• • 11

MDDERN ACTIDN RDLE•PLAYINli GAME

MIKE MYLER
 A What's O.L.D. Is N.E.W.
Core Rulebook
by Mike Myler
Artists Bartlomiej Fedyczak, Bien Flores, Felipe Gaona,
Carl Holden, Darren Morrissey, Claudio Pozas,
Alida Saxon, Carly Sorge, jupeart, Dabarti CGI,
cigdem, Yuttana Samol, diversepixel, denisgo.
Some art © 2004 Ed Bourelle. Used with
permission. www.bourellearts.com
Also includes artwork in the public domain.
Additional Text by Russ Morrissey
WOIN System Design by Russ Morrissey
Art Directors Alida Saxon, Gayle Reick
Art Commissioned by Savage Mojo
Layout and Graphic Design by Eric Life-Putnam
©2017–2018 EN Publishing
ENP0301 • Version 1.2b • ISBN 978-1-912007-71-4

At EN Publishing, we actively encourage What’s O.L.D. Is N.E.W. fans and third-party

publishers to create and/or sell WOIN-compatible content, including WOIN sourcebooks,
adventures, resources, expansions, and so on; even electronic applications!
The license is free, and you don’t need to ask permission or apply to use it—
head to woinrpg.com for license information and terms, and start creating!

i
 Table of Contents
N.O.W. Modern Action Roleplaying Game
Introduction............................................. 1
N.O.W. IS…...........................................................2
FOREWORD........................................................3
Welcome to N.O.W...............................................5
What You Need....................................................5
Example of Play............................................................ 6
How to Play..........................................................6
“Rule Zero”.................................................................... 8
About this Book..................................................8
The Setting...........................................................9
N.O.W. What’s O.L.D. Is N.E.W.................................... 9
A Brief Glossary..................................................9
Setting the Tone................................................ 11
Default Assumptions........................................ 12
That Seems Familiar!................................................. 12
Chapter 1
Action Careers.......................................... 13
About This Chapter........................................... 14
Character Creation........................................... 14
Total Checklist............................................................ 15
Descriptor................................................................... 15
Character Creation Walkthrough.............................. 15
Attributes.......................................................... 16
Attributes & Dice Pools.............................................. 16
Example Descriptors....................................................16
Grade................................................................. 18
Skills.................................................................. 18
Starting Grade..............................................................18
Skill Notation.............................................................. 20
Skill Levels.................................................................. 20
Heritage.............................................................20
Attributes.................................................................... 21
Gender & Ethnicity.................................................... 21
Humans....................................................................... 21
Chosen......................................................................... 22
Mutant......................................................................... 23
Augmented................................................................. 23
Mutations..........................................................24
Dice!............................................................................. 27
Mutations & Power Levels.......................................... 27
Optional Profession.................................................... 29
ii
Cybernetics.......................................................30
Organic Limitations................................................... 30
Cybernetic Alterations.............................................. 30
Origins...............................................................34
Careers..............................................................36
Repeating Careers...................................................... 36
Career List................................................................... 37
Occult & Magic............................................................ 42
Martial Arts & Chi...................................................... 55
Martial Arts.......................................................56
Martial Arts Careers.................................................. 56
Universal Martial Arts Exploits................................. 56
Once per Turn...............................................................61
Paying for Effects..........................................................61
A Fistful of Chi..................................................62
CHI Attribute.............................................................. 62
Stances........................................................................ 62
Universal Exploits............................................65
Age.....................................................................68
Young Characters....................................................... 68
Old Characters............................................................ 68
Trait...................................................................69
Derived Statistics.............................................. 71
Recording Dice Pools................................................. 71
Cinematic Mode...........................................................71
Careers & Defensive Skills........................................ 73
Equip Your Character.......................................73
Attacks...............................................................73
Advancement.................................................... 74
Defeating Enemies and Overcoming Challenges... 75
Planning...................................................................... 75
Completing Milestones............................................. 75
Incremental Advances............................................... 75
Age............................................................................... 75
Chapter 2
Modern Equipment.................................... 77
About This Chapter...........................................78
Starting Money.................................................78
It’s the Real World!...................................................... 78
Equipment, Skills, and Quality........................79
Currency...................................................................... 79

Item Quality in Context.............................................. 80
Selling Gear................................................................ 81
Facilities and Quality................................................. 81
General Gear..................................................... 81
Improvised Equipment................................................81
Weapons............................................................84
Resistance.................................................................... 84
Vulnerability............................................................... 84
Damage Types............................................................ 85
Weapon Traits............................................................. 86
Special Ammunition.................................................. 87
Melee Weapons.......................................................... 87
Melee Weapons and Size............................................ 88
Eastern (Martial Arts) Weapons............................... 89
Archaic Weapons........................................................ 89
Firearms...................................................................... 91
Firearms Terminology................................................ 92
Hi Ho, Silver!...............................................................101
Weapon Upgrades and Customization.................. 105
Aiming Aids............................................................... 105
Armor.............................................................. 106
Armor Upgrades and Customization..................... 108
Shields............................................................. 109
Vehicles........................................................... 110
Vehicle Statistics.......................................................110
Converting Vehicles...............................................117
Pimp My Ride............................................................118
Converting Vehicles, continued................................118
Food and Services...........................................124
Gadgets............................................................124
Table of Contents
Chapter 3
Modern Core............................................ 129
Playing the Game............................................ 130
The Attribute Check........................................ 131
Making an Attribute Check..................................... 131
Forming the Dice Pool............................................. 132
Equipment Quality.................................................. 132
Maximum Dice Pools.............................................. 132
Difficulty Benchmarks............................................ 133
Group Checks............................................................ 133
Indirect Skills............................................................. 133
The Math.................................................................... 133
Complications.......................................................... 134
Critical Successes..................................................... 134
Opposed Checks...................................................... 134
Extended Tasks......................................................... 135
Contests..................................................................... 136
Task Lexicon.............................................................. 136
Common Tasks............................................... 137
Chases & Races......................................................... 137
Chemistry................................................................. 138
Computing................................................................ 139
Interrogations........................................................... 139
Medicine................................................................... 140
Tracking.................................................................... 141
Tailing....................................................................... 141
Countdowns............................................................. 142
The Role of Luck.............................................. 143
Leadership................................................................ 143
Replenishing Luck................................................... 143
What Luck Represents.............................................. 143
Forming a Luck Pool................................................. 143
Other Uses of Luck................................................... 144
iii
 Table of Contents
Combat............................................................ 144
The Combat Sequence............................................. 144
Actions and Turns.................................................... 145
The Ambush Turn..................................................... 145
Movement................................................................. 146
Long-Distance Travel................................................ 146
Important Combat Actions..................................... 147
Making an Attack......................................................147
Dual-Wielding.......................................................... 148
Positional Effects...................................................... 149
Vehicle Combat............................................... 151
Initiative.................................................................... 151
Movement................................................................. 151
Turning...................................................................... 151
Actions....................................................................... 151
Firing Weapons........................................................ 153
Collisions.................................................................. 153
Spinning Out............................................................ 154
Stunts......................................................................... 154
Injury & Death................................................ 154
Health Damage........................................................ 155
Recovering Health................................................ 155
Conditions................................................................ 156
Illnesses & Disease......................................... 156
List of Conditions.......................................................157
Objects............................................................. 160
The Environment............................................ 161
Example Areas...........................................................163
Theater of the Mind Combat.................................... 164
Stunt Areas................................................................ 165
Example Stunt Areas.................................................165
iv
Chapter 4
Modern Worlds........................................ 167
Building a World............................................. 168
Designing a Setting......................................... 168
Using Other Materials...............................................169
Settlements and Countries............................ 170
Agents and Organizations.............................. 174
Organization Exploits...............................................177
Types of Organizations.............................................178
Sample Organization................................................179
Designing a New Heritage.............................. 179
Dhampir.................................................................... 184
Designing a Career......................................... 185
Designing Foes................................................ 186
Vampire Slayer...........................................................186
Creating Campaigns....................................... 194
Appendixes............................................. 197
Appendix A: The Alpha Squad....................... 198
Appendix B: Monsters & Minions..................204
Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance........ 225
Getting Started......................................................... 225
The Van...................................................................... 226
Open Sesame............................................................. 226
Cedar’s Pavilion....................................................... 226
Escape....................................................................... 228
Zombies!.................................................................... 230
What Next?................................................................ 230
Index....................................................... 231
Introduction

1
 Introduction

N.O.W. IS…
Intense battles against
overwhelming odds!

High tech gadgets and one-of-a-

kind vehicles!

Leaping across rooftops while

evading and fighting off ninjas!

Private eyes who take on any job,

big or small, so long as it pays!

Secret organizations moving

to control the world through
business and politics!
Technology-laden thieves who
steal from wealthy society to
give to the poor!
Roaming mercenaries seeking
fortune, for themselves or for
the downtrodden!
Investigators who root out
corruption in their own cities, but
find much more!
Battlefields rippling with
explosions and filled with
dynamic combatants!
Teams of crime fighters facing
off against criminal syndicates
and shadow cartels!
Spies clashing on rooftops, at
ostentatious events, and in the
shadows of society!
Artificially enhanced government
operatives working deep behind
enemy lines!
Explorers uncovering ancient
ruins in search of forgotten lore
and treasure galore!
Precisely executed covert
operations in war-torn lands!
Martial artists performing
incredible feats and fighting with
deadly efficiency!
Mavericks chasing down those
who flee the law, going places
G-men can’t!
Vigilantes who stalk city streets
in the long hours of the night!
The vestiges of the O.L.D. and the
beginnings of the N.E.W.!

2
 Introduction

FOREWORD
I first met Morrus at the 2013 ENnies. I was a young spitfire game designer with a penchant
for weird things and a work ethic that can’t be beat (yay hard labor), and looking back, I
can honestly tell you that I did not anticipate writing an entire game system for EN World
at the time—I was mostly preoccupied with being there and starting to be somebody.
  In a lot of ways, I was like a first level character. I like to think I’m level two at this point.
  N.O.W. started developing half a year ago (as of this Foreword being penned, anyway)
while the breakaway What’s O.L.D. Is N.E.W. Kickstarter blew through stretch goals and
funding ramped up to places Morrus didn’t know what to do with—as soon as he solicited
ideas I put together a robust outline prepared with different ideas. What stuck was one
for a game about action movies, a topic very close to my heart. I’m such a fan that I went
to school for Film Studies, and if we aren’t talking Gilliam, chances are good my favorite
films fall into the shoot-em-up and exploding things genre. I’ve written academic papers
about Last Action Hero, collected and watched every Jackie Chan film (even The Spy Next
Door), and generally made it my thing to cheese out with action flicks.
I cannot explain how wildly excited I was when Morrus put me on as a stretch goal,
or how crazy amazing it felt when we broke that level of funding. This is by far my big-
gest foray into game design thus far (am I allowed to plug Veranthea Codex here?) and I
literally feel like bouncing off the walls (and did at first) whenever I think about N.O.W.—
I reckon that after playing it, you will as well.
  Taking this bound was not a simple thing, however, and several people need to be
thanked directly for their contributions. Jonathan G. Nelson, owner of AdventureAWeek.
com, is chief amongst them, alongside Owen K. C. Stephens and L. J. Stephens of Rogue
Genius Games. The former saw a diamond in the rough and has been polishing it ever
since, and the latter pair have been providing all the mentoring Jonathan skips over.
Russell Morrissey, master of EN  World and EN Publishing, also deserves a shout-out
alongside all of the membership of EN World and everyone who backed the What’s O.L.D.
is N.E.W. Kickstarter!
  And milady of course, Stephanie, for convincing me to make that first pitch. You are
amazing, female.
  Anyway, forget all of that! Shoot things, punch through walls, and start piling up dead
bad guys N.O.W.!

What’s O.L.D. Is N.E.W. —Mike Myler

P.S.: Thanks again to Morrus for giving me a title I can be punny with N.O.W. and then.
P.P.S.: R ight N.O.W. I’m in the rough draft of revisions and wanted to let yins know that I’m
still not tired of that pun.

3
 Introduction
“N
ot one of you respects the
  armory, and I’m going to shove a
  golf club up the backside of the next
person who sweats all over a bench and doesn’t
clean it up. You are not children—clean up af-
ter yourselves.” Lady Anarchy hefts her bag of
bloodied sports equipment up onto a work table,
inspecting a gouge in her tungsten carbide hockey
blade. “Oh and Senny, what the hell was that?”
  Eternal Senpai, the youngest among them, a
teenage girl not yet four feet tall but with the
demeanor of an old man, shrugs. “They should not
have done what they did. It is a simple thing.”
Lady Anarchy’s expression under her hockey
mask can’t be seen, but it can certainly be heard.
“For littering? You endanger an operation that
took months of planning because some idiot
tossed a balled-up burger wrapper out their car
window? It was absolutely necessary to sprint
after their car?”
  Once more the diminutive and ever calm young
woman merely nods as if it were the most normal
thing in the world. “I believe that they learned a
most important lesson.”
  Seeing the rage building up in his street-bred
ally, a slender gentleman in a slightly rumpled
tuxedo holds up both hands, gesturing to each of
his quarrelling compatriots. “Ladies, please! The
engagement proceeded, we succeeded, and all
is well. There’s positively no reason for this argu-
ment to continue.”
  “As usual, Ben’s right.” Alejandra says, ap-
pearing from around the corner with a bottle of
champagne in one hand. Her other hand—the cy-
bernetic one—is reconfigured into a bottle opener
and she laughs as it winches the thing open. “No-
body’s dead, the getaway vehicle can be salvaged,
and we’re in a good place to make our next move.
Let little Senpai have her little trastada.”
4
  The young girl is not amused. “It was not
mischief.”
  Just as Lady Anarchy hefts back a lead-core
hockey puck, the door to the armory slams open
with a kick. A bandaged Mack Marlowe, his trench-
coat rife with bullet holes, stands supported on
the shoulder of the team’s leader, Duke Roosevelt.
Both look at the hockey-masked vigilante and say
in unison, “don’t.”
  The old soldier walks Mack over to the ex-
private eye’s locker, pulling out a carafe of aged
whiskey and pouring two tumblers full of it be-
fore addressing the team. “You all did good today.
Though she’s right, Senpai—pull a stunt like that
again and we’ll find a new ninja. How did we do on
intel, Alejandra?”
  As she gulps down the last of her first glass
of champagne the hacker waves her hand in the
air, the metal of her fingers forming into playful
streamers. “All good, boss! We’ve got warehouse
schedules, some behind-the-scenes payroll, and
maybe a few contacts I can dig out of their net
activity. Should be able to hit them again before
the week is out.”
  Duke nods, his stark white hair like snow against
the blood—not his own—spilled during the hectic
highway car chase just thirty minutes ago. “After
you’re done with that bottle, get on it. Everybody
get some rest, check your gear, and be ready to
head out again before dawn tomorrow.”
 Introduction

Welcome to N.O.W.
N.O.W. is a modern-day roleplaying game, set
in a very exciting version of the present or near-present.
Players take on the roles of action heroes and play through
scenarios presented to them by a Game Master (GM). The
GM creates the universe, the places, the allies and ene-
mies who populate the world, and the adventures that the
player characters (PCs) will encounter.
  N.O.W. is set in the modern era, at some indeterminate
time in the late 20th or early 21st century. Whether there
are cell phones or car phones, laptops or DOS, smart links
or phone jacks, wireless Internet or broadcast television
is ultimately up to you, though the rules for using near-
future and near-past technology are all included here.
  In N.O.W. you’ll create a character and adventure across
the globe with characters created by other players. Your
characters might be private eyes, mercenaries, covert ops
specialists, spies, loner badasses, masters of martial arts,
or vigilantes. You could be Human, Augmented in some
way, a Mutant, or a Designed experiment. Each player
creates his or her own player character, decides on a per-
sonality, abilities, and attributes, and plays that character
through numerous adventures.
  N.O.W. allows you to blow up your enemies in style,
perform fantastic feats of martial prowess, root out cor-
ruption in the dark streets of the city, uncover duplicitous
organizations bent on world domination, or make your
way across the world as a soldier for hire.

What You Need

To play N.O.W. each player will need the following:
•• A selection of six-sided dice (referred to as “d6s”).
•• A character sheet (you can photocopy the one in this
book or download one from the internet; at worst, a
sheet of scrap paper will do).
•• If the GM is using battlemaps to display combat
positioning, a small miniature, token, or figurine to
represent your character. You can find these in most
game stores, but pennies or chess pieces will do in
an emergency.
•• If you are the GM, you will need a copy of this book
and some kind of scenario or adventure, such as
How to Make an Entrance, included herein as Ap-
pendix C.

5
 Introduction
How to Play
This book provides you with the core rules of play. It tells
you how to create characters, adjudicate challenges and
combat, and more.
  During a game of N.O.W. the GM will describe the en-
vironment and events of the game world, and the players
will describe what their characters do within that sce-
nario in a collaborative story-telling manner. Often the
success of an action is not guaranteed, at which point you
will use your dice to determine the outcome. Some tasks
Example of Play
David, Linda, Lucy, and Dirk are playing Duke Roosevelt,
Eternal Senpai, Alejandra Vanistos, and Ben Madjos, re-
spectively, in an adventure being run by Sigourney, the
GM. The group is preparing for an attack by the Crimson
Sparrows, a sinister and villainous organization. They’ve
selected an abandoned warehouse where they plan to
ambush their foes, and Ben Madjos, international super-
spy, has used his contacts to ensure the Sparrows know
exactly where to find them.
  Sigourney (the GM): It’s evening now. You’re in the
warehouse you selected at the end of Goldacre Street.
According to Ben’s sources, the Sparrows plan their at-
tack any minute now. How are you readying yourselves?
  David (playing Duke): We need to set up an ambush. Is
there an upper level to this building?
  Sigourney (the GM): There’s a balcony running round
the inside about 30 feet above you. It’s about 15 feet
wide, and it's cluttered with crates and boxes.
  Linda (playing Eternal Senpai): Good. Plenty of cover
for you gunslingers. I’ll be right in the middle of the ac-
tion, of course! Does the balcony extend above the
entranceway? I’d like to be able to jump down into the
bad guys from above.
  Sigourney (the GM): It does indeed. The jump would be
about 30 feet though.
  Linda (playing Eternal Senpai): No problem. I'll use my
death from above exploit and some of my Chi power; I
won’t be hurt by the drop. The bad guys will be, though!
  Sigourney (the GM): Right. So Senpai is on the balcony
above the entrance. Where are the rest of you?
Dirk (playing Ben): I will be in my car, outside.
6
will be more difficult than others, and some characters
will be better at certain types of activity than others.
  As your character makes his or her way through adven-
tures across the globe, there will be money and equipment
to find or earn and Experience Points (XP) to be gained.
These XP can be spent to improve your character’s capa-
bilities by purchasing new careers, and they are awarded
to characters by the GM when the characters complete
storylines or defeat challenges and enemies.
  David (playing Duke): Wait, what? Outside? Planning
on going somewhere?
  Dirk (playing Ben): You wait and see! It’s from my days
at MI-6. It has a few tricks.
  Lucy (playing Alejandra): By “trick” do you mean “ma-
chine guns”?
  Dirk (playing Ben): (grins) And other things. I’ll be ready
to gun the engine and charge in from behind.
  Sigourney (the GM): OK. So Senpai is above the en-
trance, and Ben is in the old Aston Martin parked outside.
That leaves Alejamdra and Duke. Where are you guys?
  Lucy (playing Alejandra): I’ll be ready with my pistol
behind some crates on the balcony, off to the left as they
come in.
  David (playing Duke): And I’ll be directly opposite the
entrance. I want them to be able to see me so that I can
draw them in.
  Sigourney (the GM): You’re all set, and just in time.
Ben, you hear the sound of engines outside—the Crim-
son Sparrows are here! Around the corner, a small truck
drives into view. On the back you can see six ninjas clad
in black, with the signature red headband of the Spar-
rows. They're armed with swords and submachine guns.
  Dirk (playing Ben): Grrr. I’m fairly sure ninjas don’t
traditionally use Uzis … ah well. I raise one eyebrow ironi-
cally, and then alert the others using my radio.
  David (playing Duke): Everyone who needs to be, get
into cover!
  Sigourney (the GM): I believe Eternal Senpai and Ale-
jandra are hiding. Duke is remaining clearly visible as bait.
Ben, are you trying to remain hidden in your car?

  Dirk (playing Ben): You betcha. I won’t be much of a
surprise if they see me!
  Sigourney (the GM): Great. Then I need Agility checks
from Senpai, Alejandra, and Ben. Ben, add your stealth
skill to your dice pool. You too, Alejandra.
  (All: Various rolls are made, and the results are report-
ed; Lucy makes an unlucky low roll for Alejandra.)
  Sigourney (the GM): The truck rolls to a stop outside
the warehouse, and the Crimson Sparrows disembark.
They clearly haven’t seen Ben. Fanning out, three enter
the building. They spot Duke immediately, and one of
them points up at Alejandra behind the crates.
  David (playing Duke): What is it they say? No plan sur-
vives first contact with the enemy? Anyway, I grin, take
a puff of my cigar, and wave cheerfully at them. Let’s
spring the ambush!
  Sigourney (the GM): Only Ben and Senpai get to act in
the Ambush Turn. The rest of you don’t, unfortunately,
because you’ve been spotted!
Introduction
  Dirk (playing Ben): Let’s see what this puppy can do!
I open fire with the Aston Martin’s machine guns at the
the three ninjas still outside! Here we go … Agility 3d6 … I
need a bit of luck, though, so I’ll use up 2d6 out of my Luck
pool to make sure this one counts. I roll 19.
  Linda (playing Eternal Senpai): And I leap down on the
three inside the entranceway, summoning up my Chi for
a devastating attack! It’s Agility for me, too, plus my
martial arts skill. This is what I’m really good at! I roll 21!
It’s a shame Lady Anarchy isn’t here … she’d make mince-
meat of these guys with her golf clubs and stuff!
  Sigourney (the GM): They’re both excellent rolls, and
both of your attacks succeed. Ben, your car’s machine
guns tear into the ninjas in front of you; Senpai, you land
among the ones in the warehouse and lash out with fist
and foot! Roll some damage and let me know about any
other effects from your attacks!
  David (playing Duke): I do love it when a plan comes
together …
7
 Introduction
About this Book
This book is the main rulebook for N.O.W.: The Role-
playing Game. Using this book, you can run a campaign
focused on settings and challenges that reflect the action
movie genre. It describes how to create characters, ad-
judicate the game, run combat, and design settings and
adventures, among other things. The book is divided into
four main chapters.
•• 1: Action Careers. The first section of the book deals
with character creation. It takes you through the
process of generating new player characters from
start to finish, including attributes, heritage, careers,
and more, as well as detailing equipment, armor,
and weapons that player characters can purchase.
•• 2: Modern Equipment. In this section, you’ll
find rules for buying, customizing, building, and
ultimately using equipment of all kinds—from
8
exploding pens to talking supercars to tricked out
18-wheelers. You will also find rules on how to pit
vehicles against each other in combat.
•• 3: Modern Core. This section describes how to run
a game of N.O.W. It covers the core game mechanics,
including attribute checks and countdown pools,
and the combat rules, along with details on the en-
vironment, objects, and movement. It also includes
information on Chi and a selection of mooks and
minions for use in the game.
•• 4: Modern Worlds. The final section of the book
contains guidelines for designing your own setting,
heritages, careers, combat locales, and enemies. It
also contains rules for creating, joining, and run-
ning organizations. It is a GM’s toolkit for campaign
and adventure design.
“Rule Zero”
The GM is the final arbiter of what happens in the
game. If a rule needs to be interpreted, it is the GM
who decides how to resolve it. At times, the GM may
need to create new rules, or alter existing rules. In
other words, the rules in this book should be viewed
as guidelines, and should not interfere with or be a
hindrance to your game-playing.
  The ultimate goal of this game—like that of any
game—is to enjoy it and have fun. There is no right or
wrong way to play N.O.W. If you’re all enjoying your-
selves, you’re playing it correctly.

The Setting
N.O.W. is set in a recent time period, the present, or the
very near future. That world might be our own world, or
it might be a fictional one of your own devising. It might
be small in scale, encompassing only a small town in
Colorado as Communist forces make landfall, it might en-
compass an entire seaboard with a cast of villains, or be a
globe-trotting thrill ride that takes the characters across
the entire world. Here are some examples of settings:
•• The world was ruined by war, and civilization
has fallen. Even the forces of battling warlords are
unlikely to sleep with a belly full of food rather than
lead. Experts and mercenaries are the most valuable
resources in toppling these tyrants, and the only
real hope of the downtrodden citizens of Earth.
•• In the digital age, information is absolute power.
Corporations have risen to the fore of global politics,
overshadowing or entirely replacing governments
across the world. Those with enough gumption to
get off the streets are the pawns of society’s elite,
working with blackhats and expatriated soldiers in
unending (and bloody) corporate warfare.
•• The world of espionage is a deadly, secretive one.
Superspies operate alone or in small, elite teams,
thwarting the devious plans of their foes with wits,
ingenuity, and an arsenal of hi-tech gadgets.
•• Lone survivors, thought dead by their retreating
allies, are deep in enemy territory with no chance
of backup or rescue. Left without recourse, fighting
for their freedom is all they can do; or will a small
force of determined warriors be enough to turn the
tide of the greater conflict?
N.O.W. What’s O.L.D.
Is N.E.W.
O.L.D. is a companion roleplaying game of medieval
fantasy, and N.E.W. is a companion roleplaying game of
science fiction. These two games are 100% compatible
both with each other and with N.O.W.; if you want a wiz-
ard to appear in the jungles of the Congo before aliens
descend onto the White House, you’ll find that these three
games work together perfectly.
  Look for the O.L.D. and N.E.W. roleplaying games from
EN Publishing.
Introduction
A Brief Glossary
This is a short introduction to some of the terms you’ll
encounter throughout this book. These elements are
building blocks for a character—some bigger, some small-
er—that when put together create an overall picture.
  Attributes. Attributes represent a range of core mea-
surable facets of your character in numerical form. These
attributes are Strength, Agility, Endurance, Intu-
ition, Logic, Willpower, Charisma, Luck, and Chi,
plus a couple of optional attributes which depend on the
campaign model. The higher an attribute, the more your
character exemplifies that attribute.
  Attribute Check. Most activities in the game are based
around an attribute check. This is a test whereby one of
your attributes helps determine how many dice you get
to roll to accomplish a task such as shooting at an enemy
soldier or lifting a heavy object.
  Benchmark. The difficulty of an in-game task is de-
scribed by its benchmark. This is a descriptive word and
numerical value (such as Challenging [13]) which is the
target value for an attribute check. Any attribute check
result that matches or exceeds the benchmark numerical
value is a success.
  Career. A career is a temporary building block which
helps form your character’s development. Characters take
careers for periods of time during character generation
as the process works its way through his life. Each career
affects his attributes and skills. For example, a few years
spent training in a dojo in downtown Brooklyn might
enhance a character’s martial skills. At any given time, a
character will have a current career.
  Chi. Chi is an attribute which represents a character’s
mastery of an inner, supernatural power. Chi can repre-
sent ki, the eye of the tiger, cool, or similar power sources.
  d6. A “d6” is a regular six-sided dice. N.O.W. is based
around pools of dice in which you roll a number of dice,
add up the total, and compare it to a target number known
as a difficulty benchmark. If you need to roll x dice and
add them together, this is expressed as xd6—for example,
3d6 means “roll three dice and add them together”, while
“5d6” means “roll five dice and add them together.”
  d66. When the rules ask you to roll a d66, you should
roll 2d6 but read them a little differently. Instead of adding
them together, you read the first as “tens” and the second
9
 Introduction

as “ones”—for example, if you roll a 3 and a 2, you read that

as 32. Similarly, rolling a 1 and a 6 yields a result of 16. This
way of rolling dice is mainly used by the GM when rolling
on random tables.
  Descriptor. At the top of the character sheet you will see
an area known as the “descriptor”. The descriptor presents
a number of fundamental things about your character in
the form of a single summarizing sentence.
  Dice Pool. A dice pool is the handful of dice you roll
when making an attribute check. It can be formed in vari-
ous ways (for example, you might add dice because of your
character’s attributes, skills, or equipment) and is limited
in size by your character’s grade.
  Die Bonus/Penalty. If something grants a die bonus or
inflicts a die penalty (usually in the format “a +2d6 bonus”
or “a –1d6 penalty”), this refers to additional dice which
can be added to (or which must be removed from) your
dice pool when you make an attribute check.
  Experience Points (XP). Characters earn Experience
Points by accomplishing tasks, defeating enemies, and
completing adventures. These Experience Points can be
spent on a range of abilities and character improvements.
  Exploits. Exploits are individual abilities or benefits.
There are different types of exploits—heritage exploits,
career exploits, attribute exploits, and universal exploits.
Exploits include things like a rebel’s talents for acquiring
illicit goods, a mutant’s unlikely ability to modify the odds
of unlikely events, or the ability to make multiple flowing
attacks in a deadly flurry.
  Game Master (GM). The GM is the referee of the game.
The GM describes the universe to the players and controls
the actions of NPCs and monsters.
  Grade. Your character’s grade is simply the total
number of career grades he or she has taken. A starting
character is Grade 5. Your character’s grade is important
because it determines the maximum size of the dice pool
you can form when your make attribute checks.
  Heritage. Your character is one of a number of available
heritages (predominantly human). Your character might
be a Human, a Mutant of some kind, a genetically custom-
ized Designed, or a technologically enhanced Augmented.
  Non Player Character (NPC). An NPC is a character
which is not played by one of the players. Instead, all
NPCs are played by the GM.

10
 Introduction

  Skills. Skills are smaller, concentrated packets of inter- Modern Era

est, expertise, or training. They include things like cooking,
pistols, unarmed combat, poetry, cracking, piloting, engi-
neering, and more. Your character will pick up new skills
throughout his career. The skill list is open-ended and
unlimited; a skill kicks in at any time your character per-
forms an activity related to it.
Setting the Tone
Advancement Level (AL) is a tool a GM can use to peg the
tone of his campaign or setting; it’s a broad technological
scale designed to roughly describe the level of available
technology in a given setting.
  N.O.W. is set in the Modern Era, which encompasses
AL  4–6. The companion games O.L.D. and N.E.W. cover
the Archaic (AL 0–3) and Future (AL 6+) Eras, respectively.
  The typical N.O.W. game will probably feature a set-
ting-wide AL between 4 and 5.5. AL  4 offers radio and
telephones, AL 4.5 contains everything readily acces-
sible before the spread of mobile digital devices, AL  5
is roughly equivalent to the modern world of 2018, and
AL 5.5 contains technologies that might be accessible in
the near future (holograms, quantum computers, and
cold fusion).
Age AL Earth Example
Industrial Age: early automobiles, 4 1900s–1960s
radio, phone lines
Information Age: early computers, 4.5 1970s–2000s
car phones, jets
Digital Age: modern computers, cell 5 2000s–2010s
phones, electric cars
Quantum Age: flying cars, internal 5.5 2020s–2100s
electronics, super computers
In some settings, a group, organization, or region might
have access to technology typical of an AL above the
setting’s AL. Other settings may feature widespread high-
er-AL technology, lack specific technologies typical of the
setting’s AL, or both. In particular, higher sciences and
quantum devices are AL  5.5 technologies which might
appear at lower ALs … again, depending on the setting.
  Some examples of popular action franchises and their
associated ALs include the Knight Rider TV series (AL 4.5),
the X-Men franchise (AL  5.5), the James Bond franchise
(AL 4–5), the Lethal Weapon movies (AL 4.5), and the Jason
Bourne franchise (AL 5).
  The “default” setting of this book is between 4.5 and 5.

11
 Introduction
Default Assumptions
The primary default assumption in this book is that your
setting is whatever you want it to be. It can be as low- or
high-action and as technologically advanced as you like.
However, this book does have a sort of “baseline” of its
own. The assumptions that make up this baseline can be
stated generally as follows:
•• Traveling across the globe in 24 hours is possible
with enough money and time spent in airports.
•• Time travel is extremely rare; if it occurs at all, it is
central to important plots.
•• Martial artists and other seasoned combatants
can perform inhuman feats of physical prowess or
mental ability.
•• Robots are extremely simple and rarely, if ever,
attain sentience; if they do, it is central to an impor-
tant plot.
•• Conflict is never very far away, be it with an unruly
gang or opposing military force.
12
N.O.W. encompasses international superspy movies from
the 1960s to the present time, cop shows from the 1970s,
the various super-vehicle series of the 1980s, the action
muscle movies of Schwarzenegger, Stallone, and Willis,
the young adult action comedy/horror of Joss Whedon,
the slick action of the Fast & Furious franchise, and more.
That Seems Familiar!
You may see ideas presented in this rulebook that are
familiar to you. This is deliberate. N.O.W.’s goal isn’t to
create a new fiction (although it does play with the edges
of that) but to capture existing paradigms and put them
into mechanical form.
  If you've ever watched an amazing action film and
wanted to role-play in that setting, or in a setting with a
similar feel and some of the same assumptions, the rules
in this book are here to help you run a game inspired by
your favorite adrenaline junkie flicks and TV shows.
Chapter 1
Action
Careers

13
 Action Careers
About This Chapter
E
ach player in N.O.W. plays a character—
a genetically modified soldier, a stalwart ex-cop, a
secret agent, a talented martial artist, an outcast
mutant, or one of many possible options. You can choose
from a variety of heritages and careers to build the char-
acter you want to play.
  This section of the rulebook tells you how to create a
player character. It includes information on attributes,
skills, careers, exploits, and equipment. By working
through this chapter, you will be able to easily create a
fully playable character ready for play in a N.O.W. cam-
paign. All you need is a character sheet, a pencil, and a
copy of this rulebook.
Character Creation
A character, in its basic form, is simply a collection of
three types of element: attributes (core capabilities), skills
(areas of special competence or knowledge), and exploits
(special abilities and traits). The rest of the elements listed
below, such as careers, age, heritage, and so on, are simply
choices which help determine your attributes, skills, and
exploits. This chapter on character creation includes the
14
following information:
•• A walkthrough of the character creation process.
•• Details about character descriptors and grades.
•• Information about attributes, what they mean, and
how they are used.
•• A list of over 150 example skills.
•• A selection of 4 character heritages, along with their
descriptions and abilities.
•• Over 40 distinct careers your character can adopt.
•• Universal exploits—distinct abilities which can be
acquired by any character.
•• Details on how to calculate a number of derived
statistics.
•• Nearly 40 traits.
•• Information about how age affects your character.
These elements are building blocks that contribute to your
character. It may seem like a lot, but creating a character
is actually very simple—you simply choose a heritage, five
careers, a couple of items like exploits and traits, and then
you buy equipment for your character. When you’re used
to the process, a character shouldn’t take more than a few
minutes to create.

Character Creation Walkthrough
Follow these steps to create your character:
1. Note your starting attributes (each attribute starts
at 3, except for Chi and Reputation, each of which
start at 0).
2. Choose a heritage.
a) Choose three heritage skills.
b) Note all the listed heritage exploits.
3. Choose a hook, and note it in your descriptor.
4. Choose five careers. Start with an origin, and then
select four further careers. For each career grade,
do the following:
a) Apply all of the listed attribute adjustments.
b) Choose two of the listed skills and advance
each by one point. Note that characters may
always select a defensive skill instead.
Total Checklist
When you are finished, you will have chosen:
•• 5 careers, including one origin.
•• 10 skill ranks from careers plus 3 from heritage,
making 13 in total.
•• 20 attribute points from careers, plus 24 you started
with, adjusted by heritage.
•• 2 universal exploits, including either aim or feint.
•• 1 possible age exploit, a trait, and a hook.
Descriptor
At the top of each character sheet is a descriptor. This is
a short introductory character summary. For example,
Alejandra Vanistos’ descriptor reads:
A nimble Augmented burglar who loves automobiles
The descriptor is made up of the following elements, some
of which are not always used.
a[n] [age] [trait] [heritage] [career] who/with [hook].
Action Careers
b) Choose one new career exploit from the list
shown or choose one universal exploit.
c) Roll for the number of years your character
spends at that career grade and increase
your age (your age starts at zero).
5. Select Aim or Feint (free universal exploits) plus
one other exploit of your choice for which you
qualify.
6. Choose one trait based on your highest or lowest
attribute and note that in your descriptor.
7. Determine your age and apply any age exploits.
8. Calculate your derived statistics.
9. Spend money to equip your character with armor,
weapons, and equipment.
 Trait. The trait is the name of a special ability defined
by a character’s lowest or highest attribute.
 Age. The age entry is only used if the character is young-
er than adult or older than middle-aged. You may choose
any synonyms for young and old (adolescent, youthful,
aged, mature, etc.); age can give you a free exploit (see the
section on Age, below).
 Career. The career entry can be one of two choices. It
can be the character’s current career, or it can be the char-
acter’s longest-serving career. If the longest serving career
is not the current career, it should be prefixed with “ex-”
(for example, an ex-Cop or an ex-Soldier).
 Hook. The hook is a broad background, skill, or area
of interest chosen by the player. It can be anything, but
it’s designed to round out the character with personality,
interests, or hobbies. For example, a player might choose
“who enjoys hard liquor” or “has a taste for romance” or
even “who collects insects as a hobby.”
  The hook complements career and skill choices as a
background aspect, unconnected to specific vocations
and training. The hook works as a broad skill. Any time
a character makes an attribute check, if the activity is
15
 Action Careers
Example Descriptors
Each player should read their full descriptor to the
rest of the group before beginning play. For example:
• Ben Madjos is a suave human spy who likes to
drink.
• Alejandra Vanistos is a nimble Augmented
burglar who loves automobiles.
related to the character's hook, the player's dice pool ex-
plodes (each six rolled grants an additional die). The GM
should be generous in allowing this; the hook should pro-
vide a frequent reminder of a character’s background.
  What a player can’t do with the character’s hook is sneak
in a combat bonus—a bonus to either attack or damage
rolls. Characters can certainly have hooks like “…who
enjoys the firing range” or “…who likes bar-room brawls,”
but hooks like these that imply proficiency in combat
can’t actually help a character in combat. For example, a
firing range hook won’t ever benefit a character who’s fir-
ing a pistol; a brawling hook won’t ever assist a character
who’s throwing a punch.
  Have each player read their full descriptor to the rest of
the group before beginning play.
Attributes
Player characters are defined by a set of attributes, a se-
lection of values which help describe a character. They
measure things like strength, agility, and intelligence;
somebody with a higher Strength attribute is stronger
than somebody with a lower one. The core attributes are
Strength, Agility, Endurance, Willpower, Intuition,
Logic, Charisma, Luck, Reputation, and Chi.
  There is no upper limit to an attribute. The human heri-
tage is used as a benchmark for “average,” with a score of
with 4 in each physical, mental, and personal attribute
being roughly average for an adult human. An attribute
of 12 typically represents performance exhibited by top
world-class athletes or legendary geniuses. Einstein and
Sherlock Holmes exhibit a score of 12 in their Logic at-
tributes, while Adolf Hitler and Rasputin have scores of 11
or 12 in Charisma, although player characters and NPCs
in N.O.W. sometimes exceed these values.
16
  Monsters, too, are described in terms of attributes. A
mighty Tyrannosaurus rex might have a Strength attri-
bute of 20 or more. Non-human heritages have different
averages and norms compared to humans; this is repre-
sented by their different starting attributes.
  Attributes change during character generation and
through character advancement, as your character un-
dertakes careers. A stint in the military might make you a
bit tougher, increasing your Endurance attribute, while
years spent as a con-man might increase your Charisma.
The attributes are described in more detail below.
  Attributes sometimes combine to create derived sta-
tistics—for example, the physical attributes can affect
a character’s Defense score, and the mental attributes
affect a character’s Mental Defense score. Other attri-
butes are used to determine how fast your character can
run, how much he can carry, how far he can jump, or how
much damage he can take.
Attributes & Dice Pools
Attribute scores are only used during character creation
and advancement. During play, you will use your attri-
butes’ associated dice pools. There is more detail on this
later, but dice pools are groups of dice which you roll when
your character attempts a task; the more dice you roll, the
higher you’ll likely score.
Your attributes determine how many dice you can roll.
The total that you roll is compared to a difficulty bench-
mark; if you roll equal to or higher than that benchmark,
your character succeeds at the task.
  In running text, a benchmark looks something like this:
“a Challenging [13] AGI check.” This means that you roll
your dice pool, and if you roll 13 or more, your character
succeeds. There is much more information on difficulty
benchmarks and attribute checks in the section on adju-
dicating the game.

Dice Granted By Attribute/Skill Score
1–2 3–5 6–9 10–14 15–20 21–27 28–35
1d6 2d6 3d6 4d6 5d6 6d6 7d6
  Attributes grant dice to dice pools in a granular, expand-
ing scale, meaning each new die is harder to obtain—for
example, an Agility of 7 means that your Agility dice
pool is 3d6, while an Agility of 10 lets you roll 4d6.
  Skills (covered a little later in this book) use the same
expanding scale, granting more dice to your dice pool. So
a skill rank of 3 in pistols gives you 2d6. You would add that
to the 3d6 you got for your Agility score of 7 when firing
your Walther PPK at an attacking ninja, meaning that you
get to roll 5d6 in total.
  You can also gain dice for high quality equipment. For
example, an exceptional quality item gives you another
2d6 to add to your dice pool. Equipment is dealt with in
detail later.
Strength (STR)
Strength measures physical power, might, and brawn.
It is used to determine carrying capacity, some melee at-
tacks, and melee damage. If you want to bust a door down,
your GM may ask you for a STR check.
Agility (AGI)
Agility measures dexterity and reflexes. It is also used to
determine ranged attacks and some melee attacks. You
might use your AGI to perform a fancy aerial maneuver or
to land safely after a nasty fall.
Endurance (END)
Endurance is a measure of healthiness, constitution, and
hardiness. It is used to determine your overall Health
score. An END check might also be used to resist the ef-
fects of poison or disease.
Intuition (INT)
Intuition measures common sense, perception, empa-
thy, and natural instinct. It is used to tell when someone is
lying, spot something, or sense impending danger. Some
might refer to it as “EQ” or “emotional intelligence.” Ani-
mals often have high INT attributes, especially those with
keen senses.
Action Careers
Logic (LOG)
Logic is a mixture of reasoning, knowledge, and educa-
tion. While IQ isn’t a great measure of intelligence, 60 +
(LOG × 10) gives an approximate IQ in the mid-ranges.
You would make a LOG check to operate a complex elec-
tronic device, apply first aid, or recall specific knowledge
Willpower (WIL)
Willpower is strength of mind and power of concentra-
tion. Along with END, it determines your overall Health,
and can be part of your Mental Defense.
Charisma (CHA)
Charisma is a combination of physical attractiveness,
personal magnetism, and force of personality. It is the
attribute used when interacting with others, whether
leading, deceiving, or negotiating with them. Physical ap-
pearance is part of the CHA score, but it is a minor part
at best; far more important are personality and presence.
Luck (LUC)
Luck is an unpredictable force, and some people are
naturally luckier than others. However, fate, fortune, and
destiny are all powerful influences on the world. Your
Luck dice pool forms a resource of dice which can be
added at will to other dice pools on order to improve your
chances, or which can be spent on other special actions.
That resource replenishes itself every day.
Reputation (REP)
Reputation is a measure of fame, respect, influence, and
contacts. Your Reputation attribute determines if people
recognize or have heard of you. REP has elements of fame,
rank, respect, social standing, and even credit ratings.
Your REP also partly determines your starting gold.
Chi (Chi)
Chi represents an inner force of will and power, often
utilized by martial artists to accomplish incredible super-
natural things. It can sometimes be known by other terms:
ki, mojo, cool, and so on. While anybody can learn how
to perform a roundhouse kick or a judo throw, only those
with Chi can perform legendary mystical feats like run-
ning on water, levitating, or healing through meditation.
17
 Action Careers
Maximum Dice Pools by Grade
Grade <5 5 6–7 8–10
Max Pool see sidebar 5d6 6d6 7d6
Starting Grade
A typical character begins at grade 5, which includes an
origin and four career grades. However, the GM may wish
to start the game at a different grade. Starting charac-
ters at grade 1 will make them very young, and they will
have only an origin. They will be below average in terms
of competency, but have limitless scope to grow. Alter-
natively, starting at grade 2 can give characters an origin
and the start of a career. A rookie cop or a teenaged run-
away longing for adventure might fit this approach.
  A grade 4 PC has a maximum dice pool of 4d6. A grade
3 or lower PC has a maximum dice pool of 3d6 (a PC’s
maximum dice pool cannot be reduced to lower than 3d6,
no matter how low their grade); however, an NPC’s or
18
Grade
Your grade is equal to the total number of career grades
you have taken, and the largest dice pool you can form
during play is defined by your grade. A starting character
with 5 career grades is grade 5, and has a maximum pool
size of 5d6. Some NPCs, civilians, or weak monsters may
be lower than grade 5, and their maximum dice pool is
equal to their grade (but see the “Starting Grade” sidebar).
  For example (this will be explained in more detail lat-
er), Kilrave the Assassin has 9 AGI, 4 ranks in knives, and
an exceptional dagger. That would normally give him a
dice pool of 7d6 (3d6 for his attribute, 2d6 for his knives
skill, and 2d6 for his exceptional weapon). However, he is
grade 7, which makes his maximum dice pool 6d6 (see the
table below). In effect, some of the dice Kilrave would be
entitled to are wasted until he can gain some experience.
Skills
Skills represent things your character is good at. Skills are
picked up as a character progresses through his life, and
reflect training and background. Some are academic skills,
such as sciences; others are physical skills like running or
climbing. Still others reflect social skills like intimidation,
technical skills like engineering, and more.
11–14 15–19 20–25 26–32 33–40
8d6 9d6 10d6 11d6 12d6
monster’s maximum dice pool is 2d6 at grade 2 and 1d6
at grade 1.
  Conversely, starting characters at grade 10 makes
them highly competent, experienced professionals.
These characters know what they’re doing, and they’re
good at it. They’ve probably maxed out one entire career—
perhaps they could be ex-military or reformed criminals.
A grade 10 character has a maximum dice pool of 7d6.
  The GM can set any starting grade. You may find
you enjoy certain styles of game over others, and the
starting grade can play a major role in flavor. It is recom-
mended, however, that all players begin with characters
of the same grade so that none overshadow the others.

  A skill forms part of a dice pool. When making an at-
tribute check, you may add skill dice to your attribute dice
(you may also add equipment dice) to form a dice pool
which is rolled against a target difficulty benchmark.
  You don’t need to have training in a particular skill in
order to attempt a task. Having ranks in a skill indicates
that you have particular expertise in that subject; howev-
er, even if you have no ranks in driving, you can still try to
Example Skills
Artistic Skills
Examples: painting, sculpting, calligraphy, pottery, po-
etry, literature, film-making, photography, printmaking,
modeling
Combat Skills
Examples: tactics, reactions, brawling, boxing, wrestling,
martial arts, pistols, rifles, heavy weapons, swords, knives,
clubs, light armor, medium armor, heavy armor
Crafting Skills
Examples: appraisal, carpentry, cooking, blacksmith, bas-
ket-weaving, stone-masonry
Developmental Skills
Examples: perception, concentration, meditation, bravery,
resistance, hardiness, insight
Gaming Skills
Examples: chess, checkers, dominoes, draughts, poker,
blackjack, backgammon, pool, darts, role-playing games
Miscellaneous Hobby Skills
Examples: brewing, fishing, gardening, hunting, riddles,
sewing, ornithology
Physical Skills
Examples: climbing, swimming, jumping, carrying, run-
ning, acrobatics, throwing
Performance Skills
Examples: acting, singing, musical instrument, dancing,
mime, professional stage magic, storytelling, comedy, for-
tune-telling, juggling, ventriloquism
Action Careers
drive a car, and having no ranks in pistols does not prevent
you from taking a shot at an attacking ninja.
  The skill list is open-ended—anything can be a skill;
even if it’s not on the list below. You might wish to choose
flower arranging, origami, or interior decorating. The list
below is simply a list of examples; feel free to add to it.
Scientific Skills
Examples: physics, astronomy, chemistry, ecology, geol-
ogy, meteorology, biology, zoology, botany, mathematics,
archaeology, criminology, psychology, sociology, medicine
Sporting Skills
Examples: football, tennis, volleyball, cricket, baseball,
basketball, rugby, bowling, badminton, squash, sailing
Subterfuge Skills
Examples: cryptology, appraisal, disguise, stealth, thievery,
escape artist, bribery, forgery, interrogation
Social Skills
Examples: intimidation, flirtation, carousing, negotiation,
bluffing, leadership, linguistics
Technical Skills
Examples: computers, engineering, demolitions, hacking
Trivia Skills
Examples: movies, rock ’n’ roll, South American history,
19th-century history, celebrities, astrology, theater
Vehicle Skills
Examples: piloting, riding, driving, sailing, gunnery,
navigation
Outdoor Skills
Examples: survival, animal handling, tracking, farming,
mining
Other Skills
Examples: bureaucracy, accounting, law, hypnotism
19
 Action Careers
Skill Notation
Sometimes the rules refer to categories of skills instead of
single skills. When this happens, the category is noted in
square brackets in order to avoid confusion. For example,
an entry which says [outdoor] refers to the entire list of
survival, animal handling, tracking, farming, mining, and
any new skills players devise, as long as they fall within
the category and the GM approves them.
  For example, if a career tells you that you may choose
a [performance] skill, you can choose any of the listed ex-
amples in that category, or you might decide instead on a
new skill like podcasting or voice-over artist.
  When noting a skill, you do not need to indicate catego-
ries or placeholder titles. You simply note “chess” rather
than “gaming (chess)”; similarly, you simply note “pistols”
or “nunchaku” rather than “ranged weapon (pistols)” or
“melee weapon (nunchaku).”
  Local Knowledge. When selecting local knowledge,
you need to specify a locale you know.
 Weapons. In combat, unarmed fighting and weapon
skills all add to relevant AGI, INT, or STR attack checks.
Weapon skills are based on weapon type; unarmed com-
bat skills are based on approach. For example, melee
weapon skills include swords, axes, clubs, and knives;
ranged weapon skills include pistols and rifles; and un-
armed combat skills include wrestling, brawling, boxing,
and martial arts.
 Armor. Armor is divided into light, medium, and heavy
armor. You can wear armor in which you have no skill
ranks, but—as with all equipment—you need skill ranks
to benefit fully from higher quality armor.
Skill Levels
Skills are used to form dice pools in the same way that
attributes are. They use the same scale as attributes to de-
rive the size of the dice pool.
  As a general rule, 1 skill rank is proficient, 3 is a roughly
equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, and 6 is a doctorate level
of expertise.
20
Heritage
Your character may be nothing like you. There are a num-
ber of heritages to choose from; they all have different
starting attributes representing typical members of that
heritage. Some were born different, while others may be
deliberately designed. Each heritage is different.
  Heritages in N.O.W. include Humans, Augmented,
Chosen, and Mutants. Whether you want to play an in-
ternational superspy, a better/stronger/faster cyborg, a
generational vampire hunter, or a human-sized turtle,
there’s something for you.
  Start by choosing a heritage and sex for your charac-
ter. Your heritage will determine your starting attributes,
which are the attributes of a youngster of that heritage
(human adult average is 4 in each attribute). Your sex does
not affect your attributes or skills at all.
  Humans provide the simplest, most straightforward
playing experience.
  Once you have selected your heritage, record your
starting attributes and choose three skills from the list
of available skills. Each heritage also has natural exploits
(such as the Augmented’s bonus cybernetic alteration).
  This book presents four basic heritages, although oth-
ers may be available from other sources. The heritages
presented herein are “generic” in the sense that they are
designed to suit a multitude of campaign settings in the
same way that elves, dwarves, and halflings suit a mul-
titude of fantasy campaign settings. A given setting may
well have a different set of heritages, especially if it’s based
on a popular action franchise.
  We use the term “heritage” because characters of all
these heritages are humans.
•• Humans are regular people, although they may
have special skills or training.
•• Augmented are people who naturally take to
cybernetic augmentation. While anybody can use
cybernetics, Augmented take it to an extreme.
•• Chosen are special people; they may be spoken
of in prophecy, or they may have been purposely
designed in a lab.
•• Mutants display special powers and abilities
granted by their anomalous genetic code. They
might be able to shoot fire from their hands or see
through solid walls, amongst other things.
 Action Careers

Attribute Adjustment by Heritage

Heritage STR AGI END INT LOG WIL CHA LUC CHI REP
Human* — — — — — — — +2 — —
Chosen +1 — — — — — +1 — +3 +2
Mutant — — — — — — — — +1 —
Augmented — — +2 — — — — — — —
* +2 to one other attribute and +1 to a further attribute

Attributes where your character’s DNA comes from isn’t a factor in

Every heritage is different, and part of this difference is
highlighted by their different starting attributes. Humans
are known for their luck; Augmented are very athletic;
Mutants have high endurance and resolve.
  All attributes start at 3, except for Chi and Reputation
which start at 0. Your choice of heritage modifies those at-
tributes in the form of bonuses and some (rare) penalties.
Gender & Ethnicity
Gender and ethnic origin have no mechanical effect on
your character and should be treated as purely descrip-
tive. You should feel free to select from the entire range of
gender-identification and sexuality, though these things
will likely not form a major part of the game. Likewise,
the game unless it’s reflected in your character’s heritage.
Humans
There’s a reasonably strong chance that you, the reader,
are human. You might be a little extra human, with me-
chanical improvements (glasses, a hearing aid, maybe
some genuine replacement parts) but when things boil
down, you are a member of the species homo sapiens, as
are the vast majority of characters in N.O.W. This isn’t to
say that humans are not diverse—there are a wide range
of cultures and peoples across the world—but all of them
have (by default) 10 toes, two eyes, and so on. Where you
are from and who raised you influence your outlook on
life more than anything else.

Mutant Augmented Human Chosen

21
 Action Careers
Human adventurers are extremely varied, from private
eyes to blackhats, to martial artists, to doctors—the gam-
ut of the world is at your fingertips.
Examples of human heroes in popular culture include
Sarah Jane Smith, the members of the A-Team, James “007”
Bond, John Rambo, Martha Jones, Angus MacGyver, Colt
Seavers, Rocky Balboa, Batman, and many, many more.
Statistics
Size: Medium
Attributes: LUC +2, add 2 to one other attribute, and add 1
to one further attribute
Skill Choices: Any
Human Exploits
Varied. Human boast more variation within their heri-
tage than most. Add 2 to any attribute, and add 1 to a
further attribute (noted above).
Explorers. Driven by an inquisitive, exploratory nature,
Humans gain XP equal to their grade when they enter a
country new to them (once per month maximum).
Enduring. Humans may not be the fastest or the strongest,
but they are known for their resilience. Humans get +1 to
their 1d6 die roll to shake off a temporary condition.
Mutant Augmented
22
Chosen
Something about you is simply better. Maybe you are the
result of a sublime genetic match; perhaps your genome
was manipulated, either before or after conception. You
might be characterized by prophecy and legend and sur-
rounded by stories or myths. Perhaps you are part of a
hereditary line, and the touch of destiny graced you in the
womb. Maybe you clearly meet the criteria listed in an old
prophecy, and whether or not actual mysticism or magic
is involved, you are just plain special.
  How you came to be different is not truly important—
how you are different is everything. Some Chosen are
much more beautiful than the average human, others pos-
sess evolved mental acuity, and some are sterling models
of what biomechanics or selective breeding can achieve.
  Chosen adventurers are just as varied as humans and
can fit very well into a wide variety of roles; their versatility
from the start makes them likely to be great at practically
anything they set their mind to.
  Examples of Chosen characters in popular culture in-
clude Captain America, River Tam, Jason Bourne, Khan
Noonian Singh, Max “Dark Angel” Guevara, Buffy Anne
Summers, Thomas “Neo” Anderson, and Harry Potter.
Human Chosen

Statistics
Size: Medium
Attributes: STR +1, CHA +1, CHI +3, REP +2
Skill Choices: Negotiating, tactics, [crafting], [trivia],
[gaming], [scientific].
Chosen Exploits
Fast-Healing. Chosen heal faster than most people. You
may roll an extra 2d6 when determining how much you
naturally heal each day.
Skill Focus. You start play with two bonus skills of your
choice at 3 ranks (2d6).
Destiny. Once, when you ordinarily die, you do not die. In-
stead, you remain at 0 Health until healed. When you
have used your extra “life” you cannot use it again.
Mutant
You were born different, your genetics a distinct varia-
tion from the norm. This might be blatantly obvious—you
might exhibit physical differences like chartreuse skin,
unnatural growths, discolored eyes, extra joints, or asym-
metrical features—or it may harder to discern.
Regardless of the exact nature of this quirk of appear-
ance, you typically hide it from society at large. Maybe
you wear dark sunglasses to hide your entirely black eyes,
cover yourself in makeup and wear flesh-colored tights to
conceal your skin coloration, or wear voluminous cloth-
ing that hides your true nature.
You should refer to the Mutations section starting on
page 24.
Mutants can be excellent users of Chi, exploring their
power to great effect (whether for combat, exploration, or
otherwise). They don’t often do well socially, facing hur-
dles connected to widespread prejudice for being visibly
and genetically different.
Examples in popular culture include Killer Croc, John-
ny Alpha the Strontium Dog, and a slew of characters from
the X-Men comics.
Statistics
Size: Medium (some mutations can change your size)
Attributes: CHI +1
Skill Choices: Hardy, intimidate, resistance, survival,
[crafting], [trivia], [gaming], stealth, disguise.
Action Careers
Mutant Exploits
Mutation. Mutants have one or more mutations. Select
one major or two minor mutations from the mutations
section later in this book. You have at least one cosmetic
mutation that marks you as a mutant; decide what that
is and add it to your character sheet.
Augmented
Maybe there were complications in your infancy, or
tragedy struck during your childhood; either way you’ve
received parts (organic or inorganic) that are an improve-
ment over what you had before.
No matter how it is exactly that you came to be this way,
you’re stronger for it and have an advantage over those
regular humans, period. Whether or not you’re enlight-
ened by this gift or malignant about it, however, depends
much more on how exactly you’re different, and how that
colored your upbringing.
You should refer to the Cybernetics section starting on
page 30.
Augmented adventurers make excellent mercenaries,
covert ops agents, and knock-down, drag-out fighters—if
you’re looking to get some prosthetic improvements and
not overly interested in utilizing Chi, go down this road.
Examples in popular culture include James “Bucky”
Barnes, Steve Austin, Jaime Summers, Doctor Julius No,
Ashley “Ash” Williams, and Alex “Robocop” Murphy.
Statistics
Size: Medium
Attributes: END +2
Skill Choices: Hardy, perception, reactions, [crafting],
[trivia], [gaming], [scientific], [technical]
Augmented Exploits
Alteration. Augmented begin play with two minor or one
major cybernetic alteration.
Adaptive. When incorporating new cybernetic altera-
tions, Augmented never need to make a check to see if
the upgrade takes hold. Additionally, they can incor-
porate an unlimited number of alterations beyond the
normal limit of their END attribute.
Inert. Augmented embrace technology over matters of
spirit. They may never have a Chi score above zero.
23
 Action Careers
Mutations
Characters with the Mutant heritage have powers beyond
those of normal men and women. Whatever the source of
the mutation—post-apocalyptic radiation, bites from mu-
tant insects, a genetic evolution—mutants are still human,
albeit … mutated.
  Mutants may choose two minor or one major power
from the following list. Each power has a ladder of increas-
ing power; during character advancement, Mutants may
pay the XP cost of a new exploit to upgrade a minor muta-
tion, and the XP cost of a new grade to upgrade a major
mutation. However, once created, mutants cannot nor-
mally obtain brand new mutations.
  Optionally, your GM may ask you to randomly roll d66
to choose your mutation(s). This can make for a fun, if un-
predictable element to character creation. For that reason,
the mutations below are listed as d66 entries.
Major Mutations
11) Enhanced Strength. You are stronger than your build
and size would suggest. When making a STR check (but
not an attack) you may roll d8s instead of d6s. If you take
this power a second time, the die type increases to d10s.
If you take it a third time, it increases to d12s. Each time
you take this mutation, your Carry increment doubles.
12) Enhanced Agility. You are supernaturally nimble.
When making an AGI check (but not an attack) you may
roll d8s instead of d6s. If you take this power a second
time, the die type increases to d10s. If you take it a third
time, it increases to d12s. Each time you take this muta-
tion, your Speed increases by 2.
13) Enhanced Endurance. You are unusually tough, able
to withstand more punishment than most. When mak-
ing an END check you may roll d8s instead of d6s. If you
take this power a second time, the die type increases to
d10s. If you take it a third time, it increases to d12s. Each
time you take this mutation, your Health increases by
+1d6.
14) Enhanced Logic. You have incredible mental acuity
and deductive powers. When making a LOG check you
may roll d8s instead of d6s. If you take this power a sec-
ond time, the die type increases to d10s. If you take it a
third time, it increases to d12s.
15) Enhanced Intuition. You are incredibly perceptive,
24
with enhanced senses. When making an INT check you
may roll d8s instead of d6s. If you take this power a sec-
ond time, the die type increases to d10s. If you take it a
third time, it increases to d12s.
16) Enhanced Charisma. Your charisma is enhanced in
some way. When making a CHA check you you may roll
d8s instead of d6s. If you take this power a second time,
the die type increases to d10s. If you take it a third time,
it increases to d12s.
21) Energy Emission. Choose one energy type (fire,
cold, electricity, sonic). You can blast that energy from
your hands, eyes, or even your mouth. You can make a
ranged attack with a range increment equal to your
END score, which does 2d6 damage of the appropriate
type. You may take this power a second and third time,
increasing the damage by +1d6 each time. Alternatively,
you may use one of those upgrades to change the shape
of your energy emission to a 15' cone.
22) Danger Sense. You always know of impending danger,
and cannot be flanked or subject to a crossfire. You gain
1d6 Initiative. If you take this mutation a second and
third time, your Initiative bonus increases by +1d6
each time.
23) Regeneration. You recover quickly from damage.
Once per day you may spend one minute healing 2d6
Health. If you take this mutation a second time, you
may heal half your maximum Health. If you take it a
third time, you may heal up to your normal maximum
Health.
23) Elemental Resistance. You gain Soak 10 to one energy
type (fire, cold, electricity, sonic). You may take this a
second and third time, gaining an additional +5 Soak
to that energy type each time.
24) Flight. Once per round you can fly your Speed, but you
must land at the end of the movement. If you take this
mutation a second time, you may fly with both your ac-
tions, landing only at the end of the second (effectively
doubling your flight distance). Taking it a third time al-
lows you to fly any distance without landing. You may
choose whether this gives you wings or some kind of
self-telekinesis.
25) Mutant Healing. With a mere touch you can heal
another creature 2d6 Health. If you take this muta-
tion a second time, you may heal half their maximum

Health. If you take it a third time, you may heal up to
their normal maximum Health. Remember that no
creature can benefit from the same source of healing
more than once per day.
26) Invisibility. Once per day you can turn invisible for up
to one minute. If you take this mutation a second time,
you can turn invisible for up to five minutes; if you take
it a third time, you can turn invisible for up to one hour.
31) Toughness. You gain natural Soak 5. If you take this a
second time, your natural Soak increases to 10. If you
take it a third time, it increases to 15.
32) Drain Life. You can drain the very life from another
creature. This may be a bite like that of the vampire, or
it may be an icy touch which draws out their very es-
sence—how you describe it is up to you. This melee
attack requires two actions and causes 1d6 damage;
you gain the amount of Health you cause, up to your
normal maximum Health. If you take this a second
time, the drain becomes 2d6, and a third time makes it
3d6. However, you cannot reduce any creature below
half Health using this power.
33) Poison Bite. Your sharp teeth deliver poison. Your
natural damage increases by +1d6 and becomes piercing/
poison. If you take this a second time, your bite inflicts
one of the following conditions (chosen when you first
gain this ability): Poisoned, Sick, or Sleeping. If you take
it a third time, your bite inflicts a disease of your choice.
34) Shapechange. You are able to alter your form. You
cannot make yourself look like a specific person, but
you can make yourself generally taller, shorter, fatter,
thinner, older, younger, or of a different ethnicity or
gender. This changes none of your attributes or skills in
any way. If you take this power a second time, you are
also able to change your voice to match the form you
have adopted. A third time allows you to take the form
of specific people; however, you will need to make a
CHA check against the INT of anybody who knows the
person being mimicked.
35) Spiderclimb. You can climb your normal Speed. If
you take this a second time, climbing becomes a natu-
ral movement mode for you, meaning that you do not
need to make checks to climb. Taking it a third time
makes you able to literally walk on walls and ceilings as
Action Careers
though they were the floor.
36) Internal Combustion Engine. Simply put, you are on
fire. You have managed to convert your radiation into
a boiling inferno. The inferno can be unleashed from
your body for up to one minute per day by spending
two actions, covering your skin in raging flames. You
are immune to fire damage. While you are aflame, any
creatures starting their turn adjacent to you take 1d6
fire damage. If you take this a second time, you may set
yourself aflame three times per day. If you take it a third
time, you may turn your flames on and off at will.
41) Living Weapon. You can transform parts of your body,
usually hands or feet, into sharp blades. This is often
done by extruding the bone from underneath the skin,
and thanks to the mutation the bone is as strong as steel,
sometimes stronger. You can manifest any standard-
quality medium-sized or smaller one-handed bladed
melee weapon by spending two actions.
42) Rubberized Body. You have stretchy skin and bone.
No one’s quite sure how you do it, but you can elongate
parts of your body. You take half damage from falling,
half damage from attacks which do blunt damage. If
you take this a second time, your reach increases by +5',
and your Speed increases by +2. A third time makes you
immune to falling and blunt damage.
43) Ice Cold. You are freezing cold. You are immune to
cold damage, and Vulnerable (1d6) to fire damage. Your
touch does cold damage and pushes the target one
stage down the Mobility status track. If you take this a
second time, your touch does +1d6 damage and freezes
liquids within 5'. A third time increases the damage by
another +1d6, and allows you to freeze solid objects (but
not creatures) up to one 5' square in size and make them
brittle so that any Soak they have no longer applies.
44) Acid Blood. Your blood is a strong acid. When you are
hit by a slashing weapon, the attacker—if within 5'—
takes 1d6 acid damage. If you take this a second time,
the damage increases to 2d6 acid damage. A third time
makes the acid strong enough to melt through half an
inch of steel in one minute; this requires you to do 1d6
damage to yourself to extract enough blood, however.
45) Tentacles. You look part human, part “something else.”
Some part of you has been replaced by tentacles rather
than hands, or feet. Perhaps your whole lower body has
25
 Action Careers
been replaced in this way and you have an unusual form
of locomotion. Roll 1d6. On a roll of 1–3, your arms are
replaced and you gain +5' reach; on 4–6, your legs are
replaced and you become immune to difficult terrain. If
you take this a second time, you gain the other benefit.
A third time gives you one extra action each round (but
you can still not take any given action more than twice).
46) Projectile Spines. Rather like a porcupine, you have
quills that you can eject at some force. Your quills have
a range increment of 3, and do your natural damage. If
you take this a second time, your quills gain +1d6 dam-
age or do poison damage. Taking it a third time allows
them to do both.
51) Extra Appendage. You have more than the normal set
of appendages—extra arms, legs, more than one nose,
or four ears. Arms give you +1d6 STR, legs give you +1d6
AGI, and noses or ears give you +1d6 INT. However, you
have a permanent –1d6 CHA.
52) Animal Form. You can change into a medium-sized
animal. Choose your alternate form; it takes two ac-
tions to change. When you change, you adopt the
physical statistics of that animal, but your maximum
dice pool does not change. Any damage you take in that
form remains when you change back. If you take this a
second time, you may change into a large or small ani-
mal; taking it a third time means you can change into
any animal.
53) Mimic. By touching another mutant, you can “bor-
row” their power for one minute (the target does not
lose their own power—you are merely copying it). You
may only borrow one power at a time. If you take this
a second time you may borrow up to three powers at a
time. A third time allow you to borrow as many powers
as you wish. An unwilling target requires a melee attack
roll in order to lay your hands on them for long enough
to copy the power.
54) Teleportation. You can spend two actions to teleport
up to 30' as long as you can see your destination. Your
clothing goes with you, as does gear you can carry up to
your first Carry increment, but you cannot take other
living creatures with you. If you take this a second time,
you can teleport as a single action; a third time allows
you to teleport as a reaction to an attack.
26
55) Probability Fields. You are able to literally influence
luck. You can recharge your LUC pool an additional
time per day. If you take this a second time, you are
able to suppress the ability of another creature within
30' to use its LUC pool. A third time means that you can
change the LUC pool of an ally you can see to d8s once
per day for one check.
56) Shockwave. You are able to emit a shockwave which
attacks everybody within 10' of you. It does your natural
damage, but the damage type is force damage. If you
take this a second time, those successfully stuck are
pushed back 5'. A third time increases the radius to 30'
and knocks down medium or smaller creatures.
61) Growth. You can increase your size to large or small
for up to one minute. Taking it a second time allows you
to change to enormous or tiny. A third time enables you
to change size for up to one hour.
62) Multiple Personalities. Create a second Mutant char-
acter. At the start of each day you must roll randomly to
determine which character your are today. Taking this
a second time allows you to create a third character. A
third time allows you to choose which character you
are each day, although you must remain that character
until the next day.
63) Immobile. You cannot be moved against your will
for up to one minute per day. If you take this a second
time, this lasts for up to one hour. A third time makes
it permanent.
64) Energy Absorption. You can absorb impressive
amounts of harmful energy. You gain Soak 5 to two
types of energy or Soak 10 to one type of energy, cho-
sen from the following list: acid, cold, electricity, heat/
fire, or sonic. When you Soak energy, you gain half
that amount (round down) in Health up to your maxi-
mum Health. If you take this a second time, your Soak
values double. A third time allows you to gain the full
amount absorbed as Health.
65) Power Nullifier. Within 30' of you mutant powers do
not work. If you take this a second time, this also ap-
plies to psionic powers from N.E.W. A third time makes
it apply to magic from O.L.D.
66) Speedy. You gain an extra action each turn, although
you cannot attack or move more than twice. If you take

this a second time, you may move or attack three times
with your three actions, and if you take it a third time,
your Speed doubles.
Minor Mutations
11) Darksight. You are able to see in the dark as though it
were daylight. If you take this mutation a second time,
you gain truesight, able to see through illusions and dis-
guises, and to see the invisible. A third time allows you
to see through solid objects and ignore concealment.
12) Immune to Disease. You are completely immune to
all non-magical diseases. If you take this mutation a
second time, you are also immune to magical diseases.
Taking it a third time makes you immune to radiation
and poison.
13) Self-Subsistent. You do not need to eat or drink. If you
take this a second time, you also do not need to sleep. A
third time means you do not need to breathe.
14) Empathic Telepath. You can automatically send
strong emotions within 30' of you. If you take this a
second time, the range becomes as far as you can see.
If you take it a third time, you are able to hear surface
thoughts (although these are easily hidden by those
aware enough to do so).
15) Gills. You are able to breathe underwater. If you take
this a second time, swimming becomes a natural
movement mode for you, allowing your to swim your
normal Speed and to swim without making any attri-
bute checks. If you take it a third time, you can talk to
fish, although this does not imbue them with knowl-
edge that they would not ordinarily have.
16) Steel Teeth. Your unarmed damage become pierc-
ing damage. If you take this a second time, your teeth
ignore 5 points of Soak. A third time allows them to ig-
nore 10 points of Soak.
21) Bone Spikes. You are covered in a layer of spikes which
protrude through it from your bones. Your natural
damage becomes piercing, and anybody who attempts
to attack you unarmed takes 1d6 damage each time
they strike. If you take this a second time, your natu-
ral damage increases by +1d6 and unarmed attackers
take 2d6 damage when they strike. A third time means
that armed melee attackers take 1d6 damage, while un-
armed melee attackers take 2d6 damage.
Action Careers
Dice!
The WOIN roleplaying game system normally only use
the “d6,” a six-sided die. Some mutant powers in this
book allow you to use different dice—eight-sided dice
(d8), ten-sided dice (d10), and twelve-sided dice (d12).
You can find these dice online or in any game store.
  When you roll an attribute check with d8s, d10s, or
d12s, those dice apply to the entire dice pool, includ-
ing the skill and equipment parts of it.
Mutations & Power Levels
The mutant powers in this book are designed for
“street level” powers. You may have enhanced senses,
or be able to throw fire, or have some regenerative
power, but you won’t be able to destroy cities, move
at the speed of sound, or throw aircraft carriers.
  This book present 36 major and 36 minor mutant
powers. Of course, hundreds more are possible!
  Mutations do not belong in every game. The GM will
decide whether the Mutant heritage and mutations
are an appropriate fit for her setting. These powers
can be used to create settings like those featuring
the X-Men, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and even some
unusual Bond villains, but they may not be suitable in
a game based on, say, The A-Team or Leverage.
  Note that psionic powers (“mental magic,” includ-
ing telekinesis, telepathy, and many more), are dealt
with in detail in N.E.W. The Science Fiction Roleplaying
Game, while magic is covered in O.L.D. The Fantasy
Heroic Roleplaying Game, both of which are fully com-
patible with this game.
22) Chameleon. Your skin has an unusual pigmentation
which enables your to change your skin like to that of
a chameleon. You gain +1d6 to stealth checks. You can
take this a second and third time, gaining an additional
+1d6 each time.
23) Displaced Organs. You might look human (or not), but
your internal organs are in different places. You gain
2 natural Soak, and you are immune to any exploits
which rely on the attacker targeting your anatomy for
27
 Action Careers
extra damage. However, anybody attempting medical
assistance on you suffers a –2d6 to their check. If you
take this a second time, your Soak increases to 4 and
you are immune to critical hits. A third time increases
your Soak to 6 and allows you to ignore damage from an
attack by spending one LUC die.
24) Taller than Normal. Your height is greater than nor-
mal, even taller than the tallest member of the human
race. Roll 1d6+6 to determine your height in feet. You
are considered large-sized.
25) Dwarfism. You were born smaller than normal, and
you age at an accelerated rate. You might be mistaken
for a child. You are Small-sized, and you reach each age
category at half the normal number of years.
26) Linguist. You are able to converse in any language.
31) Atmosphere Processor. You can breathe in a variety
of gaseous atmospheres, surviving in areas that would
normally kill humans. You are immune to all gases. If
you take this a second time, you can also breathe in any
liquid. A third time means you do not need to breathe
at all.
32) Animal Affinity. You have an affinity with one animal
type, such as cats, dogs, bears, or Tyrannosaurus rexes.
If you take this a second time, you have affinity with
one animal class, such as mammal, reptile, bird, fish,
or dinosaur. A third time gives you affinity with all ani-
mals. While you do not gain the ability to talk to these
animals, they will naturally regard you with friendship
unless you give them a reason not to. They will not put
themselves in danger for you, however.
33) Longevity. You double the normal age categories. If
you take this second time, you do not age, and remain
in your current age category forever.
34) Weather Control. You can influence the local weather
within 30'. If you take this a second time, you can in-
fluence the weather within 100'. A third time lets you
control it within one mile. The weather you create is not
so intense that it can be used to directly attack another
creature.
35) Mutant Sense. You can detect the presence of mu-
tants within 30'. Taking this a second time increases
the range to line-of-sight. A third time enables you to
determine their mutant powers (assuming they are not
immediately visible).
28
36) Levitation. You can hover above the ground at a height
of up to 3 feet. This does not give you the ability to move
horizontally, however. Taking it a second time allows
you to hover up to 10' high, and a third time means you
can hover up to 30' high.
41) Claws. You have sharp claws. Your unarmed damage
becomes slashing damage. Taking this a second time
increases your unarmed damage by +1d6. A third time
increases it by another +1d6.
42) Leaper. You increase your Jump distances by +10'. If
you take this a second time, you instead double your
Jump distances or increase them by +10', whichever is
greater. If you take it a third time, you may jump up to
30' horizontally and vertically.
43) Scent. You have an unnaturally sensitive sense of
smell. You get +1d6 to INT checks where scent might be
a factor. If you take this a second time, the bonus goes
up to +2d6, and a third time increases it to +3d6.
44) Tail. You have a thick tail. As a free action you may
make an unarmed attack against a foe behind you,
within 5'. If you take this a second time, your tail gains a
stinger which changes it to piercing/poison damage. A
third time gives you a tail-sweep attack which attacks
everybody in a 10' cone behind you; this attack does not
use the stinger, but it knocks down anybody medium-
sized or smaller that you successfully hit.
45) Furry. You are covered in a coat of fur. You gain natu-
ral Soak 5 (cold). If you take this a second time, you gain
natural Soak 5 (all) and Soak 10 (cold). A third time
gives you Soak 10 (all) and immunity to cold.
46) Horns. You have horns, or a horn. You gain +1d6 un-
armed damage, which becomes piercing. If you take
this a second time, you gain a gore attack which allows
you to move your Speed and impale a target on your
horn, doing +1d6 damage. Taking it a third time allows
you to inflict the Restrained condition on an impaled
target, which takes your natural damage at the start of
each of its turns until it gets free (which requires a
melee attack against you).
51) Sticky Tongue. You have a sticky tongue like a frog’s.
You can use it to pick up small items within 10' as a free
action. If you take this a second time, your tongue can
reach 30'. A third time, and it is strong enough to hold
Medium-sized items.

