trump v1.2 manuscript 072411

8/13/2019 Trump v1.2 Manuscript 072411

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1Chapter 1: Introduction

Roleplaying System

Christopher BodmannMatthew Bodmann

Shawn Bodmann

Copyright 2010 byChristopher Bodmann,Matthew Bodmann, &

Shawn Bodmann


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Special Thanks to our Playtesters and Reviewers: Robert Gauthier, Adolfo De La Garza, David Adwokat, all the RPOL peeps who took a

chance on Trump.


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Chapter 1: Introduction

Why We Play Roleplaying Games

In this age of technology, we have so many choices for entertainment, literally, at our fingertips.

So why would we look to a roleplaying game (RPG) when we could much more easily pick up a

book, watch a movie, or play a video game? RPGs take a lot of time and effort, and certainly

there are easier and cheaper forms of entertainment. So what is it about RPGs that keeps us

coming back for more?

In short, RPGs offer a unique experience. No other form of entertainment provides the flexibility

and creative involvement like RPG s. Played both live and by proxy (via email and/or the

Internet), they offer players a chance to become someone else, to speak in someone else s voice,

to create worlds and challenge their minds and those of other players. These are the merits of

RPG s they speak to the human need to be creative and share our creativity with one another.

I saw the wide range of both younger and older people who were

attracted to (D& D), I un derstood that i t was reachin g a deeper chord,

something deep within us. ~Gary Gygax

What is the Trump System

?

The Trump System is a set of roleplaying game rules that is designed to be flexible and very

lightweight. We designed the rules specifically for use in play-by-post gaming, although there is

no reason it would not work at a tabletop. The essential philosophy behind the rules is that


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roleplaying games, especially play-by-post roleplaying games, should be more about

collaborative story-telling than they are about the rules. They should be more role playing than

roll playing. We tried to set up Trump to put the focus on character concepts, rather than

complicated stats and long lists of specific equipment.

We've gone to considerable effort to keep the rules as lightweight as possible, to reduce most

things down to their barest essentials, and to paint things with broad brushstrokes. Stat blocks are

useful for getting a general idea of what a character can do, particularly in relation to other

characters, but too much detail creates a system that is confining. In many game systems, making

a character to get the most out of the system can become the focus of character creation. To

avoid these drawbacks, we have tried to make the rules as freeform and non-explicit as possible

which allows for the greatest amount of freedom and ability to create a character that fits a

concept, rather than a system that encourages manipulation of stats to the greatest game benefit

(otherwise known as min/maxing).

One reason for a lightweight system is that over the years, the three authors have transitioned

from playing RPGs face-to-face at a table top to playing exclusively over the internet on play-by-

post sites. In our experience, the slower pace of play-by-post games means that dice-rolling

should be minimized and character interaction stressed. We wanted a system that was designed

with play-by-post in mind from the ground up. To our knowledge, Trump is the first such

system.


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The rules were originally designed to model the characters and capture the action typically seen

in literary and cinematic renditions of fairy tales and fantasy and later adapted to model four-

color, golden-age and silver-age comic book heroes. In our opinion, these renditions of heroes

are different from the typical RPG characters and are more about having an interesting concept

rather than a block of stats. In addition, most characters from fairy tales and comics rarely

change equipment or haul around a ton of loot. They tend to keep the same equipment for their

entire careers, and anything else they might use is on a temporary basis.

We hope these rules encourage interesting, if not zany characters (and we include some of our

own in the last chapter) and that they encourage game play that is more about story-telling and

roleplaying than meta-gaming and roll-playing.

A SI DEBAR AB OUT SI DEBARS

F rom ti me to time the author s have an aside or a piece of i nf ormation that does not

necessari ly f it within th e main text of the document. I n these cases, we have separated out the

text in these special sidebars. Look here for a behi nd th e scenes look at th e ru les.

