xGear Quest

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xGear Quest—Fantasy Citystate
Characters are Unclean, Indentured. Shunned by good people of St Jon Citystate. The ghetto of Wine Sot is your home.

This is a GEAR oriented game. That said, I plan to make the adventures more riddle, clue whodunits of a Gygax underworld style.

Characters
All players start with twelve points. They gain one more point for each level advanced by Gold (XP). The allocation may change every session. Minus any permanent damage the character carries over.

The twelve are used to select for Gear slots, HPs, Make-Rolls and Test Pips. These task points are fluid and can be assigned and reassigned at will. The only exceptions would be, once a Pip is assigned then it is locked for the session. And, every time you use a make-roll, keep that tally. Your character is literally trading HP for Pips, Make-rolls and extra slots to haul out loot.

+++Gear Slots: Double this number is your allotted number in pieces of separate Gear you can carry to perform actions or take-out as LOOT. Some items have greater encumbrance and require multiple slots. Some items fit together in a single slot. e.g., Wand of 1/2 point slot.
+++HPs: Triple the number of assigned points becomes character's HP of damage that he can take before dying at zero.
+++Make-Rolls: Number of times each session you can declare a roll as made. This stat number may never be more than five.
+++Pips: Up to six points can be assigned to add +2 in each Aspect. Where the Make-Roll is one and done, the Pips are added to every roll you make of the same type. This improvement will never be more than four.

Six Aspect Tests
Dark Magic, Light Magic, Luck (Morale), Restoration, Utility, Weaponry

All failed rolls cause a point of damage. Failed rolls force test of Durability.

Dark Magic: Fail and off for the rest of the session. After that, any forced roll of Dark Magic is instead made as Weaponry (Physical) with damage for failure increased to two.
Light Magic: Success and additionally heal an HP on anyone.
Luck (Morale): Fail and someone else must attempt the roll. Until either success or all fail once. In cases where the event starts with everyone required to make a roll, you do not apply the fail and continue. Recursive logic can be rough to track.
Restoration: Fail and suffer three damage, instead of one.
Utility: Success also gives the player character an Sp. Twenty of those = an XP advancement. They also can be spent on new gear or to repair stuff damaged by rolling ONE on any D20 Test.
Weaponry: Quite often, roll until Success. There may be ways of mitigating this within the event or adventure.

Aspect Tests
All events of the adventure are described in terms of the six Aspect Tests. e.g., Climb may need Utility. Pitfall Utility -or- Luck, Gas trap = Restoration. Puzzle= Luck (or players solve by correct answer-explanation).

Lorekeeper
One character at a time will be designated the Lorekeeper. The Lorekeeper from events and adventures will accumulate points. These can be spent to solve puzzles or ask detailed questions about the campaign. The Lorekeeper's knowledge can Stop Harm or create Expertise.

Combat
Weaponry as a Test suggests something to fight. Yet Undead may require Weaponry & Restoration. Fae = Weaponry & Light magic. Demons = Weaponry & Dark Magic.

Most action should occur with at most six rolls (very rare), all Aspects. Players would then interpret the result as slaying the beasts or driving them away or escaping.

Gear Explained
This is a GEAR oriented game. Gear has intrinsic powers, covering certain Aspects. e.g., Rope may be Good Quality Utility. Orb may be Dark and Light Magic of Great power. Father's Sword = Poor Luck and Weaponry. Mom's Poultice = Poor Restoration and Light Magic.

Before you start out to adventure (continue in the session), you outfit yourself with Gear from your group arsenal (or private cache).

Quality (D20)
Gear is rated as Poor, Good, Great.

Poor: Success on 15+
Good: Success on 11+
Great: Success on 8+

Whenever a Test roll is failed, the character suffers damage. Additionally on a roll of a ONE (on D20 Test), the Durability declines. This can happen only once for each piece of gear in the session. Failing durability will cause the object's quality to decline.

Repair Gear
For a fixed fee of five Sp, any Good item can be restored. Poor are discarded when Durability declines and Great only drop to Good for the remainder of the session. All Great gear returns to being Great at the start of the next play session.

Omnipotent Magic
Dark Magic may be substituted for any test. Failing Dark magic will turn-off that option for the session.

DefMod
Some actions start with a die penalty. This can range one to four. The penalty may last until an adventure puzzle or unknown info is revealed. e.g. Gear with riddles to unlock.

Healing & Resurrection
Once any player falls below half HPs, any party member may make Light Magic & Restoration, that's two rolls each, to restore damage. This can occur even after a character loses his last point of HP from any damage and lies technically dead. The walking wounded may limp along with the successful rolls of healing by his comrades. Only the Light magic success heals points of damage. The Restoration roll is just a penalty.

Expert Status
When an event is resolved with a natural twenty, the character gains Expertise. Make a note. The character is never forced again to roll that type of event. e.g., card Obstacles or Lost Soul. This only applies to card events and only for a twenty on the first roll attempt made in the encounter. This does not apply in scripted adventure, only for Card Events.

Bare Essentials
If a player ever finds himself without an object for a Test, he can improvise a Poor one. However, the damage penalty doubles for failure. If the player needs a visual representation, select from these.

