TEXT: Generic And
  Cinematic Fast Action
  Adventure Gaming
  by Christopher Helton
  
  1
  Fast Play Generic Adventure Gaming Rules
  Written and Designed By
  Christopher Helton
  Editing By
  Jonathan M. Thompson
   Some Artwork By
  Chuck Lukacs, Quinn Devlaeminck, Steve Miller, 
  Derek Stevens, Thomas Floyd, Chad Sergesketter
  Playtesting By
  Paul Baldowski , Jari Mäkelä, 
  Jonathan M. Thompson
  WWW.BATTLEFIELDPRESS.COM
  © 2005 Battlefield Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Open Core 
  and Open Core Quick are trademarks of Battlefield Press, Inc. 
  No part of this book may be reproduced, except as explained 
  under the Open Gaming License. All art in this book is copyright 
  by the individual artists and are all considered Closed Content 
  under the Open Gaming License. Some artwork Misfit Studios 
  © 2005 by Steven Trustum, used with permission. All rights 
  reserved. copyright notice that states Some artwork in this book 
  is ©2005 Team Frog Studios, used by permission. Some artwork 
  taken from Sci-FiClip-Art Collection Three, copyright © Philip Reed 
  and Christopher Shy.Used with permission. To learn more visit 
  www.roninarts.com.
  Table of Contents
  Introduction ...................2
  Character Creation ..........2
  Point-Based ....................3
  Attributes ......................3
  Derived Attributes .............4
  Skills ............................4
  Abilities ........................5
  Scale ......................... 25
  Disabilities .................. 27
  Action Points ................ 33
  Taking Action ............... 34
  The Environment ............. 35
  Experience .................. 36
  OGL ........................... 37
  
  OPEN CORE QUICK
  Introduction
  Open Core Quick is intended as an introduction to the 
  system and to role-playing that allows for quick and easy play. 
  The Open Core Quick allows you to make up heroic characters 
  and pretend to be those characters in a story that the GM and the 
  Players help to create. One player is the Game Master (or GM), 
  who plays the part of all the other people the heroes meet. The 
  Open Core Quick uses normal six-sided dice, such as you will 
  ﬁnd in most family board games or for inexpensive prices at 
  discount or dollar stores. Along with paper and pencils, these are 
  the only materials that you need to role-play. With Open Core 
  Quick you and your GM (or Game Master) can play quick and 
  easy role-playing games with a minimum of fuss and muss. A 
  number of potential games are possible with Open Core Quick.
  Character Creation
  This section of the Open Core Quick rules outlines character 
  creation. This is where you make your character for the campaigns 
  (or stories) created by the GM of the game. Your character is like 
  the main characters in a novel, comic book, television series, 
  or movie. The player characters are the ones around whom 
  the action of the stories told by the GM and you and the other 
  players revolve. Like the main characters in a movie, the player 
  characters should be the ones doing the important actions of the 
  story and not the non-player characters (or NPCs) that are played 
  by the GM. The player characters are always the important part 
  of the story, and at the heart of the action.
  Really, the only way to play Open Core Quick incorrectly 
  would be to not have the player characters at the center of the 
  action of the campaign. This is not a game just for the GM, it is 
  for everyone at the gaming table – players and GM alike. This 
  is the best way to get the maximum enjoyment out of an Open 
  Core Quick game session.
  Character Concept 
  and Game Discussion
  You and the other players should discuss the nature of the 
  upcoming game with the GM. Before any characters are created, 
  the GM should outline such details as genre, setting, campaign 
  duration, story boundaries, and expected time commitment. As a 
  player, you should listen closely to the GM’s descriptions since 
  it will impact directly on the character you wish to create. 
  Ask for clariﬁcation of any rule modiﬁcations the GM plans 
  to use as well as any background restrictions on your character. 
  If you have any game preferences involving issues such as 
  combat intensity, maturity level, or drama versus comedy ratio, 
  let the GM know about them. Help the GM create the game that 
  you all want to play.
  A character outline is a broad concept that 
  provides you with a frame on which to build your 
  character. It is not fully detailed; there is no need 
  for you to concern yourself with the character’s 
  speciﬁc skills, powers, or background details 
  at this stage. Use the game boundaries established in your 
  discussion with the GM as the starting point for your character 
  and build your outline on that foundation. Discuss your character 
  ideas with the GM to ensure your character will work with those 
  of the other players and with the overall themes and focus of the 
  campaign.
  Beyond The Numbers: Descriptors
  Each Open Core Quick character has Descriptors that help 
  to describe them. The Descriptors chosen for a character are an 
  outgrowth of the concept part of character creation. The exact 
  number of Descriptors should be left up to the agreement of the 
  Player and the campaign’s GM, although a quick guideline could 
  be that a character only really needs a couple of them.
  A Descriptor is a vivid trait of some sort that readily becomes 
  apparent to anyone meeting the character. The list below are only 
  some suggestions, and creating additional Descriptors for your 
  character is encouraged (using these samples as guidelines).
  Mentioning or role-playing the character’s Descriptors will 
  help to make characters more memorable and lifelike.
  Sample Descriptors
  Apologetic/Meek
  Dreamer/Romantic
  Cum/Tobacco Chewing
  Chain Smoking
  Shifty/Staring Gaze
  Repeated Gesture (hand through the air, scratch 
  nose adjust clothing, etc.)
  Unusual Laughter
  Distinctive Style (punk, big hair, grunge, ﬂashy, 
  “retro,” formal, etc.)
  Unusual Walk
  Depressed/Morose
  Angry/Frustrated
  Sexy/Flirtatious
  Ever-Present 
  Pet/Sidekick/Brother/Sister/
  Companion
  Nervous/Fidgety
  Prejudiced
  Constant Drinking (coffee, soft drinks, alcohol, 
  etc.)
  Affectation (cane, monocle, jacket, fake accent, 
  etc.)
  Aloof/Mysterious
  Moody/Anxious
  And so many others can be possible as well.
  Beyond The Numbers: Nature
  All intelligent creatures make moral choices, to live 
  according to their better nature or to give in to immoral impulses. 
  Many walk a difﬁcult line between the two. Your character has a 
  particular nature which is made up of a virtue and a vice.
  During character creation, select a virtue and a vice to decide 
  2
  
  your character’s nature. A list of examples is given below, but 
  you can make up your own virtues and vices with the GM’s 
  permission. The key is to give your character one good quality 
  (virtue) and one bad quality (vice).
  Virtues: Courageous, Free-Spirited, Bold, Generous, 
  Gregarious, Hopeful, Daring, Thoughtful, Compassionate, 
  Loyal, Industrious, Honest, Fair, Kind, Determined.
  Vices: Cowardly, Hidebound, Fearful, Miserly, Cynical, 
  Impulsive, Selﬁsh, Lazy, Capricious, Petty, Arrogant, Stubborn, 
  Manipulative, Insensitive.
  While there are no system related beneﬁts to your 
  character’s nature, it is another good method (in conjunction 
  with Descriptors above) to get an idea of the personality of your 
  character and to be able 
  to more effectively be 
  able to role-play it. The 
  GM may also decide 
  when an action is against 
  your character’s nature, 
  and tell you that you 
  may not be able to take 
  that 
  particular 
  action 
  or allow you and the 
  GM to work together to 
  come up with a course of 
  action that is more in the 
  nature of your character.
  Point-Based
  Open Core Quick, is a point-based RPG. What that means 
  is that the Players have a given number of points with which to 
  create their characters. These points are called Character Points 
  (also known as CP). What one Character Point can “buy” for 
  your character is listed on the following table:
  Table: Character Point Costs
  CP 
  Buys
  1 
  1 point of an Attribute
  1 
  5 Skill Points*
  * One Skill Point equals one rank in a Skill. The higher the 
  character’s rank in a Skill, the better he is in that Skill. Those 
  ﬁve Skill Points purchased by one character point do not have to 
  all be used for one Skill, but represent a pool of points that can 
  be spread among the character’s skills.
  Abilities are also purchased using CPs, but each Ability has 
  a different cost for each Rank of that Ability. The number of 
  Ranks in most Abilities that a character can have is limited only 
  by the GM’s rules for the campaign.
  Power Level in Open Core Quick
  In Open Core Quick, your character is built using Character 
  Points (as mentioned immediately above). The number of 
  Character Points that are available to characters is determined by 
  the Power Level of the campaign. The Power Level also helps to 
  “ﬁght” potentially abusive character designs by putting limits, or 
  caps, on the number of ranks that you can put in your character’s 
  Combat skill speciﬁcally and in the other skills generally. It also 
  limits the maximum score that your character can have in either 
  of the Core Attributes (see below).
  Each Power Level equals ten (10) Character Points. 
  However, the character is still considered to be at the “lower” 
  power level until the next ten is reached. This is not an overall 
  indication of the “level” of your character (like in many class 
  and level-based systems) but it is intended to give a framework 
  to Players and GMs when creating characters. Power Level, and 
  the limitations that it puts on your character is only required 
  during character creation, after play has started it is only optional 
  and the GM does not have to continue to use it if it would not 
  work in their campaign.
  Attributes
  Attribute scores are numbers that show how good your 
  character is in that area. Attribute scores are rated from 1 to 10.
  Open Core Quick has two Core Attributes and ﬁve Derived 
  Attributes.
  Core Attributes
  The Core Attributes are what are used to determine the 
  “foundation” of what your character is capable of doing within 
  the framework of the game world, and these rules. Skills, 
  Abilities, Disabilities and Scale (all discussed below in these 
  rules) can further customize and build upon that foundation.
  The two Core Attributes in Open Core Quick are: 
  Body: How strong, healthy and agile your character is.
  Mind: How smart, determined and charismatic your 
  character is.
  The Enhanced Attribute Ability can be used to further 
  specialize the character, moving beyond the more broad nature 
  of the Core Attributes. A character with a low Mind Attribute, 
  but with Enhanced Intellect can be very smart but not quite as 
  charismatic of an individual. Both of the Core Attributes are 
  ranked on a scale of 1-10, with a score of 10 being the peak of 
  potential. Using Enhanced Attributes, or the rules for Scale, can 
  be used to create characters who are beyond the best potential 
  ability.
  The damage done by a character in any sort 
  of hand to hand combat is determined by the 
  character’s Body score. The punching damage is 
  equal to the Body score in six-sided dice (or d6) 
  3
  Campaign Power Level
  Power Level 
  Character Points 
  Max. Combat 
  Max. Skills 
  Max. Attribute*
   
  1 
  10 
  +1 
  +4 
  4
   
  2 
  20 
  +2 
  +5 
  5
   
  3 
  30 
  +3 
  +6 
  6
   
  4 
  40 
  +4 
  +7 
  7
   
  5 
  50 
  +5 
  +8 
  8
  * Attributes can not be purchased above the maximum for the power level using character 
  points directly, but they can be raised over that limit by Abilities (such as Enhanced Attribute).
  
  and the kicking damage is one additional die to the character’s 
  punching damage.
  Body And Strength
  Your character’s Body score, in part, helps to determine 
  how strong they are. But how do these numbers translate into 
  real world terminology that you can understand? The following 
  table demonstrates the weight equivalents for the full range of 
  Body scores. 
  Body score 
  Lift in Kilograms 
  Lift in Pounds
  1 
  36 kg. 
  72 lbs.
  2 
  50 kg. 
  110 lbs.
  3 
  72 kg. 
  158 lbs.
  4 
  144 kg. 
  220 lbs.
  5 
  200 lg. 
  317 lbs.
  6 
  288 kg. 
  440 lbs.
  7 
  400 kg. 
  880 lbs.
  8 
  575 lbs. 
  1.265 lbs.
  9 
  1.15 tons 
  5.5 tons
  10 
  2.5 tons 
  2.75 tons
  An important thing to remember is that your character’s 
  lifting capacity refers to their ability to dead lift or drag the 
  amount of weight. Pressing overhead, your character’s capacity 
  would be halved and carrying, pushing or throwing would be 
  one-quarter of that capacity.
  This capacity can be modiﬁed by the Extra Capacity Ability, 
  which doubles your character’s lifting capacity for each Rank 
  of that Ability. Then, this lifting capacity is multiplied by your 
  character’s Scale (see Scale pg. 25 for more information).
  Derived Attributes
  The ﬁve Derived Attributes (and their abbreviations) are:
  Life (LIF): How hard your character is 
  to kill or knock out. Your charcter’s Life score 
  equals (3 x Body) + (2 x Mind).
  Movement (MOV): How far your character 
  moves in one turn in yards/meters. Your hero’s 
  Movement score equals 2 x Body. Your character 
  can make a standing jump of twice their Move score, and a 
  running jump of two and a half (x2.5) times their Move.
  Defense (DEF): How difﬁcult it is for someone to hit your 
  character. Your character’s Defense equals Body + 10. In a 
  ﬁght, characters can also add their Combat Skill score to their 
  Defense, if appropriate (GM’s choice). Any combat rolls against 
  your character must be greater than your hero’s DEF score, or 
  it misses them.
  Initiative (INI): This is the general quickness and ability 
  to react in combat of your character. Your character’s Initiative 
  equals (Body + Mind)/2. During combat, all characters (PC and 
  NPC) roll 1d6 and add that to their Initiative score, with the 
  character with the highest INI acting ﬁrst in a Combat Turn, and 
  the character with the lowest acting last.
  Toughness (TGH): Your character’s Toughness is equal 
  to (Body + Mind) divided by 2, rounding up. Toughness is 
  subtracted from damage caused by blunt and non-lethal attacks. 
  (Toughness does not protect a hero from piercing and lethal 
  attacks.)
  Perception (PER): How well your character notices what 
  happens around them through their senses and intuitions. Your 
  character’s Perception is equal to Mind +2.
  Skills
  Skills are things your hero has learned how to do. Each Skill 
  has a number that indicates how much your hero knows about 
  that Skill. Each Skill is used with an Attribute (either the Body 
  or Mind Attribute) to ﬁgure out if your hero succeeds at a task. 
  The Attribute most commonly used is listed with the Skill. (The 
  GM may decide to use the other Attribute in some cases.)
  There are nineteen basic types of Skills in Open Core Quick. 
  This is an intentionally simple list of very broad Skills. Despite 
  the broadness of the skills in this system, and the shortness of the 
  list of available skills, you and the GM of the campaign should 
  ﬁnd it fairly easy to create unique characters. Instead of looking 
  at how high a skill’s rank can be, it might be better to look at how 
  many different things that you want your character to be capable 
  of doing. A good, strong concept for your character is always a 
  good starting point before spending any character points. Also, 
  4
  
  if you are looking to create a character with some manner of 
  specialized knowledge you may want to see the Skill Specialist 
  Ability as well.
  Arcana: Your character’s knowledge of the unknown and 
  the magical within the game world. (Mind)
  Arts & Crafts: How good your character is at various 
  arts and craft, such as painting, cooking, carpentry or even 
  photography. (use the Mind Attribute for “thinking” tasks, Body 
  for tasks involving dexterity or agility)
  Athletics: Anything involving physical or athletic activities, 
  including climbing, swimming, and acrobatics. (Body)
  Communication: Your character’s ability to communicate 
  with others, but not to persuade (see Social, below). (Mind)
  Combat: How good your character is at ﬁghting with 
  bare hands, melee weapons, such as clubs or swords, missile 
  weapons, such as crossbows or pistols, or supernatural powers, 
  such as laser eye beams or photon blasts. (Body)
  Covert: How good your character is at not being noticed 
  and getting into secure places. (Body)
  Focus: Anything involving concentration, observation or 
  perception, or the use of psionic powers, such as telepathy or 
  mind control powers. Some observational uses of Focus can 
  default off of your character’s Perception score. (Mind)
  Education: Your character’s general education and 
  knowledge of general education subjects, such as history, 
  religion, basic science, or languages. (Mind)
  Enterprise: Your character’s knowledge of how businesses 
  and ﬁnance work. (Mind)
  Investigation: Your character’s knowledge of how to look 
  for clues, and how to properly investigate a crime in order to 
  bring criminal charges against someone. (Mind)
  Languages: This works different from the other skills. Each 
  rank in Languages means that your character is proﬁcient in a 
  different language. The GM may require a Languages + Mind 
  check for particularly difﬁcult concepts, with a TN of 18. Your 
  character’s native language is free, and doesn’t count towards 
  the total.
  Medicine: How good your hero is at mending the injuries 
  of others. (Mind)
  Military Sciences: Your character’s knowledge of tactics 
  and strategy, as well as military history. (Mind)
  Nature/Outdoors: How good your character is at things 
  like camping, ﬁshing, hunting, survival, navigation and 
  horseback riding. (Mind  for “thinking” tasks, such as survival 
  and navigation, Body for “physical” tasks, such as hunting and 
  horseback riding.)
  Performance: Your character’s ability to perform in front of 
  others, this can be acting, singing, dancing or playing a musical 
  instrument. (Mind)
  Science: Your character’s advanced knowledge of sciences, 
  such as biology, geology, math or physics. (Mind)
  Social: Anything involving using your character’s charm or 
  persuasion (Mind).
  Social Sciences: Your character’s advanced knowledge of 
  the non “hard” sciences, such as sociology, anthropology, or 
  archeology. (Mind)
  Technical: How good your character is at technical tasks 
  such as mechanics, electronics, computer programming and 
  piloting a ﬁghter jet or starship. (Mind for “thinking” tasks, 
  Body for tasks involving dexterity or agility.)
  Transportation: Your character’s Skill with operating 
  vehicles. (Body)
  Using Attributes and Skills
  When your character attempts an action that involves a 
  Skill, you roll dice to see if the hero succeeds or not. When you 
  roll the dice, you add the character’s Attribute + Skill  + 3 dice. 
  This is called making a Skill check. The total is compared to a 
  Target Number (or TN), that is determined by the GM. If the 
  total equals or is higher than the Target Number, your hero has 
  succeeded at the task.
  Sometime there will be situations that your character’s skills 
  do not quite cover, when those occur the Game Master may ask 
  you to make an Attribute check for the character. To make an 
  Attribute check, you add the character’s Attribute + 3 Dice + 
  any relevant Abilities. Your GM will tell you what Abilities can 
  modify this check.
  Task Is 
  TN
  Easy 
  12
  Tricky 
  15
  Challenging 
  18
  Difﬁcult 
  21
  Demanding 
  24
  Extreme 
  27
  Legendary 
  30
  Abilities
  What are Abilities? Many role-playing systems have 
  advantages or other character traits that help to make the 
  characters different from each other (in a “positive” way, giving 
  some form of beneﬁt or super power to a character), to give each 
  character different advantages during play. In the Open Core 
  Quick system those traits are known as Abilities. This section 
  outlines the most common Abilities that would be available for 
  characters in a wide variety of different campaign types and 
  genre simulations.
  Associated Skills
  If an Ability logically requires a skill to use it efﬁciently, the 
  skill must be bought separately. For example, the superpower 
  Flight allows a character to ﬂy, and usually no skill roll is 
  needed. But the ability to make intricate maneuvers in close 
  combat without slamming into a wall requires a roll against the 
  Athletics skill. (The GM may ignore this and simply say that no 
  roll is needed for any ﬂying maneuver with a Flight Power.)
  This can be especially true with magic: the ability to cast 
  spells at all may be a gift, but to do it right is a skill, or even many 
  different skills. Focus is the Skill for using magic (or psionics, 
  etc.) while Arcana is the Skill for knowledge 
  about magic.
  Effect-Based vs. Power-
  5
  
  Based
  Open Core Quick is an effect-based system. This means that 
  the effects of an Ability are provided, and then the player or 
  GM have to deﬁne the speciﬁc application of those effects. For 
  example, a character may achieve the capabilities of the Flight 
  Ability by using: wings, magic, anti-gravity ﬁeld, psionics, force 
  of Mind, reality-warping techniques, thermal wave-riding, or 
  many other methods. Similarly, a Rank 2 Special Attack does 
  2d6 points of damage that could take the form of a near- inﬁnite 
  number of sources.
  A power-based system deﬁnes both the effects and the 
  application of an ability or power. That fantasy RPG, for 
  example, details magic and special attack spells such as Burning 
  Hands, Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and Magic Missile. They all 
  deliver damage, but the way in which the way in which they 
  deliver damage is determined by the rules, not the players.
  An effect-based system gives players more freedom to 
  create, but a particular application might not make any sense 
  if not used with forethought. Talk with your GM if you have 
  any questions regarding the special effect applications of your 
  character’s Abilities
  An important thing to remember when purchasing Effect-
  Based powers, is that in order to get an effect the Player must 
  pay for that effect. Otherwise, assume that the character can not 
  do it. GMs are allowed some ﬂexibility in allowing characters to 
  do things, but as a rule of thumb the Player and the GM should 
  keep in mind that there is no such thing as a free lunch.
  Effects in Open Core Quick
  Special effects are a very important factor to character 
  creation using the Abilities in Open Core Quick. The special 
  effects of a power created with these Abilities help to deﬁne what 
  it is and how it’s created, and help distinguish one power from 
  another power. For instance, three different characters could all 
  have 4d6 Special Attacks, but each might have different effects: 
  One is ﬁre, another uses electricity, and the third ﬁres a sonic 
  attack. Each type of effect can have extra beneﬁts or limits 
  beyond the basic power description; exactly what is up to the 
  GM.
  Some campaigns may have GM-imposed limitations on 
  what is considered to be “legal.” Always check with the GM 
  of the campaign before using any effect for your character’s 
  Abilities.
  Handling Effects 
  in Campaigns
  Effects can and should be used to make adventures more 
  dramatic, and sometimes to help characters overcome problems. 
  It’s a classic bit – the hero manages to defeat the villain’s plot by 
  tuning his energy blast to just the right frequency to deactivate 
  the force ﬁeld, or some such pseudo-scientiﬁc explanation.
  Effects can let a character do a little bit more 
  than the basic power description suggests, or 
  sometimes they can restrict a power somewhat. 
  For instance, sonic effects just won’t work in a 
  vacuum, but the GM may let you do some extra 
  damage with a sonic effect under water. It’s up 
  to the GM how much or how little the special effect can affect 
  an Ability. 
  The GM can have the Player make a Power Use skill check 
  to see if effects can have a game effect outside of the ordinary; 
  the relevant Attribute for this is typically Mind, but can be based 
  on other Attributes depending on the nature of the power being 
  simulated, as well as the GM of the campaign.
  The important thing to remember is that Open Core Quick 
  is your game, to be used as you desire. How the given effect of a 
  power built through the Abilities is ultimately up to the decision 
  of the GM and the “reality” of her campaign.
  Fatigue and Abilities
  While this is not appropriate to all games or genres, GMs of 
  Open Core Quick games may introduce the concept of Fatigue 
  to their games. Fatigue comes in two types (mental and physical) 
  one for each of the Core Attributes. When a character is in a 
  long term situation (typically more than 5 Turns in Combat) that 
  would be mentally or physically fatiguing to the character, the 
  GM may require a Fatigue check. To make a Fatigue check roll 
  three dice and add the appropriate Core Attribute, and compare 
  it to a TN of 21. If the check succeeds, the character is not 
  fatigued and may continue; making another Fatigue check the 
  next Turn.
  If the Fatigue check fails, the character is at -3 to all actions 
  for a number of Turns equal to the amount by which the check 
  failed. So, if the character’s total on the Fatigue check was 18 
  then the effects of the fatigue would last for 3 Turns.
  For a mental Fatigue check, all Skills and Abilities 
  associated with the Mind Attribute receive the -3, and if it is 
  a physical Fatigue check then all Skill and Abilities associated 
  with the Body Attribute are affected.
  Ability Checks
  An Ability Check is a roll to see if an Ability can be used 
  successfully. As with Attribute Checks and Skill Checks, it isn’t 
  necessary to roll for every little thing that a character wants to 
  do, but rather the rolls are saved for when the character is trying 
  something that requires extra effort, or is in direct competition 
  with someone else. If a skill is needed as part of the check, it is 
  recommended that the Focus skill of your character be used.
  Relevant Attributes: Each Ability lists a Relevant Attribute; 
  Ability Checks will usually be treated as an Attribute Check 
  using the Relevant Attribute. For certain Abilities there are 
  multiple possible Relevant Attributes; in these cases the choice 
  of which one to use depends on the nature of the Ability itself, 
  and how the character is using it in that particular instance.
  6
  
  Ability List
  Below is a list of the Abilities available in Open Core 
  Quick. GMs may also create new Abilities for their campaigns, 
  and players may sometimes wish to create new Abilities for their 
  characters, using these Abilities as a guideline. Just be sure to 
  stick close to the existing Abilities so that any new ones will be 
  balanced against the existing ones. New Abilities are deliver too 
  much power or too much of an advantage for too little of a cost 
  are grossly unbalancing to the existing Abilities.
  Adaptation
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  The character is adapted to 1 
  environment/Rank
  The character can adapt to survive in a number of 
  environments hostile to ordinary humans equal to his or her 
  Adaptation Rank. Examples of hostile environments include: 
  acidic/basic liquids, extra dimensional, extreme pressure, 
  intense cold, intense heat, noxious gases, radiation, underwater 
  (the ability to “breathe” water), and vacuum (low pressure, 
  not the absence of air). Adaptation does not apply to non-
  human characters whose natural environment is not the Earth’s 
  atmosphere (such as a mermaid living in the ocean). In these 
  cases, the character must assign Adaptation (Earth Atmosphere) 
  to survive in normal human environments. Surviving in low- 
  or no-oxygen environments is a  Special Defense Ability, not 
  Adaptation.
  When faced with “attacks” of a type that would be covered 
  by your character’s Adaptation (such as heat or ﬁre based attacks 
  for someone with Adaptation (Fire), your character’s Toughness 
  is considered to be +2 for purposes of taking damage.
  Alternate Form
  Costs: 
  2, 3 or 9 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  The character’s alternate form is 
  built from 10 Character Points/Rank
  A character with Alternate Form can instantaneously 
  transform into one other speciﬁc form that is determined during 
  character creation and approved by the Game Master. Once 
  selected, the form cannot be altered. Alternate Form allows the 
  character to possess a radically different body shape than his or 
  her normal human form, and exhibit exotic physical features as 
  well. Remember, everything for the Alternate Form (including 
  Attribute scores) need to be purchased using this pool of points.
  If a character only has a single, permanent, non-human form, 
  this Ability should not be applied. Instead, the character must 
  acquire the relevant Abilities and Disabilities that best represent 
  the form’s capabilities. A character with several different 
  Alternate Forms should assign this Ability multiple times. The 
  Abilities gained in the character’s Alternate Form obviously 
  cannot be Dependent upon the Alternate Form Ability. Different 
  Alternate Forms can be built with different Ability Ranks as 
  well. 
  Partial-Powered Form (3 Points/Rank)
  The form is built from 10 Character Points for each Alternate 
  Form Rank, which can be used to acquire Attributes and Abilities. 
  The character’s Attributes all drop to zero and thus must be 
  raised with the Alternate Form’s new Character Points (using the 
  Enhanced Attribute Ability below); Derived Attributes also must 
  be recalculated. Additionally, the character’s regular Abilities, 
  Skills, and Disabilities no longer function in the Alternate 
  Form, though the GM may decide that some Abilities (such as 
  Connections, Item of Power, and others) and some Disabilities 
  still retain their effects. Disabilities can also be assigned to the 
  new Form to provide additional Character Points. Unless the 
  GM indicates otherwise, normal clothing becomes part of the 
  Alternate Form as well.
  Full-Powered Form (9 Points/Rank)
  The form is built from 10 Character Points for each Alternate 
  Form Rank, which can be used to acquire Abilities for the new 
  form. The character retains all the Attributes, Ability Ranks, 
  Skill Ranks, and Disability Bonus Points associated with his or 
  her regular form. The newly acquired Abilities and Disabilities 
  add to the character’s normal form. Unless the GM indicates 
  otherwise, normal clothing becomes part of the Alternate Form 
  as well.
  Cosmetic Changes (2 Points)
  A “Rank 0” option of the Alternate Form Ability is also 
  available at the cost of 2 Character Points. This Rank allows a 
  character to undergo cosmetic changes that confer no additional 
  abilities on the target. This includes: a 10% size increase or 
  decrease, change of gender, 50% age increase or decrease, color 
  changes (eye, skin, or hair), and minor physical changes (shape 
  of ears, facial features, or bodily proportions).
  Armor
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression:  
  Your character has 4 points of 
  Protective Armor/Rank
  The Armor Ability represents actual Armored plates, or 
  simply skin or clothing that is highly resistant to damage. It is 
  most often found on combat vehicles, cyborgs, androids, giant 
  monsters, and, powerful magical beings.
  Armor reduces the damage that is inﬂicted on the character 
  or structure. Armor reduces the damage of each attack by 4 
  Points per Rank. If your character has the Armor Ability, any 
  damage taken by them is ﬁrst applied to the Armor, then to the 
  character’s Toughness and then to Life Points.
  The Mass Scale (see Scale pg. 25) can be applied to Armor 
  as well. If that is the case, the cost for Armor is 9 Points/Rank, 
  and that represents the Scale rank above Scale 0 as well as the 
  number of points of damage that the Armor protects. Remember 
  that the damage from any attacks against a higher Scale of Armor 
  are reduced by the Strength Multiplier before they are applied to 
  the Armor.
  7
  
  Attack Combat Mastery
  Cost: 
  2 or 3 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None 
  Progression: 
  +1/Rank; see below
  Attack Combat Mastery denotes either an innate “killer 
  instinct” or the character’s intimate knowledge of a wide range 
  of offensive combat techniques covering all aspects of armed 
  and unarmed encounters (including ranged weapons). Individual 
  Combat Skills let a character specialize with particular weapons 
  or speciﬁc styles, but Attack Combat Mastery allows a character 
  to pick up any weapon (or use none at all) and still be dangerously 
  proﬁcient. The bonus gained from Attack Combat Mastery is 
  applied to your character’s Combat or Athletics skills, as well as 
  being applied to the Initiative score.
  This Ability can be used to simulate someone who is not 
  very graceful or agile under normal circumstances, but has 
  had a great deal of combat training, natural ability in this area, 
  or someone who has a power or talent that simulates combat 
  prowess, like the “photographic reﬂexes” ability popular in 
  comic books.
  Purchasing this Ability with the Restriction Disability can 
  tailor the bonuses of Attack Combat Mastery to forms of combat 
  besides just the straight forward. For example, if purchased with 
  the “Psionic Combat Only” Restriction, Attack Combat Mastery 
  can be applied to the Mind rolls for psionic combat. Clever GMs 
  and Players could likely come up with more variations upon this 
  Ability. If Attack Combat Mastery is purchased with either of 
  these restrictions, the cost is only 2 Points/Rank.
  Aura of Command
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  The character possesses a natural knack for leadership. This 
  Ability only works on allies or subordinates or possibly with 
  leaderless individuals looking for guidance (such as ordinary 
  people caught in an emergency). Instead of distracting them, 
  the character is able to inspire allies or neutrals into following 
  him or her into dangerous situations that they might otherwise 
  avoid. 
  Simply because a character is in a position of authority 
  over other people does not automatically imply that he or she 
  possesses the Aura of Command Ability. In a military structure, 
  subordinates Mind usually follow most orders (even dangerous 
  ones) without hesitation because it is part of their job. Aura 
  of Command reﬂects a character’s almost unnatural ability 
  to inspire others to engage in actions that few people would 
  ever consider undertaking. Note that few leaders have an Aura 
  of Command sufﬁcient to inspire their entire force at once. 
  Commanders usually concentrate on key individuals (such as 
  immediate subordinates) and hope the actions of these people 
  Mind encourage others to follow them.
  Rank 1 
  The character can inspire one 
  person.
  Rank 2 
  The character can inspire up to two 
  people.
  Rank 3 
  The character can inspire a small 
  team (1-10 people).
  Rank 4 
  The character can inspire a medium sized group of 
  people (up to 100 people).
  Awareness
  Cost: 
  5 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  +1 to Mind checks to detect upcoming 
  cosmic or mystical events
  This Ability allows the character to be “in tune” with the 
  cosmos while possessing a certain faculty for anticipating events 
  on the cosmic scale and recognizing when the universe is being 
  threatened.
  Whenever a cosmic event or catastrophe is imminent or 
  occurring, the GM should allow a character with the Awareness 
  Ability to make a Mind check (modiﬁed by the character’s 
  Ranks in this Ability) against a TN determined by the GM. The 
  more powerful the “individuals” and the larger of the “scale” of 
  the events, the easier it is for the character with Awareness to 
  detect what is coming. In most cases, the GM should make the 
  Mind check when using Awareness, so that the player will not 
  automatically assume that something is going to happen. The 
  information given about the upcoming cosmic event should be 
  as vague or as detailed as the GM thinks is necessary.
  Characters with the Awareness Ability (at any Rank) are able 
  to perceive and communicate with spirits, ghosts, and any sort of 
  mystically insubstantial and/or invisible creatures or beings.
  Combat Technique
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Stat: 
  None
  Progression: 
  1 technique per Rank
  The Combat Technique Ability allows a character to perform 
  astounding feats with a wide variety of melee or ranged weapons, 
  or Special Attacks. Each Rank gives the character one combat 
  technique, the GM should determine if a special maneuver can 
  be assigned multiple times.
  • 
  Accuracy
  The character suffers reduced dice penalties when 
  attempting an accurate attack, such as striking at partial Armour, 
  weak points, or vital spots, shooting at longer-than-usual ranges. 
  Accuracy is also used when attempting a special trick shot, such 
  as carving an initial on someone’s body or ricocheting an arrow 
  off a wall to shoot a target around a corner, and when using the 
  Deﬂection technique. Each difﬁculty penalty is reduced by 2 (to 
  a minimum of 0). 
  • 
  Blind-Fight
  Your character does not suffer penalties associated with 
  attacking or defending with melee weapons or while unarmed in 
  poor light, absolute darkness, or against an invisible opponent. 
  • 
  Blind-Shoot
  Your character suffers half penalties associated with 
  attacking with ranged weapons in poor light, absolute darkness, 
  or against an invisible opponent. This technique can be assigned 
  twice to reduce the penalty to zero. The character must be capable 
  of detecting the general presence of the target, however, through 
  one of his or her senses (smell, hearing, sixth sense, etc.).
  • 
  Deﬂection
  If the character makes a successful Block Defense, he or she 
  8
  
  can deﬂect a standard melee or ranged attack away harmlessly 
  without damaging the blocking object.  The GM may decide 
  that some types of attacks cannot be deﬂected.  When trying 
  to deﬂect a Special Attack, the Block Defense roll is penalized: 
  -2 for each Rank of the Special Attack (unless your character 
  possesses enough Ranks of the Armor Ability to be able to 
  “take” the damage of the attack).
  • 
  Dodge
  During the character’s action, the character designates 
  an opponent and receives a +2 bonus to Defense against any 
  subsequent attacks from that opponent. The character can select 
  a new opponent on any action.
  • 
  Judge Opponent
  Your character can judge his or her opponent’s approximate 
  Attack abilities and weapon Skill Rank from the foe’s attitude 
  and posture even without actually seeing him or her ﬁght. 
  Additionally, the character can accurately estimate the opponent’s 
  remaining Life points. For both of these Abilities, the GM may 
  decide to provide descriptive indications such as “your enemy 
  is much better than you with a sword, but if you connect a few 
  times with your ki blast, it might drop him,” rather than saying 
  “the enemy’s Body is 8, with a Combat Skill of +4, and he has 
  60 Life points remaining.”
  • 
  Leap Attack
  The character can make leaping attacks with his or her melee 
  weapon, delivering additional damage due to momentum. Any 
  time the character has a higher Initiative than their opponent, 
  they may attempt a leaping attack. If the strike is successful (it 
  hits and the target fails a defense) the character gets an extra 
  +2 bonus to damage and may additionally add half his or her 
  Athletics skill Ranks (if any) to the damage. If the character 
  fails to hit, however, or the opponent succeeds with his or her 
  defense, the character is off balance and receives a -4 penalty to 
  Defense until his or her time to act in the following turn.
  • 
  Lightning Reﬂexes
  Your character gets a +2 bonus on all INI rolls, as well as to 
  the Athletics and Combat skills.
  • 
  Quick Draw
  Your character can draw a sheathed or holstered weapon and 
  attack in the same round without penalty. Otherwise it requires 
  an attack action to ready his or her weapon.
  Connections
  Cost: 
  1-3 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  The Connections Ability represents your character’s close 
  relationship with an individual or a hierarchy of some sort that 
  grants him or her access to respect and privileges. Examples of 
  organizations include the feudal system, powerful corporations, 
  organized crime rings, secret guilds and societies, governmental 
  positions, military organizations, and some religions.
  The value of the Connections Ability depends on its 
  importance in the setting. An organization or individual that 
  exerts moderate power within the setting is worth 1 Point/Rank, 
  one that has signiﬁcant power costs 2 Points/Rank, and one that 
  has great power in the setting costs 3 Points/Rank. Players should 
  not assign this Ability to represent organizations that have very 
  little power. The GM determines the extent of the organization’s 
  inﬂuence. In a high school comedy campaign, the school’s 
  autocratic Student Council might wield “signiﬁcant power,” 
  while in most other settings it would be completely trivial and 
  not worth any Points. Similarly, a criminal organization like the 
  Maﬁa or Yakuza might count as “great power” (3 Points/Rank) 
  in a traditional low-powered game set in modern times, but 
  merely as “moderate power” (1 Point/Rank) in a high-powered 
  magical girl or super-hero campaign.
  This Ability has an alternate name of Fraternity. Fraternity is 
  used to represent your character’s connection to a “scene” (such 
  as a club or musical scene, or other types of loose sub-cultural 
  “groups”) or any other loose confederation of individuals (such 
  as groups of nomadic individuals or even homeless people). 
  When your character has a fraternal connection, it tends to be 
  with groups that are of a more informal nature.
  Rank 1 
  The organization or individual is 
  local in its scope.
  Rank 2 
  The organization or individual is 
  regional in its scope.
  Rank 3 
  The organization or individual is 
  national in its scope.
  9
  
  Rank 4 
  The organization or individual is global in its scope.
  Rank 5 
  The organization or individual is galactic in its 
  scope.
  Contamination
  Cost: 
  2 or 4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  This Ability represents the character’s ability to transform 
  other people (or animals, or objects) into entities like him or 
  herself. Frequently, this victim can then contaminate even more 
  people. The method should be speciﬁed when the character is 
  created. It might be similar to myths behind the vampire legend 
  — the character’s blood carries a “plague” that, when ingested, 
  mutates the person over a matter of hours or days. Alternatively, 
  the character might lay an egg or seed (real or metaphorical) 
  in the body of his or her prey, which could later hatch within 
  the victim, killing him or her as a new monster is born. The 
  character might even need to perform some special ritual that 
  alters the victim. Whatever the case, the conditions under which 
  the victim can become “contaminated” must be speciﬁed.
  For 2 Points/Rank, contamination is “difﬁcult” — the 
  victim must be willing, unconscious, or restrained for deliberate 
  contagion to occur, or the target must perform an unusual activity 
  (such as eating a morsel of the character’s ﬂesh).
  For 4 Points/Rank contamination is “easy” — the contagion 
  might be similar to a traditional werewolf attack, where a 
  scratch or bite results in a victim becoming a werewolf. The GM 
  can add special conditions, limitations, or effects to ensure that 
  becoming a monster is a curse and not a blessing.
  The higher the Rank of Contamination, the faster the 
  transformation occurs. There should always be some means of 
  curing or delaying the eventual mutation, however. Possible 
  cures include the death of the creature that inﬂicted the 
  contaminant, radical surgery, blood transfusion, or a successful 
  mystical healing.
  The GM should decide whether a player character who 
  is turned into a monster remains in the player’s control or is 
  reclassiﬁed as an NPC. Any retention (dreams, memories, etc.) 
  of the victim’s former existence depends on the nature of the 
  contamination and whether the victim has been “transformed,” 
  “devoured,” or “reborn” in the process. A person who has 
  been successfully contaminated should usually gain a certain 
  number of Abilities “paid for” with the Bonus Points acquired 
  by assigning new character Disabilities (often including Cursed, 
  Ism, Marked, Permanent, and Owned, the last one representing 
  servitude to his or her new master). Usually the mutation should 
  result in a monstrous form similar to that of the character 
  responsible. Thus, a spider alien that laid an egg in its victim 
  may produce another spider alien, the victim of a vampire 
  should grow fangs, etc. The GM should be wary of potentially 
  undesirable possibilities such as a werewolf character infecting 
  the entire group of characters, thereby creating 
  an entire group of werewolves.
  The Contamination Ability usually allows 
  the creator or mother some measure of control 
  over the newly transformed character. In these 
  instances, the Rank of Contamination is added 
  as a favorable modiﬁer to any Mind Control attempts performed 
  against the subject.
  A variation to Contamination inﬂicts the target with some 
  sort of curse or disease, rather than transforming him or her 
  into a different type of creature. Examples of these afﬂictions 
  include rapid ageing, debilitating diseases, sensitivity to speciﬁc 
  elements, etc.
  Rank 1 
  The transformation occurs over several months.
  Rank 2 
  The transformation occurs over several weeks.
  Rank 3 
  The transformation occurs over several days.
  Rank 4 
  The transformation occurs over several hours.
  Damage Absorption
  Cost: 
  8 or 10 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: 
  Body
  Progression: 
  Linear, with 5 points damage converted 
  into Life points per rank
  A character with this Ability can absorb up to 5 points of 
  damage received from physical attacks (such as guns, swords, 
  punches, or energy blasts) for each Rank, and change them 
  into a corresponding number of Life points before damage 
  is inﬂicted.  The new Life points are added to the character’s 
  current total immediately, which may temporarily raise the total 
  above its normal maximum.  Damage that is blocked by the 
  character’s Armour or Force Field Abilities cannot be absorbed. 
  For 8 Points/Rank, the character’s Hit Point total can never rise 
  above his or her normal maximum (extra points are lost).  For 
  10 Points/Rank, the character’s Life points total can be raised as 
  high as twice their normal maximum value (for a duration of one 
  hour). Damage Absorption does not affect damage from non-
  physical or “complex” attacks (as determined by the GM).
  Defense Combat Mastery
  Cost: 
  2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression:  
  The character’s DEF is increased by 
  1/Rank
  Defense Combat Mastery denotes either an innate “danger 
  instinct,” or the character’s intimate knowledge of a wide 
  range of defensive combat techniques covering all aspects of 
  armed and unarmed encounters (including Special Attacks 
  and ranged weapons). Individual Defense combat Skills let a 
  character specialize with particular weapons or speciﬁc styles, 
  but Defense Combat Mastery allows character to defend him or 
  herself proﬁciently at all times.
  Enhanced Attribute
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Stat: 
  None
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Your character is better at certain aspects of their Attributes 
  than others, using the Enhanced Attribute Ability, it makes it 
  easier to customize your concept of a character with greater 
  detail than the two basic Attributes of the Open Core Quick 
  system.
  Enhanced strength and durability for a character is purchased 
  using Scale (see Scale pg. 25 for more information).
  • 
  Enhanced Intellect: Your character receives a +1/Rank 
  10
  
  for each Rank of this Ability. The bonus is applied to 
  any use of the following skills: Education, Enterprise, 
  Investigation, Medicine, Science, Social Sciences, and 
  Technical. Ranks of Enhanced Intellect can also modify 
  any relevant Mind Attribute check.
  • 
  Enhanced Presence: Your character is exceptionally 
  charismatic, and receives +2/Rank bonus to the Social 
  and Communication skills when attempting to fast-
  talk, charm, seduce or otherwise impress upon another 
  character.
  • 
  Enhanced Reﬂexes: Your character’s reﬂexes and 
  dexterity are exceptional. This gives your character a 
  +1/Rank bonus to the Athletics, Combat and Covert 
  skills. Ranks of Enhanced Reﬂexes can also modify 
  any relevant Body Attribute check.
  • 
  Enhanced Willpower: Your character’s Willpower and 
  resistance to outside inﬂuences are greater than other 
  aspects of its mental makeup. The Ranks of Enhanced 
  Willpower can be used as a bonus when resisting mind 
  combat, or Abilities like Telepathy.
  Elasticity
  Cost: 
  2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  The character can stretch or contort his or her limbs and/or 
  body to a superhuman degree. Increased Ranks not only provide 
  greater ﬂexibility, but also the control over ﬁne manipulation 
  (such as using a stretched ﬁnger to move speciﬁc tumbling 
  mechanisms on a key lock). At high Ranks, characters can 
  squeeze under doors and through small holes and cracks, as 
  well as mimic crude shapes (an excellent way to represent a 
  character who has a liquid-like form as well). While stretched, 
  the character receives +1 to Combat Skill checks for each 
  Rank of Elasticity. Examples of characters with this Ability are 
  monsters (especially those with serpentine or tentacle limbs) or 
  giant robots with extendable arms.
  Rank 1 
  The character can stretch one body part up to 5x its 
  regular dimensions and receives +1 to Combat Skill 
  checks.
  Rank 2 
  The character can stretch two body parts up to 5x 
  their regular dimensions and receives +2 to Combat 
  Skill checks.
  Rank 3 
  The character can stretch three body parts up to 5x 
  their regular dimensions and receives +3 to Combat 
  Skill checks.
  Rank 4 
  The character can stretch his or her entire body up to 
  5x its regular dimensions and receives +4 to Combat 
  Skill checks.
  Rank 5 
  The character can stretch his or her entire body up 
  to 10x its regular dimensions and receives +5 to 
  Combat Skill checks.
  Rank 6 
  The character can stretch his or her entire body up 
  to 20x its regular dimensions and receives +6 to 
  Combat Skill checks.
  Environmental Control
  Cost: 
  1-2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Your character can affect environmental conditions such 
  as light, heat, darkness, or weather. This is most appropriate 
  for characters with magical control over a particular element 
  or facet of nature such as sorcerers, demons, and spirits, but it 
  could also represent various technological devices. If a character 
  wishes to perform multiple effects (for example, control light and 
  darkness) he or she should acquire the Ability multiple times.
  Other environmental effects can be controlled by your 
  character, and are limited only by your imagination and the 
  approval of your GM. Any sort of directly damaging attack 
  should be simulated using the Special Attack Ability.
  • 
  Light
  Your character can illuminate an area with light as bright as 
  a sunny day on Earth. Light control costs 1 Point/Rank.
  • 
  Darkness
  Your character can summon smoke, fog, darkness, or the like 
  to enshroud an area, blocking normal vision. Darkness control 
  costs 2 Points/Rank if the character can create total darkness 
  that completely obscures light sources, or 1 Point/Rank if the 
  darkness is only partial.
  • 
  Silence
  Your character can block out sounds within the area of 
  effect. It costs 1 Point/Rank to create a barrier that prevents 
  anyone outside from hearing sounds coming from within or vice 
  versa, or 2 Points/Rank to create a zone of silence where no 
  sounds exists.
  • 
  Temperature
  Your character can alter temperatures in the area from arctic 
  cold to desert heat. If the character wishes to produce heat or 
  cold sufﬁcient to start ﬁres or instantly freeze someone solid, 
  the player should assign the Special Attack Ability instead. 
  Temperature control costs 1 Point/Rank if the character is limited 
  to either increasing or decreasing temperature, or 2 Points/Rank 
  if he or she can do both.
  • 
  Weather
  Your character can alter the weather to create or still 
  weather conditions of various sorts such as breezes, winds, 
  rain, snow, fog, or storms. For weather that is reasonable for 
  the local climate, the area affected depends on the rank that 
  your character has in this Ability. For weather that is abnormal 
  (rain in a desert, snow in a hot summer) or violent (lightning 
  storm, blizzard, hurricane), the character’s Rank is treated as 
  one less for purposes of area affected or two less if both violent 
  and abnormal. If this would reduce the Rank below 1, the effect 
  cannot be produced. For focused attacks, such as lightning 
  bolts or tornadoes, use the Special Attack Ability instead. To 
  produce precise effects or keep abnormal or violent weather 
  under control, the GM may require a Mind Check with a penalty 
  equal to the Rank (for example, -4 if affecting a regional area) 
  of the Ability. It should often take several turns (roll 1d6 to 
  determine the number of turns) for weather to 
  build up or disperse. Abnormal weather effects 
  should return to normal soon after a character 
  ceases to use this Ability, typically one turn 
  for every Rank that your character has in this 
  Ability. Weather control costs 2 Points/Rank if 
  11
  
  general in its nature, or 1 Point/Rank if very speciﬁc (such as, 
  “rain making” or “wind blowing”).
  Maintaining Environmental Control requires a slight amount 
  of concentration: the character can perform other actions while 
  doing so, but can only affect one area at any given time. The size 
  of the environment the character can control is determined by 
  the character’s Rank.
  Rank 1 
  The character can affect a small area (such as a 
  room).
  Rank 2 
  The character can affect a modest area (such as a 
  house).
  Rank 3 
  The character can affect a local area (such as a 
  neighborhood or village).
  Rank 4 
  The character can affect a small to medium-sized 
  regional area (such as a city and its associated 
  environs)
  Rank 5 
  The character can affect a  larger regional area (such 
  as a few counties or part of a state)
  Extra Actions
  Cost: 
  8 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The character gains 1 extra Action 
  each turn/Rank
  This Ability reﬂects the character’s ability to use every 
  combat situation to his or her beneﬁt. For each Rank in this 
  Ability, the character can take one additional Action per turn, 
  without receiving any penalty. This Ability covers all types of 
  actions: Offensive, Defensive, Movement and Special. So, at 
  Rank 3, the character would be able to take four actions per 
  turn. These actions can be split up in any manner the Player 
  wants, so the Character can take two Offensive actions and two 
  Defensive actions, depending on what the character may need 
  to accomplish in a speciﬁc combat situation. This Ability can be 
  used to simulate the speedster who’s swiftness allows him or her 
  extra attacks, or the combat “monster” who’s intensive training 
  makes him so much more deadly in combat.
  Extra Capacity
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Each Rank of this Ability doubles the lifting capacity of 
  your character (see Body and Strength pg. 4). Ranks of Extra 
  Capacity should be applied to your character lifting capacity 
  before the modiﬁer for Scale (if any) is applied.
  Extra Limbs
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Unless indicated otherwise, all characters possess two arms 
  (or similar appendages) and hands. By assigning this Ability, the 
  character can acquire more. In certain genres 
  there are robots, tentacled monsters and non-
  humans with prehensile tails often have Extra 
  Limbs. Some long-haired alien beings or demons 
  also make their hair “come alive” to work as an 
  Extra Limbs.
  A “limb” is deﬁned loosely as an appendage that can reach 
  out and manipulate objects with some ﬁnesse. A trunk, tentacle, 
  or prehensile tail is an arm; a limb that simply ends in a gun-
  barrel, melee weapon, or tool mount is not. Legs with paws or 
  feet are not usually considered to be “arms” unless the character 
  has good manipulation ability when using them (such as the way 
  chimpanzees can use their feet to grasp objects). Extra arms are 
  useful for holding onto several things at once, but do not give 
  extra attacks (for that ability, see Extra Attacks Ability). A tractor 
  beam is a specialized “arm” best simulated by the Telekinesis 
  Ability.
  Possessing only one arm or no arms is reﬂected by the 
  Physical Impairment Disability.
  Rank 1 
  The character possesses 1 extra limbs.
  Rank 2 
  The character possesses 2-3 extra limbs.
  Rank 3 
  The character possesses 4-8 extra limbs.
  Features
  Cost: 
  2 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The character has 1 feature/Rank
  The character possesses one or more secondary abilities 
  that grant useful but mundane, non-combat related Abilities. 
  Features are typically possessed by non-humans and reﬂect 
  various, minor biological or technological Abilities. All Features 
  must be approved by the campaign’s GM before they can be 
  purchased for a character.
  Examples of racial features include homing instinct, 
  longevity, molting ability, a pouch, scent glands, secondary 
  eyelids, etc. Examples of technological features suitable for 
  building into cyborgs, robots, or androids include diagnostic 
  equipment, 
  gyrocompass, 
  modem, 
  radio, 
  self-cleaning 
  mechanism, etc. A wide range of other Abilities cover other 
  more useful features such as gills, wings, fangs, and enhanced 
  senses.
  Flight
  Cost: 
  3 or 4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  A character with Flight can ﬂy through an atmosphere or in 
  space (in space, he or she would still need protection from the 
  environment). This is a common ability for non-humans, and 
  people with paranormal powers. The method used to achieve 
  ﬂight can vary greatly: wings, propellers, rotors, rockets, 
  anti-gravity, hot air, psionic levitation, magic, or some other 
  technique.
  Depending on the speed at which the character is moving, 
  opponents may suffer a penalty to hit the character. A fast-
  moving character may have an attack penalty as well.
  Flight costs 4 Points/Rank if the character can hover and ﬂy 
  at variable speeds, take off and land vertically, or stop in mid-air. 
  This is the most common type of ﬂight possessed by characters.
  Flight costs 3 Points/Rank if the ﬂyer cannot hover, but 
  instead ﬂies like a normal airplane. Thus, the character needs 
  a smooth surface for landing and take off, and must maintain 
  a minimum speed (at least 1/10 of its maximum speed) once 
  12
  
  airborne to avoid crashing.
  Your character’s base ﬂight speed is equal to their Sprint (3x 
  Body in meters/yards). Each Rank of the Flight Ability doubles 
  this speed. Using Flight requires a Movement action.
  Force Field
  Cost: 
  2, 3, or 4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The Force Field reduces damage by 
  10 Points/Rank
  A Force Field is an energy ﬁeld around the character that 
  protects against incoming attacks. Force Fields can represent 
  magical barriers, telekinetic shields, or technological “screens” 
  that protect ships.
  A typical Force Field is different from Armor, since it can 
  be battered down by a sufﬁciently powerful attack. A Force 
  Field can be “up” or “down.” When down, it does not stop any 
  damage. Force Field status must be determined at the start of the 
  character’s action for the round and cannot be changed until his 
  or her turn to act in the next round.
  Attack damage is ﬁrst applied to the Force Field, with any 
  additional penetrating damage applied against Armor (if any). 
  Thus, if a weapon hit successfully penetrates a Force Field, the 
  Armor Ability can still protect against it. A Force Field can be 
  reduced or even knocked down by a sufﬁciently powerful attack. 
  If an attack does more damage than the Force Field prevents (even 
  if the rest of the damage is absorbed by Armor), the Force Field 
  temporarily loses one Rank of effectiveness. The character can 
  only regain Ranks if the ﬁeld is down and regenerating, unless 
  the Regenerating Ability is assigned. A Force Field recovers one 
  Rank every round it is turned off and not in operation (“down”). 
  A Force Field that is knocked down to zero Ranks automatically 
  shuts off to regenerate.
  The cost is 4 Points/Rank if it is an area Force Field that 
  is extendable to protect others nearby, 3 Points/Rank if it only 
  protects the character, or 2 Points/Rank if it is a two-dimensional 
  wall (up to 100 square feet) or shield that acts as a barrier. A wall 
  can be projected out to a distance of up to 15 feet away from the 
  character.
  An extendable Force Field can be assumed to cover a 
  diameter out to about 25% more than the character’s longest 
  dimension (for example, the Force Field of a six-foot human 
  would be about eight feet across). A wall is assumed to be about 
  100 square feet (such as a 10’x10’ wall), while an ordinary Force 
  Field is form-ﬁtting. All Fields should block anyone who is not 
  Insubstantial at Rank 6 from moving through it. If a character 
  with an extended Force Field also has Flight, the GM may allow 
  the character to carry other people who are inside the Force Field 
  with him or her while ﬂying.
  A character’s Force Field can have Scale applied to it, with 
  the permission of the GM. A Force Field with Scale costs an 
  additional 5 Points/Rank.
  Fringe Beneﬁt
  Cost: 
  2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The character has 1 fringe beneﬁt/
  Rank
  Your character has some signiﬁcant perquisite or fringe 
  beneﬁt, the exact nature of the beneﬁt is determined by you and 
  the GM of the campaign. The Gm is the ﬁnal arbitrator of what 
  does and does not constitute a fringe beneﬁt in the campaign.
  Sample Fringe Beneﬁts:
  Alternate Identity: your character has an alternate identity, 
  complete with any appropriate governmental paperwork and 
  identiﬁcation (driver’s license, birth certiﬁcate, social security 
  card, and etc.).
  Credibility: This fringe beneﬁt represents how believable 
  your character is, either by viewers, police, the general public, 
  or rich and powerful people. Your character with the Credibility 
  Fringe Beneﬁt receives a +2 to their Social skill when dealing 
  with their target “audience.”
  Diplomatic Immunity: Because of your character’s 
  diplomatic status, they cannot be prosecuted for 
  crimes in nations other than their own. All that 
  another nation can do is deport your character to 
  their home country.
  Legal 
  Enforcement 
  Powers: 
  Your 
  character has the ability to call upon the 
  13
  
  authority of the law and government to be able to do things 
  like question suspects, arrest individuals, conﬁscate potential 
  evidence, and obtain warrants to search individuals or locations. 
  This should be purchased separately to represent state or local 
  law enforcements powers, and national or federal powers. Your 
  character also receives a +1 to their Investigation skill; this is 
  a one time bonus and received for each Rank of Fringe Beneﬁt 
  that the character possesses.
  Military Rank: Your character has some level of rank in 
  a military organization in the campaign world. This can either 
  represent someone who is in active duty, or the honorary rank 
  of someone who is inactive with the military. Your character 
  receives a +1 to their Military Science skill and a +1 to their 
  Social skill for military uses. These skill bonuses are a one 
  time only bonus, and are not received for each Rank of Fringe 
  Beneﬁt. Each Rank of Fringe Beneﬁt gives your character one 
  military rank.
  Security Clearance: Your character has access to classiﬁed 
  government information, installations and possibly equipment 
  and personnel. The GM may require that multiple ranks of the 
  Fringe Beneﬁt Ability for your character to have higher levels of 
  security clearance.
  Status: Due to “accident” of birth or because of personal 
  achievement, your character has a special status in their society. 
  Examples of Status include high-ranking international corporate 
  personnel, nobility, celebrities, and etc.
  Zeroed: Your character, through legal or illegal means, has 
  absolutely no legal records of any sort. There are no records of 
  birth, existence, or death and any attempt to ﬁnd information 
  based on methods such as ﬁngerprinting, DNA sampling, or 
  other methods of securing identity in the campaign world will 
  not gain any results. However in some campaigns, there may be 
  records or documentation of those who have no records.
  Healthy
  Cost: 
  2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  The character’s Life points are 
  increased by 2d6/Rank
  Possessing this Ability increases the Life points of the 
  character, allowing him or her to withstand more damage in 
  combat. Note that characters with high Body scores may be very 
  healthy even without this Ability. 
  Healing
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The character can restore up to 5 Life 
  points/Rank to a target
  This Ability allows a character to heal a target’s injuries 
  (including him or herself; for continuous healing, see the 
  Regeneration Ability). Characters with healing power can 
  include holy individuals, psychic healers, and 
  sorcerers.
  The maximum number of Life points that 
  a Healer can restore to a particular person in 
  any single day equals 5 per Rank. This cannot 
  be exceeded, even if multiple healers work on 
  a subject; the combined Life points restored cannot exceed 
  the maximum Life points that the character with the highest 
  Rank could restore. The subject must have at least a full day’s 
  rest before he or she can beneﬁt from any additional healing. 
  Life points are restored over a 10-minute period, rather than 
  instantly.
  A subject must normally be alive to beneﬁt from Healing. A 
  character with Healing Rank 3+ may, however, revive someone 
  who is “clinically” dead (serious injury, heart stopped) but not 
  actually brain dead. A character is considered “dead” if his or 
  her Life points are reduced to a bigger negative number than the 
  characters maximum Life points. A healer can revive a mortally 
  wounded character, however, if he or she can bring the subject’s 
  Life points back up from beneath the negative threshold to a 
  positive value quickly. This grace period can be extended 
  indeﬁnitely if the subject’s remains have been somehow placed 
  in suspended animation.
  Heightened Awareness
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The character gains a +2 bonus/Rank 
  to Perception and/or Skill checks
  The character possesses a high degree of situational 
  awareness. He or she is usually very alert and receives a bonus 
  on Perception Checks, and on Skill Checks relevant to noticing 
  otherwise hidden things, such as concealed objects, ambushes, 
  or anything else related to sensory awareness. The bonuses of 
  Heightened Awareness are cumulative with those of Heightened 
  Senses.
  Heightened Senses
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The character gains one heightened 
  sense or technique/Rank
  A character with Heightened Senses has one or more senses 
  that have been sharpened to a superhuman level of acuity. It 
  can represent either the preternatural sharpening of a speciﬁc 
  sense honed by special training (such as a blind person’s 
  trained sense of touch) or the enhanced senses of a paranormal 
  or technologically augmented character. Additionally, several 
  Ranks of Heightened Senses reﬂect the capabilities of sensors 
  built into spaceships and other commercial or military vehicles. 
  For each Rank of the Heightened Senses Ability, the character 
  either gains one enhanced sense (Type I) or one sense technique 
  (Type II). The character must make a successful Mind or relevant 
  Skill check against an appropriate TN to detect and pinpoint a 
  speciﬁc target within a large area (for example, to listen to a 
  speciﬁc conversation though the background noise of the city).
  Type I
  One of the character’s ﬁve senses — hearing, smell, vision, 
  taste, or touch — is enhanced, and can operate over an area of 
  several city blocks. The character may take the same sense twice, 
  which doubles the effect and extends the area of detection. A 
  character using a Heightened Sense has a +4 bonus (+8 if the 
  sense was heightened twice) on Perception and relevant Skill 
  14
  
  checks that relate to using that sense to perceive things that 
  someone with human-level senses might conceivably notice.
  Type II
  The character has one Heightened Sense technique, which 
  extends beyond human capabilities. Examples of techniques 
  include: dark vision, electric current detection; infra-vision; 
  magnetic ﬁeld detection; microscopic vision; radar sense; radio 
  reception; sonar detection; ultrasonic hearing; ultra-vision; 
  vibration detection; X-ray vision. Most techniques only work at 
  short range, often requiring line of sight.
  The Heightened Awareness Ability allows a lower Rank of 
  enhancement for all of a character’s senses.
  Hyperﬂight
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  This Ability is intended for use in star-spanning campaigns, 
  involving travel between solar systems or galaxies (or even 
  planets at low Ranks). A character with Hyperﬂight can ﬂy in 
  the vacuum of space (but not in an atmosphere) between planets, 
  starts, asteroids, solar systems, and galaxies, at speeds equal to or 
  exceeding the speed of light. The player can determine whether 
  this Ability represents warp technology, jump point formation, 
  or the breaking of known physical laws. The Flight Ability is 
  required to escape from the atmosphere and gravity of a planet 
  similar to Earth. Without Flight, the character can only achieve 
  Hyperﬂight speeds by taking off when already in space.
  Just because your character can ﬂy through space, does 
  not mean that they can survive in space. Characters with the 
  Hyperﬂight Ability should take two Ranks of Special Defense: 
  Space, to give them the ability to be able to survive in the hazards 
  of the vacuum of space.
  Rank 1 
  The character can travel at the speed of light.
  Rank 2 
  The character can travel at 10 times the speed of 
  light. 
  Rank 3 
  The character can travel at 100 times the speed of 
  light. 
  Immovable
  Cost: 
  1 Point/rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  Linear, -5 m/y to knock back/Rank
  Characters with this Ability absorb physical impacts better 
  than the average person, reducing the distance by which they 
  are knocked back from impact attacks and forceful blows. 
  Each Rank of this Ability reduces the knock back suffered by 
  the character by 5 m/y.  If a Special Attack’s or melee attack’s 
  knock back distance is reduced to zero or below, the target has 
  successfully absorbed the impact of the entire attack (but the 
  attack still inﬂicts damage).  For more information on Knock 
  back, see pg. 35.
  Insubstantial
  Cost: 
  3 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Each Rank of this Ability reduces a character’s density so 
  much that he or she can pass through certain types of objects 
  (including weapons) as though insubstantial. The density of 
  the human body, for example, falls approximately at Rank 2; 
  consequently, a punch from an enemy would harmlessly pass 
  through a character with Rank 3 Insubstantial. Characters with 
  Rank 6 Insubstantial are effectively incorporeal and can pass 
  through virtually anything, including most forms of energy.
  Invisibility
  Cost: 
  3 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The character is invisible to one 
  sense or technique/Rank
  This Ability should completely hide the character from one 
  or more senses or detection methods. The character may possess 
  a supernatural concealment ability or a technological cloaking 
  device, or have a psychic or magical talent that causes observers 
  to overlook him or her.
  For each Invisibility Rank, the player selects one sense or 
  technique to which the character is “invisible.” Senses include 
  the human range for sight, hearing, taste, touch, or smell. 
  Detection techniques include: astral; ethereal; infrared; mental; 
  radar; radiation; sonar; spiritual; ultraviolet; vibration. The GM 
  may decide that the most common forms of Invisibility — often 
  sight and hearing — cost 2 Ability slots rather than only 1.
  While the character may not be detected using speciﬁc 
  methods, indirect evidence can still reveal the character’s 
  presence. For example, a character who is invisible to sight will 
  still leave footprints in muddy ground. Similarly, a vase that is 
  knocked from a table by a character who is invisible to sound 
  will still make noise as it smashes on the ﬂoor.
  In normal combat situations involving human or nearly 
  human opponents, a character who is invisible to sight has a 
  great Ability. Once the invisible character gives away his or her 
  general position (for example, by ﬁring a gun, attacking with 
  a sword, or shouting) he or she can be attacked, but there is 
  a -4 penalty for anyone within melee range and -8 for anyone 
  at a greater distance. Heightened Awareness and Heightened 
  Senses can reduce this penalty, as can the Blind-Fight or Blind-
  Shoot Combat Techniques. This penalty is halved if using an 
  Area or Spreading Special Attack on the invisible character. (See 
  Heightened Senses for other Detection techniques.)
  Item of Power
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The item is built using 5 Character 
  Points/Rank
  This Ability describes any exotic, portable item that directly 
  enhances a character in some way (perhaps by conferring 
  Abilities). An Item of Power represents advanced technology or 
  a relic with paranormal powers. Special weapons that others can 
  use are often designed with Item of Power, with 
  Points allocated to the Special Attack Ability.
  Each item is built using up to 5 Character 
  Points per Rank of the Item of Power Ability, 
  which can be used to assign other Abilities. For 
  some character concepts, Items of Power above 
  15
  
  Rank 6 are not unreasonable. Assigning Disabilities to the item 
  earns Character Points, which are used to acquire additional 
  Abilities for the item. Disabilities that cannot be assigned include: 
  Ism, Marked, Nemesis, Owned, Signiﬁcant Other, Skeleton in 
  the Closet, and Wanted. Players selecting this Ability must have 
  a discussion with the GM to determine what abilities the Item 
  of Power possesses and how it works. The player, with GM 
  approval, may also create speciﬁc abilities for Items of Power 
  using the Unique Ability. 
  With the GM’s permission, certain Items of Power (for 
  example weapons or suits of powered armor) can have Scale 
  applied to them. An Item of Power with Scale costs 9 Points/
  Rank.
  Jumping
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Strength
  Progression: 
  +1 yard/meter of jumping distance/
  Rank
  Your character can jump greater distances than their basic 
  Move score would normally allow them. Each Rank of the 
  Jumping Ability adds one yard/meter onto their base jumping 
  distance (as ﬁgured by their Move score, see Move pg. 4 for 
  more information). This Ability can represent the incredible 
  leaping ability of many anime characters, or things like jump 
  jets on suits of powered armor.
  Magic
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The character receives 10 Magic 
  Points/Rank to acquire magical powers
  The Magic Ability can be deﬁned as almost anything, 
  depending on the campaign and the desires of the GM. This 
  Ability can be used to simulate Psionics, power rings, or any 
  sort of group of related powers that don’t exactly ﬁt with the 
  other Abilities in this Variant.
  A character with the Magic Ability has the ability to 
  manipulate arcane energies to produce a speciﬁc set of effects 
  that seemingly defy physical laws. The player should deﬁne the 
  character’s magical ability and establish a consistent theme for 
  his or her powers. Themes that are common include:
  • 
  Elemental magic such as mastery over traditional 
  elements like wind, water, or ﬁre, or less traditional 
  “elements” like darkness, the moon, or even love.
  • 
  Spells or powers that involve contacting or 
  controlling natural spirits (shamanism) or the dead 
  (necromancy).
  • 
  Black magic, involving destructive forces or evil 
  or negative energies.
  • 
  Magical powers with an exotic or whimsical theme 
  such as a set of abilities whose “special effects” all 
  relate to tarot cards, ﬂowers, cats, or pretty much 
  anything else. 
  • Psionic abilities that produce psychic effects 
  such as Telepathy, Telekinesis, or Precognition; 
  psionic powers are normally assumed to be 
  talents with which the character was born, 
  although they may have required special training 
  to awaken.
  • 
  Ki-based powers, where the character focuses his 
  or her inner spirit through martial arts training to 
  produce various exotic attacks and abilities.
  • 
  Divine powers granted by a deity to a priest, 
  priestess or other holy individual.
  • 
  Legendary powers innate to a magical entity such 
  as a fox spirit’s ability to change shape or possess 
  people or the myriad powers of a vampire.
  The GM may rule that only certain types of magic exist 
  within his or her campaign setting and that all characters with 
  the Magic Ability should conform to theme. It is perfectly 
  reasonable for a character to take the Magic Ability multiple 
  times to represent a character who has multiple styles of magic.
  A character with the Magic Ability receives 10 Magic Points 
  per Rank of this Ability. Magic Points may be used like Character 
  Points to acquire individual Abilities. Abilities acquired using 
  Magic Points are designated “Magical Powers” and represent 
  the extent of the character’s magic. A Magical Power is used just 
  like an ordinary Ability, except each time the character uses it he 
  or she must perform an invocation and expend Energy Points. 
  This can represent casting a spell, concentrating on his or her 
  inner ki, focusing a psychic power, etc.
  Characters can acquire almost any Abilities as Magical 
  Powers using their Magic Points except for the Magic Ability. In 
  addition, each Magical Power should be given its own descriptive 
  name or special effects. Thus, while a Magical Power may be 
  acquired as “Special Attack Rank 2,” on a character sheet it 
  should be written down as “Lightning Bolt: Special Attack Rank 
  2,” etc.
  An invocation normally involves a short verbal incantation 
  or magic phrase combined with gestures, which should take one 
  action; the character must be able to speak and have his or her 
  hands free to perform it. If the power is an offensive one (such 
  as Mind Control or Special Attack), the character can make his 
  or her attack as part of the invocation. 
  If the Magical Power is an Ability with instantaneous 
  effects, such as Teleportation or Special Attack, the character 
  must invoke the power anew each time he or she wishes to make 
  use of it. The Game Master can adjust this time up or down 
  as necessary for his or her campaign. Maintaining a Magical 
  Power requires no special concentration, but if the Power is not 
  maintained it will cease to function and need to be invoked all 
  over again in order to reactivate it.
  Massive Damage
  Cost: 
  2 or 5 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Damage the character delivers is 
  increased by 5 Points/Rank.
  A character with the Massive Damage Ability knows 
  precisely how and where to hit any opponent in order to inﬂict 
  incredible amounts of damage.
  For 2 Points/Rank, additional damage is only inﬂicted when 
  the character uses one speciﬁc weapon type, Special Attack, or 
  method of attack; this attack is deﬁned during character creation. 
  For example, it might represent a special talent with a weapon 
  16
  
  (such as guns, blades, blunt weapons), knowledge of a particular 
  martial arts technique, or ability with a speciﬁc Special Attack.
  For 5 Points/Rank, this knowledge can be applied to all 
  forms of physical combat including armed, unarmed, martial 
  arts, and ranged weapons, as well as Special Attacks such as 
  energy blasts, magical spells that inﬂict damage, or vehicle 
  weapons.
  Naturally, the character’s attack must be successful to 
  inﬂict any damage. Physical strength is not the key to delivering 
  massive damage in an attack; the ability to sense a weakness 
  is far more important. The capacity of Massive Damage to 
  augment any kind of attack makes it a very useful Ability for a 
  combat-oriented character.
  Mind Shield
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The character gains a +2/Rank for 
  Mind Checks involving mind invasion
  A character with Mind Shield is protected against psychic 
  intrusion. This may be a reﬂection of his or her 
  own psychic abilities, a protective spell, special 
  training, or some innate ability. A character with 
  Mind Shield can detect and block attempts to read 
  his or her mind by a character with Telepathy of 
  equal or lower Rank to the Mind Shield. The 
  character may also add twice the Rank of Mind 
  Shield to his or her Mind Check (as appropriate) 
  when defending against a Mind Control attempt 
  or telepathic Mind Combat.
  Natural Weapons
  Cost: 1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: 
  None 
  Progression: 
  The 
  character 
  gains 
  1 
  Natural Weapon/Rank
  The character has one or more relatively 
  mundane natural weapons, such as sharp teeth, 
  claws, tentacles, etc. Natural weapons are 
  normally possessed by animals, monsters, and 
  similar characters, but could also represent 
  technological capabilities that mimic such abilities 
  such as an android or cyborg with retractable 
  claws. More powerful Natural Weapons can be 
  designed using the Special Attack Ability.
  The character possesses one such attack form 
  per Rank. Possessing more than one such natural 
  weapon gives the character a wider variety of 
  attack forms. Hands, feet, a heavy tail, ordinary 
  teeth, or hooves are not normally counted as 
  Natural Weapons since they are (relatively) blunt; 
  and thus inﬂict usual unarmed damage. Actually 
  attempting to hit someone or something with a 
  Natural Weapons uses the Combat skill of your 
  character, and your character gains a +2 to their 
  Combat Skill when attacking with their Natural 
  Weapon.
  Since the damage from any Natural Weapon 
  is based upon the physical strength of your 
  character, Scale can be applied to it as well. 
  • Claws or Spikes
  The character possesses sharp talons or 
  spikes on his or her ﬁngers, paws, or feet. In addition to regular 
  damage, the claws inﬂict an additional +4 damage when used in 
  melee combat. 
  • 
  Fangs, Beak, or Mandibles
  The character has very sharp teeth, or 
  alternatively, a beak or insect-like mandibles. 
  This natural weapon inﬂicts +2 to damage 
  in melee combat, but a successful strike that 
  penetrates Armor gives the character the option 
  to maintain a biting grip and continue to inﬂict 
  17
  
  equivalent damage in subsequent rounds. These additional 
  attacks are automatically successful, but the opponent can break 
  the hold with a successful Body check. While the attacker is 
  maintaining a biting grip, his or her own ability to defend is 
  impeded: the attacker cannot use weapons to defend, and suffers 
  a -4 DEF penalty against any attack.
  • 
  Horns
  These are large horns for butting or stabbing. Horns add 
  2 extra damage to normal damage in melee combat but are 
  exceptionally effective if the character charges into battle. If the 
  character wins Initiative against an opponent and has room for 
  a running start, he or she can lower his or her head and charge. 
  A successful attack will deliver normal attack damage, plus 
  1d6. If a charge fails to connect, the charging character will be 
  off balance and suffers a -2 penalty to his or her DEF for the 
  remainder of the round and a -4 Initiative roll penalty on the 
  following combat round. 
  • 
  Spines
  The character is covered in nasty spikes, quills, or sharp 
  scales. Anyone who wrestles with the character automatically 
  suffers 2 damage each round. This damage is in 
  addition to any attack damage delivered. During 
  these struggles, the opponent’s clothes should 
  also be ripped and shredded unless they are 
  Armored.
  • Tail Striker 
  If the character has a combat-ready tail, it can be equipped 
  with spikes, a stinger, or other similarly nasty weapon. The 
  attack inﬂicts an additional 2 damage (in addition to normal 
  damage). Upon a successful attack, the target must make a Body 
  roll or suffer a -4 INI penalty the following combat round (the 
  target is off balance). 
  • 
  Tentacles
  One or more of the character’s limbs — or possibly his 
  or her hair — are actually tentacles. A character with tentacles 
  gains a +2 bonus to their Combat Skill and DEF when engaged 
  in a wrestling attack or defending against one. Tentacles are 
  also difﬁcult to avoid in combat (opponent suffers a -1 DEF 
  penalty). 
  Projection
  Cost: 
  1 to 4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Ability: 
  Mind
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  The character can projected images that fools one or more 
  senses. The Projection cannot be touched because it is not 
  substantial. Closer inspection will usually reveal the Projection 
  for what it is, which may cause it to disappear (GM’s discretion). 
  The GM may require a Will save to “see through” a Projection 
  against a TN equal to: 10 plus the projector’s Wisdom modiﬁer 
  plus the projector’s Rank in Power Usage: Projection.
  A Projection may be of a particular object or entity, or of a 
  18
  
  complete scene (such as a furnished room or crowd). It may also 
  be thrown over an existing person, scene, or object to make it 
  appear different than it really is. A Projection that is untended is 
  normally static, either remaining in one place or (if created over 
  something) moving as the underlying object or entity moves. 
  To give a Projection the semblance of independent activity 
  (such as a projected image of a person who moves and speaks), 
  the character must actively concentrate on manipulating the 
  Projection, and perform no other actions.
  For 1 Point/Rank the character can create Projections that 
  can be detected by one sense, usually sight (sense must be 
  determined during character creation). For 2 Points/Rank the 
  Projections can be detected by two senses, usually sight and 
  hearing. For 3 Points/Rank the Projections can be detected by 
  three senses. For 4 Points/Rank the Projections can be detected 
  by all senses. No matter how realistic the Projections, however, 
  they can never cause physical sensations intense enough to 
  inﬂict pain or damage. An image of a roaring ﬁre may feel hot, 
  and a character may believe that he or she is burning, but the ﬁre 
  cannot actually deliver damage.
  A character can normally maintain only a single Projection 
  at a time. To be able to maintain multiple Projections at once 
  costs the character an extra 1 Point for every distinct Projection 
  the character can sustain simultaneously after the ﬁrst. Thus, 
  “Projection Rank 3 (one sense, four Projections)” would cost six 
  Points: three Points for Rank 3 (one sense) and three more Points 
  for being able to sustain four Projections at a time. The GM can 
  assume that a group of objects or entities in close proximity, such 
  as a furnished room, a swarm of insects, or a horde of charging 
  warriors, counts as a single Projection rather than several. If 
  a character is already sustaining his or her maximum number 
  of Projections and wishes to create another one, an existing 
  Projection must ﬁrst be dispelled.
  The GM can adjust the TN depending on how familiar or 
  unfamiliar the character is with the scene that is being simulated. 
  The GM may also give the character a +1 bonus for every Rank 
  he or she has in excess of the minimum Rank needed to create 
  the Projection. For example, if a character with Projection Rank 
  5 decides to create a merely human-sized Projection (which 
  needs only Rank 1), a +4 bonus applies. If the roll fails, the 
  character’s Projection has some subtle ﬂaw in it; the character 
  creating it may not be aware of this until someone else points it 
  out, however.
  Rank 1 
  The character can an create small illusions, about the 
  size of a single person.
  Rank 2 
  The character can create medium illusions, large 
  enough for an entire room, or a large object like a car 
  or elephant.
  Rank 3 
  The character can create large illusions that can cover 
  a house-sized area.
  Regeneration
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The character can regenerate 5 Life 
  point each Turn/Rank
  Characters with this Ability automatically heal their 
  own injuries, whether the characters are awake, asleep, or 
  unconscious. The character’s Life points cannot exceed their 
  original total. At higher ranks, the character’s body will revive 
  itself if “clinically” dead but not actually brain-dead (Rank 3+), 
  repair massive trauma such as lost limbs or organs (Rank 6+), 
  or restore the character if cut into several pieces (Rank 6+). The 
  body cannot repair itself if it is blown to bits or disintegrated, 
  however.
  Resistance
  Cost: 
  5 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  The character gains 1 Special 
  Defense/Rank
  A character with this Ability is resistant or completely 
  immune to a speciﬁc type of uncommon ailment or injury, 
  normally one whose effects are otherwise insidious in nature. 
  Resistance can be acquired multiple times to represent a character 
  who is resistant or immune to different kinds of attacks/events.
  If a category is assigned one Rank, the character is partially 
  resistant; for two Ranks, the character has complete or enhanced 
  resistance. For ability to survive under harsh physical conditions, 
  see 
  the 
  Adaptation 
  A b i l i t y . 
  S e v e r a l 
  examples 
  of 
  Resistances 
  and 
  their 
  effects 
  are 
  shown. 
  The 
  GM 
  and 
  players 
  are 
  encouraged to 
  develop their 
  own as well.
  Sixth Sense
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  The character gains 
  1 Sixth Sense/Rank
  Some characters have the ability to detect 
  things that are hidden to normal senses or 
  Table: Sample Resistances
  Effect 
  1 Rank 
  2 Ranks
  Ageing 
  Ages slowly 
  Does not age
  Air/Oxygen to Breathe 
  Survive in low-oxygen environment 
  Does not breathe
  Hunger 
  Need to eat once every 2-4 days 
  Never need to eat
  One Type of Damage 
  +3 DEF 
  +6 DEF
  Pain 
  Unwanted sensation is reduced 
  No pain is felt
  Sleep 
  Sleep once every 3-7 days 
  Never need to sleep
  Speciﬁc Attack Ability 
  +3 DEF 
  +6 DEF
  19
  
  technological sensors, while others have afﬁnities for speciﬁc 
  objects or people. Sixth Sense typically represents psychic or 
  magical ability, but can also reﬂect trained and acute senses or 
  divine intervention.
  The character may sense one particular category of 
  phenomena per Rank. The player should deﬁne the category 
  with the GM’s approval (Sixth Sense is very much a GM-
  deﬁned ability). As a guideline, the character is automatically 
  alerted when something his or her Sixth Sense detects is in close 
  proximity (roughly 20 foot radius area). The GM may require a 
  Mind Check to do this, with difﬁculty modiﬁers depending on 
  the strength of the source of whatever emanations the character 
  can sense. In some cases, the GM may allow detection at greater 
  distances if the source is very strong. The GM should give a 
  bonus (+2 modiﬁer or more) if the character is touching the 
  source.
  A character who speciﬁcally concentrates on using his or her 
  Sixth Sense may gain more precise information on a successful 
  Mind Check. The exact content of this information is up to the 
  GM. If the check succeeds, the GM may provide the character 
  with a few extra clues about the source such as “the magic is 
  coming from those buildings over there” or “you sense the evil 
  presence feels otherworldly... and hungry.” If the check fails, 
  the character will not gain any additional information unless 
  something happens, such as the phenomena becoming stronger, 
  or coming much closer. The GM should always try to use Sixth 
  Sense to plant clues that make a story more exciting, but not 
  allow it to short-circuit the process of discovery in a mystery 
  plot.
  Examples of phenomena to which the character may 
  be sensitive include astral/ethereal beings, danger, Pocket 
  Dimensions, electricity, elements, emotions, evil, illusions, 
  interpersonal dynamics, magic, magnetics, paranormal nexus 
  points, particular objects, places of power, psionics, spirits, 
  telepathy, truth, virtue, or the use of speciﬁc Abilities or 
  Disabilities.
  Precognition and Post-cognition
  Alternatively, Sixth Sense can be assigned to represent 
  precognition and post-cognition — the ability to access visions 
  of past and future events. This option is a GM-deﬁned Ability, 
  however, which allows him or her limit its application and scope 
  within the campaign. For precognition and postcognition, the 
  Ability’s Rank reﬂects the maximum time difference between 
  the present situation and a perceived future or past event (the 
  higher the Rank, the longer the time difference). Low-Ranking 
  character may only perceive events within minutes or hours of 
  the current time; high-Ranking characters can extend this time 
  to hundreds or even thousands of years.  For either of these types 
  of powers, the GM may want to consider modeling them on the 
  Awareness Ability (pg. 8) where, you make a Mind + Sixth 
  Sense Ranks check vs. a TN to determine if your character is 
  able to view either the past or the future.
  Skill Specialist
  Cost: 
  1 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Your character receives a +1 to a 
  speciﬁed skill when dealing with specialized knowledge/Rank
  This Ability can be applied to any of the Skills except for 
  the Combat skill. When taken, you must list the specialized 
  knowledge or training possessed by your character that is 
  represented by this Ability. A character must have at least 
  one rank in a skill before they can have a Skill Specialist that 
  modiﬁes that skill.
  Examples: A character who is a rocket scientist with 
  the Science skill with a score of +5 may have Skill Specialist 
  (Science - Rocketry) +2. This means that when the character is 
  trying to ﬁgure out a problem with a rocket’s propulsion system, 
  their skill score would be +7 instead of the base +5. 
  A character who is a solider and who has the Military 
  Science skill with a score of +4 is a real military history buff. 
  By taking Skill Specialist (Military Science – Military History) 
  at +3, their effective skill when dealing with a matter of military 
  history would be +7.
  Special Attack
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Your character possesses an attack 
  that delivers 1d6 damage/Rank
  Characters sometimes wield powerful offensive energies, 
  such as electric zaps, magical ﬁreballs, ki-powered martial arts 
  strikes, or energy swords. Some characters, such as cyborgs or 
  robots may have guns, missiles, or beam weapons built into their 
  bodies.
  A Special Attack should always be given a descriptive name 
  such as “90mm Auto-Cannon” or “Raging Thunder Dragon 
  Fist.” Actually hitting something with the Special Attack 
  requires that the character have the Combat skill (or Athletics at 
  -3). The character’s Ranks in Special Attack can be applied to 
  the Combat skill roll as a modiﬁer when your character is trying 
  to hit someone or something.
  Special Attack Extras
  The following are extras that can be applied to your 
  character’s Special Attack. These extras make your character’s 
  Special Attack less generic, but they also make them more 
  expensive. Each extra applied to a Special Attack increases 
  the cost of by +1 per Rank. For example, one extra would give 
  the Special Attack a cost of 5 Points/Rank instead of 4 Points/
  Rank.
  The extras are:
  • 
  Homing: This allows the Special Attack to follow a 
  special target, which you specify when the attack is 
  ﬁrst made. Anyone who is speciﬁed as the target of 
  Homing Special Attack receives a –5 to their Defense 
  score for the attack.
  • 
  Bending: This extra allows the Special Attack to go 
  around corners or obstacles (but will not follow a 
  target, that requires Homing, above). Each bend that 
  an attack can make (up to 90° per bend) requires this 
  20
  
  extra to be applied multiple times.
  • 
  Area Effect: Each time this extra is applied to your 
  character’s Special Attack, the attack is able to effect 
  the area of a circle with a ﬁve foot radius. Each Area 
  Effect increases this circle’s radius by an additional 
  ﬁve feet.
  • 
  Delay: With this extra you are able to delay when a 
  Special Attack takes effect. The delay is stated when 
  the attack is made. The determination of whether or 
  not a Special Attack hits is made when the time has 
  past. Typically Delays are of a Turn or two.
  • 
  Deadly: Each time this extra is applied to the Special 
  Attack, the target’s Toughness or Armor is reduced 
  by 5 points. This does not make the Special Attack 
  do more damage, it just makes targets less resistant 
  to it.
  With the GM’s approval, Scale can be applied to your 
  character’s Special Attacks (see Scale pg. 25). If that is the 
  case, then Scaled Special Attacks cost 9 Points/Rank (for Scale 
  1 or higher). Any Scale 0 Special Attack still only costs the 
  base 4 Points/Rank. Apply the Strength Modiﬁer for the Scale 
  purchased to any damage from the attack.
  Special Movement
  Cost: 
  3 Point/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  The character gains 1 type of 
  movement/Rank
  This Ability is appropriate for characters such as non-
  humans, super martial artists or super ninja who may possess 
  exotic ki-based abilities that let them perform unusual stunts like 
  running over water, etc. The character may select one special 
  movement ability for every Rank of this Ability. GMs may also 
  develop a selection of other special movement abilities. 
  • 
  Cat-Like
  The character will take half damage (round down) from 
  most falls and always lands on his or her feet.
  • 
  Dimension Hop
  Upon a successful Mind Check against TN 20, your character 
  can instantly travel between his or her home dimension to one 
  other dimension, such as Heaven, Hell, an alternate Earth, the 
  astral plane (the body is left behind), etc. Each time this method 
  is assigned, the character can travel to another single dimension. 
  The GM should determine if Dimension Hop is appropriate for 
  his or her campaign. The GM is the ﬁnal arbitrator over what 
  dimensions are legal in the campaign’s “multiversal” setting. 
  Dimension Hop can also be deﬁned as the power to travel through 
  time. When traveling through time, the amount by which the roll 
  misses the TN is the amount of time by which your character 
  “misses” the target time, and the amount missed can be days, 
  months or even years!
  • 
  Light-Footed
  The character can skim over sand, snow, or ice at full 
  speed.
  • 
  Slithering
  The character can slither along the ground at normal walking/
  running speeds. This allows a character to move quickly while 
  maintaining a very low proﬁle.
  • 
  Swinging/Brachiating
  The character can swing through forests and cities (areas 
  with natural or artiﬁcial structures above swinging height) using 
  vines/ropes/webbing or simply his or her arms.
  • 
  Untrackable
  The character never leaves footprints, tracks, or a scent 
  when he or she walks or runs.
  • 
  Wall-Bouncing
  The character can move at regular walking speed without 
  touching the ground by bounding back and forth between nearby 
  vertical surfaces (walls). For example, he or she can proceed 
  down hallways or climb an alleyway between two buildings 
  (bouncing from wall to wall).
  • 
  Wall-Crawling 
  The character can cling to walls or ceilings as though 
  they were on the ground or ﬂoor. This counts as two Special 
  Movement abilities.
  • 
  Water-Walking
  The character can run over water as if he or she were on 
  land. Speedsters often have this special movement. This counts 
  as two Special Movement abilities.
  • 
  Zen Direction
  When the character opens his or her mind to the natural 
  world, he or she should always move in the “right” direction. The 
  “right” direction is not always the desired direction, however.
  Speed
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Body
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  A character with the Speed Ability can do many things 
  much faster than a normal character. Add the character’s Ranks 
  in Speed to the character’s INI and when ﬁguring initiative 
  for any combat situations. Also, add half of the Ranks of this 
  Ability (round down) to the character’s Defense. For every two 
  ranks of Speed, your character receives one Extra Action (as per 
  the Extra Action Ability pg. 12). Ranks in Speed are a bonus 
  to the character’s base Move, but only when using this Ability. 
  This would not be a permanent change to the character’s Move 
  score.
  Many characters with Speed are encouraged to also 
  purchase one or more Ranks in the following Abilities: 
  Heightened Awareness, Massive Damage, Regeneration, or 
  Special Movement. These Abilities do not come automatically 
  with the purchase of the Speed Ability, and are often possessed 
  by “speedster” characters. 
  Telekinesis
  Cost: 
  4 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind 
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  The character can concentrate on an object 
  and move it without physically touching it. 
  Telekinesis may represent psionic ability, magic, 
  or some form of tractor beam. Characters with the 
  ability to magically control a particular element 
  (Earth, Water, etc.) may also use Telekinesis to 
  21
  
  represent their particular ability.
  A character using Telekinesis can lift an object or group of 
  adjacent objects and move it at walking speed or manipulate 
  it with the reﬂexes of a human hand. Telekinesis works over 
  a close distance (up to about 15 feet) at full strength; effective 
  strength declines by one Rank if used within a short range (up 
  to 50 feet), or by two Ranks if used at medium range (up to 
  500 feet). Ranges multiply by 1,000 in space. The weight that a 
  character can lift depends on his or her Rank, as does the degree 
  of ﬁne motor control.
  The character can also levitate an object (or group of 
  objects) and have it strike another person as if it were a short-
  ranged thrown weapon. The weight Telekinesis can lift is 
  reduced by a factor of 10 when throwing an object hard enough 
  to inﬂict damage. For example, a character with Rank 5 could 
  lift up to 10 tons but could only throw objects weighing up to 1 
  ton. This is treated as a normal attack and thus can be negated 
  by a successful Defense roll. Damage depends on the weight 
  of the object hurled: 1d6 damage for an object weighing up to 
  2 pounds, 1d6+3 damage for up to 20 pounds, 2d6 damage for 
  one up to 200 pounds, 2d6+3 damage for one up to one ton, and 
  so on. The same damage applies to the object being hurled. If 
  Telekinesis is used to directly crush or constrict a target, damage 
  delivered equals 2 Points/Rank.
  A character who uses Telekinesis to grab another person 
  and throw him or her uses the same procedure, but this requires a 
  successful Combat Skill check against a TN equal to the target’s 
  Defense roll. Accurately tossing an opponent so that he or she 
  hits another target requires a successful to hit roll. If attempting 
  to disarm a character with Telekinesis, the subject should be 
  allowed a Body check against TN 12 + 1 per Telekinesis Rank to 
  retain the weapon. If a character wishes to ﬂy at speed exceeding 
  30 feet/round, he or she needs Flight rather than Telekinesis.
  The base weight that a character can lift with Rank 1 
  Telekinesis is 2 pounds. Each Rank past the ﬁrst is a x10 
  multiplier to that base weight. The multipliers are cumulative.
  Telepathy
  Cost: 
  1-3 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Telepathy is the classic psionic ability, and characters with 
  ESP powers often possess it. Versions of telepathy may also 
  represent other magical capabilities; demons who can tempt 
  their victims often possess Telepathy, for example.
  Telepathy costs 1 Point/Rank if its utility is quite restricted 
  (for example, “only works with canines” or “only with close 
  friends”). It costs 2 Points/Rank if its utility is somewhat 
  restricted (for example, “only with humans” or “only with 
  beasts”). It costs 3 Points/Rank if it has universal utility.
  This Ability allows the character to read and transmit 
  thoughts, and at higher Ranks, to actually “invade” a person’s 
  mind and probe their memories or alter their 
  thoughts. Telepathy normally works only 
  if a subject is in sight, or can be otherwise 
  perceived (touched, heard, etc.). If the subject is 
  beyond normal perceptions, mental invasion is 
  impossible, while transmitting thoughts, reading 
  surface thoughts or sharing the subject’s sensory impressions 
  only works if that particular subject is someone the character 
  is close to, such as a parent, sibling, long-term co-worker, close 
  friend, or lover.
  A subject cannot detect a telepath reading thoughts or 
  sensory impressions unless he or she has the Telepathy or Mind 
  Shield Ability at an equal or higher Rank. If so, he or she can 
  choose to block the telepath (or attempt to block it with the Mind 
  Shield), in which case the only way to get through is via mental 
  invasion. A subject should always be aware of a mental invasion 
  (although a non-telepath may not understand exactly what is 
  going on).
  Rank 1 
  The character can, by concentrating, use mind reading 
  to pick up the “loud” surface thoughts of a particular 
  subject. A “loud” thought is something about which 
  the subject is thinking hard or that has a very strong 
  emotional content. The character can also transmit 
  a single feeling, such as “fear” or “love” to another 
  person.
  Rank 2 
  The character can, by concentrating, use mind 
  reading to pick up the ordinary surface thoughts of a 
  particular subject. The character can only read what a 
  person is actually thinking at the time. Two telepaths 
  can communicate with one another at conversational 
  speeds by reading each other’s thoughts. The 
  character can also transmit a word, simple image, or 
  simple concept (like “ﬂower” or a person’s face) to 
  a non-telepath on which he or she concentrates. It 
  requires an entire round of concentration to convey 
  one concept, which makes telepath to non-telepath 
  communication slow.
  Rank 3 
  The character can, by concentrating, pick up a single 
  subject’s surface thoughts and sensory impressions 
  (i.e., see through a subject’s eyes, feel what he or 
  she feels, etc.). The character can choose to edit out 
  some senses if desired. Alternatively, the character 
  can concentrate and read “loud” surface thoughts 
  from 2-6 people. The character can transmit sub-
  vocalized speech to a single non-telepath at normal 
  conversational speeds or send a single powerful 
  image or word to 2-6 people.
  Rank 4 
  The character has the same capabilities as at Rank 3 
  Telepathy. In addition, he or she can invade another 
  person’s mind. This counts as an attack, and if the 
  subject is unwilling or unaware, the character should 
  enter Mind Combat with him or her. If the subject is 
  willing or loses the mental combat, the telepath can 
  probe his or her memory for information he or she 
  needs. The character should also instinctively read 
  “loud” surface thoughts of anyone he or she touches 
  (unless deliberately blocking the ability) without any 
  need for concentration. The character can transmit 
  thoughts at conversational speeds to 2-6 people at a 
  time, simultaneously.
  22
  
  Teleport
  Cost: 
  5 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: Mind
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  Teleport enables the character to transport him or herself 
  instantly from place to place without crossing the intervening 
  space. It is a common ability for psionic anime characters and 
  not unusual for sorcerers and various super humans.
  Teleporting is only possible if the character has visited the 
  intended destination or can clearly see or otherwise sense the 
  destination (possibly through the Heightened Senses or Sixth 
  Sense Abilities). The GM may allow characters to teleport to 
  unknown destinations (such as “100 yards up” or “to the other 
  side of the door”), perhaps for an additional 1 or 2 Character 
  Points total. Accidentally teleporting into a solid object may 
  be fatal or simply cause a failed teleport at the GM’s option. 
  A character can carry anything while teleporting that he or she 
  could normally carry.
  Teleporting is much quicker than any other means of travel 
  (Flight, Space Flight, etc.), however, it is often risky. In order 
  to teleport beyond the “safe distance” of your character, make a 
  Mind Attribute check against TN 15 (Ranks of Enhanced Intellect 
  can modify this check). Failure means the character ends up in 
  the wrong place (GM option) and his or her power “burns out” 
  or “malfunctions” for hours or days.
  When Teleport is ﬁrst assigned, the GM may ask the player 
  to decide if velocity (speed and direction) is 
  conserved during travel. Alternatively, the 
  character might adapt velocity to each Teleport 
  individually. In many campaigns, the effects of 
  velocity should simply be ignored.
  The distance that your character can teleport 
  23
  Mind combat is a special type of conﬂict that uses the 
  Telepathy Ability to forcibly invade another’s mind. This 
  mental conﬂict, however, is a clashing of two psyches, each 
  struggling to subdue the other — it is akin to two people 
  getting into a mental ﬁst ﬁght. Mental combat can become 
  lethal if either person begins tearing down neural pathways, 
  erasing memories, or destroying brain cells. Physical strength 
  does not play a role in this battle, only the power of the mind. 
  Each turn of mind combat covers the same amount of time as 
  one turn of physical combat.
  Mind combat can only be carried out once mental contact 
  has been established, usually using the Telepathy Ability. 
  Once two minds have touched, the initiator of the contact 
  may withdraw at any time. Alternatively, physical damage to 
  the initiator or perhaps use of an appropriate Item of Power 
  can break the contact. For the target to break unwanted mind 
  contact, the player cannot initiate any other actions for one 
  round and must make a successful Mind check against a TN 
  of 15 plus the attacker’s Telepathy Ability Rank. If the check 
  is successful, the aggressor is forced from the character’s 
  mind and the mind combat ends immediately.
  If any character in mental contact forfeits all physical 
  actions for the round, he or she can attack through mind 
  combat. A successful attack requires the player to make a 
  successful Mind check against a TN of 12 plus any bonuses 
  from Mind Shield or other appropriate abilities. The GM 
  has the option of modifying the TN should the attack be 
  particularly easy or difﬁcult.
  The psychic damage of a successful attack is equal to 
  the attacker’s Ranks in the Telepathy Ability. The damage 
  is removed from the target’s Life points. However there is 
  no actual damage that occurs to the target, this “damage” is 
  purely for the purposes of determining the mental “status” of 
  the target. If a character is ever reduced to or below zero Life 
  points while in mind combat, his or her mind has been broken 
  and is now at the mercy of the opponent. The victor can end 
  the character’s life, search through memories, plant powerful 
  suggestions, erase thoughts, or simply render the character 
  unconscious. Any changes to a character’s mind (other than 
  death) will remain until reversed by another character skilled 
  in the Telepathy Ability. The GM should decide exactly how 
  this must be accomplished. Role-playing a character whose 
  mind has been altered is challenging but can also be very 
  rewarding when played with consistency.
  A telepath who wishes to alter a target’s mind after winning 
  a mind combat battle must spend a great deal of time to alter 
  it. Minor changes such as removing unimportant memories 
  or implanting unessential false memories can take a couple 
  of hours. Massive changes, such as instilling (or removing) a 
  prejudice or phobia, rebuilding a large portion of the target’s 
  memories, or similar large scale remodelling should take days 
  to complete. Characters may rush the procedure, if pressed, 
  but there is a risk of the alteration failing over time. The 
  target may notice a gap in his or her memory and question 
  what happened, or a personality adjustment (new phobia, 
  for example) may weaken over time. If the character wishes 
  to perform a change quickly, the character may perform 
  minor changes in a matter of rounds while the character can 
  accomplish massive changes in about an hour.
  When a character attempts to alter a target’s mind, he or 
  she must make a Focus Skill check against a TN appropriate 
  for the extent of the change; 12 for minor changes, 18 for 
  major changes, 24+ for massive changes. The GM may 
  increase the TN further if the alteration is particularly severe 
  or drastic. The character’s margin of success determines how 
  long the modiﬁcation lasts, measured in years if the character 
  took his or her time with the procedure or measured in days 
  if the character rushed things. GMs should make this Skill 
  check secretly and not inform the player of the result unless 
  it is a failure — he or she will not know how long the change 
  will hold, only that it has occurred or not.
  The Mind Shield Ability provides a bonus to the 
  character’s attempt to resist mind combat and mental 
  alterations, as well as Armor against mind combat damage.
  
  is determined by the number of Ranks in this Ability. The base 
  distance (given by Rank 1) is 5 miles, with a safe distance of 30 
  feet. Each additional Rank is a cumulative x10 modiﬁer to these 
  distances.
  Tough
  Cost: 
  2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: 
  Body
  Progression:  
  +1 to TGH/Rank
  Possessing this Ability increases the Toughness of the 
  character, allowing him or her to withstand more damage in 
  combat.  The character permanently gains one additional die 
  (1d6) of points to their Life Points, when this Ability is taken. 
  This is a one time only bonus.
  GMs should probably not allow just the Toughness bonus 
  from this Ability to have Scale applied to it. The character will 
  rapidly become complicated as everyone tries to remember which 
  of the character’s Toughness is which Scale and is affected how. 
  Only apply Scale to the character’s total Toughness, after any 
  bonuses from this Ability have been applied to it.
  Unique Ability
  Cost:  
  1-5 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute:  
  Varies
  Progression:  
  Descriptive; see below
  This Ability covers any abilities not detailed in the rules. 
  Often a single Point is sufﬁcient to give the character “ﬂavor,” 
  but more Points can be allocated to enhance the effects on game 
  play and must be added if the Attribute would be of considerable 
  beneﬁt. Discuss the Attribute with the GM to determine what 
  speciﬁc game effects the Attribute possesses. 
  The GM should assign a Point cost per Rank based on how 
  the Attribute compares to other Attributes and how useful it is. 
  In general, an Attribute that is somewhat useful in the game 
  should cost 1 Point/Rank, one that is very useful should cost 2-3 
  Points/Rank, and one that is extremely useful should cost 4-5 
  Points/Rank (or more).
  Rank 1  
  The Attribute has little character or game effect.
  Rank 2  
  The Attribute has a moderate character or game 
  effect.
  Rank 3  
  The Attribute has a large character or game effect.
  Rank 4  
  The Attribute has a major character or game effect.
  Rank 5  
  The Attribute has an extreme effect on the character 
  or game.
  Rank 6  
  The Attribute has a primal effect on the character or 
  game.
  Water Speed
  Cost: 
  2 Points/Rank
  Relevant Attribute: None
  Progression: 
  Descriptive; see below
  A character with Water Speed can ﬂoat and travel on or 
  under water. The character can swim on the surface at high 
  speeds and dive underwater for brief periods by 
  holding his or her breath, or indeﬁnitely if he or 
  she has the Adaptation (Underwater) Ability. To 
  survive the pressure associated with deep diving, 
  the Adaptation (Pressure) Ability must also be 
  assigned. Also, depending on the speed at which the character 
  is moving, opponents may suffer a penalty to hit the character. 
  A character without Water Speed can still swim but much more 
  slowly (about 2 mph).
  You character has a base water speed equal to their Move. 
  This is what Rank 1 of Water Speed gives to your character and 
  each Rank past the ﬁrst doubles your character’s water speed. 
  It is important to note that without this Ability, your character’s 
  swimming speed would be one half of their Move.
  Scale
  Scale works in a manner that is similar to Abilities, but in 
  a way that is different enough for it to warrant its own section 
  within the rules. Scale can potentially be the most complicated 
  part of these rules. However, like the rest of the Open Core 
  Quick system rules, it is easy to master and opens up a wealth of 
  possibilities for your characters and campaigns.
  Scale is a simple way to simulate those characters, weapons 
  and vehicles that are, simply put, not on the same “scale” with 
  each other. Whenever a super human ﬁghts against a normal 
  human, or when a super human attempts to ﬁght against an 
  enormous extra-dimensional being, Scale allows these two 
  characters to work on the same rating system but at the same 
  time be on different power levels (different of course from 
  the Power Level rules for characters on pg. 3…those are not 
  effective by Scale). 
  Some campaigns will have characters (or animals, monsters, 
  etc.) with traits beyond the human norm. In particular, characters 
  with Strength and Speed well above or below the human range 
  are common in role-playing games. Examples include giants, 
  superheroes, pixies, aliens, ogres, intelligent rabbits, robots, etc. 
  Humans are of Scale 0, unless some other race is the game-world 
  norm. (i.e., if all the PCs are playing pixies or giants. In these 
  cases, the PCs’ race is Scale 0, and humans would be a different 
  Scale.) Non-human races can have a positive or negative number 
  for Scale, depending on whether they are stronger (or bigger or 
  faster) or weaker (or smaller or slower) than humans.
  Designer’s Notes: Scale
  Scale is where the Open Core Quick system gets 
  complicated. However, this complication goes away with a little 
  bit of practice. Stop and make sure that you read this section of 
  the rules a bit more carefully than you would any other part of 
  this game, just to make sure that you understand the basics of 
  how Scale works in the Open Core Quick rules.
  In a “real world” context, a good example of how Scale 
  works would be a person (Scale 0) killing a mosquito (say Scale 
  –10). This allows us to keep the basic “scale” of the Attributes 
  in the Open Core Quick system (which is 1-10) and at the same 
  time allow that basic “scale” (I know that keeping Scale with a 
  capital “s” and scale with a lower case “s” is probably one of the 
  things making this explanation complicated) to cover all of the 
  potential shapes, sizes and creatures that can be produced under 
  these rules. Without these Scale rules, the Attribute scale could 
  very easily stretch from –100 all the way up to 100 (or 1,000 or 
  more) just to cover all of the potential possibilities of character 
  and creature types. And then how exactly do we know what is the 
  24
  
  “average” score? Is it 3, 5, or even 10? And is that the average 
  score for humans, horses, tanks, or bloody-thirsty Orcs?
  No, that isn’t very simple at all.
  With the Scale rules, we are able to say that an Attribute 
  score of 3 is our “average” or “normal” score, while 10 represents 
  the maximum optimum potential. Then, Scale is applied to that. 
  First, the GM needs to determine what the “average” race or 
  species would be in a campaign setting. For most campaigns, and 
  the default assumption of this ruleset, humans are the average 
  and are therefore the Scale 0 default species. The great thing 
  about the ﬂexibility of Open Core Quick and Scale is that this 
  can easily be changed for a campaign that is about ants, bunnies, 
  or even the legendary giants of fairy tales.
  Scale ties a lot of different concepts together, but as long 
  as you and the GM have a clear understanding of how it applies 
  to a character, creature, or object it can become very simple. 
  At its fundamental, Scale represents the strength and durability 
  of your character. A Scale 3 character is stronger and tougher 
  than a Scale 0 character, and a Scale 9 character is stronger and 
  tougher than both of those other characters put together. Not 
  only does the Scale 9 character do a lot more damage to the 
  Scale 0 character (see below for a more detailed example of how 
  Scale works in combat) but because of that greater strength, the 
  toughness of the Scale 0 character is not quite as tough when 
  facing that Scale 9 character.
  In addition to representing greater strength and durability, 
  the Scale of a character also represents the overall size of your 
  character as well. If the “average” in a campaign is a 6’ tall male, 
  then a Scale 3 male would be 21’ in height and a Scale –2 male 
  would be 3’ in height. To determine this, simply multiply the 
  average height by the Mass Multiplier for the particular Scale.
  Strength and Mass
  Strength Scale can potentially represent a number of things. 
  In a campaign with super beings, it can represent the between a 
  normal human and a super-powered alien visitor given superior 
  strength and durability by their tougher genetic structure. Each 
  “Rank” of Scale represents a multiplier of x1.5. So, a normal 
  human is the above example is Scale 0 and has a Body of 5 
  (roughly average) so his damage with a punch would be 5d6. 
  A “low-powered” super-human with a Scale 1 and a Body of 5 
  would still do 5d6 points of damage with a punch, but the ﬁnal 
  total of damage would then have the x1.5 Scale multiplier applied 
  to it. So, in this example, if the super-human did 15 points of 
  damage with his punch, the ﬁnal result would be 22.5 (rounded 
  up) for 23 points of damage. Not a large amount of difference at 
  this level, but when the Scale differences between two characters 
  or objects is greater it will be much more noticeable. Whenever 
  applying the Strength Multiplier to damage, always round up to 
  the next whole number.
  The Mass Multiplier is applied to the Toughness of a 
  character, to represent a more massive and stronger character. 
  So, a character who is Scale 2 who has a Toughness of 6 has an 
  adjusted Toughness of 8. This can rapidly add up. A character 
  can also have differing Scales for Strength or for Mass, if the 
  GM allows. Whenever applying the Mass Multiplier to damage, 
  always round off any fractional results.
  An important thing to remember when 
  dealing with a combat between two (or more!) 
  people or vehicles of differing Scales, when 
  someone or something with a higher Scale is 
  attacking someone or something of a lower scale, 
  25
  
  the Strength multiplier becomes a divisor to the Toughness of the 
  defender. Continuing with the above example, the Scale 1 super-
  human punches the Scale 0 normal human, who has a Toughness 
  of 5. The super-human’s Strength Multiplier of x1.5 becomes a 
  divisor to the human Toughness of 5, making it a Toughness of 3 
  (rounded off). Suddenly, those 23 points of damage done by the 
  punch of the super-human look a lot more potent! 
  Another important thing to remember during combat 
  between that the damage from any attacks against a higher Mass 
  Scale are reduced by the Strength Multiplier of that Scale before 
  they are applied to the character or vehicle. Scale works both 
  ways, always making characters and vehicles of a higher Scale 
  tougher opponents against those of a lower Scale.
  Whenever characters, vehicles, or whatever the combatants 
  may be are on the same Scale (regardless of what that Scale 
  may be) they should all be treated as if they are Scale 0. No 
  multipliers should be applied to damage or to Toughness.
  Scale Table
  Cost of Scale
  Scale is basically purchased in the equivalent of “ranks,” 
  like Abilities are purchased. Each Scale costs 5 Character Points 
  to purchase. This is only for Scale that applies to a character’s 
  Strength. You can also use Scale for characters that are larger 
  or smaller than human size (assuming 6’ as the average male 
  height and 5’6”for an average female) by applying the Strength 
  Multiplier for that Scale to the height of the character. There are 
  Disabilities that can effect the height of the character, and these 
  are applied before any Scale multipliers. Using Scale for height 
  costs 3 Character Points per “rank” of Scale.
  Disabilities
  Disabilities are disadvantages through which your character 
  must suffer in order to overcome the hardships of day-to-day life. 
  Disabilities serve as an excellent and often comical role-playing 
  opportunity. They only impede your character to a limited extent 
  and are not intended to totally negate his or her many abilities.
  By taking a character Disability you can gain up to two (or 
  occasionally more) Character Points (CP) to increase Attribute 
  Scores or Abilities Ranks, or select additional Abilities. The 
  number of Points you receive is directly proportional to how 
  much the Disability hinders your character; Disabilities that 
  do not inﬂict a signiﬁcant disadvantage (such as a weakness to 
  bullets made from the earth of planet Neptune) are not worth 
  any CP. 
  It is recommended that you assign two to ﬁve Disabilities 
  to a Character.
  Tapping Disabilities
  Tapping Disabilities is an optional rule, and not for all 
  play groups. This rule helps to spread the narrative control of a 
  campaign between the GM and the players. Not all players are 
  comfortable with this active of a level of play, and that is why 
  this rule is optional.
  Tapping a Disability is a method to allow you and the other 
  players input in the GM’s scenario. Disabilities are primarily 
  considered by some to be a way in which to gain additional 
  Character Points, but by using this optional rule Disabilities can 
  become a method for you and the other players to take an active 
  part in telling the story of the campaign.
  Obviously this requires a GM with the ﬂexibility to be able 
  to quickly work with potential scene editing by the players. When 
  Tapping a Disability, you are suggesting scenes to the GM for a 
  session. These scenes spotlight your character in some manner, 
  through the framework of your character’s Disabilities. Tapping 
  Disabilities also requires that the players want to take an active 
  part in shaping the campaign and their character. This rule will 
  not work as effectively in games where the players are more 
  passive, or are not as comfortable with asserting themselves 
  within the campaign. This has to be an all or nothing proposition 
  for the group, if not all of the players are comfortable with taking 
  this active role in things, it is not fair to those who would not be 
  if more active players are allowed to use this rule.
  Each of your character’s Disabilities may be Tapped once, 
  potentially, per session, and only once per session. Besides the 
  beneﬁt of actively participating in the campaign’s story you also 
  26
   
  Scale 
  Multipliers
   
   
  Strength 
  Mass
   
  -11 
  0.01 
  0.13
   
  -10 
  0.02 
  0.16
   
  -9 
  0.03 
  0.2
   
  -8 
  0.04 
  0.23
   
  -7 
  0.06 
  0.28
   
  -6 
  0.1 
  0.3
   
  -5 
  0.15 
  0.4
   
  -4 
  0.2 
  0.5
   
  -3 
  0.3 
  0.6
   
  -2 
  0.5 
  0.7
   
  -1 
  0.7 
  0.8
   
  0 
  1 
  1
   
  1 
  1.5 
  1.2
   
  2 
  2.3 
  1.4
   
  3 
  3.5 
  1.7
   
  4 
  5 
  2
   
  5 
  7.5 
  2.5
   
  6 
  10 
  3
   
  7 
  15 
  3.5
   
  8 
  25 
  4
   
  9 
  40 
  5
   
  10 
  60 
  6
   
  11 
  90 
  7.5
   
  12 
  130 
  9
   
  13 
  200 
  11
   
  14 
  300 
  13
   
  15 
  450 
  15
   
  16 
  650 
  18
   
  17 
  1000 
  22
   
  18 
  1500 
  27
   
  19 
  2500 
  32
   20 
  4000 
  38
   21  
  6000 
  44
   22  
  9000 
  51
  
  receive a number of temporary Action Points for your character. 
  When a Disability is Tapped you receive for your character 
  a number of temporary Action Points equal to the amount of 
  Character points that your character gained when the Disability 
  was taken during character creation.
  These Action Points gained through Tapping are only 
  temporary and expire at the end of a game session if not used 
  during the session. Action Points gained in this way can never 
  be carried over to the next session.
  Example:
  Sean’s character, Mega-Man, has the Nemesis (2 CP) and 
  Signiﬁcant Other (1 CP) Disabilities. Thinking that he wants a 
  confrontation with his character’s arch enemy, since it has been 
  a while since the villainous Nega-Man has been brought up in 
  the campaign, Sean decides to ask the GM if he can Tap his 
  Disabilities this session. At the beginning of the session, the GM 
  ask if anyone want to Tap the character’s Disabilities. Sean says 
  that he wants to Tap Mega-man’s Nemesis and Signiﬁcant Other 
  Disabilities. He adds that his idea is that Nega-man could kidnap 
  Mega-Man’s girlfriend, Kristen Scott.
  Looking over his notes for the game session the GM 
  determines that be moving things around slightly he can 
  accommodate Sean’s subplot during the session. He notes that 
  Sean has Tapped those Disabilities and give Sean three temporary 
  Action Points for the session.
  It is suggested that the GM have a period at the beginning of 
  each game session to ask the players if any of them wish to Tap 
  their character’s Disabilities. This allows the GM to be able to 
  accommodate the suggested subplots of the players.
  The GM may ask to commute a player’s subplot to the 
  next session, if for some reason it will not ﬁt in with the current 
  session. If this is the case, the Action Points that would be 
  received are also commuted to the next session. However, the 
  player does receive two temporary Action Points for the current 
  session in return.
  It is important to note that when your character’s 
  Disabilities come up normally in play, such as an Impulsive 
  character recklessly jumping into combat or another dangerous 
  situation, is not the same as Tapping that Disability to enhance 
  the narrative of th campaign. These uses of Disabilities do not 
  garner the temporary Action Points.
  Tapping Disabilities is away for you, the other players, 
  and the GM to be able to make the campaign much more 
  collaborative in its focus and allowing you and the other players 
  to have more input into how the stories of the campaign are 
  told. This can be a bit daunting at ﬁrst, particularly with some 
  inexperienced players, but with time and practice everyone in 
  the group can ﬁnd that this adds extra dimension and fullness to 
  ongoing games.
  It is not required that you (or any of the other 
  players) Tap your character’s Disabilities every 
  game session, as it may, at times, disrupt the 
  ﬂow of the campaign or even be inappropriate 
  at times. For example, if the campaign has the 
  27
  
  characters stranded on a desert island, Tapping your character’s 
  Duty Disability to have him foil a bank robbery would be 
  inappropriate to the session. In cases of inappropriateness, the 
  GM has the ability to outright veto a subplot, or to ask you to 
  come up with something more appropriate to the situation.
  Disabilities List
  Achilles Heel
  The character loses twice as many Life Points as normal 
  from a particular attack form, which must ﬁt with the character 
  concept. It might be something with appropriate mystic resonance, 
  such as wooden stakes for vampires or silver for werewolves. It 
  could also reﬂect the character’s nature such as a robot taking 
  extra damage from water (as it causes short circuits), or an 
  alien’s weakness to weapons from his or her home planet. The 
  GM must approve any Achilles Heel Disabilities. A character 
  may have an Achilles Heel to either a common, uncommon, or 
  rare attack form (in the context of the campaign).
  1 CP 
  The attack form is rare.
  2 CP 
  The attack form is uncommon.
  Bane
  A character with the Bane Disability is vulnerable to an 
  otherwise non-damaging substance such as water, sunlight, or a 
  speciﬁc element, material, or object. The Bane should relate to 
  the character’s background or powers in some way. For example, 
  a ﬁre demon’s bane might be water, while myths indicate that a 
  vampire suffers damage when touched by a cruciﬁx. 
  The character suffers damage if his or her skin is physically 
  touched by the Bane. If the Bane does not require direct physical 
  contact (such as sunlight, seeing one’s reﬂection, hearing the 
  noise of a church or temple bell, or having the Bane in close 
  proximity), the damage is halved. Alternatively, if the Bane only 
  affects the character when ingested, the damage is doubled. 
  Finally, the damage rating assumes that the Bane is common, 
  such as water, sunlight, steel, or wood. If it is less common such 
  as a holy symbol, Buddhist scripture, or rare element, the damage 
  is also doubled. If it is even more rare, such as one particular 
  artifact, the damage may be tripled or quadrupled.
  1 CP 
  The Bane causes minor damage (1d6/round of 
  exposure).
  2 CP 
  The Bane causes moderate damage (2d6/
  round of exposure).
  Blind Fury
  Under speciﬁc conditions selected by the player (and 
  approved by the GM), the character will enter a state of 
  unbridled anger. While enraged, the character will furiously 
  attack the closest person, whether that individual is a friend or 
  foe. Once that person is defeated or ﬂees, the berserk character 
  will attack the next closest “threat.” Examples of conditions that 
  might initiate Blind Fury include: receiving a certain amount 
  of damage, sight of blood, a speciﬁc sound or 
  smell, being outnumbered in combat, seeing a 
  friend in mortal danger, confrontation with a 
  speciﬁc opponent, etc.
  The character can only return to a normal 
  emotional state under another speciﬁc condition. This return 
  could involve a Willpower save, or could be an automatic 
  reversion. Examples of return conditions include: no opponents 
  in the vicinity, a speciﬁc calming technique performed by an 
  ally, solitude, injection of a particular drug, being knocked 
  unconscious, etc.
  1 CP 
  Initiating the Blind Fury is difﬁcult; reverting 
  to normal emotional state is easy.
  2 CP 
  Initiating the Blind Fury and reverting to a 
  normal emotional state are both moderately 
  difﬁcult. 
  Concentration
  The character must concentrate while using a speciﬁc Ability 
  that functions over a period of time; it does not apply to Abilities 
  with an instantaneous effect. If the character’s concentration is 
  interrupted voluntarily or by an outside event, the Ability ceases 
  to function.
  1 CP 
  The Ability requires slight concentration. 
  The character can still perform other non-
  combat actions, but cannot engage in combat 
  or use other Abilities that also require 
  Concentration.
  2 CP 
  The Ability requires intense concentration. 
  The character can move at a slow speed and 
  talk with others while using the Ability, but 
  cannot perform any complex actions or use 
  any other Ability.
  Cursed
  A Cursed character has likely offended a great being of 
  power in his or her past, or is the direct descendent of someone 
  who did (Curses often pass through bloodlines). The Curse can 
  take a near limitless number of forms, but should not provide a 
  character with an obvious advantage (remember, it’s a curse!). 
  The exact nature, background, and limitations of the Curse 
  should be discussed with the GM.
  1 CP 
  Your 
  character 
  suffers 
  from 
  a 
  slight 
  disadvantage.
  2 CP 
  Your character suffers from a moderate 
  disadvantage.
  Famous
  The character is recognizable by many people, and thus it is 
  difﬁcult for him or her to keep secrets or maintain a private life. 
  Journalists and photographers may hound the character regularly, 
  and report his or her actions on television, in newspapers, and 
  on websites. While being Famous may have some privileges 
  (preferred seating at restaurants, daily special treatment, etc.), 
  it is a signiﬁcant disadvantage for a character that maintains a 
  secret identity (such as a super hero).
  1 CP 
  Your character has regional fame.
  2 CP 
  Your character has national fame.
  Inept Attribute
  In some aspect of one of the two Core Attributes, your 
  character is less capable than the Attribute’s score would show. 
  Your character may be less graceful or dexterous, less personable 
  28
  
  or less intelligent than others. In these situations, your character 
  receives a penalty to all Attribute and Skill checks.
  1 CP 
  Your character receives a -1 to related Attribute 
  and Skill checks.
  2 CP 
  Your character receives a -2 to related Attribute 
  and Skill checks.
  Ism
  Ism is discrimination based solely on one particular aspect 
  of a character. Examples of Ism include: ageism, elitism, racism, 
  sexism, or discrimination based on education, species, genetics, 
  sexual preference, occupation, religion, physical features, etc. 
  The players and GM are strongly encouraged to discuss these 
  contentious discrimination issues, and their role in the game, 
  before play begins.
  1 CP 
  Your character experiences a small degree of 
  discrimination.
  2 CP 
  Your character experiences a large degree of 
  discrimination.
  Marked
  A character is considered Marked if his or her body hosts 
  a permanent and distinguishing design that may be difﬁcult to 
  conceal. The design may be a family symbol, an identifying 
  birthmark, a permanent scar, or a unique tattoo. If the mark is 
  not considered out of the ordinary (such as freckles or a common 
  tattoo), this Disability does not apply. Characters who are 
  obviously non-human (robotic, demonic, alien, etc.) in a setting 
  where most people are human (or vice versa) would also have 
  the Marked Disability. In a standard high-fantasy setting, none 
  of the typical races (dwarves, elves, halﬂings, etc.) have this 
  Disability.
  1 CP 
  The mark is easily concealable because it is 
  small or in an inconspicuous location.
  2 CP 
  The mark can be concealed, but this is difﬁcult 
  because it is large or in an obvious location.
  Nemesis
  The character has someone in his or her life that actively 
  interferes with goal achievement on a regular basis. This Nemesis 
  can take several forms. He or she could be a professional rival 
  such as someone competing for the favor of the character’s boss. 
  The Nemesis could also be personal; for example, a thief may 
  be pursued by a cop who devotes his or her existence to putting 
  the character behind bars. The Nemesis may even be a romantic 
  rival such as someone chasing the same person the character is 
  pursuing.
  The Nemesis should be someone who makes the character’s 
  life difﬁcult frequently (and cannot easily be removed), but the 
  Nemesis does not need to be a mortal enemy. It might be someone 
  the character loves very much, but one whom they cannot avoid. 
  An overbearing parent who lives at home is an example of this. 
  If for any reason the Nemesis is defeated or goes away, the GM 
  should create another Nemesis, unless the player also wishes to 
  use Power Points gained through advancement to eliminate the 
  Disability permanently.
  1 CP 
  The Nemesis is merely annoying and/or 
  interferes infrequently.
  2 CP 
  The Nemesis may actively try to harm the 
  character and/or interferes frequently.
  Not So Tough
  The character is less durable than his Attributes would 
  otherwise suggest. This Disability is appropriate for characters 
  with a “glass jaw,” or those who succumb to physical trauma 
  easily. Your character may not have this Disability if it would 
  reduce his or her Life Points below 1.
  1 CP  
  Your character’s Life Points are decreased by 
  5 Points.
  2 CP  
  Your character’s Life Points are decreased by 
  10 Points.
  Owned 
  Free will has little meaning for a character who is Owned 
  by a corporation, government, crime ring, or other organization 
  or individual. Control over the character can be exerted through 
  a variety of methods including blackmail, brainwashing, legal 
  contract, technology, or just highly effective propaganda. Dire 
  consequences await a character whose actions conﬂict with the 
  mandate of the owning body.
  1 CP 
  The organization has partial ownership of the 
  character; the character is subject to slight 
  punishment for opposing the owners.
  2 CP 
  The organization has signiﬁcant ownership 
  of the character; the character is subject 
  to moderate punishment for opposing the 
  owners.
  Phobia
  A Phobia is a fear (often irrational) of an event, object, or 
  person that can limit a character’s choice of actions. Avoiding 
  situations that could trigger the phobia may take a high priority 
  in the character’s life. Note that a Phobia that effectively cripples 
  the character with fear does not add constructively to the role-
  playing experience.
  1 CP 
  The character has a slight phobia or one that is 
  encountered infrequently.
  2 CP 
  The character has a moderate phobia or one 
  that is encountered frequently.
  Physical Impairment
  The character has a physical impairment that makes aspects 
  of daily life more challenging. Possible impairments include: 
  one or more missing (or unusable) limbs, loss of speech, constant 
  sickness, nagging injury, problem with one of the senses, severe 
  headaches, an android that requires frequent repairs, etc. The 
  player and GM should discuss the problems and limitations 
  associated with the impairment.
  1 CP 
  The impairment is a slight inconvenience to 
  the character.
  2 CP 
  The impairment is a moderate inconvenience 
  to the character.
  29
  
  Psychological Impairment
  The character has a psychological impairment that makes 
  aspects of daily life more challenging. Possible impairments 
  include: memory loss, depression, mania, attention deﬁcit 
  disorder, shyness, compulsive disorders, etc. The player and GM 
  should discuss the problems and limitations associated with the 
  impairment.
  1 CP 
  The impairment is a slight inconvenience to 
  the character.
  2 CP 
  The impairment is a moderate inconvenience 
  to the character.
  Recurring Nightmares
  When the Recurring Nightmare Disability haunts a character, 
  he or she has trouble sleeping at nights and functions at less-
  than-optimum performance during the day. The nightmare can 
  be a memory of a tragic event or traumatic experience, or it 
  might be something else such as a prophetic vision or warning. 
  The nightmare may not occur every night but it will haunt the 
  character on a regular basis. Additionally, the nightmares do not 
  need to portray the exact same events repeatedly, but the visions 
  should be related in some way. The details 
  concerning the subject matter of the nightmares 
  and why they occur is the responsibility of the 
  GM and the player to create.
  1 CP 
  The nightmares occur infrequently 
  and have a slight effect on the character’s 
  lifestyle.
  2 CP 
  The nightmares occur frequently and have a 
  moderate effect on the character’s lifestyle.
  Red Tape
  The character must negotiate his or her way through a 
  complicated bureaucracy in order to accomplish tasks. This 
  Disability is often associated with characters who are members of 
  law-enforcement organizations or similar government agencies 
  that require paperwork. A large criminal organization, however, 
  may also require a character to receive permission from several 
  levels of bosses before undertaking certain high-proﬁle jobs. It 
  is not unusual to have some sort of Red Tape Disability applied 
  to the Connections Ability.
  Red Tape also includes whatever measures the character 
  must take “after the fact” to appease the organization to which 
  he or she belongs. For example, a cop may need to ﬁll out a 
  report every time his or her weapon is ﬁred or may have to 
  follow a complicated series of steps to obtain a search warrant. 
  A criminal may be required to pay a percentage of his or her take 
  to the local crime boss or face some very strict penalties. 
  1 CP 
  The Red Tape only impedes the character before 
  or after a major action (but not both) and/or the 
  Red Tape is easy to manage most of the time.
  2 CP 
  The Red Tape impedes a character both before 
  and after a major action, and/or is difﬁcult to 
  manage most of the time.
  30
  
  Sensory Impairment
  One or more of your character’s senses (sight, hearing, 
  taste, touch, smell) are either diminished or lost. An example 
  of a diminished sense is being near-sighted or hard of hearing; 
  the GM should take the impairment into consideration when 
  deciding what the character is able to perceive, and may apply a 
  -4 penalty on checks to notice things with that sense. An example 
  of a lost sense is blindness or deafness. Any diminishment or 
  loss is based on the character’s status after beneﬁting from any 
  technological aids such as eyeglasses or hearing aids in the 
  setting. For example, if a character has a hearing aid but is still 
  hard of hearing, he or she has Sensory Impairment (Diminished 
  Hearing, 1 CP). In a setting where a hearing aid was unavailable 
  or could not correct his or her particular impairment, he or she 
  would have Sensory Impairment (Deaf, 2 CP) instead.
  1 CP  
  Your character has a diminished primary sense 
  (such as short-sightedness or being hard of 
  hearing), or has lost a secondary sense (such 
  as taste or smell).
  2 CP  
  Your character has completely lost a primary 
  sense (sight or hearing), or has two diminished 
  primary senses, or has completely lost multiple 
  secondary senses.
  Signiﬁcant Other (S.O.)
  A character with this Disability has someone for whom he 
  or she must go to any lengths to keep safe from harm, even at the 
  risk of his or her own life. The S.O. should be a regular ﬁxture 
  in the campaign. A one-night stand, or a cousin visiting for two 
  weeks is a plot complication and not an appropriate S.O. The 
  character’s sense of obligation towards the S.O. is enough that 
  the character will take great pains to ensure his or her safety 
  and well-being. Examples include spouses and steady boy or girl 
  friends, immediate relatives (parents and grandparents, brothers 
  and sisters, perhaps very close cousins), and close co-workers 
  (such as a cop’s partner). It is acceptable for a character to take 
  another character as an S.O., provided the players role-play this 
  relationship appropriately. In this case, the S.O. relationship is 
  always worth just 1 CP but is treated as a 3 CP Disability by the 
  GM in terms of the frequency with which it affects the game.
  1 CP 
  The S.O. is rarely placed in grave danger and 
  appears infrequently.
  2 CP 
  The S.O. is often placed in grave danger and 
  appears frequently.
  Skeleton in the Closet
  The character has a dark secret. Exposure of this secret could 
  cause harm to the character in the form of public humiliation, loss 
  of a job, arrest, injury, or even death. The number of CP gained 
  from this Disability is based on the severity the consequences 
  if the secret is revealed. The secret must be important enough 
  that the character will actively take steps to keep others from 
  learning of it. If the Skeleton is ever revealed, the character will 
  suffer the associated consequences, and the GM should replace 
  it with an appropriate Disability or Disabilities worth at least 
  as many CP as Skeleton in the Closet. Skeleton in the Closet is 
  inappropriate for most Flunkies and Servant characters.
  1 CP 
  The Skeleton is difﬁcult to discover, and/or 
  the consequences of discovery are slight, and/
  or the character’s reputation will be impacted 
  slightly.
  2 CP 
  The Skeleton is relatively easy to discover, 
  and/or the consequences of discovery are 
  moderate, and/or the character’s reputation 
  will be seriously impacted.
  Unique Disability
  This Disability covers any and all possible Disabilities that 
  a character might possess but are not detailed in the rules. The 
  boundaries and limitations of the Disability should be discussed 
  with the GM.
  1 CP  
  The Defect occurs infrequently and/or has a 
  slight effect (-1 to Skill or Attribute). 
  2 CP  
  The Defect occurs frequently and/or has a 
  moderate effect (-2 to Skill or Attribute).
  Vulnerability
  The character has a critical weakness to a speciﬁc object, 
  environment, thought, activity, or condition. When in close 
  proximity to the Vulnerability, it can temporarily strip the 
  character of some of his or her Abilities (GM determines which 
  Abilities are affected). The Vulnerability should only affect 
  the character rarely, however, since it impacts him or her so 
  severely. 
  1 CP 
  The character’s accessible Ability Ranks all 
  drop by up to 2 Ranks when affected by the 
  Vulnerability.
  2 CP 
  The character’s accessible Ability Ranks all 
  drop by up to 4 Ranks when affected by the 
  Vulnerability.
  Wanted
  The character is wanted by the law, a powerful criminal, or 
  private organization that has placed a price on his or her head. 
  Being Wanted is different from having a Nemesis; there is no 
  single person devoting his or her life to annoying or hunting 
  down the character. The character will need to conceal his or 
  her identity or move around regularly to avoid having complete 
  strangers calling the police or pursuing the character (depending 
  on the circumstances).
  1 CP 
  The incentive to hunt the character is minor. 
  For example, he or she may be wanted on 
  outstanding warrants, but there may be no 
  actual reward posted, or the reward is fairly 
  small.
  2 CP 
  The reward, contract, or other incentive 
  offered to hunt the character is signiﬁcant.
  31
  
  Action Points
  Action Points (abbreviated as AP) allow player characters 
  (and important NPCs) to receive bonuses when performing 
  dramatic or heroic actions (see Using Skills). By using Action 
  Points, players can have their characters pull off amazing stunts 
  and heroic feats, such as jumping off of a cliff, avoiding an 
  explosion, or even dodging a gunshot or arrow! Rather than 
  relying on a random chance as dictated by the dice, players can 
  create their character’s successes when they need them most!
  All starting characters begin play with four Action Points. 
  A character can gain more Action Points by attempting dramatic 
  and heroic actions. Players can be awarded additional Action 
  Points by the GM at any time during a game. Generally, Action 
  Points are awarded for attempting dramatic and heroic actions. 
  GMs can also award additional Action Points for role-playing and 
  anything else they deem appropriate. Action Points are not the 
  only award that players will receive. There are improvements to 
  be purchased and Disabilities to be eliminated using Experience 
  Points as well (see Experience Points).
  A character can save Action Points from one game session 
  to the next, but never more than 3. If a character 
  has more than 3 Action Points but does not use 
  them by the end of the game session, they are 
  lost. GMs should not be stingy with Action 
  Points, and players should use them as often as 
  possible, especially in cinematic style games.
  What Action Points Can Do
  Left For Dead
  When your character is reduced to the negative total of their 
  Life points, by any means, you may spend one Action Point to 
  avoid your character being killed outright. A character who is 
  left for dead appears dead to a casual observer, though he or 
  she still has a chance of recovering. If your character does not 
  receive some sort of aid within a number of turns equal to their 
  Body score, they will die.
  With Panache
  Spending an Action Point may accomplish any Skill or 
  Attribute check automatically and with panache — good for 
  impressing members of the appropriate sex, and possibly 
  avoiding injury in the case of dangerous actions. The GM may 
  veto this use of Action Points for actions with a Target Number 
  higher than 24. The GM may disallow this option for combat.
  With Great Luck
  A player may spend one Action Point to alter a die roll to be 
  an automatic success or failure, as desired. The die roll can be 
  either one the player makes, or one the GM makes that directly 
  concerns the player’s character. 
  32
  
  Mighty Blow
  Rather than rolling the damage dice on any successful hit 
  or damaging attack, you can elect to declare a Mighty Blow, at 
  the cost of one Action Point. A Mighty Blow always deals the 
  maximum possible damage. This includes any bonus damage, 
  such as give by the Massive Damage Ability, and any multipliers 
  for the Scale of attacks.
  Just A Flesh Wound
  A player may spend two Action Point to declare that wounds 
  aren’t as bad as they ﬁrst looked. This allows the character to 
  recover 2d6 worth of Life Points, but only if damage was taken 
  in combat within the current session. This does not apply to 
  damage taken previously by the character.
  With Great Skill
  A player may spend two Action Points to get a result of 
  Attribute + Skill + Modiﬁers +4 on any one dice roll, whether in 
  a combat or a non-combat situation. 
  Pushing It
  At a cost of one Action Point, you may double your 
  character’s ranks in any one Ability, for a duration of one turn 
  only. The Ability chosen must be one that could be reasonably 
  increased through sheer effort of will and determination. Almost 
  all Abilities are ﬁne for this, but those that rely on external 
  objects, like Item of Power or most types of Armor can be vetoed 
  by the GM.
  Dramatically Important
  A GM-set number of Action Points can be spent to ensure a 
  favorable coincidence during play. Any use of Action Points in 
  this manner is always subject to GM veto, of course. For example, 
  if the PCs are in a maximum security prison, perhaps one of the 
  guards turns out to be the cousin of one of the PCs — and lets 
  them escape! Or the captain of the ﬁshing boat rescuing the PCs 
  turns out to be someone who owes a favor to one of them, and 
  is willing to take them out of his way to help them out… And so 
  on. This can also be used to add a favorable prop or item to an 
  area, to give the character a hint with a clue, or whatever sort of 
  favorable action that the GM and the player work out.
  This option should cost a lot of Action Points, except in 
  certain genres where bizarre coincidences are the norm. It is 
  recommended that this option cost no less than 5 Action Points.
  Taking Action
  When the heroes get into a ﬁght, the game “slows down” 
  and is played in Turns. Each Turn represents 3 seconds in “game 
  time.” As a default, each character in an Open Core Quick game 
  can attempt one Action in each Turn. After all of the characters 
  (including both heroes and bad guys) has acted, the Turn ends 
  and a new Turn begins.
  At the beginning of each Turn, all players roll 1 die and 
  add the number rolled to the Initiative score (the GM rolls for 
  any non-player characters, such as bad guys or “extras” in the 
  scene who are involved in the ﬁght). This is called “rolling for 
  initiative” in Open Core Quick. The character with the highest 
  “initiative” total goes ﬁrst. If two characters have the same 
  initiative total that Turn, then the character with the highest 
  Body Attribute goes ﬁrst. If they are still tied, the characters act 
  at the same time.
  Actions
  Unless your character has one Rank or more in the Extra 
  Actions Ability, each character can perform one action in a 
  Turn. Typically it is only during combat when the accounting 
  of Turns and Actions should be worried about. Any time outside 
  of combat, the GM should just let the dictates of the story tell 
  the time.
  The Actions that a character may perform are listed below.
  Offensive Actions
  Attack: Use any type of attack (punch, ﬁring a gun, swing 
  a sword, and so on). Roll 3 dice + Body + Combat Skill. If the 
  total is equal to or higher than the target’s Defense, the attack 
  hits the target. Roll for damage, any damage that is greater than 
  the Toughness of the character is subtracted from the defending 
  character’s Life Points. At zero Life Points, the character is 
  greatly in danger of dying.
  Grab: Grab a person or object; your Combat Skill roll is at 
  -2, and your character’s DEF is at -2 this Turn.
  Throw: Throw a person or object (-4 to the Skill roll if the 
  object isn’t made for throwing).
  Defensive Actions
  Block: Stop a hand-to-hand attack. The Target Number is 
  equal to the total of the attacker’s Skill roll (Body Attribute + 
  Combat Skill + 3 dice). If a character performs a Block, the 
  player may roll to block any unarmed or melee until the hero’s 
  next Action.
  Dodge: Add +3 to your character’s Defense for this Turn; 
  your character may not attack this Turn.
  Movement Actions
  Change Stance: Your character can change from laying 
  down to kneeling or standing up, and vice versa. Your character 
  may take one other non-movement action.
  Move: Move up to your character’s Body score in meter/
  yards, plus take one other non-movement action.
  Run: Move up to 2 x your character’s Body score.
  Sprint: Move up to 3 x your character’s Body score; your 
  hero’s Defense is 10 (i.e., you cannot add the hero’s Body score 
  to Defense).
  Social Actions
  Bluff: A bluff is a quick prevarication intended to distract, 
  confuse, or mislead, generally only for the short term. A bluff 
  is not intended to withstand long-term or careful scrutiny, but 
  rather to momentarily deter an action or decision. Bluffs involve 
  attitude and body language. Bluffs often include 
  lies, but they usually aren’t very sophisticated 
  and aren’t intended to deceive the target for 
  more than a few moments.
  Gather Information: By succeeding at a 
  Social check (TN 12) and spending 1d6+1 hours 
  33
  
