TELKEN LOST RULES 

All civilizations return to dust. Eventually, a stream of historians sift the scraps to study lost truths. Time and again, these efforts demonstrate they won't prevent an inevitable demise. Could the time be better spent? Perhaps a quest for something other than retracing the same fruitless path? Perhaps an endeavor to become, at the very least, sentient dust. --Unknown (attrib. to Myriad).

In this game, you play a Telken, a being who can manipulate the Primal Force -- the foundational energy that pervades all reality. You are a 'Primal Force Sensitive' who can bend it to your will. Non-Telken often tap into areas where the Primal Force pushes into the material world through places such as ley lines, standing stones, or the red rectangle. But as a Telken, you can draw upon that energy anywhere, control it, and convert it into whatever energy form you desire. Your powers are represented on playing cards that you combine to create effects unique to your character. 

Telken Lost is a tabletop science-fantasy role playing game. Our mission has been to create an RPG that supports story-telling and an immersive roleplaying experience. We've created a system that can support any story and any character you can imagine. Our design was intended to eliminate anything that could interrupt immersive play. Enjoy! 


BUILDING YOUR CHARACTER

It begins with a character...

At some point in the past, you had a different existence. Maybe you lived a long time and were happy and famous, or maybe you lived a short and tragic life. Whatever existence that was is over now. That person died tens, or hundreds, or thousands of years ago. The life pattern that represents that existence was preserved. And now it has been refabricated, giving you this chance to experience the universe once again. Your new body is enhanced to give you access to The Strand, a pool of energy that yields limited immortality. Further, you share a consciousness with another enigmatic entity known as The Player, giving you access to knowledge and experience beyond your understanding. You are now a Telken. 

Character Description

The first part of building your character is descriptive which will serve as a tool for roleplay and as an introduction of your character to your fellow players. Your description will provide things not otherwise defined by our rules such as background knowledge and languages. You will create an obituary, traits, a defining quote, a portrait and your species.

OBITUARY: The starting point as a Telken begins with waking from death. Your history can be anything, whatever you imagine from any culture, any planet, or any time, real or imagined. So, the way we'll begin is by writing an obituary defining, in part, our past existence. This obituary is not the synopsis of what you want to become, but of what you were, and it will serve as your background. You may generate whatever you like including skills, languages, or knowledges, including those not covered by the use of our cards. For example, your character might speak Grimtok, the language of the rock people of Gantugu. You don't get this language by spending character points; you get it because your obituary said you conducted commerce with the rock people in your past lives.

However, this does not mean you get free powers or skills. If what you want your Telken to be already exists within our game you'll need to pay Character Points (CP) for it. The idea is that you can give yourself some things our rules don't cover. So while the Grimtok language will cost you zero Character Points (CP), a fire blast would require you to spend CP to pay for the cards required to build that ability. 

Your newly fabricated body/character does not have to be in the condition or age it was when you died, nor does it have to be that person that was your past life. It can be recreated from any point in your life, or even as a projection that could exist beyond your death, or a permutation that includes things not thought of in that past life. So you could play someone who died young but is now a more aged version. Or you could have died of old age and been refabricated as a youth. Or you could be someone who lost a limb to a disease that now has a fully functioning limb. Or perhaps you were a computer programmer and now you want to be a space pirate. Your call. 

TRAITS and DEFINING QUOTE: Come up with some Traits that define your character. A trait is a distinguishing characteristic. You should include things that are beneficial and things that are challenging. Here are some examples: curious, strong, timid, bossy, and lazy. The web has many lists of traits. And next, you should include a Quote that helps to define your character. The quote and traits are purely for role playing as they provide some good fodder for how you could respond to events during play. They also communicate useful things to the others sitting at your table. 

PORTRAIT: Find or create a portrait to represent your character. If you are having trouble creating your obituary, traits, or quote, a portrait might help. A portrait can be very useful for others to see the outer layer of your character concept.

SPECIES: You can choose to be any species you desire with the default being human. The species you choose to play has no impact on your attributes or cards, it could have a large impact on your role playing and interactions with others in the game. Any species you play starts with basic senes of See, Hear, Taste, Touch, and Smell. See is the only Targeting Sense you possess. All of these senses can be augmented through the purchase of Sense Power Cards. You also start with the ability to move over ground (walk/run) and swim. Additional movement modes can be purchases in intrinsic powers if they make sense for your character.

Spending Points

You start with 40 character points (CP) and more are earned through play. CP are spent on Attributes and Cards

ATTRIBUTES: Attributes are statistics written on your character sheet and are purchased with character points (CP). If you want to increase the value of an attribute it costs a number of CP equal to the new attribute value. This form of increasing cost is known as a triangular number. So, an attribute of 1 costs 1 CP, raising that to 2 would cost 2 more CPs, and raising it to 3 would cost an additional 3 CPs. So the total cost of raising an attribute from 0 to 3 would be 6 CP. There is a cap of 10 points for each attribute. There are four attributes; Affinity, Wealth, Mobility, and Mastery.

  • Affinity: Affinity represents your character's attunement to your Strand and Player (defined below). It is an indicator of both the amount of damage you can take before being killed, and the number of times your body can be recreated and still remain a Telken. Characters start with 7 Affinity at no CP cost. So to increase that to 8 Affinity, it would cost 8 more CP. 
  • Wealth: Wealth is a measure of your economic potency which is equivalent to the money and assets you've amassed. Your wealth score reflects the quality of your clothing, the food you eat, and the businesses you frequent. When you need goods or services, you get them without rolling dice and without tracking currency. The higher your wealth, the higher the quality of goods and services you use and possess. With a low wealth score, your clothing and accoutrements are second-hand or in poor condition. Characters start with 1 Wealth at no CP cost.
  • Mobility: Mobility Is a measure of how well you can move. Your Mobility is used to create Mobility Points (MP) which are used to move between tiles in the game; or to increase your tactical options while staying within your tile. Characters start with a Mobility attribute of 1 at no CP cost. Your ability to move between tiles is ground based (run/walk), with some swimming ability. Intrinsic abilities can be purchased to unlock exotic movement modes such as flight and teleportation. Mobility points are refreshed during each planning phase along with Focus. 
  • Mastery: Mastery is the primary indicator of how powerful a character is when using powers and skills. Higher Mastery creatures have a greater impact when using their abilities on lower Mastery creatures, and lower Mastery creatures have a harder time impacting higher Mastery creatures. Characters start at Mastery 7 at no CP cost and this attribute cannot be altered during character creation.

CARDS: Card combinations, AKA Hands, represent the effects of your chosen action. You create card combinations to represent your action and effect, e.g. a spell, or the use of a weapon, a mentalist ability, or whatever you can imagine. Cards are combined into hands to form actions that your character executes during their turn. A hand is one action. Most any action you can imagine is possible by creatively combining cards from your deck to form hands. The cost to purchase a card in CP is printed in the lower right corner of the card and each power card or skill card can be improved with more CP. Therefore, powers and skills are special types of cards that allow you to invest additional CP to increase your effectiveness with that card. Your Power Level (for Powers) or Skill Level (for Skills) is equal to the number of times you purchased that card. For example, while the Healing power costs 1 CP, you could invest 4 CP to have Power Level 4 with healing. A full list of power, skill, talent, modifier, intrinsics, and control cards can be found in the reference section. All Telken start with the Visthetic Power at Power Level 1 without paying any CP.

The Strand

The Strand were a precursor species who evolved to have bodies of energy. Eventually, that energy became dispersed to the point where each Strand lost conscious awareness. This all took place thousands of years before your species evolved. The remnant energy of the Strand reaches out like roots searching for a place to grow again; it searches for creatures with an affinity for Strand energy. Your Affinity for a particular strand is represented by the strand card that you will select during the character creation process. It also gives you access to a strand pool that allows some flexibility in your build before each session of play. Further, it gives you the ability to revive yourself after death.

STRAND POOL: You gain one point of strand pool for each point of Affinity. This pool is reallocated at the beginning of every session. More information on using the Strand Pool can be found in the setup section. Your strand pool costs no CP. 

STRAND CARD: Being a Telken also means your character has a bond with a personal strand energy. Each of the strand energies is represented by a card detailing the abilities provided by that strand. The strand you select is a part of your character and you cannot change it, nor can other Telken in your party use the same strand card. Your strand card does not cost any CP. You can find a full list of Strand Cards in the reference section.

REVIVE: The Strand energy will automatically attempt to revive your body should you die. For more details on how this works, see Being Dead.

AFFINITY BONUS: Higher values of Affinity increase the bond your character has with its Strand, affording you bonus abilities with an Affinity of eight or above.

  • At level 8+  Increase Analyze and/or Visthetic Power Levels by 2. Gain an additional 2 levels for each Affinity point over 8.
  • At level 8+  Add a 1 in 6 chance to avoid a death point when you revive. Increase the chance by 1 for each Affinity point over 8.
  • Affinity 8     Combined Controls: Play two controls in one hand for one focus.
  • Affinity 9     Overloaded Power: Play any power one Focus Level over your Power Level. Pay normal focus for FL.
  • Affinity 10   Aligned Affinity: Gain the effect of a second Strand Card. You do not gain any "passive, always effects" from this card.

A character with Affinity of 9, for example. would have a 2 in 6 chance to avoid a death point, would have 4 points to spend on Analyze or Visthetic, and could use Combined Controls and Overloaded Powers.

You, the Player

The last part of your character is you, the player. You are not left out from how we conceive of playing Telken Lost, since you make decisions for the character, you roll dice, you solve puzzles, and other things. Aspects of the stories created for Telken Lost will engage you to call upon your knowledge of the real world, or suggest using your research skills to discover more about what is placed in front of you. Everything you know and all you can find out in the real world is allowed to be used during play (including print, the web, other people). So, the idea is, "You know what you know and you know what you can find out through research". Feel free to use all the resources at your disposal any time you want, as much as you want. 


THE CARDS  

Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well. - Josh Billings

The Telken Lost Cards are at the core of play. Cards (and card combinations) describe most of the things your character will do. All the cards together make up a game deck. The game deck contains descriptions for everything from how to attack a target to reading minds. You will collect a subset of those cards purchased with character points (CP), and those are assembled into your personal character deck. Most everything you need to know about how each card works is on the card, so you will rarely need to refer to these rules, though we do list all of the cards and the card content in the reference section. All Cards have a similar layout and include a color and symbol to help group them into categories. 

Power

Symbol For Powers

Your control of energy.

Skill

Symbol For Skills

Your physical expertise.

Intrinsic

Symbol For Talents

Helpful physical traits.

Modifier

Symbol For Modifiers

Enhanced powers and skills.

Control

Symbol For Controls

Translations of the Primal Force.

Items

Symbol For Items

Awarded during play to augment your deck.

Strand

Symbol For Strands

Your Affinity with another being.


GAME SETUP

Mission begins in 10 seconds ... 

Setup

Setup is the process of converting the attributes and notes from your character sheet into physical things on the table that you will use during play. This includes getting your chips, gathering cards for your character deck, and making your introductions. In addition to the chips, cards, and character sheet, you will need some 6-sided dice. 

GET YOUR CHIPS: Poker chips (or chips) represent resources available to your character. You spend and recover chips throughout play, and your chip piles help communicate your current resource levels to other players. You will need three different types of chips to represent Focus, Health, and Loot

  • Focus: Focus is the measure of how much you can do during one round of play. Focus is represented at the table with Focus Chips. You get one focus chip for each point of your Mastery attribute. Focus chips are used during play and are spent on Hands, Initiative, and Moves. That process is described in the Play section of the rules. 
  • Health: Health is a measure of how much damage you can take before death. Health is represented at the table with Health Chips. You get two health chips for each point of your Affinity attribute. You can take an additional health chip by spending strand pool points: 1 chip for 2 points. 
  • Loot: Loot is a measure of the stuff you have on you - your inventory. Loot is represented at the table with Loot Chips.  You get two loot chips per point of your Wealth attribute. You gain an additional loot chip for each point of Treasure recorded on your character sheet. Loot chips represent a collection of useful stuff you've purchased from using your own accumulated wealth and the sale of the variety of things you've gathered while adventuring. Therefore, whenever you use a loot chip, it has to do with your accoutrements / gear. Unspent loot points do not carry-over between sessions. 

BUILD YOUR DECK: Gather the cards you purchased with CP into your Character Deck. If your character has any item cards assigned to them from previous play, put them into your deck as well.

