1.4 provides a brief introduction to some of
the basic terms and concepts. If you have previous RPG
experience, then... yawn... skip Section 1.4. There’s
nothing new for you here.
Role-Playing Games: In a RPG, each Player takes on
the role of a Character. You control his actions and his
speech. Your ideas and reactions are acted out through
your character. The Game Rules provide a structure for
resolving the success or failure of your actions. Does
your character slice his way through that horde of evil
goblins? Or does he end up in their cooking pot, stewing
with carrots and celery? The game is moderated by one
of the players, taking on the role of the Game Master.
Role-Playing Game Dice: The success or failure of
most of a character’s attempted actions are determined
by the roll of dice, modified for considerations such as
your character’s physical or mental attributes, and his
skills. These dice are available from a variety of sources
via the internet, or through your local hobby stores.
A typical RPG Dice set consists of 7 dice: D4, D6, D8,
two D10s, D12, and D20. Dice may also be purchased
individually. It is recommended to have at least one full
set of dice for each player. (You can share, but it will
bog down the speed of the game.) Additional dice may
prove useful depending on the type of weapons your
character uses.
Dice Terminology and Using Dice
• Dice Terminology: Role-Playing or Gaming Dice
are typically defined by the number of sides on the
die. A common six-sided die is referred to as a
“D6”, while a 20-sided die is a “D20”.
• Multiple Dice: Two or more dice of the same type
rolled in combination will be noted by the number
of dice, followed by the die type. For example,
when the rules call for the results of a 2D6 die roll,
it means that two six-sided dice are rolled, and the
results from the two dice are added together. If the
rules call for 3D4 it indicates that three four-sided
dice are rolled and added.
• Adding to (or Subtracting from) Dice Results:
Frequently, dice results will also include an
additional number, added to or subtracted from the
dice results. For example, 3D4 + 2 means roll three
four-sided dice, add up the three numbers, and then
add 2 to the result. In another example, 1D6 - 1
means roll one six-sided die and subtract 1 from
the number rolled.
• Using Dice: Dice are most commonly used in this
game to determine the following game elements:
Weapon or Magical Spell Damage: Different
Weapons and Spells inflict variable amounts of
damage as defined in the rules.
Success or Failure of attempted Actions: D20 die
rolls are used to determine the success or failure of
most attempted actions in this game. Each defined
action will have a calculated Chance of Success.
For example, a character’s Chance to Hit his target
with an arrow from his bow might be calculated to
be 8. To check the success or failure of the
attempt, the Player rolls a single D20 die.
o A D20 die result of 8 or less indicates success.
o A D20 roll of 9 or higher indicates failure.
1.5 ROUNDING NUMBERS
When working with numbers in the game, it will
occasionally occur that a number is a fraction.
• Fractions of less than 1/2 are rounded down to
the nearest whole number. For example, the
number 4.33 is rounded down to 4.
• Fractions of 1/2 and greater are rounded up to
the nearest whole number. The number 4.5 is
rounded up to 5.
1.6 THE OBJECT OF THE BARE BONES GAME
As mentioned, Bare Bones is a simplified version of the
full rules and supplements version of the Techs-Arcana
role-playing game. If you’re looking for a campaign
flavor, maps, combat options, or a Game Master to guide
you through the Bare Bones process, you’re not going to
find them here.
These are the objectives of the Bare Bones game:
1. Each player creates a character. Start with
randomly generated character Attribute scores.
Then try to optimize your character’s abilities
with a set number of “Character Points” with
which to obtain skills and equipment.
2. Optionally, the players may skip the character
creation process and get right into the game. Pre-
generated characters are supplied as part of this
rules set for that purpose.
3. Smack the daylights out of other players’
characters, until your character is the last one
standing.
4. And the true primary purpose: You’ll get an
introduction to the core concepts on which
Techs-Arcana is built, so you can determine if
the game will interest you.
1.7 ONWARD
With that, let’s get started.
• Chapters 2.0 through 12.0 will take you through
the process of creating a character. You’ll also
need the blank character sheet provided in
Chapter 23.0
• Optionally, you can skip the character creation
process and use the pre-generated characters
provided in Chapter 23.0. If you’re doing that,
jump on ahead to Chapter 13.0.
2.0 CHARACTER CREATION 3.1 ATTRIBUTE GENERATION

The first step in the creation of a character is to

Each player in the game will play the role of a Character. determine the Starting Attributes. The starting value for
Characters are defined by the following traits: each Attribute is equal to the sum of 4D4 (4 four-sided
dice, added together).
• Attributes
A running Example of a Character Creation is provided
• Skills
at each step in the process.
• Equipment
STARTING ATTRIBUTES
Example die roll
3.0 ATTRIBUTES Attribute Starting Value
results
Strength 4D4 4+4+3+2 = 13
Attributes are the eight properties that define the
Dexterity 4D4 2+3+2+2 = 9
physical and mental qualities of the character. They are
listed below: Constitution 4D4 2+2+1+4 = 10
Intelligence 4D4 4+3+3+1 = 11
• Strength determines how much pure brute force Charisma 4D4 3+4+3+2 = 12
the character can call upon. Alertness 4D4 1+2+3+2 = 8
• Dexterity is a measure of the character’s balance, Willpower 4D4 4+4+4+2 = 14
agility, speed of reflexes, and eye-hand Combat Morale 4D4 1+4+3+3 = 11
coordination.
3.2 CHARACTER POINTS
• Constitution reflects the character’s general state
of health, fitness, endurance, and overall physical
Character Points are used to optimize a character’s
“toughness”.
Attributes, obtain Skills, or purchase Equipment. Thirty
• Intelligence* is an indicator of the character’s Character Points are recommended for starting
basic intuition, reasoning ability, and intellectual characters.
experience.
• Charisma* is a measure of the character’s
Character Points = 30
personality and charm. It also includes
tactfulness, persuasiveness, and the ability to
grasp and adapt to local customs.
• Alertness* indicates the Character’s chance to
3.3 SPENDING CHARACTER POINTS
avoid being taken by surprise and to notice things
which are not immediately obvious.
The next step in the Character Creation process is the
• Willpower is a measure of the character’s mental spending of the starting Character Points to improve the
power, determination, and magical “life force”. character. This can be done in the following ways:
• Combat Morale is a measure of the character’s
• Switching Attribute Scores (Section 3.4)
bravery and resolve during combat.
• Acquiring Skills & Spells (Chapters 4.0 and 5.0)
• Purchasing Equipment (Chapter 6.0)
* Note: All eight character Attributes used in the full
Techs-Arcana rules are included in the Bare Bones game
for the sake of uniformity with the Core Rules. It is suggested that the players read through the Bare
However, in the Bare Bones game, the Attributes of Bones rules entirely before beginning the character
Charisma, Intelligence, and Alertness are not utilized. improvement process, in order to understand the
Consider those three Attributes as possible resources results and benefits of each of the three methods.
when “Switching” Attribute scores per Section 3.4.
3.4 SWITCHING ATTRIBUTES 4.0 SKILLS
Character Points may be spent to Switch Attribute Character Points may also be spent on acquiring Skills.
Scores. Each switch costs 3 Character Points. There are only three skills in this Bare Bones version.

