When Darkness Comes
When Darkness Comes Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
- Glossary
- Initial Setup
- Co-operation
- The Dice System
- Player Characters
- Skills
- Skill Checks
- The Variable Tile System
- Encounter Disks
- Reshuffling Disks
- The Turn Sequence
- Fate
- Communication
- Actions
- Actions that require an Opposed Skill Check
- Actions that do not require a Skill Check
- Combat
- Magic
- Spells
- Failure
- Health and Willpower
- Victory Points (VP)
Glossary
A reference for the terms used in WDC.
Player Character (PC) The persona a player controls in the game.
Non-Player Character (NPC) Any character that is not player controlled.
Game Master (GM) The player that prepares and controls the scenario.
Tile A single part of the game board, organized into a grid of squares often representing a building.
Square One of the lined squares within a tile, which help determine movement and LOS.
Line Of Sight (LOS) Represents how far a character can see.
Miniature The miniature or token representing a Player Character on the board.
Encounter Disk Round tokens representing an Adversary (red), Security (green), Ally (yellow), Nuisance (gray), Item (blue), Magic Item (brown), Obstacle (orange), Condition (purple) or Scenario Variable (black).
Adversary (Red Disk) A hostile enemy that you must fight or flee from.
Security (Green Disk) Represents property protection in buildings.
Ally (Yellow Disk) An NPC you may be able to convince to help you.
Nuisance (Grey Disk) An NPC that doesn't help but hinders you, but who sticks with you anyway.
Item (Blue Disk) An Item you may find, pick up and use during certain tasks.
Magic Components (Brown Disk) An Item that is used when casting Spells.
Outside Obstacle (Orange Disk) Represents an impediment that you must deal with.
Condition (Purple Disk) Keeps track of things that happen during a scenario, such as Damage, Failures, broken Doors or Windows.
Scenario Variable (Black Disk) Representing something that is usually scenario specific.
Reshuffling Disks When specified, all face down Disks on a subject tile are reordered.
Attributes The Player Characters primary characteristics.
Attack (A) Represents a characters physicality and combat related abilities.
Defense/Health (D) The characters ability to defend themselves and deal with injury.
Dexterity/Initiative (Dex) The reaction time and nimbleness of the character.
Intelligence (Int) The characters intellect, intuition and perceptiveness.
Medical (Med) The talent for first aid and medical science a character possesses.
Persuasion (Pers) The ability to avoid conflict and influence others during a scenario.
Speed (S) The potential for the character to cover additional distance each turn.
Willpower (W) The inner strength that makes a character continue the investigation.
Skills The characters learned abilities that enhance their Attributes during certain tasks.
Skill Check A test for an attempted task using your Attributes, Skills and useful equipment (Items).
Opposed Skill Check A Skill Check against another Player Character, the highest roller wins.
Target Number (TN) The dice roll threshold required to succeed during a Skill Check.
Six High A dice roll where at least one die rolled a 6.
Pair A dice roll where 2 numbers are the same.
"X" Straight A dice roll where at least 3 numbers follow each other in order.
"X" Of a Kind A dice roll where 3 or more dice has the same number.
Full House One Pair and Three of a Kind in the same roll.
Victory Point (VP) Reward or penalty for success or failure after a Skill Check. Collected to win the game, buy Skill Points or spent to shrug off bad stuff.
Skill Points Used to buy Skills. Each Skill Point costs 10 Victory Points.
Experience Points Earned for winning a scenario, used to raise an Attribute.
Initial Setup
1. Setting
First and foremost, the players or Game Master (GM) must determine which setting is to be used. Although many components are transferable from one setting to another, some are difficult to combine; others are simply not compatible with each other. This rule set is based on the original game and the expansions that revolve around a horror setting.
The Most Dangerous Game setting is one of espionage and intrigue that offers a change of focus from the horror genre. Details on how to play it on its own, as well as how incorporate it into the horror setting, are found at the end of the rules for The Most Dangerous Game.
This Is Not Happening… takes place in an alternate reality or cyber-world where many setting specific abilities and victory conditions differ from the horror and espionage settings. Like The Most Dangerous Game, it may be played separately or as a part of a mixed genre environment. Incorporating this setting with the others offers even greater opportunities for heroic action and subtle dangers.
2. Picking a Scenario
Some scenarios are meant to be played with very strict boundaries, others less so. Although each release of WDC has offered many stock scenarios for the players and GM to experience, the nature of WDC lends itself to open-ended and adaptable gaming. Combining settings is just one aspect of this flexibility. Player created scenarios and campaigns are another. Regardless of the game being played, be it a single scenario or the start of an epic series of adventures, it is recommended to determine the setting(s) and scenario prior to character creation as the framework of the characters development is tied to their environment.
3. Character Creation
The opportunity to create your personal avatar begins here. Will you be a fearless brawler, an enigmatic mystic or one of those meddling kids? If you are not sure or new to the game a set of pre-generated characters are provided ready for use.
Several miniatures have also been included for use on the game board, but any small token or miniature that will fit on a single space of a WDC tile will do. The choice is yours.
4. Game Board Setup (The Variable Tile System)
Typically the scenario will dictate the tiles, disks and objectives used as well as how they are arranged. When provided follow the instructions. The game board itself will generally follow three patterns:
Fixed – The tiles are laid out in a predetermined manner, they may be face up or hidden (face down).
Random Layout – The tiles required for the scenario may be laid out in no particular order face up or face down. This can be done by one person or by all players.
Draw Pile – The tiles required for the scenario are shuffled and stacked face down. As the players explore the scenario the tiles are drawn and laid out until the draw pile is exhausted.
5. Start with Turn One
Randomly choose a player to begin the game, take their turn and pass to the next player, and so on until the scenario is completed.
Co-operation
First and foremost, WDC is a scenario-based game where the players form a team of investigators or companions of chance focused on solving a mystery. And while the player with the most Victory Points "wins" the scenario, WDC also focuses on co-operation amongst the players. Put simply, one player cannot hope to survive a scenario without teamwork.
And while teamwork may be essential, the players are expected to negotiate, barter, deal and scheme with, or against one another while still working towards a common goal. Short of attacking one another, which is not generally allowed during a scenario, the players may do what they must to succeed.
Where you should draw the line is allowing another player character to get killed. If a player character dies, all the other characters will lose heart and their own chances of survival are reduced considerably (see Health on page 25).
The Dice System
When Darkness Comes… uses a threshold or target number dice system that is somewhat different from most other board games, but if you have ever played Poker or Yahtzee™ you shouldn't have any problems learning this system.
The basic idea is that the better combination of dice, the more likely a particular action will be successful. For example, Four Straight (1, 2, 3, 4) will beat Three of a Kind (4, 4, 4).
The core rules of play are based upon this system, so it will be necessary to learn how to quickly determine the combinations. During the game events will often present you with a Target Number (TN). This is the threshold required to indicate a success or failure.
| TN | Ranking | Combination |
|---|---|---|
| 6H | 1 | Six High |
| 1P | 2 | One Pair |
| 3S | 3 | Three Straight (or an upgraded Two Pair*) |
| 3K | 4 | Three of a Kind |
| 4S | 5 | Four Straight (or an upgraded Full House*) |
| 4K | 6 | Four of a Kind |
| 5S | 7 | Five Straight |
| 5K | 8 | Five of a Kind |
| 6S+ |
* These combinations only count if the player character possesses the skill "Gamble". No die roll is required to upgrade to these combinations.
** These rolls are optional house rules for Opposed Skill Checks only.
Six High - One 6 face up with no Pairs or Straights.
One Pair - Two dice having the same number (3, 3), Two Pair is two pairs of dice (3, 3 and 4, 4 in the same roll).
"X" Straight - The dice follow in order (Three straight, 2, 3, 4).
