The Rules

***The Rules***

**Values and Measures**

At
the heart of the *Torg* system
is the concept of *values* and
*measures*.
A *value* refers
to a quantity measured in a way which can be used in the game, such as a weight
value of
time value of
distance value of 4 and so on. A *measure*
*is a measurement from the real world,*
such as ,
one minute, six meters and so on. Values and measures can be converted back and
forth so that real world values can be expressed in game terms and so that
players will know what a particular value in the game means in terms they can
easily understand. Most game systems use either a consistent scale for their
attributes—each point of an attribute represents a specific amount of
real-world measure—or they have no scale at all. The problem with such systems
is that while they work fine in a limited setting (fantasy, horror, etc.) they
either fall apart when bigger things are introduced, or they require huge
numbers to represent the top end of the scale. For example, if a dagger does
“one die of damage,” how many dice do you roll for the main cannon of the Death
Star? *Torg* solves
this problem by the use of a **logarithmic**
scale. **A logarithmic scale is one like the**
Richter scale, or the Decibel scale, where each point represents a greater
proportional amount than the point before. For example, a level four earthquake
is far more than twice as powerful as a level two earthquake, because each
point on the Richter scale is 10 times as large as the point before.

**Alternate**
Scale Descriptions

In
the first edition of the *Torg* rulebook,
the Difficulty Number Scale used some different labels to describe the various
difficulty levels. Since some products published for *Torg* use those
labels, their equivalents in this rulebook are provided here:

**DIFFICULTY NUMBER SCALE**

**Description**
Difficulty Odds      Modifier

Very
Easy                   3            80%           -5

Easy                           5            75%           -3

Average                      8            50%           0

Complicated             10             30%         +2

Difficult                     12            20%          +4

Hard                         13            15%          +5

Very
Hard                 15             5%           +7

Extremely
Hard        18              —          +10

Incredible                  22             —          +14

Nearly
Impossible    25              —          +17

The
Richter scale works that way because earthquakes can range so greatly in size. *Torg*’s scale
is not “each point is a factor of
like the Richter scale; instead, every **five**
**points is a factor of 10. This allows**
finer resolution at the low end (so all humans don’t look exactly alike) but
still keeps the top end from being impossible to handle. The *Torg* scale is
consistent from one type of measurement to another, so that a given value
always has the same real-world measure, whether it’s expressed as time (in
seconds), distance (in meters per round), or weight (in kilograms). The *Torg Value Chart* shows
how values and measures are related. A value of 10 for example is always a
measure of 100, regardless of whether we’re measuring seconds, meters,
kilograms or any other type of measurement. The accompanying *Benchmark Chart* provides
a number of examples for the value of several different real world objects and
measurements. These can be used to make a quick estimate for the game value of
something when an exact measure isn’t known but its relationship to something
on the Benchmark Chart is known or can be guessed. For example, the Benchmark
Chart says that a brown bear has a weight value of 12. The weight value of an
animal described as being twice as large as a brown bear could then be
estimated without ever having to know how many kilograms a brown bear or the
larger animal actually weighs.

**Converting Measures**

The
*Torg* Value
Chart uses seconds, kilograms and meters as its default units. But what if you
need to find the value of something in a different set of units, such as
minutes, pounds or miles? Fortunately you don’t have to do a lot of math to
convert those measures. That work has already been done for you with the *Measure Conversion Chart*.
To use the Measure Conversion Chart, simply find the value of the measure you
have, regardless of what units it’s in. Then, add the listed modifier to
convert it to the appropriate game value (which automatically converts the
measure into seconds, meters, or kilograms.) Remember, adding a negative number
is like subtracting.

When
trying to find the value of measures that fall in between the cracks on the
Value Chart, the listed measure is the upper bound for that value. For
instance, a value of 10 has a measure of 100, while a value of 11 has a measure
of 150. All measures greater than 100 and less than or equal to 150 have a
value of 11.

**TORG VALUE CHART**

**Value**
Measure   Value     Measure
Value      Measure      Value        Measure

0               1          26        150,000       52           25 billion         78         4 quadrillion

1
1.5          27
250,000       53           40 billion         79         6 quadrillion

2
2.5          28        400,000       54           60 billion         80       10 quadrillion

3              4           29        600,000       55
     100 billion         81       15 quadrillion

4              6           30        1 million       56         150 billion         82       25 quadrillion

5
10           31     1.5 million       57         250 billion         83       40 quadrillion

6
15           32     2.5 million       58         400 billion         84       60 quadrillion

7
25           33        4 million       59         600 billion         85
100 quadrillion

8
40           34        6 million       60            1 trillion          86
150 quadrillion

9
60           35      10 million       61          1.5 trillion         87
250 quadrillion

10
100           36      15 million       62          2.5 trillion         88
400 quadrillion

11
150           37      25 million       63             4 trillion         89
600 quadrillion

12
250           38      40 million       64             6 trillion         90          1 quintillion

13
400           39      60 million       65           10 trillion         90       1.5 quintillion

14
600           40    100 million       66           15 trillion         92       2.5 quintillion

15
1,000           41    150 million       67           25 trillion         93          4 quintillion

16
1,500           42    250 million       68           40 trillion         94          6 quintillion

17
2,500           43    400 million       69
60 trillion         95        10 quintillion

18
4,000           44    600 million       70         100 trillion         96        15 quintillion

19
6,000           45         1 billion       71         150 trillion         97        25 quintillion

20
10,000           46      1.5 billion       72         250 trillion         98        40 quintillion

21
15,000           47      2.5 billion       73         400 trillion         99        60 quintillion

22
25,000           48         4 billion       74         600 trillion       100
100 quintillion

23
40,000           49         6 billion       75
1 quadrillion

24
60,000           50       10 billion       76
1.5 quadrillion

25
100,000           51       15 billion       77
2.5 quadrillion

**Example:** A
gamemaster is writing up a magic spell. He wants the spell to have duration of
25 minutes. What is the value of 25 minutes? On the Value Chart, a measure of
25 has a value of 7, and the “minutes” modifier on the Conversion Chart is +9;
7 plus 9 gives us a value of 16. So the duration value of the spell is 16.

**Example:** A
character is trying to lift a couch, which the gamemaster says weights about . On the Value
Chart, a measure of 160 equals a value of 12. “Pounds” have a -2 modifier, so
the game value of the couch is (12 - 2) 10. If the character can lift a weight
value of 10, she can lift the couch.

If
instead you want to convert a game value into one of these other units, the
modifier on the Measure Conversion Chart is subtracted from the game value.
Remember, subtracting a negative number is like adding. If the result is a
negative number, it means that the value is less than one of whatever unit
you’re converting to.

The
Value and Conversion charts can also be used as a sort of mini-calculator to
transfer between measures, say to find out approximately how many seconds there
are in six days or how many pounds there are in .

**Example:** How many
seconds in six days? 6 has a value of 4 and “days” is a +25 modifier, which is
a value of 29. The measure of 29 is 600,000 so there are approximately 600,000
seconds in six days. (The actual number of seconds in six days is 518.400,
which is pretty close to the result of using the Value Chart.)

Converting
from kilograms to pounds is just as easy since like seconds, kilogram is a
basic unit of the Value Chart. is a value of 14. The modifier
for “pounds” is -2 which when we subtract gives us (14 - (-2) = 14 + 2) 16,
which is a measure of 1500. (The actual conversion is .)

If
you need to know the *Toughness* of
an object, a good starting point is its weight. Find the game value of the
weight, modifying downward if the object is delicate, upward if it is armored
or particularly tough to damage. Humans, for example, are quite variable, so
their average *Toughness* could
be anywhere between

of their weight value.

**MEASURE CONVERSION CHART**

**Measure is in units of Value Modifier**

Seconds
0

Minutes
+9

Hours
+18

Days
+25

Weeks
+29

Months
+32

Years
+38

Meters
per round 0

MPH
+3

KMH
+2

Kilograms
0

Pounds
-2

Tons
+15

Meters
0

Feet
-3

Kilometers
+15

Miles
+16

### **TORG BENCHMARK CHART**

**Measuring Success**

For
many actions, as long as the action total equals or exceeds the difficulty
number the action is successful. But there are times where the *result points* of the
action are important in gauging success. Combat and character interactions (*charm, persuasion, trick, etc.*)
in particular regularly involve the use of result points. For all tasks
involving the use of result points, there are three tables provided which
explain the outcome of successful actions. The *Interaction Results Table* covers
the use of *charm, persuasion, test, trick,*
taunt, intimidation *and the* maneuver *skills.*
The *Combat Results Table* is
used to determine the amount of damage inflicted in combat. And the third
table, the *General and Push Results Table*,
covers everything else that might make use of result points. In each of the
three tables, the S in the Result Points columns means “same”, as in the action
or effect total was the **same** as
the difficulty number. Another way to think of it is that it means the same
thing as zero result points.

**General Results Table**

The
General Results Table is used by a large number of skills. The *quality* of a
success, also known as a *success*
level, *is noted by a descriptive word:* Minimal, Average, Good, Superior *or*
*Spectacular. Minimal* implies
that the character just barely succeeded, avoiding failure by the skin of his
teeth. *Average* is,
well, average; no extra description is warranted. *Good* success
sometimes merits a more detailed description, particularly if the character
faced difficult odds. A success deserves
special emphasis; the task was performed faster, better or with more precision
than expected. For a *Spectacular* success,
things go so fabulously well that the gamemaster should give the character some
kind of fringe benefits for his amazing performance. The Speed and Power
columns of the table are used whenever a character attempts to exceed one of their
*limit values*,
as listed in Chapter One, with a *push*.
Some other game mechanics, such as spell design, also make use of the columns
but they are primarily used for pushes.

**Pushing the Limits**

The
reason for having limit values is that real human beings are only capable of so
much. Of course so are heroes, trolls, Giants Dragons. The problem comes with
heroes who are human or close to human. We want the characters to be heroic,
but at the same time we want the world to make sense, to seem real. This is a
tall Order, and it requires a little bit of complication. If an attribute value
is translated directly into a measure of time, distance or weight, we quickly
run into problems with characters that can perform ridiculously powerful feats.
For example, if a *Strength* attribute
of 13 was directly translated into the weight value that character could lift,
he would be lifting without even breaking a sweat! So the limit
values represent the most that can be done by a character **without significant effort**.
Instead of being able to lift , our *Strength* 13
character can only lift up to his limit value without strain. For a human, the
lifting limit is 9, which is . If our strongman wants to try and
lift more than , he’s got to put a little effort into it. To
exceed a limit value is an action, called a *push*,
with a base difficulty number of 8. When rolling for a push, any bonus number
generated that is less than +1 is treated as +1. The acting value depends on
the limit being pushed. The limit values and the associated attribute or skill
*Dexterity* or
*running* skill

Swimming:
*Dexterity* or
*swimming* skill

Long
Jumping: *Dexterity* or
*long jumping* skill

Climbing:
*Strength* or
*climbing* skill

Lifting:
*Strength* or
*lifting* skill

Hold
Breath: Toughness

Flying:
*Dexterity* or
*flight* skill

Lifting
pushes use the Power Push column of the General Results Table. All other limit
pushes use the Speed Push column. When a character attempts a push, the result
points are read on the appropriate column to get a modifier that is added to
the appropriate value. There will also be a number in parentheses. This is the
amount of *shock damage* the
character takes from overexerting herself. The damage is assessed at the end of
the round, so a character can accomplish a superhuman feat, and then collapse.
This type of damage, known as *fatigue*,
is cumulative with shock damage taken in combat. Shock damage is covered later
in this chapter under “Damage”.