SPEND STRAND POOL POINTS: You can choose to save some/all of your strand pool points to use during the course of a gaming session, or you can spend them before each session to add health, entwine a control, or become centered. For details on what you can do if you save your points, see taking a turn

  • Add Health: You can spend 1 of your pool points to add 2 health to your character's maximum health for the session.
  • Entwine a Control: You can choose to spend 2 pool points to Entwine one Control card from your Character Deck. An Entwined control can be played in a hand without needing to pay Focus. Once selected, this card is Entwined for the duration of the session and cannot be changed. 
  • Become Centered: Spend all your Strand Points (a total equal to your Affinity) to increase your Mastery by 1 for the entire session.

MAKE YOUR INTRODUCTIONS: The start of each session begins with introductions. This is your chance to describe your appearance to the rest of the party. There are no classes so also no class restrictions on gear. Nor is there any value assigned to a particular armor or weapon type. The choice of what you look like, wear, and carry is completely up to you. Any skill you purchased also implies you have the gear you need to perform that skill, you do not need to describe that gear unless it is important to the way you want your character to appear.

CHOOSE A QUEST CARD: There is a deck of Quest Cards. At the start of each session, deal out 2 cards to each player. The players then choose 1 and return the others to the deck. These cards are things like: Every hand you play has 4 cards in it. Never use a power. Never receive healing. Things like that. The cards are self-explanatory. If you complete your quest, you gain 3 Treasure Points right away.

Cleanup After a Session

TREASURE POINT ADJUSTMENT: At the end of each session, you need to determine if your treasure score has changed. Treasure points do not renew; once spent they are gone forever. Count your remaining loot chips, then compare them to the treasure points recorded on your character sheet. If you have more loot chips than treasure points, you didn't tap into your treasure that session, so you don't need to change anything. If your loot chip count is lower than your treasure points, replace your treasure points recorded on your character sheet with your current loot chip total. This means you used up some of your treasure.

ADD CHARACTER POINTS: If you are awarded character points at the end of the session, be sure to record the additional points on your character sheet. 

RECORD ITEMS: If you received item cards or are carrying plot specific items at the end of the adventure, be sure those cards and items are recorded on your character sheet before you put the cards back into a deck with other cards.


PLAY

Shall we play a game?

What would we like you to get out of playing  our game? While we spent an enormous amount of time on these rules, they are a moon-cast-shadow compared to how we think of story. We want those to entice and delight. We want them to generate creative thinking during play. And we hope you dream about your role and the stories between sessions. That's the thing we love most about TTRPGs.

Play Modes

There are 2 play modes, Black and Blue. Black is rigidly structured and usually combat oriented, while Blue is loosely structured to support a narrative style of play. 

  • BLUE: Blue is the default mode of play and is always in effect unless Black has been declared by the GM. Anyone can take a turn at any time, and you are assumed to have all your focus available to you when you do take a turn. The GM may include any aspects of Black they choose to keep the story flowing. They could track rounds, ask for focus allocation, use Tiles, or require dice rolls. For details on these terms, see Taking a Turn just below. In Blue, there are no rounds. If a situation arises in which rounds are required, then move to Black mode. 
  • BLACK: The duration of a round of black is five seconds and has 2 phases; a planning phase and an action phase.
    • Planning Phase: This is when the party discusses strategy and tactics, and allocates focus chips to Initiative. Each player begins the phase by making sure they have a number of focus chips equal to their Mastery. Then the party discusses their plan for the round. The players should be allowed as much time as they like to develop a plan. As this takes place, each player allocates focus chips to Initiative as desired or saves them to take actions in the action phase. Players may adjust allocation at any point during the planning phase, but once the action phase begins, no changes may be made to the allocation, nor can any focus allocated during this phase be used for any other purpose. 
    • Action Phase: Everyone starts by resolving their initiative (described below). Play begins with the character with the highest initiative (ties go to players), who takes a turn or chooses to wait. Play then moves to the character with the next highest initiative, and they take a turn or wait. Characters with higher initiative always have the opportunity to go before, after, or interrupt any lower initiative characters. The round ends when everyone has spent all their focus or declared they are done for the round. If everyone is waiting on taking a turn, those with lower initiative must take a turn or declare they are done. Play then moves back to the planning phase where focus is restored and re-allocated.

Resolving Initiative

At the start of the Action Phase, everyone resolves their initiative based on their initiative skill and the focus allocated to initiative (see Play a Hand under Taking A Turn below). If you have not allocated any focus to initiative, you get the results of Casual skill use for your initiative score. If you do not have the initiative skill, you get a 0 for initiative unless you allocated focus. In that case, you can use the Improvise rules for initiative (see Improvise in Taking A Turn below). 

Taking a Turn

You can do a number of things when you take a turn during a round of play. You can play a hand from your deck, interrupt, spend loot, spend strand pool points, spend movement points, improvise, and spend your successes

  • Select Cards: Select cards from your deck to form a hand, then reveal it to everyone. Powers cannot be combined with Skills into the same hand unless otherwise allowed by the Skill. With that exception, you may combine whatever cards you like into a single hand. 
  • Describe your Hand: First, describe your action. Then, put focus on each card. Then, identify your target. The most important part of this is describing your action. It should cover how all the cards merge into a unified action. It should be a creative description of how you want your action to come across to the others at the table. Also, when you play a hand that uses a Control Card, the effect of that Control must be able to be sensed by those in the area. For example, the Attack Power used with the Earth Control could be described as "a very thin line of pebbles the size of a fingertip slam into the temple of my enemy". Be creative with this. It's fun and can be quite entertaining. It is what we consider to be one of the core elements of the game. Constantly coax yourself to "describe your action". (See Building Hands for further examples).
  • Pay the Focus Cost:  When you described your hand, you put focus on each card. Those focus chips are now set to the side (indicating they are now used) and the effects you described take place. All hands must be paid for using focus chips that were not allocated to initiative during planning. Each card costs one Focus to play unless otherwise defined on the card. You can allocate up to one focus per Power Level or Skill Level you have with that power or skill. The amount of Focus you apply to the card becomes that card's Focus Level for the hand. Please note the three terms: Power Level (# of CP spent on the power), Skill Level (# of CP spent on the skill), and Focus Level (# focus chips placed on the skill or power). 
  • Roll your dice: You get to roll one die for each Focus Level of Powers or Skills in your hand. In addition there are controls, modifiers, and other conditions that can yield additional dice to roll. The dice from all the cards and conditions in the hand are rolled in one pool.
  • Count Your Successes: Successes, referred to as (S), indicate the impact of your hand. One (S) is created on a roll of 4, 5, or 6. Some cards or situations will give you pip adjustments. Each pip adjustment allows you to adjust the facing of one die by one point. For example, you can change a die roll of 2 into a 3 for one pip adjustment, or you could change the 2 into a 4 for two pip adjustments. When a card uses the word unmodified it means before any pip adjustments or rerolls are made.
  • Apply Your Successes:  Each card in your hand describes the effect of playing that card, and how adding (S) can enhance the results. For example, a card might have a described effect that lasts Focus Level+(S) hours or delivers Focus Level+(S) damage to a target. You can add the (S) you rolled to any cards played in your hand however you like, including putting all the (S) into one card and none into another.
  • Check Mastery Difference: Any Mastery difference between the attacker and defender influences the applied results of the hand. If the target is lower Mastery than the attacker, the target has every power from the hand applied as if it had +1(S) for each point of difference in Mastery. For example, a ML7 character attacks a ML5 target, the target takes however much damage is applied plus two more for the mastery difference. This applies to every power individually. So if the above Attack power were combined in a hand with the Drain power, then Attack would gain 2 damage and Drain would last 2 extra rounds. The same thing can occur in the opposite direction. If the target is a higher mastery level than the attacker, the results are decreased in the same manner. The Attack/Drain hand played in the example above would deliver 2 less damage and last for 2 less rounds. Any power which has a duration that is reduced to 0 because of a Mastery difference is unable to effect the target at all, not even for an instant. Note that this applies to Skills as well, only if the skill is used as a counter against someone else using a skill. 
  • Discarding: Move all the cards you played in this hand to your discard pile. The cards remain discarded for the remainder of the round and cannot be played while discarded. When the round ends and the next round's planning phase begins, you can return all your discarded cards to your character deck.

Special Hands

There are two special ways of playing a hand, determined and casual.

  • Determined play of a hand means you are putting all your attention towards completing this action, to the detriment of everything else, including your own defense. Play of a determined hand is a Full Focus Action: a special case where you must spend all of your possible focus to complete your action. If you are a Mastery 7 character, full focus means 7 Focus. If you are a Mastery 4 character, full focus is 4 Focus. If you've spent some of your Focus, or your Focus is reduced below maximum for any reason, you are not allowed to complete a Full Focus action, therefore you can't play a Determined hand. A Determined hand may have only one Power or Skill card. Focus is allocated to each card in the hand, just like in normal play. However, rather than getting 1 point of Focus Level per focus applied to the Power or Skill card, you get 2, up to a maximum of your Level with the card. For example, a character with PL8 Impair, when using Determined, will get a Focus Level of 8 for Impair and only needs to use 4 Focus on the Impair card. A Determined hand also has a penalty. It leaves you vulnerable, preventing you from applying any defenses (even from powers); and it allows others to generate (S) on all dice used against you without rolling. 
  • A Casual hand is the opposite of a Determined hand, and this action requires very little of your attention. This type of hand costs 0 Focus and applies to Skills only. Take half your Skill Level (rounded down) and get that many (S) without rolling dice. For example, casual use of a Communicate Skill Level 5 would generate 2(S) and cost 0 Focus. Casual skill use does not mean the skill takes no time to do; it just means you can get the results while paying a scant amount of attention to the action. You cannot use any other cards in the hand while casually using a skill.

INTERRUPT: A character with higher initiative may interrupt the actions of anyone with lower initiative after the lower initiative character describes their hand but before they pay the focus cost. You may also interrupt a lower initiative character at any point while they are executing movement, meaning you may do so before they spend MP, before they do a Move, or before they do a Bonus Move. If they are doing a Move and a Bonus Move, you may interrupt that in the middle. Interrupting does not cost focus, it only means it is now your turn to take an action. The action you take can also be interrupted by someone of higher initiative. Once the interruption is complete, play returns to the character who was interrupted, who can take their turn however they like, they are not required to continue the action that was interrupted. Racing to get your chips off your cards to avoid being interrupted doesn't prevent someone from interrupting, anyone paying attention to the game play needs to be given a reasonable chance to use interrupt if they desire.

SPEND STRAND POOL POINTS: Any strand pool points (SPP) you did not spend in setup can be spent at any time, even if it's not your initiative. Strand pool points can be used to empower, deflect, regenerate, or cleanse. You must be conscious to use your SPP, and you can only spend one at a time.

  • Empower: Add 3(S) to the hand for 1 SPP. Can be used for anything, including hands and improvised actions. Only 1 point can be used this way at a time.
  • Deflect:  Ignore 3 damage from all attacks for the entire round for 1 SPP. Only 1 point can be used this way at a time.
  • Regenerate: Regain 1 health. Also, any (S) applied to you this round to restore health chips return 2 chips rather than 1.
  • Cleanse: Remove all negative status effects for 1 SPP. Does not remove Surrendered status.

SPEND LOOT You can spend loot chips at any time, even if it's not your initiative. Note that if a roll is involved, Loot chips must be allocated before the roll. Loot can be used to go on a spending spree, heal someone, add dice to rolls, add pips to rolls, or pull items from your inventory. Any expenditure of Loot should include a description of the loot you are using. You might be healing using a healing potion, a medipack, or a tissue regenerator, or maybe defending yourself with an agility stim or magic armor. 

