System>Rules

 

1. Getting Started
2. Attributes
3. Skills
4. Talents
5. Combat
6. Wounds and Health
7. Armor and Shields
8. Combat Opportunity
9. Encumberance
10. (Optional) Protagonist Points

Getting Started

Arcanist uses a 3d6 system. Most skill checks and attack rolls operate on a 3d6 roll. The idea is to roll under your skill#. Certain rolls like damage on weapons may use other specified rolls. Sometimes there will be something called a "flat check" which usually involves a skill or attribute's number being compared to a requirement. Flat checks are things like attempting to lift a heavy object. A character's strength is either enough or it isn't, a roll is not required.

Attributes

Attributes are split between two meta stats. Each meta stat is all of their sub attributes added together and will sometimes come up as a prerequisite for various talents but never really shows up in rolling. All attributes start at base 10 for simplicity. Your race will affect their base numbers but the system's math assumes base 10 for attribute rolls. At 11 you have +1 and at 9 you have -1, continue as such in both directions (basically just subtract 10). This + or - number is considered your attribute's modifier, when a roll calls for an attribute it is normally affected by your modifier. The original number is referred to as your base attribute score. For example, if you have 14 strength you have a strength modifier of 4 and a base strength of 14.

The two meta stats fitness and mental are generated by adding all your modifiers together and cannot be raised directly. They are rarely used in rolls and are more so general indicators sometimes used by the system for things such as resisting affects.

At times the game will call for an attribute check, this is done with the typical 3d6 with the base of 9+attribute modifier. You can increase these at a cost of experience at any time. The cost is (Attribute-5)*5 experience to raise it. If you subtract from your starting base (which can only be done during character creation) you will gain points back equal to the earlier formula. Racial modifiers are applied before buying or selling attribute points take place.

Fitness

Strength:
Melee damage is increased by strength modifier.
Encumberance limit is equal to strength.

Dexterity:
Critical range is increased by half your dexterity modifier rounded down ([Dex-10]/2). Your critical range is 3+(half Dexmod). Note that this critical range is applied to ranged, melee, and block actions.
Personal max range (the range at which you can effectively hit your target regardless of weapon) is equal to your dex.

Constitution:
Constitution checks are used to mitigate the effect of wounds
Constitution is also rolled almost every time you travel to a new planet to see if you get sick. (Sickness confers -2 to all physical attributes and skills).
Pursuit mechanics will flat check your constitution.

Mental

Intelligence:
A general measurement of mental capacity, often used to discount the cost of buying skills or meeting prerequisits for certain kinds of spellcasting.

Perception:
Utilized for spotting things in your immediate vicinity that are not otherwise overtly obvious, as well as sensing when someone might be lying.

Willpower:
Willpower is often used to overcome mental effects as well as leaving you with agency to choose what to do in certain circumstances such as being terrified. Used extensively in some magic paths.

Speed: Speed is a standalone stat that is determined by your race selection. Each meter is a space on the board.

Health: Another standalone stat that is pretty obvious what it does, more on wounds further down.

Skills

Skills in arcanist work with a scaling system involving talents. There are talents available at <INSERT> xp for trained and <INSERT> xp for mastered. Most skill checks in arcanist change based on whether or not you are trained. Arcanist does not list all the possible skills, you just take the talent and write in whatever you want. It is up to the GM what that applies to.

However there are a six specific skills that will always be a part of your character sheet, these are your combat stats in particular. (Ranged, melee, cast, block, dodge, and repulse). By default all combat skills start at 7 and various equipment, talents, and situational modifiers will alter the roll. These skills are explained in greater detail in the combat section.

Here are some of the default skills that apply to the world of arcanist you may consider taking and examples of more niche options. The more niche the skill is the easier its check to beat will be when it is called for. Sometimes you'll have your own skill idea not listed here and that works as well just discuss it with your GM.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talents

Talents are often the decisive and characterizing abilities of your character. You can find them on this page with full detail, but in essence you pay their listed xp cost to add them to your character. You can take as many as you want as long as you have the xp to buy them and meet their prerequisites.

Combat Actions

Combat is done by utilizing your skill checks. First the attacker will roll their attack against their own skill to see if they succeed, if they do the opponent (if they are aware) may make a defense roll of their choice. These have different interactions. Combat skills all start at 7 except repulse which starts at 3.

Ranged
Attacking with firearms where the greatest challenge is actually aiming the weapon falls under the ranged category. Your personal range is equal to your dexterity attribute, as well as any talents or equipment that might modify it. For every meter out of this range your target is you suffer a -1 penalty to your ranged skill. Ranged attacks are also affected by cover and concealment.

