||ATTRIBUTE NUMBER|| [ABILITY MODIFIER] [TEMPORARY SCORE] [TEMP MODIFIER]

example: STR ||14|| [+2] [12] [+1]

• Attribute Number: The basic measurement of an attribute in a 1-20 scale. A high number means a better attribute. In the example above a 16 would mean a stronger character. The six attributes are Strenght (STR), Dexterity (DEX), Constitution (CON), Intelligence (INT), Wisdom (WIS), and Charisma (CHA). To get each attribute, roll four six-sided dice (4d6) and discard the lower number.

• Ability Modifier: The ability modifier is a number derived from the attribute number, and measures how said atribute will affect the character's performance in the pertinent areas (for better or worse). To get the Ability Modifier of an attribute, divide that number in half, and substract five from that number. In the example above, we would get the Strenght modifier as follows: (14 / 2) - 5 = 2 ... so, we get a +2 modifier for Strenght (as noted above).

• Temporary Score: Some circumstances may change a temporarily a character's attributes (use of psionics, intense pain, etc). In the example above, the unfortunate character broke an arm, and his Strenght got temporarily reduced by two, so his temporary Strenght is 12.

• Temporary Modifier: The ability modifier for a temporal score. In the example above, the temporary modifier for his temporary STR of 12 is (12 / 2) - 5 = 1.

The six attributes are:

1. Strenght (STR): Measures a characters physical strenght and raw might. The Strenght modifier affects Melee Attack bonus, the Damage caused with melee attacks, and STR-related skills such as jumping and swimming.

2. Dexterity (DEX): Measures a character's agility, reflexes, and coordination. The Dexterity modifier affects Defense bonus, Reflex saving throws, Ranged attack bonus, Initiative bonus, and DEX-related skills such as sleight of hand and escape artist.

3. Constitution (CON): Measures a character's health and stamina. The Constitution modifier affects base Structural Points, Fortitude saving throws, and CON-related skills such as techniques.

4. Intelligence (INT): Measures a character's intellectual quotient (do not confuse with wisdom). The Intelligence modifier affects the number of skill points a character recieves with each level of experience and INT-related skills such as Knowledge and Appraise.

5. Wisdom (WIS): Measures a character's wit and willpower (wisdom and intelligence are often strangers). The Wisdom modifier affects Wisdom saving throws and WIS-related skills such as sense motive and listen.

6. Charisma (CHA): Measures a character's natural prescence and his talent to be otherwise well-liked and trusted. The Charisma modifier affects CHA-related skills and reputation rolls, as well as the number of Hero points.

Race and Class

Races and classes are described in chapters 2 and 3. Each one has different qualities and orientation. A selected class determines the character's Base Attack bonus, Base Save numbers, Structural points, and class bonus to Denfense

Saving Throw Numbers

A saving throw is a die roll on a twenty-sided die (1d20) a character makes to avoid an otherwise unpleasant event.

• Fortitude: Related to all events that may affect a character's physical integrity.

• Reflex: Related to all events that may not take place (or take partial effect only) if they can be dodged in time.

• Will: Related to all events that can be overcome through willpower.

Attack Bonuses

Whenever you get involved in combat, in order to succesfully strike an oponent, you make an attack roll on 1d20.

• Melee: Close range combat: Swords, hand-to-hand, wrestling, etc.

• Ranged: Includes firearms, energy weapons, thrown weapons, etc.

Hit Points and Structural Points

These two numbers represnt your character's capacity to withstand harm and otherwise physical punishment.

• Structural Points: Represent how much harm your character can take before he starts getting hurt. Black eyes, bruises, scratches, nicks, and cuts, are all examples of structural point damage. When a character looses Structural points, he is hurt, but not in danger. Your character recieves Structural points according to his character level as dictated by their class. Level 1 characters get the maximum number of hit points (example, if the character's class gives 1d10 Structural points per level, at level 1, the character starts the game with 10 Structural points). Wounded characters can recover Hit points and Structural points naturally at a rate of 1 point per character level per day. Structural Points and Androids: Androids gain Structural points as per their class normally, but in their case, Structural points represent their ability for avoiding harm (you can think of it as 'partial dodges').

