Gameplay Rules

Step 1: Choose a character concept.
Step 2: Prioritize your attributes.
Step 3: Prioritize your science types.
Step 4: Prioritize your power sources.
Step 5: Prioritize your source defenses.
Step 6: Prioritize your inner strength types.
Step 7: Choose your sciences.
Step 8: Choose your disciplines.
Step 9: Fill in additional information.

Actions Per Round
There are three types of actions: Normal, quick, and free. Each round, a player may take up to 3 actions as long as only one of them is a normal action, and at least one of them is a free action. Thus, in a typical round, a psi morph will take one normal action (usually using a science with an action type of normal,) one quick action (usually using a science with an action type of quick,) and one free action (such as using the benefit of a discipline that is listed as a free action.) Little miscellaneous actions such as briefly speaking or taking a quick look around do not count as actions and may be performed in addition to the three actions for the round. Miscellaneous actions which require a bit more effort (such as knocking over a bookcase) count as free actions. Miscellaneous actions which require significantly more effort (such as starting up a vehicle) count as quick actions. Miscellaneous actions which require much effort (such as trying to find one particular piece of garbage within a garbage pile) count as normal actions. Miscellaneous actions which require much time and effort (such as hacking into a computer) may require multiple normal actions over the course of several rounds.
Each round represents approximately 20 seconds. This is longer than in most RPGs so that a player can do cool things during a round, such as say heroic lines or describe sciences in vivid detail. Note that a round will usually last much longer than 20 seconds in actual time. 20 seconds is just the amount of time a round lasts within the game's story.
The system of using rounds should only be used in dangerous situations, such as combat. Other times, it is better to be more loose about things.

Using a Science
The core mechanic which the game of Psi Morphs centers around is the use of sciences. The rules for using sciences vary a little depending on which type of science is being used, but the following steps are at the core.

Step 1: Determine the difficulty of the science. Take the difficulty listed in the science's parameters, and apply any modifiers.

Step 2: Determine the target number needed for success points. If the science's type matches your primary science type, the target number is 4. If it matches your seconary science type, the target number is 5. If it matches your tertiary science type, the target number is 6. If it matches your lowest science type, the target number is 7.
Science Type Priority Target Number
Primary 4
Secondary 5
Tertiary 6
Lowest 7
Step 3: Determine how many ten-sided dice (d10s) you should roll. If the science's power source matches your primary source defense, the number of d10s to roll equals your level + 3. If it matches your secondary power source, the number of d10s equals your level + 2. If it matches your tertiary power source, the number of d10s equals your level + 1. If it matches your lowest power source, the number of d10s equals your level.
Power Source Priority Number of d10s
Primary Level + 3
Secondary Level + 2
Tertiary Level + 1
Lowest Level
Step 4: Roll the appropriate number of d10s. Get a success point for each one that comes up equal to or greater than the target number. If the number of success points equals or exceeds the difficulty, the science succeeds. If not, the science fails. Either way, subtract 1 from the remaining number of times you can use that science this day.
Each d10 that comes up a 1 not only gives you a success point, but also lets you roll an extra d10.

Example: Gentlepaw is level 1, and he wants to use Regeneration I. Regeneration I has a difficult of 3. It has a type of Support, which is Gentlepaw's Primary science type. It has a power source of Psi Energy, which is Gentlepaw's Primary power source. Gentlepaw gets to roll 4d10. Actually, since he has the Specialization discipline for healing and Regeneration I has the healing keyword, he'd roll a total of 5d10. He gets a success point for each d10 that comes up a 4 or higher. If at least 3 of the d10s come up 4 or higher, Gentlepaw succeeds. Remember, he gets to roll an extra d10 for each die that comes up a 10.

These rules vary slightly depending on which of the 4 science types is being used, as explained below.

Using a Support Science
Support sciences are used as described above. Whenever a support science with just 1 target succeeds, the target regains hp equal to the number of success points rolled, in addition to the effect of the support science occuring. When a support science with more than 1 target succeeds, each target regains hp equal to half of the number of success points rolled (round up) in addition to the effect of the support science occuring.
Example: Suppose Gentlepaw tries to use Regeneration I on an injured ally, and he rolls 3 success points (just barely enough.) That ally would regain 3 hp. Since the effect of Regeneration I is to restore +4 hp, the person would receive a total of 7 hp (as long as this wouldn't raise the ally's hp above his or her maximum. If the person was missing less than 7 hp, he or she would simply regain enough hp to be back at maximum.)

Using an Environment Science
Environment sciences are used as describe in the Using a Science section. Whenever an environment science is used successfully, one person of the user's choice regains hp equal to the number of success points rolled (round up.)

Using an Attack Science or Hindrance Science Attack sciences and hindrance sciences are used as described in the Using a Science section, with an additional modifier to the difficulty. If the science's power source matches the target's primary source defense, the difficulty goes up by the target's level. If it matches the target's secondary source defense, the difficulty goes up by 3/4 of the target's level (round up.) If it matches the target's tertiary source defense, the difficulty goes up by half of the target's level (round up.) If it matches the target's lowest source defense, the difficulty does not go up. If the attack (or hindrance) has more than one target, calculate each difficulty separately, then use the highest result as the science's difficulty.
Source Defense Priority Increase to Difficulty
Primary Target's Level
Secondary 3/4 of Target's Level (Round up)
Tertiary Half of Target's Level (Round up)
Lowest None
Whenever an attack (or hindrance) science with just 1 target succeeds, the target takes damage equal to the number of success points rolled, in addition to the effect of the science occuring. When an attack (or hindrance) science with more than 1 target succeeds, each target takes damage equal to half of the number of success points rolled (round up) in addition to the effect of the science occuring.