Each switch of two Attribute Scores • Missile: Skill with all ranged weapons
Costs 3 Character Points
• Melee: Skill with all hand to hand weapons

Example: The player spends 3 Character Points and • Magic: Skill with magical powers
Switches his Character’s Starting Value Dexterity and
Charisma Scores. Characters with Magic Skill will also
need Spells, addressed in Chapter 5.0.
SWITCHED ATTRIBUTES
Adjusted Skills are obtained in “Levels”. Each character starts
Attribute Example with Level 0 in each skill. Having no skill does not
Value
prohibit the character from attempting the action
Strength 13
described by the skill. For example, a character with
Dexterity 12 Missile skill level 0 can use a bow and attempt to hit a
Constitution 10 target. He simply won’t be as proficient as a character
Intelligence 11 having Missile Skill level 4.
Charisma 9
Alertness 8
Skills cost 3 Character Points per skill level.
Willpower 14
1 Skill Level
Combat Morale 11
Costs 3 Character Points

Character Example:
Points We’ll give our sample character some levels in all three
Remaining 30 - 3 = 27 skills in order to provide examples throughout this
character-creation process.

3.5 HIT POINTS CHARACTER SKILLS Example

C.P. C.P.
Skill Level Level
Hit Points represent a character’s life force and ability Cost Cost
to withstand damage. Melee 2 2x3=6
Missile 1 1x3=3
Hit Points are calculated as the total of a character’s
Strength, Constitution, and Willpower Attributes.
Magic 2 2x3=6

HIT POINTS Example: The player acquires the following skills:

Attribute Example • Skill Level 2 in Melee
Strength 13 • Skill Level 1 in Missile
+ Constitution 10 • Skill Level 2 in Magic
+ Willpower 14
The total C.P. Cost is 6 + 3 + 6 = 15 Character Points.
Total = HIT POINTS 37
Character Example:
Points
27 - 15 = 12
Remaining
5.0 SPELLS 6.0 PURCHASING EQUIPMENT
Characters may choose Spells from the table below. A A character can exchange 1 Character Point for 100
brief spell description is included, with additional details Coins, which may be used to purchase equipment such
provided in Section 20.3. The character may have as as Armor and Weapons.
many or as few spells as desired. And conversely, if you
want Spells, you’ll want some Magic Skill levels to go
with them. 1 Character Point = 100 Coins

Each Spell cost 3 Character Points Equipment in the Bare Bones rules is limited to the
following selection of weapons and armor:

Weapons & Armor Costs

MAGIC SPELLS Item Cost (Coins)
Spell Description Missile Weapons
Long Bow 200
Armor Creates a magical armor effective against both Short Bow 150
Normal normal and magical damage.
Sling 10
Creates a magical armor that is more effective 10 Arrows 30
Armor
against magical damage but offers no protection 10 Sling Bullets 10
Magic against normal weapon damage. Melee Weapons
Dagger 25
Body Creates an illusionary “double” of the spell caster
Short Sword 100
Double with the intention of confusing his opponents.
Club - Light 0
Bullet Fires a missile weapon of magical energy Long Sword 200
Restores lost Hit Points. Spear 50
Heal
Club - Medium 10
Lightning Strikes an opponent with a blast of lightning. Double Bladed Axe 150
Great Sword 400
Our sample character chooses to acquire two spells, Heal Club - Heavy 15
and Lightning, for a total cost of 6 Character Points. Great Axe 200
Armor
Padded 120
SPELLS ACQUIRED Leather 240
C.P. Example Scale Mail 480
Spell
Cost Spell C.P. Cost Chain Mail 600
Heal 3 Banded Mail 600
Lightning 3 Plate Mail 720

The character has 6 Character Points remaining.

Converting those to Coins: 6 C.P. x 100 = 600 Coins.
He spends them as follows:
Character Example:
Points • Spear = 50 Coins
12 - 6 = 6 • Sling =10 Coins
Remaining
• 20 Sling Bullets =20 Coins
• Leather Armor = 480 Coins
The total is 560 Coins spent, 40 Remaining.

Character Example:
Points
6-6=0
Remaining
7.0 MOVEMENT A character’s Strength Attribute determines how easily
he can move while wearing his armor, possibly affecting
The use of a Character’s Move will be explained in the Armor Penalty. Based on the Character’s Strength
Section 15.1 - Movement and Initiative. Attribute, determine his Strength Modifier on the Table
below:
The Armor Penalty is determined in Chapter 8.0
Attribute Modifier Table
Calculating a character’s Move is shown below: Attribute Modifier
Strength Attribute
Penalty or Bonus
Move Rate Calculation Example 4 to 5 -3
Strength Attribute 13 6 to 7 -2
+ Dexterity Attribute 12 8 to 9 -1
- Character’s Armor Penalty -1 10 0
Total: 24 11 to 12 +1
Total divided by 3: 8.0 13 to 14 +2
Round to nearest whole number 15 to 16 +3
8
= Move Rate

Character’s Strength Modifier

Example Example
8.0 ARMOR CALCULATIONS Strength Attribute
Attribute Strength Strength
Value Modifier Value Modifier
A character’s Armor provides a physical protective
barrier against damage during combat. Strength 13 +2

• The heavier a character’s

armor, the more points of Add the Strength Modifier to the Standard Armor
damage it will absorb. Penalty listed in the Armor table to determine the
This is called the Armor character’s Armor Penalty.
Rating
Character’s Armor Penalty
Example
• The heavier a character’s Calculation
armor, the more Armor Type Scale
restrictive it will be on a Standard Armor Penalty -3
character’s actions. This Character’s Strength Modifier +2
is called the Armor Character’s Armor Penalty -1
Penalty.

Armor Rating and Penalty for various types of armor are

shown on the table below:
• If the character is
wearing no armor,
Armor Table
his Armor Penalty is
Standard
Armor Armor always 0, regardless
Armor
Type Rating
Penalty
of his Strength.
None 0 0
• If the Armor Penalty
Padded 2 -1
is calculated to be a
Leather 4 -2 positive number, then
Scale Mail 6 -3 it defaults to 0.
Chain Mail 8 -4
Banded Mail 10 -5
Plate Mail 12 -6
9.0 CALCULATING INITIATIVE 10.0 MISSILE WEAPON
Initiative is used to determine the order in which CALCULATIONS
characters take their actions during combat.

A character’s Initiative is calculated as explained below. 10.1 MISSILE WEAPON CHARACTERISTICS

First, determine the character’s Attribute Modifiers for The following table provides characteristics on Missile
his Dexterity Attribute and his Combat Morale Attribute Weapons which will be used in the Missile Combat
from the following table. formulas.

