GORE FEST RPG

Starting A Character
1. Hit Points [3d6] A measure of physical strength and vitality. Each operative begins the game with a number of hit points equal to the throw of three six-sided dice, added together to produce a final score of 3-18.

2. Stunt Points [3d4]. Stunt points, or “Stunts,” are a kind of storytelling currency. A player may spend them to act out of turn or perform special abilities related to their character class. Each character begins the game with a number of stunt points equal to the total throw of 3d4, added together, producing a final score between 3 and 12.

3. Ability Dice [Agility, Speed, Perception & Cool] The basic physical and mental characteristics of Gore Fest characters are represented by action dice. Each ability is rated with a four-sided die, a six-sided die, an eight-sided die, a ten-sided die or a twelve-sided die. There are several options for generating abilities which your game master might employ, but the quickest method is to simply assign as desired from a pool containing a four-sided die, a six-sided die, an eight-sided die and a ten-sided die. These basic abilities are Agility, Speed, Perception and Cool.

Character Abilities

Agility – A character's natural dexterity and coordination. Used to dodge incoming attacks as well as to leap, climb and tumble.

Speed – A character's alacrity. Used to determine turn order in combat as well as in tasks requiring pure quickness, like beating someone to a draw.

Perception – Used to measure a character's alertness, aim and awareness.

Cool – You know it when you see it. Does your character know Mandarin? Make a cool roll. Did you remember to bring the cocaine? Make a cool roll. Do you win over the crowd with your intimidating presence? Maybe. Make a cool roll. Leave me alone.

Advanced Ability Generation
Assigning dice to determine a character's abilities is recommended for first-time players, but more advanced players are encouraged to generate their character's ability dice randomly. This random method uses a pool of dice containing 1d4, 2d6, 2d8,1d10 and 1d12. Throw this pool all at once and select a 'winner' by removing the lowest rolling die. If more than one die ties for the lowest roll, remove the die with the greatest number of sides from among the tied polyhedrons. Winners are removed from the pool and placed to the side. This roll is repeated four times, until 4 dice have "won" and been removed. This small pool of winners is then assigned in any order desired to a character's agility, speed, perception and cool.

Finishing a Character
4. Quirks [d4] Gore Fest characters have certain flaws, regrets or odd details that set them apart from normal people. These quirks are randomly generated by rolling percentile dice on the Quirk Table. Each character must roll on this table a number of times equal to a throw of d4.

5. All Gore Fest characters have a role in life and special skills that are determined by their character class. Each Gore Fest class is a character archetype drawn from action movies and adventure fiction, such as the tough veteran or the charismatic kingpin. After generating a character's basic abilities and quirks, a class will often suggest itself.

Summary of Classes

Veteran – Tough, deadly fighters trained in the use of modern tactics and weaponry. Veterans have more hit points than other classes, and their attacks are more punishing. Veterans are easy to play.

Martial Artist – Flashy, agile fighters who use their fists and melee weapons. Martial artists are adept at avoiding physical damage. Martial Artists are challenging to play.

Expert – Experts are highly skilled in a single skill with few direct combat implications. They may assist more martial classes with loans of stunt points, and collect on their debts to assume temporary control of other characters. Experts are easy to play.

Assassin – Smooth, stealthy killers who strike hard and vanish. Assassins are specially empowered when hired to eliminate a particular target. Assassins also have a sub-class, the Avenger, for characters whose driving force is a personal vendetta. Assassins are challenging to play.

Investigator – Clever detectives who are able to detect secrets and unravel mysteries that remain closed to other players. Investigators are some of the toughest, most survivable characters in the Gore Fest game when they are pursuing a particular case. Investigators are easy to play.

Mask – Characters of the Mask class have two identities: one is relatively mild mannered, with few relevant skills, while the other is a disguised super-being with powers that can cross into the supernatural. Masked form may only be assumed for limited periods of time in play, and players of this class must master the art of spending this time wisely. Masks are very difficult to play and are recommended for experienced players.

Kingpin – Scheming masters of men, Kingpins prefer to order about an organization of minions rather than engage in combat directly. Kingpins are difficult to play and are recommended for experienced players.

Punk – No-good, two-bit, rotten bums who persist on sheer grit, luck and bravado. Punks are unskilled but have special abilities which allow them to manipulate the system of luck which underpins the Gore Fest game. Punks are easy to play.

The Cyberpunk Rule

At the Game Master's discretion, some Gore Fest games might take place in a technologically advanced near-future, where cybernetics and psychic powers are commonplace. If the Cyberpunk rule is invoked, players may trade any roll on the Quirk Table they are not satisfied with for either a cybernetic limb or a wild talent, both of which are quirks which appear rarely on the standard table. While characters may have more than one cybernetic limb, they may not have more than one wild talent.

T H E QUIRK T A B L E Roll 1d100:
1-5	Heavy Smoker
6-8	Heroin Addict
9-12	Profoundly Alienated Why? [d6] Since she left, I’m just a watching a dream. I seen too much, done too much, to allow myself to care. The whole world can burn down, as long as I burn with it. I can’t let the sickness inside me spread. I can’t lose control. God talks to me, but I don’t like what he’s saying. I got rid of my feelings a long time ago. They were only holding me back.
13-14	Six Months to Live Why? [d6] Cancer Full Blown AIDS Old Age Tuberculosis Drug Addiction Appointment with an Assassin
15-18	On the Run From who? [d10] Hired Goons A Street Gang City Police State Police Intelligence Agency The Military An International Drug Cartel A Human Trafficking Syndicate The Secret Rulers of the World Your Family
19-21	Wild Temper When I lose control I...[d4] Break Things Hurt People Murder Anyone Who Pisses Me Off Murder Indiscriminately
22-23	Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
24-25	Pathological Liar
26	Righteous Mullet (+d4 Stunt Points)
27-30	Missing Limb Which limb? [d8] 1-2. Missing Finger 3-4. Missing Ear 5. Missing Hand 6. Missing Eye 7. Missing Arm 8. Missing Leg
31	Hopeless Romantic
32-34	Stoner
35	Has A Deathlist with 1d4+1 Names
36-38	Cokehead
39-43	Degenerate Gambler How deep are you in the hole? [d6] Actually, I’m doing very well for myself. I win some and lose some,but I’m breaking even right now. A few hundred bucks. Nothing I can’t handle. A few grand. But I’ll hit a streak soon. More than twenty large, Christ...What am I gonna do? I owe my fucking soul to my debtors. Who are you in debt to? [d12] The Sicilians A Meth Producing Biker Gang The Black Cobra Ninja The Flame Dragon Ninja The Yakuza The Russians The Pollacks The Central Intelligence Agency The Orthodox Jews The Mexicans The Nigerians The Frenchmen
44-49	Family Man Your family contains 1 wife / husband (50% you are legally married) and 1d6 kids. Each has a 50% chance of being male or female and is 1d20 years old. You must name your wife and children. How’s it going? [d8] It’s a pain in the ass, but I keep it up for the kids Best decision you’ve ever made Haven’t seen them in years Worst decision you’ve ever made It’s hanging on by a thread It fell apart. You share the kids It fell apart. You have the kids It fell apart. Your spouse has the kids
50-56	Mentor Your Mentor was... [d6] Honorable and hearty Old and sharp-tongued Seemingly Insane Small and insightful Seemingly Immortal A close, personal friend What happened to them... [d8] Murdered by a rival Murdered by an unknown man, who fled They died before imparting your final lesson, robbing you of the achievement You killed them They cast you out for failing to train honorably They hope you will be their successor Died at a ripe old age, cursing your name. Died in your presence, at a ripe old age.
57	Black Tank Top (+d4 Stunt Points)
58-60	Distinctive Tattoo
61-63	Grisly Scar (+d10 Hit Points)
64-65	Photographic Memory
66	Conspiracy Theorist How deep does the rabbit hole go? [Perception roll] 1. There are many men in government who prefer not to be named; a network of invisible bureaucrats who consider themselves beyond both recognition and accountability. The C.I.A. Killed Kennedy. 2. In addition, the C.I.A. Is merely the enforcement arm of a college of international conglomerates and investment bankers 3. (many of whom are Jewish) 4. who have for many years been meeting secretly at Bilderberg gatherings and beneath the demon-owl totem at Bohemian Grove 5. where they discuss the deliberate engineering of world events and the reactions of the press to benefit the advancement of their scheme 6. which is no more or less than the conscious design of sabotage, against every human man, woman and child on this planet, who these secret elite hope to corral beneath one state and rule 7. not as Men but as what they truly are – Reptile Men from Beyond Arcturus; the poisonous extraterrestrial species that inspired the very image of Satan in the Bible! 8. But I know how to fight them. There’s a lot of us, talking about it online. 9. Once you swallow the chartreuse pill (for they say the lizards are chartreuse) it all makes sense. 10. We’ve been fighting a shadow war for years. 11. Eliminating known Reptilians, opposed at every turn by their super-human agents in government disguise 12. But I’m going to end it. I’m going to end the war. I’m the One. 13-14. Still, I recognize that these beliefs seem to be a paranoid delusion. I’m watching myself very carefully for signs of instability 15 - 18. and those signs have certainly appeared. My behavior has become … erratic, my methods unsound. 19.Are my methods unsound? 20. By what method can you understand a temporary universe? This reality is run by a mad man. It’s an engine of violence and horror and ultimately meaningless.
67-68	Jazz Musician What is jazz? [Cool roll] 1. Played at weddings 2-3 A way to pay the bills 4-5 The music musicians make to amuse themselves 6-7 A highly structured language of art – look, dig this Harvey Pekar essay in Downbeat... 8-9 The way I confess my sins to the world, out loud, and beg forgiveness. 10-11 The way I talk to god 12 No record of comment [In 1d4-1 years, this Operative will die of an unavoidable heroin overdose.]
69	Taboo Sexual Fetish Which is... [d8] Kids Shit / Piss Dominance and Submission Incest Animals Sexual Sadist The Way You Feel About It... [d6] I’m trying to resist; to be ‘normal,’ and to keep it under wraps. I don’t give a fuck. I do what / who I want when I want. I get off in secret and am deeply ashamed I get off in secret, but only because most people wouldn’t understand I abstain from sex completely I won’t even acknowledge my fetish to myself... but sometimes I lose control
70-72	Insomniac Why? [d6] Sleep hasn’t come easy since the incident Never trusted sleep, even as a child This new medicine is doing something to me... making me sicker... With the baby on the way, I just can’t seem to settle down I have no idea; I just can’t sleep None of your damn business when I sleep or don’t sleep. I do what I want.
73-75	Intense Self Loathing How do you handle it? [d6] Keep distant from people. Try to contain the sickness. Ignore it; take any distraction that comes along, as long as it’s intense I’m fine with getting killed. In fact, I want it to happen. I’m going to keep going for a few more months, then commit suicide. I’m just having fun. Rigorous mediation and a reliable routine. I work.
76-77	Deformed How? [d4] Hunchback Lobster Claw Clubfoot Third Nipple
78-79	Sense Disability Which? [d6] 1-2. No Sense of Smell 3-4. No Sense of Taste 5. Deaf 6. Blind
80-82	Racist Who do you hate? [d12, or choose your least favorite race] 1-2. The Goddamn Jews 3-4. The Fucking Towelheads 5-6. Those Lazy Coloreds 7-8. Those Sneaky Asians 9+. Motherfucking Whitey How Much? [d6] I talk shit when I drink, but that’s it. So I tell a few blue jokes. So what? Racist? I’m not racist. Some of my best friends... Biologically, we’re not even the same species... Look, someday soon it’s gonna be us or them... Shoot on sight
83	Albino
84-86	Alcoholic Why do you drink? [d6] I drink to remember. I drink to forget. Because it’s the only way I can get to sleep. Because there’s nothing else I’d rather do. Because each drink gets me a little closer to death. Because I haven’t been sober in 2d10 years.
87-89	Religious In What Way? [d8] I’m a big supporter of the Church –– financially, at least. I attend services on Holidays... Connects me to my roots. I go to services once a week–– and I treasure the ritual. I have an intense, personal relationship with God. I live to glorify a higher power. I do devotions every day. God demands I bleed for him, so I do. I lost my faith long ago. The Truth has chosen me to be its messenger. I’m trying to spread the word.
90-95	Overwhelmed with Guilt Why? [d6] I was born under a bad sign. I feel responsible for everything. I betrayed the only one who ever loved me. I let my comrades down. People died because I was weak. I committed a crime I’ve come to regret. I let myself lose control once –– on the night of the incident. Never again.
96	Impotent
97	Cannibal
98-99	Cybernetic Limb Your character has had part of their body replaced with a mechanized prosthetic. Cybernetic parts are rated with action dice, and those dice are rolled in conjunction with any action which might benefit from the special features of the prosthetic. Roll a pool consisting of a d8, d10, d12 and d20 to determine the cybernetic’s quality. The lowest rolling die is the action dice associated with the device. If two or more of these dice tie one another for lowest roll, choose the one with the greatest number of sides. Eye A cybernetic eye provides advanced spatial, thermal and radiological data, and may expand sight into the infrared or U.V. band. It assists with perception checks and the aiming of firearms. Hand A cybernetic hand is faster, stronger and more dexterous than a hand of flesh and blood. It may assist with any task demanding manual dexterity, or any test of grip. Arm Cybernetic arms are far stronger than human ones.Punches and other upper-body attacks benefit from their action die. Leg Cybernetic legs are lighter and more dexterous than their flesh alternatives, and stronger too. They assist in tasks involving sprinting, jumping, climbing or kicking. Nervous System A cybernetic nervous system greatly improves quickness and reaction time, at the cost of all sense of human feeling. An augmented nervous system provides a roll of its dice in additional stunt points per game session. Medical Nanobots Microscopic robots patrol your bloodstream, providing instant medical care. Characters with medical nanobots may activate them by taking an action. They immediately gain a number of hit points equal to a roll of this cybernetic enhancement's quality die. Medical nanobots must charge for 24 hours between uses.
00	Wild Talent Your character has a wild talent, a latent ability to bend the rules of reality that may be developed into a genuinely threatening psionic power. You begin the game with a psionic die of d4.

