Core system is fairly simple, roll and keep the highest two results from the pool with characters having various ways to add to it. There's a variety of die types used from d4 to d12.
(this bit stolen directly from Wikipedia)
Dice dependent on the PC that may be included are:
- One Distinction either as a d8 or a d4 keeping a plot point.
- One Affiliation (Solo/Buddy/Team): who the character is with. Some people work better on their own, and some in teams. PCs have one at d10, one at d8, and one at d6.
- Power Sets (which may be heavily modified by Sfx or limits). One die per power set by default.
- One Specialty: a mix of skills, knowledge, and contacts. Experts are rated d8, and Masters d10. Specialties are Acrobatics, Combat, Covert, Medical, Menace, Mystic, Psych, Science, Tech, and Vehicle. Most characters hold no ranks in most specialties. A d10 specialty may be replaced by 2d8 or 3d6 and a d8 specialty may be replaced by 2d6
Dice dependent on the prior actions that may be included are:
- One asset: an object or situational advantage created within the scene
- One resource: a pre-planned advantage created in a transition scene, and one step smaller than the speciality that created it.
- One die from Stress (i.e. Harm) or a complication (i.e. a temporary impediment) affecting your opponent
In order to affect the game above the normal limits, the players get Plot Points, and the GM gets the Doom Pool. Every time any die rolls a 1, that is called an Opportunity, and, if a player rolls a 1, the Watcher may either add a d6 to the Doom Pool or step up a die (and may do this multiple times on multiple 1s in the pool).
The player characters can use Plot Points for several purposes.
- To power their abilities as listed under their Sfx in their power sets
- To add an extra dice to the dice pool
- To keep an extra dice—either to their result total or as an extra effect dice.
- To change a form of incoming stress from one type to another.
As a rule the Doom Pool can be used to do anything a plot point can other than change a type of stress but the dice affected must be of equal or lower size to the dice spent out of the Doom Pool. There are also two additional functions.
- To activate reinforcements
- 2d12 may be spent from the Doom Pool to immediately end a scene
(No longer from Wiki)
In addition to determining your total one die from the rolled pool is nominated as the effect die. If the roll succeeds you get an outcome of that value such as inflicting d6 stress to an opponent, making a d4 asset for someone to use later or creating a d8 complication, all dice types determined by the effect die selected.
Fairly basic system all round though I've omitted some bits, the various powers provide additional ways to fiddle with dice when rolling.
It breaks down even further though when characters come in. Firstly because, by and large, there is no balance between them. Again, par for the course for a comic book but RPGs it tends to get iffier.
Secondly is the experience system. All characters have two Milestones that determine when they gain xp and how much (increments of +1, +3 and +10). Some are easy to hit and others hellish. Most of them can be triggered multiple times despite the fact that the way some of them are worded is they can only be triggered once ever
Basically it's an all right system, longer than a one-short or brief campaign it might start to show wear.