"X" Of a Kind - The dice all have the same number (3, 3, 3).
Full House - A combination of One Pair and Three Of A Kind in the same roll (4, 4, 6, 6, 6).
Regardless of the possible combinations within a single dice roll, the highest combination possible is the one that counts against the TN.
Player Characters
WDC is a combination of board and role-playing game. To that end, each player will choose an existing character or create one. This Player Character (PC) will become their alter ego when they play the game.
All Player Characters are equipped with 7 Primary Attributes, Willpower, and various optional Skills. Having a high Attribute and a relevant Skill means that a PC is competent in tasks that rely on those Attributes and Skills. Low Attributes or no relevant Skills mean that certain tasks are better left to someone else.
The 7 Primary Attributes and Willpower
Speed (S) Governs movement on the game board.
Attack (A) Represents strength, physicality and combat prowess.
Dexterity/Initiative (Dex) An indication of a PC's reaction time, the ability to manipulate objects and take initiative in combat.
Intelligence (Int) Measures the combination of intellect, intuition and perception.
Persuasion (Pers) The ability to avoid conflict and influence others.
Medical (Med) Covers the ability of a PC to render first aid.
Defense/Health (D) Defines a Player Character's ability to defend in combat as well as a measure of survivability. When a PC's Defense/Health reaches zero, the PC is dead.
Willpower (W)* Best defined as a PC's perseverance, drive, or inner strength to overcome adversity and keep going.
*Willpower is equal to the PC's Health at the start of the game, but is tracked separately.
The set of pre-generated characters provided with the core set are to get a feel for the game. These characters are ready to play in the basic scenarios, but they are not intended for continued use nor are they supposed to be modified. A brief overview of their usefulness follows below:
Brian - Brian uses his muscle rather than his mind. He is the first guy to send towards a tough target, but the last to handle things that require thinking and social skills.
Kirk - Kirk gets in where no one wants you to go. He's very skilled with locks and throwing a quick lie when he needs to. He is also quick, agile, and rather competent in close encounters.
Robert - While Brian and Kirk take the physical approach, Robert likes to solve things by using his mind. He is very aware of his surroundings, and few things gets past his eye.
Sharon - This femme fatale does not excel at any specific skill. Instead, she is capable of taking on a wide variety of challenges by herself. She may use her wits, but is known to use her feminine wiles when confronted.
Steve - Just like Sharon, Steve is capable of taking care of himself, bypassing most things that stand in his way. He is a nice all around character with the best skills in medical aid.
Valerie - Valerie is the most alert character. She is the first to spot danger before it's too late, and she rarely misses an important item. If you give her a firearm she is also capable of taking of taking on tougher opponents.
Creating your own Player Character
A Player Character can be created and improved through playing connected scenarios and campaigns. To create a Player Character, follow this procedure:
1. Choose Attributes
You begin with 20 Attribute points. Divide them between the 7 primary Attributes. Each Primary Attribute can have a value between 2 and 5, distributed as the player chooses. Remember that Willpower will have the same value as Defense/Health.
(Example). Speed: 3, Attack: 2, Dexterity/Initiative: 2, Intelligence: 4, Persuasion: 2, Medical: 3, Defense/Health: 4, Willpower: 4
2. Choose Skills
Using 10 Skill points, spend them to provide the PC an edge in certain tasks. The costs and application of all Skills are detailed in the following section. Skill points can be saved for later use if so desired.
Search 1 (2 points), Lockpick 1 (3 points), Disarm Electronics 2 (4 points), (1 point saved).
3. Items
All characters start with a "Cell Phone" (for communication during the game) that cannot be lost by any means. A scenario may list additional Items given to the characters when the game starts. Additionally, some items might be retained from previous adventures for future use.
4. Name
Choose a name for the character.
"Victor"
Steps 5 through 7 are optional as they do not confer any advantage in the standard WDC game, but they are useful in a campaign run by a Game Master (GM). Twilight Creations published rules provide guidance for GM campaigns.
5. Description
Write a short description of the character.
"A full blown computer nerd"
6. Occupation
Decide the job/occupation/concept of the Player Character. A suggested method is to use the Occupation Table (core rules page 10), roll a d6 and develop a character based on the results.
"Network Engineer"
7. Quote
Come up with a catchy quote for the character.
"This goes against all logic"
Skills
Listed below are all the Skills that are available when creating and maintaining a Player Character. The cost is the Skill Point cost for buying each Skill. A new character has 10 Skill Points to spend.
A Skill with a cost of 1 to 3 Skill Points offers +1d6 on a Skill Check (level 1).
A Skill with a cost of 4 to 6 Skill Points offers +2d6 on a Skill Check (level 2).
Some Skills have only one cost listed. These Skills have a fixed benefit and may not be improved.
A Skill benefit cannot be enhanced by doubling its cost.
A Player Character may improve their Skills by accruing Skill Points. Saved Skill Points may be spent to buy new Skills (pay the cost), or to upgrade existing ones from level 1 to level 2, if that option exists (pay the difference).
Attack
Strength (1 or 2) Cost: 3 or 5 points. The ability to lift heavy objects, over power another person, smash windows and kick in doors.
Ranged Hand Weapons (RHW 1) Cost: 3 points. Throwing hand weapons or objects.
Ranged Mechanical Weapons (RMW 1 or 2) Cost: 3 or 5 points. Using guns, crossbows, flamethrowers, etc.
Martial Arts (2) Cost: 5 points. Any form of skilled unarmed combat.
Hand-To-Hand (HTH 1) Cost: 3 points. Fist fighting or fighting with a hand weapon.
Two-Fisted (2) Cost: 5 points. The ability to make 2 HTH attacks with -2d6 on the second attack. Each attack is a separate Skill Check. This Skill may not be used when Assisting another player.
Dexterity
Sneak (1) Cost: 2 points. Movement without being detected.
Lockpick (1 or 2) Cost: 3 or 5 points. Unlocking things (illegally) without being detected.
Climbing (1) Cost: 2 points. Getting into windows or scaling vertical surfaces.
Pickpocket (1) Cost: 3 points. Steal a small item from another character without being caught.
Driving (1) Cost: 2 points. Operating motorized vehicles.
Disarm (mechanical, 2) Cost: 4 points. Forcibly taking a weapon or item from another character.
Dodge (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Getting out of the way of something. You may use Dexterity + Dodge instead of Defense when defending against an Adversary. If you meet the TN required, you avoid taking Damage but may not attack in the next round. If you beat the TN required, you may make an attack during the next round.
Swimming (1) Cost: 2 points. For those occasions when immersed in water.
Medical
First Aid (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Healing Damage, one Wound per TN level.
Pharmacology (2) Cost: 5 points. Knowledge of antidotes and cures.
Intelligence
Search (1) Cost: 2 points. Looking for things.
Gamble (2, passive skill) Cost: 4 points. Player may upgrade 2 Pair to a 3 Straight or a Full House to a 4 Straight. This Skill can be applied once each turn and is not considered an Action.
Tracking (1) Cost: 3 points. Following the trail or path of a NPC or another Player Character.
General Knowledge (2) Cost: 4 points. Everyday type of information.
Occult Knowledge (2) Cost: 5 points. Informed about the supernatural.
Disarm (2) Cost: 4 points. Keeping alarms or bombs from going off.
Scrounge (2) Cost: 4 points. Locating needed items to make things.
Perception (1 or 2) Cost: 3 or 5 points. Ability to sense and interpret something out of the ordinary.
Persuasion*
Threaten (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Showing an intention to do harm.
Beg (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. To ask earnestly for something.
Bargain (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Maximizing your benefit from a transaction.
Flirt (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Using wiles to influence someone.
Bribe (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. A promise made in order to influence others.
Bluff (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Deceiving others for your benefit.
Distraction (1 or 2) Cost: 2 or 4 points. Redirecting attention elsewhere.
