zweihander how to play beta - rpg

7/27/2019 ZWEIHANDER How to Play Beta - RPG

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HOW TO PLAY In a grim & perilous world, Players will find themselvesenthralled in intense action scenes, the machinationsof socialites and their lackeys, lethal back-alley knifefights, adrenaline-pumped chase scenes and horrificconfrontations with aberrant creatures. Combined withraw abilities, your Character is able to overcome

various challenges by calling upon specific aptitudes.Learnt proficiencies that allow you to tackle tasks,resting upon the foundation of raw ability. Your skillsrepresent a specific command over situations yourCharacter has either grown accustomed to or exhibits anatural command over. And naturally, all challengeshave their own measure of risk. The threat of failure is

a constant reminder that no Character, no matter howfar along in age or experience, is immortal or able toconquer challenges without consideration to theCampaign World around them.

THE CORE MECHANIC Whenever you try to perform a task or action which hasa dramatic or direct effect in the gaming world, yourGamemaster will ask you to make a Skill Test(sometimes simply called a “Test”) to determine

whether you succeed or fail. Additionally, Skill Testscan render Critical Successes (incurring an additionalpositive effect) or a Critical Failure (incurring anadditional negative effect). On the other hand, theremay be some tasks that are outside the realm ofpossibility. Your Gamemaster will determine if sometasks are too difficult for you to succeed at.

ROLLING DICE The Gamemaster will impress challenging situationsupon Players in distinct ways. These challenges vary

widely, via social intrigue, environmental challengesand combat encounters. These are the foundation ofZWEIHÄNDER , as any one of them can prove lethal.

These challenges frames the drama of how yourCharacter interacts within the Campaign World.

Whenever the Gamemaster calls upon you to changethe outcome, you roll the dice to determine success orfailure.

Most rolls you make during the Game Session willrequire a Skill Test, generated using Percentile Dice.

You make Percentile Dice rolls using 2D10 PercentileDice (two 10-sided dice). Before you roll, be sure toindicate to the Players and Gamemaster which dierepresents the tens die and which represents the units

die. If you rolled a “6” on the tens die and a “1” on theunits die, you generated a result of 61%. When yougenerate a result of “00”, it is equal to 100%. Rollinglower is always better for the purposes of determiningsuccess:

EXAMPLE Wilhelm Eckhardt needs to make a Skill Test. His

Maximum Chance for success is 65% or lower.Grabbing Percentile Dice, he rolls a 34% and succeeds!

If he would have rolled a 65%, he would still have beensuccessful. However, rolling 66% or higher would

have resulted in a failure.

SKILL TEST SUMMARY Whenever you make a Skill Test, you‟ll reference theseguidelines. You should commit these steps to memory,as you‟re going to be called upon to make a number ofSkill Tests during the Game Session:

First, you must determine the Skill that‟s beingTested. Generally, your Gamemaster will callupon you to Test a specific Skill as you interact

within the Campaign World. However, youmay also request to use a specific Skill tochange the outcome into your or another‟sfavor.

Once you‟ve identified the Skill you‟re going toreference, consider all of the math you need todetermine what the Base Chance to use that



Skill. This will always be a number between 1-100%. Each Skill is related to a Primary

Attribute, which you can view on yourCharacter Sheet. Add the Primary Attribute,Skill Ranks and apply any additional modifiersto the Test from other Talents from yourCharacter Sheet or Action In Combat you‟reintending to use to determine the Base Chancefor success.

In addition, other conditions of theenvironment or the situation will impact yourability for success or failure. These are ambient

bonuses or penalties imposed upon you by thedrama of the situation by your Gamemaster,called “Difficulty Rating”. The Gamemaster

will tell you the bonus or penalty you mustapply to your Base Chance. You will learn moreabout these further below.

Finally, add all of the modifiers together todetermine the Maximum Chance for success.

While some modifiers may negate one another, your Gamemaster will always clarify in thesesituations. Grab Percentile Dice, call out to thetable what your Maximum Chance for successis and roll. If they are equal to or less than yourMaximum Chance, you have succeeded theSkill Test! If the results are greater than theMaximum Chance, you have failed the SkillTest.

We will speak more in upcoming chapters about usingSkills to conquer environmental challenges, during

social intrigue events and in combat. However, nomatter what the circumstance is, you‟ll alwaysreference these basic guidelines to make a Skill Test.

DIFFICULTY RATING No two Skill Tests will hold the same level of difficulty;they are not created equal. Clamoring over a manse‟sgarden wall to abscond away with riches may prove to

be a relatively easy task with undergrowth to aid you, but scaling the face of a tower to infiltrate the count‟s

personal chambers is an entirely different sort of task. While both require an Athletics Test, it is clear that thesecond example is more difficult. But do you know

what the level of difficulty is of the first example? Thisis where the Difficulty Rating comes into play.

Circumstances directly influence your ability tosucceed or fail with a Skill Test. Your Gamemaster willalways assign a Difficulty Rating to a particular task

you wish to set your Character to. These bonuses help

distinguish how easy it is to climb up the manse‟s wall,or perhaps how hard it is to scale the sheer surface of amountain. However, you may individually gain or bepenalized by your Character‟s Racial Traits,Professional Traits, Talents or even equipmentQualities. In cases where there are unique modifiers,apply these yourself to your Base Chance.

Sidebar: Situational Difficulty Rating? ZWEIHÄNDER does not provide a complete listof every single Difficulty Rating for situations

you may be thrust in. Most of these decisionsrely on the Gamemaster’s adjudication of therules, relying solely on contextualinterpretation. While they will attempt to befair, don’t be surprised if your Tests areconsiderably harder if you’re not fullydescribing in detail what you wish to do.Describe what you wish to attempt accuratelyas you can, so that the Gamemaster can assignan appropriate Difficulty Rating.

You‟ll note that there are several different steps alongthe Difficulty Rating path. Whenever your Gamemasterdetermines the difficulty of the task you‟re about toTest, consult the table below to determine the finalmodifiers to this Skill Test. As a good Player, youshould commit to memory the names and their related

bonuses or penalties. A Gamemaster will generally callout what the Difficulty Rating for the Skill Test is,instead of telling you the bonus or penalty.