**Example:** Terrill
is running for his life from a horde of angry, heavily armed Vikings. Alan
declares that Terrill is *pushing*
*his running speed this round. Terrill*
does not have the *running* skill
so he uses his *Dexterity* of
9 and generates an action value of 12. The difficulty was 8, which means he has
four result points. On the Speed column of the General Results Table this is a
+1(3) result. The +1 is added to Terrill’s running speed value, which is 9,
increasing it to a value of 10. Instead of covering (value 9) that
round, Terrill puts on a burst of speed and covers (value 10)
that round. However, the table indicates that Terrill takes three points of
shock damage from the push; he’s tiring himself out by running at this speed.
Nothing serious yet but he’ll need a little while to recover and catch his
breath once he gets away from the Vikings. If he keeps pushing himself though
he might exhaust himself and eventually collapse. If the character’s attribute
or skill value exceeds the limit value, the full value is used to generate
result points but the modifier is added to the limit value instead. In other words,
attributes in excess of the limit value are still useful, but cannot allow a
character to perform godlike feats.

**Limit Values for Characters**

LIMIT VALUES

 Swimming
 Long Jumping
 Climbing
 Lifting
 Hold Breath

The table above lists the limit values for humans involved in the Dark Ages Campaign. Limit values can be determined for other races by adding one to the category's that the character put their enhancement package in. For other creatures if they are not already provided in the creature’s description, use the table below, “Avg.” means the known average attribute for the creature in question; if this is not known, use human numbers or your best guess. In obvious problem circumstances (a sparrow’s *running* ability, for example), use your judgment.

**Limited Activity Limit Value**

Running
Avg. Dexterity

Flying
Avg. Dexterity

Swimming
Avg. Dexterity -2

Long
Jumping Avg. Dexterity -5

Climbing
Avg. Strength -5

Lifting
Avg. Strength +1

Hold
Breath Avg. Toughness +2

Add
+1 to the limit value of the creature’s *primary*
mode of movement *(the ways it travels most often). **Example:** The*
gamemaster assumes that a dolphin’s average *Dexterity*
*is 10; it therefore has a swimming*
limit value of 9 (*Dexterity* 10,
-2 for swimming, +1 for primary mode.)

'*GENERAL AND PUSH RESULTS TABLE'*

**Character Interactions**

Character
interaction is very important in *Torg*
*- probably more important than in most*
other roleplaying games. There are specific ways each type of interaction can
affect people, some of them quite powerful. Except for *charm* and *persuasion*,
character interactions can be used during combat to give a character an
advantage over an opponent. In adventure fiction, combat is never just two
characters exchanging blows with each other. Insults are thrown to anger an
opponent, quick moves are made to confuse them and smart fighters outwit their
slower opponents. These are the kinds of things covered by the interaction
skills that can be used in round play; *maneuver,*
trick, test, taunt *and* intimidation*.*
With the exception of *maneuver*,
these skills can also be used out of combat, along with *charm* and *persuasion*, to
influence the behavior of other characters. Use of the interaction skills is
covered in their descriptions in Chapter Three. The results of their use are
determined by reading the result points of the action on the *Interaction Results Table*.

**Intimidate, Test, Taunt, Trick and Maneuver Results**

The
effects of *stymied, unskilled, break,* and
*up* only
last for one round. They are not cumulative; a character affected by two *stymied* results
in the same round is still only *stymied*
*for one round, not two, and only loses*
her first reroll, not her first two rerolls. The *duration* of a
setback or *player’s call* will
depend on the exact effect used. Simple effects should only last for a round,
but more complex effects may last longer. For example, if the *player’s call* on an *intimidation* was to
cause the opponent to surrender, he will surrender; he won’t stop fighting for
one round and then start fighting again the next round.

**Near-Miss**

*Near-miss* is an
optional rule. With a near-miss, there is a chance that a failed action could
still succeed, even though things are still bad, or maybe even getting worse. A
near-miss can occur when a character misses an important difficulty number by
one or two points. If the situation is a completely clear cut yes or no, if
there’s no way the action could continue, then a near-miss is a normal failure.
But a near-miss can be a great dramatic tool in the right situations; Indiana
Jones in the opening of *Raiders*
of the Lost Ark *had a near-miss result when he leaped*
over the pit in the South American temple, and then had to haul himself up the
seemingly endless vine. If that had been treated as a normal failure, he
wouldn’t have been able to grab the vine and ultimately pull himself out, he
would instead have fallen into the pit and probably died. Not exactly the best
way to start a story! Near-misses can be great fun if they’re played right,
certainly more fun than the alternative sometimes. While the gamemaster should
not go out of her way to turn every action failed by one or two points into a
near-miss, it should at least be considered for most life-and-death situations
when one die roll decides everything.

**INTERACTION RESULTS TABLE**

**Result Points**
Intimidate/        Test
Taunt/     Trick Interrogate Charm/         Persuade                Maneuver

S                          Stymied              Stymied                    Enemy                              Loyal                        Fatigued

1                          Stymied              Stymied                     Enemy                             Friendly                    Fatigued

2                          Stymied              Stymied                     Enemy                             Friendly                    Fatigued

3                          Stymied              Stymied                     Hostile                             Neutral                     Fatigued

4                          Stymied              Stymied                     Hostile                             Neutral                     Fatigued

5                          Unskilled            Unskilled                    Hostile                             Neutral                     Stymied

6                          Unskilled            Unskilled                    Hostile                             Neutral                     Stymied

7                          Unskilled            Unskilled                    Neutral                             Hostile                     Stymied

8                          Unskilled            Unskilled                    Neutral                             Hostile                     Stymied

9                          Unskilled            Unskilled                    Neutral                             Hostile                     Stymied

10                        Setback              Setback                     Neutral                             Hostile                     Unskilled

11                        Setback              Setback                     Neutral                             Hostile                     Unskilled

12                        Setback              Setback                     Friendly                            Enemy                     Unskilled

13                        Setback              Setback                     Friendly                            Enemy                     Unskilled

14                        Setback              Setback                     Friendly                            Enemy                    +1 Unskilled

15                        Break Up/           Setback                     Loyal                                Enemy             +1 Setback/ Fatigued

+2                       Player’s Call        Player’s Call              Loyal                                Enemy               +1 Player’s Call

The
damage from a *fatigue* result
is normal damage and requires the normal amount of time to heal. See “Types of
Damage” and “Healing” later in this chapter for more information about shock
point damage.

**Fatigued:** A *fatigue* result
inflicts two shock points of damage on the targeted character. (Note that some
types of armor and equipment in Chapter Thirteen might increase the amount of
shock damage caused by a *fatigue*
*result.) The damage from a* fatigue *represents*
the effects caused by the character wasting his energy responding to the
motions and actions of the maneuvering character.

**Stymied:** The
targeted character loses the first reroll she would otherwise normally get for **any** reason. If a
character never has an opportunity for a reroll during her next action, *stymied* has no
other effect. A *stymied* result
will cancel out the benefits of an up result, and vice versa.

**Unskilled:** The
targeted character cannot use any of his skill adds during his next action, all
action totals and passive defense values will be based off of raw attribute
values instead. Heroes and Villains lose their roll again on 20’s while
unskilled and mooks lose their roll-again on 10’s while unskilled. Other
unskilled use penalties are not applied; the character has not lost the skill,
just the benefit of his adds.

**Setback:** *Setbacks*
*make life rougher for the targeted*
character. The most common *setback*
*is to cause the character to lose their*
next action. *Setbacks* are
discussed in more detail in Chapter Five. The *player’s*
call *on the interaction can often be used as*
a guideline for determining a *setback*
*result.*

**Break:** During a *break*, the
targeted character will flee the battle or concede the conflict if she is
unable to harm her opponent or in some other way improve her situation during
her next action. Characters who *break*
*will flee or concede after failing to improve*
their position.

**Up:** The character who
performed the interaction receives a free additional roll to add to their
normal roll on their next action against the targeted character, like getting
to reroll the die on any result instead of just on 10’s and 20’s. This reroll
from an *up* condition
cannot be countered with a Hero Point, though it can be canceled by a *stymied* result,
and vice versa. A Hero Point may be spent normally to gain another roll on top
of this reroll.

**Player’s Call:** As
outlined in the skill descriptions, the player must state before rolling the
die the exact effect he wants the interaction to have on the targeted
character. With a *player’s call* result
they get the effect they wanted.

**Charm, Interrogate and Persuade Results**

*Charm* is used
to improve the target character’s *attitude*
*towards the interacting character,* persuasion *is used*
to convince the target character to do something for the interacting character
and interrogation is a use of the *intimidation*
*skill to get information out of the*
target character. The results listed in these two columns deal with the *attitude* of the
target character, either towards the interacting character or towards the
information he’s being interrogated about.

**Loyal**: *Loyal* characters
are strongly committed to the characters that have earned their loyalty. They
go to considerable lengths to guarantee the safety and well being of the
characters to which they are loyal and will do almost anything those characters
ask of them. Although they are still motivated to keep themselves alive, some
loyalties transcend even self preservation. Information about which they feel
loyal to is just as fiercely guarded and protected.

**Friendly:** Characters
with a friendly attitude have reason to believe the other to be worthwhile in
some sense—they may share common goals or values, enjoy each other’s company,
or believe that there is something intrinsically valuable about each other.
Friends support each other in small ways— sometimes large ways if needed.
Information about which they feel *friendly*
*is information they would normally only*
give to someone they like or trust.

**Neutral:** *Neutral*
*characters have no reason to like or*
dislike another. People who are *neutral*
*may seem friendly or standoffish but*
they have no actual emotional investment in the character toward which they are
*neutral*.
The flip side is that such characters aren’t out to exploit those toward whom
they are *neutral*.
“Live and let live” is a good motto for the *neutral*
*attitude.* Neutral *information*
is something they don’t have any particular reason to withhold from anyone.

