Rules

Rules Updates
Opposed Rolls
The acting character in an opposed roll always gets his Trait total first (including spending any Bennies), and must
get at least a basic success (TN 4) or he fails. The defender rolls next and must meet or exceed the first character’s result or
the attacker wins.
Critical Failures
 Critical Failure occurs when a Wild Card rolls a 1 on both the skill die and Wild Die of a Trait roll. The attempt
automatically fails and something bad happens—a weapon is dropped or gets stuck, the attack hits a friend, the vehicle
crashes, spells misfire (see Backlash), and so on.
Critical Failures cannot be rerolled, even with Bennies.
Extras and Critical Failures: If an Extra rolls a 1 on a Trait check and it’s important to know if it’s a Critical Failure, such
as when casting a spell, roll a d6. On a 1, it’s a Critical Failure. Otherwise it’s just a normal failure.
Multiple Dice: Some abilities allow characters to roll multiple Trait dice, such as the Frenzy Edge or firing a weapon
with a Rate of Fire higher than 1. A Critical Failure with multiple dice occurs when more than half the die results are a
natural 1. If the character is a Wild Card, the Wild Die must be a 1 as well.
Joker’s Wild
• When a player character draws a Joker during combat, all player characters receive a Benny!
• Anytime the villains draw a Joker, the GM puts one Benny in their general pool and gives another to each enemy
Wild Card.
Using Bennies
• REROLL A TRAIT: Bennies grant a hero a reroll on any Trait, and best of all, you get to keep the best total from all
your rolls. The only exception is a Critical Failure, which ends the attempt and must be accepted. Such is the price
of tempting fate!
• RECOVER FROM SHAKEN: This is instant and may be done at any time, even interrupting another’s actions if
desired.
• SOAK ROLLS: Bennies can also be used to prevent Wounds or recover from being Shaken. See Soak Rolls for more
information.
• DRAW A NEW ACTION CARD: When the game is in rounds, a character can spend a Benny to get a new Action Card.
This occurs after all cards are dealt and Edges or Hindrances like Quick, Level Headed, or Hesitant are resolved.
Then players or the GM may spend Bennies for an additional card as many times as they like and take their choice
of all their draws. Edges like Quick or Level Headed do not apply to these additional cards drawn with Bennies.
This continues until everyone (including the GM) passes. Then the round begins and no further cards may be
drawn.
• REROLL DAMAGE: You may spend a Benny to reroll damage. Include any additional dice you may have gained for
a raise on the attack roll.
• REGAIN POWER POINTS: A character with an Arcane Background can spend a Benny to regain 5 Power Points.
• INFLUENCE THE STORY: This one is entirely up to the Game Master, who may allow your character to spend a
Benny to find an additional clue if you’re stuck, come up with some mundane but needed item, or push a
nonplayer character into being a bit more agreeable.
Combat Updates
Movement
• RUNNING: A hero can “run” as a free action once per turn, increasing her Pace for the round by her Running die
(a d6 by default) at the cost of a −2 penalty to all other actions that turn. Running dice never Ace. (The Running
die is random to account for nuances of terrain not depicted on the tabletop and for the “risk to reward” decision
players must make.)
• HAZARDS: If the GM feels movement is hazardous for some reason—climbing under duress, swimming a fast-
moving river, walking a tightrope—she can require an Athletics roll to move. Success means she continues on
normally. With a Critical Failure the character takes Fatigue from Bumps & Bruises, falls if climbing or in a
precarious position (see Falling), or drowns if swimming (see Drowning).
• JUMPING: Characters can jump 1″ (two yards) horizontally, or 0.5″ vertically as a free action. Double these
numbers if the hero can run at least 2″ (four yards) prior to the jump. If the hero chooses, she may make an
Athletics roll as an action to increase her horizontal distance by 1″ (2″ with a raise), or half that vertically.
Jumping does not allow a character to exceed her total Pace for the turn.
