An alternate system.
The 9 statistics represent a character's existence within the Fading Suns universe. How strong a person is, how quick they are to react to new situations… these things are quantified by the Physical, Mental and Spiritual statistics.
Said statistics are measured in two ratings; the Statistic Rank and the Statistic Ability.
The rank is a general measure of a person's rating within the comparison of species where as the ability is a more specific measure of a person's rating within that strata..
So, for example, a human is ranked 3 for all of his/her statistics. A stockier race, such as the Vorox, have a generally higher ranking of 4. The ability is a measure within that rank, so a Vorox with a Strength Rank of 4 but Ability of 3, might be quite weedy at the side of a more powerful Vorox who may have an Ability of 9, but would still be out and out stronger than most unaugmented humans.
Rank Ability
1 Pitiful 1 Pitiful
2
2 Weak 3 Weak
4
3 Average 5 Average
6
4 Preternatural 7
8 Outstanding
5 Outstanding 9
10 Height of Rank
6 Inconceivable
Skill Tests are made by comparing the resulting score of 2d6 and the relevant Skill Ability (called the Goal Roll) against a target number (called the Goal). If the score of the Goal Roll is equal to or greater than the Goal, the test is successful. If the score is less than the Goal, then the test is a failure.
This roll is complicated by the actual die roll. If the two dice score a double 1, then the test is considered automatically to have Blundered (the roll fails and something nasty occurs), however, if the two dice score a double 6, then the test is a Result! (the test is automatically successful, regardless of the total Goal Roll).
In some situations, it is necessary to judge how well a person succeeded at a test. A person's level of success is measured by the Rank of the relevant Statistic (called the Ante). E.g. a Shoot test may utilise a Dex + Shoot test, requiring the character to roll 2d6, add the Shoot Ability and the resulting Ante would be equal to the Dexterity Rank of the character.
This measure of success can be augmented by raising or lowering the Ante. For every 1 point the Ante is altered (either adding or subtracting), the Goal for the test is raised or lowered by 2 points. Thus, raising the Ante by 2 points (thereby increasing the success of a test) would increase the Goal by 4 points (and vice versa).
With the raising and lowering of the Ante, it is possible to simulate the need for some persons to strive harder to get the result as someone with a higher natural ability than they (a low stat ranked person raising the ante to compete with a high stat ranked person), the possibility of a person with a high knowledge of a given skill to score a better success (raising the ante to achieve a better success whilst still having a good chance of succeeding) and the possibility of a person with a high natural ability to easily score a success which is below their natural standard (lowering the ante to lower the Goal and give them a better chance of success).
Rank Success 1 Poor 2 Mediocre 3 Good 4 Excellent 5 Superb 6 Virtuoso
Difficulty Goal Routine 8 Easy 10 Average 12 Taxing 14 Difficult 16 Hard 18
Vitality is measured in Ranks and Ability too. These ranks measure how badly a character is affected by the damage they have incurred and how the ability measures the character's capacity to absorb physiological damage.
All characters receive a Vitality Rank equal to their Endurance Rank plus any modifiers for size, race etc. Vitality Ability is equal to the Endurance Ability plus any modifiers for race, etc.
Weapons have two statistics for damage purposes, Damage Rank and Impact Ability.
The Damage Rank represents the amount of physical whack a weapon has and Impact Ability represents the effect upon a person's physiology.
Context;
i. Poisons would have no Damage Rank but would have a high Impact.
ii. Bullets also have a low Damage Rank (since they relatively minor physical clout) but have a high Impact upon a person's body.
iii. A huge two handed flamberge would have a high Damage but little impact; a sword chops you up and has little physiological impact (other than the fact you've been chopped up).
iv. Rapiers (and other piercing weapons) would have low Damage but high Impact.
When a character is wounded, it is necessary to determine how badly they are affected by the attack. First, add the DMG Rank of the weapon to the character's Total DMG Score. When this score exceeds the character's Vitality Rank, the character must make a Shock Test to avoid dying every time they receive a new wound (at the new rank).
Compare the DMG Rank of the attack to the person's Vitality Rank - the result of which will determine how badly the attack has hurt the individual.
DMG Rank v Vitality Rank Wound Level DMG Rank < Vitality Rank by 2+ Scratched DMG Rank < Vitality Rank by 1 Wounded Equal Injured DMG Rank > Vitality Rank by 1 Mauled DMG Rank > Vitality Rank by 2+ Eviscerated
The level of the wound is recorded (with each wound noted separately) and the effects of which are determined, differing by type of injury.
Piercing attacks do not rely so much on physical clout, but more on causing as much internal damage as possible. Piercing attacks quantify those weapons designed to puncture the skin and impact within the body.