52) Super-Breath. You can make a melee attack against a
target with a 10' range increment. If you hit, the target is
pushed back 5'. Taking this a second time increases the
push to 10', and a third time increases it to 30'.
53) Ingester. You can consume any type of matter as food
(although this does not give you the ability to damage
materials you ordinarily could not). If you take this a
second time, you become immune to poison.
54) Telescopic Vision. You increase range increments
by 50%. If you take it a second time, you double range
increments. A third time means you no longer suffer
range penalties up to three increments.
55) Innate Skill. Choose a skill. You gain that skill at 10
ranks (4d6). You can take this power multiple times,
gaining a new skill each time.
56) Glowing. You are able to glow with bright light, illu-
mination the area within 30' of you. You cannot hide
while glowing. If you take this a second time, your glow is
so bright that you gain +2 to both Melee and Ranged
Defense. A third time causes anybody who enters or
starts their turn in the aura to gain the Blind
condition.
61) Plant Control. In natural surroundings you can im-
mobilise a target within 30' with a melee attack; vines
and creepers wrap around the victim, rendering him
immobilized. The target can shake this off as normal. If
you take this a second time, the plants will crush and
strangle the victim, causing 2d6 unSoakable damage at
the start of each of his turns. A third time allows you to
attack all targets within 30'.
62) Hypnotic Gaze. With a CHA mental attack you can
inflict the Charmed condition on an adjacent target
once per round. If you take this a second time, you
may affect a target who can see you within 30'. A third
time extends the power to your voice, so that the target
merely needs to be able to hear you.
63) Ventriloquism. You can make your voice appear to
emanate from anywhere within 30'. If you take this a
second time, you may mimic other voices. A third time
allows you to mimic any sound.
Action Careers
Optional Profession
School of Mutants [1d6 years]
Prerequisites: One or more mutations
Attributes: LOG +1, END +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill choices: [academic], [developmental]
  You enroll in a school for the mutated where you
are given an education and taught how to integrate
with society. You are also shown how to develop and
master your mutations.
  Check with your GM to make sure such a school ex-
ists in the campaign and what its nature is.
  Power-Up. Upgrade one mutant power by one level.
You may only take this exploit once.
64) Fearless. You are completely immune to fear and
fear-based conditions, and cannot be intimidated.
65) Bouncy. You ignore falling damage from 20' or less. If
you take this a second time, you take half damage from
all falling damage. A third time makes you completely
immune to falling damage.
66) Double-Jointed. Your joints all bend in both direc-
tions. You can spend a LUC die to automatically escape
from any restraints. If you take this a second time, you
can contort yourself to fit through gaps as small as one-
foot in diameter. A third time means that you cannot be
immobilized or restrained unless you allow it (although
you can be confined in a cell or similar).
29
 Action Careers
Cybernetics
The science of cybernetics is the modification of organic
creatures with artificial parts. These parts can be elec-
tronic, bio-electronic, or mechanical in nature. A heavily
modified creature is known as a cyborg, a combination
of organic and artificial parts (as opposed to an android,
which is wholly artificial).
  Cybernetic alterations can enhance or improve
natural capabilities, compensate for injuries, or grant
entirely new capabilities. Anything from an artificial arm
to retinal targeting implants to reinforced skin can be ac-
complished through the science of cybernetics. Even the
mind can be altered, with improved cognitive functional-
ity or extended data storage and memory.
Organic Limitations
Most creatures cannot continue adding cybernetic
parts indefinitely—the body can only accept so much
foreign matter. The maximum number of cybernetic mod-
ifications allowed a creature is equal to its Endurance
attribute. (Some cybernetic alterations increase Endur-
ance. In these cases, the original, unmodified attribute is
used to determine the cybernetic modification limit.) For
the purpose of calculating this limit, a minor cybernetic
alteration counts as one modification, and a major altera-
tion counts as two modifications.
  Any creature which has reached this limit changes
its type to mechanoid. (Augmented characters can add
cybernetic alterations after reaching the END-based mod-
ification limit.) Mechanoid creatures are vulnerable (1d6)
to electricity damage and (2d6) to ion damage, which is
specially designed to attack electronics and mechanoids.
  If the setting uses the CHI attribute, each cybernetic al-
teration reduces the character’s CHI dice pool by 1d6.
Cybernetic Alterations
Cybernetic alterations are available to characters with the
Augmented heritage (Augmented characters start with
two minor alterations or one major alteration.) Non-Aug-
mented characters can purchase cybernetic alterations
if the campaign allows. Not every cybernetic alteration
“takes”; some people are simply unsuitable candidates for
a particular process. The GM may require non-Augment-
ed characters purchasing minor cybernetic alterations
30
to succeed at a Difficult [16] END check, and major al-
terations a Demanding [21] END check. Failure means the
alteration is not installed, and the money spent acquiring
the alteration is lost. (Augmented characters never have to
make these checks.)
  Cybernetic alterations are available at Advancement
Level 5 or 6, depending on the tone of the campaign. (See
Action Worldbuilding for details of Advancement Level.)
  Artificial Limbs. Artificial arms and legs interface di-
rectly with nerves and work exactly like a regular limb,
albeit stronger and faster. Arms add to Strength, and
legs increase Agility (cumulatively, so a full set of four
limbs adds +2d6 STR and +2d6 AGI).
  Digi-Claws. These sharp metal talons are hidden within
the fingertips and deploy or retract as a reaction. A crea-
ture with digi-claws increases its natural damage by +1d6
and may inflict slashing or piercing damage. Creatures
with natural claws cannot benefit from this alteration.
  Durarmor/Sub-Dermal Plating. Durarmor is a more
substantial, advanced form of duraskin—an actual layer
of armor under the skin. Flexible layers of resilient dura-
nium increase a character’s natural Soak by 5.
  Duraskin. Duraskin is synthetic skin. The material is
tougher than regular skin (Soak 2), as well as being fairly
fireproof (Soak 5 (fire)). It has a slight yellow tinge.
  Exosuit. Exosuits are old-fashioned, almost primitive
forms of cybernetics. They consist of frameworks on the
outside of the body which tap directly in to the wearer’s
nervous system, almost like an integrated suit of power
armor. A partial exosuit covers just the upper half of the
body (+1d6 STR), while a full exosuit includes the legs
(+1d6 STR and +1d6 AGI).
  Hormonal Regulators. A character with hormonal
regulators is able to expel gathered hormones of various
types for the appropriate situation. Three times per day
the character may add +1d6 to a social attribute check
with another living creature.
  Injector Implants. An injector implant stores a chemi-
cal or drug for rapid deployment (a free action). The
implant stores three uses before it needs to be refilled.
  Input Jacks. These attachments allow you to interface
with an electronic system (so long as it has an output),
granting a +1d6 bonus to checks involving computer op-
erations and hacking.
 Action Careers

CYBERNETIC ALTERATIONS

31
 Action Careers

  Memory Chip. Memory chips increase a characters

LOG attribute. Multiple chips can be implanted, which
work cumulatively, but every two chips reduces the char-
acter’s WIL dice pool by 1d6 as his sense of self is gradually
eroded. Skill implants count towards this total.
  Olfactory Sensors. This cybernetic alteration laces the
character’s nasal cavities with a mesh of metal that vastly
improves his or her sense of smell, granting a +1d6 bonus to
checks that rely on the character’s sense of smell (if the crea-
ture already has a scent-based bonus, this is cumulative).
  Retinal Implants. These implants grant permanent
powers of enhanced vision. A basic implant grants one
ability from the list below (a character can have a differ-
ent implant in each eye). More advanced implants offer
multiple abilities in one device at the cost of the total
value of each ability separately multiplied by the number
of abilities. The capabilities of these tiny devices pale in
comparison to those of handheld equipment or bulky,
battery-powered goggles, of course.
  Night Vision. This implant enables the user to see
normally in darkness to a distance of 5' per point of INT.
  Telescopic. This implant doubles the user’s visual
range and increases range increments on weapons the
user is wielding by 50%.
  Magnifying. This implant grants the user a +1d6 bo-
nus to any check that relies on seeing minute details.
  Infrared. This implant enables the user to see objects
or creatures that give off heat to a distance of 10' per
point of INT.
Skeletal Reinforcement. This lengthy and painful
procedure fortifies a character’s entire skeleton, bracing
bones with layers of duranium and reinforcing joints with
flexible duranium mesh, with the overall result being that
the character’s stamina and ability to withstand physical
damage are increased.
  Skill Implant. Similar to a memory chip, a skill implant
gives a character a new skill. Implants only grant a basic
level of proficiency in the skill. Multiple chips can be im-
planted, with different skills, but every two chips reduces
the character’s WIL dice pool by 1d6 as his sense of self is
gradually eroded. Memory chips count towards this total.
  Static Dynamo. A character with this modification
is capable of storing an impressive charge of electricity.
Three times per day, when hit with a melee attack, the

32
 Action Careers

character may discharge this energy against the attacker,
dealing electric damage equal to the character’s total
number of career grades.
  Weapon Integration. A character with an existing cy-
bernetic limb can have a weapon integrated into it. The
character is able to use the weapon exactly as normal,
except the weapon cannot be dropped or disarmed. The
weapon must be two size categories smaller than the
character, and whatever its quality it must be paid for in
addition to the integration.
  Voice Synthesizer. The character can precisely mimic
others’ voices. When doing so, the character gains a +1d6
bonus to CHA checks made to deceive others in situations
where the deception relies upon the assumed voice.
  Wavelength Receiver. This implant alters the cerebral
cortex and the vision center of the brain, allowing the
creature to perceive normally invisible energy types. As a
reaction, a creature with a wavelength receiver can tune
it to detect magnetic, radio, cellphone, or radar waves or
even chi energy (any type of energy the GM sees fit).

Cybernetics Table
Enhancement Type Cost ($) Effect
Artificial arm Major 100,000 +1d6 to Strength dice pool
Artificial leg Major 125,000 +1d6 to Agility dice pool
Digi-claws Minor 100,000 +1d6 natural damage
Durarmor/sub-dermal plating Major 200,000 Soak 5
Duraskin Major 50,000 Soak 2, Soak 5 (fire)
Exosuit, partial Major 75,000 +1d6 to Strength dice pool
Exosuit, full Major 175,000 +1d6 to Strength, +1d6 to Agility
Hormonal regulators Minor 30,000 +1d6 to social interactions three times per day
Injector implant Minor 18,000 One drug type, injects as a free action three times per refill
Input jacks Minor 50,000 +1d6 to computer operations or hacking
Memory chip Minor 25,000 +1d6 to LOG dice pool
Olfactory sensors Minor 25,000 +1d6 to scent-based INT checks
Retinal implant Minor 15,000 Night, telescopic, magnifying, and/or infrared vision
Skeletal reinforcement Major 110,000 +1d6 to Endurance dice pool
Skill implant Minor 15,000 1 new skill at 1d6
Static dynamo Major 50,000 Discharge electricity in response to an attack
Weapon integration Major 50,000 Integrate weapon into cybernetic limb (add weapon cost)
Voice synthesizer Minor 25,000 Speak with counterfeit voice
Wavelength receiver Minor 50,000 Sense/read/hear energy/radiation wavelengths

33
 Action Careers
Origins
Select one origin at the time of character creation. Your
character’s origin represents his or her upbringing and
childhood. Some heritages have heritage-specific origins.
You can take an origin multiple times (after the first time,
they take only 1d6 years), but once you leave an origin, you
can never go back.
Acrobat [2d6+6 years]
You’ve been trained in acrobatics, taught to flip and cart-
wheel with ease to entertain spectators. Perhaps you grew
up in a circus or travelling show.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, CHA+1, REP +1
Skill Choices: running, jumping, climbing, throwing,
acrobatics
Slippery. It isn’t easy to hit you. You receive a +2 to De-
fense when you are aware of an incoming attack, and
you reduce falling damage by 1d6.
Everyman [2d6+6 years]
Your childhood was characterized only by its unremark-
ability. A normal childhood and high school experience,
reasonable grades, and a typical teenaged social life, per-
haps you dreamed of being something more.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: END +1, LOG +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [scientific], [outdoor], computers, carousing,
[performance]
Ordinary. Your very nondescript nature makes you easily
able to blend in unnoticed, giving you a +1d6 bonus to
attempts to bluff, disguise, or otherwise remain visible
but unremarked upon.
Experiment [1d6 years]
You were the subject of tests and experiments by scientists
and doctors, whether created or altered. Your childhood
was spent in a lab.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, LOG +1
Skill Choices: [physical]
Programming. You have been bred and engineered for
a purpose. At the start of a fight your “programming”
kicks in, granting you a +2d6 Initiative bonus.
34
Farmhand [2d6+6 years]
You grew up on a farm—a wheat or dairy farm, or similar.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, INT +1, WIL +1
Skill Choices: [outdoor], [vehicle], [physical], [crafting],
[technical]
Dreamer. You may recharge your Luck attribute one extra
time each day by spending five minutes daydreaming
about farm life and wide-open spaces.
Geek [2d6+6 years]
You were obsessed with geek culture; you can recite lines
from your favorite movies, rules from your favorite tabletop
games, or obscure facts from your favorite video games.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [trivia], [gaming]
What Would Luke Do? Once per day you can be inspired
by a pop culture character: you may spend all of your
LUC dice on a check without reducing your LUC pool.
Jock [2d6+6 years]
You were a football player (or other sportsman) in high
school. You developed your physical and social skills, but
your academic skills fell slightly behind.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, CHA +1
Skill Choices: [sporting], [physical], carousing,
intimidation
Athlete. Choose one: You can throw objects with a +50%
to their range increment, or you gain a permanent +2
bonus to your Speed.
Martial Artist [2d6+6 years]
The story of your youth involves disciplined, regimented
schooling in a traditional style of fighting, typically at a
dojo in a remote location.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: martial arts, acrobatics, religion, [artistic],
staves, polearms
Training. Your training proves that the old ways are often
the best, for more reasons than one. You receive a +1 bo-
nus to all three Defenses.

Military Brat [2d6+6 years]
You spent time getting shuffled around from military base
to military base or otherwise learning from modern soldiers.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: END +1, LOG +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [vehicle], pistols, rifles, carousing, survival
Tactical. You gain 3 ranks (2d6) in the tactics skill.
Nerd [2d6+6 years]
You’ve been obsessed with computer systems.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: LOG +2, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: [computers], bureaucracy, cryptology, gam-
ing, [scientific]
White-hat. You are practiced at hacking and anti-hacking
techniques. You can actively provide a computer sys-
tem with a +4 Electronic Defense score and gain a
+1d6 bonus to electronic attacks.
Novice [2d6+6 years]
You were brought up in a monastic or religious order.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: religion, [artistic], linguistics, insight
Confidant. You can discern a lie through a mix of intu-
ition and experience. You gain a +1d6 bonus to discern
lies and deceptions.
Orphan [2d6 +6 years]
Your childhood was not a happy one.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: brawling, stealth, thievery, running, bluffing,
[performance]
Urchin. You’re familiar with urban backgrounds and can
blend in easily. After spending one hour in a new city,
you learn the names of some local crime figures.
Scout/Eagle [2d6+6 years]
Always prepared, you were a member of the Boy or Girl
Scouts or a similar organization.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, WIL +1
Skill Choices: [crafting], [miscellaneous hobby], [outdoor]
Action Careers
Be Prepared. Once per day you can produce a small ob-
ject worth $10 or less from your pockets.
Scion [15 years]
You had a privileged upbringing in a wealthy family, heir to
old money. You have never known hardship.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: INT +1, CHA +1, REP +2
Skill Choices: [trivia], [social], [artistic], [gaming],
[sporting]
Privileged. You gain two sets of superior quality clothing
and start play with a bonus $1,000.
Street Tough [2d6+6 years]
You fell in with local gangs and the lower echelons of orga-
nized crime, looking up to gangsters as role models. You
joined a gang, played truant, and engaged in petty crime.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: intimidation, thievery, appraisal, brawling,
knives, clubs
Fell Off a Truck. You may acquire starting equipment at
half cost. However, any items you acquire this way are
actually stolen.
Survivor [2d6+6 years]
The story of your childhood is one of hardship and war
zones; you’ve grown a thick hide from conflict or war.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, INT +1, WIL +1
Skill Choices: [outdoors], stealth, [vehicle], running
Endurance. You've endured a lot, and you have the scars
to prove it. You gain +2 natural Soak.
Traveler [2d6+6 years]
Your parents travelled a lot, which gave you great exposure
to the wonders and goings on of the world.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: piloting, sailing, navigation, bureaucracy,
linguistics
Stargazer. Your extensive travels have heightened your
sense of location. You can tell which country and city
you are in if you can see the sky.
35
 Action Careers
Careers
Careers are occupations held by characters over the
course of their lives. Characters may hold multiple ca-
reers over a period of many years, and gain knowledge
and skills from each.
  What’s O.L.D. Is N.E.W. uses a “life-path” system to
create and advance characters. Characters begin play
with five careers. Choose one origin (see above) and four
further careers. When you choose a career, you gain attri-
bute increases, skill ranks, and access to unique exploits.
 Prerequisites. Careers sometimes have prerequisites,
which can be thought of as qualifications—demonstrated
competence in a given area. Specific game settings may
have more stringent prerequisites; for example, a secret
spy organization might require that a character complete
an army tour before becoming a secret agent. The GM
should inform players of any setting-based prerequisites
such as organizational career ladders.
 Skills. Characters may choose two skills from each
career grade. Defensive skills—for example, acrobatics,
bravery, concentration, conviction, discipline, dodging,
foresight, leadership, meditation, psychology, religion, and
rulership—are always available. Listings in [square brack-
ets] indicate categories; the character may choose a skill
from the indicated category or create a new, relevant skill.
A completed grade 5 character will have a total of 13 skill
ranks (3 heritage skills and 2 career skills per grade).
 Attributes. Characters advance 4 attribute points from
each career grade. Apply all listed attribute adjustments.
 Exploits. Choose one of the listed exploits for your ca-
reer or select a universal exploit. You may only choose
a given exploit once, unless that exploit specifically
36
indicates otherwise. Some exploits require prerequisites,
which are noted in their description—you must meet that
prerequisite before selecting the exploit. Occasionally, an
exploit may appear in more than one career; you may still
only select it once, even if you choose both careers.
Repeating Careers
You can take careers multiple times (except after you have
taken a career other than your origin, you cannot take your
origin again). Each time you take the career, you choose
two skills, apply the attribute increases again, and select
one of the available exploits. Once you have exhausted all
of the listed exploits through repetition of a career, you
may select a universal exploit instead when you advance
a grade in that career.
  You can take careers multiple times. Each time you take
the career, you choose two skills, apply the attribute in-
creases again, and select one of the available exploits.
  If you repeat a career, its additional grades are referred
to by their title, as shown in the table. For example, a cop
who has taken the Police Officer career four times is re-
garded as a Seasoned Police Officer. This ranking system
applies only to grades within a career, not total grades.
Repeating Careers: Experience
Career Grades Experience
1 Novice/Rookie
2 Practised
3 Experienced
4 Seasoned
5 Veteran
6 Doyen
 Action Careers

•• Academic careers include educational Career List

and scientific choices, and can earn Below is a full list of all careers in this book, sorted by type.
character qualifications. A college edu- •• Origins (see above): Acrobat, Everyman, Experiment, Farm-
cation can often substitute for Military hand, Geek, Jock, Martial Artist, Military Brat, Nerd, Novice,
Academy for those intending to enter Orphan, Scout/Eagle, Ruffian, Scion, Street Tough, Survivor,
service. Some academic careers earn Traveler.
your character an educational quali- •• Academic: Archaeologist, College, Engineer, Medic, Scientist,
fication or title. For example, you can Student
gain degrees and doctorates at college. •• Criminal: Burglar, Con Artist, Hacker, Gangster, Prisoner,
•• Criminal careers include a variety Smuggler, Street Thug.
of life choices, all of which are illegal. •• Investigative: Bounty Hunter, Dark Crusader, Detective, Police
From low level street thugs to gangsters, Officer, Private Eye, Reporter, Spy, Vigilante
all criminal careers carry the added •• Military: Assassin, Boot Camp, Explosives Expert, Guerilla
risk of prison. After taking a grade in a Fighter, Heavy Gunner, Infiltrator, Scout, Sniper, Soldier
criminal career, roll 1d6. On a roll of 1, •• Social: Actor, Ambassador, Diplomat, Gambler, Lawyer, Per-
you must next take the Prisoner career. former, Politician, Priest, Socialite, Teacher
•• Investigative careers include law •• Vocational: Athlete, Bartender, Bouncer, Boxer, Chef, Crafts-
enforcement style occupations, both man, Diver, Drifter, Driver, Firefighter, Laborer, Miner, Pilot,
official and freelance. Cops, spies, and Performer, Sailor, Trader
bounty hunters all share the desire to •• Exotic: Astronaut, Cultist, Ninja, Sensei/Sifu, Stuntman, Surviv-
locate and apprehend (or kill) suspects, alist, Warrior-Monk
using unique skills developed for that
very purpose.
•• Military careers are the jobs of
members of standing armies as well
as mercenaries and soldiers of fortune.
Most military careers begin with a
stint at Military Academy, but a college
degree can often circumvent that
requirement.
•• Social careers include occupations in
which the character helps, represents,
or entertains other people.
•• Vocational careers represent those
doing regular jobs, earning their way
primarily by doing something ac-
tive, sometimes requiring specialized
knowledge or education.
•• Exotic careers include occupations
that only a select few ever enter, wheth-
er this is because the work itself is of
rarefied difficulty or because simply
getting one’s foot in the door requires
knowledge that’s hard to come by.

37
 Action Careers
Actor [1d6 years]
A star of screen or stage, you make your living pretending to
be somebody else. Each time you take this career, roll 1d6. If
you roll a 6, you win an award. Roll again: (1) BAFTA, (2)
Emmy, (3) Tony, (4) Soap Opera Digest, (5) Razzie, (6) Oscar.
An award gives you +1 REP.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: LOG +1, INT +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: swords, acting, singing, dancing, flirtation,
carousing, bluffing, linguistics, movie trivia, celebrity
trivia, theater trivia, disguise
Box-Office Star (requires B-movie). You were in a block-
buster movie. You gain REP +2 and begin play with
an extra $1,000. You also learned one new skill of your
choice at 1 rank (1d6). Name your movie.
Method Actor. You immerse yourself into your roles. In-
crease your acting skill to 6 ranks.
Stage-Fright. You learned to overcome your nerves on the
stage. Once per day you may ignore a fear-based effect.
Costumer. You are used to wearing costumes in your roles.
Gain the disguise skill at 6 ranks.
B-Movie. You were in a classic B-movie. You gain REP +1
and and begin play with an extra $500. You also learned
one new skill of your choice at 1 rank (1d6). Name your
movie.
Catchphrase. You are associated with a catchphrase.
Once per day you can use your catchphrase and gain
+1d6 on any roll. Write down your catchphrase.
Archeologist [1d6 years]
As an archeologist, you explored dark caves, tracked down
lost treasures, and dug a lot of holes.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: literature, history, art, linguistics, theology,
geography, climbing, archeology, cryptology, appraisal
Not Another Trap! You can spend a LUC die to automati-
cally avoid a trap.
Great Discovery. You discovered something incredible—
the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant, or something
equally impressive. You gain +2 REP.
Antique. You start play with an antique weapon, which is
of exceptional quality.
38
Direction Sense. You always know where you are, and you
never get lost.
Linguist. You can speak and understand any language, al-
though it might sometimes take you a moment to figure
it out.
Assassin [1d6 years]
A killer for hire, you mastered the skills of assassination.
Prerequisites: stealth, tracking, [combat].
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, INT +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: [combat], stealth, thievery, perception, in-
timidate, disguise
Killing Blow. Any attack you make during the ambush
turn gains a +2d6 bonus to attack.
Ambush. You gain +2d6 to rolls made to access the am-
bush turn.
Weak Point. Once per enemy you may ignore any Soak
score he possesses by targeting a weak spot.
Sneak. If nobody is actively looking for you, you are able
to move silently and unseen at half your normal speed.
You are effectively invisible. However, if anybody is
actually looking for you, they may make INT checks as
normal to spot you.
Astronaut [1d6 years]
You trained to become an astronaut and travelled into
space, either into orbit or to the moon or a similar body.
Prerequisites: [scientific] or piloting.
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, LOG +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: piloting, zero-g, engineering, physics, medi-
cine, astronomy
G-Forces. You are trained to resist g-forces. You gain Soak
5 to crushing damage.
Space Sickness. Nearly every astronaut gets sick. You
learn to ignore it. You become immune to sickness
conditions.
Spacewalker. You gain a zero-g Speed equal to your regu-
lar speed.
Athlete [1d6 years]
You are a professional athlete, whether that be in a team
sport or a track and field event.
Prerequisites: [sport] or [physical].
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, REP +1

Skill Choices: [physical], [sporting], carousing, flirtation,
[unarmed combat]
Athletic. Choose four [physical] skills. You gain these four
skills at 1 rank (1d6). This does not increase the rank of
an existing skill.
Runner. You gain a +1 Speed bonus.
Fit. You gain a +5 Health bonus.
Signing Bonus. You are signed to a team and gain a $1,000
signing bonus.
Bartender [1d6 years]
Bartending is a great way to pay the bills. Some make a life-
long career of it.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [social], carousing, perception, brewing,
cooking, brawling, clubs
Bouncer. You gain a +1d6 bonus to checks vs. an intoxi-
cated creature.
Fake ID. Knowing how to spot a fake ID helps you spot the
telltale signs of falsified documents of many kinds. You
gain a +1d6 bonus to detect forgeries.
Gossip. You can gather local gossip and information sim-
ply by spending an hour in a bar or other watering hole,
effectively giving you the local knowledge skill wherever
you go as long as you are able to refresh your knowledge
at a local bar weekly.
Boot Camp [1 year]
You joined the military and completed basic military train-
ing. Some programs send recruits to college to gain degrees
before returning to cadet assignments.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, LOG +1, WIL +1, CHA +1
Skill Choices: carrying, pistols, rifles, leadership, tactics,
survival
Basic Training. You gain a uniform which incorporates a
kevlar vest. You also gain one rank in tactics, rifles, law,
and survival.
Officer Training [requires Basic Training]. A second stint
in the Academy prepares you for command. You auto-
matically gain a military rank and the leadership skill
at 1 rank if you do not already have it. You gain +2 REP.
Action Careers
Make a Challenging [13] CHA check before advancing
any attributes. If you succeed, you automatically gain a
second military rank.
Bouncer [1d6 years]
You stood guard at the door to a bar, club, or other private
venue.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, INT +1, CHA +1
Skill Choices: hardy, insight, perception, brawling, reac-
tions, carousing, law
Immovable Object. You know how to plant yourself in
place and refuse to budge. You may spend a LUC die
to negate any forced movement from a creature of your
size or smaller.
Quick Search. You are adept at spotting concealed weap-
ons, drugs, and other things. You automatically spot
hidden items concealed about somebody’s person.
Age Check. Not only can you discern somebody’s age at a
glance, you can see through disguises.
Fake ID. Knowing how to spot a fake ID helps you spot the
telltale signs of falsified documents of many kinds. You
gain a +1d6 bonus to detect forgeries.
Pin. You know how to pin somebody in place. Make a me-
lee attack against an adjacent target your size or smaller.
On a success, the target is pinned in place unless they
escape with a melee attack against you. You may move
at half-speed, taking your pinned target with you. A
pinned target may not make any attacks other than an
attempt to escape.
Bounty Hunter [1d6 years]
As a bounty hunter you spent time tracking down and cap-
turing wanted criminals.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: tracking, piloting, stealth, law, computers,
perception, intimidate, [combat]
Prey. You may choose a target species. You gain a +1d6 bo-
nus to attempts to track targets of that species.
Datamining. You are able to locate a target’s current loca-
tion down to a specific city by accessing credit, criminal,
customs, and other records if you have access to a com-
puter link.
39
 Action Careers
Boxer [1d6 years]
The ring is your king. You have been in scores of fights
(both sanctioned and otherwise), endured countless days
and nights of strenuous physical training, and your body
is a shrine to thousands of jabs, hooks, and hastily landed
strikes.
Prerequisites: boxing.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, WIL +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: boxing, hardy, reactions, intimidate
One-Two. Once per turn, you may make a quick second
boxing attack for free. This second attack may not have
any exploits attached to it.
Haymaker. With a wild swing, you pool all your attack
potential into one mighty blow. The attack costs two
actions, suffers a –2d6 penalty to hit, but deals double
damage. If you miss, however, you put yourself at a dis-
advantage, allowing your opponent an immediate free
attack at you.
Beat the Count. Once per day, when reduced to 0 health,
you may spend two actions to recover 2d6 health and
stand up.
Rope-a-Dope. You allow your enemy to attack you, fooling
him into believing he is winning. You allow the enemy’s
next two melee attacks to strike home, choosing to re-
ceive the damage; after the second attack, you respond
with a melee counterattack which does bonus damage
equal to the damage he dealt you.
K.O. (requires Haymaker). A mighty blow fells your op-
ponent, knocking him to the ground and inflicting the
Downed condition until he shakes that condition off.
Bare Knuckles. Not every fight is in a well-lit ring with
ropes, medical staff, or even gloves—and you know that
better than anyone. People have been tangling with you
in back alleys, bars, and maybe even prison yards, fist
for fist, for years. Your boxing damage increases by 1d6
when not using gloves.
Battered. Cauliflower ears and broken nose you may have,
but you can take a hit without flinching. You gain Soak
5 (blunt).
40
Burglar [1d6 years]
You become a master thief, able to infiltrate the most secure
of locations. Some cat burglars work for hire and conduct
industrial espionage, while others prefer to steal valuable
artifacts and jewels from museums and high security vaults.
Prerequisites: stealth.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: climbing, jumping, acrobatics, escape artist,
computers, stealth, thievery, appraisal
Locksmith. You gain a exceptional quality lockpicking kit.
Cat Burglar. An expert at climbing, you do not take any
die penalties in combat while climbing.
Sixth Sense. You have a sixth sense when it comes to traps,
and gain a +2d6 bonus to spot them and a +1d6 bonus to
avoid or disarm them.
Climber [requires Cat Burglar]. Your climbing speed be-
comes equal to your regular Speed.
Grand Heist. You achieve a great robbery that will be re-
membered for years to come. Gain a bonus 3d6 × $100.
You may repeat this exploit, gaining 3d6 × $100 each time.
Chef [1d6 years]
You know how to cook, to prepare amazing meals, and to
run a kitchen.
Prerequisites: cooking.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: cooking, brewing, gardening, knives
Cooking Knives. You are an expert at cutting flesh with a
blade. When using a knife, you do +1d6 damage.
Poison Resistance. You often have to taste your food, and
you have developed Soak 5 vs. poisons.
Poisoner. You know how to make a poison. It takes you
five minutes, and lasts for one hour before becoming
ineffective. Your poison does poison damage equal to
a roll of your LOG dice pool when ingested.
Kitchen Management. Running a kitchen is a grueling job.
You know how to get the most out of your underlings,
even if you have to shout profanities at them. Once per
day, you may spend two actions to give all allies within
30' one immediate free action.
A Good Meal. Once per day you can spend an hour pre-
paring a good meal for a number of people equal to your
LOG score. The meal restores 1d6 Health to all who eat
it, or it removes the Fatigued condition.

College [4 years]
You attended a civilian college or university and gained
formal qualifications in a chosen area of study. Choose a
subject, which can be any skill, but is typically a [scientific],
[technical], or [artistic] skill. You can restart this career at
any time to gain degrees in additional subjects.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: LOG +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: computers, [scientific], [artistic], [sporting],
[social], [technical]
Bachelor. After a four-year course, you gained a Bach-
elor’s degree or equivalent at university. Improve your
skill ranks in your chosen subject to 3. Your research
skills are developed. If you have access to a library or
computer network, you gain a +1d6 bonus to attempts
to learn information about a subject. Make a Challeng-
ing  [13] LOG check before advancing any attributes. If
you succeed, you pass this degree with honors and gain
1 bonus REP attribute point.
Masters [requires Bachelor]. You remain in college and
gain a Masters degree in your subject. You gain 1 bonus
skill rank in your chosen subject. Make a Difficult [16]
LOG check before advancing any attributes. If you suc-
ceed, you pass this degree with honors and gain 1 bonus
REP attribute point.
Doctorate [requires Masters]. After further studies, you
gained a Doctorate at university. You may now call
yourself a doctor (not the Doctor). Gaining a doctor-
ate requires not just an expert knowledge of a subject,
but also rigorous skills of analysis and evaluation and
critical achievement. Improve your skill ranks in your
chosen subject to 6. Make a Demanding [21] LOG check
before advancing any attributes. If you succeed, you
pass this degree with honors and have also made a
minor breakthrough in your chosen subject, and are
known amongst peers for it, gaining you a bonus 2
points to your REP attribute. Choose the nature of your
breakthrough.
Action Careers
Con Artist [1d6 years]
You honed your skills and learned how to trick others out
of their money with charm, lies, bluffs, disguise, and more.
Many career criminals combine the con with burglary.
Prerequisites: bluffing.
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [social], disguise, bribery, forgery, [gaming],
appraisal
Grifter. In a bar or other crowded social situation, you can
automatically make money equal to a CHA check × $10
in the space of an hour using only the gift of the gab.
You can only do this once per day. This exploit cannot
be used during downtime.
Impersonate. You are easily able to impersonate any job
role which you have had opportunity to observe within
the past day, even briefly. You gain a +1d6 bonus if you
have been able to observe and mimic an example.
Quick Change. You are able to don a quick disguise in one
round instead of five minutes. This must be a disguise
you’ve successfully used before.
Beguiling. You are able to temporarily beguile and cap-
tivate a target with your words as a CHA vs. Mental
Defense check. A successful check charms the target
until they shake off the condition. The target must be
able to understand you and have a Logic attribute of at
least 3.
Craftsman [1d6 years]
You made your living by practising your craft as a carpenter,
electrician, mechanic, or other professional skilled worker.
Prerequisites: [crafting] or [technical].
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, LOG +1, CHA +1
Skill Choices: [technical], [artistic], [crafting]
Handyman. Choose four [crafting] skills. You gain these
four skills at 1 rank (1d6). This does not increase the
rank of an existing skill.
Toolkit. You gain a set of high quality tools.
Tradesman. You can make 3d6 × $10 per week by plying
your trade.
Builder. Assuming raw materials are available, you can
make an item of equipment in one day by rolling a LOG
check vs. the item’s value (up to $20).
Fixer. You gain a +1d6 bonus to any attempt to repair
something.
41
 Action Careers
Cultist [1d6 years]
You were either part of a cult, or you have intensively stud-
ied cults or the occult.
Prerequisite: religion.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, CHA +1
Skill Choices: religion, history, politics, philosophy,
knives, meditation, disguise, [social], hypnotism, occult,
astrology
Devotion. You are utterly devoted to your cause. Your sin-
gle-mindedness grants you +4 Mental Defense.
Occultist. You have knowledge of the paranormal; things
that were not meant to be known. You gain 6 ranks (3d6)
in the occult skill. Once per day you may spend 5 min-
utes to cast an augury which gives you the answer to a
yes-or-no question.
Sacrificial Dagger. You start play with a high-quality dag-
ger that has either the Serrated Blade or the Sharpened
customization.
Poison Resistance. Part of your cult’s observances involve
drinking poison. You gain Soak 5 (poison).
Fanatic. You may be slightly unhinged; you are complete-
ly immune to the Afraid condition.
Occult & Magic
This book does not contain details of magic, being
more grounded in the Action genre. However, WOIN
does have extensive magic rules which you are en-
couraged to use if you want to include the occult or
other magic in your game.
 See O.L.D. The Fantasy Heroic Roleplaying Game, or
Elements of Magic, which is the magic chapter from
O.L.D. available separately in softcover format. There
you will find details of magical skills and secrets,
along with alchemy and other “elements” of magic.
Using those rules, characters can throw firebolts,
summon dark creatures, enchant their foes, and more.
  If you do use those rules, the Cultist in this book
should also have access to [magical] skills. You
should also allow careers such as the Mage, Cleric,
Necromancer, Druid, and Diabolist from O.L.D.
42
Dark Crusader [1d6 years]
You prowl the streets at night. More than just a vigilante,
you are a symbol. You have learned how to instill fear into
the hearts of criminals, and the very mention of your name
is enough to make hardened gang members look nervously
over their shoulders.
Prerequisites: stealth.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, WIL +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: stealth, climbing, jumping, acrobatics, in-
timidation, thievery, [combat]
Dark Knight. You operate best at night, knowing how to
use the shadows to your advantage. Once per day, dur-
ing the hours of darkness, you gain a +1d6 bonus to all
dice pools for one minute.
Fearful Legend. Criminals fear you, and rightly so. You
may make a REP vs. Mental Defense attack against a
target wihtin 30' to inflict the Afraid condition on a
target until they shake it off.
Vanish. You are renowned for your ability to simply disap-
pear; some even believe it to be supernatural. Once per
day, during the hours of darkness, you may effectively
turn invisible until you attack.
Utility Belt. You gain one gadget of your choice.
Costume. You gain a costume which acts as armor with
Soak 8. This special costume does not require armor
training to use effectively even when it is of high quality
or better, and can be upgraded one stage by taking this
exploit again, become high quality, exceptional, and so
on. You may repeat this exploit up to five times, upgrad-
ing your costume each time.
Detective [1d6 years]
You become a detective, expert at spotting clues and finding
your man. Even if you leave the profession, you still retain
enough contacts to call in favors and request information.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +2, CHA +1
Skill Choices: interrogation, pistols, driving, bureaucracy,
perception, intimidate, stealth, tracking, law
Clues. If there are any clues to find at a crime scene, you
automatically find them within 5 minutes.
Criminal Record. You can freely access police databanks
and automatically discover any information held on file
by the police about a suspect.

Plate Number. You can request a registration plate num-
ber lookup, and automatically determine the registered
owner and address of a vehicle.
Diplomat [1d6 years]
You have represented your country elsewhere.
Prerequisites: [social].
Attributes: INT +1, CHA +2, REP +1
Skill Choices: [social], bureaucracy, law, politics, local
knowledge
Diplomatic. Choose four [social] skills. You gain these
four skills at 1 rank (1d6). This does not increase the
rank of an existing skill.
Diplomatic Pouch. You have a diplomatic pouch in which
any small sized item can be carried through customs
without inspection.
Embassy. You have access to your home country’s am-
bassadorial embassy and residences in any country (if
there are any), which can provide food, shelter, basic
equipment, and medical care.
Diplomatic Immunity. You gain diplomatic immunity to
very low-level and petty crimes in any country which
contains an embassy for your country.
Diver [1d6 years]
Whether it was a commercial job, or for the military or po-
lice, you feel most at home in a wet suit. You became a diver,
able to explore the ocean depths.
Prerequisites: swimming.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, INT +1
Skill Choices: swimming, perception, hardy, oceanogra-
phy, sailing
Like a Fish. You gain a Swim speed equal to your regular
Speed.
Hold Breath. You can hold your breath for a number of
minutes equal to your END dice pool.
Murky Depths. You can see well underwater and in other
dark environments, gaining darksight to a distance of 5'
per point of INT.
High Diver. You never take damage when falling into wa-
ter from any height.
Action Careers
Drifter [1d6 years]
Somehow you lost your way. Drinking, gambling, with no
clear objective, you drifted through the fringes of society.
Perhaps you never fit in; perhaps you are a war veteran who
found home was no longer “home.”
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: carousing, gaming, flirtation, performing,
bluffing, appraisal, thievery
Unseen. You know how to blend in so that nobody pays
any attention to you. You gain a +1d6 bonus when at-
tempting to do so.
Driver [1d6 years]
Cars are your “thing.” You’ve spent more time behind the
wheel than most people spend sleeping, either as a racing
driver, such as in Formula 1 or NASCAR, a getaway driver,
a stunt driver, or even a military driver.
Prerequisites: driving.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: driving, engineering, reactions
Getaway. If a vehicle is within one move increment of you,
you can get in, start the engine, and drive away at the
vehicle’s Speed all with just two actions (one turn).
Racer. You can push a vehicle to extreme speeds, increas-
ing its Speed by 2.
Evasive Driving. When you are driving a vehicle, it gains
+4 Defense.
Shoot ’n’ Drive. While driving, you may take a free side-
arm shot once per round.
43
 Action Careers
Engineer [1d6 years]
You became an engineer, proficient at manipulating tech-
nology and repairing vehicles, devices and engines.
Prerequisites: engineering.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, LOG +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: computers, [technical], bureaucracy
Technical Knowledge Base. Choose four [technical] skills.
You gain these four skills at 1 rank (1d6). This does not
increase the rank of an existing skill.
Jury-Rig. You can temporarily repair and jury-rig a bro-
ken item of size Medium or smaller by spending five
minutes with it. The item will operate for a number of
minutes equal to your LOG check. If you spend one
hour with it, it will operate for a number of hours equal
to your LOG check. If you spend a day with it, it will op-
erate for a number of days equal to your LOG check.
Upgrade. You can modify a piece of electronic equipment
of size Small or smaller to upgrade it permanently to a
high quality item. This process takes one hour, but the
item can only be used by you due to unfamiliar and ju-
ry-rigged controls, and renders it monetarily worthless.
Engine-Tuner. A vehicle to which you have an hour’s ac-
cess increases its maximum Speed by 1. This does not
stack with other engineers’ use of this exploit, should
others be present.
Engine-Master [requires Engine-Tuner]. You can in-
crease your vehicle’s speed by 2 for a number of hours
equal to your LOG check, after which the engine can-
not be used for 24 hours. This does not stack with other
engineers’ use of this exploit, should others be present.
Explosives. You can create explosives from common items
and surroundings. The explosive takes 30 minutes to
make, and causes 3d6 heat damage to all within 5'. The
explosive can be stored, but only for up to two hours.
Saboteur. You are able to disable any mechanical or elec-
tronic device to which you have access. This exploit
does not open a locked door (disabling the lock just
means it remains stuck in whatever configuration it is
currently in). This takes you five minutes.
44
Explosives Expert [1d6 years]
You were either a bomb disposal or a demolitions expert.
You just love the smell of napalm in the morning. Some-
thing about the smell of explosives, or maybe the very loud
boom they make, is very pleasing to you. Of course, you
can’t discount the whiz of shrapnel, oh, and the display, the
coruscating fireballs...
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: explosives, hardy, perception, reactions,
electronics, thievery
Home Cooking. You can make an explosive out of regular
household items (a minimum of 4 components) with a
minute of work. This explosive deals 2d6 heat damage
to all within 5'. The explosives can be stored, but only
up to four hours.
Booby Trapping. Using a home-cooked device (made
as above), a grenade, or similar explosive, you can rig
a door, trunk, or object to explode when opened or at
a specific time. This takes 2 actions and is obvious. By
spending 5 minutes you can hide it; anyone activating it
gets an opposed check (their INT vs. your AGI) to notice
the trap before it is set off.
Boom-Boom! Explosive devices, such as grenades, do
+1d6 damage when you use them.
Shaped Charge. You know exactly how to target explo-
sives. You may direct any area of effect attack with a
radius so that it explodes in a cone in a single direction.
The cone size is equal to the diameter (not radius) of the
original explosion, so a 5' radius explosion can be di-
rected into a 10' cone.
Disarm Bomb. If you have a minute to spare, you can dis-
arm any explosive device. If it is timed, it dramatically
happens at the last second.
Duck and Cover. You know how to avoid damage from ex-
plosives and similar effects. You take half damage from
area of effect attacks.
Don’t Step There! You always notice explosive devices and
traps within 10' of you, even if an attribute check would
normally be required.

Firefighter [1d6 years]
Fighting fires is a noble calling, and you resolutely put your-
self at risk to help others.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, INT +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: climbing, carrying, jumping, carousing, ex-
plosives, local knowledge
Fire Resistant. You’ve been through many fires, and have
developed a resistance to it. You gain natural Soak 5
(heat).
Ladder Climber. You spend a lot of time climbing ladders,
broken stairs, even drainpipes and walls. You gain a
CLIMB speed equal to your regular Speed.
Fireman’s Lift. When carrying another person, you are
not encumbered or slowed in any way.
Door Breaker. Your dice pool explodes when you are
breaking down a door.
Hold Breath. Like a swimmer, you have learned to hold
your breath; in your case it’s so that you do not inhale
noxious fumes or smoke. You can hold your breath for
one minute per point of INT.
Extinguish. You can extinguish flames in an adjacent
square by spending one action.
Drop and Roll. You can completely remove the Fire status
track from yourself or an adjacent creature by spending
two actions.
Gambler [1d6 years]
You became an expert gambler, proficient at games of skill
and chance.
Prerequisites: [gaming].
Attributes: INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: [gaming], [social], thievery
Good Game. Once per day, when you are in a situation
where you can gamble for cash, roll 1d6 and multiply by
$100. You win that much money.
Lucky Streak. You may replenish your Luck attribute an
extra time each day.
Cheat. You know a couple of tricks. In a game of chance,
you may reroll any 1s in your dice pool.
Action Careers
Gangster [1d6 years]
Eventually your life of crime led you to "better" things as you
fell into a gang or crew.
Prerequisites: intimidate.
Attributes: STR +1, INT +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: intimidation, thievery, driving, pistols
Intimidating. Intimidation is your way of life, especially
in the criminal underworld. When attempting to in-
timidate a criminal, you gain a +1d6 bonus.
Protection Racket. A protection racket is a lucrative and
steady stream of income. Within your REP sphere you
have a route. You gain your REP × $100 each week. This
exploit cannot be used during downtime.
Guerilla Fighter [1d6 years]
Either as a dangerous lone wolf or as part of an organized
resistance, you’re experienced with waging war on the go,
mounting military strikes and melting away quickly after-
ward. After taking a grade in this career, roll 1d6; on a 2 or
less, the next career you take must be Prison.
Prerequisites: survival.
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: bravery, pistols, rifles, stealth, tactics, sur-
vival, perception, disguise
Ambush Expert. During an ambush turn you can take a
second action.
Blend In. If you are a wanted fugitive or actively being
pursued by someone, you can disappear into a crowd
twice per day.
Hit-and-Run. You can move from out of line of sight, into
firing position, make an attack action, and then back to
out of line of sight twice per day.
Always Ready. Sleep in armor with no penalty. Anyone
sneaking up on you while you sleep must make a Dif-
ficult [16] AGI check to do so.
Sabotage. You can prepare booby-traps using home-made
devices as an explosives expert. There is no duration for
how long one of your home-cooked devices remains po-
tent, and it may be rigged to go off at any time.
45
 Action Careers
Hacker [1d6 years]
Hacking into computer systems to find information or ma-
nipulate events comes easily to you.
Prerequisites: computers.
Attributes: LOG +1, INT +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: computers, reactions, cryptology, appraisal,
forgery, linguistics, electronics, bureaucracy
Hacking Rig. You gain a high quality laptop or portably
computer designed for hacking on the move.
Red Lights (requires Hacking Rig). You can use your
hacking rig to change traffic lights to any configuration
you wish.
Bank Job. A virtual bank job gains you $1,000 and +1 REP.
City Hall. You can hack into security agencies, including
the police and intelligence agencies, to gain information
about any individual whose name you know, assuming
those agencies have that information. This takes you
one hour.
Security Override. You can remotely unlock an electronic
lock for up to one minute.
CCTV. You are able to access the CCTV cameras of a giv-
en location. This gives you poor quality video, and no
audio.
Heavy Gunner [1d6 years]
A real weapon is the kind that requires a strap, and if it
doesn’t kick like a mule when you fire it, the gun just isn’t
for you. Whether a specialist for a security team or merce-
nary group, or a member of a military heavy weapons team,
you’ve spent plenty of time around big guns.
Prerequisites: heavy weapons.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, INT +1, WIL +1
Skill Choices: carrying, hardy, heavy weapons, running,
gunnery, engineering
Lay Down Fire. You can spray an area 15' × 15' (3 squares
by 3 squares), doing 1d6 damage to every target within
that area when using a heavy weapon designated auto.
This Ain’t Heavy. Choose one heavy weapon; when you
carry one of these weapons, it does not count against
your carrying capacity.
Long Range. Increase the range of heavy weapons you
wield by 10'.
46
Heavy Specialty (requires This Ain’t Heavy). You deal
+1d6 damage with the weapon you chose when you took
the This Ain’t Heavy exploit. You can repair it if broken
(it takes 1 minute), and draw it as a free action.
Infiltrator [1d6 years]
The pinnacle of special operations, either police, military or
freelance, the infiltrator aptly describes the occupation of
many men and women whose job it is to infiltrate enemy
locations and accomplish dangerous missions. An infiltra-
tor needs a range of skills beyond the mere ability to kill that
is the hallmark of the assassin.
Prerequisites: stealth, [combat].
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, INT +1
Skill Choices: [combat], stealth, thievery, escape arts, acro-
batics, climbing
Quick-Hide. You can disappear while in plain sight. You
can make a stealth check even while under observation
to move your speed and become effectively invisible for
a round. You may then make regular stealth checks as
normal, but cannot repeat this feat against the same
observer.
Laborer [1d6 years]
You did a regular physical job, whether skilled or unskilled,
performing manual work for a fair wage. You may have
been in construction, a grave digger, even a street-sweeper
or cleaner; or perhaps a delivery person, baker, brewer or
other worker.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [crafting], carousing, hardy, computers,
[outdoor], bureacracy, engineering, [vehicle]
Jack of All Trades. You gain three skills from your skill
choices list above at rank 3 (2d6). This does not increase
a skill above 3 ranks.
Danger Pay. Some work is dangerous. Perhaps you worked
high on a skyscraper or cleaned toxic waste. You gain
$1,000 bonus money and +1 REP.
Union. You were a member of a union. Your pay is high-
er (gain +2 REP) and you gain 1 rank (1d6) in law and
bureaucracy.

Worker’s Clothes. Over the years you have patched to-
gether a “uniform” of sorts which protects you from the
sorts of hazards you typically encounter in your voca-
tion: hard hat, goggles, high-durability clothing, gloves,
sturdy boots, and so on. This constitutes light armor
with a Soak of 5, but is a custom piecemeal outfit which
can only be worn by you. The uniform also includes an
engineer’s toolkit, hearing protection, and a respirator,
and it protects you from non-extreme environmental
effects.
Lawyer [1d6 years]
You became a lawyer, learning the complexities of the legal
system, and you know how to get yourself and others out of
(or into) trouble.
Prerequisites: law.
Attributes: LOG +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: law, interrogation, bluffing, bureaucracy,
local knowledge, negotiating
Get Out of Jail Free. When arrested for a minor offense,
you are able to use legal techniques and your connec-
tions to keep yourself out of jail.
Court Records. You have access to court records; you can
look up the criminal record of any named individual
given an hour’s notice and a computer connection (or
physical access to a courthouse, a police station, or
some other place where such records are kept).
Orator. You can be very persuasive, and you know how
to bend a jury or other group of people to your point of
view. You can influence up to 12 people within 30' with
a 15-minute speech. Make a CHA mental attack and
apply it to each target within the area; if the attack is
successful, the group becomes Charmed.
Ambulance Chaser. You spent time making money the
only way you could: settling personal injury cases for a
quick buck. You start play with a bonus $1,000.
Crusader. A principled public defender or prosecutor,
you’re in it because of your ideals. You’ll make the world
a better place using the power of law. You gain the fol-
lowing skills at 1 rank (1d6): intimidation, bureaucracy,
conviction. This does not increase a skill beyond one
rank.
Action Careers
Medic [1d6 years]
You enter the medical profession. If you have gained a doc-
torate at college, you do so as a doctor; otherwise you are
referred to as a nurse, medic, or nurse practitioner.
Prerequisites: medicine.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, CHA +1
Skill Choices: computers, medicine, bureaucracy,
psychology
Medical Knowledge Base. Choose four [medical] skills.
You gain these four skills at 1 rank (1d6). This does not
increase the rank of an existing skill.
Consultant (requires Doctorate). Your expertise is sought
by other doctors. Your REP increases by 2 and you start
play with a bonus $1,000.
Bedside Manner. You gain a medical kit. Your long-term
care is of such quality that your patient gains an ad-
ditional 1d6 Health per day. You may only have one
patient under your long-term care at a time.
Ward Management (requires Bedside Manner). You are
an expert at running and managing a ward or sickbay.
The number of patients you can have under long-term
care is increased to the value of your LOG attribute.
Diagnosis. You gain +1d6 bonus to identify or treat dis-
eases. Make a Difficult [16] LOG check before advancing
any attributes. If you succeed, you discovered a new
disease or illness which is named after you; you also
gain 1 bonus REP attribute point.
Psychologist. An expert in matters of the mind, you gain +2
Mental Defense. Once per day you can remove a
mental condition (Angry, Afraid, etc.) from yourself or
an ally as a free action.
Healing Hands. Using basic medical equipment, you can
heal 1d6 points of Health to an adjacent creature as a
single action. Any given creature can only benefit from
your healing in this way once per day.
Exceptional Healing Hands (requires Healing Hands).
Your Healing Hands ability restores 2d6 points of
Health.
Resuscitation (requires Exceptional Healing Hands).
You can revive a seemingly dead creature with a LOG
check. The creature must have “died” within the last
five minutes, and the difficulty value of the check is
20 + the damage of the attack that killed it. The creature
wakes up with 1 Health.
47
 Action Careers
Miner [1d6 years]
There’s nothing like a few years spent down a coal mine to
build character.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: carrying, climbing, survival, [technical],
mining, appraising, carousing, picks, hammers
Underground Sense. When underground you can always
determine direction and depth, and you can determine
a route to the surface.
Darksight. You have spent so much time below ground
that you’ve developed darksight to a distance of 30'.
Mining Hazards. You gain a +2d6 bonus to spot under-
ground hazards and traps.
Toxic Gases. The underground is full of toxic fumes, and
you’ve become used to them. You gain a poison Soak
of 5.
Identify Substance. You can identify by sight any mineral-
or metal-based substance automatically.
Ninja [1d6 years]
The skills and tactics of Japan’s warriors of subterfuge,
sabotage, and deception are known to you, either through a
Ninja master that took you in as an apprentice, or by travel-
ing to the ancestral homeland and earning the right to train
among those who still practice ninjutsu.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, INT +1, CHI +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, climbing, disguise, perception,
stealth, martial arts
Poison. With one minute of preparation, you can craft
poison and apply it to one weapon; for one minute,
that weapon deals +1d6 poison damage; you must deal
enough damage to bypass a target’s Soak to deal this
poison damage.
Fast Climb. You gain a Climb speed equal to your regular
Speed.
Gas Poison (requires Poison). By spending an action, you
can deliver your poison as a dust or small burst of gas
that ignores the target’s Soak. You can throw this with a
range increment of 2.
48
Weapon Mastery. You can draw and sheathe a sword, staff,
club, spear, naginata, kusarigama, or shuriken as a free
action. Choose one of these weapons; you receive a +1d6
to damage with this weapons.
Death Strike. Once per day you may strike a creature that
is not aware of your presence or does not realize you are
an enemy with surprising, lethal force. Make an attack
roll using your Chi attribute; if you hit, you deal double
damage.
Shadow Warrior. You may move at full Speed while hid-
den if you succeed in your AGI (stealth) check.
Performer [1d6 years]
You became a musician or other performer, and made your
way working bars, clubs, and theaters.
Prerequisites: [performance].
Attributes: CHA +2, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: carousing, [performance]
Triple-Threat. You gain the skills singing, dancing, and
acting at 1 rank (1d6). This does not increase the rank of
an existing skill. You gain +1 REP.
Gigs. You can make money by playing at bars and doing
local performances. You can make an amount equal
to a CHA check × $10 per day by doing this. This
exploit cannot be used during downtime. Gain +2 REP.
Captivating. You have the ability to captivate people
with your musical ability. While using your musical in-
strument or voice, all those who can hear you become
Charmed until you stop. This requires a CHA vs.
Mental Defense check and a full two actions each turn
to maintain.
Lullaby. Your music can make people drowsy. While us-
ing your musical instrument or voice, all those who can
hear you gain the Sleeping condition until you stop.
This requires a CHA vs. Mental Defense check and a
full two actions each turn.
Fearful. You can use voice or music to instil fear in those
who hear it. While using your musical instrument or
voice, all those who can hear you become Afraid until
you stop. This requires a CHA vs. Mental Defense
check and a full two actions each turn.

Pilot [1d6 years]
You became a pilot, learning to fly aircraft big or small.
Prerequisites: piloting.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: reactions, piloting, computers, astronomy,
gunnery, navigation
Push the Limits. You can exceed an aircraft’s normal
maximum Speed by 2.
Evasive Flying. An aircraft which you pilot gains a De-
fense bonus equal to your AGI attribute dice pool.
Cruise Control. You are able to easily navigate without an
attribute check.
Evasive Maneuver [requires Evasive Flying]. As an action,
you may designate one incoming missile per round and
gain an additional +5 Defense against it.
Stay on Target [requires Evasive Flying]. While in the
rear arc of a target ship, you negate any bonus it gets
from Evasive Flying.
Police Officer [1d6 years]
You join the police or other security force and begin a career
as a uniformed officer.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LOG +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: interrogation, pistols, law, driving, bureau-
cracy, perception, intimidate
Trouble Sense. You are easily able to spot trouble before
it happens. You gain a +1d6 bonus to Initiative checks.
Out of Place. You know the signs of suspicious behavior.
You gain a +1d6 bonus to checks made to spot unusual
or criminal activity.
Freeze! You can compel a target to “freeze!” with a CHA vs.
Mental Defense check. If successful, the target stops
in his tracks and is Dazed until he shakes that condi-
tion off. The target must be able to understand you and
have an INT attribute of 3 or more. You can only do this
to a given target once.
Backup. In an allied urban environment, you can call for
backup once per day in the form of 1d6 police officers;
they arrive within 5 minutes and follow your orders.
Anti-Surveillance. You are so familiar with surveillance
devices, blind spots, and avoidance techniques that, by
moving half your speed, you can render yourself invis-
ible to electronic monitoring equipment.
Action Careers
Politician [1d6 years]
You entered politics at a local level and started to rise
through the ranks.
Prerequisites: local knowledge.
Attributes: LOG +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: [social], politics, economics, geography, his-
tory, local knowledge
Corruption. Not all politicians are corrupt, but you suc-
cumbed to temptation. You start play with $2,000 bonus
money, but your next career must be the Prisoner career.
You may not return to the Politician career after taking
this exploit. You may only take this exploit during char-
acter creation, and only if this is not your last career.
Idealist. You have a platform of ideology, and this gives
you great mental strength. You gain +2 Mental De-
fense. Decide what your ideological platform is.
Local Elections. You won a local election and started rep-
resenting your community. You gain +1 REP. You can
make a REP mental attack against a target within 30' to
inflict the Charmed condition.
Regional Elections (requires Local Elections). You won
a regional election and represented the greater com-
munity. You gain +2 REP. Your REP attack to influence
people can now affect a number of people equal to your
CHA score.
Public Speaker. You are able to sway and influence
crowds. You can spend 5 minutes talking to a crowd
and make a REP check equal to 1% the size of the crowd
(so for a crowd of 2,000 you must beat 20 in your check).
If successful, you influence the crowd in some manner,
inflicting either the Charmed or Angry condition.
49
 Action Careers
Priest [1d6 years]
You joined the clergy and practiced religion, tending to your
flock.
Prerequisites: religion.
Attributes: INT +1, WIL +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: perception, crafting, bureaucracy, cryp-
tology, linguistics, [trivia], meditation, leadership,
performing, religion.
Confessional. Your insights into the morality of living
things enables you to draw confessions from others.
Given an hour of conversation, you gain a +2d6 bonus
to checks designed to gain information from another
creature.
Unshakable Faith. Your faith lends you peace of mind
and an inner tranquillity which is hard to penetrate.
You gain +5 to your Mental Defense.
Respect. Your position in the clergy grants you a certain
reverence from others. Sentient opponents take a –1d6
penalty to attack you on their first attack as long as you
have not attacked them first.
Prisoner [2d6 years]
Your life of crime caught up with you, and you ended up
in prison and served time; alternately, perhaps you were a
political prisoner, a hostage, or a prisoner of war. It was a
tough environment and you spent most of your time on the
inside just trying to survive.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, INT +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: intimidation, survival, [subterfuge skills],
[unarmed fighting], knives
Prison Tough. You are mentally and physically tough-
ened. Each time you go to prison you gain a permanent
+1 bonus to your Defense and Mental Defense.
Shiv. You are easily able to improvise weapons using your
surroundings—glasses, rocks, and so on. You always
count as carrying a knife or club and can use the brawl-
ing skill with knives and clubs. Additionally, you know
how to twist a knife, and always inflict the Bleeding
condition when you strike in melee with a knife.
50
Private Eye [1d6 years]
You snoop, bribe, tail, and occasionally get socked a few
times a month in order to pay the bills. You know all the
shady spots in town.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: pistols, bluffing, bribery, perception, insight,
tracking, intimidate, [subterfuge]
Snoop. You’ve got a good sense of when something just
isn’t quite right; once per day when you roll a check to
determine if someone is lying to you, reroll all results
of 1 and 2.
My Buddy on the Force. You have a contact in the police
force who can quietly conduct a routine check (back-
ground, vehicle registration, etc.) for you once per day.
Great Detective. You are used as an informal consultant
by authorities who recognize your expertise. You are
permitted access to crime scenes and evidence, and are
often called upon by the authorities to lend your opin-
ion and share your deductions.
Hard-Boiled. Cynical and rumpled, you gain a +4 bonus
to Mental Defense.
Reporter [1d6 years]
As an intrepid reporter, you are skilled at getting to the truth.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, CHA +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: insight, perception, linguistics, literature,
law, politics, economics, geography, journalism, inter-
rogation, carousing
Discern Lie. You always know when somebody is lying to
you.
Ask the Right Questions. You may spend a LUC die to ask
an NPC a yes/no question. The GM will answer truth-
fully as the NPC gives away the answer either verbally
or in some more subtle way.
Research Skills. You gain 3 ranks in computers, journalism,
and one skill from a choice of law, politics, or economics.
Big Scoop. You uncovered a big secret, and revealed it in
the news. Decide what this scoop was. You gain +2 REP.
Roll 1d6; on a 6 you won a Pulitzer Prize for it. You may
take this exploit multiple times.

Inside Source. You have a contact in or connected to the
police force, the mayor’s office, the governor’s mansion,
an exclusive club, or a similar place where movers and
shakers circulate. You can call on this contact for inside
information or a juicy lead once per month. You may
take this exploit multiple times, gaining a new contact
each time.
Tabloid Hack. You worked as the lowest of the low, a tab-
loid journalist interested only in shocking your readers.
Sadly, it’s a profitable job, and you start play with $1,000
extra money. However, if you take this exploit, you lose
any contacts you had from the Inside Source exploit,
and may not take that exploit in future, as your cred-
ibility is forever tarnished.
Sailor [1d6 years]
At home on the sea, you spent time aboard a ship mastering
the art of sailing.
Prerequisites: none
Attributes: AGI +1 INT +1 LUC +1 END +1
Skill Choices: carousing, climbing, clubs, fishing, knives,
leadership, navigation, sailing, swimming
Any Port. You may take this exploit multiple times. Each
time you take it, you may designate an additional port
town. At that location, you will have one contact upon
whom you can (generally) rely, and one bar at which
you can drink for free.
Grog. While you may well enjoy a drink, you never suffer
any penalties from intoxication via alcohol.
Hold Breath (requires Swimmer). You gain two addition-
al countdown dice when holding your breath.
Lookout. Lookout duty is a mandatory part of a sailor’s
life. You gain +1d6 to perception checks.
Sea Legs. You adapt to the motion of a ship; this makes you
very hard to knock down. When you are knocked prone,
you may spend one LUC die to remain standing.
Seasick. You are immune to the Sick condition.
Sea Weather. You are able to ignore the effects of rain,
wind, mist, and fog.
Swimmer. You gain a Swim speed equal to your regular
Speed.
Action Careers
Scientist [1d6 years]
You take your science with you as investigate phenomena in
strange locations. Field scientists are viewed by academia
as adventurous types, and include archaeologists, meteo-
rologists, zoologists, oceanographers, geologists, botanists,
astrophysicists, and much more.
Prerequisites: one [scientific] skill.
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, WIL +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: computers, [scientific], [technical], survival,
perception
Scientific Knowledge Base. Choose four [scientific] skills.
You gain these four skills at 1 rank (1d6). This does not
increase the rank of an existing skill.
Analytical Eye. You are able to identify the resistances,
immunities, and vulnerabilities of any creature you
can see with a Difficult [16] LOG check. This requires
two full actions of observation.
Improviser. In the field, you need to improvise. Using
your scientific know-how, you can create a crude object
or device from your surroundings. This requires a LOG
check, with a difficulty value equal to the purchase
value of the object, and takes 30 minutes.
Experimental Device. You may produce an experimental
device once per day which allows you to use your LOG
attribute in place of any other attribute for one attribute
check. The device breaks permanently after you use it.
Scout [1d6 years]
You became a scout—a specialized special forces soldier
able to operate alone and perform reconnaissance.
Prerequisites: stealth, tracking.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, INT +1, WIL +1
Skill Choices: stealth, perception, survival, tracking,
climbing, running
Ambusher. You gain a +1d6 bonus to access the ambush
turn.
Hustle. Your Speed increases by 2.
Hostile Terrain. You do not suffer penalties for moving
across difficult terrain.
Swimmer. You gain a Swim speed equal to your regular
Speed.
Climber. You gain a Climb speed equal to your regular
Speed.
51
 Action Careers
Sensei/Sifu [1d6 years]
You run a dojo, wu kwan, or kwoon, teaching others the
martial arts.
Prerequisites: martial arts 3 ranks.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, WIL +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: martial arts, philosophy, tactics, insight,
leadership, teaching, local knowledge
Inspiring. You inspire respect in your students. Those
within 30' of you can claim a +1d6 bonus to any attribute
roll once per day.
Teacher. You are able to “lend” somebody one rank in a
skill for up to one day. Only one person at a time can
benefit from this ability.
Protégé (requires Inspiring and Teacher). You gain a
protégé. This is a martial artist who has half your grade.
The protégé accompanies you and assists you. If your
protégé dies, you must take this exploit again in order
to replace him or her. You may only have one protégé
at a time.
Heirloom Weapon. You gain one high quality Eastern
weapon.
First Aid. Used to injuries in the dojo, you are able to heal
an adjacent ally 1d6 Health by using one action. Any
given creature can only benefit from this ability once
per day.
Smuggler [1d6 years]
You spent time as a smuggler, moving stolen or illegal goods
from one country to another.
Prerequisites: piloting or sailing.
Attributes: AGI +1, CHA +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: thievery, navigation, carousing, piloting,
sailing, bluffing, appraisal, pistols
Smuggle. You know how to hide objects, either about your
person or in a location. You gain a +2d6 bonus to at-
tempts to hide items.
Haggler. You’re a born haggler, and can reduce the cost
of any purchase by 3d6%. This does not stack with any
other exploits which reduce purchase costs.
Fence. In an urban environment, you can sell goods for
75% of normal cost rather than 50%.
Seat of Your Pants. Smugglers rely a lot on old-fashioned
luck and bravado. They can recharge their Luck pool an
extra time per day.
52
Sniper [1d6 years]
You mastered the art of lying very still for long periods of
time and shooting people a long way away. Sniping is a job
which requires great endurance, patience, and accuracy.
Prerequisites: stealth, rifles.
Skill Choices: END +1, INT +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: rifles, stealth, perception, concentration,
climbing
Vantage Point. You gain an additional 1d6 to attack with
a ranged weapon if you are at least 30' higher than
your target. This stacks with the bonus for high ground.
Steady Eye. All weapon range increments increase by 50%.
Good Position. You cannot be pinned down or suffer the
effects of a crossfire in combat.
Socialite [1d6 years]
You aim be famous for being famous, and mastered the art
of networking.
Prerequisites: [social].
Attributes: CHA +2, REP +2
Skill Choices: [social]
High Class. You are in your element when in high-class
social gatherings. In such environments, you gain a
+1d6 bonus to all attribute checks. Unfortunately, you
are less comfortable—or welcome—in lower-class
environments, and suffer a –1d6 penalty to all social
interactions in such situations.
Soldier [1d6 years]
The army prides itself on their sense of duty and their cour-
age. Your tour of duty in the army featured deployment to a
dangerous environment where you engaged enemy forces in
infantry-based ground battles.
Prerequisites: completed one year of Boot Camp career
(q.v.).
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, WIL +1, REP +1; and each time
you take this career, roll 1d6—on a roll of 6, you gain a
medal and a bonus +1 REP.
Skill Choices: carrying, [combat], hardy, survival, leader-
ship, carousing, bravery, perception
Battle Scars. You’ve received so many battle scars that
you sometimes don’t even notice minor injuries. You
gain a natural Soak bonus of 2.

Quick Naps. You’ve learned to manage with little sleep. As
long as you get 4 hours, you count as fully rested.
Get on With It. Your unit doesn’t have much patience for
whining about bumps, bruises, or scrapes. Once per day
you can pause for two actions and recover 2d6 Health.
Shake It Off. Once per day you may automatically shake
off a condition as a free action.
Platoon Leader. You grant your entire party a +1d6 Ini-
tiative bonus as long as they are within 30' of you.
Spy [1d6 years]
You’re an international spy. Your employer may be MI-6,
the CIA, the KGB, or some other intelligence organization.
You have a wide remit, dealing with both domestic and ex-
ternal threats, and you perform undercover investigations
into military and civilian issues.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: interrogation, law, [subterfuge], computers,
pistols, [social], [gaming]
False Identity. You are able to create a false identity, com-
plete with background records, in one day. This identity
is good enough that people can look you up on various
databases, and the details will match.
Golden Gun. You gain a high-quality pistol of your choice.
This pistol already has the extra damage upgrade (+1d6
damage). It is not actually golden.
Off the Grid. You know how to disappear without trace,
dropping off the grid completely. No checks or abilities
that can discern your location will find you unless you
want them to.
Safe House (requires Off the Grid). You can use a safe
house in any sizable town or city to grant your Off the
Grid ability to your entire party.
Monologue. Once per day you can make a CHA vs. Men-
tal Defense attack against an enemy. If successful,
your target explains their plan with a short monologue.
Miraculous Escape. Once per day you may automatically
succeed in one attempt to escape handcuffs or other
restraints.
“Q” Branch. You start play with one gadget of your choice
from Action Equipment.
Action Careers
Street Thug [1d6 years]
You inhabited the fringes of society and ended up as a thug
on the street, committing petty crimes for small amounts of
money.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: intimidation, running, brawling, clubs,
knives, pistols
The Filth! You have developed an uncanny ability to de-
tect cops. When attempting to sniff out a police officer
or similar authority figure, you gain a +1d6 bonus.
Street Tough. Life on the streets is tough. You gain a natu-
ral +2 Soak.
Student [1 year]
High school, or its equivalent, is a place of learning ... and
sometimes of adventure!
Prerequisites: 18 years of age or under
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: [academic], [scientific], [sporting]
Walker. Before you learned to drive you had to walk every-
where. You gain Speed +1.
Mentor. One of your teachers is a mentor to you. Choose
one skill. Your mentor has 10 ranks (4d6) in that skill
and can use it to assist you. Describe your mentor and
specify how you get in contact.
Wrong Crowd. You got in with the wrong crowd. You gain
1 rank (1d6) in carousing, intimidation, and thievery.
This does not increase a skill beyond 1 rank.
Chess Club. You joined the Chess Club, or a similar club
arranged around a purely intellectual pursuit, like de-
bate or mathematics. Gain LOG +1, and 3 ranks (2d6) in
chess (or a similar subject).
Wheels. You acquired a car at an early age. It’s not a great
car, but it’s a car. Gain a car with a value of up to $1,000.
53
 Action Careers
Stuntman [1d6 years]
You’ve rolled brand new cars, fallen from tall buildings,
jumped open drawbridges, kissed dirt, and even been on
fire in the name of entertainment.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: [physical], [vehicle], hardy
Broken Every Bone. You’ve broken what seems like most
every bone in your body at one time or another. You
gain natural Soak 5.
Fast-Healer. You need to show up on set every day if you
want to make it in the stuntman business. When you
roll for natural healing each day, add an extra 2d6.
Patched Up. Once per day you can patch yourself up, re-
covering 2d6 Health. This takes two actions.
Resilient. You have an extra 2d6 Health.
Jumping Off B uildings. You take half normal falling
damage.
Grit Your Teeth. You are immune to the Pained condition.
It’s not that you don’t feel pain, it’s that you’re used to it.
Survivalist [1d6 years]
Some choose to spend time in the wild, testing their mind
and body against nature, living off the land, and existing
with animals.
Prerequisites: any [outdoor] skill
Attributes: END +1, INT +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: geography, reactions, [crafting], fishing,
hunting, climbing, swimming, carrying, medicine, sur-
vival, cooking, animal handling, tracking, navigation
Spot Poison. A survivalist needs to know what to eat and
what not to. By sniffing and taking very tiny tastes, you
are able to detect the presence of poison.
Poison Resistance. You gain Soak (5) to poison. If you
take this exploit a second time it increases to Soak (10).
A third time, you become immune to poisons.
Animal Knowledge. You know a lot about animals. You
automatically know the vulnerabilities and abilities of
any creature of the beast creature type.
Move Without Trace. You know how not to leave tracks.
You gain +1d6 to checks related to avoiding or evading
trackers and to avoiding detection by non-visual senses
such as scent.
54
Improvised Weapon. You can craft a spear, knife, or bow
from your natural surroundings. This takes you five
minutes, and the item does not count as an improvised
weapon when you use it.
Teacher [1d6 years]
Your calling is teaching others. You are a mentor figure, a
font of learning, and a source of inspiration.
Prerequisites: any [academic], [artistic], [performance] or
[scientific skill], or linguistics.
Attributes: INT +1, LOG +1, CHA +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: teaching, insight, leadership, linguistics,
[scientific], [academic], [artistic]
Advice. You may freely donate your LUC dice to anybody
within 30'. The dice must be used immediately.
Role Model. Allies within 30' of you gain +2 Mental
Defense.
Textbook. Choose any non-physical skill (one you don't
use STR, AGI, or END with): you are carrying a textbook
about that subject on your person. While you have that
textbook, you also have that skill at the same number of
ranks as your LUC score. You may change your textbook
(and switch to a different non-physical skill) by visiting
a library, bookstore, or other source of books.
Professor. You became a professor. You gain +1 REP and
you have published a textbook. Name your textbook.
When dealing with people in your field of study, your
REP dice explode.
Trader [1d6 years]
Life as a trader can mean profit, but it can also bring ruin.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: INT +1, CHA +1, LUC +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: appraisal, [social], carousing, [crafting],
bureaucracy, accounting, law, local knowledge, bribery,
forgery
Sale of the Century. You worked hard on a great deal, and
it netted you $1,000. You may repeat this exploit, gain-
ing $1,000 each time.
Trade Routes. You know the best, most profitable trade
routes. Your fuel costs are reduced by 20%.
Haggler. You know how to get a good deal. You reduce the
cost of any purchase by 2d6%.

