Basic Mechanics
This thread will be used to hold information about the Torchbearer system, the CM supplement, any house rules, and general tips and tricks for playing. Torchbearer works very differently than your typical D20-based system.
The Colonial Marines PDF can be downloaded for free here.
The basic mechanic works like this:
You assemble a dice pool (a group of D6's) based on your skill level, Help and circumstantial factors. Any of those dice that comes up with a 4 or higher is a success. Get enough successes to equal the Obstacle (set by the GM), and you succeed.
Failure will result in one of two things: a Twist or a Condition.
Conditions are Hungry and Thirsty, Angry, Afraid, Exhausted, Injured, Sick, and Dead. Each of them have specific effects and specific means of recovering from them. This is the Torchbearer equivalent of Hit Points. You will gain conditions as time passes. Managing these conditions is a key part of the game. For example, a failed Instructor test to teach a subordinate how to maintain his weapons may cause the character to become Angry at the failure of the student to learn the lesson.
Twists are story-based complications. For example, if you're trying to hold off an enemy advance, a failed Soldier test may result in getting cut off from your line of retreat. You've got to find another way out!
How This Works: Torchbearer and Colonial Marines
How This Works: Torchbearer and Colonial Marines
Last edited by Enoch on Sat Feb 21, 2015 4:31 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Shadrach, Demon-Hunter - Dust to Dust
General Tips
Cribbed semi-directly from C. Steven Ross' excellent introduction:
Describe to Live
Describe what your character is doing. Live in the fiction. Ask questions, explore, look around, get as much out of the GM as you can before doing something tricky or hard. When that happens, he'll tell you to stop and make a skill test of a certain Obstacle. He will roll d6's for you equal to the skill's rank, +1 if an ally can and wants to Help you (or is Wise in the subject), +1 if you use your Trait in a beneficial way, -1 if you use your Trait in a negative way and show the world what a scoundrel you are (this lets you Camp and Recover later on). He will tell you how hard it will be, once you've committed to the action, so you can figure out how much effort you want to throw in. If you don't have the skill, use half of either Health or Will; or all of your Nature. It's better if your Nature descriptor matches what you're doing. Mark if you've passed or failed. Improving stats and skills generally requires both passed and failed tests.
Never Volunteer
When you describe what your character is doing, you're committing him (or her) to that action. Once you've described an action and the GM calls for a test, there's no backing out. So it behooves you to make sure that the best Marine for the task is taking a given action--unless you have a reason to do otherwise.
If it's a skill you don't have, gain Rank 2 when you have a number of attempts (either Pass or Fail) equal to your Nature.
Else, increase your skill Rank when you have Passes equal to the current Rank and Fails equal to 1 less than that.
Look at your Beliefs. If acting on your Belief is the safe and sensible thing to do, it's worthless. When you fight for what you stand for in the face of adversity, or when you question your deeply held Beliefs and change the core of your soul, the game rewards you.
Try to attain your Goals, or at least make some progress.
Try and have an Instinct that will make everyone's lives a little better.
If you have and spend Persona: Add your Nature to a roll (sometimes risky!), or add +1D to a roll, or re-roll failed dice related to your Wise.
If you have and spend Fate: Explode a 6, or re-roll one failed die on something you are Wise in.
If you have and spend Checks: Camp and recover. Recovery heals Conditions. You can Recover at Camp with Checks, or at Town by wracking up a bill at the inn.
If you have and spend an unused Trait: once per "session", you can add +1D.
If your mission is completed: head back to civilization and look for a soft bunk and a cold meal. Be thankful that you're still alive.
Think of smart things to do. If it's a really good idea, the GM will say "Good Idea!" and not pass any time or force you to make a Test. Time passes whenever you make a Test. Time grinds you down, makes you hungry and exhausted and pissed off.
Describe to Live
Describe what your character is doing. Live in the fiction. Ask questions, explore, look around, get as much out of the GM as you can before doing something tricky or hard. When that happens, he'll tell you to stop and make a skill test of a certain Obstacle. He will roll d6's for you equal to the skill's rank, +1 if an ally can and wants to Help you (or is Wise in the subject), +1 if you use your Trait in a beneficial way, -1 if you use your Trait in a negative way and show the world what a scoundrel you are (this lets you Camp and Recover later on). He will tell you how hard it will be, once you've committed to the action, so you can figure out how much effort you want to throw in. If you don't have the skill, use half of either Health or Will; or all of your Nature. It's better if your Nature descriptor matches what you're doing. Mark if you've passed or failed. Improving stats and skills generally requires both passed and failed tests.