Whenever you start to feel like you are getting bogged down with the rules, try to take a step

back and remember the philosophy designed into the game. Think simplicity, broad strokes, and

try to let the details handle themselves.

The Basic Trump

Mechanic


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One of the most notable aspects of the Trump System is in the way it randomizes effects.

Rather than using dice, The Trump System uses a standard deck of cards (including the jokers)

to generate randomness. Cards have two qualities: suit and number.

Each suit of the deck corresponds to particular types of actions. Black suits cover physical

actions and red suits cover mental actions.

The number on the card corresponds to a measure of quantity, and is basically the same as the

number on a die. The Trump System considers the face cards to represent discrete numbers,

such that Jacks = 11, Queens = 12, and Kings = 13. Aces are considered low, so they represent 1.

The basic mechanic of the Trump System is to draw a card, add the Ability that corresponds to

the action and any applicable skill, and then to compare that total to either a target Difficulty

Level or an Opposing Draw.

The Four Abilities

Characters in The Trump System have four Abilities, one for each of the suits in a standard

deck of cards. Abilities represent a character's basic capacity to perform actions governed by that

suit.

Clubs represents actions that require raw physical strength or endurance.

Spades represents actions that require agility, manual dexterity, or hand-eye coordination.


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Diamonds covers actions that require knowledge, raw intelligence and deductive reasoning.

Hearts covers actions that require willpower, charisma and perception.

Skills/Specializations

Whereas the four Abilities represent a character s natural capabilities, Sk ills and Specializations

represent what the character has learned. They are almost always associated with one particular

Ability and almost always add to that Ability when resolving an action.

Fighting Spirit

Instead of using a traditional hit point system, Trump expands to a concept called Fighting

Spirit. This number essentially represents the character s ability to keep on going in the face of

adversity. It is his verve, his mettle, his moxy. As things affect the character, from verbal

interactions with other characters to chases to downright physical combat, the character sFighting Spirit is expended. When Fighting Spirit reaches zero, the character might be beat up,

winded, or mentally spent, depending on the particular situation. Regardless of the situation, he

is incapable of going on for the time being.

Static Defense

To represent how generally resilient to losses in Fighting Spirit a character is, we use a Static

Defense number. There are two types of defense, Black Defense and Red Defense. Black

Defense is used to resist losses to Fighting Spirit from physical sources. Red Defense is used to

resist losses to Fighting Spirit from mental sources.


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Meta-Skills

Meta-Skills are like Skills, except they represent capabilities that are super human in nature. This

could mean the ability to manipulate magic, super powers, or racial abilities that normal humans

do not possess.


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9Chapter 2: Character Creation

Chapter 2: Character Creation

Characters are one of the most important parts of a good story, and of course in a roleplaying

game they are the role that you are playing. A lot of the emphasis of the Trump System is

directed at the character creation process for this very reason.

We approach character creation in a sort of inverted pyramid pattern, each layer adding a bit

more detail to the character in question. At the top, the largest block, is your character s concept,

which rules the entire process and should drive all the other character creation decisions. Next is

Motif, a one-sentence description of the character. After Motif are Abilities, the core mechanical

descriptors that tell you how good you are in comparison to other characters. Next are Skills, the

things your character is trained to do well. In addition to Skills, some characters have

Specializations, sub-skills that are not as broad-reaching as Skills. And finally, at the bottom of

the pyramid, are the assorted little details like Defense, Fighting Spirit, and Hooks.Character Creation Summary

Players receive a number of Character Points (CP s) that they can use to buy Abi lities, Skills,

Specializations and Meta-Skills. We recommend that characters start with 75+ points for a high -

power Campaign; 50 points for a medium - power Campaign and 25 points for a low - power

Campaign. Unless otherwise stated by the Storyteller, starting characters begin with 3 Trump

Skills, 30 points of Fighting Spirit, and 2 Story Points.

A character can take up to 2 Hooks, each of which grants 1-4 extra Character Points for character

creation, as determined by the Storyteller.


