HACKSSENTIAL RULES ~ CHAPTER VIII
VIII. In-game rules
VIII.1 Size
Size is relevant since the dimension of a being helps or hinders success at certain actions or goals. Humans are considered medium size. Any other being is measured starting from the base size of humans as follows:
The size affects game mechanics such as movement, combat, magic. Unless otherwise stated, MOV is affected as follows:
In combat, the size is an advantage if the attacker is smaller than the target (i.e., better chance to hit). Conversely, the smaller the target, the harder to hit it. When attacker and target have different sizes, an adjustment (within the ‘Other adjustments’) for each step of difference in size has to be applied for both subjects as follows:
positive (+1) for each step of target’s size greater than opponent.
negative (-1) for each step of target’s size smaller than opponent.
When attacker and target have different sizes, also the damage suffered is affected. The logic applied between different sizes to hit is the opposite of the previous one; the larger the target, the less damage suffered, conversely, the smaller the target, the greater the damage suffered:
negative (-2) for each step of target’s size greater than attacker.
positive (+2) for each step of target’s size smaller than attacker.
The adjustments due to a difference in size between attacker and target can lead to a damage smaller than 1: this can be explained as an effect not enough strong to harm the target. In case of creatures as a target of a spell, the size of the creature affects the total amount of beings: a large creature counts as 2 medium ones, a huge creature counts as 2 large ones and so forth. The magic damage follows the same logic of the combat damage.
VIII.2 Injuries
Characters do not have hit points. Injury is tracked through wounds, which are narrative in nature but carry a mechanical weight. A wound can impair movement or reduce skill effectiveness. The GM determines the severity based on the damage suffered and reduces the relevant stats of the victim.
Any damage grants the status injured to the character (for details, see VIII.4). According to the type, the damage indicates what is the affected CS:
Physical damage affects Build or Control.
Mental damage affects Intellect or Empathy.
When a character is hit:
Damage taken is first reduced by the character’s level which acts as a buffer.
When the character’s level has absorbed the first hit, then following damages reduce the related CS.
Points granted as a buffer by character’s level apply only once in the battle or until the character is fully healed again.
If the score of CS is reduced to 0 or below, the character is considered dead, in coma, vegetative state or paralyzed (see VIII.4).
The application of injuries on a character is the following:
Each affected stat is tracked as a temporary value. However the player should retain their original score for reference.
All actions use the reduced stat until recovery occurs.
When the total value of a CS reaches 0, the character enters a countdown toward permanent conditions.
The number of turns before the condition becomes permanent equals the original sum of (CS + character’s level).
This window allows for possible healing, rescue, or final actions.
If no recovery occurs within that time, the process is irreversible, and the condition is permanent.
VIII.3 Healing
Recovery is slow, uncertain, and dependent on the environment or resources available. Damage to stats must be healed deliberately, either through rest, care, or supernatural means.
Characters can heal over time, with the following conditions:
Resting completely in a safe environment allows natural recovery.
The rate is 1d2 points per day, applied to the reduced CS. Once the CS is at its original score, the buffer provided by the character’s level can be applied again.
Recovery increases by 1 point per day with a success on ES First Aid.
Any basic and limited activity beyond rest suspends recovery.
Normal actions reverse healing, causing 1 point of additional damage per day.
Each point healed through magic ages the character by one week; the GM tracks this time and ages the character accordingly.
Other means of healing are possible, like a potion or a magic item; every item describes the recovery (and if it causes accelerated aging).
The recovery rules apply for any decrease in stats, also for disease or poisoning if not otherwise specified (in that case it is necessary to follow the indications of the contracted disease or poison).
VIII.4 States
Any character can achieve a state due to the application of a rule as follows:
Blind: A blind character can perform any action which requires their eyesight only with a result of 1 on 1d6 per action.
Burdened: When a character wears or carries a number of II higher than max load (3+BU), thus granting a malus in CO (see V.3).
Comatose: When a character gets a score of 0 (or less) in IN, he is in coma; this state is first temporary and then permanent (see VIII.2).
