MasterBook EZ

VERSION OF THE MASTERBOOK UNIVERSAL RULES SYSTEM

masterbook ez design

Brett M. Bernstein

original design

Ed Stark and Bill Smith

illustration

Brian Schomburg

What is MasterBook ?

This game system lets you adventure in any imaginable setting. Flexible and easy to learn, the rules can be adapted to everything from science fiction to high fantasy, from pulp adventure to dark horror. Add the critically-acclaimed MasterDeck cards to enhance the action with more excitement and more drama, and your imagination is the only limit.

What is MasterBook

?

This is the introductory version of MasterBook. It is fully functional and ready to run, but like any lite version of a game, the mechanics have been distilled to their most-basic components for simpler and faster play. Two 10-sided dice are required. Once comfortable with MasterBook , keep using it or step up to MasterBook for the full experience.

WWW.PIGAMES.NET ©2013 Precis Intermedia. MasterBook, MasterBook EZ, MasterBook Companion, MasterDeck, MasterWorld, and Bloodshadows are trademarks of Precis Intermedia.

Creating a Character

Players can create their own characters from scratch. It is assumed that each player has a character concept in mind—a general idea of who the character is and how he fits into the world. Characters are described using attributes, skills, and advantages/compensations. Attributes Characters possess four primary attributes: Prowess, Brawn, Insight, and Wits. Each player can assign 34 points among these attributes. No attribute can have a rating less than 5 or greater than 13.

ATTRIBUTE VALUE CHART

Rating 4 or less 5 6 7–8 9–10 11–12 13 14 or more

Relative Ability Severe Disability Far Below Average Below Average Low Average High Average Outstanding Exceptional Superhuman

Every character also possesses the Toughness attribute. It is computed by referencing the table below, based on the character’s Brawn rating. Brawn Rating

TOUGHNESS CHART

5 6 7 8–9 10–11 12–13

Toughness Rating 7 8 9 10 11 12

Skills Skills reflect knowledge, education, and practice. A character’s basic abilities are defined by his attribute ratings, but skills improve upon those abilities, polishing and adding to them. Some skills require training in order for a character to even attempt a task involving them— these are called trained skills (marked with a  symbol).

SKILL VALUE CHART

Rating 1 2 3 4–6 7–10 11–15 16 or more

2

Relative Knowledge/Training Novice Beginner Proficient Professional Advanced Professional Master Top in Field

Each player can assign a number of points among skills, as determined by referencing the table below. No skill can have a rating greater than 3 at this point. Use the column that best suits the desired experience for characters.

SKILL POINTS CHART

Insight Rating 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

Inexperienced 6 7 8 9 10 10 11 12 13

Accomplished 12 14 16 18 20 21 22 24 26

LIST OF SKILLS Prowess Skills • Acrobatics

• Beast Riding

• Boating

• Dodge

• Driving

• Energy Weapons

• Fire Combat

• Gunnery 

• Lock Picking 

• Melee Combat

• Melee Parry

• Missile Weapons

• Piloting 

• Prestidigitation

• Stealth

• Unarmed Combat

• Unarmed Parry Brawn Skills • Climbing

• Lifting

• Resist Pain

• Running

• Swimming

• Thrown Weapons

Insight Skills • Artist

• Business

• Camouflage

• Computer Ops 

• Demolitions 

• Forgery 

• First Aid

• Linguistics

• Medicine

• Navigation

• Perception

• Research

• Scholar

• Science 

• Tracking Wits Skills • Charm

• Con

• Disguise

• Etiquette 

• Interrogation

• Intimidation

• Streetwise

• Survival

• Willpower

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Advantages and Compensations Advantages and compensations are special elements that better describe a character. Advantages are beneficial, offering an edge that other characters might not have. Compensations are detrimental, used to offset advantages and make characters more rounded and believable. There are three degrees of advantages and compensations in the form of columns. Column 1 advantages/ compensations offer basic bonuses/penalties, while those from Column 2 are more significant, and Column 3 represents the uncanny. Each player can assign up to three advantages from Column 1 and two from Column 2 to his character. One advantage from Column 3 can also be chosen for fantasy settings. For every advantage chosen, however, a compensation must also be selected from the same column. Many advantages and compensations can be chosen more than once; those listed with the  symbol cannot. Life Points Characters begin the game with 4 Life Points, and can never have more than 10. Life points are used to increase die rolls, cancel their use by other characters, and reduce damage. Their use is further explained later in this book.

Getting Things Done

Whenever characters do something outside the norm, a series of steps are taken to determine the outcome. This entails rolling the dice to ascertain a bonus number and adding it to a character’s relevant attribute and skill ratings. This total is compared to the assigned difficulty or opposing skill total to determine success. The necessary steps are described below in more detail. Difficulties The gamemaster either selects an arbitrary difficulty based on how hard the task is or uses an opposing character’s skill total to determine the difficulty number (DN). Arbitrary difficulties and their equivalent difficulty numbers can be found on the table below.

