Chapter 23: Foreman Quick Reference
A single-page operator reference: the core roll and Push, combat resolution and reactive responses, gear breakage, the wound tables, Camp and Camp Actions, Crystal Shards and Magcells, item slots, and the travel roll.
Core Roll
Target = Stat + Motivation, capped at 99. Roll d100 as 1-100. If the dice show 00, read that as 100. There is no result of 0.
| Roll | Result |
|---|---|
| <= Target | Success |
| > Target | Failure |
| 1-10 and success | Critical Success |
| 91-100 and failure | Critical Failure |
| 100 | Always failure and Critical Failure |
Push
After failing a Skill Check made with a learned action, spend Motivation equal to roll - Target to succeed. A Critical Failure cannot be Pushed. Cannot Push unlearned skills.
Motivation
Normal recovered baseline is 50. Absolute cap is 99. Alcohol at Camp restores Motivation to 50. Crystal Shards and special effects can raise Motivation above 50, never above 99.
Combat Round
Initiative once per encounter: Dexterity Skill Check. Initiative cannot be Pushed. Success = Fast, failure = Slow. Then resolve Fast phase, Slow phase, and two Actions per Contractor turn.
When attacked, a Contractor may respond with any action. A reactive action is only an ordinary action used in response to danger. It uses normal grammar, Stat, costs, range, and consequences, and does not spend one of the Contractor's two Actions on their own turn.
Distance Bands
Adjacent: touching, arm's reach, melee. Nearby: same room or area, a few seconds away. Most ranged weapons and staff-channeled magik work here. Far: visible but requires a full Move action to reach. Heavy ranged weapons work here. Distant: beyond normal engagement range this round. Specialized weapons, preparation, scopes, elevation, siege gear, or Foreman permission may reach it.
Attack Resolution
Against creatures, successful attacks deal weapon damage minus creature AP. Against Contractors, failed reactive actions and accepted hits mark full attack damage against current protection. HP damage happens only when no protection remains unless an effect explicitly bypasses protection.
Creature attacks do not usually roll to hit. The Foreman states the target, damage, position, and special properties. The attack hits unless the Contractor responds. Common responses include Moving away, Blocking, Striking to interrupt, Shaping cover, Focusing on the attack, Consuming a shard, or accepting the hit. Bosses, named enemies, or creatures with full character sheets may roll actions like Contractors when the Foreman wants that level of detail.
Common Reactive Responses
| Response | Usual Stat | Success | Failure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Move away or into cover | Dexterity | Attack misses, loses target, or hits a worse angle if movement plausibly avoids it. | Mark full attack damage against current protection. |
| Block | Constitution | Attack is stopped or deflected if the block plausibly meets the threat. | Mark full attack damage against current protection. |
| Any other legal action | Varies | Action resolves first. If it plausibly prevents, avoids, redirects, interrupts, or absorbs the attack, the attack is stopped or changed. | Attack lands first or lands fully. Action may still occur after the hit if possible. |
| Accept hit | None | No roll. | Mark full attack damage against current protection, or apply HP damage directly if no protection remains. |
Gear Break
At round start, clear marked damage against protection. Failed reactive actions and accepted hits mark damage against current protection. If marked damage equals or exceeds relevant AP, protection breaks and marked damage resets. Break order: shield, armor, weapon. If marked damage is below relevant AP, nothing breaks yet. HP damage happens only when no protection remains, unless an effect explicitly bypasses protection.
Weapon Blocking
Melee weapons and staffs can Block in desperation. Light Ranged weapons may Block in desperation, but a failed Block breaks the weapon. Heavy Ranged weapons may Block only if the Foreman allows it, and a failed Block breaks the weapon. A successful weapon Block stops the attack, but if the blocked damage is greater than the weapon's AP value, the weapon still breaks. Weapon AP equals weapon damage.
