RULES: BASIC TRAINING

This Chapter introduces the basic rules and regulations about IT HAPPENED IN 1999. It also details the numerous aspects of your character, detailing each briefly. After reading this, you should have a fair idea of how the system operates.

DICE

You will use a standard 7-die set of role playing game dice for this system. The die you will most certainly use the most is the d20. The die you will use least is the second d10 percentage die.

DIFFICULTY

There are three levels of difficulty: Standard (15), Taxing (20) and Extreme (25). When called upon to make a roll, you want to meet or exceed the difficulty number of the task you are attempting.

MAKING ROLLS

Whenever you are called upon to make a Stat or Skill roll, simply roll a d20, add your Stat modifier and your Skill rating to this number (more on this later), and hope that you meet or exceed the difficulty number of the task you are attempting. Easy peasy!

Advantage & Disadvantage: Sometimes circumstances (or pure, dumb luck) can affect actions that you undertake (for better or for worse). Whenever the GM determines that you gain Advantage on a roll, circumstances are in your favor, and you roll the test twice and use the higher result. Whenever you gain Disadvantage on a roll, circumstances are working against you and you roll the test twice and use the lower result.

Triumphs & Blunders: Whenever you roll a natural 20 on a d20 (without modifiers), you have Triumphed. This means that the best possible result occurs. Whenever you roll a 1 on a d20 (without modifiers), you have Blundered. This means that the worst possible outcome occurs.

Trying Again: If you fail a non-combat roll, the GM may decide that you can try again. However, failure often leads to frustration, and attempting a roll again ups the difficulty by 5. If the Difficulty of a roll ever exceeds 25, you cannot attempt it again and throw up your hands in frustration.

ASPECTS OF A CHARACTER

There are several Aspects of a character that define their capabilities, with each being detailed briefly below.

Role: Not all folks are created equal in this rules system. As a Player Character, you are a special sort, and simply put, are better than most other people. There are three roles in this system that define the sort of person you are: Extra, Co-Star, and Star. The rank and file of the world are known as Extras. Extras aren’t very special, and it doesn’t take much to put one down in a fight. Co-Stars are plucky sidekicks and hangers-on of more important persons, and they often act as lieutenants or henchmen. Co-Stars are tougher and more capable than Extras, but not as grand and awesome as some rare few. Finally, Stars are the important, butt-kicking main characters of impressive adventures and the focus of stories and tales that awe normal folks. Stars are far more capable than normal people, and both valorous heroes and nefarious villains can assume this Role. All Player Characters in this game are of Star Rank.

Stats: The 5 Stats are the base potential of your Character, and are Agility, Endurance, Intellect, Presence and Strength.  Your Stats are rated on a scale from 0 to 10.

Skills: The 15 Skills are a collection of what your character has picked up through learning, study and training. Skills are rated on a scale from 0-5. The 15 Skills are Aim, Athletics, Bookworm, Entertain, Heal, Influence, Navigate, Primal, Scrap, Senses, Stealth, Survival, Technology, Thievery, and Willpower.

Boons: Boons represent special abilities, possessions, or advantages that set your character apart from everyone else. Many Boons can be purchased twice to increase their effect. Some Boons also have Prerequisite Stat and Skill ratings that you must meet or exceed to purchase the Boon in question.

Energy: Energy is a measure of how much fight you have left in you, and your general state of immediate health. Energy damage symbolizes small scrapes, bruises and light damage that isn’t life-threatening. Once your Energy pool drops below 1, you begin suffering Wounds.

Wounds:  Wound damage is serious business and sustaining too many can very quickly lead to the death of your character! Most folks are immediately Knocked Out when they sustain 1 Wound, but special people like Adventurers and Player Characters can sustain up to 3 Wounds. Upon sustaining a fourth Wound, even these special folks are Knocked Out.

Luck: You may spend a point of Luck to either re-roll any one roll you make (this includes damage rolls) and use the higher result, or re-roll any roll (including damage) that is made against you and use the lowest result. Luck gives you a chance to avoid the pitfalls of rolling badly at a crucial time! If you spend Luck to re-roll a roll that you have Advantage or Disadvantage on, you roll twice and use the best/worst result as per normal. Your Luck pool refills at the start of every Adventure.

Defense: Your Character’s Defense score is the difficulty number that an attacker needs to roll equal to or over when they are trying to smash you in combat! Your Defense score is equal to 10 + your Agility OR Intellect Stat Modifier + Armor Modifier + Shield Modifier + Bonus Modifier.

Failing: Everyone has a fatal flaw, even Heroes! All Player Characters choose one Failing, a vice or personality flaw that mars their otherwise sterling character.

STATS IN DETAIL

·        Agility is a measure of your character’s hand-eye coordination, flexibility and adroitness.

·         Endurance is a measure of your character’s general level of health, fitness and hardiness.

·         Intellect is a measure of your character’s IQ, mental acuity and cerebral sharpness.

·         Presence is a measure of your character’s force of personality, charisma, and pizzazz.

·         Strength is a measure of your character’s raw physical prowess and brute force.

-All Stats are rated on a scale from 0-10. Every level of a Stat has a modifier associated with it. This modifier is added or subtracted from any rolls involving the associated Stat, as detailed below.

0 (Handicapped, -5 Stat Modifier)

1 (Abysmal, -4 Stat Modifier)

2 (Very Poor, -3 Stat Modifier)

3 (Poor, -2 Stat Modifier)

4 (Below Average, -1 Stat Modifier)

5 (Average, No Stat Modifier)

6 (Above Average, +1 Stat Modifier)

7 (Good, +2 Stat Modifier)

8 (Very Good, +3 Stat Modifier)

9 (Excellent, +4 Stat Modifier)

10 (World Class, +5 Stat Modifier)

Example: Dave is trying to lift a heavy rock so he can hurl it through the window of a small business. Dave has been taking a copious amount of steroids, and thus, currently has a Strength score of 10. The difficulty to pick up this hefty rock is 20, and so Dave rolls a d20 and adds +5 for having such a high (due to rampant abuse of an illegal substance) Strength score. He rolls a 13 and adds 5 to that, coming up with a final result of 18. Not a bad roll, but not enough to hoist the heavy rock up. Sorry, Dave, no looting for you!

SKILLS IN DETAIL

-Your level in a Skill directly adds to any relevant rolls made with that Skill. Simply add your rating in a Skill as a direct bonus to any applicable rolls.

-All Skills are rated on a scale from 0-5, as detailed below.

0 (Untrained)

1 (Apprentice)

2 (Journeyman)

3 (Professional)

4 (Expert)

5 (Master)

Example: Using our above example, let’s say that Dave wasn’t a lazy slob, and had invested some time doing push-ups instead of eating cupcakes. If Dave had an Athletics skill of 2, he would have added this number to his roll to lift up the heavy rock (because lifting junk is part of the athletics skill) and managed to get a 20, thus succeeding.

Awesome Skill Roll Formula: D20 Roll + Stat Modifier + Linked Skill Rating = Final Result

Stats and Skill Links: Each skill can benefit from a different Stat depending on the situation. For instance, if you are trying to charm somebody using flattery and sweet words, you would link the Persuasion skill with your Presence Stat modifier. Similarly, if you were trying to bully someone through sheer physical intimidation, you would pair your Persuasion skill with your Strength Stat modifier.