Beyond Basic Adventures
Sometimes your story needs more than combat and skill rolls. When heroes chase villains through crowded streets, lead armies into battle, or race against time to save the world, these specialized rules turn those epic moments into unforgettable gameplay!
The Cinematic Toolkit
Think of these as the special effects budget for your game. Car chases like in Fast & Furious, massive battles like in Lord of the Rings, or tense bomb defusal scenes like in action movies - these tools make them playable and exciting!
Chase Rules
High-Speed Pursuits
Chases use a card-based system to create dynamic, cinematic pursuits!
1. Setup
- Deal 9 cards face-down in a line
- Fleeing party starts at card 3
- Pursuers start at card 1
- Escape happens at card 10+
2. Each Round
- Everyone makes maneuvering roll
- Success = move 1 card
- Raise = move 2 cards
- Failure = stay put
3. Complications
- Clubs = Major obstacle
- Face cards = Minor obstacle
- Joker = Disaster!
- Others = Clear sailing
Chase Types
🚗 Vehicle Chase
Use Driving/Piloting/Boating
Mad Max fury road, Fast & Furious, speeder bikes
🏃 Foot Chase
Use Athletics for running
Parkour through city, jungle pursuit, rooftop chase
🐎 Mounted Chase
Use Riding skill
Western pursuit, dragon riders, speeder bikes
Dramatic Tasks
Complex Actions Under Pressure
When heroes need to accomplish something difficult with time running out!
The Basics
- Require 5 successes in 5 rounds
- Each round uses different skills
- Complications on club cards
- Failure has consequences!
Classic Dramatic Tasks
💣 Bomb Defusal
Electronics, Notice, Repair, Steady Hands
Failure = BOOM!
🔐 Complex Heist
Thievery, Stealth, Electronics, Athletics
Failure = Alarms!
🏛️ Court Trial
Persuasion, Research, Performance, Notice
Failure = Guilty!
🌋 Escape Collapsing Temple
Athletics, Notice, Agility, Strength
Failure = Buried!
Mass Battles
When Armies Clash
Heroes can turn the tide of massive conflicts!
Setup
- Each side has 10 Battle Tokens
- Assign Force Commanders
- Determine battle modifiers
Each Round
- Heroes describe their actions
- Roll appropriate skills
- Add successes to Battle roll
- Commanders roll Battle skill
- Loser loses tokens
Hero Actions
- Fighting: Lead from the front
- Shooting: Ranged support
- Persuasion: Rally troops
- Battle: Tactical genius
Epic Battle Examples
- 🏰 Helm's Deep (Lord of the Rings)
- ⚔️ Battle of the Bastards (Game of Thrones)
- 🌟 Endgame Final Battle (Avengers)
- 🚀 Space Fleet Engagement (Star Wars)
Social Conflicts
Quick Encounters
Fast Resolution System
When you need to resolve something quickly without full combat!
How It Works
- Each character makes one skill roll
- GM makes one roll for opposition
- Compare total successes/raises
- Narrate outcome based on margin
Perfect For:
- Bar fights that aren't important
- Sneaking past guards
- Quick skirmishes
- Racing through obstacles
Interludes
Downtime and Character Development
Between action scenes, let characters breathe and develop!
♠ Downtime
Characters relax and prepare
- Shopping and resupply
- Training new skills
- Building relationships
♥ Backstory
Reveal character history
- Share formative moments
- Explain motivations
- Earn Benny for good story
♦ Trek
The journey matters
- Describe travel scenes
- Minor encounters
- Build atmosphere
♣ Complication
Trouble finds the heroes
- Equipment breaks
- Old enemy appears
- Weather turns bad
Travel Montages
Epic Journeys Made Simple
Journey System
- Set total travel time/distance
- Each player describes one leg
- Roll Survival for encounters
- Clubs = complications
Journey Types
- 🏔️ Mountain crossing (avalanches, thin air)
- 🏜️ Desert trek (heat, water shortage)
- 🌊 Sea voyage (storms, pirates)
- 🚀 Space travel (asteroids, systems failure)
Hazards
Environmental Dangers
🔥 Fire
Damage: 1d6 per round
Catch fire on 5-6
Roll Agility to put out
❄️ Cold
Vigor roll every 4 hours
Failure = Fatigue
Proper gear gives +2
💨 Falling
Damage: 1d6+1 per 10'
Max 10d6+10
Snow/water reduces
☠️ Poison
Vigor roll vs strength
Effects vary widely
Antidotes negate
Toolkit Quick Reference
Chases
- 9 cards in line
- Start at 1 & 3
- Escape at 10+
- Clubs = trouble
Dramatic Tasks
- 5 successes needed
- 5 rounds max
- Multi-skill usage
- High stakes
Mass Battles
- 10 tokens each
- Heroes add bonus
- Battle skill rolls
- 0 tokens = defeat