Weapon Damage
| Weapon | Damage |
|---|---|
| Improvised | 1 |
| Light Melee | 2 |
| Standard Melee | 3 |
| Standard Melee two-handed | 4 |
| Two-Handed Melee | 5 |
| Staff | 2 |
| Light Ranged | 3 |
| Heavy Ranged | 4 |
| Throwing | 2 |
Armor and Shields
| Gear | AP |
|---|---|
| Light Armor | 1 |
| Medium Armor | 2 |
| Heavy Armor | 3 |
| Light Shield | 1 |
| Standard Shield | 2 |
| Heavy Shield | 3 |
Quality
| Quality | Name | Modifier |
|---|---|---|
| -3 | Scrap | -3 |
| -2 | Battered | -2 |
| -1 | Rough | -1 |
| 0 | Proper | +0 |
| +1 | Fitted | +1 |
| +2 | Masterwork | +2 |
| +3 | Legendary | +3 |
Weapon quality modifies checks made with that weapon. Armor modifies Constitution. Shields modify Dexterity. Accessories and prosthetics modify their listed Stats while equipped or attached.
Action Grammar
Action sentence: With my [noun] I [verb] the [target], optionally with [modifier]. Verb only is free. Verb plus one modifier costs 5 Motivation. If an action combines components from different Stat groups, roll the lowest involved Stat.
Learned and Unlearned Skills
| State | Roll | Push? | Learn? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learned verb or modifier | Normal | Yes, except Critical Failure | Already known |
| Unlearned verb or modifier | Disadvantage | No | On success, may spend Inspiration |
| No plausible training or fiction | No roll | No | Requires narrative access |
Wound Roll Notes
Lucky results appear only on wound rolls of 1-10 and cancel the wound. Rolls of 91-100 are Maimed. A final digit of 0 is read as location 10. A roll of 100 is Maimed with location 10. Location 10 is never Lucky by itself.
Wound Type
| d100 | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| 1-10 | Lucky | No wound. Gain +5 Motivation. |
| 11-20 | Laceration | Bleeding: lose 1 Current HP per round until treated. |
| 21-30 | Bruise | Lose 1d5 Motivation immediately. |
| 31-40 | Fracture | Disadvantage on Skill Checks involving the affected body part until treated. |
| 41-50 | Pain | Disadvantage on Intent Skill Checks until treated. |
| 51-60 | Internal Injury | Lose 1 Motivation per round until treated. |
| 61-70 | Nerve Damage | Affected body part cannot be used until treated. Relevant Skill Checks automatically fail. |
| 71-80 | Concussive | Disadvantage on all Skill Checks until treated. |
| 81-90 | Puncture | Bleeding wound. Lose 1 Current HP per round and take only 1 Action per turn until treated. |
| 91-100 | Maimed | Body part or item destroyed. Requires prosthetic or Coiltech restoration. |
Wound Location
| Final Digit | Location | Stat Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Head | -2 Intent |
| 2 | Face | -2 Spirit |
| 3 | Torso | -2 Constitution, in addition to wound counter |
| 4 | Eyes | -2 Intent |
| 5 | Back / Pack | -2 Spirit unless pack takes the hit |
| 6 | Shield Arm | -2 Dexterity unless shield takes the hit |
| 7 | Weapon Arm | -2 Dexterity unless weapon takes the hit |
| 8 | Upper Leg | -2 Dexterity |
| 9 | Lower Leg | -2 Dexterity |
| 10 | Exposed Gear / Foreman Choice | If relevant gear can take the hit, it may. Otherwise the Foreman chooses the most exposed body location. |
Gear Exceptions
Overwhelming ignores shield AP for break purposes. Light Ranged occupies the shield slot. When an effect ignores AP against a Contractor, exclude that protection from the AP calculation for that hit.
Camp
- Ration. HP to maximum.
- Alcohol. Motivation to the normal baseline of 50.
- Both. HP to maximum and Motivation to the normal baseline of 50.
Wounds are separate. Each Contractor gets 2 Camp Actions by default. A secure inn, guarded caravan stop, or well-equipped base may grant 3.
