Quick Reference: Dice & Symbols
The Six Symbols
Symbols cancel within their pair. Breakthrough and Calamity effects always trigger, their contributed Success or Failure may still be cancelled normally.
| Symbol | Name | Cancels |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Failure | |
| Failure | Success | |
| Boon | Bane | |
| Bane | Boon | |
| Breakthrough | Effect never cancelled; contributes 1 | |
| Calamity | Effect never cancelled; contributes 1 |
Reading the Roll
- Set aside and before cancellation. Add for each and for each .
- Cancel vs , then vs .
- Net remaining? Success. Otherwise Failure.
- Count net or — these are secondary effects.
- Apply and effects. They trigger regardless of whether the check succeeds or fails.
Boon & Bane Guide
| Count | Boon | Bane |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minor benefit; or recover 1 Strain with no stronger use | Minor setback; lose position |
| 2 | Assist an ally; gain information | Lose resource; expose weakness |
| 3+ | Alter the scene; lasting benefit | New threat; escalate danger |
The Six Dice
| Die | Shape | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Boon Die | d6 | Add for advantage |
| Bane Die | d6 | Add for disadvantage |
| Ability Die | d8 | Base positive pool |
| Trial Die | d8 | Base difficulty |
| Mastery Die | d12 | Trained positive pool |
| Crisis Die | d12 | Upgraded difficulty |
Building Your Pool
Identify your characteristic and skill (characteristics are rated 1–5; skills are rated 0–5).
During character creation, characteristics cannot begin above 4, and skills cannot begin above rank 2 unless the Universe allows one profession skill to begin at rank 3.
Start with Ability Dice equal to the higher of the two. Upgrade a number of those equal to the lower rating — replacing Ability with Mastery .
Add Boon or Bane dice for conditions. The GM adds difficulty dice.
Example
Characteristic 3 / Skill 2 → vs
Difficulty
| Level | Dice |
|---|---|
| Simple | — No roll needed |
| Easy | |
| Average | |
| Hard | |
| Severe | |
| Extreme |
Upgrade a Trial to Crisis for especially volatile situations.
Quick Reference: Combat & Recovery
Action Economy
Each turn: 1 Action + up to 2 Maneuvers, with the second Maneuver costing the Action or 2 Strain.
- Action: an attack, a skill check under pressure, an ability activation, an assist, or a complex interaction
- Maneuver: move a band, draw or stow gear, take cover, drop prone, aim, or interact briefly
- Quick Action: speak briefly, drop an item, glance, free, but cannot replace an Action or Maneuver
Range Bands
Engaged → Short → Medium → Long → Extreme.
- Engaged ↔ Short ↔ Medium: 1 Maneuver per band
- Medium ↔ Long ↔ Extreme: 2 Maneuvers per band
- Light cover: +1 Ranged Defense; heavy cover: +2 Ranged Defense
Damage and Resistance
Damage − Resistance = Wounds suffered (minimum 0)
Resistance = half Might (rounded up) + armor or protection.
Each Success beyond the first on an attack adds +1 damage before Resistance.
Attack Difficulty
| Attack | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Melee/Unarmed at Engaged | Average |
| Ranged at Engaged | Easy + 1 Bane |
| Ranged at Short | Easy |
| Ranged at Medium | Average |
| Ranged at Long | Hard |
| Ranged at Extreme | Severe |
Defense and cover add Bane Dice after base difficulty is set.
Critical Injury Triggers
A Critical Injury is inflicted when:
- An attacker spends a Breakthrough on an attack against the target
- An attacker spends net Boons equal to the weapon's Crit rating (default 3 if no rating is listed)
- The target is hit while already incapacitated
Roll d100 + 10 per existing Critical Injury on the target.
| d100 Result | Severity |
|---|---|
| 01-30 | Minor |
| 31-60 | Moderate |
| 61-85 | Severe |
| 86-100+ | Deadly |
Combat Boon Spends
Common Boon spends during combat. Spending Boons does not require GM approval if a listed effect fits the situation.
| Cost | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 Boon | Recover 1 Strain |
| 1 Boon | Activate a weapon quality with no listed cost (where applicable) |
| 2 Boons | Inflict a status (Disoriented, Prone, etc., per weapon or fiction) |
| 2 Boons | Activate Blast, Burn, Burst, or Stun (where the weapon has the quality) |
| 2 Boons | Notice an additional detail or warning |
| Crit Boons | Inflict a Critical Injury (see weapon's Crit rating) |
| Breakthrough | Inflict a Critical Injury automatically when spent on the attack |
Recovery at the Table
Strain
- End of structured encounter: recover Strain equal to Willpower
- Full rest: recover all Strain unless incapacitated by Strain
- Catch Breath (Maneuver, once per encounter): recover 1 Strain or 2 Strain with the Catch Breath talent
- Spend 1 Boon with no stronger use: recover 1 Strain
Wounds
- Full night's rest: recover Wounds equal to Might
- Medicine check: each net Success restores 1 additional Wound; 2 Boons can restore 1 extra Wound, preserve supplies, or shorten time
- Field Treatment (Action, structured play): Average Medicine check by default
Critical Injuries
- Removed by Medicine check; difficulty by severity (Easy / Average / Hard / Severe)
- Untreated, each adds +10 to future Critical Injury rolls
Quick Reference: Reading Results
Resolution Order
- Did it succeed or fail? Net after cancellation = success.
- What side effects landed? Read net or .
- Did anything exceptional happen? and trigger regardless of success or failure.
The Spending Ladder
| Result | Scope |
|---|---|
| 1 / | Minor texture |
| 2 / | Named effect |
| 3+ / | Scene-shifting |
| Exceptional positive | |
| Exceptional negative |
The Anti-Duplication Rule
Side effects should never duplicate the main result. Ask "what else?" not "how much?"
Who Spends What
- Players propose Boon and Breakthrough spends.
- GM applies Bane and Calamity effects.
- Both sides build the same scene.
Floor Rules
| Unspent Symbol | Default Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Recover 1 Strain |
| 2+ | +1 Boon Die to next ally's check |
| Next ally +1 Boon Die; GM grants a beat of relief | |
| Suffer 1 Strain per net Bane | |
| GM gains 1 Peril Point; the scene tilts |
Eight Axes of Change
When stuck, change one of these:
| Axis | Boon | Bane |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Faster | Slower |
| Position | Better footing, cover | Exposed, off-balance |
| Information | Learn more | Misread, miss a clue |
| Resources | Conserve supplies | Lose, spend, damage |
| Attention | Stay unseen | Draw notice |
| Condition | Inflict / clear | Suffer condition |
| Future Rolls | +1 on next check | +1 on next check |
| Scene | Open opportunity | Introduce hazard |
Mixed Results
| Main | + Breakthrough | + Calamity |
|---|---|---|
| Success | Clean win + major upside | Win at serious cost |
| Failure | Fail, but a major break in your favor | Fail and the situation worsens |
Quick Skill Cues
- Combat — 2 : condition or shove. on hit: weapon breaks, ally hit, worse threat notices.
- Search — on failure: you find something more important. on success: you trigger the ward.
- Social — 2 on failure: they refuse, but reveal what would work.
- Stealth — 2 : leave no trace; learn the patrol pattern.
- Craft — on failure: you can't fix it, but you know what you need.
- Spell — on success: it works, but warps, drains, or attracts attention.