Attributes And Skills
All characters have the same attributes, though not in the same quantities. All characters have skills, but types of skills vary from character to character. Skills are rated by adds, which is the number you add to your character’s base attribute to get the value for that skill.
Dexterity: A measure of a character's overall agility, flexibility, and gross motor control. Dodging a spear, jumping a chasm, outrunning a monster, tightrope walking, or swinging a sword are all Dexterity based skills.
Strength: Strength is the rating of how much weight a character can lift, carry, press, etc. Strength is used in figuring damage delivered from physical hand to hand attacks like a battle axe chop or a punch.
Toughness: A measure of how physically resilient a character. Higher Toughness indicates that the character can withstand more damage before having it affect them. By defining Shock capacity, a high score in Toughness means that the character can last longer when exerting himself.
Perception: Determines how well the character notices the world around him, and how in tune he is with his surroundings. It is also a measure of a character's quickness of thought, and ability to build upon and solve puzzles and problems. Perception would be called upon when making rolls involving noticing details, large or small, as well as in reasoning out the solution to a puzzle or problem. Science uses the Perception atribute as does tracking prey or forensic analysis.
Mind: Mind measure's a character's general knowledge and mental strength. It also measures his ability to focus and withstand emotional distress. Mind skills include are frequently Boldface skills, like Medicine and Business, as well the various Scholar skills.
Charisma: Charisma is the attribute that defines how well a character can make others like or revile him, and to get others to do what he wants. Combingin both pyshical attractiveness and strength of personality, it is the measure of his ability to seduce, Persuade, or Charm.
Spirit: Spirit measures a characters strength of soul. That inner reserve and determination are measured by this statistic. Faith is an expression of a character's Spirit, as is the Reality skill and Intimidation.
Pushing
It is possible to exceed human limits under special cirumstances.To exceed a limit is an action,called a Push,with a difficulty of 8. The action value is a Dexterity (for speed pushes) or (for power pushes) of the acting character.Consult the column on Push Results table corresponding to the type of activity (Speed or Power) you are pushing.The result points earned from the action give a modifier which is added to the character's appropriate attribute.
If the character's attribute already exceeds the limit value,the full attribute is used to generate result points,but any value modifier earned is added to the limit value instead.In other words,attributes in excess of the human limit value are still useful,but cannot allow a character to perform godlike feats.
When rolling for a push,any bonus number that is less then one is treated as one(this is taking an active dodge ).
Using Skills and Pushing
Skills such as running or climbing add to the character's movement value only so long as the total does not exceed the limit value.
Attributes or skill totals that exceed the limit value are useful only for getting more result points on pushes.
Pushing and Fatigue
The Number in parentheses following the value modifier on the push table is the amount of shock damage the character takes from performing the push.The damage is assessed at the end of the round,so a character can accomplish a superhuman feat,and then collapse.This type of damage,known as fatigue,is cumulative with shock damage taken in combat.
A player may always elect to take a lesser number of result points from a push in order to avoid fatigue.
Multiple Actions
Although all rules in a roleplaying game are "optional" the game can be run effectively without the multi-action rules.After you have tried a game or two and gotten comfortable with the flow of action,you may want to introduce the following.
The Multi-Action Charts
The Multi-Action Charts are used when you want to sum the action of many identical(or nearly identical) character into a single die roll,or what a character is trying to have his roll apply to more then one action.
In order to use either of the Multi-Action Charts,each individual action must be able to succeed independently of the others.You could not,for instance,use the Multi-Action Charts to see if a group of characters could lift a rock -it makes on sense for some of them to be able to lift the rock,and not the others.Either they all lift the rock or they all fail.
- Many On One: To resolve many characters' actions with one roll,the character must all have a skill or attribute value within one point of each other.If the values are too different,you must roll separately for each group with similar values.
For each characters,find the number of characters acting under"#Char".The Corresponding bonus modifier is added to the group's bonus number.
To find how many characters succeed,use the "How Many Succeed" Column. Find the entry corresponding to the amount by which the total exceeded the difficulty number(including the group bonus modifier),then look under"#Char." to find out how many characters succeeded.