DIFFICULTYRATING Test Modifier

Arduous subtract a -30% penalty to

your Base Chance

Hard subtract a -20% penalty to

your Base Chance

Challenging

subtract a -10% penalty to

your Base Chance

Normal no penalties or bonuses to

your Base Chance

Routine add a +10% bonus to yourBase Chance

Easy add a +20% bonus to yourBase Chance

Simple add a +30% bonus to yourBase Chance



Table Follows

Under special circumstances, there may be multiplesituational modifiers at play when making a Skill Test.

Your Gamemaster tallies these situational modifiersand give you the Difficult Rating. You should concern

yourself only with your Character‟s immediate BaseChance to use a Skill, and let the Gamemaster worryabout any other ambient modifiers. These sameambient modifiers are always the province of theGamemaster.

EXAMPLE Ulysses wants to watch along the edge of the woods

for signs that anyone followed them. It’s nighttime,and hard to see anything. The Gamemaster considers

the situation to determine the Difficulty Rating. It isdark outside and Ulysses has no light.. Additionally,Ulysses is behind a number of buildings and cannotsee very far. After consideration, the Gamemaster tellsUlysses that it is a Difficulty Rating (Arduous -30%)

Awareness Test, with a total of a -30 Base Chance tohis Base Chance.

MAXIMUM CHANCE FOR SUCCESS Whenever you call out to the Gamemaster that you

wish to make a Skill Test, they will announce theDifficulty Rating. However, these results may not be sofavorable. For instance, you may have a 55% BaseChance to use Skulduggery but because you‟re trying tolift someone‟s purse while surrounded by watchfuleyes, the Gamemaster has determined that theDifficulty Rating is (Arduous -30%). This renders yourMaximum Chance for success to 25% or lower!

Under the Skills listings, they provide several examplesand circumstances which may modify or ultimatelydetermine the Difficulty Rating you face. Keep in mind

the more descriptive you are with your actions, themore lenient the Gamemaster may be with theDifficulty Rating. Denoting that you wish to climb up a

wall may be fine, but some Gamemasters may demanda more evocative explanation or ask for more details sothat they may better judge the difficulty. Meaning, if

your Character has rope and grapple, use these tools in your description of the action you‟re taking!

Despite whatever tools, help or other aids you mayhave, in ZWEIHÄNDER , you cannot change yourdecision mid-stream! Once the Gamemaster calls outthe Difficulty Rating, you must commit to your actions.Pick up the Percentile Dice, call out your MaximumChance for success and roll.

EXAMPLE Leopold Coventry is positioned atop a roof, and needsto make it across to get away from his pursuers.

Leopold tells the Gamemaster he intends to leap fromone rooftop to the other, bridging the gap using his

Athletics Skill. The Gamemaster tells him that it is an(Arduous -30%) Difficulty Rating. Knowing that thiswill drastically reduce his chance of succeeding,

Leopold tells the Gamemaster he doesn’t want to do it.The Gamemaster reminds him that once he asks to dosomething and the Difficulty Rating is set, he mustcommit to his action. With an audible sigh, he picks upthe dice to see what fate lay in store for Leopold...

One final note - providing your Character has enoughtime to “size up” the situation, a Gamemaster mayallow you to make a Difficulty Rating (Normal +/-0) todetermine the Difficulty Rating of your next Skill Test.This is always at the discretion of the Gamemaster, andmay be modified by the time your Character has to taketo determine how difficult it may be to complete theaction.

MATCH - CRITICAL SUCCESS ANDCRITICAL FAILURE In certain cases, you may generate what is called a“Match” with your Percentile Dice. A Match is

whenever you generate the same die result on each ofthe dice. These can have a dramatic impact on yoursuccesses and failures. If you succeed your Skill Testand the dice Match, you incur a Critical Success. Thismay mean you dole out a terrible injury to your foe,gain a temporary beneficial effect, add a bonus to yourally‟s next roll or do a number of other things your

Gamemaster will describe. These are generallycontextual to the situation, and the Gamemaster willannounce any additional benefits or penalties tied to aMatch. Your Talents and Professional Traits mayconfer additional bonuses as well!

Example

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjBW3uJTeayydEdyc2Nib0NMUC1WVVBxRHRtX2ZvMEE#gid=0





“Patches” has a 45% Maximum Chance for success. Rolling Percentile Dice, he generates a 33% - a Match! Because it’s below his Maximum Chance for success, itqualifies as a Critical Success! Patches announces thathe Critically Succeeded the Skill Test.

However, should you fail your Skill Test and the diceMatch, you incur a Critical Failure. The effects ofCritical Failures are always terrible. Your Gamemaster

will tell you what the effects of these sorts of Matchesare as you play. Sometimes, they may not even describethe terrible effect until it really matters. Imagine what

would happen if you attempted to use Guile on a localconstable and you Critically Failed! They may justthrow you into a dank cell for trying to “get smart” withthem. These negative effects always dramaticallyenhance the story and your Character‟s trials andtribulations.

Example Mercutio Salvatore has a 45% Maximum Chance forsuccess. Rolling Percentile Dice, he generates a 55% - a

Match! Because it’s above his Maximum Chance forsuccess and it’s a Match, it qualifies as a Critical

Failure! Mercutio announces that he Critically Failedthe Skill Test.

THE BENEFITS OF CRITICAL FAILURE Fortunately, Critically Failing Skill Tests can be

beneficial in the long term. To take the “sting” out of apotentially perilous result, anytime a CharacterCritically Fails a Skill test, they permanently increasethe related Primary Attribute by +1%.

Example Mercutio announces that he Critically Failed an Athletics Test. As a result, he permanently increaseshis Strength Primary Attribute from a 32% to a 33%.

AUTOMATIC FAILURE OR AUTOMATIC SUCCESS Technically, anytime you attempt an action you shouldroll a Skill Test. However, there are mundane things

you should never have to Test for. This would make fora very boring, drawn-out and unpleasant gamingexperience for you and other Players around you.Simple tasks such as climbing up ladders, driving a cartalong a well-traveled road, writing in your journal and

the like require no Tests, and you should assume thatthey are passed automatically. The best guideline wecan provide is that if there‟s no real dramaticconsequence for failure, you shouldn‟t roll a Skill Test.