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test
Scratched +1 Pain Rating
Wounded Pain Rating +1 Bleed Rating +2
Dead (Impact -6)
Injured Bleed Rating +2 Dead (Impact -3)
Pain Rating +1
Mauled Unconscious Dead
Bleed Rating +1
Pain Rating +1
Eviscerated Unconscious Dead (Impact +3)
Bleed Rating +2
Pain Rating +1
The opposite of piercing attacks, Hacking attacks attempt to cause as much physical injury as possible. Hacking attacks are those weapons designed to slash and chop.
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test
Scratched +1 Pain Rating
Wounded Pain Rating +1 Bleed Rating +1
Pain Rating +1
Injured Stunned Limb Loss
Bleed Rating +2
Pain Rating +1
Mauled Stunned Dead
Limb Loss
Bleed Rating +1
Pain Rating +2
Eviscerated Dead
Blunt attacks are a bridge between Piercing and Hacking damage in that they strive to cause as much physical damage as possible with the secondary effects of doing internal injury. Blunt attacks are those weapons designed to bludgeon or bash.
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test
Scratched +1 Pain Rating
Wounded Pain Rating +1 Stunned
Pain Rating +1
Injured Stunned Knock Down
Pain Rating +2 Broken Bone
Mauled Knocked Down Dead (Impact -2)
Stunned
Pain Rating +2
Broken Bone
Eviscerated Dead
Burning attacks are nasty in that they cause a great deal of tissue damage over a wide area of attack. Furthermore, they have a nasty tendency to set a person on fire, meaning that they receive even more damage. Burning attacks are those weapons which use fire and or fire like chemicals (e.g. acid).
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test
Scratched Pain Rating +1
Wounded Pain Rating +1 Burning
Injured Pain Rating +2 Burning (+2 Impact)
Mauled Pain Rating +3
Burning
Eviscerated Pain Rating +4
Burning
Blaster weaponry is perhaps one of the most devastating energy attacks available in the Known Worlds. They cause massive tissue damage and are extremely damaging. Blaster attacks are those weapons which use plasma.
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test
Scratched Pain Rating +1
Wounded Pain Rating +1 Knock Down
Stunned Broken Bone (Plasma Burn equivalent)
Injured Pain Rating +2 Dead (Impact -4)
Stunned
Limb Loss (No Bleed)
Mauled Pain Rating +3 Dead
Limb Loss (No Bleed)
Stunned
Knock Down
Eviscerated Dead
Laser weapons are a more precise weapon, but no less deadly. They cause little in the way of physical damage, but burn holes through flesh with minimum effort.
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test Scratched Pain Rating +1 +1 Pain Rating Wounded Pain Rating +2 Dead (Impact -3) Injured Pain Rating +2 Dead (Impact -1) Mauled Pain Rating +3 Dead (Impact +1) Eviscerated Pain Rating +3 Dead (Impact +3)
Need I explain ?
Wound Automatic Effects Shock Test
Scratched +1 Pain Rating
Wounded Pain Rating +1 Bleed Rating +1
Knock Down Stunned
Injured Stunned Unconscious
Knocked Down
Bleed Rating +2
Pain Rating +2
Mauled Unconscious Dead
Bleed Rating +3
Pain Rating +3
Eviscerated Dead
Bleeding, Bleed Rating - When a character is bleeding they must make a further Shock Test (with a Goal of 5 plus the character's total Damage Rating) after a number of rounds equal to their Vitality Rank to avoid Unconsciousness. If a character who is unconscious and fails a Shock Test from bleeding, they are Dead. A character must continue to make Bleeding Shock Tests until they are no longer bleeding. The grace period between tests is reduced by the current Bleed Rating. E.g. a character with a Vitality Rank of 5 must make a Bleeding Shock Test every 5 rounds. If the character had a Bleed Rating of 3, they would make a BST every 2 rounds. Nb. If ever the Bleed Rating reduces this grace period to below 0, the Goal for the BST is increased by excess on a one for one basis. E.g. a character with a Vitality Rank of 6 whose Bleed Rating is 8 would have to make a BST every round at +2 difficulty (6-8).
Broken Bone - Indicates that a bone was broken by the strike. The limb broken varies by where the character was hit. Any broken bone indicates that the total wound is more difficult to treat (-4 Penalty to Remedy tests) and takes longer to heal. Additionally, there is a +1 to the Pain Rating of the character and if it is a limb that is broken, there is a +3 Pain Rating when using that limb. If the head is hit, the character must make a Shock Test (Goal equal to the total DMG rating of the character) to avoid dying, if successful, the character is unconscious with a fractured skull.
Burning - A character who is burning receives an additional +1 Pain Rating every round, increases their total DMG rating by 1 every round and must make a Shock Test (Goal equals total DMG rating of the character) to avoid dying every round.
Dead - The character is deceased.