**Hostile:** Characters
with a *hostile* attitude
toward someone have contempt for or feel threatened by that character. The
character may be intensely jealous, or the two characters may belong to rival
factions. The hostility may stem from long-held prejudice or recent events. *Hostile* information
is something of little enough value that there’s no danger in it being known by
someone the character does not like.

**Enemy:** An *enemy* is a
character who seeks to destroy the other character. The destruction need not be
physical and immediate, but each misery and defeat an enemy can inflict on his
opponent fulfills a personal goal. The difference between *hostile* and *enemy* is that a
*hostile* character
will usually avoid the undesirable character while an *enemy* will go
out of her way to antagonize the person she hates. *Enemy* information
is something so inconsequential or obvious that there’s no reason not to tell
it to anyone.

**Enemy+1:** This
result is not an actual attitude. Some uses of *charm* and *persuasion* require
getting a result higher than the target character’s attitude so this result
provides a level above *enemy*

**Using *Charm***

The
difficulty number for a *charm* attempt
is the *willpower* value
of the target. If the target does not have *willpower*,
use the target’s *Mind* instead.
The other factors involved are the target’s attitude toward the charmer, and
the charmer’s attitude toward the target (which are not necessarily the same).
Players may choose the attitude they want their character to adopt toward the
target, announcing their choice to the gamemaster. Once they choose an
attitude, they need to roleplay it appropriately. For instance, if the player
declares that her character is *friendly*,
but acts in a truly selfish or manipulative manner, the gamemaster should point
out that this is *hostile* behavior.
If the player amends her action, there is no penalty. If she does not, the
gamemaster should ignore the player’s stated attitude and treat her as *hostile* towards
the other character. The base attitude of nonplayer characters is determined by
the gamemaster according to the character and situation. A successful *charm* **temporarily**
**increases a character’s attitude by one**
level, although his *base attitude* (the
original attitude of the character) remains the same. Any subsequent *charm* attempts
still use the **base attitude** to
determine the level of success needed. To continue charming a character in a
single scene (another *charm* attempt
may always be made in a future scene), the charmer must receive a result which
is at least one level **higher** than
the base attitude of the target. This is a *continuing*
success*.*

**Using *Persuasion***

*Persuasion* is used
to get another character or creature to agree to do a certain thing or accept a
certain course of action. The difficulty number for persuading someone is their
*willpower* or
*Mind* value.

Only
one *persuasion* attempt
may be made on a character about any one issue or suggestion, unless the
gamemaster decides there is a good story-related reason to allow another
attempt.

**Example:** At a
small refugee camp, a Viking takes offense at an imagined insult and decides to
mop the floor with Quin. Quin doesn’t really want to fight the guy, nor does he
want to get smashed by him. Becky describes the Viking smashing things,
throwing insults at Quin and waving his spear around, with Quin dodging in and
out amid the tents while trying to *persuade*
*the tribesman not to skin him alive.*
She gives Quin three chances at *persuasion*,
with a round or two between each attempt, in Order to make the scene
interesting.

**Pressing**
the Issue

When
a character fails a *charm*,
or only gets the minimal level of success necessary, no further *charm* attempts
may normally be made in that scene without *pressing*
the issue*. This means trying to* charm *one more*
time in the face of a potentially negative reaction from the target character.
If this extra *charm* roll
is successful (at any level) the target’s temporary attitude improves by one
more step, and no further *charm* attempts
may be made in that scene, nor may the issue be pressed any further. The danger
is in failure. If a character fails while pressing the issue, the target’s base
attitude **worsens** by
one step **and** the
temporary attitude changes to the new base attitude.

*Persuasion* takes
into account the target’s attitude, much as *charm*
*does. As with* charm, *the*
persuading character needs to get a result equal to or greater than the target
character’s attitude to be successful. The difference is that *persuasion* goes
against the target character’s **temporary**
**attitude rather than their base**
attitude, so using *charm* before
*persuasion* can
makes it easier to persuade someone to do something.

If
the persuader gets a success level **equal**
**to the target’s temporary attitude, the**
target agrees to the persuader’s request in exchange for something of roughly
equal value. The payoff must be immediate unless the reward is great and the
target has genuine reason to believe he will receive the reward.

If
the persuader gets a success level **one**
step higher **than the target’s temporary attitude,**
the target character agrees to the proposition as stated by the persuader, with
no strings attached. This result is only possible if the outcome of the
proposition has some value to the target; that is, the target must believe
there is some self interest to be served by going along with the persuader’s
suggestion – if not right now, then soon. The self interest can be anything
from direct monetary reward, to recognition, to knowledge that he is doing the
right thing (as he sees it.) If this is not possible, the result is treated as
described above for getting a result equal to the target’s attitude. If the
persuader gets a success level **two**
steps higher **than the target’s temporary attitude,**
the persuaded character will follow through on the suggestion with all possible
effort and speed if the target character agrees with the fundamental aim of the
course of action suggested by the persuader. Target characters with an attitude
of *hostile* are
usually unlikely to agree with the persuader, in which case the result should
be treated as a result one level above the target’s attitude. Note that it is
not possible to get two steps higher than *enemy*
*on the Interaction Results Table.*

**Example:** Quin is
trying to convince the Viking to stop threatening him. The Viking’s base and
temporary attitude towards Quin are both *hostile*
*since Quin doesn’t have time to try and*
*charm* the
Viking before attempting to persuade him. If Quin gets a result of *enemy+1* on the
Persuade Column, two steps higher, the Viking will immediately stop attacking
Quin if there’s any reason he might agree to stop. Perhaps he is only attacking
because honor demands it for an insult, but he doesn’t really believe that Quin
meant to insult him. On the other hand, if he has no real reason to stop
attacking Quin, it should be treated as described next.

If
Quin gets a result of *enemy* on
the Persuade Column, one step higher, the Viking might stop attacking if he
feels that he’s getting something in exchange for stopping. If Quin’s *persuasion* attempt
included an apology for causing offense, that might be sufficient to satisfy
the Viking’s need for compensation. Or maybe

Quin
offers to buy the Viking a drink or has something else that he offers in
exchange for the Viking halting his attack. If the Viking doesn’t see anything
of value though, it should be treated as described next. If Quin gets a *hostile* result on
the Persuade column, the same level as the Viking’s attitude, the Viking will
stop attacking Quin if he offers up something valuable in exchange; something
the Viking feels is a suitable payment for the insult he thinks Quin paid him.
Maybe Quin has to offer up something expensive, like a new battle-axe to
replace the Viking’s old axe. Or perhaps he has to let the Viking humiliate him
publicly the same way the Viking thinks Quin insulted him. If Quin doesn’t
offer up something suitable in exchange, or didn’t even get a *hostile* result on
his *persuasion* attempt,
the Viking refuses to stop attacking him. It is not possible to *persuade* a
character to do something that is completely against her nature or ethical
principles. One of the prime tricks of evil characters is to misrepresent a
situation and the choices so that *persuasion*
*is possible, i.e. producing false*
evidence against a hero as part of a *persuasion*
*attempt to make a target take harmful*
action against the hero. Even in situations where *persuasion* is
possible, the gamemaster may wish to apply modifiers to the difficulty based on
what is being asked of the target character. Moderate risk, such as the chance
of losing considerable money or prestige or there being a real chance of
physical danger, should be worth at least a +3 modifier. If the situation
involves high risk, such as a guaranteed chance of physical harm to oneself or
loved ones, the difficulty should be increased by at least +5.

**Haggling**

Haggling
is a special back-and-forth use of *persuasion*
*where each person participating in the*
interaction is trying to convince the other of something. It is most often used
when a character wishes to sell or purchase something and the price needs to be
negotiated rather than being a predetermined amount. Not every purchase that
can be haggled has to use these rules; haggling can often be done purely by
roleplaying out the exchange between the characters. But in cases where a
character may be better (or worse) than the player when it comes to swinging a
deal these

**BASE PRICE/ATTITUDE CHART**

**Offer Attitude**

Bargain
Friendly

+/-1
Neutral

+/-2
Hostile

+/-3
Enemy

A
“bargain” is a price that is much less than the item’s actual worth or an offer
that is much more than the item’s worth. “+/- is a price or offer within
one point on the Value Chart, “+/-
is within two points and “+/-
is within three points.

**Example:** Terrill
is in a town when a dagger in a nearby stall catches his eye. The normal price
of a dagger (as given in Chapter Thirteen) is $50, which is a value of 9. The
merchant, noticing Terrill’s interest, tells him that the dagger is “only
“$200. Two hundred is a value of 12, three above the dagger’s normal cost
value, which means Terrill’s attitude is *enemy*
*towards this offer. Terrill counters*
with an offer of $40, which is a value of 8. This is one below the dagger’s
normal cost so the merchant is *neutral*
*to Terrill’s offer.*

Haggling
is conducted in round play. Each character attempts to persuade the other into
accepting their offer or price on whatever is being sold. This requires getting
a success level **one step higher** than
the target character’s attitude. If during a round neither character succeeds
in persuading the other, both must adjust their offers to be one point closer
on the Value Chart to the other person’s offer. In most cases this will improve
each character’s attitude by one step, increasing the likelihood of someone
being successfully persuaded in the next round. If during a round one character
successfully persuades the other, the other character will accept the
character’s offer or price. If **both**
**characters successfully persuade each**
other, they agree to split the difference. Both character may choose at any
time to stop haggling and either meet the other person’s offer or call off the
deal and stop negotiating.

**Example:** Terrill
tries to persuade the merchant to take his offer of $40 for the dagger while
the merchant wants Terrill to pay $200 for it. Terrill has a *willpower* skill of
12 and a *persuasion* skill
of 10 and is *enemy* towards
the merchant’s offer. The merchant has a *willpower*
*skill of 11 and a* persuasion *skill of*
14 and is *neutral* to
Terrill’s offer. Becky announces that Terrill has the initiative in the first
round and gets to go first.

Alan
rolls on Terrill’s *persuasion* skill
and generates a 14. That is only three result points, which is a *neutral* result on
the Persuade Column. He needed to get better than the merchant’s attitude so he
is not successful this round. Becky then rolls for the merchant and gets a *persuasion* total of
16. This is four result points, also a *neutral*
*result. This is below Terrill’s*
attitude so the merchant also fails this round. Since both failed, Terrill must
raise his offer and the merchant must lower his offer. Terrill raises his offer
to $60 and the merchant drops his price to $150. Terrill’s new offer is a value
of 9, still within one point of the item’s actual cost so the merchant remains *neutral*. The
merchant’s new price is a value of 11, two value points higher than the cost,
which lowers Terrill’s attitude to *hostile*.
In the second round, Becky says that the merchant has the initiative and gets
to go first. She generates a *persuasion*
*total of 18, another* neutral *result,*
and again fails to persuade Terrill. Alan generates a total of 17 for Terrill,
also another *neutral* result
and another failure.