Leadership (2) Cost: 4 points. Getting others to do what you say.
Animal Handling (2) Cost: 4 points. Influencing animals.
*The board game (or Standard) version of WDC does not differentiate between the effectiveness of most form of persuasion. Common sense and mutual agreement should resolve any odd situations.
Skill Checks
In most cases when a Player Character must take action, the player rolls a number of dice according to his or her Attribute and attempts to reach as high a TN combination as possible.
Sometimes they will attempt to take on something they have extra knowledge with (Skills), a useful piece of equipment (Items) or hopefully both.
There are two types of dice rolls used to determine success or failure in a given situation. The first and most common is the Skill Check, the second type is the Opposed Skill Check.
Skill Check: A dice roll to succeed at a given task or challenge. With this roll the character tries to match or beat the given TN for the specific Action. Regardless of the task, only the applicable Attribute, up to one relevant Skill and up to one relevant Item may be used on a single Skill Check.
On a dice roll against a lock with TN of 2 (1P), Kirk combines his Dexterity (4) with his Lockpick (1); Kirk rolls a total of 5d6 in an attempt to beat the lock. This should be a piece of cake.
Opposed Skill Check: A roll versus the roll of another Player Character. The player with the highest result "wins". This is the only time when the value of the rolled combinations count. For example, a double five beats a double four. If the result is tied, both opponents re-roll their dice.
Kirk does not believe Sharon is worthy of her newly found shotgun, so he will attempt to take it from her. He rolls his Attack (3) while Sharon uses her Attack (2) to hold on to the item. Neither of the characters has Strength to help them, so Sharon needs some luck if she want to keep her shotgun. Kirk rolls a double five, while Sharon rolls a double four. Sharon must give Kirk her shotgun and Kirk also inherits her Victory Points (covered later).
Assistance
If a player is concerned that a particular Skill Check may prove too difficult for their character to succeed at they can look to their Allies or other nearby Player Characters for Assistance, which is referred to during the game as a Re-Roll. The criteria for Assistance are as follows:
- Allies under the control of the Active Player will automatically help if possible.
- Other players must be asked and agree to help (or be coerced) prior to the Active Player making the initial Skill Check.
- To Assist the Active Player, an Assisting character must be within 3 squares of the Active Character. If the Active Player can convince the nearby player character to lend Assistance, that character's miniature is moved onto the same square as the Active Player's character.
- The Active Player then makes the initial Skill Check with the added benefit of a Re-Roll (if needed).
- Player Characters within Line Of Sight (LOS) of a face down Disk cannot Assist (see LOS page 14).
- Assistance cannot be given to Movement Checks, Perception or Ranged Attacks.
Re-Rolls
(Assistant's Attribute + Skill = the number of dice the Acting Player character may Re-Roll once) Assistance is the opportunity to Re-Roll dice to adjust the TN during a Skill Check as follows:
- A character may Re-Roll a number of dice equal to the Attribute + Skill of the Assisting character; however,
- In the event that the Assisting character has more Skill than the Active player, the Acting player cannot Re-Roll more dice than the original roll.
- The Active player may only Re-Roll one set of dice once per Assistant.
- Any number of characters and up to one Ally may lend Assistance during a single Skill Check, but each Assisting set of Re-Rolls is done consecutively.
Valerie runs into a particularly unfriendly security guard. Her friend Sharon followed her into the building and offers to help get rid of him. Valerie gladly accepts, offering one of the Victory Points if they are successful. Sharon's miniature is moved next to the miniature of Valerie.
Valerie rolls her Persuasion (3) against the guard and gets double twos and a three. This is not enough to impress the guard. However, Sharon's Persuasion (3) + Flirt (1) allows Valerie to Re-Roll up to all 3 dice and have an extra chance to convince the guard that they belong there. She re-rolls one of the twos in hopes of getting a one or a four, and gets a one resulting in a Three Straight (3S) (TN 3). She gains three Victory Points and gives one to Sharon, leaving her with two Victory Points.
The Variable Tile System
In each scenario the game board consists of a group of tiles, with each tile representing an area where the scenario unfolds. When a new game is started, at least one tile should be placed on the table, with all participating players miniatures placed on the board. Each square on a tile counts as one space.
The Lock symbols in front of the doors of buildings indicate the TN required to enter the building without creating suspicion. When attempting to enter a building through a window, the required TN is one less than the nearest door Lock TN.
Some tiles have other tiles that are associated with them, for example the school is composed of 2 tiles. When one of the tiles is drawn, the other one is immediately added to that tile, forging the complete school. The second floor of the hotel is placed off to the side of the game board. To reach the second floor a player needs to place his character on the stairwell or elevator square. After that their movement will continue upon the stairwell or elevator square on the second floor. Note that no player may enter the street directly from the upper floor.
When playing the scripted scenarios provided by Twilight Creations, the following tiles are considered to be "scenario specific locations" and are not supposed to be used unless stated in the scenario setup documentation. When playing scenarios with random tile assignments, these tiles are removed and set aside:
- The Cabin
- The Cave
- The High School (2 tiles)
- The Hotel (both floors)
- The Mansion
- The Woods
- The Magic Shop (if magic is part of the scenario)
Placing Tiles
Some scenarios may contradict the following rules. In these cases the scenario will take precedence.
When a player's movement takes their miniature outside one of the tiles, a new tile is added to the current game board, and thus the explored parts of the environment will grow until the mission is over. The Active Player is the one that draws the new tile and decides in which way it should be added to the existing board. If no new tiles are available, a player may not move their character off the table.
When placing a new tile, place one face down Encounter Disk, from the pool of Disks specified for the scenario, on all squares with an "?", and (if applicable) a face down Orange Disk (Outside Obstacle) upon all squares with an "!". The player who drew the tile decides how the Disks are distributed, but may not look at them.
While the specific orientation of the tile is up to the player placing the tile, the tile must line up against at least 1 other tile completely (no diagonals, no parallel universes, no single space entry).
Encounter Disks
During their adventures the Player Characters will run into all manner of challenges. The various Encounter Disks represent the people and objects that populate each scenario. People and creatures represented by Encounter Disks are referred to as Non-Player Characters (NPC's). They may be controlled by the GM or have scenario specific reactions to the Player Characters. This section introduces each type of Encounter Disk and the typical manner in which they interact with the player.
Adversaries (Red Disks)
(Profile: Initiative, Attack, Defense, Speed)
Adversaries represent the evil that roams the cities, your foes during each scenario. When an Adversary is Encountered, and the PC is unable to avoid its notice or willingly attempts to combat it, the Adversary is moved onto the same square as the PC's miniature and combat ensues. (See page 21 for the Combat Sequence).
After Steve took a step into the living room he sensed the foul odor of a rotting corpse. A hissing sound was heard to his immediate left. A zombie shambled towards him blocking his path. Steve prepared to defend himself...
Security (Green Disks)
(Profile: TN, Initiative, Attack, and Defense)
When Security is encountered, the Player Characters may have gone too far, probably entering a building they should not have. Security Encounters are similar to facing Adversaries except that they can be Persuaded or circumvented (which is to the PC's advantage) or they can be defeated in combat (which is not good). (A detailed procedure upon how to deal with Security is described in the Actions section on page 18).
Allies (Yellow Disks)
(Profile: TN, Positive Attribute Effect)
Allies are potentially friendly and useful NPC's that may assist Player Characters on their adventures. They do not initially trust the Player Characters and must be convinced to join them and help. If you successfully Persuade an Ally to assist you they tag along with you and offer aid as noted on the Encounter Disk. Allies may be used in the following manner:
- During a Skill Check an Ally that offers aid for the relevant Attribute allows the PC to Re-Roll "X" number of dice as indicated on the Disk.
- There is no limit upon the number of Allies you may have with you, but you may only use one per turn during a Skill Check.
