Fallout: Fail-Safe RULES/CHARACTER PROFILES

PROTIPS: Derived Stat and Skill Point Calculator! No more frustrated nights trying to formulate your character!

Only the character building and combat sections are really important. I tried editing the information in this thread to remove all unnecessary information. The most important thing to understand is the flow of combat. Everything else can be winged through RP common sense.

All in all Fail-Safe works a lot like UE, except combat is slightly more involved, and there are skill checks for certain actions.

Make sure to post your character profiles in this thread. I will personally approve each one. Once you are approved you can join the RP.

character building

races
You may choose to play as a human Vault Dweller (in which case you are part of the party that descends from the vault at Mt Pleasant), a human outsider of a the town of HWY73, a super mutant, or a ghoul from the underground. If you want to be something else, PM me and we'll work it out.

Code:


human  S  P  E  C  I  A  L
MIN    1  1  1  1  1  1  1
MAX    10 10 10 10 10 10 10


Humans gain no bonuses or penalties to their secondary statistics, except a 10% resistance to electricity, and gain a perk every level. Humans weigh anywhere from 110 to 280 pounds, and stand around 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. Most people in the Fallout world can still be considered human, even though many of them have minor mutations, like additional toes, greenish skin or complete lack of hair. Still, they are nowhere near ghouls or super mutants.

VAULT DWELLER:
You were born and raised in Vault 654. You start with no money, no armor, a combat knife, a 9mm pistol, 50 9mm rounds, 2 stimpaks, 1 week worth of food and water, and a Pip Boy 3000.

OUTSIDER:
You are a citizen of village HWY73 near Mt. Pleasant. You don't have much, but you make it work. You start with 20 caps, no armor, a simple melee weapon, and possibly a low-power small gun, and perhaps a brahmin if you want.

Brahmins can carry up to 250 pounds of equipment, and can be killed for meat. Brahmins do not eat much (can sustain themselves by grazing on the tough wasteland grasses and shrubs), and only need to drink water once a week. However, they are not very big fans of being ridden, though some may be trained to.

Code:


ghoul  S  P  E  C  I  A  L
MIN    1  4  1  1  2  1  5
MAX    6  14 10 9  13 8  10


Ghouls are humans who were alive when the bomb went off, and the radiation altered them at a cellular level. Ghouls enjoy an extremely slow cellular mitosis rate, rendering them essentially immune to the effects of old age. The radiation also changed their outward appearance, forever marking them as outsiders. Their skin hangs off their bones, sometimes in shreds, and sunken eyes peer out from skulls twisted and burned by radiation, giving these unfortunate people their name. Their skin can be anywhere from pale white to dirt brown in color, with green and yellow being the most common. When they do have hair remaining, it usually does not grow. Some ghouls were inexplicably merged with plant species, and have shrubs and moss growing out of various parts of their bodies. It might have twisted their bodies, but the radiation did not affect their minds, and they are forced to live as misshapen outcasts, fully aware of the society they were once part of, but also aware they can never rejoin it. For this reason, many ghouls have formed settlements of their own, or live in settlements with humans and mutants who do not mind their appearance. Unlike their mythical namesakes, ghouls do not eat human flesh. They do, however, require a small amount of radiation to survive, and for this reason, one can often find a population of ghouls around a leaky nuclear reactor or an impact crater from the war.

Ghouls age very slowly, and their lifespan is a whopping 300 years past when they were exposed to the radiation. Their unnaturally long lifespan does not mean that they can't be killed by other means, however, and ghouls are just as vulnerable to disease, falls, and bullets as everyone else. Ghouls usually weight anywhere from 70 to 160 pounds, and stand anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 meters tall. Whether or not ghouls can reproduce is a subject open to scientific debate. Ghouls have a natural 40% Radiation Resistance bonus along with a 10% Poison Resistance bonus. Ghouls gain a perk every 2 levels. Ghouls start with 5 fewer maximum hit points than normal, but HP growth is normal. Being about the same size as humans, Ghouls can wear any armor a human can.

As a ghoul you start with 35 caps, no armor, a simple melee weapon, and possibly a small gun.

Code:


mutant   S  P  E  C  I  A  L
                      ALPHA
MIN   4  1  3    1  1  1  1
MAX    13 10 12 8  11 8  10
                      BETA
MIN   5  1  4  1  1  1  1
MAX   13 10 12 8  8  8 10

Super mutants (meta-humans,or just mutants, as they prefer to call themselves) are not the product of "natural" aftereffects from the war, but a race created by extensions of genetic and germ research from prewar times. American scientists working deep inside a mountain created a biological agent called the Forced Evolutionary Virus, or FEV. The FEV virus was designed to drastically increase evolution, creating a kind of “super-soldier:” faster, smarter, and stronger. Most creatures exposed to FEV suffered only mild effects, but some were twisted beyond recognition. A member of an expedition into this base fell into the FEV vats and mutated into a super-intelligent, inhuman monster called “The Master,” who began creating a master race by exposing humans to FEV.