ARBITRARY DN SCALE CHART Difficulty Difficulty Number (DN) Routine 0 Nearly Routine 2 Very Easy 3 Easy 5 Average 8 Complicated 10 Difficult 12 Hard 13 Very Hard 15 Extremely Hard 18 Incredible 22 Nearly Impossible 25+

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LIST OF ADVANTAGES Column 1 Advantages • Additional Skill Adds • Contacts • Equipment • Law Enforcement  • Skill Bonus 

• Authority  • Cultures • Fame  • Patron • Wealth 

Column 2 Advantages • Additional Skill Adds • Contacts • Equipment • Law Enforcement  • Skill Bonus 

• Authority  • Cultures • Fame  • Patron • Wealth 

Column 3 Advantages • Accelerated Healing  • Additional Skill Adds • Additional Attribute Point • Authority  • Blur  • Breathe Water  • Combat Sense  • Contacts • Cultures • Enhanced Senses • Equipment  • Fame  • Fast Reactions  • Law Enforcement  • Natural Hand Weapon • Natural Ranged Weapon  • Night Vision  • Patron • Skill Bonus  • Speed  • Toughened Skin  • Wealth 

LIST OF COMPENSATIONS Column 1 Compensations • Advantage Flaw • Age  • Bad Luck  • Cultural Unfamiliarity  • Debt  • Employed  • Enemy • Handicap  • Infamy  • Prejudice  • Poverty  • Price • Sense of Duty • Stutter  Column 2 Compensations • Advantage Flaw • Age  • Bad Luck  • Cultural Unfamiliarity  • Debt  • Dependency • Employed  • Enemy • Handicap  • Illiterate • Infamy  • Language  • Learning Curve  • Prejudice  • Price • Sense of Duty Column 3 Compensations • Achilles’ Heel • Advantage Flaw • Bad Luck  • Cultural Unfamiliarity  • Debt  • Dependency • Employed  • Enemy • Infamy  • Minor Stigma • Phobic • Reduced Attribute • Sense of Duty 3

Modifiers

The gamemaster may assign modifiers to the difficulty number to reflect special circumstances, such as poor weather or tactical advantages. Note that a negative modifier is considered a bonus and a positive one is considered a penalty.

DN MODIFIER CHART DN ±1 ±3 ±5 ±7 ±10 (or more)

Situation Barely affects the skill attempt Makes a significant difference Probably changes the outcome Almost totally changes the outcome Totally redefines the skill attempt

Combat

When physical conflict occurs, actions are performed during rounds, each representing ten seconds of time. A complex action requires a skill roll and may fail. A simple action does not require a roll and should almost always succeed, but it may affect the performance of other actions. Examples of simple actions include: • Reloading or drawing a weapon • Running, swimming, climbing, or jumping • Communicating briefly with nearby characters • Glancing around and assessing the basic situation Examples of complex actions are: • Anything that requires a skill roll

Relevant Attribute and Skill One attribute and one skill appropriate to the task must be chosen. It is possible that no skill in the game covers the task; just the attribute is used in this case. The Bonus Chart Two ten-sided dice are rolled. If a 10 is rolled and the character’s skill rating is 1 or more, roll the die again; if a subsequent 10 is rolled, repeat this process. A player can also spend one life point to roll both dice again in this manner; the life point expenditure also means that the character need not have a skill rating of 1 or more in order to re-roll a 10. Another character can also spend a Life Point to cancel this re-roll. Compute the sum of all dice rolled and reference this value on the Bonus Chart (see below) to determine a bonus number. For rolls above 45, the value is increased by one for every five points (51 would be 16). Skill Total The bonus number is added to the character’s relevant attribute and skill ratings for the task. This result is called the skill total. The Success Chart If the skill total is equal to or greater than the difficulty number, the task succeeds. How well a character succeeds is determined by the difference between the skill total and difficulty number—this number is called result points. The table below shows the degree of success. Result Points 0 1–4 5–8 9–12 13–16 17 or more

SUCCESS CHART

General Success Minimal: barely enough to succeed Solid: basic success Good: better than needed; possible benefits Superior: likely added benefits Spectacular: added benefits with flair Spectacular+: added benefits; just wow!

• Spending the entire round communicating complex ideas with nearby characters A character can perform one complex action per round, but as many simple actions as deemed appropriate by the gamemaster. Initiative Characters must act in a specific order during each round. This order is determined by a few factors. First, a bonus number is rolled for each character (see The Bonus Chart) and added to his Prowess rating. The characters act in order of highest value to lowest. Since these actions are not simultaneous, a character that is eliminated or otherwise prevented from performing an action when it is his turn, does not get to act. Moving The distance a character can move per turn is determined by referencing his Prowess and Brawn ratings on the tables below. These values determine the number of meters the character can run, swim, climb, and jump per turn.

RUNNING DISTANCE CHART

Prowess Rating 5 6–7 8–9 10–11 12–13

Rate 4 6 8 10 12

Brawn Rating 5 6–9 10–13

Rate +2 +4 +6*

*+4 if Prowess is 12–13

SWIMMING DISTANCE CHART

Prowess Rating 5 6–8 9–11 12–13

Rate 2 4 6 8

Brawn Rating Rate 5–7 +2 8–13 +4* 10–13 +6* *+4 if Prowess is 12–13

BONUS CHART DIE 9 11 21 26 31 36 41 ROLL 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 +5 BONUS NUMBER -10 -8 -7 -6 -5 -3 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 +1

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CLIMBING/JUMPING DISTANCE CHART

Prowess Rating Rate 5–9 2 10–13 4* *+2 if Brawn is 12–13

Brawn Rating 5–9 10–13

Rate +2 +4

target’s Toughness rating. It is also reduced further by any armor worn by the target (see table below). A player may spend one Life Point to perform up to two deductions of any combination for his character: • Cancel one wound. • Cancel a K or O. • Cancel a knockdown.