Attacks
• EXTREME RANGE: Extreme Range is up to 4 × a weapon’s Long Range. Firing at such a great distance requires
the Aim option.
When used in this way, Aim doesn’t reduce any penalties—it simply allows the character to fire at such a
great distance. The penalty is −8, or −6 with a scope.
 Characters may not throw weapons at Extreme Range.

• RATE OF FIRE: Rate of Fire is how many shots (Shooting dice) a ranged weapon can fire in one action. A pistol
with a RoF of 1, for example, can fire one shot per action. A machine gun with a Rate of Fire of 3 can fire three
shots per action (10 actual bullets, see below).
For weapons with a Rate of Fire of 2 or higher, declare how many shots you’re putting into each possible
target. Then roll that number of Shooting dice and assign them in whatever order you like to the targets you
declared.
Wild Cards roll their Shooting dice plus a Wild Die, which can be assigned wherever they like after
seeing the result of the roll. They still can’t hit with more shots than the weapon’s Rate of Fire, however.
A Rate of Fire higher than 1 is an abstract value where each “shot” is actually a number of bullets. If
you’re tracking bullets, use the table below and whatever Rate of Fire the character actually fires in an action,
not the weapon’s maximum.

• RECOIL: Firing more than one shot in one action from a weapon subtracts 2 from the attacker’s Shooting rolls.
Damage Effects
• SHAKEN: Shaken characters are nicked, bruised, or otherwise rattled. They may only take free actions, such as
moving (including running). At the start of their turn, Shaken characters must attempt to recover from being
Shaken by making a Spirit roll. This is a free action.
• INJURY TABLE: 2d6 results of 10-11 now target the Leg, 12 hits the Head. On the additional 1d6 roll for the
Head, 1-3 Hideous Scar, 4-5 Blinded, 6 Brain Damage.
Incapacitation
Incapacitated characters may not perform actions but are still dealt Action Cards for the remainder of the encounter
in case they recover or must roll for other effects such as Bleeding Out (below). Edges or Hindrances that affect card
draws, such as Quick, Level Headed, or Hesitant are ignored when the hero is Incapacitated.
If Incapacitated by damage or injury, he must make an immediate Vigor roll:
• CRITICAL FAILURE: The character dies.
• FAILURE: Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury is permanent and the character is Bleeding Out, see below.
• SUCCESS: Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury goes away when all Wounds are healed.
• RAISE: Roll on the Injury Table. The Injury goes away in 24 hours, or when all Wounds are healed
(whichever is sooner).
Characters cannot take actions and might be unconscious (GM’s call). The victim makes a Vigor roll each day
thereafter and is no longer Incapacitated (or unconscious) if successful. They may also heal Wounds during this time (see
Natural Healing).
Bleeding Out: The injured character is dying and must make a Vigor roll at the start of his turn. Failure means he
perishes. With success he survives but must roll again next turn (or every minute if not in combat). With a raise, he
stabilizes and no further rolls are required.
Other characters may stop a victim’s bleeding by making a Healing roll. This is an action, and if successful the
patient is stabilized.
The healing power can also stabilize Wounds, as can a successful “natural” healing roll by a being with regeneration
of some sort.

Healing Updates
The Healing skill is used to remove Wounds. Each attempt requires 10 minutes per wound level of the patient.
Subtract 1 from Healing rolls without a basic First Aid kit or similar supplies. The healer no longer subtracts the patient’s
wound levels from their roll.
A success removes one Wound, and a raise removes two. Failure means no Wounds are removed. A Critical Failure
increases the victim’s Wound level by one.
Healers are no longer required to make a separate roll to remove Incapacitation before attempting healing and
removing at least one Wound on an Incapacitated patient removes that state.
Aftermath & Extras: If it’s important to know what happens to Extras who were Incapacitated during a fight, make a
Vigor roll for each. Those who succeed survive and must be cared for, taken prisoner, or released.