Both
sides must improve their offers again. Terrill goes up to $70, a value of 10.
This is high enough for the merchant to see it as a “bargain” so his attitude
becomes *friendly*.
The merchant drops his price to $100, also a value of 10, which improves
Terrill’s attitude to *neutral*.
Becky announces that Terrill has the initiative.

Alan
generates a *persuasion* total
of 14 for Terrill, a *neutral* result.
Since the merchant is now *friendly*
*this is a success! But the merchant*
still gets to make his *persuasion* attempt.
Becky generates an action value of 15 for a *neutral*
*result, which is not successful since*
it’s not higher than Terrill’s attitude. The merchant accepts Terrill’s offer
of $70. If Becky had generated an action value of 19 or higher the merchant
would have a *hostile* result
on the Persuade Column and also been successful in that round. If that had
happened, Terrill and the merchant would have split the difference between the
two offers and Terrill would have paid $85 for the dagger.

**Clearing the Mind**

Player
characters and other possibility-rated characters are generally tougher to
dazzle and confuse than Mooks because of their superior attributes and skills,
but they are not immune to the effects of charm and persuasion. Fortunately,
there is a way for characters to shake off the effects of *charm* and *persuasion*, a chance
to *clear their minds*.

To
do this, the player (or gamemaster for non-player characters) makes a *Perception* check for
the character; the difficulty
number is the character’s own *Mind*. If the
result points are equal to or greater than the **result points** of the
latest *charm* or
*persuasion* attempt
against him, the *charm* or
*persuasion* is
negated. If an *enemy* character
made the suggestion, add +3 to the bonus number for clearing the mind. If a
character clears his mind, he is safe from the effects of *charm* and *persuasion* by that
opponent for the rest of that act.

**Interrogation**

Interrogation
is handled much like a *persuasion* attempt
except that the character uses her *intimidation*
*skill and the attitude levels apply to*
how the target feels about the information the interrogator wants, not how the
target feels about the interrogator. The better the target’s attitude towards
the information, the harder it is to get them to reveal it. Personal
information and closely guarded secrets might be something the target feels *loyal* or *friendly* about,
while information about a casual acquaintance or an event that didn’t involve
the character personally might be something they would tell to most people (*neutral*) or even
to people they don’t necessarily like (*hostile*
*or* enemy*).*
The goal of the interrogator is the break the target’s resistance and force him
into revealing information he wouldn’t normally give the interrogating
character.

**Combat**

Combat
in *Torg* is
the combat of adventure fiction. Arrows fly, providing danger - but far less
frequently do they provide death, at least for the heroes. The chance of death,
however, is always present in combat, and probably more frequently than in
fiction, where the author has complete control the outcome of events. Combat
occurs in round play with each round representing 10 seconds of “game time.”
Resolving everything that happens in a combat round takes longer than 10
seconds of real time do, but for the characters only 10 seconds pass. During
combat there are nine general types of actions that characters can perform,
which are described in the following section.

**Action Descriptions**

An
*attack* is
taken in order to damage a target. An attack action always requires generating
an action total. A *defense* action
is the use of a defensive skill such as *dodge*
*or* melee
weapons*. Most defensive actions are passive*
and do not require generating an action total. Characters can elect to perform
an *active defense* though,
in which case an action total is generated. On an active defense, if the bonus
number is less than +1 it is considered to be a +1 bonus. A *simple action* is an
easy task that usually doesn’t require any kind of skill check to perform.
Shouting a command, flipping a switch, reloading a clip-fed weapon and moving a
short distance are examples of simple actions. A *movement* action
involves any movement that covers more than a short distance or requires the
use of a skill, such as climbing, jumping and running. All speed push attempts
are movement actions. *Maneuver* is
an aggressive movement designed to tire an opponent or throw her off balance
and is covered by use of the *maneuver*
*skill and the Interaction Results*
Table.

*Trick, Test, Taunt,* and
*Intimidation* are
uses of the skills with the same names designed to unsettle and throw off an
opponent, giving the character a tactical advantage. In general, a character
may only roll the die for one type of action in a round. Passive defense and
simple actions do not require die rolls so they may be performed in conjunction
with an action that does involve a die roll. Generally there is no limit on the
number of passive defense actions a character can perform; they can always
passively defend against every attack directed at them in a round. The number
of simple actions a character can perform in one round is generally limited to
what makes sense within the ten-second period of time represented by a round.
Characters can attempt to perform more than one action that requires a die roll
in a round by performing a multi-action. The rules for *multi-actions* are
described later in this chapter.

**Initiative**

Initiative,
which side gets to go first during the round, is determined by the *Drama Deck* and is
explained in Chapter Five. Everyone involved in a combat is divided into two
factions, the Heroes and Villains. One side will get to go first in a round and
when everyone on that side has finished taking their actions the other side
gets to take their actions. Once both sides have finished taking their actions,
the round is over and initiative is determined again for the next round. The
order in which everyone on a side takes their actions is usually determined by
the *Dexterity* attributes
of everyone on that side. Characters act in Order from highest to lowest *Dexterity*.
Gamemasters may also simply progress from one side of the table to the other
instead of having characters go in Order of *Dexterity*
*if this seems easier than keeping track*
of when each character would go in Order of *Dexterity*.

**Attack Skills**

Attack
skills include *Heavy weapons, unarmed combat, melee*
weapons, missile weapons *and* martial arts*. Attacks*
made with magic spells, miracles or some other kind of special ability would
use the associated skill as an attack skill. When using an attack skill, if the
action total is equal to or higher than the difficulty number of the attack,
the attack hits the target. The difficulty number is the opponent’s appropriate
defensive skill, which may be passive or an active defense

**Defensive Skills**

Most
of the attack skills also serve as their own defensive skill. The main
exception is ranged combat where the *dodge*
*skill is used for defense instead of*
the skill used to make the ranged attack. Most defenses will be passive, using
the base value of the skill, but characters can elect to make an *active defense* and
increase the difficulty number for their opponent. When rolling a bonus for an
active defense, treat all bonus numbers of less than +1 as +1. An active
defense can never make a character easier to hit, only harder. A character does
not need to have the initiative to perform an active defense; it can be taken
during the opponent’s initiative. An active defense does have to be declared
before the attacker rolls the die. Because an active defense requires a die
roll, characters can only perform an active defense if they have not already
taken a dice action that round.

**Determining Damage**

Once
a character is hit, the effect total (usually called the damage total)
determines damage. The attacker’s damage value is his *Strength*,
possibly modified by a melee or missile weapon, or the damage value of the
weapon itself (for weapons that provide their own energy like a crossbow) Plus
the skills used with the attack. The difficulty is the target’s *Toughness* (which
might be modified by armor) plus the skill adds used in defense. The more the
difficulty number is exceeded, the more the target is damaged. Remember that to
get an effect total, you use the **same**
**bonus number that generated the action**
total. The result points determined by applying the damage total against the
opponent’s T*oughness* or
armor value are read on the *Combat*
Results Table *to determine the amount and type of*
damage done by the attack. There are two columns on the chart, one for Mooks
and one for possibility-rated characters. By their nature, possibility rated
characters (whether they are player characters or nonplayer characters) are
better able to endure damage than Mooks.

**Types of Damage**

A
character can suffer up to four types of damage when an attack successfully
causes injury: *shock, knockout condition* and
*wounds* are
the three main kinds of damage. The fourth type, *knockdown,* is very
temporary and is more of a condition than actual damage.

**Shock Damage**

Shock
damage is expressed as a number. When the total number of shock points taken
equals or exceeds a character’s *Toughness*,
he falls unconscious. Unconscious or resting characters recover shock damage at
the rate of one point a minute if the character does not also have a KO
condition. An unconscious character will wake up when his shock damage is reduced
to an amount less than his *Toughness*.

**Example:**
**Quin’s *Toughness* is 11. If**
he takes 11 or more points of shock damage in a fight he passes out. He will
remain unconscious until enough shock damage has been healed or removed to
bring him to 10 or fewer points of shock damage. If Quin also has a KO
condition he won’t heal any shock damage until the KO is gone.

**Knockout Conditions**

Knockout
conditions represent blows to vulnerable areas. The letters “K” and “O” mark
knockout conditions. When a character takes a K, the player should record that
on the character sheet. If a character with a K later takes an O, that’s a KO,
which knocks the character unconscious.

**COMBAT RESULTS TABLE**

Mooks
Possibility-rated

S           1                                          1

1          O 1                                       1

2          K 1                                       O 1

3          O 2                                       K 1

4          K 2                                       2

5    Knockdown O 3                         O 2

6    Knockdown K 3                         Knockdown K 2

7    Knockdown K/O 4                     Knockdown O 3

8     Wnd KO 4                                Knockdown K 3

9     Wnd K/O 5                               Knockdown K/O 3

10   Wnd KO 5                                Wnd K/O 4

11   2Wnd K/O 6                             Wnd K/O 4

12   2Wnd KO 6                              Wnd KO 4

13   3Wnd K/O 7                             2Wnd K/O 5

14   3Wnd KO 7                              2Wnd KO 5

15   4Wnd KO 8                              3Wnd KO 5

+2
+1Wnd +1 shock                     +1Wnd
+1 shock

A
K condition lasts for half an hour, representing a serious jolt to the nervous
system. If a character already has a K result and takes another K, the shock
damage for that blow only is increased by three. Any Os taken before a K result
last for only a round and then fade. If a character already has an O result and
takes a K, that’s also a KO result and he is knocked unconscious. A *K/O* result
means that if the character has no knockout condition already, he takes a K. If
he already has a K, he takes an O instead. After five minutes, the O of a KO
condition will fade, leaving the character with just a K result. The character
will regain consciousness at this point (unless he’s also unconscious from
shock damage, which won’t heal while a character has a KO result.)

**Example:** In the
first round of a fight, Quin takes a K result in damage. In the next round, he
takes another K and three points of shock damage. Since he already has a K
result, the second K becomes three additional points of shock damage and he
takes six points of shock that round. In the third round, he takes a K/O
result. Since he already has a K, he takes an O, which gives him a KO, and he’s
knocked unconscious. After five minutes he will wake up with just a K
condition.

**Knockdown**

*Knockdown* causes a
character to spend his next action getting up, although he is not completely
helpless - he may take an active defense action while getting back up.
Alternately, the character can remain on the ground and take an action from
that position but at a penalty. The penalty will depend on the action the
character attempts and the circumstances, but should be at least a +2 to the
difficulty.

