Initiative

Semi-side based initiative. Players will either go before or after all enemies. The enemies will have a initiative die roll, and the players are trying to meet or beat it. Those who succeed go before the enemies. Those who fail go after the enemies.

Players can determine their order amongst themselves within the two groups that are established; before enemies and after.

Players can opt to delay their turn, in which case they would now go after the enemies.

Turns / Rounds

A turn is a single set of actions. Each player gets 1 turn in a round. When the round is complete then all turns refresh and the initiative order is maintained.

Action Economy

Each player is allowed to do the following on their turn

• Move up to a measurement in distance
• take 1 major action
• perform some minor task or environmental interaction.

As a party they also have 1 Heroic Reaction that can be spent. Each turn they can choose 1 player to use it, which grants them an additional action. This is typically done in response to the GM doing something. The drawback is that whoever does a Heroic Reaction must spend their next turn only using movement.

Attack Mechanic

When attacking a player must first determine what attack style they are utilizing. Each attack style has its benefits.

• Tactical = add skill die to the hit roll or damage roll
• Defensive = add skill die to any defensive check
• All-in = gain another free skill die to add to either damage or hit (no defense during turn)
• Multi-attack = Skill dice as an additional damage to a different target (cleave)

Attacks are made the following way. Roll 1d20 + Fort or Finesse. Then depending on the type of attack use a skill die from one of your Weaponry Skills. To apply damage you then roll the specific weapons damage die adding bonuses from the attack style you used.

Creative Attacks

Sometimes players describe or come up with fantastic ideas. In these cases they can use their Wits modifier for hit instead of Fort or Finesse. These fantastic ideas are not just descriptive, but potentially very tactical. So its not just swinging from a chandelier, but maybe going for a weak point on the enemy.

Defensive Mechanic

Enemies don't attack, but instead players need to Brace or Dodge an enemy.

• Bracing = roll d20 + fort + armor. Success reduces damage by your fort + armor score. Failure means you only reduce it by the fort
• Dodging = roll d20 + finesse + armor. Success no damage, failure takes all damage

Each of these also have Critical success and critical fail results.

Modifications to Resolution

Most of the game utilizes the Bonus Die mechanic. You utilize skill die in multiple ways to add their results to your d20 rolls.

Environment

There are specific rules for the environment in terms of moving; climbing, mud, unstable ground, sprinting.

Distances

A defined measurement is 30ft, but on the table this is 6in roughly.

• Touch = within 1/2 in
• Measurement = 6 inches
• Close = Anything visible
• Far = shouting distance

Rest Mechanic

There are two mechanics for this, a rest and a recover. A rest is a full nights sleep. You make a Fortitude check hoping to exceed your vigour. If you do you regain an amount of Vigour equal to 1 vigour die + level. A recover results all vigour, magic dice, or other resources. It costs money because you are having to stay at a plush establishment and be pampered in essence.

Resource

Vigour is your hit point total. You will be trying to keep this out of the negatives. Magic Dice are your spell casting fuel. These will lock and unlock depending on rest.

Health & Dying

Your health is equal to your Vigour. You use your defense to try and not go into the negatives. There are ways to be healed by your allies, but you can also gain health through adrenaline. Whenever you kill an enemy you will gain health equal to the level of the creature. This seems really great for frontline individuals, and is probably the reason that health is relatively low in the game.

When you drop into negative you will suffer some sort of injury as well as begin bleeding out. Bleeding out is interesting because you are still up and moving. If you ever reach -20 you are officially dead. However, while you are in the negatives bleeding out you have a penalty to all checks equal to the negative number you are at.

• You are still fighting at -4 vigour, you have -4 to all checks (attacks, skills, defenses).

There is a Final Stand mecahnic where you can use that negative vigour as a one time bonus, but it will result in more damage to you.

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Close modal

The spell system in Brimstone is leveless. However, the number of Magic Dice that your character has and are willing to spend on a spell can determine its potency.

Some spells require checks to be made, others don't. Regardless you will be rolling a number of Magic Dice of your choosing. If you are required to make a check you roll 1d20+ attribute specified by spell + your die results. This determines if it was successful. The Die results and number of die will then determine things like damage, duration, distance, etc.

Its a neat system with quick references. The spells have keywords like Dice, Total, Highest, Lowest. That lets you know if you are totally dice for the damage, taking a specific die, or just using the number of total dice as a numerical value. This really makes you want to spend dice.

Dice also lock if they roll a 4-6. This is similar to spell slots. Its the mitigation of not allowing you to spam dice continuously, but it also makes you feel good when you roll a 1-3. The spell isn't as powerful, but you are able to maintain your total dice and keep going.