CGG - Basic Rules

Centaurus Gate is a scifi themed RPG based on a rebuild of WEG's Star Wars D6 game and inspired heavily by Farscape. These are the rules for it, called Centaurus Gate Game or CGG for short.

Players and Executives

When you play a game using CGG, you will have several players. All but one player creates a character to play in a fictional world. Game play it not unlike childern's make believe, except there are some firm rules that must be followed. One player takes on the Executive status and the title Exec, they run the game and the world in which the characters of the other players live. In this game we call the player's characters: explorers.

Player Dice, Rolling, and Risk

CGG uses dice to create randomness and chaos, the feeling of the gamble. The players use six-sided dice exclusively, and the Exec uses ten-sided dice exclusively. Optimally each player should have a 'brick' of six-sided dice (12 dice) or you can share 12 between everyone or whatever works for you. The Exec needs a set of six ten-sided dice for their own use.

You will roll dice when your explorer takes actions which carry risk. The higher you roll, the better your chance of avoiding the risk imposed by the situation that made you roll. It is important you note that this does not mean a high roll implies the success of an explorer's action, merely that they are more likely to avoid the risk. You will only roll the dice as a player to determine avoidance of risk, the issue of success is handled with rolls made by the Exec.

You will see that there is all kinds of risk in the game. What is at risk for your explorer depends totally on the situation. In combat you could risk harm to them or others, or in a less dire manner perhaps your tactical advantage. When your explorer is in social situations they may risk anything from prestige and status or even making the kind of faux pas that incites a confrontation. The risk of the situation is often murky but will always be discussed between you and the Exec before the dice are rolled.

If nothing says otherwise, the dice you roll will be a die code on your explorer sheet. This is written as Xd+Y, where X is the dice rolled and Y is what you add to that. In this way 3d+2 means three dice plus two to the result. The roll is always generates a single total, you are summing all the dice and the bonus listed. You do have a limitation on the roll of any die though, and that is five. Any dice that roll six or more are discarded and instead create something called Venture. Venture can affect the outcome of the action, but it does not generate total for risk rolls.

After you roll you'll decide how to use your Venture, which lets you affect the game overall through the current situation and action (see Venture below). Mostly though, in order to use Venture, you have to pay a Drama or Experience price (see Drama and Experience below). If you have any unused venture, tell the Exec, who then may choose to use it or not (see Venture).

When you roll high enough the Exec will tell you that your explorer avoided the risk, good job! If you roll too low, your explorer will suffer the Fallout of the risk, ouch!

Exec Dice, Rolling, and Success

While the player is responsible to roll for risk, the Exec's duty is to roll for success. They roll to see if the player's explorer succeeds in the action at hand. In order to do this, they generate a die difficulty for the action and decide if its: no risk, minimal risk, limited risk, or extreme risk. This all happens before the risk roll, shielded from the player's eyes as able.

In order to determine the die difficulty, the Exec has three options. They can either: try and guess a challenge level, determine an action class, or figure out a force factor. To determine a challenge level, think about how hard it would be for someone just competent in that ability. To determine an action class, think about how often and how complicated the action is for someone capable in that ability. Figure out a force factor when some force is acting on the explorer. This will give them a base difficulty die, like so:

Difficulty Die Code Base	Base Risk	Challenge Level	Action Class	Force Factor
3	4	Easy, should be able to do it.	Routine action.	Minimal.
4	7	Not too hard, likely possible.	Common complex action.	Minor.
5	10	Difficult, but not unlikely.	Uncommon complicated action.	Moderate.
6	13	Serious Challenge, possible.	Rare and unusual action.	Major.
7	16	Very hard, unlikely.	Action most would not attempt without aid.	Extreme.
8	19	Wow, would not attempt.	Action most would avoid if at all possible.	Awe Inspiring.
9	22	<Expletive deleted>, just no.	Action others would question your sanity for attempting.	Godly.

Second, they must consider if the explorer has the ability (see Abilities) below to do it. If they lack the needed Ability, go +1d if you think the action would not need specialist to perform, or +2d if it would. Here are the rest of the modifiers to apply for various circumstances.