EXAMPLE Edwin Mortani is riding his horse down a cobblestoneroad. Knowing that he has 2 Skill Ranks in Ride, heasks the Gamemaster if he can make a Ride Test to seehow well he’s controlling his horse. Since Edwin’s noton a rough road and there aren’t any real drawback

for failure, the Gamemaster simply rules that Edwin isriding very well, and allows him to show off his skillsto his friends while they ride alongside him.

RE-ATTEMPTING A FAILED SKILL

TESTFailed Skill Tests may have other setbacks as a result.Perhaps a failed Athletics Test to begin scaling a wallresults in suffering 1 Peril. Similarly, failing an

Athletics Test halfway up that same a wall may result infalling! Yet, it‟s not to say every failed Skill Testnecessarily results in immediate, inevitable failure.Some Tests can be reattempted.

If you fail a roll, there may be a legitimate reason to re-attempt a failed Skill Test. However, not all Tests can

necessarily be retried. For instance, if fail a TradecraftTest the result has already been determined - you failedto craft something effectively and it gains the PoorQuality. Other times, you may want to really, really getup the side of that wall, despite the fact that you failedthe first Athletics Test. Consider using an alternativeskill or a more creative way to grant additional bonusesto your test. You may want to consider taking your timeand making an Extended Test on your second tryinstead.

Whenever you re-attempt a failed Skill Test, the

penalties rely on narrative changes or the imposition ofother mitigating factors as determined by theGamemaster. A narrative approach and adjudicationsuits best. For instance, you may have failed an

Athletics Test to climb over a wall. Your Gamemastermay decide that a rope or other climbing implement

would allow you to to re-attempt the failed Skill Test.Other situations may not allow you to re-attempt theSkill Test until time has passed, particularly if you

wouldn‟t know if the initial Skill Test had failed. For



instance, you may have failed a check to cleanse andscrape off infection from someones‟ wounds, notedonly because the patient‟s disposition didn‟t improve.Some failures may even work against your mind,demoralizing them. Only by gaining help, finding

better equipment, sacrificing from the Fortune Pool orincreasing Skill Ranks would allow you to re-attemptthe failed Test.

EXAMPLE Leopold Coventry is amongst a crowd, tailing a localmagistrate through the market. He needs to pilfer aseal the magistrate has hidden on his person. Usingthe bustle of the crowd, Leopold rolls a Skulduggery

Skill Test and fails. However, he’s determined to pickthe magistrate’s pocket. Waiting for anotheropportune moment, he tries again (but theGamemaster tells him he must flip the results to failhis Skulduggery Test). Leopold’s Skill Test fails again,giving up.

There are some exceptions to these rules, particularly whenever you use Melee-based or Ranged-basedattacks in a combat encounter. Whenever you‟re incombat and use Actions In Combat, you do not sufferpenalties if you attempt the same action again. We‟lltalk more about how this works in Chapter VI:Combat.

EXTENDED TESTS If you decide to extend the amount of time required tosucceed at a task by three times, you may reduce theDifficulty Rating of a Skill Test by an additional +10Base Chance. For instance, spending time mending upan ally with the Heal Skill generally takes around tenminutes. However, if you instead dedicated thirtyminutes to clean and dress the wound more carefully

by taking greater care, the chances of you succeedingincreases dramatically. Spending additional timetowards a Skill Test typically confers no additional

bonus, unless the Gamemaster rules otherwise.

HASTY TESTS Some Skill Tests may need to be made in a hurry, orunder some duress. For instance, you may be racingagainst the clock to pick a lock from a door while theowner is approaching. Anytime you are beset by

circumstances where you wish to rush through the SkillTest, your Gamemaster will impose a higher DifficultyRating, based on narrative circumstances.

SKILL TESTS OVER 100% In a few extremely rare cases, it is possible to have achance for success in excess of 100%. Roll a Skill Testregardless. A result of 100% is always a Critical Failure.

Your Maximum Chance for success can never be inexcess of 100%.

SKILL TESTS LOWER THAN 1% There are times when you may have less than a 1%chance to succeed a Skill Test. Roll a Skill Testregardless. A result of 1% is always a Critical Success.

Your Maximum Chance for success can never be lessthan 1%.

OPPOSED TESTS: DEGREES FORSUCCESS In ZWEIHÄNDER , most Skill Tests are cause-and-effect. For instance, whenever you strike a foe with anattack, they may elect to defend themselves by Dodgingor Parrying. They need not “beat” your results; the foe

must only succeed their roll. The same can be said when using your Intimidate Skill to terrify yourenemies. Although you may have succeeded, yourenemies may make a Discipline Test on their Turn toshake off or simply ignore its effects. However, thereare certain situations where these sorts of rolls may notdo the trick, or both tests succeed and result in a tie.

Should there ever be a time where an Opposed Test isabsolutely required (such as in a contest of strength or

when gambling), not only should you succeed the SkillTest, you must also reference your Degrees For

Success. You determine Degrees For Success by addingthe units die (a result between 1 to 10) and add therelevant Primary Attribute Bonus for the skill.

Whomever succeeds their Skill Test and has the highestDegrees For Success automatically wins the OpposedTest. If the Degrees For Success match, make anotherOpposed Test until one side is declared the winner.However, should either participant roll a CriticalSuccess, they automatically win the Opposed Test.



However, in some cases the Gamemaster may rule thatthe Opposed Test should play out in a more tensemanner. These sort of extended Opposed Tests takeplace over several rolls. The Gamemaster will

announce how many Degrees For Success are requiredto win (otherwise a target number), and eachparticipant will make the relevant Skill Test, countingup their respective Degrees For Success. The first toreach or exceed the target number Degrees For Success

wins!

EXAMPLE Mercutio Salvatore bellies up to the bar, attemptingto engage in an arm wrestling contest against thelocal champ, “Gutboy”. The Gamemaster says that the

first to succeed their Athletics Tests and to reach 20

Degrees For Success wins. Both Mercutio and Gutboymake opposed Athletics Tests, which is modified by Strength. Both succeed their Athletics Test, so it’s timeto compare Degrees For Success. Mercutio rolled a45% and adds his Strength Bonus (SB) of 4. Mercutio’stotal Degrees For Success is 9 (5 + 4). Gutboy rolled a

35% and adds his Strength Bonus (SB) of 6. Gutboy’stotal Degrees For Success is 11 (5 + 6). TheGamemaster makes a note of the current Degrees For

Success, and the match continues on. Mercutio rollsanother Athletics Test; unfortunately, he fails his roll(and doesn’t generate any Degrees For Success).Gutboy rolls his Athletics, and generates another 10degrees for success! Gutboy takes Mercutio over the

top, winning the arm wrestling contest!