**Example:** Quin
suffers a Knockdown during a fight. Instead of getting back up he decides to
shoot at his opponent from the ground. Becky assigns a +2 penalty to the
attempt. In the next round, instead of getting up Quin decides to *intimidate* his
opponent. Becky decides that being laid out of the ground is not the best
position for intimidating a standing opponent and assigns a +5 penalty this
time. If a character suffers a Knockdown result while already under the effects
of a Knockdown, or takes multiple Knockdown results at the same time, the extra
Knockdowns further limit what the character can do while she is knocked down. A
second Knockdown limits the character to only being able to perform simple
actions during their next action (they can get back up, but they can’t actively
defend while doing so since that is not a simple action.) Any further
Knockdowns extend the number of rounds that the character can only perform
simple actions.

**Example:** While
he’s still on the ground from a previous Knockdown result, two of Quin’s
opponents run up and start kicking him. Each one manages to hit and each gets a
Knockdown result as part of their damage on Quin. Because he’s already under
the effects of one Knockdown, these two additional Knockdowns mean that Quin
can only perform simple actions for the next two rounds. Even if Quin stands up
during the next round, he will still be too dazed to do anything but simple
actions in the next round as well.

**Wounds**

Wound damage is serious injuries that linger and
hinder a character’s ability to act. There are four levels of wounds: *wounded,*
heavily wounded, mortally wounded*, and* dead *(more than four wounds*
also counts as *dead*.) The number of wound levels taken from an attack
precedes the abbreviation “Wnd” on the Combat Results Table.

Wounds are cumulative: a *heavily wounded* character
that takes another *wound* is now *mortally wounded*, and so forth.
When a character reaches the *mortally wounded* level, he will soon die
unless he receives medical attention. Whenever a character takes any level of
wound damage in combat he also suffers an automatic Knockdown result (see
above). While wounded, a character suffers a penalty on any action she attempts
because of the pain caused by the injury. The *resist pain* and *willpower*
*skill can be used to temporarily ignore these penalties. Certain*
painkilling drugs, magic spells and other effects may also allow a character to
ignore the penalties caused by injuries. The penalty is equal to the
character’s wound level: *wounded* characters have a +1 penalty, *heavily*
wounded *characters have a +2 penalty and* mortally wounded *characters*
have a +3 penalty. *Dead* characters of course can’t do anything (the
ultimate penalty).

Additionally, when a character is at *mortally*
wounded*, he takes one shock point of damage a round until one of two things*
occurs:

1. He receives medical

 attention (*first aid* or *medicine* skill) to stop the
 accumulation of shock damage

1. the

 shock damage equals his *Toughness*, at which point his wound level
 increases to *dead* and he dies.
When a character dies at four wounds, immediate
emergency medical attention (*first aid* or *medicine* skills) can be
used to improve her condition to *mortally wounded* **if** applied
within one round of the character taking the fourth wound. Characters who have
taken five or more wounds cannot be saved. Characters who go from *mortally*
wounded *to* dead *due to accumulated shock damage **can** have*
their condition reversed back to *mortally wounded* with successful
medical treatment. A second medical treatment must be made immediately in the
next round to stabilize the character or their condition will worsen to *dead*
*again and this time it cannot be reversed.*

Each type of damage (except Knockdowns) takes a
different amount of time from which to recover. Knockdowns are recovered simply
by standing up. Shock damage is removed at a rate of one point per minute. An O
by itself is removed after one round. A K requires a half an hour to go away.
The O portion of a KO is removed in five minutes. A character will not recover
any shock damage while suffering from a KO result. Once the KO has faded to a K
result then the character will start recovering shock points.

Wound damage takes much longer to heal and isn’t
automatic. In Order to heal a wound, the character makes a *healing check*.
The player generates a *Toughness* total for her character against a
difficulty number based on the character’s total wound level. Another character
can use the *medicine* skill to try and help out the recovering character.
The amount of time a character has to wait before making the first healing
check depends on his total wound level. Once that first healing check has been
made, if any further checks are needed they can be made on a daily basis until
the character has fully recovered. A successful healing check will improve a
character’s wound condition by one level. A failed check does not make the
character’s condition any worse.

**HEALING CHART**

**Wound Level                               Difficulty                                 Time**

Wounded                                       8                                            one
day

Heavily
Wounded                          12
three days

Mortally
Wounded                         15                                           seven days

**Movement in Combat**

In
combat, characters may move short distances as a simple action, but what
constitutes a short distance? For most characters this will involve walking or
running since other types of movement like jumping, swimming and climbing
require the character to make a skill check, so they cannot be a simple action.

Walking
distance, though it can also be applied to the distance that a vehicle or mount
can be driven or piloted without problem, is determined by subtracting four
from a character’s running limit value. The measure of this value indicates the
distance the character can move as a simple action without it interfering with
any dice actions she takes that round.

**Example:** A
character with a running limit value of 8 has a walking value of 4, which is
six meters. During a round the character can move up to six meters and it won’t
interfere with anything else she does that round.

For
a vehicle or a mount, subtract four from either the vehicle’s speed value or
the skill value of the driver, whichever is less, to determine how far the
vehicle can be driven in a round without difficulty.

**Combat Options and**

**Modifiers**

Combat
is rarely as simple as just making attack totals and applying damage. There are
different types of attacks, different types of weapons used, and all kinds of
situational modifiers that might come into play and even dangers poised by the
surroundings themselves.

**Melee Weapon Damage**

When
a character attacks another character unarmed, the damage value is the
attacker’s *Strength* value
plus their unarmed skill adds. When the attacker uses a melee or
strength-powered missile weapon, the weapon’s adds are added to the character’s
*Strength and skill adds* to
determine the base damage value. For example, a character with *Strength* 8 using a
STR+6 sword and 3 adds in Melee weapons has a base damage value of 17. The *maximum damage value* listed
for a weapon (as listed in Chapter Thirteen and in equipment lists in other *Torg* products)
is the maximum **base** damage
value possible for the weapon before skill adds are added in. It is **not** a limit on the damage
total that can be caused with the weapon.

**Example:** Grod, an
ogre with a *Strength* of
17, picks up a normal human broadsword. The broadsword does STR+6 damage and its
maximum damage value is 20. Grod’s base damage value with the broadsword is
thus 20, not (17 + 6)
combat, his bonus numbers and skill adds are added to the base damage value of
20 normally, the limit does not apply to his damage total with the weapon.

**Using Two Weapons**

Adventure
fiction is full of characters that fight with two weapons at the same time.
Characters in *Torg* are
no exception. When a character fights with two melee weapons, he has the option
of using one for defense against other melee weapons or hand-to-hand attacks.
Usually the smaller of the two weapons is used for this purpose. A character
fighting this way receives the same benefits as if he were using a buckler
shield (see Chapter Thirteen.) Attacks made with the other weapon are conducted
normally with no modifiers. Normally characters using two ranged weapons will
not want to use them to parry or block melee or hand-to-hand attacks. But if
they do try it, the gamemaster will need to determine if the weapon is large
enough to be of any use and also determine what might happen to the weapon if
an attack hits it. If the character chooses to attack with both of his weapons
he may choose to attack a single opponent with both weapons or split his
attacks on two or more opponents. If he attacks a single opponent with both
weapons, the attack is conducted normally. Damage is determined by using the
weapon with the highest base damage value and receives a +2 bonus. This applies
to both melee and ranged weapon use. If the character chooses to attack more
than one opponent with his two weapons, this is considered a multi-action and
uses the “Quick Multi-Attacks” rules found later in this chapter. His damage
total will again be based on the weapon with the highest base damage value and
receives a +2 bonus. The same damage total is applied against all of the
opponents successfully hit. This also applies to both melee and ranged weapons
use.

**Non-Lethal Damage**

*Non-lethal* damage is
caused by attacks intended or designed to injure and incapacitate rather than
kill. Attacks made with *unarmed*
combat *are almost always non-lethal damage.*
Some weapons may also cause non-lethal damage, such as clubs. Some weapons may
also be used in non-conventional ways to do non-lethal damage, such as striking
with the flat of a blade instead of the sharp edge or slamming the hilt of the
weapon into the target. Non-lethal attacks do shock, Knockdown and KO damage
like regular attacks; however, they do not wound as frequently or severely.
They can still wound and kill though. When determining damage from a non-lethal
attack, if no wound damage is caused then the damage is applied normally. If
wound damage does occur, the wound level is reduced by one step and the
character suffers an extra K result.

**Ammunition**

Keeping
exact track of every bullet, arrow and laser beam fired in combat is a
bookkeeping chore we do not recommend, which is why ammunition is listed here
as a combat **options** instead
of being a normal rule. It may be accurate, but we don’t think it’s that much
fun. But the decision on whether to count ammunition or not is left up to each
gaming group, some may like doing it while others may not. If your gaming group
is willing to play fast and loose with ammunition rules, let ammunition be a rare
problem Characters can happily blast away without a care until it’s
dramatically appropriate for them to be low on ammunition.

If
a *setback* occurs,
for example, it may indicate that the character loses some of the arrows from
his quiver, and they have to start keeping track of their ammo usage from that
point. Running short on ammunition should work as a dramatic element of the
story, not as an exercise in bookkeeping. If your group wants to keep track of
ammunition, the weapon write-ups in Chapter Thirteen and in other *Torg* products
list the number of *combat rounds* of
ammunition a weapon has when fully loaded. This is **not** necessarily the same
thing as the number of crossbow bolts the character has in their quiver.
Instead it indicates the number of times the weapon may be fired **at its normal rate of fire** before
it has to be reloaded. A crossbow for example has an ammo rating of 1; it has
to be reloaded every time it’s fired. Reloading most weapons counts as a simple
action, though complicated and/or very large weapons may take several rounds to
reload and may require a skill check as well. Each round that a character fires
a weapon uses up one combat round’s worth of ammunition. If the character is
firing at more than one target, he uses up a number of combat rounds equal to
the number of shots taken; if the character uses the Single Fire as Multi
combat option, that counts as three combat rounds worth of ammo. If firing a
burst-fire weapon at full automatic, chalk off **seven** rounds
worth of ammo. If the Burst Fire as Single-Shot combat option is used, mark off
one combat round of ammo for every three shots taken.

