Game Rules

Like any RPG, this game is more collaborative storytelling than anything else. The “GM” or “Game Master” is like a referee/god/narrator/etc whom begins your story and you and your fellow players determine how it ends. You’re limited only by your imagination and sometimes the rulebook.

## Inspirations

Aesthetic inspirations come from a lot of sources.

* Treasure Planet
* Star Wars
* Avater: The Legend of Aang
* Star Trek
* Ancient History

## Dice

Using D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20 each has their place in the game. There are multiple apps that can be downloaded for free if you don’t feel like purchasing physical dice. The most important die is D20. The principle behind most actions is very simple. The higher the roll the more successful the action. Depending on the difficulty of the action a standard will be set for what high is high enough. Most actions don’t require a dice roll, but that is up to the Game Master to determine.

Rolling a “**1**” or what is called either a “**Nat 1**” or “**Critical fail**” is a failure of the worst possible way. It doesn’t matter what your modifier is, it’s a failure plain and simple.

### ***D4***

When rolling a **D4** or a four-sided die (satchmojono or thor enter info hear)

### ***D6***

**D6** or a six sided die is to be rolled when (Enter info here)

### ***D12***

The Twelve sided die mentioned in that weezer song "In the Garage."

### ***D20***

D20 is argueably the most important die in the game. yada yda yda (enter more info satchmojono or Heyitsthor)

Rolling a “**20**” or what is also known as “**Nat 20**” or “**Crit hit**” is a success of the best possible outcome. Good Game Masters should add some narrative flourish to these wins.

## Character Sheet

Now it’s not just luck. Just as crucial to playing as the dice if not more so is the Character Sheet. Now, I know it might seem complicated, but it’s actually deceptively simple. Your character sheet includes all the information that a lot of it is based on the Dungeons and Dragons character sheet with a few crucial differences. So just like Drake, we’ll start with the bottom.

### Ability Scores

The most important information on your character is captured in the bottom section. Ability Scores are where you have modifiers or extra points that you will add to your D20 rolls. There is a relatively popular illustration in regards to these modifiers: Consider the Tomato.

STR: or STRENGTH is being able to smash a tomato.

DEX: or DEXTERITY is being able to dodge a tomato.

CON: or CONSTITUTION is being able to eat a rotten tomato.

INT: or INTELLIGENCE is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.

WIS: or WISDOM is knowing not to put a tomato in a fruit salad.

CHA: or CHARISMA is being able to sell a tomato based fruit salad (salsa).

Combine this with your SKILLS at the top of the page depending on the action, and these modifiers can save you from a bad roll or drag you down even on a good roll.

Combine the appropriate ability score modifier with the right skill. Then add that to your D20 roll. In real-world terms, think of it like mixing: (innate talent + trained skill + chance).

### Power Scores

Opposite to the Ability Scores is the Power Scores. If you don’t have powers than these aren’t particularly useful except when being affected by powers of someone else.

WILL: or WILLPOWER is about your character’s drive, almost like your mind’s STR and CON.

FOC: or FOCUS is about your character’s ability to aim, almost like your mind’s STR and DEX

CRE: or CREATIVITY is about your character’s ability to innovate, almost like your mind’s DEX and WIS.

BAL: or BALANCE is about your character’s ability to remain steady, almost like your mind’s DEX and CON.

RHY: or RHYTHM is about your character’s ability to adapt, almost like your mind’s DEX and CHA.

### Speed

SPEED is your ability to move through space namely on a game board if you choose to play with one.

### Initiative

INITIATIVE only comes into play in combat. When your party comes into conflict this requires organising people’s turn and this is where it will feel almost like a typical board game. Everyone rolls a D20 + INITIATIVE and whoever rolls highest goes first and so on.

### Pages/Currency

PGS: or PAGES is the currency of the game. It is based on a system established by the Federation. However, don’t miss an opportunity to barter and trade.

### Inventory

INVENTORY is everything you have that you weren’t born with. Powers that you’re born with should be noted but also included in your BACKGROUND. What you can’t fit in the box, feel free to write on the back of the page and have a notebook to keep track of your character’s progress.

### Background

BACKGROUND is short bits that sum up your character.

### Alignment (Pesonality Type)

ALIGNMENT is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or MBTI personality types. In many other role-playing games like D&D, alignment is based on the Lawful-Neutral-Chaotic v. Good-Neutral-Evil. As much as this is simpler and some people prefer that. However, MBTI helps me determine how relationships can remain consistent with NPCs and keep interesting enough characters that are abandoned by the odd quitter (non-player characters). If you don’t know what MBTI is there’s near indefinite images and websites of quick explanations. Here’s the dry rub:

Extroverted or Introverted

iNtuition or Sensing

Feeling or Thinking

Judging or Perceiving

Don’t waste too much time with this, if you ballpark your personality down to an educated guess, it’ll function well enough.

### Level

LVL or Level is basically what your character’s level is. 10 XP can buy a LVL.

### Health

HEALTH is pretty straightforward. If your character gets closer to “50” they are weaker and slower. Once they get to 50 or lower, they are unconscious until sufficiently healed. Elementals can use their powers to heal or regenerate themselves. Every time they have their turn they can regenerate.

### Emotion/Nutrition

SALTY/EMPATHY, SPICY/CONFIDENCE, SOUR/PETTY or SWEET/COOL is your nutritional and emotional level that fuels your powers and will shift depending on what you do. Do something bold but self-centred than your cool levels go down and Confidence goes up. Do something altruistic and your petty shifts to empathy. Control your temper and your confidence goes down and your cool goes up. Etcetera. A player can have a maximum of 100 points when all four are added up. Every time a character rolls using their powers, the D20 + Power Ability Score should be subtracted from the emotion used in the character at the time. If a player is wearing anything or using anything that affects the emotion in the item description then all other spaces should be brought to 0.

