System

Basic Things

edd2 has a simple and fast gaming system. The basic fundamentals are that rolls are made in consistent way (practically there is two types of rolls: tests and attack rolls) and all features and powers of the game world are modeled in simple way. Rules are quite loose and lack many normal things like eating, traveling and social interactions; these are left for gamemaster jurisdiction. edd2 is, after all, a simple combat/magic system to handle epic dungeon crawls.

edd2 is somehow similar to Neo-Troops, the cyber-varan roleplaying game. The new Neo-V gaming system framework is based in a combination of these two. In future, these rules are updated a bit to use common naming from Neo-V.

Attributes

Attributes are used to reflect basic (mainly physical) powers of various creatures and entities of the gaming world. Except for basic attributes, remaining attributes are edd2 specific and do not appear in Neo-V framework.

Basic Attributes

All creatures in edd2 have these attributes:

HD or Level

The overall power of the creature and its general stamina. Those with level have separate HD; those without level are classified to have same level as HD for purposes of spells, effects etc. If HD is temporarily reduced to 0 or lower, the creature is knocked unconsicious and will die soon.

Armor (Target)

Creature armor class, AC. Attacker's must score this level or higher to hit. See combat for details. Called target in Neo-V.

Attacks

Number of attacks the creature may do in a combat round, including damage caused. Some attacks can have several attack dice, in which case several dice is rolled and the highest selected (as with normal tests).

Move

Combat movement speed. The creature may also has a special movement types, and they are listed here also. In escape/pursuit situations, the actual speed of the creature can vary, depending on equipment carried, terrain and so on, so it is safest to use some kind of dice rolling, and use basic move value only as a guideline.

Multiattributes

In addition to basic attributes, a creature can have more than one of each of these "multiattributes", like strong x3.

Save

The creature has natural resistance against all special attacks, gaining extra dice to saves. It is usually marked with bonuses, like +3 saves, which means that normal saves are made with 4 dice. See below for saves.

Strong

The creature is very strong, gaining extra die at strength-related things, like escaping grab or stopping big things from falling. In addition, strong-attribute increases physical damage, see below.

Agile

The creature is very fast, gaining extra die in speed-related tests, like agility saves. In addition, the creature has increased armor, gaining +1 for base armor, up to maximum of 5, unless held. This bonus is not cumulative with any worn armor, only higher applies.

Perceptive

The creature has very good sight or hearing, gaining extra die in all perception tests.

Mental

The creature is bright and has willpower against any mind attacks (see damage types), giving extra die to any saves. Mental attribute also improves creature's magic use.

Special Attributes

These special attributes define more of the creature. Most of them also confer list of resistances, see below.

Ethereal

The creature is insubstantial and may move through walls and objects and is immune to physical and polymorph. However, the creature cannot handle normal items.

Fly

The creature may fly around or move on ground normally. The creature can push things while flying, and can move quite quickly. Unless noted otherwise, flight speed is twice the move speed, but needs acceleration first.

Holy

The creature has some special good aura in it, and it can be repelled and banished because of that, but also gains certain advantages on some miracles.

Invisible

The creature is invisible, and is seen only as a very faint movement. The creature has armor 6 unless the attacker can see invisible.

Levitation

The creature can slowly levitate in air, but cannot get force in his movement, being unable to push anything. The creature cannot move on ground normally while levitating.

Magic Level and Points

Magic level is used for spell casting. Magic points are used to fuel magical spells (and similar effects). See system for details.

Mindless

The creature has no clear thoughts and cannot be detected with ESP. Likewise, it is immune to mind (including fear and stupidity)

Mystical

Some mystical creatures are not normally killed by natural means. In game terms; if the damage is physical blows (not acid), it must be of certain type or otherwise the creature takes 2 points less damage from each attack. These special types are magic (any magical weapon or mystical creature), (cold) iron (not all weapons are that) or silver. Thus a creature which is Mystical (magic) takes 2 points less from blows of any but magical nature. This is applied before any other modifiers (like resistance to physical).

Night Vision

The creature can see well in the dark, being able to use ranged attacks in the dark locations and distinguishing creatures more accurately.

Non-living

The creature does not live, and is immune to death, poison, disease, sleep, aging and suffocation and thus does not need to breathe.

Scary

The creature is very frightening, causing all creatures with 4 HD or less to usually run away, at least be scared. Creatures with 5-9 HD may save vs. (mind) fear, creatures with 10 or more HD automatically control themselves, but feel awe.

Telepathy

The creature can talk via Telepathy with intelligent creatures within 20 meters

Terror

The creature radiates horrible unnatural aura of immense fright. Creature with less than 10 HD usually run immediately or are paralyzed from fear, while creatures with more HD may save vs. (mind) fear.