Knocked Down - The character is knocked down and is therefore prone (+3 to strike character) and must spend an action to stand up.
Limb Loss - The character has lost a limb (if this is the head, the character is dead) and can no longer use that limb. The character receives +2 Bleed Rating for the loss. Nb. If a Limb Loss is result is called on the torso, then the attack yields +1 to the Total DMG of the character.
Pain, Pain Rating - When a character is in pain, they receive a penalty to all skill tests equal to the character's current Pain Rating (so a character with a current Pain Rating of 4 receives -4 to all skill tests).
Stunned - The character is stunned and loses his or her next available action.
Unconscious - The character is unconscious and cannot act. A character will regain consciousness in a number of hours equal to 10 minus the character's Endurance Rank.
Weapon Goal Calibre DMG Shots Rate SIZ RNG Derringer +1 .32 (4) 8 4 2 XS 3 Light Revolver - 11mm (4) 10 6 1 S 4 Medium Revolver - 13mm (5) 12 6 1 S 6 Heavy Revolver - 15mm (6) 14 6 1 M 8 Light Autofeed* - 11mm (4) 10 13 3 S 4 Medium Autofeed* - 13mm (5) 12 10 3 S 6 Heavy Autofeed* - 15mm (6) 14 6 3 M 8 Assault Rifle - 11mm (3) 14 30 3A XL 8 Assault Rifle - 13mm (4) 16 30 3A XL 12 Assault Rifle - 15mm (5) 18 30 3A XL 16 Sniper Rifle - 11mm (4) 15 5 1 XL 40 Sniper Rifle - 13mm (5) 17 5 1 XL 60 Sniper Rifle - 15mm (6) 19 5 1 XL 80 SMG - 13mm (5) 12 20 3A M 6 Shotgun - - (8) 10 7 2 L 2 Range: PB +2, SR (x2) +0, MR (x6) -2, LR (x10) -4, ER (x20) -6 Palm Laser - - (4) 8 7 2 XS 3 Laser Pistol -1 - (5) 9 15 1 S 5 Laser Rifle -1 - (7) 11 23 1 XL 10 Assault Laser** -1 - (7) 13 20 3 XL 8 Range: PB +2, SR (x3) +0, MR (x9) -2, LR (x12) -4, ER (x24) -6 Blaster Pistol*** - - (6) 12 10 1 S 4 Blaster Rifle*** - - (8) 14 15 1 XL 6 Blaster Shotgun*** -2 - (8) 16 8 1 L 1 Range: PB +2, SR (x2) +0, MR (x4) -2, LR (x8) -4, ER (x16) -6 Screecher -1 - (5) 9 15 1 S 4 Range: PB +2, SR (x3) +0, MR (x9) -2, LR (x12) -4, ER (x24) -6 Flamegun -2 - (5) 10 10 1 L 3 Range: PB +2, SR (x2) +0, MR (x3) -2, LR (x4), ER (x5) -6 Stunner -1 - (5) 12 15 2 S 6 Range: PB +2, SR (x3) +0, MR (x9) -2, LR (x12) -4, ER (x24) -6 Rocketeer +2 - (9) 16 5 1 XL --/20 Range: PB +2, SR (x4) +0, MR (x8) -2, LR (x16) -4, ER (x32) -6 *Pistol jams on a natural roll of 4 or less. **Every action fired beyond the first adds 1 to a Burn Out rating. If the natural roll is equal to or less than the Burn Out rating, the weapon burns out and is useless till repaired. The Burn Out rating reduces by 1 every round that the weapon isn't fired. ***Roll a number of D6 equal to the weapon's Damage Rank. Every die which scores a 1 'leaks' through an energy shield. Armour Defense Dex Vig Padded Clothing (0) 2 - - Heavy Clothing (0) 3 - - Leather Jerkin (1) 5 - - Studded Leather (1) 4 - - Scale Mail (2) 6 -1 -1 Half Plate (2) 8 -1 -1(0) Chain Mail (3) 4 -1 -2(0) Plate Armour (4) 5 -2 -3(0) Synthsilk (2) 3 Stiffsynth (3) 5 -1 Ceramsteel (6) 10 -5(-2)* -5(0)* Polymer Knit (2) 5 Flame Retardent +(1) 4 v Fire Psi Cloak (5) 5 v Psychic Powers NAS Suit (2) 2 -1 -1 Abar Leaf (3) 2 -1 Spikes +(1) 0 v Melee -1 Frictionless Gel (4) 0 -2 Chameleon Suit (1) 2 Blur Suit (2) 0 Morph Suit (1) 4 -1
Trait Cost Stat Rank 10 Stat Ability 3 Occult Rank 3 Wyrd 2 Skill 1 Benefice 1 Blessing 1 Combat Action 1 per level Occult Power 1 per level