Vigilante [1d6 years]
Something about the world asks—no, demands—that you
rise above the law. You might battle crime, fight against a
corrupt corporation, or combat dirty politicians, but you
are often at odds with the law, using measures they can’t.
Prerequisites: none.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, INT +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: [subterfuge], [combat], intimidation
Inside Contacts. You know people—you have a reliable
ear in the underworld, a police detective neighbor
who talks too much, a wiretap on the commissioner’s
phone, or some such. You can spend 4 hours to make
a Challenging [13] INT check to learn valuable infor-
mation about a target. For every stage you exceed the
minimum check, you learn one more piece of informa-
tion; for example, an INT check result of 16 would tell
you two pieces of information, an INT check result of
21 would tell you three pieces of information, and so on.
My City. Choose a city or other area. In that area, you re-
ceive +1d6 on checks made to hide or move quietly.
Iconic Vehicle. If you possess a vehicle, it gains two en-
hancements. If you don’t yet have one, you receive a
vehicle with one enhancement.
Signature Weapon. You gain a high-quality melee weap-
on of your choice. You do +1d6 damage when using this
weapon.
Warrior-Monk (1d6 years)
You became a member of a martial monastic order, and
were trained in philosophy and martial arts. You should
also take grades in a martial arts career.
Prerequisites: religion or martial arts.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: [artistic], acrobatics, dancing, martial arts,
philosophy, religion, staves
Defensive Stance. You gain +2 to your Melee Defense as
long as you are unarmed and not wielding a shield or
wearing armor. This does not stack with Drunken Fist.
Drunken Fist. When intoxicated through alcohol, you
gain +2 to both your Melee and Ranged Defense. This
does not stack with Defensive Stance.
Elemental Fist (requires Iron Fist, Chi 2+). Your fist glows
with elemental energy. The damage type becomes heat,
and does an additional +1d6 damage.
Action Careers
Iron Fist. Your unarmed damage increases by 1d6. This
does not stack with other exploits or equipment which
increase unarmed damage, except for Elemental Fist.
Iron Skin. Your training grants you +2 natural Soak.
Martial Leap. Increase both your vertical and horizontal
Jump distances by 5'.
Martial Technique Base. You gain two of the following
universal exploits: Trip, Throw, Sidestep, Flying Kick.
You may take this exploit again to gain the remaining
two exploits.
Foot of the Mountain (requires Defensive Stance). You be-
come as immobile as a mountain. No knockdown or
knockback attempt by a creature of your size or smaller
will work against you.
Weapon Synthesis. When using any Eastern weapon, you
gain one free unarmed melee attack whenever you
make two weapon attacks.
Zen Mind. You gain +4 to your Mental Defense.
Martial Arts & Chi
Martial arts can be acrobatic displays of great skill, or
they can harness mystical powers of great force.
  Any character can learn the martial arts skill, which
gives them skill in unarmed fighting. They can also
learn exploits like Flying Kick, or other martial arts
techniques, which do not rely on supernatural powers.
  For those who want to delve more deeply into the
mystical side of martial arts, the Chi attribute comes
into play. While a flying kick or a punch requires an
AGI or STR attack as normal, Chi powers are super-
natural in nature—these powers allow characters to
run across water, levitate, heal wounds, or perform
miraculous feats.
  Chi is dealt with separately. It is perfectly possible
to build an accomplished martial artist without the
use of Chi—the martial arts skill and a selection of
unarmed combat exploits are all that’s needed. Some
careers, such as the Warrior-Monk or the Ninja help to
focus that training.
  However, if you want your character to perform
mystical feats, you will need to use the Chi rules as
well. Not all settings will use these rules; it is up to
the GM how martial arts work in the campaign.
55
 Action Careers
Martial Arts
Many careers offer training in unarmed combat by some
means or another, but the truly dedicated devote years
of their lives to perfecting a martial art, or in some cases,
several. Many others learn a smattering of skills from
several disciplines, perhaps as a specialty for covert op-
erations or to assist in assassination attempts gone wrong.
  Martial arts consist of a myriad of techniques—kicks,
punches, throws, trips, locks, and more—which can be
learned by anybody. This is different to the use of Chi,
which is a supernatural force which enables people to per-
form seemingly magical feats; Chi is dealt with elsewhere.
Learning a martial art is just like taking any other career.
You gain attributes and skills, along with an exploit, and
you can train in multiple martial arts careers if you wish.
Truly mastering a martial art takes many years.
  Careers in the general careers section above, such as
the Ninja, Sensei/Sifu, and the Warrior-Monk, refer to
occupations rather than training in a specific martial art
(though they grant martial arts ability). While these can
be used to create a martial arts-oriented character, it can
be beneficial to also select a martial arts career from this
section to complement it. Arguably the Boxer, also includ-
ed in the general careers section, is also a martial artist,
but boxing, like being a ninja, is an occupation as much as
it is a martial art.
Universal Martial Arts Exploits
The following Universal Exploits are useful to any martial
artist. When a martial arts career allows you to choose a
bonus Universal Exploit, you may choose it from this list.
Each exploit is additionally designated either “hard” or
“soft.” The career will tell you whether you may choose
hard or soft exploits.
56
Martial Arts Careers
Aikido [1d6 years]
Blending the force of your attacker with your own move-
ments, you have mastered the art of redirecting a foe’s
movement to your advantage, placing them in disad-
vantageous positions with joint locks and a chilling
understanding of functional anatomy.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, escape artist, reactions, martial
arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three soft exploits from
the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Improved Throw (requires Throw). Your throwing dis-
tance increases by 5' and deals +1d6 damage.
Reactive Lock (requires Arm Lock). You may may use the
Arm Lock exploit to make an attack as a reaction when
an attacker misses you with a melee attack.
Paralyzing Strike. Spend 2 actions to make a precise
strike that both deals damage and Restrains the target
until they shake the condition off.
Aikido Weapons. You may use your martial arts skill with
swords, knives, and staves.
Brazilian Jujutsu [1d6 years]
Taking your opponents down with expert technique and le-
verage, you take them to the ground, where you are a master
combatant.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, REP +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, meditation, martial arts
Ground Fighter. Opponents do not gain a bonus to hit you
in melee when you are prone.
• Arm Lock (soft) • Quick Stand (soft)
• Disarm (hard, soft) • Roll With It (soft)
• Flying Kick (hard) • Sidestep (soft)
• Knockback (hard) • Spinning Kick (hard)
• Knockdown (hard) • Throw (soft)
• Leaping Attack (hard) • Trip (soft)
• Piledriver (soft) • Whirlwind Frenzy (hard)
 Action Careers

Momentous Knockdown. On a successful hit, you can

choose to knock the target down as a free action by
spending one LUC die. Both you and your target become
prone.
Forced Submission (requires Arm Lock). If both you and
your target are prone, and you have successfully applied
an Arm Lock, you may make a melee attack against his
Mental Defense to force him to submit. If successful,
your target is reduced to zero Health but does not fall
unconscious.
Escape. When pinned, locked, or held by another com-
Gun Fu [1d6 years]
batant, you may use a reaction to make an immediate
You have mastered the synthesis of modern weaponry with
attempt to escape the pin.
ancient martial arts, able to maximize the power and ac-
curacy of firearms by integrating the forms of various styles
Capoeira [1d6 years]
into one terrifying dance of explosive death.
Training with a capoeira master, you’ve become more adept
Prerequisites: pistols.
at the acrobatic martial art, able to tumble, cartwheel, and
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LUC +1, Chi +1
flip around your enemies with ease.
Skill Choices: pistols, reactions, running, tactics, martial
Prerequisites: dancing, martial arts. arts, jumping
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, LUC +1, Chi +1
Rapid Reload. You may fire firearms with the single trait
Skill Choices: acrobatics, dancing, jumping, reactions,
twice per round instead of once.
martial arts
Sliding Fusillade. For two actions, you can take your full
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three hard exploits
movement in a straight line and make up to two attack
from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
actions.
Ginga. You gain +2 to your Defense attribute against me-
Firing Forms. By spending all of your actions, you can
lee attacks.
take as many attack actions as there are targets, up to
Asymmetric Advantage. If you are engaged in melee with
your INT attribute. You may only fire at a given target
two or more opponents, you gain +1d6 to attack for every
once, and each cumulative shot beyond the first takes
two opponents actively engaging you in melee combat.
a –1d6 penalty.
In other words, if you are being attacked by four foes,
Leaping Ballistics. When you perform a jump, you may
you gain +2d6 to attack.
make one gun attack for free.
Rasteira (requires Trip). If an adjacent enemy makes a
Curved Bullet. You may spend a LUC die to curve a bul-
movement action, you may take a trip attack against
let round a corner once per round, effectively negating
them as a reaction.
your target’s cover. You must still have line of sight; this
Asymmetric Adept (requires Asymmetric Advantage).
ability negates cover, but does not create new lines of
For every foe past the first actively engaging you in me-
sight.
lee combat, you gain +1 Melee Defense.
Cover Me! Any sidearm you use automatically gains the
Roda. Capoeira works better to music. When music is
auto trait, making it especially suitable for suppressive
playing publicly, you can make an additional unarmed
fire.
attack per round as a free action. You cannot attach any
Dual Pistols. You are considered to have the ambidex-
exploit to this attack.
trous trait while holding two sidearms, even if you do
Capoeira Weapons. You may use your martial arts skill
not have that trait.
with knives.
When Doves Fly. Once per day you can cause a number of
white doves to fly across the background.

57
 Action Careers
Gun Kata [1d6 years]
You have learned the unusual but beautiful art of melee
gun combat, where the gun is considered a total weapon
and katas are performed which statistically inflict the
maximum damage on the largest number of targets while
avoiding statistically likely trajectories of return fire.
Prerequisites: pistols.
Attributes: AGI +1, INT +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: pistols, martial arts, acrobatics, reactions,
dancing
Gun Punch. Once per round, while holding a sidearm,
your martial arts attack does the damage of your gun.
Multipunch (requires Gun Punch). If you are dual-
wielding pistols, all of your martial arts attacks do the
damage of your gun.
Close Down. When attacked by somebody with a gun 10'
or less away from you, you immediately move adjacent
to them and perform a martial arts attack as a reaction.
Bullet Catcher. Once per turn as a reaction you can catch
a single bullet fired at you as long as you are aware of
the attack. This does not help against weapons with the
auto trait.
Return Trajectories. Your skill in pistols can be used as
part of your Defense pool against firearms.
Statistical Pose. You are able to adopt positions statisti-
cally most unlikely to be struck by gunfire. You gain +4
Ranged Defense against firearms.
Jujutsu [1d6 years]
Trained in fighting an armed opponent with your feet and
fists, you are a fluid warrior in combat, adapting to best use
your enemy’s movements against them.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: meditation, melee weapon, stealth, martial
arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any two hard or soft ex-
ploits from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists
sidebar.
Breaking Fall. You take half damage from falls, throws,
and trips.
Fluid Resistance. Once per turn, after taking damage
from a melee attack, you automatically make a counter-
attack as a reaction.
58
Reactive Disarm (requires Disarm). Once per turn, after
a melee attack misses you, you automatically make a re-
active attack which, if successful, disarms your attacker.
Reactive Takedown (requires Trip). Once per turn, after
a melee attack misses you, you automatically make a
reactive attack which, if successful, trips your attacker.
Jujutsu Weapons. You may use your martial arts skill with
swords, spears, polearms, and staves.
Karate [1d6 years]
You learned a striking art which focuses on punches, kicks,
and knee and able strikes, as well as open hand strikes.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: meditation, martial arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three hard exploits
from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Wax On, Wax Off. You develop patience while perform-
ing rote training tasks. You gain +2 Melee Defense and
+2 Mental Defense.
Knife Hand Strike. You strike with the edge of your hand,
stunning your foe with a successful it.
Crane Stance. You adopt a stance by spending an ac-
tion. You cannot move while in this stance. If any foe
attempts to engage you melee combat, you gain a free
attack as a reaction against him. This attack takes place
before your foe’s attack. Once you have made this at-
tack, your stance ends.
Double Punch. You may use one action to make two un-
armed attacks against a single foe. You may not add
additional exploits to these two attacks.
Conditioning. Your unarmed attacks do +1d6 damage.
Karate Weapons. You may use your martial arts skill with
swords, spears, polearms, and staves.

Krav Maga [1d6 years]
Studying one of the newest and most practical martial arts
has taught you to end a fight as soon as it starts and to make
the most out of your attacks with the least effort.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: STR +1, AGI +1, END +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: perception, reactions, throwing, martial
arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three hard exploits
from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Know the Arena. In any location, you automatically note
any escape routes from the vicinity that aren’t hidden.
You are easily able to improvise weapons using your
surroundings—discarded bottles, rocks, and so on—
such that you always count as carrying a knife or club.
Brutal Counter. After an enemy makes a successful melee
attack on you, you gain +1d6 damage in melee against
that foe. If any other enemy strikes you, your bonus
damage switches to that target.
Weak Points. You are adept at targeting weak or vul-
nerable points in your foes, and can ignore Soak by
spending one LUC die.
Impromptu Weapon. No matter the size of an impromptu
weapon (so long as it is Tiny or larger), you can deal
slashing, blunt, piercing, or blunt damage with it by
making a thrown ranged attack. This does not count as
an improvised weapon.
Kung Fu [1d6 years]
Through intense and dedicated training, you’ve begun to
unlock the secrets of the ancient martial arts of China. You
can sense and feel the essence of your being and are able to
manipulate not only that life energy, but also your body, to
its maximum effect. With these skills at your disposal, you
are a fearsome opponent in combat and able to perform
feats of finesse and strength that dazzle your peers.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, meditation, perception, reac-
tions, staves, martial arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any two hard or soft ex-
ploits from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists
sidebar.
Action Careers
One-Inch Punch. When pinned or grappled, you may
make an unarmed attack against your foe as a free ac-
tion and add +1d6 damage to it.
Double Strike. With one action you may strike two op-
ponents with a melee attack each. You cannot add
additional exploits to these attacks.
Sticking Hands. You remain in constant contact with your
foe’s arms and hands, allowing you to easily deflect at-
tacks and counter. You gain +2 Melee Defense against
one adjacent opponent, and may counterstrike with a
basic (no additional exploits) unarmed attack against
that foe as a reaction to any missed attack.
Active Resistance. Once per day, spend an action to pre-
pare and gain Soak to one type of damage equal to your
Chi for one minute. This resistance stacks with any oth-
ers you or your equipment possess.
Kung Fu Weapons. You may use your martial arts skill
with any Eastern melee weapon.
Muay Thai [1d6 years]
Dedicated conditioning is a part of your daily routine, and
you cannot count the number of times you’ve struck out
against a tree trunk with your leg, but it doesn’t matter:
your body truly is a living weapon. You have mastered the
art of Thai boxing.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, climbing, jumping, reactions,
martial arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three hard exploits
from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Mae Maei. You gain +2 natural Soak.
Thip. You make a devastating kick; on a successful hit, in-
stead of dealing damage the target is dazed until they
shake the condition off.
Chok-Te. Gain a cumulative +1d6 to attack every time you
make an unarmed attack which misses. Once an attack
hits, your bonus resets to zero.
Ti Khao and Sok. You leap quickly (up to your jump dis-
tance) and drive the momentum of your jump into a
knee or elbow strike that ignores a target’s Soak; you
take an amount of damage equal to half of what you de-
liver to the target.
59
 Action Careers

Northern Shaolin [1d6 years]

Focusing on the use of your legs and staying quick on your
feet, you practice styles like Baguazhang, Eagle Claw,
Northern Praying Mantis, or Chángquán.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: AGI +1, END +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: hardy, melee weapon, nature, running,
martial arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three soft exploits from
the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Fast Feet. You gain a +2 Speed bonus.
Shifting Forms. You gain a +2 Melee Defense bonus.
Rolling Defense (requires Roll With It). When you use the
Roll With It combat exploit, you finish the maneuver
standing.
Chi Healing. Once per day you may roll your Chi dice pool
and recover that much Health. This takes one minute.
Pankration [1d6 years]
The truest expression of a person’s fighting ability, some
people would say, is the ancient art of wrestling—you count
yourself among those people. After hundreds of matches,
you know exactly the best way to grapple and pin an op-
ponent in any situation.
Prerequisites: martial arts or boxing.
Attributes: STR +1, END +1, WIL +1, LUC +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, climbing, reactions, running,
boxing
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three soft exploits from
the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Olympic Stance. Spend 1 action to enter an Olympic
stance. While in an Olympic stance your movement is
halved, but you gain +4 Melee Defense.
Straight Kick. You make a devastating kick; on a success-
ful hit, instead of dealing damage the target is sickened
until they shake the condition off.
Great Bear (requires Bear Hug). If you choose not to
move in a round when applying a bear hug, you do
double damage to your target.
Savate [1d6 years]
Training with a champion of the sport or learning the hard
way on the meaner streets in Marseille or Paris, you’ve stud-
ied the martial art of France and can put it to great use.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: AGI+1, END +1, LUC +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: acrobatics, climbing, jumping, running,
martial arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three hard exploits
from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Assault Savate. Increase your jump distance by 50%. With
a successful attack you may feint an opponent, just
barely touching them and steal or place one small item,
like a playing card or wallet, on their person without
their notice.
Pre-Combat Savate. Any turn that you jump, add +2d6
damage to any attack you make as you land. You must
jump more than 5' to gain this bonus.
Combat Savate. When you take damage from a melee at-
tack, you may take the blow’s momentum and use it to
your advantage, gaining an attack bonus equal to the
damage caused to the next melee attack you make.
Long Kick. Once per turn you may kick a target 10' from
you with a lunge.
Heavy Shoe. A heavy shin kick Slows your foe until
they shake the condition off.

60
 Action Careers

Southern Shaolin [1d6 years]

Your body is a weapon, and your hands are deadly indeed.
Using styles like Fujian White Crane, Wing Chun, Southern
Praying Mantis, Bak Mei and Dragon, you are a master of
Nanquan—the Southern Fist.
Prerequisites: martial arts.
Attributes: ATR +1, END +1, WIL +1, Chi +1
Skill Choices: climbing, hardy, melee weapon, nature,
martial arts
Curriculum Exploits. Choose any three hard exploits
from the Universal Exploits for Martial Artists sidebar.
Empty Hand. Whenever you successfully perform a Dis-
arm combat exploit, instead of the target dropping its
weapon, you take it in hand and may make one free at-
tack with it on the target.
God Fist (requires Knockback). When you use the Knock-
back combat exploit, you double the distance a target
is moved. The target becomes stunned until they shake
the condition off.
Flowing Attacker. For each 5' you travel during a turn,
you may make one attack. For every attack after the first,
you take a cumulative –1d6 to the attack roll. Once you
miss, your attack streak ends. This uses all of your ac-
tions for the turn.

Once per Turn

A character may use any given exploit once per turn, but
is free to combine multiple exploits into a single maneu-
ver. For example, an soldier might choose to disregard
cover, stand out in the open (Reckless Attack) and take
careful aim (Aim) in order to disarm an opponent (Disarm).
He gets +3d6 to his attack rolls from the reckless-
ness and careful aim, and –3d6 for the disarm attempt.
However, his opponents get a +2d6 bonus to attack him
for the next round. Another common combination is a
Charge and a Knockdown.
  Once a character has used an exploit (or a multiple
exploit combination), including a reactive exploit, he can-
not use that exploit (or any of the exploits used in the
combination) until his next turn begins.

Paying for Effects

The concept of buying effects with your attack dice is
fundamental to the combat system of What’s O.L.D. Is
N.E.W. Without “buying” extra damage dice or desired
effects, a successful attack will tend to do very little
damage. High damage, therefore, is achieved by a large
attack dice pool being partially spent on damage and
effects.
  For example, an elite ninja might have enormous agil-
ity and lots of training, and as such have a big attack dice
pool of 8d6 with her martial arts. Normally, she only does
1d6 damage. However, she can spend some of her pool,
exchanging some of those 8d6 for extra damage or an ef-
fect such as knockdown. The ninja has exchanged some
of her accuracy for higher damage.

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 Action Careers
A Fistful of Chi
Chi is a supernatural, mystical power represented by your
Chi attribute. It is an optional system for imbuing martial
artists with pseudo-magical abilities.
  Shaolin monks and bushido samurai are masters of chi
(though the latter might call it ki), but they are certainly
not the only users of this mystical energy and not all char-
acters will completely understand what it is. Despite this
ignorance, the Chi stat can be central to how action stars
perform stunts, extreme survivalists push to the next pla-
teau, soldiers carry on with multiple bullet wounds, and
other characters perform their equally heroic feats.
  Chi doesn’t give you the ability to perform a round-
house kick or an armlock—those combat maneuvers
can be learned by anybody simply by taking the relevant
exploits. Chi allows you to do seemingly magical things:
walk on water, levitate, withstand extreme punishment,
heal wounds, and so on.
  Be it heart, ki, aligned chakras, a reservoir of rage, the
eye of the tiger, or simply holding one’s focus in times of
stress, Chi often plays a critical role in the action genre.
CHI Attribute
You may use your Chi attribute in place of another at-
tribute whenever you are using your martial arts skill to
make an attribute check. This will usually be an attack
roll. Note that some martial arts also allow you to use your
martial arts skill with certain weapons.
Chi Points
Characters have a number of Chi points equal to their CHI
dice pool (so a character with a 3d6 Chi dice pool has 3
Chi points). Adopting stances depletes this store.
  Once per day, characters can meditate (or imbibe alco-
hol, or rock out to their favorite tunes, or some other task
that puts them in the right frame of mind) for five minutes
to regain all their Chi points.
Stances
Using Chi involves taking a stance. Stances represent dif-
ferent manifestations of your character’s inner power—for
example, the mountain stance (H̄in) allows a martial artist
to perform incredible feats of strength, while the light-
ning stance (Phanyu) is associated with preternaturally
62
fast movement. A stance might not always be a physical
posture; sometimes it may a mental attitude.
Mechanically, a stance is an exploit. Each stance grants
you a number of benefits. Adopting a stance is a free ac-
tion, costs 1 Chi point, and lasts until the start of your next
turn. You may only adopt one stance at a time.
In total, you may learn a number of stances equal to
your CHI dice pool; in other words, if your CHI attribute
is 10 (4d6) you may learn up to four stances.
H̄in (Mountain) Stance

The strength of your Chi manifests in an incredible sense
of balance and resilience for physical stress. You are as
indomitable as a mountain, able to bear incredible weight,
make parts of your body invulnerable, and strike with so
great a focus and force that nearly any object will shatter
under your blows. Your opponents learn that you are well-
suited to suffer a flurry of strikes, and to fear the power of
your own.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your STR
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• You become immobile. No attack roll from a crea-
ture your size, one size larger, or smaller than you,
can move you.
•• You cannot move from your location, although you
may act normally in that location.
Daichin (Warrior) Stance
Your soul is that of the warrior, destined to compete, to
fight, and to win. When your Chi surges forth it can be
incredibly deadly, able to reach preternatural heights
of physical awareness that turns you into a legendary
combatant. Your opponents quickly become wary of the
precision of your blows, your amazing reflexes, and how
closely you can bring both body and mind into perfect
attunement.
•• You can bring your mind and body into perfect
alignment. Increase all three of your Defenses to
the highest of these three values.
•• You gain +1d6 to all damage rolls.
•• You cannot heal or be healed.

Wéifēng (Wind) Stance
When using your Chi you become lighter, faster, and fleet-
er than any normal human could ever be, able to move
with the silence of a subtle gust of wind, run across water
and tree branches, dash with incredible speed, and dodge
so quickly as to become a blur. Your opponents are im-
pressed by your reflexes and rattled by how talented you
are at dodging their attacks.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your AGI
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• You double your Speed.
•• You can walk across the surface of any liquid.
•• You can ignore a number of attacks equal to your
Chi dice pool until the beginning of your next turn
as long as you take your full movement during your
turn. You must choose to ignore an attack before the
attack roll is made.
Phanyu (Lightning) Stance
Your fists and feet are like lightning, and when using Chi
you strike your enemies in the blink of an eye with explo-
sive force. Dodging attacks is second nature to you, and
your response of battering blows is nearly invisible to the
naked eye. Your opponents are brought down quickly by
your aggressive flurries, if they even see them coming.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your AGI
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• You gain an additional action which can be used to
make a melee attack.
•• You charge your body and wait to dodge an attack
until the very last possible moment, moving so fast
that you seem not to move at all. You negate the next
attack against you that you are aware of.
•• You turn into a veritable whirlwind of deadly fists
and feet. You can spend all your actions to make one
melee attack against every adjacent opponent.
Action Careers
Toka (Stone) Stance
You are as enduring as rock and tough to the core, and
your Chi manifests by protecting you from harm. Your
skin and limbs can harden like stone, and eventually you
learn to stand against any force, no matter how great. Your
opponents are dumbfounded by your resilience and de-
feated by your unwillingness to falter against their attacks.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your
END attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• You make your body remarkably resilient to attack.
You gain Soak equal to your CHI attribute.
•• You become immune to critical hits.
•• You become immune to one energy type, chosen
when you enter the stance. Choose from fire/heat,
cold, sonic, or electricity.
Sūrya (Sun) Stance
The essence of your Chi is as pure as sunlight and you
can manifest it to be just as nourishing. You are able to
heal wounds, alleviate the pains others, and even bring
the recently deceased back to life. Enemies are frustrated
by your presence on the battlefield and confounded when
your allies are restored by your abilities.
•• You glow with inner light; the area 30' around you is
as bright as daylight.
•• You can heal another creature by touch, restoring
Health equal to your CHI attribute with one action.
•• You can use all your actions to spread a warmth
of energy that mends wounds and heals injuries.
You restore Health equal to your CHI to all allies
within 30'.
•• All allies within the light of your glow (30') gain +4
Mental Defense.
•• You gain +1d6 Health at the end of your turn.
63
 Action Careers
Umfula (River) Stance
Your Chi makes you intimately familiar to the energies
that flow through all living creatures, and your incredible
awareness allows you to bend them to your whim. You are
able to sense the Chi of another, align the minds of your
allies, and express supreme concentration in the face of
attacks that would leave the mind of any other person
completely destroyed. Your opponents are disturbed by
your cerebral fortitude and undone by their own mental
assaults.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your AGI
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• You focus your Chi against your attacker, swirling
the power they wield against you and gracefully
turning it back. When a melee attack misses you,
the attacker causes its melee damage to itself.
•• If you are knocked prone, you automatically stand
again for free.
•• You are immune to mental attacks
•• You can spend one action to step through the space
in between. You briefly cross the backdoors of exis-
tence, teleporting up to 30' to a location you can see.
Yuèliàng (Moon) Stance
You can physically manifest your Chi with surpris-
ing ease, using it to perform feats that defy belief. You
are able to wield it as a weapon that harms the souls of
other creatures, or gather it for deadly attacks that can
level buildings. Your opponents are bewildered and taken
aback by your supernatural powers.
•• You double your Jump distances.
•• You can wrap your fists in mystical energy to punch
your target’s very soul. When you make a melee
attack, you target your foe’s Mental
Defense instead.
•• You can make melee attacks against
targets up to 30' away.
•• You can levitate to a
height in feet up to your
CHI
attri-
bute.
64
Ma-eum (Mind) Stance
Your understanding of Chi has revealed the void behind
all things, and you have attained some mastery over this
oblivion. You are able to hamper the Chi of others, take it
away from them, or even negate the use of mystical power
nearby. Your opponents are left powerless before you, de-
feated in the wake of your control over the nothing that is
everything.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your INT
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• When you successfully attack an enemy, you drain 1
Chi point from them.
•• Chi stances within 30' of you cost double the normal
number of Chi points.
•• You are able to sense the presence of Chi within 100',
and the number of Chi points that person has.
Gèxìng (Heart) Stance
Your control over Chi opens windows to the souls of
those you look upon. By utilizing your abilities, you can
manipulate the emotions of others, completely conceal
your own, and empower others to reach further and fight
harder. Your opponents are simultaneously filled with
both wonder and great malice when in your presence.
•• You may use your CHI attribute in place of your CHA
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
•• Your deceptions have so much conviction that to all
others it is an unquestionable truth. You tell perfect
lies. These can be as outlandish as you like and
creatures are allowed to disbelieve it, but no power,
technology, magic, or check can reveal that you are
not speaking the truth.
•• You may make a mental attack against a creature
within 30'. If successful, it becomes your thrall,
gaining the dominated condition. It can shake this
condition off as normal.
•• You automatically sense lies and deceptions. You do
not necessarily learn the truth, but you are aware of
untruths.
•• You may freely donate your LUC dice to allies within
30' on their turn. They must use the donated dice
immediately.
 Action Careers

Universal Exploits start of each of his turns. You may move at half SPEED,
Universal exploits are distinct exploits a character has taking your victim with you.
learned; any character can learn a universal exploit as
Blinding Attack (requires AGI 6+). You throw sand into your
long as he qualifies for it. A universal exploit costs XP
opponent’s eyes, cover him in a cloak, pull his helm down, or
equal to half the cost of a new grade to purchase; it is the
gash his forehead; on a successful hit your target gains
only type of exploit that can be purchased directly with
the Blind condition.
XP. Characters begin play with one free universal exploit
Blindfighter. Skilled at using senses other than sight for
of their choice plus either Aim or Feint.
combat, you may ignore darkness and the Blind
 Prerequisites: Most exploits have pre-requisites in
condition for melee combat.
terms of attribute scores or previous exploits. In order to
Blind Shot (requires LUC 5+). While in full cover, you
purchase a universal exploit, a character must meet those
may pay 2d6 to take a shot without looking at what you
pre-requisites.
are shooting at or exposing yourself. You use your Luck
Achilles Heel (requires LOG 5+, Aim, any [academic]
attribute instead of your AGI or INT for this shot.
skill). Identifying a weakness in your target, you pay
Brush Off (requires STR 8+). You contemptuously brush
2d6 and bypass its Soak score. This exploit can only be
aside some melee attacks. Once per turn you may
performed once per target.
remove one die of damage from a successful melee at-
Aim. This is identical to the Feint exploit, but for ranged
tack against you, as long as the attacker is your size or
combat; it grants +1d6 bonus to an attack roll taken in
smaller.
the same turn. The attack action must come immedi-
Burst of Speed (requires piloting skill). Your mount, ship,
ately after the feinting action. All characters get either
or vehicle gains a speed boost of 2 hexes or squares for
the Aim or Feint exploit for free.
the turn.
Always Prepared (requires LOG 8+). You have a bril-
Charge. When making a melee attack, move up to your
liant tactical mind, and are always prepared. You may
speed in a straight line and then attack at the end of it
declare a single action which you took prior to the
and pay 2d6. You gain +1d6 damage to your attack. You
encounter (even if you didn’t know the encounter was
must move at least 10'.
going to take place) which helps you in this exact sce-
Cleave (requires STR 8+). When using STR as your attack
nario. This must be an action you were capable of.
attribute, you follow through in one mighty swing, and
Analytics (requires LOG 6+). Studying your target’s be-
make an additional attack at –1d6 against an adjacent
haviour, you notice a pattern to its actions. You grant all
foe if the first one hits.
allies within 30' a +1d6 bonus to attack the target until
the start of your next turn. This costs one action. Crippling Strike (requires AGI 5+; Deadly Strike). You
expertly target your opponent’s legs, causing a
Arm Lock (requires AGI 8+, martial arts skill). When
wound which inflicts the Slowed condition.
you successfully grab a foe, you place your target in a
Dart In (requires Charge). You move your Speed, make
painful armlock. The target gains the Restrained
a melee attack at –1d6, and then move your Speed back
condition, drops any items in that hand, and cannot
again to your starting position. You cannot combine
use that arm until he escapes. You may move at half
this exploit with other exploits, not can you dart in
SPEED, taking your victim with you. If you apply this
while on difficult terrain.
twice, the attacker gains the severe Restrained
condition. Deadly Critical. Critical hits on one specific designated
weapon occur on a roll of double sixes, not triple sixes.
Bear Hug (requires STR 8+). When you successfully
You must designate the weapon when you take this
grab a foe, you grab your target with both arms,
exploit. You may take it multiple times for multiple
squeezing him. You can only bearhug a target of your
weapons; if you lose the weapon, the exploit does not
size category or smaller. The target gains the
transfer over to a new weapon of the same type.
Restrained condition, and takes 1d6 damage at the

65
 Action Careers
Deadly Strike (requires AGI or STR 5+). You inflict an ad-
ditional 1d6 damage with a successful hit. For a ranged
attack, this is likely a head shot. This can only gain you
one bonus damage die.
Death from on High (requires Charge). You pay 2d6 and
drop down on your opponent from at least 5' above him.
This counts as a charge but knocks your opponent prone
and does 2d6 extra damage instead of 1d6.
Die Hard (requires WIL 8+). While at negative Health
you are still conscious, and can take one action per
round. You still form the death countdown pool as
normal. If you take any further damage, you fall uncon-
scious as normal.
Disarm (requires AGI 6). Pay 3d6; the target drops its
weapon or other hand-held item.
Dive for Cover (requires AGI 7+). If a ranged attack misses
you, you may immediately move half your speed and ei-
ther throw yourself prone or get behind cover if it is in
range. This is a free action.
Dodge (requires AGI 6+). Once per turn you may, as a re-
action, remove 2d6 from an attack against you as long as
you are not in cover. You must declare this before the
attack is rolled, and you must be aware of the attack.
Double Tap (requires AGI 7+; Aim). Once per turn you
may fire two quick shots at your target at the cost of just
one action, paying 2d6.
Dual Defense (requires AGI 8+). When dual-wielding, you
can use both weapons defensively; you count as wield-
ing a large shield until your next turn, but you cannot
attack until your next turn.
Draw a Bead (requires INT 5+). The penalty for firing at a
target engaged in melee is reduced from 2d6 to 1d6.
Far Shot. You increase range increments by 50%.
Feint. This is identical to the Aim exploit, but for melee
combat; it grants +1d6 bonus to an attack roll taken in
the same turn. The attack action must come immedi-
ately after the feinting action. All characters get either
the Aim or Feint exploit for free.
Fleet. You are faster than you look. You gain +2 Speed be-
yond that granted by your STR and AGI attributes. This
does not stack with other Speed bonuses.
Flying Kick (requires AGI 8+; martial arts skill). You
move up to your speed and launch a flying kick, dealing
your martial arts damage with a bonus 1d6 damage.
66
Fortitude. You gain a permanent +2 Melee Defense, able
to shrug off many attacks
Improviser. You are adept at using bar stools and other
items as weapons. You suffer no attack penalties for im-
provised melee weapons.
Iron Will. You gain a permanent +2 to Mental Defense,
able to shrug off many mental attacks.
Jury-Rig (requires LOG 6+; engineering skill). You
modify a weapon (yours or an adjacent ally’s) to either
increase its range by 50% or its damage by +1d6 until the
start of your next turn.
Knockback (requires Knockdown). When you use a
Called Shot to move a target, you do not have to pay
the 2d6; however, for each 1d6 you choose to pay, the
target is pushed one extra square.
Knockdown (requires STR 5+). When you use a
Called Shot to knock a target prone, you do not
have to pay the 2d6; additionally, the target gains
the Downed condition.
Leadership (requires CHA 8+). You are able to donate
one or more of your LUC dice to another character
as a free reaction to their attempting an attribute
check. You must declare this before they roll.
Leaping Attack (requires AGI 8+, Charge). You leap into
the air as you make a melee attack. You gain +1d6 dam-
age, but if you miss your opponent gets a free attack.
Lightning Reflexes. You gain a permanent +2 to Ranged
Defense, able to dodge many ranged attacks.
Lucky Escape (requires LUC 6+). You may avoid all dam-
age from one attack as a free reaction. You can only do
this once per day.
Lunge. You increase your reach by 5' for one attack at a
cost of –1d6.
Mighty Sunder (requires Sunder). Half the damage from
your sunder also applies to the target weapon’s wielder.
Opportunist Stomp. You can stomp on an adjacent prone
opponent as a free action. This is an unarmed attack
and uses your natural damage value.
Opportunity Strike. You can make an attack as a free ac-
tion attack against a foe who disengages from melee
combat with you.
Pep Talk (requires CHA 6+). You can spend your ambush
turn (if you have access to it) giving your allies a pep
talk, who gain a +1d6 bonus to Initiative next round.

Pile Driver (requires STR 8+, wrestling skill). You grab
your opponent, lift him, and then drop to the ground,
driving his head into the ground. Both you and your
opponent end up prone. The exploit costs 2d6 and, if
successful, the target takes double damage and gains the
Dazed condition.
Point-Blank Shot. You get +1d6 to hit ranged targets
within 10'. This does not stack with the +1d6 from using
a sidearm against an adjacent foe.
Predictive Reflexes (requires INT 6+). You are good at
reading the situation. You gain a permanent +1d6 bo-
nus to your Initiative checks.
Protector (requires END 5+). You can intercept an attack
meant for an adjacent ally. If the attack hits your ally,
you take the damage instead. If you have a shield, the
ally also benefits from your shield’s defense bonus.
Quick Draw (requires AGI 6+). If you are disarmed, you
may immediately draw another weapon as an immediate
reaction as long as you have one available.
Quick Stand (requires AGI 6+, martial arts skill). Once
per turn you can stand immediately from prone as a
free action or reaction and you are immune to the
Downed condition.
Quick Step. You can move 5' as a free action.
Reckless Act. You gain +1d6 to ranged attacks as long
as you are not concealed, in cover, or using a shield.
If you use Dodge, or any other exploit which
protects you, you lose this bonus for one minute.
Ricochet (requires INT 8+; Aim). You can pay 4d6 to
“bounce” a ranged attack off of one surface in order to
hit a target to whom you would not normally have line
of sight. This does not negate the target’s cover bonuses;
it merely creates a line of sight to a target where there
previously was none.
Roll With It (requires AGI 5+). By voluntarily falling prone,
you reduce damage by 2d6. You cannot use any instant-
stand exploits in combination with this exploit.
Scattershot. When using a shotgun, you can attack two
adjacent targets within 15' of you with a single attack
action.
Sidestep (requires AGI 8+). When an attacker charges
you, you casually step aside, causing him to rush right
on past you. If the attacker’s attack misses, he continues
onwards in a straight line to the extent of his movement,
Action Careers
unless something blocks his way. If he collides with a
solid object, he takes 1d6 blunt damage.
Spinning Kick (requires AGI 8+, martial arts skill). A
quick turn, and your foot lashes out to strike an oppo-
nent behind you. This attack is a free action. You do
your normal unarmed damage.
Spray. When using a weapon designated auto you may
spend all your actions to spray a 30' cone, making one
attack against every target not in cover within the cone.
Make one attack roll and apply it to the Ranged De-
fense of all within that area.
Stop Right There! Enemies which try to move past you
(move within your reach) are subject to a free action at-
tack, which stops their movement if successful.
Strafe. When using a weapon designated “auto” you may,
as a single action, spray an area 15' × 15' with fire. Ev-
eryone in that area takes 1d6 damage of the appropriate
type. This is the only attack you can make with this
weapon this turn.
Sunder. You target your opponent’s weapon or shield
with the intention of breaking it. The weapon has same
Melee Defense as its wielder; you take –2d6 to strike a
weapon and no penalty to strike a shield.
Taunt (requires CHA 8+). You taunt your target, enraging
it, and make a CHA vs. Mental Defense attack. If suc-
cessful, the target focuses all its attacks on you until the
start of your next turn.
Throw (requires STR or AGI 7+; Trip or Knockdown).
When you use a Called Shot to knock a target prone, you
also move the target two squares and do your unarmed
damage.
Throw Anything. You suffer no attack penalty for im-
provised ranged weapons (including throwing melee
weapons, which count as improvised when used in this
way).
Trip (requires AGI 6+). When you use a Called Shot
to knock a target prone, you do not have to pay the
2d6; additionally, the target gains the Downed
condition. You still do your normal attack damage.
Additionally, if you are a smaller size category than
your target, you gain +1d6 to your attack.
67
 Action Careers

Age
Your age is determined by the total of your character’s
years in each career. Age falls into three broad bands—
young, adult, and old.
  If you are young or old, choose any synonym for that
word and insert it into your descriptor. It’s up to you what
adjective you choose. If you are adult, you do not need to
add it to your descriptor.
  Adding years. Players may always add extra years to
their age at character creation or during downtime with
no corresponding advancement. This allows players to
play older characters without unduly high attributes.
NPCs may similarly have years added. In Cinematic Mode,
adult characters gain an additional LUC die, and old char-
acters gain a further LUC die, representing experience.

Young Characters
Characters under 26 years of age are young.
  Young characters are characterized by curiosity and
brashness. You gain the following exploit. You lose the ex-
ploit when you are no longer categorized as young.
  Example synonyms: young, youthful, adolescent, child-
ish, teenaged, juvenile.
Young. Once per day, when rolling a dice pool, you may
declare it to be an exploding dice pool. Any 6s that you
roll may be rolled again, the new roll adding to the ex-
isting 6. If you roll a 6 again, repeat, until you roll less
than a 6.

Old Characters
Characters over 59 years of age are old.
  Old characters are characterized by experience. Old
characters can no longer improve physical attributes (STR,
AGI, END) through career advances or experience expen-
diture, although they may do so via other means (magic,
cybernetics, etc.) The bonus gained from your hook in-
creases to +2d6, and you gain the following exploit.
  Example synonyms: old, elderly, mature, venerable,
aged, aging, hoary.
Old. Once per day, when rolling a dice pool, you may de-
clare it a careful dice pool. You may reroll any 1s you roll,
with the new roll replacing the 1. If you roll a 1 a second
time, however, you must keep the 1.

68

Trait
A character’s trait is a dominant characteristic based on
his attributes. It provides an ability or quality related to
either his highest or lowest attribute. Traits include things
like rugged, massive, alcoholic, inspiring, and so on. If
someone were to describe your character, this is the first
word they’d use—“Ben? You mean that suave spy?”
  Choose either your highest or lowest attribute (both
will give you an advantage; choosing the lowest doesn’t
give you a disadvantage—for example, a low WIL allows
you to choose “alcoholic,” which gives you a bonus Soak
score when intoxicated). Choose a corresponding trait (or
roll for it if you prefer a little randomness).
  Your trait forms part of your descriptor and should be
noted on your character sheet. For example:
Duke Roosevelt is an aging rugged Human bounty
hunter who loves 50s music
Alcoholic. You are usually drunk. While this can impair
your judgment, it also enables you to shrug off injury.
You gain +2 Soak.
Alert. Constantly aware of your surroundings, you gain
+1d6 to INT perception checks, and you always win
INITIATIVE ties.
Ambidextrous. You do not suffer the usual –2d6 penalty
to attacks made while dual-wielding a double weapon
or a secondary offhand weapon.
Asthmatic/Anemic. Your poor health often prevents you
from undertaking extended physical exertion. However,
you have developed coping strategies which enable you
to recover quickly. Once per day you may gather your
strength and determinedly recover 1d6 Health.
Characteristic Traits
Attribute Highest Attribute
STR [1–2] Massive, [3–4] athletic, [5–6] brawny
AGI [1–2] Nimble, [3–4] deadeye, [5–6] ambidextrous
END [1–3] Rugged, [4–6] tough-as-nails
INT [1–3] Empathic, [4–6] alert
LOG [1–3] Brilliant, [4–6] erudite
WIL [1–3] Stoic, [4–6] unflappable
CHA [1–2] Commanding, [3] inspiring, [4] suave, [5–6] persuasive
REP [1–2] Egotistical, [3–4] well known, [5–6] flamboyant
Action Careers
Athletic. Brawny and strong, you are able to plough
through difficult terrain. Difficult terrain does not re-
duce your speed.
Brawny. You gain a +40 lb. carrying capacity.
Brilliant. You mind is honed, sharp, and analytical. Once
per day you may replace any other attribute check with
an LOG check.
Clumsy. You often stumble or drop items. You are so used
to falling that you take less damage than most from a
fall. Reduce the height fallen by 10' when calculating
falling damage.
Commanding. You have presence, and people listen to
you. By spending two actions (a full turn) you can give
an ally within earshot a single free action.
Coughing. Your constant coughing elicits sympathy from
onlookers who are hesitant to attack an obviously ill
person. You gain a +4 Defense bonus against anyone
you have not yet attacked.
Deadeye. Once per day you automatically hit with a
ranged shot within two range increments as long as
you do not exchange any attack dice for damage dice or
combine it with another exploit.
Disfigured. Your appearance is memorable. However, it
serves to instill fear when you need it to. You gain an
additional 1d6 bonus to intimidation attempts.
Distracted. Your attention is always somewhere else and
can be a cause of frustration for others. However, the
right non sequitur can sometimes prove useful: once
per day, as an ally is making an attribute check, you can
make a completely random comment which jogs their
memory and grants them a +2d6 bonus to the check.
Egotistical. You have a very high opinion of yourself,
which manifests itself as extreme confidence and
Lowest Attribute
[1–3] Feeble, [4–6] tottering
[1–3] Clumsy, [4–6] lame
[1–3] Coughing, [4–6] asthmatic/anemic
[1–3] Naive, [4–6] distracted
[1–3] Illiterate, [4–6] forgetful
[1–2] Alcoholic, [3–4] reckless, [5–6] spendthrift
[1–2] Unwashed, [3–4] disfigured, [5–6] obnoxious
N/A
69
 Action Careers
surety. You gain a +4 Mental Defense bonus. Unfor-
tunately, you sometimes ask “don’t you know who I am?”
Empathic. You easily understand how others feel. Once
per day you can attempt to adjust another’s mood with
a CHA vs. Mental Defense check. If you succeed, you
can make them either bad-tempered or happy. You
must be able to converse with your target to do this.
Erudite. You remember a vast catalog of knowledge. At
any time you may make a LOG check in place of any
CHA check to interact with them by recalling trivia of
interest to your target, though only once per target.
Feeble. You are physically weak and frail, which taught
you the value of brains over brawn. Once per day you
may use a LOG check in place of a STR check and ac-
complish your goal through cunning and ingenuity.
Forgetful. You constantly forget and misplace things; of-
ten they are still about your person. Once per day you
may produce an item you didn’t know you were
carry-ing. The item can be any type of item, and can be
worth up to the result of your LUC check.
Illiterate. You cannot read. Instead, you have learned to
memorize common words which you need to recognize
often. You have a fantastic memory and can automatically
recall information you have been exposed to.
70
Inspiring. You are able to instill positive emotions in peo-
ple with your words, using an action to give them a +1d6
bonus to their next attribute check if they are within 30'
of you.
Lame. You have a limp, and move slowly, possibly with a
cane. This causes people to underestimate you, grant-
ing you a +1d6 bonus to Initiative checks.
Massive. You are enormous and solid. You are immune to
knockdown and knockback effects by anything of your
size category or smaller.
Naive. Naivete can be an endearing trait in some; it can
also act as an insulation. Once per day you may com-
pletely ignore a fear-based effect or condition.
Nimble. You gain a Climb speed equal to your regular
Speed.
Obnoxious. Your personality really repels people. You are
an expert at insults, and can use an action to make a
LOG vs. WIL check to enrage and distract others,
caus-ing them to gain the Angry condition.
Persuasive. You are adept at negotiating with others.
When you purchase anything under $1,000 in value,
you are able to reduce the final price you pay for the
item by 3d6 percent.

Reckless. Your poor judgment often lands you in trouble,
but it leads to a certain confidence. If you completely ig-
nore cover, you gain a +1d6 attack bonus as long as you
are not using a shield.
Rugged. You are tough and shrug off hardships. Once per
day you can spend two actions (a full turn) to recover to
half your normal maximum Health.
Spendthrift. You lack self-discipline and spend your
money on trivialities. This can have its advantages,
however; once per day you can pull an item from your
pocket that you forgot you’d bought, retroactively
spending the value of your LUC check in dollars
Stoic. You are able to hide pain and discomfort. Once
per day, when you would normally be reduced to zero
Health, you are reduced to 1 Health instead.
Tottering. You find it a struggle to stand and require the
use of a wheelchair which gives you a +1 Speed bonus
on normal terrain.
Tough as Nails. You gain a +2 natural Soak bonus which
stacks with any other Soak scores you may have.
Unflappable. You are not easily distracted or surprised.
The Feint exploit does not work on you.
Unwashed. Your unkempt appearance causes others to
overlook you. You can hide in plain sight using INT in
place of AGI.
Well Known. You are famous; people recognize you, for
good or ill. You have learned to use this reputation.
Once per day you may substitute your REP attribute for
another attribute in order to make an attribute check.
Cinematic Mode
Combat in WOIN is a quite deadly affair, especially if
you are accustomed to heroic fantasy games. Even
an advanced character can be downed by just one or
two shots.
  For a more heroic feel, the GM can opt to use Cin-
ematic Mode. In Cinematic Mode, characters and
creatures also roll a LUC dice pool when calculating
their total Health. Lucky characters can be very resil-
ient, though not necessarily deliberately so!
  In Cinematic Mode, adult characters also gain an
additional LUC die, and old characters gain a further
LUC die, representing experience.
Action Careers
Derived Statistics
Derived statistics are values which are calculated based
on existing statistics. You’ll need to calculate each of the
derived statistics in the section below, and record them
on your character sheet. All derived statistics increase
or decrease if their underlying statistics change through
character advancement or for other reasons.
Recording Dice Pools
For each attribute and each skill, record the derived dice
pool on your character sheet. These are noted on the char-
acter worksheet for convenience. They are as follows:
Dice Pools by Value
1–2 3–5 6–9 10–14 15–20 21–27
1d6 2d6 3d6 4d6 5d6 6d6
The actual attribute scores are not needed during play;
you need only refer to the dice pools. The attribute scores
are used during character creation to provide an expand-
ing granular scale to attribute development.
Health
Health is a mixture of physical and mental stamina. Roll
an END dice pool and a WIL dice pool. If you have the
hardy skill, you may roll that also. Record the total as your
Health. If the total is less than 10, then increase your
Health to 10. When you are hit, you take damage; when
you reach 0 Health you are unconscious.
Speed
You need to determine your regular Speed, and your
Climb speed. Note that this process also applies to Swim
and other forms of movement.
 Your Speed is equal to the size of your STR dice pool
plus your AGI dice pool. You may also add your running
dice pool if you have that skill.
 For climbing, swimming, etc., replace the running skill
and halve the final total unless a career tells you other-
wise. You only need to note these values if you have the
appropriate skill—otherwise, it will work out to half your
Speed (without the running bonus).
  Small (or smaller) characters suffer a –1 penalty to
Speed.
71
 Action Careers
Jump
This is the distance and height you may jump automati-
cally. It should be recorded on your character sheet in
units of feet, not squares (unlike Speed) in the format 7'/4'.
  Your horizontal jump is equal to twice your AGI attri-
bute in feet.
  Your vertical jump is equal to your STR attribute in feet,
but cannot exceed your horizontal jump.
  These values assume a 10' run-up. From a standing start,
they are halved.
  Jumps exceeding these figures require attribute checks
equal to the number of feet jumped horizontally or three
times the number of feet jumped vertically.
Carry
Your basic carry increment is equal to STR + END multi-
plied by 10. Record this value in pounds.
  Each carry increment inflicts a –1d6 penalty to physical
attribute checks and –1 to Speed.
Initiative
Initiative measures how quickly you can react in combat
situations. It is equal to your INT dice pool. You may also
add tactics or reactions dice pools.
Defense
You have four Defense scores: Melee Defense, Ranged
Defense, Mental Defense, and Vital Defense. All four
scores have a minimum value of 10.
  These scores are pre-calculated dice pools; because
they are used frequently, the average value is used and
noted on your character sheet. For each score, form a dice
pool consisting of attribute, skill, and equipment, as nor-
mal (and subject to the normal dice pool limit). Use the
following elements to form the dice pool:
Defense Score by Total Pool Size
POOL 1d6 2d6 3d6 4d6
Defense 4 7 11 14
Defense Modifier by Creature Size
Size Tiny Small Medium
Defense Modifier +4 +2 +0
72
Attribute (use one)
•• For Melee Defense, use the highest of your STR
and AGI; for Ranged Defense, use your AGI.
•• For Mental Defense use the highest of INT, LOG,
and WIL.
•• For Vital Defense, use your END.
Skill (use one)
•• For Melee and Ranged Defense, you may use
acrobatics, dodging, or foresight.
•• For Mental Defense you may use concentration,
meditation, bravery, discipline, religion, conviction,
leadership, psychology, or rulership.
•• For Vital Defense, you may use fortitude, survival,
or resistance.
•• Skill with a melee weapon or unarmed combat
applies to Defense against melee attacks, but not
ranged attacks.
•• If you double-move in a round, you may use running
for Defense.
Equipment (use one)
•• For Melee Defense, the quality of your weapon or
shield can be used in your dice pool (you cannot
benefit from more equipment quality dice than skill
dice; see “Dice Pools” in Action Core).
•• For Ranged Defense, the quality of your or shield
can be used (again, you cannot benefit from more
equipment quality dice than skill dice).
•• Remember you can only benefit from high-quality
equipment (including armor) up to your skill level.
Having formed your Defense and Mental Defense dice
pool(s), consult the table below to determine the corre-
sponding static score. This is an average roll of the dice
pool, and is used to speed up play (you could, theoreti-
cally, roll your Defense as an opposed check each time).
5d6 6d6 7d6 8d6 9d6
18 21 25 28 32
Large Enormous Gigantic Colossal
–4 –8 –16 –32

  Adjust your Melee and Ranged Defense scores ac-
cording to your Size (see the table on the previous page).
  You also need to adjust your Melee and Ranged De-
fense scores for any armor you may be wearing and/or
any shield you may be wielding. Medium armor inflicts a
–2 penalty, and heavy armor a –4 penalty. Light armor in-
flicts no penalty. (Wearing bulky protective armor makes
you easier to hit.) Small shields give +1, medium shields
+2, and large shields +3. (Shields help you deflect blows.)
The lowest any Defense score can be is 10. If any of your
final Defense scores are below 10, increase them to 10.
Careers & Defensive Skills
As noted earlier, any time you take a career skill, you may
take a Defense skill instead. These aren’t specifically
called out in the careers, but all Defense skills are always
available to all careers.
  The following skills (remember anything can be a skill—
feel free to encourage your players to invent their own) are
defensive skills:
Melee and Ranged Defense Skills
Examples: acrobatics, dodging, foresight
Mental Defense Skills
Examples: concentration, meditation, bravery, discipline,
religion, conviction, leadership, psychology, rulership
Vital Defense Skills
Examples: fortitude, survival, resistance
Additionally, melee skills apply to Melee Defense, but
not Ranged Defense: you can add boxing, for example, or
swords if you are armed with a sword—if so you can also
add the sword’s weapon quality.
  You should train Defense; otherwise you will get hit a
lot. It’s as important as training in weapons. You should
aim to get your Defense pool to at least 4d6 if possible.
Equip Your Character
Roll your REP dice pool and multiply the result by 20. You
may also add your LUC dice pool before multiplying. The
total is your starting money in dollars. If the final total is
less than $100, increase your starting money to $100. You
Action Careers
should now peruse Chapter 2 and purchase weapons, ar-
mor, and other equipment for your character. Record the
equipment you purchase on your character sheet.
Attacks
Finally, note down your attacks. You should have two or
three, depending on your equipment. The first is an un-
armed attack (brawling, boxing, wrestling, martial arts,
depending on skills) and the others might be a melee and
a ranged weapon.
•• Melee attacks use STR or AGI.
•• Ranged attacks use AGI or INT.
The damage value, range, and any notes are found in the
weapon’s entry in the Action Equipment book. You may
also add the size of your STR dice pool or skill dice pool to
a melee weapon damage, or the size of your skill dice pool
to ranged weapon damage. So, if you have STR 6 (3d6), add
3 to your sword’s damage.
  Unarmed damage is 1d6 plus the number of dice in ei-
ther your Strength dice pool or your unarmed dice pool,
plus 1d6 for each size category above Medium. For exam-
ple, an unarmed Human with STR 4 does 1d6+2 damage,
and a Large Mutant with STR 10 does 2d6+4 damage.
Some exploits increase your unarmed damage.
An attack is recorded in this format:
Automatic rifle 3d6 (2d6+2 ballistic damage; range 20;
notes)
  The first value (3d6 in the example) is your attack roll.
This is a dice pool cumulating the appropriate attribute,
skill, and equipment. Damage, range, and other notes are
listed in parentheses after the attack roll.
73
 Action Careers

Advancement  Time. A character can take a new career grade by

Throughout a campaign, characters can gain or improve spending the required time (usually 1d6 years, but the
skills, acquire new exploits, and increase attributes. Char- career itself will provide specific information). This type
acters have two “currencies” to spend on advancement. of advancement requires downtime—periods when a
character’s actions take place in the background—and it
Typical Point Values and Advancement Cost advances a character’s age.
Attr. Skill Max Dice XP Total   Characters can always spend more time in a career
Grade Points Ranks Exploits Pool Cost XP* grade than the amount indicated. In particular, NPCs
0 24 3 2 3d6 0 0 may take much longer to progress than PCs; it’s not un-
1 28 5 3 3d6 10 10 usual to see old NPCs with only a few career ranks.
2 32 7 4 3d6 20 30   Experience Points. The GM awards experience points
3 36 9 5 3d6 30 60 (XP) for overcoming challenges, defeating enemies, and
4 40 11 6 4d6 40 100 completing milestones. XP can be spent on new career
5 44 13 7 5d6 50 150 grades. The cost is equal to 10 times the new grade—de-
6 48 15 8 6d6 60 210 duct the XP from the character’s total when he spends
7 52 17 9 6d6 70 280 them. This type of advancement requires no time.
8 56 19 10 7d6 80 360   Advancements are accessed via career grades, and con-
9 60 21 11 7d6 90 450 textualize any given advancement.
10 64 23 12 7d6 100 550
11 68 25 13 8d6 110 660 Incremental Advancement
12 72 27 14 8d6 120 780 Attribute Advancement Attribute Advancement
13 76 29 15 8d6 130 910 or Skill Cost (XP) or Skill Cost (XP)
14 80 31 16 8d6 140 1,050 1 3 8 24
15 84 33 17 9d6 150 1,200 2 6 9 27
16 88 35 18 9d6 160 1,360 3 9 10 30
17 92 37 19 9d6 170 1,530 4 12 11 33
18 96 39 20 9d6 180 1,710 5 15 12 36
19 100 41 21 9d6 190 1,900 6 18 13 39
20 104 43 22 10d6 200 2,100 7 21 14 42
* The cumulative total of spent XP to reach this grade

74

Defeating Enemies and
Overcoming Challenges
The core advancement assumption is that you need to
defeat or overcome 10 encounters of Medium difficulty to
advance to the next grade. The XP requirement for each
grade is shown in the table below; it is equal to ten times
the next grade. For a Medium difficulty encounter, char-
acters gain XP equal to their own grade.
  The GM evaluates how difficult the players found the
encounter and awards XP accordingly. Round down when
calculating half grade values.
Encounter XP Awards
Encounter Difficulty XP Award
Trivial No XP
Easy Half grade (round down)
Medium Equal to grade
Hard Two times grade
Extremely hard Three times grade
GMs are free to set different advancement rates. Chang-
ing the speed of character advancement can affect the
tone of a campaign, and the GM should be sure to inform
the players before play what the campaign’s advance-
ment rate is. To set a different advancement rate, simply
increase or decrease the cost of a new career grade from
10 XP per grade to a higher or lower value.
Planning
If the PCs research and plan to the extent where they make
a supposedly difficult encounter into easier encounter
by virtue of their preparations and forethought, they are
awarded XP for an encounter one difficulty level higher
(for example, an encounter which turned out to be Easy
because of good planning becomes a Medium encounter
for the purposes of XP awards). Planning awards require
GM discretion, and ensures that players aren’t penalized
for thinking their way around a problem.
Action Careers
Completing Milestones
The GM awards XP for completing major storyline mile-
stones. Milestones are major non-combat challenges
or obstacles which require substantial effort on the part
of the characters. The award is equal to the character’s
existing grade (the same as for a Medium encounter). A
grade 5 character, therefore, receives 5 XP for completing
a milestone. The frequency with which the PCs complete
milestones is fairly arbitrary, but a good guideline is to in-
clude one in every session of play.
Incremental Advances
Sometimes a character increases just her STR attribute by
working out, or just her pistols skill at the shooting range.
To do this, the character needs to spend XP. The cost of
the increase is equal to three times the new score—so an
increase from 9 to 10 STR costs 30 XP, while an increase
from rank 2 to rank 3 in pistols costs 9 XP.
  A universal exploit (but not a career exploit) can be pur-
chased for half the price of a new grade.
  You cannot spend time to make incremental advances;
you must spend XP. Only full career grades can be pur-
chased with time. Incremental advances take place in
the background at the same time as regular activity, and
are assumed to have involved current and prior training.
Therefore a character gains the benefit of an incremental
advance immediately upon spending the XP.
  Incremental advances are not as cost effective as career
grades, but they allow for fine-tuning and granular ad-
vancement. Note, however, that a character’s maximum
dice pool is always based on his overall grade, so incre-
mental advancements should always be viewed as a
supplementary advancement method.
Age
Each character’s age should be tracked. Characters are
categorized as young, adult, or old. For more information,
see the aging rules.
  Once a character reaches old age, their physical at-
tributes (STR, AGI, END) can no longer be increased by
non-supernatural, non-technological means. Career ad-
vances which would normally increase those attributes
no longer do so, and incremental increases to those attri-
butes can no longer be purchased.
75
 Action Careers

76
Chapter 2
Modern
Equipment

77
 Modern Equipment
About This Chapter
Your character’s skills and attributes are only part of the
full story. On top of all that, you need to equip him. Most
characters outfit themselves with weapons, armor, and
other supplementary equipment.
  In this chapter, you’ll find information on guns, gre-
nades, and other weapons from a variety of 20th Century
eras; armor, including ballistic vests, riot gear, and more;
vehicles, from fast motorcycles to formidable tanks; and
a range of special gadgets with which outfit a superspy or
masked vigilante.
  The equipment here covers the 19th century (Wild West)
era, through World War II, all the way up until the modern
era and the very near future.
Starting Money
Each character’s starting assets need to be determined
before any cash is spent on equipment. A character’s
wealth is a function of his Reputation attribute, an at-
tribute which encompasses creditworthiness, assets, and
other measures of wealth (as well as fame, rank, notoriety,
and other less quantifiable factors).
To determine a character’s starting money, roll a REP
78
It’s the Real World!
Unlike a fantasy or science-fiction game, the gear
in a contemporary setting is likely familiar to all the
players. Indeed, there is far more information on real-
world gear available digitally at a player’s fingertips
than could be found within these pages.
  For that reason, we have not attempted to provide
an exhaustive list of general gear (other than stats
for firearms and the like). If you need a broader selec-
tion of equipment, you can bring a store catalog to the
game table and use that as a game manual.
  The equipment in this chapter — especially the sec-
tion on general gear — provides a sample selection of
equipment for modern-day adventurers. But your fa-
vorite online shopping portal likely has a much vaster
array of goods of all types.
  You should feel free to look up the prices of items
in the real world and include them in your game. If a
player wants to purchase a particular handbag, a bat-
tery powered lawn mower, or their preferred brand of
bicycle, it doesn’t need to be in this book — simply look
up the price online, and move briskly on.
 Modern Equipment

dice pool and a LUC dice pool and

multiply the total by 20. If the total
Currency
comes to less than $100, increase it In N.O.W. The Modern Action Roleplaying Game, the
to $100. You may spend this start- standard unit of currency is the dollar ($). “Dollar” is
ing cash on equipment, weapons, a generic term — the GM may tailor the currency unit
armor, and other gear. to his or her own setting. A GM might use rubles, yuan,
British pounds, euros, or whatever the story requires.
Example Salaries   Depending on career choices, a starting character
The examples below are for refer- typically begins play with $100–$1,000 to spend on
ence only; player characters will not (typically) have a equipment—enough to buy a basic weapon, armor, and
monthly salary. An NPC will typically only carry 5% of a couple of items of equipment. Some careers also
his monthly salary on his person, and have access to an grant free bonus starting items to the character.
amount equal to his monthly salary in the form of savings.   Typical monthly salaries (as a point of comparison)
can be $500 (for the lowest paid jobs) to $3,000 for an
NPC Salaries (in $) average middle-management style occupation.
Occupation Approx Monthly $ Carry $
Fast-food server 1,500 75
Farm worker, laborer 1,700 85 Equipment, Skills,
Housekeeper 1,800 90 and Quality
Cook 2,000 100 Throughout this chapter, prices and information are pre-
Taxi driver, chauffeur 2,100 105 sented for the basic, “standard” version of each item of
Retail worker 2,100 105 equipment, whether that be a pair of binoculars, a weap-
Security guard 2,250 112.50 on, or a suit of clothing.
Office clerk 2,500 125   Sometimes equipment is of a higher quality. Such items
Soldier 3,000 150 are more expensive, but grant the user larger bonuses to
Mechanic 3,000 150 attribute checks made while using them.
IT specialist 3,500 175   Equipment contributes to a dice pool if it is of high qual-
Correctional officer 3,700 185 ity or greater. Performing the action already assumes you
Reporter 3,800 190 are using appropriate basic tools.
Clergy 4,000 200   Standard equipment doesn’t contribute to the dice pool;
Firefighter 4,000 200 it merely allows you to perform the corresponding action
Therapist 4,000 200 without suffering any penalties for improvised equip-
Real estate agent 4,400 220 ment. For example, a pistol allows you to shoot somebody,
Police officer 4,500 225 a lockpick allows you to pick a lock, and a medical kit al-
Ship captain 6,000 300 lows you to perform emergency medical aid.
Commercial pilot 6,500 325   To gain an equipment bonus, you need high-quality or
Judge 8,500 425 better equipment. A high-quality sports car gives you a
Lawyer 11,000 550 +1d6 bonus to your driving checks, a high-quality lockpick
Dentist 13,500 675 gives you +1d6 to your AGI dice pool when picking a lock,
CEO, mid-sized company 15,000 750 and so on.
Surgeon 20,000 1,000   You can also improvise equipment if you don’t have the
CEO, int’l mega-corporation 83,000 4,150 right tools available. This inflicts a –2d6 penalty to your
dice pool. You might be able to use a hairpin to pick a lock,
but you’d be penalized for using an improvised item.

79
 Modern Equipment

Equipment Quality
Quality Price ($) Rarity Dice Pool Min. Skill Upgrades Armor Vehicle
Improvised — — –2d6 — — — —
Standard Normal Common — — — — —
High quality ×3 then +100 Uncommon +1d6 1 (1d6; proficient) +1 +2 Soak +1 Speed
Exceptional ×5 then +250 Rare +2d6 3 (2d6; skilled) +1 +4 Soak +2 Speed
Mastercraft ×10 then +500 Very rare +3d6 6 (3d6; expert) +2 +6 Soak +3 Speed
Artisan ×100 then +1,000 Very rare +4d6 10 (4d6; mastery) +2 +8 Soak +5 Speed
Legendary ×1,000 then +2,500 Unique +5d6 15 (5d6; authority) +3 +10 Soak +10 Speed

  This same rule applies in combat. When trying to attack
somebody, the character rolls a dice pool made up of an at-
tribute, a skill, and sometimes equipment bonuses. When
Ben Madjos fires a pistol at a ninja, he normally rolls 4d6,
which includes his attribute and his skill. If he picks up his
high-quality Walther PPK, that increases to 5d6.
  An item cannot change in quality or be upgraded to a
higher quality, because quality starts with basic materials.
The table above details the various quality levels.
  Dice Pool. This indicates the quality contribution to a
dice pool the equipment grants (subject to minimum skill
limits). Conversely, the same is applied as a penalty to op-
pose a higher quality item (for example, break out of an
exceptional pair of handcuffs or pick an exceptional lock).
  Rarity. This is an indication of how common high qual-
ity equipment is.
  Min. Skill. Effective equipment quality is limited by
skill level—you cannot gain more dice in your dice pool
from equipment than you have from skills. For example, if
you have 2d6 in your dice pool from lockpicking, you gain
only 2d6 from mastercraft lockpicks.
  This minimum skill rule applies to all equipment,
including gear, weapons, and armor. WOIN is a game
system which relies on attributes and skills more heavily
than equipment; excellent equipment can help make up
for a shortfall, but an optimized character in terms of skill
and raw ability is often near the peak of his potential even
without superior gear. The mark of a true master is one
who can accomplish a incredible tasks without aids.
  If the user doesn’t have the minimum skill level re-
quired to benefit from equipment quality, then the quality
of the equipment is effectively reduced to match the user’s
skill level. For example, a character with 3 ranks (2d6;
skilled) in the light armor skill treats artisanal light armor
as exceptional, and only gains the benefits of exceptional
light armor.

Item Quality in Context

Exceptional quality items are rare, and those of master-
craft quality and above should seldom be encountered
in a campaign. Generally speaking, characters should
not be able to easily purchase items of higher than high
quality, and those of mastercraft quality should require
considerable effort to obtain (also, given that they grant
a +3d6 bonus to attribute checks, only characters with 6
or more ranks in a related skill will be able to fully benefit
from them). Items of artisanal or legendary quality are
spoken of in awe and never seen by “regular” people.
  In real-world terms, as a point of comparison, a stan-
dard new automobile might cost $20,000; a luxury car
would be considered high quality at $60,000; a high-end
sports car is exceptional at $100,000; mastercraft ve-
hicles at $200,000 would include the average supercar.
Artisanal automobiles, therefore, are priced at around
$2,000,000 — many of the priciest cars in the world, such
as the Bugatti Veyron in 2014 (also in 2014, the Lambor­
ghini Veneno Roadster cost around $4,000,000; only nine
were ever made). Legendary cars would be unique ve-
hicles worth around $20,000,000 — these would be items
bought and sold only in private transactions.
  These real-world examples should give you an idea of
what the equipment quality categories mean, and help
give a sense of perspective on what it means for a char-
acter to run around with an artisanal pistol.

80
 Modern Equipment

  Upgrades. Weapons and armor can be upgraded with Facilities and Quality
new features. The upgrade capacity depends on size (for Facilities also have quality levels in exactly the same way
weapons) or type (for armor). Higher quality weapons and that weapons and equipment do. From a mercenary club-
armor gain additional upgrade slots. house to a hospital, the quality of a facility has the same
  Armor. High-quality armor gains a Soak bonus. effect that higher quality equipment does. However, the
two do not combine—a superior quality medical bay is of
Selling Gear superior quality because the equipment in it is superior
Items can normally be sold to an appropriate buyer for quality. Bringing a superior quality medical kit into the
half their listed value—some careers or exploits may en- superior quality hospital doesn’t improve the hospital—it
able characters to sell items for more. If a character wishes already has dozens of superior quality medical equipment.
to haggle, make an opposed CHA check versus the mer- A facility, in effect, is a large piece of equipment able to
chant and adjust the price up or down by 1% per point handle greater volumes than a single item of equipment.
of difference (to a maximum of 20%), depending on who
wins. A typical merchant will make a 5d6 check (combin- General Gear
ing her CHA and negotiation skills), but some merchants General gear consists of a variety of basic, universal
may be much more proficient. equipment types. All general gear has an Advancement
  Generally speaking, characters will know the value of Level between 4.5 and 5 (available in any modern setting,
an item. Unique items, however, require LOG checks (and though some older technology is also listed). General gear
a good appraisal skill), otherwise the characters will have is widely available, and can be purchased easily at even
no idea of their worth. Usually, that will be a check with the smallest of towns.
the following difficulty benchmarks:   Most of the items in the table below simply allow
character to perform a particular task under normal
Appraisal Benchmarks circumstances. A compass, for example, allows a char-
Item is worth.... Difficulty acter to automatically determine which way is north; a
Under $100 Challenging [13] flashlight sheds light in a specified area. Other items, like
Hundreds of dollars Difficult [16] the various toolkits available, are used to assist attribute
Thousands of dollars Demanding [21] checks, and it is these items which benefit the most from
Tens of thousands of dollars Strenuous [25] being of higher quality. That’s not to say that a mastercraft
Hundreds of thousands of dollars or more Severe [29] compass is not a beautiful, valuable, and obviously ex-
pensive object, or that exceptional soap is not delightfully
fragrant and rare, but in game terms certain high-quality
Improvised Equipment items won’t do a lot more than standard ones do.
Standard quality equipment al-   If you are setting your game in the modern era, you can
lows you to perform an action use real-world prices for any object. The list below con-
without suffering any penalty for tains examples, but if the object exists in the real world, it
improvisation. is easy to determine its price.
  If you don’t have basic equip-   Most of the objects below have obvious uses. We haven’t
ment, you can often still attempt expended too much effort describing to you what a coat
an action by improvising. For is for or how your characters use sleeping bags. Remem-
example, lacking lockpicks, you ber, this is just a short sample list—in the modern era your
might try to use a hairpin (or a character can buy anything you would normally be able
large nail) as a lockpick. When to buy given your character’s funds. Just look the price up
improvising, you suffer a penalty online and run with it!
of –2d6 to your dice pool.

