SIMPLIFICATIONS

Simpler Task Dice Simple Spell Crafting

To all who’ve voiced A stripped-down approach to
displeasure in tracking progress the Modern Magic system.
dice – I hear ya. There have Perfect for one-shots, or easing
been times I admit I lock up and new players in.
stall the game doing math in my
head – especially when I have EFFECT + ASPECT
multiple task dice out!
• EFFECTS:
Something I’ve taken to is using Shape, Mend, Attract, Repel,
a single task die, rated 0-9. Reveal, Obscure, Enhance or
Inhibit.
When a player makes a
successful action towards an • ASPECTS:
extended task, the "tens" spot of Choose one of the four
their dice roll is counted associated with the Arcanum
towards completion. Rolling used in casting the spell.
doubles on a successful check
adds an additional +2. Once
they reach 10+, the task is done. Cast a spell by combining an
Effect and an Aspect, and
So for example: if Rebecca rolls informing the Guide what
42% on her invocation, she results you desire from it.
scores +4 on the die towards
completion. If she had rolled 44, The Guide will arbitrate the
it would have been +6 (4, +2 for Grade of the spell (Low, Mid or
rolling doubles). High magic) which determines
the difficulty of the spell.
Author’s Rambling
Invoking the spell is a ritual – it
I created the rules for is an extended WIL (+Arcana)
Extended Tasks out of desire task to cast it.
for an element of uncertainty
when it came to how long a Some shades can Channel a
concentrated effort (such as spell through sorcery, which is a
invoking a powerful spell) standard action to perform but
would take under pressure. is also very risky. Rolling double
failures can result in weird
At the time, I thought using a complications.
“percent completion” tracking
method was clever (it being a When a Guide is unsure how to
percentile system and all). rule a result, remember the
Arcane Arbitration Cheat
If I was writing it today, I Sheet (found on page 133 of
probably would have used Sigil & Shadow, also in Issue 0 of
Blades in the Dark style clocks Echoed Invocations).
instead.
SIMPLIFICATIONS (continued)
Simplified Weapons WEAPON DAMAGE

The weapons listed in the Unarmed; bare fists/ d5

Lifestyles & Equipment section kicks
were, admittedly, mostly lifted
from Covert Ops by DwD One-handed melee;
Studios. improvised thrown 1D
Although broad, it could still weapons
inconvenience game play when
a weapon is added on the spot. Two-handed melee;
handguns, civilian 2D
Provided here is a super rifles, bows, and such.
streamlined take on weapon
damage. The general logic is
Shotguns, sniper rifles,
that melee deals a number of burst-capable assault
dice based on the hands it takes rifles and sub-machine 3D
to hold it. Civilian firearms add guns.
an extra die, and then burst-
fire capable weapons and
shotguns are a step above Military-grade gunnery 4D
those.

Grenades, rockets and 6D+

other explosives

From the Cutting Room Floor: Damage

During play testing, we used a DAMAGE WEAPONS
much different system for Smaller blades, basic
tracking harm. bludgeoning,
Lowest primitive ranged
All characters began with only weapons
20 HP, plus their STR modifier One handed melee
(the same as damage). Average weapons, handguns
and rifles.
All damage rolls were 2D, and
attacks were rated by how you Burst-fire capable
calculated damage: Highest firearms, two-handed
melee weapons
• Lowest die
• Average of the two Explosives and
• Highest die Total Military grade
weapons
• Or the Total of them
 Hardened Armor Alternate Armor System
If your group is finding worn Another approach: worn armor
armor by the book to be, well, no longer provides Damage
less than satisfactory – a simple Resistance. Instead, it is rated 1
solution is to offer Hardened to 3 points. Whenever a player
variants. Hardened armor, like takes physical damage
the name implies, cuts damage (including after a failed dodge
dealt in half, before applying or parry), they may spend 1
DR. There’s some catches, of point of armor to negate it.
course: Once their armor is depleted, it
is rendered useless and must be
- Hardening armor counts as either mended or discarded.
one additional equipment pick
- Hardening applies an
additional -5% DEX penalty
ARMOR DEX PENALTY
- Does not stack with anything Light Armor (1) 0
else granting a Hardened effect.
In terms of fiction, what counts Medium (2) -5
as “Hardened”? Bulkier,
layered; visibly more
cumbersome and obviously Heavy (3) -10
manufactured with the intent to
get in a fight. Reinforced
clothing cannot be hardened. Perks, Gifts and Manifestations
that grant Damage Resistance
continue to do so as normal.
Spell effects may enhance (or
hinder) the rating of worn
armor, and any magic that
grants Damage Resistance is
probably better being applied
directly to the character.
Worn Armor does not stack –
you’re actively wearing a set of
one of the three categories or
you’re not. There is one
exception:
Shields generally act by
providing +20% to resistance
checks against damage. The
Guide may instead rule that
they act a bonus piece of Light
Armor instead.
BACKGROUND SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
Some have expressed that the Method Two -
–20% penalty to Untrained skills Background as a
comes off as punishing for “Fall-Back” Skill
starting characters, especially
when many only begin trained In this approach, apply a rating
in a couple skills. to your Background equal to
your lowest Ability score.
The following are quick
solutions that take advantage of When you don’t have a skill
a character’s Background to needed for a roll, you may
broaden their talents: choose to default to your
Background experience as long
it relates to the action at hand.
Method One - This score can never be raised,
Background Experience even if you improve your
Treat a character’s background lowest Ability.
like a descriptor, in such that
on rolls that relate to a
character’s life experience gain
Application
an ad-hoc +10% modifier to When using either of these
their success value (or roll with options, try not to tie
Advantage if they spend a Backgrounds to specific skills so
Bone). much as situations.
This softens the “untrained” For example: going back to our
status of a character by traffic cop, it could be easily
effectively cutting it in half. It argued that they could benefit
makes sense that a traffic cop from their Law Enforcement
with a Law Enforcement background on a Social skill roll
background would have some when talking to witnesses at a
experience investigating a crime scene. However, using it
scene for clues, or that a Blue to bump elbows at a high-
Collar worker would have some society dinner or haggle with an
basic inclination towards repair antique dealer? Not so much.
or handy work with machinery.

A Note Before Implementation:

Before trying to offset the -20% Untrained penalty with these house
rules, make sure you understand all of the options already cooked
into the game! There are difficulty modifiers (page 59 of Sigil &
Shadow), a character can “take time” on extended tasks (pg. 62),
and that not every action requires a skill – simple, natural tasks
like lifting a heavy object or observing your surroundings can be
straight Ability rolls!
 Campaign Skills Filling the Roles
Another approach: the Guide
If a Guide knows that certain creates a short list of a few
types of skills or actions will skills, specifically ones they
play a huge role in their want to create adventures
campaign, they should consider around. They provide this list to
allowing free skill training to the players during character
the party. creation, and let them choose a
skill individually. Any skill
Are you running a zombie chosen is trained for free, but is
apocalypse with lots of then crossed off the list. Others
hack’n’slashing? Give everyone may also train in those skills as
Combat training for free. Or say normal in character creation.
you’re running a game
centered on a coven of
occultists – start everyone
trained in Arcana.