Any time an Opposed Test results in a Critical Success,the participant automatically wins the contest. If bothparticipants roll a Critical Success, reference theDegrees For Success to determine the winner. But, ifthe Opposed Test results in a Critical Failure, theparticipant automatically loses the contest.

ASSISTING ALLY’S SKILL TESTS: ASSIST DIE Fortunately, your Character is not alone in theiradventures. Your allies can rely on one another toprovide additional help while tackling the challengespresented to you by your Gamemaster. There are timesin any grim & perilous Game Session where your owncapabilities aren‟t enough; a physical challenge too

inexorable or a social situation too complex that youmust rely on your ally‟s help to succeed.

You should always endeavour to aid your allies when your Character can realistically apply their own

knowledge to the situation. But, you must adhere tothese few basic rules whenever you provide assistanceto others‟ Skill Tests:

An assisting ally must at least possess SkillRank: Apprentice in the relevant Skill to assistanother - regardless if it is an Ordinary orSpecial Skill. This means that that if an allydoesn‟t have Skill Ranks in the Special Skill: Drive, but you‟re both trying to steer an out-of-control wagon, they cannot assist you

whatsoever. Similarly, if you‟re attempting a

feat of strength using Athletics and an allydoesn‟t have at least one Skill Rank in theOrdinary Skill: Athletics, they cannot assist

you. Whenever an ally intends to assist your Skill

Test, they must hand one of their PercentileDice (one 10-sided die) to you. This die iscalled an “Assist Die”, and can replace the tensdie result of the next Skill Test you makes.

Roll your Percentile Dice and the Assist Die.However, you may reference either the originaltens die or the Assist Die with the results youprefer (typically the lowest result). This means

that if you roll Percentile Dice that comes up with a “45%”, and your Assist Die comes up as“3”, your new derived result is “35%”.

Always assume the best result when gainingassistance with an Assist Die, unless it is aCritical Failure.

EXAMPLE Leopold Coventry is going to lift the gate keys off thelocal constable, and Mercutio Salvatore is going to

provide a distraction to assist his Skill Test. TheGamemaster determines that Leopold’s MaximumChance for success is 23%. Leopold rolls his Percentile

Dice, coming up with a “13%” while his Assist Diecomes up as “3”. Typically, he would succeed with a13% but in this case, because the Assist Die derived aresult of “33%”, he Critically Fails the Test!

Typically, only one ally can assist a Test unlessthe Gamemaster rules otherwise. This meansno matter how many allies are assisting you,



you can not gain more than 1 Assist Die to aSkill Test.

Assistance requires full attention and effort. APlayer cannot simply announce that they‟re“assisting a Skill Test”. The assisting Playermust be descriptive with their words toillustrate to the Gamemaster how they intendto help. Simply stating that you wish to assist aCharm Test likely won‟t garner a vote ofsupport from the Gamemaster, but implyingthat you intend to smirk and subtly seduce thelady-in-waiting that your ally is engaged inconversation will.

EXAMPLE “Patches” has crashed the group’s coach into a lowravine. He and his friends are standing around,trying how to drag it out without harming the horses.

Patches knows a little about the construction of

coaches, given that he spent time piloting coaches inthe “big city”. He asks the Gamemaster if he can roll a

Handle Animal Test to determine whether there’s aneasier way to unhitch the horses without causing any

further injury. The Gamemaster announces that the Difficulty Rating of the Skill Test will be (Challenging -10%), which means Patches’ Maximum Chance forsuccess is 55%. Leopold Coventry immediately pipesup, indicating that he has raised horses his entire lifeand may be able to provide some assistance with thework. Leopold has Skill Rank: Journeyman in Handle

Animal; the Gamemaster tells Leopold he can conferan Assist Die to Patches’ Skill Test. Patches rolls a

“63%” on his Percentile Dice, and a “3” on his Assist Die. Patches swaps the “6” for a “3”, with his derivedresult now a “33%” - a Critical Success! Things arelooking considerably better for the intrepid coachmanand his allies.

SECRET TESTS Sometimes, the Gamemaster may implicitly not want

you to know whether your Character succeeded or not.Tests to find things overlooked (such as with

Awareness), Tests to copy a document (usingCounterfeit), Tests to holdout weapons (usingSkulduggery) and other kinds of Tests that theGamemaster would rather secretly control fallsunderneath this kind of Test. Generally, these are usedto hide the mechanics beneath the narrative, makingcertain that you as a Player don‟t make decisions basedon the result of a die roll where you likely shouldn‟tknow the result of. Under these circumstances, you‟llalready have described what your Character is doing.

From there, the Gamemaster announce the DifficultyRating. Should you possess a trait which allows you toflip or otherwise modify the Skill, be sure to let theGamemaster know. They will roll Percentile Dicehidden from Player‟s view, revealing the die resultsonly a Critical Success or Critical Failure. Otherwise,the Gamemaster will interpret the dice and explain innarrative terms what happens. It all boils down toperception - if the Gamemaster feels that you shouldn‟tknow the exact details, they‟ll obfuscate the result

within the narrative without directly revealing if yousucceeded the Test or not.

EXAMPLE Graf von Bek is attempting to use an ancient ritual tosummon a demon to serve him. Although he has takenthe proper precautions; a circle of protection, burningcensors of incense and wards against evil, the mindsof Abyssal servants rarely bow to mortals. Aftersuccessfully casting his Magick, the demon appears inall its wickedness and grotesquery from a thick plumeof sulphurous smoke. The Gamemaster asks Grafwhat his Discipline is, and makes a Secret Test inorder to determine if Graf’s force of will is enough tocommand the demon to do his bidding. Recording theresult in secret, the Gamemaster will take this underconsideration as Graf attempts to bid the demon towork in his favor...

USING ORDINARY SKILLS WITHOUTSKILL RANKS In ZWEIHÄNDER , it is impossible to have SkillRanks in every Skill. This is entirely intentional; nomatter how you grow your Character, you will onlypossess a fraction of the total Skills made available.

Even though you may not have any Skill Ranks in aSkill, you may still attempt to use Ordinary Skill.Ordinary Skills can be roundly used, even by thenovitiate, under most circumstances.