Attribute Modifier Table Missile Weapons Table

Dexterity or Combat Attribute Modifier Missile Reload
Damage
Morale Value Penalty or Bonus Weapon Factor
4 to 5 -3 Long Bow 3D6 -9
6 to 7 -2 Short Bow 2D6 -8
8 to 9 -1 Sling 3D4 -10
10 0
11 to 12 +1
10.2 MISSILE WEAPON CHANCE TO HIT
13 to 14 +2
15 to 16 +3 A character’s Chance to Hit his intended target with a
missile weapon is determined as follows:
Character’s Attribute Modifiers
Example Example
Attribute Attribute Missile Combat Chance to Hit =
Attribute Attribute Attribute
Value Modifier Value Modifier Dexterity - 5
+ Skill Level
Dexterity 12 +1 - Armor Penalty
Combat
11 +1
Morale
Chance to Hit Calculation Example
A character’s Initiative is then determined as follows:
Dexterity
12
Attribute
INITIATIVE =
-5 -5 -5
1D6 + Missile Skill
+1
+ DEXTERITY Modifier Level
+ COMBAT MORALE Modifier - Character’s
- Armor Penalty Armor -1
Penalty
Chance
INITIATIVE = Example 7
to Hit =
1D6 1D6 1D6
+ Dexterity Modifier +1 Use of the Chance to Hit value in game play is explained
+ Combat Morale Modifier +1 in Section 18.1
- Character’s Armor Penalty -1
10.3 MISSILE WEAPON DAMAGE
Initiative = 1D6 + 1
In the Bare Bones rules, Missile Weapon Damage is
simply the damage listed in the Missile Weapons Table.
No adjustment to Damage is made for a character’s
Attributes or his Missile Weapon Skill level.
10.4 MISSILE WEAPON RELOADS Starting Reload Check
Example
Calculation
Primitive Missile Weapons such as bows and slings need
Weapon Sling
to be Reloaded after each shot.
Dexterity
12
Reloading a Missile Weapon is a process which might Attribute
be accomplished in less than a full combat round, or the + Missile Skill
+1
process might require several combat rounds to Level
complete. This depends on several factors, including the - Weapon
- 10
type of weapon being reloaded, as well as the character’s Reload Factor
Dexterity and Weapon Skill Level. - Character’s
Armor -1
The weapon’s Reload Factor (shown in the Missile Penalty
Weapons Table) rates how easy or complicated a Starting
weapon’s reloading procedure is to complete. Reload 2
Check =
To Reload a Missile Weapon, the character must
successfully pass a Reload Check, determined by the
following formula.

Reload Check =
Dexterity Attribute
+ Missile Weapon Skill Level
- Weapon Reload Factor
- Armor Penalty
+ Reload Bonus

The calculations for the top part of the Reload Check

formula (referred to as the Starting Reload Check) are
addressed in the table below.

The Reload Bonus as well as the weapon reloading

process will be explained in section 18.2.
11.0 MELEE WEAPON CALCULATIONS

11.1 MELEE WEAPON CHARACTERISTICS

The following table provides characteristics on Melee

Weapons which will be used in Melee Combat formulas.

Melee Weapons Table

Melee Weapon Base
Weapon Factor Damage
Fist 0 1D4 - 2
Dagger -3 1D6
Short Sword -5 2D6
Club - Light -5 1D6
Long Sword -7 2D8
Spear -7 2D8
Club - Medium -9 2D4
Double Bladed Axe -11 3D6
Great Sword -13 2D12
11.2 MELEE CHANCE TO ATTACK
Club - Heavy -14 5D4
Great Axe -14 4D6 The Melee Chance to Attack for each of the character’s
melee weapons is determined by the following formula:

Melee Chance to Attack =

Strength Attribute
+ Dexterity Attribute
+ Melee Skill Level
- Weapon Factor
- Armor Penalty

Chance to Attack Calculation Example

Melee Weapon Fist Spear
Strength
13 13
Attribute
+ Dexterity
+ 12 + 12
Attribute
+ Melee
+2 +2
Skill Level
- Weapon
0 -7
Factor
- Character’s
-1 -1
Armor Penalty
Chance
26 19
to Attack

Use of the Chance to Attack value during game play is

explained in Section 19.1.
11.3 MELEE WEAPON DAMAGE 11.4 CHANCE TO PARRY

The Damage a character does on a successful Chance to

Attack with a melee weapon is based on the following
formula:
The character’s Melee Chance to Parry with any of his
Melee Weapon Damage = Melee Weapons is determined as shown below:
Weapon Base Damage
+ / - Strength Modifier
+ 1 point for every two Melee Skill Levels Chance to PARRY =
Dexterity - 5
+ Melee Skill Level
Melee Weapon - Armor Penalty
Example
Damage Calculation
Melee Weapon Fist Spear
Weapon Chance to Parry
1D4-2 2D8 Example
Base Damage Calculation
+ /- Strength Dexterity
+2 +2 12
Modifier Attribute
Melee Skill -5 -5 -5
Level divided 2/2 2/2 + Melee Skill
by two =1 =1 +2
Level
(round up) - Character’s
Melee Armor -1
Weapon 1D4+1 2D8+3 Penalty
Damage Chance to
8
Parry =
In the example above for the Spear,
• The Base Damage from the Melee Weapons Table Use of the Chance to Parry value during game play is
in Section 6.1 is listed as 2D8. explained in Section 19.2

• The character has a Strength Attribute of 13,

which provides a Strength Modifier bonus of +2
• The character has Melee Skill Level 2.
Two divided by two is 1. (For fractions, Round up.)
• Adding all the elements together the result in the
following: 2D8 + 2 + 1 (or, 2D8 + 3). (Roll two 8-
sided dice, add them together, and add 3).
11.4.1 Parry Deflection
In the example of the Fist,
The amount of Damage a character will Parry with each
• The Base Damage listed in the Melee Weapons successful Parry Deflection is equal to his Melee
Table is 1D4 - 2. (4-sided die roll and subtract 2). Weapon Damage, as determined in Section 11.3.
The values of the character’s Strength Modifier
and Melee Skill Level are the same as for the
Spear, so the Fist Damage is
(1D4 - 2) + 2 + 1 = 1D4 + 1.
12.0 MAGIC CALCULATIONS 12.2 MAGICAL TWEAK

In the full Techs-Arcana rules, a character’s magical

12.1 MAGICAL CHANCE TO CAST
When a character attempts to cast a magic spell, he must
make a successful Chance to Cast, which is calculated
by the following formula:
Chance to Cast a Spell =
Willpower - 10
+ Magic Skill Level
- Armor Penalty
The Chance to Cast is checked with a D20 die roll
• If the D20 roll is less than or equal to the calculated
Chance to Cast, the spell has been cast successfully
and takes effect immediately.
• If the D20 roll is greater than the calculated
Chance to Cast, the spell casting fails. No spell
effect is created. In addition, the spell caster
takes 1 Hit Point of Damage due to the magical
backlash. Parries, and normal or magical armor
provide no protection against this damage.
power will vary, based on conditions unique to his magic
skill.
• For example, a character with Religious Magic
Skill draws his power from his faith, the gods,
and the belief of the loyal followers.
• In another example, a character with Ethereal
Magic Skill summons his magical power from
the raw flows of ethereal energy patterns.
These sources of magical energy are subject to variations
in strength, based on location and conditions. This
variation in the character’s magical energy source is
referred to as his magical Tweak.
In the Bare Bones version of the rules, only a single
generic Magic skill is available, and no details are
provided on the conditions that would adjust his magical
Tweak. So, the character’s Tweak is simply determined
by the roll of a D6 die, representing if the spell caster’s
access to his magical energy happens to be weak or
strong at the moment. This D6 die roll to determine his
Tweak is made once before each combat encounter. The
results of the D6 die roll are shown on the table below.

