An AVOS RPG

Action Vesus Opposition System

1
 The Prometheus Blade RPG is © copyright 2007 by Jeff Moore
All rights reserved

Artwork is a modified detail of The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci

Modification and original layout by Jeff Moore

2
Legend teaches of the dawn of
mankind, of a world without evil. But it
came to pass that Prometheus the last
living Titan did bestow upon man the
power of fire. This did so anger Zeus,
lord of all the gods, that he chained
Prometheus to a mountain to suffer an
eternity of torment and he sent to man
his own gift.
Pandora, the first woman, was the most
glorious of gifts, but she carried with her
a price. Pandora came to man with a
sealed container. Legend teaches that
this container held all the evils of the
world. When the container was opened
out sprang the Keres, demons of death
who spread the taint of evil and
corruption, disease and death into the
world. The world fell into chaos, but
Prometheus had anticipated the rage of
Zeus and hid within the container a
secret.
Time passed but eventually the
container of Pandora was opened again
and Prometheus's secret was revealed.
Prometheus taught of a weapon forged
in fire, the Prometheus Blade, that could
slay the Keres, and might one day free
mankind of their influences.
1
But, the Keres were clever demons.
They had changed their appearance to
blend into the world of man. They
cowered behind human laws and the
human world embraced them as their
own. The warriors of Prometheus, the
wielders of the secrets of the
Prometheus Blades, had to move
cautiously against the Keres who had
infused themselves so well into the
societies of man.
For generations the Warriors of
Prometheus have worked behind the
scenes, armed with weapons of old,
forged in fire in the secret manner of the
Titans. To this day the sons and
daughters of the original warriors of
Prometheus carry on the secrets of the
Prometheus Blades, passing them down
to their sons and daughters.
All around us a secret war is being
waged ... a war of good versus evil ... of
hope versus despair.
Or so legend teaches.
Prometheus Blade is a game of the
imagination set in a world of mythical
evils and corrupted men. You are a
Warrior of Prometheus, a member of an
ancient order that holds the secrets of
the Prometheus Blade, the only weapon
capable of destroying the Keres.
Most players control "Heroes." A Hero is
an avatar in the game world that acts on
a player's behalf. The "Referee" is the
other kind of player. The Referee
adjudicates game actions and creates
the game world. Only one Referee is
required for play, and usually 2-6 other
players to portray the Heroes.

Each Hero has a "Body." A Body is a template that defines a hero's abilities. Each Body
Template is comprised of four components or Body Parts: the Head, the Chest, the
Arms, and the Legs.

Head
This body part
controls a Hero's
perception and
intelligence. Some
skills related to
Head are,
Computer Arms
Programming, This body part controls the Hero's
Research, coordination and manual dexterity.
Observation, Some skills related to Arms are,
Writing, Chemistry, Mechanic, Carpenter, Driving, Pilot,
Electronics, and Painting/Drawing, and playing a musical
Medicine. instrument.
Chest
This body part Legs
controls a Hero's This body
strength, part controls
confidence and a Hero's
physical balance and
appearance. Some speed.
skills related to Some skills
Chest are, related to
Climbing, Legs are,
Swimming, Running,
Intimidation, Jumping,
Willpower, Dancing,
Charisma, and Acrobatics,
Acting. and Stealth.

2
A new Hero will have Body Parts that
are mostly Average in ability. Consider
the four Body Part descriptions above,
for your Hero rank 2 Parts as Average, 1
Part as Below Average, and 1 Part as
Above Average.
For Each "Average" Part assign that
Part a value of 3.
For the "Above Average" Part assign
that Part a value of 4.
For the "Below Average" Part assign
that Part a value of 2.
Optional fine tuning -
Reduce the value of any
one Part by -1.
Increase the value of any
one Part by +1.
(Do this only once.)
A player who wishes to have their Hero
do something, where the outcome of the
action is in question, must roll dice to
determine the success or failure of the
action. Prometheus Blade uses the
"Action Versus Opposition System" to
determine what a player must roll on the
dice to succeed when attempting an
action.
The AVOS game mechanic works like
this:
There are two types of values: Action
Values and Opposition Values.
3
Each Body Part defines broad abilities in
that aspect of the Hero. Additionally a
Hero will have learned specialized
applications of abilities. These Skills
help to shape a Hero, reflecting areas of
interest and experience.
For Each "Average" Body Part select
one skill.
For the "Above Average" Body Part
select two skills.
Do not select any skill for the "Below
Average" Body Part.
Optional fine tuning -
Remove one skill from
the Above Average Part.
Add one skill to
the Below Average Part.
(Do this only once.)
Subtract the Opposition Value from the
Action Value then consult the Action
Table to determine the die roll required.
Action Values are usually equal to the
value of the Body Part related to the
task or skill use that is being attempted.
Opposition Values are sometimes equal
to a Body Part value, if the Action being
attempted is being opposed by another
Hero or character in the game (this
happens most often during combat.)
Otherwise, Opposition values are
determined by the Referee to reflect the
difficulty of the task or skill use that is
being attempted.
Task is Easy ... Task is Hard ...
Opposition Value is 2. Opposition Value is 10.