After "dipping" the person in a vat containing the FEV virus, the victim would emerge and undergo an intense physiological change. They grew much stronger and more intelligent, as well as growing in height and stature. Armies of Super-Mutants were once slaves to the Master and his dream to "dip" every human on the planet, but the Master was eventually killed and the mutants freed (although to hear them tell it, the Master was more of a Messiah than a madman). Like ghouls, mutants age very slowly, but not as slowly as their cousins.

There are two kinds of mutants. “Alpha” mutants, the leaders of the Master’s Army, were the result of dipping genetically pure humans. The “Beta” mutant footsoldiers – stronger, but dumber grunts whose brains were slightly damaged by the dipping process - are a result of dipping people with minor mutations caused by radiation or the airborne strain of FEV.

Alpha mutants are byfar the less numerous of the two. Many of them were killed in the Master’s war..

Mutants are huge, easily reaching 2.8 to 3 meters in height, weigh around 350 pounds. Their skin is usually a greenish yellow color, and various bunions and growths cover their bodies. They have hair in all the usual places, but it usually grows slowly (a result of the slowed cellular mitosis from the FEV virus). One of the effects of the FEV virus was that it reduced their sex traits, rendering them androgynous, as well as sterile. New Mutants are created via subjecting humans to FEV. Unfortunately, like ghouls, mutants are largely outcast from human society. Many of them prefer it this way, looking on human society as diseased or inferior because of the prejudice and corruption that still exist. They, however, do not extend their hatred to ghouls, whom they look on with a mix of familiarity and pity. Mutants were once part of what they see as an attempt to finally unite humanity and overcome humankind's weaknesses, and are more than willing to achieve this goal through extreme violence.

Mutants enjoy a 10% Radiation Resistance bonus, a 20% Poison Resistance bonus, a 10% Gas Resist, and gain a perk every 2 levels. Mutants get an extra 10 hit points to their starting total (this bonus applies only once, at the beginning of the game). Mutants cannot easily use small arms; when using a weapon that requires a roll on the small guns skill, mutants make the roll as if their Perception were two points lower.

Mutants cannot wear armor designed for humans; they just don't make it their size. Someone in that vast wasteland might, however.

As a Mutant you start with no money, no armor, a sledgehammer, and a .30 hunting rifle, and 15 .30 rounds.

stats
Strength
It's essential to give your arguments impact. Dictates how much you can carry, as well as how hard you can punch, throw, and strike with a melee weapon.

Perception
Only through observation will you perceive weakness. The keenness of your senses and intuition. Effects how accurate you are with a firearm.

Endurance
Always be ready to take one for the team. Resilience and hardiness, hit points, healing rate.

Charisma
Nothing says pizazz like a winning smile. The difference between being a sniveling nobody and magnificent leader lie in Charisma.

Intelligence
It takes the smartest individuals to realize there's always more to learn. Your reasoning and ability to absorb/remember information.

Agility
Never be afraid to dodge the sensitive issues. Celerity, grace, balance are dictated by this stat.

Luck
Dump stat? Please. Who needs skill when you have luck? Always remember; there's only one way to give 110%!

During character creation you have 24 points to allocate over these 7 stats. A stat cannot have less that than 1 but not more than 9 during character creation.


When building a character you must:

1. Select zero, one, or two Traits.
   
2. Pick three Tag! skills (these skills gain an automatic +1 each level)
   
3. Spend all available skill points on skill rates (IN * 2) + 3).
   
4. Buy 3 Perks
   
5. Carry cap = (ST+6)*25

NOTE: all skills start out at (stat + (LK/2))


The template for a character is:
NAME
RACE
APPEARANCE
HISTORY
STATS
SKILLS
PERKS
EQUIPMENT
INVENTORY
CAPS

Leveling
Everyone starts at Level 1. I will keep track of your EXP and will announce who levels up and when.

When you Level you gain these:

• extra (6+EN) total HP.
  
• 1 Perk every level (humans), or TWO levels (ghouls, super mutants)
  
• (IN * 2) + 3) skill points.

Combat
During a combat situation you are allowed to make 1 full action and 2 half actions.

A full-action includes:
Standing From Prone, Drawing a Large Weapon from Holster, Performing a Skill Check, Charging and Attacking.

Half-actions include:
Going from Standing to Crouching, or Crouching to Prone, or Prone to Crouch, Evading, Activating a Stimpak, Moving, Drawing a Small Weapon from Holster, Reloading, Picking Something up off of the Ground, and Throwing Something.

Anything else is a free action.

Charging and Distance
There are three ranks of distance in combat: Point-blank, Mid-range, and Long-range. A melee weapon can only hit things that are point-blank. During combat you are allowed to "charge" (different from simply moving about) as a full action. Charging moves you between these distances, one rank at a time. If you are beginning combat you are allowed to charge as a half-action.

• Point blank carries Easy difficulty.
  
• Normal range carries Average difficulty.
  
• Long range carries Very Hard except with a scoped weapon.

