Rules

__TOC__
= Character Creation =
It's a simple d20 point buy system.
* Skills are 3 * Level. For Level 1 it would be 3. For level 2 it would be 6. For level 3 it would be 9. 
* Stats are 5 * Level. For Level 1 it would be 5. For level 2 it would be 10. For level 3 it would be 15. 
* Powers are 10 * Level. For Level 1 it would be 10. For level 2 it would be 20. For level 3 it would be 30.
* Equipment no longer has a cost, but it only affects a skill, and it must make sense. Hard cap at 10 no matter how many successes you get.
* No Value can go higher than 10. 
* You must get your first power to 10 before you can buy another (and there's specific narration that happens in that event) 
* 0 is considered an unskilled human average. 
* 5 is considered an expert in the subject. 
* 10 is consiered the most skilled or the greatest expert in the world.
== Filling Out The Character Sheet ==
* Spend your points however you wish. However, the ST decides what skills modify the power you use. You are attempting to get the highest base score so that your rolls can generate the highest number of successes.
== The Game System ==
=== Success System ===
A success system allows you to measure how successful a particular roll is, not just if it's successful or not. This is often used in higher power games or with differences in power levels between characters.
This system is an 8div3 (8/3) success system. What that means is that in an 8 is a single success, and every additional 3 points is an additional success..
In success systems such as this, it is customary for things like defense to count against the attacker's success rating, and for armor to count against the final damage. In this system, defense, armor, and dodge all acount against the attacker's success. Thus it makes sense to put points into things like stamina, dodge, and buying armor as equipment to make your character more difficult to damage. However, since we're starting this game as high school students, it's going to be usual to start off with a poor defense..
=== Magic Attack vs. Normal Attacks ===
Magick effects work under a Success System to determine how noticable the effect was and how coincidental or vulgar the magic is. At really low levels it might even greatly delay how quickly the magick might occur. The successes of the magick not only determine what kind of magick it is, but also works according to the normal attack rules. However, the magickal attack has to not only meet the criteria of when the attack occurs, how noticable it is, and how coincidental or vulgar it is, but also must make sense for that specific magic power. You can't launch a healing attack to damage a player. You can use a computer hacking attack to stop a healthy person's heart. It has to make sense, and the ST/DM has the final say. Arguing with the ST/DM is bad juju..
=== Attack Rounds ===
This game is designed to be a story heavy game, and the ST does all of the rolls in the background. However, it is helpful to know the mechanics. A character decides to attack another. They have their base roll value on their sheet. They roll a d20. That roll is then used to calculate their number of successes..
Let's say your base roll is 37. You roll an 8. That's a total of 45. According to 8/3, that's 11 successes. So your attacking with 11 successes..
The person in question has a defense of 5. So now you're attacking with 6 successes. They botch their dodge roll, so you are still attacking with 6 successes. They have no armor. So at the end of combat, they take 6 points of damage..
If you do enough damage to reduce their health to 0 or less, you can choose whether you are attempting to incapacitate or kill..
You can add all kinds of flavor text as to what you do, but the dice/successes rule. If you have a tremendously high number of successes, the ST might add additional flavor text making the feat look more badass than your original attempted action. If you have barely enough successes, the ST might add flavor text to make the feat seem somehow less impressive..
The previous games had combat actions, move and maneuver rounds, etc. This game is more story driven, and as long as you reasonable (and don't anger the ST gods) you can describe your actions as you wish. The ST might consult with you on making your descriptions more reasonable, don't take it personally. The ST just wants you to stay within your established power level and skill limits..
=== The Magic System ===
The magic system here requires an expenditure of successes in order to accomplish given goals. Thus you can customize what your magick does depending on the amount of successes you get. You must have the prerequisite in order to use that particular magical aspect.
Basic Magick Success Table
Magical Aspect
Prerequisite
Cost (in Successes)
Description
Spell is a Success
None
1 Successes
Your spell is successful. It's coincidental and non-instant. You must wait until the contents of the spell could happen entirely by coincidence without any magic involved.