Situational Rules
Removed:
• FULL DEFENSE
• RAPID ATTACK
 • DIVING FOR COVER
• AUTOMATIC FIRE
• TRICKS AND TEST OF WILL
Updated:
• AIM: Note, if a character spends her entire turn Aiming a ranged weapon at a particular target and takes no
other actions, she can ignore up to 4 points of Range, Cover, Called Shot, Scale, or Speed penalties; or add +2 to
her roll. Her attack must be used on the first action of her next turn or the bonus is lost.
The shooter must be “stationary” to Aim. She can’t walk, run, ride a horse, or otherwise move under her
own power. She could Aim from a vehicle traveling over or through a smooth surface, or one using the Hold
Steady Chase maneuver.
• MORE ON GRENADES: Grenades in the modern era and earlier explode after mechanisms inside trigger the
detonator—typically a delay of three to five seconds depending on make and model after the pin is pulled to
initiate detonation.
Hot Potato: Because of the delay in the grenade’s detonation, one character (and one only) in the blast
radius can attempt to pick up and throw the grenade before it goes off. This is an Athletics roll at −4 as a free
action (or −2 if he was on Hold, but it consumes his held action). Failure means it goes off before he can
throw it, causing damage as if thrown with a raise (if it wasn’t already).
Cooking: A character can “cook” a grenade by pulling its pin and counting off a few seconds so that it
can’t be thrown back. To do so, the attacker first makes a Smarts roll as a free action. With success, he times
the detonation correctly and it can’t be hurled back or Evaded. Failure means it can be thrown back or
Evaded, and a Critical Failure on the Smarts roll means it detonates in the attacker’s hand! Roll damage as if
thrown with a raise.
Covering Grenades: A character may also throw himself on a grenade. He takes double the normal dice
of damage for his heroic act, but his total Toughness is subtracted from the damage inflicted on other
characters in the blast radius.
• AREA EFFECT ATTACKS DEVIATION: If an attack with a Cone Template fails, it goes over the targets’ heads, hits the
ground, or simply falters for some reason. The GM may still decide the attack affects the area around it—
perhaps a flamethrower sets a room on fire or a gas canister spews a cloud of gas— but there’s no game effect on
characters or other targets this time.
If a blast template misses, it deviates 1d6″ for thrown weapons (such as grenades) and 2d6″ for fired
projectiles. Multiply by 2 if the attack was made at Medium Range, 3 if Long, and 4 for Extreme.
Next roll a d12 and read it like a clock facing to determine the direction the missile deviates. A weapon
can never deviate more than half the distance to the original target (that keeps it from going behind the
thrower).
• AREA EFFECT TEMPLATES WITHOUT MINIATURES: The GM can determine how many enemies are hit in narrative
situations, modifying the results if the targets are more spread out (highly trained agents) or bunched up (a
horde of zombies) based on Template size.

• BREAKING THINGS: Object Toughness is now called Object Hardness and the table for how much damage needs
to be caused to render an object broken has been expanded. Certain types of attacks can’t break certain types of
objects. A club can’t cut a rope, and a single bullet won’t destroy a door. Apply common sense.
• CALLED SHOTS: Targeting a particular part of the body is a Called Shot. The modifier to the attack roll depends
on the Scale of the target itself (not the creature it’s part of). Use the Scale Modifiers table to determine any
bonus or penalty for the target’s Scale. These modifiers are already listed in parentheses below for Normal
scale creatures, along with any specific game effects:
o HAND (−4): Target may be Disarmed.
o HEAD OR VITALS (−4): Hitting the head or vital organs of living creatures adds +4 damage to the
attacker’s total.
o The penalty is −5 if attempting to target the face of someone wearing an open-faced helmet (thus
bypassing the helmet’s Armor).
o ITEM (?): Use the dimensions on the Scale table for items. Targeting something the size of a pistol, for
example, is −4; a 3' long sword is −2.
o LIMBS (−2): Hitting a limb has no additional special effect since it’s already accounted for by Wound and
Pace penalties (see Wounds).
o UNARMORED (?): The attack targets the unprotected area of a target otherwise covered in Armor. The
penalty depends on the Scale of the area. The eyeslit of a helmet is Tiny (−6), for example, while the flesh
beneath the missing scale of a Huge dragon might be Very Small (−4).