Difficulty is Below Average ... Task is Very Hard ...

Opposition Value is 4. Opposition Value is 12.

Task is of Average Difficulty ... Task Seems Impossible ...

Opposition Value is 6. Opposition Value is 14.

Difficulty is Above Average ...

Opposition Value is 8.

Action is +10 (or more) greater than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 3.

Action is +7 or +8 or +9 greater than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 4.

Action is +4 or +5 or +6 greater than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 5.

Action is +1 or +2 or +3 greater than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 6.

Action is -0 or -1 lesser than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 7.

Action is -2 or -3 lesser than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 8.

Action is -4 or -5 lesser than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 9.

Action is -6 or -7 lesser than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 10.

Action is -8 or -9 lesser than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 11.

Action is -10 (or less) lesser than Opposition ...

Minimum dice roll required to succeed is 12.

4
The Dice Skilled Tests

Dice in Prometheus Blade are of the
standard cube shaped, six sided variety.
When referring to the roll of two dice of
six sides a common notation would be,
2d6. "2" being the number of dice rolled,
"d" being an abbreviation of the word
dice, and "6" being the number of sides
on the dice.
When attempting to complete a task for
which you have an applicable skill roll
2d6. (Roll 2 dice.)
Unskilled Tests
When attempting a task for which you
have no skill roll 1d6+1. (Roll 1 die and
add 1 to the result of the roll.)

!
This table does the math for you.

7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3 3
7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 3
8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3
8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3 3
9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4 3
9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4 4
10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4 4
10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5 4
11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5 5
11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5 5
12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6 5
12 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6 6
12 12 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6 6
12 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7 6
12 12 12 12 12 11 11 10 10 9 9 8 8 7 7

Roll the number indicated or higher to succeed.

5
 " !
The Heroes in Prometheus Blade are all trained warriors. As such, each Hero possesses
specific Aspects that reflect their abilities in battle. Aspects are special skills that all
Heroes possess that are only used in combat. The four Combat Aspects are ...

Accuracy Deflection

Used to attack. Accuracy is an Action Used to defuse damage. Deflection is

value. An attacker's Accuracy is reduced
by the defending target's Evasion to find
the 2d6 roll needed on the Action table
to successfully hit the target. Head is the
Body Part related to the Accuracy
Aspect.
an Action value. A defending target's
Deflection is reduced by an attacker's
Power to find the 2d6 roll needed on the
Action table to successfully deflect
damage. Chest is the Body Part related
to the Deflection Aspect.

Evasion Power

Used to avoid attacks. Evasion is an Used to inflict damage. Power is an

Opposing value. A defending target's
Evasion is subtracted from an attacker's
Accuracy to find the 2d6 roll needed on
the Action table to successfully hit the
target. Legs is the Body Part related to
the Evasion Aspect.
Opposing value. An attacker's Power is
subtracted from a defending target's
Deflection to find the 2d6 roll needed on
the Action table to successfully deflect
damage. Arms is the Body Part related
to the Power Aspect.

"
Deflection and Evasion values are
assigned to each Part of the Body
independently, and these values will be
altered based upon the armor covering
each Body Part.
Accuracy and Power are assigned to a
Hero or character and not to individual
Body Parts. These values will be altered
based upon the weapon being used.