  • Spending spree in town: You may spend a loot chip to increase the economic value of your wealth score in order to do something a bit more extravagant than what comes with your usual wealth score. This includes things such as a room to sleep in with upgraded luxury, or a superb meal. These upgraded services can apply only to you, or you can "share the wealth" by bringing along additional people up to a number equal to your wealth attribute.
  • Heal someone (+1 Health): You can use one loot chip on yourself or someone in your Tile to restore 1 point of lost health per wealth point of the loot chip owner. For example, if your wealth attribute is 3, you can use a loot chip to heal yourself of 3 damage. You can use multiple loot chips at one time as well. So using the same example, you may use 2 loot chips to heal yourself for 6 damage. Also, if you add 1 loot chip to the action, you can apply the results at a range of 2 Tiles. So, using the same example again, you could add a third Loot chip to apply your 6 healing up to 2 Tiles away. 
  • Prevent something from effecting you (-1S): You can use loot chips to reduce or prevent any effect applied against you by adding Resistance points. Only 1 loot chip may be used on any single reduction in effect. You can project your defense to someone or something other than yourself within 2 Tiles of you by spending an additional loot chip. You gain 1 Resistance per point of Wealth. The amount of effect reduction is based on your wealth attribute, not the wealth attribute of your target.
  • Increase the number of dice you roll (+1 Die): Spend one loot chip for one additional die per point of your wealth attribute. Spending loot this way must be declared before you roll the dice. This use of loot chips can impact the result of any roll you make, including an improvised skill. You may only spend one loot chip to adjust a roll in this way.
  • Gain Pip Adjustments (+1Pip): Spend one loot chip to do one pip adjustment per point of your wealth attribute. Spending loot this way must be declared before you roll the dice. This use of loot chips can impact the result of any roll you make, including an improvised skill. When you spend loot chips this way, describe how your loot is being used before you roll. You may spend as many loot chips as you like on pip adjustments.
  • Pull items from your inventory: Any skill you have comes with the gear you need to make use of that skill. You don't need to spend loot chips and you don't need to write down such items. But what about the random piece of useful gear that doesn't have anything to do with skills, successes, healing, or getting a room upgrade? As long as the thing you need is reasonable to have been carried with you, you can spend a loot chip and have that thing in the moment of need. Need a tin cup for something, it's there. Need a holocaust cloak? Good thing it fit so well. And the best part is, as long as you can retrieve the item and put it away when you are done, you get the loot chip back! Essentially, you get to have whatever item you need when you need it. But if you have spent all your loot chips this session, you are out of luck for finding what you need in some neglected pocket. Using loot chips this way eliminates the time spent in the mind game of trying to anticipate what challenge the story might present. It also removes the need to gather host of minor items to store in pockets and packs. Your character still does this, but the player doesn't need to spend a moment considering it. 

SPEND MOBILITY POINTS (MP): You get 2 Mobility Points (MP) for each point of your Mobility attribute. MP can be spent to perform tactical maneuvers while remaining in the tile where you started your turn. 1 MP can be spent to add 1 Resistance. Or, you can spend an MP to give you an additional die on a hand you play. For example, if you have 2 MP, you could add 2 dice to a hand you play using Attack that round. If your character has intrinsic movement abilities, such as flight, those abilities can enhance your use of MP. Further, you can spend MP to boost your initiative for the remainder of the round. Spending 1 MP will increase your initiative score by 1. This only takes effect when you have had an opportunity to take a turn, but remains for the rest of the round. The final way to spend MP is to make tactical choices during an encounter. The details of tactical combat choices are in the Game Master section of these rules. 

MOVE: Movement is based on our Tile system. Tiles vary greatly in size but are usually larger than 3" x 3" and smaller than 8.5" x 11". Each tile will have information that details some important things to know about the tile, such as how many characters can be in the tile at one time, and things like line of sight resolution or cover options. To move to a different tile, you have two optons. You can do a Move (costs whatever the MP cost of the Tile you are moving to) which allows you to move to 1 adjacent tile. Or, if you've already done a Move, you can do a Bonus Move as a Full Focus Action which allows you to move to another adjacent Tile. If you have alread spent some MP on mobility tactics, then you will not be able to do a Bonus Move.  If I tile costs more MP to enter than you can generate, you can spend all your MP and still enter the tile. For example, if you have 1 Mobility and 2MP, then you would never be able to enter a tile that requires 3MP. However, if you spend your full 2MP, you can still enter that tile. If you have Intrinsic movement abilties, such as flight, you might be able to travel between tiles otherwise blocked from normal movement.

IMPROVISE If you want to take an action that isn't supported by an appropriate skill card in our game deck, you may improvise. If the action you wish to take is covered by an existing Telken Lost Skill, you don't get the skill or any supporting items for the skill when you improvise. However, you are allowed to attempt abilities covered by the skill. Improvise cannot be used with Cards, and Cards cannot be combined with an improvised skill. Improvise costs 1 focus to roll 1 die to generate (S). Each 3 additional focus spent on improvise gives an additional die. For example, you would be able to try and pick a lock without the Locks skill, but you would not have lock picks. You can also improvise things like speaking to an opponent in a fight, picking up an object, standing up, or other things not included in the rules. 

While improvising, you can get assistance from someone who does have the skill. Each Skill Level used to assist you with improvising gets you 1 die to your roll with improvised. For example, if you are trying to Improvise the climb skill, someone who does have climb give you extra dice for your roll by assisting. Using your Skill Levels to assist someone improvising a skill costs 1 Focus. You must be Skill Level 5 or above to assist with improvised skills.


DAMAGE

Learning that we're only immortal for a limited time.

Protection

Protection is your ability to stop yourself from taking damage and losing health from various attacks. The Protect power gives you Protection points. Protection points reduce damage from all sources for as long as they are active. One point of Protection lets you ignore one point of damage. Protection points do not diminish from taking damage and are only removed when the Protect power expires over time.

Resistance

Resistance is your ability to stop yourself from being affected by any power. Resistance works against powers as a way to oppose your oppent adding (S) to the power. For example, if someone were to try and use the Drain power against you, they would apply (S) to increase the duration of the Drain. You could apply your Resistance to decrease the duration. If you get the duration down to 0 rounds, the Drain is blocked, otherwise the duration is just reduced. Resistance can be used against every power, and can be used to reduce the damage from Destruction and Combat powers. Once a point of Resistance is used it is removed.

You can gain Resistance through use of the Resist power. The points you gain remain for the duration of the Power or until used.

You can also spend Focus, Loot, or MP to react to a hand being played against you and gain immediate Resistance points for use in the moment, as long as you are conscious. Each MP or Focus chip spent will give you 1 point fo resistance. Spending Loot will give you resistance equal to your Wealth attribute. So someone with 3 Wealth would get 3 points of Resistance for 1 Loot chip.

Healing

Healing returns health chips. You naturally get1 health chip returned to you every 10 days. With bed rest you get 1 health chip every day. The Heal power and Medical skill provide far superior healing. Any healing will remove UNCONSCIOUS, DYING, and DEATH'S DOOR status effects. Some powers will apply alteration points to a target, which need to be healed away to remove the alteration. These alteration points are removed at the same rate as returning health, and the alteration is removed when remaining points reach zero.

Death

When you lose all your health your status is changed to DYING and UNCONSCIOUS. If you are not healed by the end of the round in which you gained Dying status, then your status will change from Dying to Death's Door in the following round. If you are not healed by the end of the round when you are at Death's Door, you are Dead. While in Dying or Death's Door status, if you take any additional damage, you become Dead immediately. There is another way you can die; you become Dead immediately upon taking any damage from a source 10 or more Mastery above your Mastery even if you were at full health. 

HEROIC DEATH: Important characters, including Telken, may convert their death to a Heroic Death by choosing either parting shot or dying breath as their last action. A player with a character who is dying or at death's door can simply state their intent to play a heroic death. When the action you choose for your heroic death is complete, you die, regardless of any remaining time in the round and with no need for further damage.

  • Parting Shot: You may play one final hand before death using your full focus. After the hand is played, you are dead. This hand cannot prevent your death, that time has passed. Your hand must be used for some other purpose, which might include saving someone else at Death's Door.
  • Dying Breath: You are beyond healing, but can take a moment for one final short statement or very brief conversation before breathing your dying breath. 

BEING DEAD: Your Strand is able to revive your dead character in one hour. Or, another Telken can bring a dead Telken back to life using the Revive power. Either way, being brought back to life is taxing on the dead character, so they gain 1 Death point permanently. This happens after the character is brought back to life. At the moment a character's Death points equal their Affinity attribute, they are no longer playable as a character. The character is alive, but no longer a Telken, and all benefits of the Strand are lost. The bond between strand, character, and player is broken and the player will need to start a new character from scratch. An Affinity score lower than 6 means that sometimes the self-revive ability of the Strand will fail and the character can only be revived by another Telken. Strong Affinity values, 8 and above, can make the Telken resistant to gaining Death points when being revived.

TOTAL PARTY WIPE: If everyone in the party is dead at the same time, that is a total party wipe (TPW). Each Telken in the party revives just as if they were the only one to die, but not in the physical location or time where they died. Instead, they are brought back to an earlier part of the story in which they died. Play then begins again from that point, with everyone already knowing what they have in store for them. No loot chips are returned and neither are any lost items. The Telken all have a memory of the lost time because they are doing everything a second time, while for all the non-telken, it's still the first time. In some cases, this may pose a problem with special card based items. If the card based item was rewarded in the now rewound time, what happens when the party encounters the same reward area again? In most cases, the item is simply not there - the party already has it. If the item was something important or actively used by an adversary against the party, then reclaim the card on TPW and return it to the party only if they once again attain the item. 

If there is a TPW, a wipe challenge is also implemented. As the GM, feel free to choose a challenge or roll for one. To use the chart, roll a die then count down from the top of the list and skip any result that is already in play. This means the more difficult challenges, the ones at the end of the list, cannot come into play the first time there is a TPW. TPW Challenges reset each session.

  • Lethargic: Player initiative is one lower.
  • Grounded: MP is more difficult to gain, with one less success pip (5,6 only when normally its 4,5, or6)
  • Expensive: Loot costs doubled.
  • Broke: Lose a number of loot chips equal to half your wealth.  If this would bring your loot chip total count lower than your current treasure score, keep a number of loot chips equal to your treasure score.
  • Slow Heal: The first 3 points of healing applied to a Telken from a single hand only restores 1 point of health.
  • Obsessed: If you roll less than 25% of the possible (S) in a hand, you are compelled to play that same hand again as soon as possible.
  • Perforated: If after applying Protection a party member would take no damage, party member takes 1 point of damage.
  • Distracted: During planning phase, roll one die for each point of Mastery. Each 6 rolled reduces the focus available for that round by one.
  • Frail: Gain an extra death point on future deaths.

 


GAME MASTERING

We are the music-makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.

Running the Table

METAGAMING: We define this as the distinction between what you know and what you decide your character knows and then acting upon what only you know. We don't care if you act upon it. We don't expect you to try and separate the two things. To put it more simply, what you know, your character knows and you should feel free to use all of that information in any way you see fit. It's also fine to use all information you can find on the web and all the information from any source whatsoever. All this information may be used by you to inform your character's actions. And research can be done during the game on the web or phoning a friend. This does not mean if you're a master carpenter IRL that your character is also a skilled carpenter. Skills and such don't translate like that. But if you, the player, know what end grain is, so does your character. The choice of how to use that information is up to you. Ignore it or use it. Having said that, there is the usual caveat. For some, perhaps many, this is a hot-button topic. So the final word on this is ... you do you. Like most things in gaming, the choice is up to the players and, perhaps, a group decision at each table. 

SESSIONS: The time spent when you get together to play is a session. A session of play IRL may last an hour or 10 hours, or less, or more. One gathering of everyone to play the game is a session. Feel free to break a long session into two sessions. Perhaps a break can be used to reinforce the difference. No doubt many do this already. 

TILES: Rather than use grid or tile based maps, we uses Tiles. A tile is a representation of a part of a full map. A tile might represent a single room or part of a room, a tile might be a cavern or hall, or it might take multiple tiles to represent a single hall. Each tile can have details about combat effects, such as providing cover or blocking line of sight. Your position inside a tile is irrelevant. You can say you are standing in the corner of the room, but that provides no effect on your character. In some cases, a tile might have a sub-tile. For example, a giant open cavern might have a raised plateau in the center. The tiles might be laid out with several tiles representing the cavern itself, and a separate tile for the plateau.

There is no standard sizing for a tile, and tiles are not to scale. They are small enough to fit on a table and large enough to hold miniatures. A tiny passage and a giant throne room might not be very different in physical size on the table top, even if the throne room is a hundred times larger than the passage. If you are doing something in blue mode and do not have tiles, you can use a blanket 10mX10m area as a stand in for a tile.

TILES and TACTICS: The following tactical decisions can be made during play. All of them involved the use of MP. Remember, that for each point of the Mobility Attribute you purchased with CP, you get two Mobility points. 

  • Change Stance: Spend 1 MP to change stance between Standing, Kneeling, and laying Prone. You can go directly from any stance to any other stance, for example from Prone to Standing, for 1 MP. 
    • Prone: Actions against you lose 1(S) if at range and gain 1(S) if in the same tile. Movement restricted to crawl adding 4 focus or a full focus action (whichever is less) to any movement.
    • Kneeling: You gain 1(S) on all actions. Movement restricted to kneeling adding 2 focus or a full focus action (whichever is less) to any movement. 
  • Take cover: A tile that offers cover allows you to spend 1MP to use that cover to your advantage. Any actions made against you are done at -2(S) while you are in cover. 
  • Aimed Shot: Each MP spent in support of a Determined Hand generate gives an additional 1(S).
  • Weapon Change: Drop, pick up, or change the weapon you are using for 1 MP.
  • Flank: If you outnumber your opponents in a tile, you can choose to flank them by spending 1 MP. While Flanking, you get a (S) on a roll of 3, 4, 5, or 6 (rather than 4, 5, 6).
  • Quick: If your initiative is twice that of your target or if you have surprise this round, you can choose to Flank that target even if you do not outnumber them on the tile.
  • Engage: Lock the target into combat for 1 MP. You may only be engaged with 1 target and while engaged, you may not use powers or skills on anyone other than your engaged target. If the engaged target takes an action against anyone other than you, you get the ability to interrupt that action, regardless of your initiative. Engage can only be done in the same tile with the opponent and persists across rounds as long as no other targets have been engaged and you remain in the tile. 
  • Opportunity: If your Engaged target uses a power or skill against someone else you can spend 1 MP to have the Flanking bonus.