• Hit Points: Once all of your structural capacity is depleted, your character starts taking damage to Hit points, which is the amount of damage a character's body can endure before collapsing. When a character's Hit points reach zero, he is seriously wounded (unconscious, or otherwise disabled and unable to take any action) and, unless he recieves the proper medical attention, he'll die. Characters who reached zero hit points, but who are still above -10 hit points, loose one additional hit point per 24 hours unless they succeed a Fortitude save DC 15 or a character with the Treat Injury skill give them the proper first-aid. Once a character in this condition stops loosing hit points he starts regaining hit points again as noted above. When a character in this condition gets above zero hit points, he regains consciousness. Another way to harm a character's Hit points is to score a successful Threat on a critical hit. Successful critical hit damage a character's Hit points directly rather than their Structural points. A character possesses an amount of Hit Points equal to theit Constitution score.

Defense

When your character is involved in combat, he rolls 1d20 plus either his Melee or Ranged attack bonus. In order to score a hit on the enemy, the result of his attack roll must be either equal or greater tan the oponent's Defense value.

To get a character's Defense value get his (Class Defense Bonus OR Armor Defense bonus) + Dexterity Modifier + Size modifier + Miscellaneous modifiers. CF armor's bonus to defense is cumulative with a hero's Class Bonus though.

Flat-footed: When a character is surprised or otherwise not moving, he is assumed to be flat-footed. When flat-footed, substract from the defense total the hero's Dexterity modifier as well as all dodge-bonuses (the hero's Class Bonus to Defense is a dodge bonus).

vs Touch attack: A touch attack is an attack that doesn't necesarily targets vital or unprotected areas, but merely wants to “touch it” (such as when engaging in grappling or trying to Bull Rush / Trip / Overrun oponents in battle). Armor bonus doesn't count when defending against a touch attack, but the character retains his Dexterity modifier as well as all dodge bonuses.

Initiative, Reputation, and Hero Points

Before entering combat, the roll of 1d20+Initiative determines who acts when. A character's Initiative bonus is equal to his Dexterity modifier plus any pertinent bonus. The Reputation of a character measures how well known said character is. A successful roll of 1d20+Charisma modifier+Reputation can allow the character to get favors in special circles and recruit followers. A character's Reputation is determined by his class level, and can also be raised by a character's actions. A character doesn't gain Reputation by merely doing things that are EXPECTED from them, but by pulling feats truly worthy of becoming famous (ie while a hunter that comes out of a gunfight untouched doesnt gain Reputation, one who gets in and out of the Paseo prison does).

Hero points are a sort of last resort a character can call on in order to escape a tight situation or potential death. When a situation arises in which a failure can carry severe consecuences, the character can use a Hero point, recieving a bonus of +2d6 to Defense, Saving Throws, and all rolls that migh arise for the duration of one round. A character has a number of Hero Points equal to 1 plus his Charisma modifier (a negative charisma modifier can take this total to zero though). Outlaws can start the game with more Hero points than that (see 'Lucky')

A character recovers spent Hero points during an adventure by doing 'heroic feats' (literally). This so-called 'heroics' need not to be 'good-aligned' though, but they DO need to be something normally beyond his grasp, somehting regular characters can't do or don't do:

1. Superheroics: Getting in and out of an Insecta colony alone, escaping a government's penitentiary, getting in and out of the starship Noah, or merely pulling a stunt worthy of The Matrix to escape or defeat a group of antagonists 4 challenge ratings higher than the character EACH. Okay, extreme examples, and note that each one of these would also result in Reputation gain, but you get the idea.

2. Selfless acts: Any act in which the character risks his life to save another's is worthy of a Hero Point award. Note that the character really needs to be RISKING himself for the Hero point award to be earned: while five petty thugs are no game for a level 5 hunter, five petty thugs with a Bantam launcher and automatic weapons are.

3. Helping the course of the campaing: A character who is always active and whose's course of action always helps the campaing flow smoothly misteriously finds himself recovering Hero points quicker than the rest (call it 'game karma').

Also, characters recover all spent Hero Points at the begining of every new adventure. In any case, Hero Point recovery can never take the character's total higher than his base. Hero Points can only be used during a true emergency, and the GM has the call to determine wether a situation is worthy of a Hero Point expenditure or not. Hero points CANNOT be used for player harassment, muchkin attemps for party dominance, player kill, and otherwise disruptive playing. Furthermore, disruptive players finally getting the rest of the party after them may suddenly find their Hero Point privileges revoked (even if they call on it to save their own lives).

Skills and Feats

Skills are particular areas of expertise the character has mastered to some degree, like driving a car or doing detective work. A character counts with a number is skill points to buy skills as stated by his class, further details in skills as well as their use and game mechanics can be found in chapter four.

Feats are natural talents or otherwise unique perks that distinguish one particular character from the rest and give him an edge in a specific area: one character can be specially dexterous with computers while other may be a gunman like only those in the most impossible John Woo films and other may have powerful allies in positions of power. Feats are described in chapter five.