ACCURACY = Current Head + Weapon Adjustment

POWER = Current Arms + Weapon Adjustment

DEFLECTION = Current Chest + Armor Adjustment for each individual Part

EVASION = Current Legs + Armor Adjustment for each individual Part

Head Deflection has a natural -1 modifier

Head Evasion has a natural +1 modifier

Chest Deflection has a natural +1 modifier

Chest Evasion has a natural -1 modifier

6
 #
Heavy Weapon
+2 Power / +0 Accuracy
Medium Weapon
+1 Power / +1 Accuracy
Light Weapon
+0 Power / +2 Accuracy
No Weapon
+0 Power / +0 Accuracy
"Weapon" mainly refers to melee
weapons, such as a dagger (light,) a
sword (medium,) or a claymore (heavy.)
But other weapons can easily be fit into
these same categories. Heavy weapons
require 2 hands and cannot be
combined with a shield or an off-hand
defensive weapon.
Using a Shield
A Hero who wields a shield (or an off-
hand defensive weapon) can choose to
skip their next attack to immediately roll
an additional Deflection check. This
bonus Deflection check can turn a failed
Deflection into a success or turn a
successful Deflection into a Block.
$ %
New Heroes begin play with the player's choice of a primary melee weapon and of armor
worn. The armor is of a normal quality as described above. The weapon is one of the
Prometheus Blades passed down for generations to the Warriors of Prometheus.
7
Heavy Armor
+2 Deflection / +0 Evasion
Medium Armor
+1 Deflection / +1 Evasion
Light Armor
+0 Deflection / +2 Evasion
No Armor
+0 Deflection / +0 Evasion
"Armor" refers mainly to clothing layers
and other modern day alternatives ...
primitive heavy armors of medieval
times might increase deflection at a cost
of mobility to as much as +3 Deflection /
-1 Evasion but such bulky coverings are
not generally seen today.
Shield Penalty
A Hero using a Shield (or an off-hand
defensive weapon) must reduce their
Accuracy by -1.
In addition to the Combat Aspects there are also 2 Secondary Aspects. These Aspects
represent traits that cannot be defined by a single Body Part. The 2 Secondary Aspects
are Initiative and Fortitude.
Initiative
Initiative represents reflexes, speed and
perception. It determines who will get
the drop on whom in a combat round.
Initiative is equal to the sum of Head +
Legs values.
Initiative = Head + Legs
Certain things can injure a Hero creating
damage over a broader area than a
focused attack. Combat attacks involve
the strategic targeting of specific body
parts. Dynamic Damage injures a Hero
over all Body Parts.
Examples of Dynamic Damage are:
Poison, Fire, Radiation, Starvation,
Drowning, Explosion, or Falling.
Dynamic Attacks cannot be evaded.
Dynamic Damage cannot be deflected.
The damage is delivered and it must be
survived.
To resist Dynamic Damage the
character must roll a successful
Fortitude Test.
8
Fortitude
Fortitude represents over all health,
toughness and determination. It helps
one to survive the rigors of harsh
environments or a fall from a great
distance. Fortitude is equal to the sum
of Chest + Arms values.
Fortitude = Chest + Arms
Fortitude is an Action Value and it is
compared to an Opposition Value
(determined by the referee based upon
how difficult the Dynamic Damage event
should be to survive.)
Find the values on the Action Chart and
roll the number listed or greater on 2d6
to succeed in the Fortitude Test.
Fortitude Test is Successful:
Suffer minor damage.
Reduce the Value of your highest
valued Body Part by -1.
Fortitude Test is Failed:
Suffer major damage.
Reduce the Value of all
Body Parts by -1.
Some Dynamic Damage events may
require more than one Fortitude test to
survive.
 " !
Turn order Deflection

Each participant in the combat rolls 1d6
and adds the value of their Initiative to
the roll.
Record a Turn Order for the participants
starting with the player who rolled the
highest. Where needed roll again to
resolve ties.
Attack
The defender reduces the Deflection
Value of the targeted Body Part by the
Power Value of the Attack and consults
the Action Table to see what number or
higher they must roll on 2d6 to Deflect
the Hit.
A successful Deflection allows the
Defender not the Attacker to declare
which Body Part takes the hit.

