The Base System

Chapter 6

Gamemaster Information

Experience Awards

The GM is solely responsible for any experience-based awards. Please do not send the author nasty letters demanding that the system be improved because your character has not advanced as quickly as you would like.

Experience Points

Each session of game play should see the characters awarded Experience Points (XP). These XP allow the character to improve his Attributes and Skill Levels.

The range of XP awarded is usually in the range of 1 XP to 10 XP. For the non-energetic GM, an average of 3 XP per session has worked well, with “bonuses” of 1 or 2 XP handed out to players who did exceptionally well that session.

There are five considerations to how much XP is awarded to a character:

(1) Level of threat

(2) Level of success

(3) Character contribution to the adventure

(4) How well the character was role-played by the player

(5) Entertainment value of the character

For each of the considerations, the GM should award 0 to 2 XP. Note that the awards for (1) and (2) will be the same for each character in the adventure. The rest of the awards are based on the individual performance of the character.

Character contribution and entertainment value XP (3 and 5, above) may be awarded during play and eliminated during final consideration. In this case, award 1 XP per event. Also, the GM may specify where the character should apply the XP. The GM should choose where the character places his XP only with good reason, to avoid unnecessary player provocation.

In the beginning, characters will be advancing relatively quickly. As adventuring continues, however, their rate of advancement will slow appreciably. Then, finally, players will begin to understand why characters with Level 5 in a skill are considered "Masters" of that skill. Any advance beyond Level 4 or Level 5 will certainly take more than a single adventure's worth of XP award to accomplish.

Renown Points

When a character does something of particular note or in a spectacular way, or both, and there are witnesses (other than the character) to the event, then the GM should award the character with Renown Points (RP). These Renown Points are applied by the character to an epithet of his choosing, thereby making the character more famous. The amount of RP should be in the range of 1 RP to 5 RP, depending on the nature of the deed and the number of witnesses.

Renown Points should generally be given and applied immediately. If the GM feels it is appropriate, he may designate where the player applies the Renown Points. This includes even creating a new epithet for the character.

The key to Renown is witnesses. Where there are no witnesses, there can be no (or only limited) Renown. In some instances, the witnessing could be indirect. For example: the warrior who goes out alone to kill a giant and comes back with the head of the giant; any who see him with the disembodied head would be indirect witnesses and count towards Renown.

Non-Adventuring Experience Points

If the GM enforces the Training Time requirement, it is going to happen that some members of the adventuring party will be idle for a number of weeks while others are in training. In this case, the Gamemaster may wish to give the non-training party members a small amount of XP just for “living.” For instance, 1 XP per month. This assumes the character is primarily idle during this off time. If the character actually uses the time to pursue a personal interest or goal that fits within the necessary time, the GM may increase the XP award.

This type of Experience Point can be used to determine how non-adventuring NPCs, such as the village blacksmith, improve their skills. Though not an absolute, this system may make determining the Skill Level and age of NPCs simpler.

Chart: Non-Adventuring XP for NPCs

Race

Low Ambition

Moderate Ambition

High Ambition

Using this chart it would take the normal person of moderate ambition over 50 years of devoting their life to a single Skill to achieve Level 10 in that Skill. This includes any training time that may be involved, but assumes the NPC does not spend more than a minimum of their accumulating XP on any other Skill.

Based on the previous paragraph and the chart above, adventurers will nearly always be considered “young” for the Skill Levels they achieve, especially as they approach and exceed Level 5 in any Skill.

If an adventuring character is retired by his player, he may continue to accumulate XP at either the Moderate Ambition or High Ambition level. This allows for retired characters to be brought back into the campaign if the GM allows and/or needs it, with those characters having continued to mature.

Use of the Metric System

It is the author’s contention that use of the metric system will soon become mandatory in the new and exciting “global market.” And even if it doesn’t, the metric system is also significantly simpler to use than the “standard” system that is common in the United States. Therefore, the Metric System is used for all measurements in The Game. The GM is free to convert the given units to whatever he wishes.

Type	Unit(s) of Measure

Standard Coin System

While it is undoubtedly true that discovering coins of all types and exchange rates does add variety to an adventure, and maybe even a touch of realism, the paperwork it adds is cumbersome and incredibly non-fun for the Gamemaster (in my opinion). With that in mind, I have devised a "standard" coin system that will be used by all The Game milieus.