Thorn—Poor Dark Magic
Tooth—Poor Dark Magic
Hank Hair—Poor Dark Magic

Flint—Poor Light Magic
Marble Chip—Poor Light Magic
Prayer Icon—Poor Light Magic

Penny—Poor Luck (Morale)
Acorn—Poor Luck (Morale)
Memento—Poor Luck (Morale)

Bandage—Poor Restoration
Breadcrust—Poor Restoration
Sox—Poor Restoration

Twine—Poor Utility
Sack—Poor Utility
Gloves—Poor Utility
Worn Belt—Poor Utility

Cudgel—Poor Weaponry
Sharp Rock—Poor Weaponry
Yard Cord—Poor Weaponry

Typical Vendor Prices
1 sp. Poor Restoration, Utility or Luck
1 sp. Poor Weaponry of two slot size
2 sp. Poor Restoration, Utility or Luck of 1/2 slot size
3 sp. Poor Weaponry
4 sp. Poor Weaponry of 1/2 slot size
5 sp. Poor Dark Magic
6 sp. Poor Dark Magic of 1/2 slot size
7 sp. Poor Light Magic
8 sp. Poor Light Magic of 1/2 slot size
9 sp. Good Utility of two slot size
10 sp. Poor any Pair, not Magic nor Luck
11 sp. Poor any Pair, not Magic nor Luck of 1/2 slot size
12 sp. Poor any Pair, not Luck
13 sp. Good Restoration of two slot size
14 sp. Poor any Pair, not Luck of 1/2 slot size
15 sp. Poor any Pair
16 sp. Poor any Pair of 1/2 slot size
17 sp. Good Dark Magic of two slot size
18 sp. Good Utility
19 sp. Good Utility of 1/2 slot size
20 sp. Good Weaponry
24 sp. Good Restoration
25 sp. Good Restoration of 1/2 slot size
28 sp. Good Dark Magic
29 sp. Good Dark Magic of 1/2 slot size
30 sp. Good Light Magic or Luck
30 sp. Good Light Magic or Luck of 1/2 slot size
32 sp. Combo pair of any Good and Poor
34 sp. Combo pair of any Good and Poor of 1/2 slot size
35 sp. Good any pair
36 sp. Good any pair of 1/2 slot size
Note: Great is found only on adventures or as quest reward.

Selling Loot
Found Gear can be sold for half the purchase value. These coins are delivered immediately and might be lost during the session by events.

Haggling
Ref may do so, but it's a waste of time.

Free-Style Descriptions
Each player must say what he is doing with his Gear. In some cases the Referee will ask for more or deny the action. Try again! If you had a nice Hat for Luck, you might need to describe how that Hat managed to let you find a key. "It covered my eyes, perhaps, allowing just the light of the hiding spot to be seen." Or, "I bent down to pick-up a pocket handkerchief right as the swing blade extends." Strive for Bilbo Baggins whimsical.

I want to see more clever and amusing use of Gear, NOT just I make three rolls with my Pickax. Magic is easy. Rest a bit harder.

Generating Play
Some adventures will be pre-designed. Others will be maps with Skull & Crossbones of Aspect Cards

Ace: Luck or Light Magic (single random)
2: Luck or Dark Magic (single random); in Chancellery this is a sub boss.
3: Luck or Light Magic (any one of group)
4: Luck or Dark Magic (any one of group); outside of Wine Sot or Rain Edge this is a sub boss.
5: Weaponry or Luck (any one of group)
6: Restoration or Luck (any one of group); outside of Wine Sot this is a sub boss.
7: Weaponry or Magic* (any one of group)
8: Weaponry or Utility (any one of group)
9: Weaponry or Restoration (any one of group)
10: Fate that any Aspect for next 2d4 events of the session is auto-success. e.g., Dark Magic gets a pass. To avoid damage, the character must still be carrying an object that allows at least a Poor roll of success. This benefit only helps card events not details specific to an adventure flow.
Jack: Weaponry or Restoration (all single)
Queen: Weaponry or Magic* (all single)
King: Weaponry or Utility (all single)
Note: * Use either Magic; whole table has No Banes

Hearts: No Addition.
Diamonds: Add Luck (Morale)
Clubs: Add Utility (Obstacle)
Spades: Add Weaponry (Monster)

You never roll the same Aspect twice. So if you have a Ace Diamonds that means you roll Luck and Light Magic.

Sub Boss
Some mobs are more dangerous than others. The players might be forced to select actions to certain spots of the enemy. e.g., avoid gaze by its eyes. The number of locations varies, but Rain Edge has three, Darksoul and Legion selects from four, Chancellery has five locations. The Tests remain unchanged but action does not end until the rolls are attempted and described for the correct body part or location of threat.

Examples Sub Boss
***Company of police attacking from four sides. Which is weakest for escape?
***Chimera of three heads: Goat, Dragon Wolf, but which is lethal?
***Long worm of parts Mouth, Midsection tail. Where is heart?

Clarify Card Extras
Decline Gear: One object drops in quality. Great to Good. Good to Poor and Poor to trash.
Flair: A piece of gear now has additional powers off the Flair table.
Setback: Next D4 events are double damage for all.
Peril: Option to suffer D4 damage or make Restoration. Test roll.
Stop-Harm: Voids all damage taken and stops all gear decline in an Event. Lets any Event pass harmlessly without consequence but Ref may decide this also grants no gain.

Bad Fate / Sub-Boss (D8)
1: Lose XP permanently.
2: Lose faith in an object (random); give to another.
3: Double damage going forward in the session.
4: Lose or break an object of your choice.
5: Decline random object's Quality.
6: Blank all assigned Pips.
7: Double the consequences of your past make-rolls as life drain. Each make-roll in essence causes three damage.
8: Roll again and apply to whole group.

Escalate / Psychosis (D8)
1: Event damage changes to D4.
2: Group loses 20 Sp.
3: Double damage for all going forward.
4: Each player loses or breaks an object of your choice.
5: Make-rolls cost x3.
6: Double the decline loss of any durability. e.g., Good is lost.
7: DefMod <-4> applies to all Events; ever beyond minus four.
8: Any Event damage from missed roll injures all.

These can occur against a prime villain of the campaign, like the Mind Flayers, or are triggered by group missteps or poor judgment.

Yours,