On their turn, the attacking player Shield Use

declares a target and an attack against
one of the four target Body Parts...
Head, Chest, Arms, or Legs.
The attacker reduces the Accuracy
Value of their attack by the Evasion
Value of the targeted Body Part and
consults the Action table to see what
number or higher they must roll on 2d6
to Hit.
If the attack hits, the defender must roll
to try to deflect the hit to a different Body
Part.
Attempting to deflect the hit is a good
idea even if the defender doesn't need
to "move" the hit... because the roll
gives the defender a chance for a block
- see "Blocks."
after a failed Deflection
A defender with a Shield (or an off-hand
defensive weapon) can attempt a
second deflection action after the first
one FAILS but must give up their next
attack action to do so. If this defection
succeeds the attack is redirected as
normal.
Shield Use
after a successful Deflection
A defender with a Shield (or an off-hand
defensive weapon) can attempt a
second deflection action after the first
one SUCCEEDS but must give up their
next attack action to do so. If this
deflection succeeds the attack is
Blocked - see "Blocks."

If an attack is Blocked, the damage from the Hit is not Deflected, but is instead
eliminated entirely and no injury is suffered.

If Doubles are rolled on a Deflection test AND the Deflection is successful, that hit is
Blocked. This will apply to any standard Deflection test or any Deflection made with a
Shield following a failed Deflection test.

9
 "
If Doubles are rolled on an attack, AND
the attack is a successful hit, the attack
scores +1 Hit on the targeted Body Part.
The defender must roll separate
Deflection tests for each Hit and may
suffer injury from multiple hits from a
single attack.
Injury
Any time a Body Part suffers damage
from a Hit, reduce the CURRENT
VALUE of that Body Part by -1.
Unconsciousness
If any one Body Part is reduced to a
value of 0, the defender is rendered
unconscious and is removed from
combat.
Death
If any Body Part has been reduced to a
Value that is less than 0, or if more than
one Body Part is reduced to 0 then the
defender has been killed and is
removed from the game.
After Damage has been Declared, the turn then passes to the next player in the Turn
Order. Do not roll Turn Order again. The same Turn Order is retained for the duration of
the combat.
10
If a defender with a shield (or an off-
hand defensive weapon) rolls Doubles
when attempting to Block (following a
successful Deflection) AND the Block is
successful, the defender doesn't lose
their next attack action, and can take
their next turn normally.
Instant KO
If any one Body Part suffers the wounds
of two Hits from a single blow, then the
defender is rendered unconscious and
removed from the fight, even if the Body
Part is not reduced to a Value of 0.
Note: A Body Part that has been
successfully targeted and hit by an
Attacker has not suffered a Wound from
the Hit until after the Deflection attempt
is made and the damage is assigned.
Declaring Damage
As part of Damage resolution, an injured
defender must reveal to their attacker
which body Parts took Hits and their
Current Values.
 & '
Catching Your Breath
At the end of any combat,
when the melee is over and
participants have a few
minutes to rest, every
survivor of the combat who is
not unconscious immediately
removes the effects of one
hit. (Increase the current
value of the lowest valued
Body Part that has had its
value reduced through
damage by +1.)
An unconscious Hero, who
has all Body Parts with
values higher than zero (1 or
more,) will automatically
regain consciousness during
the Free Healing phase.
Medicine
Each successful application of the Medicine (Head)
Skill will remove the effects of one hit. (Increase the
current value of the lowest valued Body Part that
has had its value reduced through damage by +1.)
Each application of the Medicine Skill to an
individual patient in a single day gets increasingly
harder whether or not the application is successful.
For Conscious Patients
1st time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition Value of Medicine Test (Easy) 2.
2nd time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition Value of Medicine Test (Average) 6.
3rd time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition Value of Medicine Test (Hard) 10.
4th time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition of Medicine Test (Seems Imp.) 14.
No 5th attempt allowed.
Use of Medicine Skill on an unconscious patient is
more difficult.
For Unconscious Patients
1st time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition Value of Medicine Test (Below Ave.) 4.
2nd time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition Value of Medicine Test (Above Ave.) 8.
3rd time to attempt to heal the patient that day ...
Opposition of Medicine Test (Very Hard) 12.
No 4th attempt allowed.
An unconscious Hero, who has all Body Parts with
values higher than zero (1 or more,) will
automatically regain consciousness after the
successful application of the Medicine Skill.
11
 ( ) *
Each night a Hero can recover from damage through rest and regeneration. There are
two types of recovery, Natural Recovery and Guided Recovery. Any patient who has
been successfully treated with a Guided Recovery (Medicine) Test will benefit from
Guided Recovery. A Hero that has not been successfully treated by a Guided Recovery
(Medicine) Test will recover according to the rules for Natural Recovery.