Attacking

Specific skills are used for attacking. Those necessary for determining the opposing skill total are also shown. • Close Combat: melee combat, unarmed combat, or agility vs. melee parry, unarmed parry, or agility • Ranged Combat: fire combat, energy weapons, gunnery, missile weapons, or thrown weapons vs. dodge or agility A modifier is applied to the attacker’s skill total for ranged weapons, depending on the distance to target (see table below). Other modifiers may also be applied to the opposing skill total, such as for cover (+3DN to +7DN) and surprise (-2DN to -5DN).

RANGED DIFFICULTIES CHART

PB S M L E Modifiers -2DN — +1DN +2DN +4DN Grenades 0 5 10 15 20

WEAPON RANGES CHART

Weapon PB S M L E Pistols 0–3 4–10 11–25 26–50 51–150 Rifles 0–4 5–15 16–50 51–150 151–250 Shotguns 0–4 5–20 21–30 31–75 76-125 Submachine Guns 0–4 5–10 11–20 21–50 51–75 Assault Rifles 0–3 4–15 16–40 41–75 76–150 Machineguns 0–5 6–15 16–75 76–150 151–500 Grenades 2 brawn-4 brawn-3 brawn-2 brawn-1 Knives/Stars/Darts 0–2 3–5 6–8 9–15 — Slings 0–3 4–6 7–15 16–20 21–30 Small Bows 0–3 4–10 11–20 21–30 31–50 Large Bows 0–3 4–15 16–30 31–50 51–100 Crossbows 0–4 5–10 11–20 21–40 41–75 Defending The target character’s skill total is assigned as the difficulty number by default—this is a passive defense. Characters can also perform active defenses, which represent concentrated efforts to avoid attacks. Active defenses are considered complex actions; they can be declared when attacked, but before any other actions are performed. Once declared, a bonus number is rolled and added to the opposing skill total—the minimum applied is +3. Damage If an attack is successful, the damage value of the strike must be determined. This value varies by the type of attack/ weapon (see table below). The damage value is added to the attack’s result points. This total is then reduced by the MasterBook



BRAWN-POWERED WEAPONS DAMAGE

Add the character’s Brawn rating to values below. Damage Value Weapons 1 Small Rock, Pocket Knife 2 Big Rock, Small Knife 3 Blackjack, Large Knife 4 Dagger, Small Club, Brass Knuckles 5 Short Sword, Baseball Bat, Nunchuk, Slingshot, Short Bow 6 Quarterstaff, Rapier, Mace, Medium Bow, Throwing Axe, Bolo 7 Light Sword, Spiked Mace, Warhammer, Spear, Composite Bow 8 Broadsword, Hand Axe, Long Bow 9 Morningstar, Pike, Light Crossbow 10 Two-Handed Sword, Battle Axe, Heavy Crossbow 11 Compound Bow

SELF-POWERED WEAPONS DAMAGE

Damage Value 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 26 Armor Value 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12

Weapons Light Pistol, Laser Pistol Light Rifle, Repeating Laser Pistol Pistol Light Submachinegun, Blaster Pistol High-Powered Pistol, Laser Rifle Heavy Submachinegun, Repeating Laser Rifle Shotgun, Heavy Rifle Assault Rifle Heavy Assault Rifle, Fragmentation Grenade Machinegun, Blaster Rifle Chain Gun

ARMOR CHART

Weapons Rugged Clothing Soft Leathers, Weak Cover Padded Leathers, Metallic Woven Fabrics Hard Leathers, Moderate Cover Metal-Linked Leather Armor Chain Mail, Plasteel Armor, Strong Cover Scale Link Armor, Light Kevlar Armor Plated-Chain Armor, Flak Jacket Plate Mail, Heavy Kevlar Armor Plated Armor, Ceramic Armor “Impenetrable” Cover

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DAMAGE CHART RESULT POINTS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 +1 KO — O K O — O K KO K/O K/O K K/O KO K K/O KO K KO K KO K K WOUNDS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 +1 KNOCKDOWN          Once a final number of result points is determined, the Damage Chart is consulted.

5. Mortal Wounds are any combination of the above, as well as internal injuries.

The KO Column lists either O, K, KO, or K/O. A K or O represents one half of a knockout. If a K result occurs, circle the K on the character’s sheet. It takes thirty minutes of rest to heal a lone K. If that same character receives an O before the K heals, he immediately loses consciousness. If the O is suffered before gaining a K, the lone O heals at the end of the turn. If the character receives a K before the O is healed, he immediately loses consciousness. A character who receives a KO, or knockout, remains unconscious for one minute. After that time, the character wakes and the O is healed, but the K must still heal normally. A duplicate K or O is ignored.

6. Deadly Wounds are broken necks, punctured lungs, and evisceration.

If a KO result occurs, it is an immediate knockout, as per the above rules. If a K/O occurs, it means that the character gains a K if he does not have one; otherwise, he gains an O for a knockout. The Wounds Column shows the number of wounds sustained by the attack. These are cumulative. A modifier is applied to certain rolls, depending on the number of wounds that a character has sustained (see Damage Modifiers Chart). For every result point above 20, the character sustains one extra wound (plus the effects of 20 result points). Once a character receives six wounds, he is dead, but may be revived within one turn. Any more wounds and he is dead.

DAMAGE MODIFIERS CHART

Wounds Severity 1 Light Wound 2 Moderate Wound 3 Heavy Wound 4 Incapacitating Wound 5 Mortal Wound 6 Deadly Wound

Modifiers none +2DN physical rolls +4DN physical rolls +2DN other rolls +8DN all rolls KO Dead

If the Knockdown Column displays an  (or other symbol), the character is either knocked down or stunned. This means that +4DN is applied to all physical rolls for the rest of the round, after which he recovers. Healing Wounds First aid can be applied to wounded characters. The difficulty varies by number of wounds sustained (see table below). Another character can attempt a first aid or medicine roll; if successful, he removes one wound and a KO. Note that a character with a deadly wound can only be given first aid within the same or following turn that it was sustained. Wounds 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

FIRST AID CHART

Severity KO only Light Wound Moderate Wound Heavy Wound Incapacitating Wound Mortal Wound Deadly Wound

Healing Difficulty 8 9 11 12 14 18 22

Wounds can also heal naturally. Consult the table below for the frequency and difficulty at which a Brawn roll can be made to remove one wound.

NATURAL HEALING CHART

Wounds Severity Rate 1 Light Wound 1 Day 2 Moderate Wound 1 Day 3 Heavy Wound 3 Days 4 Incapacitating Wound 3 Days 5 Mortal Wound 1 Day 6 Deadly Wound —

Difficulty 10 12 14 16 18 —

The various wound levels represent the following: 1. Light Wounds are moderate bruises, minor sprains, lacerations, muscle tears, and minor dislocation of joints.

3. Heavy Wounds are broken bones, gaping wounds, ripped cartilage and muscle, and concussions.

Life Points can be earned during adventures, generally one to two between acts and potentially more once the adventure is completed. No more than six should be awarded at the end of the adventure; three to four is the average amount. Life Points can be exchanged for skill points—one Life Point equals three skill points.

4 Incapacitating Wounds are multiple fractures, lacerations in vital areas, and heavy concussions.

The ratings of existing skills can be increased by one, but the cost in skill points is equal to one plus the skill’s

2. Moderate Wounds are severe abrasions and sprains, deep lacerations, major dislocation of joints, and minor breaks.

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Character Improvement

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current rating. Double this cost for trained skills. Gaining a new skill costs four skill points (for a rating of 1). Again, double this cost for trained skills. Most new skills should only be available to characters who would have some knowledge of how they work. A skill can never be raised by more than one between adventures, but more than one skill can be improved or a new one gained. Attribute ratings can also be increased by one. The cost is equal to three times the current rating, plus one (rating+1 × 3). Toughness and movement rates should be recalculated, if applicable.

Skill Descriptions

Some skills utilize the Special Results Chart. For results above 20, the value is increased by one for every three points (24 would be 9). Prowess Skills Acrobatics: Maneuvers and gymnastics, in more of a theatrical manner than combative. Beast Riding: Riding horses, ponies, mules, and the like. Boating: Operation of sail and motor boats. Dodge: Avoiding ranged attacks. Driving: Operation of motorcycles, cars, and trucks. Energy Weapons: Use of laser, blaster, plasma, and sonic weapons. Fire Combat: Use of pistols, rifles, shotguns, and machineguns. Gunnery: Use of large, vehicle-mounted weapons. Lock Picking: Defeating traps and alarm systems around locks. Melee Combat: Attacking with melee weapons, like swords, knives, and axes. Melee Parry: Defending with melee weapons, like swords, knives, and axes. Missile Weapons: Attacking with mechanical and strength-powered projectile weapons, like bows, slings, and crossbows. Piloting: Operation of aircraft, from airplanes to helicopters. Prestidigitation: Misdirection and sleight of hand. Stealth: Hiding, sneaking, and following. Unarmed Combat: Brawling, kicking, and even biting. Unarmed Parry: Defending an attack without a weapon. Brawn Skills Climbing: Scaling vertical or near-vertical surfaces. Lifting: Power lifting and bench-pressing loads.

SKILL DIFFICULTY CHART 1 Acrobatics DN Swinging on a rope over pit 6 Back flip 12 Driving, Piloting, Boating, Beast Riding Unusual vehicle or animal

DN +9 to +13

Lock Picking DN Interior door 9 Padlock 12 Wall safe or deadbolt 15 Vault 22 Poorly-constructed lock -3 Well-constructed lock +1 Military or security lock +3 No time limit -2 No tools +8 Blueprints and diagrams for lock -2 Prestidigitation DN Base: Target’s Insight/Perception Confused or distracted target -2 Simple act -1 to +5 Difficult act +1 to +5 Suspicious target +1 Watchful target, waiting for trick +5 Stealth DN Base: Target’s Insight/Perception Heavy rain or snow -1 Darkness -3 Dense concealment -3 Many distractions -3 Attentive observer +3 Open terrain +3 Good lighting +4 Climbing DN Using ladder 0 Climbing tree 5 Climbing rock 15 Climbing smooth stone or metal 21 Slick surface +2 Rain +5 Darkness +5 Lifting DN 60kg 9 100kg 10 150kg 11 250kg 12 400kg 13 600kg 14

SPECIAL RESULTS CHART RESULT POINTS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 +3 VALUE 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 +1 MasterBook



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Resist Pain: Ignore the detrimental effects of wounds in combat. Reduce severity by value on Special Results Chart for determining their modifiers. Running: Pushing oneself to run farther; add value on Special Results Chart to distance. Swimming: Pushing oneself to swim farther and avoid drowning; add value on Special Results Chart to distance. Thrown Weapons: Attacking with throwing weapons, like grenades, daggers, and rocks. Insight Skills Artist: Painting, drawing, composing, and writing. Business: Analyzing financial records, the stock market, and negotiating contracts. Camouflage: Hiding an object from view; result points are difficulty number for others to spot. Computer Ops: Operating and programming computers. Demolitions: Use, setting, and defusing of explosives. Forgery: Creating fake documents to pass as real; result points are difficulty number for others to detect. First Aid: Treating characters to keep them alive on the battlefield. Linguistics: Analyze languages and codes. Medicine: Treating characters to heal wounds and keep them alive. Add value on Special Results Chart to healing character’s skill total. Navigation: Estimate locations in the wilderness and at sea. Perception: Detect ambushes, find clues, and stay aware. Research: Culling information from various sources. Scholar: General knowledge; basic chemistry, criminology, physics, and sociology. Science: Applying knowledge to build, create, and analysis things; archaeology, electronics, and mechanics. Tracking: Follow trails left in the environment. Wits Skills Charm: Using flattery, bribery, and other means to get someone on the character’s side. Con: Using elaborate deception and planning to trick someone into action. Disguise: Altering features to make one unrecognizable; result points are difficulty number for others to notice. Etiquette: Knowledge of social graces. Interrogation: Forcing others to divulge information Intimidation: Frightening someone to relent. Streetwise: Acquiring information and goods from others. Survival: Scavenging and building necessities for survival in the wild.

SKILL DIFFICULTY CHART 2 Resist Pain Light wound Moderate wound Heavy wound Incapacitating wound Mortal wound

DN 9 11 15 20 26

Running DN Base: Half of Running Distance Rough terrain +2 Obstructions +2 Uphill +3 Swimming DN Base 3 Rough water +2 Undercurrent +3 Not dressed for swimming +2 Carrying a lot +4 Trying to save conscious character +6 Has swimming gear -1 to -5 Can breathe water -3

Camouflage DN Human-sized 2 Car-sized 6 Darkness -3 Dense concealment -3 Attentive observer +3 Open terrain +3 Good lighting +4 Forgery DN Intimately familiar with documents -5 Somewhat familiar with documents -2 From descriptions only +2 Guessing +8 All necessary tools available -5 Missing important tools +5 Linguistics DN Different dialect of own language 3 Derived from common language 10 Foreign language 15 Alien language 25 Simple concepts -3 Complex concepts +3 Alien concepts +7 Medicine DN Assist in healing light wound 10 Assist in healing moderate wound 12 Assist in healing heavy wound 13 Assist in healing incapacitating wound 15 Assist in healing mortal wound 17

Willpower: Resisting browbeating, cajoling, and mental attacks. 8

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SKILL DIFFICULTY CHART 3 Research DN Common Knowledge 7 Requires various sources 10 Varying reliability sources 15 Rare information 20 Hurried +2 Tracking DN Base 8 Aging trail +2 to +8 Inclement weather +5 Tracking in mud or snow -5 Per person being tracked -1 Charm DN Base: Target’s Wits/Willpower Target is agreeable -1 to -3 Target is hostile +5 to +10 Intimidation DN Base: Target’s Wits/Willpower Target in weakened position +3 Target is helpless +5 Target is in control -6 Interrogation DN Base: Target’s Wits/Willpower Target in weakened position -3 Target is helpless -5 Target is in control +6 Con DN Base: Target’s Insight or Wits/Willpower Disguise DN Specific person +8 Other sex +4 Different race +3 Age difference +3 Disguising self unaided +2 Untrained +5 Streetwise DN Large city 8 Small city 10 Town 12 Settlement 14 Legal information -4 Semi-legal information -2 Illegal information +2 Prohibited information +4 to +8 Survival DN Easy environment 3 Moderate environment 6 Tough environment 8 Barren environment 12 Inhospitable environment 15 Hostile environment 22 MasterBook



Advantage Descriptions Accelerated Healing 3 : The character heals more easily; +3 skill total for healing rolls, which are attempted more frequently (as one less severity). Additional Attribute Point 1: Increase a skill rating by one, as well as its maximum permitted value. Additional Skill Adds 1: Increase an attribute rating by one. Additional Skill Adds 2: Increase a skill rating by two. Additional Skill Adds 3: Increase a skill rating by three. Authority 1 : The character has some influence over those in his local jurisdiction. Authority 2 : The character has influence over a small number of troops or small company. Authority 3 : The character has a great deal of influence, as a powerful politician or the head of a large company. Blur 3 : The character can appear indistinct to the naked eye; +3 skill total for dodge and stealth rolls. Breathe Water 3 : The character can breathe underwater and cannot drown; +2 skill total for swimming rolls. Combat Sense 3 : The character can never be surprised in combat. Contacts 1: The character knows someone or a group that helps him when in need, usually after getting in touch and for a fee, but not when their own life is as stake. Contacts 2: The character knows someone or a group that is easily accessible and provides aid at no cost. Contacts 3: The character knows someone or a group that is supernatural or world-influencing. Cultures: The character is knowledgable of a specific culture; +1 skill total when dealing with that culture. Cultures 2: The character is knowledgable of a specific culture completely different from his own; +1 skill total when dealing with that culture. Cultures 3: The character is native to an unusual culture or gained its respect, so dealing with that culture is usually a simple matter. Enhanced Senses 3: One of the character’s five senses is heightened to abnormal levels; +3 skill total when using this sense. Equipment 1: Gain a piece of equipment not normally available due to price or rarity. Equipment 2: Gain a piece of equipment almost impossible to acquire due to price, rarity, or illegality. Equipment 3 : Gain a piece of equipment that no one else has. Fame 1 : The character is fairly well-known for a specific reason; a bonus number of 4 or more means that he is recognized for that reason and well-received. 9

Fame 2 : The character is very well-known, almost always recognized, and well-received within his own culture; a bonus number of 4 or more means that he is recognized by those within another culture. Fame 3 : There is a good chance that anyone recognizes the character and he is well-received; a bonus number of -1 or more means that he is recognized. Fast Reactions 3 : The character gains +3 when rolling for initiative. Law Enforcement 1 : The character is a deputy, with limited privileges. Law Enforcement 2 : The character is a police officer, capable of making arrests, as well as reasonable searches and seizures. Law Enforcement 3 : The character is a federal agent, with authority over local law enforcement. Natural Hand Weapon 3 : The character has claws or some other form of natural close combat weapon; +3 damage for the weapon. Natural Ranged Weapon 3 : The character has some sort of natural weapon with a range the same as grenades and damage value of 14. Night Vision 3 : The character can see in the dark.

Wealth 1 : The character belongs to the upper-middle class and possesses considerable amounts of cash, either on hand or nearby, at most times. Wealth 2 : The character belongs to the upper class and does not need to worry about everyday costs. Wealth 3 : The character belongs to the top tier of the upper class and can afford most purchases, although this does not mean that he can get his hands on everything.

Patron 1: The character enjoys a backer who will fund one expedition, business deal, or invention; the bulk of the proceeds go to the backer.

Advantage Flaw 3: One of the character’s advantages is so flawed that its effects are negated for a number of rounds equal to a rolled bonus number. Age 1 : The character is just below or above his prime—youthful characters are often not taken seriously, while older ones are viewed as fragile. Age 2 : The character is far below or above his prime— youthful characters are treated like children, while older ones are viewed as infirm and senile. Bad Luck 1 : When two ones are rolled, something bad happens, from a setback to a distraction. Bad Luck 2 : When two ones, two twos, or two threes are rolled, something bad happens, from a setback to a distraction. Bad Luck 3 : When two ones, two twos, two threes, or two fours are rolled, something bad happens, from a setback to a distraction. Cultural Unfamiliarity 1 : The character is outside his cultural element and lacking knowledge about it. Cultural Unfamiliarity 2 : The character is far removed from his cultural element, constantly making social gaffes;+4DN for all streetwise rolls. Cultural Unfamiliarity 3 : The character is an alien in all respects and never fits into the culture, even in appearance;+6DN for all streetwise rolls. Debt 1 : The character owes money or something else valuable with arduous payments, preventing him from getting credit and earning much money. Debt 2 : The character owes a lot of money or something else valuable to someone dangerous, forcing him to take orders and perform tasks for that person.

Patron 2: The character enjoys a backer who provides limited funding, but expects little in return. Patron 3: The character enjoys a backer who provides a limited stipend, but covers expenses and the option to purchase whatever the character gains. Skill Bonus 1 : A group of three related skills gain a bonus of +1; this does not affect the skills’ ratings, simply providing a bonus when attempted (if the character does not possess the skill, it is still untrained); examples of groups include close combat (unarmed combat, melee combat, and melee parry), ranged combat (fire combat, heavy weapons, and dodge), and investigative (perception, science, and streetwise). Skill Bonus 2 : A group of five related skills gain a bonus of +1; this does not affect the skills’ ratings, simply providing a bonus when attempted (if the character does not possess the skill, it is still untrained). Skill Bonus 3 : A group of three related skills gain a bonus of +2; this does not affect the skills’ ratings, simply providing a bonus when attempted (if the character does not possess the skill, it is still untrained). Speed 3 : The character is extremely fast, adding two to his movement rates. Toughened Skin 3 : The character has natural armor; +3 toughness, although one relatively-common type of damage (bullets, fire, etc.) ignores this bonus. 10

Compensation Descriptions Achilles’ Heel 3 : The character is vulnerable to a particular form of attack, providing a bonus of +4 to the skill total of someone striking him with that attack. Advantage Flaw 1: One of the character’s advantages is accompanied by a flaw—when it involves a bonus, he receives an equal penalty on his next roll; when it involves information, he forgets an important detail; when it involves aid, there are always strings attached; when it involves equipment, it is unreliable or not fully functional; when it involves money, the character must jump through hoops to get it. Advantage Flaw 2: One of the character’s advantages is accompanied by a flaw that occurs more frequently.

