Per the introduction to Chaosium's All the World's Monsters, vol. II: "Steve Perrin's CONVN!

IONS have
"een used entirel# or in $art "# %antas# role&$la#ers in the San 'rancisco "a# area and "e#ond since the#
de"uted at ()N(*ACON I in March +,-.. !he# are revised and e/$anded here %or all those 0ho 0ant to
1no0 ho0 $eo$le %i2ht these monsters. While the ideas start %rom (3(4, much o% the material can "e used
0ith an# s#stem."
All the World's Monsters, vol. II 5Chaosium, +,--6 7more li1el# $u"lished in +,-8. +,-- 0as Vol. I edition9
!: P**IN CONVN!IONS
Man# than1s to Steve :enderson. Clint ;i22lestone, Nioolai Sha$ero, <err# <ac1s, Michael McNeil, O0en
and :ilda :anni%en, (ave :ar=rave, (an Pierson, and the man# contri"utors to Alarum 3 /cursions: ma#
#our characters have close shaves and #our dun2eons "e hair#.
S>)NC O' P?A@ & Melee *ound
In a melee round, 50hich ta1es u$ +A saconds6, each character can $er%orm one or more o% the %unctions
"elo0, unless he is "us# "leedin2 his li%e a0a# and is no lon2er interested. !he %unctions "elo0 are listed in
the order to "e %ollo0ed, even i% some o% them can "e thou2ht to "e simultaneous. 'or those 0ishin2 to
su"divide movement into seconds, the a$$ro/imate seconds 0ithin the round durin2 0hich the action ma#
occur
are sho0n in italics a%ter the descri$tion o% the action.
An#one attem$tin2 to use missile or s$ell 0hen meleed cannot use them, and 0ill stri1e last in that melee
round 5see the desri$tion o% com"at %or the usual stri1e order6 i% he mana2es 5via a de/terit# roll6 to 2et a
hand 0ea$on %ree. Other0ise, he 0ill have no stri1e at all %or that round, and must ta1e the $unishment i%
his armor %ails.
O*(* O' AC!ION
5+6. Monster Motivation. !he (M determines 0hat his monster 0ill do in the comin2 round. No melee time
5M!6 s$ent
5B6. (eclaration o% Intent. Pla#ers declare their character5s6's intentions %or the comin2 round, includin2
s$eci%ic tar2et and the nature o% missile or s$ell. !ar2et can "e ''%irst one to come throu2h the door," "the last
one in line," etc. Once declared, the character ma# %ollo0 throu2h or a"ort, "ut not chan2e his tar2et or
o"Cective. ;ut alternate tar2ets can "e chosen as a contin2enc# $lan. No melee time 5M!6 s$ent
5D6. Pre$aration. !he underta1in2 o% somethin2 to "e com$leted "# the ne/t round or o% the end o% the
current one. Involves com$licated $rocedures such as %indin2 a s$ecial item in a %ull $ac1, chan2in2
dissimilar 0ea$ons, $ourin2 oil in %ront o% the character to ma1e a "arricade, etc. It should "e an activit#
0hich 0ill last the 0hole turn. A (M can var# the s$eed o% com$letion "ecause o% various characteristics.
M!: +A seconds "ase.
5E6. Missile 'ire %rom Pre$ared Wea$ons. !his re%ers to cross"o0s, 2uns, "o0s, 0ands, s$ells, etc., 0hich
alread# have "een aimed. Missile 0ea$ons can "e %ire at this time onl# i% the same tar2et 0as %ired at
$reviousl# or i% the character has $re$ared 5see D. a"ove6 o$$ortunit# %ire %or a s$eci%ic area, such as a
door0a# or corner. M!: Bnd second
5F6. Movement )$ !o DA'. I% characters meet 0ithin this s$ace, missile %ire or s$ells at one o% them a%ter this
$hase ma# hit the other, unless their siGes are dis$arate. M!: Bnd&Fth second.
5.6. "At :and" Missile 'ire. At&hand missile 0ea$ons 0hich 0ere not alread# aimed ma# "e %ired at an
o"vious tar2et. !he intention to %ire at an o"vious tar2et must have "een declared durin2 the (eclaration o%
Intent. M!: .th second.
