OK Now for some example materials
Some Zero Level Examples
OK so there is no fixed starting point for the game. It's probably better to let players start with somewhere between 2-5 point characters. But it's within the grasp of the system to start as early as Zero points for super harsh crawl out of the gutter scenarios, and we can learn a few things about the mechanics by starting like that.
Scenario Resources
So our scenario is some bullshit about the characters all being 0 level incompetents who miraculously survived a boat wreck. They each managed to grab exceedingly minimal gear, basically a simple weapon each and maybe some basic clothing or underwear (or both).
Enemy resources will also be highly limited. The reduced lower level NPC traits, like Civilian, basically exist for the very early phase of low resource LT scenarios just like this, and it might be the only time we ever expect the players to care about fighting that sort of opponent.
Encounter maps are not expected to be altogether big or complex at this stage, the PCs cannot handle elaborate or larger groups of enemies, so there is no particular reason to map out more than a small area.
The Sample NPCs
Pirate Villager Scum –
(Civilian) Human Animal Flesh Soft Trooper
NDEF 5= 5 + Weak +Tricky 0
SDEF 10/15=10+5 Alert
Max E = 0
Max Inj = 1
Tricky Tricky 0 to NDef SDef and all actions
Weak Weak to NDef and all Actions.
Skills (0 Points)
-No Skills-
Items
Main Clothing – 1c Standard Underwear Clothing Cloth Skimpy Partial Soft Light Basic underwear layer item
Hand 1 – 1c Club Weapon Metal Hard Hammer +2 vs Small, Big sized club users with Big sized clubs also get a +2 vs Normal Sized.
OR
Hand 1 - 2c Spear Weapon Metal Hard Spear +2 vs Big, Small sized with spears +2 vs Normal Sized. optionally be Thrown for Long-Range
Notes - Villagers are exceptionally bad. They use weapons that are only going to get bonuses vs size categories they won't be fighting. They have no armour and cannot even use the torn shirt action with their clothing (because they are unamed) and it is just underwear because its all ragged and partial (and conveniently will cause a different defence profile for example material), and they have absolutely no skills at all. They are unamed co-operative attackers and that's basically it.
Pirate Villager Boss –
(Named) Human Animal Flesh Soft
NDEF 9= 5 + Slow +Strong 4
SDEF 10/15=10+5 Alert
Max E = 3
Max Inj = 3
Strong Strong 4 to NDef. Strong to all actions. 1E for Devastating +1 to any Strong normal attack (on hit)
Slow Slow to NDef and all Actions. 1E to remove 1 Slow from any action.
Skills (0 Points)
-No Skills-
Items
Main Clothing – 1c Standard Clothing Clothing Cloth Soft Basic main clothing item
Hand 1 – 1c Club Weapon Metal Hard Hammer +2 vs Small, Big sized club users with Big sized clubs also get a +2 vs Normal Sized.
Hand 2 - 4c Hand Gun Weapon Metal Hard Gun Requires Bullet Ammo, fires Gun Projectile Metal Hard Weak Long-Range Double-Range-Penalties Single-Target +2 vs Body Before Attack expend 1 ammo for Devastating +1
Pocket 1 - 1c Bullet Pouch Plastic Soft Ammo Item for Guns (equip in pockets).
Notes - Not much of a boss, but still potentially devastating to zero level named opponents. His hand gun attack could (once) rack up to a 3 damage hit (strong upgrade for 1E +1 devastating, then 1 ammo spent for +1 devastating, then out of ammo and cannot shoot again).
The Sample Party
I'm throwing together four characters here...
Lizard Girl –
(Named) Lizard Girl Animal Flesh Soft
NDEF 8= 5 + Fast 3+Cowardly 1
SDEF 11/16=10+Cowardly 1+5 Alert
Max E = 5
Max Inj = 3
Energetic Fast 3 to NDef. +2 Max Energy. 1E to add Fast to any non-slow action. If you regain at least 1E in Resources regain +1 E.
Cowardly Cowardly 1 to NDef and SDef and Cowardly to all actions. Scary attacks against you gain Devastating +1
People Traits -
NA Chameleon Skin Make pretty colours and patterns!
NA Shedding Skin You shed your skin like a snake from time to time.
NA Night Eyes You can see well in the dark in a purely non-mechanical manner.
NA Big Lungs You have fantastic lungs. May need special fitting of restrictive chest clothing, no cost.
NA Flexible Tongue You have a freakishly long and dexterous tongue It might even be forked like a snake's.
NA Gecko Pads +3 to Climb checks.