TILES MODIFIERS: Here is a partial list of things that modify Tiles during play. These will be indicated on each tile along with a Tile ID and the max population within the Tile. 

  • Mind the Gap: Characters can take cover in this Tile. Note any control/modifier bypass. See "The Battlefield" for effects of Cover. 
  • No-See-Ums: Anyone in this tile has no LOS to any other Tile. 
  • Rabbit Hole: Anyone outside this tile has no LOS to anyone inside this Tile. 
  • Tight Quarters: Hand-to-hand and Melee powers deal half damage when used by anyone in this Tile. 
  • Doldrums: Thrown and Projectile powers or powers using Range deal half damage when used by anyone in this Tile. Has no impact on taking damage from outside this Tile.
  • Blackout: Blocks 1 or more senses: There are 6 senses that might be obstructed in a Tile, and each of those has various levels of obstruction. This will be indicated on the Tile.
  • Little Birdie: Requires Flight to enter the Tile. 
  • Bouncing Ball: Requires Teleport to enter the Tile. 
  • Spider Pig: Requires cling to enter the Tile. 
  • Pot Holes: Maneuver Points Halved. 

SKILL DIFFICULTY: Skills are used to accomplish a task of such difficulty that it requires special training or experience to accomplish. The difficulty of a task is set using a Challenge Level (CL) and Task Points (TP). A player applies the (S) they roll with their skill against the Task Points for the task. When the Task Points are reduced to 0, the task is completed. The Challenge Level of the task reduces the amount of (S) the player can apply. For example, if a player rolled 5(S) for at task with a Challenge Level of 3, they would get to reduce the Task Points by 2.

For most skills, the GM generates the CL and TP on their own. Some skills, such as Bind, Lock, or Forge provide the method for determining the CL and TP. The lowest level you can set TP to is 1, and the lowest CL is 0. An easy rule of thumb for setting the CL is to match the CL to the minimum Skill Level you think is required to complete the task using a Skill. If someone is using Society to locate a police station in a modern US city, that's an easy task and may warrant a CL of 0, allowing even someone improvising the Society skill to have a good chance of success. At the same time, getting a private meeting with the president of a space alliance might be CL10, making it all but impossible for anyone with less than a Society Skill Level of 6 to succeed.

You can set the number of TP required to be cumulative or all-or-nothing. The task of fixing the navigation system of a crashed space freighter might be something you think can be cumulative and the players can slowly fix it up over time. Or they might want to try and Eavesdrop on a conversation and you decide that's an all-or-nothing situation; either they get enough (S) for the task on one roll, or they fail to overhear the conversation because it's a task that requires a duration. If the task is going to be achieved with multiple attempts, you must set an amount of time per attempt. For example, you might allow one attempt per day to fix the crashed space freighter, but you might set one attempt per hour to coerce information from a captive.

If the skill attempted is being opposed, meaning the target is actively using an appropriate counter skill, then the TP required to use the skill is increased by a number of (S) generated with the counter skill. For example, if Mary were actively trying to coerce John using the Coerce skill, and John was using the Coerce skill as a counter, the TP Mary needs would be increased by a number of points equal to the amount of (S) that John generates with his Coerce skill.

CHARACTER POINT AWARDS: Characters add abilities by spending CP earned through play. Its your job as GM to award CP to your players. How and when you award CP is part of the art of the GM. You should consider the length and difficulty of the story being played. Each pre-made story will list the character point award at the end. A general guideline is to award one character point per session.

GAME DIFFICULTY: The GM can set the difficulty of a session to increase or decrease the challenge for the players. There are three difficulty levels; hard, normal, and easy. This should be done with consultation of the players to reach group agreement. 

  • Hard: Add one total party wipe challenge from the start. Add one Mastery to all adversaries. And award an additional character point.
  • Normal: No changes in adversary Mastery or character point award.
  • Easy: Party is allowed one total party wipe without adding a challenge, the Mastery of all adversaries is reduced by one, and one fewer character point is awarded at the end (minimum of one point will still be awarded).

MASTERY: Mastery (Mastery) is a way to show how a fantasy soldier poses no threat to a planet destroyer starship. Mastery can be used to simulate boss or trash characters for the party to face, as well as vehicles, civilians, items with special powers, or other entities that provide a greater or lesser challenge to the PCs.

Hazards Of The Job

STATUS EFFECTS: A status is a condition applied to a character that may be temporary or permanent. A character may have zero, one, or more statuses applied to them at any given time. The effects of each status are described below.

  • Unconscious: You are unable to interact with the environment. Gaining a single point of healing removes this status. While unconscious, you may not spend, allocate, or regenerate focus. When you regain consciousness, your focus allocation is right where it was when you became unconscious.
  • Dying: When you are reduced to 0 health, you are dying. Ending a round while dying changes your status to death's door.
  • Death's Door: You have been wounded and are at risk of imminent death. Ending a round while at death's door is fatal and changes your status to dead
  • Dead: You are dead. Your character cannot take any actions, use focus, or do any planning.
  • Surrendered: If you surrender your gear in the story, either voluntarily or otherwise, some of your skills may be impacted. For example, surrender of your gear would make it difficult to pick locks or bind someone. Loot points may not be spent while Surrendered, nor can you use Wealth to roleplay spending money. Surrendered items can be recovered or you can escape the confines of the Surrender and acquire replacement items, allowing you to use your skills again.
  • Vulnerable: You can only apply half your Protection and it cost 2 Resistance to reduce the hand by 1(S).
  • Altered: You have been effected by a power that most likely has a negative effect. The specific alteration, its strength, and duration, should be recorded temporarily on your character sheet.
  • Improved: You have been effected by a power that most likely has a positive effect. The specific improvement, its strength, and duration, should be recorded temporarily on your character sheet.

THE BATTLEFIELD: Be it the literal field in front of a besieged castle, or the courtyard of an outdoor mall, those places and many others will generate situational modifiers that impact your ability to apply actions to your target.

  • Line of Sight (LOS): A straight line from the observer to the target without obstruction. You must have LOS to use a hand on a target. There are things within tiles that can block LOS within that same tile and there are things in a tile that block LOS through that tile. 
  • Targeting: If you cannot sense your target with a targeting sense, your Focus Level is halved and you roll half the number of dice. Example: If you have a Focus Level of 6 and your targeting sense doesn't work (See is your targeting sense and you're blinded, or your target is out of LOS), your Focus Level is now 3 and you roll 3 dice to generate (S) for more damage. If you are playing a hand that uses range, lose 1(S) per Tile to your target. A range penalty is unnecessary if you use an area of effect modifier. Remember that for starting Telken, sight is your only targeting sense. 
  • Prone: Lying flat on the ground. Actions vs prone targets gain one (S) if the target is the same tile and lose 1(S) if the target is in a different tile.
  • Cover: Hiding behind something. Rolls against a target in cover are less effective and lose 2(S). Cover can exist if target and attacker are in the same tile or different tiles. 
  • Surprise: If you are surprised, you get half your initiative rounded down.

FALLING: Falling from a great height can be deadly. Each 2 meters falling results in 1 die rolled where an (S) causes 1 damage. Falling 2 meters would deliver up to 1 point of damage while falling 10 meters would deliver up to 5 points of damage. The character can apply Protection or Resistance to reduce damage, as they are conscious. Falling damage cannot be used as a way to turn an otherwise non-damaging skill or power, such as Telekinesis, into one which does damage. Lifting someone to a great height and letting them go will simply result in them floating safely to the ground.

PLAYING NPC's: We provide NPC/monster cards (including cards for each creature and cards for their abilities) that have everything you need to know about portraying that creature. Between the story and those cards, you should have everything you need to do so. Also, the GM does not allocate Focus or any of the other mechanics that players use for their characters. We've simplified the process. 

 Other GM Things

WEALTH: Wealth is an attribute that represents the character's total economic value. It represents more than what they are carrying on them at the moment. The player can increase their wealth score using CP, but as the GM, you should almost never adjust this value. If the character is robbed or has all their stuff taken and they are thrown in jail they can lose loot chips or gain the surrendered status, but they should not lose wealth points. That said, there may be conditions that temporarily or permanently change the character's wealth attribute but you should do such things with restraint as the player paid character points for this attribute making it an integral part of the character. 

LOOT: Loot is related to wealth, but is specifically the stuff carried by the character on their life of adventure. It’s made up of a collection of healing potions, laser range finders, sword sharpeners, armor piercing bullets, and things like rope or a bag of marbles. It is representative of a the host of things that adventurers will spend hours perfecting, though perhaps never using. The loot a character has is appropriate to their wealth score. The higher the wealth, the more loot they get, and the more effect that loot can have on their life. Loot is replenished each session and does not carry over from session to session.

TREASURE: Treasure is the stuff players gain while adventuring. Rather than awarding ten +1 daggers and 45 potions of weak healing that are recorded on a character sheet, then likely sold so more gear may be purchased, you award treasure points. Treasure points are spent just like loot and are represented at the table by loot chips. When you award treasure, hand out one loot chip per treasure point and ask the player receiving the treasure to increase the treasure point score on their character sheet accordingly. Treasure will use the same chips as loot, but treasure points can persist from session to session. Loot chips and Treasure chips are treated in the same way during a playing session. 

ACQUISITION OF THINGS: If you or the players wish to build a base of operations or a garage full of sports cars, that acquisition should be done using the story. Maybe those things will require loot chips for lumber, gaining favors from the secret police by completing missions, or clearing the land of local monsters for a base. There are many ways to accomplish this through story. 

ARMOR AND WEAPONS: Armor and weapons do not exist as items with defensive or offensive values. The armor and weapons are part of a character description only, and the effects of those items are for role playing only. All offense is done though using the Cards and rolling dice, and all defense is achieved by using Protection and Resistance points.

BREAKING THINGS: Breaking things is done using Brute Force, an improvised action used to force open a door, break through a barrier, or achieve other similar acts of strength. Each die of Brute Force costs 1 Focus. You can allow players to work together to use brute force if the story situation allows for such cooperation, but each additional character adds only half their (S) to the total (round down). In typical use, Brute Force (S) are not damage, but an all or nothing attempt to remove a barrier using Task Points assigned by the GM. If the total (S) overcome the TP set for the barrier, the barrier is removed. Otherwise, it is not. If you prefer to accumulate damage and "kill" the obstacle, assign health and require the players do damage (such as with attack) and forego the use of Brute Force. All characters have Brute Force at no character point cost. 

CARRYING THINGS: Even in a game without a detailed inventory management system, sometimes you just need to move things around. Carry is the ability to pick up and move something heavy or bulky. There is no size or weight classification system, instead, the story or GM will designate the number of Task Points needed to be successful. Carry is an improvised action that costs 1 focus per die rolled. The (S) generated in one roll must overcome the TP assigned to move the object. You can allow characters to work together to carry an object if the object and situation allow cooperation, but each additional character adds only half their (S) to the total (round down). Focus spent on carry remains allocated to carry until the object is released, generally resulting in less focus to do other things while moving the heavy object. You also generate half your MP, rounded up, while carrying things. All characters have Carry at no character point cost.

SIZE: This is the height of things. Telken are size 0, which is approximately 2 meters tall. Every 5 points added to size adds a 0 to the height, so size 5 is 20m, size 25 is 200km. Getting smaller works similarly, size -5 is 1 CM, size -20 is 10 μm. Fill the size classes in between with a linear change in size as make sense to you, or consult our size chart online. A basic map covered with grid uses a scale of 2 meters on a side. If the map is intended for larger entities, such as ship combat, the size is adjusted to match that of the ships involved, and the scale of the grid is likewise increased to match. A change in size in either direction costs one character point per point of size added or removed.

Everything Else

WHAT'S MISSING: Here are some things that are different from other games you may have played.