Veteran

Veterans are tough, savvy fighters who have both training and battlefield experience. Soldiers, police officers, criminal enforcers and terrorists may all belong to the veteran class.

Skill Dice:

Service Training (d10)

Veterans roll a ten-sided die when performing any action related to their training and warfare expertise. This may include tracking targets over rough terrain, breaching doors or the discharge of firearms.

Special Abilities:

+ 20 Hit Points
Veterans may add 20 to their beginning hit point total.

Bounty Hunter (1* Stunt Points)
Veterans may spend stunt points to raise the bounty of any damage dealt to targets of their actions. The damage roll’s bounty is increased by 2 for each stunt point spent.

Brutal Damage
All damage dealt as the result of an action undertaken by a Veteran is rolled twice. The Veteran's player may choose which of these rolls represents the final damage total.

Kevin McCurdy
Veteran
Hit Points: 30
Stunt Points: 8
Agility: d8
Speed: d8
Perception: d6
Cool: d6
Service Training d10
Quirks (4):
Cokehead
Racist –– Shoots Arabs on Sight
Pathological Liar
Degenerate Gambler –– Owes 20 Large to a Mexican cartel

Kevin McCurdy lied about his age to enlist in the armed forces after the September 11th attacks. He served skillfully in the 101st Airborne division until his problems with drugs and gambling necessitated his dishonorable discharge. Being a pathological liar, McCurdy recounts these events quite differently when questioned about his service.

Martial Artist
Martial artists are character who specialize in unarmed or armed melee combat. A student of kung-fu, an expert sword fighter and a knife wielding bravo are all examples of the martial artist class.

Skill Dice:
There are two varieties of martial artist: focused and versatile. One of them must be chosen during the creation of every martial artist character:

Focused Martial Artist [Martial Arts: d12] –– Focused martial artists concentrate on their martial tradition (be it jiu jitsu, Thai stick fighting, boxing, etc) at the exclusion of all other skills. Focused martial artists roll a d12 when attempting any action related to this martial tradition.

Versatile Martial Arts [Martial Arts: d10 / Modern Vehicles & Weaponry d8] –– Versatile martial artists supplement their martial training with more contemporary combat skills, including the use of firearms and stunt driving. They throw a d10 on any action relating to their martial tradition, and a d8 when attempting any fighting maneuver related to the tools of modern warfare.

Special Abilities:

+ 4 Stunt Points
Martial artists may add 4 to their total starting stunt points.

Bounty Dodger
Martial Artists spend fewer stunt points than other classes to reduce or negate damage. A Martial Artist may reduce any roll of lethal damage to 3 H.P. for the 1 stunt point and reduce any explosive damage roll to 6 H.P. for 2 stunt points. Martial Artists may negate non-lethal damage completely for 1 stunt point. Lethal damage may be negated for 2 stunts and explosive damage negated for 4. Basically all costs for reducing damage are cut in half.

Expert Striking [1*sp]
Martial Artists may pay 1 stunt point to increase any damage caused as a result of their actions by a roll of 1d6. As many stunts may be spent in this way as the Martial Artist's player desires.

Johnny Li Khan
Versatile Martial Artist
Hit Points: 18
Stunt Points: 12
Agility: d10
Speed: d8
Perception: d12
Cool: d8
Skill Dice:
Martial Arts d10
Modern Weapons & Vehicles d8
Quirks [1]:
Devout Buddhist. Does daily devotions.

Johnny Li Khan is a balanced, enlightened student of kung-fu and a mercenary warrior. He makes his living as a bodyguard and prides himself on his ability to protect his subjects from all manner of threats. As a versatile martial artist, he has expertise in both hand-to-hand combat (through his kung-fu training) and the use of modern weapons. Although Johnny Li Khan has killed many men in the line of duty, he does not relish violence and spends much of his time meditating on the nature of suffering. To him, killing is merely a method to hasten the enlightenment of less fortunate souls.

Expert

Experts specialize in a single non-combat skill of great utility. Safe crackers, getaway drivers, computer hackers and surgeons are all experts with different specializations.

Skill Dice:

[Expertise d12] Experts throw d12 skill dice when undertaking actions related to their field of expertise.

[Inexpertise d6] When an expert attempts an action unrelated to their chosen specialty, however, they throw a skill die of d6.

Special Abilities:

Improved Ability
Experts may replace one of their ability dice with a d12. The chosen ability must relate to the character's area of expertise. A surgeon, for instance, may opt to have a d12 perception, reflecting the attentiveness necessary to excel in their chosen field.

Double Stunt Points
Experts may double their starting Stunt Point total.

Stunt Shark (1* Stunt Points)
Experts may spend stunt points on behalf of any other player at the table or any other character involved in a session. These points may be used to help other characters take action, avoid damage, re-roll unfortunate results or activate special abilities. Whenever an Expert's offer of stunt points is accepted by another character, that character is indebted to the Expert for the number of donated stunt points accepted.

At any time, an Expert's player may call another character's debt due. The player of the indebted character must either spend a number of stunt points equal to the debt or surrender control of their character to the Expert's player for the space of one action.

"Hot" Chocolate Jones
Expert Pimp
Hit Points: 9
Stunt Points: 16
Agility: d6
Speed: d8
Perception: d10
Cool: d12
Skill Dice:
Expertise (Pimping) d12
Inexpertise d6
Quirks [1]:
Had a mentor, "Glacier" Julius, who was a close
personal friend that went slowly senile.

“Hot" Chocolate Jones has been pimping in Harlem for almost a decade. He has a stable of six fine-ass foxy hos who love their "daddy" completely. Still, even the most devoted ho has a devious mind –– and "Hot" Chocolate has made his living staying three steps ahead of the bitches, the other pimps and the vice squad.

His mentor, "Glacier" Julius, taught Chocolate everything there is to know about the pimp game. Sadly, however, the old pimp has fallen on hard times. Now he hardly remembers who he is anymore, and requires constant care. Chocolate cares for the senile old man, working his girls extra hard to cover Glacier's living and medical expenses. He's well aware that this soft-hardheartedness is a vulnerability on the street, and endeavors to keep his altruism secret.