Difficulty Die Adjustment	Situation
-1	All the time in the world
+1/+2	Rushed for time/Extreme Rush
-1/-2	Teamwork/Organized Assistance
+1	Condition impairs action
-1	Condition enhances action
+1	Technological/other disadvantage
-1	Technological/other advantage

Finally remove the dice of the Attribute die code of the explorer attempting the action, and see if any Difficulty Dice remain. You can never have more than six dice of difficulty for an action, that is a hard limit, discard any extra. If no dice remain, the task was trivial and the explorer succeeds handily. If any dice remain, you roll one ten-sided die for each and count up the ones that result in one to five (50% chance each). Don't roll them quite yet though, lets handle the risk aspect first.

The initial question is simple, is there any risk? Its totally possible you can have a situation without any at all, and if that is the case you declare it no risk. Otherwise there is a risk base target from the Difficulty Base Die Code given on the earlier chart. If the Difficulty Die Base was 4d, risk base is 9.

Now you can roll those remaining difficulty dice, discarding all the dice that come up four or more. Increase the risk by the total of the dice you keep. If you rolled 3, 2, 6, and 5, you would keep the two dice 3 and 2, and raise the risk 5 because that is the total of those dice. The count of the dice is Failure, and the risk total is what they roll against with their die code.

Always keep in mind this is only base risk, and you can increase it based on situation elements just like the player can with Risk Roll Modifiers (see below). The rule is that if something in the situation increases the risk, it offers a bonus to the risk equal to its number of dice.

If the roll is a contest between two characters/explorers, pure and simple, the difficulty base die code is the number of dice the opponent has in the proper attribute plus 1. If they have 3d+2 in that attribute, that is a difficulty die code of 4d above.

If you need more advice, such as determining risks from common actions, look towards The Executive's Guide.

Failure and Success

If any Failure is generated from the Exec's success roll, the action will result in failure and not success. Success is black and white in CGG, meaning there are no levels of it. You can never succeed “better” or “worse”. Whatever you tried to do was accomplished, and the exact effects of that depend on other rules. If you want to achieve more, take more powerful actions.

That said, Failure is another matter entirely. How much Failure (count from the Exec) is how bad you failed. Here is a rough guide for what that means:

Failure Count	How Bad it Went
0	Success!
1	Barely Failed, nothing bad happens.
2	Failed badly, something somewhat bad happens.
3+	Failed horribly, something really bad happens with lasting effects.

When something somewhat bad happens, you as the player must create something bad as the result of the action that seems reasonable to you. This something will impact one or two coming actions most likely, as the Exec sees fit. Note that this doesn't mean something bad happens to your explorer, but something bad happens in the situation as a result of the action. If you make up something particularly cool and bad, the Exec may award you a Drama point.

When something really bad happens, you as the player must create something bad as the result of the action that seems pretty horrible to you. This something will impact all coming actions in the current course of events, as the Exec sees fit. If you make up something particularly cool and terrible, the Exec may pay you one.

Risk Roll Modifiers

Elements of situations, special explorer rules, and Gear may all affect risk rolls. For example, if the risk is harm in combat and your explorer is wearing armor, that affects the risk roll. This usually involves combining die codes, which is not as simple as you might first think.

You combine the die codes for gear and situation elements with the following simple, but sometimes taxing, process: The die code is always the highest die code, plus the die count bonus pips of the assisting codes. For an armor example, if your explorer's Strength was 2d and they were wearing 3d armor, you would keep the 3D of the armor and add 2 bonus pips = 3d+2. Every three bonus pips increases the die one count, but resets to zero pips. If the Armor before was 3d+1 and the Strength was 2d, it would be 3d+3 = 4d die code. If you had 3d Armor jacket, 2d Armor shirt, and 2d strength, that would be 3d + 4 pips = 4d + 1.