81
 Modern Equipment

General Items and so on. A bandolier improves the reloading time of

Item Cost ($) Weight (lbs) firearms by one action (i.e. a firearm which takes two ac-
Audio recorder, cassette 15 1 tions to reload instead takes only one, and a firearm which
Audio recorder, digital 20 1 takes one action to reload can do so as a free action).
Backpack 4 2   Binoculars. Binoculars enable the user to see long
Bandolier 10 0.5 distances; most are not electronic, though those that are
Binoculars 40 2 (costing at least $120 or more) can have enhancements
Bolt cutters 20 5 which enable larger ranges of the EM spectrum to be
Briefcase 10 5 viewed. A standard pair enables scenes a mile distant to
Bug 200 — be viewed clearly. A high quality pair includes light-inten-
Bugsweeper 500 2 sification which allows them to be used in the dark, and a
Camera, 35 mm 20 1 superior quality pair encompasses a wide spectrum from
Camera, digital 40 0.5 infrared to X-rays.
Cell phone 15 1   Bolt cutters. Bolt cutters can be used to automatically
Clothing 20 4 cut through padlocks, chain links, handcuffs, and similar
Coat 20 3 objects.
Compass 5 0.5   Briefcase. A briefcase is a sturdy rectangular case used
Computer, personal 750 5 for carrying documents.
Fire extinguisher 75 3   Bug. A bug is a surveillance device. A basic bug can
Flashlight 3 1 record and transmit high quality audio and visual data
Geiger counter 250 1 within 20' up to a range of 3 miles.
Generator 5,000 20   Bugsweeper. A bugsweeper is used to find bugs by
Ghillie suit 200 5 measuring radio frequencies and wavelengths. It takes
Goggles, infrared 225 1 five minutes to sweep a room; the bugsweeper will find
Handcuffs 50 1 surveillance devices automatically. However, if the bugs
Musical instrument 750 2+ were installed by somebody with the thievery skill, an op-
Rope, 50' 20 4 posed check may be needed.
Scuba gear 300 10   Camera. Cameras are used to take photographs. You
Sleeping bag 20 4 know what a camera is; you don’t need us to tell you.
Smart phone 300 0.5   Cell phone. A basic mobile telephone without an in-
Stove, portable 70 2 ternet browser. A standard cell phone is able to send and
Tent, two-man 50 10 receive calls or text messages, and has a built-in GPS
Tent, seven-man shelter 350 40 locatable by emergency services. Cell phones require a
Toolkit 75 2 signal to operate and may have trouble doing so outside of
Walkie-talkie 20 1 developed countries.
  Clothing. Clothing comes in various prices and quality.
  Audio recorder. These devices can record voices and As with many things, you get what you pay for: high qual-
other audio within 30' of the recorder. A cassette recorder ity, superior quality, mastercraft, and artisanal clothing
uses a small cassette tape able to record up to one hour of can be obtained for the appropriate prices.
audio; a digital recorder can hold up to 12 hours. Coat. Wear a coat to get +1 Soak vs. cold damage.
  Backpack. A backpack holds 60 lbs. of equipment. It Compass. A compass will tell you which way is north.
grants the wearer a +20 lb. carrying capacity bonus. Computer, personal. Personal computer units can be
  Bandolier. A belt which runs diagonally across the small enough to transport and use anywhere (such as a
body and holds 10 items—ammunition, grenades, knives, laptop) or powerful machines that remain completely

82

stationary (such as a desktop). High quality computers are
often used by hackers.
  Flashlight A flashlight can be switched on to shine light
in a 30' cone for one hour before it is exhausted. Turning a
flashlight on or off is a free action.
  Fire extinguisher. An extinguisher can extinguish all
flames in one 5' square by spending two actions, or it can
remove any fire-related conditions from a target.
  Geiger Counter. A Geiger counter detects the presence
and strength of radiation within 30'.
  Generator. A generator the size of a suitcase provides
enough power to run portable equipment, recharge power
packs, and maintain a small habitat for a day.
  Ghillie suit. Camouflaged military wear. A ghillie suit
is used to hide in matching natural surroundings. Ghillie
suits come in foliage, sand, or snow colors. High quality
suits grant equipment bonuses when the wearer attempts
to hide.
  Goggles, infrared. These goggles allow the wearer to
see heat sources, granting the wearer darksight.
  Handcuffs. Standard handcuffs require a Strenuous
[25] STR or AGI check to escape. Higher quality handcuffs
modify the difficulty by one die per quality level.
  Musical Instrument. The list of musical instruments is
comprehensive, ranging from cultures across the world
and the span of history. A musical instrument works
much like a toolkit—it offers bonuses to related checks
depending on its quality.
  Rope. Standard quality rope is hemp; higher quality
ropes are made of better materials.
  Scuba gear. This equipment enable the wearer to
breathe underwater for one hour. It does not assist with
swimming checks, however.
  Sleeping bag. A bag. For sleeping in.
  Smart phone. A smart phone is a cell phone able to per-
form many of the functions of a computer, and includes a
high-resolution camera. It also grants access to the inter-
net anywhere it receives a signal.
  Stove, portable. A small gas stove which can be used to
cook meals or boil water.
  Tent. A tent is designed to protect against the elements.
Most are thermally insulated and can protect from ex-
treme heat or cold, but provide no barrier against toxic or
irradiated environments.
Modern Equipment
  Toolkit. A toolkit is an important piece of equipment.
Almost any specialized technical activity uses a toolkit.
Most allow you to avoid the improvisation penalty for rel-
evant activities, and higher quality versions offer larger
bonuses as normal.
  Medical pouch. A medical pouch, medkit, or field
kit contains various items, including a large scalpel,
20 bandages, various drugs, anti-bacterial spray, and
other basic medical equipment.
  Engineering toolbox. An engineering toolbox in-
cludes nuts, screws, wrenches (from hex key to monkey
wrench and beyond), screwdrivers, hammers, glue,
tape (of all varieties), and various other small tools.
  Forensic kit. A forensic kit is used to survey crime
scenes, take and test samples, and look for clues. It
includes a DNA testing kit, sampling kits, ultraviolet
lights, fingerprint kits, high detail cameras, and more,
allowing as much forensic work as possible to take
place at the scene.
  Thieves tools. Lock picks, some engineering tools
designed to manipulate delicate instruments and ma-
chinery, saws, pry bars, jeweler’s goggles, and more.
  Climbing gear. Climbing gear includes pitons, grap-
pling hooks, rope (made from hemp, kevlar, and a
variety of other materials), a harness, and more.
  Survival kit. A survival kit includes a compass, maps,
emergency rations, a small selection of medical goods,
4 flashlights, and a portable stove. Superior-quality and
better survival kits include a GPS tracker and electron-
ic mapping device.
  Interrogation kit. This type of kit is not looked upon
favorably; it consists of drugs and devices designed to
facilitate the gathering of information from a captured
(and restrained) suspect. It doesn’t typically include
torture equipment, but some of the techniques can be
unpleasant or extremely intrusive.
  Walkie-talkie. Walkie-talkies have a range of 10 miles
per quality level.
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 Modern Equipment
Weapons
There are many weapons available to a character—melee
weapons, ranged weapons, archaic weapons, small weap-
ons, all sorts of firearms, and more. The following sections
list a number of common weapons and their statistics.
The weapons in this chapter are divided into different
groups—melee weapons, Eastern (martial arts) melee
weapons, modern firearms, Western handguns, Western
longarms, and World War II firearms.
Reading the Weapon Tables
The weapons tables in this book contain the following
information.
  Damage. This entry tells you how much damage a
weapon does to a target on a successful hit. Damage may
be reduced by Soak values often found in armor or large
vehicles. Most weapons do at least 2d6 damage.
Resistance
Some armor, vehicles, objects, or materials have
typed Soak values—this means that they are particu-
larly good at resisting damage of a certain type and so
ignore a certain amount of damage of that type each
time it is inflicted. Fire-resistant armor, for example,
might have a Soak entry which reads Soak 5 (heat).
Many creature stat-blocks will also list resistances
(and, in some cases, immunities) to certain damage
types. A Soak value is the amount by which damage of
that type is reduced when it affects the target.
  Soak only applies to attacks which target Melee or
Ranged Defense (not Mental Defense), with the excep-
tion of Soak that specifically works against psychic or
psionic damage.
  When damage is fully negated by Soak, some may
still get through—any sixes in the damage roll auto-
matically do 1 point of damage regardless of Soak.
This means that it is always possible to damage a tar-
get, even if it’s just a little.
  Targets benefit from resistances only if they are re-
sistant to all listed damage types. A target resistant
to heat damage does not benefit from resistance to
a weapon which does heat/sonic damage. The target
would need to be resistant to both damage types.
84
  If the wielder has skill with a weapon type, the size of
the dice pool may be added to the damage. For example, a
knives skill of 6 (3d6) adds 3 to a knife’s damage, resulting
in a total of 2d6+3 piercing damage rather than the listed
2d6 damage. Alternatively, the size of the wielder’s STR
pool can be added to melee weapons if that is larger than
the skill pool.
  When damage is completely negated by Soak, any 6s in
the damage roll cause 1 point of damage each anyway.
  Type. This is the type of damage the weapon does, such
as piercing, or ballistic. Sometimes different armors have
different Soak values vs. different types of damage, or cer-
tain creatures or objects might be vulnerable to certain
damage types. This also determines what type of effect
occurs when a critical hit (rolling triple-sixes on a suc-
cessful attack roll) occurs.
  Cost. The cost in dollars to purchase a standard version
of this weapon.
  Size. The size of the weapon (Tiny, Small, Medium, or
Large) can be used to determine one or two-handed use
of a weapon, eligibility for two-weapon use and more. Size
is a relative term—the table indicates a weapon’s size as
compared to a human, but larger or smaller species will
adjust the (relative) size up or down. For example, a large
Mutant using a longsword, which is size Medium, con-
siders it a Small weapon. Similarly, a size Small Mutant
considers a shortsword (a Small weapon) size Medium.
Vulnerability
Conversely, something might be particularly vul-
nerable to a damage type. Petrol-covered items are
vulnerable to heat damage, and mechanoids (such as
an Augmented character with more augmentations
than their END score) are vulnerable to electricity
damage. A vulnerability entry will generally note how
vulnerable the target is—typically 1d6 or 2d6—and
that entry tells you how many extra damage dice to
roll when affecting the target. A robot, for example,
has vulnerability 1d6 (electricity) which means that
a taser, which normally deals 2d6 electricity damage,
would deal 3d6 electricity damage to the robot.
  Targets suffer from vulnerability to a weapon if the
keyword is listed among the weapon’s damage types.

  Weight. This is the item’s weight in pounds.
  Range. In the case of ranged weapons, this indicates a
range increment. For each range increment, an attacker
takes a 1d6 penalty to his attack roll. Unless otherwise
noted, weapons can be used out to five range increments,
although an attacker will suffer a –4d6 penalty to attack
rolls at that range.
Damage Types
Every time a creature or object takes damage, the dam-
age is of a certain type, whether it be heat damage, blunt
damage, or any of dozens of other damage types. Usually,
damage types obey common sense: a flamethrower does
heat damage, a projectile weapon does ballistic damage,
and a sword does stabbing or cutting damage.
  The list of damage types is not exhaustive because
damage types follow an open-ended keyword system.
Any given weapon can have multiple damage keywords
associated with it (although most only have one). These
damage types are listed in the weapons tables. Damage
type also determines which status track a target is pushed
Modern Equipment
along when it suffers a critical hit (triple-sixes on a suc-
cessful attack roll).
  As stated, there is no exhaustive list of damage types;
however, we have included a list of some common dam-
age types below.

  Ballistic. Projectile pistols and rifles tend to do ballistic
damage.
  Blunt. Blunt damage comes from falls, or heavy blunt
weapons, as well as most forms of unarmed combat.
  Cold. Cryogenic weapons are rare, but cold is a com-
mon environmental damage.
  Crushing. Crushing damage can be caused by large ob-
jects or the effects of gravity.
  Electricity. Electricity damage can come about in a
number of ways, including booby traps; mechanoids are
vulnerable 1d6 to electricity damage.
  Force. Force is a type of energy damage.
  Heat. Heat damage is caused by fire, lasers and other
energy weapons.
  Piercing. Piercing damage, like cutting damage, can be
caused by swords and knives.
  Poison. Poison damage can come about from gas, at-
mosphere, food, stingers, bite and more; armor does not
soak it unless noted.
  Psychic. Some mental attacks can cause psychic dam-
age. Armor does not typically soak psychic damage unless
it is specially designed to do so.
  Radiation. Radiation damage arises from environmen-
tal effects, and rarely, some specialist weapons; armor
does not soak it unless noted.
  Sonic. Sonic damage is caused by sound waves; armor
does not soak it unless noted.
  Slashing. Swords and other cutting weapons can do
slashing damage.
  Stunning. See below. Stunning is in addition to another
damage type.
Vulnerability and Resistance
The following notes should help you to remember how to
apply vulnerability and resistance to damage types.
•• Targets suffer from vulnerability if they are vulner-
able to any of a weapon’s damage types.
•• Targets benefit from resistances only if they are
resistant to all of a weapon’s listed damage types.
85
 Modern Equipment
Weapon Traits
Some weapons have special traits, which are noted in the
weapons tables below.
  Agile. An agile weapon is complex and difficult to use.
You need an AGI of 8 to use it without penalty, otherwise
you take a –1d6 penalty to your attack rolls. These weap-
ons always use AGI for their attack rolls.
  Arc. The weapon fires in a ballistic arc; no direct line-of-
sight is required, as long as there is a ballistic route which
can be taken.
  AT. Anti-tank (or anti-materiel) ability allows a weapon
to instead be fired directly at a vehicle, doing double dam-
age to vehicles and objects. When used in this manner,
burst weapons do not do burst damage.
  Auto. A weapon designated auto can be used for certain
exploits which take advantage of its high rate of fire; these
weapons also produce an additional die of cover when us-
ing suppressive fire. Additionally, two actions can be used
to attack a 30' cone rather than a specific target; make one
ranged attack roll against all targets within the cone area.
When used to attack an area, the weapon does 1d6 less
damage, and cannot cause critical hits.
  Bypass. A weapon with this trait is able to ignore shields.
An example is the Eastern three-section-staff, which can
be used to strike around a shield.
  Climber. A weapon with this trait counts as climbing
gear.
  Close-quarters. A close-quarters weapon can be used
even when its user is grappling. These weapons gain +1d6
to attacks against foes in the same square.
  Combust. While most weapons that deal heat damage
have a chance of setting fire to their targets with a criti-
cal hit, those with the combust trait do so automatically. A
critical hit from such a weapon moves the target along the
status track by an additional step.
  Double. Double weapons are melee weapons treated
as though they were two weapons, one in each hand. This
typically means that the attacker will gain an additional
attack per turn with it. Review the combat rules on dual-
wielding and double weapons.
  Heavy. A heavy weapon is difficult to use. You need a
Strength of 8 to use it without penalty, otherwise you take
a –1d6 penalty to your attack rolls. Heavy melee weapons
always use STR for their attack rolls.
86
  Holdout. These tiny pistols are easily concealed. They
grant +1d6 to stealth checks to conceal them about one’s
person.
  Hook. Many polearms incorporate hooks. Against a
mounted target, a successful strike can dismount the rid-
er. When using it to dismount a target, a hooked weapon
does no direct damage and costs 2d6.
  Huge. A huge weapon (which is almost always heavy as
well) is so large that medium-sized or smaller creatures
need STR 10 to avoid the heavy penalty.
  Initiative bonus. Some weapons are lighter and faster
than others. These may grant a bonus to Initiative.
  Melee Defense bonus. Some weapons grant a flat bo-
nus to the wielder’s Melee Defense score.
  Min. Weapons with this trait have a minimum range.
They cannot target anything within that range. The mini-
mum range is noted in parenthesis—e.g. “Min (8).”
  Mounted. These weapons must be affixed (mounted or
stood on the ground) and take two full actions to set-up
before use. If they are moved, another two actions is re-
quired to set them up at the new site.
  Reach. A reach weapon is a longer melee weapon. It
can attack opponents up to 10' away. Weapons with long
reach can attack up to 15' away, but cannot attack adjacent
targets.
  Revolver. While the very earliest revolvers took a full
minute to reload, by the late 18th Century revolvers can
be reloaded by spending two actions. A revolver holds
six shots before needing to be reloaded again, but can be
fired twice per round.
  Sacrificial. Sacrificial weapons are often used in ritual
and rites. They gain +1d6 to attack a prone foe.
  Set. Some piercing polearms can be set as a single ac-
tion against incoming attackers. This creates a cone (10'
for reach weapons, 15' for long reach weapons) in the di-
rection in which the weapon is set. As an attacker enters
the cone from the front edge, it is subject to an automatic
attack from the polearm. If successful, the attacker is
stopped in its tracks, and its movement ends for that ac-
tion, as well as taking damage as normal. The attacker
may attempt to enter the cone again.
  Shield. The wielder of this weapon is automatically
considered to be also wielding a shield of the same size cat-
egory. This applies for the purposes of Melee Defense only.

  Shotgun. These weapons can be used with exploits
such as Scattershot, which require a shotgun.
  Sidearm. Weapons designated as sidearms gain +1d6 to
hit when the user is adjacent to the target and do not suffer
a penalty for firing at an adjacent target.
  Single. A weapon with this quality can only be used
once per round, even if the user is able to make multiple
attacks.
  Stonebreaker. These weapons are designed to break
stone and do +1d6 damage to stone targets.
  Stun. When the target is reduced to 0 Health by a
weapon with the Stun trait, it is unconscious but not dy-
ing. It wakes with 1 Health 5 minutes later.
  Thrown. A melee weapon with this trait can be thrown
with the noted range increment. For example, a weapon
with the trait “Thrown (3)” has a range increment of 3.
Without this trait, a thrown weapon has a range increment
of 2 and counts as improvised (inflicting a –2d6 penalty to
the attack roll).
  Trap. A weapon which can trap an enemy renders the
target immobilized on a successful hit. This status lasts
until the target shakes it off.
  Versatile. A versatile weapon has two damage values:
the first is for the weapon used one-handed, and the sec-
ond is for the weapon used two-handed.
  Vicious. Some weapons are barbed or jagged; condi-
tions from such weapons are harder to shake off, and
inflict a –1d6 penalty to attempts to do so.
  Woodbreaker. Designed to split wood, these weapons
do +1d6 damage against wood targets.
Special Ammunition
Special ammunition can be obtained for projectile weap-
ons in clips of 20 rounds at the indicated price. A weapon
can only hold ammo of one type at a given time unless
otherwise noted. Switching ammo counts as reloading.
Only projectile weapons can use special ammunition.
  Reloading. The fire rate of a projectile weapon (a projec-
tile weapon is assumed to be semi-automatic unless it has
the Single or Auto trait) takes into account regular reload-
ing. You only need to take actions to reload when you are
changing ammunition types: it’s a free action to reload a
pistol, one action to reload a rifle, or two actions to load a
heavy firearm.
Modern Equipment
  Armor-Piercing ($100). Armor-piercing rounds ignore
10 points of Soak, but do half damage.
  Hollow Point ($100). Hollow point rounds do extra
damage to unarmored targets. They increase the damage
of a firearm by 1d6 but double the target’s Soak.
  Rubber Bullets ($100). Rubber bullets can be used to
cause non-lethal damage to the target (see the Stun weap-
on trait, above). They are popular with bounty hunters
seeking to take their prey alive, although the most valu-
able targets tend to be “Dead or Alive”; and dead is easier.
  Tracers ($100). Highly visible rounds which assist in
aiming, directing fire, and marking targets at the expense
of revealing the gunner’s position. Using tracer rounds
causes a –1d6 penalty to any cover or concealment bonus
enjoyed by the gunner, but grants a +1d6 bonus for one
round to all ranged combatants firing on the same target
(a successful hit is not required to grant this bonus). Using
tracer rounds requires two actions and a weapon with the
Auto trait.
Melee Weapons
You might expect melee weapons to fall out of favor in a
world full of firearms and explosives. However, this is not
the case—hand-to-hand combat is still an important part
of conflict, especially within confined spaces, and a sword
is just as deadly as a bullet when it skewers you in the eye.
Even if that were not the case, plenty of cultures use exotic
weapons in a ceremonial capacity, and some primitive
civilizations still exist in the few unexplored areas of the
world not yet aware of the civilization beyond their realm.
And, of course, exotic Eastern weapons are used frequent-
ly by expert martial artists.
  Modern versions of primitive weapons may be made
from materials other than steel, but most of the weapons
below are made from the alloy of carbon and iron.
  Axe, battleaxe. This is a two-handed axe designed for
combat. Many variations on the battleaxe exist, some
primitive and, in many cultures, some ceremonial.
  Axe, handaxe. A much smaller, one-handed axe, this
weapon can also be thrown.
  Brass knuckles. This brutish piece of metal fits around
the wielder’s fingers. When used in unarmed combat, at-
tacks with brass knuckles deal +1d6 damage in addition to
the wielder’s natural damage.
87
 Modern Equipment

Standard Melee Weapons

Weapon Damage Type Size Weight (lbs) Cost ($) Special
Axe, battleaxe 3d6 Slashing M 5 100 —
Axe, handaxe 2d6 Slashing S 2 40 Thrown 3
Brass knuckles +1d6 Blunt T 2 100 —
Club 2d6 Blunt M 3 — —
Hammer, light 2d6 Blunt S 2 10 —
Hammer, warhammer 3d6 Blunt M 5 50 —
Knife/dagger 1d6+3 Piercing T 1 20 Range 4
Quarterstaff 2d6 Blunt L 4 — —
Sap 2d6 Blunt S 2 10 Stun
Spear 2d6+2 Piercing L 6 30 Thrown 6
Sword, rapier 2d6 Piercing M 3 200 +1 Melee Defense, +1 Initiative
Sword, scimitar 2d6+1 Slashing M 4 150 —
Sword, shortsword 2d6 Slashing S 3 100 Swords or knives skill
Sword, longsword 3d6+2 Slashing M 4 150 —
Whip 2d6 Slashing M 2 120 Reach, trap

  Club. A simple wooden or metal stick or bat. This in-
cludes baseball bats, cricket bats, tire-irons, and other
crude blunt weapons.
  Hammer, light. A light hammer is heavier than a stan-
dard tool, but lighter than a sledgehammer.
  Hammer, warhammer. A warhammer is a bludgeon-
ing tool designed especially for close battle. Warhammers
weigh about the same as a sledgehammer, although some
designs are larger and heavier.
  Knife/dagger. Knives and daggers range from kitchen-
ware to ceremonial blades.
  Quarterstaff. A quarterstaff is a six-foot staff, often
made of wood, but sometimes of metal. Extendable ver-
sions exist that can be collapsed to half their standard
length (these cost $250).
  Sap. A sap is a small, blunt object used to render a tar-
get unconscious. It does little damage, and that damage
is non-lethal (stunning) damage, and it is a weak melee
weapon, but if the target is unaware of the attack he must
make a Difficult [16] END check or be stunned for two
rounds.
  Spear. Probably the most commonly used weapon in
human history, a spear is a pole weapon comprising a
shaft, usually of wood, and a pointed head. The head may
be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, possibly
hardened by fire, or it may be fashioned from a more
durable material such as stone or metal and fastened to
the shaft. It can be thrown.
  Sword. A sword is basically a long blade with a handle.
Rapiers, scimitars, shortswords, and longswords are all
one-handed swords.
  Whip. A whip is essentially a long leather rope with a
handle and a 10' reach. Skilled practitioners can perform
impressive tricks with whips.
Melee Weapons and Size
Weapons can be increased or decreased in size to
make oversized or undersized versions suitable for
larger or smaller creatures.
 An oversized weapon is one size category larger
than listed, weighs twice as much as the regular
weapon, and does an extra 1d6 points of damage.
Oversized weapons cost three times normal.
 An undersized weapon is one size category smaller
and weighs half as much as the regular weapon.
  The wielder of a weapon must use two hands to
use a weapon one size category larger than himself,
and must use his Strength attribute for attacks even
when the regular sized version offers an option to use
Agility. Creatures cannot effectively wield weapons
that are two sizes larger than themselves.

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Eastern (Martial Arts)

Weapons
Eastern weapons are as many and varied as any other. The
following is a list of some common Eastern weapons for
settings which include cultures which use such weapons.
Many Eastern weapons are descended from agricultural
tools, including sickles, staves, threshers, forks, and fans.
  Note that many martial arts (see Chapter 1, Action Ca-
reers) allow you to use your martial arts skill with Eastern
melee weapons. In a setting where such weapons are
available but not common, characters who favor Eastern
weapons may be noted for doing so.
  The cost below indicates the price of Eastern weapons
in Asia. In the West, these weapons cost ten times the in-
dicated price.
Archaic Weapons
If you are interested in a wider selection of medieval
weapons, the WOIN sourcebook Fantasy Equipment
contains pages of swords, axes, polearms, and more.
The same information can be found in O.L.D. The Fan-
tasy Heroic Roleplaying Game, all of which is fully
compatible with this book.
  In modern times, medieval melee weapons suitable
for use in combat cost ten times the amount they
would have done when they were common. That is, if
you use the Fantasy Equipment book, you should mul-
tiply the gc cost of a weapon therein by ten to find its
final dollar cost.

Standard Eastern (Martial Arts) Weapons

Weapon Damage Type Cost ($) Size Weight (lbs) Special
Butterfly sword 2d6 Slashing/Blunt 200 M 1 +1 Melee Defense
Gunbai (war fan) 2d6 Slashing 50 S — Shield
Hanbō 1d6+4 Blunt 10 S 1 —
Hu cha (tiger fork) 3d6 Piercing 50 L 8 Reach
Jō 2d6 Blunt 10 M 2 —
Jutte/Sai 2d6 Blunt 80 S 1 Disarm, sheld
Kama 3d6 Slashing 40 M 2 —
Kama, double-chained 2d6+2 Slashing 80 L 6 Double, reach
Katana 3d6+2 Slashing 500 M 6 —
Kusarigama (sickle and chain) 2d6+2 Blunt 120 L 3 Reach, trap
Kyogetsu-shoge 2d6 Slashing 60 S 1 Reach, trap
Nagamaki 3d6+2 Slashing 750 L 7 Reach
Naginata 3d6 Slashing 350 L 9 Reach
Niuweidao (Chinese broadsword) 3d6 Slashing 150 L 4 Heavy
Nodachi (great sword) 3d6+4 Piercing 600 L 8 —
Nunchaku 2d6 Blunt 40 M 2 Bypass
Rokushakubō (bō staff) 2d6+2 Blunt 10 L 3 Double, reach
Sansetsukon (three-piece-staff) 3d6 Blunt 80 L 3 Bypass
Shang gou (hook sword) 2d6 Slashing 60 S 1 Disarm
Sibat (spear) 2d6+1 Slashing 20 S 2 Thrown
Tekko-kagi (iron claw) see text Slashing 20 S 1 —
Tetsubo (war club) 2d6+4 Blunt 200 M 10 Heavy
Tonfa 2d6 Blunt 10 S 1 Shield
Urumi (curling blade) 3d6 Slashing 300 M 6 Bypass, reach
Wakizashi (side-sword) 2d6+1 Piercing 350 S 2 Close-quarters
Whip, nine-section (steel whip) 2d6+2 Blunt 80 L 3 Shield, trap

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  Butterfly sword. These short, single-edged swords are
usually used in pairs. About the length of a forearm, they
can easily be concealed. The swords are only sharpened
for half their length, enabling the user to deliver blud-
geoning attacks and to parry easily.
  Gunbai. The gunbai, or war fan, can be used as a blade,
a shield, and signalling device. War fans are typically
made of wood or metal.
  Hanbo
ˉ . The hanbo
ˉ , or half-staff, is about 3' long. The
stick is often used as a walking cane, and can be used in
a variety of ways to strike, block, and achieve joint locks
and throws.
  Hu cha. A hunting trident, this weapon is also known
as the “tiger fork.”
  Jo
ˉ . The jo
ˉ is a wooden staff, shorter than the rokushakubo
ˉ,
typically around 4' in length.
  Jutte/Sai. A weapon often used by militia, the jutte
is used to block and parry sword attacks. Often made of
heavy iron, the jutte can also be used to deliver very pain-
ful close-quarter strikes. The sai is a two-pronged variant
with the same statistics.
  Kama. The kama is a sickle-type weapon.
90
  Kama, double-chained. The kama can sometimes be
used in pairs, with a chain linking the two weapons.
  Katana. A katana is a curved, single-edged sword, not
dissimilar in role to the longsword. It is designed for two-
handed use, but, like the bastard sword, can be used with
one hand.
  Kusarigama. The chain-sickle consists of a kama on a
kusari-fundo, or weighted chain. The weapon is swung in
a circle over the head and then whipped forward. It can be
used to both strike and trap.
  Kyogetsu-shoge. This is a double-edged knife which has
a back curving blade extending like one half of a cross-
guard. The device is attached to the end of about 15' of
rope or chain, on the other end of which is a metal ring. It
has multiple uses, and can be used for slashing, stabbing,
climbing, and entangling. The weapon counts as climbing
gear when climbing.
  Nagamaki. With a shorter staff and longer blade than
the naginata, this weapon is considered more upper-class
than the latter.
  Naginata. The naginata is an Eastern polearm consist-
ing of a pole with a curved blade at the end.

  Niuweidao. This heavy bladed saber is sometimes
called the “ox-tailed sword.”
  Nodachi. This is a large, curved longsword, designed for
two-handed use. The blade is at least three feet in length,
and is worn across the back.
  Nunchaku. This traditional martial-arts weapon is
made of two sticks connected by a short chain or rope,
derived from a rice-threshing tool. The weapon can strike
around shields.
  Rokushakubo
ˉ . A long hardwood staff, typically around
6' in length, the rokushakubo
ˉ uses thrusting and swinging
techniques based on movements similar to empty hand
movements. The same literally translates as “six foot staff,”
ˉ staff,” al-
although it is often referred to simply as a “bo
though this is a little inaccurate as it means “staff staff.”
  Sansetsukon. This is a flail weapon made of three short
staffs connected by short chains, rings, or ropes. It can be
spun over or around shields.
  Shang gou. A longxsword with a hook near the tip
which can be used to deflect other weapons.
  Sibat. A sibat is a bamboo spear with a metal, often
barbed, head. It can be used for melee or ranged combat.
  Tekko-kagi. An Eastern cestus, this weapon has four
iron “claws.” It increases unarmed damage by +1d6 and
Modern Equipment
turns it into slashing damage.
  Testsubo. The tetsubo is a heavy one-handed club cov-
ered in metal spikes or knobs.
  Tonfa. A short stick with a handle one-third of the way
down its length. It can be used to strike or block.
  Urumi. This unusual weapon is a cross between a
sword and a whip. The blade is thin and whip-like, and
able to curl around shields. It is worn coiled around the
waist like a belt.
  Wakizashi. A short sword, often worn with a katana,
the wakizashi is used as a back-up weapon or for some
ceremonial uses, including executions and ritual suicide.
It is often used instead of the katana when close-quarters
fighting is expected.
  Whip, nine-section. A nine-section whip, or chain
whip, is made of connected metal rods. The other end of-
ten has a blade. It is sometimes simply called a “steel whip.”
Firearms
Any modern action setting probably needs a suitably wide
selection of firearms. The following pages detail modern
firearms, Western handguns and longarms, and World
War II firearms, comprising a range of over 100 years of
ballistic weaponry.
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Firearms Terminology
The following notes should help you sound like you know of weapon (such as machine guns, assault rifles, and so
what you are talking about when discussing firearms in on) will have different model numbers, such as the M1,
your game. M16, and so on.
Automatic. Automatic rifles continue to fire founds   Magnum. A large type of firearms cartridge, usually
while the trigger is pressed. Note that, however, in the derived from a smaller one. If a weapon uses such a car-
case of pistols, an “automatic pistol” actually means a tridge, it is known as a magnum. In the movie Dirty Harry,
“semi-automatic pistol”; a pistol which continues to fire the title character’s signature weapon is a Smith & Wes-
rounds while the trigger is depressed is correctly called son Model 29, which uses .44 Magnum ammunition.
a “machine pistol.”   Pump action. Faster than bolt- or lever-action firearms,
  Bolt-action. A weapon with a handle on the side which these allow the user to chamber a new round without
is used to manually eject a spent round and chamber a removing either hand from the weapon. The hand sup-
new one. This was the standard rifle mechanism through porting the barrel is moved backward and forward again
both World Wars, and bolt-action rifles are still popular to eject a spent round and chamber a new one.
with hunters. They are slower than pump-action or lever-   Semi-automatic. These weapons fire a bullet and then
action firearms. prepare the next for immediate firing (ejecting spent
  Caliber. The diameter of a firearms projectile (or the cartridges, etc.) This allows the bearer to fire repeatedly
inside diameter of the gun barrel) is its caliber. It is usu- by simply pulling the trigger. In the case of pistols, “auto-
ally measured in hundredths of an inch, so a “forty-five matic” and “semi-automatic” tend to be used colloquially
caliber” weapon uses rounds .45 inches in diameter. as synonyms, although this is not technically accurate.
Caliber can also be measured in millimeters (such as an Semi-automatics are sometimes called “autoloaders.”
8 mm Remington Magnum). A 9 mm bullet and a .38 caliber
bullet are the same size, and rounds of this size are stan-
dard in many military and police forces.
  Carbine. A shorter version of a rifle, historically suited
for cavalry.
  Double action. In a double-action firearm, the trigger is
also used to cock the weapon.
  Full Metal Jacket (FMJ). A common bullet type which
has a core made of a softer metal (usually lead) sur-
rounded by a harder metal like brass or copper.
  Gauge. A shotgun’s gauge is the number of balls in
one pound of shot (so in a 12-gauge shotgun, there are
12 balls to a pound). The larger the number, the smaller
the barrel, and vice-versa. 12-gauge is the most popular
shotgun round; 20 gauge is smaller, and 10 gauge is larger.
  Hollow Point (HP). The tip of the bullet is hollow and
designed to expand when they hit, giving increased stop-
ping power. Also known as a “dum-dum.”
  Lever action. A lever near the trigger is used to load a
new round.
M. As used in the “Mx” nomenclature, “M” stands for
“Model.” Common in US-made weapons, different classes

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Example Modern Firearms

Weight
Weapon Damage Type Range Size (lbs) Cost ($) Availability Notes
Barrett M82 “Light Fifty” anti- 4d6 Ballistic 24 M 35 3,500 5A AT
materiel rifle
Benelli 121 M1 “Super 90” 2d6+2 Ballistic 8 M 8 900 5A Shotgun
shotgun
Beretta 92F pistol 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 3 650 5A Sidearm
Beretta 93R machine pistol 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 3 1,200 5A Sidearm, auto
Beretta M3P shotgun 2d6+2 Ballistic 6 M 9 650 5A —
Browning BPS shotgun 3d6+2 Ballistic 6 M 11 650 4A Shotgun
Colt Double Eagle pistol 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 3 650 5A Sidearm
Colt Python revolver 3d6 Ballistic 8 S 3 500 4A Sidearm
Desert Eagle pistol 3d6 Ballistic 8 S 4 1,200 5A Sidearm
Glock 17 pistol 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 2 1,200 5A Sidearm
Heckler & Koch G3 assault rifle 3d6+2 Ballistic 18 M 11 1,500 5A Auto
Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine 2d6 Ballistic 10 M 7 2,000 5A Auto
gun
Heckler & Koch PSG1 sniper rifle 3d6+2 Ballistic 18 M 16 3,500 5A —
Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle 2d6+2 Ballistic 14 M 10 500 4A Auto
M60 medium machine gun 3d6+2 Ballistic 20 M 22 2,750 4A Auto
M16 assault rifle 2d6 Ballistic 16 M 8 650 5A —
M2HB Browning heavy machine 3d6 Ballistic 22 L 75 3,500 4A Heavy
gun
M4 Carbine 2d6 Ballistic 12 M 7 650 5A Auto
M72 LAW rocket launcher 5d6 Heat 30 L 5 500 4A Heavy, AT
M79 grenade launcher Varies Heat 14 L 7 350 4A Heavy
MAC-10 Ingram machine pistol 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 6 500 5A Sidearm, auto
Mossberg shotgun 2d6+2 Ballistic 6 M 7 500 4A Shotgun
Nighthawk Falcon .45 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 3 1,200 5A Sidearm
OICW assault rifle 2d6+2 Ballistic 14 L 18 12,000 5A Auto
Remington 700 hunting rifle 3d6+2 Ballistic 16 M 8 900 4A —
Ruger Service-Six revolver 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 2 350 4A Sidearm
SITES M9 pistol 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 2 500 5A Sidearm
Škorpion machine pistol 2d6+1 Ballistic 8 S 4 900 4A Sidearm, auto
Smith & Wesson M29 magnum 3d6+2 Ballistic 6 S 3 500 4A Sidearm
revolver
Steyr AUG assault rifle 2d6+2 Ballistic 16 M 9 1,500 5A Auto
TEC-9 machine pistol 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 4 350 5A Sidearm, auto
Uzi 9 mm submachine gun 2d6 Ballistic 8 M 8 1,200 5A Auto
Walther PPK pistol 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 1 500 4A Sidearm
Winchester 94 hunting rifle 3d6+2 Ballistic 18 M 7 500 4A —

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Modern Firearms
Many of the most famous—and infamous—weapons ever
developed appear in this list.
  Barrett M82. Known as the “Light Fifty,” this is a .50
caliber anti-materiel rifle designed to be used against
military equipment. It is used by military and police
forces around the world to immobilize vehicles (usually
by shooting at the engine block) and can penetrate most
brick walls.
  Benelli M1. This semi-automatic is a 12-gauge shotgun
known for easy maintenance.
  Beretta 92F. An Italian semi-automatic 9 mm pistol, the
military spec (the 92F) is used by US armed forces.
  Beretta 93R. A 9 mm machine pistol manufactured by
the Italian company for police and military use, derived
from the early Beretta 92. The “R” in the name means “Raf-
fica,” which means “volley” in Italian, but is sometimes
taken to mean “Rapid” in English. It has a reputation for
being difficult to control.
  Beretta M3P. An Italian police shotgun, this firearm
never got wide distribution, but was used by the French
police and Italian counterterrorism units.
  Browning BPS. A solid, respected pump action shot-
gun, this is a flagship firearm from Browning.
  Colt Double Eagle. This double action 10  mm semi-
automatic pistol was based on the Colt M1911, and was
the company’s first pistol in that caliber. It was never very
popular and was only produced from 1990–1997.
  Colt Python. This .357 Magnum caliber revolver, some-
times known as a “Combat Magnum,” is a premium
revolver. It was introduced in 1955, and continued to be
manufactured all the way through to 2005. The Python
was popular with law enforcement.
  Desert Eagle. A semi-automatic .50  AE handgun
designed in 1979 by Magnum Research in the US but
manufactured mainly in Israel, this popular weapon has
a large cartridge which allows it to match the stopping
power of many magnum revolvers. It is most often used
for target shooting and hunting.
  Glock 17. The Austrian Glock “Safe Action” 9  mm au-
toloader pistol is made of polymer. It is the most popular
pistol used by US law enforcement, as well as in many oth-
er countries. The Glock 17 eventuality became a standard
NATO-classified sidearm, after passing multiple tests, and
94
it also replaced the Browning Hi-Power in the British Army.
  Heckler & Koch G3. The 7.62 mm Heckler & Koch G3—
the Automatisches Gewehr G3—is a post-WW2 German
battle rifle.
  Heckler & Koch MP5. The 9 mm Maschinenpistole 5 is
one of the world’s most popular submachine guns, and is
common in North American SWAT teams. It was made
famous when used by the SAS when they stormed the Ira-
nian embassy in London.
  Heckler & Koch PSG1. “Präzisionsschützengewehr”
means “precision shooting rifle.” The Munich massacre
at the 1972 Olympics promoted the West German police
to commission this weapon, an accurate, high capacity
7.62 mm sniper rifle.
  Kalashnikov AK-47. The world’s most popular assault
rifle, this Russian 7.62 mm firearm was developed at the
end of WW2 and adopted by the Soviet Army shortly
thereafter; the “47” in its name refers to its first manufac-
ture, in 1947. Since then, it has been widely adopted across
the world, and it is suggested that a sixth of all firearms
are AK-47s. It is a simple, incredibly reliable rifle.
  M60. This general-purpose machine gun has been used
in every US military branch. It’s a belt-fed, crew-served
weapon (typically 2–3 crew) which began development
during WW2 and is still in use today. The unwieldy weap-
on was nicknamed “The Pig” during the Vietnam War. The
weapon is being generally phased out due to its unreli-
ability in humid conditions and after extensive use.
  M16. This M16 5.56 mm assault rifle entered service in
the mid-1980s, and underwent rapid modification. The
full automatic setting was later removed, replaced with a
three-round burst.
  M2HB Browning Machine Gun. The M2HB is a heavy
machine gun. The M2 was designed at the end of WW1 and
has been in production longer than any other machine
gun in the world. It is primarily used as a vehicle-mounted
weapon or on aircraft, and saw extensive service in most
every war of the 20th and early 21st century.
  M4 Carbine. A shorter version (same caliber) of the
M16A2 assault rifle, which it is largely replacing.
  M72 LAW. A Light Anti-Tank Weapon, this rocket
launcher is an unguided solid rocket propulsion unit. It
replaced the M1 HEAT and the M2 Super Bazooka in the
1960s. The M72 is essentially a smaller bazooka.
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96

  M79 Grenade Launcher. A single-shot, shoulder-fired
launcher know as the “Thumper” (the Australians call it
the “Wombat Gun”) which can fire a variety of grenade
rounds. In appearance, it looks a lot like a large sawed-off
shotgun, and is designed to be easy to operate.
  MAC-10. A .45 caliber machine pistol designed by Gor-
don Ingram and officially named the “Military Armament
Corporation Model 10.”
  Mossberg. These shotguns were designed in the US
in the 1960s and are used to this day. A pump action,
12-gauge shotgun.
  Nighthawk Falcon .45. A custom M1911 pistol known
for high quality. The Nighthawk Falcon company focuses
on custom pistols, but also produces rifles, shotguns, and
even knives.
  OICW Assault Rifle. The Objective Individual Combat
Weapon is a prototype which fires air-bursting projectiles.
Its a semiautomatic grenade launcher and carbine with a
computer-assisted targeting system. The prototype is not
in current production.
  Remington 700. The 7.62  mm Remington Model 700
bolt-action rifle is a mass-produced hunting rifle, al-
though variants include a police version. Some of these
weapons suffered from issues with misfiring.
  Ruger Service-Six. This .38S revolver is designed for
law enforcement, and is also popular with civilians for
self-defense. The standard-issue service weapon of many
US police departments until the 1990s.
  SITES M9. An Italian 9 mm autoloader from the 1980s,
small enough to be easily concealed.
  Škorpion. A Czechoslovak .32 machine pistol, designed
in the 1950s for special forces, and adopted as a standard
sidearm in several Eastern European armies and popular
with the IRA.
  Smith & Wesson Model 29. The S&W M29 is a .44 double
action magnum revolver. When introduced in the 1950s, it
was the world’s most powerful production handgun (and
featured as such in the Dirty Harry movies).
  Steyr AUG. An Austrian 5.56  mm assault rifle dating
from the 1960s and used as a the Armee-Universal-Gewehr
(“universal army rifle”) of the Austrian Army.
  TEC-9. A 9  mm Swedish machine pistol designed in
1985. This weapon is banned in many US states due to its
use in various public shootings.
Modern Equipment
  Uzi 9-mm submachine gun. An infamous Israeli sub-
machine gun developed in the late 1940s and still used
today all around the world, including by the US Secret
Service.
  Walther PPK. The Walther Police Pistol is a German
weapon. The PPK (Polizeipistole Kurz, or “Police Pistol
Short”) is a smaller 7.75 mm version of the PP, easy to con-
ceal, and famously James Bond’s weapon of choice.
  Winchester 94. A .444 hunting rifle, and one of the most
popular hunting rifles ever made. The weapon dates back
to the late 1800s and was still produced up until 2006. This
was the first commercial sporting rifle to sell more than
seven million units, and the first American repeating rifle
to use smokeless powder.
World War II Firearms
The Second World War saw the invention of a number of
fondly remembered firearms.
  FG 42 Assault Rifle (German). The Fallschirmjäger-
gewehr (“paratrooper”) 42 was produced by Germany in
WW2 and was used in limited numbers; it was considered
one of the most advanced weapons of the war, and strong-
ly influenced the US’s later M60 machine gun.

  Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle (German). The StG 44 is
a selective-fire rifle (also known as the MP 43 and MP 44)
produced late in the war, and it was the first weapon of
its size with controlled automatic fire. The StG 44 is the
weapon which gave rise to an entire class of weapons
know as “assault rifles” (although it was not the first to use
that term).
  Browning HP (Hi-Power) (American). This handgun—
initially developed for the French by the American John
Browning, although he died before seeing the weapon—
is one of the most widely used pistols ever, and was used
in the armed forces of a large number of countries. It had
twice the capacity of its rivals, the Luger and the Colt M1911.
  Colt M1911 Pistol (American). The standard-issue side-
arm for US forces for over 70 years, this weapon’s design
became the blueprint for a vast range of modern pistols.
The M1911 is popular at competitive shooting events.
  Enfield No. 2 (British). A standard British (and Com-
monwealth) sidearm during the war, this revolver was
designed for stopping power at very short range. The
weapons were never produced in enough quantity to
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 Modern Equipment

Example World War II Firearms

Weight
Weapon Damage Type Range Size (lbs) Cost ($) Availability Notes
Bren Light Machine Gun (British) 4d6+3 Ballistic 22 L 22.8 1,500 4A Auto, mounted

Browning HP (Hi-Power) (Ameri- 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 2.2 450 4A Sidearm

can)
Browning M1911 Machine Gun 4d6+4 Ballistic 28 L 31 5,000 4A Auto, mounted
(American)
Colt M1911 Pistol (American) 2d6+2 Ballistic 8 S 3 500 4A Sidearm
Enfield No. 2 (British) 2d6+3 Ballistic 3 S 1.7 300 4A Sidearm, revolver
FG 42 Assault Rifle (German) 2d6+2 Ballistic 24 M 9 1,00 4A Auto
FP-45 Liberator (American) 1d6+4 Ballistic 1 S 1 450 4A Sidearm, single
Lee-Enfield Mk IV (British) 2d6+3 Ballistic 20 M 9 500 4A —
Luger P08 (German) 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 1.9 300 4A Sidearm
M1 Carbine (American) 2d6 Ballistic 11 M 5.2 400 4A —
M1 Garand (American) 2d6+4 Ballistic 19 M 11 500 4A —
M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle 2d6+4 Ballistic 27 M 16 2,000 4A Auto
(American)
MG 42 (German) 3d6+2 Ballistic 20 L 25 2,000 4A Auto
Owen Gun (Australian) 2d6 Ballistic 5 M 9.3 450 4A Auto
Smith & Wesson Victory Model 2d6 Ballistic 5 S 2 300 4A Sidearm, revolver
(American)
Sten Gun (British) 2d6 Ballistic 4 M 7 200 4A Auto
Sturmgewehr 44 Assault Rifle 2d6+2 Ballistic 12 M 10 1,100 4A Auto
(German)
Thompson M1A1 “Tommy Gun” 2d6 Ballistic 6 M 10.8 400 4A Auto
(American)
Vickers Machine Gun (British) 4d6+4 Ballistic 40 L 40 9,000 4A Auto, mounted
Webley Revolver (British) 2d6+4 Ballistic 10 S 2.4 350 4A Sidearm, revolver

supply wartime demands, and as a result the Webley Mk
IV was often substituted.
  Luger P08 (German). Georg J. Luger’s “Pistole Parabel-
lum 1908” was initially adopted by the Swiss army before
being used widely by the Germans in both World Wars.
The Luger is the weapon most often associated with Nazi
Germany (especially officers), and it still shows up in
popular fiction as a weapon of choice for sneering villains.
  FP-45 Liberator (American). American-made, this
weapon was never used by the US. Instead, it was designed
to be dropped into German-occupied countries and used
by resistance fighters. A tiny, single-shot pistol, cheaply
made and mass-produced, the FP-45 had an incredibly
short range. The FP-45 was also known as the “Woolworth
Pistol” because its original cost was just $2.10.
  Smith & Wesson Victory Model (American). A popular
revolver worldwide, this pistol was a standard sidearm
for US air crews and was widely used by security guards
during the war. The S&W Victory remained in service un-
til the 1990s and was used by the Coast Guard and other
forces, as well as many police forces, before eventually be-
ing supplanted by the Beretta M9.
  Webley Revolver (British). First rising to prominence
during the Boer War, this weapon was a standard-issue
service pistol for Commonwealth forces. Webleys are one
of the most powerful top-break revolvers ever produced,

98

and they are still used by police in some countries.
  MG 42 (German). The Maschinengewehr 42 was a ma-
chine gun used extensively in the second half of WW2.
Known for its durability and reliability, it is noted for its
high volume of suppressive fire.
  Browning M1911 Machine Gun (American). A tripod-
mounted, air-cooled machine gun, this weapon was
widely used in WW2, the Korean War, and the Vietnam
War, generally as a support weapon with a two-man gun
team. It could be mounted on a tripod or on jeeps and
other vehicles.
  Bren Light Machine Gun (British). A British light ma-
chine gun fitted with a bipod, this distinctive weapon
featured a curved, top-mounted magazine. The name
Bren came from Brno, the Czechoslovakian city where the
gun’s parent, the Czechoslovak ZGB 33 light machine gun,
originated. The weapon is still manufactured today.
  M1918 Browning Automatic Rifle (American). A
bipod-mounted light machine gun, this weapon was
originally designed for the US Expeditionary Corps, and
carried by infantrymen in assault. It never really lived up
to expectations, and tended to be used more often as a
portable mounted light machine gun.
  Vickers Machine Gun (British). A six-man water-
cooled machine gun known for its reliability; the weapon
was famously usable for twelve hours continuously with-
out failure. The Vickers was the standard British machine
gun, and was not retired until the later 1960s. During
WW1, the Vickers gun was a standard weapon on British
and French aircraft, including the well-known Sopwith
Camel. During WW2 it gradually became replaced by the
Browning M1919.
  M1 Garand (American). The M1 was the standard
American service rifle through WW2 and the Korean War.
It is still used by military honor guards, as well as for tar-
get showing and hunting. The British Army considered
replacing its Lee-Enfield rifles with the M1; however the
M1 did not operate well under muddy conditions.
  Lee-Enfield Mk IV (British). The main British rifle of
the first half of the 20th century, it is still used in some
armed forces. After Russia’s Mosin-Nagant, it is the lon-
gest serving bolt-action rifle.
  M1 Carbine (American). It may share a designation
and similar appearance with the M1 Garand, but this
Modern Equipment
is a different weapon altogether. A lightweight weapon,
popular with the military, police, and with civilians, the
weapon served as a standard firearm from WW2 all the
way into the Vietnam War.
  Thompson M1A1 “Tommy Gun” (American). The
iconic Thompson submachine gun is most famous for its
use during America’s Prohibition era. It was used by crim-
inals, soldiers, and police alike, and had a large cartridge
and high volume of fire.
  Owen Gun (Australian). The Owen Machine Carbine
was the only entirely Australian submachine gun of WW2.
Somewhat bulky, the weapon’s reliability made it popular.
  Sten Gun (British). Known for its simple design and
low cost, the Sten Gun was used often by resistance
forces in WW2. The name is an acronym made from the
designers’ names—Shepherd, Turpin, and Enfield. The
Sten Gun rose to popularity after the Dunkirk evacua-
tion, during which many weapons were lost. The British
Army purchased as many Tommy guns from the US as the
Americans could make, but there weren’t enough, and a
quick-to-manufacture alternative was commissioned.
The Sten has a distinctive side-mounted magazine; it had
a reputation for being unreliable and inaccurate, but it
was very cheap.
Western Handguns
These handguns are strongly associated with the Ameri-
can Wild West.
  Allen and Thurber Pepperbox. The pepperbox revolver
is a multiple-barrel repeating pistol, with the barrels
grouped around a central axis. Pepperbox pistols are
mainly designed for civilian use in England, and the main
US producer was Ethan Allen.
  Colt Lightning. The Colt M1877 was a double action re-
volver. The Lightning variation was the little brother to the
Colt Thunderer.
  Colt Peacemaker. The Colt Single Action Army was
designed for US government use, and was the standard
military revolver until the late 1800s. This is the weapon
also called “The Gun That Won the West.”
  Colt Thunderer. The Colt M1877 was a double action re-
volver. The Thunderer variation was the big brother to the
Colt Lightning, and was the weapon most famously used
by Billy the Kid.
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Example Western Handguns

Weight
Weapon Damage Type Range Size (lbs) Cost ($) Availability Special
Harpers Ferry Pistol 2d6+2 Ballistic 4 S 2.5 2 4A Sidearm, single
U.S. Model 1842 Percussion Navy 2d6+2 Ballistic 4 S 2.5 5 4A Sidearm, single
Pistol
Allen and Thurber Pepperbox 1d6+1 Ballistic 2 S 4 20 4A Sidearm, revolver
Philadephia Derringer 2d6 Ballistic 2 S 0.5 11 4A Sidearm, single,
hold-out
Sharps Pepperbox 1d6+1 Ballistic 2 S 1.5 10 4A Sidearm, revolver
Remington Double-Derringer 2d6 Ballistic 2 S 0.5 8 4A Sidearm, single
Colt Walker Dragoon 2d6 Ballistic 8 S 4.5 20 4A Sidearm, revolver
Colt New Model Army 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 3 18 4A Sidearm, revolver
Remington Pocket Pistol 1d6+1 Ballistic 4 S 1 15 4A Sidearm, revolver,
hold-out
Reid Knuckle duster 1d6+1 Ballistic 2 S 1 2 4A Sidearm, revolver,
hold-out
Colt Peacemaker 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 3 18 4A Sidearm, revolver
S&W Schofield 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 2.5 28 4A Sidearm, revolver
Starr Army Revolver 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 3 20 4A Sidearm, revolver
Webley RIC 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 2 22 4A Sidearm, revolver
Colt Lightning 1d6+1 Ballistic 4 S 2 25 4A Sidearm, revolver
Colt Thunderer 2d6 Ballistic 6 S 2.5 28 4A Sidearm, revolver

  Colt Walker Dragoon. The Cold Model 1848 Percussion

Army Revolver is a single action .44 revolver designed as a
cavalry weapon by Samuel Colt for the US Mounted Rifles
Regiment. It became popular with civilians in the mid
1800s, and it was used extensively during the American
Civil War. It’s a big, heavy pistol, and hard to conceal.
  Colt New Model Army. The Colt Army Model 1860 is a
muzzle-loaded cap-and-ball single action revolver, and
was the most widely used revolver during the American
Civil War.
  Harper’s Ferry Pistol (1805). The model 1805 US Mar-
tial “Harper’s Ferry” flintlock pistol was the first pistol
manufactured at the Harpers Ferry Armory in Virginia. A
.53 caliber single-shot smoothbore flintlock pistol issued
to officers, it was produced in pairs (known as a “brace”).
  Philadelphia Derringer. A small percussion handgun,
this “Pocket Derringer” was a popular concealed weapon.
They were favored by assassins (this was the weapon used
by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate Abraham Lincoln).
These weapons are almost always sold in matching pairs.
Hi Ho, Silver!
Many exploits from the main Universal exploits list
are very suitable for Western settings. The following
exploits are especially suitable for Western settings,
but can be used in any WOIN game.
  Blazing Saddle (requires riding skill). You are adept at
using firearms from horseback. You gain the same ben-
efits for being mounted as a melee combatant would.
  Fanning (requires AGI 8). You can hold your revolv-
er’s trigger and strike the hammer rapidly, spraying
bullets over a wide area. Choose three adjacent
squares within one range increment; any creature
in one of those squares is subject to the revolver’s
standard attack at a –1d6 cost. If a creature occupies
more than one square, it suffers ballistic damage for
each of the three squares it occupies. This cannot be
done with double-action revolvers. Fanning a revolver
empties the weapon (requiring two actions to reload),
and costs two actions.

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  Reid Knuckle Duster. This tiny .32 caliber revolver,
sometimes known as a “ring gun,” was designed by James
Reid as a compact weapon; these little 3-inch knuckle
duster revolvers were part of the “My Friend” series. The
revolver has no barrel; the rounds fire from the open
cylinder, and the weapon is gripped by lacing a finger
through the “ring.” This weapon also doubles as a cestus,
increasing unarmed damage to 2d6 blunt.
  Remington Double-Derringer. This double barrelled
derringer came in a number of variations, and was man-
ufactured from 1866 all the way until 1935. It was also
known as the “Over-Under Derringer” and was popular
for its small size and weight.
  Remington Pocket Pistol. The 1863 Pocket Remington
has a five-shot cylinder and is designed to fit in a coat
pocket.
  S&W Schofield. The Smith & Wesson Model 3 was a
popular revolver from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.,
and was the first standard issue cartridge firing revolve in
US service.
  Sharp’s Pepperbox. A breechloading four-shot pepper-
box pistol, patented by Christian Sharps in 1849. Unlike
revolving pepperboxes, the four barrels in this weapon do
not revolve.
  Starr Army Revolver. The Starr DA is a double-action
revolver used in the American Civil War.
  U.S. Model 1842 Percussion Navy Pistol. Based on the
British Navy boxlocks, this is a . 54 caliber smoothbore
single shot pistol manufactured by MP Ames and Henry
Derringer. It was the first percussion pistol delivered un-
der contract to the US government.
  Webley RIC. The Webley Service Revolver was the stan-
dard-issue service pistol for the UK armed forces, from the
late 1800s through to beyond WW2. The RIC (Royal Irish
Constabulary) variation was the first Webley double-ac-
tion revolver. General Custer is known to have used a pair
of Webley RIC’s during the battle of Little Bighorn.
Western Longarms
In the American Wild West, if you’re armed with a musket,
rifle, or shotgun, you probably have one of these.
  M1816 Flintlock Musket. The Model 1816 Springfield
Musket was used in the early 1800s and served during the
Texan Revolution and the Mexican-American War.
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  M1842 Percussion Springfield Musket. The Model
1842 Musket was the final US smoothbore musket, and is a
continuation of the 1816 line. The weapon was used in the
American Civil War.
  Harper’s Ferry Rifle. The Harper’s Ferry Model 1803
was the first rifle made by an American armory. It fea-
tured a flintlock firing mechanism, and a short octagonal
barrel. The shorter rifle reduced its range, but made it
more reliable.
  Hawken Rifle. Designed by the Hawken brothers in the
1820s, this muzzle-loader was used on the prairies of the
US during the early frontier years; these rifles were known
as “plains rifles” or “Rocky Mountain” guns—reliable,
light, and capable of taking down large targets.
  Sharps Rifle. Designed by Christian Sharps in 1848
these large-bore single shot rifles are known for their long
range. The weapons were used by US Army marksmen
known as “Berdan’s Sharpshooters” in the US Civil War.
  Sharps Carbine. A cavalry version of the Sharps Rifle,
these weapons featured prominently in the Indian Wars
in the years following the US Civil War. They feature an
unusual hand-cranked grinder in the stock, designed to
grind corn or wheat. This was the most popular weapon
with Union cavalry regiments up to the mid-1800s.
  Spencer Carbine. A replacement for the Sharps Car-
bine, this was used by Union cavalry in the US Civil War.
  Henry Rifle. The Henry repeating rifle is famed as the
precursor to the iconic Winchester rifle, and for its use at
the Battle of the Little Bighorn. A sixteen-shot .44 caliber
rifle, this weapon was favoured by scouts and skirmishers.
  Winchester ’73. This iconic repeating rifle claims to be
“The Gun That Won The West” (a claim contested by the
Colt Peacemaker).
  Sharps Big Fifty. A .50 caliber Sharps rifle used for buf-
falo hunting.
  Loomis Side-by Side. This early double barrelled shot-
gun is a single action muzzle loader. It takes a full minute
to load the shotgun. The damage indicated is for one bar-
rel; however both barrels can be fired simultaneously at a
single target, with only one attack roll being required.
  Remington Single-Barrel. The Model 10 pump action
shotgun from John Pedersen was used by the US military
for guarding prisoners and, in limited, numbers, by the
Marine Corps.
 Modern Equipment

Example Western Longarms

Weapon Damage Type Range Size Wgt (lbs) Cost ($) Avail Special
M1816 Flintlock Musket 2d6+2 Ballistic 14 M 9 8 4A Single
M1842 Percussion Musket 3d6 Ballistic 14 M 9 8 4A Single
Harper’s Ferry Rifle 3d6 Ballistic 14 M 8.5 10 4A —
Hawken Rifle 3d6 Ballistic 16 M 10 25 4A Single
Sharps Rifle 2d6+2 Ballistic 18 M 9.5 25 4A Single
Sharps Carbine 2d6+2 Ballistic 16 M 8 25 4A Single
Spencer Carbine 3d6+2 Ballistic 14 M 8.5 35 4A Single
Henry Rifle 2d6+2 Ballistic 12 M 9.5 442 4A —
Winchester ’73 2d6+2 Ballistic 14 M 10 35 4A —
Sharps Big Fifty 4d6 Ballistic 24 M 14 40 4A —
Loomis Side-by-Side 1d6+3 Ballistic 4 M 9 20 4A Shotgun, single
Remington Single- Barrel 2d6+2 Ballistic 6 M 8 25 4A Shotgun, single
Remington Whitmore M1873 1d6+3 Ballistic 6 M 10 35 4A Shotgun, single
Winchester Lever- Action 3d6+2 Ballistic 6 M 9 40 4A Shotgun

  Remington Whitmore M1873. A side-by-side shotgun;   Winchester Lever-Action. The Winchester Model 1887
the damage shown is for one barrel, but both barrels can shotgun is a lever-action weapon and the first successful
be fired simultaneously at a single target, with only one repeating shotgun.
attack roll being required.

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Weapon Upgrades and

Customization
Weapons can be customized and upgraded with addi-
tional features. These range from simple features like
telescopic scopes or auto-loaders to booby-trapped weap-
ons which identify the wielder, or methods to conceal
weapons from scanners.
  The number of upgrades a weapon can support is based
on its size:
Aiming Aids
Don’t weapons already have scopes and laser sights?
  Generally speaking, when you purchase a weapon,
you can include any of the listed upgrades. The cost
given in the weapons lists assumes that you are pur-
chasing a weapon without scopes, laser sights, and
other features, even though it may be uncommon to
purchase some types of firearms without them.

Weapon Upgrades by Weapon Size

Size Upgrades   Hair trigger. A second trigger allows the fire mecha-
Small 2 nism to be operated with very little pressure; a lighter
Medium 3 trigger pull means that your aim is less likely to be dis-
Large 5 turbed. This upgrade grants you +1d6 Initiative as long
as you use your firearm in the first round of combat. If you
Additionally, higher quality weapons increase the num- do not, you miss your turn.
ber of upgrades possible.   ID-Matched. An ID-Matched weapon can only be used
by a single designated individual—usually its owner. The
Additional Upgrades by Weapon Quality system uses a variety of biometric data to determine the
Quality Upgrades user’s identity and will not function for any wielder other
High +1 than that individual. This upgrade cannot be applied to
Superior +1 simple weapons like clubs or swords; the weapon must
Mastercraft +2 have electronic or mechanical components which require
Artisan +2 activation.
Unique +3   Illuminator. This is essentially a mounted flashlight. It
provides illumination in a 30' cone.
Therefore a superior quality rifle, which is a medium-sized   Increased damage. You are using an unusual, possibly
weapon, can support a total of 4 upgrades. experimental, almost certainly illegal propellant. Your
weapon does +1d6 damage.
Ranged Weapon Upgrade Costs   Laser sight. A laser sight projects a small red dot onto
Ranged Weapon Upgrade Cost ($) the target. They are ineffective in bright light (including
Hair trigger 250 sunlight on a hot day), but when used grant a +1d6 attack
ID-Matched 500 bonus within the weapon’s first range increment.
Illuminator 50   Scope. A scope is one of the most basic, common addi-
Increased Damage 1,000 tions to a ranged weapon. It enables the wielder to more
Laser Sight 500 easily hit targets at greater range increments. A scope
Scope 100 adds 50% to the range increment of a ranged weapon.
  Advanced scope 500   Advanced scope. An advanced scope adds 100% to
  Night scope 300 the weapon’s range increment instead of 50%.
Silencer 250   Night scope. A night scope ($300) allows the user to
Stealthy 500 operate a ranged weapon in complete darkness.
Vented 300   Suppressor. A suppressor (colloquially known as
a “silencer”) is used to suppress the noise made from a

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Armor
While it can’t guarantee one’s life through a dangerous
conflict, armor is one of the fundamental forms of protec-
tion against gunfire, knives, and all the rest of the death
life throws at you. The technology has improved from the
days of chainmail and plate armor, but the principle re-
mains largely the same: wearing something resistant to
damage in the hope that it will absorb any incoming dam-
age before it gets through to you. Some armor types are
less effective against certain damage types—for example,
flexible armor usually doesn’t help the wearer against
blunt damage, and metallic armor may be vulnerable to
electricity damage.

Reading the Armor Table

gunshot. Only ballistic weapons can make use of a sup-
pressor, making their use as quiet as a breath of wind but
reducing their range by half. Shotguns and revolvers can-
not use suppressor.
  Stealthy. A stealthy weapon is one composed of mate-
rials which do not register on security scanners (such as
superhard plastic or hardened ceramics). The weapon will
not, however, bypass a visual inspection.
  Vented. This upgrade is only available for heavy weap-
ons. A vented heavy weapon has its STR requirement
reduced by –1.
Armor entries have the following characteristics.
  Soak. This is the most important part of an armor’s
entry. It tells you how much damage it is able to absorb.
Usually this is expressed as a simple number (Soak 5, for
example). Sometimes, however, a damage type might be
noted also—so a Soak 5 (Heat) entry means that the ar-
mor soaks five points of heat damage, but cold or blunt
damage is unaffected. An armor type can have multiple
Soak entries for different damage types.
  Cost. This is the cost in dollars of a standard example of
this armor type.
  Type. This indicates whether the armor is light, medium,
or heavy, which can affect things like available upgrades
and upgrade slots.

Modern Armor
Armor Soak Cost ($) Type Weight (lbs) Ineffective
Leather jacket 2 40 Light 5 Heat/fire
Flak jacket/vest 3; 10 (explosives) 60 Light 12 —
Stab vest 3; 10 (piercing, slashing) 90 Light 10 —
Tactical vest 5 200 Medium 30 Piercing
Kevlar (bulletproof) vest 5 100 Light 30 Piercing
TALOS body armor 10 5,000 Heavy 200 —
Bomb suit (blast suit) 10; 15 (explosives) 2,500 Heavy 75 —
Long kevlar coat (trenchcoat) 6 200 Medium 50 Piercing
Hazmat suit 2 (10 radiation, acid, heat) 4,000 Medium 40 Piercing
Riot armor 7 1,000 Medium 50 —
Military body armor 8 2,000 Heavy 60 —
Spacesuit 5 (15 radiation) 10,000 Heavy 110 Piercing

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 Modern Equipment
  Defense. Heavy armor imposes a –4
Defense penalty, and medium armor
enforces a –2 Defense penalty.
  Weight. This is the weight in pounds
of the armor. Armor can be heavy, and
exceeding your Carry value can have
negative effects.
  Ineffective. The armor does not of-
fer any Soak towards damage of this
type. This is not the same as Vulnerabil-
ity (which means that the target takes
additional damage). All armors are ineffective against
psychic, radiation, and sonic damage unless otherwise
specified.
Modern Armor
In addition to armored suits offering more generalized
protection, some modern armors are purpose-built for
more narrow applications.
  Bomb suit. A bomb or blast suit, is a heavy outfit de-
signed to withstand bomb blasts, often worn by bomb
disposal experts. Very cumbersome, these suits reduce
the wearer’s Initiative and Perception rolls by –1d6.
Wearers of this suit are immune to the Fire status track, as
the fire retardant material makes it impossible for them
to catch fire.
  Flak jacket. These jackets are designed to protect from
shrapnel and shotguns. Flak jackets predate “bulletproof”
armor, and provide less protection against modern ballis-
tic weaponry.
  Hazmat suit. A hazardous materials suit is an imperme-
able garment which protects against toxic environments.
Wearers are completely protected from airborne (gas)
effects, and gain resistance to radiation, chemical spills,
and high temperature.
  Kevlar vest or long coat. Kevlar is a fibrous, high
strength fabric originally designed to withstand ballistic
damage. The vest covers the upper torso, while the long
coat is a distinctive kevlar-lined trench-coat.
  Leather jacket. A (fashionable!) leather jacket isn’t ar-
mor, but it is thick enough to provide some protection.
Leather jackets come in a variety of styles and colors.
  Military body armor. This is the finest quality protec-
tion available, made with hard ceramics tightly woven
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through one another in industrial pro-
cesses using high-powered machinery.
Only the best-equipped assault teams
and mercenaries afford and utilize it.
  Riot armor. This armor is the type
typically worn by uniformed police,
designed to allow movement while of-
fering maximum protection. Riot armor
includes padding, blast vest, kevlar pads
on the arms, legs, and knees, and, typi-
cally, a helmet.
  Spacesuit. Worn by astronauts, a spacesuit keeps the
wearer alive in the hostile environment of space. The
wearer can breathe normally in a vacuum (or other toxic
environment) and gains high radiation protection.
  Stab vest. This reinforced body armor is designed to
block knife attacks, a weakness of kevlar armor. Stab vests
provide less protection against bullets. Stab vests are of-
ten worn by law enforcement officers.
  Tactical vest. These vests typically include pouches,
communications wiring sleeves, holsters, and equipment
webbing designed to hold radios, knives, and other gear.
Wearing a tactical vest counts as wearing a backpack for
the purposes of carrying equipment.
  TALOS Body Armor. The Tactical Assault Light Opera-
tor Suit is a bulletproof robotic exoskeleton able to monitor
the wearer’s vitals and reduce load. While wearing the
suit, the wearer doubles his Carry increment (but not his
maximum lift).
Armor Upgrades and
Customization
As with weapons, various upgrades can be added to armor
in order to improve or alter its functionality. The number
of upgrades that armor can support depends on its type:
Armor Upgrades by Armor Type
Armor Type Upgrades
Light 2
Medium 3
Heavy 5
Additionally, high quality armor can support more
upgrades.
 Modern Equipment

Additional Upgrades by Armor Quality   Spikes. This medieval looking adjustment looks in-
Quality Upgrades timidating and exotic; however, their primary purpose
High +1 is to cause damage to opponents who attempt to grab the
Superior +1 wearer. Any attempt to grab the wearer of spiked armor
Mastercraft +2 causes the attacker 1d6 stabbing damage.
Artisan +2   Thermal. Thermal armor both protects against cold en-
Unique +3 vironments, and also grants 5 Soak vs. cold (cryo) damage.
  Weighted. Weighted armors are entire outfits with small,
Therefore mastercraft military body armor, which is heavy precise lead weights sewn into the cuffs, arms, shoulders,
armor, can support a total of 7 upgrades. hips, hems, and shoes. These impose a –1 penalty to the
wearer’s physical ability scores when calculating derived
Armor Upgrade Costs attributes, but grant a +1 bonus to damage with melee
Armor Upgrade Cost attacks and if worn throughout a campaign, the cost for
Ablative $500 increasing their actual attribute is similarly reduced.
Camouflage $300
Reinforced $700 Shields
Spikes $80 Shields aren’t terribly common in the modern day, but
Thermal $250 riot police, assault teams, and other combat-oriented in-
Weighted $250 dividuals make use of them. Shields add to the wielder’s
Defense rather than absorbing damage. A shield requires
  Ablative. Highly effective, ablative armor absorbs dam- a free arm, and so shields cannot be used with two-hand-
age by vaporizing when hit, successively destroying many ed weapons.
overlapping sheets of protective material. Ablative armor   A small shield is about two-feet across, a medium shield
starts with an additional 2 points of Soak. Its Soak value is about three-feet across, a large shield is three-feet
reduces by 1 point with each hit, and the actual weight of across and four-feet in height, while a tower shield is five
the armor lessens by 5 lbs. or more feet in height. Modern shields are typically made
  Camouflage. Camouflage armor is an easy and cheap of polycarbonate, although other materials are possible.
way to blend into the surroundings. Camouflage can be
applied to any armor, and must be selected for a specific Example Modern Shields
terrain (desert, snow, jungle, night, urban). Wearing the Cost Weight Melee
correct camouflage armor for the terrain grants a +1d6 Shield Defense ($) (lbs) Damage
bonus to checks to hide. Small, polycarbonate +1 25 5 1d6
  Reinforced. Reinforced armor is built with heavy boots Medium, polycarbonate +2 60 8 1d6
and a framework of metal that runs along the skeletal Large, polycarbonate +3 150 20 2d6
structure of the wearer and customized to fit their body. Tower, polycarbonate +3* 275 32 2d6
*+4 v. ranged
Only heavy armors can be reinforced, and they reduce the
wearer’s movement by 1 but grant a +1d6 to opportunist Attacking with a Shield
stomp, throw, and trip combat exploits. Shields can be used as a weapon (as a primary weapon
  Resistant. For every $1,000 spent (and each slot used), or as an off-hand weapon). They cause blunt damage as
the armor gains +2 Soak against a specific damage type shown in the table above.
(but not ballistic damage, and not a damage type the ar-   A shield used as a weapon does not grant its Defense
mor is ineffective against). The type is chosen at the time bonus until the beginning of the wielder’s next turn.
of the upgrade. This stacks with the armor’s existing Soak. Shield spikes change the damage type to piercing.