Assassin

Assassin specialize in killing quickly and efficiently, then disappearing. They are highly competitive, dueling with one another for lucrative contracts and the coveted title of "the greatest assassin in the world." Ninjas, high-priced hit men and spies "licensed to kill" are all assassins.

Skill Dice:

[d12 On the Job] Assassins throw a 12-sided skill die when attempting any action which will contribute directly to the elimination of their current contract. The contract must be intimated by a third party, or ordered by the assassin's superiors.

[d8 Off the Job] Any other action relating to firearms, martial arts or other specialized combat skills undertaken by the assassin is resolved with the throw of an eight-sided die.

Class Features:

Ghosting (2 Stunt Points)
An assassin may spend 2 stunt points to "ghost" at any time, disappearing into the shadows of their present location, escaping both harm and detection. Once an assassin has ghosted, they may not return to play until a new scene begins or the phase of play changes.

Bounty Hunter (1* Stunt Points)
Veterans may spend stunt points to raise the bounty of any damage dealt as the result of their actions. The damage roll’s bounty is increased by 1 for each stunt point spent.

+4 Stunt Points
Assassins may increase their starting stunt point total by 4.

Assassin Subclass: Avenger

Avengers are characters sworn to revenge themselves on a person or organization who has done them wrong. They function as assassins, but may utilize their d12 action dice in the pursuit of any action which is taken in direct opposition to the person or force against which they have sworn vengeance.

Saki Sugawara
Assassin
Hit Points: 19
Stunt Points: 9
Agility: d10
Speed: d8
Perception: d8
Cool: d12
Skill Dice:
On The Job d12
Off The Job d8
Quirks [4]:
Photographic Memory
Hopeless Romantic
Mentor
Distinctive Tattoo

Saki Sugawara was the son of a minor Japanese politician who ran afoul of a powerful Yakuza boss. Beat Chiba, the assassin who killed his father, adopted the boy and raised him from the age of eight.

Although Chiba was seemingly insane, Sugawara learned to understand the method of his madness. He adopted Chiba's trade and ultimate goal –– to become to greatest assassin in the world.

Beat Chiba died when Sugawara was eighteen, slain attempting to fulfill a contact against a prominent Israeli intelligence agent. Sugawara was cheated of Chiba's final lesson, a loss that he carries to this day. His romantic nature has made him a somewhat melancholy man, although he attempts to resist this
sentimental weakness as much as possible. His natural cool and photographic memory have made him an excellent killer in any event. Sugawara proudly sports a Yakuza gang tattoo: coy fish swim up the entirety of his muscular back.

Pedro Ramirez

Avenger
Hit Points: 17
Stunt Points: 8
Agility: d6
Speed: d10
Perception: d12
Cool: d6
Skill Dice:
On The Job: d12
Off The Job: d8
Quirks [2]
Insomniac since "the incident"
Mentor was Juan Julio Santo, a sharp-tongued gangster. He was murdered by the Castro gang.

Pedro Ramirez is a young trigger man working for the "Saints," a neighborhood gang in Mexico city. The founder of the gang, Juan Julio Santo,was like a father to Pedro. When he was assassinated by the Castro gang, Ramirez swore vengeance. Unable to sleep, he spends his nights haunting the Mexican underworld, eliminating members of the Castros one by one.

Mask

Masks maintain a dual identity: one is a civilian, typically "mild mannered," and the other, assumed

when going into action, is a masked avenger. Masks may physically transform themselves when they change personae or simply don an intimidating costume. Masks may be colorful criminals, vigilante crime fighters or inhuman beings living in human disguise.

Skill Dice:

[d6 Secret Identity] When in their civilian identity, masks throw a d6 skill die for all actions.

[d12 Mask] When in their masked identity, a mask may roll a d12 skill die for all actions.

Special Abilities:

Power Level
Masks receive bonus stunt points according to their Game Master determined Power Level.

Henshin! (1* SP)
This ability allows a character of the Mask class to assume their alternate, powered form. The amount of stunt points spent determines a mask’s abilities in this form. Each power costs 1 stunt point per level. The act of transformation is counted as an action and must be undertaken while the mask has at least 1 award dice. A mask may remain in their altered form until either the present scene ends, the phase of play changes or they exhaust their pool of award dice or stunt points.

Ghosting (2 Stunt Points)
An mask may spend 2 stunt points to "ghost" at any time, disappearing into the shadows of their present location, escaping both harm and detection. Once a mask has ghosted, they may not return to play until a new scene begins or the phase of play changes.

Henshin Powers:

Super Strength - Roll a skill die of 1d20 for each level of this power on any action benefiting from
physical strength.
Super Speed - Roll 1d20 as your speed die for each level of this power. You may make an action
on each result rolled by these dice during initiative rolls, taking one turn for each die rolled.
Super Durability - At the first level of this power, all damage a mask takes when in their transformed
state is capped at 5 hit points. They may double their current hit point total for every level thereafter.
Super Agility - Roll 1d20 as your agility die for every level of this power.
Energy Projection - May project energy from your body that deals non-lethal damage at the first level of this power. At the second, this damage is improved to lethal. At the third, this damage is of the explosive type and produces a ‘small’ size explosion. Every level thereafter increases the explosive size one step. All energy projections are thrown with a d12 skill die.

Riley Richards / The Black Acrobat

Mask
Hit Points: 16
Stunt Points: 16 (PL: 1)
Agility: d8
Speed: d10
Perception: d6
Cool: d12
Skill Dice:
d6 Secret Identity
d12 Mask
Quirks [3]
Insomniac –– I just can't sleep
Former Catholic, but I lost my faith long ago
On the run from the Spades, a New York street gang

Riley Richards was born and raised in Brooklyn. For a time she was an Olympic athlete, a silver medalist in gymnastics, but this career ended in a painfully public doping scandal. Disconsolate and angry, she returned from her years abroad to discover her neighborhood overrun with hoodlums and thugs. Robbed of everything, even her Catholic faith, Riley found herself unable to sleep. To work out her rage and disappointment, Richards assumed the identity of the Black Acrobat, scourge of the underworld. Now she spends her nights jumping across rooftops, assaulting gangsters with her almost supernatural gymnastic skills.

Kingpin

Kingpins are bosses, money men and plotters ordering loyal followers to enact their will while they remain safely behind the scenes. They might be intelligence agents, private citizens of considerable wealth, terrorist masterminds or even police or military officers.

Skill Dice:

[d8 Tough Boss] Kingpins roll an eight-sided skill die for actions related to their personal training and combat skills, including hand-to-hand fighting and the use of firearms.

Class Features:

Command Underlings (1-6 Stunt Points)
Kingpins spend stunt points to assume control of underlings. The number of underlings they may command and their efficacy are determined by the number of stunt points spent. A Kingpin plays these underlings as he would his own character. This control lasts until either the underlings mission is accomplished, aborted or all the underlings are killed. A Kingpin’s underlings all have 2d6 hit points, and may either have a d6, d8 or d10 skill die, which is thrown whenever the Kingpin attempts an action on his underling’s behalf. Groups of underlings working together to accomplish the same action may roll more than one skill die, as determined by the group information table.

Power Level
Kingpins receive bonus stunt points according to their Game Master determined Power Level.

Stunt Cancellation (1* SP)
A Kingpin may cancel any other character's use of stunt points, negating attempts to re-roll poor results, take actions or avoid damage. The cost of negating any use of stunt points is equal to the stunt points spent by the targeted character, plus 1 additional stunt point. For instance, if a Martial Artist were to spend 2 stunt points to ignore a roll of lethal damage, a Kingpin character can cancel this expenditure by spending 3 stunt points themselves.

The target of a Kingpin's stunt cancellation may elect to spend additional stunt points to achieve their desired result, increasing the cost of a cancellation. There is no limit to the number of stunt points that may be spent in this way.

Kingpin’s Underlings

Stunt Points Spent	Mooks [d6]	Goons [d8]	Heavies [d10]
1	d6	1	0
2	2d6	d6	1
3	3d6	2d6	d6
4	4d6	3d6	2d6
5	5d6	4d6	3d6
6	6d6	5d6	3d6

Chief Vincent Freeman

Kingpin
Hit Points: 12
Stunt Points: 13 (PL: 2)
Agility: d6
Speed: d4
Perception: d8
Cool: d10
Skill Die:
Tough Boss d8
Quirks [3]:
Jazz Musician –– Jazz is how I talk to God
Cokehead
Deformed –– Hunchback

Chief Freeman is a squat, hunchbacked man who has served almost twenty-five years as a cop on the streets of Baltimore. His years on the narcotics task force have given him a coke habit he’s unable to shake, and the sights he’s seen over the years have given him a reservoir of soul that he pours into his passionate playing of jazz piano. He haunts jazz clubs late at night, stepping onto the stage to perform only when he won’t be recognized.

Power Level (Bonus Stunt Points)
All characters of the mask and kingpin classes receive bonus stunt points. How many depends on their power level, as determined by the Game Master. Power Level 1 and 2 masks are relatively human scale, while those of power levels 3, 4 and 5 approach the status of true supermen. Kingpins of power levels 1, 2 and 3 command rackets and gangs of various sizes. At levels 4 and 5 they may be billionaires, corporate heads and holders of high office.

Power Level	Stunt Points	Mask Title	Kingpin Title
1	+4 SP	Mystery Man	Capo
2	+6 SP	Vigilante	Boss
3	+8 Stunt Points	Peak Human	Chief
4	+10 Stunt Points	Superhuman	Senator
5	+12 Stunt Points	Cosmic	President

Investigator

The investigator is a seeker of truth, a solver of riddles and, sometimes, an agent of justice. Manhunters, consulting detectives and police inspectors are all examples of the investigator class.

Skill Dice:

[d10 On the Case] When hired or otherwise engaged in the solving of a particular case, investigators may throw
a ten-sided skill die on any action directly related to the solving of said case. This may include following up rumors with underworld contacts, processing physical evidence, nailing gorgeous dames who were a little too close to a man who wound up dead, and the use of firearms for offensive or defensive purposes.

[d8 Off the Job] Any action undertaken by an investigator without a case, or not directly related to the case
they are currently working, must be resolved with the throw of an eight-sided skill die.