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TABLE 1: TRAIT COSTS AT CHARACTER CREATION

Trait Cost

Abilities 2 CP / 1 Ability point

Skills 1 CP / 1 Skill point

Specializations 1 CP / 2 Specialization points

Fighting Spirit 1 CP / 3 Additional Fighting Spirit

Black/Red Defense 1 CP / Additional Black OR Red Defense

Meta-Skills 1 CP / 1 Meta-Skill point

Minions/Sidekicks 1 CP / Rank for Standard2 CP / Rank for Single Color

Characters should be built using the costs for purchased Traits (Abilities, Skills, etc.) listed in

Table 1.

Character Concept and Motif

Because the Trump System is based on genre fiction, it is good to have in mind the types of

characters you find in fantasy novels, fairy tales, and comic books when reading this section of

the rules. These characters tend to be specialists rather than generalists. Jacks of All Trades exist,

but they are the exception rather than the rule. Archetypes are the standard.

Before starting your character, we advise that you have a clear concept in mind. This will not

only fulfill the general rule of concept is king but will also help you have a clear idea of how to

spend your points when the time comes. By having a clear idea about the concept first, it also

helps you to avoid meta-gaming. Once you have a concept, you should develop what we call a


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Motif. A Motif is a general description of what the character can do, including the actions he

does best.

How to Create a Motif

Think about what kind of character you want to play in the most basic terms. Try to think of your

character as a one-sentence description. Do you want to play a barbarian who worships the god

of steel? What about an acrobatic thief with a heart of gold? Maybe you want to play a super-

scientist with stretching powers or a world famous detective who plays violin. This one-sentence

description is the character s Motif and it should give you an idea of the character s basic area of

expertise.

Here are a few example Motifs from a fairy tale Setting:

Big, angry bear - Bears are good at breaking things, eating things, and scaring things. This

bear happens also to be particularly big and particularly angry. While this doesn't reallyaffect what the character can DO, it does help flesh out the character's personality.

Overly defensive, joke cracking swashbuckler - As a swashbuckler, this character will be

agile and tend to use finesse and precise blows rather than just trying to over-power a foe.

The adjectives imply that this particular swashbuckler is especially good at parrying and

dodging blows, and that he taunts his opponents during combat.

Absent-minded alchemist - As an alchemist, this character will have arcane knowledge and be

able to create potions. Being absent-minded implies this alchemist isn't so good at

remembering non-arcane trivia, which isn't particularly advantageous, but adds flavor to this

character.


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Charismatic con man who can talk his way into anywhere, especially forbidden places - This

character is good at interacting with others; particularly when it involves getting into places

he shouldn't go. He would be good at lying and bluffing, and is probably a good card-player.

Your character's Motif will help you decide on their purchased Traits (Abilities, Skills, etc.). But

the Motif does not have to define ALL of the character's capabilities purchasing Traits that are

not defined by the character s Moti f is acceptable, if not encouraged, but these should always be

weighed carefully against the Motif.

Motif should also be considered when the Player makes his selection of his character s Trump

Ability / Skills. These selections should harmonize with the c haracter s Motif. We will discuss

Trump Abilities/Skills in the next section.

Motif is important because in the Trump System character concept drives everything else. This

one sentence really helps to frame your character, so don t skip it.

Trump Abilities/Skills

Like Motif, every Player-character in Trump has a Trump Ability/Skills. Trump Abilities and

Skills represent a ch aracter s signature moves. It is the type of actions that character does

especially well and should generally be based around the character s Motif.

Players must select either a single Ability (Clubs, Spades, Diamonds or Hearts) OR three

Skills/Meta-Ski lls as their character s Trump. Players may select Trump Skills from ANY


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Skills/Meta-Skills for which they have purchased ranks. Players are encouraged to select their

Trump Ability/Skills which best suit their Motif.

Each character is limited to either a single Trump Ability or three Trump Skills/Meta-Skills.

Once selected, these will almost never change, nor can additional Trump Abilities/Skills ever be

purchased.

Every time a character uses a Trump Ability/Skill, they get to draw an extra card to resolve the

outcome on an Action. This is called a Trump Bonus. Trump Bonus is explained in more detail

in Chapter 3 Actions.

Character Points

Once you have your concept developed and have turned it into a Motif, you can now start to

flesh out the character s numerical stats. To do this, the Trump System uses a system of

Character Points, or CP s for short. Players purchase the traits of their characters with theseCP s.

The Storyteller will determine the number of CP s characters start with when they ar e setting up

their Campaign World/Setting. For a low - power game, we suggest starting characters with 25

Character Points; 50 CP s for a mid - power game; and 75+ for games involving characters with

god-like capabilities.

Basic Components of a Character

There are a number of basic components for a Trump character things that all characters will

have. Most of these Traits are purchased with the character s stock of CP s. Some of them start


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determi ne the most appropr iate Acti on Suit. Th ere are some tools and guidel in es whi ch may

help the Storyteller wi th th is decision :

Coul d the acti on f all un der or be descri bed by one of the sample Skil ls (page xx)? I f so, use the

Sui t un der which th e Skil l fall s as the Action Suit.

How does the Player describe their characters actions? As a bonus for good role playing

based on thi s description, the Storyteller may all ow the Player a use of a non -conventi onal

Action Suit (i.e. playing to the characters strengths).

Would it make fictional sense? Whenever the Players and Storyteller come across a dif fi cult

adjudi cation, always keep in min d that Tr ump i s based on genr e fi ction. Would th e action

make sense in a movie, book or comic? Any time something wouldnt make sense in real-life,

defer to this comic book logic.

Ability scores generally range from 1 to 30. Average human level in any Ability is 2. A score of

10 is generally the maximum score for a normal human, so any Ability with a score of 11 orhigher will generally be considered super-human.

Skills

While Abilities cover broad categories of actions that characters can do, Skills cover specific

things characters know how to do above their level of natural talent. They are what most Players

and Storytellers will expect when they think of a skill, but a typical Trump character will

generally have fewer Skills than characters in other game systems. The reason is that Trump

uses broad strokes rather than minute detail. The general idea is that most actions are covered by


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Abilities leaving Skills to represent more specific things that characters know how to do very

well.

Skills always default to an Ability, following the guidelines of the types of actions each suit

covers. As such, characters may perform any Skill starting at their corresponding Ability rank,

even if they do not purchase additional ranks for that Skill. Additional Skill ranks may be

purchased to represent training the character has received in a Skill, above and beyond their

natural Ability. Skill ranks and Ability ranks stack together when performing an action covered

by the Skill. For example, a character with a high Clubs Ability is naturally strong and will have

a certain natural ability to wield big, heavy weapons in melee. If this character also takes the Big

Melee Weapons Skill, it indicates that he has actually received training in how to use big swords,

axes, clubs and the like, and so will be better with those weapons than someone that is equally

naturally strong but does not have training.

Skills start at a value of zero (0). Skills are purchased at a rate of 1 CP per Skill rank. So a Big

Melee Weapons rank 4 will cost 4 CP s, etc.

Skills generally range from 1 to 20, with a score of 4 representing an average level of training in

the Skill. A score of 1 represents very basic training. With a score of 20, the character is one of

the world's best and almost certainly has a reputation based on his Skill.

Specializations

Sometimes characters have training that is more specific than the broad stroke Skills represent.

In this situation, Players can purchase Specializations for their character. Specializations are a


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very focused application of a Skill. It is not a requirement that the character has the Skill that the

Specialization is based on. Like Skills, Specialization ranks stack with the appropriate Ability

ranks as well as applicable Skill ranks.

Specializations start at a value of zero (0). Specializations are purchased at a rate of 1 CP per 2

Specialization ranks. So a Specialization in Big Swords rank 6 will cost 3 CP s, etc.