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Vehicles
Vehicle Statistics
Vehicles of various kinds can be purchased easily (for
those inclined to get a customized mode of transportation,
see “Pimp my Ride,” later in this chapter). It’s important
to note that a vehicle’s Speed rating is not the same as a
character’s—it represents a different, much larger scale.
Year. The model year of the vehicle.
  Cost. This is the price the vehicle cost when it was origi-
nally produced.
Adjusted Price (Adj.). The adjusted price is the same
price adjusted for inflation. It is used to determine quality.
  Quality. The vehicle’s quality is used to determine any
equipment die bonuses the driver might get. This is based
on the vehicle’s type and adjusted price.
  Upgrades (Upg). This is the number of slots the vehicle
has available for customizations, weapons, and so on.
  Occupants (Occ). The number of occupants includes
the driver.
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  Speed. This is the vehicle’s top speed. One point of
Speed is equal to 10 mph.
  Acceleration (Accel). This is the amount by which
the vehicle may increase or decrease its current speed in
one round.
  Handling (Handl). This value determines how well
the vehicle turns; the lower the number, the better. The
number indicates how may 10' squares the vehicle
must travel before it is capable of making a turn (up to
45 degrees).
  Health. This score is similar to a character’s Health—
it indicates how much damage a vehicle can take.
  Soak. The larger the vehicle, the higher its Soak. Vehicle
Soak applies to both the vehicle itself and its occupants
(unless they already have a higher Soak score).
  Defense (Def). A vehicle’s Defense is a factor of its size.
Note that scores lower than 10 are shown, because a ve-
hicle adds its current speed to its Defense score; however,
if the total ends up less than 10, it must be increased to 10.
 Modern Equipment

Example Vehicles
Automobiles Year Cost ($) Adj. ($) Quality Upg Occ Speed Accel Handl Health Soak Def
Aston Martin DB5 1963 7,000 43,400 Standard 10 2 14 3 3 57 5 10
Aston Martin DB9 2004 230,000 483,000 Mastercraft 12 2 20 4 2 63 10 9
BMW 3-Series 1984 20,970 85,977 Exceptional 11 5 12 2 2 52 10 10
BMW 3-Series 2012 42,800 55,640 High 11 5 14 3 2 67 10 9
Bugatti Veyron 2014 1,500,000 1,650,000 Artisanal 12 2 23 7 3 64 5 9
Delorean DMC-12 1982 12,000 51,600 High 11 2 10 2 3 52 5 10
Dodge Charger 1969 6,005 33,628 Standard 10 2 16 4 4 60 5 10
F212 Ferrari Tes- 1986 220,000 858,000 Mastercraft 12 2 18 4 2 60 5 10
tarossa
Ferrari 308 GTS 1981 47,440 208,736 Standard 12 2 14 3 2 53 5 10
Ferrarri Daytona 1972 68,970 365,541 Mastercraft 12 2 18 4 2 53 5 10
Spider
Ford Falcon XB 1974 6,510 33,201 Standard 10 5 12 2 3 53 5 10
Interceptor
Ford Focus 2014 21,135 23,249 Standard 8 5 14 2 3 54 5 10
Ford Gran Torino 1975 4,314 21.570 Standard 10 2 10 2 4 65 5 9
Ford Mustang 1964 2,368 14,445 Standard 8 4 14 3 4 50 10 10
Ford Mustang 2012 22,200 28,860 Standard 10 4 16 4 4 60 10 10
Honda Civic 2015 31,250 31,250 High 8 5 12 2 3 34 5 10
Jaguar E-Type 1963 5,895 36,549 Standard 10 2 14 3 2 50 5 10
Jaguar XJ 1969 6,465 36,204 Standard 10 5 12 2 2 60 10 10
Jaguar XJ 2012 73,200 96,160 Exceptional 11 5 16 3 2 64 10 9
Jeep Grand 2015 29,995 29,995 Standard 10 5 16 3 4 67 10 9
Cherokee
Koenigsegg 2010 2,100,000 3,150,000 Artisanal 12 2 24 7 2 57 5 10
Trevita
Land Rover 2014 60,453 66,498 Exceptional 11 5 12 3 4 63 10 10
Freelander
McLaren F1 1998 450,000 1,215,000 Artisanal 10 3 24 6 2 50 5 10
Mini Cooper 1964 2,093 12,767 Standard 8 4 10 2 2 37 5 10
Mini Cooper 2015 20,700 20,700 Standard 8 4 14 3 2 50 5 10
Pagani Zonda 2009 1,246,599 1,994,558 Artisanal 12 2 22 6 2 52 5 10
Cinque
Pontiac Firebird 1982 10,396 44,703 Standard 10 2 12 2 3 57 5 10
Trans Am
Porsche 911 1963 6,370 39,494 Standard 8 4 16 2 2 47 5 10
Porsche 911 2012 82,100 106,730 High 11 4 18 4 2 57 5 10
Range Rover Sport 2014 63,495 69,845 Exceptional 11 5 16 2 4 69 10 9
Volkswagen 1950 1,280 9,600 Standard 8 4 10 1 4 41 5 10
Beetle
Volkswagen 2012 19,795 25,734 High 10 4 14 2 4 57 5 10
Beetle

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Motorcycles Year Cost ($) Adj. ($) Quality Upg Occ Speed Accel Handl Health Soak Def
Harley Davidson 1990 10,299 36,047 Mastercraft 6 1 10 3 2 26 0 12
FLSTF Fatboy
Harley Davidson 1952 1,850 13,505 Exceptional 6 1 10 4 2 17 0 12
Hydra-Glides
Kawasaki Ninja 1984 9,950 30,845 Exceptional 6 1 16 5 1 22 0 12
GPZ 900R
Kawasaki ZZR 250 2003 12,950 28,490 Exceptional 6 1 18 4 2 17 0 12
Triumph TR-6 1961 1,200 7,680 High 6 1 12 4 1 19 0 12
Trophy

Trucks & Vans Year Cost ($) Adj. ($) Quality Upg Occ Speed Accel Handl Health Soak Def
Cadillac Miller- 1959 9,748 64,337 High 16 5 12 1 5 77 10 9
Meteor Hearse
GMC Vandura Van 1983 10,187 42,785 High 11 5 10 1 4 71 10 9
Kenworth K100 1977 45,000 216,000 Exceptional 15 3 8 1 5 161 10 4
Cabover Truck
Kenworth W900 1974 36,000 183,600 High 15 3 8 1 5 138 10 5
Seagrave Fire 2013 450,000 540,000 Exceptional 17 6 6 1 5 245 10 2
Engine

Tanks Year Cost ($) Adj. ($) Quality Upg Occ Speed Accel Handl Health Soak Def
Challenger 2 Main 1998 4,217,000 11,385,900 Exceptional 17 4 4 1 4 354 20 2
Battle Tank
M1 Abrams Main 1980 4,300,000 19,350,000 Exceptional 19 4 4 1 4 346 20 2
Battle Tank
M60 Patton Main 1961 790,000 5,056,000 High 17 4 4 1 4 316 20 2
Battle Tank
M706 Cadillac 1963 510,250 3,163,550 High 20 5 6 2 5 148 20 4
Gage Commando
Amphibious
Armored Car
Panzer VIII Maus 1944 1,200,000 9,720,000 High 17 6 1 1 5 643 20 2
Stingray Light 1988 890,000 3,293,000 High 17 4 4 1 4 213 15 2
Tank

Police Vehicles Year Cost ($) Adj. ($) Quality Upg Occ Speed Accel Handl Health Soak Def
Ford Crown 1995 12,500 37,500 Standard 10 5 13 2 4 64 10 9
Victoria Police  
Interceptor
Ford Police Taurus 2014 26,780 29,458 Standard 10 5 13 3 4 63 10 9
Interceptor Sedan
Plymouth Belve- 1968 7,000 39,900 Standard 8 5 12 3 4 56 10 10
dere Pursuit  

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  Converting Vehicles
If you have a vehicle catalog to hand, you can use it to
derive the WOIN stats of any real-world vehicle. You will
need price, maximum speed, 0–60 mph acceleration, and
weight, which you should be able to find in any car listing.
  Price. This is the price the vehicle costs in the real
world. This may vary by time period, depending when
your game is set. In general, use the price when the ve-
hicle was new.
  Adjusted price. This value takes into account inflation.
An Aston Martin DB5 cost only about $8,000 in 1963; its
equivalent these days costs many times that. Vehicle
prices are increased by 10% per year for the purposes
of determining quality on the tables below. This allows
older, classic cars to qualify for a quality level appropri-
ate to their actual quality.
  Defense. The weight of a vehicle determines its De-
fense attribute (use the table below). A vehicle also adds
its current speed (not its Speed score) to its Defense
score. Note that the minimum Defense is 10, as always,
but lower numbers are provided as they can effectively
mitigate high speeds. Use the figures shown, and if the
final result is less than 10, increase it to 10.
  Upgrades. The number of upgrade slots available is de-
pendent on the vehicle’s size (see the table below).
  Speed. Speed is equal to the vehicle’s maximum speed
in miles per hour divided by 10. For example, a car with a
listed maximum speed of 120 mph has a Speed of 12. This
is the vehicle’s top speed, designed for a straight line; at
high speeds, it can be very difficult to maneuver and turn.
Most drivers will typically operate at half this value in
combat — combat is not (usually) a race.
  Acceleration. This is equal to 20 divided by the vehi-
cle’s 0–60 mph time. It is the amount by which a vehicle
may increase or decease its speed each round.
  Defense. Use the table below to determine the ve-
hicle’s Defense.
  Handling. Use the table below to determine the ve-
hicle’s Handling.
  Health. A vehicle’s Health is equal to the square root
of its weight in pounds.
  Soak. A vehicle’s Soak depends on the vehicle type.
Compact cars, sports cars, and smaller vehicles have
Soak 5. Larger vehicles have Soak 10. Armored vehicles
have Soak 15 (light armored) or 20 (heavy armored).
  Quality. The vehicle’s quality is determined by its type
and price. Quality is mainly used to determine the number
of available upgrade slots. It also provides an equipment
bonus to drivers. Quality can be gauged by the adjusted
price of the vehicle (after inflation). This does not affect
the actual cost of the vehicle — it is simply used to com-
pare like for like with older vehicles when determining
quality. If you have a vehicle’s price (when new), you can
establish its quality using the Default Vehicle Quality by
Price tables on the next page.
  For example, the original price of a 2014 Bugatti Vey-
ron is $1,500,000, making it an artisanal sports car.

Default Vehicle Statistics by Weight

Weight (lbs) Upgrades Defense Handling Examples
0–1,000 4 12 1 or 2 Motorcycles, buggies
1,001–4,000 8 10 3 or 4 Compact to midsize cars
4,001–6,000 10 9 4 Pickups, large cars, vans, small helicopters, WW2 fighters
6,001–10,000 12 8 4 Large pickups
10,001–14,000 14 7 5 Giant SUVs
14,001–16,000 16 6 5 Haulers, dump trucks
16,001–19,500 18 5 5 Commercial trucks, small plane
19,501–26,000 20 4 6 Tow trucks, small buses, medium-lift helicopters
26,001–33,000 22 3 6 Buses, coaches, light tanks, fighter jets
33,001+ 24 2 6 Tractor trailers, big rigs, tanks, fire trucks, starfighters

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Converting Vehicles, continued

Default Vehicle Quality by Adjusted Price
Compact Large Luxury Sports Small ATV Medium ATV
Standard Up to $24K Up to $40K Up to $54K Up to $45K Up to $7,500 Up to $29K
High $24K – $40K $40K–$65K $54K–$90K $45K–$75K $7,500–$13K $29K–$48K
Exceptional $40K – $80K $65K–$130K $90K–$180K $75K–$150K $13K–$25K $48K–$95K
Mastercraft $80K – $800K $130K–$1.3M $180K–$1.8M $150K–$1.5M $25K–$250K $95K–$950K
Artisanal $800K – $8M $1.3M – $13M $1.8M– $18M $1.5M–$15M $250K–$2.5M $950K–$9.5M
Legendary $8M+ $13M+ $18M+ $15M+ $2.5M+ $9.5M+

Motorcycle, Semi–tractor,
Large ATV Motorcycle sport cab Truck, small Van
Standard Up to $46K Up to $4,500 Up to $16,500 Up to $120K Up to $42K Up to $36K
High $46K–$78K $4,500–$7,500 $16,500–$27,500 $120K–$200K $42K–$70K $36K–$60K
Exceptional $78K–$155K $7,500–$15K $27,500–$55K $200K–$400K $70K–$140K $60K–$120K
Mastercraft $155K–$1.5M $15K–$150K $55K–$550K $400K–$4M $140K–$1.4M $120K–$1.2M
Artisanal $1.5M–$15M $150K–$1.5M $550K–$5.5M $4M–$40M $1.4M–$14M $1.2M–$12M
Legendary $15M+ $1.5M+ $5.5M+ $40M+ $14M+ $12M+

Pimp My Ride •• Rims/tires. Improved tires can increase road grip,

“Now, this I’m particularly proud of—behind the headlights,
Stinger missiles!”
  For groups interested in a more vehicular game, N.O.W.
has rules that can increase the attributes of a vehicle or
grant it extraordinary abilities (such as making it leap into
the air, temporarily change color to match its surround-
ings, or more) via upgrades. The number of upgrades a
vehicle may have is indicated in the vehicle lists.
  No single upgrade or weapon may use more than half
the vehicle’s total upgrade slots.
Tuning
The vehicle chassis, which includes its engines, can be
tuned to improve performance. Each item below costs
one-tenth the price of the base car (adding a supercharger
to a 2012 Ford Mustang would cost $2,220).
•• Supercharger. A supercharger increases the
vehicle’s Speed by 1.
•• Transmission. With a short-shift transmission, the
vehicle’s Accel can be increased by 1.
improving the vehicle’s Handling by one category
to a maximum of 3.
•• Suspension. A stiffer suspension will improve Han-
dling by one category to a maximum of 3. However,
it makes for a less comfortable ride—when the
vehicle spins out, occupants take 2d6 damage each
instead of 1d6 damage.
•• Brakes. Ventilated disc brakes or other improve-
ments can increase Accel by 1 for the purposes of
deceleration only.
•• Passenger space. Occupant slots can be removed
to allow additional upgrade slots on a 1:1 basis. No
vehicle can have less than 1 occupant. Note that this
also reduces the number of actions available to a
vehicle.
•• Ultra-light body. Body panels can be replaced with
ultra-light materials. This increases the vehicle’s
maximum Speed by 2, but reduces its Soak by 5.
This cannot be combined with a reinforced chassis
(below).

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Vehicle Upgrades Vehicle Upgrades

Upgrades (and weapons) use upgrade slots. A vehicle’s Upgrade Slots Location Cost ($) Avail
upgrade slots are roughly evenly distributed around the A.I. 1 General 20,000 5B
chassis; a vehicle can have no more than one third of its Adaptive camouflage 1 General 20,000 5B
upgrade slots in any one direction (forward, rear, left, Additional propulsion 1 Rear 2,000 5A
right). This applies to upgrades which have a designated system
location in the table below, and to weapons, which must Air brakes 1 General 4,000 5A
have a firing arc designated. Body blades 1 General 4,000 4A
  A.I. A basic A.I. operates as an occupant, allowing the Bulletproof windows 2 General 3,000 5A
vehicle to take an additional action with a 4d6 dice pool, Cable launcher 2 Front 5,000 4B
and has a LOG attribute of 2. An advanced A.I. (at ten Cement/paint blaster 3 Rear 8,000 5B
times the cost) is also able to drive the vehicle autono- Conversion vehicle 3 General 5,000 5C
mously and hold basic conversations with the occupants; Dubious license 0 Rear/Front 1,000 4A
it has a LOG attribute of 4. plates
  Adaptive camouflage. Tiny cameras on both sides of Ejector seat 1 General 3,000 4A
the vehicle take high resolution pictures directly beside Fire extinguisher 0 General 120 4A
the vehicle, then project a layover image completely iden- Halon fire suppres- 1 General 2,200 5A
tical to those pictures that covers the vehicle, causing it sion system
to disappear into its surroundings. This is exceptionally Hidden compart- 1 General 1,000 4A
complicated technology that only makes you invisible ments
from one direction (and anyone that looks too closely eas- Imaging matrix 1 General 5,000 5B
ily sees your ruse). This upgrade may only be used when Kevlar tires 1 General 10,000 5A
stationary. Mines 1 General 5,000 5A
  Additional propulsion system. This upgrade gives the Parachute 2 Rear 6,000 5A
vehicle a temporary boost, giving it +2 Accel (for speed Ram plate 3 Front 2,000 4A
increases only) and increasing its maximum Speed by +2 Reinforced chassis 1 General 2,500 4A
for 1d6 rounds once per day. For double the structure cost, Remote control 1 General 20,000 5A
this upgrade can be concealed (requiring a Difficult [15] Retractable skis 1 General 2,000 4B
INT check to notice). This upgrade may be selected more Roll cage 4 General 5,000 4A
than once; each time it is purchased, the duration of the Self-destruct 1 General 4,000 4A
temporary boost is increased by 1 round and it can be Slick jet 1 Rear 3,000 4A
used one more time per day. Smoke jet 1 Rear 1,500 4A
  Air brakes. Air brakes can be deployed to double a ve- Spike strip launcher 1 General 6,000 5B
hicle’s Accel score for the purposes of deceleration only. Spiked tires 1 General 500 5A
  Body blades. Long reinforced blades snap out of the ve- Spiked wheels 1 General 1,000 4B
hicle’s sides with the push of a button. A driver may make Targeting computer 1 General 10,000 5B
attacks against an adjacent vehicle or creature using their Wheel guards 1 General 500 4A
driving skill; the blades do 2d6 slashing damage. Wide-band receivers 1 General 800 5A
  Bulletproof windows. The vehicle gains an ablative
Soak 50 ballistic. As ablative Soak, bulletproof windows
cease to provide any benefits after they have soaked 50
points of ballistic damage. These windows are also im-
mune to windshield hit location damage until their Soak
is used up.

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  Cable launcher. A vehicle with this upgrade may grab
vehicles and creatures within 50' of it, latching on with a
steel cable that embeds into the target (2d6 slashing dam-
age). A successfully grabbed vehicle can have its Speed
reduced by the Speed of the vehicle that grabbed it. A
side-mounted cable launcher can be used to make a free
90-degree turn in that direction only at any speed. Cable
launchers can only be deployed once.
  Cement/paint blaster. This upgrade gives the vehicle a
unique weapon ideal to obscure windshields or muck up
the engines of other vehicles. The cement/paint blaster
has a range of 3 hexes (30'); on a hit, the target vehicle is
blinded (-2d6) until the wet cement is removed. A cement/
paint blaster can be fired 3 times before its ammunition is
exhausted. Creatures struck by a cement/paint blaster are
restrained for 1d6 rounds. This upgrade may be selected a
second time to increase the capacity of the cement/paint
blaster by 3.
  Conversion vehicle. Over the course of a round, a con-
version vehicle may change the type of terrain it traverses
(for instance, a car might become a submarine or take
flight). This type of terrain is chosen when the upgrade is
purchased. A vehicle’s speed rating is halved for this new
terrain type. This upgrade covers the gamut of modifica-
tions required, adding in oxygen tanks, compensating for
the pressure of the depths, and so on.
  Dubious license plates. This simple upgrade is almost
essential for clandestine vehicles; with the flip of a switch,
the license plate can obscure or rotate to reveal a different
license plate.
  Ejector seat. One vehicle occupant can rapidly flee, fly-
ing out into the air in their chair before safely parachuting
to the ground. If a vehicle spins out or explodes, an ejec-
tor seat ensures that the occupant is safely removed. The
position of the ejector seat must be designated. Optionally,
the ejector seat may retain the chair, and simply eject the
occupant without a parachute, causing them 3d6 damage
upon landing.
  Fire extinguisher. A fire extinguisher can be used by
an occupant to extinguish a fire. A fire extinguisher can
be used once; multiple extinguishers can be installed.
  Halon fire suppression system. A halon fire sup-
pression system operates automatically, putting out
any vehicle fire the round after it starts with no actions
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requires from the vehicle’s occupants. It can operate
three times before it needs to be replenished.
  Hidden compartments. The vehicle has several caches
integrated into its structure. Finding one of these com-
partments requires a Difficult [16] INT check. This upgrade
may be taken multiple times.
  Imaging matrix. The vehicle has external sensors
capable of radial thermal imaging, allowing it to detect
creatures in pitch blackness or through smoke or other
obscuring material. It can fire upon such targets with no
penalty.
  Kevlar tires. This vehicle’s tires are invincible and can-
not be shot out or destroyed by any attack that deals less
than 15 points of damage. Only land vehicles may take
this upgrade.
  Mines. The vehicle can dispense mines or grenades once
per turn; this upgrade holds up to 6 mines or grenades. For
an additional $2,000, the capacity of this upgrade can be
increased to 9 mines or grenades. Mines occupy an adja-
cent hex and do 2d6 heat damage upon contact.
  Parachute. A parachute is used to rapidly halt a vehi-
cle’s forward momentum. It grants an Accel of 12 for the
purposes of deceleration only. A parachute can only be
deployed once. When the vehicle has stopped decelerat-
ing, the parachute is cut loose.
  Ram plate. This upgrade allows a vehicle to ram other
targets without suffering any internal damage. The ve-
hicle gains 50 Soak to collisions from the direction of the
ramming attachment.
  Reinforced chassis. A vehicle with a reinforced chassis
increases its Soak by 2 and becomes much heavier, re-
ducing its Acceleration rating by –1 (if its Accel rating is
already 1, then Speed is reduced by 1 instead).
  Remote control. This vehicle may be controlled re-
motely. When doing so, the driver uses computers for skill
checks and is at a -1d6 for using a wireless connection.
This upgrade may be taken a second time to eliminate the
penalty. A vehicle must have the Wide-Band Receivers up-
grade before it can take this upgrade.
  Retractable skis. A vehicle with this upgrade may ig-
nore difficult terrain caused by snow. If taken a second
time by a vehicle with the spiked wheels upgrade, a land
vehicle can be made buoyant and able to move on water at
half its normal speed.
 Modern Equipment

  Roll cage. A steel structure around a vehicle helps pro-

tect occupants from damage. When an occupant would
normally be injured due to spinning out or flipping, the
roll cage prevents such damage from taking place.
  Self destruct. This upgrade rigs the vehicle to explode
when a certain button is pressed or command sent. A
self destruct does damage equal to the vehicle’s Health
in the vehicle’s square(s), and halved for each square of
distance. This upgrade may be taken a second time to in-
crease the potency and range of the vehicle’s self destruct
blast by 50%.
  Slick jet. This upgrade allows a vehicle to leave a slick
coating in a trail behind it that is 20' long and 10' wide (2
hexes) for 6 rounds a day (these need not be used consecu-
tively). The area become slippery, causing vehicles to spin
out if a successful check is not made. This upgrade may be
selected a second time to increase it’s daily uses a day by
6 rounds or to add an accelerant and ignition to the slick,
lighting it on fire (dealing 1d6 heat damage to anything
that passes through it).
  Smoke jet. This upgrade allows a vehicle to leave a thick
obscuring cloud of smoke in a trail behind it that is 20'
long and 10' wide (2 hexes) for 12 rounds a day. This up-
grade may be selected a second time to introduce a toxic
agent or tear gas to the smoke, causing it to deal 1d6 poi-
son damage to any creatures that pass through it. Smoke
blocks many lasers, and blocks line-of-sight.
  Spiked tires. A vehicle with this upgrade can ignore
difficult terrain caused by slippery road conditions. Only
land vehicles may select this upgrade.
  Spiked wheels. Spikes erupt from this vehicle’s wheels its chassis and its tires have a Defense of 20. Only land
to slash and tear at other vehicles. Only land vehicles may vehicles may select this upgrade. Wheel guards also allow
select this upgrade. A driver may make attacks against an a vehicle to apply the vehicle’s overall Soak to attacks by
adjacent vehicle using their driving skill; the blades do 2d6 spiked wheels.
slashing damage and ignore Soak automatically unless   Wide-band receivers. A vehicle with this upgrade is
the target vehicle has wheel guards. able to pick up all bands of radio waves and provides its
  Spike strip launcher. This vehicle can fire spike strips. passengers with an Internet connection.
A spike strip deals 4d6 slashing damage to vehicles which
run over it and forces it to spin out unless a successful Vehicle Armor
check is made. Armor can be added to a vehicle which has a reinforced
  Targeting computer. This upgrade allows a vehicle’s chassis. Each unit of armor adds 1 to the vehicle’s Soak
weapons to integrate with one another and grants a +1d6 in one particular direction (forward, rear, left, right), and
bonus to all of the attacks the vehicle’s weapons make. uses one upgrade slot. A unit of armor costs $1,000.
  Wheel guards. This vehicle’s wheels are protected by   Vehicles without a reinforced chassis cannot add armor.

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Mounted Weapons
Weapons must be allocated a specific firing arc (forward,
left, right, or rear) unless the weapon is turreted. Each
weapon requires an occupant to use it (the driver counts
as one occupant). As noted above, no more than one third
of a vehicle’s upgrade slots may be located in one arc.
  Turrets. A turreted weapon costs twice the listed price
and takes up one additional upgrade slot. A turreted
weapon may fire in any direction if mounted on top, or in
two arcs if mounted on a specific firing arc. Only one tur-
reted weapon may occupy any given side (or the top of a
vehicle).
  Linked. Weapons may be linked in pairs. Linked weap-
ons take up one extra upgrade slot for the linked set, and
require only one operator. Linked weapons must share
the same firing arc.
  ROF. This is a recharge rate for weapons. A weapon with
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ROF 1 can fire every turn; one with ROF 2 can fire once ev-
ery other turn; ROF 3 means once every 3 turns, and so on.
  Artillery. Artillery does not require line-of-sight.
  Ignite. Targets stuck catch fire for 1d6 heat damage per
round until extinguished.
  Limited range. These weapons can only fire out to one
range increment.
  Rounds. This weapon can be loaded with different
ammo types including high explosive shells, high explo-
sive anti-tank (HEAT) shells, armor piercing shells, and
shrapnel (anti-personnel) shells.
•• High explosive. Regular shells. Cost $200 each.
•• HEAT. Ignores 10 points of Soak. Cost $2000 each,
•• Armor-piercing. Ignores 5 points of Soak. Cost $1,000
each.
  Quench. This weapon automatically puts out fires in
the target vehicle.
 Modern Equipment

Standard Vehicle Weapons

Machine Guns Cost Slots Weight Damage ROF Range Notes
M240 General Purpose Machine Gun 2,000 1 28 2d6 ballistic 1 5 —
FN Minimi Light Machine Gun (a.k.a. 4,000 1 15 2d6 ballistic 1 4 —
M249 Light Machine Gun)
M134 Minigun 6,000 1 85 3d6 ballistic 1 7 —
M3P Heavy Machine Gun 9,000 1 84 3d6 ballistic 1 8 —
GAU-19 Gatling Gun 12,000 2 139 4d6 ballistic 1 10 —
M230 Chain Gun 22,000 2 120 5d6 ballistic 1 15 —
M242 Bushmaster Autocannon 45,000 3 262 6d6 ballistic 1 19 —

Cannons Cost Slots Weight Damage ROF Range Notes

Weathers & Co. 12mm Light Cannon 13,000 1 130 3d6 ballistic 2 12 —
SLX-42 20mm Smooth Bore Mounted 18,000 2 250 4d6 ballistic 2 20 —
Gun
Royal Ordnance L7 Gun (AKA M256A1 28,000 6 2,826 8d6 ballistic 3 16 Rounds
120mm Smoothbore Gun)
Rheinmetall 120 mm L/44 Gun 25,000 6 2,620 8d6 ballistic 3 14 Rounds
Skoda A7 37mm Tank Gun 22,000 4 840 6d6 ballistic 3 12 Rounds
Ordnance QF 40mm 2-Pounder 23,000 5 1,795 6d6 ballistic 3 16 Rounds
Blitzkrieg XX-1 Railgun 120,000 8 5,600 9d6 ballistic 3 14 —

Missiles Cost Slots Weight Damage ROF Range Notes

Mk 19 Grenade Launcher 9,000 2 77 4d6 heat 2 12 Artillery
BM-13 Katyusha Multiple Rocket 120,000 5 11000 6d6 heat 4 20 Artillery
Launcher
M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket 210,000 8 24000 7d6 heat 4 26 Artillery
System
Samson-Welling Micromissile 75,000 3 130 3d6 heat 2 8 —
Launcher
Mascot Industries Mini SAM 110,000 2 135 3d6 heat 2 20 Air targets only
Launcher

Energy Weapons Cost Slots Weight Damage ROF Range Notes

Fusion Systems Z4 Beam Laser 4,000 1 40 2d6 heat 1 12 Blocked by smoke
ST44 Heavy Pulse Cannon 8,000 2 75 4d6 heat 1 9 Blocked by smoke
AX-20 Small Blaster Cannon 2,000 1 30 2d6 heat 1 4 —
General Lazer GX Particle Cannon 9,000 4 210 6d6 heat 3 10 —

Other Weapons Cost Slots Weight Damage ROF Range Notes

M10-8 Flame Gun 5,000 4 100 2d6 heat 2 3 Ignite, limited range
BMW Blaster Flamethrower 7,000 4 140 3d6 heat 2 4 Ignite, limited range
Lagonda Cockatrice Flamethrower 3,000 2 90 2d6 heat 2 2 Ignite, limited range
SECPRO WCS Water Cannon 4,000 5 390 2d6 blunt 1 3 Quench, limited range

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Gadgets
“What? It’s just a pen.”
  Gadgets are a broad category of items which include
advanced technology, mysterious artifacts, prototypes,
experimental gear, unusual contraptions, and other giz-
mos, trinkets, and rare items. A gadget might be able to do
anything, and is rarer or more expensive than common
equipment.
  Gadgets are assigned an Advancement Level. To pur-
chase a gadget, you must be located within a civilization
of the appropriate Advancement Level—you cannot
purchase a rocket pack from a village in the wilderness,
or an EMP device from a medieval government. At the
GM’s discretion, an item may be available at an earlier ad-
vancement level (one category earlier) as a unique item or
prototype at ten times the regular price.
Food and Services   Anycard. An anycard is a disposable plastic card that
Food and accommodation are regularly available in civi- looks like any other credit card or super shopper rewards
lized areas. For the most part, characters should not need card. The magnetic strip is designed to automatically
to keep track of each drink, tank of gas, or snack, but when disable an electronic lock of the same quality of crafts-
the cost of such things becomes relevant, these values are manship, though after one use it becomes worthless.
shown below. Of course, the costs of modern foods and   Aquatic motor. This device can be used to smoothly
services will be well-known to the players anyway. carry someone through the water at a Speed of 4. This
gadget only functions underwater.
Average Food and Services Costs   Autopick. An autopick looks like a complex staple gun.
Services Cost ($) From the barrel a plethora of small sectioned tendrils
Drink, beer 2 extend forward and worm into a lock. An autopick auto-
Drink, coffee, tea 1 matically disables a mechanical lock of the same quality
Drink, spirit, common 3 of craftsmanship, though after one use it becomes worth-
Drink, spirit, exotic 10 less. Unlike other items, no skill ranks are required to use
Hotel, average, day 100 an autopick.
Hotel, cheap, day 30   Brilliant phone. A smart phone is one thing, but a bril-
Hotel, luxury, day 500 liant phone is practically a supercomputer and can be
Limousine, per mile 2 much, much more. First of all, you can make cracking
Meal, cafeteria/diner 5 tests with a brilliant phone as though it were a laptop. For
Meal, fast-food 3 every level of craftsmanship quality beyond high, a bril-
Meal, restaurant, typical 7 liant phone gains one of the following abilities:
Meal, restaurant, luxury 20
Public transport, per mile 1
Taxi, per mile 2
Theater, play or show 10
Theater, movie 5
Sea or Air transport, per continent, basic 400
Sea or Air transport, per continent, luxury 1,550

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 Modern Equipment

Example Gadgets   Vehicular Remote. The brilliant phone may be used

Weight to drive a vehicle rigged with a control device (costing
Item Cost ($) (lbs) AL $2,000). Any checks made to control or manipulate the
Anycard 500 — 5 vehicle suffer a –2d6 penalty, but otherwise use the
Aquatic motor 1,000 15 4 driver’s skills as normal.
Autopick 400 3 4   Contained air supply. This small device is the size of
Brilliant phone 5,000 0.5 5 a soda can or large cigarette case. It holds a pressurized
Contained air supply 600 0.5 4 supply of oxygen accessible through a special valve, pro-
Dagger shoe 1,000 2 3 viding enough air for a creature to breathe 5 minutes
EMP 5,000 18 5 while underwater.
Exploding cigarette 500 — 4   Dagger shoe. This is a dagger in your shoe. It is easily de-
Fake fingerprint 500 — 4 tected by anything that scans for metals or a Difficult [16]
Flamethrower lighter 400 — 4 INT check, but when deployed (a free action) allows you to
Gaseous cigarette 500 — 4 deal Stabbing damage when you make kick melee attacks.
Grappling harness 2,000 15 4   EMP. A device as small as a bag of luggage or large
Homing pill 500 — 4 suitcase, an EMP immediately deactivates all unshielded
Industrial laser 300,000 60 5 electronic devices within 20'. The device attacks each item
Laser watch 3,000 0.5 5 with a 3d6 vs. the item’s Defense, and on a success the
Microchip 5,000 — 5 device shuts down for 1 minute. Mechanoid creatures
Pen gun 1,400 0.5 4 such as robots are not deactivated, but they do suffer 2d6
Projectile cigarette case 1,600 4 4 damage from a successful attack and are dazed. An EMP
Rappelling belt 2,000 8 5 can only be used once. The device does not work on items
Remote control exploding watch 8,000 1 4 of Advancement Level 8 or higher.
Rocket pack 20,000 25 6   Exploding cigarette. Anyone that lights this death stick
Seismic mapper 6,500 16 5 is going to meet their end right quick as the cigarette ex-
Wire watch 2,000 1 4 plodes in a giant ball of flame that deals 3d6 heat damage
X-ray camera 3,000 4 4 to all creatures and objects within 5 feet. Alternatively,
the filter can be twisted to create a one-round delay.
  Antenna pick. The side of the phone contains an ex-   Fake fingerprint. This small sheet of super-thin plastic
tending coil of filament that operates as an autopick. is impossible detect before it is peeled off, but any higher
  Fingerprinter. The brilliant phone is able to scan, an- quality fake fingerprints come with solutions that dissolve
alyze, and then transmit a fingerprint pressed against it after use. These can be used to replicate a fingerprint for
it. Furthermore, the gadget is able to use a scanned one use.
fingerprint to fool an electronic lock (so long as the   Flamethrower lighter. This lighter can be used as a
electronic lock uses fingerprint scanning). normal lighter, but contains a pressurized super-flamma-
  Identifier. The brilliant phone can make a composite ble liquid that allows it to be used to make a single ranged
facial image from a single clear photograph of a subject, attack (within 2 squares) or melee attack that deals 2d6
then reference it through databases to identify them heat damage. After one use, a flamethrower lighter is
within 5 minutes (provided the subject is recorded in expended.
the relevant database).   Gaseous cigarette. When this cigarette is blown into, it
  Stun gun. The brilliant phone can be used as an elec- can deliver an inhaled drug or poison at a target within 10'
trical stunner, both to damage unauthorized users and as an action. Gaseous “electronic cigarettes” cost 6 times
as a melee weapon. It does 1d6 electricity damage. as much but can hold a total of 4 doses (rather than 1).

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 Modern Equipment
  Grappling harness. A grappling harness can be dis-
guised as suspenders and a belt or within a bulky outfit.
Once tethered or anchored, the wearer can ascend at a
speed of 20' (4 squares) per round or rappel down as fast
as 60' (8 squares) per round. Once used to ascend or for
controlled descent, a grappling harness becomes unus-
able until rewound, which takes one minute.
  Homing pill. This oral pill has a resilient electronic chip
inside of it, one capable of remaining intact and operat-
ing while within the digestive tract. The chip transmits a
radio signal detectable by bug sweepers and anyone that
knows the frequency (which reaches to a range of 5 miles).
  Industrial laser. This experimental technology requires
a considerable power source but is incredibly accurate at
great distances and can deal 1d6 point of heat damage to
a target per turn, increasing by +1d6 for each consecutive
turn the laser remains on the target, up to a maximum of
6d6 heat damage.
  Laser watch. High-energy capacitors in this timepiece
fuel a powerful focused light that creates a laser cutting
beam able to slice through up to 1 inch of steel. After 10
rounds of operation the laser watch is depleted. The laser
watch can be used as an improvised melee weapon that
deals 1d6 heat damage.
  Microchip. A microchip operates as a homing pill but
has no range and is undetectable to scanners. Further-
more, it can be used to watch a creature’s vitals, telling
both how much damage the subject has taken and their
emotional state (calm, agitated, or panicked).
  Pen gun. This small device is capable of firing up to four
bullets before it is destroyed. A Challenging [16] INT check
recognizes it as such. As a weapon, the pen gun does
1d6+3 ballistic damage. Scanners detect that the pen gun
is metal.
  Projectile cigarette case. This small pack of cigarettes
is unusually heavy but otherwise resembles a regular pack
of cigarettes. A person familiar with the gadget (requiring
instruction or a Difficult [16] INT check) can use it to fire
up to four small rockets (2d6 ballistic damage, range 4).
  Rappelling belt. This heavy duty belt has a slender
but sturdy rope coiled through both sides and powerful
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miniature motors in the back. A device in the buckle can
fire a grapnel to a distance of 75'. The grapnel will anchor
the rope to whatever object it strikes, allowing the user to
swing across a gap, for example. The line can be retracted
and reset without effort, but only superior-quality or bet-
ter rappelling belts can hoist weight while retracting (at a
rate of 10' per round).
  Remote control exploding watch. This timepiece con-
tains a receiver allowing the explosives within it to be
remotely detonated from as far as 1,000' away. The explo-
sion deals 3d6 heat damage to all objects within 2 squares.
  Rocket pack. A rocket pack is exactly what you think it
is—rockets strapped onto the wearer’s back, with throttle
controls available at their hands. It has a range of about
10 minutes, although an additional thruster add-on can
be purchased (8 lbs., adds 5 minutes). Use of a rocket pack
requires a Difficult [16] AGI check but allows a creature to
move through the air at a Speed of 6.
  Seismic mapper. This gadget consists of a screen and a
handle that affixes to a safe or radial lock; after four rounds
of being so affixed, the screen displays a small three-di-
mensional map of everything within the 6” cube of solid
material where the handle is affixed. A Challenging  [13]
INT check reveals the combination of any mechanical
lock scrutinized this way.
  Wire watch. This wristwatch doesn’t tell time particu-
larly well, but hides within it a high-tensile, durable kevlar
cord capable of withstanding up to 400 pounds of tension.
The cord has 1 Health but a Soak of 12. There are two
varieties—a monofilament line suitable for use as a grap-
pling line (has a toughness of 4 and a length of 30'), or a
thicker cord good for strangling opponents (has a tough-
ness of 6 and a length of 5').
  X-ray camera. This device operates much like a regular
camera, but flashes an x-ray at everything within the view
screen. After 5 rounds of development within the gadget, it
reveals everything within 1' of thickness behind any non-
lead material. The x-ray camera has a range of only 30'. An
x-ray camera can take 5 photographs before it needs re-
placement parts (costing half the cost of the camera).
Modern Equipment

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 Modern Equipment

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Chapter 3
Modern
Core

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 Modern Core
Playing the Game
One of the Game Master’s primary functions is that of ref-
eree. He or she needs to adjudicate the result of actions by
using the rules found in this book. This section is the core
of the What’s O.L.D. is N.E.W. roleplaying game system.
While other sections tell you how to create a character, de-
sign a setting, or buy equipment, this section tells you how
to play the game. To that end, you will find the following
information in the pages to come.
  The Attribute Check. This is the core mechanic of the
game. Almost everything revolves around the attribute
check. When you know how to make and adjudicate an
attribute check, you know how to play most of the game.
This section includes guidelines on assigning difficulty
benchmarks, running opposed or extended tasks, and
details some common situations including medicine,
chases, scanning, engineering, and more.
 Countdowns. A countdown is a special type of dice
pool that depletes as time passes. Countdowns depict
a race against time, such as a ticking bomb or a disease,
when the characters don’t know exactly how much time
remains before disaster strikes. Countdowns are used to
create suspense and tension.
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  The Role of Luck. Luck is a special attribute that pro-
vides characters with a replenishing dice pool that can be
drawn upon as needed to assist in various tasks.
 Combat. Combat is a common occurrence in the game,
whether with assault rifles at range or duels between nin-
jas and secret agents. This section tells you how to move,
attack, and perform other actions in combat. Combat in
W.O.I.N. is a tactical skirmish system where position and
cover are very important.
  Injury & Death. It’s a dangerous world, and harm can
befall any character. Such harm takes three forms: Health
damage, status tracks, and diseases.
 Objects. This part of the book explains how objects can
be broken or damaged, how to break down a door, or how
much damage an office desk can take. It details various
materials, from wood to steel.
  The Environment. The environment affects many
things. Variations in gravity, severe weather, slippery
surfaces, and many other environmental traits can be ap-
plied to areas both big and small. Fighting in the middle
of a self-destructing villain’s lair as fire rages all around
is very different to fighting on a frozen wasteland in the
midst of a blizzard.
 Modern Core

The Attribute Check

Whenever a character attempts an action in a What’s
O.L.D. is N.E.W. game where the outcome is not certain,
dice are used to randomly decide whether or not the at-
tempt succeeds. This process is called an attribute check.
  You don’t always need an attribute check. If your char-
acter is doing something that any ordinary human can do,
like opening a door, or reading a computer screen, or per-
forming some other routine task, then this task succeeds Example Tasks
automatically without the need for any dice rolls. How- Task Attribute Example Skill
ever, if the GM feels that the outcome of a task is in doubt Appraising an item’s value INT appraisal
or subject to chance, she may call for an attribute check. Breaking down a door STR —
  Attribute checks are the central mechanic of this game. Calming a spooked animal CHA animal handling
Everything hinges around them, whether you’re trying to Climbing a wall AGI climbing
pick a lock, lift a heavy log, shoot an attacking ninja, treat Deciphering a code LOG cryptology
an illness, or win a game of baccarat. Diagnosing an illness LOG medicine
  The GM is the final arbiter of whether or not an attribute Disabling a trap LOG engineering
check is required. Driving a car AGI driving
Hiding from a guard AGI stealth
Making an Attribute Check Holding your breath END swimming
When the GM decides that an attribute check is required, Holding your drink END carousing
she first needs to decide which attribute is applicable. Lifting a heavy rock LOG carrying
Breaking down a door might require Strength, balanc- Making a speech CHA leadership
ing on a tightrope might be Agility, while translating an Navigating a ship LOG navigation
ancient language might need Logic. Painting a picture INT painting
  Secondly, the GM must decide how difficult the task Picking a lock AGI thievery
is. Some tasks, especially during combat, have pre-set or Piloting a helicopter AGI piloting
built-in difficulties, while others call for some adjudica- Playing a dice game CHA dice games
tion by the GM. The difficulty will be determined either by Playing chess LOG chess
a static score, such as a creature’s Defense scores, or by a Recalling a specific law LOG law
difficulty benchmark chosen by the GM, such as Routine, Recognising a language LOG linguistics
Challenging, or Difficult. Each of those benchmarks have Recognizing a creature LOG nature
an assigned static score (Challenging is 13, for example). Remembering historical LOG history
  The GM calls for the attribute check, naming the re- information
quired attribute and the difficulty level if appropriate—for Repairing a musket LOG engineering
example, when a character tries to move a boulder, the Riding a motorcycle AGI riding
GM might say, “Make a Challenging [13] Strength check.” Running a marathon END running
  The player then forms a dice pool, as described below, Spotting a forged document INT forgery
and then rolls the dice. If the total of the dice the player Spotting a hidden door INT perception
rolled is equal to or greater than the difficulty score, the Swimming a river STR swimming
character succeeds at the task. If it is less than the diffi- Tracking a suspect INT tracking
culty score, the character fails. The lock remains locked, Treating an injury LOG medicine
the log doesn’t move much, the shot misses the ninja, the Using a disguise CHA disguise
illness gets no better, or the baccarat game goes badly. Walking a tightrope AGI acrobatics

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 Modern Core

Forming the Dice Pool   If basic equipment is not available, improvised equip-
To make an attribute check, the player must form a dice ment inflicts a –2d6 penalty. For example, using a hairpin
pool. Each attribute’s associated dice pool is noted on the to pick a lock instead of an actual set of thieves’ tools re-
player’s character sheet. For example, if a character at- duces the dice pool by 2d6.
tempting to pick a lock has an AGI of 6, his AGI dice pool   The number of dice that equipment contributes to a
is 3d6. dice pool can never exceed the number of dice that skills
  To this, the player may choose to add a skill. This is up to contribute to it; you need a certain degree of expertise to
the player to choose and—if necessary—justify. It would fully benefit from higher quality equipment. If the equip-
be hard to justify adding botany when trying to pick a lock, ment dice exceed the skill dice, reduce the equipment
but it would be easy to justify thievery. The GM may disal- dice to equal the skill dice.
low the use of any skill she feels is not justifiable.   This includes the armor skill, weapons (skills in swords,
  To add the skill, simply locate the associated dice pool bows, rifles, staves, knives, etc.), and general equipment for
for the skill (just like with the attribute) and add those dice which an associated skill might be relevant (skill in medi-
to the dice pool. If the above character has thievery 3 (2d6), cine when using a medical kit to prepare an antidote, for
he adds 2d6 to the existing 3d6 dice pool. This makes his example).
dice pool 5d6.
  Finally, the character chooses equipment to use. A stan- Dice Pool Adjustments for Quality
dard item of equipment allows him to attempt the action Equipment Quality Dice Pool
with no penalty. A high quality or better item may grant Improvised –2d6
extra dice in his dice pool—a high quality set of thieves’ Poor –1d6
tools grants an additional 1d6 to a dice pool, bringing the Standard —
erstwhile thief’s dice pool up to 6d6. High +1d6
  The GM has already determined that picking this lock Exceptional +2d6
is a Difficult [16] task. The player grabs his dice pool of 6d6 Mastercraft +3d6
and throws it, scoring 19. This is higher than the target of Artisanal +4d6
16, so he succeeds in picking the lock! Legendary +5d6

Dice Pool = Attribute + Skill + Equipment

Maximum Dice Pools

Equipment Quality
Equipment contributes to the dice pool, in addition to the
contribution attributes and skills.
  Standard equipment simply allows you to attempt an
action normally—a rifle allows you to shoot at a ninja, a
medical kit allows you to treat wounds, and a lockpick al-
lows you to pick a lock.
The size of a dice pool is limited by a character’s grade.
When forming a dice pool, the pool cannot exceed this size.
A character’s grade is simply the number of careers he has
taken. A starting character, therefore, is typically grade 5,
with a maximum dice pool of 5d6.
  The table below shows the maximum dice pool allowed
for characters of various grades.

Starting Dice Pools by Attribute/Skill Score

Attribute/Skill 1–2 3–5 6–9 10–14 15–20 21–27 28–35 36–44 45–54
Dice Pool 1d6 2d6 3d6 4d6 5d6 6d6 7d6 8d6 9d6

Maximum Dice Pools by Grade

Grade 5 6–7 8–10 11–14 15–19 20–25 26–32 33–40
Max Dice Pool 5d6 6d6 7d6 8d6 9d6 10d6 11d6 12d6

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  If a dice pool exceeds the maximum size allowed,
simply reduce it to match the limit. For example, if our ex-
ample thief was grade 5, he would not be able to use that
full 6d6 dice pool—he would only get to roll 5d6.
Difficulty Benchmarks
Sometimes a difficulty benchmark is determined by an
existing static number. In combat, for example, the tar-
get’s Defense scores indicate the difficulty benchmark
that must be reached by rolling a dice pool. Combat is
dealt with in greater detail later.
  In other situations, the GM may need to decide on an ap-
propriate difficulty benchmark. This is done by choosing
a difficulty level such as Routine, Difficult, or Impossible.
Each difficulty level has a difficulty score assigned to
it. The benchmark names are from the perspective of an
average human; what’s impossible for the average citizen
might not be for legendary heroes of myth!
  The most commonly needed benchmarks are shaded
gray in the Difficulty Benchmarks table (see the next
page)—Trivial, Routine, Difficult, Strenuous, Herculean,
and Impossible. The white rows provide the GM with more
granularity if needed, but they are optional.
Modern Core
Group Checks
Sometimes the GM may call for a group attribute
check. Group checks are made when the entire party
is engaged in a task, and allowed stronger members
to help out the weaker members, while the weaker
members hinder the stronger ones. For example, the
party might make a group AGI check to sneak into a
base; the secret agent is helping the boxer by telling
him where to step, while the cat burglar is making sure
the bungling mechanic doesn’t knock into anything.
  This can be applied to many types of checks—chas-
es, climbing, stealth, and so on.
  In a group check, every participating member rolls.
The group as a whole succeeds if more than half of the
party makes a successful roll (so for a group of five
PCs, three would have to succeed).
Indirect Skills
Sometimes a skill is only indirectly related to the ac-
tivity at hand. Skill in chess helps a little with skill in
draughts, but not as much as specific skill in draughts
would be. In these situations the GM may choose to
allow a skill but declare it an indirect usage; the die
contribution to the dice pool from an indirect skill us-
age cannot exceed 1d6.
  So if a player wants to use geology to help climb a
cliff, the GM is free to rule it an indirect usage and limit
the skill to 1d6.
The Math
The math behind difficulty benchmarks is fairly simple.
Each benchmark represents a roughly 50% success
chance for a given dice pool size. An Easy [7] bench-
mark is a 50% success rate for a 2d6 dice pool; a
Routine [10] benchmark is about a 50% success rate
for a 3d6 dice pool; a Challenging [13] benchmark is
about a 50% success rate for a 4d6 dice pool, and so
on. Each successive benchmark represents one extra
die in the dice pool.
  To put this into perspective, a starting grade 5 char-
acter with a dice pool of 5d6 will succeed on a Difficult
[16] check about half of the time.
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 Modern Core

Difficulty Benchmarks Complications

Difficulty Score Examples Complications typically apply a –1d6 die penalty to a
Trivial — Breaking a window, lifting a thick check. These are cumulative—two complications apply
RPG rulebook a –2d6 die penalty. When shooting at a target in cover, or
Easy 7 — crossing a tightrope in a storm, the GM simply applies
Routine 10 Climbing a tree, building a camp- a –1d6 penalty for each complication (note that in com-
fire, sailing a small boat bat, common complications like cover, firing into melee,
Challenging 13 — prone targets, and so on are called out for convenience).
Difficult 16 Picking a lock, swimming a fast-
flowing river, climbing a cliff Critical Successes
Demanding 21 — If a triple-six is rolled while making an attribute check,
Strenuous 25 Walking a tightrope, climbing a and the check is successful, a critical success takes place.
brick wall This means that an additional or extra-ordinary benefit
Severe 29 — occurs—the task is accomplished to a much higher de-
Herculean 33 Bending a steel bar, climbing an gree. The GM should devise this benefit (although in the
ice wall case of a combat attack roll, the benefit is predefined as
Superhuman 37 — pushing the target along a status track). The more dice be-
Impossible 40 Lifting a car, bursting iron chains ing rolled, the higher the chances of rolling a triple-six.
Legendary 42 —   A critical success results in an extra-ordinary suc-
Mythical 45 Building a time machine cess level for the task at hand. For example, when trying
to calm an angry guard dog, a character might gain its
friendship.
Die Penalty or Increased   If there is no obvious extra-ordinary success level for
Difficulty? a given attribute check, the character gains a bonus LUC
Some GMs might wonder whether to apply a die die in his LUC pool instead.
penalty or increase the difficulty of the task. Math-   In an extended task (see below) a critical success counts
ematically, both are the same—increasing a task’s as two wins but has no other effect.
difficulty benchmark by one stage (say, from Chal-   On a combat attack roll, a critical success pushes the
lenging to Difficult) is exactly the same as applying a target one stage down a status track (depending on the
–1d6 die penalty. Generally speaking, die penalties are damage type).
applied on-the-fly as the result of adjudication, while
higher difficulties are simply the same thing calcu- Opposed Checks
lated in advance. Often, two characters or creatures may compete to per-
  When running a published adventure, for example, form an action—an arm wrestle, or a race, for example. In
the text might tell the GM that climbing a slippery these situations, each participant creates the other’s dif-
wall in a storm is a Difficult [16] check. The adventure ficulty benchmark with his own attribute check—in other
has done the math in advance; this is the same as a words, both make an attribute check, and whoever rolls
Routine [10] check with a –2d6 die penalty for the two highest wins.
complications (strong winds, and a slippery surface).   Each participant forms a dice pool as normal. For ex-
Including them in the difficulty benchmark in advance ample, if an international superspy is trying to sneak past
simply saves a little work for the GM. a villain’s henchman, he might roll a dice pool made up
  However, removing dice reduces the chances of a of his Agility (3d6) and his stealth skill (2d6). The hench-
critical success. man would roll his Intuition (3d6). The spy rolls 5d6, the

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henchman rolls 3d6, and if the spy beats the guard’s roll,
he sneaks past unnoticed. If he doesn’t, the henchman
sees him.
  Below are some examples of opposed checks. Suggested
skills are noted in parentheses.
Opposed Check Examples
Opposed Check Attributes (and Skills)
Arm-wrestle STR vs. STR
Bluff a guard CHA (bluffing) vs. INT (bluffing)
Bribe an official CHA (persuasion) vs. WIL
Disguise yourself CHA (disguise) vs. INT (perception)
Foot race STR/AGI (running) vs. STR/AGI (running)
Interrogate CHA (intimidation) vs. WIL (bluffing)
Motorcycle race AGI (riding) vs. AGI (riding)
Pick a pocket AGI (thievery) vs. INT (perception)
Play chess LOG (chess) vs. LOG (chess)
Sneak/hide AGI (stealth) vs. INT (perception)
Track a thief INT (tracking) vs. AGI (stealth)
Static scores like a Defense score are actually pre-calcu-
lated opposed checks. This speeds up combat by ensuring
that players (and creatures) do not have to form dice pools
each time they are attacked—you can simply refer to the
static score.
Extended Tasks
The preceding section described how to adjudicate simple
tasks (those which require just a single attribute check to
resolve). Not all tasks require just a single attribute check,
however. Some tasks are extended efforts which require
considerable time to accomplish. In these cases, the GM
may call for multiple attribute checks at specified inter-
vals, which might be each minute, hour, day, week, or
even longer. The GM assigns the difficulty benchmark of
those checks as usual.
  Unless otherwise specified, three checks is appropriate
for an extended task. However, the GM can require more
checks if she feels it is appropriate.
  Unless there is something preventing it, multiple
people can contribute to an extended task. Subject to the
GM’s approval, the characters may be able to use different
attributes or skills to contribute in different ways. Indeed,
different stages of an extended task may require different
Modern Core
Assisting Another
Character
Usually, an extended skill task is used when multiple
characters are contributing to an activity. Three (or
sometimes more for longer tasks) successes are re-
quired, and multiple characters can make checks of
various kinds.
  Sometimes, when the task is very simple, and the
combined efforts of the characters would be merely
additive, you may allow characters to add their attri-
butes together and see what dice pool the combined
figure would allow. In other words, if two characters
(STR 5 and STR 6) are trying to break down a door
together, you would treat that as a single character
with STR 11 and allow them a 4d6 STR dice pool.
  Strength-based tasks are the most common types
of simple additive tasks. Generally, cooperative tasks
won’t be additive, and will require multiple checks
from one or more characters.
  Note that when performing a simple additive task,
only one skill from one character applies to the dice
pool. Choose the most appropriate one.
types of checks (although the difficulty level should re-
main constant for all the checks in the extended task).
  Some tasks, such as when curing a disease, have pre-
defined complexity levels. When an hourly challenging
medical task is called for, this means that it is a hourly task
(1 hour intervals) with a difficulty benchmark of Challeng-
ing [13] which uses skills focused around medicine, while
a daily routine chemistry task is a daily task (1 day inter-
vals) with a difficulty benchmark of Routine [10] which
uses skills focused around chemistry. The GM, as always,
is the arbiter of whether any given skill applies.
Time Between Checks
The task will have an associated interval, which is the time
between each attribute check. This can be quick (each
minute), hourly, daily, weekly, monthly, even yearly in
some cases (although the latter will be rare).
  During an extended task, failed checks can be retried,
but the time is wasted.
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 Modern Core
  To run an extended task, the GM should ask each player
what they intend to do. Armed with that information, she
may assign attribute checks to the players. The players
can attempt any action to assist with the task, but the
GM is the final arbiter of whether any given action can
contribute.
Task Lexicon
• Simple task—a task requiring a single attribute
check against a static difficulty benchmark.
• Opposed task—a task requiring a single at-
tribute check that is opposed by another
creature’s attribute check.
• Extended task—a task requiring more than one
attribute check to complete.
• Simple extended task—a task requiring multiple
attribute checks against a static benchmark.
• Opposed extended task—a task requiring
multiple attribute checks that are opposed by
attribute checks made by another creature,
with the first to reach a target number of wins
being the victorious participant.
• Group check—an attribute check where all PCs
make a check, and the party succeeds if more
than half the PCs succeed.
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  Success is usually achieved by making a certain num-
ber (usually three) successful attributes before failing the
same number of checks. Simply keep track of how many
successes and failures the party has racked up—if they
reach three successes before they reach three failures,
they succeed; if they reach three failures before they reach
three successes, they fail.
Contests
From time to time you will need to combine the rules
for opposed checks and for extended tasks. A long poker
game, or a motorcycle chase across a crowded city, might
require an extended sequence of opposed checks.
  In these situations, simply use the rules for extended
tasks as normal. The first to reach the required number of
successful opposed checks wins. You do not need to track
failures in an opposed check (a failure is, by definition, a
win for your opponent).
  For example, you could simulate arm wrestling like
this. Rather than using just a single check, the first to
reach three wins on the opposed rolls wins the game. A
long race might look for the first to reach a dozen opposed
checks.
  The opposed checks do not have to be the same. As
always, each participant uses checks appropriate to his
activity. When tracking a suspect across a city, the suspect
may be making AGI checks and calling upon the stealth
skill, while the pursuer may be making INT checks and
the tracking skill. The first to reach—for example—6 wins
on the opposed rolls wins: either the suspect escapes, or
the pursuer catches up with him.
  As with other extended tasks, different stages might
require different checks. Perhaps in a foot chase the first
checks might both be STR (running) checks, and then the
second might be AGI (climbing) checks as both partici-
pants scale a wall, followed by another stage of running,
a jump across an alleyway, even a sequence in which the
suspect tries to lose himself in a crowd using AGI and
stealth checks versus the pursuer’s INT and perception. In
such a scenario, the suspect might even define the checks
by choosing what to do at each stage of the process, forc-
ing the pursuer to match his skills. Contests can be as
exciting and detailed as you wish to make them, or they
can be quickly resolved with a single check.
 Modern Core

Common Tasks
The previous section described the overall framework in
which actions are resolved. What follows is a selection of
common situations, ways to handle them, and resources
for spicing them up. From races and chases, to applica-
tions of medicine and interrogations, these situations are
ones which crop up regularly in the game.

Chases & Races

Common skills: running, driving, riding, jumping, climb-
ing, stealth, bluffing, swimming. Vehicle Chases:
  A chase is an opposed extended task. The first to reach •• Jump a canyon (riding/driving vs. riding/driving)
six wins is the winner of the chase (the GM can modify •• Ride motorcycles through a crowded shopping mall
this for longer or shorter chases). Multiple people can be (riding vs. riding)
involved in a race, each making their own checks.
  If the PCs are being chased by a bunch of villains, sol- Different characters, creatures, vehicles, and ships have
dier having them make group checks against a single roll different speeds. While skill is the most important factor,
for the pursuers instead (use the average roll to speed speed is also very important. Anybody involved in a race
things up). or a chase can add +1d6 to their checks if they have a Speed
  A simple foot chase typically involves STR or AGI checks, of 10 or more, and +2d6 if they have a Speed of 20 or more.
along with the running skill. A car chase may instead use   One way to adjudicate a chase is to randomly determine
AGI and driving, or a chase across a lake may use STR and terrain and obstacles at each stage, Some basic examples
swimming. Stages of the route might call for different skills. using 2d6 follow, although you are encouraged to devise
  A more complex chase involves other skills. The GM can your own tables tailored to your setting. Each obstacle
present predetermined or randomly selected obstacles gives the participants opportunity to devise how to use or
and stages; it can be fun to offer a choice of two obstacles— circumvent them.
do the fleeing PCs climb the wall or duck into the blind   You may allow a PC an automatic win if they have a way
alley? Examples of actions might include: to circumvent an obstacle which their opponent lacks—
a PC with a jet pack automatically succeeds at crossing a
Foot Chases: canyon, for example.
•• Climb a wall (climbing vs. climbing)
•• Jump an alleyway ( jumping vs. jumping) Example Chase Terrain and Obstacles
•• Disappear into a crowd (stealth vs. perception) 2d6 Urban Wilderness
•• Swim a river (swimming vs. swimming) 2 Slick footing Cliff
•• Squeeze through a tight gap (acrobatics vs. 3 Gap/hole Mud patch
acrobatics) 4 Barrels or crates Steep incline
•• Balance on a narrow ledge (acrobatics or climbing) 5 Twisting alleyways Dense trees
•• Use a hidden shortcut (local knowledge vs 6 Slow passing hearse Tangled undergrowth
perception) 7 Straight Straight
•• Cause a distraction (bluff vs. perception) 8 Wall Rock formation
•• Cause an obstruction or obstacle (varies) 9 Ladder Unsure footing
•• Duck into a blind alley (stealth vs. perception) 10 Crowded street River
•• Get somebody to give the pursuers false directions 11 Shortcut Animal herd
(bluffing vs. local knowledge) 12 Pool/river Canyon

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 Modern Core

Chemistry Chemistry Task Table

Common skills: chemistry d66 Alpha Beta Gamma
  Chemistry is usually an hourly extended task. Using 11 calcinate copper copper
Logic and various skills, characters can accomplish a va- 12 dissolve gold gold
riety of things. Any character can attempt to use chemistry 13 separate iron iron
in order to solve a problem or achieve a goal. Examples of 14 conjoin lead lead
uses of chemistry include: 15 ferment mercury mercury
•• Removing a permanent condition. 16 distil silver silver
•• Melting a lock with acid. 21 coagulate platinum platinum
•• Treating a disease. 22 boil nickel nickel
•• Creating a strong glue. 23 sublimate zinc oxide zinc oxide
•• Creating a poison or an antidote (for poisons, an 24 heat amber amber
opposed task is needed versus the target’s Vital 25 freeze lithium lithium
Defense, assuming the poison can be delivered in 26 purify peroxide peroxide
food or drink; it does 1d6 poison damage plus 1d6 31 dilute glycerin glycerin
for each die you sacrifice from your dice pool. 32 evaporate helium helium
•• Burn or combust materials like metal and stone. 33 cook ruby ruby
Like drugs, chemical concoctions can also be used to 34 circulate magnesium magnesium
inflict conditions, thus creating a truth drug or a sleep- 35 burn diamond diamond
ing draught. The concoction must be delivered (imbibed 36 filtrate glucose glucose
by the target, or similar). A concoction which is eaten or 41 smelt sucrose sucrose
drunk is an hourly task, a poultice, salve, or ointment 42 refine tungsten tungsten
costs -1d6, and a gas, incense, or smoke costs -2d6. The 43 centrifuge citric acid citric acid
check is a simple opposed one versus the target’s Vital 44 crystallize coal coal
Defense, and success inflicts a condition with a critical 45 fractionate chalk chalk
success inflicting a severe condition. 46 cool salt salt
  The player(s) start by declaring their intentions. This 51 bake limestone limestone
goal may be anything they wish, although they may find 52 agitate butane butane
some goals too hard to accomplish. It might be to devise 53 crush ammonia ammonia
an acid to melt the lock on a cell door, save an ally who 54 grind kerosene kerosene
has been poisoned by an assassin, or build an explosive. 55 cohobate iodine iodine
The GM sets the difficulty as normal, and characters may 56 brew acetone acetone
attempt Logic checks until they have reached the target 61 dessicate acid acid
number of successes (typically three successes). Chemis- 62 separate nitrous oxide nitrous oxide
try is a classic example of a very simple use of the extended 63 agitate sodium sodium
task mechanism. 64 simmer sulphur sulphur
  To add some flavor to a chemical task, roll d66 four 65 warm silicon silicon
times on the following table and read off the result in the 66 chill arsenic arsenic
format alpha a mixture of beta and gamma (e.g. “boil a
mixture of zinc oxide and glucose”). This doesn’t result in can be picked or hacked by a burglar, or a chemist might
“real” chemical terminology, but it can add some flavor. attempt to open it by melting the lock with acid. The diffi-
  Chemistry is an acceptable way to accomplish many culty of the task does not change—if it’s a Difficult [16] task
tasks, even if other methods are available. A locked door to pick the lock, then it’s a Difficult [16] chemical task also.

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 Modern Core

Computing
Common skills: computing.
  Computing results are read in the format alpha the beta
gamma delta. These include hacking attempts. To add
some flavor to a computing task, roll d66 four times on the
following table and read off the result in the format alpha
the beta gamma delta (e.g. “reconfigure the virtual pat-
tern algorithm”). This doesn’t result in “real” computing
terminology, but it can add some flavor.

Computing Task Table Interrogations

d66 Alpha Beta Gamma Delta Common skills: interrogation, bluffing, intimi-
11 overload core binary subroutine dation, persuasion, seduction.
12 clone auxiliary root kernel   An interrogation is an opposed extended
13 recompile polymorphic routing firewall task. The goal is to extract information from a
14 spoof backend injection program subject. Unlike other opposed tasks, an inter-
15 loop direct control protocol rogation can continue indefinitely, although it
16 reboot closed data script becomes less effective as time passes.
21 reconfigure sub boolean array   A simple interrogation involves CHA vs.
22 unlink modular heap compiler Mental Defense checks, along with the inter-
23 redesign nested source enumerator rogation skill. That skill is used to both conduct
24 extend closed bridge function and withstand interrogation. Each time the
25 remove dynamic pattern interpreter interrogator makes a check, he asks a ques-
26 reference persistent exception code tion. If he wins the check, the subject answers
31 initialize pseudo memory parameter truthfully; if he fails, the subject lies or refuses
­32 iterate public state procedure to answer. The answer can be no more than
33 activate secure integer table a short sentence—the interrogator can’t ask
34 interface recursive logic database “What is your entire plan, in full detail?”
35 reassign generic stack extension   Interrogations begin as quick (one-minute
36 call static assembly algorithm interval) tasks. Although interrogations do not
41 concatenate super pool argument have an established ending point, every time
42 mask virtual access assembler the questioner fails an opposed check the task
43 patch abstract batch exception is escalated to an hourly, daily, weekly, or even
44 rename run-time biometric language monthly task, increasing the length of time
45 invoke cyclomatic analog processor needed to extract information. Eventually the
46 override conditional broadband counter amount of time needed to gain the smallest
51 reference contravariant command environment piece of information may make the whole thing
52 constrain declarative configuration index completely impractical.
53 evaluate directed EKT block   Interrogation kits grant bonuses to checks
54 flush dummy floating expression as normal for equipment. Some drugs can also
55 append parallel AJS file obviate the need for an interrogation, or at least
56 access global heuristic matrix prevent the subject from lying. Of course, a
61 bounce intrinsic operations manager subject cannot reveal information he does not
62 fragment invariant integrated client have. Each use of an interrogation kit causes
63 delete local KVS point 1d6 damage to the subject.
64 format monomorphic latency archive   More advanced interrogations may use other
65 flash negative NTP sector skills, including persuasion, bluffing, even se-
66 install inherited output cache duction or medicine.

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 Modern Core

Medicine
Common skills: medicine focused on medical situations. Like chemistry, it is based
  Much like chemistry, medicine is a science. It’s a simple on Logic. Medicine can be used to remove permanent
extended task which works in exactly the same way as an conditions, treat diseases, or perform other medical tasks.
chemical task, but it uses different skills as it is largely See the Chemistry section above for details on how to ad-
judicate this type of task.
Medicine Task Table   Like chemical concoctions, drugs
d66 Alpha Beta Gamma Delta can also be used to inflict conditions,
11 irradiate inverted neural cells thus creating a truth drug or a sleeping
12 excise assymetrical basilar pathways draught. The drug must be delivered
13 decontaminate malignant berylite neurons (imbibed by the target, or similar). A
14 transplant persisting biomimetic tissue drug which is injected, eaten or drunk
15 clone periodic cardiac protoplasm is an hourly task, a poultice, salve, or
16 balance infected reticular nerve ointment costs –1d6, and a gas, incense,
21 incise swollen synaptic muscle or smoke costs –2d6. The check is a
22 puncture degenerate bile bone simple opposed one versus the target’s
23 fuse obstructed cranial cyst Vital Defense, and success inflicts a
24 remove restless nodular joint condition with a critical success inflict-
25 secure spasming endocrine gland ing a severe condition.
26 reshape detached neurological ganglia   To add some flavor to a medical task,
31 strengthen misaligned aplastic membrane roll d66 four times on the following ta-
32 replace infected autonomic protein ble and read off the result in the format
33 repair defective sympathetic enzyme alpha the beta gamma delta (e.g. “by-
34 divert impaired idiopathic genome pass the infected neural cluster”).
35 bypass scarred subcutaneous tumor
36 excite hemorrhaging fungal clot
41 drain inflamed frontal cluster
That’s Not Real
42 regenerate failing temporal gene
Terminology!
43 resequence occluded parietal receptor The chemistry, computing, and
44 massage carcinomic occipital capillary medicine task tables in this book
45 reconstruct disrupted pituitary deposit create what is lovingly referred to
46 disrupt paralyzed corellium abscess in scriptwriting as “technobabble.”
51 stimulate weak anchilles hematoma Technobabble makes characters
52 freeze blocked aphasic cartilage sound intelligent without actually
53 magnetize deviated leutscher tissue having to refer to reality. We know
54 cauterize damaged biotic cord there’s no such thing as an idiopathic
55 electrify eroded mutagenic artery genome, and we know that boiling
56 modulate abscessed genetic vein zinc can’t cure radiation sickness.
61 pressurize toxic peripheral molecules That’s fine. It’s all as fictional as an
62 pulse foreign core valve international superspy or a mystical
63 compress contracting radial anomaly levitating martial arts grandmaster!
64 cleanse dislocated amniotic chromosome The idea is to provide in-game flavor,
65 perforate deformed transient cavity not to create real solutions to real
66 inoculate mutated intrinsic lobe problems.

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 Modern Core

Tracking
Common skills: tracking, stealth, perception, local
knowledge.
  Tracking someone is an opposed extended task similar
to a chase, although much less energetic and more cere-
bral. Rather than physical tasks, opposed checks are more
focused around a contest of mind and skill. The target tries
to hide his tracks, while the pursuer tries to uncover them.
  A simple tracking scenario involves AGI checks for the
target and INT checks for the pursuer, along with the
stealth and tracking skills, respectively. This assumes that
the target is aware of and trying to shake off the trackers.
If the target is unaware of the trackers, simply use a Rou- questions which the GM can answer with a single, short
tine [10] benchmark and a simple extended task. sentence. Any question can be asked, and each question
  A more complex tracking scenario allows the target to takes one full minute—the more questions asked, the
try different things. To help spice up a tacking scenario, more detailed information can be determined, but each
you can use the following table to generate different subsequent question past the first inflicts a -1d6 die penal-
stages and obstacles. Depending on the distances and the ty. An example sequence of questions might look like this:
time scales involved, these could be minutes, hours, or
even days apart. Example Tracking Questions and Answers
Question Answer
Tracking Complications Has anybody passed through Yes, a group of people was
2d6 Event this room in the last hour? here very recently.
2 Cross a river to hide tracks (swimming vs. tracking) How many people? Six people.
3 Create a decoy or false trail (tracking vs. tracking) Was any of them one- Yes, there was a one-legged
4 Hide (stealth vs. tracking) legged? person present.
5 Outpace the trackers (running or riding vs. tracking) Were there any politicians Yes, two politicians, based
6 Set a trap (thievery vs. perception) present? on their shoe prints.
7 Double back (bluffing vs. tracking) Were the politicians prison- Yes, from the way they were
8 Change shoes and other clothing (bluffing vs. track- ers? walking, it seems they were
ing) restrained in some way.
9 Traverse difficult obstacles (swimming or climbing
vs. swimming or climbing) Tailing
10 Use minor spycraft techniques (stealth vs. tracking) A simple tailing scenario is an opposed extended task
11 Use animals to create confusion and distraction which involves INT checks for the target, and AGI checks
(animal handling vs. animal handling) for the pursuer (the reverse of the tracking process). The
12 Stage misdirecting witnesses (bluffing vs. insight) pursuer is the one trying to stay out of sight and not be
spotted by his target. The target will use perception, while
An expert tracker can also glean a lot of information the pursuer may use stealth or bluffing. This assumes that
about a location or about creatures who have been pres- the target is trying to be inconspicuous or use anti-sur-
ent. This is a simple, single-check task using LOGIC and veillance techniques. If the target is not worried about a
the tracking skill. The tracker simply makes a Routine [10] tail, simply use INT (perception) checks.
LOG check and ask one closed question which the GM •• Change appearance (disguise vs. perception)
will answer. The question asked must be specific closed •• Blend with a crowd (stealth vs. perception)

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 Modern Core
Countdowns
Countdowns form the second major core mechanic in the
W.O.I.N. game system. A countdown takes place when
there is an unknown time limit before something occurs.
It is used in the following situations:
•• Death. An unconscious character uses the count-
down mechanic as he slips towards death.
•• Disease. Disease and illness use the countdown
mechanic as symptoms worsen.
•• Drowning or suffocation. Characters who cannot
breath (underwater, or some other reason) use the
countdown mechanic to determine when they lose
consciousness.
•• Other ticking clocks. There are many other situa-
tions where a ticking clock is relevant. Occasions
where you need a tense situation as a character tries
to do something before something else happens
are ideal for it. Can a climber scale a crumbling cliff
before it collapses? Can a thief pick a lock before the
alarms go off? Can a cop defuse a bomb before it
explodes?
The countdown is started by forming a dice pool. Differ-
ent situations will determine the size of that dice pool—a
dying character uses one equal in size to his Endurance
dice pool, for example, while cliffs or alarms will have
their dice pool size set by the GM. The larger the dice pool,
the longer you (probably) have.
  Each turn, the dice pool is rolled. Usually it’s rolled by
the player in question—she rolls her own death dice, or
her own drowning dice.
  Any die which comes up with a six is removed from the
dice pool, and play continues.
  Eventually the last dice will be removed from the dice
pool. It is then that the character dies, the trap explodes,
or the soldier looks in the crate.
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Fast, Medium, and Slow Countdowns
Duration Fast Medium Slow
Removed Dice 4–6 5–6 6
The default countdown—removing a dice on a roll of 6—is
a slow countdown. Countdowns can run down faster than
this, however. For faster countdowns, dice are removed
on rolls of 5–6, or even 4–6.
  A countdown is always expressed in terms of a fast, me-
dium, or slow countdown. The default countdown (if not
specified) is a slow countdown expiring on rolls of 6.
Stabilizing and Replenishing Countdowns
Some countdowns can be stabilized or replenished.
 A stabilized countdown simply stops counting down—
the trap has been disarmed in time, or the character is no
longer in danger of dying.
  Replenishing a countdown allows extra dice to be
added, effectively extending it. In this way, illnesses can
be pushed back “up” the countdown and dying characters
can be stabilized with emergency healing.
  Not all countdowns can be stabilized or replenished;
the specific countdown will clearly indicate whether or
not these are appropriate. Sometimes the cliff is going to
crumble whatever you do—it’s just a question of whether
you get to the top before that happens!
Countdowns and Stages
Most countdowns are fairly simple—the dice pool is
rolled until it reaches zero, at which point an effect (death,
explosion, and so on) takes place. However, some count-
downs have effects which take place at various stages
throughout the process. Stages take place as the dice pool
reaches certain sizes. For example, an illness might have
a character becoming blind when the pool reaches two
dice, and dying when it reaches zero dice. All countdowns
technically have two stages—the starting condition and
the ending condition.
Average Countdown Length
The table below shows the expected (average) number of
rolls a countdown will last for before expiry. This can be
used by the GM to set appropriate countdown dice pools.
 Modern Core

Average Countdown Length (Number of Rolls)

Dice Pool Slow (6) Medium (5–6) Fast (4–6)
What Luck Represents
1d6 6 3 2 Luck can be interpreted in any way by characters
2d6 9 4 3 and creatures who use it. For some, it is merely co-
3d6 11 5 3 incidence and serendipity; for others it represents
4d6 12 6 4 cool and mojo; while for still others it may be divine in
5d6 13 6 4 origin, representing faith and blessings. However the
6d6 14 7 4 character interprets the concept of luck, it is used in
7d6 15 7 4 the same way.
8d6 15 7 4
9d6 16 7 5
Forming a Luck Pool
10d6 17 8 5 There are two ways to form a Luck pool, depending on
the style of game.
The Role of Luck • In normal mode, the LUC pool is equal to the
Luck is a special attribute. It is a renewable resource that associated dice pool of the character’s LUC
can be used to modify other die rolls and perform special attribute.
actions. It represents luck, fate, chance, destiny, faith, di- • In cinematic mode, the LUC pool is equal to the
vine favor, karma, and more. character’s LUC attribute.
  At the start of each game day, each player should form a • LUC pools are replenished once per day with a
Luck dice pool. As dice are used from the Luck pool, sim- 5-minute rest, unless otherwise stated.
ply discard them. Luck can be used to:
•• Add dice to any attribute check on a 1:1 basis.
•• Deduct dice from someone else’s attribute check on Exploding Dice
a 1:1 basis. Luck dice “explode.” This means that whenever a 6 is
•• Absorb dice of damage on a 1:1 basis. Note that frac- rolled, the die is rolled again and the new roll added to
tional dice cannot be absorbed (so of 2d6+3 damage, the original 6. This process is repeated if subsequent 6s
the 2d6 can be absorbed, but not the remaining 3). are rolled. It is recommended that Luck dice be a differ-
•• Add dice to a damage roll on a 1:1 basis. ent color than the other dice being rolled so that the Luck
•• Gain one bonus action on your turn. This can only dice can be easily distinguished.
be done during a character’s own turn.
•• Negate a temporary condition, if the LUC die is Leadership
spent at the same time the condition is applied. The Leadership exploit allows you to donate your LUC
•• Perform other special actions granted by careers dice to others. Without this exploit, you may only spend
and exploits. LUC on yourself. Characters with the Leadership exploit
Luck dice can only be used within an encounter; you can- may donate one or more of their available LUC dice to
not use Luck dice during downtime, or on daily checks. another character as a free reaction to their attempting
And the GM should disallow the use of Luck if she feels an attribute check. You must declare this before the ally
that a player is simply blowing all their Luck on a check rolls their check.
because it’s the only one they’ll make that day. In game
terms, being able to invest all your Luck in one go makes Replenishing Luck
sense only if you’ve had, or will have, a number of other Once per day, a character may spend 5 minutes to replen-
chances to be unlucky in the day (you’ve either saved up a ish his Luck pool. Some careers or traditions allow more
lucky moment or will have a chance to “pay it back”). frequent replenishment. These do not stack, and you can-
not gain more than one additional daily replenishment.