Deafened: The main drawback is that a deafened character is unable to cast or counter spells; the GM can apply a malus according to the situation in any check where hearing is implied.
Death: When a character gets a score of 0 (or less) in BU, he is dead; this state is first temporary and then permanent (see VIII.2).
Encumbered/ Unencumbered: When a character carries a number of II higher/lower than 3 (and below their max load of 3+BU, see V.3.)
Exalted: This state is reached when a character has a temporary score of 10 in SOM; it grants an automatic success in any Reaction check (see V.4) as well as a +1 modifier in any check (see II.3).
Grappled/ Entangled: A grappled character cannot use arms and legs with all the consequences; an entangled character has only legs (or arms) blocked; these inabilities affect the ‘Other adjustments’.
Injured: This status is due to any effect lowering the score in a stat. This status implies that the character acts with a temporarily reduced score in the stat (for details see VIII.2 and VIII.3).
Overloaded: When a character carries a number of II so that their CO score has lowered to 2 (see V.3).
Panicked: Opposite to the exalted state, this state is when a character has a temporary score of 1 in SOM; it grants a -1 modifier in any check (see II.3).
Paralyzed: When a character gets a score of 0 (or less) in CO; this state is first temporary and then permanent (see VIII.2).
Slowed/ Hasted: A slowed character has MOV and number of actions halved while casting time and any other similar timeframe doubled; a hasted character has the exact opposite.
Starving/ Dehydrated: When a character either does not eat for 4 days or more or does not drink for 2 days or more (see VIII.5).
Stunned: When a target is hit with a stunning blow (see VI.3) and falls unconscious, he must perform a reaction check according to timing and malus of the table below:
In case of success he regains consciousness, otherwise he needs to reperform it until he succeeds or 3 days maximum.
Surprised/ Under pressure: Not properly a character state, rather a circumstance where a character has to roll a Reaction check (see V.4).
Vegetative: When a character gets a score of 0 (or less) in EM, this state is first temporary and then permanent (see VIII.2).
VIII.5 Other cases
Climb: There are two ways to climb. The first is to climb on surfaces that have grips, in this case the character must pass an ARCT on Outdoor Survival (threshold defined by GM). The second way to climb is on surfaces without grips, in this case it is necessary to use a tool such as a rope and grappling hook.
Disease: If not stated otherwise diseases reduce character stats like a weapon damage. Recovery can be ruled in the disease description. The state of the sick character is injured (see VIII.4) due to reduced stats. An ES Education Medicine check is required to cure it. A disease is healed when the lost points are recovered; with a partial recovery, eventually the disease may affect the victim again.
Countdown interruption: To interrupt a character’s death countdown (see VIII.2) is required an ARCT on ES First Aid or a spell; for the first, while the time required is a number of turns equal to the threshold of the ARC, the effect of the action starts at the first turn of the ES application.
Falling damage: Any character suffers 1 damage per meter of fall from the 3rd meter onwards (no damage for falls from 1 or 2 meters). A success in an ARCT on Body Control grants a damage relief equal to the positive difference between the check and the threshold (which is up to the GM – a sound proxy for threshold is the meters of fall).
Jump: Any character can perform two types of jumps; the first is a running jump which requires a sprint turn; the character can jump a maximum of meters equal to their CO. The second is a simple jump with a couple of steps only and no sprint; the character can jump half of their CO. This rule is on an unencumbered person, otherwise, a malus applies, up to no jump if overloaded (see V.3).
Poison: Similar to disease, poisoning produces effects on a character that can result in a reduction of one or more stat (injured state due to a lowered stat, see VIII.4). In order to diagnose and cure poisoning a success with ES Education medicine or alchemy is required.
Starvation: Every being has a level of resistance to hunger; a character begins to suffer starvation after 4 days without food; starting from this moment, the character gets 1 cumulative damage for each day spent without food which applies to BU. The same applies to dehydration, however the damage begins after only 2 days.