  • There are no perception rolls. If players notice things during play, those "things" will be described by the GM. When you want to try something unexpected, you will need to support that with a description of what you are doing using the appropriate skill, or through improvisation. 
  • You don't track ammo. Combat skills for ranged or thrown weapons have a reload option you can apply when you want the reload bonus. Otherwise, you are assumed to have an unending supply of projectiles available to draw from and to reload without any extra effort.
  • Your strength, dexterity, appearance, constitution, and such things are part of your character description, not a stat. 
  • There are no defined weapons or armor. Weapons and armor can be whatever you imagine, and individual types of armor or weapons do not impact melee or other situations.
  • There are no currency exchanges or any need to track currency. Note that the more Wealth you possess, the more you can appear to be wealthy. 
  • We use "tiles" for the tabletop and miniatures. A tile is mostly defined on the tile itself including things about LOS, tacticle modifiers, card modifiers, number of players/npc's allowed within the tile, etc. Tiles can be very small only allowing 1 person within or they can much larger allowing up to 7 within. 

POWERS

I believe in my powers, I believe in the powers of my teammates. I trust in my powers, I trust in the powers of my teammates.

Powers are abilities that require an external power source. Telken draw that power from the Primal Force, control that power with a Control, and release it to cause changes in the world around them. Powers require the use of a control (except when using the Uncontrolled Modifier). Any number of power cards can be combined in a single hand. There are ten different types of powers: alteration, augmentation, combatcreation, destruction, improvement, protection, restoration, and sense

Alteration Powers

Commonly thought of as de-buffs, alteration powers reduce the effectiveness of your target in various ways. Alteration powers last for the current round, plus one additional round per (S) applied to duration. Anyone under the effect of an alteration power receives the status Altered. The power Restore can reduce the duration or remove the effect altogether. 

DRAIN: Reduce the level of one randomly selected power or skill from a target's deck. A Drained power is reduced one Power Level per Focus Level of Drain. A Drained skill is reduced one Skill Level per Focus Level of Drain. The levels are drained for this round +(S) more rounds.

HESITATE: Reduce target initiative. The target's initiative is reduced by 1 point per Focus Level for the remainder of this round +(S) more rounds. 

HOLD: Slow down your target. Reduce MP by 1 point per Focus Level for the rest of this round +(S) more rounds.

IMPAIR: Prevent any single Intrinsic ability from functioning for the rest of this round +(S) more rounds. At Power Level 5, you can prevent any one sense from working. Any sense which is blocked also prevents any sense enhancements granted by the matching sense power. Alteration Power.

Augmentation Powers

Augmentations give dice to you or your ally that can be used to roll more (S) in the next hand played.

GATHER: Gather more dice for your next hand. The number of dice is equal to the number of (S) you applied to Gather but cannot exceed your Power Level. This may not be used on others, even with modifiers.

LEND: Lend a target some extra dice. The number of dice is equal to the number of (S) you applied to Lend but cannot exceed your Power Level.

Combat Powers

Combat powers allow you to use a weapon as part of the powers you command as a Telken. The specific weapon or weapon group is selected when you purchase the power. You might, for example, select pistols for Projectile; you could then use Projectile with any pistol you might have. Combat powers always require a weapon. Losing your weapon, for example, by gaining Surrendered status, means your Combat power will not be playable. Using a weapon outside your weapon group, for example will allow you to use the Combat power, but at reduced effect defined in the power's description (for example using a rifle when you selected pistols). While using a Combat power, you do not need a control; the weapon itself provides the source of the energy. Other powers combined in the same hand will still require a control. 

HAND-TO-HAND: Target loses Focus Level+(S) health. Only useable vs targets in your Tile. H2H requires at least one limb free to use. If all limbs are not free, like through Bind or Hold, you do not get to add your Focus Level to results. Damage from H2H can be converted from damage to a different effect. Block: Interrupt a target in your Tile that is attacking you to gain one point of Resistance per damage converted to be used against their action. Combination: Deliver half damage this round and maximum damage using H2H next round on the same target.

MELEE: Target loses Focus Level+(S) health. Only useable vs targets in your Tile. Also, upon use, you gain 1 point of Protection for the remainder of the round. Multiple uses of Melee do not stack Protection. You must define one melee weapon or weapon group you will use when purchasing this skill. Melee requires a melee weapon to use. Using Melee with a weapon outside your defined weapon group removes the plus one Protection and damage is only caused by (S) rolled without adding your Focus Level. The melee weapon you use counts as the control for this Power only. 

THROWN: Target loses Focus Level+(S) health at a range of up to 1 adjacent Tile. There is also an optional rearm mechanic: You may choose to spend 1(S) from your roll to prepare for the next throw which adds +50% to initiative in the following round. You must define one thrown weapon or weapon group when purchasing this power. Thrown requires a thrown weapon to use. Using Thrown without a weapon from your defined weapon group removes the rearm mechanic and damage is only created from (S) rolled without adding your Focus Level.

PROJECTILE: Target loses Focus Level+(S) health. The range is 1-2 Tiles distant. You may not use a Projectile weapon versus targets in your Tile. There is also an optional reload mechanic: You may spend 1(S) from your roll to reload and gain the Precision modifier effect on your next shot which means after you roll for your hand, select any dice that have a result you don't like and re-roll them. You must define one projectile weapon or weapon group when purchasing this power. Projectile requires a projectile weapon to use. Using Projectile with a Projectile weapon outside your defined weapon group removes the reload mechanic and damage is only created from (S) rolled without adding your Focus Level. The Projectile weapon you use counts as the control for this Power only.

Creation Powers

Creation powers bring new things into your environment. The duration of creation powers is Focus Level +(S) hours. That duration can be reduced if the dispel power is used against the creation. Even a creation modified with the permanent modifier can have its duration reduced with dispel, removing the creation when the duration is reduced to zero.

ILLUSION: Create a static illusion. The Illusion can be up to 8 cubic meters (for example 2x2x2) in size, is perceived by one sense, and it cannot cause damage. You may have only 1 Illusion at a time. Each Power Level of Illusion allows you to add an additional sense or sense modifier. At Power Level 3 you can add slight movement like a breeze or a fire. At Power Level 5 you can add dynamic movement like a curtain that can be pulled back. At Power Level 7 you can add pre-planned interactions like a person who says "hi" when greeted. Duration is Focus Level+(S) hours.

SUMMON: Summon a creature to do your bidding. It is commanded vocally using an improvised action. Control passes to GM when the duration expires. Summon 1 Tier per Focus Level of this power. Tier 1 summoned creature is Mastery 1, has basic senses, 2 Mobility, 2 Health, 2 pts for cards, and 5 pts to spend as desired. Each increased Tier adds 2 to the Mastery and 5 to points to spend as desired. The duration is Focus Level+(S) hours. You may summon any number of creatures, however the total Mastery of all summoned creatures cannot exceed your Mastery. 

Destruction Powers

These powers seek to break your target's body, or interfere or stop the action they are attempting to complete. The effect of Destruction powers can be reduced by Protection applied using the Protect power. 

ATTACK: Damage a target. The target loses Focus Level+(S) health. 

COUNTER: Remove focus from a target hand that you interrupt. This is done after the target applies focus to their hand, but before dice are rolled. Remove Focus Level+(S) focus applied to the target's power or skill cards in the interrupted hand.

Improvement Powers

Sometimes called buffs, these powers improve the abilities of the target. Improvement powers can only be used on yourself, though you can add modifiers to change that. Anyone under the effects of an Improvement power receives the status Improved. Improvements last Focus Level +(S) hours, and can be removed or reduced with the power Temper. Even an improvement modified with the Permanent modifier can be reduced or removed with Temper if the duration is reduced to zero.

ANALYZE: Analyze a variety of primal force energies using an appropriate targeting sense. You can detect status effects on a target (altered, improved, unconscious, etc.). You can detect the Mastery of a target. Some item cards will indicate an effect and an analyzed effect. You can analyze item cards if their Mastery is equal to or less than your Power Level of Analyze. Once analyzed, you can use the analyzed effect on the card. Finally, you can read the cards in the deck of any creature if their Mastery is equal to or lower than your Power Level of Analyze. The duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. 

ATMOSPHERE: Removes your need to breathe. At Focus Level 3 you can ignore the effects of low pressure and vacuum. Each additional Focus Level allows you ignore an additonal 30 atmospheres of pressure from what you are used to. The duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. 

EMPATHY: Read and manipulate a target's emotions. Read Emotion: Duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. Allows you to understand the emotions of anyone you can sense with a targeting sense if their Mastery is less than or equal to yours. Empathy used this way is an Improvement Power. Manipulate Emotion: Requires 5+ Power Levels of Empathy. Create Focus Level +(S) alteration points on your target, once you have 2x target's Mastery, you can intensify or dull any sense you can read. Protect, Resist, and Heal all work against alteration points. The altered emotional state is removed when 0 alteration points remain. Empathy used this way is an Alteration Power.

INVISIBLE: Become invisible to various senses chosen by you. You become undetectable to 1 sense or sense enhancer per Focus Level (except touch). Being invisible to the sense See would not prevent you from being seen by someone with Infravision enhanced See unless both See and Infravision were made invisible. The duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. 

RADIATION: Allows you resist the effects of UV radiation. Focus Level 2 adds resistance to Alpha and Beta Particles. Focus Level 4 adds X-Rays, and Focus Level 5 adds Gamma Rays. The duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. 

SPEED: Adds MP to your character. Receive an extra MP per Focus Level. Duration is Focus Level +(S) hours.

TELEKINESIS: Move targets with your mind and play hands in 1 adjacent Tile. At PL3 you can move targets and play hands 2 tiles distant. Moving a target costs 2 focus per Tile (so 2 Focus within your Tile, etc) and can be resisted using equal Focus or MP by the target if they have MP and/or Focus remaining. The GM may assign a number of resisting MP to large or heavy objects to resist movement by TK. If the effect you desire replicates an existing ability, you must play that ability. For example, dropping someone from a height to do damage requires Attack. TK allows only coarse manipulation at range, as if all your fingers were glued together. At Power Level 5 you gain fine manipulation. Duration is Focus Level +(S) hours.

TELEPATHY: Make a mental connection to any voluntary target in LOS, allowing sub-vocalization as mental communication. At Power Level 3+ the 'voluntary' requirement is removed. At Power Level 5+ you can read the thoughts of any target of equal or lower Mastery to you. At Power Level 7+ you can play this card in a hand as an Alteration to implant thoughts in a target. Generate Focus Level +(S) alteration points and if you accumulate 4x the target's Mastery you can implant a short thought (max 13 words) into the target's mind. Target can use Protecton and Resistance points to defend against this use of Telepathy. Restore can remove alteration points, which otherwise heal away naturally at the same rate as restoring health. The effect is removed when 0 alteration points remain.

TEMPERATURE: You can survive temperatures plus or minus 50 degrees C from your norm. For each Focus Level after 1, add an additional +/- 100 degrees of temperature survival. Duration is Focus Level +(S) hours.

TRANSFORM: Change your appearance in various ways. You can change your facial appearance at Power Level 1+. At Power Level 3+ you can change general body characteristics that include clothing and equipment. At Power Level 5+, you can increase or decease your size by one size class, and add an additional size class change per Power Level over 5. The duration is Focus Level +(S) hours.

Protection Powers

Protection powers help keep you alive and in a desirable condition when the world wishes otherwise. Protections have a duration of Focus Level +(S) hours. Restoration powers cannot remove protection the way they can remove improvements and alterations. The only way a protection power can be removed is when the duration expires. Or, in the case of Resist, it is removed after it is used. 

PROTECT: Protect yourself from damage. Gain 1 point of Protection per Focus Level. Each point of Protection reduces Damage by 1 from every source. Duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. Additional uses of Protect can replace the duration or focus level with a higher value, but do not stack.

RESIST: Resist powers used against you. Each Focus Level acts as one point of Resistance against any hand. Duration is Focus Level +(S) hours. Resistance points are removed after use or when the duration expires. While the Resist duration is active, you can choose to use the Resistance points against any power that effects you, and at no focus cost. Additional uses of Resist can replace the duration or Resistance points with a higher value, but do not stack.

Restoration Powers

Restoration powers remove status and effects from your target. These can be detrimental effects on your friends, or beneficial effects on your enemies. 

DISPEL: Reduce the duration of Creation powers. Remove Focus Level +(S) hours of those powers. Dispel modified with Enduring removes days of duration rather than hours.

EMPOWER: Return cards from a player's discard pile to their character's deck. Return 1 discarded card to a character deck per Focus Level of Empower used.

HEAL: Heal a target. The target returns Focus Level +(S) lost health chips.

RESTORE: Remove an Alteration effect status from a target. Remove Focus Level+(S) rounds of alteration status or alteration points from the target. Restore can be split over multiple alterations or focused on one alteration at your discretion. Restore modified with Enduring removes hours of duration rather than rounds.

