Here you'll find some of the basic premises, rules, and the variants we've added.
Some Basic Rules
The Mechanics
The Mechanics
Game Dice: D10s - 10 sided dice.
Typically we only use 2-6 at time max. in combat. You'd be fine with 1.
The game uses a Hex Mat base.
Planes move according to a 'manoeuvre template' found on the back of your plane sheet.
All plane's guns and rockets fire in their forward hexes.
Damage is calculated with the Damage Template.
The column is determined by a D10 roll. The are Columns numbered 1-10.
Then lay the centre of the template over that column on your Plane Diagram.
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Crimson Skies is a faced-past game of Aerial Combat. Effective use of ammo types and plane customised is where the fun comes in.
Many of the basic Rolls you need to make can be found on the Character Sheets (Plane Sheets).
At some point, I will try to have a copy of the books made available for everyone.
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Custom Rules:
To the game we've added some 'New World of Darkness' style skills. The reason for adding them was to expand and flesh-out the characters, outside of their planes.
Crimson Skies has a very open system, which lends itself to customisability. By giving them external skills players could interact more with their contacts, each other and their environment.
Crimson Skies has a very open system, which lends itself to customisability. By giving them external skills players could interact more with their contacts, each other and their environment.
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The Mechanics
Skills run of the same system as all Crimson Skies rolls.
Difficulty Class (DC) +/- Modifiers - Relevant Skill.
Picking a Locked door, under fire: 12 + 2 (under fire) - Steady Hand
If you pass the roll you succeed in the action. However, it is at the GM's discretion to decide whether an action takes multiple successful rolls, or the extent to which you succeed.
All the Stats have descriptions in the book, which can guide both players and GM's as to which skills they apply to.
A Rough Guide to Stats:
- Natural Touch: Your feel for your plane and machinery. Applies to 'Pushing the Envelope rolls'. Skills - Your Mechanical Affinity or any 'Mechanical' knowledge. Eg. Textbook knowledge.
- Sixth Sense: Your spatial sense and Awareness. Applies to Tailing and Bail-Out Rolls. Skills - Your Social Affinity and ability to perceive things in your environment. Eg. Listen & Notice.
- Dead Eye: How cold your stare is, even in danger. Applies to Hitting a Target. Skills - Anything involving sight, and intimidation attempts.
- Steady Hand: How steady you are under pressure. Applies to Clearing Jammed Guns and altering Hit columns at high levels. Skills - Any action with your hands & Acting under pressure.
- Constitution: How tough you are. Applies to Shock rolls, when you run out of Con., you pass out. Skills - Toughness and endurance tests. Eg. Holding onto the exterior of aircraft, Drinking.
- Quick Draw: Your reflexes and how fast you are. Applies to Bail-Out rolls and determines firing order. Skills - Anything involving physical speed and often strength. Eg. Running, Jumping.
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Example Skill Rolls
Picking a Lock.
If it's a locked door and you have plenty of time. This may be a fairly easy task, but it could be harder for a character who wouldn't necessarily have such skills.
8 - Steady Hand ~ for A character who is an ex-spy for example.
12 - Steady Hand ~ for someone who used to be, say a waiter.
Picking a Safe
This would require a different skill because a safe is a much more Mechanical object. It would likely run off your affinity with Machines - Natural Touch.
10 - Natural Touch
If it is a particularly complicated Safe, the GM may choose to make a roll based on two stats.
16 - Natural Touch - Steady Hand.
Striking someone in a Bar Fight
One of the benefits of this system is that anyone can do anything. It is merely a matter of how difficult they find it.
A large burly character who grew up in every Dive from Free Colorado to the Atlantic Coalition - is likely to find a bar fight pretty easy.
10 - Quick Draw
A young character from the city who used to be a desk clerk - not so much.
14 - Quick Draw
If their Quick Draw does not exceed 4 in this example, then chances are they 1) Miss 2) Don't hurt the target. Unless they roll a Natural 10, in which case they will have some minor effect at the GM's Discretion.
Noticing Something is Wrong
Things rarely go smooth in Crimson Skies. Chances are your character will have to notice something is up.
A Spot check may work something like this.
10 + 1 (Dark) - Dead Eye
But Dead Eye applies when you are looking at something, if say you heard a noise or someone was to attack you from behind - then it may function like this.
10 + 1 (Noisy) - Sixth Sense
Co-Operation
Looking at the example earlier of "Picking a Lock while Under Fire", it is possible for two or more players to co-operate and make a task easier.
Say two characters are in a building, trying to pick a door to a safe room. The alarms are ringing, the police are coming and firing at them - it's a high stress situation, where you don't have much time.
12 + 2 (Under Fire) - Steady Hand
If one character was able to use his strength and technical understanding, he may be able to construct some temporary cover to offer, if not safety, then some security for the lockpicker.
12 + 2 (Under Fire) - 1 (Temp. Cover) - Steady Hand
Eg. 13 - 5 = 8 or above.
A do-able task, but the characters may have to find a second option.
Please note, not all the skills used here directly apply - These are only Examples. All skills used here remain at GM's discretion and will reflect your character/the situation.
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The rule of thumb for Crimson Skies is simple:
"If it makes logical sense, then it tends to work that way."
And remember:
"While Physics may occasionally wince, Fate will always bite you in the ass"
"If it makes logical sense, then it tends to work that way."
And remember:
"While Physics may occasionally wince, Fate will always bite you in the ass"
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If you have any questions, or would like to suggest something to be added/removed from this page. Please let us know!