In a situation requiring a effect total,use the bonus modifier of the number of characters who actually succeeded as the effect bonus.
- One On Many: If a character is trying several actions with different skills values and/or different difficulties,he rolls the die once to get a bonus number,and adds that bonus number to each skill separately.He then compares each total to the "modified difficulty" of the appropriate action.He may check in any order he wishes.
The difficulties are modified according to the "DN+" column of the "One on Many" chart.The first action checked is at DN+2, the second at DN+4,the third and fourth at DN+6,and so on.
If a character is attacking more then on opponent,each opponent's Toughness is automatically increased by the amount listed under"Toughness Increase" for the total number of actions taken,even if the character hits fewer opponents the he attacks.Diverting his attention and efforts lowers the damage of any successful attack.
- Quick Method: If a character uses the same skill to attempt several actions,each of whice has a difficulty number within one of all others,you can use a shorthand method to determine number of successes.This is most often used when attacking multiple opponents,eachof whom has the same defensive skill.This method can not be use to attack the same opponent multiple times.
Find the amount by which the skill total exceeded the difficulty of a single action,then look under the "#Char." column to find how many total action succeed.
Unless dramatic circumstances dicrate otherwise,always give player characters the top end of the spread when determining number of successes;if you have a choice of giving them three or four successes,let them succeed four times.
- Extending the Chart: If situations arise when you need to find the modifier for a number of actions or groups larger then 15,find the value of the measure closest to your number.That value is the bonus modifier and Toughtness modifier.The"how many succeed/difficulty increase" modifier is equal to double that valus.
Summing Efforts For A Single Action
When characters are combining their efforts to accomplish a single task, and when they must either succeed as a group or fail as a group, use the following procedure.
- A lead character is chosen; this is the character whose skill or action score is best suited for the task.
- All other characters whose appropriate skill or attribute is within five points of the lead character's skill may try to add their effort to the lead character. Each aiding character makes a Perception check against the "coordination difficulty" of the task.
- The value of the number of characters who successfully add their effort (including the lead character) becomes a bonus modifier to the lead character.
| Example: Six characters are trying to aid a lead character in lifting a rock. Five of them make their coordination checks; the measure 6 (includes the lead character) has a value of 4. The lead character has a bonus modifier of 4. |
Axioms
Each cosm has its own reality; dragons which are real in fantasy are not physically possible in the Living Land of the primitives, and would have a miserable existence in Core Earth. The key to what can and cannot exist, what does and does not work, are the axioms. The axioms describe the levels of four basic traits of a world: magic, social, spiritual, and technological.
If an axiom is not high enough to support an activity, performing that activity creates a contradiction in that cosm. For example, using an automatic pistol in the fantasy realm of Aysle would cause a contradiction.
The possibility energy of the cosm is organized so as to enforce the axiom levels, eliminating contradictions. If a creature needs a certain level of magic to survive, and a cosm does not provide that level, the creature will soon die. If a piece of equipment needs a certain tech level to function, it can fail if used in a cosm of lower tech. Certain social inventions, such as credit, democracy, or even money, are not possible at very low social levels, and would not be understood by denizens of those cosms.
The immediate effect of the axiom laws is that equipment, spells and certain creatures foreign to a cosm will not work as well in that cosm. Your gamemaster has more details.
Die Rolling
You roll the d20 each time your character tries to use a skill value or attribute value to accomplish a task. The higher the roll, the better your character does at the action he is trying.
-Difficulty Number: Some actions are harder than others. Whenever the gamemaster calls for a skill or attribute total, she also sets a difficulty number for the deed. Your character succeeds if your total is equal to or greater than the difficulty number. If your total is lower, you fail.
-Generating A Total: In Torg, the success of all actions is determined by an action total. To generate an action total, roll the die as explained above and compare the final die roll to the bonus chart printed at the bottom of your character template. Beneath each range of final die rolls is a corresponding bonus number. The sum of your skill value and the bonus number is called the action total. A negative bonus number reduces the value. Adding a negative number is just like subtracting. As shown on the bonus chart, if you are lucky enough to get a roll larger than 50, your bonus number increases by one for every five points (or part thereof) of the final die roll in excess of 50.