Guided Recovery Natural Recovery

Guided Recovery can be attempted on
each patient once per day. (This is
independent of the Medicine Skill Tests
listed above.) Guided Recovery is a
Medicine (Head) Skill Test. The
Opposition Value of a Guided Recovery
Test is (Above Average) 8.
If a Hero did not receive the benefit of a
successful Guided Recovery (Medicine)
Test, the Hero might skill recover some
Hits naturally.
Heroes that are conscious regain 1 Hit
over night with proper rest.

Heroes that are conscious regain up to Unconscious Heroes roll 1d6.

3 Hits over night with proper rest.
1 the Hero has perished
Unconscious Heroes roll 1d6.
2-5 No Change
1-4 No Change 6 Recover 1 Hit over night
5-6 Recover 1 Hit over night

An unconscious Hero, who after successful Guided or Natural Recovery, has all Body
Parts with values higher than zero (1 or more,) will automatically regain consciousness
in the morning.

12
 + #
Normal
These weapons and this armor follow all
combat rules as provided in the combat
section with no special exceptions.
Unless otherwise noted, all weapons
and armor are assumed to be of Normal
Quality.
Demonic
Entities with the Demonic quality cannot
be harmed by Normal or Gun weapons
at all. The Keres are creatures
possessing the Demonic Quality.
Magic
Magic Weapons cancel out the Demonic
Quality and damage resolution is
handled normally. The primary melee
weapon carried by the Warriors of
Prometheus, the Prometheus Blade,
possesses the Magic quality.
$ ,
In Combat, DOUBLES grant special
combat results (see Blocks, Critical
Attacks, and Shield Bashes) outside of
combat rolling Doubles on skill tests has
a different result.
When rolling skill tests outside of
combat for skills that are not COMBAT
ASPECTS, if any player rolls doubles
the group earns 1 experience point. This
benefit is gained whether or not the skill
test was successful.
Experience accumulated for the group
will be divided equally between all
players at the end of the game session.
13
Bulletproof
Bulletproof is a special quality that can
be applied to Armor or a Shield. A
Bulletproof Body Part always Blocks on
a successful Deflection. The Bulletproof
Quality and the Gun Quality counter
each other so that attacks by Guns
against Bulletproof Body Parts are NOT
automatically Blocked by a successful
Deflection. (see Blocks)
Guns
Guns are a special category of weapon.
Guns always inflict +1 Hit on a
successful attack. (The target defender
must make a separate deflection
attempt for each Hit.) The Bulletproof
Quality and the Gun Quality counter
each other so that attacks by Guns
against Bulletproof Body Parts do NOT
inflict +1 Hit.
Round Experience amounts up (adding
experience if needed) so that every
Hero gets the same amount of
Experience and no Experience is lost.
BODY PART VALUE +1
costs current value of Body Part x 6
in experience points.
ADD A NEW SKILL
costs sum total of all Skills known x 3
in experience points.*
*This is the sum of all Skills under all Parts not
just those Skills related to a selected Part.
 Body Parts Hero Record

Initiative (Head + Legs)

Head Value (use to find Accuracy & Initiative)
Max. Current Fortitude (Chest + Arms)

Chest Value (use to find Deflection & Fortitude) Head Skills

Max. Current

Arms Value (use to find Power & Fortitude)

Max. Current

Legs Value (use to find Evasion & Initiative) Chest Skills

Max. Current

Weapon
Main Hand Accuracy Power
Arms Skills

Off Hand If using a shield or parrying

weapon reduce Accuracy by -1

Armor
Legs Skills
Head Evasion (+1) Deflection (-1)

Chest Evasion (-1) Deflection (+1)

Arms Evasion Deflection

Experience Points
Legs Evasion Deflection

Prometheus Blade is © copyright 2007 by Jeff Moore, all rights reserved. Permission is granted to copy this form for use in playing the game.

14