- An Ally and any Assisting Player Characters can be used in any consecutive order.
- During Combat, an Ally may be sacrificed to prevent 1 point of Damage to the Player Character. The Ally is then discarded and the character receives a Failure Disk (this is not good...).
Nuisances (Grey Disks)
(Profile: Negative Attribute Effect)
While Allies are not always useful, Nuisances never are. As soon as one of these is Encountered, they will instantly become your "Ally". As long as a Player Character has a Nuisance they must Re-Roll their "best" die whenever a Skill Check is made that uses the relevant Attribute specified on the Nuisance disk. There is one exception: A Nuisance does not affect the Re-Rolls on a Skill Check when Assisting another Player Character.
There are two ways to get rid of a Nuisance:
- In combat, you may throw them in front of an opponent to absorb 1 point of Damage. If you decide to do this, discard the Nuisance, but take one Failure Disk.
- As an Action, you may tape them up with Duct Tape, if you can find it. Discard the Nuisance and earn 3 Victory Points (Yes, hog-tying an annoying local is a good thing...).
Valerie must deal with a particularly annoying kid that just refuses to go away. When a zombie attacks her, his annoyance becomes outright dangerous. She rolls a Defense of three five's (3K), but due to the kid's distraction (Defense Rolls), she must Re-Roll one of the fives to attempt to roll another five. She fails, and the zombie lands an ugly claw mark over her arm. Ouch!
Items (Blue Disks)
(Profile: TN, Bonus, Weight)
Items add a bonus, or extra number of d6, to certain Skill Checks as specified on their Disk. When an Item is first Encountered, it is not yet found and you must Search for it. If you succeed you may pick the Item up and place it in your inventory to use it whenever you like. If you fail, you must Reshuffle (see page 13).
- Unless specified elsewhere, you may only use 1 Item during a Skill Check.
- All Items can be used as many times as you'd like, except for the Shotgun that may only be used three times. Thrown Items must be picked up before they can be used again.
Face-up Item Disks do not need to be found with a Skill Check. If multiple Items are on the same square the Player Character may use their Action and pick up one Item per turn. The Item is automatically added to your inventory.
Robert 'senses' that there might be a shotgun in the café. He rolls his Intelligence (4) to find it, and must reach a total of Three Of A Kind. Success! Robert puts the shotgun in his inventory. He may now use the shotgun in combat, and count it towards his Victory Points.
Carry Weight Limit (WT)
A character may carry Items up to a weight of 5 without difficulty. The Carry Weight of each item is noted on the Item Disk. When a character attempts to pick up Items past the allotted 5, they must make a Skill Check on their Attack + Strength. For each TN level, they may carry one extra point of carry weight. However, this roll must be made each time a new Item is picked up. If you fail the Skill Check (get a score less than the excess weight of the Items you try to carry), you must leave the excess weight on the square currently occupied by the miniature.
Brian already carries an arsenal of miscellaneous weapons and equipment and he has now found an extra flashlight that he would like to carry. He currently has a Carry Weight of 5, and must roll his Attack (5) + Strength (1) and score at least a Six High (6H) (TN 1) to carry the flashlight. With his 6 dice it's not a problem. He will likely be able to carry a lot more weight without worrying about dropping it all.
Important Note: Allies and Items that are stolen, thrown or dropped, regardless of cause or effect, cannot be re-claimed by the former owner for 1 turn (loose it on turn 2 wait till turn 4 to reclaim it). This represents indecision, fumbling around and surprise on the part of the Player Character.
Magic Components (Brown Disks)
(Profile: TN, Type)
This is a sub-class of Items that should only be included when Magic is used in the game. Like normal Items you Search for them using your Intelligence + Search. If you succeed you may pick the Disk and place it in your inventory and use it later in the scenario (see the Magic section on page 23).
Outside Obstacles (Orange Disks)
(Profile: TN, Negative Skill Check Effect)
Not necessarily an individual, Outside Obstacles are things that cannot be bypassed without a hassle. Orange Discs are kept in a separate pool and are always placed on road spaces with an "!" (unless the scenario states otherwise).
Conditions (Purple Disks)
Unlike the other Disks, Purple Disks are not added to the Disk pile. Purple Disks are only meant to track the conditions of characters, doors and windows.
Scenario Variables (Black Disks)
The Black Disks with numbers are not normally added to the Disk pile. Black Disks are only used when they are specifically listed in the scenario setup.
Reshuffling Disks
While it's great to find Items and Allies during the course of the game, players are not always successful in acquiring them.
Whenever a Player Character is unable to match the TN of an Ally, Item or Security, all of the face down Disks on the same tile the character currently occupies (including the failed Encounter) are Reshuffled and randomly placed back on the "?" spaces by the player. At times, Adversaries may need to be Reshuffled, but only as a specific result due to certain Actions (See Encounter Actions page 17).
Disks that are face-up, face down on "!" squares, Outside Obstacles, or noted in the scenario as having a fixed location are never reshuffled.
The Turn Sequence
The sequence of each player's turn is variable depending on the events of the previous turn and their immediate surroundings. Within these guidelines the player may be able to structure the turn as they see fit or they may be obliged to resolve the situation their character is in.
Whenever a player starts their turn, the player will perform the following steps:
- Check the Line Of Sight to all face down Encounter Disks. If any are in range the Player Character must use their Action to Encounter the Disk and then move (if possible). If no face down Disk is within the Line of Sight go to step 2.
- Choose to forfeit the turn and make a Medical Attribute Skill Check that will Heal one Health point per TN level (up to the starting value); or choose to forfeit the turn to regain 1 Willpower point (up to the starting value); OR
- Make a Speed Attribute Skill Check to determine the Player Character's Movement Points (remember to check the Fate die)*.
- Apply the rules for Fate (if applicable).
- Choose to move their miniature and then perform an Action; or choose to perform an Action and then move their miniature.
- After completing all movement, check the Line Of Sight to all face down Encounter Disks. If there is one within range and the player still has an available Action they must Encounter the Disk.
* When rolling for movement one die must be of a different color from all the others. This die which is red in the core set, is referred to as the Fate die. Regardless if the TN result, if the Fate die result is a 1 or 6 the hand of fate has additional effects on the Player Character for that turn.
Determine the effect of Fate using the appropriate table ("Oh Crap!" or "Woohoo!") before resolving the rest of the turn. (Refer to the Fate section on Page 15).
Movement Roll
(Speed TN + current Health = Movement Points) – Environmental Conditions x Terrain Type = Movement)
The TN result is added to the characters current Health and this total is referred to as the character's Movement Points.
Using Movement Points the players move their characters around the game board observing the following rules:
- Regardless of any modifiers, a players Movement can never be modified to less than one square.
- There are no "stacking" limitations on the squares. Any number of Characters and Disks may occupy the same square.
- You may stop your Movement whenever you like. You don't need to move at all, however:
- You may not Move diagonally.
- You may not Move through walls, but you may move through fences (obstructed terrain).
- Once you enter a building, your Movement ends.
- You may never pass over a Disk that is face down. You must stop and Encounter it.
- If you use an Action before Moving and you land on a face down Disk, or end your Move within the LOS of a face down Disk, the Disk is not flipped over until your next turn.
- You may not Move, take an Action and then Move again.
The following modifiers are applied to the Movement Point result. The Environmental Conditions are applied prior to the Terrain Type:
| Environment | Movement Effect |
|---|---|
| Day Time | none |
| Light Rain/Dusk | -1 Movement Point without flashlight |
| Heavy Rain/Night Time | -2 Movement Points without flashlight |
| Terrain | Movement Effect |
|---|---|
| Streets/Open Areas | Doubled |
| Buildings/Obstructed Terrain | Normal |
| Woods | Half (rounded up) |
Line of Sight
(Terrain Type - Environmental Conditions)
The distance to an Adversary or object, intervening terrain, time of day and the weather affect how far a character can see and if they can be seen. This is referred to as the Line Of Sight (LOS).