• COVER & AREA EFFECT: Solid obstacles like trees or brick walls protect against area effect attacks if they’re
between the origin of the blast and the GM reasonably thinks they’d apply. Reduce the damage by the
amount listed on the Cover Bonus table under Cover & Obstacles.

• COVER PENALTIES: Melee and ranged attacks suffer a penalty when attempting to hit a target behind Cover.
• DEFEND: A character can choose to focus all her energy and skill into defense against melee attacks with the
Defend maneuver. This increases her Parry by +4 and takes her entire turn— she cannot perform Multi-
Actions. She may move normally but may not run.
• DISARM: A character can try to make an opponent drop a weapon (or other object) or attempt to damage it, by
making a melee or ranged attack.
The attacker must first hit the object or the opponent’s limb or hand (see Called Shots).
If the attack hits the weapon, the attacker rolls damage normally for an item (no raise effect or Aces, see
Breaking Things). The defender must make a Strength roll equal to the damage or drop the item.
If the attack is against the wielder and Shakes or Wounds him, the defender must make a Strength roll at
−2 if it hit his limb, or −4 if it hit his hand, plus any Wound penalties that result as usual. Failure means he
drops whatever item is in that hand.
• THE DROP – KNOCKOUT BLOW: If a character takes enough damage to be Shaken or worse from an attacker with
The Drop on him, he must make a Vigor roll (at −2 if the attack was to the head) or be knocked unconscious.
KO’ed characters stay that way for about half an hour or until the GM decides it’s dramatically
appropriate to wake up. Note that Knockout Blows come from any kind of damage, not just blows to the
head!
• EVASION: Some attacks are slow or require the user to “telegraph” their delivery, like flamethrowers or
dragon’s breath. Such attacks state they may be “evaded.” If an attack doesn’t say it can be evaded, it can’t—
victims are simply hit if the attack is successful and take damage.
If an attack can be evaded and the character is aware of it, he makes an Agility roll at −2. Those who are
successful manage to avoid the attack and take no damage. If this was an area effect attack, the GM should
place the figure to the side or rear of the template as makes sense in the situation.
• FATIGUE RECOVERY: Unless otherwise specified by the source, Fatigue and Exhaustion improve one level per
hour. Incapacitated characters are helpless and may be unconscious (GM’s call) for 2d6 hours. If treatment is
possible (food, water, etc., depending on the source of Fatigue), and a Healing roll is made, the character
improves to Exhausted.
Mixed Fatigue: If a hero suffers Fatigue from different sources with different recovery times, remove one
level when the effect with the shortest duration expires, then another level when the longest expires.
• FREE ATTACKS: Some Edges, such as Counterattack and First Strike, or options such as Withdrawing from
Melee, allow a character to make a free attack.
Free attacks are a single attack unaltered by other Edges or combat options. This is usually a Fighting or
grappling attack, but could include Shooting if the attacker is armed with a pistol or other ranged weapon
that can fire in melee (see Ranged Weapons in Melee).
• GANGING UP: Each ally adjacent to the defender cancels out one point of Gang Up bonus from an attacker
adjacent to both. This means troops in opposing lines, such as a medieval formation where each man has
three adjacent foes and two adjacent allies, don’t get the bonus unless actually flanked.
• GRAPPLING: Grappling is an opposed roll between the attacker and defender’s Athletics. If the attacker wins,
the foe is Entangled. With a raise, he’s Bound. (Success on a foe who was already Entangled makes him
Bound.) See Bound & Entangled.
If a foe is Bound, the grappler is also Vulnerable while maintaining his hold.
The Gang Up bonus applies when grappling a defender, but other maneuvers don’t unless the Game
Master rules otherwise in a specific situation.