Unholy

The creature has some special evil aura in it, and it can be repelled and banished because of that.

Wings

The creature has wings and can fly, as long as has room and strength to beat its wings. Normally the creature can carry its own weight of extra load and the speed can be quite high, providing the creature has time to gain speed.

Resistance Attributes

Creatuers can have various special resistances and vulnerabilities that affect received damage and special effects from various damage types (see below). Resistance attributes are usually against specified damage type but can be also for some sub-type or special effect, like 'sleep'.

If a creature has overlapping resistances, the most accurate one takes over. Thus a creature with resistance to physical, vulnerable to acid loses resistance to acid althought it is sub-type of physical.

Resistance

The creature is resistant against given damage type, suffering only half damage from it and having +1 save-rolls (see saves).

Immunity

The creature is immune to given damage type, suffering no damage whatsoever. His items are not protected, however.

Vulnerable

The creature is vulnerable to given attack type, negating one resistance. If the creature has no resistances to negate, reduces save-rolls by 1.

Feeds

The creature is not just immune to attack type, it feeds from it! Instead of losing health levels, add them! Any health levels exceeding the creature normal health maximum are lost at a rate of one level per minute. If an magical effect does no damage, add MP/2 to health.

Tests

If something is needed to be tested, roll d6. Roll 4-6 succeeds, 1-3 fails.

If the creature has rerolls or bonuses to roll, roll additional d6s equal tonumber of rerolls and bonuses, selecting highest.

Likewise, if the test has minuses, reduce number of dice. If the total number would fall below 1, add 1 die for each level but select the lowest number. (i.e. 2 dice for 0, 3 dice for -1, 4 dice for -2 etc.)

Example: The character tests his strength. He is also strong, so he rolls 2d6. If either is 4 or more, the test is successful.
The character makes an agility test with -2. He is agile, and thus dice would become 0 (1+1-2). He rolls 2d6, selecting the lower, so both must be 4-6.

This system is identical to Neo-V test system.

Perception tests: Perception tests are made when something not easily noticeable happens, or to test reactions of the characters. It is tested as any normal test, but the creature gains +1 for each perceptive attribute, and -1 if wearing a helmet. Apply any modifiers from the situation.

Agility tests: these are called when creatures try something requiring agility like jumping over a chasm or climbing walls. Normal modifiers are +1 for each agile attribute, but also note that any heavy armor reduces those by one. An agility save is like normal agility test but the creature can also add its save bonuses.

Saves

Certain effects call for save to resist the effect. A save is made as any normal test, with character gaining bonuses from save-attribute and any appropriate resistances (see below). The test itself may have modifiers, which are used as descibed above.

Example: A level 16 dwarf is hit with paralyzing poison, with save -1. He must save against the poison to prevent paralyzation. The player rolls 4d6 (1 +3 for level +1 for resistance -1 for poison strength), needing one dice to come up as 4-6.

Example: a HD 2 townsman is hit with death spell, forcing save vs. death at -1. He must roll 2d6, selecting the lowest, and thus needs both dice to end up as 4-6 to survive

Resistance attributes: Each vulnerability against one media in the attack negates one resistance. If there is no resistances to negate, each vulnerability left reduces dice by 1. If there is more resistances than vulnerabilities, add 1 die for each. In addition, the creature always has at least one d6 to roll, it never falls below 1 - so the effect is always resisted at least 50% of the time. This even applies to effects not resisted normally! (unless they cause damage).

Example: A dwarf which is cursed to be vulnerable to magic is hit by a magical poison attack. The dwarf gains no modifiers from resistances or vulnerabilities, because they negate each other.

If the same dwarf is hit by poison -5 attack, he saves with 1 die, because he always have at least 1 die because of resistance. If hit by a pure magical attack, his save dice are reduced by one.

Health Levels

Health levels reflect general health of the creature. They are lost for various attacks, and when they reach 0 or negative, the creature is knocked unconsicious and is bleeding to death. The creature must make a save to survive, with -1 for each level beyond 0. If the test is successful, the creature survives the blow but is bleeding to death. It must roll d6 each turn and if it rolls 1, it bleeds one point more damage, and must roll to survive. If the creature is damaged again, it must again roll to survive.

Example: A level 21 character is hit to -2 health levels. He must succeed in save to survive, with +4 from level (see characters) and -2 from health levels, rolling 3d6. In addition, he is bleeding to death and cannot do anything else than to roll d6 during each of his turn's, bleeding one point more if rolls 1 and must test to survive again.