In open terrain the LOS requires a Player Character to Encounter the closest Disk within 4 squares of their position, but Terrain and Environment may reduce the LOS.
The following modifiers affect the LOS; note that the Terrain Type dictates the maximum LOS and the Environmental Conditions modify that distance:
| Terrain | Line of Sight |
|---|---|
| Streets/Open Areas | 4 squares |
| Buildings/Obstructed Terrain | 2 squares |
| Woods | 1 square |
| Environment | Line of Sight |
|---|---|
| Day Time | no penalty |
| Light Rain/Dusk | -1 square without light/flashlight |
| Heavy Rain/Night Time | -2 squares without light/flashlight |
Regardless of the Terrain or Environment LOS cannot be reduced below 1 no matter how dark and wooded your surroundings are.
- Characters can see through open doorways and windows, but not through walls, characters or face-up Encounter Disks that represent a person or creature.
- Characters with an Action remaining must Encounter the closest Disk that is within their LOS at the end of their Movement.
- If the character does not have an Action when their Movement ends with a Disk within the LOS, the Disk must be flipped over their next turn.
- If there is more than one Disk the exact same distance from the character, each Disk is Encountered, but not in the same turn.
- The player chooses which Disk to Encounter first before flipping any of them.
- Immediately after that Encounter, they must Encounter the next Disk on the next turn, and so on, until all of the Disks have been Encountered, prior to Moving.
- During this multiple Encounter the Movement Skill Check and possible Fate effects are still performed each turn.
- You may not forfeit in the face of multiple Encounters.
- Player characters within the LOS of a face down Disk cannot Assist (see Assistance page 9).
Fate
Roll 2d6 on each table as needed, before Movement or Actions are taken, and apply the result. If you cannot do what the result tells you to do (example: if you roll a 4 but there are no Allies present) nothing happens and your turn continues.
"Oh Crap!"
(Result of one on the Fate die results in a 2d6 roll on the "Oh Crap!" table)
| 2d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | All of your Target Numbers are increased by 1 until your next turn. |
| 3 | Give 1 Item to any other player |
| 4 | Give 1 Ally to any other player |
| 5 | Your next door is locked no matter what you roll |
| 6 | Give 2 Victory Points to any other character |
| 7 | You can't move off your present tile until next turn |
| 8 | Your Movement is halved for this turn |
| 9 | Lose the rest of your turn |
| 10 | Gain 1 Failure Disk |
| 11 | Take 1 Damage Disk every time you move until healed by another character |
| 12 | Your next Skill Check fails |
"WooHoo!"
(Result of six of the Fate die results in a 2d6 roll on the "WooHoo!" table)
| 2d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | All of your Target Numbers are lowered by 1 until your next turn |
| 3 | Steal 1 (random) Item from any other player without an Opposition Roll |
| 4 | Steal 1 (random) Ally from any other player without an Opposition Roll |
| 5 | Your next door is unlocked |
| 6 | Steal 1 Victory Point from all other characters |
| 7 | Look at all Disks on any one tile already in play |
| 8 | Your Movement is doubled for this turn |
| 9 | Take another turn |
| 10 | Lose 1 Failure Disk |
| 11 | Lose 1 Damage Disk |
| 12 | Your next Skill Check is an automatic success (excluding Perception and Movement). |
Communication
As mentioned in the Player Character Creation section each PC is equipped with a "cell phone". To be more precise, the device in question is whatever you need for suspension of disbelief to talk with everyone at the table while playing WDC. Regardless of positioning on the map and whose turn it is all of the players can converse and discuss the scenario unless the GM (if you have one) says otherwise.
Actions
Actions are the choices a character makes in response to the situations that they are confronted with. Some Actions are compulsory, some are optional based on a root decision, and some are completely discretionary.
The key to any of these Actions is the limitation that only one Action can be taken each turn. Players are advised to carefully plan out each turn prior to committing to an Action.
Enter a locked building
Typically, at the start of a scenario, every building is locked tight, both doors and windows. To enter the building you need to lockpick the door or window, force the door open or smash a window. Regardless how you do it, once you enter a building, your Movement ends.
- Opening a door from the inside of a building is free, and does not require an Action. You need to have your character miniature placed on the square adjacent to a doorway opening to the outside.
- During their turn, as an Action, a character standing adjacent to an open doorway may Invite other characters, outside the building, to enter if they are within 3 squares of the door. If they accept, they are immediately moved to the same adjacent square.
- All intact doors and windows are considered to be open for the duration of the Active Player's turn, but they automatically lock themselves at the end of that players turn.
- Doors and windows that are forced open remain open for the duration of the scenario.
Lock picking (door or window)
Door: (Dexterity + Lockpick vs. the TN of the door lock)
Window: (Dexterity + Lockpick vs. the TN of the closest door -1)
If you are successful, the lock opens. If you are in front of a door you move the miniature onto the door square. If you have unlocked a window you may attempt to climb through it next turn.
Sharon knows how to get past a locked door with a TN of 2 (1P); by adding her Lockpick (1) to her Dexterity (3) she may roll 4 dice to attempt to unlock the door. She scores a Pair, which is enough to get past the lock (place Sharon's miniature on the door square). Now she can Invite her friends into the building. Valerie and Steve are Invited to enter the building. Valerie is nearby (less than 3 squares) so her miniature is placed in the door square next to Sharon. Steve is on the other side of the building, so he will need to move around the building or find his own way to enter.
Forcing a door or smashing a window
Door: (Attack + Strength + Crowbar vs. the TN of the door lock)
Window: (Attack + Strength + Crowbar vs. the TN of the closest door -1)
If you are successful, you have opened the door or window but created a great deal of noise in doing so. You gain one Failure Disk (see Failure on page 25). Place a "No Door" or "No Window" disk on the space with the broken opening. If you are in front of a door you move the miniature onto the door square. If you have broken a window you may attempt to climb through it next turn.
Entering through a window
(Dexterity + Climbing vs. the TN of the closest door -1)
This Action may only be attempted if an open window is available. If successful the miniature is placed on the window square.
Perception check
(Intelligence + Perception + Talisman, TN result=X number of face down Disks that can be examined)
Inside a building you can get a sense of the surroundings. You may look at "X" number of face down Disks in the building, where X is equal to the TN result of the Skill Check. You do not need to tell the other players what you've seen.
- You may 'sense' Disks through walls, LOS rules do not apply.
- You do not sense anything on the streets outside the building.
- Each PC may only roll Perception once per building.
- After a Perception Check the Disks within the building are Reshuffled.
Valerie fears that the building contains at least one zombie out of 3 face down Disks. She rolls for Intelligence (3) + Perception (1) and scores a 3S (TN 3). Valerie can now take a look at all the three Disks and determine what she is up against. If her fears are confirmed, she may even warn her friends about the threat she faces. (The Disks in the building are Reshuffled,) She knows it's in here, but where?
Finding and turning on a light source inside a building
(Intelligence + Search + Flashlight, TN 2 or 1P)
If it's dark, players may wish to turn on a light source. They may search by standing on any interior square and making the required Skill Check. If the roll is unsuccessful the building remains dark. If they are successful the building will remain lighted for the entire scenario unless a player deliberately turns the lights off.
Healing
(Medical + First Aid + Med-Kit, TN result=X number of Damage Disks removed)
To Heal another character you need to be on the same square as they are. The TN result of the Skill Check determines the number of Damage Disks removed from the PC. You cannot use this Action on your own PC.
Robert took a severe beating against the vampire. His friend, Kirk arrives to treat his wounds. He rolls his Medical (2) + First Aid (1) and rolls a 6H. Robert can now remove one of his Damage Disks and Kirk adds another Victory Point to his collection.
