Changes to 2d20 Rules
Core Rules
Complications:
Complications can no longer add an action point in the GMs pool. If the affected player cannot come up with a complication in a reasonable amount of time, they must open it up to the entire group to decide to maintain the flow of roleplay.Action Points:
Normally in the 2d20 you can purchase additional dice without action points by generating an action point for the gamemaster to use (pg. 19). During VARP this can cause issues at times as there is no gamemaster. Instead, as a player, if you wish to buy extra dice during play you can buy dice by generating complications at a rate of one die per complication instead. These can be simple (such as taking a negative to future tests due to exhaustion)Luck Points:
Luck points are normally refreshed by the gamemaster when milestones are reached. In VARP this may be more difficult to gauge given the lack of a gamemaster at times. Luck points are refreshed on the first day of every real-life calendar month instead.Combat
Sequence of Play:
This section is largely ignored as play happens more organically in VARP normally. If a GM has spawned a “theater of the mind” style encounter or two or more players initiate an encounter that requires opposed rolls, follow this sequence.Initiative:
Initiative is largely ignored during combat in Fallout 76 (the game handles this for you) unless there is a GM present who has spawned a “theater of the mind” style encounter or two or more players initiate an encounter that requires opposed rolls, in which case all 2d20 rules apply.Actions:
Actions as they are detailed in the book are largely ignored during normal play as they are handled by the game itself, unless a GM spawns a “theater of the mind” style encounter or two or more players have initiated an encounter that requires opposed rolls. It is important to note that players should only use chems and stimpaks (normally the ‘take chem’ minor action) during play in Fallout 76 if their character owns them on their 2d20 character sheet, and that this will consume those items on their 2d20 character sheet if used in 76.Making an attack:
Attacks, hit locations, effects, range, combat dice, damage increases, damage types, damage effects, ammo consumption are handled by the game engine. Please See DAMAGE AND INJURY if your character is put into a "downed" or "killed" state in Fallout 76.Damage and Injury:
All damage should be rolled (out of game) as it can be by players when they have taken hits from enemy mobs or from other sources. 1. Roll 1d20 to determine in which location your character was hit. (page 28 2d20) 1-2 Head3-8 Torso
9-11 Left Arm
12-14 Right Arm
15-17 Left Leg
18-20 Right Leg 2. Roll combat dice (Also called d6, see 2d20 page 29) determined by the //source of the attack// (See creatures in the 2d20 Book for more specific information). Use the closest applicable category of damage off the following list IF THE SOURCE CANNOT BE DETERMINED to see how much damage was done: 5d6 (small arms fire, attacks by small to man size creatures)
8d6 (strong creature attacks, large caliber weapons, scorchbeast sonic attack)
11d6 (huge creature attacks, explosions) Please note that rolls of 5 or 6 on combat dice represent an effect. If the damage source has an effect (like radiation, or persistent) your character is also affected by this effect (see page 30 for damage effect descriptions) 3. Subtract the damage resistance of the applicable damage type (physical for physical, energy for energy) of any armor worn in the applicable location from the total damage. 4. Apply remaining damage to location (or power armor hit points in location) and subtract the damage done from the characters hit points. If 5 or more damage is done to the the character has taken a critical hit to the affected location and is now injured (See page 32 for effects). 5. Determine character's state of health. If the character has hit points left, you are able to continue roleplaying without any further complications (aside from the effects of a critical hit). If the character has been reduced to 0 hit points they are now dying and unconscious. DO NOT call for help (you are unconscious and dying) and stay in place crouched. This is a critical time for your characters continued existence. You must make a repeating END + Survival check when you feel that a long enough time has passed where your character has not received medical attention. As a rule of thumb this should be made every couple of real minutes, but this is flexible to the roleplay at the time. If this test is failed the wasteland has claimed your life. IF YOU ARE PUT INTO A DOWNED/KILLED STATE IN GAME IN 76 1. Revive/respawn and return to the location where you were downed/killed and crouch while resolving the above steps (stay in place until resolved).
Healing
All healing tests and HP recovery methods are per the Fallout 2d20 book (See page 33-35). Please keep in mind the amount of time that has passed in the story when making tests to recover from injuries.The Environment:
Disregard mapping the environment/zones/ranges/environmental conditions during normal play, Fallout 76 handles this for us. These all apply when using "Theater of the mind" style storytelling within the game however. Falling: Roll 3d6 Physical Stun damage per level of height fallen. In the 2d20 this is defined by zones, in Fallout 76 we will be using the height of an unarmored human as the benchmark for a "zone". An AGI + Athletics check must be made, with each success reducing the number of "zones" fallen by 1. If the result is reduced to 0 no damage is taken. Other environmental hazards can be found on page 39 of the 2d20 and be used as applicable to any situations not handled by Fallout 76.Character Creation
Character Creation for the most part works as it does in the 2d20 book with the following exceptions for h4f characters.Below are some additional requirements involving your character background.