Bleeding is stopped by either bringing the creature back to positive halth levels via curative magic or successful use of healing skill, see characters. If hit again, the bleed starts again.

The creature heals from the damage at the rate of one restoration each day if can rest and gains proper nutrition. The healing skill can be used to double the speed, see characters.

Restoration

Certain effects restore creature health and magic point levels. Such effects, unless noted otherwise, restore points equal to maximum health levels or magic points, divided by 5, rounded up. Thus if the character maximum health levels is 11, one health restoration is 3 points. Restoration cannot bring total over normal maximum.

Combat

Combat Action

In combat, each creature acts in order; doing his actions and passing the turn. After all other creatures have acted, it is again the turn of the same creature. The creature may delay his action to move into different position in the order, if need to. A round or turn (from one action to next) is approximately 4-6 seconds, and one minute is about 10 turns (not all turns are so fast)

During own action, the creature may act as many times as he has 'attacks'. Each action is a single melee or ranged attack, swap of weapons, getting something from a bag, quaffing a potion or other fast action. Before doing his first action, the creature may move up to move meters. If the creature needs to run more, it may sacrifice actions, up to maximum speed of 4x move meters per turn in normal cases. Note that any creature may run this fast, even if it has less than 3 attacks. They simply cannot do anything else then.

However, if the creature uses any spell, any innate power (not usable at will) or any spell-like magic item power (wand, scroll, some miscellaneous items), this uses his all attacks, and he can only move once or use one attack to swap items before the use of magic.

Before any action, the creature may draw a new weapon or item (by dropping the old one, unless has free hands).

Attack

The creature may attack with all his attack. A creature with multiple attacks with a same weapon may change any attack to load or item handling action, see above.

Example: The character has 3 attacks. During his turn, he can throw his throwing axe, draw his sword and then attack twice with it. Or get that healing bottle from a sack, quaff it and then attack, once.

Armor Value

The target has some armor value, from 2 to 6. The armor value usually has two values, one for normal mobile combat situations and another one (in parentheses) which used when the creature is held, unconscious, paralyzed, sleeping or surprised. Armor value starts from the creature base value, gaining more from skill levels and armor. Maximum armor is 5, unless for some exceptions. Invisiblity and some defense spells may increase it to 6.

Attack Roll

All attack rolls are made with d6. The attacker must roll equal to the target armor value. Any roll equal to or higher than target armor is a hit. No other special rules apply.

Aimed Attacks

If the creature desires, it may combine several attacks into one. In that case, roll dice equal to attacks combined and select the highest. Naturally this is not very efficient unless the attack is one-shot, like a spell requiring a to-hit roll or one shot arrow.

Special Attacks

Some creatures have special attack forms, likewise they are caused by hostile environment.

Falling

Falling of 3+ meters causes 1 damage per 4 meters. If the target can somehow prepare for the fall, save (with agile bonuses) to reduce damage by 1.

Ignore Armor

Some attacks can ignore target armor. Against these attacks, target number is 2 (GM discretion: small targets can have higher), plus target armor skill and agility bonuses (unless held). These bonuses are simply the difference in normal armor and held armor value, i.e. a creature with armor 5 (3) has armor 4 (2) against 'ignore armor' attacks.

Grab

Some creatures try to grab their victim. To grab a target, it only has to hit him. If the grab is successful, the creature is pinned and must test strength to escape, with +1 for each strong attribute and -1 for each strong attribute held by the grabber. This test can be done once per turn, and if successful, the creature can act that turn. Grabbed creature has held armor. On a d6 roll 4+ he can still fight and cast spells, otherwise his hands are pinned, too.

A held victim is usually crushed each turn until dead. Grab attacks ignore armor.

Swallow

Large creatures may swallow victims This swallow ignores armor, see above. Swallowed creature is usually digested with acids, and can only act if roll d6 4+ at the start of the own action. All spellcasting while swallowed is hard.

Swallow attacks ignore armor.

Tail Attacks

Some creatures have a tail attack that causes target to save vs. stun (with modifier, sometimes) or becomes stunned. These attacks usually do not work against heavy or sturdy creatures, but are ideal against humanoids. Apply +1 to save for each full 100 kgs in weight, starting from 200.

Tail attacks ignore armor.

Trample

Trample is an attack done by creature when it charges regardless of what is in path. Small creatures may fall to feet and get trampled; usually an agility save is sufficient to jump aside, otherwise use damage listed.

Trample attacks ignore armor.

Gaze

The creature has gaze attack that it may direct against any single creature during its action. On a d6 roll 4+ the target sees its eyes, unless avoids the gaze (has said that before). In addition, at the start of the match any creature accidentally gazes the creature if successful in a perception test.