Casting a Spell
(Intelligence + Occult Knowledge + Magic Component vs. the TN of the Spell)
Refer to the specific requirements for Spell Casting in the Magic section of the rules (page 23).
Encounter Actions
Encountering an Ally
(Persuasion + Bargain, Bluff, Bribe, Flirt or Threaten + Money vs. Ally TN)
In order to gain the trust of an Ally you must convince them of your intentions. Each Ally can be Persuaded to help and if you succeed, you may pick the Ally up and place it in your inventory. If you fail, you must Reshuffle the Disk (see Reshuffling page 13) and take a Failure Disk.
Encountering a Nuisance
Unlike any other Encounter a Nuisance, once within LOS, cannot be avoided. The Nuisance is automatically attached to you until you can get rid of them. This counts as your Action for the turn. (For details on Nuisances, and how to rid yourself of them, see pages 11 and 20).
Security Encounters
If you decide to encounter a Security Disk you have the following options for each type:
- Alarm - Intelligence + Disarm, note: You may not Retreat or Sneak from an Alarm.
- Security Guard - Persuasion + Bargain, Bluff, Bribe, Flirt or Threaten + Money, or engage in combat*
- Owner - Persuasion + Bargain, Bluff, Bribe, Flirt or Threaten + Money, or engage in combat*
- Dog - Persuasion + Animal Handling, or engage in combat*
* If combat occurs, you will only go one round of combat. (Combat is described in detail in the Combat Section, page 21).
If you successfully deal with the Security the Disk is added to your pile of Victory Points, and you may continue the mission in peace. If you engage in combat and win, you do not gain any Victory Points. Instead you receive a Failure Disk and discard the Security Disk.
If you fail to convince the Security of your good intentions, you are forced to leave the building.
- All characters in the building are immediately moved to the square outside the closest door.
- The character that encountered the Security instantly gains one Failure Disk. The Security Disk is Reshuffled with the rest of the Disks inside that building (see Reshuffling Disks page 13).
Sneaking past an opponent
(Dexterity + Sneak vs. opponent's Initiative)
Once an NPC Disk, other than a Nuisance, is flipped (LOS), a character may try to Sneak past it. If successful Reshuffle the Disks. The player may Move if they have not already. If they cannot Move they must Encounter the new Disk on the next turn. They may of course attempt to Sneak against the new Disk and then Move. On an unsuccessful roll, or if you do not wish to Sneak at all, you must deal with the Encountered NPC.
On the start of his turn, master thief Kirk attempts to get past a guard undetected. He rolls his Dexterity (4) against the guard, attempting to get One Pair listed on the guard Disk. He rolls 2/3/4/4. That is enough to go past the guard unseen. The guard is flipped upside down, and Reshuffled with the rest of the Disks inside the building. Since Kirk has not moved yet he can now move away from the situation and avoid the guard.
Fleeing/Retreating
(Speed vs. Adversaries Speed or Security's Initiative)
Characters aren't always eager to take on their worst nightmares, especially if the Adversary is stronger. If successful:
- The PC may move their miniature away from Adversary/Security a number of squares equal to the TN result. You automatically lose 1 Willpower point when fleeing from an opponent.
- If you have not moved yet, you may move again using your Movement Points.
- As long as one PC is in contact with an opponent, that opponent will not pursue a fleeing PC.
Then move the Adversary/Security Disk a number of squares equal to their Speed/Initiative respectively. Now check LOS. If the opponent is within LOS of the PC move the Disk onto the same square as the miniature. Combat will begin next turn.
- If the Disk is beyond the LOS Reshuffle the Disk with the other face down Disks in the building the Encounter started in.
- During the character's next Movement Check, a character that has Fled and Moved must halve their Movement Points due to exhaustion.
Finding an Item (face down Item Disk)
(Intelligence + Search + Flashlight vs. Item TN)
Just because a shotgun is in the room doesn't mean it's in plain view. When an Item is flipped it must be Searched for. If the PC is successful the Item is automatically placed in their inventory for use. If unsuccessful the Item is Reshuffled (Reshuffling disks page 13). If the Item causes the PC's Carry Weight limit to be exceeded, check to see if they can manage the extra weight. This Check is not an Action. (Carry Weight Limit on page 12).
Outside Obstacle Encounters
(Attribute + Skill vs. TN as specified on Disk)
When an Orange Disc is revealed (Line Of Sight) it is not instantly Encountered. Instead you Encounter it if you need to move over the Obstacle, or any square adjacent to the Disk. If Encountered use an Action and take the appropriate Skill Check.
- If you fail, you must keep the Disk until you attempt the Skill noted on the Disk, at which time you take a -1 die penalty. Once the penalty is taken, the Disk is discarded into the Outside Obstacle Disk pool.
- If the Obstacle Skill Check is successful, discard it into the Outside Obstacle Disk pool and score Victory Points equal to the TN. Note that an Obstacle stays on its "!" square until it is Encountered. It is never moved unless someone Encounters it and is never Reshuffled with the other Disks on the tile).
- Flipping an Obstacle within LOS still counts as an Action, but as noted above does not automatically require a Skill Check. Basically allowing you go around the Obstacle if you choose not to encounter it.
A team of particularly annoying journalists (TN 3S Persuasion + Bluff) pesters Kirk. He rolls Persuasion (2) + Bluff (1), a total of 3 dice and scores a Pair, not enough to make them go away. They are now placed next to his character inventory. On his next turn, he Encounters a zombie. During the combat sequence he must roll one less die. At the end of the turn the Outside Obstacle Disk is discarded into the Outside Obstacle Disk pool, and he no longer takes a penalty.
Ranged Attacks
(Attack + RMW or RHW + weapon + range modifier vs. target Defense TN)
When an Adversary or Security NPC is flipped within the Line Of Sight, a PC with a ranged weapon may fire a shot at them before close combat occurs. The number of dice used depends upon the weapon used and the distance from the monster. To find the number of dice, use the following table:
Distance Bonus for Ranged Weapons (X=range to target, in squares)
| Range | Sniper Rifle | Shotgun | Crossbow | Pistol | Edged RHW | Blunt RHW |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | +3d6 | unable to fire | +2d6 | +1d6 | 0 |
| 1 | 0 | +2d6 | +2d6 | +1d6 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | +2d6 | +1d6 | +1d6 | 0 | -1d6 | out of range |
| 3 | +2d6 | 0 |
- You can shoot through windows and open doors, but not walls or closed doors.
- You may not Assist someone else in a ranged attack.
- Several ranges listed lie beyond the rules governing LOS. These ranges are available for targeting NPC's that are face-up or within the normal LOS of at least 1 Player Character.
- If an Adversary survives the attack it will move at its Speed towards the shooter and attempt to attack. A PC may not move away until the Adversary has completed this move.
- If several PC's or NPC's occupy the same square as the target and the attack misses, randomly select one PC or NPC as the victim of stray fire. Resolve the Damage immediately.
- When you defeat an Adversary with a ranged attack you do not gain Victory Points for the Adversaries Attack TN, just their Defense TN.
Actions that require an Opposed Skill Check
Stealing Items
(Attack + Strength or Dexterity + Disarm vs. Attack + Strength, or Dexterity + Pickpocket vs. Intelligence + Perception)
Sometimes taking something from someone else is a matter of skill or finesse, other times pure brute force is all that is required. Whichever method you choose, your success is your fellow PC's loss. You gain the use of the Item, put it in your inventory, and get used to the looks of animosity from across the table.
Stealing an Ally
(Persuasion + relevant Skill + Money vs. same)
If you really need the Cop (Ally 7) currently helping your buddy, you've got to get his attention. Tell him your side of the story. Your fellow PC will do the same to keep the Ally. If successful the Ally will join you. Place them in your inventory.