Declaring an Evade
Declaring an evade prohibits you from attacking that turn, but gives you an Agility and Luck bonus versus the next attack against you.

Declaring an Attack
Combat is quite flexible in Fail-Safe. Just about anything that can be done in real-life can also be done in the RP. Familiarize yourself with the modes of attack, but most of all, use your imagination.

Attack Modes
Unarmed
Melee
Performed with melee weapon or the butt of a gun/pistol whip.
Single Shot
Overload
Overload effectively charges your weapon for extra damage, using up ammo each round its charged or held. Can only be used by weapons which require SECs or MFCs as ammo.
Burst
Some weapons can fire a volly of rounds, some more than others. The second round suffers a -5 penalty. Each subsequent round suffers -10.
Sweep
Like "burst" but fired in an arc. A sweep suffers -10 for all rounds.
Throw
Hurls a throwing weapon, item, or non-weapon. Can be intended to cause damage or not. Based on Melee skill.
Disarm
Disarming a small weapon takes 1 free hand. Disarming a big weapon takes 2. Unarmed roll against Average difficulty.
Trip
Like disarm, but instead of removing an enemies weapon, carries a chance a knock-back or knock-down.

Visability Penalties
Clearly Visible: No Penalty
Partially Obscured: 4 Penalty (dim lighting, light smoke)
Moderately Obscured: 8 Penalty (dark lighting, heavy smoke)
Heavily Obscured: 16 Penalty (only vaguely discernable)
Completely Obscured: 20 Penalty (can be detected by hearing only)

Dual Wielding
Wielding two weapons carries an extra -8 penalty on second weapon.

Criticals
Criticals are based on Luck. A variety of random things can happen when hitting a critical including extra damage, knock backs, maims, and others.

Knock-Back
Stuns enemy for one turn.
Knock-Down
Stun enemy for two turns.

Called Shots
Called shots involve announcing where you intend the shot to land. This carries penalties depending on the area, but can cause maims or even breaks, as well as help with criticals. These penalties are the same as Visibility penalties.
Partially obscured - Torso
Moderately obscured - Leg, Arm
Heavily obscured - Eyes, Groin, Head

Occasionally a Maim or Break will occur from an aimed shot. Here are the effects:

• Arm Maim: All actions performed with that arm are at -8.
  
• Arm Break: Arm cannot be used for any action, including holding any item.
  
• Eye Maim: Vision damaged. All targets are lightly obscured. Double whammy: All targets are moderately obscured.
  
• Eye Break: Blinded. All targets are moderately obscured. Double whammy: All targets are completely obscured.
  
• Head Maim: IN, PE, and AG are all -2.
  
• Head Break: IN, PE, and AG are all -2. Character has 25% chance per round of falling/staying unconscious (will fall if standing).
  
• Groin Maim: All actions are considered a full action.
  
• Groin Break: Character falls prone and cannot stand or move without assistance.
  
• Leg Maim: All actions performed with that leg are at -8. Double whammy: All actions are considered a full action.
  
• Leg Break: Leg cannot be used for any actions. Double whammy: Character falls prone and cannot stand or move without assistance.
  
• Torso Maim: Character takes 10% of damage inflicted by the attack per round after the first (rounded down).
  
• Torso Break: Character takes 10% of damage inflicted by the attack per round after the first (rounded down). Any damage inflicted on the target is also applied as fatigue.

Death
When a PC reaches 0 Health they are knocked unconscious and are bleeding profusely, thusly can't perform any actions. They may be healed by friends, medics, or carried places. After missing 5 turns an untreated, unconscious person dies. An unconscious, bleeding profusely character can be killed from one more successful strike by an enemy. It is possible to shield a fallen ally with your own body, giving the attacker a visibility penalty.

Fatigue, Hunger, Thirst, Radiation
After long periods without sleep, food, or water, characters will become tired, parched, or hungry. This will be updated automatically by the GM. After time their natural healing rate will not apply due to their wracked condition, and eventually they will begin taking damage, eventually fall unconscious, and maybe die. A fatigued character, after enough damage, will fall unconscious and begin sleeping until awoken. A starving character takes one month to die. A thirsty character takes one week to die.

A character who enters a comatose stupor (known as Wasteland Dementia) and refuses to move,speak, or react (i.e. haven't posted in a long time) to their fellow team members may eventually die of thirst/hunger (unless force-fed/attached to an IV drip by allies). If you forget to post and the RP moves along without you, your character is still considered in the game.

Every post in which your character stands inside of an irradiated area raises their radiation level. Amounts will be added to the end of your post. At 50% your character gets radiation poisoning, at 75% your character begins losing HP. Rad level goes down at the same rate as health regenerates, but this may not be enough to save them. Products exist that reduce Rad levels or even cure rad poisoning.

Healing Rate
(EN + 6) * LV
Every IRL day you gain your healing rate in HP. When your character rests or sleeps he/she gains his/her healing rate every 6 game hours.

Pip Boy 3000