We set forth on our exploration of the Manyways Dark five days past. I think it’s been five days. The Union of Cartographers and Stratigraphers told us we’d be able to mark the days by sunfly patterns, but Joanne seems more interested in ice floes in these freezing caverns than the workings of bugs. We sleep when we’re tired; we walk when we have energy. We try to not fall into the freezing waters.
So far, progress has been solid and Genrik’s map is detailed. We encountered — and avoided — a vermi nest, but were forced into a fight when we entered a cave filled with marmantles. It’s days like that I thank Fortuna for my thickneck cleaver. It ain’t pretty, but it packs a punch when it hits.
After the marmantles, we kept sticking to the cool areas to avoid the magma pools on Genrik’s maps and the infernites the guild warned us about.
We’ve a good harvest of edibles and clean water.
By Fyrn’s best guess, we’ll reach Longdeep in two days. Not bad going for our first outing! We’ve been promised a sizable reward if we get there in ten days, and I think we’ll have time to spare.
The World Below provides, and for now, it’s providing us a safe route through the depths.
Hello Diggers,
Today I'm going to have a small preview from our next draft manuscript section, this one covering the system that powers the World Below.
The World Below uses the Storypath Ultra system, which enables characters to be competent at what they do, while also presenting challenges with real consequences for both failure and success. I'm also going to insert some video explanations from the Gentleman Gamer himself, Matthew Dawkins.
Playing the Game
The core assumption in The World Below is that your characters are competent at basic tasks. The only reason to pick up the dice and roll is when the result of their actions carry uncertainty, and failure might push the story in a new or different direction.
Any time the outcome of an action is variable, could result in a consequence for failure, or performing the action successfully could set off a chain reaction of unintended consequences, then the player rolls dice to help determine the outcome of the action.
Rolling the Dice
Storypath requires the use of multiple 10-sided dice (d10). Whenever a character is taking an action that comes with risks, the player forms a dice pool for their action using a Skill and an Attribute. Usually, the Storyguide, the person running the game, tells the player which Skill and Attribute to use after describing the action she wants her character to take, but the player may also suggest a Skill and Attribute combination that she feels is appropriate. Players roll dice against a difficulty set by the Storyguide, and must accrue hits equal to or greater than the difficulty for their character to accomplish the action.
The player collects a number of d10s equal to the number of dots she has in her Skill plus her Attribute combined and rolls. Each die that meets or exceeds the target number of 8 is considered a hit. Any die showing a 10 is considered a double hit, which means the die counts as two hits instead of just one.
When rolling for actions, players have access to a special mechanic called Enhancement; which are additional hits that are used in the same way as hits from rolling dice. If the result of the die roll comes up with at least one die at the target number or above, the player can apply her Enhancement to the roll as additional hits.
If the player accumulates hits equal to or greater than the difficulty, the character takes the action as described by the player. This is considered a successful result. Afterward, the player may choose to spend extra hits to purchase Tricks, which allow the character to do more with her action than originally intended, such as take an extra action or gain a benefit.
Some actions come with Complications applied, which create unintended consequences of succeeding in the action. When the player nets enough hits to overcome the difficulty, but there are Complications applied, this is a success with consequences. When an action has a Complication, the Complication is noted in parentheses next to the difficulty. (Sneaking into a darkling cave is difficulty 1(2) because it has a Moderate +2 Complication.) The Complication’s number does not factor into the ability for the character to take the action, only to avoid the consequences of succeeding in the action. If the player succeeds and buys off any Complications, then that is considered an extraordinary success.
A player may choose to accept the consequences of a Complication and instead spend her additional hits to purchase Tricks if she so wishes. If she has enough hits, she may choose to buy off the Complication and purchase one or more Tricks that would apply to the action.
Enhancement
Enhancement comes from either equipment or special abilities, such as Theses and Syntheses, that add hits to an action. Enhancement applies after rolling dice, and only if the player has achieved at least one hit on the roll.
Enhancement is rated, usually from 1 to 5, and applies additional hits to the action equal to the rating of the Enhancement. Enhancement is not universal, meaning that if a character has Enhancement for one action, he won’t necessarily have it on another. All Enhancement lists what kinds of actions it can be applied to when the character gains access to it.
If a character would have multiple appropriate types of Enhancement that would apply to the same action, use the highest rated Enhancement bonus only, unless otherwise noted.
Example: Layla is climbing down a deep shaft with few handholds. To keep her footing, the Storyguide asks her player, Monica, to take an Athletics action against a difficulty of 2. Layla has climbing gear which offers a +1 Enhancement to the action. When Monica rolls her dice, she nets 1 hit. Because she has at least one hit, she adds an additional hit from the Enhancement from the climbing gear, resulting in 2 total hits, which is enough to meet the difficulty and succeed on the action.
