Trials
Whether you're a lone operator, working alongside comrades, or in the thickest fray of war, time is of the essence, and your skills are going to be put on Trial.
Trials are how Ethnis handles scenarios of danger, discord, and disagreement. Whenever a challenge rises—a long voyage through a lush jungle, a firefight between space pirates, a fiery debate over the fate of a prisoner—the outcome is determined through the following mechanics.
Examples
A player says they want to break down a door. Nobody offers to help. The Narrator approves and a single player Round of Trial begins with the player drawing their Ante. Though they only have the one objective, they draw a couple extra cards just in case someone is waiting on the other side of the door.
A player says they want to break down a door. Another player offers to cover them. The Narrator approves and a multi player round of Trial begins with the two players drawing their Ante. The doorbuster draws a second card to defend themself from what might be on the other side, while their accomplice stands with gun raised, poised to attack on their turn.
A player staggers under the force of a round ricocheting off of their armor. The Narrator orders everyone present to Ante. Contest has begun. They may not know where their assailant is, but it's time to get to cover.
| Rule | Single | Multi |
|---|---|---|
| Requires an Ante? | ||
| Can Ante multiple cards? | ||
| Can take multiple Actions | ||
| Has multiple Belligerents? | ||
Rounds
Trials are divided into Rounds wherein each Actor is a Belligerent. Players Ante first, then all Belligerents act in order of highest RFX score to lowest, and finally the Narrator takes their turn. Ties favor Bosses over PCs over NPCs; for PC vs. PC its at coin toss or Narrator Discretion.
Rounds are ~5 seconds long
Actions occur in series, not parallel
Turns are ordered by Belligerent RFX.
1) Ante
As a group, players draw their cards. Each Action requires a Numeric played with it. You are helpless once you're out of cards, so Ante tactically! A larger hand means more cards for Actions, but it also means increased difficulty.
There is no hand size limit, however...
The Base Difficulty of all Checks is determined by your Ante
You may Refresh at this time
2) Actions
Starting with the Belligerent with the highest RFX and working to the Belligerent with the least, everyone either Holds or takes their turn.
On your turn, you declare your Actions, and the Narrator resolves each according to the Skills page.
NPC Belligerents act and are resolved according to the Behaviors and Stats of their stablocks.
PC Belligerents act as described by their player, and the Narrator resolves their Actions.
3) Upkeep
The cards in your Hand go into the Discard Pile
Your played Cards go into the Discard Pile
You may Refresh at this time
The Narrator updates the battlefield
Once the Trial is resolved, the final Round continues until all characters have acted.
You may only declare an Check on your turn. You may make a Save whenever you are Targeted.
1: Assess — Through roleplay and inquiry, look for Factors which may affect your checks.
2: Declare — Tell the Narrator what you want to do, and with which Skill. Play a Numeric, and calculate your check by subtracting your Ante and adding your Skill Mod.
3: Resolve — The Narrator reveals the Check Target, including any unseen Factors. If your Check is greater or equal to this Target, you succeed. Refer to the Skills page for more details.
Action Types| Type | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Takes no thought, requires no Cards. | E.g. |
| Partial | Takes no skill, but still requires a Card. | E.g. |
| Check | Made on a Target on your turn. Has a risk of failure. | E.g. |
| Save | Made as a response to being the Target of an Action. | E.g |
Abilities are unique capabilities gained and upgraded by spending Plot. They are activated according to their Effect text, and typically require you to play a Royal to Trigger them. If a Royal is not specified, any Royal will do. Jokers can be played as any specified Royal.
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