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fsck-us:nuts_and_bolts

./FSCK-US - Nuts and Bolts

All the information and rules for character creation. Primarily characters are made up of two things: Ratings and Knacks. They also have Knowledge and Cool, but these are less important than Ratings and Knacks.

Character Creation

Here is the process:

  1. Generate Ratings: Roll 2d6 five time on the chart under Ratings to adjust your 10 ratings from their base of 3.
  2. Pick Knacks: Pick 10 (or more based on your rolls from ratings) Knacks. Record knowledge from the knacks. Increase ratings as your knacks allow.
  3. Secondary Ratings: Do the math under Ratings to figure our your secondary derived ratings.

If you want to do this fast, go here.

Ratings

All characters have numbers in several qualities, which are just called their Ratings. Here are the Ratings for each character:

  • STRength - Raw physical muscle, Weak Rating
  • REFflexes - Speed, Weak Rating
  • AGIlity - Gross motor skills
  • CONstitution - Toughness
  • DEXterity - Fine motor skills
  • CHArisma - Interpersonal skills
  • PERception - Sensory ability
  • WILlpower - Mental resilience
  • INTellect - Intellectual ability, Strong Rating
  • FAVor - Luck, Blessing from above, Strong Rating

All of your character Ratings begin at a value of 3, slightly below human average (4) but better than human minimum (1).

Roll 2d6 five times, assigning +2 to random Ratings as so:

  • 2: STR, +3 to Knack
  • 3: REF, +3 to Knack
  • 4: AGI
  • 5: CON
  • 6: DEX
  • 7: +1 Additional Knack and (+1 Knowledge or +1d Cool)
  • 8: CHA
  • 9: PER
  • 10: WILL
  • 11: INT, -1d Cool
  • 12: FAV, -1d Cool

You have several secondary Ratings which are calculated from the ten above:

  • Mental Prowess: INT + PER.
  • Physical Prowess: AGI + DEX.
  • Social Prowess: CHA + FAV.
  • Toughness: CON + STR.
  • Health: CON + FAV.
  • Speed: (REF + AGI + DEX) / 2. *round down
  • Influence: CHA + PER.
  • Cunning: INT + FAV.

Knacks

Knacks are what the character is good at. To create a character, you just pick 10 Knacks from the list below. When you take a Knack from this list, you first roll 2d6+8 to give it a power, a measure of how good you are at it. Each Knack also has points listed in brackets. You will spend these to increase Ratings that are listed in those brackets. Finally you'll gain whatever Knowledge it tells you, that is listed after the backward slash. Here is an example:

  • Hacking/Net [3 INT,PER,FAV] \Programming \Logic \Networking

So if you took Hacking/Net, you'd roll 2d6+8 and record that as it's power. Then you'd spend 3 points to increase any of INT, PER, or FAV. Finally you'd record Programming, Logic, and Networking under Knowledge.

All Knacks have the format: {General Knack} / {Specific Style}. The General Knack has one power value, even if you take it multiple times for multiple specific styles. In this way if you took both Hacking/Network and Hacking/Local, you'd still only have one power for Hacking. That is shared between both Hacking/Net and Hacking/Local. When you take another style of a Knack you already have, you add +3 to it's power. If you gain multiple copies of Knowledge from doing this, ignore those copies.

Sometimes the Specific Style for a General Knack starts with a question mark(?). In these cases pick a specific version of that general style. If you took Melee/?Martial Art, then you have to pick a specific martial art to replace ?Martial Art with for the Knack.

I've split the Knacks into three groups:

  • Action Knacks: All about kicking ass and taking names.
  • Investigation Knacks: All about finding and interpreting clues.
  • Utility Knacks: All about supporting the above, like Pilot/Aircraft.

Action Knacks

Action Knacks (6/16)
Brawl/Fists [4 STR,CON] /Athletics /FirstAid Brawl/Blunt [3 STR,AGI] /Athletics /BluntWeapons
Brawl/Wrestle [4 STR,CON] /Athletics /Wrestling Brawl/Edged [3 STR,AGI] /Athletics /EdgedWeapons
Melee/?Martial Art [3 AGI,CON] /Athletics /?Martial Art Melee/?Weapon [3 AGI,REF] /Athletics /?Weapon
Shoot/Pistol [3 DEX,REF] /Firearms /Pistols Shoot/Rifle [3 DEX,REF] /Firearms /Rifles
Shoot/Light [4 DEX,REF] /Gunnery /LightMG Shoot/Heavy [4 DEX,REF] /Gunnery /HeavyMG
Strong/Fast [4 STR,AGI] /Athletics /Running Strong/Vigor [4 STR,CON] /Athletics /Training
Quick/Stunts [3 DEX,REF] /Athletics /Gymnastics Quick/Hand-Eye [2 DEX,AGI] /Athletics /Tricks
Prowl/Ambush [2 DEX,REF] /Stealth /Tactics Prowl/Hide [2 DEX,AGI] /Stealth /Hunting(or /Crime)