 Size Matters: If there’s a difference in Scale between the attacker and defender, the grappler subtracts the
difference from his total (the defender does not).
Creatures may not generally grapple a foe more than two Sizes larger then themselves unless they have
exceptional reach or Strength for their Size (GM’s call).
Crush: A grappler may harm someone he’s Entangled or Bound by making an opposed Strength roll as
an action on his turn. With success, his attack does his Strength in damage (gaining bonus damage for a raise
as normal).
• IMPROVISED WEAPONS: Heroes often fight with objects that aren’t intended for use as weapons. Torches, vases,
chairs, tankards, bottles, tools, and other mundane items are frequently pressed into service in combat.
Characters with improvised weapons count as armed but subtract 2 from attack rolls. Range, damage
and Minimum Strength are determined by type:
o LIGHT: Metal beer stein, fist-sized rock, pistol (as a club). Range 3/6/12, Damage Str+d4, Min Str d4.
o MEDIUM: Bowling ball, submachine gun (as a club), wooden chair. Range 2/4/8, Damage Str+d6, Min. Str
d6.
o HEAVY: Head-size rock, metal chair, duffel bag full of guns. Range 1/2/4, Damage Str+d8, Min. Str d8.
The GM can adjust the damage down a level or two if the item is softer than the examples above, like a
duffel bag full of money.
• INNOCENT BYSTANDERS: When an attacker misses a Shooting or Athletics (throwing) roll, it may sometimes be
important to see if any other targets in the line of fire were hit. The GM should only use this rule when it’s
dramatically appropriate—not for every missed shot in a hail of gunfire.
Each skill die that’s a 1 hits a random victim adjacent to or directly in the line of fire to the original target.
Wild dice never hit innocent bystanders.
A Wild Card must miss with his Wild Die for a RoF 1 weapon to hit an Innocent Bystander (except for
shotguns, see below).
This means it’s sometimes easier to hit an adjacent victim than the original target. That may not be
entirely realistic, but is simple, dramatic, and requires some care in tight tactical situations.
o ROF 2 + OR SHOTGUN: Weapons that spray bullets or buckshot are much more likely to hit others. Each
skill die that rolls a 1 or a 2 hits a bystander.
• MOUNTED COMBAT: Characters fighting from horseback (or other strange beasts) have certain advantages and
disadvantages in combat, as described below. Mounts aren’t dealt Action Cards—they act with their riders.
Animals may attack any threat to their front during their rider’s action.
Horsemanship: Characters who wish to fight from horseback must use the lowest of their Fighting or
Riding skills. This makes it important for cavalrymen to actually be able to ride well!
Falling: If a character is Shaken, Stunned, or Wounded while mounted, or his mount is Incapacitated, he
must make a Riding roll. If he fails, he falls. If the mount was running (GM’s call), the rider suffers 2d4
damage (2d6 with a Critical Failure).
Missed Ranged Attacks: Mounts and riders are affected by the Innocent Bystander rules. If a shot
intended at a rider rolls a 1, it hits the horse instead.
Wounded Mounts: When an animal is Shaken or Wounded, it rears or bucks. A rider must make a
Riding roll to stay mounted, or falls as above.
• CHARGING: A rider on a charging horse adds +4 to his damage roll with a successful Fighting attack. To be
considered charging, the rider must have moved at least 6″ or more in a relatively straight line toward his foe.
Setting Weapons: A weapon with a Reach of 1 or greater can be “set” against a cavalry attack. To do so,
the attacker must be on Hold and win an opposed Athletics roll to interrupt as usual. Whoever has the most
Reach adds +2 to his roll.
The winner attacks first. If successful, he adds the +4 charge bonus to his damage (whether he’s the rider
or not).
• MULTI-ACTIONS: Characters can perform up to three actions on their turn. Each additional action beyond the
first inflicts a −2 penalty to all actions. Taking two actions, for example, incurs a −2 penalty to both, and three
actions is a −4 penalty.
Wild Cards get their Wild Die on each action as usual.