### XP

XP or experience points is like your currency for the stuff you couldn’t buy with money. You spend them on your SKILLS. With each session that you play, you earn 1 XP. If you enlist in a school or read a particular book you can get XP from that. Train under a mentor and they can give you their XP if they have the power of “Thought” manipulation for example.

## Powers

Powers are a staple of both the Modern and the Future Era. In the Future Era, there are more power varieties and combinations. No human can have more than four powers and live. The moment a character adds the fifth power to their inventory, it is the game master’s responsibility to come with a radical and bombastic death.

There are eight powers thus the name Octo Spectrum.

### Thought

Thought manipulation, Mental Manipulation, not quite Telepathy and definitely not psychic. The bounds of this are only what is in the mind. Emotions, feelings, senses overall, thoughts, dreams can all be bent by someone with THOUGHT. The moment someone is aware they are being manipulated the harder it is to maintain that manipulation.

### Light

Light manipulation controls everything that can be seen. At the most powerful, can generate solid light constructs out of photons like weapons. Can cast illusions and the appearance of things. Can blind people with brightness or mirror a decoy. Think photoshop on reality.

### Sound

Sound manipulation controls everything heard and is much more physical even at its weakest. Can blow out someone’s eardrums or generate false whispers. Can create vibrations that borderline telekinesis.

### Air

Not air manipulation except when you bond with the air around you. Has more in common with Ghost powers. Cannot use their powers without atmosphere. Can move through the air fast enough to look like teleportation. Can use open air to regenerate and add to their power. Can fly longer than Fire. Doubles the speed inherently.

### Fire

Not fire manipulation except when they are generating fire. They cannot use their powers without atmosphere. Will not be extinguished if they roll a well enough saving roll. If not wearing fire retardant clothing, the fire will burn off the clothes. Adds 5 points to speed.

### Water

Not water manipulation. The closest thing to shapeshifting but only in the form of water. Can use any liquid to regenerate or add to their power and fuel depending on the level. Higher Levels of WATER can change their temperature to boil or freeze or shift between gas, liquid and solids. Adds 10 points to speed. Can survive without atmosphere, but cannot fly.

### Earth

Not earth manipulation. Can learn to mimic any form of soil, metals, metalloids or some non-metals. The rarer the element the harder to learn. Has to follow the flexibility and strength of the soil being mimicked. Sand and Aluminum can bend but the form of Diamond or Stone basically restricts them to being a statue. Can use any soil to regenerate or sustain their powers depending on their level. Can survive without atmosphere, but cannot fly.

### Animal

Can use up to four species but can only shapeshift if coupled with an elemental ability. Be specific to what species you choose with this one. The animal you choose will affect the ability scores and speed. Particular animal abilities like a frog’s tongue or gecko’s feet or fly’s eyes will be harnessed with power roles.

### Inherited powers

If two people with powers have a child, this is the inheritance matrix of what power the child will have. Fire and Water are not complementary and have a disadvantage. Earth and Air are the same. Earth and Fire are complementary and have an advantage. Earth and Water, Water and Air, Air and Fire; are all the same. An X means that there is no inherited combination and will inherit one or the other. Male children inherit the power of the mother and female inherit the power of the father.

## Saving Throws

Saving throws are your defence from certain special attacks and dangers. Fortitude falls under CON. Will saving throws falls under WIS and for the Thought powered, WILL is added. Reflex falls under DEX.

## Initiative

Combat is turn-based. When it starts, all those involved race into action by rolling initiative: D20 + DEX. This decides the order of each participant’s turn starting with the highest result. It’s helpful to write the turn order down so everyone can see when their go is. When everyone has a turn the next ‘round’ starts and the initiative is re-rolled.

## Actions in Combat

Each round is roughly 6 seconds in the game world. In a normal round, you can make a move action and then a standard action.

### Standard Action

Usually, a standard action is used to attack, summon a power move or use an item.

### Move Actions

Move actions allow you to move up to your maximum speed. Or you can perform certain tasks like open/closing a door or move a heavy object.

## Speed

Medium-sized creatures a.k.a. “The Average Human” can run up to 30 feet (6 squares) per move action. Small creatures, a.k.a. “The Chihuahua Mutant” can move up to 20 feet (4 squares). Stealth, difficult terrain and heavy armour can reduce your max speed.

## Armour Class

Armour Class or AC represents your armour, dodging, and how hard it is for your opponents to land a damaging blow. Regular clothing amount to +1 AC, Leather would be bonus +2 AC, Scale-mail would be +5 AC and Full-plate would be +9 AC. Your AC is: 10 + armour bonus + DEX. Other modifiers such as shields and protective spells can improve AC. Be aware, some heavier armours restrict your bonus.

## Attack Rolls

An attack roll represents your attempt to strike your opponent. If your results equal or beat the target’s armour class, you land the hit. For melee attacks, the attack roll is D20 + your attack bonus + STR. For ranged attacks, the attack roll is D20 + your attack bonus + DEX. When rolling a D20, a critical hit, or “crit”, occurs dealing double the damaged rolled. Think of it like hitting an armour’s weak-spot.

## Damage Rolls

When attack rolls succeed, you deal Damage. Each weapon has its own damage dice, crit multiplier (usually x2) and sometimes range.

## Health

Hit points represent the amount of physical punishment you can withstand. Damage is subtracted from your maximum score until you rest or are healed. At 50 HP, you’re disabled and begin dying and immediately fall unconscious. When dying you bleed 2 hit points every round unless healed. If it gets to CON times by 4... your character is dead.