Investigation Knacks

Investigation Knacks (14/40)
Insight/Honesty [4 PER,INT] /Intuition Insight/Motivation [3 PER,FAV] /Intuition
Charm/Flattery [4 CHA,PER] /Persuasion /Expression Charm/Flirting [3 CHA,PER,FAV] /Persuasion /Seduction
Talk/Police [3 CHA,INT] /Discussion /Police Talk/Bargain [3 CHA,WIL] /Discussion /Haggle
Talk/Corp [3 CHA,FAV] /Discussion /Corp Talk/Street [3 CHA,WIL] /Discussion /Street
Savvy/Street [3 INT,WIL] /Wisdom /Street Savvy/Corp [3 INT,CHA] /Wisdom /Corp
Savvy/Culture [3 INT,PER] /Wisdom /Culture Savvy/Net [3 INT,FAV] /Wisdom /Net
Con/Impersonate [3 CHA,PER] /Deception /Perform Con/Gamble [3 CHA,FAV] /Deception /Gambling
Interview/Inspire [2 PER,CHA] /Logic /Intuition Interview/Interrogate [2 INT,WIL] /Logic /Psychology
Scientist/Botany [4 INT,PER] /Study /Botany Scientist/Chemist [3 INT,PER] /Study /Chemistry
Scientist/Geologist [4 INT,PER] /Study /Geology Scientist/Biologist [3 INT,PER] /Study /Biology
Engineer/Computer [2 INT,PER] /Design /Computers Engineer/Structural [3 INT,PER,FAV] /Design /Architecture
Engineer/Power [2 INT,PER] /Design /Electrical Engineer/Mechanical [3 INT,PER,FAV] /Design /Mechanical
Historian/Archaeology [3 INT,CHA] /History /Archaeology Historian/Occult [2 INT,CHA] /History /Occult
Historian/Ancient [3 INT,CHA] /History /Myth Historian/Modern [3 INT,CHA] /History /Society
Forensic/Accounting [2 INT] /Accounting Forensic/Psychology [3 WIL] /Psychology
Analysis/Data [2 INT,PER,FAV] /Reasoning /Numbers Analysis/Evidence [2 PER] /Reasoning /Observation
Hacking/Local [2 PER] /Programming /Logic /Exploits Hacking/Net [3 INT,PER,FAV] /Programming /Logic /Networking
Hacking/AI [2 INT,FAV] /Programming /Logic /AI Hacking/Security [2 INT] /Programmming /Logic /SecureSystems
Ciphers/Lingual [2 INT] /Cryptography /Linguistics Ciphers/Digital [2 INT] /Cyptography /DataMining
Jabber/AI [2 FAV] /JabberTalk /ASI Jabber/Net [2 CHA] /JabberTalk /Darknet

Utility Knacks

Utility Knacks (7/18)
Operate/Aircraft [4 REF,DEX] /Piloting /Aircraft Operate/Boatcraft [3 AGI,DEX] /Piloting /Boats
Operate/Groundcraft [2 DEX] /Driving /Vehicles Operate/Spacecraft [4 REF,DEX] /Piloting /Spacecraft
Tactics/Military [3 WIL,INT] /Strategy /Discipline Tactics/Guerrilla [3 WIL,FAV] /Strategy /Survival
Medicine/First_Aid [2 INT] /Medicine /Triage Medicine/General [3 INT,WIL] /Medicine /Drugs
Mechanic/Heavy [3 STR,WIL] /Motors /Vehicles Mechanic/Power [3 DEX,PER] /Reactors /Electrical
Research/Academic [2 INT] /Academia /Libraries Research/Jabber [2 FAV] /JabberTalk /Netsearch
Supply/Commercial [2 CHA] /Contacts:Commercial /Assets Supply/Agency [2 CHA] /Contacts:Agency /Assets
Work/Labor [4 STR,CON,AGI] /Fortitude /Sports Work/Corp [3 WIL,CHA] /Management /Composure
Work/Retail [3 WIL] /Sales /Drinking Work/Security [2 PER] /Observation /SecureSystems

Knowledge

Knowledge in this game is more than just booksmarts and experience. Knowledge is anything your character can leverage to their benefit. So if your character had knowledge: Assets. Then this means they have assets they can leverage to get benefits (think bonuses to numbers) in play. To use this, you describe how the knowledge is helping - in detail - and then you will get a die to roll in the same manner as if you used Cool.