USING SPECIAL SKILLS WITHOUTSKILL RANKS Special Skills require a level of understanding thatcannot be attempted by those unfamiliar with theirusage. For instance, you cannot use the CounterfeitSkill to clip coins and forge valuable artworks unless



you‟ve been taught to do so. Anytime you attempt touse a Special Skill that you do not possess Skill Ranksin, your Test always fails. Furthermore, theGamemaster may have you Test the Skill regardless,simply to see if you generate a Critical Failure! Thismeans that if you for some reason got it in your head topass counterfeited coins to a merchant, theyautomatically see through the deception and may callupon the town constable to report you. In the absolute

worst of cases with a Critical Failure, the merchanthimself may secretly hire thugs to “teach you‟z alesson”.

SOME SKILL TESTS TAKE TIME TOCOMPLETE Mosts Skill Tests require only mere moments ofattention to succeed or fail at. However, some require alonger expenditure of time and energy. For Skill Teststhat require longer lengths of time, your Gamemaster

will indicate how long it takes to attempt it after they‟veannounced the Difficulty Rating.

FLIP THE RESULTS TO SUCCEED Under some circumstances, such as the use of aProfessional or Racial Trait, an ability may allow you to“flip the results to succeed” a Skill Test and take the

better result. Whenever the result of your Skill Test is a

failure, you swap the units and tens die with each otherin order to succeed. You always accept the better of thetwo results. If you have two or more traits that conferthe ability to flip dice, you can only take advantage ofone or the other.

EXAMPLE Leopold Coventry is attempting to listen in on aconversation in a bedchamber next to his. Pressing acup against the wall, he tries to discern what they’resaying. Leopold knows this is an Awareness Test, andhas a pretty good chance to succeed. However, he fails

his Skill Test by rolling an 81%. Fortunately, Leopoldalso possesses a special Professional Talent, whichallows him to flip the results of a failed AwarenessTest. Leopold flips the dice, resulting in 18% instead -a success!

FLIP THE RESULTS TO FAIL

Sometimes, you may be called to “flip the results tofail” a Skill Test and take the worst result. This isgenerally the consensus of the Gamemaster if they wishto introduce a different layer of hardship upon aPlayer‟s Skill Test. Whenever the result of your SkillTest is a success, you swap the units and tens die witheach other in order to fail. When flipping the results tofail, you always accept the worst of the two results.

EXAMPLE While listening in, Leopold Coventry decided to sneakout of his room to move into the hallway, so he maymake out precisely what they’re saying.Unfortunately, the floor is very creaky. TheGamemaster tells Leopold that he must roll a StealthTest to not be heard while moving out of his room. Butdue to the floorboards, he must flip the results to failhis Test. Leopold rolls a 69%, which would be asuccess under normal circumstances. However, hemust flip them to a 96% - utterly failing the Test!

If you ever generate a Critical Success or CriticalFailure, you never flip to succeed or flip to fail. In thesecases, the results simply are what they are for good orill. Also, should you possess an ability that allows youto flip the results to succeed and it‟s opposed byanother‟s ability or situation that forces you to flip tofail, they simply cancel each other out.

SKILL SYNERGY Some Skills can be used situationally to benefit oneanother. These situations are always determined by theGamemaster, but you should feel encouraged to thinkabout how you can pair up Skills together to takeadvantage of this. In these cases, you may add a +10Base Chance to your Maximum Chance for success.

EXAMPLE Graf Von Bek has recovered a stolen painting. Hewishes to evaluate whether it is a forgery or not withthe Counterfeit Skill. Fortunate for Graf, he is an artistwith 1 Skill Rank in Tradecraft - specifically, as anartist. The Gamemaster decides to let Graf add a +10

Base Chance whenever he makes the Counterfeit Test,in order to determine whether the painting islegitimate or not.



THE FORTUNE POOL The tides of order and chaos are in a constant tug of

war. All are bound to the wheel of fortune as it turns,turning treacherously for both the villainous and thechivalrous alike. When these forces are pitted againstone another, it can resonate acutely with their chosen

emissaries. Protagonists in ZWEIHÄNDER often faceinsurmountable odds. Whether it‟s being outflanked bytheir foes, stumbling upon a creature‟s den whilstheeding the call of nature, breaking a wagon axle whilefording a river, making a rude jape before a blue-

blooded lady of the court, accidentally dropping thathandful of shilling you “found” in someone else‟s purseor even just being at the wrong place at the wrong time,skill alone won‟t necessarily remedy every situation.Even when you may be unaware that you‟re inimmediate danger, fortune‟s wheel continues to spin as

blind chance and dumb luck tends to favor thefoolhardy and brave alike.

At the beginning of every Game Session, theGamemaster puts a number of tokens equal to 3 + thetotal number of Players around the table into a bowl.This means if five Players are participating in a GameSession of ZWEIHÄNDER , 8 total tokens are placedinto the bowl. The Gamemaster may use bennies, chits,coins, marbles, wrapped caramel candies or any othersort of appropriate token to throw into a bowl. Thesetokens are called “Fortune Points” and the bowl isreferred to as the “Fortune Pool”. Each Fortune Pointrepresents a currency in which the Players can spend to

change the outcome of events. As the sessionprogresses, the Fortune Pool will dwindle as Playersexpend them to re-roll failed Skill Tests, gainadditional Action Points and assume narrative controlof the Game Session in specific situations.

Sometimes, the Fortune Pool will grow with the use ofcertain traits, given as a reward for playing to yourCharacter‟s eccentricities or foibles or other situationsthe Gamemaster feels it appropriate to reward thegroup for excellent role-play. These sort of rewardsshould not be expected from the Gamemaster, but the

more often you play to your Character‟s personalityand motivation, the better chance you have for theGamemaster to grant bonus Fortune Points.

It is important to note that Fortune Points are onlygood to sacrifice during that Game Session; you cannothoard Fortune Points between Game Sessions. When anew Game Session begins, the Gamemaster replacesthose which were sacrificed during the prior Game

Session. Any Fortune Points that may have been leftunused are entirely lost. Players should feel encouragedto sacrifice Fortune Points liberally, but judiciously allthe same.