Effect Total: Some actions require you to obtain two totals, the first to determine if you succeed at the action, the second to tell how well you did. You get the second total by adding the same bonus (the die is not rolled again) to a different value after your action succeeds. The second total is called an effect total. The most common use of an effect total is combat. You generate the first total to hit, and the second to determine the extent of damage. The second total is usually referred to by its function; “damage total” for determining damage, “speed total” for movement in a chase, and so on.
-Opposed Actions: If you are opposed by another character, his attribute or skill totals are often your difficulty number. If your total equals or exceeds your opponent’s attribute or skill total, your action succeeds. Sometimes your opponents’ total will not include a bonus (i.e., no die roll). Then you must exceed his raw attribute or skill value with your total.
-Roll Again: There is a roll-again rule which lets some rolls get really large, allowing the character to perform the same spectacular feats as heroes in fiction. Whenever a player rolls a 10 or a 20 on the die, the player may roll again, adding the next roll to the first 10 or 20. If the next roll is also a 10 or 20, the player may keep rolling until a number which isn’t a 10 or 20 appears. He adds in this final number to obtain the final die roll.
Healing
Each type of damage takes a different amount of time from which to recover. Shock damage is removed at a rate of one point per minute. The O portion of a KO is removed in one minute. A character regains consciousness when her total shock damage taken is less than her Toughness, and she is not KOed. A K requires a half hour to go away.
Once a day, beginning with the day after the wound was taken, a wounded character is entitled to a healing roll. The “skill value” is the character’s Toughness (a measure of his or her vitality as well as resistance to damage) and the difficulty number is the character’s Toughness as modified by the wound level. If the healing check is successful, the wound improves one level. An attending physician can help your character make a healing check (your gamemaster will explain how).
First Aid: A successful first aid check stabilizes a mortally wounded character, preventing him from dying. In addition, first aid removes all shock and knockout conditions, and lets the treated character regain consciousness. A character cannot be permanently healed by first aid.
Story Structure in the Game
The game of Torg consists of placing your character in stories which the gamemaster has plotted. Your choices for your character, combined with the rules of the game, determine the outcome of the story. You ‘win’ the game by achieving a favorable outcome for your character. Since Torg is a game structured around storytelling, the rules reflect the structure of stories. The following definitions are referred to throughout the rules.
An adventure is a complete story. The player characters confront the main problem or conflict in the story, and achieve a final success or failure.
An act is a large portion of the story in which the characters solve a problem or obtain a goal necessary to go on to the next step in the story. A Torg adventure usually has from two to five acts.
A scene is a portion of an act. The action in a scene is continuous. If the story makes a jump in time or place, then the scene has changed. If the characters are still dealing with a character or a situation introduced in a scene, then that scene has not yet ended.
An event is an action or situation confronting the characters in a scene. A scene may have more than one event. Events introduced in a scene are resolved in a scene, but may trigger other events in other scenes.
Game Awards: Your character can be awarded from zero to three Possibilities per act. The more heroic your character is, the more great deeds performed and opponents defeated, the greater the number of Possibilities awarded at the end of the act. To be awarded three would require an exceptional effort on the part of your character.
At the end of a successful adventure, the gamemaster may reward your character by giving him additional Possibilities, usually from six to 12.
You can save these points and use them to alter die rolls and lessen damage in the next adventure. Or spend them to improve your character’s attributes and skills.
Values And Measures
Because Torg uses a unique system to translate back and forth between the game and the real world, we’ve created terms to distinguish game numbers from “real” numbers. A value refers to a quantity measured in a way which can be used in the game, such as a Strength of 11. A measure is a measurement from the real world, such as “150 pounds”. Measures can sometimes be translated into values, and vice versa, but that is a task for the gamemaster. For instance, the gamemaster has a way to find out if a Strength value of 11 is enough to lift a measure of 150 pounds.