Melee
Melee attacks are unique in that your melee stat can also be used to parry another melee attack that is made towards you. Doing so applies normal defense action debuffs except you take no attack penalty if you attack the person you defended against (referred to as a counter attack). Melee attacks are usually made toward adjacent targets but weapons with reach properties might be able to strike further away. Melee attacks also take their critical range from dexterity. If you use melee to parry an opponent's melee attack and score a critical success you may immediately take a counter attack action for free, you will still be able to take an attack action on your next turn as well. Grappling counts as melee combat.

Cast
Using magical spells, abilities, or certain activated items are involved as casts. Cast skill includes both the ability to summon the spell and to hit it where you want at once. Psionic tattoos, Ethi jewelry, and other methods of casting without being a spell caster still utilize the casting skill unless otherwise specified. Casts cannot crit.

Defenses are active decisions on which one to use at what time. They each have their strengths and weaknesses particularly against certain types of attack. Blocking a charging elephant is not likely going to help that much and dodging an explosive is also iffy unless you find cover. However, taking any defensive action confers a penalty to any attack roll you make next turn. Each successive defensive action you take continues to stack this bonus. If you have to dodge or block 4 enemies at once, it is unlikely you can put up much of an offense after all. Defensive actions are declared before the attacker rolls though you don't have to roll unless they hit. Meaning if you flinch and they miss, you still flinched which will disrupt you from returning the attack. Different defenses have different penalties.

Block
Putting your armor, tower shield, or hapless victim in your way counts as a block. If you are hit by an attack you may make a block attempt to mitigate the damage by double the DR of the blocking item. While there is no gaurantee this will entirely mitigate damage it can still be used against AoE's and most spells (spells that cannot be blocked will specify). A critical success (as determined by your dex score) can entirely stop damage. A block action confers -1 to your next attack action, unless you are staggered which increases the penalty to -3.

Dodge
Moving your body out of the way is always a valid option. When taking a dodge reaction you must move 1 space in any direction. If you cannot move in any direction you cannot dodge. If dodging does not get you out of the radius of an area of effect attack you still take full damage from the attack. Dodging confers -2 to your next attack action.

Repulse
This is specifically only available to casters who take the talent of a magic they're proficient in or people wearing special items that give them a repulse score. It is not available innately, and not all magic types can utilize it but there are items that can make up for it. Repulse specifically defends against magic based attacks, this also includes ranged ethi weaponry (but not melee). This incurs -2 to your next attack action, magic that cannot be repulsed will specify in their own listing.

Unconventional combat includes things like fighting from moving vehicles or weapons that you don't normally utilize. These can apply various penalties at the GM's discretion for the situation.

Combat Conditions

There are multiple conditions and modifiers that can affect the hit chance of an attack. They are specified here but it is advised to keep a cheat sheet nearby as the majority of arcanist tactics involves manipulating these variables.

1. Cover
2. Concealment
3. Movement

Cover
If you are trying to make a ranged attack or cast against an opponent in cover your roll takes a penalty depending on the level of cover.

Light Cover: Debris, vehicles, or objects that are otherwise not uniform enough in arrangement to easily cover the whole body. Confers -2 to attacker's roll.

Medium Cover: Low walls, columns, the cover is uniform enough to easily protect the body but not comfortable to use. confers -3 to attacker's roll.

Heavy Cover: Solid walls, ship hulls, and well prepared fortifications. -5 to attacker's rolls.

Medium or heavy cover can be used to take full cover, an action that means you cannot attack but you position yourself to be fully protected by the object in question. You cannot be hit directly if you are behind full cover, though you also cannot hit anyone else. However, attacks from other directions you don't have full cover from can still hit you such as from behind.

Concealment
Cover that does not actually stop the weapons the attacker is using counts as concealment, as well as things like plants or smoke that simply obscure vision. Note that only some spells will treat flimsy objects as concealment, most spells and ethi weaponry lack object penetration typical of projectile weapons. The weapon or spell will specify if it is penetrating or impact. Note a flipped table doesn't really count as concealment if the table is not large enough to make it difficult to discern where your body likely is. Concealment has to be large enough that whoever is within it can move around enough to keep their exact positioning a mystery.

Light Concealment: There are some jungle plants in the way but you can still generally make out where they are. -1 to attacker's roll

Medium Concealment: Destroyed walls, wreckage, and other non-uniform but thick and obscuring objects that make it hard to tell where they are. -2 to attacker's roll.