Making the Numbers go up

The higher the number you have in any Rating or Knack, the better your character. Here is a rough gauge of ability based on the number:

  • 10: Capable, beginning professional
  • 15: Skilled
  • 20: Expert
  • 25: Master
  • 30+ Amazing

Certain numbers can be leveraged for dice (to roll for bonuses as in Cool) and when you are able, this is how that works:

  • 6-9: 1d
  • 10-12: 2d
  • 13-14: 3d
  • 15=16: 4d
  • 17: 5d
  • 18: 6d

One example of this leveraging is using your Ratings with a General Rule. So if you were able to leverage a 12 INT, you'd get 2d to roll as above. To understand how you'd do this, see General Rules.

Cool

Your agents in the game are supposed to be pretty damn sweet, and this is shown int he game by their Cool dice. The more dice, the more dice they can use to make their numbers larger (and be cooler in result). To use cool, you explain - in detail - how your agent is being cool and then roll one or more dice. These are spent, and you can't ever get more until you expend all of them. Each die you roll works as so:

  • Roll is 1-5: Add the result to the appropriate number.
  • 6: You choose:
    • Whoops!: Something went wrong - explain. No bonuses from Cool (negating any other rolled dice).
    • Bang!: Take a +5 and the GM earns a Hazard Token.

Bonuses from rolled dice stick until end of logical action, or “scene” as the GM declares. This means if you were in a shootout and raised your Shoot/Pistol by 7, it stays raised until the shootout is over. Another example, if you were in an interview and raised Insight/Honesty, it would stick until the interview is over.

QUICK Character Creation

Start with these Ratings based on a “type” of character:

Quick Ratings
Rating Talented Smart Tough Smooth
STR 3 3 5 3
REF 3 5 5 3
AGI 3 3 5 3
CON 5 3 7 3
DEX 5 3 3 3
CHA 5 3 3 7
PER 5 5 3 5
WIL 3 3 3 3
INT 3 7 3 3
FAV 3 3 3 7

Each type has the following adjustments (based on the choices above):

  • Talented: 11 Knacks, 7d Cool.
  • Smart: 11 Knacks, +3 to one Knack, +1 Knowledge, 4d Cool.
  • Tough: 10 Knacks, +3 to two Knacks, 6d Cool.
  • Smooth: 10 Knacks, 4d Cool.

Now pick two “Knackpacks” from these (you can't take the same one twice):

Knackpack: Front Line Operative


Knacks:

  • Shoot/Pistol: 2d6+8
  • Quick/Stunts: 2d6+8
  • Melee/Baton: 2d6+8
  • Operate/Groundcraft: 2d6+8
  • Tactics/Military: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +4 DEX, +2 REF, +2 AGI, +2 WIL, +1 INT

Knowledge:

  • Firearms, Pistols, Athletics, Baton, Gymnastics, Driving, Vehicles, Strategy, Discipline

Knackpack: R&D Labrat


Knacks:

  • Scientist/Chemist/Biology: 2d6+11
  • Analysis/Data: 2d6+8
  • Talk/Corp: 2d6+8
  • Jabber/Net: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +4 INT, +4 PER, +2 FAV, +4 CHA

Knowledge:

  • Study, Chemistry, Biology, Reasoning, Numbers, Discussion, Corp, JabberTalk, Darknet

Knackpack: Inquisitive Scientist


Knacks:

  • Scientist/Geologist/Botanist: 2d6+11
  • Savvy/Corp: 2d6+8
  • Analysis/Evidence: 2d6+8
  • Research/Academic: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +7 INT, +6 PER, +2 CHA

Knowledge:

  • Study, Geology, Botany, Wisdom, Corp, Reasoning, Observation, Academia, Libraries

Knackpack: Street Thug


Knacks:

  • Brawl/Fists/Edged: 2d6+11
  • Strong/Fast: 2d6+8
  • Savvy/Street: 2d6+8
  • Medicine/First_Aid: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +4 STR, +2 CON, +4 AGI, +2 INT, +3 WIL

Knowledge:

  • Athletics, FirstAid, EdgedWeapons, Running, Wisdom, Street, Medicine, Triage

Knackpack: Concerned Netizen


Knacks:

  • Savvy/Net: 2d6+8
  • Jabber/Net: 2d6+8
  • Talk/Bargain: 2d6+8
  • Reaserch:Jabber 2d6+8
  • Work/Corp: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +1 INT, +4 FAV, +4 CHA, +4 WIL

Knowledge:

  • Wisdom, Net, JabberTalk, Darknet, Discussion, Haggle, Netsearch, Management, Composure

Knackpack: Aberrant Hacker


Knacks:

  • Hacking/Local/Net: 2d6+11
  • Ciphers/Digital: 2d6+8
  • Jabber/AI: 2d6+8
  • Supply/Commercial: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +4 INT, +2 PER, +3 FAV, +2 CHA

Knowledge:

  • Programming, Logic, Exploits, Networking, Cryptography, DataMining, JabberTalk, ASI, Contacts:Commercial, Assets