Actions that do not require a Skill Check
Duct Tape
Duct tape can fix many things; if possible you should never be without it. In WDC there is one main use for it. It takes an Action to perform this purpose:
You can use the duct tape to hog-tie a Nuisance and rid yourself of their company without incurring the negative opinion of the locals; this action gains you 3 Victory Points and discards the Nuisance.
Give, Receive, Drop, or Pick-up an Item (or an Ally)
Giving, receiving, dropping, and picking up an Item or Ally counts as an Action, but none of these choices require a Skill Check. A character may give or receive an Item or Ally if they are standing in the same square as another PC. Giving or receiving an Item only counts as an Action for the Active Player.
A character may also drop and leave an Item on the ground to pick up later if needed, or for another character to pick up. The Item is placed on the board face up.
Important Note: Regardless of the situation, an Ally must be re-Persuaded before a player can claim them.
Inviting another Character into a Building
During their turn, as an Action, a character standing adjacent to an open doorway may Invite other characters, outside the building, to enter if they are within 3 squares of the door. If they accept, they are immediately moved to the same adjacent square (see page 16 for more details).
A Note about Passive Skills
Passive Skills are always considered 'active' and do not require Actions.
Gamble
During an Opposed Skill Check, Gamble allows a player who rolls Two Pair (2P) to upgrade the result to a Three Straight (3S), or a Full House to a Four Straight (4S).
Additional scenario-specific actions
This section is here to remind you that the Scenario itself may allow or require certain actions that are not generally available to the Player Characters. Read each Scenario carefully to see if these situations are present.
Combat
Combat occurs when a player character occupies the same square as an opponent, typically an Adversary. Regardless of the opponent combat is conducted using the following sequence:
Roll for Initiative
(Dexterity against opponent's Initiative TN)
Initiative is rolled each turn you are in contact with an opponent, before any attacks are resolved. If you meet or beat the TN, you may attack first or choose to retreat. Otherwise the opponent attacks first.
Option: Retreat Action (after winning Initiative check)
(Movement check against opponent's Speed TN)
(See the rules for a Retreat Action on page 18). If you outpace an Adversary or Security they are turned face down and Reshuffled. (See Reshuffling on page 13).
Engaging in combat
Depending on the Initiative order a PC performs all of the dice rolls in order to resolve the combat using the opponent's relevant Attribute as the TN. Engaging in combat, which lasts 3 rounds counts as the PC's Action for the turn.
Attack (Attack + Combat Skill + Weapon vs. opponent's Defense TN)
Opponents often only have 1 Health, so they go down after a successful attack.
Defend (Defense vs. opponent's Attack TN)
A failed result indicates a Wound. PCs track their Damage by taking a Damage Disk (Purple).
Dodge (option) (Dexterity + Dodge vs. opponent's Attack TN)
You can always choose to roll your Dexterity against an opponent's Attack TN. However, if you successfully Dodge an attack, but do not exceed the TN level required, you may not make an attack the next round of combat. If you exceed the TN level required, you may attack as normal your next round of combat.
Summary of a Combat Turn (3 rounds)
- Determine the Initiative
- If the PC wins the Initiative, the PC may choose to:
- Attempt Retreat, if unsuccessful opponent attacks first in each round of combat; OR
- Attack first in each round of combat
- If the opponent wins Initiative:
- The opponent attacks first in each round of combat
- If the PC wins the Initiative, the PC may choose to:
- Perform 1 full Combat round
- Attack as per Initiative result, winner goes first, loser Defends
- Resolve any Damage
- Discard any Ally, Nuisance or Summoned creature (spell) used to absorb 1 Damage
- Any Player Character that is Wounded gains 1 Damage Disk, an Assisting character can take a Wound for the player in combat if so desired by the Assisting player
- If a PC's Health drops to zero, they are killed, combat ends.
- Any Wounded Adversary or Security is killed and combat ends, unless specified otherwise
- After resolving any Damage., the side that lost Initiative Attacks and the winner Defends.
- Resolve any Damage as noted above
- If a surviving opponent is a Security Disk the combat is over after 1 full round.
- Repeat this procedure as required through 3 full rounds of combat
- If both sides are still engaged after 3 rounds a new combat turn begins next turn.
Combat Example
Combat Specialist Brian encounters a Strong Zombie (Adversary 5), one of the tougher Adversaries on the block. Brian does not have the ability to Sneak past this monster, so he uses his Action to attempt a ranged attack with his handgun instead.
One shot is fired towards the Zombie that stands 2 squares away. Attack (4) + Handgun (2) - range (2) = 4d6. Brian overestimated his enemy because there is no way he can reach a 4S with only 3 dice! The Zombie advances towards Brian... (Place the Zombie on Brian's Square)
Initiative: At the start of the next turn, Brian rolls for Initiative. Brian rolls his Dexterity/Initiative (3), 4/5/5, which fails to meet or beat the Zombies Initiative TN (3S). The zombie will attack first in each round of combat.
Round One: Brian needs to Defend himself against the Zombie's Attack TN (3S). He does not have the skill "Dodge", and his Dexterity is not as good as his Defense, so he chooses Defense (4). He rolls a Pair, which fails and the Zombie rips the flesh from his chest leaving a nasty wound. Brian takes a Damage Disk and places it on his character sheet.
Now it is Brian's turn to attack. He may use his Attack (4) + HTH (1) which gives him 5d6 or his Attack (4) + Handgun (2), or 6d6. Naturally he picks his handgun. He rolls his Attack (6d6). He needs to roll a 4S or higher to win. Unfortunately, it's not that easy. Brian rolls 2/3/3/4/4, and misses his target.
Round Two: Again the Zombie attacks first. Brian rolls his Defense (current Defense/Health 3), this time reduced by one because of the damage he took last turn. He rolls a 6H (oops!) and the Zombie claws his shoulder. Brian has started to take severe damage now (Defense/Health 2). Brian grabs the dice, hopes for a good roll, and attacks again (6d6)... 2/3/3/4/5/6. That's a 5 Straight! Relieved, Brian picks the Zombie disk from the table and adds him to his collection of Victory Points (8 VP).
Combat Ends.
Next turn he asks Steve to help him with his wounds. Steve rolls his Medical (3) + First Aid (1) and scores a Pair. That's enough to remove all the Damage Disks from Brian. Steve receives two Victory Points for the trouble.
Magic
Besides gruesome creatures, there are other secrets lost to man that the characters may uncover during their adventures. A noteworthy one is the art of Magic.
Magic can be used by all characters, but usually requires a belief or understanding of the Occult so as to not blatantly fail. In addition to a familiarity with the unknown, Magic requires Components that may be found around the city. The Brown Encounter Disks symbolize Magical Components, each Disk representing one single use Item. The available Components are:
- Animal Components
- Candle/Flame
- Crystal
- Incense
- Minerals
- Orb
- Plant Components
- Precious Metal
- Scroll
Casting a Spell requires an Action. When you cast the Spell, you discard the required Components, and roll your Intelligence (+ Occult Knowledge). Regardless of timing you cannot cast more than one Spell per turn.
- You may use a Spell during a combat round, counting as one Attack roll. Replace your normal Attack Skill Check (Attack + Skill + Weapon) against an opponent's Defense. Defend as normal.
- You gain Victory Points equal to the TN level of the Spell whenever you successfully cast it.
- You do not lose VPs for the discarded Components.
- Only the Active Player may cast Spells. Other players may Assist in casting the Spell, but may not cast Spells themselves.
- When a Spell fails, one Willpower Point is lost. (See the Willpower section page 25).
- When not using Magic in a scenario, there is no need to use the Magic Components and it is probably best not to include them due to confusing Victory Point problems.