Difficulty
Difficulty is set by the Storyguide and implies how difficult a task is to achieve. The difficulty is the base number of hits a player must spend to have her character successfully accomplish the action she’s attempting. Difficulties range from straightforward at 1 to almost impossible at 5.
Difficulty is either static or opposed. Static difficulty is a number set by the Storyguide and does not change between actions. Use static difficulty for challenges that don’t change regardless of who is involved, usually dealing with inanimate objects or immutable tasks.
Opposed difficulty is set by an opposing character, often when both characters are attempting to act at the same time. Both players roll for their characters’ actions and each hit generated, as well as appropriate Enhancement, becomes the difficulty for the other person. Because both players are rolling, they simply compare hits and check who has the most wins. The winner subtracts the loser’s hits from her own, and can use leftover hits to purchase Tricks as normal.
Note that opposed difficulty rolls are only Skill + Attribute vs. Skill + Attribute when player characters are competing. Where the opposition is a Storyguide character, that character uses their primary, secondary, or desperation pool as appropriate, as they lack specific Skills and Attributes.
Example: Shar is racing to find the head of a wellspring before her enemy, Darius, does, as he plans to poison it. The Storyguide determines that this is a Survival action. Shar’s player must roll Survival + Dexterity, while Darius (as a Storyguide character with decent ability in running) is using their secondary pool. The player and the Storyguide roll dice to determine who nets the most hits. Shar has a map of the area which grants her +2 Enhancement to her action. Shar’s player nets a total of 3 hits and the Storyguide only nets 2 hits for Darius. Because 3 is higher than 2, Shar finds the wellspring first.
Where a required roll is stated in a text example (such as for activation of an Synthesis or Sorcery) and difficulty isn’t specified, it’s automatically 1 unless outside forces influence its increase.
Level of Difficulty and Challenge Example
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0: Routine - Striking something immobile, convincing a friend to share a ration.
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1: Straightforward - Hearing footsteps, following a known path.
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2: Moderate - Picking out details in little to no light, using Kaos in an unexpected fashion.
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3: Challenging - Navigating through the Void, attacking a dangerous enemy.
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4: Extreme - Communing with a ghost, squeezing magic from a Kaos rock.
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5: Near Impossible - Digging through solid stone with your hands.
Tricks
A player may spend hits to make her normal actions better by purchasing Tricks. Tricks are extra effects the player can apply to her character’s action to make it more effective.
All actions have a set of general Tricks a player can choose to apply to her action. A player can purchase as many Tricks on an action as she has hits to spend, though each Trick can only be purchased once per action unless stated otherwise. Tricks have either a fixed or variable cost, and the cost for the Trick will be listed next to the Trick’s name.
Tricks have either a fixed or variable cost, and the cost for the Trick will be listed next to the Trick’s name. In general, Tricks cost between 1-3 hits to purchase.
Tricks costing 1 hit are small actions in addition to the original action. This may help a subsequent action, or create a small modification to a scene based on the action. A player can introduce a new fact about the scene, create a small opening for herself or others, or enhance her action’s effectiveness with a 1-cost Trick.
Tricks costing 2 hits add an additional full action to the character’s initial action. The player may apply the same effect of her action to another target, create a whole new effect, provide a larger bonus to a subsequent action, or define a truth about the scene that creates a major benefit to herself or others.
Tricks costing 3 hits are extraordinary. These make the character’s action defy what would normally be possible. The player may choose to end a fight early, create a truth that completely alters the scene, or remove someone from the scene in one action.
The following are general Tricks that players can apply to any action:
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Assist (2 hits): You may extend your successful action to a single ally, allowing them to overcome the difficulty of the same action without any additional hits.
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Bolster (1-3 hits): Add Momentum to the pool equal to the number of hits spent on this Trick.
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Complicate (1-3 hits): Create a Complication for the target of your action. One hit creates a Minor Complication, two hits create a Moderate Complication, and three hits create a Major Complication. Failure to buy off the Complication results in your character gaining a benefit, such as dealing the target extra damage, knocking them prone, garnering a piece of personal information about them, or uncovering a secret.
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Shockwave (2 hits): You may apply the effect of your action onto another target. If the difficulty to apply that action to your new target is higher than the original (such as an opposed difficulty), you must spend hits to make up the difference. You may purchase this Trick multiple times on the same action.
Defense
In combat, characters can take action to defend themselves from an incoming attack.
A character’s Defense sets the difficulty of the attacker’s roll. A character’s starting Defense against an incoming attack is always 1. When a character is attacked, she may take a defensive action using Stamina (no Skill is added). The difficulty of a defensive action is 0 unless otherwise noted. Each hit garnered from a defensive action can be used to purchase Defense Tricks. After she sets her Defense, the attacker rolls for their attack action.
