Playing the Game

This section outlines the rules and guidelines for playing the game, from explaining the mechanics of attack checks, to the impact of character motivations, to the rules of combat, and the consequences of character’s actions. Remember, the goal is to create an enjoyable and engaging experience for all players. The rules serve to facilitate this, but at the end of the day, fun and the collective enjoyment of the players should always take precedence.

EXPLORATION PHASE

In the exploration phase, the Game Master serves as the architect of the narrative, painting vivid landscapes and intriguing scenarios. Players inhabit this world through their characters, articulating their desired actions in this vast tableau. Time during this phase is an amorphous entity, measured not in rounds or initiatives, but rather in expansive hours.

As players traverse this narrative terrain, they are encouraged to immerse themselves, to probe the depths of the world, and to shape the unfolding story. Their actions are only limited by their imaginations and the boundaries of their characters’ capabilities.

Whenever the path ahead presents an obstacle, the Game Master introduces an element of challenge. This might be a test of skill, a call to draw upon a unique ability, or a defensive maneuver. Regardless, players must rise to the occasion, responding to the Game Master’s challenge by demonstrating their characters’ aptitude or grit. It is through this dynamic interaction between the GM and the players that the shared story unfolds, twists, and turns.

ACTION PHASE

The action phase is designed to structure and manage confrontations between players and the environment, typically involving combat. Each round of combat consists of every PC having a single turn. In this phase, time is measured in seconds. Players act without a set initiative, freely deciding their turn order. After each PC’s turn, the GM can activate up to 2 enemies, with the number and actions of these enemies influenced by the PC’s action speed. This process continues for each PC, and once all have acted, a new combat round begins.

PCs typically initiate combat. However, if the threat to the PCs is significant, the GM may have the enemies begin the combat. In such cases, the GM might either require a Dissonance Roll to determine starting Dissonance Points (DP) or set a specific DP value from the outset to signify the heightened threat level.

Combat in Echoes is envisioned as rapid, ferocious, and laden with thrilling sequences. PCs confront vast arrays of enemies, where even a solitary attack has the capacity to extinguish multiple threats, culminating in a battlefield littered with a host of vanquished foes.

ACTIONS

Every player gains two actions during their turn. PCs have the liberty to articulate an extensive array of actions they wish to undertake, subject to the approval of the Game Master. To ascertain the outcome of many of these actions, checks involving skills, abilities, or defense will be necessary, as decided by the GM. However, it should be noted that certain specific actions are strictly confined to combat rounds. The text contained within parentheses, e.g. [1], denotes the requisite action cost and speed associated with executing the specific maneuver.

• Move [1] [fast]: characters can move using their available movement points (MP). By default, each PC starts with 2 MP per action, which can be enhanced through abilities and items. Depending on the terrain type, the GM may impose additional costs in actions or MP.
• Talk [0-1] [fast]: convincing an enemy to lay down their weapons or delivering an important message to your allies to provide them a Buff can be a great advantage, but also takes time. Casual talk costs [0], but the kind that grants benefits costs [1] and can involve a skill check.
• Basic Attack [1] [weapon speed]: this attack uses the weapon’s speed and range.
• Ability [0-2] [ability speed]: each ability requires a specific number of actions to activate, typically one unless stated otherwise. Additionally, each ability has an EC condition, ranging from 0% to 90%, depending on the Ability Tree.
• Preparation [1-2] [slow/fast]: describe a reaction and condition for triggering it. During your next turn, you may activate your reaction for free as long as you meet the specified condition.
• Reaction [0] [slow/fast]: reaction abilities are free to use but can only be triggered when the specific reaction condition is met. A PC can perform only one reaction per round, which resets at the start of each new round.
• Cover [1] [fast]: provides a Small/Big Buff for the defense check depending on the type of cover, as determined by the GM.

COMBAT RESOLUTION

Combat concludes when the conflict has been resolved. This could occur when all enemies have been defeated, have fled, or when tensions have been resolved through other means. In any case, PCs transition back to the exploration phase.

WOUNDS

Wounds are a type of negative Trait related to your character’s physical well-being, which can result in small or big debuffs on checks.

STAMINA (STA)

When you take damage, subtract it from your Stamina first until it reaches 0. Any excess damage applies to your Wound Threshold. Stamina resets after each combat scene.

WOUND TRESHOLD (WT)

After STA is depleted, compare the remaining damage to your WT to determine if you gain any wounds. Wounds come in 2 types, with a maximum of 4 total (2 of each type).