NA Bonus Tail tail in addition to normal limbs. SELECTED +3 to Climb checks
NA Claws Claws, you have them. +3 Climb bonus
Skills (0 Points)
-No Skills-
Items
Main Clothing – Standard Underwear
Hand 1 – 1c (for 2) Dagger Weapon Metal Hard Sword Dagger Small Light Weak +2 vs Flesh may add Thrown for ShortRange
Hand 2 - 1c (for 2) Dagger Weapon Metal Hard Sword Dagger Small Light Weak +2 vs Flesh may add Thrown for ShortRange
Feet - 0c Bare Feet Not An Item, Caltrops get bonuses, +1 vs Non-Deaf on Hide and Sneak actions.
Notes - Lizard girl splurged on her people traits, not sure if she is going to take them all as skills later but has an idea of stuff she wants to leave as options. She brought her underwear along as her main clothing item because she plans to invest in Chameleon skin early and it will provide less of a penalty to that being skimpy. Despite having no skill points she has a fairly ludicrous +9 climb bonus, not that it really matters compared to really keyword based climb movement, but she could actually use that a bit. She walks in with a pair of daggers but aspires to be an unarmed claw, tail and tongue fighter (or something) in future, maybe light weapons too, maybe not.
Mr Smash –
(Named)Human Animal Flesh Soft
NDEF 9= 5 + Decadent +Strong 4
SDEF 10/15=10+Decadent+5 Alert
Max E = 3
Max Inj = 3
Strong Strong 4 to NDef. Strong to all actions. 1E for Devastating +1 to any Strong normal attack (on hit)
Decadent Decadent to NDef and SDef and all actions. Cannot target Pretty characters or objects with anything other than Seductive actions, unless you pay All Energy Min 0. If successfully attack a Pretty target regain 1E in Resource phase.
Skills (0 Points)
-No Skills-
Items
Main Clothing – 1c Standard Clothing Clothing Cloth Soft Basic main clothing item
Hand 1 – 6c Kinetic Wand Metal TK Energy Magic Wand allows lesser Kinetic Blaster attack even without Skill or power source. Energy Magic TK Long-Range Single-Target +2 vs All -2 vs Magic
With Power Source 1E (on hit) to add Throw
With Skill it enhances it to change it's multi target upgrade ability to Multitarget(up to 10) (note no zone limit)
Notes - Mr Smash wants to be a wizard or something. For now he has somehow convinced the GM to let his starting weapon be a Kinetic Wand, which was probably a poor choice of wand type, but Mr Smash will hear no reason!
Betty Blades –
(Named) Six Armed ElfAnimal Flesh Soft
NDEF 9= 5 + Fast 4
SDEF 10/15=10+5 Alert
Max E = 3
Max Inj = 3
Fast Fast 4 to NDef. Fast to all actions. On any action 1E per +1 Movement.
Feeble Slow to your NDef (but not actions). -1 Max Energy. At 0 Energy may expend Injuries as separate Energy pool.
People Traits -
NA Exceptionally Long Ears Long ears like a rabbit, elf, or elf rabbit.
NA Hand Like Feet May require custom footwear.
NA More Arms You have some extra arms. Little useless ones. Or just the potential to grow some.
Skills (0 Points)
-No Skills-
Items
Main Clothing –1c Standard Clothing Clothing Cloth Soft Basic main clothing item
Hand 1 – 2c Sword Weapon Metal Hard Sword +2 vs Body
Hand 2 - 2c Hammer Weapon Metal Hard Hammer +2 vs Armour optionally Thrown to add Long-Range and Double-Range-Penalties
Notes - Betty splashed out on a few people traits, and plans to be a many armed fighter of some form (light weapons has something nice in it she might lean that way). She convinced the GM to give her an extra weapon since she is being all multi armed, even if her extra arms are not up and running yet at 0 points.
Mr Lies –
(Named) Elflette Animal Flesh Soft Small
NDEF 10= 5 + Tricky 3 +Small 2+Weak
SDEF 13/18=10+Tricky 3+5 Alert
Max E = 3
Max Inj = 3
Tricky Tricky 3 to NDef and SDef. Tricky to all actions. 1E to reroll any roll against a Non-Tricky target. (Once per roll).
Weak Weak to NDef and all Actions. 1E to remove 1 Weak from any action.
People Traits -
NA Small Sized Adds Small 2 to NDef, “Unarmed Attack” adds Small, Normal Attacks with Small add -2 vs Big and +2 vs Small
Small sized weapons one handed, normal sized 2 handed, cannot use big. Wears small sized clothing and armour.
Skills (0 Points)
-No Skills-
Items -
Main Clothing –1c Standard Clothing Clothing Cloth Soft Basic main clothing item
Hat – 3c Deceptive Mask Hat Plastic Armour Adds +1 vs All to your Deceptive attacks. Expend to fuel any Trickery skill in place of 1E.