5-6. Movement )$ !o DA'. More movement availa"le %or those not alread# en2a2ed in melee. M!: .th&,th
seconds
586. Melee *esolution. 'ou2ht out %or all 0ho came ne/t to an enem# a%ter the %irst movement 5see F.6.
!hose 0ho came ne/t to an enem# durin2 the second movement 5see -.6 do not have time to stri1e a "lo0
%or this turn, must ta1e an# %ire %rom at&hand missiles 5see ..6, "ut $revent even a $re$ared missile 5see E.6
%rom "ein2 used on them ne/t turn. M!: Eth&,th seconds.
5,.6 S$ells and Ne0 Missile 'ire. !his can "e done "# unen2a2ed characters 0ho have not moved more than
one DA' movement $hase. M!: -th&+Ath seconds.
5+A6. ;oo11ee$ln2. !a1e this time to add $oints re2enerated, su"tract s$ell $oints, u$datin2 the cheracter %or
the ne/t round.
NO!S
MOVMN! & %rom the "asic ''armored man moves .A %eet." !he $hases o% a character 0ho can move +BA'
5+B"6 can "e done as t0o movement $hases o% .A' 5."6 each. !he derivations and $ossi"ilities are o"vious.
P*PA*A!ION !IM & time re=uired %or com$le/ tas1s can "e "ased on a de/terit# roll. 'or ever# +AH o%
a roll "etter than the needed de/terit#, a character com$letes the tas1 one second earlier. /am$le: a
character 0ith a de/terit# o% +B rolls a BD. :e needed .A, "etterin2 the roll "e D-H, or three increments o%
+AH. :is tas1 could "e done 0ithin - seconds instead o% +A, leavin2 him %ree to meet an attac1. I% he 0as
s$readin2
oil o% Sli$$eriness in %ront o% himsel% and an enem# came ne/t to him on the second move $hase, that's one
enem# do0n. !he de/terit# roll 0ould not 0or1 on an#thin2 0hich ta1es a set $eriod o% time, li1e 2atherin2
ener2ies %or a s$ell. I% the character had rolled an 8D, that 0ould $ut him B increments o% +AH over 0hat he
needed !he tas1 2oes B seconds into the ne/t round.
MISSI? 'I* & a 0and or stave ta1es a certain time to "e read# %or another "urst, so onl# one char2a could
"e e/$ended a melee round. Missile 0ea$ons have other limits, 0hich %ollo0.
:eav# Cross"o0: one shot $er t0o melee rounds, al0a#s to "e %ired in the same missile $hase the %irst one
0as, unless $ur$ose%ull# dela#ed. Cannot move.
?on2"o0, Com$osite ;o0, ?i2ht Cross"o0: t0o shots $er melee round. 'irst either at Pre$ared or *ead#
$hase 5assumin2 either a$$lies6, and then at the Ne0 Missile 'ire $hase. I% movin2, %orsa1e one shot %or
ever# DA' or %raction thereo% moved.
Short ;o0, Modern Iuns: three shots $er melee round i% Pre$ared %or the %irst one and there is no
movement. ?ose one shot $er round %or ever# DA' or %raction thereo% moved. !hus a user o% such a 0ea$on
could %ire a Pre$ared shot, then run .A' in that round. !he same a$$lies to the user o% a 0and or sta%% or a
Pre$ared s$ell or device.
arl# Iun$o0der Iun: one shot $er three to si/ melee rounds, de$endin2 on Cust ho0 ancient the $iece is.
No movement allo0ed "# %irer in a round in 0hich the $iece %ires.
(J!*I!@ & the term "de/terit# roll" a$$ears throu2hout these conventions. !he a"ilit# to do man#
thin2s, es$eciall# com"at and ma2ic, as 0ell as com$le/ actions such as chan2in2 0ea$ons, turnin2 and
%irin2, o$enin2 a "o/ and Cum$in2 "ac1, closin2 a door =uic1l#, etc., de$ends on a com"ination o% de/terit#
and e/$erience. Success in the $ercentile dice roll de$ends on the %ollo0in2: the "asic de/terit# roll is a
sim$le roll
o% FH $er $oint o% de/terit#, A de/terit# o% D al0a#s has a +FH chance o% succeedin2K a de/terit# o% +8
al0a#s has a +AH chance 5,+&AA6 o% mu%%in2 it.
OP!IONA? *)?