If you cannot acquire any more wounds of a specific type, record a wound of the other type instead.

WOUND RECOVERY

In the Chromatic Expanse, healing extends beyond mere physical restoration—it’s about balancing one’s Echoes as well. Players can choose from two methods for this purpose: Downtime Healing and Lens Infusion.

DOWNTIME HEALING

During this healing phase, characters remain vulnerable and should refrain from engaging in strenuous activities. The good news is that the outcome is assured:

LENS INFUSION

This method leverages the powerful energy within Lenses to provide a shot at immediate wound healing. However, the process comes with its own set of risks and necessitates the consumption of the player’s Lenses. It’s crucial to note that this method can only be attempted once per session.

Decide on the number of buffs you wish to buy. For minor wounds, each buff is priced at 1 Shard, while for serious wounds, the cost is 1 Lens.

After selecting your wound type and purchasing the desired buffs, you’ll need to undertake a 40% fortune check:

DEATH

When your character sustains their 5th Wound or 3rd Corruption, they are considered dead and drop everything they hold.

Enemies behave differently; once their Stacks or HP reach 0, they are considered dead.

DREAM PHASE

At the beginning of each session, follow these steps:

1. Recap the events of the previous session as a group.
2. PCs identify all items from the previous session and may choose to sell any of them immediately.
3. PCs select a new thought for the session. If you already have 3 thoughts, you must replace one.

LEVELING/XP

Once you gain any amount of Echo on the EC track also mark 1 XP box. Your EC track can go back and forth but your XP always goes up. XP doesn’t influence Echo in any way.

Once you fill your XP track, increase your level by 1 and reset your XP track to 0. As a reward for reaching a new level, you gain 3 Behavior Points (BP) and 1 Ability Point (AP) to distribute however you choose.
The maximum level a PC can reach is 10.

DICE

The core roll is the 2d10 as percentile die—roll two ten-sided dice: Dissonance (tens) die and Harmony (ones) die to form a number from 1 to 100 and compare it with your statistics. For example if you have a 37% chance to hit, you will need to roll 37 or less.

Treat a 00 roll as a Disaster, equivalent to a score of 100.

Add to or subtract dice from your dice pool based on your Buffs or Debuffs (described below), determined by a variety of factors good and bad including weather, status effects, abilities, talents, Traits, etc. Select the best/worse results from all dice to form a number from 1 to 100.

These dice are also interpreted by the Gamemaster for a variety of effects such as number of action points for activating monsters and events and damage. Gamemaster doesn’t roll any dice to make the gameplay snappier.

ROLLING EQUAL TO OR UNDER YOUR BEHAVIOR IS CONSIDERED PASSING A CHECK

ROLLING ABOVE YOUR BEHAVIOR IS CONSIDERED FAILING A CHECK

MOTIVATION & BEHAVIOR

Each time you roll the dice during a check – whether it be for a skill, ability, defense, or even facing the perilous brink of death – you are required to make a fateful decision: selecting both Motivation and Behavior.

Within the vast spectrum of human emotions, your character’s Motivation will represent their emotional state, aligning with one of the eight distinctive categories: Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, Trust, Disgust, Surprise, or Anticipation. This emotional state holds the key to influencing your character’s abilities, as every level attained within a specific Motivation grants you the coveted +1 Big Buff.

Success or Triumph on a check will level up the selected Motivation by 1. Conversely, failing a check, resulting in Setback or Disaster, will grant you Echo equal to the current value of the selected Motivation. Afterwards, reset the Motivation to its initial value of 0.

The more you draw upon and rely on a single emotion, the greater the rewards it bestows, but the precipice of a fall looms ever closer. When any Motivation reaches a value of 2, a price of +1 Echo must be paid before you can once again embrace that same emotion for a subsequent check.

Nurture your character’s unique persona by selecting a Motivation, and then set forth to determine the Behavior it encourages. This decision shapes the very essence of the task at hand. It establishes the value you must surpass with your dice roll and ultimately determines the outcome: be it a Triumph, Success, Setback, or Disaster. The convergence of Motivation and Behavior will define your character’s journey and weave a tale that shall be remembered for ages to come.

TRAITS

Traits are storytelling opportunities for PCs. Players and GM can use Traits coming from Lore, Items, Abilities and Locations to add Small Buffs and Small Debuffs to any check involving Behavior. However, PCs cannot use Traits for checks related to Saves.