Special Abilities:

Hunch (1SP)

An investigator may spend a stunt point for a “hunch." Each "insight" allows the investigator to ask the Game Master a question, which the Game Master is obliged to answer truthfully, if not completely. Is our contact telling the truth? What is the connection between Rico and the Colombians? Can this ninja be trusted? All questions that might easily be resolved, with the spending of a stunt point.

Uncanny Perception (d20)
Investigators are in possession of amazing perception. Each Investigator may replace their initial perception die with a d20, the highest polyhedron utilized in Gore Fest.

Gumshoe's Persistence
When an Investigator working a case is reduced to 0 hit points or below, they are knocked unconscious, rather than killed. They may return to play after the end of the current scene or when the phase of play changes. After being knocked out an Investigator has 1 hit point and suffers one of the following injuries, determined by rolling d10:

Investigator Injuries

Roll Injury [d10]:

Broken Nose
Eye Swollen Shut
Broken Finger
Broken Toe
Broken Arm
Broken Leg
Grotesquely Split Lip
Shattered Rib, in Constant Pain
Broken Hip, walks with a limp
Deaf in One Ear

Inspector Nagamine

Investigator
Hit Points: 12
Stunt Points: 6
Agility: d8
Speed: d12
Perception: d20
Cool: d6
Skill Dice:
On the Case: d10
Off the Job: d8
Quirks [3]
Insomniac, and it's none of your damn business why.
On the run from the Tokyo Police
Missing Finger

Juche Nagamine was a dirty cop; a Tokyo police inspector working openly for the Yakuza. He was an idealistic young detective once –– but that was before the bosses got wind of it, and took his finger.

Since then he's been scared –– and unable to sleep. When Nagamine stumbled across a sex trafficking ring operating at the highest levels of government, nobody in the department believed him. Inspector Nagamine, they thought, was nothing but a criminal –– a monster. But Nagamine knows the truth. Today he pursues the agents of this conspiracy, hunted by the very police force which employed him for more than thirty years.

Punk

Punks are hot-shots whose egos are writing checks their skills can't cash. They might be delivery drivers, inexperienced wise guys or civilians with few relevant skills. But Punks make up for their deficient skills with improbable luck and cunning.

Skill Dice:

[Punk d6] Punks throw a d6 skill die for all actions, as they are generally kinda lousy.

Special Abilities:

Punk’s Luck (1*SP)
A punk may spend a stunt point to get lucky. Getting lucky modifies the result of any roll which the Game Master has fully resolved. If this action was resolved simply, a punk may spend 1 stunt point to either force to action to fail or succeed. If the action was resolved on the Complex Action Resolution Table, a punk may spend one stunt point to modify it percentage of success up or down by a roll of d10 multiplied by 10, producing a result between 10 and 100. As many stunt points may be spent in this way as the Punk desires.

For example, imagine a Punk has just been slashed by a Samurai sword, and his aggressor has scored a 90% success. A punk may spend one stunt point to reduce this percentage by a roll of d10x10 – if this d10 shows a result of 7, the success of the sword attack is reduced by 70%.

Double Award Dice
Whenever a punk is given an award die by the Game Master, the die awarded is doubled. A d8 becomes 2d8, a d12 becomes 2d12, and so on. Only award dice of d20 are excepted from this rule.

Bounty Dodger
Punks spend fewer stunt points than other classes to reduce or negate damage. A Punk may reduce any roll of lethal damage to 3 H.P. for the 1 stunt point and reduce any explosive damage roll to 6 H.P. for 2 stunt points. Punks may negate non-lethal damage completely for 1 stunt point. Lethal damage may be negated for 2 stunts and explosive damage negated for 4.

Patrick Fitzhue

Punk
Hit Points: 9
Stunt Points: 8
Agility: d4
Speed: d6
Perception: d10
Cool: d6
Skill Dice:
Punk: d6
Quirks [1]:
Mentor –– My father was practically immortal. He died at a ripe old age, cursing my name.

The Fitzhue family, like the Bushes, are a grand name in the history of American espionage. But Patrick Fitzhue was the black sheep, a fuck-off, idiot reprobate only employed as a C.I.A. field agent because of nepotism. His father, William Fitzhue was the power behind the power in the agency for almost half a century. It broke his heart, having such a disappointment for a son. Patrick is still sent out on assignment. Usually, his bosses send him on particularly dangerous missions –– hoping to remove Fitzhue from the rolls. He's survived 9 years so far, but the bosses are hoping their next assignment will finally eliminate the twerp.

1.1 The Gore Fest Session
Gore Fest is a social activity for two or more friends. One of this number, designated the Game Master, is responsible for acting as the night’s primary storyteller. He or she will have prepared the session’s
scenario. It might be an assassination in Tokyo, a prison in mainland China or a clandestine operation in war-torn Syria. Each Gore Fest session is like a movie in many ways, and Game Masters resemble directors. Gore Fest gives them maximum latitude to run the proceedings as they see fit, controlling
detail and pacing on the fly. When friends gather to play Gore Fest, the Game Master is in some ways
the main attraction and in some ways the referee. All other players assume the role of characters, generated according to the rules appearing at the beginning of this volume. Gore Fest characters are flawed, idiosyncratic individuals working in violent or violence-adjacent professions. It is the responsibility of each player to describe the actions their character would take with a maximum of creativity and balls.

On the night or day of a Gore Fest session, its players assemble with characters in hand and begin by listening to the Game Master as he or she sets the stage. The concept of the game is to tell, together, the most outrageous story possible. The Game Master may begin by describing a common setting (such as a slum, a small town or a maximum security prison) where all the players’ characters are located. They may begin by informing the players they have been hired by to perform a mission, and have six months and a small amount of resources to plan the job. They may begin, more generally, in any way that grabs the attention of the players and gives them some set of circumstances with which their character may interact. From there, the game progresses like a story told by the whole assembly. The Game Master has final say over what “happens” in the narrative, but each player describes the ideal actions of their character, rolling dice to see how close to this ideal their “true” achievements lie. Players exert additional control over the session’s narrative by cleverly using award dice, stunt points and other resources which help ensure the success of the character they are playing, along with the characters of other players. The Game Master, who controls the setting and supporting cast of the night’s story, often acts in opposition to the characters. The Game Master’s toadies are enemy ninjas, mercenary soldiers, city police and, sometimes, disgusting mutated monsters. Through them, he or she tries repeatedly to murder the characters, necessitating that the group describe outlandish and violent action scenes. As
the life of characters is constantly at risk, players will need to be on their toes and spend their stunt
points and award dice wisely. Poorly played and unlucky characters die; they cannot do otherwise.

The story of the session will often come to a reasonable stopping point within a few hours, at which point the “session is called,” play ceases, and the players return to their homes. Often Gore Fest players will meet on the same night for many successive weeks, telling a single story in serial form.

1.2 Phases of Play
To aid in the telling of a session’s story, Gore Fest’s rules recognize three “phases” of play,
distinguished by their handling of time. These phases are ended and begun by the Game Master, and pass according to his or her discretion.

1.2.1 Out of Scene
The first phase is Out of Scene, where time is totally plastic, and weeks or months or years may pass with a single spoken sentence. In this phase, the Game Master may describe a general setting or a set of circumstances to the players. “You find yourselves cooling your heels on the beach after your last job, rubbing elbows with the criminal element. What are your characters up to?” Or “You have been charged to break into the national bank of Shanghai; you have six months to prepare and whatever resources you can scrounge. Your employer, Mr. X, has furnished you with a set of blueprints to the bank – but they are two years out of date...” Or “You are all variously employed around the small town of Lightning Rod, Arizona. The year is 1940. Where are you living and what are you doing for work?” The players, speaking as ideas occur to them or taking turns according to who is seated closest to the Game Master, may describe their character’s actions in similarly general terms. “I spend all my time chasing waitresses at ex-pat bars,” or “I’d like to try and get a military surplus helicopter, calling on all my old company contacts” or “I’m working as a sign painter under an assumed name ... I can’t let anybody know what I got up to back East.”

Out of Scene play often suggests scenarios which would be fun to see in more detail. Getting an army surplus helicopter is a good example. What is the dealer like? What kind of complications might arise having the machine shipped to Shanghai? To answer these kinds of question, the Game Master may move to the second phase of Gore Fest play, In Scene.

A Game Master may also contrive scenes involving one or more of the assembled characters according
to his or her fancy. “You all find yourselves at the Tortuga Cantina,” or “Before the job, you all assemble at the Omni Hotel for a final run-through of the plans and a preparatory dinner” or “Both the punk and the investigator find themselves attending the same midnight porno flick.” These scenes may then be resolved in the in scene phase.

1.2.2 In Scene
In Scene play takes place more or less in real time; during it the Game Master describes what a player’s character can immediately see or hear. “The Nicaraguan arms dealer is dressed in a white pinstriped suit, and he smiles widely, flashing a gold tooth with a diamond stud. He’s demanding 3 million unmarked, plus costs to fuel the thing and ship it to San Francisco” or “The dingy theater is humid with the sound of heavy breathing. The punk and investigator recognize one another – which kills any arousal either one might have had” or “The bellman is lingering around the door, taking his time arranging the room service trays.”

In Scene, players describe their character’s actions moment-to-moment, taking into account the setting as described by the Game Master. “I’d like to buy the arms dealer drink after drink. I want to put him under the table.” or “My investigator gives up trying to crank it and sidles over to the punk. ‘You didn’t see anything,’ I tell him, as I slip him a few twenties from my sweaty officer’s pants.’” or “I want to check out the bellman. Does he look like he’s trying to get a look at our documents?” Players may
describe these actions whenever they contrive them, or go in ad-hoc order according to the Game Master calling them by name.

In Scene, the story may progress by a few minutes or a few hours. Whenever the interaction of the
characters is resolved in a manner satisfactory to the Game Master, Out of Scene play may resume, and
the players may once again narrate their character’s actions with a wider view of time and detail.

1.2.3 Action Scenes
Often, however, a scene will escalate to the point of adventure or violence. A fist or gun fight may break out, a car chase may be initiated or a quick footwork Jackie Chan escape may be required. The player portraying the punk in the porno theater might say: “my character swats your money away and knees you in the nose” or the helicopter deal may progress to the point that the Game Master says “the arms dealer’s henchmen figure out what you’re trying to do; the big one with the wraparound shades pulls a desert eagle from under his suit jacket” or the bellman at the Omni might try to hightail it..