HOW TO USE THE FORTUNE POOL Fortune Points grants mechanical bonuses which can

be applied to your dice rolls:

CHANGING A DIFFICULTY RATING Anytime you attempt a Skill Test, the Gamemaster callsout the Difficulty Rating. But by sacrificing a FortunePoint, you can automatically change the DifficultyRating (Simple +30), working in your favor. This

benefit can be used against any Difficulty Rating,

providing that the Skill Test wouldn‟t normally resultin an automatic failure.

EXAMPLE “Patches” is running away from his pursuers acrossthe roofs of the city. Knowing that his enemies are onhis tail, he has no choice but to leap from one rooftopto another with an Athletics Test. The Gamemasterindicates that this is a Difficulty Rating (Hard -20).

However, knowing that Lady Luck may be in his favortoday, he withdraws from the Fortune Pool to changeto Difficulty Rating (Simple +30).

GAIN AN ACTION POINT You may sacrifice a Fortune Point to gain 1 additional Action Point in combat. However, you must alwaysabide by the rules as presented by the specific combat

Actions. You could potentially Parry a blow betweenTurns, or simply append that Action Point to your totalto unleash a decisive attack after sprinting. Ultimately,the choice is yours. You can learn more about ActionPoints in Chapter ???: Combat.

TAKE DRAMATIC LICENSE You may sacrifice a Fortune Point to make a suggestionto the Gamemaster that a course of a minor event ischanged towards your favor. There are a multitude of

ways that this can be used. However, the suggestionmust abide by these three simple rules:



It must make sense given the situation ornarrative.

It must have a solid foundation of reason.

It must have buy-in from the Players andGamemaster alike.

While these rules may seem a bit strict, they eliminateother options that would have been easily resolvedthrough dice rolls while informing the Player to getcreative, taking dramatic license with the story as if you

were sitting in the Gamemaster‟s chair. Most of thetime, you‟ll end up using Fortune Points in this way to“author” an object out of thin air. Perhaps yourCharacter forgot to bring a blackpowder charge fortheir arquebus, so you pull it out of your pocket from apowderhorn you had in reserve. Perhaps you‟d gotten

yourself locked into prison for a petty crime, but havelockpicks hidden on your person. Perhaps you as a

Player are stumped and cannot recall an important clue but may have overheard it during a conversation with a band of gamblers a few hours before, asking theGamemaster for the answer. The Gamemaster alwayshas the final say. Otherwise, they may modify it to bemore fitting to the situation.

PRIMARY ATTRIBUTES Primary Attributes are the building blocks of creation,governing a Character‟s raw potential and capabilities.

They represent physical and mental Characteristics,outlining some aspect of your Character and other foe‟sabilities. The higher the value, the better the rawability.

Primary Attributes also have a related bonus. These Attribute Bonuses are applied to Game Sessionmechanics in various ways. These bonuses are equal tothe tens digit of the related Primary Attribute, but may

be modified by the expenditure of Reward Points (aterm you will learn about later) during Basic,Intermediate and Advanced Tier. For instance, if a

Character has a Willpower of 37%, they would have a Willpower Bonus (WB) of 3. Each Attribute Bonus willalways be referenced by its proper name: Melee Bonus(MB), Ranged Bonus (RB), Strength Bonus (SB),Toughness Bonus (TB), Agility Bonus (AB), PerceptionBonus (PB), Intelligence Bonus (IB), Willpower Bonus(WB) and Fellowship Bonus (FB).

MELEE Melee represents your Character‟s overall proficiency

while fighting with weapons in close quarters. Itcontrols your ability to defend yourself and attack withclose quarter weapons. It also determines your rawchance for success with the Martial Melee and Simple

Melee Skills. Your Melee Bonus (MB) is the firstnumber of the Primary Attribute, which directlyinfluences how much Damage you inflict whenever youstrike with melee weapons and additional Damage youabsorb whenever you Parry.

RANGED Ranged represents your Character‟s overall proficiency

while fighting from afar. It controls your ability tostrike with ranged weapons from a distance. It also

determines your raw chance for success with theMartial Ranged and Simple Ranged Skills. YourRanged Bonus (RB) is the first number of the Primary

Attribute, which directly influences how much Damage you inflict whenever you strike with ranged weapons.

STRENGTH Strength represents your Character‟s physical prowessand muscle. It controls your ability to overpower othersusing might and force and allows you to carryequipment without being encumbered. It alsodetermines your raw chance for success with the

Athletics, Drive and Intimidate Skills. Your StrengthBonus (SB) is the first number of the Primary

Attribute, which directly influences how much Damage you inflict whenever you strike with hand-to-hand weapons, Encumbrance Threshold and Distance whenattacking with ranged weapons that possess theThrowing Quality.

AGILITY Agility represents your Character‟s speed andnimbleness. It controls your ability to outmaneuverothers and allows you to duck out of the way fromfalling hazards. It also determines your raw chance forsuccess with the Coordination, Pilot, Ride, Skulduggeryand Stealth Skills. Your Agility Bonus (AB) is the firstnumber of the Primary Attribute, which directlyinfluences Combat Movement.



TOUGHNESS Toughness represents your Character‟s durability and

overall endurance. It controls your ability to withstandpain and resistance to mutation. It also determines your raw chance for success with the Resilience Skill. Your Toughness Bonus (TB) is the first number of thePrimary Attribute, which directly influences yourDamage Threshold and Soak.

PERCEPTION Perception represents your Character‟s mental acuityand insight. It controls your ability to observe the

world around you. It also determines your raw chancefor success with the Awareness, Read Lips, Scrutinizeand Survival Skills. Your Perception Bonus (PB) is thefirst number of the Primary Attribute, which directlyinfluences your Initiative Bonus and Distance whenattacking with ranged weapons that don‟t possess theThrowing Quality.

INTELLIGENCE Intelligence represents your Character‟s ability to learnand memorize. It controls your ability to understand

the written word and recall important facts. It alsodetermines your raw chance for success with the

Alchemy, Counterfeit, Education, Folklore, Gamble,Heal, Navigation and Warfare Skills. Your IntelligenceBonus (IB) is the first number of the Primary Attribute,

which directly influences the number of SkillSpecializations you Character may adopt.

WILLPOWER Willpower represents your Character‟s resolve and

fortitude. It controls your ability to apply yourself inthe face of hardship and exercise self-control indangerous or frightening situations. It also determines

your raw chance for success with the Discipline,Interrogation, Incantation and Tradecraft Skills. Your

Willpower Bonus (WB) is the first number of thePrimary Attribute, which directly influences your PerilThreshold and how many Magick Spells you may learnshould your Character possess the Incantation Skill.