Heavy Concealment: Smoke screens, waterfalls, situations that make figuring their exact position nearly impossible. -4 to attacker's rolls.

Full Concealment: A wall that is too flimsy to stop the weapon being used, but still makes it impossible to visibly see where the person is standing. -7 to attacker's rolls.

Movement
Moving targets are a bit harder to hit. For every meter someone moves during their turn their attackers take -1 to their attack rolls. However as per the rules of opportunity the target may take the attack at any point of the movement, especially when you are running from one cover to the next. The penalty to attack rolls do not apply if you are moving directly towards the attacker.

Wounds and health

Every race has a base health which can be modified with talents but is otherwise constant. Every 25% of a character's max hp is a wound roll, meaning if you lose 25% of your health you must make a wound roll. You will have to roll again at 50%, 75%, and 100% of health missing. The site will often refer to "wounding" a target, it means to cause them to take a wound roll. You are not dead at 0HP (yet) so you can still take a wound roll. A wound roll is a check of 6+constitution modifier, if you fail the check you must roll a d10 on the wounds table to see what afflicts you.

1: Stunned, lose next turn.
2: Fractured ribs, -1 to all physical rolls and casting
3: Knocked down, lose next movement action
4: Broken Ribs, -2 to all physical rolls and casting. Take 1 damage for every action you take in combat.
5: Broken Arm, -4 to all attack actions
6: Broken Leg, Movement speed is immediately set to 2 meters. -2 to all physical rolls.
7: Obliterated arm, you are now missing that arm. -6 to attack actions with other arm.
8: Unconscious, you won't be up for at least half an hour.
9: Brain Trauma, -1 from each mental attribute. This is permanent.
10: Mortal injury, You have 4 turns or 2 minutes to get medical treatment or you will die. Those with medical skill talents can attempt to treat the injury.

 

Armor and Shields

Armor confers damage reduction. Allowing you to more effectively block incoming damage or to make the penalties for failing to defend less severe, it can also provide a variety of ethi augments to improve your abilities. However it will often impose a penalty to the dodge skill.

Not all armor or combatants will have shields, but they are common enough. Shields act as a secondary health bar that must be depleted first before your personal health can be affected. Their stats are displayed with two numbers, maxhp/recharge rate. The max hp is how much it can possibly store, and the recharge rate is how much it regains each round. Shields do not absorb damage from melee attacks. If you take damage greater then your remaining shields, the rest transfers over to your health.

Combat Opportunity

In combat sometimes opportunities are presented during an enemies action that allows you to take an action against them.

Moving allows the enemy two different opportunities.
-Focus: When someone moves anyone else may choose to focus on them, which means to rotate along with their movements and keep an eye out for anything they might be doing. This can only be done once between that character's turns (for example, focusing one person moving to the left means you cannot take the opportunity to focus on another person who later declares to move to the right).

-Attack: Attacks of opportunity with ranged weapons are always available when any target takes a move action and is in range/line of sight. This follows the same ruling as focus (can only be used once between turns). Doing this expends your next attack action, but allows you to take an attack during a more opportune moment such as when your target is moving between cover. The penalty for their total movement still applies to your hit chance.

Encumberance

This stat specifically measures the combat gear a character has on them. Every weapon and armor has a weight value that relates to encumberance. Your total encumberance limit is equal to your strength, and all worn armor and weapons (meaning if you can change weapons in combat you must count for both of the weapons) contributes to how much you have. If you go over your encumberance limit you suffer -2 to all fitness related checks and lose 1meter of move speed per point over your limit that you are at.

(Optional Rule) Protagonist Points

Ask if your GM is using these for their campaign. Protagonist points are worth 10xp per point and you can expend them to gain that experience to add features to your character at any time. They are given out to characters instead of experience rewards by the GM. You can only hold up to a maximum of 10, you may spend the 11th one immediately when you get it to maintain a balace of 10. However, they can also be used to invoke moments of protagonistic endowment. Here are some ways to expend them.

1 point: Completely negate damage you just took.

1 point: Reroll a failed roll with a +4 to the check

3 points: Negate all damage you would take for one round

5 Points: Automatically succeed an attack or trained skill roll

Your GM may allow other uses of them, these points are an optional feature to give players a protagonistic endowment that allows them to better survive and progress through the game (at the cost of their experience). It is best used in campaigns where the themes wish to stray away from the high danger of the typical experience and give the players more control over their fates. Fun tip: Some players have opted to never level up their character and utilize these all the time to play the archetype of a really lucky character instead of a skilled one.