Special rules are almost always written with bonus pips listed, so just add those to the current die code to get the end code. +3 BP and 2d = 3d, +5 BP and 2d = 3d+2 and so on. Use the handy reference here to simply things (can also be used for combining codes above!):

Total Pips	Die Code	Total Pips	Die Code
0	0d	16	5d+1
1	0d+1	17	5d+2
2	0d+2	18	6d
3	1d	19	6d+1
4	1d+1	20	6d+2
5	1d+2	21	7
6	2d	22	7d+1
7	2d+1	23	7d+2
8	2d+2	24	8d
9	3d	25	8d+1
10	3d+1	26	8d+2
11	3d+2	27	9d
12	4d	28	9d+1
13	4d+1	29	9d+2
14	4d+2	30	10d
15	5d

Crisis Clock

Each explorer has a dramatic pacing mechanism called the Crisis Clock. This is a literal clock counting down to when some dramatic crisis will befall the explorer. The clock has 12 hours on it, and when all are removed the Exec has to reach deep into the dark closet of the explorer and pull out something bad for them to face. It is at that time the player of that explorer can request a critical crisis, something extremely dramatic and interesting that may change their explorer for better or worse forever (lasting effects in the rules). A critical crisis also puts critical count on the explorer's sheet, which will eventually make the next advancement more rewarding for them.

Explorers with one role only have the fill 12 hour clock. Explorers with two roles only have a 9 hour clock, they block in the hours: 10, 11, and 12. This means they may never have more than 9 hours on their clock (and are always 3 hours closer to crisis at their best). In addition they only have 6 critical count openings instead of the 12 of explorers with one role. This lessens the boost they can get from taking critical crises.

The clock begins with its full count of hours at the start of play and after story breaks. In between you track the lose and gain of hours in a persistent fashion (it remains between sessions and so on). Many rules put hours on and off the clock, these just say things like so:

Pay one/X, lose one/X: Take those hours off the clock (subtract).

Gain one/X, earn one/X: Put those hours on the clock (add).

The clock can't have more than 12 (or 9) hours on it, and never less than zero. Once an explorer's clock has run out, they have a period of weakness before and during their crisis. The player of that explorer has no access to their clock during this time. They may not pay or gain hours on their clock until the crisis has been addressed. Once that happens, they roll a single die and place three plus that result hours on their clock.

Venture as a Player's wrench and an Exec's hammer

Venture results can be used by a Player with Wrench uses to make things better for them. However what you don't use is left over for the Exec to apply with Hammer uses. Wrench first, Hammer after, that is how we roll here. Regardless, only one Wrench or Hammer of a type can be used on a single risk roll. Each affects the Crisis Clock of the player, putting hours on or taking them off. Wrench uses cost hours (taking them off) and Hammer uses gain hours (putting them on).

Wrench

That was close! - Pay one, earn +5 to the risk roll, describe how luck went your way in the action.

Gotta make it! - Pay one, remove one Failure from the roll, describe how you avoid failure using your experience.

I'm that good! - Pay one, Exec re-rolls failure dice, describe how you use natural talent.

Alright, time to get serious. - Pay two, count any die code on your explorer as 1 die higher until end of action, describe the change in attitude of your explorer.

Its not as bad as I thought. - Pay two, remove any one impairment Condition until end of scene (or permanently as the Exec wishes), describe how you manage to bounce back from it.

Hammer

Its even worse than that. - Gains one, give them one Condition of your choice, describe how things got worse.

Can't do it! - Gains one, add one Failure to the roll, describe why things are even more impossible for the action.

What? Why now!? - Gains two, and disable/discount one piece of notable Gear till the end of scene.

Didn't see that coming… - Gains three, count them Incapacitated as makes sense in the current action.

Stunts

Stunts can be attempted by an explorer given they have the requisite Ability or have called in their Aspect, see Aspects, Attributes and Abilities. Stunts allow the explorer to make 'stunning' actions. A stunning action is something impressive that very few could watch and not be impressed. Given an action falls under the Aspect or Ability that is being used for the stunt, the following rules apply before the roll is made:

The player of the explorer pays one and adds 1d to their die code for success.

The player then may lower their risk dice 1d for each mastery they have available (or 3 dice maximum for Aspects) and in return raise their die code for success 1d each.

The player may also pay more for more dice, one per +1D for each mastery.

Let's explore that for a moment. Han Solo has Weapon(Blaster) X2 ability, meaning he has Blaster at Mastery of 2. He wants to create come cover for Luke as he escapes some Storm Troopers, the Exec says this is a Dex action so his Dex of 6d is being used. Han's player pays 1 XP to make that 7d towards success. Now he wants to make sure he succeeds, so he uses his Mastery of 2 to move 2 dice from risk to success. This lowers his risk code to 4d, and raises his success code to 9d. For purposes of success the Exec counts his action as 9d, and when Han's player rolls for risk, he rolls only 4d.