Action scenes reduce the progress of the session’s story to seconds and micro-seconds. Individual
gunshots, dives, feints and hand-to-hand attacks are described in whatever level of detail is most
agreeable to the player and Game Master. Order of play progresses in action scenes according to the Initiative Roll, giving the advantage to characters with high rolling speed dice. Action scenes end when the immediate danger for the characters has passed; often this means casualties on one side or the other. It is advisable to return the characters to the in scene or out of scene phase following an action scene, so as to provide a brief respite from the intensity of imagining the actions of their character second to second.

1.2.4 The Initiative Roll
When an action scene begins, the Game Master will call for initiative rolls. These rolls are performed
with a character’s speed die, and the Game Master will roll speed dice for all the non-player characters they control who are involved in the action scene. Order of play progresses from the highest roller to the lowest each round. Tied rolls are considered to act simultaneously.

During each turn in initiative, a player describes what their character does in this few seconds of the action scene. “I return fire,” or “the bodyguard squeezes the trigger of his shining deagle, aiming right for the veteran’s heart” or “I roundhouse kick the guy in the head.” Each action is described along with its ideal result. So: “I return fire, hoping to kill all 3 of the ninjas” or “The bodyguard is shooting to kill” or “I want to kick off this guy’s head like a soccer ball.”

The Game Master has several ways to determine how close to this ideal a character is able to get. Once a full round has passed in initiative, the Game Master may either allow play to proceed back to the highest roller, or call for a new initiative roll. The former option provides consistency to long action scenes, allowing a productive rhythm to develop at the table. The latter disrupts order, keeping the assembled players on their toes. The choice between them, as well as the power to bring action scenes to a close (discharging the initiative order) belongs to the Game Master.

2.0 Award Dice
It is the object of the players to receive Award Dice for describing hilarious, shocking or memorable
actions for their characters. These Award Dice, given out by the Game Master, can then be expended to help improve the chances of success of their character’s actions. Award Dice are action dice of d8, d10, d12 or d20, and the Game Master awards them to players for describing charming, clever or successful actions on their character’s behalf. Award Dice may be given in any stage of play and for any reason the Game Master may devise.

2.1 Dispersing Award Dice
Game Masters may give out d8 award dice for actions which are diverting, productive or entertaining – but which do not particularly resonate and are not likely to be remembered following the conclusion of the session. A d8 award die is an appropriate prize for a character thinking cleverly around a problem, landing an effective one liner or simply putting themselves out there – testing the limits of their ability to role-play or improvise, even if the attempt is less than successful. As many of these should be distributed per session as the Game Master desires.

d10 award dice should be given for actions which result in big wins for the character describing
them, or actions which truly surprise the assembly or inspire laughter or clapping. No more than 10
d10s should typically distributed among all players during the course of a single Gore Fest session.
d12 award dice are distributed for actions which are memorable, creative, hilarious, or violent to the
utmost degree. Few d12s should be distributed in comparison to d10s, at a rate of no more than 6 per
session.
d20 award dice are the rarest and most valuable of the bunch. A maximum of 3 may be given during each session, reserved for actions which are sure to be remembered after the session or which provide a moment of catharsis (or hilarity) for a quorum of the assembled players.

Players are free to give the award dice they have earned to one another at any time, and for any reason the player desires.

2.3 Provisioning Awards
It is considered polite for the Game Master to reward the contributions of his or her players to the practical necessities and comfort of the session as an evening’s entertainment, according to the following scheme. These awards may be employed or ignored by the Game Master at his or her discretion.

Showing Up (2d10)
Showing up for the session should be rewarded with 2d10 award dice.

Bringing Snacks, Weed or Drinks (1d8-3d8)
Libations of any kind should be rewarded with between one and three d8 award dice according to the financial value or quality of the contribution.

Rides (d10)
Any player who gives rides to other players or assists in the transport of the Game Master should be given a d10 award die.

Hosting (d12)
The player who volunteers space for the game session should be rewarded with a d12 award die.

First Session (2d8, 1d10)
A player’s first ever Gore Fest session is rewarded with 2d8 and 1d10 award dice.

Play By Mail (1d10-3d10)
If a player corresponds with the Game Master concerning their character’s background or actions in the time prior to the actual session, this after-hours play should be rewarded with between 1 and 3 d10 award dice, depending on the volume of correspondence involved.

Most Valuable Player (d20)
If the Gore Fest narrative is being played serially, with the same players returning week after week, the game master may call for a vote at the conclusion of each session to pick the night’s “Most Valuable Player.” Each player (the Game Master included) has a single vote, and should describe why they are casting it. The player selected should begin the next game with a d20 award die. Game Masters cannot be selected as a session’s MVP.

Special Guest Star (4d12, 2d20)
In serial play, players will sometimes skip sessions, or show up for only one or two of a long series. Such briefly participating players may be given “special guest star”status at the discretion of the game master, granting them 4d12 award dice and 2d20 award dice to spend during the session. This turns occasional players into powerful, if unpredictable, forces at the table.

2.2 Award Dice & The Action Pool
Players must track all the award dice they have been given on the sheet of paper holding their character’s statistics. These dice are used in play to improve the chances of characters performing the actions their players describe.

Whenever a player attempts an action with a chance of failure, the Game Master will call on them to roll a pool of dice known as an “action pool.” Initially, the pool of any action is built out the ability dice, skill dice and perk dice of the character initiating it. If a player with a martial artist character contrives an action such as “I kick the wind out of the ninja, knocking him back,” their action pool may begin with their agility die and their martial arts skill die. A veteran character attempting an action such as “I take careful aim through the 8x scope attached to my rifle, then blow Gwyneth Paltrow's jaw off,” might roll their perception die alongside the d10 skill die granted by the Veteran class. More than one ability die may be included in this initial pool if the Game Master deems it appropriate, but no more than 1 skill die may be rolled in any action pool.

This pool is rolled all together, in combination with whatever award dice the assembled players would like to spend on it. The more award dice are contributed to this pool, the greater the action's chance of succeeding. Once an award die has been spent in this way, it is marked off the character record sheet and cannot be used again. Players may spend their award dice on the actions undertaken by all other players. Award dice may be contributed to an action after the initial pool is rolled. The roll is not finished until all players agree to stop contributing award dice to its pool.

The final result of the action pool is whatever die rolls the highest: be it a skill die, an ability die or an award die. The highest roll is the final result of the action pool.

3.0 Stunt Points
Stunt Points allow players to bend the narrative of a session in favor of their character. Players begin each session with a number of stunt points determined in character generation by a roll of 3d4. They may spend stunt points in any phase of play, deriving different beneficial effects according to phase. Once a stunt point is spent, it cannot be regained until the start of a new Gore Fest session.

3.2 Spending Stunt Points To Take Immediate Action
In any phase of play, a player may spend a stunt point to take an "immediate action," describing what their character has elected to do. In scene and out of scene, spending a stunt point in this way is essentially a license to talk – giving players a chance to describe their character’s thoughts in more detail. Immediate actions occur immediately, regardless of what was happening in the narrative prior to the spending of the stunt point.

When play is in the action scene phase, players take turns describing their character’s actions on a very small timescale – second to second, in most cases. During this phase, it is common for players to come up with actions bigger than the several second window each of their turns affords them. Each stunt point spent during an action scene grants the player spending it an additional “turn” for their character, another few seconds of action to describe. A player cannot spend a stunt in this way again until either the next turn in the initiative order is performed or another player spends a stunt point to take an immediate action.

Stunt points may be spent in this way at any time, even during another player or opponent’s turn.

A good way to avoid damage is to take an immediate action describing ducking behind cover or performing an amazing dodge -- however, cover may not always be handy and most lethal and explosive attacks cannot be credibly dodged by any action with a reasonable chance of success.

3.2.1 Spending Stunt Points To Prevent Immediate Action

During action scenes, a player whose character is enjoying their turn in the initiative order may spend 2 stunt points to cancel any other player's attempt to take an immediate action. This cancellation cannot be countermanded. A player enjoying their turn in the initiative order may cancel as many attempted actions as they wish until a new turn begins, provided they have the necessary stunt points to cancel each with an expenditure of 2.

3.3. Spending Stunt Points to Avoid Damage

Gore Fest characters live dangerous lives. Often, they must spend stunt points simply to avoid being violently killed. Any roll of damage may be negated or reduced by paying its “bounty." The bounty is the cost in stunt points of avoiding damage. Pay the bounty, and either avoid the damage entirely or reduce it to a survivable level. Narratively, this is translated as a miraculously lucky or stupid save, executed at the last second. Shot in the head? It reflected off your thick skull, leaving a flesh wound behind. Sprayed with machine-gun fire? Your pecs are so shiny they melted the bullets.

Damage in Gore Fest comes in three varieties: non-lethal, lethal and explosive. Each incurs a damage roll, which is subtracted from the hit points of the character suffering the damage. A small bounty may be paid to replace this damage roll with a manageable amount of lost hit points. A larger bounty may be paid to negate the damage completely.

To reduce damage, the initial bounty is 1 stunt for non-lethal, 2 stunts for lethal and 4 stunts for explosive. Reduced damage still causes the suffering character to lose hit points. Reduced non-lethal damage is 1 H.P., reduced lethal damage is 3 H.P. and reduced explosive damage is 6 H.P..

To negate damage completely, suffering no loss of hit points, the initial bounty is 2 stunts for non-lethal, 4 stunts for lethal and 8 stunts for explosive.

Characters of the Punk and Martial Artist class spend fewer stunt points to reduce or negate damage. The initial bounty for characters of these classes to reduce damage is 1 stunt for lethal and 2 stunts for explosive. They may negate damage for an initial bounty of 1 stunt for non-lethal, 2 stunts for lethal and 4 stunts for explosive.

Tough hombres of the Veteran and Assassin classes (plus some nasty non-player characters) have the ability to raise the bounty of the damage they deal, making hare-raising saves costly in terms of stunt points. Any additional cost is added to the damage's initial bounty.

The cost of reducing or negating damage is summarized on the Damage Bounty Table.

3.3.1 The Damage Bounty Table

Damage Type	Bounty to Reduce (Damage Taken)	Bounty to Negate
Non-Lethal	1sp (1hp)	2sp
Lethal	2sp (3hp)	4sp
Explosive	4sp (6hp)	8sp
For Punk & Martial Artist
Non-Lethal	N/A	1sp
Lethal	1sp (3hp)	2sp
Explosive	2sp (6hp)	4sp

4.0 Resolving In-Game Actions
No matter the phase of play, Gore Fest players interact with the story through “actions” – descriptions of the actions their characters take when presented with the circumstances of the world described by the game master.

In the out of scene phase, these actions may be general descriptions of how a player’s character spends months or years of time. In scene, actions are limited to how a character conducts themselves in a particular place or time – and in action scenes, these descriptions will often be limited to individual shots, bursts, kicks, headbutts – wild swings and desperate feints.

Unlike other role-play games, Gore Fest actions are complete – as in, each action must contain not
only what a player thinks their character would do, but also the result they would expect to see after the
action is performed. “I would like to steal a brand new Mustang and get away scott-free” or “I’d
like to spray the corridor with my Uzi, killing all the mobsters” are both appropriate Gore Fest actions.

The player rolls dice to determine how well the action goes. The action is then “resolved” by the Game Master, who explains how the player’s desired action actually goes. The Game Master may always elect to simply tell the player how their action resolves, but this should be reserved for actions of little
consequence to the characters involved. All other actions should be resolved with either simple action resolution or the complex action resolution table at the Game Master’s discretion.

4.1 Simple Action Resolution
When an action needs a simple, direct and non-time consuming resolution, the Game Master may elect to solve it simply. Simple actions require the roll of only a single skill or ability dice, although award dice may be spent normally to increase their action pool. If this die shows a result of 4, the character's action succeeds as described. If the result is 1, 2 or 3, the action fails. The Game Master will tell you how.

Roll 4 or higher, you did it. That’s it.

4.1.1 Simple Action Difficulties
If the Game Master wishes to resolve a simple action with a higher chance of failure than normal, the “difficulty:” of the action may be raised.

Difficulty	Roll to Succeed
Routine	4
Challenging	6
Difficult	8
Hard	10
Very Hard	12

As a general rule , any action that may result in damage should be resolved on the Complex Action Resolution Table.

4.1.2 Cool Rolls
Gore Fest players are given a wide degree of latitude concerning their character’s background and
accomplishments. Often, they will assert something about their character which has not been previously established but portrays the character as particularly clever, well-connected, accomplished or charismatic. “Oh course I know mandarin.” “I never leave the house without an Uzi in a shoulder
holster, and I remembered the extended clip.” “Jane Mansfield? Yeah, I fucked her. She was a lousy lay.” The Game Master may demand a Cool roll for all such wild assertions.

Cool rolls are simple actions. A result of 1-3 means failure, and the dismissal of the Cool roll’s assertion. The character does not know mandarin, does not carry an extremely specific and ridiculous gun at all times and has never even been in the same zip code as Jane Mansfield. A roll of 4 or better is success – and the confirmation that the character is, at least mechanically, “cool.”

The difficulty of this roll is at the Game Master’s discretion. Cool rolls may be simply cosmetic, or may be used to adjudicate actions (such as tooling up with an Uzi) that make a serious material difference in play. If a player in an action scene wishes to act as if their character has prepared extensively beforehand, or contrived some clever scheme, a cool roll may be made to see if they pulled it off. This allows play to flow easily, without pursuing a digression.

Cool rolls heavily favor the player. As such, they produce little tension at the table. But affirming an audacious boast is fun, and having it denied is only mildly disappointing. Properly used, the calling of Cool rolls can add a low-risk mechanical crunch to scenes of pure role-play.

4.2 Dangerous Actions
If an action does not threaten to cause damage to anyone but the character attempting it, it is a "dangerous actions." Dangerous actions deal non-lethal damage to the character attempting them if the box around the success percentage on the Complex Action Resolution Table is organge. This damage is increased to lethal if the box is red.

4.3 Using The Complex Action Resolution Table
Actions of particular interest to players and actions that have the potential to deal damage to either their owners or targets should be resolved with reference to the Complex Action Resolution Table. The operation of the table will produce a percentage – between 0% and 200% – which the Game Master will use to determine the efficacy of the player’s action. A 100% on this table indicates that the action is performed as the player wished, results included. 200% indicates that the action succeeds well beyond the player’s intentions – doubling its desired outcome. 10%, 25%, 75% and so on all indicate that the action is partially performed, or that its results fall short of the player’s ambitions.

It is best to think of the Complex Action Resolution Table as answering a question: how true is the player’s description of their character’s action? 0%, then, makes the description totally false – a failed attempt – a lie. Each increasing percentage indicates a greater degree of “accuracy,” until the percentage grows higher than 100%. After that, the player has underestimated their own efficacy. The Game Master describes the final resolution, and determines which characters involved require damage rolls. The final description of all actions is left to the at the discretion of the Game Master, but the general information provided by the Complex Resolution Table cannot be contradicted.

4.3.1 Assigning Action Difficulty
In complex resolution, much depends on the “difficulty” of the action as determined by the Game Master. This difficulty may be determined based on a number of factors, arranged on the horizontal axis of the Complex Action Resolution table.

4.3.2 Resistance Rolls
If an action is undertaken in direct opposition to another character (whether that character is under the control of a player or the Game Master) its difficulty may be determined by an action die roll from the character being acted upon. Attempting to land a blow against a skilled martial artist, for instance, could easily be determined by having both the attacker and defender roll their martial arts action die. Under such circumstances, the target of the action makes a resistance roll, with their result determining the appropriate column to use on the complex action resolution table. Resistance rolls, like all action rolls, may be augmented with award dice.

4.3.3 Range and Cover
Firearms are often involved in Gore Fest actions, given their rightful prominence in the real world as
an instrument of social change. General firearms terms are thus included, to be augmented by the
special expertise of the players.

4.3.4 General Difficulty
The most generally applicable method for determining difficulty is simply for the Game Master to develop an understanding of the complex action resolution table, and the various uses of its difficulty classifications. A brief summary of them is presented below:

4.3.5 Easy Difficulty
Easy actions never result in disaster for the character attempting them and even lower types of action dice such as d6 and d8 may score success percentages of 100% or greater somewhat reliably. High action dice will very often score success percentages in excess of 100%. Easy actions never deal damage to those who attempt them. Easy actions can provide a cathartic victory if used sparingly throughout a session. Used too often, their victories will start to seem hollow. In some ways, this column is even more forgiving to the player and more supportive of their contributions to the session than even simple action resolution.

4.3.6 Routine Difficulty
Routine actions enjoy a reasonable chance of both failure and success although they have no capacity
for truly disastrous misfires. Reasonably high action dice such as d8s and d10s will reliably score favorably, and d12s enjoy almost a 50% chance of meeting or exceeding a success percentage of
90%. Routine actions have no capacity to deal damage to those attempting them, making this column a slightly more rigorous alternative to easy difficulty.

4.3.7 Challenging Difficulty
At the challenging difficulty it is possible to roll a “fumble,” or a disastrous failure. It is also possible
that the character attempting the action may take non-lethal damage should the final result of their roll be low enough. Challenging actions, in other words, are risky – if only slightly. d8s will flounder at this difficulty, but d12s and d10s remain reasonably effective.

4.3.8 Difficult Difficulty (haha)
Difficult actions are even harder to accomplish and more dangerous than challenging ones. They carry the same risk of fumbling, but with an increased chance that damage will be suffered – even if the action achieves a success percentage of 90% or 99%. Low rolls, and success percentages of 0% to 75%, may even deal lethal damage to the character attempting the action.

4.3.9 Hard & Very Hard Difficulty
Hard and very hard actions are both difficult to perform and risky for the character trying. Each can deal damage even at success percentages in excess of 90%, the distinction between the two being primarily the thresholds at which this potential damages changes from lethal to non-lethal. At these
difficulty tiers, award dice are practically required to score a favorable result. Low dice types such as
d6 and d8 are useless at these difficulties.

4.3.10 Impossible Difficulty
Impossible actions are the most trying category in the Gore Fest game. They have the potential to deal damage at any level of success. Only success percentages of greater than 100% enjoy the dubious distinction of rendering this potential damage non-lethal. Impossible actions demand the expenditure of many award dice. They will only go favorably for the character attempting them if the player rolling on that character’s behalf is willing to go for broke.

4.3.11 Fumbles
A fumble occurs when a 1 is rolled by any dice in action pool of an action belonging to the challenging, difficult, hard, very hard or impossible actions. Fumbles are misfortunes such as running out of ammunition, a weapon backfiring, dropping a weapon as well as other unlucky slips, tumbles, crashes and jams. Roll on the Fumble table to determine the nature of this unlucky development.

4.3.12 The Fumble Table (d8)

1–4 Reload! -- This fumble renders your character's weapon temporarily unusable. Typically, this means running out of ammunition with a firearm. Melee weapons should be tossed away, dropped, stuck in something or similarly removed from the character's immediate grasp.
5-6. Loss of Footing -- This fumble renders your character off-balance. Maybe you tumble over, maybe you lose control of a vehicle and maybe your strike exposes you more than you would hope. This momentary loss of footing makes your character vulnerable; until the beginning of the next initiative turn, they may not spend stunt points to avoid damage.
7. Minor Catastrophe -- This fumble is an act of god, a total disaster that deals non-lethal damage to the unfortunate character who rolled it. This damage roll is made in addition to any damage resulting from the action.
8. Major Catastrophe -- This fumble is a complete disaster nobody could have anticipated, and it deals lethal damage to the character who rolled it. This damage roll is made in addition to any damage resulting from the action.