Knackpack: Influential Professor


Knacks:

  • Historian/Occult: 2d6+8
  • Savvy/Culture: 2d6+8
  • Ciphers/Lingual: 2d6+8
  • Research:Academic: 2d6+8
  • Supply/Commercial: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +6 INT, +3 CHA, +2 PER

Knowledge:

  • History, Occult, Wisdom, Culture, Cryptography, Linguistics, Academia, Libraries, Contacts:Commercial, Assets

Knackpack: Career Agent


Knacks:

  • Interview/Inspire: 2d6+8
  • Shoot/Pistol: 2d6+8
  • Talk/Corp: 2d6+8
  • Forensic/Psychology: 2d6+8
  • Supply/Agency: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +1 PER, +4 CHA, +2 FAV, +2 DEX, +1 REF, +3 WIL

Knowledge:

  • Firearms, Pistols, Logic, Intuition, Discussion, Corp, Psychology, Contacts:Agency, Assets

Knackpack: Gifted Grifter


Knacks:

  • Charm/Flattery/Flirting: 2d6+11
  • Prowl/Hide: 2d6+8
  • Con/Impersonate: 2d6+8
  • Savvy/Corp: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +6 CHA, +1 PER, +2 FAV, +1 DEX, +1 AGI, +2 INT

Knowledge:

  • Persuasion, Expression, Seduction, Stealth, Crime, Deception, Perform, Wisdom, Corp

Knackpack: ASI Acolyte


Knacks:

  • Insight/Motivation: 2d6+8
  • Savvy/Net: 2d6+8
  • Jabber/AI: 2d6+8
  • Hacking/AI: 2d6+8
  • Analysis/Data: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +8 FAV, +2 PER, +2 INT

Knowledge:

  • Intuition, Wisdom, Net, JabberTalk, ASI, Programming, Logic, AI, Reasoning, Numbers

Knackpack: Undercover Agent


Knacks:

  • Con/Impersonate: 2d6+8
  • Insight/Honesty: 2d6+8
  • Savvy/Corp: 2d6+8
  • Work/Retail/Corp: 2d6+11

Ratings:

  • +4 CHA, +4 PER, +3 INT, +5 WIL

Knowledge:

  • Deception, Perform, Intuition, Wisdom, Corp, Sales, Drinking, Management, Composure

Knackpack: Darknet Fixer


Knacks:

  • Jabber/Net: 2d6+8
  • Savvy/Net/Corp: 2d6+11
  • Forensic/Accounting: 2d6+8
  • Work/Security: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +3 CHA, +6 INT, +1 FAV, +2 PER

Knowledge:

  • JabberTalk, Darknet, Wisdom, Corp, Net, Accounting, Observation, SecureSystems

Knackpack: Failed Athlete


Knacks:

  • Strong/Fast/Vigor: 2d6+11
  • Quick/Stunts: 2d6+8
  • Melee/Aikido: 2d6+8
  • Work/Labor: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +6 STR, +6 CON, +3 AGI, +2 DEX, +1 REF

Knowledge:

  • Athletics, Running, Training, Gymnastics, Aikido, Fortitude, Sports

Knackpack: Accomplished Burglar


Knacks:

  • Prowl/Hide: 2d6+8
  • Quick/Hand-Eye: 2d6+8
  • Shoot/Light: 2d6+8
  • Hacking/Security: 2d6+8
  • Mechanic/Power: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +5 DEX, +2 AGI, +2 REF, +2 INT, +2 PER

Knowledge:

  • Stealth, Crime, Gunnery, LightMG, Programming, Logic, SecureSystems, Reactors, Electrical

Knackpack: Cracked Detective


Knacks:

  • Shoot/Pistol: 2d6+8
  • Prowl/Ambush: 2d6+8
  • Insight/Motivation: 2d6+8
  • Interview/Interrogate: 2d6+8
  • Talk/Police: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +3 DEX, +2 REF, +3 PER, +2 INT, +1 WIL, +2 CHA

Knowledge:

  • Firearms, Pistol, Stealth, Tactics, Intuition, Logic, Psychology, Discussion, Police

Knackpack: Mountaineer


Knacks:

  • Shoot/Rifle: 2d6+8
  • Strong/Vigor: 2d6+8
  • Prowl/Hide: 2d6+8
  • Tactics/Guerilla: 2d6+8
  • Medicine/General: 2d6+8

Ratings:

  • +3 DEX, +1 REF, +2 STR, +2 CON, +1 AGI, +4 WIL, +1 FAV, +1 INT

Knowledge:

  • Firearms, Rifles, Athletics, Training, Stealth, Hunting, Strategy, Survival, Medicine, Drugs
fsck-us/nuts_and_bolts.txt · Last modified: 2019/05/26 12:06 by jasonp