Magical Tweak Table

D6 Roll Tweak
1 -2
2 -1
3 0
4 0
5 +1
6 +2

With the Tweak determined, the character’s Spell Power

Chance to Cast for any given combat encounter can be calculated.
Example
Calculation
12.3 MAGICAL SPELL POWER
Willpower
14
Attribute Spell Power is the measure of the magical energy
- 10 - 10 - 10 channeled into the spell effect. The Power at which a
+ Magic Skill spell is cast is determined by the following formula.
+2
Level
- Character’s
Armor -1 Spell Power =
Penalty Willpower - 13
+ Magic Skill Level
Chance
5 +/- Tweak
to Cast =

The use of the Chance to Cast value is further explained

in Section 20.1.
For this example, the D6 Magical Tweak roll was a “5”, 12.4 DETERMINING SPELL EFFECTS
giving the character a +1 Tweak on the table above.
With the caster’s spell Power determined, refer to the
Spell Power Calculation Example individual spell descriptions in Section 20.3 to determine
Willpower the effect.
14
Attribute
- 13 - 13 - 13
+ Magic Skill
+2
Level
+/- Tweak +1
Power = 4

John William Waterhouse

13.0 SUMMARY THUS FAR
This concludes Character Creation. If you’ve worked
through Chapters 2.0 through 12.0, transfer your results
onto a printed character sheet, provided in Chapter 23.0.
If you’ve skipped the character creation process in favor
of using one of the pre-generated characters provided in
Chapter 23.0, you’ll still need to have a general
understanding of the concepts detailed in Chapters 2.0
through 12.0. This page provides a summary.
Chapter 2.0 - Characters
Characters are described by three features.
• Attributes: physical and mental abilities.
• Skills: in Melee, Missile, and Magical combat.
• Equipment: weapons and armor.
Starting characters are given a defined amount of
Character Points which may be used to purchase Skills,
Equipment, or adjust Attribute scores.
Chapter 3.0 - Attributes
Characters have eight Attributes that define their
physical and mental abilities.
Attributes generated for
Attributes Used
uniformity with the Techs-
in the
Arcana rules, but not used
Bare Bones Rules
in the Bare Bones rules.
Strength Intelligence
Dexterity Charisma
Constitution Alertness
Willpower
Combat Morale
Hit Points (a character’s ability to withstand damage) are
determined by Strength, Constitution, and Willpower.
Chapter 4.0 - Skills
In the Bare Bones rules, characters have three skills.
Their ability in each skill is defined by their Skill Level,
starting from 0 and increasing to higher levels as a
character increases his proficiency.
• Missile: Skill with all ranged weapons
• Melee: Skill with all hand to hand weapons
• Magic: Skill with magical powers.
Chapter 5.0 - Spells
Characters with Magic Skill also need Spells (similar to
a character with Melee Skill needing a physical weapon.)
Chapter 6.0 - Equipment
Equipment in these Bare Bones rules is limited to a few
melee and missile weapons and some options for
primitive armor.
Chapter 7.0 - Movement
Each character has a calculated Move rate, which
determines his movement speed during combat.
Chapter 8.0 – Armor Calculations
• The Armor Rating is how many points of
damage the armor will absorb of each hit.
• The Armor Penalty reflects how cumbersome
the armor is to wear, affecting the character’s
Move and chance to perform actions.
Chapter 9.0 - Initiative
A character’s Initiative determines his turn to take
actions during combat.
Chapter 10.0 - Missile Weapon Calculations
• A character’s ability to hit his target with a
Missile Weapon attack is determined by his
Chance to Hit.
• Missile Weapon Damage is simply based on the
type of weapon being used.
• Reloading a Missile Weapon requires a
successful Chance to Reload check.
Chapter 11.0 - Melee Weapon Calculations
• To make an attack in melee combat, a character
must pass a Chance to Attack check.
• A character has a Chance to Parry an
opponent’s melee attack, Deflecting some or all
the damage from a hit.
• Melee Weapon Damage (and Parry Deflection)
is based on the type of weapon, the character’s
Strength and Dexterity, and Skill Level.
Chapter 12.0 - Magic Calculations
• A character’s Chance to Cast will determine his
success or failure at a spell casting attempt.
• Magical energy is somewhat unpredictable, and
subject to a Magical Tweak adjustment,
determined by a D6 die roll before each combat.
• The effectiveness of a spell casting is
determined by the character’s spell Power,
which is the result of his Willpower, Magic Skill
Level, and magical Tweak.
14.0 COMBAT ROUNDS
Time in Combat, whether by Missile, Melee, or Magical
attacks, is measured in Combat Rounds.
• Each Combat Round has a duration of 6 seconds.
• Each Round is divided into 12 Initiative Segments.
15.0 INITIATIVE
At the start of each new Combat Round, each player
rolls Initiative for his character.
• The character with the highest Initiative can act
first in that round.
• The second highest Initiative can act second,
followed by all the Initiatives for each character, in
order from highest to lowest.
• Characters with equal Initiatives act
simultaneously.
• The Combat Round ends with the actions taken at
Initiative = 1.
• If a character’s Initiative is 0 or lower, he is not
allowed to attempt that action this round.
Example: Throk and Bjorn confront each other in
combat. Each player rolls Initiative for his character.
Throk has Initiative of 1D6+0.
He rolls D6 and gets a 5.
5 + 0 = 5, so his Initiative for this round is 5.
Bjorn has Initiative of 1D6+3.
He rolls D6 and gets a 4.
4 + 3 = 7, so his Initiative for this round is 7.
The Combat Round always starts at Initiative = 12.
Neither character has Initiative = 12, so that Initiative
Segment passes without an action. Similarly, Initiative
Segments 11, 10, 9, and 8 also pass without an action.
Reaching Initiative = 7, Bjorn may take his action, be
that a Move or an attack.
If there are no Initiatives at Initiative 6, that Segment
passes without an action.
Reaching Initiative = 5, Throk takes his action.
If there are no Initiatives on 4, 3, 2, or 1, those Segments
pass without an action and the Combat Round ends.
15.1 MOVEMENT AND INITIATIVE
Combat often involves minor amounts of movement as
the combatants maneuver, advance, retreat, lunge,
defend, and fake attacks. These movements are
incidental to combat and are ignored.
If a character wants to cover a more significant distance,
his Move rate is utilized.
Move Rate =
The distance (in feet) a character
can move in One Initiative Segment.
• Any movement distance less than a full Move is
ignored for the purposes of Initiative.
• Each time a character wants to make a complete
Move, he takes a -1 penalty on his Initiative.
Example: Characters Throk and Bjorn are separated by
20 feet and decide to engage in Melee Combat.
Initiative is rolled.
Throk has Initiative of 1D6+3.
He rolls a 5, and adds +3.
His Initiative this round is 8.
Bjorn has Initiative of 1D6-1.
He rolls a 4, and subtracts -1.
His Initiative this round is 3.
Throk has a Move rate of 8.
He makes 1 Move in the direction of Bjorn, covering 8
feet and taking a -1 Initiative penalty to do so. His
