Sphere RPG System Mechanics

Costs

Most stats are bought on a sliding cost scale. The base cost to do so is as per the table below.

Level 1 - 1 CP - Hobbyist/Amateur
Level 2 - 3 CP - Trained
Level 3 - 6 CP - Professional
Level 4 - 10 CP - Expert
Level 5 - 15 CP - Master
Level 6 - 21 CP - Superlative

In short, the base cost to improve a stat costs (current level + 1). Depending on the stat being bought, this may be multiplied as follows.

Attributes have a x5 multiplier.
Characteristics have a multiplier of (4 + 1 for every additional specialization in the same attribute). Furthermore, Characteristics may not be higher than 1/2 (round down, min 1) of the parent attribute.
Skills are of several difficulties.

Simple Skills have a cost multiplier of x2.

Difficult Skills have a cost multiplier of x3.

Very Difficult Skills have a cost multiplier of x4. Very Difficult skills generally represent those that require substantial time committments - as an example, most science skills are Very Difficult as they require years of dedicated learning.

Attributes & Characteristics

These are the defining 'hard' characteristics of your character. Attributes are your dice pool to resolve tests.

Physique

This is the raw physical prowess of your character while she is on her own two feet, governing everything from strength, agility, endurance, athleticism and general toughness. Physique tends to be the most immediately obvious thing about a person, as a good physique can be easily recognized in someone who is well-built and fit looking.

Perception

Perception is an individual’s ability to notice things around them, both in the literal sense of using one’s five (or more) senses and in the figurative sense of having an ‘eye for detail’. Perceptive characters will often also do well at fine, delicate work that requires substantial concentration.

Intellect

Intellect is the rational, problem-solving part of an individual’s mind and thus is a broad measure of ‘brainpower’ and memory. A strong intellect makes solving puzzles and planning strategems easy and is an all-round asset in the 22nd century galaxy.

Wits

The ability to think quickly on one’s feet is important, both in taking fire on the internet and taking fire on the battlefield. Witty characters will rarely be caught flat-footed and will jump into action quickly when situations shift.

Charisma

Charisma measures the likeability of your character in several ways. Although few player characters are anything but superior in physical attractiveness, those with high Charisma do tend to be the coolest or hottest.

Skills

Skills are things your character has learned how to do. Swordsmanship, hyperspatial navigation, accounting, monster ranching; all are skills. Skills are broken down into the attribute they are most commonly associated with
Skills provide a negative difficulty modifier (ie, they make tests easier).
Skills are divided into three main groups determined by their usual attribute dependency.

Physique

Athletics

Brawl/Martial Arts

Melee

Endurance

Zero-G

Perception

Firearms

Legerdemain

Stealth

Drive

Pilot (D); this skill covers conventional joystick-and-footpedal piloting schemes.

Gunnery (D); this skill covers the use of weapons on mecha and fightercraft that require both a keen eye and twitch reflexes.

Awareness

Investigation

Intellect

Academics (Field) (VD)

Bureaucracy

Computer (D); this skill deals with complex programming and infosecurity tasks.

Engineering (Field) (VD)

Medicine (D)

Strategy (D)

Security; this skill deals with mundane security systems, both setting them up and avoiding them.

Artillery (D); this skill covers large fixed weapons that use computerized targeting systems, exemplified by the batteries on warships or heavyweight missiles.

Remote Operation (D); this skill covers the operation of remotely-piloted craft, ranging from recon drones to mobile dolls. The maximum skill level (Pilot, Gunnery) usable via remote operations is 2x the Remote Operations skill level. Remote Operation can also replace Pilot. The key roll here is Intellect + Quick Witted

Neural Interfacing (D); this skill acts similar to Remote Operation, except it covers mecha piloted via direct neural interfaces. The key roll here is Intellect + Perception

Electronic Warfare (D)

Helmsman (D)

Wits

Mecha Fighting; this skill covers mecha-scale melee and unarmed.

Savoir-Faire

Intimidation

Tactics

Charisma

Red Tape

Interrogation

Subterfuge

Politics (VD)

Command

Etiquette

Performance (Field) (VD)

Resolution Rules

Fundamentals

Dice pool size is equal to the appropriate Attribute + Characteristic, with every dice equal or exceeding the target number scoring one success. Having a suberbly-toned mind or body doesn't make up for lacking in critical skills.

The base difficulty for tests is 10, modified by skills as well as various situational penalties or bonuses. No difficulty may be lowered to lower than 3. Difficulties may go above 10, though for casual gameplay it is suggested that difficulties above 10 simply be treated automatic failures.

Note that positive modifiers increase the target number and are thus bad whereas negative modifiers decrease the target number and are thus good.

Typical modifiers

Very Difficult task: +4

Particularly Difficult task: +2

Easy task: -2

Very Easy/routine task: -4

Distraction: +1 to +3

Appropriate paraphernalia/equipment: -1 to -3

Rolling above 10
For those situations where the game calls for rolling difficulties above 10, use the following rule:
For every 10 rolled, re-roll the dice looking for 3+ if the target is 11, 5+ if it 12, so on.

Rule of 1s
A 1 on any dice eliminates one rolled success; a reduction to less than zero successes results in a fumble. Fumbles are generally disadvantageous in some form but should not be specifically punishing or lethal (unless it's a rather explicitely dangerous situation, like fumbling your Use Lightsaber or Tightrope Over Lava rolls). 1s may be rerolled only if there are no other failures.

Rule of 10
10s count as a success and allow for a re-roll, potentially get more successes.

Rule of Supremacy
If the roll exceeds the difficulty by at least 100%, (ie rolling an 8 when the difficulty is 4), you may opt to roll another dice as if you had rolled a 10. Rolling a Supreme 10 counts as two successes and allows for a re-rolls. Of course by this point you're probably already accumulated more than enough successes; GMs and players are encouraged to avoid this rule in the interest of fast play.

Damage and Survival

Hitting with a weapon requires at least one success; bare-handed attacks, melee weapons and ranged weapons with Precise add one dice to their damage roll for every additional success scored on the to-hit roll. Attempts to dodge, parry or otherwise avoid the attack eliminate successes on a 1:1 ratio.