Notes - Mr Lies is a lying midget elfling thingy. He convinced the GM to let him have a Deceptive Mask as his starting weapon, and it was probably a poor choice on his part as a zero point character for several reasons but he wants to go lies lies and more lies from the get go. The GM offered him a real weapon as well and he refused it.
Sample Encounter 1 -
Layout – The encounter occurs over 4 zones. A beach. A zone on a cliff over looking the beach. Some more beach. And Even more beach. Prior to the encounter the party was sneaking around on the beach. But the encounter begins when Betty Blades and Mr Lies are detected by roving wreck pillagers.
The party is all in the southern most beach zone (all beach zones are adjacent to the cliff top zone, cliff on the boundary between zones), there are 5 pirate villagers in the next beach zone, 5 more in the northern most beach zone, and a pirate boss on top of the cliff zone. The encounter shouldnt be altogether too hard, but the pirate boss being on top of the cliff zone could be problematic.
Turn 1 -
Betty Blades is Fast. She goes first. Mr Lies tells her to cool it, he wants to talk his way out of the situation, she points out he is level 0 and has like NO helpful abilities for doing that yet and attacks. She performs a standard Charge action, allowing her to move into the adjacent beach zone with 5 villages and make a close range attack. She uses her Sword because the villagers are in partial gear and have the Body keyword giving her a +2 to attack. She only needs a 3 to hit. She rolls a 5 and hits. Dealing one damage to a villager.
Lizard Girl technically could spend an Energy to go in the Fast phase. But decides not to. She waits.
All normal speed characters are expected to go now. The party waits on the NPCs. The villager Betty damaged won't fall down to the end of turn when damage applies. So he and his 4 friends co-operative attack her with clubs. They gain a +3 bonus from co-operative attack, and that is it, but the party are 0 level and have low defences so it will only take a 6. They roll a 15 and hit her squarely for 1 damage.
The other 5 villagers up the beach are only aware of Mr Lies and Betty Blades (the others succeeded in their sneaking and remain hidden this turn). Betty is already damaged, they could maybe charge in and knock her down or something, but the damage cap prevents them from damaging her further. So they co-operatively throw all their spears at Mr Lies, needing 7 to hit. They miss on an unlucky 1.
The Pirate Boss is slow and won't act yet. He can spend an energy to act in the normal phase, but decides to wait instead.
Mr Lies being a stubborn bastard insists on trying to lie to someone with a Deceptive social attack. Unfortunately a fight has clearly broken out and everyone gets Alert 5 on their Social Defence. He doesn't care and takes a shot anyway. He is flat out going to lie to a villager in Betty Blades zone and try and convince him the others are out to get him. He needs a 14 to do so, gets a crazy ass 17 and succeeds.
Mr Smash has until now been hidden. Because he is hidden he could potentially pull off an assassination attack on any target as he can treat anyone who hasnt seen him as an unready target. This has no effect on the villagers, but would score an instant kill on the Pirate Boss if he could pull it off. He gets a +2 vs all and needs 7 to hit the boss with his kinetic wand's ranged attack. Unfortunately he rolls a 3, revealing himself as he misses.
Lizard Girl is currently hidden. She decides to perform a Sneak action and climb the cliff stealthily. Now doing so moves her closer to observers, AND the observers since the last sneak action (the one she succeeded right before combat) have become alert. Sneak persistence rules require her to roll a new sneak check. Also she is climbing a cliff and needs to roll a relatively arbitrary climb check. The GM declares the cliff a difficulty 10 climb, so she adds her +9 and just barely auto succeeds on the climb, on the sneak roll she has bare feet and gets +1 vs Non-Deaf (pirate boss is not deaf), she needs a 14 and rolls up a 15. She climbs the cliff boundary and is in the pirate bosses zone and remains hidden for next turn.
Slow phase rolls around for the pirate boss decides who to shoot. He only brought one ammo with him, so he decides not to spend it and just makes a normal shot. His target is Mr Smash as Mr Smash (appears) the to be the only threat to him with his ranged wand attack. Mr Smashes clothing fully covers his body, so he has no Body keyword on defence, the gun gets no bonus, Mr Smashes defence is 9. Pirate boss rolls a 5 and misses.
The turn rolls into the ending phases. Block Phase sees a chance for Betty Blades to tear her shirt to block her damage. She does not choose to and takes 1 Normal Standard Injury (she has 2 left). Damage phase applies that damage to her, knocks out a villager from the damage she dealt, and sees another villager convinced his former allies are out to get him thanks to Mr Lies... welll... lies.
