Conflict Resolution

Conflicts Resolution

Rather than focus specifically on combat, Flagstone operates one level lower by classifying any point of contention as conflict and providing a general ruleset for conflict resolution. Any non-trivial event in which a character must overcome a situation, another entity, or the environment is considered conflict for the purpose of applying system rules and mechanics. The GM may decide that some interactions are more free flowing and follow a looser structure, however, the resolution flow is designed to be flexible enough to handle most situations.

Unopposed Actions

In many cases, a challenge is static. For example, a wall does not become harder to climb nor a pit harder to leap across. If a character is not using an ability to perform the action and the Chakra governing the action is integrated into their loadout, their Loadout Rank is added to the CR. If a character is using an ability to perform the action, they would apply their Potency to the CR roll as well. Relevant Flagstone bonuses may also apply. (CR Roll = d20 + Loadout Rank + Ability Potency + Flagstone Bonuses + Situational Bonuses.)

The base value for an average difficulty unopposed CR is 5, or Rank E. Average difficulty is defined as something an average healthy person could perform reasonably well most of the time. More complex tasks and difficult circumstances make even simple things more difficult. For example, an average person may be able to swim in calm water reasonably well, but make the water turbulent and put them in heavy clothing and they would have a much more difficult time. Challenges can be thought of as consisting of two values: their base difficulty, and circumstantial difficulty. Base difficulty is counted as Ranks, with each rank adding +5 to the CR. Each additional difficult circumstance adds + 2 to the CR.

Opposed Actions

Opposed actions are more complex because the object or person the character is in conflict with is actively opposing their attempt to act. This could be anything from a complex negotiation to attempting to use a weapon to strike someone that doesn't wish to be struck. These conflicts are loosely broken up into the smaller steps. It may help to visualize each step as 'bullet time' within combat. The steps are:

• Declaration of Action: The Player or GM declares what action the character will take.


• Prevention:If a character has the means and wishes to attempt to prevent the action, they declare it, and prevention is resolved as described below.


• Avoidance: If the action has not been prevented, the target has the chance to avoid the action. Any action where the target is unwilling or uncooperative triggers an opposed CR.


• Mitigation: If the action succeeds, the aggressor rolls impact. The target's armors and resistances to the attack are calculated and the impact is modified accordingly.


• Resolution: All state changes are updated (character sheets/etc) and the next action is declared

Optional Rule: Gradient Effect

When rolling a CR, if the character misses the check, reduce the potency of the effect by one rank for each 2 points below the target CR. If the potency would be reduced below E, the action is a complete failure.

When rolling a CR, if the character passes the check, increase the potency at no cost for each 4 points above the target CR. This is in addition to the potency gain from a natural 20.

The Gradient Effect is the default for Flagstone. If the Group prefers less math or faster turns, a simple pass fail system can be used.

The initiating events or actions are generally determined by the GM, and often requires an initiative roll to determine the order that the events or actions are instantiated, and rely on the action economy to determine the general flow of events once the starting sequence has been determined. The Breath pool forms the basis for action economy within Flagstone, limiting the amount a character can accomplish before they must pause to catch their breath.

Resolution

All character sheets are updated and status effects are updated as necessary. If a status has been applied during this resolution cycle, the statuses effects and any penalties or damages are applied. The current player continues their turn.

Called Shots

Sometimes striking your oponent anywhere you can is perfectly acceptable, but other occassions call for more discretion. Called-shots are a way of specifying a particular body part, piece of equipment, or carried object on a target, with the effects varying based on the attack, the target, and any abilities being used. Any character can choose to make a called shot for any attack, but must declare their intention before rolling the die.

Trying to hit a smaller, and possibly better defended target is, of course, more difficult. The called shot system is based off a simple sliding scale according to the targets base size. Each rank of difference adds +2 to the CR to hit. The CR to hit a piece of equipment is equal to the body part it covers. Wielded equipment adds +2 CR, regardless of size, because a particular location on the weapon is being targeted. Secondary effects are calculated one rank lower than the base ability for a given attribute(i.e. Potency, Range, Efficiency).

• Torso - Considered equal to targets base size. Secondary Effect: Target loses breath equal to the actions Potency * Range.


• Legs and Tails - Considered one category smaller than the targets base size. Secondary Effect: Reduces targets MSR by one rank per attribute for each 2 ranks of Potency of the ability. Effects are cumulative.


• Arms - Considered one category smaller than the targets base size. Secondary Effect: Target takes a -2 penalty to Strike for 1 round per Potency. Effects are cumulative.


• Heads, Hands, Feet - Considered two categories smaller than the targets base size. Secondary Effect: Target takes a -2 penalty to Wield and Utilize for 1 round per Potency. Effects are cumulative.


• Sensory Organs - Considered three categories smaller than the targets base size. Secondary Effects: These are more specific and varied, but an appropriate rule for sensory organs is a -2 penalty per Potency to any sensory checks. For Vision, this would extend to any CR unless some ability or feature would grant a compensating sense.


• Vital Organs: - Considered three categories smaller than the targets base size due to cover and concealment. Secondary Effects: Targets Stamina Rating gains one rank of withering for each point of Potency.

Designer's Note: Initiative

Initiative is a complex topic that has not always been addressed in a way that we found suitable, either because it was too granular, requiring a great deal of complex calculations just to figure out whose turn it is, because it was not granular enough and thus could not account for enough nuance in the game's mechanics, or because it unbalanced the action economy too severely. Let's face it, in games going first can be a really big deal. In a TTRPG it can be the difference between a win and a TPK. While the threat of character death can be powerfully motivating, it is not fun if there is no way to avoid it. We wanted the initiative advantage to feel natural, respond well to the nuance of circumstances, and provide an interesting possibility space for these vital opening moments of combat while keeping it from unbalancing the gameplay too much against the defenders.

The system let's players choose how they are going to respond to the situation (Attribute Rating), and if they have the timing advantage, they receive a +10 to their initiative and additional breath for their first turn only. After the first turn, combat flow returns to normal. Thus, even with the timing advantage, a player with a low roll may still underperform a surprised opponent. As the game progresses, you may end up with characters who might be able to take several actions on a surprise round, however, increasing attack penalties for subsequent attacks act as a limiter. It is important to note that the limitations can be shifted to some degree, allowing for more and more attacks with a fair degree of accuracy. Given the number of dream and fade seeds that it takes to do this, our opinion is that the character (and player) has earned that right to the spotlight in those circumstances.

This has to be balanced, though, with the enjoyment of other players at the table. If a player creates a character that actively disallows other player's to play by abusing initiative to 'hog the show' first try to have a discussion with the player to see if they will cooperate for the good of the group, if not, consider either placing an upper limit on the number of actions that a character may accumulate during the surprise round applied across the board, or placing a limit on characters relative to other characters in the party. Making the limit relative to the party allows them to maintain a speed advantage without disadvantaging the other players. While it is NOT the first step we recommend, it may be necessary to ensure the enjoyment of all.