Initiative drops to 8 - 1 = 7
No other Initiatives occur at 7, so Throk makes another
Move, covering another distance of 8 feet. He takes
another -1 Initiative penalty. His Initiative drops to 6.
At Initiative 6 Throk only has (20’ - 8’ - 8’ = 4’) 4 feet of
distance left to cover to reach Bjorn. This is less than a
full Move distance, so it is ignored. At Initiative 6, Throk
and Bjorn are now engaged in Melee Combat.
Throk has an Initiative of 6, which is higher than Bjorn’s.
Initiative of 3, so Throk acts first, making his attack.
Nothing happens on Initiatives 5 and 4, so on
Initiative 3, Bjorn gets to make his attack.
16.0 ARMOR
When a character makes a successful Melee, Missile or
Magical Attack, he rolls the appropriate Damage for his
weapon or spell.
The character struck by the Attack has some possible
options to ward off some or all that damage.
• Parry: If the damage came from a Melee Attack, the
defending character may be able to Deflect some or
all the Attack Damage with a successful Parry. This
is further explained in Section 19.2.
• Armor: If some or all the Attack Damage gets past
the defending character’s Melee Parry, or the
Damage came from a Missile or Magic Attack, the
character’s next line of defense is his Armor.
• Armor Spells: Characters using Magic may also
have access to magical Armor Spells. Variations of
which offer some protection against either normal or
magical damage, or only against magical damage.
Physical Armor: Physical Armors consists of a variety
of protective materials such as leather, chain mail, or
plate mail. Each armor type has an Armor Rating,
indicating the amount of damage it will absorb on any
given Hit. Physical armor is not “used up” in the process
of absorbing damage.
Example: A character is Hit with two Attacks, a “Bullet”
spell doing 10 points, and an Arrow from a bow which
does 3 points of Damage. He is wearing Leather Armor
with an Armor Rating of 4.
The ”Bullet” Spell Hit does 10 points of Damage. The
Armor blocks 4 points. The remaining 6 points of
Damage penetrate the armor, causing a 6-point
Wound. The character loses 6 Hit Points.
The Arrow Hit does 3 points of Damage. The Armor
blocks up to 4 points. No damage penetrates, and the
character is not injured by that Hit.
The character’s armor is unaffected by any of the
damage it absorbed, and it will continue to provide 4
points of Damage protection against future Hits.
Magical Armor: Both versions of Magical Armor
function differently than Physical Armor. They provide a
magical field that is used up in the process of absorbing
damage.
Example: A character is Hit with two Attacks—a
Lightning Spell doing 7 points of Damage, and a Sling
Bullet which does 6 points of Damage. Prior to being
Hit, he had cast an “Armor - Magical” Spell, providing
him 12 points of protection against Magical Attacks.
The Lightning Hit does 7 points of Damage. The “Armor
- Magical” Spell absorbs all 7 points of Damage, using
up 7 points of its protective value in the process. The
character now has 5 points of the “Armor - Magical”
Spell remaining.
The Sling Bullet Hit does 6 points of Damage. The Sling
Bullet is not magical, so the “Armor - Magical” Spell
offers no protection. The character suffers a 6-point
Wound, losing 6 Hit Points. The “Armor - Magical”
Spell is unaffected by the Sling Bullet Hit, retaining its
potential of 5 points of protection against another
magical attack.
If the opportunity affords itself, the character would be
advised to recast his “Armor - Magical” Spell, bringing
his protection against future magical Damage back up
to its full potential of 12 points.
17.0 WOUNDS AND HIT POINTS
Each character has a calculated number of Hit Points,
indicating the total amount of Damage he can sustain. A
character can perform at his normal potential until his
Hit Points are reduced to 0 or lower.
In the Bare Bones game, when a character’s Hit Points
are reduced to 0 or less, he is knocked out of the battle.
He is killed, knocked unconscious, or simply no longer
able to fight and must surrender - however you prefer to
imagine it.
18.0 MISSILE COMBAT
Missile Weapon Combat consists of the use of any
weapons which inflict damage over an extended range.
The process of Missile Combat follows the following
procedure:
18.1 MAKING A MISSILE ATTACK
At his Initiative turn in the combat round, a character
with a loaded Missile Weapon attempts a possible
Missile Attack on his opponent. This is called his
“Chance to Hit”.
The Chance to Hit is rolled on a 20-sided die (D20).
• If the result on the D20 die is greater than the
character’s Chance to Hit, the shot has missed.
• If the D20 die result is equal to or less than the
Chance to Hit, the attack is Hits the target.
o If the Attack is successful, the character rolls his
Missile Weapon Damage.
o The target of the Hit subtracts his Armor Rating
from the Damage. Any Damage in excess of the
Armor Rating causes a Wound and loss of Hit
Points.
Example: A character makes a Missile Attack with his
Short Bow, which is already loaded. His calculated
Chance to Hit is 8. The player rolls a D20 die:
• The D20 die result is “13”. This is greater than the
Chance to Hit of 8. The shot misses, expending one
arrow from the character’s inventory. The Short
Bow is no longer loaded.
or,
• The D20 die result is “8”. This is less than or equal
to the Chance to Hit of 8. The arrow Hits the
target. The character expends one arrow from his
inventory and his Short Bow is no longer loaded.
o The Missile Weapon Table lists the Damage for
a Short Bow as 2D6. Rolling the Damage, the
character gets a 7. His target is wearing
Padded Armor with an Armor Rating of 2. The
Armor absorbs 2 points of Damage. The 5
remaining points penetrate the Armor, causing
a 5-point wound and a loss of 5 Hit Points.
18.2 RELOADING A MISSILE WEAPON
All Missile Weapons in the Bare Bones rules are
primitive Missile Weapons, which need to be Reloaded
after each shot to ready the weapon for the next attack.
In the same Initiative Segment in which a character fires
a Missile Weapon he may also begin Reloading.
When first attempting to Reload, the character rolls his
Starting Reload Check on a 20-sided die (D20).
• If the result on the D20 die is greater than the
character’s Starting Reload Check, the Reload
Check is failed, the Reloading process is not yet
completed and will need to be continued.
• If the D20 die result is equal to or less than the
Starting Reload Check, the Reload Check is
successful, the weapon has been Reloaded, and he
may fire again.
18.2.1 Time Required to Reload a Missile Weapon
For these Bare Bones rules, the following is assumed:
• If a character fired his weapon during the
Combat Round, his Starting Reload Check will
require the remainder of that Round, regardless
of his Initiative.
• If a character is continuing his Reload Check
process the Reload attempt will take a full
Combat Round.
• Once a character has rolled a successful Reload
Check he may fire his weapon in the next
Combat Round, rolling his normal Initiative.
18.2.2 Missile Weapon Reload Bonus