Camp Actions
| Camp Action | Requirement | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Rest | Ration and/or alcohol | Apply Camp Recovery. |
| Treat Wound | Mend verb or 1 Crystal Shard | Spirit Skill Check. Success removes one non-Maimed Wound. Failure leaves the wound; if a shard was used, the shard is consumed. Critical Failure worsens the wound. |
| Repair Gear | Repair supplies or Shape | Repair supplies auto-succeed and are consumed. Shape requires a Shape Skill Check and consumes no supplies. |
| Forage / Resupply | Environment must allow it | Use the method that fits the fiction: Commune/Spirit, Consume/Spirit, Move/Dexterity, or Conceal/Dexterity. Success produces basic supplies. |
| Stand Watch | Someone gives up recovery benefits | Party is not surprised if attacked in camp. |
Crystal Shards
Consume Action. Roll 2d10. Choose one die to add to HP or Motivation, then subtract the other die from the opposite stat. HP cannot exceed Maximum HP. Motivation can rise above 50 but cannot exceed 99.
Item Slots
| Item | Slot Rule |
|---|---|
| Weapon | 1 item |
| Shield | 1 item |
| Ration | 1 item |
| Alcohol | 1 item |
| Road Kit | 1 item |
| Tool bundle | 1 item |
| Crystal Shards | 3 per item slot |
| Magcells | 3 per item slot |
| Arrows/Bolts | 10 per item slot |
| Worn armor | Does not count against pack capacity while worn |
| Wielded weapon or shield | Counts against capacity |
| Attached prosthetic | Does not count against capacity while attached; 1 item if carried |
| Small valuables | Foreman judgment; bundle when reasonable |
| Repair supplies | 1 item |
Coiltech and Magcells
| Coiltech Item | Magcell Use |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Spend 1 Magcell before attack. On hit, ignore AP. |
| Armor | Spend 1 Magcell when your armor would break, or when an attack would deal HP damage while the armor is intact. Prevent the HP damage from that hit and ignore one armor break from that hit. |
| Shield | Spend 1 Magcell when you respond to an attack against yourself or an ally within reach. You may Block that attack even if you are not the target. On success, the attack is stopped. On failure, the shield takes the damage before the target does. |
| Prosthetic | Spend 1 Magcell to ignore Motivation cost of one action using it. |
| Accessory | Spend 1 Magcell to ignore one tied modifier cost. |
Travel Roll
Roll 1d10 per Travel Day unless a Special replaces it. Natural 1 = Tailwind. Natural 10 = Crisis. Otherwise apply Standing Modifier and clamp 1-10.
Travel Event Results
| d10 | Event |
|---|---|
| 1 | Tailwind |
| 2 | Uneventful |
| 3 | Discovery |
| 4 | Road Encounter / Social Complication |
| 5 | Transport Obstacle |
| 6 | Terrain Hazard |
| 7 | Weather / Environment Hazard |
| 8 | Resource Strain |
| 9 | Hostile Encounter |
| 10 | Crisis |
Departure Checklist
| Check | Prepared A | Standard B | Unprepared C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pace | Fast, -1, 2 rations/day | Medium, 0, 1 ration/day | Slow, +1, 0 rations/day |
| Watch | Active / Driver, -1 | Casual, 0 | None, +1 |
| Outfitting | Comprehensive, -1 | Basic, 0 | None, +1 |
| Knowledge | Guide / Prior Trip, -1 | Map / Directions / Briefing, 0 | No Reliable Information, +1 |
| Transport | Mounted / Cart / Hired, -1 | Cargo Paca only, 0 | On Foot, +1 |
Road Kits
A Road Kit costs Cheap Scrip, takes 1 inventory slot, and can cancel one time, HP, Motivation, gear, or supply cost from Weather / Environment Hazard or Resource Strain when plausible.
Chapter 22: Creature and Encounter Design
Creature stats and tiers, sample creatures, encounter points and threat budgets, behavior and purpose categories, composition shapes, large-party scaling, and Elite-Boss design guidance.
Chapter 24: Appendix - Core Tables and Forms
The collected reference tables and blank forms: character creation summary, race modifiers, skill trees, packs and consumables, Coiltech quick effects, the wound tables, the complete item-slot table, Route Card and Departure Checklist forms, the Arrival State Tracker, Contract and Creature templates, the Long Arc Tracker, and common costs.