Actions & Attributes#

Attribute Ratings#

There are three attributes in the game system that the player characters use to resist bad consequences: Chassis, Culture, and Psyche. Each attribute has a rating (from zero to 4) that tells you how many dice to roll when you use that attribute.

The rating for each attribute is equal to the number of dots in the first column under that attribute (see the examples further down the text). The more well-rounded your character is with a particular set of actions, the better their attribute rating.

Resistance Roll#

Each attribute resists a different type of danger. If you get shot, for example, you resist physical harm with your Chassis rating. Resistance rolls always succeed—you diminish or deflect the bad result—but the better your roll, the less stress it costs to reduce or avoid the danger.

When the enemy has a big advantage, you’ll need to make a resistance roll before you can take your own action. For example, when you brawl with the champion of a bar, she pins you down you before you can strike. You need to make a resistance roll to dodge if you want to attack her. Or perhaps you face a powerful builder artifact and attempt to Operate it to control its actions. But before you can make your own roll, you must resist confusing signals in the room.

The GM judges the threat level of the enemies and uses these “preemptive” resistance rolls as needed to reflect the capabilities of especially dangerous foes.

Actions#

There are 12 actions in the game that the player characters use to overcome obstacles.

• When you Affect, you incite others’ reaction through physical presence or honest nature.

  You might charm someone with your melodic voice or intimidate them with your strength (but Trick might be better).

• When you Craft, you build, repair or modify technical devices.

  You might create a new gadget or alter an existing item. You might crack a safe. You might disable an alarm or trap (but Finessing might be better).

• When you Dance, you maneuver gracefully through the room.

  You might sneak past guards or traverse a crowded place (bit Hide or Hunt might be better).

• When you Finesse, you employ dextrous manipulation or subtle misdirection.

  You might pick someone’s pocket. You might handle the controls of a vehicle or direct a mount. You might fiddle with miniature tech. You could try to pick a lock (but Tinkering might be better).

• When Hide, you spot the best place to keep someone or something out of reach or sight.

  You might escape observers in a dark spot or find the perfect dead letterbox (but Dance or Trick might be better).

• When you Hunt, you carefully track a target.

  You might follow a target or discover their location or virtual trace. You might arrange an ambush. You might attack with precision shooting from a distance. You could try to bring your guns to bear in a melee (but Skirmishing might be better).

• When you Operate, you use devices, vehicles or any kind of technology.

  You might search the web for cat videos or land a space ship on an asteroid (but Hunt or Wreck might be better).

• When you Study, you scrutinize details and interpret evidence.

  You might gather information from documents or online. You might closely analyze a person to detect lies or true feelings. You could try to examine events to understand a pressing situation (but Surveying might be better).

• When you Survey, you observe the situation and anticipate outcomes.

  You might spot telltale signs of trouble before it happens. You might uncover opportunities or weaknesses. You might detect a person’s motivations or intentions. You could try to spot a good ambush point (but Hunting might be better).

• When you Tolerate you withstand physical strain.

  You might ignore the alcohol in your drink or run a marathon (but Dance or Trick might be better).

• When you Trick you deceive, confuse or manipulate someone.

  You might turn an argument using sophistry or lie straight in someone’s face (but Affect or Hide might be better).

• When you Wreck, you use force to wreak havoc or fight opponents.

  You might smash a door with a sledgehammer, or use an explosive to do the same. You might employ chaos to create a distraction. You could try to overwhelm an enemy with sheer force or fight in a duel (but Dance or Finesse might be better).

As you can see, many actions overlap with others. This is by design. As a player, you get to choose which action you roll, by saying what your character does. Can you try to Wreck someone during a fight? Sure! The GM tells you the position and effect level of your action in this circumstance. As it says, Skirmish might be better (less risky or more effective), depending on the situation at hand (sometimes it won’t be better).

Action Ratings#

Each action has a rating (from zero to 4) that tells you how many dice to roll when you perform that action. Action ratings don’t just represent skill or training—you’re free to describe how your character performs that action based on the type of person they are. Maybe your character is good at Affect because they have a scary stillness to them, while another character barks orders and intimidates people with their military bearing.

You choose which action to perform to overcome an obstacle, by describing what your character does. Actions that are poorly suited to the situation may be less effective and may put the character in more danger, but they can still be attempted. Usually, when you perform an action, you’ll make an action roll to see how it turns out.

Action Roll#

You make an action roll when your character does something potentially dangerous or troublesome. The possible results of the action roll depend on your character’s position. There are three positions: controlled, risky, and desperate. If you’re in a controlled position, the possible consequences are less serious. If you’re in a desperate position, the consequences can be severe. If you’re somewhere in between, it’s risky—usually considered the “default” position for most actions.

If there’s no danger or trouble at hand, you don’t make an action roll. You might make a fortune roll or a downtime roll or the GM will simply say yes—and you accomplish your goal.

Example Attribute and Action ratings#

This character has an Affect rating of 1. Their Chassis attribute rating is 1 (the first column of dots).

They have Hunt 1 and Operate 2. Their Culture attribute rating is 2.

Their Psyche attribute rating is 3 because they have three actions: 2 dots in Finesse, 1 in Hide and 1 in Trick.