All Traits are neutral, and it’s up to the GM and PC to determine whether they provide Small Buffs or Small Debuffs. The PC may want to intentionally make their test more difficult by setting up a scene where Traits impose a penalty in the form of a Small Debuff, as rolling doubles on Harmony dice with a Small Debuff lets them reduce EC by 1, and rolling triples reduces EC by 3.

Traits can be used as often or as little as the player desires, but their use should be justified in the narrative. For instance, a player can’t use a [botanist] Trait to gain a Small Buff/Debuff on a stealth roll unless they can explain how their Trait influences their performance in that activity, for better or worse. Additionally, only a single Trait can be selected per check.

When gaining a new Trait, write it down on your character sheet and note how many times it repeats to denote its strength. For example, if you have the tinkerer Trait, which repeats three times, it would be recorded as [+++tinkerer]. The more a given Trait repeats on your character sheet, the greater its potential impact. Each repetition enhances the strength of the Trait, allowing for additional Small Buffs/Debuffs to be granted by the GM. Normally, only Motivations grant Big Buffs, but if your Trait repeats 2 or more times, you can justify converting Small Buffs into a single Big Debuff—up to the GM’s discretion. However, normally a Trait’s strength will grant an equal amount of Small Buffs/Debuffs to the PC; for example, [++impulsive] equates to 2 Small Buffs/Debuffs.

Other external sources can grant temporary Traits, such as status effects, ability effects, wounds, and environmental factors. These are not typically noted on the character sheet, and it’s up to the GM to determine the type of Buff or Debuff they represent.

BUFFS/DEBUFFS

When performing any check, players roll 2d10 by default and build their dice pool with Buffs and Debuffs granted by the GM, which can influence the outcome. Big Buffs and Debuffs modify the tens digit, while Small Buffs and Debuffs modify the ones digit. A maximum of 3 Buffs/Debuffs of each type (Small/Big) is allowed, and Buffs and Debuffs of the same type cancel each other out.

Buffs grant players the ability to choose any die during a check, emphasizing their strategic advantage. Typically, selecting the lowest die proves advantageous, unless a specific ability benefits from a higher roll, offering tactical nuances.

On the other hand, Debuffs put the power in the Gamemaster’s hands. The GM chooses the die for the player during a check, and their decision is often influenced by the desire to gain more Dissonance points and symbolize the dissonance present in the game world. Choosing the highest die increases the risk of failing a check, creating tension and challenges that test the player’s resolve.

CHECK TYPES

SKILL CHECK

Whenever you meet a significant challenge, the Game Master (GM) might want to call for a check to see if your character can overcome it. This could be anything from leaping over a deep chasm, deceiving a suspicious guard, deciphering an ancient riddle, or resisting a powerful spell.

A check is a way to determine the outcome of uncertain actions in the game. It introduces a degree of randomness and challenge, making the game more engaging and unpredictable.

Here’s how it goes:

1. Identify the goal: the first crucial step is to clearly define the action that the character wishes to undertake. This could encompass a wide range of activities, such as climbing a cliff, deceiving a guard, casting a spell, or any other action befitting the game’s context.
2. Choose the relevant Motivation/Behavior: the player collaborates with the GM to determine the most suitable Motivation and Behavior for the action at hand. Motivation dictates the number of Big Buffs, while Behavior sets the value the player must roll equal or under. In Echo, a unified Motivation/Behavior system applies to both combat and non-combat situations. For instance, Strength may determine a character’s ability to break down a door or serve as a measure of their dominance in an intimidation check. For more details, refer to the Motivation/Behavior and Traits sections.
3. Build the dice pool: once the action is defined, the player applies any Buffs relevant to the roll based on Motivation and Traits. For instance, having a [tinkerer] Trait may facilitate a Small Buff for lockpicking. The final decision on whether a Trait applies lies with the GM. Players can have a maximum of 3 Small/Big Buffs in total and they can only select a single Trait for a Behavior driven check. Conversely, the GM may apply Debuffs based on various factors, such as the circumstances, location, enemies, character capabilities, and Traits. For instance, attempting to set something on fire while dangling on a rope may warrant up to 3 Small/Big Debuffs.
4. Perform the check: the player rolls 2d10 and selects the most favorable value considering all Buffs and Debuffs applied. Success is achieved if the double-digit number is lower than or equal to the relevant Behavior. For more details, refer to the Dice section.
   • Optional: once per check, gain 1 Echo to reroll a single die.
5. Adjust Motivation: when passing a check the selected Motivation for this check increases by 1. Conversely, when failing a check, the Echo on the EC rises by the value of the Motivation, and subsequently, the Motivation resets to 0.
6. Describe the outcome: the GM paints a vivid narrative of the action’s outcome, considering not only the roll’s result but also the degree of success or failure and the specific circumstances surrounding the action.
   • Triumph: this is the best possible outcome for a character’s action. Not only does the character accomplish their intended goal, but they do so in an exceptional manner that may yield additional benefits.
   • Success: the character successfully performs their intended action, achieving their goal effectively but without any additional benefits that come with a Triumph.
   • Setback: the character achieves their goal, but with a complication, setback, or lesser effect. The character might succeed at the task, but not as fully as they had hoped, or their success might come with a cost.
   • Disaster: this is the worst possible outcome. Not only does the character fail at their intended action, but their failure results in a significantly negative consequence that complicates their situation.

