The McGuffin's Card Rules

Deck Construction:

Optional:

If you have more than 4 people it is recommended to use two decks. Pull out the extra set of Jokers.

The Hand

Each player is dealt a hand of four cards at the beginning of the game. This hand of cards is not replenished during play, except at the whim of the Director, for something like superb role-playing or really intelligent planning.

Optional:

During character creation, players may purchase more cards through the Supernatural Quality Strong Fate. Every 2 points spent on the Quality provides the player with one addition card at the beginning of the game. Like the rest of their hand, these cards are not replaced except in rare occasions.

In Play

Whenever a character is called upon to make a test/roll (whether against a skill, an attribute, or anything else), they can choose to do one of two things. Either a card can be flipped from the fate deck and that number added to their skill and attribute (just like a die roll in standard Unisystem rules) or they can use a card from their hand instead. This card, is not replaced, is simply used up.

If a character wants to use more than one card for a test (from their hand), they must pay an amount of Essence and Endurance equal to twice the total value of both cards played. No more than two cards can be played at one time. This can only be done if the player uses a card from his hand, not if a card is flipped from the fate deck. For Essence and Endurance costs, face cards are treated as their final value, whether a 5 or a 10. This can be dangerous to an extremely drained character, possibly bringing them below 0 in either Essence or Endurance.

Complications

Face cards are treated just like they are in the optional card system in the Unisystem rules. When played, they count as a 5 and a card is flipped. If that flipped card is also a face card (Jack, Queen, King), then the card's value is 10. This is not treated as a "natural 10" with regards to the Rule of 10.

Drama Points

If the PC uses a drama point they have the option of using it as a ‘natural 10’ or as a normal Drama Point.

Optional; Ones

If the card comes up a one it may become a miss. Flip a second card and subtract the amount from your total.

Optional; Natural 10

If the card is a ‘natural 10’ then it may become an improved success. Flip a second card and add the amount to your total.

Jokers

If a Joker is ever used or drawn, there is a chance that it may be a critical successes or a critical botch. Once the Joker is played, flip the next card in the fate deck over. If the card is black, it is a critical botch. If the card is red, it is a critical success.

Optional:

Max of two Jokers to a deck, even when using multiple decks. The player may also pass on the Fate Event, but has to re-shuffle the Joker back into the Fate Deck.

Critical Botch

When a Joker is flipped from the fate deck and comes up as a critical botch, the player may choose to sacrifice any red card they have in their hand to simply make the test a failure. This cannot be done if the Joker is played from the hand, however. Sometimes you have to take chances. Once again, this sacrificed card is not replenished.

Critical Success

If a second Joker is drawn when determining the color of the first Joker, draw another card. If that card is red, then both Jokers are considered red and the action is considered to have been performed better than a critical success, above and beyond the player's wildest dreams. If the card is black, however, both Jokers are similarly black and the result is similarly worse than a normal black Joker.

This is the first card system we tried out (in Mein Zombie), and we found that if made for a staggeringly heroic and never-fail game. It was feedback on these rules (and playtesting TORG 2000) that led to the above rules, which we have adopted as our standard.

Each player is dealt a hand of six cards at the beginning of the game. Once they have used all of their cards, they are dealt another hand of six cards.

Cards are played exactly like above (and just like in the Unisystem optional system for cards) for use in task resolution. Play a card and add it to the appropriate traits.

Face cards also follow the same rule. They count as a 5 unless the next card in the fate deck is also a face card, and then they are a 10.

For Jokers, if the character is dealt a black Joker in their initial (or any later) hand, they must take that card out of their hand (replacing it with a card from the fate deck) and place it in front of them. This black Joker may be "called in" at any time by the Director as a critical botch. Until then, it hangs over the character's head.

A red Joker, on the other hand, is a critical success and may be held in reserve by the player until they decide to use it. It remains in their hand until such time.

A player may choose to play two cards at once by paying an amount of Essence and Endurance equal to the sum of both cards being played (face cards count as whatever their value ends up being after the draw).

Damage, like in the system above, is assumed to simply be the standard (somewhat below) average value given for each weapon.

Alternate Character Creation Rules

Because I don't like the standard character creation system that much (it smacks too much of the dreaded character classes to me), I used and alternative during my last game. Instead of choosing to be Mundane, or Lesser Gifted or Major Gifted (we've been using WitchCraft character classes just to test them out and because they're kinda fun), all players simply get a total of 80 points to spend across the board as they see fit. Attributes, skills, qualities, and everything else are all bought from the same base of points. All of the points are considered "of type" when purchasing traits, that is, to buy an Attribute to 3 costs 3 points total. Buying a Skill (normal) to the same level costs the same.

To summarize:

Everyone has 80 points to spend

Everything is bought from that pool of points

Skills cost same

Qualities cost the same

Metaphysics cost the same

Attributes cost the same

Drawbacks increase the basic pool of points

The only flaw of the this system is, as is obvious, the flat level of cost for both Attributes and Skills. The only way to change this would be to increase both the number of total points as well as the cost for Attributes. Initial tests of that did not work well at all, however, so the "80 point rule" was used instead, and when the Director takes a close involvement with the players, it works out well enough.

Live-Action Rules

Just-now-brainstormed Live Action Rules for the Unisystem

Bear with me here, I haven't really done anything more than thought about this than the initial brainstorming, like I said. None of this is tested or even looked at thoroughly. Lemme know what you think, by all means, I'll be using it tonight.

Task Resolution: All tests are resolved by a series of rock-paper-scissors games between players or the game master. Those unfamiliar with the game are advised to visit preschools. Whoever wins the game wins the test (i.e. hits their opponent, saves against the poison, notices that the used car salesman is lying). Everyone gets a base of 1 test for nearly all tasks (except those that the game master rules require special training or skill). High Attributes and Skills allow for more retests.

Attributes: Range from -2 to 3, with 0 being the human average. Skills range from 1 to 3. A skill rating of 1 is okay, competent enough. 2 is good, solid work, someone with experience. 3 translates as a master of the art.

Life Points are determined by adding Strength and Constitution (if the total lower than 1, raise to 1) and multiplying the result by 5. Endurance Points are 3 times to total of Strength, Constitution and Willpower (again, if their total is less than 1, raise to 1). Essence is the sum of all of the Attributes (any Attribute below 1 counts as 1 when adding for Essence).

The character's Attribute + Skill is the number of retests (minimum of 0) that they may call on any test. That is to say, a character with Sword 3 and Dexterity 1 can call for up to 4 retests on one task, hoping for success or additional success each time.

Degree of Success is determined through retests. A skilled character can retest to either change a failed roll or to increase their level of success. Each game of RPS "won" after the first increases their degree of success by 1. The more successes, the better the task is accomplished.

Damage is multiplied by the number of successes on the attack roll minus the number of success on the dodge or parry roll. Damage ratings for most weapons are small, for example, a knife would be (1+Strength) while a katana might be (3+Strength) and a shotgun would be (5).

Character Creation: Players have a total of 20 points to spend. Each Attribute level costs 5 points, Skills cost 1 point. Qualities and Drawbacks will have to be eyeballed until I get a system for them. Metaphysics I haven't looked at yet because none of my players will be playing Gifted, except maybe Inspired.