Hardboiled fantasy gaming, by way of Macchiatto Monsters and Trophy
Basics
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Standard six stats, 2D10K1 in order
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RUIN tracks from 1 (standard stress) to 6 (narratively fatal), a la Cthulhu Dark
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Start with LUCK resource at D8 and two other resources of your choice at D6 (such as “damned persistent” or “flirt for the crowd”); when rolled these decay on 1-3
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when outcome is in doubt, roll D12: =<STAT succeeds; =<RUIN complicates; >STAT failure (which also triggers RUIN ROLL)
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players may instead opt to roll a resource dice =<STAT rather than D12 (these decay to next lower dice type on 1-3)
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RUIN ROLL roll D6: >RUIN, increase RUIN by 1; at six, PC taken out of action
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when a resource decays, lower RUIN by 1 (minimum one)
Antagonists
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Foes described by HD#. They’ve a resource dice equal to twice their HD (min D4, max D12).
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Successful actions against foes triggers their resource dice to be rolled (decays on 1-3). If PC rolls =< foe HD, this roll also counts as a RUIN ROLL. Foes whose resource dice decay fully are at PC mercy.
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Unopposed enemy action causes automatic RUIN ROLL.
Cases
- PCs offered cases, with actionable outcome (Y/N) and reward of resource at D8 (either physical (“blunderbuss D8”) or societal (“favour of Sondheim D8”)