Major Coincidence
None
5 Successes
Your spell is successful. It's coincidental and non-instant. However, the ST will roll d20 and the number of rolls it takes for him to get a natural 20 is the number of rounds (3 sec each) until your spell goes off.
Instant
None
10 Successes
Without this Magick Aspect, the DM must roll until he gets a natural 20 for your effect to go off, the number of rolls determines the number of rounds before the effect goes off. With this Magick Aspect, it goes off instantly.
Vulgar
Instant
10 Successes
Without this Magick Aspect, your magick has to be something that can happen through natural every day events. The event will not occur, even if instant, if it can't happen coincidentally. With this Magick Aspect, your magick will happen instantly and be immediately vulgar if witnesses by peoples.
+1 Target
Vulgar
10 Successes
Without this Magick Aspect, you can only attack or affect one target at a time. You can use this to target as many people as you want at once.
Target Area
Vulgar
15 Successes
Without this Magick Aspect, you cannot attack all targets within a defined area (50 square yards). With this Magick Aspect, you can. You can use this to target as many areas as you want at once.
Multiply Target
+1 Target or Target Area
24 Successes
Multiplies the number of targets targetable by 50, or multiplies the area targeted by 50.
Complete Mastery
Vulgar
52 Successes
Complete Mastery and God level power within the mechanics and lore of your power.
As Mages are inherently magickal, coincidence works different for them. If a mage performs magick only in the presence of other mages, they get a +20 on their roll.
Advanced Magick Options
Magical Aspect
Prerequisite
Cost (in Successes)
Description
Additional Vulgar Successes
Vulgar
10 Successes Per Level
By meeting the criteria of extra vulgar successes (total successes of 30 for 2 vulgar successes, totall successes of 40 for 3 vulgar successes, etc), you can perform actions that are well and above your normal ability. These vulgar successes has to be for an single roll. The ST will decide how many vulgar successes are required for a task.
Additional Coincidental Successes
Instant
10 Successes Per Level
By meeting the criteria of extra coincidental successes (total successes of 30 for 2 vulgar successes, totall successes of 40 for 3 vulgar successes, etc), you can perform actions that are normally vulgar, but that coincidence is going out of its way to hide your Instant magick. The ST will decide how many coincidental successes are required for a task.
=== Magick Item Creation ===
You can only create magick items if they modify one particular skill, and the magick power you are using is capable of creating an artifact that would intrinsically modify that particular skill.
To do this, do a roll. Then, the artifact has the rating of the number of successes. However, if the spell to create the artifact isn't instant, it might take some time for the magic effect to work. If the spell to create the artifact isn't vulgar, then the extra points in your skill will come across to others as luck as opposed to skill... "acidentally succeeding" as opposed to "skillfully succeeding."
Any items that work on a *SKILL* level qualify for these rules.
=== Magick Imbuement Creation ===
You can only create imbuements if they modify one particular stat, and the mackick power you are using is capable of creating an imbuement that would intrinsically modify that particular stat. In addition, they are *functionally identical to new powers that modify stats only, and have the same costs and benefits*.
You need THREE to FIVE Vulgar Successes in a single roll to successfully make OR upgrade an Imbuement, in addition to the XP costs. This is purely at the ST discretion.
=== Ritual Casting ===
You can also Ritual Cast a spell. Each roll is a full round 3 second concentration act. Only VULGAR successes are counted towards your totals, and you must divide your final total number of successes by a fifth of the number of full 3 second rounds (or rolls) it took to complete the ritual. Also, the +20 you get for being only amongst Mages doesn't apply because it's not an instantaneous effect.
Ex: Total Rolls: 20. Number of Vulgar successes: 8. Sum of Vulgar Successes: 176 (averaging 26 each). Final number of Successes: 44. That doubles the average of the successes rolled. Your mileage may vary.