[Torg] A Challenge: Teach Me Torg in Four Days

[Dominick Riesland]

I can't find my Cheat sheet that I gave all my players two years ago,
but I can recall most of it from memory. If I miss something, check
out the rules posts I have on http://torgofmilwaukee.blogspot.com for
the rules I'm using (mostly canon with a few exceptions). This is very
quick and dirty; consult your R&E for more specific information.

Skill Resolution: The Difficulty Number is either set by the GM if
it's not dependent on a character's abilities, or is based on the
opposing character's skill in whatever defends against it. A character
who can reasonably anticipate what defensive skill is likely to be
needed can sacrifice an action in the round to generate an active
defensive total for that skill. This is like a normal skill roll
except the bonus number from the chart can never go below +1.

Possibilities and their uses: A Possibility can do any of the following:
1) Roll another die and add it to the previous die roll(s). (Rolls of
less than 10 add 10 instead.)
2) Cancel an enemy's attempt to add a die roll. Remind your players
that die roll Possibilities can be canceled, so they should wait for
confirmation before rolling.
3) Reduce damage dealt to the character. It removes 3 "packets" of
damage; see R&E for what counts as a damage packet. Only damage from
the current attack can be reduced this way.
For all of the above, players can only use one personal Possibility
per action roll or attack. Drama Deck cards, even those that count as
Possibilities, may be used in any number, and may even be combined
with a personal Possibility.
4) For the next 15 minutes of game time, you may use tools on your
person (including special effects tools such as miracles and magic) as
if you were in your home reality. This is called a "reality bubble."
5) Possibilities may be donated to eternity shards to learn their
group power. Once learned, Possibilities are spent to use it.
6) Between adventures, characters may spend Possibilities to improve
abilities and learn new ones.

Drama Deck: Has two sides, one for players, another for initiative and
combat round control. Players start with four cards, and can use cards
between rounds freely. Once combat rounds start, cards must first be
played into a player's card pool before they can be used. A player may
put one card into his or her pool each round, after doing something
useful in that round (most things count, use your judgment). Cards
reset after each completed combat, and between scenes. To reset,
players take all cards back into their hands from their pools, all
players with more than 4 cards must discard to 4, then all players may
discard one card and refill to 4 cards each.
Orange-headed cards (Alertness, Connection, subplots) remain face up
once placed there, and no longer count toward the hand limit.

Players may trade any card they can legally play (i.e., it's in a card
pool during rounds, or in a hand when not in rounds) on a one-for-one
basis, if there is a role-playing reason why the characters would be
able to assist one another.

When a subplot is played, the player may choose to claim one
Possibility point instead of taking the subplot. Even if the player
wants the subplot, the GM can veto it and give the Possibility instead
if there is no way to incorporate it. If both player and GM agree and
the subplot is introduced, the player earns one Possibility extra at
the end of each Act in which the subplot influenced the action.

The GM side lists which side gets the initiative (based on whether
it's a [S]tandard or [D]ramatic scene), lists conflict modifiers and
approved actions (heroes can earn a card for succeeding at an approved
action, while villains who succeed at approved actions can force
discards from the pool), and the Dramatic Skill Resolution [DSR] box.
DSR occurs when you want to spread an task over several rounds, and
can involve different skills at each step (2 to 4). Assign each step a
letter and characters can only advance the skill when the proper
letter goes in or they "go for broke" and try for everything at once
at a huge penalty. This is fun when timers counting the seconds down
are involved ("Ten seconds to building detonation. Nine. Eight...")

That should get you through most things. Ask if there's anything I missed.

Dominick Riesland, aka Rabbitball
Creator of the Cosmversal Grimoire
"There are always possibilities, my sergeant told me. But he never had
his possibilities torn away like wings from a fly."



2008/9/16 James Knevitt <jknevitt at gmail.com>:
> Like the subject line says.
>
> I played Torg about ten years ago (as a player, not a GM) and back then I
> knew the system pretty well, probably well enough to run it. Since then my
> system knowledge has dwindled to practically zero, and the kicker is that I
> may end up running a Torg campaign, with my first session being this
> Saturday!
>
> So, teach/tell me enough to get by as a GM. I can read the box and R&E
> rules, sure, and I have, but I need those vital quick-and-dirty things that
> are essential to a smooth-running game.
>
> All I can really remember is stat+skill+bonus chart result=roll. I never
> even really used the Drama Deck.
>
> As you can see, I need a bit of help.
>
> _______________________________________________
> Torg mailing list
> Torg at justintimeadventures.com
> http://www.justintimeadventures.com/mailman/listinfo/torg
>
>