1 coin = 10 g of metal

1 bar = 100 coins = 1 kg of metal

The metal used depends on the particular game world. The primary advantage of this system is that if the count of coins is known then the weight and mass are obvious regardless of the metal involved.

Falling Damage

Falling damage might be more accurately described as “landing damage.”

The following discussion assumes Earth-normal gravity. For greater or lesser gravitational fields, the total damage done can be modified by the current circumstances.

A 1-3 meter, uncontrolled fall will do 1 point of falling damage. Otherwise, every 5 meters of falling distance will do 1d10 points of falling damage. For every roll of 10 when calculating falling damage, add 1 point of Breaking Damage (with it’s accompanying 1 point of Critical Damage).

Falling damage is applied to Stamina Hit Points first, then to Critical Hit Points if all Stamina Hit Points are exhausted. Falling damage ignores any Armor Rating. Objects the character falls on, such as pointy sticks, may do additional damage.

Poisons

The author included this section here for a couple of reasons. First, it is the author’s opinion that how poisons work will not change from world to world. Only the poisons available will change. Second, this information serves no purpose listed anywhere else. The players will typically not need this information.

Poisons are classified according to form and application, onset, effect/damage, and recurrence (if any).

Poison Form & Application

Liquid. Liquid poisons include venom, oils, etc.

Solid. Solid poisons include poisonous plant and animal parts, powders, etc.

Gas. Gas poisons are the rarest, but are typically even more deadly.

Injection. The poison must enter the bloodstream of the target creature to take effect. Typically injection requires at least 1 point of Stamina Damage be taken by the target creature.

Ingestion. The poison must be eaten, drunk, or inhaled by the target creature. Ingested poisons typically have longer Onset times. Injection is a valid form of ingestion and could result in a quicker Onset.

Contact. The poison needs to come in direct contact with the target creature. This contact could also be achieved by injection or ingestion.

Chart: Poison Form & Application

Classification	Description

Poison Onset

The Onset is amount of time from application that the poison begins to take effect. The Onset times are based on humanoid physiology. For other creatures, the Onset times could be reduced or increased.

Immediate. The fastest Onset is, of course, immediate.

Quick. The Quick Onset poison is initially resisted by the physiology of the target creature. The hardier the target creature, the longer time before the effect.

Chart: Poison Onset

Classification	Description

Poison Effect/Damage

The simplest poisons cause only sudden physical fatigue and weakness, though sometimes this is all that is necessary to kill the target creature. More specialized poisons can cause paralysis or even death.

Stamina Damage. Poison damage is always Stamina Damage, but causes Critical Damage if victim loses all Stamina Points. All poisons allow a Resist Poison Check that negates or reduces the effect or damage.

Death. The target creature dies (both Stamina Points and Critical Points are reduced to 0).

Minor and Major Disability. The specific disability depends on the actual poison. Disabilities are categorized as Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. Physical disabilities affect the target creature’s health (Fitness and Dexterity), but could also affect their Senses. Mental disabilities affect the target creature’s Intelligence and/or Judgment, possibly resulting in mental illness or insanity. Spiritual disabilities affect the character's Psyche (willpower) and/or Charisma (personality), either of which could result in shifts of Alignment. If the poison's effect is not Permanent, the disability will eventually disappear. The time of recovery varies by poison.

Paralysis. Paralysis causes all of the target creature's muscles to tense up and refuse to relax, locking the creature in a cage of muscle and bone. Unless otherwise specified, such paralysis will last 1-6 hours. For each hour of poison-induced paralysis, the target creature will suffer 1-4 Activity Penalties.

Unconsciousness. The target creature's Stamina Points are reduced to 0 (zero) and becomes unconscious.

Chart: Poison Damage/Effect

Classification	Description (Damage/Resist Poison)

Poison Recurrence

Once the poison is in the metabolism of the target creature, there is a good chance of recurring effects. If no recurrence is specified, then the poison loses all potency after the initial effect.

Permanent. The effect and/or side effect of the poison do not recur, but are permanent. This normally applies only to poisons which inflict Minor or Major Disability.

Cyclic. The poison enters a cycle, having effect at intervals equal to it's Onset. This form of recurrence cannot apply to poisons with Immediate Onsets.

Degrading Cyclic. Similar to Cyclic Recurrence, but moves to the next slowest Onset after each effect. Immediate Onset drops to Quick Onset for the next effect, Quick drops to 1-4 minutes, and so on. The interval will eventually degrade to an effect every 1-4 days.

Chart: Poison Recurrence

Classification	Description

Example Poisons