REVIVE: Revive a Telken that is dead. Upon use, the target is alive (remove dead status) and is at Focus Level+(S) health and 0 Focus. If you have 5+ Power Levels of Revive, you can revive the target without them incurring a death penalty if you apply (S) equal to the target's Mastery. (S) used in that way do not return health. This cannot be used on self, even with trigger. 

TEMPER: Remove various improvements from the target. You can remove Focus Level +(S) hours of Improved power status from a target. If the target has multiple improvements, you can chose to spread your effects across some or all of those improvements, or dedicate all your results to one improvement. A permanent improvement power is only resistant to a decline in duration per hour, temper can still be used to reduce the duration and expire the effect. Temper modified with Enduring removes days of duration rather than hours. Temper can also remove Sense powers applied to someone who does not not have those powers.

Sense Powers

Senses powers modify how you perceive the world around you. If you purchase a Sense power, you always have the power active on you, even without playing a hand. You can use the power on others if you add the Other modifier. Someone else with a sense power is granted the sense for 1 round per focus level plus one round for each (S) you apply to duration. When used on someone else, Sense powers count as an Improvement and can be removed with Temper. Sense powers you gain for owning the power cannot be tempered.

CHEMICAL: Allows you to identify objects by their chemical components through smell or taste. At PL 2 you can emit pheromones which go out and grab chemicals and bring them back to you to identify. At PL 3 you can target with smell/taste.  At PL 5 your sense of smell/taste can pierce through barriers like walls and masking agents.

HAPTIC: Allows you to identify objects by touch. At PL 2 you can detect the smallest defects or cracks. At PL 3 you can tell the origin of objects by touching them. At PL 5 you can touch the insides of objects, knowing its full composition, not just its shell.

PHOTONIC: You gain clear low-light vision. At PL 2 you can see heat signatures with no natural light. Also at PL 2 you can produce light to see by. At PL 5 your sight can pierce most barriers such as containers or walls. For each PL above 5 you can see 10X further or 10X smaller objects.

VIBRATION: Allows you to hear an extended range from 1Hz to 90kHz (extended from the norm 20 Hz to 20kHz).  At PL 2 you can echo-locate, emitting a sound that provides a map of the area. At PL 3 you can target with hearing. At PL 5 your hearing can pierce most barriers such as walls or distracting noises.

VISTHETIC: Provides Visthesis, allowing you to detect the presence and magnitude of primal force energy sources such as a ley line. At PL 2 you can pulse the area with primal energy and find very weak Primal Source energy that would otherwise have been missed. At PL 3 you can use Visthesis as a targeting sense, targeting anything that uses the Primal Force. At PL 5 your Visthesis can penetrate barriers such as walls.


SKILLS

What I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.

Skills are abilities your Telken has improved over time through practice, as well as planned or unplanned opposition. Skills use the capabilities of your character's physical body and cannot be played in a hand with Powers, Controls, or Modifiers unless noted on the card. 

When attempting to use a Skill, the GM will set a Challenge Level (CL) and Task Points (TP) based on what you are trying to do. Using a skill will generate a number of Successes or (S) equal to your Focus Level plus number of (S) rolled. The amount of (S) is then reduced by the Challenge Level set for your action. Any remaining points are subtracted from the Task Points required. When TP gets to zero, you succeed with your skill. For example, you are trying to make a forgery of an invitation to an exclusive event. The GM sets the Challenge Level to 3 and the Task Points to 2. You try to create a forgery of the invitation and get 7 (S) using Forge. You subtract 3 points because of the Challenge Level and are left with 4 points to apply against the Task Points. But you only needed 2, so you succeed. 

Skills List

ACROBATICS: This allows you to have increased MobilityPoints. Every (S) generated counts as a Mobility Point. At Skill Level 5 and above, you automatically gain the ability to Parkour through a tile, reducing the MP cost of any tile by half. Parkour happens with only spending 1 focus on Acrobatics. This skill can be combined in a hand with the Speed power.

BIND: You can bind someone, and you can escape bonds if bound by anything directly attached to you such as ropes or handcuffs. To bind someone, use loot points to create an object to use to do the binding. The CL of that binding is equal to the number of loot points you spend multiplied by your wealth score. The TP of the binding you place is equal to the (S) you get using Bind. You can only bind someone who is not actively resisting. To escape from a binding you need to apply enough (S) to reduce the TP of the binding to zero. 

CLIMB: Allows you climb walls or other steep surfaces with or without hand tools such as ropes, but you are not a spider. The GM will set the CL of a climb based on conditions. TP is equal to 1 per 2 meters of the climb. If you fail a Climb roll mid climb, you make no progress but do not fall. It might take multiple uses of Climb to traverse the terrain.

COERCE: Force the target to do something or say something against their will through the use of physical force, threat, or psychological manipulation (e.g. brain washing or gaslighting). The base TP is equal to the target's Health maximum. The base CL is equal to the target's Mastery. Modifications to the CL are based on conditions and any ability the target may have in avoiding coercion. The target can use Coerce as a counter skill and add the (S) rolled to the TP required to coerce them. If you have Telepathy or Empathy active, add your PL with those powers as (S) with Coerce.

COMMUNICATE: You can get information from someone using basic conversation without them realizing they have revealed information to you. This can only be gained indirectly; you're not asking specific questions about what it is you want, you are making general conversation. GM will set the CL and TP required. Modifiers will be based on your questioning method and the target's willingness to be spoken to, and of course they need to have the knowledge you seek. If the target uses Communication as a counter skill, the TP is increased by the amount of (S) they get using Communicate. If you have Vibration or an active Telepathy or Empathy, add your PL with those powers as (S) with Communicate.

DRIVE: You can operate and maintain land and water vehicles under normal circumstances. GM will set the CL and TP required based on the vehicle as well as the conditions. Combat or stressful situations double the base CL needed to operate the vehicle. At Skill Level 5+ you can navigate combat or other stressful situations without this penalty.

EAVESDROP: You can detect communication at distance without being an intended target. This includes the ability to listen to someone's conversation, lipread, or intercept radio communications. You must be in range with an appropriate sense to use Eavesdrop (see, hear, radio). GM will set the CL and TP required. Modifiers to CL/TP are situational and include things such as distance, interference from outside sources (voices, others walking by), encrypted communications, or languages you don't understand. Eavesdrop can be used as a counter skill to itself, adding your (S) to the TP required to eavesdrop on you. If you have Vibration or an active Telepathy or Empathy, add your PL with those powers as (S) with Eavesdrop.

ENSNARE: You can place and disarm traps. You must use a loot point to place/construct your trap. The base CL of the trap is equal to your wealth score multiplied by the number of loot points you used. The TP required to disarm the trap is equal to however many (S) you roll while setting the trap. A trap is always physical, is in a specific Tile on the map, and is triggered by the first person moving into the Tile. You can place one of two types of trap. Damage Traps apply damage to a target. One damage is done per TP of the trap. Hold Traps stop all movement modes except teleport. The TP of the hold trap determines how much Bind, Brute Force, Restore, or Dispel is required to escape. Traps can also be disarmed using Ensnare by getting enough (S) to bring the TP to zero. A trap can be used as the focus for the Trigger modifier using powers from your Character Deck. The triggered effect is in addition to the damage or hold from the trap. Add your PL with Haptic as (S) with Ensnare.

FORGE: You can create a replica of an item. The GM will determine the CL and TP required to create a forgery. When your (S) exceeds the TP required for the forgery, you have created a forged object. The object you create can be detected by someone using the Valuation skill. The CL of the forgery you created is equal to the number of loot points you spent multiplied by your wealth score. The TP of your forgery is equal to your Skill Level with Forge. You must spend at least one loot point to create a forgery. You can play the Balance, Gravity, or Order control with this skill, and each adds 2(S) to your Forge results.

INITIATIVE: You can act with priority in stressful situations. You may choose to use this skill in the planning phase of black mode to generate an initiative score for the round. Your initiative is your Focus Level+(S) if you allocate focus to initiative. Your casual initiative, which is your default initiative if you do not allocate focus to initiative, is equal to half your Skill Level rounded down.

LOCK: You can pick locks or place locks. To place a lock, use loot points and your Lock skill. The base CL of the lock you place is equal to your wealth score multiplied by the number of loot points you used. The TP of the lock is equal to the (S) you get with the Lock skill (used when placed). To pick a lock, you must get more (S) than the TP of the lock.  Modifiers to the CL/TP are based on story pressure such as trying not to be seen, and may require other skills such as Sleight Of Hand or Stealth. Add your PL with Haptic as (S) with Lock.

MEDICAL: You can diagnose and treat injury or illness. Target recovers Focus Level +(S) health chips. If the injury or illness is not represented by the loss of health chips, GM will set a CL and TP for the treatment. Repeated use of this on same patient requires constant medical care for the duration and cannot be done if patient continues normal routine. Some damage may be inflicted that this skill cannot heal. At SL7 you may ignore that restriction but must apply 5(S) to remove 1 point of damage. This skill can be combined in a hand with the Heal power.

NAVIGATE: You understand where you are in relation to where you want to be, and you can retain that information while moving. This could impact the duration of a trip and determine if you arrive where you planned. GM will set the CL and TP required. Modifiers to the CL are based on familiarity with the location and the tools you have at hand. You can play the Magnetic control with this skill to add 2(S) and to your Navigate results.

OBSERVE: Use a sense to see through Sleight Of Hand, find traps set with Ensnare, and notice someone trying to use Stealth. Your sense must be able to function on the object to Observe. For example, a deaf person cannot use Observe to hear someone trying to walk quietly in the next room. The CL and TP required to Observe are set by the GM or determined by the Sleight Of Hand or Stealth skills. Observe is not a general perception roll to be used for anything other than countering another skill. Perception rolls don't exist in Telken Lost.

PERFORM: Allows you to perform with a specialty such as with an instrument, your voice, or acting. You may add a specific performance specialty each time you increase your Skill Level. Acting allows you to change the way you present yourself so you can mimic someone else, fictional or real. If you choose an instrument as one of your specialties, you may carry a traveling form of that instrument, if such a thing exists. The more detailed or specific the performance, the higher the CL the GM will assign, modified by how well you know the subject matter you are performing. TP required is based on audience familiarity with the performance. Failing to get enough (S) does not mean you failed to perform, only that your performance was not well received by your audience. Can be played with the Illusion power. If you have Telepathy or Empathy active, add your PL with those powers as (S) with Perform.

PILOT:  You can operate and maintain air and space vehicles under normal circumstances. GM will set the CL and TP required based on the vehicle and conditions. Combat or stressful situations double the base CL needed to operate the vehicle. At Skill Level 5+ you can navigate combat or other stressful situations without this penalty.

RIDE:  You can operate and care for living animal mounts under normal circumstances. GM will set the CL and TP required based on the animal, conditions, and your relationship with the individual animal (just encountered or life-long companion). Combat or stressful situations double the base CL needed to control the animal. At Skill Level 5+ you can navigate combat or other stressful situations without this penalty. If you have Empathy active, add your PL as (S) with Ride.

SHADOW: You can remain close enough to someone so as to retain knowledge of their position without them knowing you are following. You cannot Shadow someone while in the same Tile as they are. Shadow also allows you to give the slip to someone shadowing you. GM will set the CL required based on conditions. For example, it's easier to shadow someone in a crowded market than on a flat desert. TP is generally 1, unless the target is using Shadow as a counterskill. In that case, the target adds their (S) with Shadow to the TP required to Shadow. Failure to get enough (S) to bring the TP to zero means the target has escaped your notice and you will need to find them again before you can try to resume shadowing. Powers such as Transform or Invisible can reduce the CL substantially.

SLEIGHT OF HAND: You are adept at performing sleight of hand such as palming objects or picking pockets. GM will set the CL required based on conditions and what you are attempting to do. TP is generally one, unless the target is using Observe as a counterskill. In that case, the target adds their (S) with Observe to the TP required for Sleight Of Hand. Failure to get enough (S) to bring the TP to zero means the target has noticed your attempt. You can play the Chaos control with this skill to add 2(S) and to your results. If you have Telekinesis active, add your PL as (S) to your results.

SOCIETY: You understand bureaucracies including those of high society, corporations, clergy, education, military, and government. You can arrange meetings in these areas and avoid mistakes in protocol. CL is based on the level of organization and its security and/or obscurity. The TP is based on the density of the bureaucracy. An organization dense with intermediaries and subtle rules of behavior would be worth of a high TP value while a local administrator alone in an office might be 1TP. If played with Empathy active, add your PL to the (S) results. If you have Empathy active, add your PL as (S) with Society.