Never Volunteer
When you describe what your character is doing, you're committing him (or her) to that action. Once you've described an action and the GM calls for a test, there's no backing out. So it behooves you to make sure that the best Marine for the task is taking a given action--unless you have a reason to do otherwise.
If it's a skill you don't have, gain Rank 2 when you have a number of attempts (either Pass or Fail) equal to your Nature.
Else, increase your skill Rank when you have Passes equal to the current Rank and Fails equal to 1 less than that.
Look at your Beliefs. If acting on your Belief is the safe and sensible thing to do, it's worthless. When you fight for what you stand for in the face of adversity, or when you question your deeply held Beliefs and change the core of your soul, the game rewards you.
Try to attain your Goals, or at least make some progress.
Try and have an Instinct that will make everyone's lives a little better.
If you have and spend Persona: Add your Nature to a roll (sometimes risky!), or add +1D to a roll, or re-roll failed dice related to your Wise.
If you have and spend Fate: Explode a 6, or re-roll one failed die on something you are Wise in.
If you have and spend Checks: Camp and recover. Recovery heals Conditions. You can Recover at Camp with Checks, or at Town by wracking up a bill at the inn.
If you have and spend an unused Trait: once per "session", you can add +1D.
If your mission is completed: head back to civilization and look for a soft bunk and a cold meal. Be thankful that you're still alive.
Think of smart things to do. If it's a really good idea, the GM will say "Good Idea!" and not pass any time or force you to make a Test. Time passes whenever you make a Test. Time grinds you down, makes you hungry and exhausted and pissed off.
Shadrach, Demon-Hunter - Dust to Dust
Traits
Traits
Traits can be used in two ways: to benefit yourself, or to hamper yourself.
To benefit yourself, describe how your trait benefits you in this situation and add +1D to your dice pool. For example, when firing on a xenomorph, describe how your military training keeps you calm under pressure and add +1D from your Disciplined trait. This can be done once per session for each trait.
Traits can also be used against yourself. It seems counterproductive to use traits against yourself--and it is. But it's also vitally important. Every time you use a trait against yourself you earn a Check, which allows you to camp to make checks in the camp phase. When you use a trait against yourself, subtract 1D from your dice pool. Again, describe how your trait hinders your chances of success.
Traits can be used in two ways: to benefit yourself, or to hamper yourself.
To benefit yourself, describe how your trait benefits you in this situation and add +1D to your dice pool. For example, when firing on a xenomorph, describe how your military training keeps you calm under pressure and add +1D from your Disciplined trait. This can be done once per session for each trait.
Traits can also be used against yourself. It seems counterproductive to use traits against yourself--and it is. But it's also vitally important. Every time you use a trait against yourself you earn a Check, which allows you to camp to make checks in the camp phase. When you use a trait against yourself, subtract 1D from your dice pool. Again, describe how your trait hinders your chances of success.
Shadrach, Demon-Hunter - Dust to Dust
Checks and Camping
Checks and Camping
As stated in the previous post, Checks are vitally important to surviving, recovering, and advancing. Checks are used in the Camp Phase to make tests: tests to recover from Conditions or to do other things. In fact, you can't even enter the Camp Phase unless somebody has a Check, and generally you can't recover from Conditions except in Camp or Base phases.
Checks are earned through using Traits against yourself in one of three ways:
As stated in the previous post, Checks are vitally important to surviving, recovering, and advancing. Checks are used in the Camp Phase to make tests: tests to recover from Conditions or to do other things. In fact, you can't even enter the Camp Phase unless somebody has a Check, and generally you can't recover from Conditions except in Camp or Base phases.
Checks are earned through using Traits against yourself in one of three ways:
- Take -1D to your dice pool and gain 1 Check.
- Grant +2D to an opponent's roll and gain 2 Checks.
- Break a tie in an opponent's favor and gain 2 Checks.
Shadrach, Demon-Hunter - Dust to Dust