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 Modern Core
Other Uses of Luck
Other uses of Luck manipulate situations where the odds
are normally even.
•• When determining a 50/50 chance of an outcome,
roll a Routine [10] Luck check instead. Characters
with higher Luck succeed more often on an ostensi-
bly 50/50 chance.
•• When randomly determining a PC, have each player
roll Luck. Either the highest or the lowest wins,
depending on the situation.
Combat
While things like skills, hacking, chases, and social en-
counters make up a large part of a campaign, combat is an
important pillar of the game. Characters will sometimes
find themselves in situations which can only be resolved
by violence—and it is then that the bullets and grenades
start flying, and the fists start swinging.
  Combat takes place on a battlemap. A battlemap is a
grid on the tabletop which depicts the environment. Each
square on the grid represents 5’. Players place miniatures
(or other tokens) on the map to represent their charac-
ters, and the GM places miniatures to represent their
opponents.
  Combat is a tactical skirmish-like affair. Position and
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cover are vital components to a What’s O.L.D. is N.E.W.
combat encounter. Characters and their foes will move,
use suppressive fire and overwatch, set up crossfires,
and try to gain higher ground in an attempt to gain the
advantage. Those who do not use these tactics will find it
difficult to succeed in combat-based situations.
The Combat Sequence
Combat follows a set sequence. The encounter progresses
in rounds, which are a small but unspecified unit of time
measured in seconds. In each round, every participant
gets a turn which consists of one or more actions—mov-
ing, shooting, aiming, giving emergency medical aid,
attacking with martial arts, climbing a ladder, and so on.
  The order in which combatants act is determined by
their Initiative score, which is determined by making
an attribute check. Those with higher scores act first, fol-
lowed by those with lower scores.
  When combat begins, follow the procedure outlined
below.
1. Make attribute checks—if appropriate—for ac-
cess to the ambush turn. Those who succeed take
one action; all actions in the ambush turn occur
simultaneously.
2. Everyone rolls Initiative. This is simply an
Intuition check, although some characters may
get bonuses from skills or other abilities. On a tie,
compare Agility, and if still tied, simply have each
roll 1d6 and the highest wins.
3. All combatants then act in order from highest
initiative to lowest. Each character may take two
actions unless otherwise noted. An action is a
move, an attack, or a regular action. You can move
twice, or attack twice, or move and attack, or any
other combination. Creatures with three actions
take two actions on their turn and one action on
their Initiative count –10. Those with four or more
actions take two actions on their turn and one ac-
tion every 5 Initiative counts later up to their total
number of actions.
4. Once everybody has acted, return to step 3 and
repeat until the combat ends.
 Modern Core

Actions and Turns

A turn represents a short but unspecified length of time
measured in seconds. Most characters have two actions
to use each turn, unless they have an ability which says
otherwise, and some creatures have more. These actions
can be spent to move, fight, or perform other tasks, and
can be performed in any order. For example, a character
might move and then fire his pistol, or vice versa.

Number of Actions for Some Common Activities

Activity Actions
Aim or feint 1
Draw or sheath a weapon Free
Drop an item Free
Drop to prone or crouch Free
Fire a ranged weapon or make a melee attack 1 The Ambush Turn
Go into overwatch  1* Before a fight starts, combatants can attempt to get the
Move your Speed 1 jump on each other. In practical terms, that commonly
Open an unlocked door or chest 1 involves one of two things: unexpectedly initiating com-
Perform emergency healing 2 bat, or ambushing an enemy from hiding. However, it can
Pick a lock (and open the door) or disarm a trap 2 involve any participant-initiated strategy.
Pick up an item 1   If nobody is attempting to ambush the other, or if all
Reload or recharge a weapon or item Varies combatants encounter each other simultaneously and
Shake off a condition 1 launch straight into combat, the ambush turn is skipped.
Stand from prone 1 Only use the ambush turn if one group is deliberately
*Going into overwatch always ends a character’s turn. trying to get the jump on the other. From a PC point of
view, the ambush turn can only be accessed if the party
While characters typically have two actions to use in each specifically attempts to do so before combat begins; once
turn, there are additional action types which can be taken: everybody realizes a fight is breaking out, the ambush
•• Free actions use none of the character’s actions, turn is long past.
and must be taken in the character’s turn. Only one   Getting an ambush requires a group check. Either the
free action is permitted to a character per round. whole group succeeds, or none of them do. This check is
•• Reactions take place outside a character’s turn opposed by the leader (or the lookout, or the otherwise
in response to a specified trigger. Many exploits most alert or perceptive) of the target group. As always
provide reactions. Only one reaction is permitted to with group checks, success requires more than half the
a character per round. participants to make a successful check.
•• Bonus actions can be provided by spending a Luck   Anybody trying to gain access to the ambush turn needs
die. Only one Luck die can be spent by a character to win an opposed attribute check against the intended
in this way per turn. Bonus actions take place in the targets. This is usually an AGI (stealth) or CHA (bluff), but
character’s own turn. the GM should allow any reasonable plan from a player.
Even if a creature is able to use more than two actions in a   All actions that take place during the ambush turn take
turn, it cannot repeat a given action more than twice. For place simultaneously, and creatures with access to the
example, a creature with 3 actions can only move twice, ambush turn may take only one action during the am-
not three times. bush turn.

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 Modern Core
Movement
Movement is a vital part of any combat encounter. Any
creature can use one action to move up to its Speed. A
creature’s Speed indicates the number of 5-foot incre-
ments (squares) it can move in one action (it also indicates
its normal speed in miles-per-hour).
  Speed is the total of the raw dice pool of Strength and
Agility plus one relevant skill. Movement skills include
(but are not limited to) running, climbing, swimming, fly-
ing, and zero-g.
  Movement methods. For non-primary movement
methods, the movement rate is halved. For most charac-
ters, this means that walking/running is at the full rate,
and climbing, swimming, zero-g, etc. are at half rate (after
adding the bonus from the skill). Some exploits may grant
a full movement rate. Some creatures (such as birds) may
have a different primary movement mode, and walk/run
at half speed. A skill cannot turn a movement method into
a primary method; only an exploit can do that.
  Vehicles. Vehicles have their own Speed. Driver and
passengers move with the vehicle for free when it moves;
the driver must spend one of his actions driving.
  Hustling. A character who moves with two actions in
a turn is “hustling,” and effectively moving at twice its
normal speed. Creatures with more than two actions
available may not move more than twice in a turn. An
Olympic sprinter typically has a Speed of 10 or more, and
is using both actions to run, resulting in movement in the
range of 20 miles per hour.
  Grids. If no grid is being used, the creature can move a
number of inches on the tabletop equal to its Speed. If a
square grid is being used, a diagonal movement counts as
5’, but creatures may not move diagonally around a corner.
  Difficult terrain. Difficult terrain (deep snow, swamp,
ice, high or low gravity, etc.) halves ground movement
rates. Some exploits may allow full movement rates on
one or more difficult terrain types.
  Climbing and balancing. Climbing is an AGI check. A
successful check allows the climber to move at her climb
speed up a vertical surface. The climber need only make
one check per turn—this check applies to all climbing
movement in that turn. Balancing on a narrow ledge or
beam is a form of climbing. A failed check simply means
that the character cannot climb the wall or object. She may
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Long-Distance Travel
Long-distance movement takes place at a charac-
ter’s Speed in mph. Hustling (moving with both actions
in a turn) doubles this movement rate but can only be
sustained for a number of hours equal to half a char-
acter’s Endurance attribute before an equal period of
rest is required.
attempt another check next turn. A high quality climbing
kit can assist with climbing. The surface determines the
difficulty of the climb.
Climbing and Balancing Checks
Situation Difficulty
Cliff, rough, many handholds Challenging [13]
Brick or stone wall, few handholds Difficult [16]
Ice or smooth metal Demanding [21]
Overhand or ceiling Demanding [21]
Narrow ledge or plank Challenging [13]
Tightrope Strenuous [25]
  Fighting while climbing. Fighting while hanging from
a wall is difficult. A non-climber attacking a climber gains
a +2d6 bonus to the attack. A climber attacking a non-
climber suffers a –2d6 penalty. If both combatants are
climbing, nobody gets any bonuses or penalties.
  Creatures with primary climbing modes. If a crea-
ture has climbing as a natural movement mode, it simply
moves its Speed along walls and ceilings with no checks
requires or combat checks imposed.
  Falling. Characters who fall from a height take 1d6 dam-
age for every 10’ fallen. (Falls of less than 10’ do not cause
damage.) Any fall results in the character landing prone
unless an AGI check with a difficulty value equal to the
number of feet fallen is made (this represents an attempt to
reduce falling damage by jumping down; see below).
  Jumping. Every character and creature has a “free”
Jump allowance noted on its character sheet or stat block.
This is a distance that the character may make a running
jump without making any check at all; it simply happens
automatically (for a standing jump, simply half the val-
ues). A jump counts as one action.

Important Combat Actions
Move
The character, vehicle, or creature moves their Speed as
indicated in the Movement section, above.
Attack
Attacks take the form of ranged attacks or melee attacks.
A ranged attack uses a bow, gun, thrown weapon, or other
form of ranged weapon. A melee attack is either unarmed
(punches, kicks, claws, bites, and the like) or uses a melee
weapon such as a sword or club.
 A melee attack is performed by rolling a STR or AGI
check (attacker’s choice unless otherwise noted) against
the target’s Melee Defense.
 A ranged attack is performed by rolling an AGI or INT
check (attacker’s choice unless otherwise noted) against
the target’s Ranged Defense. Longer ranges can reduce
the number of dice rolled.
 An area attack is made against a target’s Vital De-
fense. One roll is made, and the result compared to the
defense values of all potential targets.
  On a successful hit, the attacker rolls damage (in d6s)
according to the weapon. Armor reduces this damage by
its Soak value. The resulting damage is deducted from the
target’s Health. For area attacks, only roll damage once
and apply it to all targets.
  If triple-sixes are rolled on the attack roll, a critical hit
occurs. A critical hit automatically hits, and inflicts a con-
dition on the target, as explained later. Additionally, the
damage dice on a critical hit explode. However, creatures
immune to a specific damage type do not suffer critical
hits from that damage type.
Ordinary Attacks
When you make an attack, choose one of the following
options as long as (a) it makes sense, and (b) the target is
not immune to that condition or action. You cannot, for
example, disarm a tiger, trip a snake, or grab a hologram.
•• Make any attack normally and if you hit you inflict
your normal damage.
Modern Core
Making an Attack
Spending attack dice is an important part of com-
bat, and without it a character may find it difficult to
do much damage. It is fundamental to the way that
powerful or accurate attacks do a lot of damage or
achieve special effects. The larger your dice pool, the
more you have to spend on damage and effects. Fol-
low this process:
• Form your dice pool from attribute + skill +
equipment up to your maximum dice pool.
• Adjust the dice pool for positional factors
(cover, range, etc.)
• Choose how much of the final dice pool to
spend on damage and effects.
• You may add Luck dice, which enables you to
exceed your maximum dice pool.
  Spending on damage. Everybody can spend attack
dice on damage; this allows you to choose between
easier, less damaging attacks or more difficult, more
damaging attacks. Before making an attack roll,
spend two dice for each extra die of damage you wish
to do. A base attack, with no dice spent on extra dam-
age, will often be easy but have little effect.
  Spending on effects. Your exploits tell you what
effects you can spend attack dice on. You can spend
dice on knockdowns, disarms, blinding attacks, trips,
arm-locks, and many more effects.
•• Make an unarmed melee attack normally and if you
hit you grab your target, giving it the Restrained
condition. You must pay an additional 1d6 for each
size category that the target is larger than you, and
also if the target has more than two legs or has no
legs. You can apply this condition twice to increase
the level of the Restrained condition.
•• Make an unarmed melee attack or an attack with a
small melee weapon normally vs. Vital Defense,
and if you hit you escape a grab and remove the
Restrained condition.
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Dual-Wielding
Sometimes a character might have a weapon in each
hand. This might be a pair of knives, or a pair of pistols; it
might be a sword and a dagger; it even includes—techni-
cally—the use of a sword and shield. Dual-wielding also
includes the use of double weapons, such as a two-blad-
ed sword.
Generally speaking, any single-handed item (weapon or
shield) can be used for offense or defense. Most items
can be used for offense, including shields; shields and
weapons with the Shield trait can be used for defense.
Even improvised weapons and other items can be used,
although they are subject to the usual improvisation
penalties, which may make them near useless to all but
the most proficient of combatants.
  Defense. When a shield or a weapon with the shield
trait is used for defense, it grants a bonus to the wielder’s
Defense scores. Characters are assumed to use these
items for defense unless they specifically choose to use
them for offense. Double weapons and missile weapons
cannot usually be used for defense, and weapons with
the Shield trait only apply to Melee Defense.
Called Shots
Additionally, you may pay 2d6 and spend two actions to
make a Called Shot against Vital Defense and choose
one of the following options:
•• Make a Called Shot, and if you hit you move your
target one square (plus up to one square for each
size category by which you exceed the target in
melee, or by which your weapon exceeds the target
at range). You must pay an additional 1d6 for each
size category that the target is larger than you, and
another 1d6 if the target has more than two legs or
has no legs.
  The movement you apply to your target must
be one that makes sense; for example, if it is the
result of a blow or ranged attack, your target will be
pushed away from you.
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 Offense. When a shield or a weapon is used for offense
it cannot grant a defensive bonus until the start of the
wielder’s next turn. Instead, it grants an additional attack
as a free action if the wielder has attacked twice already
in the round (in other words, the wielder can spend two
actions to get three attacks—two with the primary and
one with the off-hand weapon). If an off-hand weapon
is used for offense, all the character’s attacks for that
round are subjected to a –2d6 die penalty.
 Attributes. Dual-wielding characters must use their
AGI attribute to attack with their secondary weapon.
They cannot use STR (melee) or INT (ranged).
 Ambidexterity. Characters with the Ambidexter-
ity trait do not suffer the –2d6 penalty to attacks when
dual-wielding.
 Shields. As mentioned above, shields can also be used
in offense. Shields typically do 1d6 blunt damage (or 1d6
piercing damage for a spiked shield).
 Exploits. You can incorporate exploits into attacks,
but exploits can only each be used once per round as
normal (and thus usually only apply to one attack).
•• Make a Called Shot, and if you hit you knock or trip
your target prone. You must pay an additional 1d6
for each size category that the target is larger than
you, and also if the target has more than two legs or
has no legs.
•• Make a Called Shot, and if you hit you disarm your
opponent, giving it the Disarmed condition.
•• Make a Called Shot, and if you hit you disable your
target, giving it the Slowed condition.
•• Make a Called Shot specific to your target as out-
lined in its stat-block.
Aiming & Feinting
Aiming or feinting, both of which are universal exploits,
cost one action and grant a +1d6 bonus to an attack roll
taken in the same turn. The attack action must come
immediately after the aiming or feinting action. All char-
acters get either Aim or Feint for free. Aiming applies to
ranged attacks, while feinting applies to melee attacks.

Overwatch
Overwatch is a special type of action. When you choose
to enter overwatch, you wait ready with a ranged weapon
to fire on any targets which make themselves available.
Usually this means targets which break cover and enter
your line of sight, but you can attach any trigger to it. For
example, overwatch can be used to cover prisoners, with
the intention of shooting them if they move. You enter
overwatch in your turn, and remain in overwatch until
the start of your next turn.
  You may only fire on a given target once during a turn
when on overwatch, and may only fire when the target
has zero cover. Your shot interrupts his turn at the earliest
point possible.
  The maximum number of targets you can fire upon dur-
ing a turn when in overwatch is equal to your Intuition
attribute. Each subsequent target beyond the first takes a
–1d6 penalty to hit.
  Entering overwatch uses one action and always ends
your turn, so it should be the final action taken by a crea-
ture. Your overwatch status lasts until you take another
action. A very common maneuver used by SWAT teams
is to use two actions to move and then enter overwatch,
proceeding from one location of cover to the next. This is a
very effective tactic for advancing safely upon the enemy.
Modern Core
Positional Effects
Combat in What’s O.L.D. is N.E.W. is a highly position-
al, tactical affair. Using crossfires and avoiding getting
pinned down or falling into the enemy’s crossfires, com-
batants move about the battlemap in an attempt to gain
an advantage over their foes.
  The five important positional effects are range, higher
ground, cover, getting pinned down, and crossfires/flanks.
Range
In ranged combat, every weapon has a range increment.
Any ranged attack which exceeds that range increment
suffers a –1d6 die penalty for each range increment be-
yond the first. Unless otherwise noted, weapons can only
fire out to five range increments.
Higher Ground
Combatants on higher ground than their targets gain a
+1d6 bonus to attack them. Higher ground is defined as at
least 5’ for melee attacks or at least 10’ for ranged attacks.
Cover
Targets without cover are very vulnerable to gunfire and
other missile fire. A target In Cover inflicts a –2d6 penalty
to attack rolls made against him (although this can be al-
leviated by the “pinned down” rule, below).
  It’s important to distinguish between cover and blocked
line of sight. A character cannot be completely immune
to gunfire and simultaneously able to fire himself, and
cannot be in a position where line of sight is completely
blocked except for when he pops up to fire his pistol.
  There are three positions which require a move action
to switch between:
•• Open: A character without the benefit of any cover
is considered In the Open.
•• Cover: If a character can fire on an enemy without
expending a move action, he is In Cover; line of sight
is not blocked.
•• Blocked: If a character must spend a move action
to fire upon an enemy, line of sight is Blocked. The
move action need not involve leaving the square;
what’s important is that a move action is needed to
move to a firing position, and another one is needed
to move back to the fully blocked position.
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Getting Pinned Down Ranged Modifiers

An attacker can “pin down” a target, chipping away at his Situation Modifier
cover. Each round that an attacker fires at a target in cover, Cover –2d6
he gains a cumulative +1d6 bonus to hit it. If he misses a Crossfire/flank +1d6 for each attacker
round, the bonus resets to +0d6 again. If the target moves beyond the first
10’, the bonus resets to +0d6. Range increments –1d6 for each increment
beyond the first
Crossfires & Flanks Firing into melee –2d6
In an exchange of ranged weapon fire, every soldier Higher ground (at least 10’) +1d6
dreads being caught in a crossfire. Avoiding missiles from Obscured (smoke, darkness, etc.) –2d6
multiple directions is extremely difficult. Pinned down +1d6 per round
 A crossfire exists if two attackers are positioned at Prone target –1d6
greater than 90-degree angles to each other with respect
to the target. Each of the attackers beyond the first grants a Melee Modifiers
cumulative +1d6 bonus to ranged attacks against that tar- Situation Modifier
get (making a maximum bonus of +3d6 for four attackers). Flanking target +1d6
 A flank is the melee equivalent of a crossfire. Helpless target Automatic critical hit
Higher ground (at least 5’) +1d6
Other Modifiers Prone target +2d6
Other things can affect an attack roll. Sneak/target unaware +2d6
  It is harder to shoot someone engaged in melee combat
without endangering your ally. Such attacks take a –2d6
cover penalty, although some exploits can reduce this.
Similarly, in darkness or under cover of obscuring fog or
smoke, a –2d6 cover penalty is inflicted.
  A prone target is harder to hit at range (a penalty of –1d6)
but easier to hit in melee (+2d6).

Facing
The direction you face can matter when using miniatures
in combat. It determines whether somebody is attacking
you from the rear, and which directions certain attacks
can be used in.
  You can change which direction you face at any time
while moving. If you don’t move in your turn, you can still
change your facing for free at any point during your turn.
This is not an actual action or a free action.
  Most attacks can be used in any direction. However,
occasionally an attack will only be valid in a particular
direction—a vehicle’s flamethrower might only be able to
affect a cone to the front, for example. If this is the case,
the attack (or exploit) will specify that direction.

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Vehicle Combat Turning

Sometimes characters will engage in combat from aboard The driver may turn the vehicle. He may alter its course by
a vehicle; this may involve vehicles fighting each other, up to 45 degrees. Every vehicle has a turning circle which
or pedestrians fighting against or with vehicles. Vehicles indicates how many squares it must move forward before
follow the following rules when involved in a combat making a turn; as long as the vehicle follows this rule,
situation. leaving the requisite amount of squares between turns of
  Vehicles are placed on the battlemap, and usually take up to 45 degrees, it may turn as often in a round as the
up two or more squares (motorcycles only take up one driver wishes. See the diagram on the next page.
square). A vehicle’s stats indicate the number of occu-   A vehicle’s turning circle is equal to its current speed
pants (including the driver) it may carry. multiplied by its Handling, divided by 5 (round down to
  The vehicle is essentially an extension of its driver. It a minimum of 1). A Handling 3 car moving at a velocity of
acts on the driver’s Initiative, and moves on the driver’s 6 has a turning circle of (3 x 6) ÷ 5 = 3. A smaller Handling
turn. Other occupants act on their own turns, as normal. 1 motorcycle moving at the same velocity has a turning
However, passengers move for free automatically with the circle of just 1 hex, while a Handling 5 truck at that speed
vehicle, as you would expect. has a turning circle of 6.
  For convenience, you can also use the table below to de-
Initiative termine a vehicle’s turning circle. You should record the
The driver rolls Initiative as normal. The vehicle’s Han- turning circle values for the vehicle on its stat block.
dling score provides a bonus or penalty to the driver’s
Initiative roll. Vehicle Turning Circles
Handling
Initiative Modifiers from Vehicle Handling Speed 1 2 3 4 5 6
Handling Initiative 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 +1d6 2 1 1 1 1 2 2
2 +1d6 3 1 1 1 2 3 3
3 — 4 1 1 2 3 4 4
4 — 5 1 2 3 4 5 6
5 –1d6 6 1 2 3 4 6 7
6 –2d6 7 1 2 4 5 7 7
8 1 3 4 6 8 10
Movement 9 1 3 5 7 9 10
A vehicle moves forward on its driver’s turn. The driver 10 2 4 6 8 10 12
spends one of his actions driving the vehicle. The passen- 11 2 4 6 8 11 12
gers do not need to spend actions to move, as they move 12 2 4 7 9 12 14
for free with the vehicle. 13 2 5 7 10 13 15
  A vehicle moves its current velocity; on the driver’s turn, 14 2 5 8 11 14 16
as part of his driving action, he may increase or decrease 15 3 6 9 12 15 18
the vehicle’s velocity by an amount up to its Accelera- 16 3 6 9 12 16 19
tion score. For example, if the vehicle is moving at Speed
10, and has an Accel of 3, he may brake and reduce the Actions
Speed to 7, or he may put his foot down and increase it to The occupants of a vehicle can act as normal. They may
13. The vehicle cannot move faster than the Speed score shoot with handheld weapons normally, or they can use
listed in its stat block. vehicle-mounted weapons (using the gunnery skill); or, of
course, they can take any other action they are capable of.

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VEHICLE TURNING DIAGRAM

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 Modern Core

  Shooting at occupants. If a vehicle’s occupant is tar-

geted by a weapon, the occupant gains the benefit of the
vehicle’s Soak score or his own Soak score, whichever is
higher, and uses his own Ranged Defense score or the
vehicle’s (whichever is higher—remember, the vehicle
adds its current speed to its Defense score). Occupants
also have cover (–2d6 to hit) unless they are on a motor-
cycle or other open vehicle.
  Critical hits. Critical hits work slightly differently when
a vehicle is the target. Roll on the following table when a
critical hit is scored.

Vehicle Critical Hits

2d6 Location Effect
2 Weapon Weapon is damaged and inoperable
3 Tire Spin out (see below)
4 Engine Reduce max Speed by 1d6
5 Driver 1d6 damage to driver (no Soak)
The driver must use one of his actions moving the vehicle 6 Windshield Reduce Handling by 1 class
(unless it is stationary); he can use his remaining action as 7 Chassis No additional effect
he wishes. However, any action taken while driving suf- 8 Passenger 1d6 damage to passenger (no Soak)
fers a -2d6 complication penalty. 9 Fuel tank Vehicle catches fire, taking 1d6 dam-
age each round; roll to end this condi-
Firing Weapons tion as you would any other condition.
Weapons can be operated by vehicle occupants. Weap- 10 Engine Reduce Accel by 1.
ons have a firing arc, unless they are turreted, granting a 11 Tire Spin out (see below).
360-degree firing arc. Line of sight is required unless the 12 Weapon Weapon is damaged and inoperable.
weapon is designated Artillery. Some weapons are linked,
which means one occupant fires both at the same time. Collisions
  An occupant uses Agility or Intuition to fire (as nor- There are four types of collisions: head-on, rear-end,
mal), and applies the usual range increment penalties. T‑bone, and sideswipe. When a collision takes place, all
Attacks are made against the target vehicle’s Defense; vehicles spin out unless the driver makes a successful
vehicles add their current speed to their Defense score, check (see below). Both vehicles take damage equal to
making fast-moving vehicles harder to hit. three times the collision speed:
  Weapon damage is reduced by a vehicle’s Soak and •• Head-on. Two vehicles collide and each is in the
then applied to its Health. other’s front arc. Add their current speeds together.
•• Rear-end. A vehicle collides with the rear arc of
Vehicle Movement Modifiers to Hit another vehicle. Deduct the black vehicle’s speed
Situation Modifier from the red vehicle’s speed.
Stationary target +1d6 •• T-bone. A vehicle collides with the side arc of an-
Rear attack +1d6 other vehicle. Use the speed of the red car.
Forward-mounted weapons +1d6 •• Sideswipe. The result of a maneuver in which two
Per range increment –1d6 vehicles collide with the side arcs of each other. Use
Aft-mounted weapons –1d6 half of the faster vehicle’s speed.

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Spinning Out Stunts

Spinning out occurs when:
1. The driver is injured.
2. A tire is damaged.
3. A collision takes place.
4. The vehicle enters or begins its turn on slippery
terrain (oil slicks, ice, etc.)
5. After a jump.
The driver may attempt to prevent the vehicle from spin-
ning out by making an AGI check (bolstered by his driving
skill, if he has it) with a difficulty equal to three times the
vehicle’s current speed.
  If the vehicle spins out, it comes to a stop in a randomly
determined square half its current speed from the point
where it span out. Also roll 1d6; on a roll of 5, it ends up on
its side, and on a 6 it ends up upside down.
  A vehicle which spins out causes 1d6 damage to all oc-
cupants. This damage cannot be Soaked.
A number of maneuvers are available as exploits, includ-
ing emergency stop, handbrake turn (J-turn), and more.
The driver may use his action to perform these exploits.
  All vehicles can attempt a jump as long as a ramp is
present. The vehicle jumps as part of its Speed (it cannot
accelerate or decelerate while airborne), but the maxi-
mum distance it can jump is equal to its half its current
speed divided by its Handling (round down). For ex-
ample, a generic compact automobile moving at Speed 12
with Handling 3 can jump 2 squares, while a motorcycle
moving at Speed 18 with Handling 1 can jump 9 squares.
  Jumping is one thing, however. Landing is another. A
vehicle automatically spins out (see above) when it lands
after a jump, unless the driver is able to prevent it from
doing so.

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Injury & Death Recovering Health

It’s a dangerous world, and many activities—especially
combat—risk injury or death. While combat is the most No creature can benefit from a given source or type of
common cause of injury, there are many ways in which a healing more than once per day.
creature might suffer damage. Falling from a great height,
falling victim to a trap, suffering environmental effects,
and many more things add to the wide range of ways in Health can also be recovered in other ways. Certain
which a character can be harmed. Harm takes three com- drugs and career exploits can grant the ability to heal
mon forms: other creatures or regain one’s own Health.
•• Health. As a creature takes damage, its Health   Additionally, anybody can attempt to perform emer-
is reduced. When Health reaches zero or lower, gency healing. Emergency healing is applied to a patient
the creature is unconscious and at risk of death. which has been reduced to zero Health or lower, and
Health can be recovered in a variety of ways. takes two actions. To perform emergency healing, simply
•• Conditions. Conditions apply specific “statuses” to make a LOG check (with dice pool contributions from rel-
a character, such as Fatigued, Bleeding, or Con- evant skills and equipment) equal to the negative Health
fused. Each condition inflicts specific penalties. value of the patient (with a minimum difficulty of Rou-
Conditions can be temporary or permanent. tine  [10]). If successful, the patient is stabilized and the
•• Illnesses and diseases. Individual diseases like death pool stops ticking. The patient will, of course, still
pneumonia, influenza, or even bubonic plague can be at negative Health at this point, and some way to re-
have specific effects on a creature. Illnesses have store Health will be required.
long-term effects that can last days, weeks, or longer.
Critical Hits
Health Damage When an attack is made, if triple-sixes are rolled then a
A character’s Health score is a measure of her physical critical hit takes place and the target gains a temporary
and mental condition. The lower a character’s Health condition. The condition is dependent on the type of dam-
score, the closer to unconsciousness and death that char- age the attack does. Use the following table; the GM may,
acter is. Any attack can cause damage, and this damage is at her discretion, choose another condition.
deducted directly from the target’s Health score. When
Health is zero or lower, the character is unconscious and Critical Hit Effects
in danger of death. Damage Type Resulting Condition
  When a character is reduced to zero Health or lower, Acid Pain
he immediately forms a dice pool equal in size to her Ballistic Bleeding
Endurance dice pool. This dice pool represents the clock Blunt Dazed
ticking down as he slides towards death. Every time his Cold Slowed
turn comes around, he throws the dice pool once. Any Electricity Dazed
dice which come up 6 get removed from the pool. When Fire/Heat Burning
he has no dice left, he dies. Piercing Bleeding
  Each time an unconscious character takes additional Poison Poisoned
damage, one die is removed from the dice pool. The Psionic Dazed
amount of damage does not make any difference. Slashing Bleeding
  Once per day, typically after a night’s sleep, a character Sonic Deaf
may spend one hour to recover Health. The amount re-
covered is equal to one roll of her END dice pool.

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Conditions
Each condition has two effects. In the lists below, the first
time a condition is inflicted, the target suffers from the ef-
fect in the first bullet-point. If they are affected twice by a
condition, this is called a severe condition, and the second
bullet-point is used.
  Conditions can represent different things—paralysis
might be caused by freezing, petrifaction, entanglement,
and so on, and blindness might be a medical issue or the
result of a blindfold.
Removing Conditions
Shaking off temporary conditions is simple: just roll 1d6.
On a roll of 5 or 6, the condition is removed.
  Shaking off a specific condition takes one action, and
can only be attempted once per turn. Conditions which do
not allow you to take actions still allow you to try to shake
off conditions (in effect, all conditions have a chance of
simply ending on their own).
  You may use multiple actions to try to shake off multiple
conditions.
  At the GM’s discretion, suitable methods can be used
to end a condition (diving into water when on fire, for
example).
  Shaking off a condition is an action; it might be a physi-
cal action (wiping blood from your eyes to remove the
Blind condition), or an effort of will (summoning up the
courage to ignore the Afraid condition). It might even in-
volve healing or application of medicine.
  Removing a severe condition removes that condition in
its entirety; it does not reduce the condition down to its
lower state.
Persistent Conditions
Some conditions cannot be shaken off. Persistent condi-
tions are not cleared until the creature gets a full night’s
rest (unless another duration is specified. Some condi-
tions cannot be persistent (these would kill any creature
long before the day was out). These are marked with an
asterisk.
Conditions and Luck Dice
You can use a LUC die to cancel out a condition. You must
do this as a reaction when the condition is initially applied.
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Bonuses
Some creatures gain bonuses to shake off conditions.
•• Humans gain +1 to any die roll made to shake off a
condition.
•• Many creatures are immune to certain conditions,
have an ability to shake conditions off automatically,
or gain bonuses to shake off conditions. These abili-
ties are noted in the creature’s stat block.
Illnesses & Disease
From bubonic plague to influenza, illnesses can be debili-
tating without a trained medic to treat them.
  Illnesses and disease all use a countdown pool, usu-
ally based on the victim’s END attribute, although some
are based on other attributes, including mental illnesses
based on WIL. Some stronger or weaker viruses and dis-
eases may increase or decrease the start of the countdown
pool. Most countdown pools require a check every day,
but a few may allow for weekly checks or inflict hourly
checks. This information is noted in the table below.
  Unless otherwise noted, a creature infected with any
disease suffers one or more conditions until cured.
Catching a Disease
To be affected by a disease, a character is subjected to an
attack against Vital Defense. This could be as a result
of a creature attack, or poison, or even an attack by the
environment. If the attack is successful, the character
contracts the disease.
  Each disease mentions the basic method of transmission.
Treating Diseases
Treating a disease requires a LOG check. This must be
performed at the same time interval that the disease pro-
gresses—so if a disease requires daily dice pool rolls, the
LOG check must be made daily. Of course, medical skills
and facilities help enormously with the LOG check. The
difficulty of the LOG check is noted in the table below.
  Success. Every time the LOG check is successfully
made, the dice pool is increased by 1d6. Sometimes this
means that the progression will be held steady temporar-
ily (since the dice pool is being depleted by time) but it can
also mean that the pool grows in size.

List of Conditions
Afraid
The target displays fear towards the attacker.
• You cannot approach the source of your fear.
• You must flee the source of your fear, or simply
cower if that is not possible.
Angry
The target feels irrational anger.
• You cannot take any non-attack actions other than
moving directly towards an enemy.
• You must attack the nearest foe. If none are avail-
able, you must attack the nearest ally.
Bleeding*
The target suffers ongoing damage from a lingering
wound.
• You take 1d6 damage at the start of your turn.
• You take 2d6 damage at the start of your turn.
Blind
The target’s vision is obscured by a helm, blood, or wound.
• Your vision is limited to 30’, and you move at half
Speed. You cannot benefit from flanks or crossfires.
• You cannot see, cannot use ranged weapons, move
at half Speed, and suffer –2d6 to all sight-based
actions.
Burning*
The target suffers ongoing damage from fire, acid, or a
similar substance.
• You take 1d6 fire damage per round. Clothes are
ruined.
• You take 2d6 fire damage per round. Clothes, hair,
and eyebrows are ruined.
Charmed
The target feels friendship and loyalty towards the
attacker.
• You will not attack the source of the charm, nor
will you willingly allow harm to come to them;
neither do you provide flank or crossfire bonuses
against them.
• You will obey commands which do not overly
conflict with your nature or which are obviously
harmful to you.
Modern Core
Confused
The target is confused and unsure of his surroundings.
• You drop any items you are holding and cannot tell
friend from foe.
• Roll 1d6 to determine your condition each turn: (1)
afraid, (2) angry, (3) forgetful, (4) manic, (5) drunk,
(6) dazed.
Dazed
The target is unstable and disoriented.
• You lose one action per round and any hit knocks
you prone.
• You cannot take any actions.
Deaf
The target’s hearing is affected by a ringing in the ears or
a physical obstruction.
• You cannot hear sounds more than 30’ away and
suffer –1d6 to Perception and Initiative.
• You cannot hear anything and suffer –2d6 to
Perception and Initiative.
Disarmed
The target’s weapon is temporarily dropped, broken,
jammed, or entangled.
• Your weapon cannot be used.
• As above, but the condition now requires a 6 to end.
Disarmored
The target’s armor is displaced, straps are cut, or a sig-
nificant opening is made.
• You have half Soak (round up).
• You have no Soak.
Downed
The target is knocked to the floor.
• You are prone and cannot stand.
• You are prone and helpless; your Defenses become
10.
Drunk
The target is intoxicated by drink, drugs, or another sub-
stance, or is punch-drunk from a heavy blow.
• You cannot move more than once in a round.
• You cannot move, but at the start of your turn you
wander 1d6 squares in a random direction.
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List of Conditions, continued

Fatigued
The target is weary, finding loads heavy as exhaustion
sets in.
• You lose one action per round and your Carry
increment is halved.
• Your maximum Health is halved, in addition to the
above effects.
Forgetful
The target suffers from amnesia.
• You cannot use any of your skills or spells.
• You cannot remember anything, including who you
are or who your allies are.
Manic
The target is overly happy, joyous, and mirthful.
• You cannot take hostile or aggressive actions.
• You are convulsed with laughter and can take no
other actions.
Pained
An injury causes the target pain in sufficient degree that
it restricts movement.
• You take 1d6 damage if you take a second action in
a turn.
• You take 1d6 damage if you take any actions.
Placid
You become non-aggressive and suggestible.
• You cannot take aggressive actions.
• You do whatever anybody tells you as long as it
doesn’t harm you.
Poisoned
The target is infected by a toxic substance.
• You cannot heal wounds.
• You take 1d6 poison damage at the start of each
turn.
Restrained
The target is grabbed, entangled, frozen, or otherwise
prevented from moving.
• You cannot move from your current square. If a
creature has grabbed you, you can only attack it
with small one-handed weapons or with unarmed
attacks.
• You cannot take any actions except attempt to
escape, and your physical Defenses drop to 10 to
all except the creature restraining you.
Sick
The target is nauseous and unable to act as normal.
• You cannot jump and you can lose one action per
round.
• You suffer –2d6 to all attribute checks, as well as
the above effects.
Sleeping
The target is sent to sleep by magic or a heavy blow.
• You are drowsy and lethargic. You may only act
once each turn.
• You are asleep, and cannot be woken.
Slowed
The target suffers a leg injury, or another effect which
reduces speed.
• Your Speed scores are halved and you suffer –4 to
physical Defenses.
• Your Speed scores are halved, your physical
Defenses become 10, and you lose one action per
turn.

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  Curing. If three successful checks in a row are made,
with no failures in-between, the illness is cured.
  Failure. If the pool is depleted to zero, the victim per-
manently suffers the effect noted—often death. If the
victim is still alive at this stage, permanent effects can be
removed with major medical task. The difficulty of this
task is noted in the table below.
List of Diseases
The list of diseases runs the gamut from serious to very
serious.
  Bacterial pneumonia. This sickness causes fever, rig-
ors, coughing of blood, dyspnea, chest pains, and teeth
chattering as fluid continually fills the victim’s lungs. Vic-
tims are Sick while suffering this disease.
  Bubonic plague. This incredibly potent disease has, at
times throughout history, wiped out entire thirds of pop-
ulations. Any contact with an infected creature’s blood,
saliva, or bodily fluid chances transmission of the disease
(which, even with excellent care, has only a 50% survival
rate). Victims suffer from gangrene of the extremities,
chills, malaise, fever, muscle cramps, seizures, and swell-
ing of the initial infection site, lymph glands, armpits, and
groin. Victims are Sick while suffering this disease.
  Dysentery. One of the most common killers of soldiers
throughout the 18th and 19th century, this disease is the
result of poor sanitation and hygiene. Victims have drunk
or eaten something with traces of feces from an already
infected creature, generating cysts that travel through the
digestive system before exploding in the intestines, where
amoebas burrow into the organ’s walls and create abscess-
es or ulcers. Victims are Sick while suffering this disease.
  Hookworm. Always take care to make sure that
whatever water you find in the jungle, you clean it care-
fully—otherwise you may soon find yourself with a
hookworm living in your intestines. There is no obvious
immediate means to determine this infection has taken
root aside from anemia and iron/protein-deficiency,
and once the victim starts coughing, feeling chest pain,
wheezing, and becomes feverish, they are suffering more
from the hookworm’s larva than anything else. Victims
are Sick while suffering this disease.
  Influenza. The common flu is deceptively dangerous
despite the effectiveness of vaccinations. Victims are Fa-
tigued while suffering this disease.
  Macrovirus. This airborne illness is particularly dan-
gerous because it reduces the victim’s desire to actually
do anything about it. The illness causes extreme lethargy,
worsening to the point where the victim will not eat, and
simply wastes away. Victims are Fatigued while suffering
this disease.
  Radiation sickness. Radiation sickness is a painful,
debilitating condition which ends in the victim’s death.
Symptoms include vomiting, intestinal pain, bleeding,
hair loss, and fever. Victims are Poisoned while suffering
this disease.

Diseases
Illness Transmisison Pool Interval Difficulty End Effect
Bacterial Pneumonia Airborne END Daily Difficult [13] Death
Bubonic Plague Exposure END Daily Demanding [21] Death
Dysentery Ingestion END Daily Difficult [16] Death
Hookworm Exposure END Daily Demanding [21] Death
Influenza Airborne END Daily Routine [10] Death
Macrovirus Airborne WIL Daily Demanding [21] Death
Radiation Sickness Exposure END Daily Difficult [16] Death
Retrograde Psychosis Airborne WIL Daily Difficult [16] Infantilism
Sepsis Exposure END Daily Difficult [16] Death
Syphilis Exposure END Weekly Demanding [21] Mutation
Tetanus Injury END Weekly Difficult [16] Paralysis
Tuberculosis Airborne END Daily Demanding [21] Death
Zombie fever Contact END Daily Difficult [16] Death

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  Retrograde psychosis. This is a severe condition of the

mind which reduces the victim’s mental age, eventually
turning him into the equivalent of an infant. Victims are
Confused while suffering this disease.
  Sepsis. Exposure to infections and toxins through
injury can have horrible effects on the body, greatly
weakening creatures that have fallen ill to it. Victims are
Fatigued while suffering this disease.
  Syphilis. Though it is becoming less common in the
developed world, this debilitating disease often makes its
way to developed country from wayward port cities. Ini-
tially the disease causes lesions to appear on the contact
areas of infection, but after four to ten weeks later this
creates a rash that spreads to extremities causing wart-
like growths that harbor more infectious bacteria as the
victim begins to experience fever, sore throat, malaise,
weight loss, hair loss, headaches, and inflammation of the
joints, optic nerves, or organs. Later stages take hold 3 to
15 years after the initial sickness begins, causing tumor-
like balls of inflammation that mutate and warp a victim’s
features, giving them a –1d6 to all social checks. Victims
are Poisoned while suffering this disease.
  Tetanus. This disease comes from infections borne
on untreated wounds that can take only days or several
months to take hold. The first sign is lockjaw, followed by
facial spasms, stiffness of the neck, difficulty in swallow-
ing, elevated blood pressure, and spasms for as long as
four weeks. Recovery after this stage can take months and
victims rarely recover fully. Victims are Poisoned while
suffering this disease.
  Tuberculosis. Most commonly found in the lungs, this
disease causes fever, chills, night sweats, loss of appetite,
weight loss, and fatigue. Typically a person with TB never
sees the slow-replicating bacteria proliferate across their
body, but when the sickness stops being dormant it can
quickly lay a victim low for months and months of recov-
ery via antibiotic treatments. Victims are Poisoned while
suffering this disease.
  Zombie fever. As suggested by its name, this disease
turns its victim into one of the undead, a mindless zombie
hungry for living flesh. In the meantime, however, victims
are Sick while suffering this disease.

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 Modern Core

Objects Average Soak for Objects by Material

The world is full of objects. Chairs, doors, trees, boulders, Material Soak Vulnerable
wagons, crates, and more. Most of the time, player char- Ceramic, china 0 Blunt
acters will simply interact with them in the way they’re Crystal 5 Sonic
supposed to be interacted with—they’ll sit on the chair or Diamond 20 —
put some supplies in the crate. Sometimes, however, the Fabric, leather 5 Fire
attributes of an object will be needed. An object’s statis- Glass 0 Blunt
tics are based on its size and its composition. These two Gold, lead, silver 5 —
pieces of information are all that is needed to determine Iron, steel 10 —
an inanimate object’s Defense, Health, and Soak. Paper 0 Fire
  Defense. An object’s Defense is based on its size. Stone, brick, marble 10 —
  Health. The health of an object is simply the square Tin 5 —
root of its weight in pounds (if known). If the exact weight Wood 5 Fire
is not known, use the average figures below. An object is
broken when reduced to half Health and destroyed when For example, a wooden door is a large wood object with 25
reduced to zero. This does not apply to creatures or char- Health, 5 Soak, and 10 Defense. On the next page is a list
acters, whose Health is based on other attributes. of common objects and their stats.
  Soak. An object’s Soak is based on the material it is   Objects can have the qualities that modify their stats.
made of. If an object is made of multiple materials, simply   Reinforced. Reinforced objects have double normal
use the most prevalent. Some materials are vulnerable Health.
(+1d6) against certain types of damage.   Fireproofed. Fireproofed objects gain +10 Soak vs. heat
damage.

Average Defense and Health of Objects by Size

Size Defense Health Creature Object
Tiny 22 5 Mouse, cat Book, ball
Small 18 10 Dog Chest
Medium 14 15 Human Chair
Large 10 25 Tiger Table, door
Enormous 10 70 Elephant, T-Rex Small boat
Gigantic 10 150 Whale House
Colossal 10 250 Kaiju Warehouse
Titanic 10 800 Titan Skyscraper

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Common Object Statistics

Item Type Health Soak Defense Vulnerable
Altar, stone Large stone 25 10 12 —
Barrel Medium wood 15 5 14 Heat
Book Tiny paper 5 0 18 Heat
Bottle Tiny glass 5 0 18 Blunt
Chair Medium wood 15 5 14 Heat
Chest Small reinforced wood 20 5 16 Heat
Dagger Tiny steel 5 10 18 —
Desk Large wood 25 5 12 Heat
Door, cell, iron Large reinforced iron 50 10 12 —
Door, stone Large stone 25 10 12 —
Door, wooden Large wood 25 5 12 Heat
Guitar Small wood 10 5 16 Heat
Pouch Tiny fabric 5 5 18 Heat
Safe, steel Medium reinforced steel 30 10 14 —
Stone statue Large stone 25 10 12 —
Sword, two-handed Medium steel 15 10 14 —
Table/desk, wooden Large wood 25 5 12 Heat
Tree Enormous wood 70 5 10 Heat
Tree, large Gigantic wood 150 5 10 Heat
Wall, stone, 5’ section Enormous stone 70 10 10 —
Window Medium glass 15 0 14 Blunt

The Environment
Adventurers can’t always rely on the fact that they’ll be in
a comfortable, temperate environment. Deserts, volcano
bases, mountaintops, howling storms, blizzards, driving
rain, underwater lairs, and more can contrive to create a
wide array of environments and can make for extremely
memorable set-piece battles.
  The following environmental templates can be applied
to areas the size of a world or as small as part of a room.
  Environments sometimes inflict a persistent condi-
tion, such as Sick or Fatigued, which only wears off after
a night’s sleep. If a condition mentions that it applies after
an hour, it is considered a persistent condition.
  Areas can have more than one environmental type. For
example, an arctic wasteland might be cold and windy.
  Some creatures are immune to certain environments.
Soak 5 (or more) of an appropriate damage type (where
relevant) makes a creature immune to a condition. Some
abilities or exploits may also provide condition immunity.
  An environment doesn’t typically inflict actual damage.
Anything in the environment that’s dangerous enough to
inflict damage (such as an actual fire, lava pit, pool of acid,
liquid nitrogen, etc.) is a hazard and can do direct dam-
age to those who touch it. Environments do not have such
extreme effects, can typically be traversed, but may have
effects if characters spend too long in them.
  Environment types have the following characteristics.
  Acidic. Acidic environments can be caused by acid rain
or chemical smoke. An acidic environment causes irrita-
tion and pain. Those who spend more than an hour in an
acidic environment suffer the Pain condition.
  Cold. From arctic wastelands to ice dragon lairs, cold
environments can be debilitating and deadly. After an
hour, cold environments inflict the Slow condition due
to sluggish reactions and slowing metabolisms. Note that
5 points of cold Soak, such as that from protective gear,
protects from cold.

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  Difficult terrain. Snow, mud, rubble, debris, swamp,
shallow water, deep undergrowth, and more can create
difficult terrain. Difficult terrain halves ground move-
ment Speed.
  Dim/smoky/rain/snow. Dim light, obviously caused by
a lack of light, can also represent smoky, snowy, or raining
environments where vision is compromised. Dim light
renders a creature which starts its turn in the area Blind
(although this does not progress beyond the first stage);
darker areas inflict the severe Blind condition automati-
cally unless the creature has some way of illuminating the
area or seeing in the dark. Unlike other environmental ef-
fects, this wears off as soon as the environmental effect
goes away.
  Hot. From hot volcanic ninja lairs to burning ware-
houses, a hot environment is an environment similar to
that of a desert; somewhere in the region of 100+ degrees
Fahrenheit (or 45 degrees Celsius). It causes Fatigue after
an hour. A scorching environment is significantly hotter,
and burns those within it; those who begin their turn in a
scorching area gain the Burning condition.
  Radioactive. Radioactive areas are very dangerous.
Those who begin their turn in a radioactive area gain the
Sick condition. Those who spend an hour in the area con-
tract radiation sickness (see the section on illnesses and
diseases).
  Slippery. A slippery area, caused by things like icy
ground or an oil slick, counts as difficult terrain (half
Speed).
  Thick/thin atmosphere. While both thick and thin at-
mospheres are very dissimilar, their effects on creatures
are not so different. Both types of atmosphere can quickly
tire a creature not used to it; after an hour, creatures gain
the Fatigued condition.
  Tremors. Unstable environments could be caused by
earthquakes, sailing ships under extreme fire, or build-
ings about to explode. Tremors count as difficult terrain
(half Speed). At the start of each round, all creatures
must make a Routine [10] AGI check or fall prone. Quakes
make for an extremely difficult environment—horizontal
movement is counted as climbing—and the AGI check is
Difficult [16] and additionally inflicts 2d6 blunt damage on
a failure (as well as knocking the creature prone).
Modern Core
  Underwater. An underwater environment eliminates
all fire-based effects, reduces fire damage from weapons
and spells by –1d6, increases electricity damage by +1d6,
and counts as difficult terrain. It is also airless (see suffo-
cation, under thick/thin atmospheres).
  Vacuum. A vacuum is an area with no atmosphere. It
is a myth that vacuums cause spontaneous explosion of
human tissue, although exposure is certainly not healthy.
The biggest danger from a vacuum is simply the lack of air.
Without some way to breathe, living creatures in a vacu-
um will quickly suffocate. Lack of oxygen uses a similar
process to that when an unconscious character is dying.
Create a countdown dice pool equal in size to the charac-
ter’s END attribute. Each turn, the dice pool is rolled and
any 6s rolled are removed from the pool. When the final
die is removed, the character falls unconscious and the
unconscious and dying process begins as normal.
  Wet. A wet environment is a humid or rainy one—tropi-
cal jungles, aboard a sailing ship, in driving rain. In these
environments, the Burning condition has no effect and
fire-based weapons cannot cause critical hits.
  Windy. Windy environments are caused by rushing
air (or other gases). Wind always has a direction of move-
ment, which is determined beforehand. Moving into the
wind counts as difficult terrain. In a hurricane, it is hard-
er—to move into the wind, a Challenging [13] STR check
is required. Additionally, at the start of every turn, all
creatures must make a Challenging [13] STR check or be
pushed 1d6 squares in the direction of the wind.
Example Areas
The following areas are common examples. You can slot
these into your game, or devise your own.
Arctic Plains
Icy winds batter at your skin. As far as you can see, the
ground is blanketed with snow as deep as your knees.
  Traits windy, cold, difficult terrain.
Burning Warehouse
The whole room is aflame, the heat searing your face.
Smoke fills the area, reducing visibility.
  Traits hot, smoky.
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Desert
The sun beats down relentlessly. In the distance, the ho-
rizon is dotted with the occasional distant moisture farm,
breaking the otherwise featureless desert landscape. The
deep sand makes walking awkward.
  Traits hot, difficult terrain.
Theater of the Mind Combat
Theater of the mind combat refers to encounters which
do not take place on a battlemap. Because there’s no
battlemap, values like speed and distance are tracked
differently.
  In theater of the mind encounters, the GM divides the
area into “zones.” Each zone has its own name, environ-
mental traits, and possible access requirements. For
example, a flaming balcony might be described as:
Flaming balcony. Hot, smoky, high. Access 2 actions;
Challenging [13] AGI via climbing.
Any creatures in the same zone can strike at each other
with melee weapons. Creatures in different zones must
use ranged weapons.
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Rain Forest
The trees tower around you, and the undergrowth closes
in. The sound of insects and alien critters can be hear in
every direction. The air is wet and humid, your footing
treacherous.
  Traits wet, difficult terrain.
  It usually takes one action to move from one zone to
another. However, some zones are marked as “far,” and
require two actions to enter or leave. Zones which are
difficult terrain also require two actions to enter (but not
to leave). Other zones might require a check to enter in
the first place. Usually, this check is a Challenging [13]
check, but it can be more difficult at the GM’s option.
A failed attempt to enter a zone still takes an action.
  Zones with access requirements might include high
balconies or low rooftops, places that can only be
reached by completing an acrobatic maneuver or a tricky
balancing act, areas that are dangerously hot (requiring
an END check to access), areas of thick foliage or un-
dergrowth (requiring a STR check to penetrate), areas
protected by a light barricade, and so on.
 Modern Core

Stunt Areas
A stunt area is a particular type of environmental effect. It
Example Stunt Areas
is usually applied to an area within the overall encounter • Banister • Pool
area. Stunts are colorful maneuvers characters may use • Banquet table • Puddle of oil
while in combat. They serve to liven up combats, creating • Curtain or tapestry • Rapids
more interesting and varied battles. • Hanging chandelier • Roaring fireplace
  You may perform a stunt when in a Stunt Area. The • Icy patch • Stack of barrels
GM places the Stunt Areas on the battle map before the • Ladder • Statue
combat begins (or designated a zone as Stunt Area is us- • Low branches • Suit of armor
ing theater of the mind play). Each Stunt Area contains a • Pillar, • Trampoline
feature which applies to any stunts performed there; it is floor-to-ceiling • Wall of ivy
up to the player how that feature is used. A Stunt Area may
feature a hanging cable or chandelier, a stack of shipping
crates, a roaring fireplace, an icy patch, or even a tram- Some Examples of Stunts
poline. The character may spend one action to use the How each character uses a Stunt Area is up to them. Below
feature of the Stunt Area as long as he is anywhere within are some examples.
the area (in other words, he doesn’t have to be in the same •• Banister. The character slides down a banister,
square as, or adjacent to, the feature itself). At the end of doubling his movement. The character uses AGI
this chapter, you will find a list of sample Stunt Areas. (acrobatics).
  Each character may only make use of a given Stunt Area •• Hanging Chandelier. The character could choose
once, whether he succeeds or fails to perform the stunt. to use the chandelier to swing across a room, giving
A stunt is usually a Challenging [13] check. Agility is the him double movement. The character uses AGI
most common attribute used in a stunt, although any (climbing).
attribute is permitted. Similarly, skills like climbing, acro- •• Icy Patch. The character might slide across the icy
batics, jumping, and bluffing are common skills. patch in an attempt to gain momentum and sur-
  Stunts can do any one of the following, at the player’s prise his opponent, benefiting from a +1d6 to hit his
choice: opponent. Alternatively, he might use the same icy
•• Stunts can grant a +1d6 attack bonus. patch to double his movement. The character uses
•• Alternatively, stunts can help with movement, AGI (acrobatics).
granting double movement for one action or double •• Roaring Fireplace. The character might flick coals
a jumping distance. at the opponent in an attempt to distract him, giving
•• Finally, stunts can grant another attribute check a him +1d6 to attack his opponent. The character uses
+1d6 bonus. AGI (bluffing).
  Bonus dice granted by stunts can exceed a character’s •• Stack of Barrels. The character might use the bar-
normal maximum dice pool. rels in a similar way, rolling the barrel across the
  If you fail the attribute check when attempting to per- room as he works it like a treadmill. The character
form a stunt, you do not gain the benefits of that stunt, uses AGI (acrobatics).
although you may continue to act normally. However, you •• Trampoline. The character is a poor jumper and
cannot attempt to use that Stunt Area again. needs to leap up to a balcony. Using the trampoline,
  If the attribute check is a critical success, the stunt does she doubles her vertical jumping distance and
not cost the character an action. reaches it easily. The character uses STR ( jumping).

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Master Attribute & Skill Chart Difficulty Benchmarks

Attribute/Skill Dice Pool Average Roll* Benchmark Difficulty 50% Success By...
1–2 1d6 4 Trivial — —
3–5 2d6 7 Easy 7 2d6 (grade 2)
6–9 3d6 11 Routine 10 3d6 (grade 3)
10–14 4d6 14 Challenging 13 4d6 (grade 4)
15–20 5d6 18 Difficult 16 5d6 (grade 5)
21–27 6d6 21 Demanding 21 6d6 (grades 6–7)
28–35 7d6 25 Strenuous 25 7d6 (grades 8–10)
36–44 8d6 28 Severe 29 8d6 (grades 11–14)
45–54 9d6 32 Herculean 33 9d6 (grades 15–19)
55–65 10d6 35 Superhuman 37 10d6 (grades 20–25)
66–77 11d6 39 Impossible 40 11d6 (grades 26–32)
78–90 12d6 42 Legendary 42 12d6 (grades 33--40)
91–104 13d6 46 Mythical 45 13d6 (grades 41–49)
105–119 14d6 49
120–135 15d6 53
136–152 16d6 56
153–170 17d6 60
171–189 18d6 63
190–209 19d6 67
210–230 20d6 70
*Rounded up to next whole number.

Maximum Dice Pools

Grade 5 6–7 8–10 11–14 15–19 20–25 26–32 33–40 41–49
Max Dice Pool 5d6 6d6 7d6 8d6 9d6 10d6 11d6 12d6 13d6

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Chapter 4
Modern
Worlds

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 Modern Worlds
Building a World
Paul Dirac once said, “God used beautiful mathematics
in creating the world”—and he was absolutely correct!
Worlds are created using a series of random tables and a
handful of d6s! One of the GM’s most important tasks is to
create the setting in which the player characters operate.
The GM must design the world, its inhabitants, its power
structures and villains, and more. Every place the player
characters go, every non-player character (NPC) they
meet, every creature they track, every combat encounter—
it all begins with the GM.
  That sounds like a monstrous task—and in some ways
it is. However, the GM does not need to create an entire
world at once. It is often enough to simply sketch a broad
outline of the setting in a few paragraphs, and some de-
tail around the PCs’ starting circumstances, and expand
from there as and when it’s needed. You may know there’s
a militant group of drug-abusing occultists called the
Crimson Sparrows, but you don’t need to flesh out all the
fine details until the player characters stumble onto one
of the organization’s operations (or until you run them
afoul of one!)
  A campaign set in the “real world” has many advantag-
es. The geography and general political status is already
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set, absent any additional setting elements you choose to
add. You can grab an atlas, or a 1980s shopping catalog,
and find much of the work done for you. Of course, you
need to develop the plots, the power groups, the master-
mind NPCs, and the secret organizations, but the world
itself is already there.
Designing a Setting
You may well find that you need to create new heritages or
careers in order to accommodate your campaign setting.
You are encouraged to do so, and this section is designed
to help you in that process.
  These pages contain guidelines and rules for designing
settlements, organizations, new heritages, new careers,
and new monsters. They are presented in a rough order of
scale, so that you can design from a “top-down” perspec-
tives, narrowing down to the smaller details, but of course
you should feel free to use any of the parts of the following
chapter in isolation as and when you need to.
  You should not feel constrained by the charts on the fol-
lowing pages. They are intended as useful tools to provide
inspiration where necessary, but always let your imagina-
tion guide you.
  Of course, any WOIN world doesn’t have to be one of the

GM’s creation. You can model it after your favorite 80s TV
show, or the adventures of a well-known spy with a license
to kill, or any other fictional “universe” you desire. These
rules help you bring them all to life!
Where & When?
Some settings are based in United States, others in the
many cities of Europe, and still more in the few uncharted
places left on the world. The primary difference in terms of
setting is largely based on the activities of the current ma-
jor global powers—is the Cold War going on, or Vietnam?
Are the developed countries of Earth in a state of general
cooperation, opposition, or outright paranoia? The po-
litical climate of the world plays an enormous part in how
any given area will treat its citizens and foreigners alike,
and establish an important backdrop for the adventures
the party is soon to have.
  The information found in N.O.W. covers a wide span
of years, from the American Wild West of the late 1800s,
through both World Wars and the iconic 80s, all the way
up to the modern era and slightly beyond. Using these
rules you can set your game in any of these time periods
without the need for any further books or resources.
  It can be easy to start a setting in a small location and
worry about the wider world when you need to. Perhaps
you could start in a small California town beset by vam-
pires, or maybe you could use your own hometown as the
setting.
Heritages
You will need to decide which heritages exist in your set-
ting. The core rules present you with a selection of default
heritages which you may choose to use, or you might de-
vise your own using the guidelines later in this chapter.
Perhaps there are no mutants or cybertechnology in your
setting, and only humans live on Earth! Or perhaps there
are countless heritages, each more distinct than the last.
You might even choose to use races from O.L.D. or N.E.W.
in your contemporary world to create setting where fanta-
sy and modern peoples live alongside each other, or where
first contact has been made between Earthlings and one
or more alien races. How they all get along is up to you.
Modern Worlds
Using Other Materials
O.L.D. contains a selection of medieval fantasy races
and careers, and N.E.W. is filled with species and
careers geared toward science fiction, all of which
are fully compatible with the rules in this book. So it
is perfectly possible to use wizards, elves, knights,
bards, aliens, starships, psions, and creatures from
the deep of the cosmos in your modern setting. Equal-
ly, you can use material from this book when playing
O.L.D. and N.E.W.
Advancement Level and Genre
Access to technology plays an important role in modern
games, and the Advancement Level (AL) of a setting is
the key means of determining where the line is drawn. Of
course, advancement levels can (and should) vary from
region to region—the availability of common devices can
be quite different even in adjacent countries (for example:
North and South Korea), but there’s also an overall ad-
vancement level to consider. Your setting might include
cellular networks and cybertechnology everywhere,
while another might have rotary phones and hard plastic
prosthetic limbs.
  You also need to decide how far the actual rules of phys-
ics are going to bend for the feel of the game you want.
Most action movies do a bit of twisting (shooting a car’s
gas tank does not usually cause an instant explosion in
real life), but there’s some more extreme elements of mod-
ern fantasy that are worth determining before exposing
your players to the game world.
  With that in mind you should select:
  Typical AL. This is an “overall” advancement level
that the player characters will be interacting with most
of the time. There can be exceptions if the GM feels the
plot of the campaign requires them (mad scientists!), but
by and large this defines the whole area the players will
operate in. Local lower ALs than this can exist in abun-
dance, of course. For example, players in an Indiana Jones
style setting will commonly see indigenous tribes in the
wilderness and other primitive cultures (in a setting that
otherwise has a typical AL of 4).
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 Modern Worlds
  Theoretical Maximum AL. This is a setting-wide deci-
sion on the part of the GM. It is perfectly fine to say that
faster-than-light travel or teleportation can never happen.
Such a setting might have a theoretical maximum Ad-
vancement Level of 7. However, it is perfectly fine to have
secret organizations with access to an AL a stage higher
than the world around it. This isn’t information that the
GM needs to communicate to the players (unless the PCs
are part of that organization), but is more a guideline to
assist with consistency and the behavior of those entities
or civilizations which exceed the typical AL.
N.O.W. Advancement Level (AL)
AL Description Approximate Time*
3 Wild West, Victorian era 19th century
4 Industrial; early automobiles; 20th century
World Wars I & II
5 Information age; electronics, Late 20th/early 21st
computers, satellites, automo- century
biles, aircraft, nuclear weapons
6 Fusion; invisible wearable tech, 21st century
genetic engineering, solar
system colonization.
*This can, of course, vary by location
0
17
CHI
A common feature of modern fantasy and the action genre,
CHI is an optional element, and you should decide in ad-
vance whether chi is part of your setting. Alternatively, if
you like to mix your medieval or sci-fi and your modern
fantasy, you might choose to use the magic system from
O.L.D. or the psionics system from N.E.W.
Explosive Realism
In the N.O.W. roleplaying game, the default assumption
is that there are underlying energies within each living
creature, used to fuel incredible abilities, fantastic feats,
and other impossibilities. This is common knowledge or
myth, only truly understood by those who devote their
lives to studying it—most people don’t really know what
it is, or even that it’s a constant part of the world. This is
an aspect ripe for exploration in terms of adventures and
campaigns. You will need to decide how large or small a
role this part of N.O.W. plays in your own setting.
Settlements and
Countries
Sometimes you just need a random settlement, region, or
country. These pages will help you to generate cities and
towns, their surrounding municipalities, and any peoples
located within. You should use this as a starting point and
add your own color or flavor to the end result.
  You can use real towns and cities, or you can base your
fictional town on a real one. These guidelines help you de-
sign a more fantastic fictional location.
  When creating a country, you will start with the
settlement first, then fill in important details as you go
(eventually generating a country and then more nations
as required). Follow this process:
1. Determine the settlement’s size and type.
2. Determine the settlement’s AL and wealth.
3. Roll for settlement quirks.
4. Roll for the names and prevalence of important
institutions (hospitals, police stations, etc.).
5. Create more settlements as required.
6. Add the aggregate scores of your settlements to
determine the statistics for the country containing
these settlements.
 Modern Worlds

  Alternatively, you can determine the statistics for a
country directly and extrapolate the statistics of settle-
ments within it instead.
  Before engaging this part of N.O.W., remember that the
setting needs to match the scope of your game: if you’ve
got big-city mobsters planned as your antagonists, don’t
build an outpost! Save that for when they adventurers
have been dragged out into the frontier looking for a bur-
ied body as evidence, a made man on the lamb, a hidden
cache of cash and drugs, or what have you.
Determine Settlement Type
Settlement type is a measure of the local economic and
political climate, which determines how civilians gener-
ally behave with one another and player characters. This
is a very general reading of an abstract quality over what
can sometimes be a very large area; individual NPCs act
as individuals, and one city borough might be completely
civilized while another is rife with gang warfare.
  If you’re going backwards, use the statistics of the
country to guide the building of settlements within it (a
totalitarian state is unlikely to have a progressive or anar-
chic settlement, for instance).
Random Settlement Type
1d6 Type
1 Anarchic
2 Insular
3 Support
4 Civil
5 Progressive
6 Utopian
Anarchic. This settlement is violent and unruly, practi-
cally without any form of real law. Generally controlled
by one or more bandits or gangs (the only “authority” to
speak of), it is a haven for criminals and fugitives alike
and not the sort of place to settle down and call home.
Sometimes these types of settlements are a cover for clan-
destine operations—ritual sites for deranged cults, a mad
scientist’s labs, the headquarters of an evil organization—
but more often than not, it is simply an area that has fallen
into depravity and decay.
•• Black-market goods are easier to acquire than
normal, but finding any products or services can be
a challenge, and prices can vary wildly depending
on the scarcity of resources nearby.

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 Modern Worlds
•• There are few if any shared public resources like
emergency services, water, electricity, gas, and so
forth. Those that do exist charge exorbitant fees
(+400% or more).
•• Police and security forces are rare, and when
authority figures do respond, it is typically with
blatantly excessive force.
•• Few institutions last in anarchic settlements, but
for some reason, saloons and casinos tend to stick
around while hospitals, hotels, and merchants don’t.
•• Reduce the available AL by –0.5.
Civil. This is one of the most typical settlement types,
analogous to many cities and towns in the real world.
Most of the time these are ruled over in one or another
democratic fashion, though of course corruption in gov-
ernment circles can be rife.
•• Black-market goods are only available to criminals
and difficult to find, but typical goods and services
are available.
•• Public resources like water, electricity, gas, and
emergency services are available at affordable rates.
•• Police officers are common, patrolling often in the
settlement’s busiest and nicest areas. They respond
quickly and in great numbers.
•• Businesses of all kinds are available, as are hotels
and hospitals.
2
17
Insular. For whatever reason (be it mystical, shameful, or
from legal compulsion) the residents of this settlement
are xenophobic. Outsiders are distrusted and discour-
aged, and the authority figures (often autocratic) exercise
a surprising amount of control over inhabitants.
•• Black-market goods are virtually impossible to
acquire, and even some regular products may not
be available (at the GM’s discretion, a regular item
may be treated as an illicit good).
•• Public resources are freely available for most, except
for foreigners increase the cost to access these by
+100%.
•• Police and security forces are virtually omnipresent,
especially when outsiders are about. They respond
rapidly in great numbers and use excessive force.
•• Institutions (hospitals, social services, and busi-
nesses) exist and may in fact be quite good, but
only for natives; if emergency services respond to
foreigners at all, they do so reluctantly.
•• Increase the available AL by +0.5.
Progressive. These settlements are self-conscious and
benevolent, conserving resources and making sure to
efficiently use what’s available. Civilians value and trea-
sure foreigners, inviting outsiders into their businesses
and homes (within reason). Authority figures are often
democratically elected, and while corruption is virtually
never absent from the political process, in these cases it is
at least subdued.
•• Black-market goods are more difficult to acquire
than normal, but not impossibly so (increase the
cost of illicit goods by +50%).
•• Public resources are freely available to everyone,
and in these cases can include shelters with privacy,
food, health care, and in some unique instances a
fix for those in the throes of drug addiction.
•• Police and security forces are present but not over-
bearing. They respond quickly in sensible numbers,
but almost never shoot first before asking questions
or attempting a completely peaceful resolution.
•• Institutions are common, thriving, and generally
benevolent. Emergency services respond quickly,
effectively, and perform their jobs well (using high
quality equipment).
•• Increase the available AL by +0.5.
 Modern Worlds

Support. This sort of settlement is really a kind of regional

attachment. Air Force, Army, and Navy Bases require
somewhere for the families of conscripts and officers to
live and provide services not offered through the military,
often choosing valleys and other suitable geographical
locations nearby for housing and development. Authority
figures are democratically elected, but the highest rank- Settlement Size
ing officer in the base nearby is typically the one in actual A settlement is something of an abstract concept in N.O.W.
power. and can be quite varied in definition depending on what
•• Black-market goods are easier to acquire than nor- the game requires. An outpost might be a watchtower in
mal, though you definitely do not want to get caught the jungle, an isolated trailer park in the desert, or a utopi-
in the act (reduce the cost for illicit goods by –25%). an compound! The values and suggestions below are just
•• Public resources are freely available to everyone, as that, and GMs are encouraged to make their own unique
in a civil settlement. quirks and populace sizes as necessary.
•• Policemen and security forces are lackadaisical
until called upon, at which point they respond very Settlement Size
rapidly, in great numbers and with excessive force 1d6 Size Population AL Change Quirks
(though in these cases, prisoners are vastly pre- 1 Outpost 5–100 –0.5 to –1 0
ferred to corpses). 2 Hamlet 101–1,000 –0.5 0
•• Institutions are common but extremely utilitarian 3 Village 1,001–5,000 — 1
and functional; exotic crafts and services are rare, 4 Town 5,001–25,000 — 2
but the basics are solid and effective. 5 City 25,001–299,999 +0.5 3
Utopian. This settlement type is ideal, but extremely rare 6 Metropolis 300,000+ +0.5 to +1 5
and not very long-lived. Typically places of great mystical
power or supreme scientific insight, its inhabitants are Settlement Quirks
often quite skilled or deep thinkers, but fall down one homebodies Apply a –1 penalty to PCs’ REP
of two major paths: either they are as or more welcom- technocrats NPCs receive 1 [technical] skill
ing than in a progressive settlement, or as unwelcoming sinful NPCs receive 1 [social] skill
as inhabitants in an insular settlement. Most of the time academic NPCs receive 1 [science] skill
authority figures have enormous control, but in truly for- artisanal NPCs receive 1 [crafting] skill
ward-thinking utopias, they have little if any control over militant NPCs receive 1 [combat] skill
their fellows. violent NPCs receive 1 [combat] exploit
•• Black-market goods are virtually nonexistent. cultural NPCs receive 1 [artistic] skill
•• Public resources are free and plentiful, including unlucky Apply a –1 penalty to PCs’ LUC
shelter, food, health care, and some basic goods. lucky Apply a +1 bonus to PCs’ LUC
•• Police and security forces in insular utopias are con- rumormill Apply a +1 bonus to PCs’ REP
stant and attentive, and in progressive utopias they leyline Anyone with CHI techniques gains +1 CHI
are virtually nonexistent (though other magical or point to their maximum
technological measures are typically in place). fissure Anyone with CHI techniques loses –1 CHI
•• Institutions are common and thriving, with high point from their maximum (minimum 1)
quality or even superior quality equipment. Emer- athletic NPCs receive +1 STR or +1 AGI or +1 END
gency services respond almost instantly and are focused NPCs receive +1 INT or +1 LOG or +1 WIL
staffed by exceptionally talented individuals. affable NPCs receive +1 CHA
•• Increase the AL by +0.5 to +1. leisurely NPCs receive 2 [hobby] skills

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 Modern Worlds

Agents and
Organizations
A N.O.W. campaign is filled with evil masterminds, pow-
erful cult leaders, and militant overlords? What sorts of
resources do they have at their disposal, and how does
this increase the challenges set against the adventurers?
How fast can one of these agencies respond to an attack
on one of their interests, and how viciously can they do so?
When push comes to shove, how far will the party have to
go to dismantle an agency or organization?
  This section covers these aspects of gameplay in N.O.W.
and is built to be incorporated into both O.L.D. and N.E.W.
as well, meant to be a tool for use by the GM. Note that
it isn’t absolutely necessary to have an agency or organi-
zation in a campaign. You can have plenty of Bonnie and
Clyde gaming sessions without ever having to worry about
just how badly the FBI wants to catch the party!
  Player characters may choose to develop their own
organizations throughout the arc of a campaign, but the
effectiveness and direct use of any such institution is ulti-
Naming Settlements mately in the hands of the GM—players looking for more
There is no standard convention for naming settlements or direct control of NPCs need to get hirelings ($10 per point
countries. Names for settlements can be derived from my- of XP; this cost is paid once and should the NPC die, a new
thology, from history, from the names of famous people one must be paid for).
or fictional characters, or even simply after their parent
country (and in the cases of countries, parent continents). Organization Size
Settlements within a given country (and sometimes coun- An organization’s size represents the number of agents
tries within a given region) often follow a naming pattern within it. Destroying an organization requires ridding the
and while some suggestions to follow are below, to main- world of its agents or its leader(s) (removing a leader cuts
tain some level of realism it’s suggested you take a look the organization’s number of agents in half as they splin-
at a map of the real world near the central locale of your ter into factions or seek prosperity elsewhere).
game’s setting.   Simply speaking, an agent is someone so devoted to the
  Note that these prefixes and suffixes are not intended to cause of an organization that they are willing to die for it.
be comprehensive (there is already a wealth of real world Agents gain a number of bonuses for their affiliation and
names). access to the organization as a resource to be used against
player characters (in combat or as a response to a REP
Settlement Names check).
1d6 Prefix Suffix  Loyalty. This is a guideline to roughly how devoted
1 Ginn- -burg the average agent is to their organization. The larger an
2 Happs- -ville organization is, the less loyalty it inspires in its agents. Re-
3 Sharps- -ton member that the given level of loyalty is only a guideline:
4 Pitts- -wood a particular NPCs might be fanatical to even the largest
5 Dorning- -glenn organization, and certain exploits can increase an orga-
6 Mil- -delphia nization’s average level of loyalty.

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 Modern Worlds

  Agent Involvement. Every organization is functionally Coterie

a collection of individuals with a stated mission (eradicate
mutants, control the world’s supply of gold, jail murder-
ers, play elaborate pranks; the list is endless). In order to
achieve this ultimate goal, they need to engage in pursuits
that further their grand schemes: operations. An opera-
tion might be the running of guns across a certain part of
the border, the monthly protection (or intimidation) of a
city block, and so forth—basically, any activities that the
player characters can directly disrupt qualify as opera-
tions. These need not to be intended scenes and plots the
GM wants the group to actively engage in, but also “back-
ground encounters” that can happen during downtime
(though if players want to roll out every foiled mugging,
have at it).
  Response Level. Organizations are monoliths in a way,
constantly moving forward regardless of obstacles that
bar their path. However, this doesn’t mean they don’t re-
act at all. Larger organizations are less wont to mount a
response to assaults against their members, but smaller
organizations value individual workers far more and tend
to respond quickly. If the player characters are trying to
stir up trouble and encourage targets to reveal themselves,
this is the standard to determine how tolerant an organi-
zation is to instigation (and how far parties can go before
trouble comes to them rather than the other way around).
  Finding Agents and Operations. An organization’s ef-
fective REP score is the primary measure of how much
weight they can throw around, but for anyone actively
seeking out agents or operations, this defines how hard
they have to look. Coteries and small organizations often
recruit very specifically by invitation only, while larger
organizations create stages of evaluation for individuals
that have sought them out.
A coterie is a small group of up to a dozen agents. This
could be a handful of street bangers, a tiny mercenary
outfit like the A-Team, a small collection of super villains,
a like-minded collection of wealthy intellectuals, or an
apartment full of fanatical extremists disowned by any-
one that rejects their views.
•• Loyalty is typically extremely high.
•• Every agent’s involvement is critical to the organiza-
tion functioning properly.
•• Response to attacks is extremely fierce.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Superhuman [37] task.
•• If the combined levels of each of the associated
agents divided by 5 would be greater than their or-
ganization’s size merits, increase the organization’s
REP to that number.
Cadre
A cadre is a group of more than a dozen to two dozen
agents. This could be a small urban gang, a burgeoning
league of superheroes, a fervent church, or a rogue cell of
terrorists.
•• Loyalty is typically high.
•• Individual agents are crucial to the functioning
of an organization, but 2–4 can disappear before
operations slow down.
•• Response to an assault on its members is very fierce.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Severe [29] task.
•• If the combined levels of each of the associated
agents divided by 5 would be greater than their or-
ganization’s size merits, increase the organization’s
REP to that number.