Miscellaneous Actions
Any action other than using a science is a miscellaneous action. Miscellaneous actions are performed using attributes (Mental: Intellect, Mental: Social, Physical: Mobility, Physical: Power.) The steps in taking a miscellaneous action are similar to those in using a science.

Step 1: Determine the difficulty of the action and the relevant attribute. The GM determines which of the four attributes will be used to perform the action and assigns the action a difficulty number based on how difficult the action is. Trying to hack into a super computer with state-of-the-art security will have a much higher difficuty than trying to hack into a common, everyday computer with cheap security. Trying to climb a vertical, sheer metal wall will have a much higher dificulty than trying to climb a mountain with features to hold onto.

Step 2: Determine the target number needed for success points. If the action's relevant attribute matches your primary attribute, the target number is 4. If it matches your seconary attribute, the target number is 5. If it matches your tertiary attribute, the target number is 6. If it matches your lowest attribute, the target number is 7.
Attribute Priority Target Number
Primary 4
Secondary 5
Tertiary 6
Lowest 7
Step 3: Determine how many ten-sided dice (d10s) you should roll. If the actions's relevant attribute matches your primary attribute, the number of d10s to roll equals your level + 3. If it matches your secondary attribute, the number of d10s equals your level + 2. If it matches your tertiary attribute, the number of d10s equals your level + 1. If it matches your lowest attribute, the number of d10s equals your level.
Attribute Priority Number of d10s
Primary Level + 3
Secondary Level + 2
Tertiary Level + 1
Lowest Level
Step 4: Roll the appropriate number of d10s. Get a success point for each one that comes up equal to or greater than the target number. If the number of success points equals or exceeds the difficulty, the action succeeds. If not, the action fails.
Each d10 that comes up a 1 not only gives you a success point, but also lets you roll an extra d10.

Example: Gentlepaw is level 1, and he wants to jump across a large hold in order to escape from a burning building. Fortunately, the hole isn't huge, so the difficulty is only 2. Unfortunately, the relevant attribute (Physical: Mobility) is Gentlepaw's tertiary attribute. So, he only gets to roll d10, and needs a 6 or higher for each success point. Now might be a good time for him to use an inner strength point (described below.)

Using Inner Strength Points
Inner Strength Points (ISPs) can be used to improve your odds of success when taking an action, whether that action is using a science or a miscellaneous action. Whenevr you take an action, you may choose to improve your chances of success using one persistence ISP, and one other ISP (to put it another way, you may use up to 2 ISPs to improve your chances of success, but if you use 2, one of them must be a persistence ISP.)
How many of each type of ISP you get is determined during character creation. Be sure to keep careful track of how many ISPs of each type you have remaining.
Determination: Used to roll an extra 2d10, plus an additional d10 for every 5 full levels of experience you have (round up.)
Persistence: Used to attempt an action (including use of a sceince) twice and use the better result.
Survival: Used to roll an extra 4d10, plus an additional d10 for every 5 full levels of experience you have (round up.) Usable only in dire situations (the GM decides when a situation qualifies as dire.)
Willpower: Used to roll an extra 4d10, plus an additional d10 for every 5 full levels of experience you have (round up.) You take an amount of unpreventable damage equal to 1/4th of your max hp (round up) when you use a willpower point.
Insectobots do not get ISPs.

Poison and Disease
If a character is poisoned or gets a disease, he or she gains a number of poison points (or diease points) that represent how difficult it will be to cure the condition. He or she suffers penaties edetermined by the GM until all of the posion points (or disease points) have ben removed. Removing some of the points will probably reduce the penalties. No poison, no matter how lethal to a human, can instantly kill a psi morph. Their psionic powers protect them from this.

Miscellaneous Damage
There are any number of muscellaneous ways a character can sufer injury. Falling, being hit by a vehicle, inhaling smoke, drowning, and any number of other things can happen. When a character falls victim to miscallaneous dmaage, the GM detrmines how much damage he or she suffers. The number should always be potentially survivable, though. Remmeber, psi morhs have psionic powers which help protect them.

Special Situations
There are countless situations which the rules do not specifically cover, but which can occur during gameplay. The GM should use careful judgment to resolve such situations. Here are a few extra rules to cover a few special situations.
-If a player wants to make an attack (or hindrance) extra carefully, such as to avoid hitting bystanders or causing collateral damage, the GM should reduce the number of d10s the player rolls based on how difficult the need to be careful is going to make things. This is usually called making a called attack or a careful attack (or in some cases, a called hindrance or a careful hindrance.)
If a player wnats to subdue a foe without destroying that foe, then the player's attacks and hindrances deal half damage, and that damage can not kill, only knock out.
If a player and an insectobot or other NPC take actions that come into direct conflict (such as both attempting to grab the same object, one attemtping to seak past the other, or one attempting to hack into a computer while the other tries to prevent the hacking,) then both make an attribute roll and the one who gets more success points wins. Reroll ties. This is called opposed actions.

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