For each previous attempt where a character attempted
(but failed) his Reload Check, he receives a Reload
Bonus of +5, reflecting that he is making progress on his
Reload efforts.
Reload Bonus Values
Reloading Attempt Reload Bonus
1st Reload Attempt 0
2nd Reload Attempt +5
3rd Reload Attempt +10
4th Reload Attempt +15
5th Reload Attempt +20
 18.4 MISSILE COMBAT EXAMPLE
Example:
Round 1: The character fires his sling, and then makes Character Y Character Z
a Reload Check. His Starting Reload Check is 2. He rolls Initiative 1D6+1 1D6+3
D20 and gets a 9. A 9 is higher than 2, so his Reload is Armor Type Scale Mail Leather
Armor Rating 6 4
incomplete. The round ends.
Weapon Sling Short Bow
Chance to Hit 7 11
Round 2: The character continues his Reloading Reload Factor -10 -8
attempt. He failed in the previous round, so this round Reload Check 2 6
he receives a +5 Reload Bonus. His Reload Check is now Damage 3D4 2D6
(2 + 5) = 7. He rolls a D20 and gets a 15. Since 15 is
greater than 7, his Reload is still not completed. The Combat Round 1
round ends. Character Y Character Z
Die Roll Result Die Roll Result
Roll Initiative: 1D6+1 3 1D6+3 7
Round 3: The character continues Reloading. He has
Initiatives 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8: No actions taken by either character.
failed on two previous attempts, so his Reload Bonus is Initiative 7: Character Y has Initiative 7, so it is his turn to act.
now +10. His Reload Check is (2 + 10) = 12. He rolls D20 Z fires his Short Bow
and gets an 8. Since 8 is less than or equal to his Z Chance to Hit D20 14
Reload Check, his Reload is completed successfully. The 14 is greater than the Z’s Chance to Hit of 11. He misses.
round ends. Z’s Reload Check D20 6
Z’s D20 roll of 6 is equal to his Reload Check of 6. Success.
Round 4: With his weapon loaded, the character may Y Chance to Hit D20 5
5 is less than Y ’s Chance to Hit of 7. He Hits.
roll Initiative and fire at his turn in the combat round.
Y ’s Damage 3D4 9
Then he may make a new Reload Check. His Reload Missile Weapons cannot be Parried. But Z does have Armor.
Check “resets” to his Starting Reload of 2. He Rolls D20 9 points of Damage - 4 Points of Armor = 5 points penetrate the
and gets a 2. The Reload is a success. The round ends. Armor. Z takes a 5-point Wound, losing 5 Hit Points.
Y’s Reload Check D20 11
Round 5: With his weapon loaded, the character rolls 11 is greater than Y’s Starting Reload Check of 2. His Reload fails.
Initiative and fires. Again, his Reload Check “resets” to Combat Round 2
his Starting Reload Check value of 2... Z successfully made his Reload Check last round. He is loaded.
Y failed his Reload Check, his weapon is not yet Reloaded.
Roll Initiative: 1D6 5 1D6+3 5
Initiatives 12 to 6: No actions taken by either character.
Initiative 5: Characters Y & Z act simultaneously.
Y continues to Reload. Z Fires his Weapon
Y’s Reload Check D20 4
Y failed his previous Reload Check, so now has a +5 Reload Bonus.
(2 + 5) = a Reload Check of 7. His D20 roll was 4. Success.
Z Chance to Hit D20 9
9 is less than or equal to Z’s Chance to Hit of 11. He Hits.
Z’s Damage 2D6 6
18.3 DEFENDING AGAINST MISSILE WEAPONS Z’s Hit does 6 points of Damage.
Y has a 6-point Armor Rating
Missile Weapon Attacks cannot be Parried. If the (6 - 6 = 0), 0 Points of Damage Hit A, so he takes no Wound.
Chance to Hit is successful, the target has been Hit for Z attempts to Reload his weapon
the Damage shown in the Missile Weapons Table. Any Z’s Reload Check D20 8
Missile Weapon Damage which exceeds a character’s Z’s D20 Reload Check is greater than his Starting Reload of 6. Fail.
Armor Rating will result in a Wound and corresponding Combat Round 3...
loss of Hit Points. Y successfully made his Reload check last round. He is loaded.
Z failed his Reload check last round. He gains a +5 Reload Bonus in
this round as he continues to Reload...
19.0 MELEE COMBAT
Melee Combat involves hand-to-hand close-in fighting
with fists, swords, axes, clubs, and spears.
The process of Melee Combat follows the following
procedure:
19.1 MAKING A MELEE ATTACK
At his Initiative turn in the combat round, a character
attempts a possible Melee Attack on his opponent. This
is called his “Chance to Attack”.
The character’s Melee Chance to Attack is rolled on a
20-sided die (D20).
• If the result on the D20 die is greater than the
Chance to Attack, the attack attempt has failed.
• If the D20 die result is equal to or less than the
Chance to Attack, the attack is successful.
o If the Attack is successful, the character rolls his
Melee Weapon Damage.
Example:
A character makes a Melee Attack with his Spear.
His calculated Chance to Attack is 19.
The player rolls a D20 die:
• The D20 die result is “20”. This is greater than the
Chance to Attack of 19. The Chance to Attack fails,
and no Damage is rolled.
or,
• The D20 die result is “12”. This is less than the
Chance to Attack of 19. The Chance to Attack is
successful, and the player now rolls Damage.
o His Melee Weapon Damage with a Spear is
2D8+3. He rolls a 4 and a 7. He adds those
together and adds +3. The Damage is 14
points.
19.2 MAKING A MELEE PARRY
The character’s opponent in Melee Combat has the
chance to defend himself against a successful Melee
Attack with an attempted Parry.
Similar to a Chance to Attack, the defending character’s
Chance to Parry is rolled on a 20-sided die (D20).
• If the result on the D20 die is greater than the
Chance to Parry, the Parry attempt has failed.
o The melee attack becomes a Hit, and the
defending character suffers the indicated
Damage. The character’s Armor may absorb
some or all of the Hit Damage.
• If the D20 die result is equal to or less than the
Chance to Parry, the Parry attempt is successful.
o The defender rolls Damage with his own Melee
Weapon to determine the amount of his Parry
Deflection. The Deflection Amount is
subtracted from the Attack Damage amount. If
there is any Attack Damage remaining after the
Deflection, the defending character is Hit. His
Armor may absorb some or all the remaining
damage.
From our previous example, the attacking character
has made a successful Melee Attack, doing 14 points of
Damage with his Spear.
The defending character attempts to Parry with his
Short Sword. His Chance to Parry is 8.
He rolls D20 to check his Parry:
• The D20 die result is “17”. This is greater than the
Chance to Parry of 8. The Chance to Parry fails, and
he takes 14 of Damage. He is wearing Scale Mail
with an Armor Rating of 6, which absorbs 6 points
of damage. (14 - 6 = 8), so 8 points of damage
penetrates the armor. He suffers an 8-point
wound, losing 8 Hit Points.
or,
• The D20 die result is “5”. This is less than Chance to
Parry of 8. The Parry is successful. He rolls Damage
with his Short Sword and gets 9. He Deflects 9
points of the Attack Damage. (14 - 9 = 5) 5 points
of Damage makes it past his Parry. His 6-point
Scale Mail Armor absorbs all 5 of the remaining
Damage points. He suffers no Wound, and no loss
of Hit Points.
19.3 INITIATIVE OF A PARRY 19.5 MELEE COMBAT EXAMPLE