Organizations Table
Size Agents REP Locate Requisition Cap
Coterie 2–12 4 (2d6) Superhuman [37] $1,100
Cadre 13–25 8 (3d6) Severe [29] $1,100
Gang 25–50 12 (4d6) Strenuous [25] $1,400
Family 51–250 16 (5d6) Demanding [21] $1,800
Syndicate 251–1,500 20 (5d6) Difficult [16] $1,800
Executive 1,500–3,000 25 (6d6) Challenging [13] $2,100
Agency 3,001+ 30 (7d6) Routine [10] $2,500

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 Modern Worlds
Gang
A gang is a group of more than two dozen to fifty agents.
This could be a considerable gang in a metropolis, a re-
spected or feared collection of powered individuals, or a
villainous conglomerate of corporations that strongly in-
fluence an entire industry.
•• Loyalty is typically high.
•• Agents are important to the functioning of the
organization, but a dozen can disappear before
operations slow down.
•• Response to an assault on its members is very fierce,
but not every instigation merits an answer.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Strenuous [25] task.
Family
A family is a group of more than fifty to two-hundred and
fifty agents. This could be a powerful Mafia crime family,
national terror group, a continental drug cartel, or a ma-
levolent secret society bent on awakening ancient powers.
•• Loyalty is typically strong.
•• Agents are not essential to the functioning of an
organization. Two dozen can disappear before
operations slow down.
•• Response to an assault on its members is fierce, but
not every instigation merits an answer.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Demanding [21] task.
Syndicate
A syndicate is a group of more than 250 to 1,500 agents.
This could be a continental terrorist network, a cult of mad
religious devotees, or a small nation’s armed forces gone
rogue.
•• Loyalty is typically strong.
•• Agents are not essential to the functioning of an
organization. Up to a hundred can disappear before
operations slow down.
•• Response to an assault on its members is consider-
able, but not every instigation merits an answer.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Difficult [16] task.
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17
Executive
An executive is a group of more than 1,500 to 3,000 agents.
This could be a mercenary army, a global smuggling ring,
a national criminal syndicate, a huge corporate-like in-
stitution bent on world domination, or an international
terror executive like SPECTRE from the 007 movies.
•• Loyalty is typically considerable.
•• Agents are not essential to the functioning of the
organization’s major operations, but many minor
operations cease to function when more than 200
agents stop showing up for work.
•• Response to an assault on its members is mild and
several instigations are required to get the attention
of its leaders.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Challenging [13] task.
Agency
An agency is a group of more than 3,000 agents. No matter
what their purpose or structure, they typically have a con-
siderable presence in one location, a stronghold, and can
affect change on global levels when push comes to shove.
•• Loyalty is typically considerable.
•• Agents are not essential to the functioning of any
one of the organization’s operations. More than 500
agents need to disappear before its leaders focus
their attention on the absent workforce.
•• Response to an assault on its members is mild and
numerous instigations are required to get the atten-
tion of its leaders.
•• Finding members or operations of an organization
of this size is a Routine [10] task.

Agents
Any sentient creature in the bestiary sections of O.L.D,
N.E.W., or N.O.W. can be made into an agent, gaining
access to the organization’s REP, and possibly some orga-
nization exploits.
 Agents. This is the grand total of individuals that treat
this as a very dedicated part-time or full-time job, people
that have invested deeply enough into the organization.
This number does not reflect their families or any other
associates, or support staff that aren’t trained to carry out
the mission (cooks, janitors, and the like).
 REP. This is the organization’s Reputation score. This
is how well known an organization is and how likely
people are to recognize its name or importance. Larger
organizations are better known, and depending on its
exploits, an organization may only have a reputation
among certain circles—like investigators and criminals,
mystics and occultists, and so on—but remain hidden
from the public at large (it can be a bit hard to attain
world domination when anybody can find and foil your
schemes, after all).
  Agents can collectively utilize their organization’s REP
score once per day for a number of different reasons. More
details on how to utilize these abilities are below, but in
short, they can be used the following ways:
•• In response to a player character making a REP
check.
•• In place of a CHA check to influence, threaten,
intimidate, or persuade somebody.
•• To determine the general amount of resources car-
ried by NPCs.
 Locate. This is the difficulty of finding a member of or a
location belonging to a given organization. The larger the
organisation is, the easier it is to find. it’s pretty hard to
find The A-Team, but it’s not hard to find CIA headquarters
in Langley.
  Requisition Cap. If the PCs are part of an organization,
this is the amount of (free) gear they can requisition from
it. At any given time, they may carry up to this value in
gear without having to pay for it. They can exchange the
gear at HQ, or outfit themselves differently for each mis-
sion, as long as the total amount does not exceed this.
  Of course, PCs have their own REP scores which also
helps them obtain gear in the normal way.
Modern Worlds
Commanders
Every operation or group of agents has a designated
commander. This agent has a LUC score equal to the
organisation’s REP score, and also has the Leadership ex-
ploit, meaning the commander can donate his LUC dice
to members of his team.
Organization Exploits
Organizations receive organization exploits. Below is a
list of suggested exploits, but as with everything else in
O.L.D., N.O.W., and N.E.W., GMs are encouraged to create
their own when the need is merited. Any benefits gained
by being a member of an organization are lost if the char-
acter leaves the organization.
  Advanced Tech. The Advancement Level of technology
available to the organization increases by one level. Orga-
nizations with this trait must have mystics, scientists, or
some other means to justify their impressive gear.
 Clandestine. The organization is extremely secretive,
a cabal as devoted to silence and mystery as they are to
their cause. Only individuals in the same line of business
or of similar interests (criminals, mystics, scientists, and
so forth) treat the organization’s REP score as the normal
value when seeking information about the organization;
all others treat it as three sizes lower. This also applies to
its Locate difficulty value.
  Combat Training. All of the organization’s agents re-
ceive a specific free combat-related exploit.
 Criminal. The organization is able to handle illicit
goods, allowing members to access items that would oth-
erwise be restricted or illegal.
 Disciplined. The organization has a strong chain of
command, and good unit cohesion. In combat, organi-
zations members gain +1d6 to Initiative as long as they
are accompanied by at least three other members of the
organization.
  Excellent Equipment. All of the organization’s agents
receive a single piece of equipment that is one stage of
quality higher than normal. Most of the time the orga-
nization equips these items with failsafes that destroy
the item if it should leave the agent’s possession, or that
at least renders it of mundane quality after it’s used in a
combat. The item is clearly identifiable as the organiza-
tion’s property.
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 Modern Worlds
 Expertise. All of the organization’s agents receive a ba-
sic curriculum of one rank in two organization-specific
skills. This does not increase the rank of any of these skills
above one rank.
 Fearsome. The organization’s reputation instills fear in
those who hear it. Members can make a REP mental attack
against one target who can hear and understand them.
This attack can only be made once per day, and no single
target can be affected by it more than once. If successful,
the target gains the Afraid condition.
 Gadgets. Each agent of the organization receives a
gadget that functions for 1d6 rounds (minimum 1 round;
except the commander agent, in which case the gadget
functions until the end of combat).
  Mental Training. All of the organization’s agents re-
ceive a bonus +1 to a specific mental attribute.
  Physical Training. All of the organization’s agents re-
ceive a bonus +1 to a specific physical attribute.
 Traditional. The organization is very old, and predates
the current era. This gives it access to certain ancient se-
crets, allowing members to use its REP attribute in place
of a LOG check once per day to access information about
a subject.
 Wealthy. The organization has the REP attribute of an
organization one size classification larger.
Types of Organizations
An organization’s concept can be as abstract or concrete
as you like: as strange as a hive mind that’s taken over a
grocery store to something like the Crimson Sparrows,
a multinational conglomerate of ne’er-do-wells bent on
world domination! As always, we encourage you to think
up creative and interesting organization types of your
own to complement the suggestions below. There are re-
ally only two things you need to worry about when doing
so: that these grouped individuals have a purpose, and
that that purpose has some kind of conflict with the player
characters.
 Corporations. Corporations make great enemy orga-
nizations. They are often enormous in scope, filled with
so much bureaucracy that not only can individual ex-
ecutives potentially get away with murder, many of their
accomplices have lawyers able to get them well away from
legal trouble. Player characters that decide to take on a
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corporation should be wary of law enforcement, however,
along with the sort of deadly talent that truckloads of cash
can purchase.
  Criminal Syndicates. The Yakuza, Triad, Mafia, and
any other form of mundane organized crime qualifies as
a criminal syndicate. As the name implies, these organi-
zations specialize in illicit activity, often with a focus on
drugs, vice, and racketeering. Their operations can range
far wider, however, and can sometimes have members
that are incredibly loyal, typically with familial ties.
 Cults. Steeped in mysticism and belief, cults are an-
other common type of organization. Led by charismatic
individuals that indoctrinate their followers, they can ap-
pear anywhere in the world, and they conduct operations
as simple as bank heists and as esoteric as demon sum-
moning. More often than not, their agents are fanatically
loyal (some even bring their families into the fold).
  Law Enforcement. There are no better team players
than law enforcement, and the vast majority of settings
feature authority figures of some kind that keep the
peace. The organization rules are not meant to be imple-
mented with police as a whole, but specific divisions like
a unit of homicide detectives, paranormal case workers,
and so forth. Of all the different types of organizations,
they are by and far the most responsive and easiest to
instigate.
  Shadow Services. Who cleans up the bodies piled up
by hitmen, and who supplies their guns or sells the art-
work stolen by cat burglars? A commonly glossed over set
of organizations exist to support the shadowy underside
of society and they are essential to its workings. With
this fundamental priority, all but the most stubborn and
vengeful choose to dismantle an organization that offers
support to various criminals.
  Special Forces. Some soldiers keep fighting well after
the war ends, and they don’t particularly care whom they
fight for. These mercenary groups are highly dangerous
and not to be underestimated; each of their agents is a
trained combatant that has experienced warfare. Unlike
other organizations, their loyalty is not overwhelmingly
strong and they can be bribed or coerced into abandon-
ing an operation with relative ease.
 Spies. Spies work for agencies of covert operatives which
are, more often than not, directly affiliated with a national

power. While some of these individuals are unfalteringly
loyal to their country, many are too willing to trade state
secrets for a plush life of luxury and double agents are not
uncommon.
 Vigilantes. When superheroes or supervillains team
together, they can become truly potent forces that can af-
fect change on a national or even global level. Fortunately,
power seems to come with no small bit of egotism and
most larger groups fail to remain united for long, splin-
tering into smaller organizations that aren’t nearly as
disastrous for society.
Sample Organization
CRIMSON SPARROWS
“When your ancestors were figuring out how to raise sheep
on the Mediterranean coast, ours were already the crime
lords of Asia.”
Organization Size Syndicate
Organization Type Cult
Organization Exploits Clandestine (criminals, mystics),
Fearsome, Expertise (Jumping, Stealth)
Typical Agents Ninja commanded by a Martial Artist
Number of Agents 444
REP 20 (5d6) / 8 (3d6)
Locate Difficult [16] / Severe [29]
Requisition Cap $1,800
Description The Crimson Sparrows are a secretive
organization with a storied history that stretches back
to the dawn of human civilization. An incredibly strict and
swift system of deadly justice and renewal within the
organization keeps its ranks at precisely 444 at all times,
and only the enigmatic leaders of the Crimson Sparrows
know the importance this holds and how it plays into the
institution’s past.
  Criminals throughout the world have heard of rumors
and a few have even seen the calling cards of these
deadly assassins, shuriken painted with the bloody-
winged sigil of these near urban-myths. Those that
speak truthfully of seeing one of their agents talk of
disappearing into the shadows and other mystical feats
that cause many to think these warriors do not truly
exist, but for the wealthiest and most knowledgeable, the
Crimson Sparrows are truly a force to be feared.
Modern Worlds
Designing a New
Heritage
The core N.O.W. rules contain four heritages—Humans,
Augmented, Mutants, and Chosen. These four heritages
can cover a multitude of character types, but you may find
that you wish to create more.
  Modern-era games tend to less exotic in this sense than
science fiction or fantasy settings, which have a pleth-
ora of races and alien species. Most PCs will be human,
and even the “non-human” heritages are variations on
humans. You can certainly grab Elves and Ogres and Bo-
rians and Drahzik from other WOIN books and use them
in your modern-day setting.
  New heritages are fairly straightforward to create. The
most important thing is that you make the heritage a via-
ble choice—not too powerful, and not too weak. That’s not
to say every heritage has to be perfectly balanced with ev-
ery other—the universe doesn’t work like that, and a little
imbalance will not hurt your game—but you are encour-
aged to aim for heritages of roughly equal power levels.
  Follow the process below. You have 18 points to spend.
Simply follow the steps below! Note that you won’t be able
to create the core races with this system; the extra flex-
ibility of freeform race creation comes with its own cost!
  At each stage, an example new heritage will be de-
veloped. The heritage we will be designing is suited to a
modern-horror setting: we will be creating a half-vampire
known as a Dhampir.
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 Modern Worlds

Concept Skills
The first stage in designing a new heritage is to devise your You should now select some skill choices. Note that a char-
concept. How similar is it to humankind? Are aberrant acter will only choose three of these, so a long list doesn’t
growths or physical features prevalent? Or is it just a blue necessarily make for a stronger character.
human? The heritages presented in this rulebook are all   Apply point adjustments as follows:
roughly humanoid (though mutants and certain robots
can be large-sized) but that is by no means a requirement! New Heritage Skills
You should also select the heritage’s size at this time. Condition Points
  Select your heritage’s size category. Each single [combat] skill or hardy 1
6 or more skills or [categories] 2
New Heritage Size Category 10 or more skills or [categories] 4
Size Points Each skill [category] except [artistic] 1
Small 2 Choice of “Any” 4
Medium 0 Skill category [artistic] 0
Large 5
Enormous 10 Dhampirs tend to be old, and know how to hide. Their skill
Variable 4 choices include history, stealth, disguise, and bluffing. This
costs 0 points.

Dhampirs are normal human-sized creatures, and cost 0

points for size.
Age
You should assign age categories for young, adult, and old
members of the species. This does not cost anything.
Dhampirs, who are essentially immortal, do not have age
categories.
Attributes
Spend as many points as you wish on attribute adjust-
ments. You can include negative adjustments, but a
negative can only save up to –1, whatever its size. Remem-
ber that REP and CHI start at zero, while everything else
starts at 3.
Dhampirs are stronger and faster than humans, with
heightened senses. They gain +2 STR, +2 AGI, +2 INT.
They are, however, weak-willed and prone to hunger and
insatiable urges, suffering WIL –1. This comes to a total of
5 points.
Exploits
This is the hardest part of the process. Note the exploits
granted by size and type first. You will then need to add
unique exploits of your own.
  You cannot have two exploits that give the same bonus
or a bonus to the same value. Not all exploits are equal,
and some have similar or overlapping effects. Note that
not all exploits are necessarily suitable—a magical exploit
is not suitable in a hard sci-fi setting.
  The abilities/exploits granted by your creature type are
free; you have already paid for them.
  You will need to “flavor” generic exploits yourself—the
following list will give you the mechanical effect, but you
will need to decide whether “Soak 5” means your race has
armor-plating, thick hide, or even a psychic forcefield.
  Negative values automatically save the amount which
positive values cost, unless otherwise noted.
  If the effect is not listed, it costs 4 points. Exploits may
combine effects. Most exploits cost 4 points. If you’re not
sure, 4 is the default.
  Things which give a bonus with a small caveat or un-
costed penalty cost 1 point less, and those which require
expenditure of a LUC die cost half (to a minimum of 1).

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Actions (4+)
•• Those exploits, such as extra limbs or fast movement,
which permanently grant a extra actions cost 4
points per action.
•• Exploits which grant an extra action temporarily
cost 3 points.
•• Those which grant an ally an action cost 2 points.
Age (0+)
•• Typically, natural lifespan does not affect the cost of
a creature.
Attribute Flexibility (4)
•• If the race’s attributes include some freedom of
choice, such as a human’s “Varied” exploit, this
costs 4 points.
•• Having the ability to exchange an attribute for a
career attribute costs 1 point.
Attribute Loss (–4)
•• If the creature is missing an attribute altogether
(such as a mechanoid’s inability to use PSI), it saves
4 points. It does not save additional points for extra
missing attributes.
•• An attribute cap of 4 saves 4 points; a cap of 6 saves
2 points.
Aura (4+)
•• An aura of 5’ costs 4 points. Add 4 points for each 5’
thereafter.
•• You will need to pay for the effect of the aura (dam-
age, a condition, etc.) separately.
•• If it can only affect one target, treat it as a ranged
attack instead.
Biological Functions (1)
•• Immunity to one or more biological functions (eat-
ing, sleeping, etc.) costs 1 point total, as does the
ability to breathe underwater.
•• A limited range, such as a hologram’s requirement
to stay within one mile of its CPU, saves 1 point.
•• Requiring equipment to operate in air/normal
conditions saves 2 points.
Modern Worlds
Bonus (4+)
•• Exploits which add +1d6 to a certain type of check
cost 4 points.
•• As does an exploding dice pool of a specific type.
•• Those which inflict a non-combat penalty save half
this (Initiative and Perception count as combat
skills for this purpose).
•• If it’s conditional (e.g. a perception check where
the target must be moving, or reliant on sound, or a
penalty in bright light), it costs half.
•• Those which inflict a penalty on somebody else also
cost half.
Carrying (1–2)
•• Increasing carry increments by 50% costs 1 point
•• Doubling carry increments costs 2 points
Communication (1)
•• An unusual communication method, such as
odours or telepathy, costs 1 point.
•• Voice mimicry or ventriloquism costs 2 points.
•• Being unable to speak, or speak only a unique
language, saves 2 points.
Condition (4)
•• A special attack which inflicts a condition, such as a
Charm, Afraid or Burning effect, costs 4 points.
Damage Bonus (4)
•• Adding +1d6 damage costs 4 points.
•• Inflicting a condition costs 4 points. If that is
combined with damage, the condition only costs 2
points.
•• Something like bony protrusions, a horn, or fiery
hands, which simply changes your natural damage
type cost only 1 point. If it’s an non-Soakable type,
such as psionic, it costs 4 points.
•• If it adds damage/condition and changes its type,
you get the type change for free.
•• Doing double damage to a certain type of object
costs 2 points.
•• Being able to snatch an object with an attack costs 2
points.
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 Modern Worlds
Defense (1+)
•• Exploits which grant Defense bonuses cost 1 point
per point of bonus.
•• Penalties save the same.
•• Each Defense must be paid for separately.
•• If the Defense bonus only applies to one attack type,
it is halved.
Equipment (1+)
•• Free equipment, such as a cultural weapon or em-
bedded item, costs 1 point per 100 cr value.
•• Limits on equipment use save 2 points.
•• Access to special equipment costs 4 points.
Exploits (4–8)
•• A free exploit is worth 4 points
•• A flexible exploit choice (such as the Android’s
choice of upgrades, a choice of psionic powers, or a
mutant’s choice of mutations) is worth 8 points.
•• If it is randomly determined, it is only worth 4.
Healing (4+)
•• This applies to healing oneself or others. Each 1d6
Health of healing costs 4 points.
•• Healing equal to spent LUC dice or an attribute
check costs 4 points.
•• If it can be done more than once per day, it costs 8
points.
•• If it only applies when naturally healing at the start
of each day, halve the cost.
•• Doubling daily natural healing has a flat cost of 4
points. Halving it saves 4 points.
•• Regeneration costs 2 points for 1 point of healing
per hour; 4 points for 1 point of healing per round;
or 8 points per 1d6, as does a vampiric-style attack
which steals the target’s Health. Halve it if it re-
quires a particular condition (eg immersed in water,
bright sunlight, etc.)
•• If the race cannot benefit from healing (except daily
natural healing) it saves 8 points.
Health (2+)
•• For especially robust races, each 1d6 bonus Health
costs 2 points.
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Information (4)
•• The ability to ask a yes/no question of the GM once
per day costs 2 points.
•• The ability to ask a closed question once per day
costs 4 points.
•• The ability to ask an open question once per day
costs 8 points.
Immunities (2–8)
•• Immunity to a damage type or attack type costs 4
points; poison, sonic, and radiation only cost 2 each.
•• Immunity to a specific condition costs 2 points.
•• Immunity to a range of damage types costs a
maximum of 8 points, no matter the number, as
does immunity that applies to an entire Defense
(e.g. an Android’s immunity to all attacks that target
Mental Defense).
•• Immunity to forced movement costs 4 points (a
penalty costs 1 point per d6).
Intangibility (4)
•• Intangible creatures cannot be affected by physical
damage, but they can be hurt normally by energy
damage. They cannot interact physically with the
environment without some additional special abil-
ity, but cannot pass through solid objects.
Invisibility (4–8)
•• Camouflage which grants +1d6 to hiding costs 4.
•• Camouflage which grants invisibility in certain
environments costs 6.
•• Invisibility in general costs 8.
•• If the effect requires the creature to remain still,
halve the cost.
Jumping (4)
•• A 30’ jump costs 4. Adding distance costs 1 per 5’.
•• Doubling Jump distances costs 4 points.
•• A standing start have the effect of a running jump
costs 2 points.
•• Similarly, immunity to falling costs 4.
•• Reducing falling distances costs 1 per 10’.
•• Halving falling distances costs 2.
•• Inability to jump saves 2 points.

Legs (4+)
•• Four-legged creatures which impose –2d6 to knock
down (and frequently gain a Speed bonus, separate)
cost 2 points.
•• 8 legs make you immune to knockdowns and costs
4 points.
Lives (4)
•• If you get bonus one-use “lives” these cost 4 points
each. If you have an immortality-style way to re-
cover from death more than once, this costs 8 points.
Luck (2+)
•• Creatures which cannot spend LUC dice save 4
points.
•• Creatures which suppress the LUC of others cost 4
points.
•• Creatures which can donate LUC dice cost 2 points
Movement Modes (2–8)
•• Low-g, zero-g, and hi-g cost 2 points.
•• Flight costs 8 points (hovering just 4 points, as does
gliding or limited flight which requires landing
every turn).
•• Climbing costs 6 points (perching just 2 points).
•• Swimming costs 2 points (walking on water 1 point).
•• A conditional reduced movement mode (e.g. “half
Speed in cold conditions”) saves 2 points.
•• The ability to ignore difficult terrain costs 4 points.
•• The ability to move through enemy squares costs 2
points.
Ranged Attack (4)
•• A natural ranged or area attack costs 4 points, and
can inflict damage or a condition; for both, you must
pay 6 points.
•• Natural reach costs 2 points.
•• Doubling rage increment costs 2 points.
•• Telekinesis costs 4 points.
•• An effect with a caveat (e.g. can only be used once
per target, or target resents the effect afterwards)
saves 1 point.
•• A ranged attack which only affects one adjacent
target counts as a melee attack for costing purposes.
Modern Worlds
Senses (2+)
•• The ability to sense psionics, emotions, or some-
thing else within 10’ costs 2 points, or 3 points for 30’.
•• Or within 5’ per point of INT costs 4 points.
•• A sight type such as darksight costs 2 points.
•• Truesight costs 4 points.
•• Poor sight which reduces range increments by half
saves 2.
•• Being immune to flanks and crossfire costs 4.
•• Direction senses and navigation abilities are worth
2 points.
Shapechanging (8)
•• This powerful ability costs 8 points.
Skill Grant (1+)
•• An exploit which only grants non-combat skills
costs 1 point for each skill die (not the raw number).
•• Combat skills cost 2 per die. For the purposes of this,
Initiative and Perception count as combat skills.
•• A condition (e.g. “in bright light”) saves 1 point.
•• If it’s a choice of skills, increase the total cost by 50%
(round down).
Soak/Vulnerability (1+)
•• Those which grant Soak cost 1 point per point of
Soak.
•• Or half (round up) if only to a specific damage type.
•• Vulnerabilities to a damage type save 2 points per
1d6.
•• Additional negative effects from a particular
substance beyond normal (e.g. alcohol beyond the
normal effect, bright light, or extra damage from
falling) save 2 points.
Speed (2+)
•• Each point of Speed bonus costs (or saves) 2 points.
•• Doubling Speed costs 8 points.
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 Modern Worlds
Dhampir
You have had a brush with undeath, but you’re not quite
there yet. Not as strong or as powerful as a full vampire,
you are able to move in daylight (although you find it un-
comfortable). You share the vampire’s thirst for blood,
and some of its mythological abilities, but are not con-
demned to evil in the way that the undead are.
Dhampirs are created from the union of a vampire and
a human, but they are neither. They exist in a twilight
world between life and undeath, and are rejected by
both. Dhampirs are sometimes called “daywalkers.”
Dhampir
Size: Medium
Attributes: STR +2, AGI +2, INT +2, WIL –1.
Skill choices: history, stealth, disguise, bluffing
4
18
We have spent only 5 points of our budget of 18 so far, so
we have 13 points to spend on our Dhampir.
  Vampiric bite (6). Dhampirs can bite a victim and cause
2d6 damage, gaining 1d6 Health in return. This requires an
unarmed attack and expenditure of a LUC die.
  Spider-climb (6). Dhampirs can climb walls and ceilings
with ease. They gain a Climb speed equal to their regular
Speed and do not need to make checks to climb.
  Sunlight sensitivity (–4). Dhampirs do not enjoy sunlight;
they are not harmed by it like full vampires are, but they
suffer –1d6 to INT (including perception) and Initiative
checks when in sunlight.
  Biological immunity (5). Dhampirs do not need to eat or
sleep. They are also immune to poison.
Description
Finally, you will need to describe your heritage. Note its
appearance, culture, and suitable careers. Also note a se-
lection of typical names.
  And that’s it. After following this process, you will have
created a new heritage. You might also want to create a
typical member of the heritage in the form of a monster
stat block for later use. To fully realize your new heritage,
you should consider creating at least one career unique to
your heritage and perhaps some new equipment.
EXPLOITS
  Vampiric bite (6). Dhampirs can bite a victim and cause
2d6 damage, gaining 1d6 Health in return. This requires
an unarmed attack and expenditure of a LUC die.
  Spider-climb (6). Dhampirs can climb walls and ceilings
with ease. They gain a Climb speed equal to their regular
Speed and do not need to make checks to climb.
  Sunlight sensitivity (–4). Dhampirs do not enjoy sun-
light; they are not harmed by it like full vampires are, but
they suffer –1d6 to INT (including perception) and Initia-
tive checks when in sunlight.
  Biological immunity (5). Dhampirs do not need to eat
or sleep and are immune to poison. They do require
blood—or at least raw meat—to remain comfortable,
however.

Designing a Career
If you create a new heritage, you should create at least one
career unique to that heritage. However, you may need to
create careers irrespective of any heritage design you’ve
done. Perhaps your setting has a particular tradition of
gladiators, an order of mystical monks, cyborg soldiers, or
exceptionally lucky explorers.
  Designing a career is a lot like designing a heritage.
The following steps will take you through the process of
designing a new career for your setting. Alongside the
guidelines, an example Vampire Slayer starting career
will be designed for the new Dhampir heritage.
Concept
Decide on your concept. What role does this career fulfil
in your setting? Can that role be filled by another career?
The easiest mistake to make here is to confuse skill selec-
tion with full careers. For example, the college student
career allows you to choose, via skills, what type of col-
lege student that is; additional careers aren’t needed for
history, law, engineering, and medical students.
Vampire Slayers are dedicated to one goal: hunting and
destroying vampires. While they are enemy to all undead,
vampires are their hated foe, and the target of their obses-
sion.
Length
Decide how long this career should take. If you’re not sure,
the standard is 1d6 years. Some careers—in particular
educational courses—have a set length of 1, 2, or maybe 4
years. Very occasionally something like prison might last
longer than 1d6 years. Starting careers are longer, as they
take a character through childhood and adolescence—
they are typically 2d6+6 years, but can vary.
The Vampire Slayer will be a regular 1d6-year career.
Attributes
Assign attribute adjustments. A career gets four attribute
bonuses of +1 each.
Modern Worlds
The Vampire Slayer requires physical prowess, extensive
knowledge, good tracking ability, and something special.
Vampire Slayers get END +1, LOG +1, INT +1, CHI +1.
Skills
List some skills offered by that career. Remember that the
character will only be selecting two of these skills. As with
heritage design, this list is what determines who varied
that career is—a short list creates a more uniform career,
while a larger selection creates one which is more varied.
Also remember that this skill selection is a specializa-
tion—the character will be getting better at a wide range
of things simply by virtue of the attribute bonuses.
The skills offered by the Vampire Hunter career should
cover lore and tracking ability, as well as knives (which is
what a wooden stake essentially is). The Vampire Hunter
has a choice of history, knives, tracking, and religion.
Exploits
Finally, create exploits unique to that career. These should
be ones that can’t just be replicated with a good attribute
check (with or without skill or equipment bonus). Good
examples include the assassin’s death blow or a soldier’s
extra ammunition ability. An origin career will typically
only have one exploit, but other careers should have about
five exploits, some of which may have prerequisites. Little
exploit chains encourage characters to stay in that career.
The Vampire Slayer gets a choice of the following exploits:
  Stake to the heart. When using a wooden stake, a Vam-
pire Slayer does double damage to a vampire.
  The stench of death. Vampire Slayers can sense the
presence of vampires, automatically recognising one, and
sensing the presence of any within 5’ per point of INT.
  Death strike (requires Stake to the heart). When a Vam-
pire Slayer reduces a vampire to zero Health, the creature
is immediately and permanently destroyed.
  Don’t bite me! A Vampire Slayer’s blood is poisonous to
a vampire. A vampire who bites a Vampire Slayer takes 3d6
damage.
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 Modern Worlds
Vampire Slayer
Having followed this process, you should now have
created a new career. Here’s our Vampire Slayer
career.
Vampire Slayer [1d6 years]
Prerequisites: religion
Attributes: END +1, LOG +1, INT +1, CHI +1
Skill Choices: history, knives, tracking, religion
You have been trained to hunt and destroy that unholy
scourge of the night, the vampire.
  Stake to the heart. When using a wooden stake, a
Vampire Slayer does double damage to a vampire.
  The stench of death. Vampire Slayers can sense
the presence of vampires, automatically recognis-
ing one, and sensing the presence of any within 5’
per point of INT.
  Death strike (requires Stake to the heart). When a
Vampire Slayer reduces a vampire to zero Health, the
creature is immediately and permanently destroyed.
  Don’t bite me! A Vampire Slayer’s blood is poisonous
to a vampire. A vampire who bites a Vampire Slayer
takes 3d6 damage.
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Designing Foes
This creature design engine is a process by which you will
be able to easily create a monster, creature, or generic
NPC type.
  You can create anything from robots and alien mon-
strosities to reusable NPC stat blocks such as “Cop,
“Soldier,” or “KGB Interrogator.” In a modern setting, most
enemies will be humans of some kind, but you can use
this system to create just about anything—dinosaurs,
zombies, scientific experiments, invading aliens, or what-
ever else you can imagine. We use the terms “creature”
and “monster” interchangeably throughout this section,
and these terms include NPCs in this context.
  Monsters and generic NPCs tend to be a bit more ar-
bitrary than player characters. Of course, a monster can
have whatever statistics you need—if you need your elite
mystical ninja to have AGI 20 or 200 Health for some rea-
son, you can just assign those values. The following is just
a set of guidelines to help your design process; feel free to
ignore any of them.
  This method is the reverse method to creating a char-
acter, because you are starting at your desired result and
working backwards—you will know in advance that you
want an 8d6 “brute” style robot, and this informs the rest
of the creature’s statistics.
  Once you have decided on your creature concept, fol-
lowing these steps.
Max Dice Pool (MDP)
Choose your monster’s Maximum Dice Pool. This will
decide many of the following statistics. You should start
with an idea of how powerful you want your monster to be.
For comparison, a starting character is 5d6. PCs tend to be
a little more optimised than monsters, so monster scores
are slightly higher. Generally, a monster with +1 MDP over
a PC is a challenging match the PC should win. +2 MDP
means the PC will probably lose one-on-one, and at +3
MDP the PC is almost certain to be defeated.
 MDP. Throughout this section, the term “MDP” means
“Maximum Dice Pool.” Throughout this section, when you
halve, quarter, or otherwise divide the MDP to derive a
value, always round up.
 Modern Worlds

Role, Size, & Type

Choose a “role,” a size category, and a type for your
monster.
 The role is just a broad descriptive tag; it isn’t used dur-
ing play, but it can be useful when designing. Choose from:
•• Artillery. A creature which does area damage from
a distance, such as a grenadier or a ranged heavy
robot.
•• Brute. A creature focuses on raw melee power,
smashing its foes to the ground, such as heavy-
weight boxer or a mighty t-rex.
•• Expert. A creature whose focus is not combat, such
as a medic, engineer, or pilot.
•• Ninja. A fast, mobile melee creature, able to at-
tack quickly and accurately and dance around its
opponents.
•• Skirmisher. A fast, mobile, ranged creature, weak
in melee, but able to keep its distance and pick off
its targets from afar. Many gun-toting bandits are
skirmishers.
•• Support. A creature which heals or buffs other crea-
tures, or alters the battlefield; this could be a medic,
or an adept commander.
•• Trickster. A frustrating opponent such as a charmer,
or even a teleporter, able to inflict a range of
conditions.
These names don’t really mean anything. They are de-
scriptive tools during the design process, but you’ll never
need them again once the creature is finished.
  The creature’s size uses the same scale as player char-
acters, and includes tiny (mouse-sized), small (dog-sized),
medium (human-sized), large (tiger-sized), enormous
(elephant-sized), gigantic (whale-sized), colossal (kaiju-
sized), and titanic (skyscraper-sized).
  You also need to know the creature’s type. This is
an open-ended list which includes, but is not limited
to, the following creature types: aquatic, avian, beast,
changeling, crystalline, insectoid, humanoid, gaseous,
mechanoid, plant, projection, and reptile. A creature can
have more than one type, of course—it might be an avian
mechanoid or a crystalline plant. The type will help deter-
mine some of the creature’s exploits, which you’ll list at
the end of this process.
  It’s important to note that this is just an “introductory”
list of creature types; you can no doubt imagine more ex-
otic things like oozes and electricity monsters, and many
more.
  Using these details, note the monster’s descriptor,
which is formed as follows:
[size] [sentience] [types] (dice pool)
  For example:
Large semi-sentient mechanoid beast (7d6)
Attributes
A creature’s attributes depends on the monster’s role,
which you chose in the previous step. Only give the
creature a CHI score if you want it to have supernatural
abilities. A creature’s REP score will help determine how
much the player characters (and others) know about it.
The creature’s mental statistics assume that the creature
is sentient, but non-sentient, semi-sentient, and super-
sentient creatures may radically alter these values in the
next step.

MDP Multiplier by Role

Role STR AGI END INT LOG WIL CHA LUC REP CHI
Artillery 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.5
Brute 0.6 0.3 0.6 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.2 0.5 0.3
Expert 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.6
Ninja 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.4
Skirmisher 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.5 0.4
Support 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.6
Trickster 0.3 0.5 0.3 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.3 0.5 0.8

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Sentience
Also consider the creature’s sentience. Sentience typically
comes in the following categories, and can alter the crea-
ture’s mental statistics in the following ways.
 Non-sentient. Non-sentient does not necessarily mean
non-intelligent. Non-sentient creatures are immune to
mental attacks.
 Semi-sentient. These are dogs, wolves, bears, and
other animal-level intelligent creatures. Semi-sentient
creatures have 1–2 (1d6) LOG (carnivores are usually
more intelligent than herbivores), and may often have
INT attributes as high as their AGI attributes. INT repre-
sents senses, perception, and animal cunning. Note that
creatures known for specific senses (such as owls) can also
have extremely high skill ranks in those specific abilities.
CHA tends to be 1 (for ugly critters) or 2 (for attractive crit-
ters). WIL will tend to be around average (4) unless there
is a compelling reason to do otherwise.
 Sentient. This includes humans, and most living sen-
tient creatures with LOG attributes of 2 or more. Sentient
creatures should be assigned mental attributes normally.
 Super-sentient. Generally with LOG and INT attri-
butes of 20 or more, these creatures are supra-geniuses
far beyond even the greatest of humans. Super-sentient
creatures automatically have the power of truesight,
which enables them to see through illusions, invisibility,

Defense Ratings by Role

Role Melee Ranged Mental Vital
Artillery Low (MDP × 2) High (MDP × 4) Medium (MDP × 3) Low (MDP × 2)
Brute High (MDP × 4) Low (MDP × 2) Low (MDP × 2) High (MDP × 4)
Expert Low (MDP × 2) Medium (MDP × 3) High (MDP × 4) Low (MDP × 2)
Ninja High (MDP × 4) Medium (MDP × 3) Low (MDP × 2) Medium (MDP × 3)
Skirmisher Low (MDP × 2) High (MDP × 4) Medium (MDP × 3) Medium (MDP × 3)
Support Medium (MDP × 3) Medium (MDP × 3) High (MDP × 4) Medium (MDP × 3)
Trickster Low (MDP × 2) Medium (MDP × 3) High (MDP × 4) Low (MDP × 2)

Statistic Adjustments by Size

STATISTIC Tiny Small Medium Large Enormous Gigantic Colossal Titanic
Melee Defense +4 +2 — –2 –4 –8 –16 –16
Ranged Def +4 +2 — –4 –8 –16 –32 –32
Vital Def –2 –2 — +2 +4 +6 +8 +16
Actions 2 2 2 2 3 4 5 6
Health x1 x1 x1 x1 x1.5 x2 x3 x5
Reach 5’ 5’ 5’ 5’ 10’ 15’ 20’ 40’
STR Cap 1 (1d6) 3 (2d6) 10 (4d6) 15 (5d6) 21 (6d6) 45 (9d6) 78 (12d6) 120+ (15d6+)

Initiative, Perception, and Speed Adjustments by Role

Role Initiative Perception Speed
Artillery Medium (MDP × 0.75) High (MDP × 1) Slow (MDP × 0.5)
Brute Low (MDP × 0.5) Low (MDP × 0.5) Slow (MDP × 0.5)
Expert Low (MDP × 0.5) Medium (MDP × 0.75) Medium (MDP × 1)
Ninja High (MDP × 1) Medium (MDP × 0.75) Fast (MDP × 1.5)
Skirmisher Medium (MDP × 0.75) High (MDP × 1) Fast (MDP × 1.5)
Support Medium (MDP × 0.75) Medium (MDP × 0.75) Medium (MDP × 1)
Trickster High (MDP × 1) High (MDP × 1) Fast (MDP × 1.5)

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 Modern Worlds

and disguises. They can also see in the dark, and through Soak and Health Adjustments by Role
obscuring effects like smoke, although not through cover. Role Soak Health
Additionally, supersentient creatures can automatically Artillery Low (MDP × 0.5) Low (MDP × 3)
speak and understand any language. Brute High (MDP × 2) High (MDP × 10)
Expert Low (MDP × 0.5) Low (MDP × 3)
Defenses Ninja Medium (MDP × 1) Medium (MDP × 6)
You now need to determine the creature’s four Defenses. Skirmisher Low (MDP × 0.5) Low (MDP × 3)
Each Defense is high, medium, or low, and is based on Support Medium (MDP × 1) Medium (MDP × 6)
the monster’s MDP. The lowest a Defense can be is 10. Trickster Low (MDP × 0.5) Low (MDP × 3)

Size Initiative, Perception, & Speed

You then need to adjust for Size (see the table on the previ-
ous page). While size can affect physical attributes, it does
not necessarily correlate to them—a tiny, tiny tardigrade
might have an END score many times higher than a hu-
man. STR, however, is an attribute you might consider
capping by size; you don’t have to (after all, there’s noth-
ing wrong with a tiny super-strong robot!) but a suggested
cap is presented in the table at left.
Soak
Most creatures have a Soak value. When you assign
Soak, you won’t necessarily know where that Soak comes
from—it may be from armor they are wearing, or from a
tough hide, or thick fur, or a hard shell. You’ll have a total
amount of Soak appropriate to the creature; you can de-
scribe it however you wish.
  As before, choose high, medium, or low Soak. However,
you should be very cautious about allowing Soak scores
above 20—the hardest substances in the core rules are
diamond and duranium at Soak 20 and tritanium and
adamantium at Soak 25. Unless you have a very compel-
ling reason to do otherwise, you should cap a creature’s
Soak at 20.
Health
Health is an important value. Choose from high, me-
dium, or low scores, and then adjust for size. These values
can be found in the same table as the Soak table.
  Size affects Health as follows: Enormous ×1.5, Gigantic
×2, Colossal ×3, and Titanic ×5.
  Monsters tend to have higher Health than PCs. This
abstracts the fact that they don’t have all the resources
available that PCs have to heal and recover.
Using the same method, determine your monster’s Ini-
tiative, Perception, and Speed scores.
  You will need to assign movement modes at this time.
The listed Speed in the table on the previous page is for
the creature’s primary movement mode. For additional
modes, it moves at half Speed.
  If a creature has a natural movement mode, it is denot-
ed in the stat block with a “+” symbol (e.g. Climb +8); this
means that it does not need to make any attribute checks
to move in this manner, and it uses the speed listed for the
primary movement mode.
  If the creature can fly, you should note whether or not it
can hover by putting the word “hover” in parenthesis after
its Fly speed; if it cannot hover, it must move at least half
its Fly speed each round to stay aloft.
Attacks
You will need to determine the creature’s melee and
ranged attack pools, plus an optional mental attack pool
and psionic attack pool. Only include the latter two if
they are relevant; the psionic attack pool, if it exists, is
the same as the most thematically similar existing attack
pool—most likely ranged (for something like an electric
discharge) or mental (for something like a psionic blast).
  Most creatures will only use their primary attack pool,
but if a PC charges a ranged attacker, it might be forced to
resort to its weaker attack mode.
  The attack values in particular can be tweaked. If you
want your brute to have a high ranged attack, go right
ahead and assign it.
  You might consider giving some creatures with a high
single attack a secondary medium area attack. A defense
drone’s flamethrower is an example of this.

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 Modern Worlds
Attack Pools by Role
Role Melee Attack
Artillery Low (MDP x 0.5)
Brute High (MDP x 1)
Expert Low (MDP x 0.5)
Ninja High (MDP x 1)
Skirmisher Low (MDP x 0.5)
Support Medium (MDP x 0.75)
Trickster Low (MDP x 0.5)
 Damage. Damage tracks with the attack pool, and is
50% of the attack pool. For example, an attack pool of 8d6
means 4d6 damage, while 7d6 would become 3d6+3. You
will need to assign the damage type manually.
 Range. A ranged attack has a range in 5’ squares of MDP
× 1.5, unless the creature is a skirmisher or artillery, in
which case the range is MDP × 2.
Exploits
You now need to give the creature exploits. This is by far
the most arbitrary part of the process. You should be
inventive with its exploits—each creature should feel dif-
ferent. There’s a whole smorgasbord of area attacks, grabs,
throws, mental attacks, psionic abilities, and more. Below
is a small selection to get you started, but this is just the tip
of the iceberg—it’s really important to note that this sec-
tion is limited only by your imagination.
  Feel free to allow creatures to use exploits from other
categories; these are listed thematically for convenience.
Creatures and NPCs should also have access to regular
exploits, and all have the ability to Aim or Feint.
Artillery
•• Burst. This attack does burst damage (in a Burst
equal to half MDP, so artillery with MDP 8 does a
Burst 4). The attack attacks all creatures within the
burst area (make only one attack roll and only one
damage roll and apply it to all targets in the area). A
psi-cop unleashes a psionic blast or soldier fires a
grenade launcher.
•• Cone. Alternatively, the artillery could unleash a
half MDP cone such as a flamethrower.
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Ranged Attack Mental Attack
High (MDP x 1) Low (MDP x 0.5)
Medium (MDP x 0.75) Low (MDP x 0.5)
Low (MDP x 0.5) Medium (MDP x 0.75)
Low (MDP x 0.5) Low (MDP x 0.5)
High (MDP x 1) Low (MDP x 0.5)
Medium (MDP x 0.75) Medium (MDP x 0.75)
Medium (MDP x 0.75) High (MDP x 1)
Brute
•• Stop Right There! Enemies which try to move
past the brute (move within reach) are subject to a
free action attack, which stops their movement if
successful.
•• Charge. The brute moves its Speed and makes an
attack with one action.
•• Burst. The brute uses an action to attack all adjacent
targets. On a hit they are pushed back 10’.
•• Cone. Alternatively, this could be a cone such as a
tail swipe.
•• Grab. This attack inflicts the Restrained condition
on a creature, and requires a melee attack to escape.
The brute’s natural damage is automatically inflict-
ed at the start of the grabbed creature’s turns.
•• Hurl. Send a creature flying 3 squares plus one
square per size difference and, do natural damage;
this attack inflicts Downed condition.
•• Roar. This burst attack with a Burst equal to the
brute’s MDP does a mental attack which inflicts the
Afraid condition.
•• Trample. The brute can move through a smaller
creature’s square, getting a free melee attack which
knocks the target aside and prone for the attacker’s
natural damage. If the attack misses, the brute must
stop its movement.
•• Monstrous Leap. The brute leaps into the air a
height of 5’ per MDP, making an attack against one
foe it can reach while doing so.
•• Quake. The brute slams a foot, fist, or tail on the
ground, shaking the area within its aura. The brute
makes an attack against everybody within the area,
knocking targets prone and doing 1d6 damage to
them.

•• Monumental. The brute has double Soak against
ranged weapons.
•• Living Shield. The brute picks up another creature
smaller than itself and uses it as a shield. The target
can escape the grab as normal. Until then, the brute
gains the protection of a shield of the same size
category (e.g. a medium-sized creature is a medium
shield). Additionally, attacks which miss but would
have hit had the shield not been in place hit the
grabbed creature instead.
•• Come Here! A target struck with a weapon or
tentacle with a range equal to half its regular ranged
attack range is pulled adjacent to the brute. The
target cannot be larger than the brute.
Expert
•• Skill dice. The expert’s primary skill dice pool is its
MDP. It could be piloting, medicine, engineering,
heraldry, or any other area of expertise.
•• Analyze. For one round the expert can remove one
enemy’s Soak. This only works on a given target
once.
•• Healing. The expert can heal allies with an action
equal to their damage roll. Each can only benefit
once.
Ninja
•• Third attack. If the ninja makes two melee attacks,
it gets a third attack for free.
•• Achilles heel. The ninja can bypass Soak once per
foe.
•• Dart in. The ninja moves its Speed, attacks, then
moves its Speed back again.
•• Stealthy. The ninja can make MDP stealth checks to
remain effectively invisible.
•• Teleport. The ninja can move a double move as one
action. A mystical ninja teleports, special forces use
alien transporter tech, a super-fast race zooms to a
new location, or a CH_powered martial artist simply
makes a giant leap.
•• Poison. This attack inflicts the Poisoned or Sick
conditions.
Modern Worlds
Skirmisher
•• Perfect aim. The skirmisher gets +2d6 from aiming
instead of +1d6.
•• Mobile attack. The skirmisher moves two moves
and make a single ranged attack at any point.
•• Dive for cover. On a missed attack, the skirmisher
may use a reaction to move its Speed and either get
prone or behind cover.
•• Backpedal. When someone attempts a melee attack,
the skirmisher use a reaction to step back 10’ and
take a shot.
•• Panicked unload. The skirmisher fires two shots at
a target and if both hit, it gains a third shot.
Support
•• Healing. The support NPC can heal allies with an
action an amount of Health equal to their damage
roll. Each can only benefit once.
•• Leadership. The support has a dice pool equal to
its MDP to donate to its allies; it must declare this
before any dice are rolled.
•• Designate target. The support chooses one target.
That target may not benefit from cover until another
target is selected. A spotlight illuminates the target
or a commander uses a tactical battlefield targeting
drone.
•• Battlefield control. The support can create difficult
terrain or darkness in a burst area radius equal to
its MDP. An ice cannon creates an icy patch, or an
engineer throws caltrops
•• Summon. The support can summon, create, or acti-
vate activate 1d6 mooks. An engineer activates some
security droids, or a samurai summons some ninjas.
Trickster
•• Teleport. The trickster can move a double move as
one action, bypassing any obstacles.
•• Deceive. An illusion of self disguises the trickster’s
true location.
•• Controller. A mental attack makes the target
Charmed.
•• Taunt. A mental attack makes the target Angry.
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 Modern Worlds
General/Unusual
•• Aura. An aura equal to half the creature’s MDP does
low damage or inflicts a condition.
•• Berserker. The creature gains +1d6 damage when
below half Health; it cannot stop attacking until all
foes are dead.
•• Called shot. The creature has a weakness which
can be exploited via a Called Shot (–2d6 to hit). This
might inflict a condition, or even kill it outright.
•• Disease. The creature inflicts a disease on a critical
hit.
•• Poison. The creature inflicts the Poisoned condition
on a hit.
•• Regeneration. The creature automatically heals a
quarter MDP Health at the start of each turn.
Remember, this is just a small selection of ideas. You
should try to vary your creatures as much as possible and
design your own exploits.
Creature Type
The creature’s type(s) also grant it some exploits or other
adjustments. Apply these now.
•• Aquatic. The creature gains a SWIM speed equal
to its regular Speed. It can breathe underwater.
Swimming is a natural movement mode for aquatic
creatures.
•• Avian. The creature gains a Fly speed equal to its
regular Speed. Flying is a natural movement mode
for avians.
•• Beast. These are normal animals such as dogs,
bears, and dinosaurs.
•• Changeling. A rare creature type, changelings are
able to alter their shape and appearance. The exact
details of this varies. They are typically immune to
critical hits and conditions.
•• Crystalline. Crystalline creatures are resistant to
heat damage (Soak 5 heat), but vulnerable (1d6) to
sonic damage due to their brittle nature. They are
immune to the Bleeding condition.
•• Insectoid. Climbing is a natural movement mode
for insectoids. The creature gains a Climb speed
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equal to its regular Speed and does not need to
make checks to climb. Such creatures can move on
walls and ceilings normally.
•• Humanoid. Humanoids gain no special advantages.
They are bipedal, mammalian creatures.
•• Gaseous. Gaseous creatures are immune to non
energy-based physical attacks, and have Soak 10 to
energy-based attacks.
•• Mechanoid. Mechanoids are immune to mental
attacks, are vulnerable (1d6) to electricity damage,
and vulnerable (2d6) to ion damage. They are usu-
ally immune to the Sick and Fatigued conditions.
•• Plant. Plant creatures vulnerable (1d6) to fire, but
have an additional 5 Soak. Plants usually cannot
wear armor. They are usually immune to the Sick
and Fatigued conditions. They ignore natural dif-
ficult terrain, unless it is fire or heat-based.
•• Projection. Projections are incorporeal entities,
including psychic entities and holograms. Projec-
tions are incorporeal. This makes them immune to
physical weapons unless they do psionic damage
(in the case of a psychic entity) or ion damage (in
the case of a hologram); they can pass through
physical barriers. A projection will usually do
psionic or electricity damage, if it does any dam-
age. Projections cannot usually be killed; reducing
them to 0 Health simply disperses them for a while.
Projections can freely fly, although many do not.
Projections have superior darksight and lifesense
to a distance of 5’ per point of INT. Projections are
usually immune to any physical conditions.
•• Reptile. Reptiles are cold-blooded and are vulner-
able (1d6) to cold damage. They usually have scales
granting +5 natural Soak.
•• Swarm. A swarm is a collection of thousands of
tiny creatures which attack en masse. A swarm is
immune to all attacks except for area attacks. When
it attacks, it simply moves into the target’s square.
Any creature which starts its turn in or enters the
swarm’s square suffers melee damage automatically,
and may suffer the Blind condition. Swarms can
move through gaps of any size.
 Modern Worlds

Skills
You will also need the monster’s skills. While most of the
time you will just be using its derived statistics, occasion-
ally you may need something more specific. To determine
these, you will need to “reverse engineer” them from its
derived statistics. In particular, the following skills should
be calculated:
•• combat skill*—the monster equivalent of unarmed
combat is simply called combat.
•• perception—this may be named after the creature’s
special senses, such as scent, hearing, etc., or it may
juts be called perception.
•• movement skill*—this may be running or some
similar skill.
•• tactics or reactions—the monster should have one of
these two skills.
•• social skill(s)*—this optional skill, especially for
tricksters and supporters, might include bluffing,
intimidation, persuasion, and so on.
•• stealth—most creatures will have this at some level,
even if it is very low.
•• psionic skill(s)*—assign these if relevant, but most
psionic powers will be in the form of easy-to-use
exploits. them to an exceptional human (a professional athlete, for
•• carrying—four-legged herbivores, and similar example), who would have 10 ranks or so. If the creature
creatures, often have a dice pool in carrying equal would be better than a trained athlete at a skill, then give
to half their Maximum Dice Pool. it 10 or more ranks.
•• defensive skills—you don’t have to reverse engineer   If in doubt, just give a creature a skill dice pool equal to
these, but you can if you wish. You may need one for half its Maximum Dice Pool.
each Defense.
You already know the monster’s attributes from earlier in Finishing Up
the design process, and you know what the derived dice Finally, you will need to finish up with the minor (or not
pool is, so the related skill is simply the difference be- so minor!) details. You should feel free to tweak any values
tween the two. on the stat block—if your NPC is from a race of speedsters
  For example, if you know that the creature has 8d6 Ini- who only move at light speed, go ahead and give it a Speed
tiative and that it has 5d6 Intuition, you automatically of 100, or whatever is appropriate. If your creature is re-
know that it must have 3d6 to either the tactics or reactions flective and immune to heat weapons, go ahead and add
skill. The same applies to attack dice pools, Perception, that immunity. Remember, as the GM, the monster is ex-
and so on. actly what you need it to be.
  You should also manually assign any relevant skills.   If you are publishing the creature, it’s probably worth
Remember that creatures can be naturally much better encoding those arbitrary changes as exploits, just so that
than humans at certain things, especially when it comes others can see clearly where they came from, but this is
to senses, movement, and fighting. Don’t be afraid to give not vital. And if you are only using it in your home game, it
them 10 or more ranks in something. If in doubt, compare really doesn’t matter!

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Creating Campaigns
A campaign is a sequence of adventures designed to last
multiple—often many—sessions of play. Some take a
month or two to complete; others can take years.
  Many campaigns are published in the form of “ad-
venture paths”—these pre-published collections of
adventures take the player characters through a long story
arc. Adventure paths are common to many games, and are
popular with GMs who have little time to prepare. They
sometimes run for 10 or more adventures, although short-
er versions with only 3–4 adventures are also available.
  The heart of every campaign is an adventure—or a series
of adventures. The GM is responsible for designing and
running adventures for the player characters. The level of
preparation needed will vary from GM to GM—some use
a collection of notes on scrap paper, while others prepare
detailed binders covering every contingency. Some GMs
are comfortable with improvisation, while others enjoy
planning and preparation.
  An adventure, in its most basic form, is a plot or envi-
ronment in which the PCs can participate. As an analogy,
an adventure might be an episode of a television show. A
number of adventures, strung together, form a campaign,
which is roughly analogous to a season of a TV show.
  There’s no strict rule on what might constitute an ad-
venture. Generally speaking, the PCs need a goal or
objective—whether that be to simply survive a haunted
house, to uncover a lost artifact, to rescue the kidnapped
daughter of a politician, or defeat an evil genetically en-
hanced super soldier. Indeed, the length of an adventure
may vary, too—some are designed as “one-shots,” to be
played through in a single session of 4-hours, while others
may take multiple game sessions to complete.
Published Adventures
At the back of this rulebook, you’ll find a short adventure.
This is an example of a published adventure. Designing
adventures can be very rewarding, but it can also be a lot
of work—and published adventures are there to save you
time or give you ideas. There are adventures available for
the N.O.W. roleplaying game, and you are encouraged to
avail yourself of them.
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Creating an Adventure
Creating an adventure is part art and part science. The
GM will need to devise a plot, create antagonists, and pre-
pare locations. The process is somewhat akin to writing a
novella, except that the GM only controls most of the cast.
  Start by outlining the basic premise or plot. This is the
most important step, because everything else springs
from there. In fact, that can be your whole preparation—
there are resources and creatures and more available in
this very book to help you run things on the fly—but it can
help to detail important NPCs, locations, and events.
  NPCs and creatures can be created from scratch, or
you can borrow pre-published ones. You don’t need to in-
dividually craft every redshirt or bandit; a standard stat
block will do. You should, however, take the time to indi-
vidually create important, named NPCs. You can do this
by modifying an existing stat block, or by creating an NPC
from scratch using the character generation process.
  Locations also form an important part of adventure
design. Whether it’s a ghost town, a port city, a bustling
metropolis, a quiet town in the rural country, or a military
fortress, it often helps to prepare a map of important loca-
tions in advance. You don’t need to map out every shop
and house, but notable locations certainly benefit from
this treatment—especially if you expect combat to take
place there.
  Again, there are pre-published “generic” locations that
you can use and plug in to your game if you wish to. This is
a useful way to handle common places such as bars, shops,
and the like.
Vehicles and Bases
Most starting characters will not be able to afford or have
a vehicle (even a cheap junker), or for that matter, a base
of operations. In some campaigns, this may not matter;
long range mobility isn’t a requirement for a city cam-
paign. Entire story arcs can take place during a trip across
country, or require little more than booking a ticket and
heading to the airport. Saving up for that first vehicle can
be a momentous event (especially if it’s got upgrades!),
and players who obtain their vehicle in this way are likely
to form a strong attachment to it. However, this is not the
only option; below are a few suggestions on how to deal
with the issue of vehicles and bases of operations.

  Bear in mind that the average group will need some-
thing with more “oomph” than an outdated two-seater
car and a shabby apartment—if the party is going to get
anywhere in the world, a secure, secret headquarters and
armored vehicles with reliable engines are likely to be
essential!
Nothing but Your Gumption
The characters do not immediately have access to any ve-
hicles, having to get around on their own power until they
steal one (a dubious prospect). Otherwise they’ll need to
use public transportation and/or favors to get around, and
if they plan on leaving the country, they’ll need to take a
plane and deal with customs—getting sensitive gear to
where the characters are headed might become an adven-
ture in itself! This also means the party is probably stuck
meeting in public or planning in clandestine locations
(which can end up being a real trouble depending on how
discreet their activities are).
A Free Ride
Giving the party a free “starter” vehicle and/or base of
operations won’t derail a campaign. The player characters
could begin play with a basic civilian vehicle (maybe a
decommissioned SWAT van or light helicopter) and head-
quarters (an abandoned auto shop or hangar), or acquire
one very early in the campaign. The sample encounter at
the end of this rulebook gives the PCs a chance to acquire
such a vehicle. In addition, the events of the adventure
make it obvious that selling the vehicle would be a terrible
idea, so the PCs might as well keep it and use it.
Part of the Job
Characters may have a vehicle directly related to their
work (for instance, a police officer will have ready access
to a cruiser and a jumbo jet pilot will probably be affiliated
with an airline). Depending on the campaign premise,
they could be all tied together through one mutual busi-
ness and a crew ostensibly gathered for a more mundane
task than adventuring. Either way, this means the char-
acters do not own a vehicle, as they might in a regular
campaign, but it does grant them some extra resources
should they choose to risk losing their day job.
Modern Worlds
Locations
Your adventure might take place in an unusual, unique, or
quirky location that is almost a character in and of itself.
This list is merely a few examples designed to fire your
imagination.
•• An isolated jungle village where people are disap-
pearing each night.
•• A busy military base that’s been losing track of
incoming shipments.
•• A ruined city, destroyed by war.
•• A dusty saloon filled with bounty hunters, criminals,
and mercenaries.
•• A gym that’s producing exceptionally tough and
strong boxers.
•• A research lab where an experimental super soldier
has broken loose.
•• A city borough steeped in gang warfare.
•• A sleepy coastal town where a horror from the deep
has awakened.
•• A police station with a fast and loose evidence locker
that’s starting to cause serious concerns.
•• An isolated diner on the road in the middle of
nowhere being robbed by bandits.
•• An abandoned military base where some local kids
have said weird things are common.
•• A hospital where the deceased are suddenly rising
up not long after death.
•• A martial arts tournament where wins are becom-
ing suspicious.
•• An ancient temple that’s suddenly started to gener-
ate phenomena scientists cannot account for.
•• A metropolis made uneasy and bloodied by a serial
killer and copycats littering its streets with corpses.
•• An isolated or underground combat arena where
gambling is king.
•• A city filled with graft and sin where the only thing
you can ever truly trust is your gun.
•• A series of jungle outposts where soldiers are turn-
ing up murdered in unnatural ways.
•• A bank suddenly subjected to a heist while the party
is there handling financial matters.
•• A school where talented and uniquely gifted young-
sters hone their special abilities.
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5
 Modern Worlds
•• A government training facility where exceptional
assets are developed.
•• A desert casino suddenly cut off from society and
besieged by a huge gang.
•• A business that serves as a front for organized crime.
•• A hidden ninja fortress isolated from society in
conflict with violent secret dojos.
•• An arena where more than simple fights take place.
•• A doctor’s office where patients have a mysteriously
low recovery rate.
•• A library where poltergeists appear at random.
•• An office building taken hostage by armed terrorists.
•• An asylum for the criminally insane where the
patients have taken over.
•• A tropical island where improbable science has
brought dinosaurs back to life.
•• An amusement park where the animatronic enter-
tainment has developed minds of their own.
•• A line of trenches under constant bombardment.
•• A museum with high-tech security to protect the
world class treasures within.
•• A settlement beset upon by a flood, tornado, or other
natural disaster.
•• A P.O.W. camp that has been running since long
after the war ended.
6
19
•• A top-secret government base suddenly put into
complete lockdown for reasons unknown.
•• A town suddenly taken over by enemy forces that
are relentlessly wearing down the populace.
•• A region strictly controlled by drug cartels and rife
with violence.
•• A city filled with strange heroes and dastardly vil-
lains all wielding unnatural powers.
Events
A setting is a living, breathing thing, and the things
that happen within the setting are as crucial to your ad-
ventures as locations are. Events can provide a colorful
backdrop, or they can be the focus of your adventure.
•• International crime bosses gather for a secret
meeting.
•• A peaceful town becomes the site of a hostile
takeover.
•• A war breaks out that involves one or more nations.
•• The world’s greatest scientific minds gather for a
conference.
•• An infamous war criminal is taken to trial.
•• Leaders of hostile countries conduct vital treaty
negotiations.
•• Otherworldly creatures appear in the skies.
Appendixes

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7
 Appendix A: The Alpha Squad
For those without the time or inclination to create new characters, or who just want to dive in straight away, this section
presents a group of pre-generated iconic characters, the Alpha Squad: a team of mercenaries who hire themselves out,
although mainly to underdogs. Each is designed as a starting Grade 5 character. Use these characters as-is, or tweak
them to suit you. They differ from the versions found in the Starter Kit because they use the full character creation rules.

BEN MADJOS
A suave Human spy who likes to drink
Medium sentient humanoid (grade 5; max dice pool 5d6)
STR 5 (2d6) AGI 7 (3d6) END 5 (2d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 4 (2d6) WIL 5 (2d6)
CHA 7 (3d6) LUC 7 (3d6) REP 1 (1d6)
Health 16
Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 14
Mental Defense 11; Vital Defense 11
Soak 4 (bulletproof suit); Vulnerable —
Initiative 5d6
Perception 4d6
Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 14'/5'
Carry 100 lbs.
Actions 2
Natural Damage 1d6+2
Brawling 4d6 (1d6+2 blunt damage)
High-Quality Walther PPK 5d6 (3d6 ballistic damage;
range 6) Urchin. Having grown up as an orphan, Ben is very familiar
Skills gambling 1 (1d6), pistols 2 (1d6), survival 1 (1d6), with urban backgrounds, and is able to blend in easily.
rifles 1 (1d6), perception 1 (1d6), stealth 1 (1d6), After spending one hour in a new city, he is able to name
running 1 (1d6), thievery 1 (1d6), driving 1 (1d6), local crime figures.
tactics 1 (1d6), dodging 1 (1d6), brawling 1 (1d6) Basic Training. Ben soon joined the army. He gained all of
Gear bulletproof suit, high-quality Walther PPK (with +1d6 the following skills at 1 rank (1d6) (noted, above): tactics;
damage upgrade), thieves tools, $100 rifles; law; survival.
Explorer. Driven by an inquisitive, exploratory nature, Ben Get On With It. Ben was soon deployed overseas. His
gains bonus XP equal to his grade every time he enters a platoon didn’t have much patience for whining about
country new to him. He cannot gain this bonus more than minor injuries. Once per day he can pause for two actions
once per month. and recover 2d6 Health.
Suave. Ben’s words are his weapon; he can distract, charm, Quick-Hide. Ben quickly entered the special forces. He is
and captivate people with ease. If Ben makes a CHA able to disappear while in plain sight. He can make a
mental attack, he can even daze a target. stealth check even while under observation to move his
Aim. By spending one action aiming, Ben gains +1d6 to hit speed and become effectively invisible for a round. He
with a subsequent ranged attack made in the same turn. may then make regular stealth checks as normal, but
Predictive Reflexes. Ben is good at reading the situation. cannot repeat this feat against the same observer.
He gains a permanent +1d6 bonus to Initiative checks Golden Gun. Ben starts play with a high-quality Walther PPK
(factored, above). with the extra damage upgrade (included above).
Careers: Orphan, Boot Camp, Soldier, Infiltrator, Spy.

8
19
 Appendix A: The Alpha Squad

ALEJANDRA VANISTOS
A nimble Augmented burglar who loves
automobiles
Medium sentient humanoid (grade 5; max dice pool 5d6)
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 7 (3d6) END 5 (2d6)
INT 7 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 7 (3d6) REP 3 (2d6)
Health 16
Melee Defense 19; Ranged Defense 14
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 10
Soak 5 (kevlar vest); Vulnerable —
Initiative 3d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 7; Climb 7; Jump 14'/6'
Carry 110 lbs.
Actions 2
Natural Damage 1d6+3
Shoe dagger 4d6 (1d6+2 damage)
Pistol 3d6 (2d6 ballistic damage; range 10)
Skills engineering 3 (2d6), computers 2 (1d6), stealth 2 (1d6), White-Hat. A child prodigy and computer-whiz in L.A.,
thievery 2 (1d6), running 1 (1d6), climbing 1 (1d6), Alejandra is practiced at hacking and anti-hacking
dodging 1 (1d6), knives 1 (1d6), techniques. She can actively provide a computer system
Gear kevlar vest, thieves’ tools, shoe dagger, pistol, with a +4 Defense score and gains a +1d6 bonus to
integrated input jacks, $1,100 electronic attacks.
Input jacks. Alejandra’s cybernetic hand contains input Engine-Tuner. A horrible accident stripped Alejandra of her
jacks which grant a +1d6 equipment bonus to computer left hand. It was replaced with a cybernetic replacement
operations and cracking attempts. with computer jacks built in. Alejandra naturally
Retinal implant. Alejandra can see in the dark up to 60'. gravitated into a job as a mechanic. A vehicle in which
Adaptive. When incorporating new cybernetic alterations, Alejandra is an engineer increases its Speed by 1. This
Alejandra does not need to make a check for the does not stack with other engineers' abilities to use this
process to take hold successfully. Additionally, she can exploit, should others be present.
incorporate an additional two alterations beyond the Sixth Sense. Supplementing her income, Alejandra found
normal limit of their END attribute. that her engineering and computer skills were useful aids
Inert. Augmented embrace technology over matters of to thievery. Alejandra has a sixth sense when it comes
spirit. Alejandra may never have a CHI score above zero. to traps, and gains a +2d6 bonus to spot them and a +1d6
Nimble. Alejandra’s climbing speed is equal to her regular bonus to avoid or disarm them.
Speed (factored, above). Grand Heist. Alejandra pulled off a robbery that gained her a
Feint. Alejandra gets a +1d6 bonus to a melee attack roll bonus $1,000 (included, above).
taken in the same turn. The attack action must come Prison Tough. Eventually, she was caught. Alejandra was
immediately after the feinting action. mentally and physically toughened in prison, gaining
Analytics. Studying her target’s behavior, Alejandra notices a +1 bonus to her Defense and Mental Defense (included
a pattern to its actions. She can grant all allies within 30' above).
a +1d6 bonus to attack the target until the start of her Careers: Nerd, Engineer, Burglar ×2, Prisoner.
next turn.

19
9
 Appendix A: The Alpha Squad

DUKE ROOSEVELT
An aging rugged Human bounty hunter
who loves 50s music
Medium sentient humanoid (grade 5; max dice pool 5d6)
STR 5 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 9 (3d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 5 (2d6)
CHA 4 (2d6) LUC 4 (2d6) REP 2 (1d6)
Health 20
Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 14
Mental Defense 11; Vital Defense 14
Soak 5 (kevlar vest); Vulnerable —
Initiative 7d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 12'/5'
Carry 140 lbs.
Actions 2
Natural Damage 1d6+2
Boxing 4d6 (1d6+2 bludgeoning damage)
M4 Carbine (5.56mm assault rifle) 5d6 (2d6 ballistic
damage; range 12)
Skills negotiating 1 (1d6), poker 1 (1d6), rifles 3 (2d6),
leadership 1 (1d6), law 1 (1d6), tracking 1 (1d6),
running 1 (1d6), tactics 3 (2d6), dodging 1 (1d6),
boxing 1 (1d6), survival 1 (1d6)
Gear kevlar vest, rifle, smartphone, $100
Explorer. Driven by an inquisitive, exploratory nature, Ben
gains bonus XP equal to his grade every time he enters a
country new to him. He cannot gain this bonus more than
once per month.
Old. Once per day, when rolling a dice pool, Duke may
declare it to be a careful dice pool. Any 1s he rolls may be
rerolled, with the new roll replacing the 1. If he rolls a 1 a
second time, however, he must keep the 1. Additionally,
the bonus gained from his hook increases to +2d6. Old
characters can no longer improve physical attributes
(STR, AGI, END) through career advances or experience
expenditure, although they may do so via other means
(magic, cybernetics, etc.)
Rugged. Duke is tough and shrugs off hardships. Once per
day he can spend two actions (a full turn) to recover to
half his normal maximum Health.
Aim. By spending one action aiming, Duke gains +1d6 to hit
with a subsequent ranged attack made in the same turn.
Always Prepared. Duke has a brilliant tactical mind, and is
always prepared. He may declare a single action which
he took prior to the encounter (even if he didn’t know
the encounter was going to take place) which helps him
in this exact scenario. This must be an action he was
capable of.
Programming. Duke was created as an army experiment
shortly after WWII, using DNA from Teddy Roosevelt and
Amelia Erhardt. He was bred and engineered for a purpose.
At the start of a fight his “programming” kicks in, granting
him a +2d6 Initiative bonus (included, above).
Basic Training. Given a solid army training, Duke gained
all of the following skills at 1 rank (1d6) (included above):
tactics; rifles; law; survival.
Ambusher. Duke was thawed and refrozen several times
over the coming decades. He served in the Korean War as
a scout. He gains a +1d6 bonus to access the ambush turn.
Ambush Expert. In the Vietnam War, Duke’s ambush
expertise increased as he operated as a guerrilla fighter
in a special unit. During an ambush turn he can take a
second action.
Datamining. After the Cold War, Duke got out and became
a bounty hunter. He is able to locate a target’s current
location down to a specific city by accessing credit,
criminal, customs, and other records if he has access to a
computer link.
Careers: Experiment, Boot Camp, Scout,
Guerrilla Fighter, Bounty Hunter.

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20

ETERNAL SENPAI
A stoic adolescent Chosen kung-fu
practitioner who writes haiku
Medium sentient humanoid (grade 5; max dice pool 5d6)
STR 4 (2d6) AGI 8 (3d6) END 8 (2d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 8 (3d6)
CHA 4 (2d6) LUC 3 (2d6) REP 2 (1d6)
CHI 10 (4d6)
Health 20
Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 18
Mental Defense 15; Vital Defense 11
Soak 0; Vulnerable —
Initiative 4d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 8'/4'
Carry 120 lbs.
Actions 2
Natural Damage 1d6+2
Martial arts 5d6 (1d6+2 blunt damage)
Quarterstaff 5d6 (2d6+2 blunt damage)
Skills tactics 3 (2d6), negotiating 1 (1d6), trivia 1 (1d6),
martial arts 5 (2d6), staves 3 (2d6), acrobatics 3 (2d6),
perception 1 (1d6), religion 2 (1d6)
Gear quarterstaff, $100
Stoic. Eternal Senpai is able to hide pain and discomfort.
Once per day, when she would normally be reduced to
zero Health, she is reduced to 1 Health instead.
Fast-Healing. Chosen heal faster than most people. Eternal
Senpai may roll an extra 2d6 when determining how much
she naturally heals each day.
Destiny. Once, when she would ordinarily die, Eternal Senpai
does not die. Instead, she remains at 0 Health until
healed. Once she has used her extra “life” she cannot use
it again.
Skill Focus. Enternal Senpai starts play with two bonus
skills of her choice at 3 ranks (2d6) (included, above).
Feint. Eternal Senpai gets a +1d6 bonus to a melee attack
roll taken in the same turn. The attack action must come
immediately after the feinting action.
Training. Eternal Senpa’s training proves that the old ways
are often the best, for more reasons than one. She
receives a +1 bonus to all Defenses (included, above).
Kung Fu Weapons. Eternal Senpai may use her martial arts
skill with any Eastern melee weapon.
Appendix A: The Alpha Squad
Double Strike. With one action Eternal Senpai may strike
two opponents with a melee attack each. She cannot add
additional exploits to these attacks.
One-Inch Punch. When pinned or grappled, Eternal Senpai
may make an unarmed attack against her foe as a free
action and gain +1d6 damage to it.
Flying Kick. Eternal Senpai moves up to her speed and
issues a flying kick at the end of it, dealing her martial
arts damage with a bonus +1d6 damage.
Whirlwind Frenzy. Eternal Senpai attacks all adjacent
targets, but only does 1d6 damage to each. She must still
make an attack roll against each target. If she hits every
target, all targets are pushed back 5', clearing a space
around her.
Wéifeng (Wind) Stance. As a free action, Eternal Senpai
can enter the Wind stance until the start of her next
turn by spending 1 CHI (she has 4 CHI points, which can
be recovered once per day). While in Wind stance, she
automatically gains the following benefits:
  She may use her CHI attribute in place of her AGI
attribute for the purpose of attribute checks.
  She doubles her Speed.
  She can walk across the surface of any liquid.
  She can ignore a number of attacks equal to her CHI
dice pool (4) until the beginning of her next turn as long
as she takes her full movement during her turn. She must
choose to ignore an attack before the attack roll is made.
Careers: Martial Artist, Kung Fu ×4
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 Appendix A: The Alpha Squad

LADY ANARCHY
A tough-as-nails young Mutant vigilante
who fights for ecology
Medium sentient humanoid (grade 5; max dice pool 5d6)
STR 4 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 10 (4d6)
INT 8 (3d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 7 (3d6)
CHA 4 (2d6) LUC 6 (3d6) REP 3 (3d6)
CHI 1 (1d6)
Health 32
Melee Defense 14; Ranged Defense 14
Mental Defense 11; Vital Defense 18
Soak 6 (natural); Vulnerable —
Initiative 3d6
Perception 4d6
Speed 8; Climb 5; Jump 22'/14'
Carry 140 lbs.
Actions 2
Natural Damage 1d6+2
High quality hockey stick 5d6 (3d6+2 blunt damage)
Skills climbing 1 (1d6), stealth 3 (2d6), running 3 (2d6),
perception 1 (1d6), hardy 1 (1d6), dodging 1 (1d6),
survival 1 (1d6), clubs 1 (1d6)
Gear high-quality hockey stick, $100 Ambush Expert. During an ambush turn Lady Anarchy can
Tough as Nails. Lady Anarchy gains a +2 natural Soak bonus take a second action.
which stacks with any other Soak scores she may have Street Tough. Life on the streets is tough. Lady Anarchy
(included above). gains a natural +2 Soak (included above).
Feint. Lady Anarchy gets a +1d6 bonus to a melee attack Signature Weapon. Lady Anarchy’s vigilante signature
roll taken in the same turn. The attack action must come weapon is a hockey stick. She starts play with a high
immediately after the feinting action. quality hockey stick and does +1d6 damage with it.
Dodge. Lady Anarchy may use a reaction to remove 1d6 Fearless. Lady Anarchy is completely fearless. She
from an attacker’s dice pool on one attack. This must be is immune to the Fear status track, and cannot be
announced before the die roll. intimidated.
Endurance. Lady Anarchy endured a lot, and has the scars to Leaper. Lady Anarchy has mutant leaping powers. Her Jump
prove it. She gains +2 natural Soak (included above). distances are increased by 10' (included above).
Always Ready. Lady Anarchy can sleep in armor with no Careers: Survivor, Guerrilla Fighter ×2, Street Thug, Vigilante
penalty. Anyone sneaking up on her while she sleeps
must make a Difficult [16] AGI check to do so.