STEALTH: You can move without being detected by vision or hearing. You cannot start using Stealth against someone in the same tile or who already sees you; you have to break LOS first. The CL for Stealth is assigned by the GM based on the terrain and conditions such as lighting or weather. TP required is 3 per Tile you move using Stealth. Stealth score can be countered by Observe. Add the (S) created with Observe to the TP required for Stealth. Failure to get enough (S) with Stealth means you can be detected by See or Hear normally.

SURVIVE: Keep yourself and your party alive in hostile terrain. Examples include an exotic jungle cave, a techno-swarm hive world, or an urban area like London. Each Skill Level of Survive gets you a different biome - so name your biomes and keep track of them as you increase this skill. GM will determine the CL based on the current conditions. TP is set equal to the number of people you are trying to keep alive in the hostile terrain. Failure with the skill means exposure to the elements of the environment and whatever consequences that brings.

TECH OPS: You have a general awareness and skill with all things electrical and computer based. This includes operating computers and computer programs. At Skill Level 3 you understand computers and how to program them. At Skill Level 5 you can break encryption and gain access to protected systems. The CL for any use of Tech Ops is set by the GM based on familiarity with the tech to be operated/modified. TP required is based on the specific technology's ability to perform the task. For example, getting a cell phone to make a call is trivial, but getting your smart-fridge to make a call is more of a challenge.

VALUATION: You can spot forgeries, get the best return on loot and treasure points, and determine the value of consumer goods of any sort. At the start of a session, you get one extra Loot Point per (S) with Valuation, up to double your normal total (2XWealth + Treasure Points). This is done using triangular numbers, so 1(S) = +1 loot, 3(S)= +2 loot, 6(S) = +3 loot, etc. Valuation can also be used to spot an object created with the Forge skill. Your (S) with Valuation must exceed the TP of the created object to detect the forgery.


INTRINSICS

To succeed in polite society, a young woman must be many things. Kind... well-read... and accomplished. But to survive in the world as we know it, you'll need... other qualities.

An Intrisic is a physical trait you can possess but it does not work like Skills. You can invest 1, 2, or 3 CP into any intrinsic.  Anything having to do with dice and (S) are explained in the specific descriptions. They cost zero focus to use. They are just part of your character and always in play if you've purchased them.

Intrinsic List

CLING: You can stick to the ground allowing you to run up walls or stand on the ceiling. At level 2 you an apply double results when resisting being moved against your will, such as to protect against being moved with Telekinesis. At level 3 you gain an extra Maneuver point.

FLIGHT: You can now travel through the air. At level 2, anyone in the same tile with you who does not possess flight must treat you as if you were 1 tile away for range purposes. At level 3 you gain an extra Maneuver point per point of Mobility attribute.

LIFESPAN:  Extends your life to twice the lifespan typical for your species. At level 2 your lifespan is 10X, and at level 3 you do not age and there are no natural effects from aging.

MULE:  You generate more (S) from the dice when using Carry. You get 2X results for 1pt, 3X results for 2pts, and 5X results for 3pts.

NUTRITION  You eat and drink per week rather than per day. At level 2 you eat/drink per month. At level 3 you do not ever need to eat or drink.

RESOLUTE: You have a strong and resolute mind. You are able to partially or wholly resist mental Coercion and the effects of Empathy and Telepathy. Add twice your points in Resolute to your own Mastery against these Skills or Powers.

REST:  You only need to sleep 1 hour per day. At level 2 you only mediate for 15 minutes per day. At level 3 you no longer need sleep.

STRONG: You are stronger than average and generate more (S) from the dice to roll when using Brute Force. You get 2X results for 1pt, 3X results for 2pts, and 5X results for 3pts.

TELEPORT: You can instantly move to your target location without crossing intervening terrain. At level 2 you gain the ability to use the Flank maneuver for 1 MP without needing to outnumber your opponents. At level 3 you gain an extra Maneuver point per point of Mobility attribute.

TOUGH: You can resist physical Coercion (not mental). Add twice your points in Tough to your own Mastery against physical Coercion or any physical duress applied to you.

VIGOROUS: Healing and medical skills used on you are more effective. Gain an extra (S) of health per level of vigorous purchased. Your natural healing is also increased by 2X for 1 point of Vigorous, 3X for 2pts, and 5X for 3 pts.


MODIFIERS

I've made a lot of special modifications myself.

Modifiers change the way a hand is played, modifying what the cards do.

APPROVAL: A greater power to whom you are pledged in some way guides your hand granting 4 additional dice on your roll. If any unmodified roll made while using this card generates no (S), then the hand fails and no effect from any card is applied. In addition, all the cards in your hand are discarded and cannot be played again for 1 hour. 

ARC: Your powers have the ability to pass over or around barriers, allowing you to ignore your target's use of cover. Arc can also ignore Line Of Sight penalties for Obstruction in a tile.

AREA: Target an entire tile and effect everyone in that tile. Focus can be applied to increase the area, adding 1 adjacent Tile per 3 Focus. All Tiles that are targeted must be within range.

CONTAGIOUS: The effect of your power spreads to anyone who touches your target while the effect is delivered, or anyone who is touching the target while the effect is Persistent.

COORDINATE: All participants using this mod show their hands and pay focus, but do not roll or apply any effects yet. When all hands are displayed and focus paid, apply all results at one time. Each Coordinate user gets one pip adjustment for each Coordinate player in the group. Coordinate cannot be interrupted after focus is paid. You cannot take any other action while waiting for Coordinate to apply. All hands in Coordinate must be used against a single target.

EMPATHIC: Add any number of (S) but lose 1 health for every 2(S) added. Lost health cannot be mitigated and cannot be healed with the Heal power or Medical skill.

ENDURING: If the cards in this hand have a duration in hours, change hours to days. If duration is rounds, change to hours.

ENRAGED: You gain 4 dice, but only if the target did health damage to you this round.

FINESSE: Add any number of pips to any dice you roll for the hand. However, for every pip you add to one die, you must remove two from another. Can only be used to increase overall (S) count.

KNOCKDOWN: Apply (S) and/or Damage from this hand as “Knockdown”. If you achieve a total knockdown equal to or greater than the target's Mastery, the target is knocked to the ground and becomes Prone. Damage or (S) used as Knockdown cannot be used for any other purpose.

LUCK: Double your (S) count if your unmodified roll results were less than 50% (S).

MULTIPLE: This hand affects 2 targets or is applied to the same target 2 times within range.

OTHER: Allows a card that can normally only be used on self to be used on someone else.

OVERKILL: Any damage in excess of what is needed to kill your target is transferred to a second target within range. If there is still damage left over, continue to transfer damage until all damage is allocated or all targets are dead. Damage added from Mastery is not able to be used for Overkill.

PERMANENT: The effect of your Improvement or Creation power does not fade over time. You still roll and record your duration, but you do not reduce that number because time has gone by. Duration can still be reduced to zero, and then removed through use of powers such as Temper and Dispel.

PERSISTENT: The effect of your hand continues for an additional round at full effect. The additional round of effect occurs on the target's initiative before they take any action.

PIERCE: Any Protection on target is halved, rounded up, before applying results.

PRECISION: After you roll for your hand, select any dice that have a result you don't like and re-roll them.

RAISE DEAD: Revive power used on a dead non-Telken creates a zombie under your control. Zombie has Focus Level+(S) health, even if that gives the zombie more health than it had in life. Example: A dog with 2 health is killed. Revive with Raise Dead is used returning 7 health, making a zombie dog with 7 health. Zombies cannot heal. Only 1 zombie allowed at a time per user and it cannot be "raised" a second time. The zombie has the same movement, deck, focus, Mastery as it did in life, and is controlled by whoever raised it.

RANGED: Apply the effects of your hand up to 1 tile away per focus applied to this modifier. The maximum range you can play a hand is 2 tiles away.

SHRED: Spread your damage out over any number of targets within range.

TRIGGER: A hand with Trigger can be used on any target, living or nonliving. The effect is delayed until some predefined future event occurs. Your trigger condition may be up to 13 words. Trigger remains in effect for 1 day. If the duration of trigger expires or is dispelled, it is removed with no effect. You may only have 1 trigger set up at a time.

UNCONTROLLED: You unleash uncontrolled Primal Force energy upon your target, sacrificing all dice you would have rolled to generate (S). This cannot be played with a control and it is a full focus action. The downside is that your Focus is reduced by 3 next round and you immediately suffer your Mastery in health damage which cannot be mitigated. In return you add 3+Mastery in (S) to this hand. So, if you are M7, you add 10(S) to this hand and you roll no dice for (S).


CONTROLS

The world functions on a higher level when it is controlled.

Telkens can draw upon the Primal Force. They can control that energy and use it to fuel any Power in their deck. The conversion of Primal Force energy is done by using a Control. Controls have two effects, an Enhancement and a Glamour. An Enhancement is the effect of converting primal force energy to a new form and is required whenever a power is used by a Telken. Controls also have a Glamour, which is the effect of the control on its own. Use of either the enhancement or glamour costs 1 Focus, or both can be played at the same time for 2 Focus. When a control is being used to convert Primal Force for a power, it must be played as an Enhancement, though it can also be played as a glamour at the same time for 2 focus. Any number of controls can be played in the same hand.

Controls List

AIR: Perhaps a realm or plane. The essence of living and life or nourishment - cool and refreshing; or the destroyer of civilizations - the wrath of nature. Perhaps calm, perhaps raucous. Unpredictable and ever changing. Glamour-Create a small gentle breeze (like a hand fan) with 1 scent (like chocolate) up to 1 Tile away. Enhancement-Add 1 tile of range. The maximum range you can play a hand is 2 tiles away. 

ALCHEMICAL: Fusion of the things we gather into other things. Release of stored energy. A staunch ally and companionable friend. Perhaps a realm or plane. All things change, but this changes most. Glamour-Make edible (even spoiled) foods into good tasting nourishing food. Will not remove poison. Enhancement-When used with the Coordinate modifier, all members of the coordinated action gain the benefit of every Control card played by the team. A8: Glamour costs 0 focus. A9: +1(S). A10 one additional control for 0 focus when Enhancement played.  

ARCANE: Perhaps a realm or plane. Mysterious, secret, intellectual. The undefined stuff to be controlled - the elusive and the eternal - and neither. Glamour-Place arcane markings on any surface. Can only be seen/removed by those with Arcane. Enhancement-Add 1 die to roll. If used within the same Tile as a ley line gain 3 dice, or you can double whatever the ley line provides, whichever is greater. 

BALANCE: Equal, steady, and proportional. Perhaps a realm or plane. A holding of opposites in equal measure. Glamour-Know an object's center of mass, or, stack objects unerringly (if you can lift them or reach the top of stack). Enhancement-Don't roll for (S) with this hand. Instead, get 1(S) for every two dice you would have rolled, round up. 

CHAOS: Disorder, formless, creative, bountiful, and empty; non-being. The void which births all things. Can't be predicted - not a friend but a sometimes useful ally. Perhaps a realm or plane. Sometimes it is merely its own opposite. Always seeking to move on. Glamour-Cause a single small object within your Tile to no longer be where it is supposed to be. Object does not change ownership, it is merely misplaced and can be found with one action of looking. Enhancement-If you roll an even number of (S) remove a (S). If you get an odd number of (S) add two (S).

DARK: The total absence of light - the black. Perhaps a realm or plane. The idea of taking advantage of the weak; ill will or evil intent. Glamour-Absorb the light of a lightbulb, candle, torch or other simple source of light. Object continues to work if restarted. 1 Tile range. Enhancement-Add 2 dice for (S) when using a power to manipulate senses (works any time), or on any power when in full darkness (only works during an 8-hour span of time centering on midnight).

DIVINE: Of religion and faith. Indicating a pantheon or order surrounding psyche. Perhaps a realm or plane. Channeling of thought and emotion from a higher power. Glamour-Gain a visible glow of light of any color on self. Lasts as long as you like or until unconscious. It can illuminate up to a 2 meter radius area surrounding you. Enhancement-Change your roll with two pip adjustments. Think of it as divine intervention.

EARTH: The ground at our feet - the loam required for proper growth. The topsoil of a planet, or perhaps the entire planet. Perhaps a realm or plane. Glamour-Bolster living plants to max health in your current Tile. The plants must be maintained normally afterwards. Change a polluted area of land 2 meters square into its native state. This cannot be used to hurt anything (only to be used in a "green" way). Enhancement-Gain 2 dice for rolling (S) when your feet are on the earth, not anything manmade like concrete. Wearing shoes or touching things like leaves, dust, sand, or plant matter is ok.