A Parry attempt is made simultaneously with the Attack. Character Y Character Z

The defender does not roll Initiative for his Parry, and Initiative 1D6+1 1D6+3
the Parry attempt has no effect on the defending Armor Type Scale Mail Leather
character’s Initiative or his other actions. Armor Rating 6 4
Weapon Spear Short Sword
Example: A character in Melee Combat has an Chance to Attack 19 20
Chance to Parry 8 11
Initiative of 5 in this Combat Round. At Initiative 8 in
Damage 2D8 + 3 2D6 + 2
the round he is the target of a Melee Hit. At Initiative 8
he can attempt to Parry that Attack. The Parry has no Combat Round 1
effect on his own Attack, which will occur on Initiative Character Y Character Z
5. Die Roll Result Die Roll Result
Roll Initiative: 1D6+1 3 1D6+3 7
Initiatives 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8: No actions taken by either character.
Initiative 7: Character Z has Initiative 7, so it is his turn to act.
Z makes an Attack with his Short Sword
Z Chance to Attack D20 14
14 is less than Z’s Chance to Attack of 20. Success.
Z’s Attack Damage 2D6+2 10
Z’s Attack Damage is 10 points.
Y’s Chance to Parry D20 5
5 is less than Y’s Chance to Parry to Parry. Success.
Y’s Parry Deflection 3D6+4 12
19.4 MELEE CHANCE TO ATTACK OVER 20 Y’s Deflection (12 points) is more than Z’s Attack (10 points)
Y completely Deflects Z’s Attack with his Parry.
A calculated Chance to Attack higher than 20 indicates Initiative 6, 5, and 4: No actions taken by either character.
that the character can make more than one Melee Attack Initiative 3: Character Y has Initiative 3, so it is his turn to act.
in each combat round. The first attack is an automatic Y makes an Attack with his Spear
success, based on a Chance to Attack of 20. For the Y Chance to Attack D20 11
second attack, subtract 20 from the Chance to Attack to 11 is less than Y’s Chance to Attack of 19. Success.
determine the Chance to Attack for the second Y’s Attack Damage 2D8+3 13
opportunity. Separate Initiative rolls are made for each Y’s Attack Damage is 13 points
possible Attack. Z’s Chance to Parry D20 9
9 is less than or equal to Z’s Chance to Parry of 9. Success.
Z’s Parry Deflection 2D6+2 6
A character is making a Melee Attack with his Fist. His
Z Deflects 6 points of Y’s 13 points of Attack Damage.
calculated Chance to Attack is 26. Since 26 is greater (13 - 6 = 7), 7 Points of Damage Hit Z.
than 20, so there is the opportunity for multiple attacks Z has 4-point Leather Armor, so the Armor Absorbs 4 points.
in a single round. Z takes (7 points damage - 4 points Armor) = 3 Point Wound.
Initiative 2 & 1: No Actions taken by either character. Round 1 Ends
o The first attack is made at a Chance to Attack of Combat Round 2
20, so the success of the Attack is Automatic. Roll Initiative: 1D6 5 1D6+3 5
Initiatives 12 to 6: No actions taken by either character.
Initiative 5: Characters Y & Z act simultaneously.
o For the second attack, the normal Chance to Chance to Attack D20 20 D20 8
Attack is 26. 20 was already “used” in the first 20 is greater than Y’s CTA of 19. Y’s Chance to Attack fails.
attack. Subtract 20 from 26. The result is 6. The 8 is less than Z’s CTA of 20. Z’s Attack is a success.
Chance to Attack for the second attack is 6. Z’s Attack Damage 2D6+2 11
Z’s Attack Damage is 11 Points
o If the D20 roll on the second attack is 6 or less, Y’s Chance to Parry D20 9
the second attack is also successful. If the D20 roll 9 is greater than Y’s Chance to Parry of 8. The Parry fails.
Z’s Attack Damage of 11 points Hits A.
on the second attack is 7 or higher, the second Y is wearing 6-point Scale Mail Armor, so the Armor absorbs 6.
Chance to Attack fails. (11 Points Damage - 6 Points Armor) = 5 Point Wound on Y.
Initiatives 4, 3, 2, & 1: No actions taken by either character.
Round 2 ends. Continue to Round 3 and beyond...
20.0 MAGICAL COMBAT 20.2 MAGICAL POWER AND TWEAK

The effectiveness of a spell casting is based on the

Magic involves the casting of Spells, which may do
damage, provide protection, or provide healing, per the
Spell Descriptions in Section 20.3.
• If the character’s chosen action is to cast Magic
during a combat round, he may cast any spell that he
knows.
• Known spells may be cast as often as a character
wants (one spell casting attempt per combat round).
character’s spell Power. Since magical energy is a
variable and unpredictable art form, the strength of a
character’s magical energy is subject to random
variations, known as his magical Tweak. A character’s
spell Power will need to be determined before each
combat. Once calculated, the character’s spell Power is
unchanging for the duration of that Combat.
To determine the character’s spell Power for a given
combat, refer to the rules and calculations shown in
sections 12.2 and 12.3 of the Magical Calculations in the
Character Creation process.

20.3 MAGIC SPELL DESCRIPTIONS

Armor
Normal
20.1 ATTEMPTING A SPELL CASTING
At his Initiative turn in the combat round, a character
attempts a Spell Casting. This is his “Chance to Cast”.
Double
The Chance to Cast is rolled on a 20-sided die (D20).
• If the result on the D20 die is greater than the
calculated Chance to Cast, the attempt has failed.
o If a character fails his Chance to Cast roll, he is
subject to a backlash of magical energy, and
suffers 1 Hit Point of Damage. This damage
cannot be Parried, and normal or magical armor
do not absorb this damage.
MAGIC SPELLS
Spell Description
For each Power of the spell casting, Armor - Normal
provides the caster with 1 point of armor protection
against any type of damage. Each point of damage
absorbed reduces its Armor Rating by 1. The Armor
- Normal Spell causes the caster no Armor Penalty.
Only one Armor Spell of any time may be in effect on
the caster at any given time.
Armor - Magic is like the Armor - Normal spell except
that it is only effective against magical spell damage.
Armor
For each point of Power of the spell casting, Armor -
Magic Magic will absorb 4 points of spell damage before
being used up.
Body-Double will create an illusionary duplicate of
the spell caster, which will mimic his every motion.
The illusion can do no actual damage, and physical
Body objects will pass through it without effect. When cast,
the illusion steps forth from the caster, and may be
directed to any location within 50 feet of the caster.
The illusion lasts one Combat Round per Power of
the spell casting.
The Bullet spell creates a missile of magical energy
that instantly and unerringly strikes its target. It does
Bullet magical spell damage of 1D10 + 1 Point per Power
of the spell casting.
A successfully cast Heal spell will restore Hit Points
Heal to any single creature the caster touches. The spell
restores 1 Hit Point per Power of the spell casting