**Knockdown Attack**

A
*knockdown attack* is
an attempt to knock an opponent off its feet, forcing to waste its next action
standing back up. Knockdown attacks can be done with almost any kind of normal
attack. Often the only thing that has to be done is to direct the attack at the
target’s legs and knock them out from underneath it. A knockdown attack applies
a -2 penalty to the **bonus number** of
the attack. If the action value achieves a *Good*
*success level or better, the attack*
causes an automatic Knockdown result instead of any normal damage from the
attack. If the action value only achieves a *Minimal*
*or* Average
*success, only normal damage is applied.*

**Example:** Magoth is
fighting another giant and needs a moment to get some distance between him and
his opponent so that he can start using his magic. Roger declares that Magoth
is going to try a knockdown attack, he’s going to swing his sword at his opponent’s
legs and hope it’ll make him fall. Then while the other giant is spending the
next round getting up Magoth will have time to move away and start casting a
spell.

Roger
rolls a 10 and then a
die total of 15 is a +3 bonus. Because he’s doing a knockdown attack this is
modified by -2 for a final bonus of +1. This gives Magoth an action total of 11
with his *melee weapons* skill.
His opponent’s *melee weapons* skill
is 10 so he only has one result point, only an *Average* success,
and does not get the automatic Knockdown result. His damage from the attack is
figured normally using his modified bonus of +1. Roger tries again in the next
round. This time he rolls a19 a +6 bonus, which gives him an action total of 14
after applying the modifier for a knockdown attack. Four result points is a *Good* success
so he automatically scores a Knockdown result on his opponent in addition to
the regular damage from his attack.

**Ranged Weapon Modifiers**

Hitting
a target at a distance becomes more difficult the farther away the target is
from the attacker. Most ranged weapons also experience a drop in damage the
farther they have to travel before hitting a target. Projectile weapons, for
example, slow down as they travel the farther they go. Write-ups for ranged
weapons, such as the ones in Chapter Thirteen, will provide the range values
for the weapons.

**Aiming**

A
character may spend one round *aiming*.
In the next round, the aiming character gets a +3 bonus to his action value.
Aiming does not increase the damage value. Aiming may only be done with missile
weapons, and requires the attacker to remain motionless and be undisturbed for
that round while he tracks his target. The character can perform simple actions
while aiming at the gamemaster’s discretion. Speaking briefly to another
character might not interrupt his concentration, but walking through a doorway
might. Because the character is remaining motionless and concentrating on his
target, any attack made against an aiming character has the **bonus number** increased
by +3, but he gets to use his normal passive defense. If the character is
successfully damaged by an attack while aiming, his aim is ruined and he will
not get the aiming bonus on his next action.

**Vital Blow**

A
*vital blow* is
an attack aimed at a specific spot with the intent of causing extra damage,
such as punching someone in the kidneys, shooting them in the head or sliding a
blade between their ribs and into their heart or a lung. The modifiers for a
vital blow depend on how much more difficult of an attack the character wishes
to perform and/or how much more damage he wants to cause. The lowest level of a
vital blow applies a -2 penalty to the action value of an attack while
increasing the damage value by +1. Players can choose increasingly difficult or
damaging vital blows by applying the -2/+1 modifier multiple times, up to a
maximum of -8/+4.

**Example:** Yukitada
needs to eliminate a Yakuza bodyguard fast so that he doesn’t have time to make
any noise. Barbara declares that Yukitada will attempt a vital blow with a -6
to the action value and a +3 to the damage value. She describes the attack as a
sharp blow to the front of the bodyguard’s neck. If the player provides a clear
description of what their character is hoping to do with a vital blow, the
gamemaster should reward a successful attack by taking into consideration what
the player wanted and, if necessary, create additional benefits and results if
the vital blow is successful. These, characters may make a vital blow attack
but the gamemaster does not apply the damage modifier, since the attack is not
really hitting anything vital.

**Vital Block**

The
*vital block* is
the opposite of a vital blow. Instead of an attacker attempting a more
difficult shot in hopes of causing more damage, a vital block is when a
defender sacrifices some of his defensive value in exchange for reducing the
likelihood of an attack doing serious damage. In essence the character is
focusing his attention on protecting only part of his body from attack, saving
him from serious injury but not from minor attacks that might hit non-vital
areas. For example, a boxer who curls his arms up in front of his face and
chest is protecting his head and body from his opponent’s punches by taking
them instead on his gloves and forearms. While his opponent may hit him more
often this way, the blows will not be landing on anything vital so the
defending character won’t take as much damage as he might have otherwise. The
modifiers for the vital block depend on how much of his non-vital defense the
character is willing to sacrifice for additional protection to vital areas. The
lowest level of a vital block applies a -2 penalty to the character’s defense
value while increasing the character’s armor value by +1. Characters can choose
the amount by which they protect themselves by applying the -2/+1 modifier
multiple times, up to a maximum of -8/+4.

Vital
block may be combined with an active defense; the player declares how much of a
vital block the character will perform before rolling the die to generate the
active defense value.

**Example:** Magoth is
in a sword fight with a powerful evil knight, who’s been repeatedly hitting
Magoth hard enough to cause wound damage. Magoth realizes that he needs to keep
the knight from causing any more wounds so he’s going to concentrate on
protecting his vital areas. In the next round Roger declares that

Magoth
is going to actively defend with his *melee*
weapons *skill and he’s going to vital block on*
top of that, with a -4/+2 modifier. Roger rolls the die and generates a +4
bonus number. Magoth’s defense value remains unchanged (the +4 bonus number and
-4 vital block modifier cancel out) but he receives a +2 bonus to his *Toughness* (i.e., a
+2 armor value) when resisting any damage the evil knight causes that round.

**All-Out Attack**

*All-out attack*,
sometimes called a sacrifice attack, is a furious, berserk attack that
sacrifices defense to increase the chance of hitting and causing damage. An
all-out attack may only be done in hand-to-hand combat; it cannot be done with
ranged attacks. An all-out attack can be combined with other attack options,
such as a knockdown attack or a vital blow, but it cannot be combined with any
defensive actions such as an active defense or a vital block. An all-out attack
gives the attacker a +3 bonus to his action value and a +1 bonus to his damage
value. But by going all-out, the character leaves himself vulnerable to
counterattacks; all blows aimed at the character doing the all-out attack
receive a +3 bonus to the **bonus**
number **of the attack until the character‘s**
next action in the next round.

**Sweep Attack**

A
*sweep attack* is
an attempt to hit a target without any real concern for how much damage is
done. Sweep attacks can be made in most hand-to-hand situations, such as
throwing a roundhouse punch or swinging a sword in a huge arc in front of the
character. A sweep attack gives the character a +5 bonus to his action value
but penalizes damage with a -5 modifier. The character is sacrificing accuracy
(more damage) for effect (hitting the target).

**Suppressive Fire**

*Suppressive fire* is
a variant of the sweep attack used with ranged weapons, usually only those
capable of burst and full auto fire but it can be done somewhat less
effectively with single-shot weapons too. Unlike a sweep attack, the goal of
suppressive fire is not to improve the chances of hitting a target by throwing
a lot of ammo in the air. Instead, the “field of fire” established by the
suppressive fire is meant to *intimidate*
*the target, to scare him into thinking*
that if he tries anything he’s going to be met by a hailstorm of missiles. The
goal of suppressive fire might be to convince someone to surrender or to keep
him “pinned down” and unable to move from his current location. The attacker
generates her action and damage totals normally. **Whichever value is higher** is
treated as an *intimidation* skill
value that is applied to anyone within the area being blanketed by the
suppressive fire. The effects are determined according to the usual rules for
character interactions. Multiple attackers may combine their fields of fire to
increase the effect of their suppressive fire using the rules for combining
actions as described later in this chapter.

 **Attack**

A
character taking an *opportunity attack* is
waiting for a target to present itself later in the round. In effect, the
character holds her action when it is her turn and waits to take it when the
other side takes their actions.

As
each target presents itself, she must either decide to attack then or wait for
another target. If she waits, any target characters “passed over” may act as
they normally would. attacks have
a -3 bonus modifier for action and effect, representing the delay caused by
having to make a split-second decision to attack or to continue holding her
action.

**Location Attack**

A
*location attack* is
like an opportunity attack in which a character holds his action until a target
presents itself. The difference is that character doesn’t make a choice about
whether to attack or continue waiting; the first target that presents itself at
a location is the one that gets attacked. The character must specify a single
location, such as a doorway, for a location attack. The location attack occurs
as soon as any target presents itself. There is no penalty for a location
attack.

**Holding**
an Action

Players
will occasionally want their characters to take their actions after another
character’s action. For example, one player character may be waiting for
another player character to move out of the way so he has a clear shot at a bad
guy. Or perhaps a player character is waiting to see what a nonplayer character
decides to do and then will react to that. When it’s a case of waiting for a
character on the same initiative side to take an action, it simply means that
the first player lets the other player go before him. There are no penalties
for waiting to act after someone on your side. Waiting to take an action during
the other side’s initiative though is always considered either a location
attack or an opportunity attack depending on the nature of what the character
is waiting for before acting. Most of the time it will probably be considered
an opportunity attack.

**Grappling Attack**

A
*grappling attack* is
used to physically grasp a target. It can be used to take possession of an item
someone else is holding, such as grabbing a weapon out of someone else’s hand,
or it can be used to restrict the target’s ability to move, such as wrestling
someone to the ground and pinning them so that they can’t escape. Grappling can
be combined with a number of other combat options, such as with a vital blow
(choking someone) or even with a sweep attack (a big “bearhug”.) While most
grappling attacks will be forms of *unarmed*
combat *some weapons may be used for grappling*
attacks. A bullwhip for example can be used to wrap around a target and a net
can be thrown on someone to bring them down. Grappling attacks impose a -4
modifier to the action total and a -2 modifier to the damage total. The result
points of the action total are read on the General Success Table to determine
if the character simply hits the target or successfully grapples with it. If
the attacker gets at least a *Good* success
level he has successfully grasped his target. If he only got a *Minimal* or *Average* success
then he struck his target and will do damage, but fails to hold onto the
target. If he was attempting to take an item away from another character, no
damage will be done but gamemasters may want to consider if the attack instead *disarms* the
opponent (see “Disarm”.)

**Disarm**

A
*disarm* is
similar to using a grappling attack to take something out of another
character’s hands except that the attacker isn’t trying to take possession of
the item, she just wants to make the other person drop it. Unlike a grappling
attack, a disarm can be attempted with almost any kind of attack or weapon
since the goal is simply to strike the item itself or the target’s hand in such
a way as to cause the target to lose his grip and drop the item. A disarm
attack is made with a -2 modifier to the action total. If the attack is
successful, the damage total is compared to the target’s *Strength* attribute
to see if the disarm is successful. The result points are read on the General
Success Table and on a *Good* or
better success the target is disarmed. With a *Minimal*
*or* Average
*result, the result points are instead*
read on the Combat Results Table and the damage is applied to the target.

