TEXT: SYSTEM CHEAT SHEET 
   
   
  COLLATED BY JUSTIN ALEXANDER 
  http://www.thealexandrian.net 
  
   
  MAGNETRINE VEHICLES 
   
  ROBOTICS 
   
  LOOP SURFACE STATIONS 
   
  
  PRINCIPLES OF THE LOOP 
   
  1. YOUR HOME TOWN IS FULL OF STRANGE AND FANTASTIC THINGS 
  2. EVERYDAY LIFE IS DULL AND UNFORGIVING 
  3. ADULTS ARE OUT OF REACH AND OUT OF TOUCH 
  4. THE LAND OF THE LOOP IS DANGEROUS BUT KIDS WILL NOT DIE 
  5. THE GAME IS PLAYED SCENE BY SCENE 
  6. THE WORLD IS COLLABORATIVELY DESCRIBED 
   
  TROUBLE 
   
  ROLL: # of dice  = Attribute + Skill 
   Any 6 = success 
   
  BONUS DICE 
   Iconic Item: +2 dice 
   Other Items: +1-3 dice 
   PC Assistance (1/roll): +1 dice, suffers failure 
   NPC Assistance: +1-3 dice 
   
  PRIDE (1/session): 1 automatic success. 
   Can add success to successful roll. 
   Can turn failure into success. 
   
  1 LUCK POINT (1/roll): Reroll failed dice. 
   
  PUSH (1/roll): Check Condition and reroll failed dice. 
   
  BUYING EFFECTS: 1 per additional success. 
   Group Trouble: +1 success for someone else facing 
  the same Trouble. 
   
  INCREASED DIFFICULTY 
   Extremely Difficulty: 2 successes 
   Almost Impossible: 3 successes 
   Special NPC Attributes: 2-3 successes. 
   
  FAILURE: Condition, Complication, or Consequence. 
   
  KID vs. KID: Most successes wins. 
   Can push multiple times to add successes. 
   
   
   
  EXTENDED TROUBLE 
   
  1. SET STAKES: GM declares result of failure. 
   
  2. THREAT LEVEL: # of successes required. 
   Normal: # Kids x 2 
   Hard: # Kids x 3 
   Almost impossible: # Kids x 4 
   
  3. MAKE A PLAN: Kids… 
   Decide on what they want to do. 
   Agree on which skill each one will use. (GM 
  can veto.) 
   
  4. PLAY THE SCENE 
   Each Kid gets one roll. 
   Total Successes >= Threat Level: Kids achieve 
  their goal. 
   Total Successes = ½ Threat Level: Kids can 
  check Conditions to get more successes to 
  achieve a Compromise (part of their goal). 
   
  CONDITIONS 
   
  CONDITION: -1 dice on rolls 
   
  BROKEN: Automatically fail all roles until healed. 
   
  HEAL CONDITIONS: 
   Spend scene with Anchor taking care of you. 
  (Heal all conditions.) 
   Spend scene in Hideout with other Kids taking 
  care of each other. (Heal all conditions.) 
   Roll Lead to heal one condition (+1 per bonus 
  effect). On failure, gain same condition. 
  Cannot heal Broken. 
  THE MYSTERY 
   
  PHASE 1 – INTRODUCING THE KIDS 
   Each Kid gets a scene from Everyday Life, with or 
  without Trouble. 
   Look at Problem, Pride, Relationships. 
   
  PHASE 2 – INTRODUCING THE MYSTERY 
   Kids encounter/hear something which arouses curiosity. 
   If Kids not interested, remind them of their Drives. 
   
  PHASE 3 – SOLVING THE MYSTERY 
   Mystery scenes and Everyday Life scenes should be 
  alternated. 
   Show the players the Map of the part of the Loop where 
  the Mystery is taking place. 
   
  PHASE 4 – SHOWDOWN 
   Final scene usually resolved as Extended Trouble. 
   
  PHASE 5 – AFTERMATH 
   One scene from Everyday Life for each Kid. 
   Things haven’t changed: Nobody believes them. 
  Evidence is destroyed. Parents still fighting, etc. 
   
  PHASE 6 – CHANGE 
   Check Problems, Pride, Iconic Item, Relationships. 
   Heal all Conditions. 
   Experience Points (1/question) 
  o Did you participate in the session? 
  o Have you been in Trouble because of your Problem 
  or Relationships? 
  o Did you use, or struggle with, your Pride? 
  o Did you put yourself at risk for the other Kids? 
  o Have you learned something new? (What is it?) 
   Skills: +1 per 5 XP (max. level 5) 
   Birthday: +1 attribute, -1 Luck Point. 
   
