Overview¶

Everything in Endless Horizons is done by making a check against a given difficulty. It is the player’s job to make the check, while it is the game masters job to keep track of the difficulty. When bonuses or penalties are given in this document, they usually apply to the difficulty and not the check that the player makes.

This is important as the player probably does not, and should not, know all the factors that make his work harder or easier. As a game master you should always be as transparent as possible, when it comes to determining the difficulty.

Although the rules are rather specific for most circumstances, the game master should always adjust the difficulty of tasks according the specific situation. For example, a fog can add from +1 to +6 to the difficulty of a task, to identify another person depending on how thick the fog is.

Rolling¶

Almost all of the skill checks in Endless Horizons are done by rolling two six sided dice (2d6). The player adds relevant bonuses from his her character, while the game master calculates the difficulty. If the player’s result is at or above the difficulty the check is successful.

If the player rolls a two (2) or a twelve (12) he has caused the dice to escalate. The player rolls again until either he rolls a number that is not one or ten, or until he has rolled three times in total. Rolling a ten gives a minor positive effect, rolling a one adds minor negative effect. Rolling two tens or two ones in a row adds a medium positive or negative effect; and rolling three ones or tens in a row adds a major positive or negative effect to the outcome off the task.

Positive and negative effects cancel each other out. So if the player rolls a one, and then rolls a ten; these two effects cancel each other. If the player rolls a ten, then another ten and finally a one, the result is just minor positive effect as one ten and the one cancel each other.

A check is not automatically failed when rolling a one. A check only fails if the result does not meet the difficulty.

Effects¶

When the player achieves a minor, medium or major effect it is up the game master to decide what happens. These effects happen regardless of whether the check succeeds or not.

Minor positive effects grant a small immediate bonus (for example extra damage, or the task is done faster), while minor negative effects do the opposite. For example a task could take longer to complete, or the player does less damage than normal.

Medium effects give major bonuses (for example they might take down the target outright) or major disadvantages, for example the weapon jams and needs to be cleared and reloaded before it is usable again.

Major effects are relatively rare, but may bring devastating results not only for the player in question but maybe also for others around him, or allow him to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Example: The player wishes to shoot a small burst with his rifle against a target down the hallway. He rolls a 1, but after all the bonuses are added the GM determines that he hits. The player rolls again (a 6) and breaks the escalating die. He hits, although with a minor negative effect. The game master decided that in the heat of battle the player overshot, and spent more bullets than he intended. The player shot a burst of ten instead of five, yet none of the extra bullets hit any enemies.

Contests¶

When two players, or a player and an NPC, use their skills against each other, they are rolling in a contest. Both players pitch their respectives rolls against each other, applying relevant bonuses, and whoever has the highest result wins. On a draw, the party who initiated the contest wins.

Applying Effort¶

On all rolls of the dice that determine an outcome for the player, the player may spend effort points. He has to declare so, before making the roll. The amount of effort he wishes to spend must not exceed his remaining effort pool. Also any points the player spends is added to the result dice roll, if any.

Skills¶

For applying effort to skills, a character can only use as much effort as he has ranks in that skills.

Movement¶

When applying effort for movement in combat, a character can only use as much effort as the character has speed.