FELLOWSHIP Fellowship represents your Character‟s charisma and

social savvy. It controls your ability to use yourpersonal magnetism to persuade others, your ability toadapt to social situations and your personalconfidence. It protects you from the powers ofcorruption, keeping intact your Spirit in the face ofchaos. It also determines your raw chance for success

with the Bargain, Charm, Disguise, Guile, Handle Animal, Leadership and Rumor Skills. Your FellowshipBonus (FB) is the first number of the Primary

Attribute, which directly influences how manylanguages your Character may adopt.

Sidebar: Primary Attribute Tests? In ZWEIHÄNDER, you will never Test yourPrimary Attributes. For every situation, yourGamemaster will pick a related Skill you willTest to determine success. Five of the mostcommon Skill Tests you will make are Athletics(Strength), Coordination (Agility), Discipline(Willpower), Resilience (Toughness) andScrutinize (Perception). When in doubt how toTest your acumen, you may rely on the valuesof those five Skills to understand yourCharacter’s basic physical and mental prowess.

LET’S SIT IN ON A GAMESESSION...

We‟ve included an example of a Game Session to helpillustrate how Character dialogue and Tests work inZWEIHÄNDER . Although it does not fully delve intothe rules, it will illustrate the pacing of a grim &perilous scenario, showing how Skill Tests can be used.For Gamemasters, it also shows how the Game Session

works when a party of Characters splits up through vignette-styled play. There may be some terms or

Game Session mechanics you‟re not quite familiar with yet. But fear not - we‟ll provide all of the additionaldetails as you continue throughout the book.

In our example, Adam is playing Ulysses, a localReeve (sheriff) freshly returned from a rather troublingtask - a merchant train went missing along the forestpath a few days ago and has been deployed to find any



survivors. Accompanying him is Jeremy‟s CharacterCredence, a charming Thief on the run from bountyhunters (a fact unbeknownst to Ulysses). Additionally,Tim‟s Character Chauncey - a rangy veteranSellsword - is riding with them. In the vanguard ridesMike‟s Character Balbanese, a young noble Man-at-

Arms who is taking no joy in his adventures in thenorth. And finally, they have brought back themysterious Druid Otrygg (Matt‟s Character), who wasthe only survivor of the merchant train. He‟s gravelyinjured and unable to walk on his own. His leg isthrobbing, and he‟ll likely contract infection if hedoesn‟t get help. All of the Players, save Otrygg, areunawares that they‟ve been pursued...

Gamemaster: Two days pass beneath the wood, withthe midnight hour marking your return home. Beneaththe blue and grey shadows of an impossibly-highmountain range, a pioneer settlement sprawls. It is a

vast camp of stone buildings, crowned with thintendrils of smoke. The Outskirts, as Ulysses called it.This camp sprung up some thirty years ago and hasonly grown in size and proportion since trade began

with the southern lumber town of Hewn Ford.

Adam (Ulysses): “Come on, boys. The witchin‟ houris upon us, and it‟s not safe out here at night.” I wouldlike to watch along the edges of the wood while we rideinto town. My Character knows that wolves wanderinto the Outskirts in the evenings, and I want to makesure that there are none following in our wake at the

stench of Otrygg‟s wounds.

Gamemaster: Go ahead and make an AwarenessTest, but because it‟s dark outside, it will be an

Arduous Test.

Adam (Ulysses): That‟s like a -30 Base Chance,right?

Gamemaster: Well, wolves don‟t tend to carrytorches and you don‟t have lantern light. Also, theforest casts long and strange shadows over its edges.It‟s too far away to listen, so you‟ll have to rely on sight.

Adam (Ulysses):: OK, fair enough.

Adam rolls his Awareness Test and succeeds.

Adam (Ulysses): I made it!

Gamemaster: Perfect. Well, it was a good thing that

you were paying attention. Although there‟s no wind, you can see movement in the underbrush. A few branches rattle, as if someone... or something isshuffling about. And whoever, and whatever, is outthere - it isn‟t carrying a light source.

Jeremy (Credence): Did I see anything? If so, I wantto head to the watchtower and alert the localconstable...

Gamemaster: Hold on a moment, Jeremy. Ulysses,do you tell anyone about what you see?

Adam (Ulysses): Not yet. I am somewhat concerned, but I don‟t want to stir the others up. I know Otrygg isstill grievously injured and I‟m sure the ride back

wasn‟t pleasant. Pulling them into a fight I know theycannot handle would be dangerous. Plus, I know that

wolves are easil y scared by the sound of gunshot. “Get yourselves to the inn, and I‟ll meet you back there.” Ipull my broad-brimmed hat over my head and flip theedges of my mantle over to free my arms. I‟ll also strikea match off my badge and light the pistol‟s slow fuse.

Adam passes a secret note over to the Gamemaster.The Gamemaster reads it and nods in approval.

Mike (Balbanese): Sounds good to me. After all,isn‟t Ulysses THE reeve of the Outskirts; isn‟t this his

job?

Laughter erupts around the table.

Jeremy (Credence): My Character likely remembersUlysses‟ story about the wolves from a few nightsearlier, and he‟s pretty insightful and clever, so I reply“I know these woods are full of all manner of brigandsduring the day, and I don‟t see any light out there. Iknow this is your job and all, but surely you wouldn‟t



mind another swordhand? Not that wolves would reallycare whether you‟re wearing a badge or not.”

Tim (Chauncey): “I‟ll get Otrygg to an animalmender, or surgeon, or whatever the hell you people

call them up here. Be safe, brother - remember your„dancing‟ lessons”. I will walk alongside the cart withOtrygg, looking for this inn Ulysses spoke of.

Jeremy (Credence): Yeah, I‟m still a bit windedfrom that one. Heh - I‟ve been at 2 Peril Threshold thelast two Game Sessions!

Matt (Otrygg): “Be careful, Credence”. Otrygg lookslong towards the edge of the woods. “Do what the reevesays, alright?” I will lay back and guide Chauncey and

Balbanese as best I can in this poor light to the Warhorn Inn. I have friends there who can take care ofme.

Gamemaster: Sounds good. So, Ulysses...you goingto let this newcomer go with you?