  COUNTDOWN 
   Sequence of steps that happen step by step if the Kids 
  don’t prevent it from happening. 
   Retribution Countdown: Bad guys attempting to stop 
  the Kids. Advance one step per Clue found. 
  
   
  ATTRIBUTES 
  THE SKILLS 
   
  BODY: Jump high, run fast, fight, sneak, climb. 
   
  TECH: Understand/program machines, robots, other 
  tech things. Open locked doors. Build things. 
   
  HEART: Make friends, lie, know the right people, 
  create a good atmosphere, persuade others. 
   
  MIND: Find weak points. Understand people, 
  situations, creatures. Solve riddles, understand clues, 
  know things. 
   
  ADVANCED SKILLS 
   
  BUILD / CREATE: Program or Tinker roll. 
   Requires a prerequisite (item, time, tools, a 
  different skill roll, etc.).  
   Roll skill and gain item that gives +1 bonus per 
  success (max. +3). 
   
  QUESTION BONUS EFFECT: Ask one additional 
  question, +1 die when using information (max. +3). 
   
  GENERIC BONUS EFFECTS: 
   Give a success to another kid. 
   You don’t need to roll to overcome the exact same 
  Trouble in the future. 
   You do it quickly / quietly. 
   You gain unexpected information. 
   
  OTHER BONUS EFFECTS: See p. 72-75. 
   
  TYPICAL ITEMS 
   Hover Vehicle: +1 
   Hallucinatory Soft Drink: +1 
   Trained Dinosaur: +3 
   Baseball Bat: +1 
   Flying Shoes: +3 
   Skis: +1 
   Wrench: +2 
   Truck: +1 
   Gun: +3 
   Ladder: +2 
  CALCULATE (TECH): Figure out robots, machines, 
  magnetrine ships, cyborgs, or everyday technology. 
   Questions: On success, ask 2 questions. 
  o What is its purpose? 
  o How does it work? 
  o How can I use it? 
  o Who built it? 
  o What problems could it cause? 
  o Is it illegal? 
   
  CHARM (HEART): Charm, lie, befriend; make 
  people do what you want. 
   
  COMPREHEND (MIND): Have right piece of 
  information or be able to find it at the school 
  library (or similar location). 
   Bonus Effect: +1 die when using the 
  information (max. +3). 
   
  CONTACT (HEART): Know the right person and 
  get a hold of them. Tell GM who it is; on success 
  they want to help. On failure, they don’t. 
   
  EMPATHIZE (MIND):Understand person, animal, 
  conscious robot, or cyborg and how to find its 
  weakness. 
   Questions: On success, ask 2 questions. 
  o What is her weak spot? 
  o How can I make her do something? 
  o What does she feel? 
  o What does she want? 
  o What will she do? 
  o Is she lying? 
  FORCE (BODY): Lift heavy things, fight, endure 
  physically stressful situations. 
   
  INVESTIGATE (MIND): Find hidden objects, 
  understand clues, break puzzles, survey a place or 
  situation. 
   Questions: On success, ask 2 questions. 
  o What is hidden here and where is it? 
  o What does it mean? 
  o What has happened here? 
  o How can I get into/out of/past something? 
  o What threats can I perceive here? 
  o Where is it? 
   
  LEAD (HEART): Make friends work together; help 
  others to focus on task at hand; soothe them when 
  they are scared or confused. 
   Leading Other Kids: Roll Trouble. Gain pool of 2 
  dice per success that can be distributed to other 
  Kids in future scenes. On failure, gain Condition 
  and ask other Kids how your relationship has been 
  hurt. (Maximum of one Leader pool at any one 
  time.) 
   
  MOVE (BODY): Climb high, balance, run fast, chase 
  someone, get away. 
   
  SNEAK (BODY): Hide, sneak, steal. 
   
  PROGRAM (TECH): Create/manipulate computer 
  programs, electronic devices. 
   
  TINKER (TECH): Build/manipulate machines. 
   Manipulate: Break item, jury-rig equipment, pick 
  lock, drive vehicle. May require Calculate roll to 
  figure out how to do it. 
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Tales from the Loop RPG (Year Zero Engine) [multi]/3rd Party/tales-from-the-loop-cheat-sheet.pdf