# The Expanse

The Expanse Roleplaying Game is based on the "Adventure Game Engine" or AGE system. It uses D6's to determine dice results.

## Player Basics

To make an ability test, you pick up three six-sided dice (3d6). Two of these dice should be one colour and the third a different.

**Test Result** = 3D6 + Ability Score + 2 for Ability Focus (if any)

> Example: Your character tries a Dexterity Test. You roll 3d6 and get a total of 10 (3 + 3 + 4). Your Dexterity Score is 3, so you add that for a total of 13. You also have a focus in Acrobatics, so you add +2.
>
> Your final result is 15.

You can still attempt a test without having a relevant focus in that field. If a test requires a focus, it will always be stipulated that you MUST have that focus.

### Division and Rounding

In cases where the rules call for a value to be divided, **round up**.
E.g. 13 / 2 = 7 (6.5 rounded up).

## The Drama Die

Your roll of three dice includes one off-colour die. This is the **Drama Die**. It determines the degree of failure or success. It also **breaks ties** (the highest drama die value wins in an opposed test) and generates **stunt points (SP)**.

### Degree of Success

A 1 means you barely succeeded, a 6 means you did something flawlessly.

> Your character is doing a quick patch job to the ship. You succeed in your test to do so. If you rolled a 1, the patch may not last the whole encounter. A 6 would make it good as new.

## Stunts

*The Expanse* is a bit different when it comes to pulling things off with style, or *stunts*.

When you complete a roll and two or more of the dice show the same number, that test generates **Stunt Points (SP)**. If the test is successful you can spend these SP to pull of a special manoeuvre, trick or flourish.

- You must spend the SP on that Test, or they disappear at the end of your turn.
- Only active tests generate SP.
- Tests where you are trying to resist something (e.g. radiation) do not generate SP.

## Fortune

Every character has a resource called **Fortune (FP)** . It represents survival instinct, dumb luck, good fortune, divine favour, etc. Every character starts off with a certain amount, which improves with experience.

- You can spend FP to make one die show the amount you spend (e.g. 6 FP = 6 on die).
- You may only modify one die per turn.

## Types of Tests

There are four types of tests in the game.

### Basic

The most basic and common test you can do, e.g. picking a lock. They have a **Target Number** (TN) set by the GM to assess it's difficulty.

| Target Number | Test Difficulty | 50% Chance | 90% Chance |
| ------------- | --------------- | ---------- | ---------- |
| 7 | Routine | -3 | +1 |
| 9 | Easy | -1 | +3 |
| 11 | Average | +1 | +5 |
| 13 | Challenging | +3 | +7 |
| 15 | Hard | +5 | +9 |
| 17 | Formidable | +7 | +11 |
| 19 | Imposing | +9 | +13 |
| 21 | Nigh Impossible | +11 | +15 |

### Opposed

An opposed test is made against another character who makes a similar test. Each characters rolls are compared and the higher one wins.

### Advanced

Advanced Tests are ones that take time to prepare or plan and when the amount of time is important. Navigating the wilderness or hacking a computer network is an example. These require multiple rolls, each representing an increment of time.

| Task Difficulty | Success Threshold |
| --------------- | ----------------- |
| Easy | 5 |
| Average | 10 |
| Challenging | 15 |
| Hard | 20 |
| Formidable | 25 |

1. Determine the **Target Number** you're testing against.
2. Determine the **Success Threshold**.
3. Determine the **Time to Complete** (how many rolls you get).
4. With each success roll, the Drama Die's total chips away at the success threshold.
5. On a failure you do not make any headway, but you lose time.

### Challenge

These function similar to Advanced Tests, but have added components. There are consequences for each failed roll.

1. Determine the **Target Number**.
2. Determine the **Success Threshold**.
3. Determine the **Time to Complete**.
4. With each success roll, the Drama Die's total chips away at the success threshold.
5. On a failure, you may roll a minor, moderate or major consequence. The GM determines what kind.

#### Minor Consequences

Minor Consequences can:

- Make future tests more difficult, increasing the Target Number by +2.
- Increase amount of time required to complete.
- Cause minor complication, e.g. giving away effort of covert challenge.

They can be eliminated by a successful ability roll that doesn't impact the Success Threshold, e.g. counter-intrusion protocols.

#### Moderate Consequences

- Make future tests more difficult, but lasting for the remainder of the challenge.
- Eliminate half your accumulated progress towards success.
- Close off avenues of progress, forcing you to adopt new means, such as changing the ability or focus of the test.

#### Major Consequences

- Getting noticed and having a chase challenge or even a conflict before being able to resume.
- Getting locked out and having to start again.

## Conditions

| Condition | Description |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Deafened | The character cannot hear and automatically fails ability tests reliant on hearing, such as Perception (Hearing). |
| Dying | The character is in danger of perishing. A dying character loses 1 point of Constitution each round. Upon reaching -3 Constitution the character dies. First aid can be used to stabilize the character and make them unconscious/wounded. |
| Exhausted | The character is severely fatigued. Speed is halved, they cannot take Charge or Run actions. An exhausted character who receives an additional fatigued or exhausted condition becomes helpless. |
| Fatigued | The character is tired and cannot take the Charge or Run actions. A fatigued character who receives an additional fatigued condition becomes exhausted. |
| Free Falling | The character is effectively weightless in a microgravity or free-fall environment. The character can only move with access to hand-holds, a surface to push off from, or some type of thrust (like from a thruster pack) and, once moving, continues to move with the same speed and trajectory unless acted upon to stop or change their movement. |
| Helpless | The character is incapable of doing anything. The character cannot take any actions. |
| Hindered | The character’s Speed is halved (round down) and they cannot take the Charge or Run actions. |
| Injured | The character is hurt. The character has a –1 penalty to all tests and is fatigued, unable to take the Charge or Run actions. An injured character who receives an additional injured condition becomes wounded. |
| Prone | The character is lying on the ground. The character cannot take the Charge or Run actions, as they can only move by crawling, and standing up from prone requires a Move action using half the character’s Speed. Melee attacks have a +1 bonus against prone characters, while ranged attacks have a –1 penalty. |
| Restrained | The character’s Speed becomes 0 and they effectively cannot move. A restrained condition may prevent a character from taking certain other actions as well, defined by the nature of the restraint. |
| Unconscious | The character is unaware of their surroundings or the passage of time. The character falls prone and is helpless, unable to take any actions. |
| Wounded | The character is severely injured. The character has a –2 penalty to all tests and is exhausted, their Speed halved and unable to take the Charge or Run actions. A wounded character who receives an additional injured or wounded condition becomes dying. |

## Encounters

The Expanse RPG is divided into Encounters and Interludes (below). There are three kinds of encounters:

**Action Encounters**: Action scenes pitting the characters against various dangers, including fighting enemies, fleeing pursuit, or overcoming hazard.

**Exploration Encounters**: Exploring and gathering information. Generally interacting with the environment. Things such as investigation or research.

**Social Encounters**: Conversations and personal interaction, whether tense negotiations, clever intrigues, or honest sharing of information and goals.

## Interludes

Interludes represent the time between encounters in The Expanse. It is downtime for your characters to do things they want or need to do, ranging from resting, studying, working or otherwise pursuing your own goals. The most common is transit time in the Expanse which can sometimes be weeks.

You can also perform maintenance and upkeep on your equipment, ships and incomes. Or bond with other characters and get to know one another better. Alternatively the group can split up and meet back up later after sorting their own things out.