Attack Damage

The basic physical attack from a creature does 1 point of damage, assuming the creature is using some kind of weapons. If the creature has strong attribute(s), the damage is increased with +1 for each strong attribute, if using suitable weapon. For smaller weapons, add +1 to damage only for each 2 levels.

Example: PC is strong. If he uses standard weapon, he does 1 point of damage. With a large axe or some other heavy impressive weapon he does 2 points of damage. A giant is very strong, having strong x3. With a large club, he does 4 points of damage. With a short standard weapon, only 2 points.

Other attacks have damage as defined in their description.

Damage Types

The most common attack types causing loss of health levels or other effect. If the creature is resistant to the media, only half the damage is caused. Creature immune is just that, immune, but its items are not.

Cold

Including freezing and ice storms. May shatter potions and wands (d6 roll 1)

Death

Life force draining, causing loss of vitality. If the attack is life drain, wounds caused are wounding (see below) and the attacker gains half the amount of drained, round up. Any exceed health levels over normal maximum health level are lost at the next sunrise. Any creature slain by life drain caused by an undead creature is usually raised as a same kind of creature as killer in the next dawn.

Disease

Various long or short-term diseases

Fire

All heating and flame attacks. Can easily burn paper and scrolls and boil potions (d6 roll 1)

Lightning

Including electricity. May cause short blindness (failed general save, next action) and disintegrates small objects like rings, amulets and wands (d6 roll 1)

Magic

Resistance against magic itself, like enchantments and directly aimed magic effects. Note that this resistance does not apply to magically created other damage (like flames of a fireball) unless noted otherwise. Moreover, this magic resistance applies even to friendly magic, but if the resistance is innate ability of the creature, it can lower the resistance at will.

Mind

Targeting the mind of the creature. Includes effects like fear (which is state of mind, after all) and sleep.

Physical

Various physical damage, like blows (all weapons and raking and falling etc.), further divided to piercing, cutting and blunt. Blunt attacks may break things and cutting attacks severe limbs (d6 roll 1 if damage 3+). Acid is another common sub-type, corroding and melting the target. May destroy any items (d6 roll 1) and always reduces quality of items.

Poison

Venoms and poisons, causing damage when injected or touched, sometimes causing other effects.

Polymorph

Attacks trying to modify the creature, by aging it or by turning it into a frog, stone (petrification) or dust (disintegration). Disintegration may cause loss of random (big) item (d6 roll 1-3) and aging damage is calssified as wounding (see below).

Damage Effects

Any successful hit damages the target creature, reducing attack power from target hit levels. See health levels for more information.

If the target creature has resistance against the attack type, all damage is halved. If the final damage has one half damage, roll d6. On a roll 4+, it is 1 point of damage, otherwise no damage is caused by the half point.

Example: A demon is hit with 5 points of fire damage. It is resistant to fire, and thus it loses only 2 levels of health, and a third one on a d6 roll 4+.

If the attack has several attack types, the creature needs only one to be resistant, but several resistances confer no additional bonus. Note that each vulnerability negates one resistance. Vulnerabilities have no effect on immunities.

If the target has immunity against any attack type all damage is negated. Thus a character immune to poison does not take any damage from magical poison, for example.

Special Damage Effects

These are special effects caused by some special attacks or effects. Most call for save which is detailed above.

Blinded

The creature is (temporary) blinded and attacks hit only with 6. In addition, he cannot use ranged attacks or spells. If fightning on a shaky or cluttered ground, agility save might be called for each turn or falls down and cannot attack.

Fear (Scared)

Target is filled with immense fear, and unless saves against it, becomes scared and must run away or cannot effectually fight (hits on a roll 6) while covering from fear.

Paralyzation

The creature is paralyzed unless saves vs. paralyzation. Paralyzed creature cannot do anything until paralyzation vanishes. If no duration is noted, it is dispelled with d6 roll 1 at the start of the creature's action.

Sleep

The creature is put to sleep unless saves vs. (mind) sleep. Sleeping creature may do nothing until awakes; if hit, awakes on a d6 roll 1-3.

Stun

The creature is stunned unless saves vs. stun. A stunned creature loses its next action and until can act again, is considered as held.

Stupid

The creature becomes stupid if the save is unsuccessful. The stupid creature has hard time to think clearly, and on a d6 roll '1' at the start of his turn, he cannot act. In addition, all spell-casting is automatically hard!

System Shock

This is not a damage type per se but a test to see if a creature can survive a drastic transformation, usually back to life. It is a normal save without any other modifications except generic bonuses. A failure means death.

Transform

The creature is transformed into a new form unless saves vs. polymorph. See GM section for details.