All actions must be declared at the start of the turn and before any dice are rolled. Penalties remain even
if a later action doesn’t happen (usually because it was dependent on an earlier success).
 Movement and Multiple Actions: A character may perform multiple actions at different points in his
movement.
• NATURAL WEAPONS: Creatures with natural weapons such as fangs, claws, or horns may attack with any or all
of them using their Fighting skill. Damage is stated for character races and beasts in their various
descriptions.
Creatures with natural weapons are always considered armed. This means they aren’t Unarmed
Defenders and foes fighting with Two Weapons gain no advantage against them. Here are a few additional
notes for each type of attack:
o BITE: The creature may bite a target it’s grappled (most attackers can only crush their prey, see
Grappling.
o CLAWS: +2 to Athletics (climbing) rolls on any rough or soft surface (not sheer steel, glass, etc.).
o HORNS: Add +4 damage at the end of one Fighting action in which it Runs, moves at least 5″(10 yards),
and successfully hits with its horns.
• PRONE: Ranged attacks suffer a −4 penalty to hit prone characters from a range of 3″ or greater (this does not
stack with Cover) and subtract four points of damage from Area Effect attacks. If a prone defender is caught
in melee, his Parry is reduced by 2 and he must subtract 2 from his Fighting rolls. Standing costs a character
2″ of movement.
• PUSH: Sometimes characters may want to push a foe in hopes of knocking him out of position, prone, or even
into a deadly hazard.
Pushing a foe is an opposed roll of Strength. If the attacker is successful he pushes the foe back up to 1″
(two yards). With a raise, increase the distance to 2″ (four yards). Double either distance if the attacker’s Scale
is larger than the foe’s.
A character who’s successfully Pushed must make an Athletics roll (at −2 if the attacker got a raise) or be
knocked prone.
o Running: If the attacker ran at least 2″ (four yards) before the Push, he adds +2 to his total.
o Size Matters: Creatures may not generally Push a foe more than two Sizes larger then themselves unless
they have exceptional Strength for their Size (GM’s call).
o Skill: The attacker or defender may roll Athletics instead of Strength if they choose.
o Shields: Attackers and defenders add their shield’s Parry bonus to their Strength (or Athletics) rolls when
pushing.
• RANGED WEAPONS IN MELEE: Heroes may fire ranged weapons when engaged in melee with a few caveats:
o The attacker may only use a power or a onehanded ranged weapon (such as a firearm no larger than a
pistol) when in melee. He may not fire rifles or other “long arms.” The TN is the defender’s Parry instead
of Short Range as he struggles, wrestles back and forth, etc.
o If attacking a non-adjacent target with a ranged attack while in melee, the attacker instantly becomes
Vulnerable.
• READYING WEAPONS: Characters may “ready” up to two items per turn as a free action. Readying means
drawing, holstering, or otherwise moving an item into or out of a familiar and easy-to-reach location.
Each additional item readied is an action, as is readying an item from a difficult location such as an ankle
holster, off the floor after being disarmed, or other extenuating circumstances.
• RECOIL: Unless it says otherwise in its description, firing at a Rate of Fire greater than 1 in one action causes
Recoil, a −2 penalty to the attacker’s Shooting rolls. A submachine gun with a Rate of Fire of 3, for example,
causes Recoil unless its user fires only a single shot.
Recoil isn’t cumulative between actions. If a character fires three shots (RoF 3) on one action and triggers
the Recoil penalty, he ignores it on a second action if he only fires a single shot.
• RELOADING: Nocking an arrow or loading a stone in a sling are free actions that may be performed once per
action. Reloading a crossbow bolt, clip, magazine, speed loader, or single bullets so that it’s ready to fire
(chambered, cocked, etc.) is an action.
Some weapons are slower to reload, like heavy crossbows or black powder weapons. They require a
number of actions to reload, listed as “Reload X” in their description.
Running & Reloading: Characters who run and load must make an Agility roll (at the usual −2 penalty
for running). Failure means no progress toward reloading was made that action.