II. How to Play

First, the GM usually describes the location and starting scene.

Ideally, the scene should include a few details or points of interest that the players may want to interact with or learn more about.

Next, players ask questions, explore and investigate the scene, potentially meet NPCs, discuss possible next steps as a group, or just describe what they want their characters to do. The GM then provides more information and tells each player if they need to roll, describing the outcome of any actions the PCs take.

Rinse. Repeat.

Dice Notation

OS-Six exclusively used six-sided dice, a.k.a. “D6.” In some cases, players may be asked to roll more than one, such as 2D6. Simply roll two dice and add them together. For 3D6, roll three, and so on.

Occasionally, players may be asked to roll a “D2” or “D3.” To roll a D3, roll 1D6 and divide the number rolled by 2 (rounded up). If you roll 1 or 2, the result is one. If you roll 3 or 4, the result is two. If you roll 5 or 6, the result is three.

To roll a D2, roll 1D6. If you roll 1, 2, or 3 the result is one. If you roll 4, 5, or 6, the result is two.

Dice Pools and Action Rolls

When the outcome of an action is uncertain, this game uses one or more D6 to determine the outcome. Rolling multiple dice is called rolling a “dice pool.”

Players roll dice when attempting any “skilled” actions, like lifting or wrestling (Brawn), shooting or jumping (Agility), intimidating or persuading (Will), etc. This is called making an Action Roll. You don’t have to roll for non-skilled actions, like walking down the street or picking something up off the floor.

Rolling at least one 6 is always a success. Rolling 1, 2, or 3 (and nothing higher) is a failure. Everything in between represents a “partial success,” i.e. the character succeeds but with a cost. (See Success and Failure for more explanation).

Setting Dice Pools

Whenever a player attempts an action roll, they determine which core attribute (if any) is most relevant and roll that many D6. If their character has a relevant skill, they add an additional D6 to their dice pool, i.e. a “skill bonus.”

---

Example: Jack wants to shoot a monster with a crossbow. His character has Agility 2 and the Marksmanship skill, so he rolls 3D6, getting a 1, 4, and 6 (success).

---

Roll Results

To attempt an action, roll one or more D6 and note the highest number rolled. That is your result.

• 6 (Complete Success): If you roll at least one 6, you pull off the action flawlessly. If the action is an attack, it does full damage.
• 4-5 (Partial Success): If your highest roll is a 4 or 5, you succeed, but with complications or less benefit (see Success and Failure for context). If the action is an attack, it does half damage (rounded down).
• 1-3 (Failure): If you roll nothing higher than a 3, the attempt fails. In a high-pressure situation, you also gain one Strain.
• Critical Failure: If you roll more than a single 1 (and nothing above a three), you fail, gain one Strain, and make a Panic Roll. Note: When rolling a dice pool of only 1D6, rolling 1 results in a critical failure.
• Critical Success: If you ever roll more than one 6, you not only succeed, you also gain a Bonus on your next roll and remove one Strain.

Disadvantage

If a player would ever make a roll but has zero (or fewer than zero) dice in their dice pool, they roll two dice and take the lowest result. This is called “rolling at disadvantage.” You cannot roll a critical success when rolling at disadvantage, but you can roll a critical failure!

Types of Actions

When a character does anything that isn’t moving, talking, or something trivial, they attempt an “action.”

The following are some of the more common types of actions (this list is not comprehensive):

• Attack/Shoot/Strike: (See Combat)
• Climb/Jump: Roll Agility
• Detect/Notice: Roll Mind
• Drive/Pilot: Roll Agility
• Examine/Inspect: Roll Mind
• Flee: (See Combat)
• Help: (See Teamwork section)
• Hide: (See Combat)
• Lift/Smash/Throw: Roll Brawn
• Intimidate/Interrogate: Roll Will
• Move: (See Combat)
• Persuade/Seduce: Roll Will
• Search/Investigate: Roll Mind
• Sneak: (See Combat)
• Take Cover: (See Combat)

In most cases, especially during Combat, characters can only take one action at a time. The order of who takes actions and when will be determined by establishing combat order (a.k.a. initiative). Outside of combat, players can usually just say what actions they take and in what order, making any rolls as needed when prompted by the GM.

---

Example: Kate wants to grab and restrain an enemy. Her character has Brawn 1 and the skill “Martial Arts,” so she rolls 2D6, getting a 3 and 5 (keeping the highest, which is 5) for a partial success. The GM rules that, although she manages to restrain the enemy, they elbow her hard in the ribs first, doing 2 HP of damage.

---

Bonus and Penalty Dice

If you have Bonus, roll one extra D6.

If you have a Penalty, roll one fewer D6.

A penalty cancels out a bonus, and vice versa.

Rolling a Critical Success (multiple sixes) earns a Bonus on your next roll.

Penalties occur when things start to go south or players make risky choices. For example, the GM may impose a penalty if a character attempts an action under extreme duress, in total darkness, while holding their breath under water, etc.

Using Gear and Equipment

If you have a piece of equipment that might help you accomplish a specific action more easily or efficiently, the GM may give a Gear Bonus.

However, if you use gear and then roll a failure, the GM may rule that your gear breaks or malfunctions and no longer works until repaired.

---

Example: Amal wants his character to descend a cliff face to reach the entrance of a cave. He has climbing rope, which he can anchor to a stout tree and use to rappel down. The GM gives him a Bonus, which allows him to roll an extra D6 in addition to the 2D6 he gets for having Agility 2 (for a total of 3D6). Amal rolls 1, 3, and 6 (success), reaching the cave with no trouble.