MasterBook

Debt 3 : The character owes everything to someone dangerous and must turn over anything he earns or finds at the end of the adventure. Dependency 2 : The character is addicted to a substance or event; failure to indulge on a regular basis makes him irate (+2DN on all interaction rolls). Dependency 3 : The character is a junkie, always looking for a fix; failure to indulge on a regular basis makes him irate (+2DN on all rolls). Employed 1 : The character has a job that requires him to fulfill his obligations to it; he can take off by using sick days, but could lose the job when they are all expended or he is found not to be sick. Employed 2 : The character has a job that pretty much runs his life; time off means lots of red tape or simply being assigned to that mission, with little free will. Employed 3 : The character is essentially a slave, doing whatever he is told. Enemy 1: An individual or group harasses, railroads, and otherwise obstructs the character because of a vendetta. Enemy 2: An individual or group is constantly trying to foil the character’s plans and even get him arrested. Enemy 3: An individual or group is trying to kill the character or otherwise remove him from the equation. Handicap 1 : A minor physical or mental disability inflicts a penalty of +2DN for certain actions; the nature of the disability determines the scope of the disability; examples include bad knee (acrobatics, running, swimming), trick shoulder (unarmed combat, melee combat, climbing, thrown weapons, and missile weapons), and unobservant (perception, linguistics, lock picking, and tracking). Handicap 2 : A serious physical or mental disability inflicts a penalty of +3DN for all rolls for a specified attribute. Illiterate 2 : The character cannot read. Infamy 1 : The character is fairly well-known for a specific reason; a bonus number of 4 or more means that he is recognized for that reason, facing hostility and prejudice;+2DN for all these interactions. Infamy 2 : The character is wanted for a crime of a fairly serious nature, whether or not he is guilty; a bonus number of 4 or more means that he is recognized for that reason, facing hatred and fear;+4DN for all these interactions. Infamy 3 : The character is almost always recognized and practically hated to the point of violence; a disguise is almost necessary to get around. Learning Curve 2 : When the character attempts to learn a new skill or improve an existing one, the associated cost is doubled.

MasterBook



Language 2 : The character cannot understand the language of the area in which he spends most of his time. Minor Stigma 3: There is a specific action that the character cannot do without first performing the proper rituals. Phobic 3 : The character is deathly afraid of a particular object, action, or creature; a Wits rolls with a difficulty number of 16 is required to avoid curling up or running away in terror. Prejudice 1 : The character is unfairly judged because of his appearance and/or speech patterns; +1DN to +3DN for normal interaction rolls involving those not directly associated with the character or belonging to his culture. Prejudice 2 : The character is part of an oppressed group; +2DN to +4DN for normal interaction rolls involving those not directly associated with the character or belonging to his culture. Poverty 1 : The character’s only possession are the clothes he is wearing and maybe a few pieces of cheap gear. Price 1: One of the character’s advantages is accompanied by a price—each time it comes into play, he must pay a monetary fee, replace consumable, or pay back favors. Price 2: One of the character’s advantages is accompanied by a high price—each time it comes into play, he must pay a huge monetary fee, replace expensive consumables, or pay back favors with double the amount of work; alternatively, 3 Life Points can be spent at the end of an adventure to pay this price. Reduced Attribute 3: One of the character’s attributes is permanently reduced by one point, and it may not be increased during play. Sense of Duty 1: The character is compelled to perform certain actions (that must be specified) out of a perceived duty, even if he finds these acts to be morally questionable. Sense of Duty 2: The character is not only compelled to perform certain actions (that must be specified), but also attempts to persuade others of the righteousness of his beliefs, which play a role in his everyday life. Sense of Duty 3: The character’s belief is so strong that he is willing to die for it. Stutter 1 : When under pressure or a “mood” hits the character, he suffers +2DN for all interaction rolls, especially involving the expressing of ideas.

11

MasterBook

The full version of MasterBook provides even more content and options. Some of the difference are: • The four primary attributes are expanded to eight: Prowess = Agility and Dexterity Brawn = Strength and Endurance Insight = Mind and Intellect Wits = Charisma and Confidence • More skills are available; characters can also specialize in certain aspects of skills, focusing their capabilities.

MasterBook Companion

The add-on book for MasterBook provides yet more content and options. These include: • More skills • More advantages and compensations • Useless skills: free traits that are automatically successful in most cases • Vehicle combat • Guide to magic and abusing it

• More columns of advantages and compensations are provided.

• Guide to world creation

• Expanded success chart for social interaction and pushing oneself.

Bloodshadows

• Characters can also receive shock along with KO and wound results on the damage chart. • Combat options: multi-actions, coordinated actions, many-on-one actions, damage caps, non-lethal attacks, and bleeding. • Expanded social interaction for intimidating, taunting, tricking, conning, charming, persuading, and interrogating. • Value system to quantify weights, distances, and other measures; these can also translate into difficulty numbers. • MasterDeck card deck for more cinematic and dramatic play—faster, action-packed, and more exciting play can result. • Rules to create custom special effects for magic, miracles, psionics, and more.

