Shieldmaiden
05-16-2011, 04:27 AM
OOC information for the CoG 3:16 forum campaign.
Waiting list
1. Violent
2. Ink Asylum
3. Dahzer the Cosmic Fool
Basic structure and core rules.
3:16 is divided up into missions, with each mission being on a different planet. For each planet, the GM will have a number of threat tokens that represent an indeterminate number of aliens. The job of the PCs is to remove all of the threat tokens, wiping out an alien race.
A mission will consist of a number of scenes, some of which will contain fighting and these are called encounters. The GM commits a number of threat tokens to an encounter and when all of these are gone, the encounter is over.
The PCs have two stats, Fighting Ability and Non-Fighting ability. FA is used for killing, NFA is used for everything else. Checking for success is a simple as rolling a d10 and getting equal to or under the relevant stat. At this point in time, I'm thinking it will be quicker for me to do all of the rolling, although this may change. Aliens have one stat called Alien Ability.
Each PC also has a number of Strengths and Weaknesses. Starting characters have the potential for one of each. They're initially undefined and are actually chosen in play. Activating a Strength will automatically win an encounter, removing all threat tokens in play. Activating a Weakness will remove your PC from an encounter, taking a threat token with you. Using a Weakness is a loss for your character, even if it removes the last threat token in play.
To use a Strength or Weakness, you have to narrate a flashback which illustrates a particular quality your character possesses, that quality is then recorded on your character sheet (so I'll jot it down here) and you describe how that quality allows you to save the day or lose. To be very clear (as the book really bangs on about this) using a Weakness is a loss. Not a Pyrrhic victory, not a draw, a defeat. The example given in the book is a trooper getting overrun, dragged off to an alien hive and cocooned in a food store. Alive, but definitely out of the encounter and defeated. It also provides a direction for the next scene, which is cool. Once a Strength or Weakness is defined, it's gone. Over the course of the whole campaign, PCs get five of each, so use them wisely.
Encounters.
Encounters start with a Dominance roll to determine which side gets the advantage. PCs test NFA while the GM tests AA. Depending on the result, either a PC or the GM will set the starting range for the encounter and there may be an ambush.
Combat takes place in rounds. In each round, each PC and the GM will declare what they're going to do, then rolls are made. Successful actions take place in descending order of what was rolled, then unsuccessful rolls are narrated, again in descending order. In practice, You'll all post what you want to do, I'll do all the rolling and give an order for you guys to post in. Once everyone has had their go, a new round will start and everyone will declare their actions again. Therefore, each round will consist of two posts from each of us.
Positioning in 3:16 is simple. Each PC is either Close to, Near to or Far from the aliens. Weapons are defined by how many kills they cause at each range, so you want to make sure that you're at the optimum range for whatever gun you're using. Kills are an important part of character progression.
Succeeding on a FA roll will remove one threat token and cause a number of kills based on your weapon and your current range.
Succeeding on a NFA roll means you complete whatever task you attempted, such as changing range, or switching weapons.
The GM succeeding on a AA roll means each PC who succeeded with a roll equal to or less than the AA roll or failed takes a wound.
You can also cancel your success, making everyone who is yet to act that round fail automatically. This sound a bit weird, but what it means is that if you're acting first, the aliens have succeeded, but the rest of the PCs have failed, you can prevent the aliens from acting and slaughtering your comrades.
As a bonus, if you succeed on a FA or AA roll before your opponent, you can change range by one step at the end of your turn.
Hopefully, I've given you an idea of how it works without overwhelming you.
Special Abilities:
Force Weakness (Lowest rank alive only): Once per planet, the lowest ranking (or one of the joint lowest ranking) PCs can force another PC to use a weakness. It requires a NFA, but if successful the target must use a weakness as if they'd chosen to use it themselves.
E-Vac (Highest rank alive only): When the shit really hits the fan, the highest ranking PC can call for an e-vac. On a successful NFA roll, all threat tokens in play are discarded and the current encounter ends. If it's the last encounter, the mission will be over. All PCs take one wound in the process.
Responsibilities:
These are your general orders. As you can imagine, as you increase in rank, you have more and wider-ranging orders to obey.
Order 1: Kill as many lifeforms as you can. (Trooper)
Order 2: Maximise the kill ratio (bugs killed per Trooper). (Corporal)
Order 3: Fellow directives issued by the Officers. (Sergeant)
Order 4: Protect your squad of Troopers.