**Aggressive Defense**

A
character attacking with either *unarmed*
combat *or* melee
weapons *skill may use an* aggressive defense*.*
This is a particular type of multi-action where the character is making an
attack while also actively defending. When using aggressive defense, the
character rolls for an active defense, but she has a -2 modifier to her defense
value. The minimum bonus on the active defense is still +1 though. The **same** roll is
also used to generate an action and damage total for the attack, but has a -4
modifier to both. The attack does **not**
**get a minimum bonus number of +1 like**
the active defense.

**Example:** Yukitada
is in a sword fight with a ronin. Yukitada decides to use an aggressive defense
in hopes of improving her defensive value while continuing to press the attack.
Yukitada can use her *martial arts* skill
to fight with a sword so her base skill value is 16. Barbara rolls an bonus number of -2. For
Yukitada’s active defense, a bonus number less than +1 is treated as +1 so her
defense total goes up to 17. But then the -2 modifier for the aggressive
defense is applied and she actually ends up with a 15. For Yukitada’s attack,
she has to use the -2 bonus, the minimum +1 bonus only applies to the active
defense. Combined with the -4 penalty for the aggressive defense, Yukitada ends
up with only a 10 for her action total. An aggressive defense is a kind of
last-ditch desperation maneuver since it only pays off if the player can
generate a large bonus number. Many times the character will end up doing worse
than if they had just attacked or just actively defended instead of trying to
do both at the same time.

**Blindside**

A
blindside attack comes from a direction which is unexpected or which the
defender cannot protect well. Hitting a character from behind is a blindside
attack. The target does not have to be unaware of the attack, he may know its
coming but isn’t able to see it coming so he cannot react to it as well. A
blindside attack normally requires surprise or that the target is unable to
turn and face the attacker for some reason. When two characters are facing each
other in combat, a character can get behind his opponent and launch a blindside
attack in the **next** round
if he gets a *setback* result
on a *maneuver* skill
check. Attacks made on fleeing opponents (with their backs to the attackers)
are also blindside attacks. Blindside attacks give the attacker a +3 to his **bonus number**. The
modifiers for a blindside are cumulative with any other modifiers, including
any gained from surprising a target (see below.)

**Surprise**

There
are two types of surprise: “complete” and “partial.” *Complete* surprise
is only possible when the target is unaware of the attacker’s presence and is
not expecting any attack at all. Characters that routinely operate in dangerous
environments where conflict is expected, such as soldiers on combat duty or a
policeman patrolling a rough neighborhood, cannot be caught completely by
surprise. *Partial* surprise
occurs when the defenders may be expecting something to happen, but do not know
when, where or what is going to happen. A security guard patrolling a perimeter
for example is ready for action but doesn’t know when, or if, he might be faced
with a dangerous situation. Surprised characters, whether partially or
completely surprised, are not able to react as quickly or as intelligently as
usual. Partially surprised characters are still able to react fairly quickly,
they’re startled but not caught flat-footed. Completely surprised characters
though are caught totally unprepared and off-guard. Partially surprised
characters may perform an active defense or a simple action but cannot attack
or take a movement action in the round that they are surprised. Player
characters who are partially surprised may not play any cards (see Chapter
Five) in the round that they are surprised though they may still use
Possibility Points (see below). Attacks made on a partially surprised
character, including any character interaction skills like *trick* or *intimidation*, receive
a +2 bonus to both the action and effect totals. Completely surprised
characters may take no actions in the round that they are surprised, not even
an active defense. Player characters that are completely surprised may not play
any cards in the round that they are surprised. Attacks made on a completely
surprised character, including character interactions, receive a +4 bonus to
both the action and effect totals. Characters may still use a Hero Point to
negate damage while completely surprised. In the next round after being
surprised, partially surprised characters are able to act normally without any
restrictions. Completely surprised characters though suffer the effects of being
partially surprised in that second round and are not able to act normally until
the round after that, two rounds after they were completely surprised.

**Concealment and Cover**

When
a character hides behind an object, he becomes harder to hit and may receive
some additional protection from damage. *Concealment*
*refers to how much of the character’s*
body is concealed from the attacker by whatever the character is hiding behind.
“Complete plus” means that not only is the character completely hidden from
view but there’s a lot of extra area, so the attacker can’t be sure exactly
where the character is behind the object. An attack that overcomes the characters defensive skill after being modified by the defense modifier granted for concealment will miss the concealment and hit the character for full damage. An attack that falls between the defensive skill of the character and the modified defensive with the concealment, will hit whatever is concealing the character and do damage to the concealment. Any attack which destroys the concealment by at least two wounds more than is required to destroy it, will do full damage to the character being targeted. Any blow that destroys the concealment by less then that will do no damage to the character.

**CONCEALMENT**

One-Quarter
Hidden
+2

One-Half
Hidden                                                       +4

Three-Quarters
Hidden                                             +5

Completely
Hidden
+7

Complete
Plus
    +10

**COMBAT OPTION CHART**

**Multi-Actions**

The Multi-Action Charts are
used to sum action of many identical characters into a single die roll, or when
a character is trying to have his roll apply to more than one action. There are
two charts; the Many *on One* is used for combining a number of separate
actions into one die roll and the *One on Many* is used to have one die
roll apply to several separate actions.

**Many on One**

To
resolve many characters’ actions with one roll, the characters must all have a
skill or attribute value within one point of each other. If the values are too
different, they must be rolled separately, though it could be broken down into
smaller groups with similar values. For each group of similar characters, find
the number of characters acting on the Many on One Chart under “Characters”.
The corresponding modifier from the next column is added to the bonus number of
the group’s attempt. The result points are then used with the third column,
“Successes”, to determine how many of the involved characters are successful.
If the result points fall between a value given on the chart, always round
down. The maximum number of characters who can succeed is the number of
characters involved, you can’t have more characters succeed than there are
characters. In a situation requiring an effect total, use the modifier of the **number of characters who actually succeeded** as
an effect modifier, not the modifier for the total number of characters
involved. The final effect total represents a combined effect total for the
efforts of all the successful characters, it is **not** applied separately
for each successful character.

**MANY ON ONE CHART**

Characters                              Modifier                       Successes

1
—
DN

2
+2
DN+2

3–4
+3
DN+4

5–6
+4
DN+6

7–10
+5                                    DN+8

11–15                                       +6                                    DN+10

**One on Many**

If
a single character is trying several actions with different skill values and/or
different difficulties, the player rolls the die once to get a bonus number,
and adds that bonus number to each skill separately. Each total is then
compared to the “modified difficulty” of that action. He may check in any Order
he wishes if the actions are taken simultaneously. If an action depends on
another action being performed first, the second action must follow the first
but it doesn’t have to follow immediately. The difficulties are modified
according to the “Modified Difficulty” column of the One on Many chart. The
first action checked is at DN+2, the second at

**ONE ON MANY CHART**

**Actions                        Modified**
Difficulty
Toughness Increase

1                                    DN+2                                              -

2                                    DN+4                                             +2

3-4                                 DN+6                                             +3

5-6                                 DN+8                                             +4

7-10                               DN+10                                           +5

11-15                             DN+12                                           +6

If
a character is attacking more than one opponent, each opponent’s *Toughness* is
automatically increased by the amount listed under “*Toughness* Increase”
for the **total** number
of actions taken, even if the character hits fewer opponents than he attacked.
Diverting his attention among multiple targets and spreading his attack lowers
the damage of any successful attack.

**Quick Multi-Attacks**

If
a character uses the same skill to attempt several actions, each of which has a
difficulty number within one of all others, you can use a shorthand method to
determine number of successes. This is most often used when attacking multiple
opponents, each of whom has the same defensive skill. **This method may not be used to attack the same opponent**
multiple times. **Find the amount by which the skill**
total exceeded the difficulty of a **single**
**action on the “Modified Difficulty”**
column of the One on Many Chart, then look under the “Actions” column to find
how many of the attacks successfully hit.

**Example:** Quin runs
across two pirates who have come to investigate all the fighting noise. Quin
decides he had better drop both at once so they cannot raise an alarm. If Quin
beats the difficulty number by two he has hit one pirate, if he beats the
difficulty number by four he hits both pirates at once. In either case, both of
them receive a +2 bonus to their *Toughness*
*against Quin’s attack because he’s performing*
a multi-action against two targets. Unless dramatic circumstances dictate
otherwise, player characters should always get the top end of the spread when
determining number of successes; they’re heroes, they deserve a break every
once in a while! Of course they can never get more successes than there are
available opponents.

**Summing Efforts for a**

**Single Action**

When
multiple characters are combining their efforts to accomplish a single task,
and when they must either succeed as a group or fail as a group, use the
following procedure instead of the Many on One rules:

**•** A *lead*
character *is chosen; this is the character whose skill or attribute value*
is best suited (i.e., highest) for the task.

**•** All other
characters whose appropriate skill or attribute is **within five points** of
the lead character’s skill may add to the. Each aiding character makes a *Perception*
*check against the* coordination difficulty *of the task.*

**•** The **value**
**of the number of characters who successfully add their effort, counting the**
lead character, becomes a bonus modifier for the lead character’s action total.

**Example:** Seven
characters are trying to lift a huge boulder. One of the characters is
appointed the lead character, the other six will be assisting her. Five of the
six make their coordination checks; a measure of 6 (the leader plus the five
who successfully coordinate) is a value of 4, so the lead character gets a +4
bonus to his action total.

**Coordination Difficulties**

The *coordination difficulty* for working
together on a group effort depends on the complexity of the task and the amount
of interaction required between everyone participating. The gamemaster should
use the Difficulty Number Scale to set the coordination difficulty. Here are
some examples:

• **Very Easy**-
Task can be broken up into parts that can be worked on independently, such as
digging a ditch, with minimal interaction between characters.

• **Easy-**
Task requires basic coordination of activity, such as lifting a rock.

• **Average-**
Task requires coordination and adjustment based on feedback, such as paddling a
canoe in a flat lake or repairing a large wagon.

• **Difficult** -
Task requires constant adjustment in a non-stable environment, such as
repairing a vehicle during combat, or paddling a canoe in rapids

'*Summing* a

```
*of*

```

Efforts for a

**Single Action**

What if 200 nonplayer characters are coordinating
their efforts in a powerful mystic ritual? Instead of rolling 200 separate *Perception*
*checks, the following approximation can be used. It assumes that each*
participating character has a skill or attribute value within five of the lead
character’s value. **•** Start with the value of the number of participants,
including the lead character **•** Add their average *Perception* attribute
value **•** Subtract the coordination difficulty **•** Subtract two **•** the
result is the bonus modifier for the lead character.

**Hero Points**

Now
that you know the rules, here’s how player characters and some nonplayer
characters can bend them!