SUPPORT CHECK

A PC wishing to assist another PC may perform a support check, functioning like a regular skill check but with these differences:

1. Identify the PC and the action you want to support. The GM might determine the required range between you and the supporting PC.
2. Choose the relevant Motivation/Behavior.
3. Build the dice pool.
4. Perform the check.
   • Optional: once per check, gain 1 Echo to reroll a single die.
5. Adjust Motivation.
6. Describe the outcome:
   • Triumph: +1 Big Buff for the action performed by the supporting PC.
   • Success: +1 Small Buff for the action performed by the supporting PC.
   • Setback: nothing happens.
   • Disaster: +1 Big Debuff for the action performed by the supporting PC.

ATTACK CHECK

Attack checks work almost identical to the skill checks but use Hit and Damage Saves instead of Behavior:

1. Optional: identify the ability. Gain 1 Echo on EC.
2. Identify the goal (targets).
3. Optional: select the equipped weapon for the attack.
4. Choose the relevant Motivation.
5. Build the dice pool.
6. Perform the check for your HIT save: each class uses a different Save for their HIT..
   • Optional: once per check, gain 1 Echo to reroll a single die.
7. Calculate DMG: Damage save modifier + ability damage (optional) + weapon die.
   • Weapon die:
     • One-hand: fast, the highest die.
     • Dual wield: fast, the highest die.
     • Two-hand: slow, total roll (dice sum).
     • One-hand with shield: slow, the highest die.
8. Apply damage:
   • Triumph: double DMG.
   • Success: full DMG.
   • Setback: half DMG.
   • Disaster: no DMG.
9. Adjust Motivation
10. Describe the outcome.

If your attack targets multiple enemies, you still make a single check unless specified otherwise.

Non-ability and non-weapon attacks such as swinging a chair at someone work like attack checks but cost no Echo and calculate DMG without ability damage and weapon die bonus unless specified by GM otherwise. However, they can be a perfect setup for gaining more Buffs next turn.

You might have noticed that in certain situations, Setback can yield higher damage than a Success. This is by design. High rolls will grant the GM a substantial amount of Dissonance Points (DP), setting the stage for high-stake scenes where a player’s bold moves are met with formidable retaliation from the world.

DEFENSE CHECK

Defense checks work almost identically to skill checks with the following differences: when receiving any damage, check for any matching resistance and reduce the damage by the value of that resistance. Afterwards, determine the damage type: physical (AR) or magical (RES), select Motivation as normal, and make a check for your AR or RES Behavior:

• Triumph: no DMG.
• Success: half DMG.
• Setback: full DMG.
• Disaster: double DMG.

Just as PCs almost always deal some kind of damage to enemies, the same applies to your foes so watch out as combat encounters can be deadly!

FORTUNE CHECK

Occasionally, the GM may request a PC to conduct a fortune check to decide the outcome of a random event. This can be, for example, to determine the number of enemies in a group, or to ascertain a 75% likelihood of stormy weather. In such a roll, PCs don’t apply their Motivations, Behaviors, and Buffs unless specifically instructed by the GM.

WEAPONS

Weapons are a special type of equipment, which determine your damage and activation speed during a combat encounter:

FAST WEAPONS

• Type: one-hand, dual wield
• Activation: 1 enemy activates after your turn with [1] action.
• Damage bonus: highest die from the check.

SLOW WEAPONS

• Type: two-hand, one-hand with shield
• Activation: 1 enemy activates after your turn with [2] action OR 2 enemies activate after your turn with [1] action.
• Damage bonus: the sum of both dice from the check.