Turn 2-
Betty Blades is fast. She has enemies all around her, but can reach some further up the beach. She charges out of her zone and into the guys in the north most zone who threw spears last turn, and attacks them with her sword. Rolling a solid 20 and dealing another damage.
Lizard girl waits it out and normal phase rolls up.
The five villagers Betty just charged into attack her. And hit for 1 damage with their co-operative club attacks.
The 3 villagers she left behind cannot attack her. If she had moved in the normal phase they could have attacked her simultaneous to her leaving their zone, as it is they either have to charge after her, throw spears or just not bother, since she is already damaged and the damage cap would make it problematic they instead just charge into the zone with Mr Lies and Mr Smash, and attack Mr Lies. They roll a 14 and hit him squarely with a co-operative club attack for 1 damage.
However, the villager Mr Lies lied to acts at the same time as them. Now he can treat them as in his zone OR in the zone they charged to since they acted at the same time as him. He decides to stay where he is and try and club one of his former companions as they leave. He rolls a solid 18 and takes one down with 1 damage.
Mr Lies does not like his damage, and decides to make a special social attack in the form of a social parry using lies. He will lie his way into making the attack against him miss. He needs a 14. He rolls a 3. he remembers he is Tricky and his opponents are not. He spends 1 Energy to reroll with his Tricky good trait ability. Getting a 16 the parry negates the hit against him and he will not be taking damage when the end phases roll around. But the attack was a special undamaging attack, so no more villagers are knocked out or converted with lies.
Lizard Girl decides to try and assassinate the Pirate Boss. She has however only got daggers, the pirate boss has a proper full suit of clothing and does not have Flesh on his defence. She is attacking at a flat +0. Pirate boss is 9 defence. But if she hits she takes him out in one hit, no blocks even thanks to assassination. But she rolls a 7, missing and revealing herself.
Mr Smash decides he cannot afford to try and cover Lizard Girl so he shoots a villager in his zone point blank in the face instead. Rolling a 15 and blasting one away.
Pirate boss leaves it to the slow phase and acts now. Not liking Lizard Girl's attempt on his life he spends his ammo before attack for the devastating +1 bonus (if he hits her), his gun applies it's body bonus against her because she is wearing a partial clothing item. He rolls a 12 and hits. He is strong so he spends 1 Energy on hit to add an additional +1 Devastating. This will deal a total of 3 damage to Lizard Girl.
In end of phase 3 pirate villagers go down, Mr Lies is NOT damaged thanks to his parry, Betty Blades IS damaged. And Lizard Girl is taking 3 damage. Betty chooses not to block and takes it. Lizard girl tears her underwear item with torn shirt because if she doesn't she is out of hit points, and takes only 2 of her damage.
Turn 3
Betty Blades acts first. She feels she is in danger what with just the 1 clothes block and 1 Injury left . She decides to charge as her action getting out of the zone with 4 guys, moving to the zone with the lied to villager, spending 1 Energy on her Fast good trait ability to move 1 additional zone to arrive back in the southernmost beach zone where there is only 1 threatening villager. She attacks it with her sword rolling a 5 and damaging it. She is now out of reach of the 4 villagers up the beach.
In the normal phase the damaged villager takes a shot at Betty. Rolling a 20 and dealing her 1 damage before he goes down at the end of the turn.
The 4 villagers Betty left behind decide to run through their confused ally, they perform a Run action, exhausting themselves because they have 0 energy (exhaust just prevents them from running again mostly). Having run two zones to join Betty in her zone... they cannot attack anyone.
Lizard Girl Just all out tries to stab pirate boss. She rolls a 19 and hits. Dealing 1 damage with a dagger.
Mr Smash decides to shoot the running villagers. He could shoot them in their origin zone, for -1 range penalty, but decides to shoot them in the adjacent zone where there is 0 range penalty as they pass through. He rolls a 6 and takes one out.
The lied to villager can target the running villagers at any point during their movement. He decides to stand still and club one as they run past. He gets a 19, he is totally awesome. Knocking another one out.
Mr Lies decides to lie to villagers again, like Mr Smash he could target them at any point during their run movement. He waits until they arrive in his zone. He needs 14 again and gets a 9. He spends an energy on his tricky reroll, gets a 2 and misses.
The Pirate Boss is out of ammo and can no longer fire his gun. He pulls out his club and attacks Lizard Girl. He rolls a 17 and hits. Dealing one damage.
In the end of turn phase 3 more villagers go down. Leaving only 2 hostile villagers (and the deceived villager). Pirate Boss takes his damage without blocking. Betty tears her clothing with Torn Shirt to cancel her one damage (as it would have knocked her out) and Lizard Girl has no choice but to take her 1 damage from the club and is defeated.
