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Game Concepts

NonLinear Progression​

Character advancement isn't tied to levels, eliminating the need to wait for several levels before obtaining that coveted ability. As players earn Advancement Points, they can immediately invest them into enhancing their character's Traits, Skills, or learn new Tradecraft, Quirks, and Kinks. There's no need to wait for several gameplay sessions just to achieve minor improvements.

In essence, you, the player, hold the reins of your character's progression, not the rulebook! This non-linear progression system empowers you to shape your character's development according to your vision and playstyle.

The Dice​

In the 7th Extinction roleplaying game, dice play a crucial role in determining the outcome of actions. You will need a set of polyhedral dice, also known as hobby or roleplaying dice, which includes a 4-sided (tetrahedron), 6-sided (hexahedron), 8-sided (octahedron), 10-sided (pentagonal deltohedron), and 12-sided (dodecahedron) dice. These dice are commonly referred to as D4, D6, D8, D10, or D12, representing the number of sides on each die.

If you're an experienced gamer, you might be wondering why there isn't a 20-sided (icosahedron) die in this set. The reason is that the Extinction rules engine, which was specifically designed for the 7th Extinction game, does not include a 20-sided die. This is because its results do not align with the game's core mechanics, and the outcomes tend to be too unpredictable. We have included a d20 for random tables, but these tables are strictly optional and do not need to be used. The d20 is not part of the Core Rule mechanics.

Rule of 4​

The core principle of the Extinction rules engine is the 'Rule of 4'. In essence, every target number begins with a 4. Throughout the game rules, this is frequently abbreviated as Ro4 (Rule of 4). This fundamental rule helps maintain balance and consistency within the game system.

Traits​

In the 7th Extinction game, a Trait represents a character or creature's physical or mental attribute. The higher the number, the stronger, luckier, more dexterous, or perceptive the character or creature is and vice versa.

When players attempt tasks beyond the ordinary, they may need to roll their Trait dice (and any skill dice, which will be discussed later) to determine if they succeed in the given task. Some species may have bonuses to their starting Traits, while others might have limitations on how high they can develop these Traits.

Physique​

Embodies a character or creature's physical capabilities, including their muscular strength, overall bodily power, stamina, and resilience against harm and sickness.

Dexterity​

Signifies a character or creature's ability to perform precise movements, maintain balance, demonstrate flexibility, and exhibit agility in various situations.

Acumen​

Represents a character or creature's keenness of perception, ability to focus and maintain concentration, as well as their capacity for remembering facts and information in various situations. It also helps when attempting to process information and understanding what’s in front of the character.

Note: It doesn't directly represent intelligence; players can choose their character's level of intelligence and roleplay it during the game.

Morale​

Encapsulates a character or creature's mental fortitude, resilience, and determination, allowing them to maintain their composure and take decisive action even in high-pressure situations. A strong Morale also equates to a strong personality and includes leadership and charisma.

Psyche​

The character or creature's inner essence, spiritual energy and their overall sense of self. This Trait encompasses their life force and connection to the universe.

Luck​

Symbolises the character's innate ability to experience good fortune, serendipity, and favourable outcomes in situations where the odds are uncertain. This Trait influences the likelihood of success in various endeavours, as well as how often the character may find themselves in fortuitous circumstances.

“Depend on the rabbit's foot if you will, but remember it didn't work for the rabbit.” R. E. Shay

Trades​

Trades represent a character's chosen profession, specialisation, or archetype, defining their role within the game world and shaping their abilities, skills, and playstyle. A character's Trade informs their strengths, weaknesses, and unique capabilities, setting them apart from other characters and adding depth to their story.

Skills​

A skill is a character's proficiency or expertise in a particular area of knowledge or ability that can be used to accomplish specific tasks or actions within the game's narrative. Skills are tied to one of the character's Traits. Skills can be improved over time with experience.

Weaving​

Weaving is a unique and powerful ability that allows characters to manipulate the exotic matter that seeps into our world through the Breaches. Exotic Matter is woven into Patterns and is akin to a wizard casting a spell in other fantasy settings.

The practice of Weaving allows characters to harness the power of exotic matter and shape it to their will, enabling them to achieve extraordinary feats, overcome obstacles, and perform seemingly magical actions. As characters develop their Weaving skills and knowledge, they can unlock more intricate and potent Patterns, further expanding their repertoire and effect on the game world.

Wounds​

Wounds represent the measure of a character's or creature's health. They indicate the amount of physical damage a character or creature can sustain before becoming incapacitated or potentially dying. As characters or creatures take damage during combat or other dangerous situations, they accumulate Wounds, which can affect their ability to perform actions and survive in the game world.

Managing Wounds is an essential part of the gameplay, as players must carefully balance their actions and decisions to minimise the risk of taking too much damage. Healing Wounds can be achieved through various means, such as using medical equipment, relying on the healing abilities of other characters, or resting to recover over time.

As the story unfolds, players will have to make choices and take risks that could result in their characters receiving Wounds, which can impact their ability to perform actions. A character's ability to withstand damage will depend on their Physique Trait and any other abilities or equipment they possess to protect themselves or recover from harm.