A player does not have to roll for Defense unless an attack is declared against her character. Once she is attacked once in a round, the Defense Tricks she purchased persist until the end of that round, meaning she may set her Defense on the first attack and keep it for future attacks if she wishes.
A character may want to spend her action in the round to take a full Defense. To do this, roll the character’s Defense pool × 2. Each hit increases the difficulty required to inflict Injury or may be split among other Defense Tricks. This is a simple action and may not be part of a mixed action.
Defense Tricks
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Dodge (1-3 hits): Each hit spent on the Dodge Trick adds 1 to the character’s physical Defense.
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Dive to Cover (1 hit): In response to a ranged attack, the character moves up to one range band away to reach cover established in the Area. Cover utilized by this Trick absorbs Injuries (p. XX).
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Move Away (1-3 hits): Each hit spent on the Move Away Trick increases the difficulty for an opponent to use the Rush movement action against the character.
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Roll Away (1 hit): Move one range band away from the attacker after the attack action is completed.
Attacking
Characters make attacks using their opponent’s Defense as the difficulty for the action. The most basic result of an attack is to deal a single point of damage to the opponent. Once a player spends enough hits to overcome the difficulty, she may inflict a single point of damage to the opponent for free.
Any other maneuver a character may wish to take while in combat is a Trick she can apply to her attack. A player may choose not to deal any damage to her opponent and instead gain one hit to spend on a combat Trick. Each combat Trick can only be purchased once per attack.
Universal Combat Tricks
The following are Tricks a player may spend hits on for any type of attack action she makes.
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Attention (2 hits): Your blow draws the victim’s attention, meaning they’ll target you in the next combat round unless combat ends before then, or someone hits them with this Trick after you.
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Distraction (1 hit): The target suffers a +1 difficulty on all Ranged Combat and Athletics attacks until the end of your next turn.
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Critical (3 hits): Deal an additional damage to your target.
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Feint (1-3 hits): For every hit spent on Feint you generate Enhancement on your or an ally’s next attack against the opponent you’re attacking. You must designate the ally gaining the Enhancement bonus when you purchase this Trick.
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Pull Your Punch (0 hits): You choose not to deal damage to the target and instead gain 1 hit to spend on another combat Trick.
Close Combat
The following are Tricks a character can make when attacking with the Close Combat Skill.
Close Combat Attack: Close Combat + Might or Dexterity
Melee Tricks
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Break-up Grapple (1 hit): When targeting a character who is part of a grapple (that you are not in), you may use this Trick to end the Grappled Status Effect.
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Disarm (2 hits): You use your weapon as leverage, pulling or twisting your opponent’s weapon or item out of their hand. You may spend an additional hit to knock the item to a range band away from the owner.
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Establish Grapple (1 hit): You force your opponent into a grapple. Apply the Grappled Status Effect to your opponent. You may purchase any normal Close Combat Tricks on your attacks against them.
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Knockdown/Trip (1 hit): Knock your opponent prone where they stand.
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Seize (2 hits): You take an object held by (but not strapped or attached to) your opponent. You must have a free hand to use this Trick.
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Shove (1 or 2 hits): For one hit, you may push your opponent back a single range band. For two hits, you may push your opponent two range bands instead.
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Sunder (2 or 3 hits): You use your weapon to damage your opponent’s gear (weapon, armor, or otherwise), making it useless for the rest of the scene. Sunder costs 3 hits when used against items with a Kaos Touched, Kaos Forged, or Kaos Bound tag.
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Throw Person (2 hits): You may only purchase this Trick against someone to whom you’ve applied the Grappled Status Effect. You throw your opponent one ranged band in any direction.
Ranged Combat
The following are Tricks characters can purchase when attacking at range.
Shooting Attack: Ranged Combat + Dexterity
Thrown Attack: Ranged Combat + Might
Ranged Tricks
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Destroy Object (2 hits): Destroy an object in the Area, such as light cover or a barrier.
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Pin Down (Variable): Pin Down applies a Minor Complication to the character’s next attack. If they choose not to buy off this Complication, then they receive one automatic Injury. A character can spend additional hits on this Trick to increase the Complication level on a one-for-one basis.
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Trip (2 hits): You spend hits to knock your opponent prone where they stand.
Backers will have access to the full Storypath Ultra system chapter on Tuesday, along with a chapter that covers all of the Survival Systems used within the game. The World Below Provides... but only to the Worthy!
We're *very close* to funding this project. Please continue to spread the word on your social media and in your social circles and let's see if we can't cross that threshold in the next few days!
#TheWorldBelow
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