Turn 4
Betty Blades as always acts first. She attacks the remaining 2 villagers in her zone. Rolling a sodding 2 and missing.
The two villagers are sufficiently smart to know that attacking betty is the most optimal option they are getting a co-operative +1 with their dwindled numbers by now and roll up a 17 and hit her.
Mr Lies decides to try and save Betty and makes another Deceptive Parry attempt rolling a 13, just missing, spending his last Energy to roll a 15 and parry the damage to Betty.
The lied to villager decides to throw his unused spear at the pirate boss. He rolls a 3 and misses solidly.
Mr Smash decides to shoot the last 2 villagers, he rolls a 12. Suddenly remembers he is strong and spends 1 Energy on hit to deal +1 Devastating for 2 damage in total. Against normal targets the damage wouldn't roll over but the villagers are co-operative attackers sharing a zone, so it damages both of them and will knock them both out at the end of the turn.
Lizard Girl is defeated since last turn and cannot act. She may need first aid or something to avoid dying from blunt trauma, but it can wait until the end of the fight as there are no hard mechanical requirements on that.
The Pirate Boss thinks he is more uber than he really is. Now he COULD try climbing down the cliff as part of a charge, and on a 10 plus he would make it. But he thinks he has style and instead does what any ground based character can, and simply moves off the edge of the cliff. Technically placing him in a zone in the air above the beach zone where the three remaining party member are. He does not fall yet. He will fall at the start of his action next turn. If the attack misses him he will be fine and fight on. If it hits him he will be damaged, knocked over, and his turn will end before he does anything.
Turn 5
Betty goes first. She has a throwable hammer. And pirate boss is currently suspended in the air 1 zone above her. She throws the hammer at him. Getting a 12 and hitting. 1 damage to the pirate boss.
Lied to villager believes his allies are out to get him... but he doesn't believe the party are specifically his friends, that wasn't the set up Mr Lies (perhaps foolishly) decided at the time of the deceptive defeat. So seeing all his traitorous allies defeated except an outnumbered boss suspended in mid air, seeing a clear path to escape he just plain turns around and runs for it, placing him just one zone off the previously mapped battle field to the north.
Lizard girl is of course still defeated.
Mr Smash decides to shoot pirate boss. He rolls a 16 and hits. However this would do NOTHING thanks to the damage cap and betty already hitting him.. until he spends 1 Energy for his strong bonus to deal 1 extra damage. His attack now deals 2 damage, and surpasses Betty's attack. As most damaging attack it will be the one applied to the pirate boss for damage purposes.
Mr Lies decides to do what any character can do, and not act until a slower phase of the round. Just in case the pirate boss hits someone and he needs to pull off a parry or something.
Pirate boss acts in the slow phase as usual. Before his action he finally falls... and the ground hits him on its attack roll. For 1 damage and a Knock effect, knocking him over. It also ends his turn.
In the block phase the pirate boss tears his shirt for 1 block to prevent defeat.
Turn 6
Betty goes first. She tries to stab the knocked pirate boss with her sword. She misses. Knock provides no particular benefits to that, just limits the pirate's actions.
Mr Lies tries to lie to the knocked down pirate boss. He fails. He is out of energy for rerolls.
The last remaining pirate villager (the lied to one) continues to flee. He cannot run any longer so he just moves one zone further away.
Mr Smash decides to shoot the ass off the pirate boss. He rolls a 14 hits, and spends 1E to add his strong effect and deals 2 damage. He didnt need to. But he does anyway.
Pirate boss is knocked down he can stand up as his action. He could with 1 Energy (to act in the normal phase) attack Betty Bladesl while she was in reach since he is immobilised from the knock down. He cannot reach Mr Smash to parry. He knows he will be defeated by the end of the turn. He spends the 1 Energy to act in normal and swipe at Betty as she missed him. He rolls an 8, just missing her.
In the damage phase the pirate boss takes 2 damage, having only 1 hit point and no blocks left he is defeated.
Turn 7
Mr Smash decides he doesn’t want the deceived villager escaping he rolls a 10 on his ranged attack with a -3 penalty due to range to hit the distant fleeing villager. This does indeed hit and the deceived villager goes down.
Betty is injured but standing. And will need to repair her clothing item outside of the encounter and retrieve her hammer. Lizard Girl needs someone to climb the cliff and and provide some first aid. That could take some antics, but otherwise is perfectly doable. Loot is highly mediocre and mostly consists of ragged pirate underwear and a hand gun which needs its ammo pouch restored.