The Complex Action Resolution Table
Resistance Roll:	1	2-3	4-6	7-8	9-11	12-15	16+
Range	Point Blank	Short	Medium	Long	Extreme
Cover			25%	50%	75%	90%	99%
Difficulty: Roll:	Easy	Routine	Challenging	Difficult	Hard	Very Hard	Impossible
1	25%	0%	Fumble
2	50%	10%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%
3	75%	25%	10%	0%	0%	0%	0%
4	90%	50%	25%	10%	0%	0%	0%
5	99%	75%	50%	25%	10%	0%	0%
6	100%	90%	75%	50%	25%	10%	0%
7	110%	99%	90%	75%	50%	25%	10%
8	150%	100%	99%	90%	75%	50%	25%
9	150%	110%	100%	99%	90%	75%	50%
10	200%	150%	110%	100%	99%	90%	75%
11	200%	150%	150%	100%	100%	99%	90%
12	200%	200%	150%	110%	100%	100%	99%
13-15	200%	200%	200%	150%	110%	110%	100%
16-17	200%	200%	200%	150%	150%	150%	100%
18-19	200%	200%	200%	200%	150%	150%	110%
20	200%	200%	200%	200%	200%	200%	150%

5.0. Damage Healing & Death
All damage a character takes is subtracted from their total hit points. If a character reaches zero hit
points or below, they die.

5.1. Dealing Damage
Most damage to player characters should be dealt as the result of actions initiated by any player in the game, including the Game Master. The Game Master may deal damage by fiat (forgoing a die roll on his victim’s behalf) but such damage may never exceed 1d12 in die type.

5.1.2 Dealing Damage with Actions
If the Game Master determines that an action should result in damage to its target or owner, they must also determine if this damage is of the lethal, non-lethal or explosive type. Owners may take non-lethal damage if their final result box on the Complex Action Resolution table is orange. If the box is red, they may potentially take lethal damage, at the Game Master's discretion.

5.1.3 Damage Rolls
All damage is resolved with a roll:

Non-Lethal (d6)
Non-lethal damage includes punches, kicks, grazed shots and other near-misses. Its damage roll is 1d6.

Lethal (d20)
Lethal damage includes being stabbed, shot and otherwise injured. Its damage roll is 1d20.

Less Lethal (d12)
At the GM’s discretion, a d12 may be rolled in all instances of lethal damage, rather than d20. This
makes character death a rarer thing.

Explosive Damage
Explosive damage varies depending on the size of the explosion and the proximity of characters to its
epicenter, as shown on the explosives table.

5.1.4. Explosives Table

Size	Epicenter	Main Blast	Splash Damage
Small	5ft 2d20hp	15ft 1d20hp	30ft 1d6
Medium	10ft 3d20hp	30ft 2d20hp	60ft 1d10
Large	20ft 4d20hp	40ft 2d20hp	80ft 1d12
Very Large	50ft 4d20hp	100ft 2d20	150ft 1d20

5.2 Healing
Hit Points may be restored during a Gore Fest session by undertaking different actions such as taking a swig of liquor, enjoying bed rest and/or refreshing morphine. This information is on the Healing Table.

5.2.1 The Healing Table

Swig of liquor d4 HP
Bandages / First Aid d8 HP
Painkillers d10 HP
1 Week bed rest 2d6 HP
1 Week hospital care 4d6 HP

5.3 Gaining New Hit Points
If a character suffers a massive amount of damage and survives, finishing a session with less than 6 Hit
Points, the Game Master may elect to reward them with an additional 1d6 roll of Hit Points added to their maximum.

6.0 Groups of Multiple Characters
The Game Master and players of the Kingpin class may control large numbers of non-player characters.
These groups have several unique properties.

6.1 Group Actions
Often characters under control of either the Game Master or a player with a Kingpin character will act in tandem, performing their actions as a group. When more than one character works together on the same action in this way, they may roll additional action dice according to the number of characters involved. This information is presented in The Group Information Table.

This rule assumes that the characters acting in tandem all share the same type of action dice and are relatively indistinguishable from one another. Highly distinct characters under direct player control should resolve even their most cooperative actions with separate rolls, rather than using the above method.

6.2 Group Initiative
Large groups make multiple initiative rolls, taking one action on each number rolled. Should a tie occur, that initiative count will contain both actions in sequence. The number of initiative rolls made by a group is presented according to size on the Group Information Table.

6.3 The Group Information Table

Number of Characters	Action Dice	Initative Rolls
1	1	1
2-4	2	2
5-9	3	3
10-19	4	4
20+	5	5

7.0 Learning New Skills
During the course of a Gore Fest session, players will sometimes wish for their characters to learn new
skills. The exact nature of the skill they hope to acquire is not important. Skills acquired during play should be very specific however: more akin to “wrestling” than “martial arts,” “handguns” rather than “firearms.”

A player must state their character’s intention to train in this discipline during the out-of-scene phase. If the Game Master agrees that this program of training is feasible, the character is granted a new skill die – a d4 – associated with the chosen skill. They will have the chance to improve this die by making improvement rolls.

7.1 Improvement Rolls
Improvement rolls occur whenever the GM desires, although they are most often granted when a character performs an action with a newly acquired skill successfully, or when a certain amount of training time has passed in the Out of Scene phase. Easy to pick up skills may grant an improvement roll once per in-game week of training. More difficult ones may grant a roll for every month or even year spent practicing the discipline. Improvement rolls are made with the skill die which the player hopes to improve. The roll succeeds if it is either the ultimate or penultimate result of the die type thrown: 3-4 on a d4, 5-6 on a d6 and so on. A successful improvement roll increases the skill die in question one action dice category. If unsuccessful, the skill die does not change. This information is summarized on the training table.

7.2 The Training Table

Skill Die	Improvement Roll Success	Improves To
d4	3-4	d6
d6	5-6	d8
d8	7-8	d10
d10	9-10	d12

8.0 Montaging
Montaging is a rapid-fire sequence during a Gore Fest session designed to allow players to call out moments of their characters' lives in the form of a cinematic montage, where many different images are presented in rapid sequence. Montages may be employed only during the In Scene and Out of Scene phases. Usually, as in film, a Gore Fest montage is timed to a song chosen by the Game Master.

While it plays, each player takes turns describing a short image of their character. These images are subject to a few restrictions. They cannot feature specific dialogue, cannot last longer than a few seconds and cannot break the timescale of the current phase of play. They also cannot place a character in any significant peril or propose any action whose failure or success would unduly effect the session. Montages are an opportunity for everyone assembled to throw out quick little descriptions, rapid fire, as a palette cleanser and change of pace.

No dice are rolled to see if the images described during a montage “occur.” Montage images are simply allowed and, if necessary, ignored after the fact. Each image a player is able to contribute to a montage may be rewarded with an award die of d8, d10 or d12. A good montage, liberally rewarded, can help replenish award dice before significant or deadly sequences.

8.1 The Training Montage
A training montage is the quickest way for Gore Fest characters to gain new skills. In its particulars,
it resembles a standard montage but with the additional restriction that all images described must relate to the acquisition of a particular skill. Each image is rewarded with an improvement roll for the skill being trained. Since a player can contrive many images during the duration of a montage, this is an easy way to quickly attain a higher skill die.

9.0 Psionics
Within all of us, in the rearranging pathways of our minds, rests the potential for Godhood and access to powers long confined to the world of the “extra-normal.” Telepathy and telekinetics are Man’s rugged ascent from darkness – nothing more or less than the pupating egg of our shared destiny among the stars. Gore Fest provides its more advanced players with a factual preview of what is to come through its rules governing Psionics.

By rolling a 00 on the quirk table (or by Game Master’s discretion) a Gore Fest character may find themselves in possession of a Wild Talent. This talent is worth a d4 skill die in psionics, and a preview of the fantastic abilities soon awaiting the human race.

9.1 Wild Talents
All Wild Talents come in 4 varieties, determined randomly. This Wild Talent is associated with a d4
Psionic Action Die. Using Wild Talents does not cost stunt points as do other psionic actions.

Flashes of Insight – During a game session, the Game Master may call for a psionic roll from this character at any time. If this roll is 4 or better, the character receives a sudden visionary insight pertaining to the circumstances of the session. The appearance of this insight is left to the Game Master.
Universal Force Sensitive -- During a session, a character with this talent may throw their Psionic Die as often as they want to attempt to pull any object rifle-size or smaller into their hands from a range of up to 120ft. The difficulty of each pull is determined by a resistance roll of d12.
Traveler In Dreams - Characters with this Wild Talent spend their nighttime hours in The Astral Plane, traveling through the world of dreaming in the form of a “shade” which can witness events but not affect them. To attempt to deliberately enter the Dreamlands requires a sleepy or appropriately drugged character and a roll of 4 on their Psionic Action Die.
Firestarter - Characters with the firestarter talent start fires in moments of intense emotional distress. Whenever the character is upset, they may roll their Psionic Action Die. If the result is 4 or better, a small fire ignites somewhere within 300 feet of the Firestarter character.

9.1.2 Wild Talent Table (d4)

1 - Flashes of Insight
2 - Universal Force Sensitive
3 - Traveler in Dreams
4 - Firestarter

9.2 Developing Psionics
A character’s psionic skill may make an improvement roll once per session. This roll is generally made after the cessation of play, and can only be made if the character being rolled for succeeded in an action using their psionic die during the session preceding. If it succeeds, the charaltycter’s psionic die is improved according to the training table. As a character’s Psionic Die improves they also gain Power Points according to the power point Table.

For each power point gained, a psionic character may add 1 to their maximum Stunt Points per session.

9.2.1 Power Point Table

Psionic Die	Added PP	Total PP
d4	0	0
d6	1	1
d8	1	2
d10	2	4
d12	2	6

9.3 Psionic Actions
Psionic actions cannot initially be augmented with award dice belonging to any player. Every psionic action attempted beyond the use of wild talents costs stunt points, as determined by the difficulty of the action attempted. Psionic actions always deal non-lethal damage to their owner should their result on the Complex Action Resolution Table permit it. The cost in stunt points of various psionic actions are presented on the Psionic Action Table.

9.3.1 The Psionic Action Table

Difficulty	Cost in Stunt Points
Easy	1
Routine	2
Challenging	3
Difficult	4
Hard	5
Very Hard	6
Impossible	7

9.4 Power Points
Whenever a character gains a Power Point, they may invest it in psionic powers. One level of each power may be purchased for a power point.

9.5 Psionic Powers
Telepathy – allows characters to read human minds. At level 1 this is an arduous task, requiring 1d6 minutes before a Psionic roll to read a mind may be made. The reading is easier if the thoughts sought for are superficial, but harder reads may delve deeper into the psyche. At level 2, this d6 minute requirement is dropped and by reading (or “scanning”) a target, the telepath may elect to deal non-lethal damage. At level 3 this damage may be lethal, should the telepath wish.