Waiting list
1. Violent
2. Ink Asylum
3. Dahzer the Cosmic Fool
Basic structure and core rules.
3:16 is divided up into missions, with each mission being on a different planet. For each planet, the GM will have a number of threat tokens that represent an indeterminate number of aliens. The job of the PCs is to remove all of the threat tokens, wiping out an alien race.
A mission will consist of a number of scenes, some of which will contain fighting and these are called encounters. The GM commits a number of threat tokens to an encounter and when all of these are gone, the encounter is over.
The PCs have two stats, Fighting Ability and Non-Fighting ability. FA is used for killing, NFA is used for everything else. Checking for success is a simple as rolling a d10 and getting equal to or under the relevant stat. At this point in time, I'm thinking it will be quicker for me to do all of the rolling, although this may change. Aliens have one stat called Alien Ability.
Each PC also has a number of Strengths and Weaknesses. Starting characters have the potential for one of each. They're initially undefined and are actually chosen in play. Activating a Strength will automatically win an encounter, removing all threat tokens in play. Activating a Weakness will remove your PC from an encounter, taking a threat token with you. Using a Weakness is a loss for your character, even if it removes the last threat token in play.
To use a Strength or Weakness, you have to narrate a flashback which illustrates a particular quality your character possesses, that quality is then recorded on your character sheet (so I'll jot it down here) and you describe how that quality allows you to save the day or lose. To be very clear (as the book really bangs on about this) using a Weakness is a loss. Not a Pyrrhic victory, not a draw, a defeat. The example given in the book is a trooper getting overrun, dragged off to an alien hive and cocooned in a food store. Alive, but definitely out of the encounter and defeated. It also provides a direction for the next scene, which is cool. Once a Strength or Weakness is defined, it's gone. Over the course of the whole campaign, PCs get five of each, so use them wisely.
Encounters.
Encounters start with a Dominance roll to determine which side gets the advantage. PCs test NFA while the GM tests AA. Depending on the result, either a PC or the GM will set the starting range for the encounter and there may be an ambush.
Combat takes place in rounds. In each round, each PC and the GM will declare what they're going to do, then rolls are made. Successful actions take place in descending order of what was rolled, then unsuccessful rolls are narrated, again in descending order. In practice, You'll all post what you want to do, I'll do all the rolling and give an order for you guys to post in. Once everyone has had their go, a new round will start and everyone will declare their actions again. Therefore, each round will consist of two posts from each of us.
Positioning in 3:16 is simple. Each PC is either Close to, Near to or Far from the aliens. Weapons are defined by how many kills they cause at each range, so you want to make sure that you're at the optimum range for whatever gun you're using. Kills are an important part of character progression.
Succeeding on a FA roll will remove one threat token and cause a number of kills based on your weapon and your current range.
Succeeding on a NFA roll means you complete whatever task you attempted, such as changing range, or switching weapons.
The GM succeeding on a AA roll means each PC who succeeded with a roll equal to or less than the AA roll or failed takes a wound.
You can also cancel your success, making everyone who is yet to act that round fail automatically. This sound a bit weird, but what it means is that if you're acting first, the aliens have succeeded, but the rest of the PCs have failed, you can prevent the aliens from acting and slaughtering your comrades.
As a bonus, if you succeed on a FA or AA roll before your opponent, you can change range by one step at the end of your turn.
Hopefully, I've given you an idea of how it works without overwhelming you.
Special Abilities:
Force Weakness (Lowest rank alive only): Once per planet, the lowest ranking (or one of the joint lowest ranking) PCs can force another PC to use a weakness. It requires a NFA, but if successful the target must use a weakness as if they'd chosen to use it themselves.
E-Vac (Highest rank alive only): When the shit really hits the fan, the highest ranking PC can call for an e-vac. On a successful NFA roll, all threat tokens in play are discarded and the current encounter ends. If it's the last encounter, the mission will be over. All PCs take one wound in the process.
Responsibilities:
These are your general orders. As you can imagine, as you increase in rank, you have more and wider-ranging orders to obey.
Order 1: Kill as many lifeforms as you can. (Trooper)
Order 2: Maximise the kill ratio (bugs killed per Trooper). (Corporal)
Order 3: Fellow directives issued by the Officers. (Sergeant)
Order 4: Protect your squad of Troopers.