Diligence Rolls

Not everything is risky action. Sometimes an explorer is gathering intelligence, building up leverage for a later action or trying to discover what is really going on. In these cases the player can call for Diligence. Diligence is a roll to determine the reward for the explorer's attempt at gathering intelligence, this will be a die code value for what was gained (as applicable).

When Diligence is called into play, first the Exec must decide on the proper Ability and Attribute to use and then let the player see if they can find anything combine with it as assistance. Here is a quick guide on how to determine the attribute based on the type of activity:

Type of Diligence	Attribute
Interrogation	Mental/Perception
Research	Mental/Knowledge
Analysis	Savvy/Technical
WhiteNet	Savvy/Technical
BlackNet	ISOtech Power
Maneuvers	Physical/Dexterity

Once the player has a die code for their explorer, they can make a Diligence roll. This means they roll the dice just like they do for Risk, except they may not use Venture as Wrench uses and the Exec may not use Venture as Hammer uses. You simply discard all dice that create venture, they don't count towards the total. The player takes the final total and then counts that as pips towards a die code for the reward earned. If they are enhancing a die code already created, use 1/3 of the rolled pips as bonus pips to increase the existing code (round up).

The Diligence roll resultant die code is called leverage and can be used to assist the player explorers in future rolls, see Leverage Die Codes.

Leverage Die Codes

A Leverage die code is normally created from one or more Diligence rolls. Leverage always has a purpose attached, as the Exec and the player creating the Leverage decide together. If the explorer is doing work to fix the engine of a starship and created 2d+2 from a diligence roll, the Exec marks down: Leverage towards Starship Repair: 2d+2. Once Leverage has been created, any player can call it into use for their explorer's action. If the chief engineer was doing the repair work, the security chief could use that leverage to help in an attempt to fix the ship. The limitation of Leverage is that it must address that established goal, and that is the only way it can be used. Leverage towards Starship Repair can't be used towards building a new gadget for instance. There are limitations on Leverage though.

Leverage die codes always expire when the goal is attained or the Exec deems the goal lost. If the starship explodes, the Leverage towards Starship Repair: 2d+2 expires.

Each time a player uses Leverage for an action, they either pay one or the Leverage loses 1d. If the Leverage is reduced to less than 0d, count it as expired.

Using Leverage to assist your action works in the same way as an assisting explorer, just the helping die code is the Leverage die code instead of the helping explorer's attribute.

Advancements, Endeavors and Die Codes

1st: 20 die pips

2nd: 30 die pips, +1 Endeavor

3rd: 40 die pips

4th: 50 die pips, +1 Endeavor

5th: 60 die pips

6th: 70 die pips, +1 Endeavor

You must place advancements in order for each role, and you get them when the Exec can fit them into play. You must have all the 1st role Advancements filled on your roles to get the 2nd, and so on. An advancement is each something significant for your explorer, something meaningful in their lives. After the sixth advancement, each additional is just like the following:

7th+: 40 die pips

You get 3x the Critical Count (see Crisis Clock) of your explorer in die pips when they earn an advancement. These are just added on to what they would have gotten from their advancement. If you had a critical count of 5, you'd get 35 die pips on the 1st advancement.

You spend die pips to raise die codes at the cost of the current amount of dice in the code. This means 1D costs 1 per pip, and 3D costs 3 per pip. You buy +1 as one pip, +2 as another pip, and move to the next higher die code as another pip. In this way you pay three times the current die code to move to the next. Imagine 2D. You pay 2 for 2d+1, 2 for 2d+2, and 2 for 3d = 6 pips or three times the die code.

Endeavors are all defined loosely under your roles, and created between yourself and the Game's Exec when achieved. An endeavor is something interesting in play that may create complications and rewards for your explorer. “Earning the respect of the crew” is an example of a leadership endeavor.

Storytelling

In general the game operates in a simple dialog mode between players and Exec as the explorers take on their missions and agendas in the Expanse. However that changes at two points in play: When something horrible is going to happen and one or more players declare they want to avoid that, and just after a milestone is reached in a mission or agenda.

The first situation, that is called into play when something terrible is going to happen and must be avoided, triggers the Tension System. In this mode of play, one or more Tension counts will be put into play and special rules will determine who acts when. All the rules for that are in Tension Mode.