Most player characters are considered to be survivors from Vault 76 and will be generally familiar with each other, as well as Paladin Afrika, from having spent years together in the vault. The wastelanders expansion opened more options, but will only be sparingly approved as a source of new characters. Please ask leadership if you want a non-vault background.
Characters must either be Pre-War American citizens or Americans by birth.
Characters cannot be mutants (see the rules). They absolutely conflict with important Brotherhood of Steel themes. There is no point in preserving the technology of humanity unless we ourselves remain human.
Character stories must be believable. We won’t accept stories that are on the extremes. Your backstory will be vetted by leadership prior to approval. We operate under the philosophy that none of our characters are the main character and we are all NPCs. Your character must also be fit for duty, be very wary of introducing debilitating injuries to your character at this phase.
If you are having a hard time coming up with a character background we highly suggest a background quiz. They help you by asking hard questions that need to be answered about your character. Here is one example of a background quiz: //Backstory Quiz//
Please use //this character sheet//
Most characters will be Vault Dwellers, or Survivor origins. Pick the one that best suits where they came from. Most Pre-War characters (even those that were in Vault 76 for the duration) are going to be survivors. If you were born in the vault you are a vault dweller.
Use the traits assigned to your character by their origin but disregard the starting gear, use the Brotherhood Initiate (scribe, or knight, whichever is more fitting) starting gear listed under the Brotherhood Initiate origin.
Character Advancement:
Experience points:This system deviates from the 2d20 book by simplifying XP rewards. XP is boiled down from individual creatures to a single encounter type in Fallout 76. Choose the highest XP award for any individual creature involved in a combat encounter in Fallout 76 in accordance with the //XP Rewards by Encounter Article// and award that number to all characters present.
Encounters are defined as individual combat situations or "spawns" that occur within the game. As an example if a Gulper and a scorched are fighting and the players get involved in the fight the encounter would award all involved 88 experience (the highest XP value of all the creatures involved in the fight.). Each encounter awards it's own XP in this manner.
Creating a Character
Characters outside of Operation hOpe4FUTURE follow the Fallout 2d20 rules as written. Characters in h4f follow the following rules: 1. Choose your Origin:If your character was an Adult or Adolescent pre-war select the Survivor Origin. If your character was a child in the vault (born or pre-war) select the Vault Dweller Origin. If your character is young and just joining the Brotherhood of Steel select the Brotherhood Initiate Origin.
2. Increase S.P.E.C.I.A.L., TAG Skills, Skills, Perks, Derived Statistics all follow the 2d20 rules as written. (See Page 50 in the 2d20 book) 3. Equipment:Do not use any of the equipment profiles in the book for any origin. Instead use the following.
-Military Fatigues (Army Fatigues, and Dirty Army Fatigues are acceptable outfits for use outside of RP as a starting character)-Military Cap
-BoS Combat Armor Right Arm
-Combat Knife
-Brotherhood holotags containing identifying information
You will be issued an additional weapon from our armory, based on availability. Your character starts with zero caps.
Additionally you have Tag Skill items (See page 81) that are awarded based on your chosen TAG skills.
Equipment
Most rules in this section are per the book. Exceptions are noted below.
Obtaining Equipment
Caps:Caps are earned by going on patrols or attending storyline sessions. In addition to finding caps during patrols or sessions they award 3d20+Charisma to each character that attended the session.
Availability and Rarity:Characters are allowed to approach (This all happens out of character) the BoS storeroom once per day (Real Life day) and roll their luck to see what rarity level is available to that character from the storeroom. Characters cannot roll for or buy items for other characters. Any group shopping experiences must be done in character at NPC vendors in the game. Rarity is determined in the same manner as presented on page 85 of the Fallout 2d20 book.
Selling:This may be done once per day OOC (in the same manner as determining rarity and availability). Roll 6d20 to determine the maximum available caps for the day.
Haggling:For the purposes of haggling all in game NPC vendors will be treated as having a CHA of 5 and a Barter skill of 3. Gamemasters can change this as needed for their NPCs, this is mainly meant to enable haggling when playing without a GM.
Encumbrance
Per rulebook (see page 87)
Modifying Equipment
Per rulebook (see page 87)
Weapons, Ammunition, and Weapon Mods
Aside from Damage Effects this section is largely ignored during gameplay unless using 2d20 rules to resolve a scene, in which case they all apply. Damage effects come into effect when a player is "downed" in Fallout 76.