Description: When casting spells, a magician takes an amount of non-magical damage based on the level or intensity of the Spell. Excessive use of Magic can cause the spellcasters penalties or fainting. Characters may be allowed to save to resist some of the damage. It is often used in conjunction with Spell Rolls.
Find it in: Shadowrun
Keywords: Fast-paced, Tactical, Weird
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Superhero,
Description: Used primarily in settings where firearms are rare and a new innovation. The sound of a firearm being discharged around creatures that are not part of a firearm-using culture can force a morale check or similar fear effect.
Find it in: Lamentations of the Flame Princess
Keywords: Dangerous, Exploration, Gritty, Tactical, Tense
Genres: Crime, Dark Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Pulp
Description: Through heavy use, a weapon can become damaged, weakened, or harder to use, resulting in lower accuracy or less damage until repaired. This is usually found alongside Gear Quality rules.
Find it In: Delve 2e, The Black Hack, Tiny Dungeon 2e
Keywords : Cinematic, Dangerous, Gritty, Pulpy, Survival, Tense
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Horror, Survival Horror, Sword and Sorcery
Description: Equipment has a means of tracking its quality and state of Repair. As it wears down it lowers in its quality rating. Often uses Depletion Dice, and often includes Depleting Armor.
Find it in: Delve 2e, The Black Hack, Tiny Dungeon 2e
Keywords: Dangerous, Exploration, Gritty, Horrific, Tactical, Tense
Genres: Crime, Dark Fantasy, Horror, Military, Post-apocalyptic, Survival Horror, Western
Description: Game masters do not roll for attack, instead PCs have a defense ability they roll when attacked to beat a set attack value from a monster.
Find it in: Knave, Maze Rats, Four Against Darkness, the Black Hack
Keywords: Rules-light, Heroic, Tactical, Player-Facing
Genres: Any
Description: Used in games that use hot points, wound levels, or damage tracks, Armor adds additional damage to the total the character can take that cannot heal unless the armor is repaired.
Find it in: Blades in the Dark, Tiny Dungeon 2e, Pacts and Blades
Keywords: Fast-paced, Tactical, Cinematic
Genres: Crime, Military, Sword and Sorcery, Low Fantasy, Science Fiction
Description: A character may sacrifice their turn to run their movement speed and block another moving character from reaching their destination.
Find it in: Low Fantasy Gaming
Keywords: Tactical, Swashbuckling, Heroic
Genres: Any
Description: During Combat characters may declare special effects of a combat attack, like disarming, knock back, tripping, blinding, etc., and on a successful attack, a die roll may resolve this effect. More severe or permanent effects may require special Luck checks or limited resources. Missed exploits prevent further exploits against a target until players gain new tactical advantage.
Find it in: Low Fantasy Gaming
Keywords: Tactical, Swashbuckling, Heroic, Pulpy
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Pulp, Superhero, Western
Description: Combat-oriented characters may declare special effects of a combat attack, like disarming, knock back, tripping, blinding, etc., and get variable success based on a roll of a die.
Find it in: Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG
Keywords: Weird, Fantastical, Dark, Tactical, Swashbuckling
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Post-apocalyptic, Science Fiction, Pulp, Superhero
Description: Sacrifice Armor effectiveness to reduce damage.
Find it in: Right Here
Keywords: Fantastical, Tactical, Heroic, Cinematic, Swashbuckling
Genres: Sword & Sorcery, High Fantasy, Low Fantasy, Science Fiction, Post-apocalyptic, Pulp