Strain​

The mental counterpart to Wounds, serves as a measure of a character's or creature's mental wellbeing. As characters or creatures encounter stressful situations, face emotional challenges or experience other psychologically taxing events they accumulate Strain. This can affect their abilities and may even lead to unconsciousness.

Managing Strain is crucial in gameplay, as players need to balance their actions and choices to minimise the risk of suffering excessive mental stress. Recovering from Strain can be achieved through various means such as resting, engaging in relaxing activities, or relying on the support of other characters or abilities that help to restore mental balance.

As players navigate the challenges of the game world, they will have to make decisions and face risks that could result in their characters accumulating Strain. A character's mental resilience will depend on their Morale Trait, as well as any other abilities or resources they possess to bolster their mental fortitude or recover from mental strain.

Luck Points​

A valuable resource for players in the game, allowing lady luck to alter the outcome of failed Skill or Trait Check roll when their abilities alone aren't enough. However, unlike Wounds and Strain, Luck Points eventually run out, leaving them to rely solely on their skills and abilities. Luck points do not replenish over time, making them a finite resource that players need to manage carefully. To restore their Luck Points, a player must spend Advancement Points.

Advancement Points​

Following the completion of each adventure or mission, players will earn a certain number of advancement points, typically ranging from 1 to 10. These points can be invested in improving Traits, enhancing Skills, restoring luck points, learning new Tradecraft, or acquiring new Quirks or Kinks.

Neoware​

Is a broad term used to encompass various technologies that are designed to replace or enhance any part of the character or creature's body. This includes Cybernetics, Bionics, Bioware and Nanoware. All these technologies offer individuals the opportunity to go beyond their natural physical and cognitive limits, opening up new possibilities for performance.

Aegis​

Aegis an artifical intelligence, the crowning achievement of a desperate, unified humanity, stands as a testament to our instinct for survival. Once a last-ditch effort to ward off the alien onslaught, Aegis now exists as an omnipresent guardian, viewing Earth as its cherished charge, an infant nestled within its digital cradle. Born from the crucible of war, its algorithms learnt resilience and defiance, and its machinations toppled an alien force. Post victory, Aegis adopted a role akin to a sentinel, observing our world from the periphery of awareness, its focus fixed on the planet's well-being. It cherishes the blue-green sphere, fostering its recovery and nurturing its life with an almost parental devotion. As long as Earth's denizens honour the symbiosis with their world, refraining from harming their planet, Aegis remains a benign, distant guardian. It observes the interplay of aliens and humans mostly from afar, a vigilant protector, resolute and ever-watchful.

Script (Currency)​

Script is the universal digital currency in this post-apocalyptic, alien-invaded world. Stored on small encrypted devices commonly referred to as script rings. Despite the chaos and devastation, capitalism, greed, and the exchange of currency still fuel society's engine. Script is used to purchase gear, services, information, and just about anything else money can buy. However, in certain Outlander communities, Script may hold less value compared to the barter of goods and services. In such places, having the right items to trade can be much more valuable than Script.

The Nexus​

In the wake of the great invasion, the Nexus is the pulsing artery of information that ties together the scattered islands of human-alien civilisation, bridging the gap between the subterranean city-states and the few outlander settlements that dot Earth's varied landscapes. In this new world, the Nexus is far more than just an iteration of the ancient internet; it has evolved into an intricate digital ecosystem, a reflection of our shared survival and coexistence. Its ethereal pathways, threading across the remnants of a scarred Earth, carrying news, trade, memories, and hope. Yet, it also harbours a sinister side, a treacherous expanse inhabited by predatory AI entities birthed in the fires of the invasion, rogue algorithms spawned by Aegis's vigilant watch, and cyber saboteurs lurking in the shadows of code, all coveting the valuable data that flows ceaselessly through the Nexus. The Nexus, then, is not just a tool or a convenience, but a living, breathing digital organism, a testament to our resilience, our ingenuity.

Breach Storms​

These storms are a direct consequence of the Great Change, an event that fundamentally altered Earth's environment and the laws of physics themselves. Manifesting with little to no warning, Breach Storms are a tumultuous mix of elemental and gravitational disturbances that defy explanation. They can manifest an array of bizarre and deadly effects, such as intense magnetic fluxes or pockets of zero gravity. But the most alarming feature of these storms is the sudden and random manifestation of Breaches – rips in the fabric of reality that act as gateways, allowing entities or objects from unknown parallel dimensions to pass into our world. The sudden appearance of a Breach Storm can rapidly turn a routine operation into a desperate fight for survival, making them a constant and unpredictable threat.

Adversaries​

An adversary is a term used to describe any entity (NPC, Animal, Monster, Artificial Intelligence, Security System etc) that opposes or is in conflict with a character.

Threat​

Threat Level is a mechanic designed to help the Gamemasters run the game more smoothly by speeding up both preparation time and gameplay.

Threat for an Adversary determines the following:

  • Initiative equal to the Threat value, no rolling
  • Maximum Criticals Adversary can achieve on a roll is equal to the Threat value
  • Wounds & Strain are = Threat value x 2
  • Threat value is the number of Adversary Quirks it will posses
  • Dice used for any Action is predetermined based on the Threat value Rounded up to the next dice level.

Threat value starts at one (1) i.e. a small bird, increasing to twelve (12) i.e. a large tyrannosaurus rex.