In the second situation, when a milestone is reached in a mission or agenda, the Exec may give out an Advancement to the explorers. This is a period of narrative “downtime” during which explorers can improve themselves.

Aspects, Attributes and Abilities

Every explorer has the Attribute die codes:

Dexterity: Your explorer's hand-eye coordination, agility, and reflexes.

Strength: Your explorer's physical strength, health, and toughness.

Perception: Your explorer's powers of observation, social awareness and skills.

Knowledge: Your explorer's knowledge of the galaxy, its history and its myriad contents.

Technical: Your explorer's 'technical aptitude', power to understand and manipulate technology.

Mechanical: Your explorer's 'mechanical aptitude', power to pilot and operate technology.

Each also has these Secondary die codes:

Physical: Usually the highest of Dexterity and Strength, though it could be modified. You use Physical when an Ability strengthens your physical actions.

Mental: Usually the highest of Perception and Knowledge, though it could be modified. You use Mental when an Ability strengthens your mental actions.

Savvy: Usually the highest of Technical and Mechanical, though it could be modified. You use Savvy when an Ability strengthens your mental actions.

Dash: Usually the lowest of Dexterity and Mechanical, though it can be modified. You use Dash when operating unknown devices.

Tinker: Usually the lowest of Knowledge and Technical, though it can be modified. You use Tinker when manipulating unknown devices.

Judge: Usually the lowest of Perception and Knowledge, though it can be modified. You use Judge when dealing with unknown intelligence.

Note: Once Secondary die codes are set during explorer creation, they are no longer linked to Attributes. Changing Attributes does not adjust them, they must be increased as their own die codes.

Explorers have one or more Roles, defining what part they play in the mission. Roles each provide boosts to Attributes and a selection of Abilities to pick from that will define the actions in which your explorer is considered capable.

Explorers have one or more Aspects, defining in broad strokes who they are. Each Aspect is a vague statement about the explorer that offers leverage in the game mechanics. While each type of Aspect offers its own special rule, they all offer free Wrench uses for actions where they can be called into play. When Aspects are called into play they always allow Stunts, even if the explorer lacks the proper ability to Stunt.

Abilities have no die code, but can be taken multiple times. Having as X2 or X3 (for twice or three times) on an ability gives the explorer mastery of the ability and allows them to use Stunts more effectively.

Explorers can also have any number of Conditions at any time, and must respect their rules.

Roles and Explorer Creation

A Role is a broad definition of the character's profession or place in the game' fiction overall. Roles are not a part of the basic rules, but the advanced rules. You do need to under them to play though, as every character takes one or more roles when they are created. Each role offers a set of standard Abilities for the character, shaping what they can achieve easily in play. In this way you wouldn't try and repair a starship if your character had the Captain Role, that is a job for the Engineer.

You may take one or two roles for your explorer, though taking two means you'll have a modified (for the worse) Crisis Clock for your explorer.

You can find the overview of explorer Creation on the page: Getting Started.

Fallout and Conditions

A Condition is a state applied to an explorer. Each is an adjective, like Sleepy, and has rules for what that means. Conditions can be anything from simple status such as Fatigued, to Gravely Injured. Each has its own rules that apply while an explorer has that condition, as well as rules that happen when a second identical condition is applied to the same explorer. Conditions are either impairments or enhancements, the majority of which are impairments. Enhancements generally create advantage for the character on a set of actions (see Exec difficulty dice adjustments above). Conditions are exclusively the domain of the Exec, and you can find out more about them in Managing Conditions.

Fallout from missing the mark on a risk roll is graded into three+ levels: Minor, Moderate, Major, and Critical. It is only three+ instead of 4 grade because Critical is just Major with additional numerical weight behind it. The Exec needs a die code in order to create a fallout condition from an action. Many times this code might be obvious, like the damage of the weapon that hits a character. Other times it might be less obvious. In these cases it is wise to simply carry over the die code that caused the risk, and take this as your fallout die code. Regardless you then subtract an attribute of the player from this die code and roll the remaining dice (if any) as dice like you are creating failure, but counting each one that is less than four as +1 fallout grade. It always starts as Minor and increases from there. Here is the table for the normal die codes to use (resistance) for each arena of fallout/condition:

Arena	Attribute	Not Applicable Conditions
Material	Strength	Persuasion
Public	Perception	-
Private	Perception	-
Intellectual	Knowledge	Alteration
ISOtech	Technical	Harm

The arena is the kind of fallout being inflicted. Material covers the physical, you'd get fallout from that when taking risky physical actions (athletics, combat, etc). Public and Private are two sides of the social coin, you'd get fallout from that when taking risky social actions (convince, etc). Intellectual covers the workings of the mind and intellect, you'd get fallout from that when taking risky knowledge actions (learning, etc). ISOtech covers all the hacking kinds of fallout you'd get fallout from that when taking risky ISOtech actions. For more in-depth rules and explanations, see Handling Fallout.

Fallout grades cause one of two things to happen: A Condition gets applied to the explorer that didn't make the risk roll, or an Element of Situation (impairment type) is created that centers on their explorer but may affect others in the situation as makes sense.

There are three tracks for conditions on the CGG character sheet: Harm, Persuasion, and Alteration. Each begins with 3 open 'dots' and players can spend 15 between them during explorer creation and they can reassign them at each advancement. When a track is full, something happens definitively to the character:

Harm is full: The explorer is incapacitated.

Persuasion is full: The explorer changes their mind or attitude.

Alteration is full: The explorer is altered: enhanced or impaired.

Core Condition Set

There are 18 core conditions shown here. These are perfectly valid, usable conditions, but are also examples to show you how to make your own. See more about custom conditions in the Exec Guide.

Harm Core Conditions

Crippling Wound: HI3; The wound is dire and causes the continuous loss of 1D from a die code of the Exec's choosing.

Dire Injury: HI3; The extreme injury sure looks bleak. When the Exec deems fit, she pays one to cancel the action of the explorer and remove 1D from a die code of her choice until the end of tension.

Distracting Injury: HI2; The injury is distracting and when the Exec deems fit, he pays one to add 1D for any one difficulty test.

Painful Harm: HI1; The harm is very painful, on any roll that creates Venture, discard the first Venture rolled.

Paralyzing Injury: HI2; The injury is serious and causes the loss of a die as the Exec deems fit and pays one.

Surface Wound: HI1; While the wound looks minor, it may get worse. Whenever risk is rolled for the explorer, and Venture is earned there is a chance this condition becomes HI2.

Persuasion Core Conditions

Confused: PI1; The explorer causes the character to lose 1d risk dice when the Exec deems fit and pays one.

Consumed: PI3; The explorer is consumed by their thought process. They either pay one or lose 1D for each action taken in this state.

Eager: PE1; The explorer has found excess motivation and can pay one to earn 1D for any action during this state.

Transcendent: PE3; The change in attitude and views has the explorer in a deep state of thought. They may pay one to make the Exec reroll failure dice once per Per/Know actions.

Troubled: PI2; The troubled mindset of the explorer causes occasional lapses, when the Exec deems fit and pays one they reroll all failed failure dice.

Questioning: PE2; Questioning their opinions has left the explorer in an enlightened state. Count their die codes for Know/Per as 1D higher toward difficulty tests.

Alteration Core Conditions

Improved: AE1; If the player of the explorer pays one they may increase their risk die code 1D for a single roll.

Weakened: AI1; When the player of the explorer rolls Venture, there is a chance of +1 failure for the action.

Augmented: AE2; If the player of the explorer pays one they may increase all their success die codes 1D for the current tension sequence.

Hindered: AI2; When the explorer takes Fallout, count it one higher.

Enhanced: AE3; When the player of the explorer rolls Venture, they may pay one to either succeed or avoid fallout but not both.

Restrained: AI3; Unless the player of the explorer pays one for a given action, there is a chance that action my fail.

Tension Mode

When Tensions Mode is triggered, one or more Tension tracks will be placed into play. These are based on the horrific thing(s) that are happening in the fiction which players are looking to avoid. One track per horrific thing, which we will simply call a Pitfall from now on.

The Tension track for each Pitfall is a number from 1 to 15. When the track hits 15, the Pitfall happens and the horrific things come to pass. If the track is reduced to zero or something in the fiction changes things so that clearly the pitfall is avoided (privy of the Exec), the Pitfall has been avoided.