!he t#$e o% armor 0orn can decrease the e%%ectiveness o% de/terit#. 'or $late, su"tract B %rom the de/terit#
"onusK %or mail, su"tract + %rom the de/terit# "onusK %or "are s1in, add + to the de/terit# "onus. !his could
"e o%%set "# e/$erience.
COM;A!
5+6. 'irst stri1e in an# sltuation, 0hether melee com"at, s$ell castin2, or 0hatever de$ends on 0ho has the
hi2hest de/terit#. !his does not a$$l# to sur$rise situations, unless it is mutual sur$rise. :asted or s$ed
conditions do count. :aste dou"les de/terit# in this connection. 5Wa#ne Sha0 O$tion: once the %irst stri1e
de/terit# is determined, all haste "onuses, etc., are %i2ured, roll B(. %or each character and add the result to
the de/terit#. !his 0ill 2ive a little variet# to Cust 0ho 2ets to stri1e %irst.6 5'urther Modi%ication: a character
0ith a lon2 0ea$on or a lon2 reach and a de/terit# o% at least hal% o% his o$$onent's 0ill have %irst stri1e.
5B6. When a character ta1es more than +AH dama2e, and each time he ta1es dama2e therea%ter, the
$ercenta2e o% hit $oints he has le%t shall "e %ound and $recentile dice rolled. I% the $ercenta2e or less is not
rolled, the character is 1noc1ed "ac15i% less than FAH do0n6 or 1noc1ed do0n 5i% FAH or more dama2ed6. I%
not 1noc1ed do0n, roll a2ain to see i% the character is 1noc1ed "ac1.
Lnoc1ed ;ac1: a character must ma1e his de/terit# roll in order to 2et in a "lo0 i% he has the lesser
de/terit# and there%ore must stri1e a%ter "ein2 hit, or retain his $lace o% %irst stri1e on the ne/t round i% he
has the hi2her de/terit#.
Lnoc1ed (o0n: a character 2ets no stri1e on that turn 5i% he has the lesser de/terit#6 and must ma1e his
$ercenta2e to 2et a stri1e on the ne/t turn. I% he does 2et a stri1e, it 0ill "e the last one o% the turn. I% le%t
alone, he can re2ain his %eet on ma1in2 a $ercenta2e roll, "ut i% $ressed he 0ill sta# do0n, de%endin2
himsel% as "est he can, continuin2 to 2et in the last shot.
*emem"er: a character must ma1e his $ercenta2e ever# time he ta1es dama2e, a%ter the initial +AH dama2e
is ta1en.
5D6. One&to&one com"at cannot "e "ro1en o%% unless an o$$onent has "een 1noc1ed "ac1 or do0n, or the
hi2her de/terit# %i2hter ma1es a de/terit# roll. I% the hi2her de/terit# %i2hter ma1es his roll, the lo0er
de/terit# %i2hter ma# $ursue, 2ettin2 %irst shot, i% he ma1es his o0n de/terit# roll.
5E6. A com"ined stren2th, de/terit#, end level score o% DA is necessar# to allo0 a character the use o% t0o
0ea$ons in melee com"at 5and stren2th and de/terit# must each at least "e ++6. An#one usein2 t0o 0ea$ons
0ithout the necessar# total 0ill add the di%%erence "et0ean the necessar# total and his total to the num"er
needed to hit his o$$onent. A de/terit# roll must "e achieved to use the second 0ea$on in an# melee round.
5F6. When usin2 t0o 0ea$ons, the %irst 0ea$on stri1es accordin2 to the 0ielder's de/terit#, and the second
0ea$on as i% his de/terit# 0ere halved. JAMP?: a character 0ith a de/terit# o% +. is %i2htin2 someone
0ith de/terit# +B. !he +.&man 0ill 2et his %irst 0ea$on in %irst, then the +B&man 0ill stri1e 0ith his, and
then the +.&man 0ill 2et in 0ith his second 0ea$on as i% his de/terit# 0ere 8.
5.6. A t0o&0ea$on man ma# u$ his armor class "# one "# usin2 one 0ea$on as a shield in man&to&man
com"at. (es$ite an# $luses on the 0aa$on, it acts as a sim$le shield. O% course, i% used as a shield, the
second 0ea$on cannot "e used to stri1e.
& Steve Perrin
Oa1land, Cali%ornia
Novem"er, +,--