ELECTRIC: Power oriented, controlled, used. And chaotic in nature. Regeneration and the giver of energy. Perhaps a realm or plane. Unpredictable. Perhaps aligned with fire. Glamour-Create a static shock, jump charge batteries to minimal life, charge a AA battery to full in 10 minutes. Enhancement-If you roll a (S) on every die, your effect chains to a single target in range (you choose target). Apply the full effect of every card in the hand, but make a new roll using half your dice (round down) for the new target. This result can also chain.

EMOTION: Heart and blood; psyche. Perhaps a realm or plane. The unseen drive. The unpredictable heart. Pure chaos. Pure love. Glamour-Soothe your target, allowing them one pip adjustment the next time they roll dice. Enhancement-Target is distracted and loses a point of initiative for the rest of this round. If used with Hesitate or Empathy, also add 2 dice for (S).

FIRE: Destruction and regeneration, energy and change, enlightenment. Heat in reality or passion in emotion. Perhaps a realm or plane. Perhaps damnation or punishment. Glamour-Produce a match-sized flame at will. Cause existing flames to flicker or brighten or dim for 1 minute. Enhancement-Using the same hand in successive turns adds 1 die for rolling (S) for each time used. If you play a different hand, or do not play a hand in the following round, this additive benefit ends.

GRAVITY: The power of each cosmic body. Perhaps a realm or plane. That which draws us in. The finite. Always ending. A fatal attraction or eternal love - but distance always destroys both.  Glamour-Double or halve the weight of an object (nonliving) within your Tile (at your scale) in size. Control your own weight, but not size, within a range of -50% to +100%. Enhancement-If the target weighs less than you, the target loses 1 MP. If the target weighs more, you gain 1 MP. Any gain or loss of MP in this way has no effect on movement to a new tile.

LIGHT: Meaning and purpose in an intellectual sense, reason. Perhaps a realm or plane. The idea of protecting those that cannot protect themselves; good will and intent. Illumination and Illuminate. Glamour-Create a light (like a small flashlight). It can illuminate an area 2 meters in radius, or it can be focused and illuminate a line into an adjacent Tile. Enhancement-Add 2 dice for (S) when using a power to manipulate senses (works any time), or on any power during an 8-hour span of time centering on noon. 

MAGNETIC: A force of short distance attraction. Perhaps a realm or plane. Poetic justice. The opposites within each of us. The notion that things are never static. Being aligned. Glamour-Create a compass in your mind allowing directional sense. Enhancement-Roll one more die along with your regular dice. We'll call that a polarity die. Any die in your roll that matches the polarity die may be rerolled, if you desire. The polarity die may not be manipulated and does not add a (S).

MENTAL: All those neural pathways and connections and the potential for power they contain. Perhaps a realm or plane. Constantly present, ever-changing and fickle when at rest, perhaps both at one time. Glamour-Do any arithmetic (add, subtract, multiply, divide) as well as using those in multiple operations and combinations as fast as a computer. Read two pages at once but you don't have an eidetic memory. Enhancement-If you get (S) from rolling dice and you predict the total of your (S) before you roll, and if you are correct, you gain an additional amount of (S) equal to whatever you predicted.

NUCLEAR: The finite and the infinite or maybe the moment between. Splitting or joining - but changing. Perhaps a realm or plane. Potential. The answer to all questions unasked. Glamour-Serve as the battery for any handheld (non-weapon) electronic device such as a cell phone or flashlight. Enhancement-When rolling 2 or more dice, you can reroll all your dice if you fail to generate any (S).

ORDER: Marked by law, rules, and governance. Perhaps a realm or plane. That which seeks to control. Unchanging. Glamour-Mend tears, rips, holes, and instantly fix small simple mechanical objects (e.g. Watch). Separate a small pile of mixed components in a 2 meter square area into piles of like objects. Mend a 1 piece object (like a cup or a spoon). Enhancement-If your initial roll (before making any changes to what is rolled) is all odd numbers, you may choose to reroll all your dice.

SHADOW: Marked by a combination of light and dark: the in-between of the two, the pairing of the two. The cloak that conceals. Perhaps a realm or plane.Glamour-Mute the appearance of something small. Change eye color. Dim or extinguish a small light source (candle, 50 watt or less lightbulb) within your Tile (resumes normal light if restarted). Enhancement-Add 2 dice for (S) when using a power when trying to not be seen (works any time), or on any power during twilight (3 hours at sunrise, and 3 hours at sunset). 

SOUND: The waves cause pleasure and pain - esoteric and literal. Perhaps a realm or plane. The ultimate illusion of the mind, body, and spirit - or is it? Gracious, welcoming, offputting and dangerous. Glamour-You can replicate the sound of a musical instrument. Or, create a soft thump in 1 Tile either in your Tile or an adjacent Tile, within your LOS. Those within the target Tile hear it and no one can identify what it is. It's not a named (recognizable) sound. Enhancement-If you roll all odd numbers, ignore one level of Protection on your target.

TIME: Change, entropy, and memory. Perhaps a realm or plane. The ultimate coin of existence - the ultimate destroyer - the fleeting and the heavy burden - nothing lasts longer or or goes by as quickly. Glamour-Borrow time. For every 2 focus you spend on this, gain 1 focus to spend on your next hand in this round or a future round. Borrowed time focus can never exceed half your Mastery rounded up. Enhancement-You can slow time down. You may reroll all your dice one time, giving you a chance to avoid making such a terrible mistake. Just don't mess it up the second time.

WATER: Transformation and constant motion - purity and life. Perhaps a realm or plane. Glamour-Create 2 pints of water, douse small fires (small cook fire or torch), clean a surface or object instantly that could be cleaned with normal cleaning (does not remove stains or finishes). You may do one of those once per round and within your Tile. Enhancement-Your abilities flow like water through cracks and under doors, allowing you to ignore a targets use of cover and avoiding certain LOS obstructions. If water could not get through, then this will not work.


STRANDS

Old and new make the warp and woof of every moment. There is no thread that is not a twist of these two strands.

The Strand is a card that every Telken has and only one of each type of Strand can be in the party. This card represents the Strand the Telken has Affinity with. Each strand card has a Played Effect, and an Always Effect. The Played Effect is played as part of a hand, generally as a modifier or a power. The Always Effect is always in effect and you do not need to play the card or apply focus for it to work.

Strands List

ALBATROSS: You take to wing for the joy of flight without regard for landing. Life and living are constant gambles to experience without the crutch of planning. You live in the moment and ignore the risks trusting to luck, chance, and perhaps fate. Played Effect:Modifier-Fortune. No Focus. Double your (S) count if your unmodified roll result is less than or equal to 50% (S). Passive, Always in Effect: 2 in 6 chance to retain Loot chip when spent (unmodified roll only), 2 in 6 chance to avoid Death point when revived (unmodified roll only).

BRIDGE: There is strength in unity, and you strive to bring those of different ideas into harmony through understanding. An understanding achieved through inquiry and sharing, without forcing ideas. Played Effect:Modifier-Unification: No Focus. As Coordinate modifier, but all Coordinate users get to make a pip adjustment or reroll one die per coordinated user. The number of dice influenced is one plus one additional die for each Coordinate user acting with Coordinate or Unification. Passive, Always in Effect:Spend 1 Focus per target in LOS to give them Coordinate modifier in the next hand they play. Target does not need to pay focus to use.

DRAGON: The pursuit of knowledge and wisdom leads to understanding from many points of view, and the ability to hold distinct, opposite, and even impossible ideas at the same time. Played Effect:Modifier-Integration: No Focus. Gain one additional (S) for each different power played in a single hand. Can be used with any Power. Passive, Always in Effect: As long as you have unspent focus, you can add or remove one pip from one die of any roll made by a fellow Telken within LOS.

FOREST: The universe tells you every truth, if only you knew how to listen. Perception, intuition, and trust are all components of awareness, of listening to the universe. Played Effect:Modifier-Awareness: 1 Focus. Add 1 die to your roll for each targeting sense you are using to perceive your target. Using Awareness can never increase the dice count to more than double what it would be without Awareness. Can be used with  any Power or Skill hand. Passive, Always in Effect: Gain the effect of every sense power at PL2 at all times. Any use of a sense power on you is done at +2PL effect. 

MERCHANT: The exhilaration of procuring value through knowledge, skill, and connections is only surpassed by realizing that value in a transaction with another. Played Effect: Power-Broker: Transfer alterations or improvements between targets. Generate 1 point of Broker and gain 1 die to roll for (S) per focus spent. (S) can be used to add Broker points. For each point of Broker, take away 1 rounds/hours of alteration or improvement effect from your target and give them to yourself or anyone within range.  Loot can be used in place of focus as desired. Passive, Always in Effect: Generate an extra loot chip per point of Wealth. Loot can be used up to 1 Tile away.

MOON: Change is part of life, nothing static survives. You seek change to improve and are never content, never satisfied. If it isn't broken, fix it anyway. Perhaps nothing is ever complete. Played Effect:Talent-Phase: Roll 1d6, place the die upon the Moon card. Increment die by one each round (6 goes to 1). Gain boon based on the number showing on the die: 1: New: Remove any one negative status effect. 2-3: Waxing: Carry over unspent Focus to next round. 4: Full: Mastery plus one. 5-6: Waning: Receive +1 healing per (S) of healing received. Passive, Always in Effect: Once per session, you can respend all your original Strand Pool points as a full focus action. Any abilities you purchased with Strand Pool points at Setup are removed, but can be repurchased if desired.

RAVEN: Life as a series of puzzles. You want to learn how and why they work, and apply that knowledge to gain advantage. Winning and losing are both equally satisfying if they result in learning. Loss is merely another chance to succeed. Played Effect:Power-Vulnerability: Cause your target to become vulnerable. Generate Focus Level +(S) points of Vulnerability and get one die to roll for (S) per focus spent. Target gains Vulnerable status when Vunlerability points equal their Mastery. Protection points reduce Vulnerability points just like Damage. A Vulnerable target can only apply half their Protection and must spend two Resistance points where they would have spent one, effective vs all sources, not just The Raven. Passive, Always in Effect: Ignore one point of the target's Protection every time you use a Power or Combat Skill, after the first time. For example, on your second use target is at -1 Protection, and the third use is -2.

SEXTANT: Curiosity drives you to explore the unknown. You discover with an innocence born of an open mind. You don't know what will come next, but you are ready for the experience. Played Effect:Power-Acceptance: Use this power directly after a hand is used against you but before you apply the effects. Generate Focus Level +(S) points of Acceptance and gain 1 die to roll for (S) per Focus Level. If you generate more Acceptance points than Focus Level +(S) of the hand played against you, you can redirect the effect at any target you desire within range, played exactly as it was played against you. If you succeed in redirecting your targets hand, you do not take any effect. Otherwise, your acceptance fails and you take the full effect. Passive, Always in Effect: Double (S) on improvised actions. Initiative skill generates a (S) on a roll of 3 or above. Surprise only reduces initiative by 1.

STAR: From birth, the star radiates energy necessary for life. In death, its body transforms into the materials needed for new life. You embrace this with a passion for how things live and die and interact with the environment. Played Effect:Power-Rebirth: Return a dead Telken to life with full health. Generate 1 point of Rebirth and get one die to roll for (S) per focus spent. (S) can be used to add Rebirth points. If Rebirth points rolled exceeds target's Mastery, target does not receive a Death point. Regardless of Rebirth points total, the Telken is brought back to life with full health. Passive, Always in Effect: Gain and assign Focus normally if unconscious. Any revive used on you works like Rebirth.

TOWER: You strive for order and control, bringing form to function through careful construction of thought, object, and word. Order realized through the sacrifice of time, energy, and blood. Played Effect:Modifier-Authority: No Focus. Do not roll dice for the hand. Automatically generate one (S) for each die you would have rolled. This comes at the cost of one health which cannot be mitigated and cannot be healed with the Heal power or Medical skill. Passive, Always in Effect: Order control costs no Focus and the enhancement ability allows you to reroll dice that did not generate a (S) rather than having to reroll them all.

TRAVELER: No ties to a location. Get what you need, leave what you don't. Your journey is one of inward exploration. Your surroundings help cultivate awareness that leads to wisdom, a setting you change to further your inward journey. Played Effect: Modifier-Momentum. No Focus. Add two (S) for each MP spent on this hand. Cannot add more (S) than the number of dice you rolled. Passive, Always in Effect: You get an extra MP per point of your Mobility attribute. You can increase your initiative with MP in planning phase.


ERRATA

You said you wanted to be around when I made a mistake.

Card Changes

These changes are already made in the text on the website, but the cards you use might have different text.

Nutrition: Has text at the end that should be part of Lifespan. Ignore that added text.

Flight: MP gained per point of Moblity.

Teleport Level 2 now allows the Flank maneuver for 1 MP, and level 3 adds 1 MP per point of Moblity.

CREDITS

Images used in Cards, Stories, and Website.