Spells
Control
- Difficulty: 3S
- Components: Flame, Incense
- Range: LOS
You can control a living being for one full turn and force it to take one Action as soon as the casting succeeds. The target needs to be in the spell caster's line of sight. You can attempt to kill an Adversary under your control. If you attack it in combat it will not attack you, but you still have to defeat its Defense TN and you will only gain victory points for its Defense TN.
Dispel Magic
- Difficulty: 3S
- Components: Crystal, Precious Metal
- Range: Current Tile
Counter another spell, or undo the effects of one that already been cast.
Light Spell
- Difficulty: 1P
- Components: Crystal
- Range: Current Tile
Counteract any darkness penalties for 1d6 turns.
Pass Through
- Difficulty: 3K
- Components: Minerals
- Range: Self
Allows spell caster to pass through solid, non-living objects such as walls or doors.
Locator Spell
- Difficulty: (See below)
- Components: Orb
- Range: Special
This allows you to find stuff anywhere on the board. If the spell is successful, you may look at the number of disks equal to the TN level rolled. Alternately, if the scenario allows, this spell may also be used to find a single specific objective.
Protection
- Difficulty: 4K
- Components: Scroll
- Range: LOS
A target with this spell cast on it cannot be the target of another spell (except Dispel) or take damage for 1d6 turns. Player Characters may take Actions as usual.
Translocate
- Difficulty: 3K
- Components: Orb
- Range: Self
Move from one location to another legal location on the current board, determined by spell caster. You may not place new tiles when moving with this spell.
Summon Spell
- Difficulty: 3S to 4K
- Components: Animal Components, Scroll
- Range: Current Square
If locked in combat at the start of the turn, instead of making an attack during the first combat round, you may Summon a creature that fights for you. The TN level rolled determines the strength of the summoned creature:
| Score | Attack | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 3S | 3 | 4 |
| 3K | 4 | 4 |
| 4S | 4 | 5 |
| 4K | 5 | 5 |
It will fight for 1d6 rounds of combat and then disappear.
Additionally, this creatures profile is similar to an Adversary (Initiative=0, Health=1), once the summoned creature's defense is beaten, it is considered dead.
The opponent they are fighting will always have the initiative and attack the summoned creature instead of the player.
The summoned creature will never retreat, but while it is fighting you may move your miniature away from the combat in subsequent turns without having to retreat.
The same Player Character may summon only one creature at one time.
Fire Missile
- Difficulty: 4S
- Components: Flame, Minerals
- Range: LOS
Counts as a Ranged Attack Action with an 8d6 Attack profile. The player must be in line of sight of the target in order to cast this spell.
Freeze
- Difficulty: 3S
- Components: Incense
- Range: LOS
Target cannot move for 1d6 turns. The target must be in line of sight of the spell caster when the spell is cast. This can be used on anything living. You may attack an opponent, but they cannot attack you. You still have to defeat its Defense TN and you will only gain victory points for its Defense TN.
Failure
Even though the Player Characters are typically attempting to help others, they are not always trusted. If the player characters behave strangely, they will cause the local population to mistrust them even more. During the course of the game, players record this mistrust with Failure Disks. The following events will earn the player character one Failure token each time it happens:
- Breaking down Doors and Windows.
- Failing to Persuade an Ally or Security NPC.
- Failing to Disarm a Security Alarm.
- Killing a Security NPC.
- Sacrificing an Ally or Nuisance during combat.
When a character earns three Failure Disks, the Failure Disks are discarded and all of the Player Character's Items and Allies are placed on the square under their miniature.
After the initial shock (waiting one full turn, see Items page 11), The character needs one Action to pick up each Item again, and must Re-Roll Persuasion to retrieve each former Ally. Of course, while they are gathering their former assets, other Player Characters may also collect them.
- Note that Victory Points are lost for these Items/Allies, until they are recollected/re-Persuaded.
When Steve ran from the dog he garnered even more mistrust from the community, reaching 3 Failure Disks. His bad day became even worse as his Allies deserted him due to his cowardice, and in his flight he lost the pistol and flashlight he was carrying. "I didn't know you had one of these" Sharon said out loud and picked up his handgun. "I'd better hold onto it for you!"
Health and Willpower
Health
Each point of Damage reduces a Player Character's Health by one and has additional effects beyond the mortality of the PC. Each point of Damage also reduces the character's Movement Points and Defense checks by one (See Turn Sequence and Combat and Turn Sequence).
When a character has more Damage Disks than their Health attribute they are dead. All the dead character's Items and Allies are placed on the square where the character died. These can be picked up by whoever ends up in that square (and dares to face whoever killed their friend).
When a character dies during a game, all remaining players must immediately reduce their own character's Health by one. This penalty is permanent, and cannot be healed during or after the scenario.
Willpower
Willpower is what keeps you going. No matter how much muscle you have, if you lose your nerve, you cannot continue. At the beginning of a scenario Willpower equals your current Health. From then on, Willpower is tracked separately from Health. If willpower reaches 0 you may not take any Actions, and:
- All Movement taken cannot bring you into an Encounter with a face down Disk.
- If engaged in combat, you must attempt to Retreat, but if needed you will attack and defend as normal.
1 point of Willpower is lost whenever:
- You fail to cast a Spell (see Magic).
- You Retreat from an Encounter with an Adversary.
1 point of Willpower is regained whenever:
- You choose to forfeit the turn and regain your composure.
- The Therapist (Ally) recovers one Willpower point per turn (for free) as long as you continue to control him.
Victory Points (VP)
Victory Points are an important part of the game. Most scenarios list the number of Victory Points you need to "win". Additionally, Victory Points are used to improve a Player Character's Skills or they may be spent to shrug off bad stuff.
When counting Victory Points, they equal to the TN of whatever you encountered. (See The Dice System section, page 4, to see how much a TN is worth). Use dice, counters or kept disks to keep track of your current amount of VP. Ways to obtain Victory Points include:
- Items: VP equal to the TN.
- Allies: VP equal to the TN.
- Security NPCs: VP equal to the required TN to Persuade.
- Alarms: VP equal to the required TN to Disarm.
- Nuisances: 3 VP for discarding with Duct Tape.
- Obstacles: VP equal to the TN required to avoid.
- Defeating Adversaries in Combat: VP equal to the Defense and Attack TN.
- Defeating Adversaries with a Ranged Attack: VP equal to the Defense TN.
- Defeating Adversaries under the effects of Magic: VP equal to the Defense TN.
- Casting a Magic Spell: VP equal to the required TN to cast.
- Healing another Player Character: +1 VP for each Wound Healed.
- Bartering within the Scenario: whatever you can get from other players is yours.
- Solving parts of the Scenario: as described in the scenario setup.
Victory Points may also be given for exceptional role-playing as per the Game Master's opinion, or a majority vote.
Spending Victory Points
Victory Points may be spent at the following manner:
| Cost | Use |
|---|---|
| 1 VP | Re-Roll one die* |
| 2 VP | Add one dice to a Skill Check* |
| 3 VP | Cancel a roll of the Oh Crap! table before you roll |
| 5 VP | Get rid of a Failure Disk |
| 10 VP | Buy 1 Skill Point. This can be used to upgrade or gain a new Skill. The cost of each Skill is listed in the Skill section. |
* Victory Points can only be spent before a Skill Check or when buying a Re-Roll, and you may spend a maximum of 3 VP on one single dice-roll.
Negative Victory Points
If you lose an Item or an Ally you also lose Victory Points equal to their TN. This may result in actually having negative Victory Points. If the game ends while having negative Victory Points you must lose one Skill (your choice).
The notable exception to this penalty is an empty Shotgun. It may be discarded with no penalty.
Experience Points
If a character goes though a scenario, meets the proscribed victory conditions, and wins, they receive 1 Experience Point that can be used to permanently raise an Attribute 1 point. However, no Attribute can ever pass 6 points.