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• Guide to mixing characters from different genres

A war between Chaos and Order ripped through the land of Marl centuries ago, wiping out some species, creating new ones, and introducing magic. The development of technology slowed as the pursuit of magic rose. Now everybody knows what sorcery is, and most everyone knows a spell or two. Doors are warded with magical seals, light is provided by glowstones, the waitress in the local diner can warm your cup of joe in the palm of her hand, and the police have forensic mages who help solve crimes. If the idea of playing a wisecracking, trenchcoat-wearing werewolf who talks like Bogart and can light his cigarette with his fingertip appeals to you, grab your fedora and enter the world of Bloodshadows. This world book for MasterBook, in where fantasy is wed to film noir.

MasterWorld

The MasterWorld Open Supplement License lets you create and publish your own compatible material for MasterBook, even commercial publications.

MasterBook

ARBITRARY DN SCALE CHART Difficulty Difficulty Number (DN) Routine 0 Nearly Routine 2 Very Easy 3 Easy 5 Average 8 Complicated 10 Difficult 12 Hard 13 Very Hard 15 Extremely Hard 18 Incredible 22 Nearly Impossible 25+

DN MODIFIER CHART DN ±1 ±3 ±5 ±7 ±10 (or more)

Situation Barely affects the skill attempt Makes a significant difference Probably changes the outcome Almost totally changes the outcome Totally redefines the skill attempt

RANGED DIFFICULTIES CHART

PB S M L E Modifiers -2DN — +1DN +2DN +4DN Grenades 0 5 10 15 20

WEAPON RANGES CHART

Weapon PB S M L E Pistols 0–3 4–10 11–25 26–50 51–150 Rifles 0–4 5–15 16–50 51–150 151–250 Shotguns 0–4 5–20 21–30 31–75 76-125 Submachine Guns 0–4 5–10 11–20 21–50 51–75 Assault Rifles 0–3 4–15 16–40 41–75 76–150 Machineguns 0–5 6–15 16–75 76–150 151–500 Grenades 2 brawn-4 brawn-3 brawn-2 brawn-1 Knives/Stars/Darts 0–2 3–5 6–8 9–15 — Slings 0–3 4–6 7–15 16–20 21–30 Small Bows 0–3 4–10 11–20 21–30 31–50 Large Bows 0–3 4–15 16–30 31–50 51–100 Crossbows 0–4 5–10 11–20 21–40 41–75

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DAMAGE MODIFIERS CHART

Wounds Severity 1 Light Wound 2 Moderate Wound 3 Heavy Wound 4 Incapacitating Wound 5 Mortal Wound 6 Deadly Wound Result Points 0 1–4 5–8 9–12 13–16 17 or more Armor Value 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 12

Modifiers none +2DN physical rolls +4DN physical rolls +2DN other rolls +8DN all rolls KO Dead

SUCCESS CHART

General Success Minimal: barely enough to succeed Solid: basic success Good: better than needed; possible benefits Superior: likely added benefits Spectacular: added benefits with flair Spectacular+: added benefits; just wow!

ARMOR CHART

Weapons Rugged Clothing Soft Leathers, Weak Cover Padded Leathers, Metallic Woven Fabrics Hard Leathers, Moderate Cover Metal-Linked Leather Armor Chain Mail, Plasteel Armor, Strong Cover Scale Link Armor, Light Kevlar Armor Plated-Chain Armor, Flak Jacket Plate Mail, Heavy Kevlar Armor Plated Armor, Ceramic Armor “Impenetrable” Cover

BONUS CHART DIE 9 11 21 26 31 36 41 ROLL 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 +5 BONUS NUMBER -10 -8 -7 -6 -5 -3 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 +1

DAMAGE CHART RESULT POINTS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 +1 KO — O K O — O K KO K/O K/O K K/O KO K K/O KO K KO K KO K K WOUNDS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 +1 KNOCKDOWN         

SPECIAL RESULTS CHART RESULT POINTS 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 +3 VALUE 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 6 7 7 7 +1 MasterBook



13

Character Name������������������������������������������ Player Name����������������������������������������������

ATTRIBUTES

PROWESS

COMBAT BOX

RUNNING



BRAWN



SWIMMING



INSIGHT



CLIMBING



WITS



JUMPING



TOUGHNESS

LIFE POINTS

MODIFIERS

  

—

SKILL POINTS

3 Heavy



  

SKILLS NAME

WOUND LEVEL

1 Light 2 Moderate

ARMOR

K O

+2DN physical rolls +4DN physical and +2DN all other rolls

4 Incapacitating +8DN all rolls 5 Mortal

KO

6 Deadly

—

ADVANTAGES ATTRIBUTE RATING

COLUMN

NAME (GAME EFFECT)

COMPENSATIONS COLUMN

NAME (GAME EFFECT)

EQUIPMENT AND NOTES

BONUS CHART

DIE 9 11 21 26 31 36 41 ROLL 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 30 35 40 45 +5 BONUS # -10 -8 -7 -6 -5 -3 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 +1

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