The speed of your weapon can determine the speed of some of your abilities. Enemy activation depends largely on the speed of your actions and DP available to the GM, who may choose to bank them and activate no enemies at all.

DISTANCE

• Engaged = 0 spaces away.
• Close = 1 space away.
• Nearby = 2 spaces away.
• Far = 3 spaces away.

BASIC ATTACKS

• Melee attacks have 0 range meaning that you can target engaged enemies in your zone.
• Range attacks have 0-1 range meaning that you can target engaged or close enemies. A PC performing a range attack against a foe at 0 distance receives 1 Big Debuff. This penalty does not apply to range abilities.

ABILITY ATTACKS

• Ability attacks are different from basic attacks. Each ability comes with its own range and weapon specifications. Some abilities may even permit ranged attacks using melee weapons.

GRID COMBAT

When playing on a grid, only orthogonal distance (horizontal and vertical) is counted to calculate movement and attack range.

Engaged distance (equivalent to 1 movement point or 0 spaces) is calculated as follows:

Close distance (equivalent to 2 movement points or 1 space) is calculated as follows:

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS

During each session a PC can simply state having a miscellaneous item and it’s up to GM to decide whether this item is proper to the fiction of this PC’s Class and Lore. Sometimes GM may charge a price for such an item, especially when it’s not Class and Lore appropriate nor does it match any of the character’s Traits. In this case GM determines the cost in Currency, Dissonance Points, Echoes or Motivation, e.g. a dreadful picture might increase Fear.

Each session PCs can create a limited amount of times equal to their STR modifier, e.g. 34 STR will grant a PC 3 miscellaneous items during a session. This limit resets at the beginning of a new session.

Otherwise, there’s no listing items and spending rations as PCs are believed to fend for themselves and any determinants are represented by Debuffs e.g. GM may grant PC a negative [starvation] Trait, which results in a Small Debuff for appropriate checks.

CONDITIONS

Each condition applied to an actor remains active until it’s resolved or the actor’s turn ends, whichever occurs first. A resolution might involve triggering the condition’s effect or using an action, as detailed in the specific condition’s description.

Conditions with the same effect but different names are cumulative.

An actor cannot be affected by two conditions with the same name.

The descriptions of conditions are deliberately left broad and open-ended, enabling you to infuse them with your own narrative flair and creativity. This flexible approach invites you to weave your unique storytelling into the game, enhancing the immersive experience.

CURRENCY EXCHANGE

In the vibrant world of the Chromatic Expanse, Lenses stand as the main currency, with each Lens being equivalent to a week’s pay for the common folk. However, for smaller transactions or when precision in trade is necessary, Shards are utilized. One Lens is equivalent to seven Shards, positioning them as a vital sub-currency in the economic landscape.

For adventurers like you, converting raw Emotions (Motivations) before they become Echoes into Lenses is vital. To achieve this, specialized establishments known as Lens Foundries must be sought out. Here, emotions undergo crystallization into the highly sought-after Lenses. However, caution is advised; the procedure is fraught with the risk of accruing Echo.

Distinct factions oversee these foundries, each presenting their unique conversion rates and associated Echo risks. For a detailed understanding of these rates and potential pitfalls, kindly refer to the ‘Factions’ segment of this tome. For instance, while The Luminous Order may offer a more trustworthy conversion with diminished Echo Corruption risk, they do so at a premium. In contrast, the Chroma Cabal might propose a superior conversion rate, albeit coupled with an elevated Echo Corruption risk.

Given the exhaustive nature of the conversion—both physically and emotionally—it’s permitted only once a month for adventurers. Engaging in the procedure more often is typically prohibited. However, should a player uncover an opportunity to do so, they’ll incur a set of Big Debuffs, the exact number being at the discretion of the GM. The intricacies of the process remain enigmatic, jealously guarded secrets of the ruling factions. It’s noteworthy that players must commit all their emotions to the conversion, resetting them to zero regardless of the outcome.

PURITY CHANCE

The crystallization of emotions can lead to varied outcomes:

• Triumph: reduce 3 Echo.
• Success: reduce 1 Echo.
• Setback: gain 1 Echo.
• Disaster: gain 3 Echoes.

Additionally, no matter the result of the check, you also gain Lenses equal to the faction’s conversion rate and reset all of your Motivations to 0 (without acquiring any Echo).