• If the D20 die result is equal to or less than the
Chance to Cast, the spell casting is successful.
Lightning
o If the Chance to Cast is successful, the spell
effect takes place immediately. Spells directing
damage at an opponent always Hit automatically
once successfully cast.
Lightning does 1 Hit Point of Damage per Power of
the spell casting. However, once cast, the caster
may “lock” the spell on his target and continue to do
damage round after round without requiring a new
Chance to Cast check. The spell has a Range of 5
feet per Power of the spell casting. Metal armors are
ineffective against this spell damage.
20.4 SPELL CASTING EXAMPLE
Example: Determining Spell Power
A character with magic ability is about to engage in
combat. He first needs to check the strength of his
magical Power, starting with his magical Tweak.
Referring to Section 12.2 and the Magical Tweak
Table, he rolls 1D6 and gets a 5. This corresponds to a
Tweak of +1 on the Table.
Now the character’s Spell Power can be determined.
He has a Willpower Attribute score of 14 and his
Magic Skill level is 2. From the Spell Power formula in
Section 12.3,
14 (Willpower Attribute)
- 13 (from the formula)
+ 2 (Magic Skill Level)
+1 (Tweak)
----------------------
= 4 (Spell Power)
Example: Casting Spells
With his Spell Power determined in the previous
example, the character can proceed to use his spells
in Combat. His calculated Chance to Cast is 5.
He knows the following spells: Heal, and Lightning.
He may cast either of those spells as desired, any
number of times.
At his Initiative turn in the Combat Round, he decides
to attack with a Lightning Spell. His opponent is 15
feet away. From the spell Description, the spell has a
range of 5 feet per point of Power, so the opponent is
within his (5 x 4 = 20), 20’ range. He rolls his Chance
to Cast on a D20 die.
• The D20 die result is “9”. This is greater than the
Chance to Cast of 5. The Chance to Cast fails, and
no spell effect is produced.
o He suffers 1 point of Damage due to the
magical backlash of a failed spell casting. He is
wearing 6-point Scale Mail Armor, but this
provides no protection against failed magical
backlash. He suffers 1 Hit Point of Damage.
or,
• The D20 die result is “4”. This is less than the
Chance to Cast of 5. The spell casting is successful
and he Hits his opponent with his Lightning Spell.
o Per the Spell Description of “Lightning”, the
spell does 1 point of Damage for each point of
Power of the casting. The character’s Spell
Power is 4, so the Lightning does 4 points of
Damage to his opponent.
o Also, per the Spell Description, metal armor
provides no protection against the effects of
“Lightning”. The opponent is wearing 8-point
Chain Mail Armor, which is metal. He gets no
protection from his Armor, suffering a 4-point
Wound and losing 4 Hit Points.
o And from the Spell Description, once cast, the
effects of the “Lightning” spell may be locked
onto a target continued into following rounds
with no need for a new Chance to Cast.
21.0 PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER 23.0 CHARACTER SHEETS
The individual aspects of Melee Combat, Missile
If you’re working through the Character Creation
Combat, and Magical Spell Casting can now be
process in Chapters 2 though 12, a blank character sheet
combined into a single combat system.
is provided on the following page.
• In each round, the character must choose his type of
action(s). He must choose Melee, Missile, or Magic.
If you’ve bypassed the Character Creation process and
• Movement is secondary to that action chosen for that want to use a pre-generated character instead, you’ll find
round. Travelling one Move incurs an Initiative those here too, following the blank character sheet.
penalty of -1.
A brief description is shown on each pre-generated
• Characters may only Parry if they are engaging in character sheet, providing a summary of the character’s
Melee Combat. If they choose Missile Combat or skills and equipment.
Magic, they lose the ability to Parry any Melee
attacks during that round.
• Only Melee Attacks may be Parried. Missile attacks
and Magic attacks automatically strike their target if
the Chance to Hit or Chance to Cast is successful.

22.0 MAPS AND FEATURES

With the use of grid paper and “marker” pieces for each
character (coins, dice, metal figures, etc.) the combat
scenes can be staged on maps which provide additional
challenges, obstacles, and strategic considerations.

A map can include the following suggested features:

• Solid Objects, which block movement as well
as missile and magical attacks.
• Pits, which block movement, but do not restrict
missile fire or magical attacks.
• Vegetation, which blocks missile fire or magical
attacks, but does not restrict movement.
• Forts, allowing missile fire and magical attacks
out, but not in, and restricting movement
• Other Features, as agreed upon by the players.
24.0 WHAT’S IN THE FULL RULES
VERSION?
If you’re wondering what’s available in the “Full”
version of the Core Rules and Supplements, here’s a
partial list:
More Detailed Character Improvements
• The ability to use experience to improve Attribute
scores and skill levels for continuing characters
• More detailed rules on learning skills and spells,
specifically a “Chance to Learn” approach that
becomes more difficult as skill levels increase.
• Lots more skills. Arcane combat skills, non-combat
skills, modern skills, and futuristic skills.
More Armor and Hit Location Details
• Expanded Armor Tables, and Armor for Modern,
Futuristic, and Post-Apocalyptic settings.
• A Hit Location system, separating both Armor and
Damage into six specific body locations.
Detailed Missile and Melee Combat
• All sorts of Conditional Modifiers providing
bonuses or penalties for Melee and Missile combat.
• Numerous melee attack options, as well as the
option to Dodge an attack instead of just Parrying.
• A Critical Hits and Weapon Failure system.
• Stuns and Knockdowns.
Lots more Equipment
• Equipment lists for various historical settings.
• Firearms and Futuristic Weapons
Expanded information on Magic
• Lots of magic skills, each drawing from a different
source of magical power.
• Just over 100 magic Spells, and over 40 minor spell
effects called “Jinxes”.
• Spell Casting Critical Hits and Failures
And even more stuff
• More details on Movement and Initiative.
• Rules for using Character Attributes to determine the
success or failure of non-standard actions.
• A unique Encumbrance system. (Yawn.)
• Information on how to use the Alertness and Combat
Morale Attributes.
• Fire Damage, Falling Damage, and Surviving the
Elements.
• Rules for Healing
Game Master and Campaign support
• An Assortment of pre-generated creatures,
characters, and domesticated animals for the Game
Master’s use.
• A Game Master’s Manual, offering hopefully useful
suggestions and supporting information.
• A Quick-Start Adventure, with pre-generated player-
characters and a possible starting point for the Game
Master’s campaign.