Adam (Ulysses): Yeah, I don‟t have a problem withit. But I respond back in a grave tone, “Get a torch out,and keep y our eyes open”.

Gamemaster: Ok, while Ulysses and Credence go tocheck out what‟s on the edge of the woods, Otrygg,Chauncey and Balbanese continue into the Outskirts. Asingle, muddy path twists its way through thissettlement. And although the hour is late it seems thatthe Warhorn Inn, a lively place, is busy asever. Resembling something out of a novella telling ofthe north, this longhouse of tall timber and ninechimneys glows with light and life. The cacophony oflaughter can be heard within.

Mike (Balbanese): “It would be improper to simplyhitch up my horse out here. It‟s far too good a breed tofall victim to horse thieves.” Are there any stablehandsnearby?

Gamemaster: Yes, in fact there are. Two freckled-faced stable boys with a black mop of curly hair

approach, inquiring whether they can stable and fodder your horse.

Tim (Chauncey): “I got it. Asides, I owe you fromthat dice Game Session I lost last night”. I‟ll pay the

stable boy whatever is fair.

Gamemaster: 8 pennies is what you‟d need to pay.

Tim (Chauncey): I don‟t have enough, and asides -these backhill boogans don‟t deserve my hard-earnedcoin. I say to the boy “Here‟s five, and don‟t forget mychange!”

Matt (Otrygg): Otrygg audibly grumbles, knowingthat Chauncey isn‟t from around here. I‟d scold him, were I not in such rough shape.

Gamemaster: OK Chauncey, I‟d generally say youneed to make a Bargain Test. However, it‟s pretty clear

you‟re trying to not-so-politely encourage the boy totake what you have. Make a Normal Intimidate Test.

Tim rolls his Intimidate Test and fails

Tim (Chauncey): I failed.

Gamemaster: One of the boys takes the 5 pennies, willfully insisting that the remainder goes on your tabinside. The other boy shoots you a sideways glare andmutters something beneath his breath before takingthe reigns. You will need to pay before you get back on

your horse tomorrow, Balbanese. Moving on. Inside,the noise seems to come together, although stillconfusing to your ears. The people here laugh andchatter with a thick brogue; cavorting, carousing and

gambling the night away. You‟d suspect it must besomeone‟s name day, as there‟s a rather large crowd of

bushy-bearded northerners raising their cups toanother whose standing on top of a bench. The man‟shand is stuffed halfway down a wench‟s bodice, as thetwo barely balance upon the top of the table. Both are

beaming proudly, although they‟re a bit gooey -eyedfrom drinking all night.



Mike (Balbanese): I would like to look around forthe barber surgeon, so he can see to Otrygg. Plus, we‟ve

been out in the woods for a while and I probably need aproper shave...

Gamemaster: Ok, but you‟ll need to set your thingsdown first. And right as you all manage to find a goodplace to sit, a rough-looking northern bloke walks up to

your table. On closer inspection, it‟s a figure as gruffand tall as any man...but, judging by the long braidsthat rest over her shoulders, she‟s actually a woman.Her face is a mess of scars and one eye is the color ofmilk. Instead of a dress of roughspun and bodice, she

wears skirts of iron and breastplate. She drops the buttend of a well-used crossbow with a solid thud againstthe table, issuing a tattered wanted poster in-hand

towards Balbanese. She issues a terse command, “have you seen this man?”

Mike (Balbanese): Do I recognize who is depicted onit?

Gamemaster: Yes - it‟s Credence‟s face, no doubtabout it.

Tim (Chauncey): “Hey, that looks like my brother...” with a stern look, I begin to stand...

Gamemaster: That‟s fine, but let‟s cut back to theothers first. Beneath Credence‟s guttering torchlight,

you both ride slowly towards the edge of the forest. Theair is still and the forest impenetrable. The woods looklike a black-bladed stain upon the horizon. Inching

your way there, you notice the movement has stopped.However Ulysses, as you had succeeded your

Awareness Test before, we‟ll say that you know exactly where the shuffling was coming from, and can make your way there easily.

Adam (Ulysses): I slide down off my horse, my spursringing as my boots touch the ground. I will take thetorch from Credence and carefully track towards whereI heard the noise. I‟ll keep my pistol at the ready in casesomething jumps out.

Jeremy (Credence): I‟ll follow his lead, but instead I want to move amongst the foliage. Will the horsesprovide enough cover or is Ulysses‟ torch brightenough to distract whatever is in the woods? I want to

approach from the edge to get surprise should thingsget bad. Is anything out there?

Gamemaster: I cannot tell you if anyone is out there,unless you wish to stop and look with an AwarenessTest. Did you want to stop and look? Or, just keepsneaking up?

Jeremy (Credence): I don‟t want to stop and look, better just to get in there first. My Base Chance withStealth is 45%.

Gamemaster: Ok. Since you‟re using Stealth, I amgoing to roll an Opposed Test for Awareness for othersthat may be out there. Let me know your Degrees ForSuccess as well, so I can compare them to mine. TheDifficulty Rating is Simple. So that makes yourMaximum Chance for success with Stealth a 75%. Goahead and roll now.

The Gamemaster rolls the dice and tracks the successor failure behind the screen along with Degrees For

Success. However, the Gamemaster does not revealthe result to anyone... yet.

Jeremy (Credence): I succeed with 11 Degrees ForSuccess!

Gamemaster: You seem hidden well enough. You begin to pad forward, taking care not to make too muchnoise. But on your way into the underbrush, you spotsomething. Clearly, Ulysses doesn‟t see it, but you spy

something man-shaped moving amidst the forest. It‟s a ways out here, and only a faint few rays of moonlightilluminate it. You can discern an irregular slick wetnessto it, as it is hunkered over the ground like a gardenercrouched over his flowerbeds. It seems to be tuggingfrantically at the earth, and you notice strange shapesundulating from its shoulders - what you‟d take forappendages perhaps? The thing is rooting around inthe earth as if it was either digging its way into the soilor trying to yank something out of the ground...



Jeremy (Credence): “Gods below, what is thatthing?!”

What is the creature out in the woods? What was onthat secret note that Adam passed to the Gamemaster?

Will Otrygg get help soon? What will happen betweenChauncey, Balbanese and the bounty hunter at the

Warhorn Inn? This scenario will continue later in the book...

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