5 Summaries

5.1 Summary of Requirements for a Game that Uses System X

The specific relevant sections for each requirement are mentioned in parentheses. This summary does not mention optional elements of this class of games.

• Core Resolution Mechanic
• Must use as inputs the roll of 1d20 and a Skill Value (2.1)
• Must output success margins from –5 to +5, critical success, and critical failure (2.1)
• Assuming no modifiers come into play, must consider any positive margin a success on a task, and any negative margin a failure on a task (2.1)
• Must only roll once per task, except as the interpretation or world rules otherwise define (2.2)
• Must equate tasks and actions, which are any mental, physical, or spiritual act that a character undertakes under the direction of its player or the gamemaster (2.2)
• Must use the core resolution mechanic for all tasks unless the players and gamemaster agree to a result, or the interpretation or world rules dictate otherwise (2.2)
• Must use a roll chart that cross-references the inputs to determine the success margin (2.5)
• Must use three types of modifiers: Skill Value modifier (modifies the Skill Value), roll modifier (modifies the 1d20 roll), and success margin modifier (sets a minimum success margin under which all margins are considered failures). (2.7)

5.2 Summary of Requirements for a System X Compatible Game

In addition to all the requirements of a game that uses System X, a System X compatible game must implement the following requirements. As before, the relevant sections of the specification are mentioned in parentheses and no options are mentioned.

• Core Resolution Mechanic
• Must choose one term, "actions" or "tasks," to describe tasks throughout the entire game (2.2)
• Must make "skill check" and "roll" synonyms (2.2)
• Must use a Skill Value that ranges from 1 to 30 inclusive (2.4)
• Must allow Skill Values outside the 1-30 range, in which a Skill Value less than 1 is always a failure and a Skill Value greater than 30 is always a success (2.4)
• Must derive Skill Value for a task by adding an appropriate Attribute to an appropriate Skill (2.4.1)
• Must use the System X Compatible roll chart (2.5.1)
• Must restrict the range of GM-specified Skill Value and roll modifiers to –4 to +4 (2.7)
• Must fix any roll that is less than 1 or greater than 20 after modifiers as a critical failure or critical success, respectively (2.7)
• Non-CRM Interpretation Rules
• Required rule sections
• Must include core resolution mechanic, character generation, and character advancement sections (3.1)
• Combat interpretation rules
• Must implement damage as a numerical entity of abstract damage points (3.2)
• Must implement damage as a fixed, attack-specific modifier to the success margin of a successful attack (3.2)

5.3 Summary of Requirements for a System X Compliant Game

In addition to all the requirements of a game that uses System X and the requirements of a System X compatible game, a System X compliant game must implement the following requirements. As before, the relevant sections of the specification are mentioned in parentheses and no options are mentioned.