Actions taken by player's explorers usually work to lower the Tension, and the actions of the surrounding world (characters, environment, whatever) tend to raise it when the Exec taken action.

At the start of Tension, the Exec must determine who has the Edge. This will determine the player that decides who acts first, and who gets the bonus die for a Tension round. The Edge rules of the explorer roles will be consulted by the Exec to determine who has Edge for the situation. Once that person has Edge they can always claim it at the start of each round until the situation changes.

Tension is done in rounds, during which every player's explorer can take action. The player with Edge decides who goes first, and assigns a bonus die to a die code of any player at the start of the round. After each player takes action they pick another player to pass the focus too (next player to take action) until all players have had an action. Finally the Exec goes at the end of round and another round comes after that, given the Tension doesn't hit 15 or 0. Here are the steps broken down:

Player whose explorer has Edge:

Selects an explorer (or their own) and an attribute to get a cumulative +1d bonus (for the duration of this Tension Mode).

Selects the explorer that will go first (This explorer can be helped by everyone, but help no one).

First player takes action:

Decides to do one of the following:

Act! Address the situation directly in some way, roll the dice to see what happens (see Success and Risk rolling).

Perhaps elicit help from one or more explorers that have not yet acted, an explorer can help once in a round.

Perhaps stunt?

If you helped someone this round count your risk roll as -1d.

Exec will lower Tension 1 for successful actions, 2 for particularly effective ones.

Idle! Gain one, describe how your explorer isn't helpful.

Ready! Make a diligence roll to create Leverage that will help address the situation.

Perhaps cue the Exec to make things worse if you want for +1d to the result, look below for those Exec rules.

Decides which explorer takes next action that hasn't already done so.

Repeat #2 until all players have taken action.

Exec spins the world, deciding what happens around the players (usually not good)

Expect the Tension on one Pitfall to increase 1 to 3. The Exec makes a dice roll using their rules that determines this, and narrates how things get worse or remain unfixed. See below.

Repeat 1-4 until one Pitfall Tension score reaches 0 or 15.

If it reaches 15 the Pitfall happens and is resolved, Exec redefines the situation.

If it reaches 0 the Pitfall is avoided, remove it from the table, narrate how it has been avoided.

You can find a tutorial for Tension Mode play here.

Exec Spins The World

This is a hard step for the player that took on the roll of the exec. They first have a set number of Tension dice to roll and adjust that based on how bleak the situation looks based on the character's actions for the current round. Lets talk about these two points.

The base Tension dice is determined by how bad the situation looks:

Bad, moderate chance of success: 2 dice.

Horrible, poor chance of success: 3 dice.

Doomed, minimal chance of success: 4 dice.

Then the Exec adds one die for every two players of the game, rounding down.

Once the Tension Dice are established, you will never raise them. However, they may be reduced (see below). When you Spin the World, roll the dice. Count each dice that comes up under four as a success. Spend your successes as follows:

Slide: Raise the Tension one on Pitfall up to three times, +1 per success. You only do one Pitfall, regardless of how many are in play.

Misfire: Remove a +1d bonus assigned by the person with Edge, one time for two successes (one time only).

Spotlight: Place a -1d risk penalty onto the first acting player for next round, -1d per success. -3d maximum.

Once you spend all your successes, you need to narrate something happening that justifies the changes:

Slide: Things are heading towards the pitfall, compare if you have moved towards or away from it (current Tension total) over the round. Describe that.

Misfire: Things aren't going the player's way, add complications/issues to their plans and action results from this round (or previous rounds).

Spotlight: Things are looking pretty bad for that explorer, introduce something that puts them in jeopardy.

Exec Makes Things Worse

When a player takes a Ready! action for their explorer, they may decide to cue the you to make things worse. If that is the case you do three things:

Raise the Tension 1 for one Pitfall.

Reduce the Tension dice by one.

Narrate what happened to make things worse.

Gear and Situation

You also have notable equipment for your explorer. Notable equipment is special stuff they have which may impact play, and often has stats of its own. Normal equipment is always assumed to be available unless the Exec deems that for some reason in the story it is not available. If your explorer is trapped in a cave by a monster, you may not have access to normal equipment. In these special cases the Exec will always inform you of what is happening, re: equipment.