Wounding

This damage cannot be healed by magical means (including Miracles), only natural healing works, i.e. one restoration each day. Usually there is no save.

Magic

Spellcasting

Spellcasting usually requires that the caster can freely wave his hands, pronounce arcane magical words and has magic points to fuel his spells. Following rules apply to other situations:

Only one spell can be cast each turn, and the caster cannot do any other action except move a bit. If the spell requires a touch, the caster may use all his attacks to aim the touch.

Hard Casting

The caster must make a test, with +1 for each mental attribute, +1 if not wearing any armor, -1 if wearing a heavy armor and additional -1 if using a shield. If the test is successful, the spell succeeds. Otherwise, it fails, and the caster is stunned for the next action. Magic points are always depleted.

Magic Points

All spells must be fueled with magic points. If the caster has no magic points left, he cannot cast the spell. In addition, no more than caster magic level, divided by 2, magic points can be pumped into one spell.

Magic point restoration: magic points are restored once a hour. Each restoration is normal 1/5th (rounded up).

Resistant to Magic

Some creatures and items are by nature resistant (or immune) to magic, and may reject effects. This works like any other resistance, but it is good to note that magic fresistance does not apply to spell effects unless marked otherwise. Thus, magic resistance does not help against the flames of a fireball, for example! (this is different than in AD&D). All enchantments are classified as magic effects.

Note also that all effects created by scrolls and wands etc. are magic as are all innate powers, and same rules apply to them. Also note that creature's magic resistance does not apply to his items or enchantments on him and if the creature has an innate magic resistance (or immunity), it can lower it by will (unless noted otherwise).

Miracles are not counted as magic in that sense as magic resistance helps against them. It is just divine powers!

Innate Powers

The creature may have innate powers. Each use requires no magic points nor is never hard, but requires gestures and voice unless silent (usually marked as (s)). The use may be limited to certain number for each day, returning at sunrise. Innate powers cannot be countered, only personal magic resistance defense is applicable. Innate powers are used with magic level equal to creature HD unless noted otherwise.

The use of innate power still requires an action, unless it is at will (marked as (a)). Such a powers can be used as often as desired, but only one such power can be used each turn, in addition to normal action, unless noted otherwise.

No d6 is never rolled for innate powers. However, the use of innate powers is draining and stressful for the user in most cases, and thus creatures usually limit their use.

Continual: some innate powers can be active all the time. Such effects can never be dispelled and they are in action all the time.

Fast Battle System (FBS)

This is an approximation system for truly big battles, still keeping it in personal level. The idea is to approximate combat results of the several successive normal rounds.

FBS Damage Base

Base damage caused in each FBS round (6 normal combat turns) is equal to attacks times damage caused by each attack. This is then multiplied by (7-target armor). So, if the character has 4 attacks and is wielding an obisidan axe, his base is 12, and against armor 4, it is 36.

FBS Round

One FBS round is equal to 6 normal combat turns, lasting one minute or a bit less (for enchantment durations). Spellcasters may want to use these 6 turns normally, not taking part in FBS.

FBS IN ACTION

Simply add all damage caused by character group together, adding it to opponent killing HD count. If you prefer, some randomization (see below) can be done.

Then, do likewise against each character involved in combat. This time, general randomization from 50% damage to up to 150% is recommended. So for example, is damage base against character is 8, 2d6+1 is a good final damage.

Example: 3 fighters are fighting a huge horde of ghouls. Character base damages sum to 140 (against armor 2), so they hack 34 ghouls to pieces during each FBS round. Likewise, GM has judged that 4 ghouls may attack each character. Their damage base is 4, becoming 8 because all characters have armor 5. So, 2d6+1 is rolled for each character for final damage. In addition, each character must save that many times against paralyzation from ghouls' poison.

When the combat involves more special attributes than simple melee, health levels are down or opponents are running out, normal combat system should be used.

FBS in Mass Battles

Nothing stops from using FBS in massbattles involving hundreds of creatures in both sides. Of course the position, tactics etc. should determine the outcome of the battle more than dice luck, but base damage is a good indicator.

Example: 3000 ghouls meet 2000 human soldiers in a large cave. 100 creatures are allowed to fight each round. Humans have armor 4, and thus ghouls have damage base 300, while humans have 500 (ghoul armor is 2). So each FBS round, humans kill around 125 ghouls, while ghouls inflict damage enough to kill 100 humans. Humans, however, are paralyzed from ghoul poison half the time, so GM judges that they get 150 humans each turn. Thus, unless humans gain some tactical advantage, they are going to lose.


edd2 RPG system © Kalle Marjola 1998, 2001, 2004. All rights reserved.