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 in case of a difference in size.
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 States). According to the type, the damage indicates what are the affected KS and US:
Physical damage affects Build and Control and related US.
Mental damage affects Intellect and Empathy and related US.
When a character takes damage:
Points are first removed from the relevant Unknown Stat (US).
If the US reaches 0, then damage reduces the related Known Stat (KS).
If the sum of KS+US is reduced to 0 or below, the character is considered death, in coma, vegetative state or paralyzed (see States).
Each affected stat is tracked as a temporary value. The player should retain their original score for reference. All actions use the reduced stat until recovery occurs. When the total value of a stat (KS+US) reaches 0:
The character enters a countdown toward permanent conditions.
The number of turns before the condition becomes permanent equals the original sum of the stats (KS+US).
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 1d3 points per day, applied first to KS, then to US.
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 or combat may 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 ageing).
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 his 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 Load).
Comatose: when a character reaches a score of 0 (or less) in IN, he is in coma; this state is first temporary and then permanent (see Injuries).
Deafened: the main drawback is that a deafened character is unable to cast spells or counterspells; the GM can apply a malus according to the situation in any check where hearing is implied.
Death: when a character reaches a score of 0 (or less) in BU, he is dead; this state is first temporary and then permanent (see Injuries).
Encumbered/Unencumbered: when a character wears or carries a number of II lower than max load (3+BU), see Load.
Exalted: this state is reached when a character has a score of 10 in SOM; this state grants an automatic success in any Reaction check (see Reaction) as well as a +1 modifier in any check (see State of Mind).
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 temporary reduced score in the stat (for details see Injuries and Healing).
Overloaded: when a character wears or carries a number of II so that his CO score has lowered to 2 and has a MOV of 1 m/turn (see Load).
Panicked: opposite to the exalted state, this state is when a character reaches a score of 1 in SOM; this grants a likely failure in Reaction checks (see Reaction) as well as a -1 modifier in any check (see State of Mind).
Paralyzed: when a character gets a score of 0 (or less) in CO, he is paralyzed; this state is first temporary and then permanent (see Injuries).
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 Other cases).
Stunned: when a target hit with a stunning blow (see Combat actions), falls unconscious and must perform an ES Stamina ARCT. In case of success he regains consciousness, otherwise he needs to reperform it as follows:
Surprised/under pressure: not properly a character state, rather a circumstance where a character has to roll a Reaction check (see Reaction).
Vegetative: when a character reaches a score of 0 (or less) in EM, this state is first temporary and then permanent (see Injuries).
VIII.5 Other cases
Some circumstances need to be better detailed to provide the GM with guidelines consistent to the other game mechanics.
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 Stamina (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: diseases are detailed within the setting, if not stated otherwise these reduce character stats like a weapon damage. Recovery can be specified in the description of the disease. The state of the sick character is injured (see States) due to reduced stats. To find a cure is required a check on ES Education medicine. A disease is only eradicated when all the lost points are recovered: with a partial recovery, eventually the disease may affect the victim again.
Countdown interruption: to interrupt the death countdown (see Injuries) of a character an ARCT is required on ES First Aid; 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 jump; the first is a running jump which requires a sprint turn; the character can jump a maximum of meters equal to Control. The second is a simple jump with a couple of steps only and no sprint; the character can jump half of his Control. This rule is based on an unencumbered person, otherwise, a malus of applies, up to no jump in case of overloaded person (see Load).
Literacy: in the game a character is illiterate (i.e. he speaks his mother tongue but cannot read or write). Literacy comes from the ES Education literature: the level of knowledge varies from the score. This logic applies also to any language other than the mother tongue.
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 States). In order to diagnose and cure poisoning a successful check of ES Education medicine or alchemy is required.
Prolonged effort: the GM can request an ARCT with progressive thresholds on ES Stamina for every turn when the character continues an action that implies an effort; on a success no malus applies, while with a failure the character suffers a cumulative malus of -1 in any check. The cumulative malus affects the character until he rests for at least 1 turn per malus point.
Starvation: every being has a level of resistance to hunger; a character begins to suffer starvation damage after 4 days without food: starting from this moment, the character suffers 1 cumulative damage for each day spent without food which applies to (BU + VIG). The same applies to dehydration, however the damage begins after 2 days (and not 4).