---

Luck Points

Every player character starts the game with two Luck Points.

Burn one luck point to:

• Gain one Bonus (before you roll)
• Turn one partial success into a complete success
• Have a single attack do max damage (only on a complete success)
• Reduce damage dealt by one attack by D6
• Re-roll one failed roll

---

Example: Kai wants to jump off a second-story balcony into a pool to evade an enemy. They roll 2D6 getting 1 and 3. This would be a failure (and probably a disastrous one). However, they burn a luck point to re-roll, getting a 4 and 6 (success).

---

Gaining More Luck Points

The GM can award a Luck Point to a player at any time for creative roleplaying or to all players for great collaboration. They may optionally award a point to each character after a long rest. Each player can only bank up to three luck points.

Pushing Your Luck

There are situations when a player is out of luck points, fails a crucial action roll, but really needs a second chance to avoid dire consequences. When this happens, a player can “push their luck.” They immediately gain D6 Strain but also gain a Luck Point, which they must use immediately (but only if they’re below 12 strain).

If a player decides a character needs to push their luck again before having a long rest, their character will immediately gain 2D6 Strain. Pushing a third time without rest? You guessed it — 3D6 Strain.

If a character ever hits 12 strain, they immediately become incapacitated (see the Strain and Panic section in the Combat for more details).

Success and Failure

Players often want to know what will happen if they fail an action. This can vary greatly depending on the attempted action, the circumstances, and the level of risk.

Ultimately, what happens after a failure is up to the GM to decide.

In most cases, a failure means that the desired action does not succeed and the situation gets worse in some way. It also means that the player can’t just try the same exact thing again and keep rolling until they succeed. If an action fails, the player must come up with a different tactic before they can try again.

---

Example: Gabe wants his character, Jax, to pick a locked door using a piece of wire. He rolls for Mind but fails. The wire snaps. So, he could try drilling the lock with power tools or just kick the door in (Brawn). Unfortunately, he's trying to pick the lock in the middle of a firefight with bullets flying everywhere. The GM rules that Jax gains one Strain.

---

In some cases, failure may be a direct negative outcome, such as falling, crashing a vehicle, or getting caught by security. When this happens, the GM decides what transpires next based on the severity. In bad situations, a failure results in damage to hit points, strain, or both.

Keep in mind: Failure does not always mean complete lack of progress. In some cases, a failure could mean that the action succeeds but with a serious consequence.

---

Example: Fernando is trying to open a locked safe to get important information but fails the roll. The GM may decide that he simply can't open the safe and must try something else. Alternatively, they may decide that the safe opens, but it sets off an alarm system, alerting security guards nearby.

---

GM Tip: If a player failing an action would cause the story to grind to a halt, you can allow them to succeed despite the failure but with a major caveat: the situation becomes much worse in some way. In some cases, however, it’s just better not to require a roll if the outcome of a failure would stop or slow down the story. Not every action has to be a roll!

Teamwork

Role-playing games should be cooperative experiences for players and the GM. The players are not working against one another (in most cases) and the GM is not working against the players. The goal of the GM is to tell a collaborative and interesting story with the players, not to win. But the GM’s job is also to provide tension and challenges for players to hopefully overcome, otherwise the game won’t be as fun and exciting. It’s a fine balance.

You want your situations to be difficult and sometimes even life-threatening but not a punishing grind. The best role-playing sessions have both high and low moments. Victory feels so much sweeter when it was hard-fought.

Helping

To encourage collaboration, players can take the “Help” action. Essentially, one player foregoes their action for that turn (and takes one Strain) to give another player a Bonus on their roll. Of course, it’s up to the GM to decide if a helping action would be possible based on the scenario.

Note: A player character can only gain one Bonus per action roll by receiving help.

---

Example: Leah wants her character to hotwire a car. She has Mind 2. Gabe’s character helps, giving Leah a Bonus. She rolls 3D6, getting a 2, 4, and 5 (partial success). The GM rules that the car engine starts but the gas tank is almost on empty. Later, the characters are trying to evade a pursuer. Leah’s character is behind the wheel and must make a Drive roll (Agility). Gabe’s character can’t help her drive, and therefore can’t take the Help action.

---

Interacting with NPCs

Much of the in-game dialogue during a role-playing game occurs when player characters (voiced by their players) interact with non-player characters (voiced by the GM). NPCs may be friendly, indifferent, cautious, standoffish, or openly hostile toward PCs. It’s up to the GM to decide. Some NPCs may also have ulterior motives, in which case they might appear friendly but turn hostile or betray the PCs later.

When a PC interacts with an NPC, the GM and player may just roleplay the conversation without needing to make any dice rolls. In other cases, such as when a player wants to persuade, intimidate, or mislead an NPC, the GM will ask that player to make a roll.

---

Example: Mark wants his character to persuade a bouncer to let him into the VIP area of an exclusive nightclub. The GM asks Mark to describe what his character says and does, then roll Will. Mark’s character has Will 1. He rolls a 4 (partial success) then says: "I causally slip him $50." The GM replies: "Smooth move. The bouncer nods and waves you in. But you get the feeling he’s going to keep an eye on you."

---

NPC Behavior and Morale

When players meet a potentially hostile NPC or creature, you can optionally use the following table: