You are your skills.
There are seven core skills: Agility, Fortitude, Immunity, Intellect, Might, Perception, & Subtlety. You start with 6 of the 7. The one you lack is your weakness.
Other skills are possessed only by some. These are acquired skills.
Skills exist to simulate your prowess in consequential actions. They do not exist to forbid action. You can attempt any action defined under any skill even if you have no levels in it. All skills range from 0 to 12. If you don’t have the skill, you have level 0 in it.
If an action isn’t defined by a skill, it doesn’t require simulation and requires no skill roll to be tried. As such, rolls shouldn’t be made unless prescribed by a skill. You never need to roll unless the Bookkeeper requires it. Correspondingly, the Bookkeeper won’t require rolls for actions not described under a skill.
You roll only when something is at stake.
The Bookkeeper will call for a roll when there is a chance of failure or when something is at stake.
If you attempt an action wherein success is questionable, you must roll a d12. If the roll yields double digits (10+) you succeed. If not, you fail. Failure can carry consequences.
If you have skill levels in the action you are attempting, you total them into the roll, increasing your chance of success.
Circumstances or items can modify a roll. Positive modifiers are bonuses. Negative ones are penalties. These are added or subtracted from the roll total once a relevant skill is added.
Malus is a penalty to all skill rolls.
Stress kills you.
Stress represents your physiological proximity to death. It includes things like Weary, Wound, Bleed, Chilly, and Stun.
At 13 stress, you die.
Every 3 stress, you gain 1 malus. Malus is a penalty to all d12 rolls.
Eat, rest, and indulge to reduce your stress and gain comfort.
Time matters.
The time lost performing actions requires you to choose them carefully, especially in dangerous circumstances. It’s the Bookkeeper’s job to track time.
Time passes as a succession of rounds. Every round, you get to act. Once everyone has acted, the next round begins. Round length varies depending on timescale.
Timescales
Your state of endangerment determines the timescale of play. The three timescales are:
- Peacetime = 1 hour rounds
- Danger = 10 minute rounds
- Peril = 3 second rounds
The Bookkeeper will announce when timescales change.
Sessions survived
Play is measured in sessions. At the end of every session, increase your sessions survived score by 1 and receive a quantity of XP based on your accomplishments. Spend XP to improve your skills and gain virtues.