**Hero Points and the Die Roll**

When
attempting an action, a player of a character can spend one of her character’s *Hero Points* and roll
the die again, adding the number rolled to the final die roll. No more than one
personal Hero point may be spent on any one action, though Points from outside
sources (such as cards from the Drama Deck, see Chapter Five) may be used in
addition to the one personal Hero Point.

The
player may spend a point after'***seeing the first roll; it does not have***
to be declared before the player rolls the first time. Hero Points are very
potent; if the extra roll is less than 10 it counts as a 10 (but it does not
grant another re-roll like actually rolling a 10 would.) Additional re-rolls
for 10s and 20s are allowed like normal.

**Extending**
the Charts

If
situations arise where modifiers for a number of actions or groups larger than
15 are needed, the Value Chart can be used. Find the value of the number in
question. That value becomes the “Modifier” of a Many on One or the “*Toughness* Increase”
of a One on Many.

**Example:** One
hundred characters performing a Many on One would have a modifier of +10 (the
value of 100). If a single character attacked 100 characters with a One on
Many, their *Toughness* increase
would be +10. Figuring the “Successes” or “Modified Difficulty” also uses the
value of the number in question. For the “Successes” on the Many on One chart,
subtract one and then double. For the “Modified Difficulty” on the One on Many
chart, just double the value.

**Example:** For 100
combined actions on the Many on One chart, all will succeed with DN+18 (10 - 1
= 9, 9 x 2= 18). For 100 actions taken on the One on Many chart, all will
succeed with DN+20 (10 x 2 = 20)

**Countering Hero Points**

Whenever
a character spends a Hero Point to alter a die roll, another character may
cancel that extra die roll by spending a Hero point himself. The Point must be
countered at the moment the other character spends it, **before** the die
is rolled. Both points are spent and there is no extra roll. Notice that this
means the gamemaster must announce when a nonplayer character spends a Hero
Point on a die roll in Order to allow the players the chance to counter it. Any
character can counter another character’s Hero Point, they don’t have to be
involved in the action, just aware of it.

**Negating Damage**

Characters
may spend Hero Points to reduce the amount of damage they take from an attack.
The attack itself is not negated; the blow still strikes the character. It just
doesn’t do as much damage as it might have done otherwise. No more than one
personal Hero Point may be spent to negate damage but additional Points from
outside sources may be used to further reduce the damage total. Hero Points
spent to reduce damage **cannot** be
countered. Each Hero Point used to negate damage may do **three** of the
following, and each type may be done more than once:

**1.** Remove three points
of shock damage.

**2.** Remove a K or O
condition or reduce a KO to a K condition.

**3.** Remove a Knockdown
result.

**4.** Remove one wound
level.

Damage
results that are modified by special attack forms, such as a Knockout Attack,
have their modifications performed before the character gets to negate any
damage.

**Damage**
to Equipment

Normally
characters are only able to use possibilities to negate damage that they take;
any equipment they are carrying or operating takes damage normally. There is
one exception to this rule - heroes who are associated with a particular piece
of equipment, often seem to be able to keep the equipment operating sometimes
through force of will alone. In game terms, a character that has a *trademark specialization* with
a particular tool or piece of equipment can use possibilities to negate damage
inflicted on that item. They can’t do it for similar items, only for their one
trademarked item

**Environment**

Besides
all the dangers that characters face in combat, there’s all kinds of natural
hazards that characters may face during their adventures. Rules for dealing
with some of the more commonly encountered ones are included here.

**Vision**

Perceiving someone or something is accomplished with a *perception* or *find* check. Environmental conditions like lighting, magical invisibility or concealment like fog can modify the check. Effects that completely impede vision of the target like full darkness or full invisibility will add +10 to the difficulty of the check unless the character making the check has some means to overcome the condition. Night time is not full darkness and adds +3 to the difficulty of observing the target. Concealment like fog will add a variable modifier as determined by either the spell/miracle description, or by the GM for natural fog. The modifier should vary from 1 for very light fog, to 10 for fog so thick you can't see your hand in front of your face.

Targeting a character with any effect that completely impedes vision, requires a roll to determine if the target can be located. For effects that partially impede vision, The target can be automatically located, unless the target is stealthing in which case a location roll opposed by the stealth character, modified by the observation difficulty is required. Regardless of whether the location roll is successful or not, a targeting difficulty modifier is still applied.

Targeting an un-located character incurs a +10 difficulty. Targeting a located character in an environmental effect that completely impedes vision incurs a +5 difficulty modifier. Targeting a character in a condition that partially impedes vision will incur a variable difficulty modifier as determined by the spell/miracle description, or the GM for natural effects. The modifier should vary from 1 to 5.

Creatures that rely completely on alternate senses are completely un-effected by conditions that impede vision. Creatures that have enhanced senses in addition to vision, may have the difficulty modifiers reduced as determined by the GM.

**Falling Damage**

Whether
it’s from a failed *climbing* skill
check, being pushed off a cliff or fighting at the edge of a deep chasm,
falling from a height and hitting the ground is a very common danger characters
face. The amount of damage inflicted by a fall depends on the weight of the
character and on the distance fallen, up to a point. The base damage value for
a fall is equal to the character’s weight value plus the distance value of the
fall. If the distance value is greater than 14, use 14 instead of the actual
distance value. This is because 14 is the speed value of terminal velocity, and
it’s actually the character’s velocity that determines the damage, not the
distance they fall. With *Torg’s* value
system, falling distance and velocity work out to have the same value up to
terminal velocity, so we don’t have to calculate how fast a character is
falling; we only need to know how far he falls. The gamemaster generates a
bonus number and adds it to the base damage value. The bonus has a minimum of
+1. If a character is wearing armor it will only provide a maximum protection
of +2 against falling damage regardless of its actual armor value. (There is
one exception: “kinetic armor” will provide its full armor value. See Chapter
Thirteen for more information.) Characters with the *acrobatics* skill may
attempt to reduce the amount of damage they take from a fall. See the skill
description in Chapter Three for the details.

**Fire**

Fire
is a natural consequence of many of the things characters might do during an
adventure - explosions can set things ablaze, spilled oil get ignited, mages
throwing fireball spells, rescuing people from burning buildings, and so on.
Damage values for fire-based attacks, such as fireball spells are the damage
value of the attack itself. Damage from fire is treated like any other attack,
the only thing special about it is that it can set things ablaze and continue
to do damage even after the attack is completed. Determining whether or not
something catches fire is usually a judgment call by the gamemaster. A good
rule of thumb is to only worry about it when the object is something that
should almost certainly ignite (paper, pitch, oil, etc.) or when a fire would
add to the dramatic tension of the scene. Damage values for natural, normal
fires are based mostly on the size of the conflagration, the bigger the fire
the more damage it can do because it can affect more of a character at once. If
a character is unable to move away from a source of flame, such as being tied
to a stake in the middle of a bonfire, the damage value should be bumped up
somewhat to account for the unavoidable and prolonged exposure to the fire.
Conversely, the damage value could be bumped down if the intensity of a large
fire varies from one location to another. For example, in a burning building
there might be areas close to but free from flames that characters can duck
into and run between, avoiding the worst of the fire. For a small fire,
something about the size of a campfire, the damage value would be about large bonfire might
have a damage value around large, out of control fire like a burning building or
a blazing gasoline slick might have a damage value around huge, blazing inferno
like a forest fire might inflict a damage value of 22 on anything unfortunate
enough to be caught in it. If the character itself catches fire (or its clothes
catch fire), start with a damage value around 12 and adjust up or down
depending on how much of the character is covered in flames, and for how long.
Smoke inhalation is another danger of fires, though usually only large ones. In
most cases the damage from breathing smoke and toxic fumes can be assumed to be
part of the damage values given above. But in cases where a character might be
protected from heat, such as with a fire protection spell, but not from the
smoke, the gamemaster may wish to determine a separate damage value for smoke
inhalation.

**Drowning**

When
a character fails a *swimming* skill
check or has otherwise been placed in a situation where they’re cut off from
breathable air (such as being tied to an anchor and thrown overboard by a
villain), there’s the danger of drowning. If the character is taken by surprise
and doesn’t have an opportunity to take a deep breath, the drowning rules take
effect immediately or within a few rounds if the character has the opportunity
to hold whatever breath he has before going under. Characters who have the
opportunity to take a deep breath are able to hold it for a time value
determined by making a speed push on their Hold Breath value. Shock damage from
this push is ignored. Characters with the *meditation*
*skill who are able to enter a*
meditative trance may add their skill adds in *meditation*
*to the time value determined by the*
push, extending the amount of time their air supply will last for them.

If
a character can reach breathable air before their time limit expires, they
never actually drown and don’t take any damage. Gamemasters may wish to modify
the amount of time a character can hold their breath based on the amount of
physical exertion the character makes (using up his oxygen supply faster) or
because of unusual circumstances (such as being punched in the gut by an enemy
so that the character accidentally lets some of his air out.) When a character
reaches the end of her time limit, she can’t hold it any longer and
involuntarily tries to take a breath, inhaling water instead. She begins to
drown.

The
amount of time it takes a drowning character to die is generally six minutes,
though the gamemaster may want to allow it to take longer depending on the
situation. There are cases of people being successfully revived after 45
minutes of submersion in icy-cold waters! In general though, the drowning
character will take one wound level of damage every one and a half minutes
after passing out, reaching four wounds and death after six minutes. While
underwater and holding their breath, any other actions a character takes are
made at a +2 penalty to the difficulty number. Characters that begin to drown
usually panic, making it very difficult for them to do anything to save
themselves. Game masters may wish to allow drowning characters to make a *willpower* check to
control their fear but the difficulty should be very high, a Very Hard task at
least. Characters who have taken damage from drowning that are rescued before
death occurs can be treated with the *first*
aid *skill. The difficulty is determined*
normally by the amount of wound damage, increased by +2 for unconscious victims
since their lungs need to be cleared of water before they can start breathing
again. While their lungs are still full of water they are considered to be
drowning and will continue to take damage, possibly even dying.

**Weather**

The
weather can cause all kinds of problems for characters. Some types may inflict
damage, such as a blast of lightning or a pounding of hailstones, while other
conditions like fog or snow may just make life more difficult. For weather
effects that don’t cause damage, game masters can use the Difficulty Number
Scale to determine appropriate penalties for any actions characters might take
that would be affected by the weather. Rain, fog and snow can all affect how
far a character can see, strong winds can make ranged weapons difficult to use
and increase or decrease movement rates, slick surfaces might make travel
treacherous and so on. Bad weather can cause damage in a number of different
ways; hail, lightning, blowing sand, tornadoes and so on. Lightning can have
damage values ranging from 16 to 25 while the various types

of
wind-based damage values can range from a mild sandstorm at 13 to tornado or hurricane
force winds that hit with damage values as high as 22.