Telekinesis – allows a character to lift, levitate, push and pull objects they are not touching with the power of the mind alone. Easier actions will attempt to lift nearby and light weight objects. Difficulty increases according to mass and distance from the telekinetic. At level 1, no telekinetic action can result in damage. At level 2 these actions can deal non-lethal damage. At level 3 these actions can deal lethal damage.

Pyrokinesis allows characters to start fires and cause targets to spontaneously combust. All fires started by the pyrokinetic must be within 60 feet of the character initiating them, at least when they begin. Dry conditions and good kindling make these actions easy, while moisture makes them hard. At level 1, pyrokinesis may be used to deal non- lethal damage to characters. At level 2, this damage may be lethal. At level 3, this damage causes a small explosion. and thus deals damage of the explosive type.

Psychic Training - Psychic training disciplines a character’s psionic skills. At level 1, it allows the use of award dice on Psionic Actions. At levels 2 and 3, psychic training provides skill sets1d6 additional Stunt Points. At level 3 a character will have gained 2d6 bonus stunt points from their Psychic Training. In addition, at level 3 of this power the character may never take non-lethal damage from a psionic action they are the owner of.

Awareness - At level 1 of the Awareness power, the character has heightened their senses to be especially attuned to the Astral Plane. Their Psychic Action roll to ascend to the Astral is only 4 instead of 8. At levels 2 and 3 of this power, the character gains 2d20 bonus award dice per game. These die are usable only on psionic actions. At level 3 Awareness, characters are aware that they are being played in a role playing game and that their ‘reality’ is bullshit. They also have a total of 4d20 bonus dice per game to spend on psionic actions.

Body Development - For every level of this power, a Psionic character gains 1d6 hit points and may replace one of their ability dice (agility, speed, perception or cool) with a d12. If the die replaced is already d12, it may be raised to d20.

10.0 The Astral Plane
All characters with a psionic action die may attempt to access the Astral Plane, a dimension of pure thought where all things become possible and characters of superior awareness may meet to perform the final contest: the confrontation of mind against mind.

10.1 Travel to the Astral Plane
Requires 1 hour of quiet meditation, and a psionic action to make the attempt. A roll of 8 or better is
required to ascend. Once ascended, the character attains an astral body with double their maximum amount of Hit Points and their full complement of stunt points. While in their Astral Body, a character’s corporeal form is vulnerable and insensate.

10.2 Conditions on the Astral Plane
On the Astral Plane, psionic actions do not require stunt points, for all actions are psionic actions. The
environment is of the Game Master’s contrivance and should be generally surreal. If one should be depleted of either hit points or stunt points on the Astral Plane, the character’s corporeal form dies. All phases of play are combined on the Astral Plane, and actions may take up any length of time the players participating in an astral encounter desire.

12.0 The Pimp Award
Deserving characters may be given the Pimp Award should the Game Master and a majority of assembled players agree on it. Recipients of the Pimp Award may never make Easy rolls, because pimpin’ ain’t easy. But they may not roll in the Impossible column either. For a pimp, nothing is impossible. This rule is hereby signed into law in honor of Pinky Smoothtoes, played by Aaron Watts.

Non-Player Characters
NPCs can be created more simply than player characters, because all elements are simple chosen by the Game Master.

1. Hit Points. NPCs may have a number of hit points between one and thirty. 3d6, or between 3 and 18, is the standard for player characters, although players may roll as many as 5d6 if they are fortunate with quirks. Veterans add 20 to their starting Hit Points.

2. Stunt Points. NPCs may have between 0 and 30 Stunt Points, and may have special abilities according to the Game Master’s discretion. Martial Artists receive +4 stunt points while Masks and Kingpins may greatly increase their rolls depending on their power level. Player characters roll 3d4
Stunt Points initially, but may roll as many as 5d4 if lucky on the quirk table.

3B. N.P.C. Special Abilities
Non-player characters, like many Gore Fest characters, have special abilities which they may spend stunt points to perform. Roll 1d20 to determine them randomly:

1 – Bounty Dodger
This non-player character spends less stunt points to reduce or negate damage, as if they were a character of the punk or martial artist class. This non-player character may reduce any roll of lethal damage to 3 H.P. for the 1 stunt point and reduce any explosive damage roll to 6 H.P. for 2 stunt points. This character may negate non-lethal damage completely for 1 stunt point. Lethal damage may be negated for 2 stunts and explosive damage negated for 4.

2 – Bounty Hunter
This non-player character may increase the bounty on all damage dealt as a result of their actions by spending stunt points. Each stunt point spent increases a damage roll's bounty by 1. Some particularly tough characters increase the bounty by 2 or 3 for each stunt point spent. These increased totals count as separate special abilities: increasing by 2 takes up two special ability slots, and increasing by 3 takes up 3.

3 – Damage Immunity & Vulnerability
This non-player character may spend 1 stunt point to ignore any damage roll of any two types, but may not spend stunt points to avoid damage of the third type. Roll 1d6 to determine the nature of this immunity / vulnerability:

Damage Immunity & Vulnerability

Roll	Non-Lethal	Lethal	Explosive
1-3	I	I	V
2-4	I	V	I
5-6	V	I	I

4 – Command Underlings
This non-player character may summon and command underlings as if they were of the Kingpin class. The number of underlings summoned, and their quality, may be determined by the Kingpin's goons table.

5 – Life Draining
Every time this non-player character deals damage to a character, that character loses a number of stunt points. Every level of life draining counts as another special ability slot.

Life Draining Level	Stunt Points Lost
1	1
2	d4
3	2d4
4	3d4

6 – Weak Spot
This ability counts as a negative slot; if taken on, the non-player character may immediately select another 2 abilities. A non-player character with a weak spot has a chink in their armor; a particular location on their body which, when hit, causes momentary weakness. When the weak spot is hit and the non-player character suffers a damage roll, they lose stunt points equal to this roll, regardless of whether they ultimately pay the bounty of the hit point damage or not.

7 – Punk's Luck
This character may spend a stunt point to get lucky. Getting lucky modifies the result of any roll which the Game Master has fully resolved. If this action was resolved simply, this NPC may spend 1 stunt point to either force to action to fail or succeed. If the action was resolved on the Complex Action Resolution Table, a punk may spend one stunt point to modify it percentage of success up or down by a roll of d10 multiplied by 10, producing a result between 10 and 100. As many stunt points may be spent in this way as the Game Master desires.

8 – Multiple Actions
This character may take multiple turns to act during action scenes. They make multiple initiative rolls, taking an action on each turn. Each level of this ability counts as a separate ability slot.

Multiple Actions Level	Initiative Rolls
1	2
2	3
3	4

9 - Extra-Normal Powers
Each ability slot spent on extra-normal powers earns 2 power points, to purchase levels of extra-normal powers. Each level costs one power point. These powers are found with the Mask class.

10 - Ghosting and Advanced Ghosting
This character may vanish from a scene as a character of the Mask or Assassin class at a cost of 2 stunt points. They may not reappear until a new scene begins or the phase of play changes. An additional ability slot may be spent to make this ability Advanced Ghosting, which costs only 1 stunt point.

3C. Designing N.P.C. Encounters
To create challenging and action-packed encounters with non-player characters is a rare skill. If the forces controlled by the Game Master are too easy, the scene will seem non-threatening and pat. If they are too hard, the Game Master can appear sadistic, rather than entertaining. Some guidelines for designing encounters with non-player characters are provided below.

Not every encounter need be meticulously planned, but players often appreciate a large action scene with a good variety of challenges, and Game Masters who can deliver about one per session are rewarded with the approval of their assembled friends.

In anticipation of or at the outset of an action scene, the Game Master should group together all the player characters working together toward a common goal. This “party” of player characters (a typical Gore Fest session may contain two or more parties arrayed at cross-purposes) should then be evaluated based on the total number of stunt points available to it. If this scene is meant to serve as the climax of a session, it should be built based on the maximum stunt points of all characters involved. This makes all stunts spent outside of the scene a severe disadvantage which must be overcome in play.

Once the party's stunt points have been totaled, this number may be used to determine an appropriate opposing force of non-player characters, as shown on the Encounter Table. Details are sketchy for the encounters listed on this table; Game Masters are encouraged to flesh them out, changing ability dice, skill dice and etc.

Party's Total Stunt Points

Encounter Type

Mob
A mob of weak enemies.

Squad
A small group of more powerful enemies.

Boss
A single powerful enemy

0-18

2 members of the mob for every party member. 2D6 hit points each. Skill dice of d8 and all ability dice d6. No stunt points.

1 less member of the team than total number of party members. 2D10 hit points each. Each member of the team has 8 stunt points but they lack special abilities.

30 hit points. 12 Stunt Points. D12 skill die and d10 ability dice. 1 special ability.

19-29

6 members of the mob for every party member. 3D6 hit point each. Skill dice of d10 and ability dice of d8. 2 stunt points for each member of the mob. 1 collective special ability.

2 team members of the team for each party member. 4D10 hit points each. Each member of the team has 18 stunt points and 1 special ability. Each has a skill die of d12 and an ability die of d10.

40 hit points. 24 stunt points. 2D12 skill dice and 1d12 ability dice. 3 special abilities.

30-49

6 members of the mob for every party member. 3D6 hit point each. Skill dice of d10 and ability dice of d8. 2 stunt points for each member of the mob. 1 collective special ability.

2 team members of the team for each party member. 4D10 hit points each. Each member of the team has 18 stunt points and 1 special ability. Each has a skill die of d12 and an ability die of d10.

40 hit points. 24 stunt points. 2D12 skill dice and 1d12 ability dice. 3 special abilities.

50+

10 members of the mob for every party member. 3D6 hit points each. Skill dice of d12 and ability dice of d8. 2 stunt points for each member of the mob. 2 collective special abilities.

2 members of the team for each party member. 4D10 hit points each. Each member of the team has 24 stunt points and 2 special abilities. Each has a skill die of d12 and ability dice of d10.

50 hit points. 30 stunt points. 2D12 skill dice and 1d12 ability dice. 3 special abilities.