  passing out money and buying drinks, a character can get a feel 
  for the major news items in a neighborhood.
  Type of Information 
  TN
  General 
  12
  Speciﬁc 
  15
  Restricted 
  18
  Protected 
  21
  General information concerns local happenings, rumors, 
  gossip, and the like. Speciﬁc information usually relates to 
  a particular question. Restricted information includes facts 
  that aren’t generally known and requires that the character 
  locate someone who has access to such information. Protected 
  information is even harder to come by and might involve 
  some danger, either for the one asking the questions or the one 
  providing the answer. There’s a chance that someone will take 
  note of anyone asking about restricted or protected information.
  Negotiate: Your character can attempt to reach compromises 
  and relay information without offending the recipient.
  Persuasion: Using one’s voice, logic, expression, body 
  language, or some combination, to inﬂuence others. Persuasion 
  can be in the form of an intimidating glare, a boastful challenge, 
  batting one’s eyes (seduction), stroking a cheek (consolation), 
  grasping the handle of one’s sword in a threatening manner, or 
  invoking the name of one’s superior (or even God).
  Sense Motive: This action allows your character to avoid 
  being bluffed (see Bluff above). Sense Motive does not, however, 
  allow a character to determine whether a given statement is a 
  lie.
  Other Actions
  Other Action: Any other single action that the GM lets your 
  character perform. In a super-hero game, this could be your 
  character giving a monologue or other inspiring speech.
  Hold Action: Your character is waiting to act and may take 
  an action on any initiative number below the initiative number 
  rolled. If a hero is holding an action and then wants to act before 
  another character on the same initiative number, the player must 
  roll the hero’s Body + 3 dice. If the total is higher than the other 
  character’s Body + 10, the hero may act ﬁrst. Otherwise the hero 
  acts after the other character has acted.
  Doing Damage
  If your character is using their strength (Body Attribute) to 
  attack, then roll a number of dice equal to the Body Attribute 
  score for punching damage. For kicking damage add one die to 
  that total.
  The total rolled on the dice is the amount of damage caused 
  by the attack.
  Taking Damage
  When a character is hit by an attack, they 
  can subtract their Toughness from the points of 
  damage taken in the attack. Any left over damage 
  points are subtracted from the hero’s Life points. 
  Any Ranks of the Armor Ability (pg. 7) can also 
  reduce the amount of damage done to your character.
  When a hero has no Life points left, the hero is knocked out 
  or dead (the GM decides, depending on the type of attacks that 
  caused the damage or other circumstances).
  Knock Back
  When your hero gets hit, he or she may get knocked 
  back. If the total damage rolled for a successful attack (before 
  subtracting any points for Toughness or Armor) is greater than 
  the hero’s Body + Toughness, the hero is knocked back 1 meter/
  yard or knocked down in the same spot (GM’s choice based on 
  the circumstance). For every 5 points of damage beyond the 
  character’s Body + TGH, the character is knocked back 1 extra 
  meter/yard.
  Recovering Lost Life Points
  Characters can recover lost Life points at the end of a ﬁght. 
  Any Life points lost because of “stunning” (i.e., blunt and non-
  lethal attacks, such as from punches) are fully recovered after 
  the end of the ﬁght. Life points lost from lethal attacks (such 
  as gunshots, stab wounds or laser blasts) are recovered at a rate 
  equal to the character’s Body Attribute score per day.
  For a more cinematic feel to a game, the GM may allow 
  characters to recover lost Life points from non-lethal injuries 
  during a ﬁght. Characters recover a number up Life points equal 
  to 2 x their Body Attribute score at the end of every fourth 
  Turn.
  The Environment
  Sometimes your character will encounter hazards of an 
  environmental nature. This section outlines rules for those types 
  of situations. Some consider these to be the most important 
  rules in a role-playing game, to the point where a game is not 
  considered complete without them. Not everyone agrees with 
  this but this is why this section have been included in these 
  rules.
  Falling
  The amount of damage suffered from a fall depends on 
  the falling object’s velocity when it hits the ground. Damage 
  suffered from a fall is 1d6 for every 2 meters of velocity.
  Falling objects gain 10 meters of velocity per second. This 
  is broken down on the chart as an increase of 2 meters/second 
  for every 2 meters fallen. The maximum velocity of a falling 
  object in the Earth’s gravity is 60 meters per second. This is 
  referred to as “terminal velocity.”
  Falling damage is Blunt/Lethal damage. Characters may 
  subtract their TGH from any damage sustained before subtracting 
  it from their LIF.
  To determine the amount of damage suffered from a fall, 
  simply ﬁnd the total distance fallen on the ﬁrst column of the 
  Falling and Velocity Table, then read across that row to the 
  “Random Damage” column. Alternatively, GM’s may use “ﬂat 
  rate” damage for falls to speed things up a bit.
  Mary’s character has fallen off the roof of a 6-story building. 
  The GM determines that 6 stories is roughly equal to 24 yards. 
  The GM consults the Falling and Velocity Table and looks at the 
  34
  
  “Distance Fallen” column until he ﬁnds “23-26.” Then he reads 
  across that row to the “Random Damage” column and sees that 
  a 24-yard fall will inﬂict 9d6 of damage on Mary’s character, 
  who will hit the ground after falling for two seconds (less than a 
  full turn). The GM picks up nine dice and suggests to Mary that 
  she review the rules for using Action Points to avoid damage.
  A quick way to estimate damage from a fall is to determine 
  how many seconds long the character is falling and multiply 
  that number by 5, with a maximum of 30. This is the number 
  of dice of damage that the character will suffer when he hits the 
  ground.
  Falling and Velocity Table
   Distance 
  Velocity 
  Random Flat Rate 
  Time 
   fallen(m/y) 
  (m/y/sec) Damage 
  Damage (Seconds) 
  Notes/Examples
   
  1-2 
  2 
  1d6 
  3 
  1 
  6-foot ladder
   
  3-4 
  4 
  2d6 
  6 
  “ 
  1-story building
   
  5-6 
  6 
  3d6 
  9 
  “ 
  2-story building
   
  7-8 
  8 
  4d6 
  12 
  “ 
   
  9-10 
  10 
  5d6 
  15 
  “ 
  5-story building
   
  11-14 
  12 
  6d6 
  18 
   2 
   
  15-18 
  14 
  7d6 
  21  
  “ 
  Mature Oak tree
   
  19-22 
  16 
  8d6 
  24 
  “ 
   
  23-26 
  18 
  9d6 
  27 
  “ 
   
  27-30 
  20 
  10d6 
  30 
  “ 
  10-story building
   
  31-36 
  22 
  11d6 
  33 
  3 
   
  37-42 
  24 
  12d6 
  36 
  “ 
   
  43-48 
  26 
  13d6 
  39 
  “ 
   
  49-54 
  28 
  14d6 
  42 
  “ 
   
  55-60 
  30 
  15d6 
  45 
  “ 
  20-story building
   
  61-68 
  32 
  16d6 
  48 
  4 
   
  69-76 
  34 
  17d6 
  51 
  “ 
   
  77-84 
  36 
  18d6 
  54 
  “ 
   
  85-92 
  38 
  19d6 
  57 
  “ 
   
  93-100 
  40 
  20d6 
  60 
  “ 
  Statue of Liberty
   101-110 
  42 
  21d6 
  63 
  5 
   111-120 
  44 
  22d6 
  66 
  “ 
  Giant 
  Redwood 
  tree
   121-130 
  46 
  23d6 
  69 
  “ 
   131-140 
  48 
  24d6 
  72 
  “ 
   141-150 
  50 
  25d6 
  75 
  “ 
   151-162 
  52 
  26d6 
  78 
  6 
   163-174 
  54 
  27d6 
  81 
  “ 
   175-186 
  56 
  28d6 
  84 
  “ 
   187-198 
  58 
  29d6 
  87 
  “ 
   199-210 
  60 
  30d6 
  90 
  “ 
  T e r m i n a l 
  velocity.*
  * Terminal velocity (maximum velocity when falling). Increase time 
  by 1 second for each additional 60 meters/yards (or fraction) fallen, but 
  do not increase damage. For objects other than falling objects (e.g., 
  thrown objects, vehicles, etc.), add +1d6 for each additional 2m/s of 
  velocity. 
  Asphyxiation and Drowning
  Conscious characters can hold their breath for (10 x BODY) 
  turns before suffering any negative effects. This number is halved 
  for characters performing even moderately strenuous activity, 
  such as swimming, ﬁghting or otherwise exerting strength. After 
  this time has elapsed, however, the character suffers stunning 
  damage each turn.
  The amount of stunning damage sustained depends on 
  the character’s level of activity. A passive or calm character 
  suffers 1 point of stunning damage per turn. A character exerting 
  himself suffers 2 points of stunning damage per turn. TGH is not 
  subtracted from this damage.
  If a character’s LIF is reduced to 0 due to stunning damage, 
  he is unconscious. If an unconscious character continues being 
  deprived of breathable air, he suffers 1d6 damage per turn. 
  Characters who lose all their LIF to lethal damage due to the 
  lack of breathable air have suffocated or drowned. Treat death 
  from drowning as one single Serious wound, with successful 
  stabilization (i.e., a successful First Aid or Physician skill roll) 
  restoring the character’s LIF to one-half its previous level (prior 
  to the “death”).
  The Elements
  Exposure to the elements can inﬂict damage on an 
  unprotected character, and prolonged exposure can kill a 
  character.
  To determine how much damage an element inﬂicts, 
  determine its severity, then consult the table below.
  All damaging elements can use the same table, as it is 
  abstract in nature. The effects of harsh elements is the same, 
  in game terms; only the special effect differs. Elements that 
  can be damaging in Open Core Quick are not limited to Wind, 
  Fire, Electricity, and Radiation. There are, of course, many other 
  possibilities depending on the type of campaign being run.
  Element Damage Table
  Severity 
  Damage 
  Examples
  Mild 
  1d6 per game day 
  Stranded in desert
  Moderate 1d6 per game hour 
  Sandstorm, blizzard
  Strong 
  1d6 per game minute 
  Extreme 
  cold, 
  mild 
  electric shock
  Severe 
  1d6 per turn 
  Fire, 
  strong 
  electric 
  shock, mild radiation
  Extreme 
  1d6 per game second 
  Strong radiation
  Experience
  As characters ﬁnish each session and (presumably) 
  accomplish the goal set forth for them, whether it be to rescue 
  a falsely imprisoned person, capturing or eliminating an enemy 
  unit, saving someone’s life or safeguarding a secret message to 
  the King, the characters should earn Experience Points (EP). 
  Unlike many role-playing game systems, the Open Core Quick 
  system does not award experience solely for achieving tactical 
  or combat successes. Being entertaining to the rest of the gaming 
  group or strong role-playing in a session can also gain a player’s 
  character experience to spend on improvements or changes.
  Awarding Experience Points
  Character improvement is the primary method for the GM 
  to express his opinion on how the players are doing. There are 
  many ways to quantify success; goals achieved, excellent role 
  and character playing, even contributions to 
  the background of the world. The number of 
  experience points to award to characters will 
  vary from adventure to adventure. Some GMs 
  will also award experience for mapping or 
  other record-keeping duties, character sketches, 
  35
  
  or other contributions to the game as a whole. Here are some 
  guidelines for GMs to help determine how much experience 
  points to award at the conclusion of an adventure.
  Experience Point Awards
  Description 
  EP
  Base experience point award for an adventure 
  1
  The adventure was…
   …Short (one game session) 
  +0
   …Long (two game sessions) 
  +1
   …Very long (three or more sessions) 
  +2
  The adventure ended…
   …successfully 
  +1
   …unsuccessfully, but with a chance for the
       PCs to ﬁx things next session 
  +0
   …unsuccessfully with no chance to ﬁx things 
  -1
  The character performed a dramatic or heroic action or 
  speech that…
   …Added enjoyment to the game* 
  +1
   …Accomplished a team goal* 
  +1
   …Presented serious risk to the character* 
  +1
  The player…
   …Contributed a major plot element 
  +2
   …Contributed a minor plot element 
  +1
   …Developed a character background 
  +1
   …Contributed a particularly entertaining moment 
  +1
  In addition, it is suggested that GMs allow all of the players 
  in a session to vote for a role-playing award that goes to the one 
  player that the rest of the group decides did a particularly good 
  job of role-playing or advancing the campaign during a session. 
  The role-playing award can be an additional 1-3 experience 
  points for that session. The GM should take cares to make sure 
  that this does not just become a popularity award amongst the 
  players. Each player should vote in secret (at the end of the 
  session but before everyone has a chance to gather everything 
  and leave) and the GM may also decide that if a player wins this 
  award in one session that they would not be eligible for it in the 
  next session.
  This award is good because it empowers the players to award 
  at least part of the experience that is given out for a session, and 
  it takes some of the arbitrariness out of things so that experience 
  awards can be perceived as unbiased by the group of players.
  Spending Experience Points
  Some players will want to scrimp and save for a big 
  character improvement. Others will spend a point here and there 
  just to spend them and improve some small bit. Either of these 
  extremes is probably the wrong approach. In the best games, 
  players should mix long-term and short-term goals, putting 
  points into less expensive abilities while saving others for larger 
  steps.
  Characters can increase existing skills, 
  increase existing abilities, and under certain 
  conditions develop completely new skills and 
  abilities. Which of these a player decides to 
  pursue also determines how you proceed. The costs for using 
  experience points to improve the character are the same as the 
  starting costs, 1 EP = 1 Attribute Score point, 1 EP = 5 Skill 
  Points, and the per rank costs to increase Abilities do not 
  change.
  With the permission of the GM, players can use experience 
  points to “buy off” Disabilities that the character may have. The 
  cost to buy off a Disability is the same as the number of character 
  points that were received for that Disability during character 
  creation. Characters who receive Disabilities during play do not 
  receive any additional Character or Experience Points for those 
  Disabilities.
  Most games will have a starting skill maximum. For this 
  example we will use +5. No character can buy a skill higher 
  than +5 at the start of play. This will also be the training skill 
  maximum. That is, no character will be able to take advantage 
  of instructor led training past +5. After that all progression and 
  improvement will only be through experience within the course 
  of the game.
  GMs may also wish to limit the way experience is spent to 
  abilities that are used or speciﬁcally studied in the game. A rule 
  of thumb would be that if the character did not use a skill or 
  ability that session, then that skill or ability cannot be improved. 
  Some GMs will ﬁnd this too restrictive.
  36
  
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  Inc. All rights reserved. 
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  Action! System Core Rules version 1.1 copyright 2003 by Gold Rush Games; 
  Authors Mark Arsenault, Patrick Sweeney, Ross Winn.
  Instant Action! Quick Play Rules version 1.0 copyright 2003 by Gold Rush Games; 
  Author Mark Arsenault
  System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David 
  Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, 
  based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002-2004, Wizards of the Coast, 
  Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich Redman, Charles Ryan, Eric Cagle, David 
  Noonan, Stan!, Christopher Perkins, Rodney Thompson, and JD Wiker,  based on material 
  by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison, Bruce R. 
  Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  Silver Age Sentinels d20 Copyright 2002, Guardians Of Order, Inc.; Authors 
  Stephen Kenson, Mark C. MacKinnon, Jeff Mackintosh, Jesse Scoble.
  BESM d20 Copyright 2003, Guardians Of Order, Inc.; Author Mark C. 
  MacKinnon.
  Spycraft, Copyright 2002, Alderac Entertainment Group
  Horizon: Grimm, Copyright 2003, Fantasy Flight Publishing, Inc.
  Conan: The Role-Playing Game, Copyright 2003, Conan Properties International 
  LLC. Conan ®, Conan the Barbarian ® and related logos are trademarks of Conan 
  Properties International LLC unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved. Mongoose 
  Publishing Authorized User.
  Strongholds & Dynasties, Copyright 2003, Mongoose Publishing
  Mutants & Masterminds RPG, Copyright 2002, Green Ronin Publishing; Author 
  Steve Kenson
  BESM d20 Revised Copyright 2003, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Author Mark C. 
  Mackinnon, Ian Sturrock
  Fudge System Reference Document Copyright 2005, Grey Ghost Press, Inc.; 
  Authors Steffan O’Sullivan and Ann Dupuis, with additional material by Peter Bonney, 
  Deird’Re Brooks, Reimer Behrends, Shawn Garbett, Steven Hammond, Ed Heil, Bernard 
  Hsiung, Sedge Lewis, Gordon McCormick, Kent Matthewson, Peter Mikelsons, Anthony 
  Roberson, Andy Skinner, Stephan Szabo, John Ughrin., Dmitri Zagidulin.
  Advanced Player’s Guide, Copyright 2004, White Wolf Publishing, Inc.
  Blue Rose, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin Publishing; Authors Jeremy Crawford, 
  Dawn Elliot, Steve Kenson, and John Snead.
  Creatures of Freeport, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin Publishing, LLC; Authors 
  Graeme Davis and Keith Baker.
  The Psychic’s Handbook, Copyright 2004, Green Ronin 
  Publishing; Author Steve Kenson.
  True20 Adventure Roleplaying, Copyright 2005, Green Ronin 
  Publishing; Author Steve Kenson.
  Open Core Quick Copyright 2005, Battleﬁeld Press, Inc.; 
  Author Christopher Helton.
  37
  
  38
  BattleField Press, Inc.
  Battleﬁeld Press, Inc. offers a number of ﬁne adventure gaming systems and settings in 
  both electronic and traditional book formats. Online, products from Battleﬁeld Press, Inc. 
  can be found from a variety of online retailers (including the one where you purchased this 
  product), such as RPGNow.com, DriveThruRPG.com and Steve Jackson Games’ e23 site. We 
  offer support for the d20, Action! System, OGL and Open Core and Open Core Quick systems 
  with a variety of settings and rules supplements.
  Further support for our products can be found at our website <www.battleﬁeldpress.com> 
  and our online forums <www.battleﬁeldpress.com/forum> and on fourms like RPG.net.
  Action! System
  The Action! System is a generic point-
  based RPG system that allows for play in a 
  wide variety of historical and contemporary 
  settings. Simple to learn and to play.
  Open Core System
  Open Core is Battleﬁeld Press, Inc.’s OGL 
  house system. Developed from the best in open 
  content, and integrated into a simple to run, 
  yet very robust system, the Open Core System 
  is the house rules you’ve been waiting for.
  Luftwaffe 1946
  The 
  ofﬁcial 
  RPG 
  adaptation 
  of 
  Ted 
  Nomura’s Families of 
  Altered Wars comics, 
  published by Antacrtic 
  Press. Play in a WWII 
  that never happened.
  Open Core
  The 
  house 
  rules 
  that you have been 
  waiting for. The Open 
  Core System supports 
  a wide variety of 
  genres and settings 
  for a wide selection of 
  possible campaigns.
  Beyond Mortal Men
  Our ﬁrst extension to 
  the Action! System 
  rules 
  provides 
  a 
  number of expanded 
  options 
  for 
  your 
  characters - magic, 
  super-powers 
  and 
  enhanced abilities.
  Eric Flint’s 1632
  The ofﬁcial RPG 
  adaptation of the 
  popular 163x series 
  written by Eric Flint 
  and Divers Hands, 
  and published by 
  Baen Books. Enter 
  into the world of the 
  Ring of Fire.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Open Core Quick/Open Core Quick Corebook.pdf