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20
 Appendix A: The Alpha Squad

MACK MARLOWE
An empathic Human private eye who
misses the golden age of cinema
Medium sentient humanoid (grade 5; max dice pool 5d6)
STR 3 (2d6) AGI 5 (2d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 10 (4d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
CHA 7 (3d6) LUC 8 (3d6) REP 7 (3d6)
Health 24
Melee Defense 11; Ranged Defense 11
Mental Defense 19; Vital Defense 11
Soak 4 (padded trenchcoat); Vulnerable —
Initiative 5d6
Perception 5d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12'/3'
Carry 80 lbs.
Actions 2
Natural Damage 1d6+2
Brawling 4d6 (1d6+2 blunt damage)
Pistol 5d6 (2d6 ballistic damage; range 8)
Skills brawling 1 (1d6), thievery 1 (1d6), gambling 1 (1d6),
baseball 1 (1d6), pistols 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6),
intimidate 1 (1d6), driving 1 (1d6), tracking 1 (1d6),
dodging 1 (1d6)
Gear padded trenchcoat, pistol, thieves tools, $200 Ordinary. Mack’s very nondescript nature makes him easily
Empathic. Mack can easily understand how others feel. able to blend in unnoticed, giving him a +1d6 bonus to
Once per day he can attempt to adjust another’s mood attempts to bluff, disguise, or otherwise remain visible
with a CHA mental attack. If he succeeds, he can make but unremarked upon.
them either bad-tempered or happy. He must be able to Trouble Sense. Mack is easily able to spot trouble before
converse with his target to do this. it happens. He gains a +1d6 bonus to Initiative checks
Explorer. Driven by an inquisitive, exploratory nature, Mack (included above).
gains bonus XP equal to his grade every time he enters a Anti-Surveillance. Mack is so familiar with surveillance
country new to him. He cannot gain this bonus more than devices, blind spots, and avoidance techniques that, by
once per month. moving half his speed, he can render himself invisible to
Aim. Mack gets a +1d6 bonus to a ranged attack roll taken in electronic monitoring equipment.
the same turn. The attack action must come immediately Hardboiled. Cynical and rumpled, Mack gains a +4 bonus to
after the aiming action. Mental Defense (included above).
Improviser. Mack is adept at using bar stools and other Great Detective. Mack is used as an informal consultant by
items as weapons. He suffers no attack penalties for authorities who recognize his expertise. He is permitted
improvised melee weapons. access to crime scenes and evidence, and is often called
upon.
Careers: Everyman, Police Officer ×2, Private Eye ×2

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions
This section includes a small selection of beasts, minions, and skilled enemies which you can use in your game. You can
find a much wider selection in various additional supplements and sourcebooks, or in the expansive online Bestiary on
the official WOIN website.
  When you read a published adventure (including the example one at the end of this book), you will often see monsters
mentioned in boldface type. For example, it might say “Four ninjas await the PCs in the warehouse.” The boldface type
tells you to simply refer to the standard ninja stat block (see page 44) for these enemies.

Amazon Ape
Medium sentient humanoid (7d6) Medium semi-sentient beast (6d6)
Proud tribal women warriors. Tree-climbing beasts of the jungle.
STR 10 (4d6) AGI 15 (5d6) END 10 (4d6) STR 10 (4d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 10 (4d6)
INT 10 (4d6) LOG 10 (4d6) WIL 10 (4d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 2 (1d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6) CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6)
Melee Defense 28; Ranged Defense 21 Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 18
Mental Defense 14; Vital Defense 21 Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 18
Health 42 Health 36
Soak 7; Vuln none Soak 6; Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 7d6 Initiative 6d6
Perception 6d6 Perception 5d6
Speed 7; Climb 4; Jump 30’/10’ Speed 6; Climb +6; Jump 20’/6’
Carry 200 lb. (max lift 500 lb.) Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 2
Shortsword 7d6 (4d6+4 piercing damage) Fists 6d6 (3d6+3 blunt damage)
Longbow 4d6 (2d6 piercing damage; range 11) Thrown rock 5d6 (2d6+3 blunt damage; range 9)
Skills hardy 6 (3d6), combat 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6), Skills hardy 6 (3d6), combat 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6),
movement 3 (2d6), tactics 6 (3d6), stealth 4 (2d6), movement 3 (2d6), reactions 6 (3d6), stealth 4 (2d6),
tracking 3 (2d6), religion 1 (1d6) acrobatics 10 (4d6)
Gear longbow, shortsword, small shield, studded leather Gear —
armor Death from on high. Apes can drop down on their opponent
Quick stand. Once per turn the amazon can stand from at least 5’ above him, making an unarmed attack.
immediately from prone as a free action. This counts as a charge but knocks the opponent prone
Taunt. The amazon taunts her target, enraging it, and make and does 2d6 extra damage instead of 1d6.
a CHA (4d6) mental attack. If successful, the target
becomes Angry.

4
20
 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Assassin Astronaut
Medium sentient humanoid (8d6) Medium sentient humanoid (5d6)
Stealthy, trained killers for hire. Men and women of the spaceways.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6) STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 15 (5d6) LOG 10 (4d6) WIL 6 (3d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6) CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 16; Ranged Defense 32 Melee Defense 15; Ranged Defense 15
Mental Defense 24; Vital Defense 24 Mental Defense 20; Vital Defense 20
Health 24 Health 15
Soak 4; Vuln none Soak 3; Vuln none
Immune none Immune Sick
Initiative 6d6 Initiative 3d6
Perception 8d6 Perception 4d6
Speed 8; Climb 8; Jump 20’/6’ Speed 5; Zero-G +5; Low-G +5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.) Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 2
Knife 4d6 (2d6+3 piercing damage) Brawling 3d6 (2d6+2 blunt damage)
Rifle 8d6 (4d6 piercing damage; range 18) Skills combat 1 (1d6), perception 1 (1d6), engineering 3
Skills combat 1 (1d6), perception 6 (3d6), running 15 (5d6), (2d6), piloting 3 (2d6), physics 3 (2d6), medicine 1 (1d6),
tactics 1 (1d6), medicine 3 (2d6), stealth 6 (3d6), thievery astronomy 3 (2d6)
3 (2d6) Gear —
Gear high quality leather armor, knife, rifle Zero-g monkey. Astronauts treat zero and low gravity
Achilles heel. Identifying a weakness in his target, the environments as normal terrain. Additionally, they are
assassin bypasses its Soak score. This exploit can only be immune to the Sick condition.
performed once per target.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Bounty Hunter Civilian

Medium sentient humanoid (7d6)
Armed and professional hunters for hire.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 15 (5d6) LOG 10 (4d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 14; Ranged Defense 28
Mental Defense 21; Vital Defense 21
Health 21
Soak 4; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 6d6
Perception 7d6
Speed 7; Climb 4; Jump 20’/6’
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Brawling 4d6 (2d6+3 blunt damage)
Pistol 7d6 (4d6 heat damage; range 17)
Skills rifles 6 (3d6), tracking 3 (2d6), law 3 (2d6), stealth 3
(2d6), computers 3 (2d6), perception 3 (1d6), piloting 3
(2d6), tactics 1 (1d6), brawling 4 (2d6),
Gear pistol, long kevlar coat
Crippling strike. A leg wound renders the bounty hunter’s
target Slowed.
Stunning attack. When a target is reduced to 0 Health, a
bounty hunter can elect to merely disable it, allowing him
to bring his prey in alive for a bounty.
Medium sentient humanoid (4d6)
Men and women trying to make a living.
STR 4 (3d6) AGI 4 (2d6) END 3 (2d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 4 (2d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 1 (1d6)
Melee Defense 12; Ranged Defense 12
Mental Defense 16; Vital Defense 10
Health 12
Soak 2; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 2d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 4; Climb 2; Jump 6’/3’
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Club 2d6 (1d6+2 blunt or slashing damage)
Pistol 3d6 (1d6 blunt or ballistic damage; range 6)
Skills bureacracy 3 (2d6), cooking 1 (1d6), computers 1 (1d6),
local knowledge 3 (2d6), running 1 (1d6), swimming 1 (1d6),
carrying 1 (1d6), combat 1 (1d6)
Gear club, pistol
Mob attack. Though weak on their own, civilians work
together well in a mob. Any civilians adjacent to the
victim count as flanking, gaining +1d6 bonus to attack for
each civilian beyond the first. When 4 or more civilians
are adjacent to the victim, the victim gains the Fatigued
condition at the start of its turn.

6
20
 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Constrictor Snake Cop

Large semi-sentient reptile (6d6)
Powerful reptile hunters able to squeeze their prey to death.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 22; Ranged Defense 14
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 20
Health 36
Soak 11; Vuln 1d6 cold
Immune none
Initiative 6d6
Perception 5d6
Speed 6; Climb +6; Jump —
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Constrict 6d6 (3d6+3 crushing damage)
Skills stealth 10 (4d6), perception 3 (2d6), swimming 10
(4d6), reactions 6 (3d6), combat 6 (3d6)
Gear —
Constrict. A creature which is hit by the snake’s constriction
attack is Restrained; escape requires a melee attack. The
snake can only constrict one victim at a time, and once it
has successfully struck a victim, the target automatically
suffers 3d6+3 crushing damage at the start of its turn.
The snake cannot move while constricting a victim.
Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
Police and security officers, trained and alert.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 10 (4d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 12; Ranged Defense 24
Mental Defense 18; Vital Defense 18
Health 18
Soak 4; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 5d6
Perception 6d6
Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 12’/6’
Carry 270 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Stun baton 5d6 (2d6+3 blunt/electricity damage)
Pistol 6d6 (3d6 ballistic damage; range 14)
Skills clubs 3 (2d6), pistols 1 (1d6), light armor 1 (1d6),
computers 1 (1d6), perception 3 (2d6), hardy 3 (2d6),
running 3 (2d6), thievery 1 (1d6), tactics 1 (1d6), dodging 3
(2d6)
Gear pistol, kevlar vest, stun baton
Dive for cover. If a ranged attack misses a cop, he may
immediately move half his speed as a free action and
either throw himself prone or get behind cover if it is in
range.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Crocodile Cutpurse
Large semi-sentient aquatic reptile (6d6) Medium sentient humanoid (4d6)
Predatory river lizards. Petty thieves and pickpockets.
STR 10 (4d6) AGI 3 (2d6) END 10 (4d6) STR 4 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 6 (3d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 22; Ranged Defense 10 Melee Defense 10; Ranged Defense 15
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 26 Mental Defense 20; Vital Defense 10
Health 60 Health 15
Soak 17; Vuln 1d6 cold Soak 3; Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 3d6 Initiative 5d6
Perception 3d6 Perception 5d6
Speed 5; SWIM +5; Climb 3; Jump- Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’
Carry 200 lb. (max lift 500 lb.) Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 2
Bite 6d6 (3d6+4 piercing damage; grab) Knife 4d6 (2d6+2 piercing damage)
Skills combat 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6), reactions 1 (1d6), Skills thievery 6 (3d6), stealth 6 (3d6), local knowledge
stealth 6 (3d6) 6 (3d6), appraisal 3 (2d6), perception 3 (2d6), running
Gear — 3 (2d6), climbing 3 (2d6), dodging 1 (1d6), knives 3 (2d6),
Grab. A creature which is hit by the crocodile’s bite attack reactions 3 (2d6)
is Restrained until it can shake off the condition. The Gear knife, thieves’ tools
crocodile can only grab one victim at a time, and once it Snatch. With an attack, a cutpurse can snatch any small
has successfully struck a victim, the victim automatically item held or worn by his target, as long as he is aware of
suffers 3d6+4 piercing damage at the start of each turn. it. The snatch is not stealthy, and the target is aware of it.
The crocodile cannot bite another target while grabbing,
but it can move at half Speed (possibly drowning its
victim).

8
20
 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Dog Elephant
Medium semi-sentient beast (4d6) Enormous semi-sentient beast (7d6)
Man’s best friend and loyal guardian. Enormous herd animals.
STR 3 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6) STR 21 (6d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 21 (6d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 2 (1d6) WIL 3 (2d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 2 (1d6) WIL 10 (4d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 0 (0d6) REP 3 (2d6) CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 14 Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 10
Mental Defense 10; Vital Defense 10 Mental Defense 14; Vital Defense 32
Health 24 Health 105
Soak 4 ; Vuln none Soak 14; Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 4d6 Initiative 4d6
Perception 3d6 Perception 4d6
Speed 8; Climb 4; Jump 12’/3’ Speed 4; Climb —; Jump —
Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.) Carry 420 lb. (max lift 1,050 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 10 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 3
Bite 4d6 (2d6+2 damage) Gore 7d6 (4d6+6 piercing damage)
Skills tracking 10 (4d6), scent 10 (4d6), running 10 (4d6), Skills combat 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6), reactions 1 (1d6),
swimming 4 (2d6), reactions 3 (2d6) Gear—
Gear— Trample. With a trample attack, the elephant can move
Loyalty. A dog will defend its owner (if it has one) to the directly through a target’s square, attacking the target as
death. it goes. This is a single action, and the elephant moves its
full speed in a straight line. The elephant must be at least
one size category larger than the target. If the attack
misses, the elephant stops in its tracks. If it hits, the
elephant continues moving, inflicts natural damage, and
the target is knocked prone.

20
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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions
Functionary
Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
Bureaucrats, politicians, and corporate lackeys.
STR 3 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 15; Ranged Defense 15
Mental Defense 20; Vital Defense 10
Health 15
Soak 3; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 3d6
Perception 4d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’
Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Brawling 3d6 (2d6+2 blunt damage)
Pistol 3d6 (2d6 ballistic damage; range 8)
Skills negotiating 6 (3d6), bureaucracy 3 (2d6), bluffing 3
(2d6), law 3 (2d6), accounting 3 (2d6), politics 3 (3d6),
bribery 6(3d6), computers 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6)
Gear —
Charm offensive. The functionary can use his charisma and
negotiating skills to render a target who can hear him
Charmed with a 5d6 mental attack.
0
21
Grey
Small sentient humanoid (8d6)
Telepathic aliens who use influence rather than force.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 15 (5d6) LOG 15 (5d6) WIL 10 (4d6)
CHA 15 (5d6) LUC 3 (2d6) PSI* 28 (7d6)
Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 26
Mental Defense 32; Vital Defense 14
Health 24
Soak 0; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 8d6
Perception 8d6; insight 8d6
Speed 8; Climb 4; Jump 20’/6’
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Brawling 4d6 (2d6+3 blunt damage)
Psi-blast 8d6 (4d6+4 psionic damage; range 12)
Skills combat 1 (1d6), perception 6 (3d6), movement 15 (5d6),
tactics 6 (3d6), negotiation 6 (3d6), telepathy 1 (1d6),
telekinesis 1 (1d6), linguistics 4 (2d6), insight 10 (4d6)
Gear hand scanner, medkit
Empathy. Greys can automatically sense strong emotions in
others within 30’.
Telepathic message. Greys can freely send short telepathic
messages to other intelligent creatures with whom they
have spent time.
Telekinesis. The grey can freely telekinetically move and
manipulate single objects of size Small or smaller within
40’. It may only manipulate one such object at a time. If
the object is held by someone else, it requires an opposed
PSI vs. STR check.
Telekinetic shield. The grey maintains a telekinetic shield
(included in stats, above).
Combined blast. Two or more greys can combine their psi-
blasts into a spherical burst which attacks all non-greys
within 10’ per grey. The center of the burst can be at any
point which is no further than 10’ from all participating
greys. This costs them all of their actions.
* Greys use Psionics (PSI) rather than CHI. There are
extensive PSI rules in N.E.W.: The Science Fiction
Roleplaying Game, but this stat block contains enough
information for you to run the creature without that book.
 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Grizzly Bear Heavy Gunner

Large semi-sentient beast (6d6)
Solitary carnivorous beasts which prey on large animals.
STR 15 (5d6) AGI 3 (2d6) END 15 (5d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 22; Ranged Defense 10
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 26
Health 60
Soak 12; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 3d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 6’/6’
Carry 300 lb. (max lift 750 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Claw swipe 6d6 (3d6+5 slashing damage; knockdown)
Skills combat 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6), reactions 1 (1d6),
tracking 6 (3d6)
Gear —
Bear hug. The bear grabs its target with both arms,
squeezing it. It can only bearhug a target of Medium size
or smaller. Once established, it inflicts 3d6+5 crushing
damage each round automatically, and can move at half
speed, carrying its victim. It takes a melee attack action
to escape the bearhug. The bear may not make claw
attacks while hugging a victim, and will not usually use
this attack while being attacked by multiple foes.
Roar. The bear can unleash a roar so loud that its victims are
stricken with fear. The roar is a 3d6 mental attack, and
affects all creatures within Burst 6. Victims successfully
attacked are rendered Afraid.
Knockdown. Any target of medium size or smaller is
knocked prone if struck by a claw swipe.
Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
Aggressive wielders of powerful weaponry.
STR 10 (4d6) AGI 3 (2d6) END 10 (4d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 12
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 24
Health 60
Soak 12 (riot armor); Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 3d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 4; Climb 2; Jump 6’/6’
Carry 200 lb. (max lift 500 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Brawling 5d6 (3d6 blunt damage)
Minigun 6d6 (3d6+4 ballistic damage; range 9; spray, auto,
heavy)
Grenade launcher 5d6 (3d6 heat damage; range 10; burst 2)
Skills hardy 36 (8d6), combat 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6),
reactions 1 (1d6), heavy weapons 6 (3d6)
Gear minigun, grenade launcher, riot armor
Spray. The heavy gunner can use his mini-gun to blanket a
30’ cone in a hail of bullets, attacking all targets within
that area.
Rocket man. Against vehicles, and other inanimate objects,
a heavy gunner does double damage.

21
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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Heavyweight Hunter-Killer (Hk–1000)

Medium sentient humanoid (8d6)
Massive, professional masters of the ring.
STR 15 (5d6) AGI 5 (2d6) END 10 (4d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 32; Ranged Defense 20
Mental Defense 20; Vital Defense 32
Health 80
Soak 12 v blunt; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 5d6
Perception 5d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 6’/6’
Carry 250 lb. (max lift 750 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Boxing 8d6 (3d6+4 blunt damage)
Skills carousing 3 (2d6), sports trivia 3 (2d6), perception
1 (1d6), hardy 6 (3d6), running 3 (2d6), carrying 3 (2d6),
reactions 1 (1d6), boxing 10 (4d6)
Gear —
One-two. Once per round the heavyweight may make two
boxing attacks with a single action. He cannot add any
additional exploits to this, or benefit from any damage
increases.
Knockdown. The heavyweight’s target is knocked prone as
long as it is size medium or smaller.
Beat the count. The heavyweight gets +1 to all checks to
shake off a condition.
Medium non-sentient mechanoid (8d6)
Infiltration models designed to look human.
STR 15 (5d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 15 (5d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 10 (4d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 32; Ranged Defense 16
Mental Defense 16; Vital Defense 32
Health 80
Soak 16; Vuln 1d6 electricity, 2d6 ion
Immune Sick, Fatigued
Initiative 4d6
Perception 4d6
Speed 4; Climb 2; Jump 12’/12’
Carry 300 lb. (max lift 750 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Brawling 8d6 (4d6+5 blunt damage)
Pulse rifle 6d6 (3d6 heat damage; range 12)
Skills rifles 8 (3d6), pistols 8 (3d6), computers 8 (3d6),
hardy 8 (3d6), tactics 1 (1d6), brawling 6 (3d6), perception
1 (1d6), mimicry 6 (3d6)
Gear laser rifle or portable pulse cannon
Integrated scanner. Hunter-killers have scanners integrated
into their audio/visual sensors. This means that they are
always considered to be using a scanner.
Designated target. Hunter-killers can be programmed to
destroy a specific target. They will not stop until that
target is destroyed. With full databanks of the target’s
weaknesses, the hunter-killer ignores any Soak that the
target possesses. Programming a hunter-killer in this way
takes one day.

2
21

Industrial Robot
Large non-sentient mechanoid (5d6)
Sturdy robots designed for lifting and crushing.
STR 15 (5d6) AGI 3 (2d6) END 15 (5d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 22; Ranged Defense 10
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 26
Health 60
Soak 12; Vuln -
Immune Sick, Fatigued
Initiative 2d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 3; Climb 2; Jump 6’/6’
Carry 600 lb. (max lift 1,500 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Crush 6d6 (3d6+5 blunt damage; grabbed)
Skills combat 1 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6), carrying 10 (4d6)
Gear —
Called shot. Industral robots are not built for combat, and
they have easily targeted access ports. A called shot
with a piercing or ballistic weapon to an industrial robot’s
access port, located on the lower back of the mechanoid,
will immediately shut it down for five minutes.
Industrial mechanoid. Industrial robots are not vulnerable
to electricity and ion damage like other mechanoids.
Lifter. Industrial mechanoids can lift double the normal
weight for their size (include above).
Programmable. Anybody who gets access to the robot’s
programming can reprogram it with a Challenging [13] LOG
check. This takes 2d6 minutes.
Appendix B: Monsters & Minions
Insect Swarm
Medium semi-sentient insect swarm (4d6)
A buzzing, whirling cloud of bites and stings.
STR 1 (1d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 10 (4d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 1 (1d6)
CHA 1 (1d6) LUC 0 (0d6) REP 3 (2d6)
Melee Defense 10; Ranged Defense 10
Mental Defense 16; Vital Defense 16
Health 24
Soak 4; Vuln none
Immune any non-area attack, all conditions
Initiative 3d6
Perception 2d6
Speed 5; Climb —; Jump —
Carry —
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Attacks special
Skills —
Gear —
Swarm. A swarm is immune to all attacks except for area
attacks. When it attacks, it simply moves into the target’s
square. Any creature which starts its turn in or enters
the swarm’s square suffers 2d6 damage automatically.
Swarms can move through gaps of any size.
Variable size. Swarms can be of any size. The stats above
are for a medium-sized swarm. For each size category
larger, the swarm gains +1d6 to damage (i.e. an enormous-
sized swarm does 3d6 damage), and +10 Health.
21
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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Kingpin Kremlin Beast

Medium sentient humanoid (7d6) Large semi-sentient beast (9d6)
Criminal bosses and gang leaders. Hulking biological experiment.
STR 10 (4d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 10 (4d6) STR 21 (6d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 21 (6d6)
INT 10 (4d6) LOG 10 (4d6) WIL 10 (4d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 15 (5d6)
CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 10 (4d6) REP 10 (4d6) CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6)
Melee Defense 21; Ranged Defense 21 Melee Defense 34; Ranged Defense 14
Mental Defense 28; Vital Defense 21 Mental Defense 18; Vital Defense 38
Health 42 Health 90
Soak 7; Vuln none Soak 18 (hide); Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 6d6 Initiative 5d6
Perception 6d6 Perception 5d6
Speed 7; Climb 4; Jump 20’/10’ Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/12’
Carry 200 lb. (max lift 500 lb.) Carry 420 lb. (max lift 1050 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 4 (2 on its turn, 1 each 5 Initiative points later)
Brawling 6d6 (3d6+4 blunt damage) Bite 9d6 (5d6+6 piercing damage)
Pistol 6d6 (3d6 ballistic damage; range 11) Claw 7d6 (4d6 slashing damage)
Skills hardy 6 (3d6), combat 3 (2d6), perception 3 (2d6), Skills reactions 3 (2d6), scent 8 (3d6), hardy 6 (3d6), combat
tactics 3 (2d6), survival 1 (1d6), stealth 1 (1d6), thievery 3 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6)
(2d6) Gear —
Gear pistol, mesh lining Four arms. The Kremlin Beast’s four arms allow it to take
Leadership. Donate LUC (4d6) dice to allies; must declare two additional actions per round, although it cannot move
before dice are rolled. more than twice.
Give orders. All allies within 30’ get an immediate bonus Bearhug. The creature grabs its target with two arms,
action. squeezing it. It can only bearhug a target of its size
category or smaller. Once established, the victim
automatically takes 4d6 blunt damage at the start of
their turn. The Kremline Beast can move at half speed,
moving the victim with it. It takes a melee attack action
to escape the bearhug.
Charge. When making a melee attack, the creature moves
its speed in a straight line and then attacks at the end of
it, gaining +1d6 damage to the attack.
Berserker. The creature can enter a berserker rage when
below half Health. This grants it a +1d6 bonus to all attack
rolls. The rage only ends when all foes are dead, or the
creature is rendered unconscious or restored to above
half Health.

4
21

Lion
Large semi-sentient beast (7d6)
King of the plains.
STR 15 (5d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 15 (5d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 10 (4d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 26; Ranged Defense 10
Mental Defense 14; Vital Defense 30
Health 70
Soak 14; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 4d6
Perception 4d6
Speed 8; Climb 4; Jump 12’/12’
Carry 300 lb. (max lift 750 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Bite 7d6 (4d6+5 piercing damage)
Claw 6d6 (3d6 slashing damage)
Skills combat 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6), reactions 1 (1d6)
Gear —
Pounce. With a single leap, the lion leaps upon its victim,
bearing it to the ground and inflicting its claw damage.
The target must be within the lion’s horizontal jump
distance (12’).
Roar. Some creatures can unleash a roar so loud that its
victims are stricken with fear. The lion makes a 4d6
mental attack at any creature within Burst 7. Victims
successfully attacked are made Afraid.
Pack attack. Lions work together in prides. Any allies
adjacent to the victim count as flanking, gaining the +1d6
bonus to attack. When 3 or more lions are adjacent to the
victim, the victim becomes overwhelmed at the start of
its turn, and becomes Fatigued.
Appendix B: Monsters & Minions
Marine
Medium sentient humanoid (7d6)
Trained, professional soldiers.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6)
INT 10 (4d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 12; Ranged Defense 24
Mental Defense 18; Vital Defense 18
Health 30
Soak 8; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 6d6
Perception 6d6
Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’
Carry 90 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Rifle 6d6 (3d6 ballistic damage; range 14)
Skills rifles 3 (d6), pistols 3 (2d6), brawling 3 (2d6), heavy
armor 3 (2d6), medicine 1 (1d6), computers 1 (1d6), hardy
3 (2d6), swimming (0d6), carrying 3 (2d6), tactics 3 (2d6),
dodging 3 (2d6), swords 3 (2d6), hardy 6 (3d6)
Gear rifle, pistol, kevlar armor, medkit
Hunker down. Marines take half damage when in cover.
Protector. Marines can take an attack meant for an adjacent
ally. If the attack hits the ally, the marine takes the
damage instead. If the marine has a shield, the ally also
benefits from the shield’s defense bonus.
Get on with it. Once per day, marines can pause for two
actions and recover 2d6 Health.
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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Martial Artist Medic

Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
Agile fighters, masters of Eastern fighting arts.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (3d6) END 10 (4d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 4 (2d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 12
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 24
Health 60
Soak 12 vs. blunt; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 4d6
Perception 3d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 20’/6’
Carry 150 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Martial arts 6d6 (2d6+4 blunt damage)
Skills history 3 (2d6), perception 1 (1d6), hardy 6 (3d6),
running 3 (2d6), reactions 1 (1d6), martial arts 3 (2d6)
Gear —
One-two. Once per round the martial-artist may make two
martial arts attacks with a single action. She cannot
add any additional exploits to this, or benefit from any
damage increases.
Flying kick. The martial artist moves her Speed and issues a
flying kick at the end of it, dealing a bonus +1d6 damage.
Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
Professional doctors and nurses.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 6 (3d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 18
Mental Defense 24; Vital Defense 18
Health 36
Soak 0; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 3d6
Perception 5d6
Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 12’/6’
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Syringe 5d6 (3d6+3 poison damage)
Skills medicine 6 (3d6), psychology 3 (2d6), bureaucracy
3 (2d6), computers 3 (2d6), perception 3 (2d6),
concentration 6 (3d6), hardy 6 (3d6), insight 3 (2d6)
Gear high quality medical scanner, high quality medkit
Medical advice. Identifying a weakness in a target, the
medic can spend a free action in an ally’s turn to allow
that ally to bypass a creature’s Soak score. This exploit
can only be performed once per target.
Healing hands. The medic can use a medkit to heal 3d6
Health to a creature she can touch. Each can only benefit
once.
Alleviate condition. The medic can automatically remove a
temporary condition from an adjacent target by spending
an action.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Ninja Occultist
Medium sentient humanoid (6d6) Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6) Students, researchers, and servants of the dark arts.
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6) STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 6 (3d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 18 CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 6 (3d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 18 MAG 10 (4d6)
Health 36 Melee Defense 18; Ranged Defense 18
Soak 6; Vuln none Mental Defense 24; Vital Defense 18
Immune none Health 36
Initiative 6d6 Soak 6 (thick robes); Vuln none
Perception 5d6 Immune none
Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 20’/6’ Initiative 5d6
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.) Perception 5d6
Reach 5 ft. Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 12’/6’
Actions 2 Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Ninjato 6d6 (3d6+3 slashing damage) Reach 5 ft.
Shuriken 5d6 (1d6+1 piercing damage; range 9) Actions 2
Skills hardy 6 (3d6), combat 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6), Dagger 5d6 (3d6+3 piercing/poison damage)
movement 3 (2d6), tactics 6 (3d6), stealth 5 (2d6) Skills hardy 6 (3d6), knives 3 (2d6), perception 3 (2d6),
Gear — tactics 3 (2d6), religion 6 (3d6), medicine 3 (2d6), healing
Third attack. If the ninja makes two melee attacks, it gets a 3 (2d6), occult 3 (2d6)
third attack for free. Gear knife, holy symbol
Achilles heel. The ninja can strike a weak point, and bypass Sacrificial cut. An occultist knows how to use a dagger —
Soak once per foe. any hit from the occultist’s dagger automatically causes
Dart in. The ninja can move Speed 6, attack, then move Speed the Bleeding condition.
6 back again once per turn as a single action.
Stealthy. The ninja can make 6d6 stealth checks to remain
effectively invisible, even when there is no cover to hide
behind.
Poison. The ninja’s weapon attacks inflict the Poisoned
condition.
Smoke bomb. The ninja can throw a smoke bomb, obscuring
an area with a 30’ diameter.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Pugilist Saboteur
Medium sentient humanoid (6d6) Medium sentient humanoid (6d6)
Hardy boxers with a heavy punch. Experts at infiltration and destruction.
STR 10 (4d6) AGI 5 (2d6) END 10 (4d6) STR 4 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6)
INT 3 (2d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 6 (3d6) INT 10 (4d6) LOG 10 (4d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6) CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 12 Melee Defense 12; Ranged Defense 18
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 24 Mental Defense 24; Vital Defense 12
Health 60 Health 18
Soak 12 vs. blunt; Vuln none Soak 3; Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 3d6 Initiative 6d6
Perception 3d6 Perception 6d6
Speed 3; Climb 2; Jump 6’/6’ Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’
Carry 200 lb. (max lift 500 lb.) Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 2
Boxing 6d6 (2d6+4 blunt damage) Knife 3d6 (2d6+2 piercing damage)
Skills carousing 3 (2d6), sports trivia 3 (2d6), perception Pistol 5d6 (3d6 ballistic damage; range 9)
1 (1d6), hardy 6 (3d6), running 3 (2d6), carrying 3 (2d6), Bomb 5d5 (2d6 heat damage; range 5; burst 2)
reactions 1 (1d6), boxing 3 (2d6) Skills demolitions 6 (3d6), engineering 6 (3d6), zero-g 3
Gear — (2d6), computers 3 (2d6), stealth 6 (3d6), bluffing 3 (2d6),
One-two. Once per round the pugilist may make two boxing climbing 3 (2d6), tactics 3 (2d6), dodging 3 (2d6), pistols 1
attacks with a single action. He cannot add any additional (1d6), disguise 6 (3d6), thievery 6 (3d6)
exploits to this, or benefit from any damage increases. Gear pistol, knife, toolkit, explosives
Knockdown. The pugilist’s target is knocked prone as long Trapsetter. The saboteur can set a proximity explosive in
as it is size medium or smaller. an adjacent square which makes a 6d6 attack doing 3d6
Beat the count. The pugilist gets +1 to all checks to shake off heat/ballistic damage in a 30’ burst when anybody other
a condition. than the saboteur comes within 5’ of it (enters the square,
or an adjacent square). The trap’s difficulty to spot and/or
disable is 24.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Scientist Spy
Medium sentient humanoid (5d6) Medium sentient humanoid (7d6)
Professional practioners of science. Elite secret agents and intelligence officers.
STR 3 (2d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6) STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 10 (4d6) WIL 6 (3d6) INT 15 (5d6) LOG 15 (5d6) WIL 10 (4d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6) CHA 15 (5d6) LUC 3 (2d6) REP 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 15; Ranged Defense 15 Melee Defense 14; Ranged Defense 21
Mental Defense 20; Vital Defense 10 Mental Defense 28; Vital Defense 14
Health 15 Health 21
Soak 0; Vuln none Soak 4; Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 3d6 Initiative 7d6
Perception 5d6 Perception 7d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’ Speed 7; Climb 4; Jump 20’/6’
Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.) Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 2
Brawling 3d6 (1d6+2 blunt damage) Martial arts 4d6 (2d6+3 blunt damage)
Skills law 6 (3d6), chemistry 6 (3d6), history 6 (3d6), Pistol 6d6 (3d6 ballistic damage; range 11)
botany 6 (3d6), negotiation 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6), Skills martial arts 1 (1d6), pistols 3 (2d6), perception 3 (2d6),
concentration 6 (3d6), medicine 6 (3d6), astronomy 6 tactics 3 (2d6), bluffing 10 (4d6), disguise 6 (3d6), stealth
(3d6), history 6 (3d6), [scientific] 6 (3d6), computers 6 6 (3d6), computers 3 (2d6)
(3d6), tactics 3 (2d6) Gear —
Gear toolkit, hand scanner Suave. A 5d6 mental attack against a target within 30’
Scientific advice. The scientist can offer advice to another makes the target Charmed.
creature. If the creature can understand the scientist, it Taunt. A 5d6 mental attack against a target within 30’
gains +1d6 to an action defined by the scientist taken on makes the target Angry.
its next turn.
Analytical eye. The scientist can identify a target’s
weakness by spending an action and advising an ally of
that weakness. The ally can completely bypass the Soak
of the target once. The scientist can only perform this
trick once per target.
Electronic attack. Using a hand scanner and a toolkit, the
scientist can cause 1d6 ion damage in a 30’ burst.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Thug Tiger
Medium sentient humanoid (5d6) Large semi-sentient beast (7d6)
Thieves and bullies who prey on the defenseless. Ferocious feline hunters.
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 6 (3d6) STR 15 (5d6) AGI 15 (5d6) END 15 (5d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6) INT 10 (4d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 10 (4d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 1 (1d6) CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 15; Ranged Defense 15 Melee Defense 26; Ranged Defense 17
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 15 Mental Defense 14; Vital Defense 23
Health 20 Health 42
Soak 5; Vuln none Soak 7; Vuln none
Immune none Immune none
Initiative 4d6 Initiative 7d6
Perception 4d6 Perception 6d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/6’ Speed 7; Climb 4; Jump 30’/15’
Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.) Carry 300 lb. (max lift 750 lb.)
Reach 5 ft. Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2 Actions 2
Club 4d6 (2d6+3 blunt damage) Claw/bite 7d6 (4d6+5 piercing damage)
Pistol 4d6 (2d6 ballistic damage; range 8) Skills hardy 6 (3d6), combat 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6),
Skills pistols 1 (1d6), knives 1 (1d6), carousing 1 (1d6), local reactions 6 (3d6), stealth 4 (2d6), hunting 10 (4d6)
knowledge 1 (1d6), thievery 1 (1d6), running 1 (1d6), dodging Gear—
1 (1d6), reactions 1 (1d6), Pounce. With a single leap, the tiger leaps upon its victim,
Gear pistol, leather vest, knife bearing it to the ground and inflicting its claw damage.
Dive for cover. If a ranged attack misses a thug, they may The target must be within the tiger’s horizontal jump
immediately move half their Speed as a free action and distance (30’).
either throw himself prone or get behind cover if it is in Rake. If the tiger attacks twice with its claws in one round,
range. it gets a third bite attack for free.
Roar. Some creatures can unleash a roar so loud that its
victims are stricken with fear. A roar is a 4d6 mental
attack with Burst 5. Victims successfully attacked are
made Afraid.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Tyrannosaurus Rex Undead Hunter

Enormous semi-sentient reptile (11d6) Medium sentient humanoid (6d6).
Reptilian king of the dinosaurs. STR 6 (3d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 6 (3d6)
STR 28 (7d6) AGI 10 (4d6) END 28 (7d6) INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6)
INT 10 (4d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 21 (6d6) CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6)
CHA 10 (4d6) LUC 3 (2d6) REP 21 (6d6) Melee Defense 24; Ranged Defense 18
Melee Defense 40; Ranged Defense 14 Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 18
Mental Defense 22; Vital Defense 48 Health 36
Health 165 Soak 6; Vuln none
Soak 27; Vuln 1d6 cold Immune none
Immune none Initiative 6d6
Initiative 6d6 Perception 5d6
Perception 5d6 Speed 6; Climb 3; Jump 20’/6’
Speed 6; Climb -; Jump - Carry 120 lb. (max lift 300 lb.)
Carry 560 lb. (max lift 1400 lb.) Reach 5 ft.
Reach 10 ft. Actions 2
Actions 3 Stake 6d6 (3d6+3 piercing damage)
Bite 11d6 (6d6+7 piercing damage) Skills hardy 6 (3d6), combat 6 (3d6), perception 3 (2d6),
Tail swipe 9d6 (5d6 blunt damage; cone 6) movement 3 (2d6), reactions 6 (3d6), stealth 4 (2d6)
Skills combat 10 (4d6), hearing 3 (2d6), reactions 3 (2d6), Gear —
Gear— Deathly lore. The undead hunter ignores natural Soak of
Charge (m). Once per turn, the tyrannosaurus rex can move undead creatures.
its speed in a straight line and then attack at the end of it, Sense death. The undead hunter can automatically sense
all as a single action. It gains +1d6 damage to its attack. the undead and spirits within 30’.
Roar. The tyrannosaurus rex can unleash a roar so loud that
its victims are stricken with fear. A roar is a6d6 mental
attack, and attacks any creature within Burst 11. Victims
successfully attacked are rendered Afraid.
Tail swipe. The tyrannosaurus rex has a tail swipe attack.
This attack affects all targets in a 30’ cone to the rear of
the creature.

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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions
Vampire
Medium sentient undead evil humanoid
(9d6)
Undead bloodsucking creatures of the night.
STR 15 (5d6) AGI 21 (6d6) END 15 (5d6)
INT 15 (5d6) LOG 15 (5d6) WIL 15 (5d6)
CHA 15 (5d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 15 (5d6)
MAG 10 (4d6)
Melee Defense 36; Ranged Defense 27
Mental Defense 18; Vital Defense 27
Health 54
Soak 14 ; Vuln 1d6 holy
Immune Sick, Bleeding, Fatigued
Initiative 9d6
Perception 7d6 ; superior darksight, lifesense
Speed 9; Climb +9; Jump 42’/15’
Carry 300 lb. (max lift 750 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Bite 9d6 (5d6+5 damage; blood drain)
Mental attacks (see below)
Skills history 8 (3d6), stealth 8 (3d6), disguise 8 (3d6),
perception 10 (4d6), concentration 8 (3d6), hardy 10 (4d6),
reactions 10 (4d6), brawling 10 (4d6), charm* 6 (3d6),
afflicton* 6 (3d6), summoning* 6 (3d6), creation* 6 (3d6)
Gear —
Called shot. When reduced to zero Health, a vampire is not
slain; instead, it is paralyzed. In order to slay a vampire, it
must either be beheaded or staked in the heart. A vampire
can remain paralyzed for centuries, returning to unlife
with a drop of nourishing blood. A called shot to the heart
with a wooden stake can paralyze a vampire instantly.
Sunlight. Every turn that a vampire begins in direct sunlight,
it suffers 1d6 fire damage. Even when not in direct
sunlight, vampires suffer –2d6 to all dice pools during
daylight hours.
Apotropaics. Certain items can ward off vampires. Good holy
items, and garlic, inflict a –1d6 die penalty to any attribute
check made by the vampire if within 10’ of the offending
object. This also causes considerable discomfort to the
vampire.
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Invitations. Vampires cannot enter a private dwelling
without an invitation from somebody who lives there.
Once an invitation has been extended, the vampire may
enter freely thereafter.
Preternatural celerity. Vampires can move incredibly fast.
Once per round, on its turn, a vampire can move its Speed
as a free action, appearing as little more than a blur to
onlookers.
Spider climb. Vampires can scale vertical surfaces as
though they were horizontal. A vampire gains a Climb
speed equal to its regular Speed.
Regeneration. Vampires regenerate 2d6 Health at the start
of every turn. This power only works at night.
Charm. Vampires can make a mental attack as a single
action against any target within 30’. If successful, the
target is Charmed.
Children of the night. Once per day when in an outdoor
environment, vampires can spend two actions to
summon 1d6 wolves. The wolves arrive within 1d6 turns
and remain under the vampire’s control. This power only
works at night.
Shapechange. A vampire can spend two actions to change
into the shape of a wolf or a bat. It can change back by
spending a further two actions. This power only works at
night.
Dark arts. Vampires can create magical effects equivalent
to a cantrip related to darkness or mists.
Blood drain. A bite attack allows the vampire to sink its
teeth into its victim and drain its blood. This reduces the
victim’s END dice pool by 1d6 but does not do normal
damage. When the dice pool reaches 0d6, the victim
is slain. A creature slain by the drinking of its blood by
a vampire rises three days later as a vampire under its
creator’s control. It remains forever under the control of
its creator unless its creator is destroyed. The spawn is
considered permanently Dominated by its creator (see
Conditions).

Werewolf
A werewolf uses the statistics of a wolf and a civilian (or
other humanoid). See the appropriate stat blocks for each.
When in wolf form, use the regular wolf statistics with
the following alterations:
]] A werewolf can only be harmed by silver weapons.
]] Those who receive a critical hit from a werewolf contract
lycanthropy.
]] A dose of belladonna (wolfsbane) taken within one hour of
contracting lycanthropy negates the condition if correctly
prepared with a Demanding [21] LOG check. Only one such
attempt can be made.
]] If slain, the werewolf reverts back to its natural humanoid
form.
Lycanthropy is a disease which is contacted from a bite or
other injury caused by a lycanthrope such as a werewolf.
The victim forms an END countdown pool and follows the
normal disease process.
Transmission Scratch or bite
Pool END
Interval Daily
Difficulty Strenuous [21]
Effect Permanant lycanthope
Once the lycanthopy becomes permanent, the victim
involuntarily changes form at the next full moon and
every full moon thereafter. He or she becomes aggressive
when in that form.
Appendix B: Monsters & Minions
Wolf
Medium semi-sentient beast (4d6)
Pack-based animals which cooperate to hunt their prey.
STR 4 (2d6) AGI 8 (4d6) END 3 (2d6)
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 1 (1d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 0 (0d6) REP 3 (2d6)
Melee Defense 10; Ranged Defense 16
Mental Defense 12; Vital Defense 12
Health 12
Soak 2; Vuln none
Immune none
Initiative 3d6
Perception 4d6
Speed 8; Climb 4; Jump 8’/8’
Carry 70 lb. (max lift 200 lb.)
Reach 5 ft.
Actions 2
Bite 4d6 (2d6 piercing damage)
Skills tracking 10 (4d6), scent 10 (4d6), running 10 (4d6),
swimming 4 (2d6), tactics 4 (2d6), combat 5 (2d6)
Gear —
Pack attack. Wolves work together well. Any wolves
adjacent to the victim count as flanking, gaining the +1d6
bonus to attack. When 3 or more wolves are adjacent
to the victim, the victim becomes overwhelmed, and is
rendered Fatigued at the start of its turn.
Pounce. The wolf can leap its horizontal Jump distance (8’)
from a standing start when making a bite attack. This
counts as a charge (+1d6 damage) and also knocks the
victim prone on a successful attack.
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 Appendix B: Monsters & Minions

Worker Zombie
Medium sentient humanoid (5d6) Medium evil non-sentient undead
Farmers, engineers, and other laborers. humanoid (4d6)
STR 6 (3d6) AGI 6 (3d6) END 3 (2d6) Walking corpses who hunger for living flesh.
INT 6 (3d6) LOG 6 (3d6) WIL 6 (3d6) STR 3 (2d6) AGI 3 (2d6) END 3 (2d6)
CHA 6 (3d6) LUC 1 (1d6) REP 6 (3d6) INT 3 (2d6) LOG 3 (2d6) WIL 3 (2d6)
Melee Defense 15; Ranged Defense 15 CHA 3 (2d6) LUC 3 (2d6) REP 3 (2d6)
Mental Defense 20; Vital Defense 10 Melee Defense 12; Ranged Defense 12
Health 15 Mental Defense 16; Vital Defense 12
Soak 0; Vuln none Health 24
Immune none Soak 9 ; Vuln 1d6 holy
Initiative 3d6 Immune Sick, Bleeding, Fatigued
Perception 4d6 Initiative 3d6
Speed 5; Climb 3; Jump 12’/3’ Perception 3d6 ; superior darksight, lifesense
Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.) Speed 4; Climb 2; Jump 6’/3’
Reach 5 ft. Carry 60 lb. (max lift 150 lb.)
Actions 2 Reach 5 ft.
Tool 3d6 (2d6+2 blunt damage) Actions 2
Skills [craft] 3 (2d6), zero-g 3 (2d6), computers 3 (2d6), Bite 3d6 (2d6+2 piercing damage; zombie fever)
hardy 1 (1d6), climbing 3 (2d6), carrying 3 (2d6), brawling 1 Skills scent 6 (3d6)
(1d6), perception 1 (1d6) Gear —
Gear club, tools Zombie fever. Those who suffer a critical hit from a zombie’s
Tools. A worker can use the tools of their trade as weapons bite contract zombie fever. Additionally, any slain by a
with no improvisation penalty. zombie rise one hour later as a zombie themselves.
Worker. The [craft] skill entry above can be replaced with Unstoppable. A zombie keeps going, no matter what. The
engineering, farming, or another hardy occupation to only way to destroy it is to make a Called Shot to the
create a range of workers. head that deals 25% of the zombie’s Health in one attack;
this kills it instantly.

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Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance
This miniature encounter is included to get things off of the ground and move the game forward expediently, possibly as
a starting point for a larger published adventure path or for a campaign designed by the GM. By no means should every
session of N.O.W. begin this way, but an exciting start like the one suggested below is a great way to set the tempo of the game.
This adventure includes a mad scientist, ninjas, zombies, and a car chase. An explosive combination, to be sure!
Why exactly the player characters are gathering together
is not pertinent to this scenario. The first operation may
be a heist, resolving a kidnapping, bringing down drug
lords—so long as it’s exciting, it’s good for N.O.W.
  This adventure is designed to be short and straightfor-
ward to run, and very linear in application. We assume
this is your first N.O.W. adventure, but soon you’ll be
creating more complex, less linear adventures which will
thrill your players!
 In How to Make an Entrance (designed for grade 5 char-
acters), an old friend of the player characters (the last
member of the team being gathered together, a fellow
known as Wily Jack) makes a hasty entrance, bringing the
vehicle he promised to provide. Unfortunately, however,
somebody is right on his tail with intent to kill! This ally
is already wounded and falls unconscious just as he parks
the armored van. Without unusual aid he dies, but the
trouble that brought about his end isn’t far behind!
  What’s going on? Wily Jack is fleeing thugs employed
by a nefarious organization called the Crimson Sparrows.
The local branch of the Crimson Sparrows, headed by
Sharona Srafowitz, is a seedy strip club called Cedar’s Pa-
vilion. Sharona has kidnapped a scientist from Chen Zua
Laboratories called Petra Jasmine, and from whom the
Crimson Sparrows want the formula for a new discovery,
a liquid that turns people into zombies. Wily Jack, who
had been investigating the Sparrows, infiltrated the club
and had become friends with one of the dancers, Mindy,
before he was found out and had to flee.
  Enemies & foes. Remember that when you see an en-
emy mentioned in bold, you should refer to Appendix B,
Monsters & Minions, for their stats.
Getting Started
Decide how the player characters all know one another—
if pregenerated characters aren’t being used, the players
and GM should work together to generate interesting
backgrounds that link the group to one another in some
way. Regardless of what you come up with as a group, the
player characters begin this adventure gathered in an old
garage in a dilapidated part of town.
  After the last party member arrives, give the characters
some time to palaver with one another, be introduced
(if it's decided some of the characters haven’t met), and
generally make their first impressions. Before things get
tedious, have the characters roll a Routine [10] INT check
to hear the screeching of an armored van making a sliding
turn nearby. Anyone that runs outside to see what it is wit-
nesses the following:
The sun blazes high above, and your eyes take a moment
to adjust to its too-bright light. When your vision clears,
you see an armored van careening around the corner—it’s
headed straight for the garage!
  A middle-aged scarred fellow with lanky blond hair is in
the driver’s seat of the van, and you can see several bullet
holes in its cracked windshield and what appears to be
blood spilled around the interior. The vehicle starts to slow
a bit but the man at the wheel slumps forward over the
wheel, pulling a hard left and slamming the van to a stop
against a telephone pole just outside the building.
Wily Jack (an occultist) is beyond the help of modern
medicine and dies, bleeding out from multiple bullet
wounds. However, he does manage to gasp out the name
“Mindy!” as he expires.
  Anyone making a Routine [10] LOG check realizes that
Wily Jack’s wounds are recent, and that whoever attacked
him is probably not far behind. Indeed, less than a minute
after the van’s arrival, a jeep drives into view, a tough thug
at the wheel and a wounded heavy gunner hanging out
the passenger window.
Careening around the corner is another vehicle, a beat up
old jeep with a tough looking youth at the wheel. A man in a
tattered vest is standing in the passenger seat, reloading a
22
5
 Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance
grenade launcher and screaming directions at his compa-
triot. The driver’s face tattoo contorts as he shouts back,
throwing the wheel in a wild turn that sends their vehicle
flipping once before rolling to a stop. Something in the
engine compartment pops and crackles, smoke exploding
from under the hood as the two leap out and take cover
behind it.
The Van
A Routine [10] LOG check tells the player characters
that their new (damaged) vehicle, a 1983 GMC Vandu-
ra Van, is probably hot, and that trying to sell it would
be unwise at best, because the unique features it
contains make it very distinctive if inspected.
Occupants 5; Speed 10, Accel 2*; Handling 4
Health 71, Soak 10**; Defense 9
Upgrades 4 used of 11: short-shift, bulletproof
windows, hidden compartments.
* Short-shift The van’s short-shift transmission
increases its Accel from 1 to 2
** Bulletproof windows The van’s windows provide
ablative Soak 50 to ballistic damage. (This ablative
Soak ceases to provide any benefits after negating
50 points of ballistic damage.) The van is also
immune to windshield hit location damage until the
ablative Soak is used up.
Hidden compartments Weapons and the like can be
stored in compartments in the van where they will
be missed on a cursory inspection (Difficult [16]
check to find the contents on a search).
Upgrades The van has used 4 of its 11 upgrade slots,
so it has 7 left.
Open Sesame
Locked doors in this adventure require a Difficult [16]
AGI check to pick the lock. If picking the lock fails, it’s
a Difficult [16] STR check to break the door down.
  Generally speaking, when confronted with a diffi-
culty benchmark for a task, you can safely use that
same benchmark for any other methods the PCs
might try to employ.
6
22
Both fight to the death, but afterward there remain clues
regarding who’s responsible for their friend’s death:
•• Wily Jack has a book of matches with the words
“Cedar’s Pavilion” scribbled on the back. It’s a Diffi-
cult [13] LOG check to recall that this is a seedy strip
bar about five miles away.
•• The jeep driver has a throwaway cell phone with
only a few calls on it, all to the same number.
Calling this number reaches an answering service
which identifies itself as Cedar’s Pavilion.
•• Both gang members have tiny tattoos of crimson
sparrows on their wrists. The Crimson Sparrows are
a clandestine cult, and it’s unlikely that any PCs will
be able to make the Severe [29] LOG check to identify
the tattoos, but if they do, feel free to tell them about
the organization.
•• While they won’t know this yet, “Mindy” is the name
of a worker at Cedar’s Pavilion who will be able to
provide the PCs with more information.
Cedar’s Pavilion
At this point the PCs do not know why Wily Jack was killed,
and the only clues they have lead to Cedar’s Pavilion, a
seedy strip bar.
Cedar’s Pavilion is in a rough part of town. As you approach,
thugs loiter on street corners, and shadows huddle in
doorways and alleys. The club itself is a large building on
an intersection, and you can see a pair of burly bouncers at
the large double doorway sheltering from the rain beneath
a shabby awning.
A Difficult [16] INT check from a PC will notice a small
red sparrow painted above the door. A similar check will
reveal that the two bouncers have weapons under their
coats, likely pistols and batons from their size.
  Getting in. Allow the PCs to decide how to approach
the club. They could go in through the front door, or try
to sneak in round the back by heading down a small al-
ley and picking the lock with a Difficult [16] AGI check,
heading through the kitchens, and onto the main floor (if
they take this route they will pass the room where Petra
Jasmine the scientist is imprisoned). If they take the easy
route through the front door, they will need to convince
Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance

22
7
 Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance
the bouncers to let them in with a Difficult [16] CHA check.
If for whatever reason a fight breaks out, the two bouncers
use cop stats.
 People. Inside the club, a mixture of people can be
found—civilians, gamblers, thugs, workers, even the oc-
casional cutpurse. The club is run by Sharona Serafowitz,
a kingpin, and she is protected by a small group of four
ninjas. Locked in a back room, guarded by two thugs, is
a scientist named Petra Jasmine; he has been knocked
about a bit. Finally, there are half a dozen dancers (work-
ers with the dancing skill), one of whom is Mindy, Wily
Jack’s girlfriend.
  The next part of the adventure is a little freeform, as it’s
up to the PCs what they want to do here, and how to go
about it. Mindy will be able to tell them all about the plot
and knows of the scientist; she is scared for her life, how-
ever, and will not participate in a rescue attempt.
  Sharona is on the second floor, and an observant PC
(Difficult [16] INT) will spot her watching the dance floor
from a window overlooking the main club hall. She is in
her luxurious office with two of her ninjas; the other two
ninjas can be found outside the room in the hallway at
the top of the stairs which lead down to a door on bottom
floor (Difficult [16] AGI to pick). If the PCs talk to Mindy for
too long, Sharona will notice and send one of her ninjas
to collect Mindy and bring her up to the office. If she does
this, Mindy will spill the beans, and the four ninjas will
converge on the PCs.
  Sharona will not join in the combat unless the PCs ac-
tively seeker her out and engage her. With luck, she’ll be
left alive as a recurring villain.
Escape
Once they’ve rescued the scientist, the PCs will be pur-
sued through the streets. Presumably they have their new
van; they will be chased by some villains (two thugs on
each) on motorcycles. This gives you chance to try out the
chase rules.
  The chase involves opposed checks. The PCs can make
one opposed check per round, and the first to reach six
wins the chase. The motorcycles have an average check of
16; if you prefer, you can have the PC driver check against
that benchmark rather than taking the time to roll actual
opposed checks.
8
22
  The most obvious checks to make are AGI (driving)
checks, but encourage the players to think of other checks.
Anybody can make the opposed check, as long as they’ve
thought of something they could plausibly be doing.
While only the driver can make an AGI (driving) check,
another character might make a LOG (navigation) check
to try and find a shortcut, or an INT (pistols) check to shoot
down an awning, dropping it in the pursuer’s path. Each
PC gets one action, whether that be making the opposed
check or not.
  The other PCs can do whatever they wish in the mean-
time. They can shoot at the pursuers, or think of other
ways to help. The motorcycles are two Kawasaki ZZR 250s
with the following stats:
Occupants 1; Speed 18, Accel 4; Handling 2
Health 17, Soak 0; Defense 12
Note that vehicles add their current speed to their Defense
scores. Assuming the PCs are fleeing at their maximum
Speed of 10, the motorcycles will be moving at that same
speed, making their Defenses 22. They have no Soak, so
it doesn’t take many shots to knock out a bike.
  The characters may choose to shoot at the thugs riding
the bikes instead (two on each). Remember that the rider
gets either their own Defense or the vehicle’s, whichever
is higher.
  If the PCs get six opposed check victories before the
bikes do, they lose their pursuers in the city streets. If they
kill the pursuers before then, they also escape. If the bikes
get six wins first, they shoot out a tire, bringing the van to
a stop, and a conventional fight ensues.
  Describing the chase. Each round, describe the
scenery to the PCs. This not only makes the chase more
immersive, it gives them opportunity to think of things
other than straight AGI (driving) checks to make. Here are
some districts they might pass through, but feel free to use
your imagination:
•• Red light district •• Theater district
•• Docks •• Construction site
•• City center •• Bridge
•• Shopping district •• Highway
•• Financial district •• Suburbs
•• Upmarket residential •• Country/parks
Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance

22
9
 Appendix C: How to Make an Entrance
Zombies!
Once the PCs lose their pursuers, the scientist, Petra Jas-
mine, suggests that they head to his office at Chen Zua
Laboratories. There are some vials of the zombie virus
there, and it is imperative that these be retrieved before
the Crimson Sparrows get there.
  Chen Zua Laboratories is a modern building on the out-
skirts of town, next to a large parking lot. The lights are off,
and about half a dozen cheap cars are parked outside. Pe-
tra leads the characters up a short flight of steps and uses
his palm print to enter through the glass and steel door at
the top, ushering them inside.
  When the PCs reach the lab, it is eerily quiet. In the foyer
there’s a mop and bucket on the floor, with nobody around.
Petra turns the fluorescent lights on, and leads them to the
laboratory itself, where a shock awaits the PCs! The lab has
already been ransacked; the Sparrows have the virus. And
worse—there are six zombies, who were once lab techni-
cians, craving mortal flesh. When they awaken, the PCs
will have another fight on their hands!
0
23
The lab is deserted. The chairs have been overturned,
and scientific equipment lies scattered and broken on the
ground. The fluorescent lights are flickering ominously, and
you can see the door to a small office hanging open. A large,
solid cabinet on one wall has had its metal door ripped off
and flung aside, seemingly by something of great strength.
  Slumped on the floor, and across tables, are half a dozen
lifeless corpses, the bodies of the technicians who once
worked here. Even from your vantage point, you can see
they have been riddled with automatic weapons fire.
Allow the PCs to enter the lab and start investigating.
Petra is able to identify the six bodies as his co-workers,
and is visibly upset at their deaths. With an appropriate
Challenging [13] check, the PCs can discover that imprints
in the metal door of the cabinet indicate that somebody
ripped the door off with their bare hands. Petra informs
them that the cabinet was a secure container containing
the virus—which is, of course, now missing.
  You should allow the characters to poke around in the
lab for a few minutes, giving them just long enough to de-
velop a false sense of security, before the zombies awake.
Something stirs behind you. Glancing over your shoulder,
you see one of the dead technicians twitch. To your horror,
her eyes open and she slowly clambers to her feet, her life-
less eyes fixing on you.
  Around you the other five corpses are also pulling them-
selves upright and lurching towards you. Petra recoils in
horror as he screams “The virus! It’s loose!”
What Next?
The PCs have rescued a scientist from the Crimson Spar-
rows and made a daring escape. The bad news is that
they’ve now made an enemy of the Crimson Sparrows and
can expect retaliation. If Sharona is still alive, she will
pursue the PCs with a vengeance.
Index

23
1
 Index
acidic environment......................................................... 162
acrobat................................................................................ 34
actions.............................................................................. 145
actor.................................................................................... 38
advancement................................................................74–75
advancement level...................................................169–170
adventure, sample................................................... 225–230
adventures........................................................................194
afraid................................................................................. 157
age............................................................................15, 68, 75
Agility................................................................................17
aikido.................................................................................. 56
aiming.............................................................................. 148
aiming aids...................................................................... 105
Alejandra Vanistos ..........................................................199
Alpha Squad..............................................................198–203
amazon, NPC................................................................... 204
ambush turn.................................................................... 145
ammunition....................................................................... 87
angry................................................................................. 157
ape..................................................................................... 204
archeologist....................................................................... 38
armor ........................................................................106–109
armor upgrades........................................................108–109
armor-piercing................................................................... 87
assassin.............................................................................. 38
assassin, NPC................................................................... 205
assisting another character............................................ 135
astronaut............................................................................ 38
astronaut, NPC................................................................ 205
athlete................................................................................. 38
atmosphere.......................................................................163
attacks.................................................................. 73, 147–148
attribute checks.................................................... 9, 131–134
attributes...................................................................9, 15, 21
augmented......................................................................... 23
balancing......................................................................... 146
bartender............................................................................ 39
bases.......................................................................... 194–195
bear....................................................................................211
Ben Madjos........................................................................198
benchmark............................................................9, 133–134
bleeding............................................................................ 157
blind.................................................................................. 157
boot camp.......................................................................... 39
bouncer.............................................................................. 39
2
23
bounty hunter.................................................................... 39
bounty hunter, NPC........................................................ 206
boxer................................................................................... 40
Brazilian jujutsu................................................................ 56
burglar................................................................................ 40
burning............................................................................. 157
called shots...................................................................... 148
campaigns................................................................. 194–196
capoeria.............................................................................. 57
career(s)...............................................................9, 15, 35–55
careers, designing........................................................... 185
Carry................................................................................. 72
catching a disease........................................................... 156
Cedar’s Pavilion............................................................... 226
character creation............................................................. 14
character creation walkthrough...................................... 15
Charisma............................................................................17
charmed........................................................................... 157
chases............................................................................... 137
chef...................................................................................... 40
chemistry......................................................................... 138
Chen Zua.......................................................................... 230
Chi................................................................. 9, 17, 55, 62–64
Chi points........................................................................... 62
chosen................................................................................. 22
civilian, NPC.................................................................... 206
Climb.................................................................................. 71
climbing........................................................................... 146
cold environment............................................................ 162
college................................................................................. 41
collisions.......................................................................... 153
combat.......................................................................144–150
combat sequence............................................................. 144
combat, vehicles....................................................... 151–154
complications.................................................................. 134
computing........................................................................ 139
con artist............................................................................ 41
condition list.............................................................157–158
conditions.................................................................156–158
confused........................................................................... 157
constrictor snake............................................................. 207
contests............................................................................. 136
converting vehicles.................................................. 117–118
cop, NPC........................................................................... 207
countdowns..................................................................... 142
cover................................................................................. 149

craftsman........................................................................... 41
crimson sparrows.............................................................179
critical hits....................................................................... 155
critical successes............................................................. 134
crocodile.......................................................................... 208
crossfire............................................................................ 150
cultist.................................................................................. 42
curing diseases................................................................ 159
currency............................................................................. 79
customizing armor...................................................108–109
customizing vehicles...............................................118–123
customizing weapons..............................................105–106
cutpurse, NPC.................................................................. 208
cybernetics................................................................... 30–33
d6........................................................................................... 9
d66......................................................................................... 9
daichin (warrior) stance................................................... 62
damage types..................................................................... 85
dark crusader..................................................................... 42
darkness........................................................................... 150
dazed................................................................................ 157
deaf................................................................................... 157
DEFENSES.................................................................... 72–73
defensive skills.................................................................. 73
derived statistics...........................................................71–73
descriptor......................................................................10, 15
designing careers............................................................ 185
designing heritages..................................................179–184
designing NPCs & monsters....................................186–193
detective............................................................................. 42
dhampir............................................................................ 184
dice pool......................................................................10, 132
die bonus/penalty......................................................10, 134
difficult terrain.........................................................146, 163
difficulty benchmark...........................................9, 133–134
dim light............................................................................163
diplomat............................................................................. 43
disarmed.......................................................................... 157
disarmored....................................................................... 157
diseases.....................................................................156–160
diver.................................................................................... 43
dog..................................................................................... 209
downed............................................................................. 157
drifter.................................................................................. 43
driver.................................................................................. 43
drunk................................................................................ 157
Index
dual-wielding................................................................... 148
Duke Roosevelt................................................................ 200
eagle.................................................................................... 35
earthquake........................................................................163
eastern weapons.......................................................... 89–91
elephant............................................................................ 209
encounter difficulty.......................................................... 75
Endurance.........................................................................17
engineer.............................................................................. 44
environment.............................................................162–164
equipment quality............................................... 79–80, 132
equipment, general......................................................81–83
equipment, improvised.................................................. 132
Eternal Senpai................................................................. 201
ethnicity............................................................................. 21
events.................................................................................196
experience points................................................... 10, 74–75
experiment......................................................................... 34
exploits............................................................................... 10
exploits, universal....................................................... 65–67
exploits, western...............................................................101
explosives expert............................................................... 44
extended tasks..........................................................135–136
facilities.............................................................................. 81
facing................................................................................ 150
falling................................................................................ 146
farmhand........................................................................... 34
fatigued............................................................................. 158
feinting............................................................................. 148
firearms....................................................................... 91–106
firearms terminology........................................................ 92
firearms, modern........................................................ 93–97
firearms, western.......................................................99–104
firearms, World War II................................................ 97–99
firefighter............................................................................ 45
fireproofed........................................................................161
flanking............................................................................ 150
food................................................................................... 124
forgetful............................................................................ 158
functionary, NPC..............................................................210
gadgets.......................................................................124–127
gambler............................................................................... 45
game master....................................................................... 10
gangster.............................................................................. 45
gear, general..................................................................81–83
geek..................................................................................... 34
23
3
 Index
gender................................................................................. 21
genre..........................................................................169–170
gexing (heart) stance........................................................ 64
GM....................................................................................... 10
grade..............................................................................10, 18
grey....................................................................................210
grizzly bear.......................................................................211
group checks.................................................................... 133
guerilla fighter................................................................... 45
gun fu.................................................................................. 57
gun kata.............................................................................. 58
hacker................................................................................. 46
healing ............................................................................. 155
Health........................................................................71, 155
health, recovering........................................................... 155
heart stance....................................................................... 64
heavy gunner..................................................................... 46
heavy gunner, NPC..........................................................211
heavyweight, NPC........................................................... 212
heritage....................................................................10, 20–23
heritage, designing...................................................179–184
higher ground.................................................................. 149
hin (mountain) stance...................................................... 62
HK-1000............................................................................ 212
hollow point....................................................................... 87
hook.................................................................................... 15
hot environment...............................................................163
how to make an entrance....................................... 225–230
humans............................................................................... 21
hunter-killer..................................................................... 212
hustling............................................................................ 146
illness.........................................................................156–160
improvised equipment................................................... 132
incremental advances...................................................... 75
index................................................................................. 231
indirect skills................................................................... 133
industrial robot................................................................ 213
infiltrator............................................................................ 46
Initiative.................................................................. 72, 144
injury & death...........................................................155–158
insect swarm.................................................................... 213
interrogations.................................................................. 139
Intuition............................................................................17
jock...................................................................................... 34
jujutsu................................................................................. 58
Jump.................................................................................... 72
4
23
jumping............................................................................ 146
karate.................................................................................. 58
kingpin, NPC................................................................... 214
krav maga........................................................................... 59
kremlin beast................................................................... 214
kung fu................................................................................ 59
laborer................................................................................ 46
Lady Anarchy................................................................... 202
lawyer................................................................................. 47
leadership......................................................................... 143
lightning stance................................................................. 63
lion.................................................................................... 214
locations............................................................................195
Logic...................................................................................17
Luck..................................................................... 17, 143–144
Luck pool......................................................................... 143
ma-eum (mind) stance..................................................... 64
Mack Marlowe................................................................. 203
magic.................................................................................. 42
manic................................................................................ 158
marine, NPC.................................................................... 215
martial artist...................................................................... 34
martial artist, NPC...........................................................216
martial arts.............................................................55, 56–61
maximum dice pool........................................................ 132
MDP.................................................................................. 132
medic.................................................................................. 47
medic, NPC.......................................................................216
medicine........................................................................... 140
Melee Defense........................................................... 72–73
melee weapons.............................................................87–91
Mental Defense........................................................ 72–73
milestones.......................................................................... 75
military brat....................................................................... 35
mind stance....................................................................... 64
miner.................................................................................. 48
money......................................................................73, 78–79
monsters & minions................................................ 204–224
monsters, designing.................................................186–193
moon stance....................................................................... 73
mountain stance............................................................... 62
mounted weapons....................................................122–123
movement........................................................................ 146
movement, vehicle.......................................................... 151
muay thai........................................................................... 59
mutant................................................................................ 23

mutations..................................................................... 24–29
nerd..................................................................................... 35
ninja.................................................................................... 48
ninja, NPC.........................................................................217
non-player character........................................................ 10
northern shaolin............................................................... 60
novice................................................................................. 35
NPC..................................................................................... 10
NPCs......................................................................... 204–224
NPCs, designing.......................................................186–193
objects........................................................................ 161–162
obscured....................................................................150, 163
occult ................................................................................. 42
occultist, NPC...................................................................217
opposed checks............................................................... 134
organizations............................................................ 174–179
origins........................................................................... 34–35
orphan................................................................................ 35
overwatch......................................................................... 148
pained............................................................................... 158
pankration......................................................................... 60
performer........................................................................... 48
persistent conditions...................................................... 156
phanyu (lightning) stance............................................... 63
pilot..................................................................................... 49
pinned down.................................................................... 150
placid................................................................................ 158
poisoned........................................................................... 158
police officer...................................................................... 49
politician............................................................................ 49
positional effects......................................................149–150
priest................................................................................... 50
prisoner.............................................................................. 50
private eye.......................................................................... 50
prone target...................................................................... 150
pugilist, NPC.................................................................... 218
quality, equipment.............................................. 79–80, 132
races.................................................................................. 137
radioactive environment.................................................163
rain.....................................................................................163
range................................................................................. 149
Ranged Defense........................................................ 72–73
recovering health............................................................ 155
reinforced objects............................................................161
reloading............................................................................ 87
removing conditions....................................................... 156
Index
replenishing Luck........................................................... 143
reporter............................................................................... 50
Reputation........................................................................17
resistance........................................................................... 84
restrained......................................................................... 158
river stance......................................................................... 64
robot, industrial.............................................................. 213
rubber bullets.................................................................... 87
saboteur, NPC.................................................................. 218
sailor................................................................................... 51
salaries................................................................................ 79
savate.................................................................................. 60
school of mutants.............................................................. 29
scientist.............................................................................. 51
scientist, NPC....................................................................219
scion.................................................................................... 35
scout...............................................................................35, 51
selling gear......................................................................... 81
sensei.................................................................................. 52
services............................................................................. 124
setting................................................................................... 9
settings............................................................................. 169
settlements................................................................ 170–174
shaking off conditions ................................................... 156
shields............................................................................... 109
shields, attacking with.................................................... 109
shooting into melee......................................................... 150
sick.................................................................................... 158
sifu...................................................................................... 52
size, weapons..................................................................... 88
skill levels........................................................................... 20
skill notation...................................................................... 20
skills ........................................................................11, 18–20
sleeping............................................................................ 158
slippery environment......................................................163
slowed............................................................................... 158
smoky.................................................................................163
smuggler............................................................................. 52
snake, constrictor............................................................ 207
sniper.................................................................................. 52
snow...................................................................................163
Soak.................................................................................... 84
soldier................................................................................. 52
southern shaolin............................................................... 61
special ammunition.......................................................... 87
23
5
 Index
Speed.................................................................................. 71
spinning out..................................................................... 154
spy....................................................................................... 53
spy, NPC............................................................................219
stances................................................................................ 62
starting money................................................................... 73
street tough........................................................................ 35
Strength............................................................................17
student................................................................................ 53
stunt areas........................................................................ 165
stuntman............................................................................ 54
stunts, vehicle.................................................................. 154
sun stance.......................................................................... 63
survivalist........................................................................... 54
survivor.............................................................................. 35
surya (sun) stance............................................................. 63
Swim................................................................................... 71
tailing................................................................................ 141
teacher................................................................................ 54
termors..............................................................................163
theater of the mind.......................................................... 164
thick atmosphere..............................................................163
thin atmosphere...............................................................163
thug, NPC......................................................................... 220
tiger................................................................................... 220
toka (stone) stance............................................................. 63
tone..................................................................................... 11
tracers................................................................................. 87
tracking............................................................................ 141
trader.................................................................................. 54
trait...................................................................................... 15
traits.............................................................................. 69–71
traits, weapons............................................................ 86–87
traveler................................................................................ 35
treating a disease............................................................ 156
turning, vehicles.............................................................. 151
turns................................................................................. 145
tyrannosaurus rex........................................................... 221
umfula (river) stance........................................................ 64
undead hunter, NPC....................................................... 221
underwater........................................................................163
universal exploits........................................................ 65–67
upgrades, weapons..................................................105–106
upgrading armor......................................................108–109
6
23
upgrading vehicles...................................................118–123
vacuum..............................................................................163
vampire............................................................................ 222
vampire slayer................................................................. 186
vehicle combat.......................................................... 151–154
vehicle movement........................................................... 151
vehicle turning................................................................ 151
vehicle weapons.......................................................122–123
vehicle weapons, firing................................................... 153
vehicles......................................................................110–123
vehicles and bases.................................................... 194–195
vehicles, converting................................................. 117–118
vehicles, upgrading..................................................118–123
vigilante.............................................................................. 55
Vital Defense............................................................. 72–73
vulnerability...................................................................... 84
walkthrough...................................................................... 14
warrior stance.................................................................... 62
warrior-monk..................................................................... 55
wealth......................................................................73, 78–79
weapon size........................................................................ 88
weapon traits............................................................... 86–87
weapon upgrades.....................................................105–106
weapons.......................................................................84–106
weapons, archaic............................................................... 89
weapons, eastern......................................................... 89–91
weapons, firearms...................................................... 91–106
weapons, martial arts................................................. 89–91
weapons, melee............................................................87–91
weapons, mounted...................................................122–123
weapons, vehicle......................................................122–123
weifeng (wind) stance....................................................... 63
werewolf........................................................................... 223
wet environment..............................................................163
Willpower.........................................................................17
Wily Jack........................................................................... 225
wind stance........................................................................ 63
windy environment..........................................................163
wolf.................................................................................... 223
worker, NPC..................................................................... 224
worldbuilding.................................................................. 168
XP............................................................................. 10, 74–75
yueliang (moon) stance.................................................... 73
zombie.............................................................................. 224
e
NAME

a ____________________________________________ who/with __________________________________________________

ATTRIBUTES
STR AGI END INT LOG WIL CHA LUC REP CHI

d6 d6 d6 d6 d6 d6 d6 d6 d6 d6

SKILLS
defensive
d6 d6 d6 d6 d6

d6 d6 d6 d6 d6

d6 d6 d6 d6 d6

MOVEMENT LIFE PATH Grade(s) +Age

SPEED CLIMB SWIM JUMP OTHER

INITIATIVE PERCEPTION CARRY ACTIONS NAT. DMG.

ATTACKS
unarmed

DEFENSES CURRENT AGE

MELEE DEFENSE SOAK
TOTAL CAREERS
RANGED DEFENSE HEALTH
MENTAL DEFENSE

EQUIPMENT Weight

maximum dice pool

CHI POINTS
NAME

ATTRIBUTES
Attribute
Aim or Feint
Universal

BIOGRAPHY

WEALTH EXPERIENCE POINTS