• Core Resolution Mechanic
• Must define a critical success as a +10 success margin or an automatic success; must define a critical failure as a –10 success margin or an automatic failure (2.1)
• Must define critical success and failure events as being of a "significant magnitude" above and beyond any other success or failure (2.1)
• Must allow success and failure versions of the 0 success margin (2.1)
• Must NOT have a reroll mechanic for tasks (2.3)
• Must define a Skill Value that is less than 1 or greater than 30 is a critical failure or a critical success, respectively (2.4)
• If Skills are fixed to particular Attributes, the Skills that are associated with a particular Attribute must be collectively called the Skill Pool of that Attribute (2.4.1)
• Must use a 20 to 10 component bias (Attributes range from 0-20, while Skills range from 0-10) (2.4.2)
• Must implement opposed skill checks by subtracting the success margins of the two opposed characters (2.6.1)
• Must implement combined skill checks as a series of combined skill checks between two characters in which success margins are added (2.6.2)
• Must implement synergistic skill checks as a series of skill checks in which the success margin of the previous check is the Skill Value modifier of the next check (2.6.3)
• Must implement a wound penalty in which the maximum usable Skill Value on an action is equal to twice the Remaining Wounds of the actor (2.8)
• Non-CRM Interpretation Rules
  • Character Entities
  • Must define seven Attributes (Agility, Charm, Endurance, Intellect, Mystic Ability, Speed, and Strength) on an ratio scale from 0-20, using the definitions provided in sections 4.1.1.1-4.1.1.7 (4.1.1)
  • Must define Skills as training in a specific area of knowledge (4.1.2)
  • Must allow optional specialization, which provides a +1 to a single subset of a Skill and a –1 to all other uses of the Skill (4.1.2.1)
  • Must only allow one specialization per Skill except under automatic subdividing specialization, if that option is used (4.1.2.1)
  • Must define Initiative as a number of variable range to which a 1d20 is added to determine the order of actions in combat (4.1.3.1)
  • Must define Wounds as the number of abstract damage points a character can receive before suffering an incapacitating, eventually fatal wound (4.1.3.2)
  • Must define Wounds as a variable statistic (4.1.3.2)
  • Must implement a set of Wound State descriptors (Normal, Near-Death, Incapacitated, Dying, Dead, Parts) using the definitions and state change descriptions of sections 4.1.3.3.1-4.1.3.3.6 (4.1.3.3)
  • Must provide General Experience Points (GXP) used for general character manipulation, and Skill Experience Points (SXP) used for increasing the values of specific skills (4.1.4)
  • System Entities
  • Must define a round as five seconds of game time (4.2.1)
  • Must define a miss margin as a weapon-specific success margin modifier (4.2.2)
  • Must define a margin multiplier as a weapon-specific multiplier to the success margin of a successful hit for the purposes of calculating damage (4.2.2)
  • Required sections
    • Must have a Character Generation section, which describes the process of generating a legal character using a point allocation system (4.3.1)
    • Must refer to any Attribute-derived values as Derived Attributes, and must calculate them during character generation (4.3.1.2)
    • Must have a Core Resolution Mechanic section, which describes the use of the Core Resolution Mechanic (4.3.2)
    • Must have a Skill List section, which lists every Skill available in the game (4.3.3)
    • Must have a Combat section, which describes the combat interpretation rules (4.3.4)
    • Must have a Character Advancement section, which describes the use of GXP and SXP in the game (4.3.5)
  • Combat interpretation rules
  • Must divide combat into two phases: Initiative and Action (4.4.1)
  • Must proceed in Action phase in descending order of calculated Initiative values; those with equal Initiative values act simultaneously (4.4.1)
  • Must allow multiple actions in staggered order of Initiative (4.4.1)
  • Must assign a cumulative –4 penalty to every action past the first taken by a character taken in one round, unless the game system dictates that an action does not count as an action (a "non-action") with respect to the multiple action penalty (4.4.1)
  • Must define attack rolls as unopposed tasks using a Skill Value derived from an appropriate Skill for the weapon and the Agility Attribute (4.4.2.1)
  • Must define any success or failure on an attack using a melee or ranged weapon as a potential hit unless the roll is under the miss margin of the weapon (4.4.2.1)
  • Must define any failure on an attack using a non-melee, non-ranged weapon as a miss (4.4.2.1)
  • Must translate any potential hit to a successful hit unless the defender intercedes with an evasion that negates the attack, reduces the success margin of the attack below the weapon's miss margin, or in the case of non-melee, non-ranged weapon attack, reduces the success margin to a failure (4.4.2.1)
  • Must define a set of evasion skills that can be used to intercept attacks (4.4.2.2)
  • Must only allow one evasion per attack (4.4.2.2)
  • Must define margin reduction evasions, which reduce the success margin of the attack (4.4.2.2.1)
  • Must define attack cancellation evasions, which, if successful, completely negate an attack (4.4.2.2.2)
  • Must allow non-action evasions, calculated for each evasion, equal to one plus Skill Value – 10 / 5, rounded down. Characters without an evasion skill receive no non- action evasions of that type (4.4.2.2.3)
  • Must implement a system for surprise that prevents evasion and grants the attacker a +6 roll modifier to his attack if the defender is unaware of the presence or direction of the attack before it is launched. If warned, the attack bonus is reduced to +3 and the defender may perform an action evasion at a –3 roll modifier (4.4.2.3)
  • Must calculate damage by multiplying the final success margin of an attack by the weapon or attack's margin multiplier (default of x1) and adding the result to the weapon or attack's damage rating (4.4.3)
  • Must implement armor as a piece of equipment with a defense rating of the form X/-Y, Z, where X is a value rolled like a Skill Value and multiplied by the Z value to determine the variable damage reduction (zero if the result is negative) which is then added to the absolute value of Y. The result is subtracted from the inflicted damage (4.4.3.1)
  • Must implement damage as a reduction to the target's Wounds Remaining (4.4.3.2)
  • Must immediately inflict the wound penalty and wound state changes when a target takes damage (4.4.3.2)
  • Must implement an Endurance-associated Skill that can be used to increase the user's effective Wounds Remaining for the purposes of wound penalty calculation and wound state changes; the roll must be a non-action and must occur at the beginning of each round and after any damage is taken, but before the wound penalty is applied (4.4.3.3)
  • Must implement a system of stun damage in which damage intended to knockout is compared to Endurance and reduced by an Endurance skill check (4.4.3.4)