Specializations help define what is covered by a Skill. In the sample list on the next page,

Specializations are listed in parentheses after the Skill.

DEFAUL T SKI LL S LI ST

Below is the defaul t skil ls li st. Th is represents the general set of ski ll s you wil l encounter in

most games. You may want to customize the l ist to better f it the genr e of your game. For

exampl e, for a fan tasy game, you may want to change the Pharmaceuticals special ization to

H erbali sm and th e Science ski ll to Al chemy.

Clubs

Ath letics (Climbin g, Jumping, L if ting, Running, Swimming)

Bi g M elee Weapons (Clu bs, Ax es, Bi g Swords)

Br awling (Boxing, Wrestli ng, Improvised Weapons)

Spades

Acrobatics (Bal ance, Swin gin g, Tumbling)


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Boating (Capital ships, M otorboats, Sail in g)

Dr ivin g (Car, M otorcycle, Tanks, Truck)

Gun s (H eavy Weapons, Pistols, Rif les)

L egerdemain (Concealment, Pick Pockets, Quick Dr aw)

M artial A rts (Kicking, Punching, Throwing)

M issi le Weapons (Bows, Th rown Weapons)

Pilot in g (Helicopters, Planes, Space Ships)

Skull duggery (Escape Ar ti st, Pick L ocks, Stealth )

Small M elee Weapons (Knives, Swords, Whips)

Di amonds

Computers (Data Retrieval, Hacking, Programming)

Detective (Forensics, Interrogation, Search, Streetwise)

Electronics/Mechanics (Demolitions, Disable Device, Repair)

Invention (Artistic, Electronic, Mechanical, Structural)

Knowledge (Business, Current Events, History, Theology/Philosophy)

Medicine (First Aid, Pharmaceuticals, Surgery)

Science (Behavioral Science, Chemistry, Earth Science, Life Science, Physics)

Survival (Climate, Navigation/Orienteering, Tracking)

Hearts

Awareness (Gambling, Notice, Sense Motive)

Diplomacy (Barter, Intimidate, Law, Leadership)


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Bl ack Defense

This statistic represents the capability to resist physical damage, dodge attacks, and otherwise

avoid harm from physical means. It is calculated as:

Black Defense = (Clubs + Spades) 2 + Base Defense Number

Red Defense

This statistic represents the capability to resist mental damage, keep up morale, and otherwise

avoid harmful mental interactions. It is calculated as:

Red Defense = (Diamonds + Hearts) 2 + Base Defense Number

Characters may purchase extra Red or Black Defense at a cost of 1 CP per point of Black OR

Red Defense. Extra Defense must be purchased separately for each color. So 5 points of extra

Black Defense will cost 5 CP s.

ACTIVE DEFENSE RULE


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Some Storytellers may want to add an Active Defense system into their game, allowing the

characters to sacrifice their action for enhanced defensive capability. Instead of acting in a

given round the player can choose a Skill that they add to their Static Defense. The player must

explain how the Skill will allow them enhanced defenses for the round, with the approval of the

Storyteller.

Example: Racoonteur is facing his arch nemesis, Kapitn Gustav. Gustav wants to delay the

swashbuckling raccoon until the guards arrive, and declares he is using an Active Defense

instead of his attack. Gustav uses his Persuasion Skill to get Racoonteur talking, distracting him

from the fight and adding his Persuasion rank to his Black Defense.

Fighting Spirit

Characters always seem to be getting into trouble, expending their energies (both mental and physical) and damaging both their pride and their bodies. We represent the will to keep going on

despite this energy expenditure and damage with something called Fighting Spirit.

Unlike a hit point system, Fighting Spirit, or FS, covers more than just the physical abuse a

character can take. Heroes are defined by their exceptional willpower and tenacity. These traits

are reflected in a character's FS as well. In short, FS, represents the amount of physical and

mental reserves the character has left.


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Characters need FS to stay in a fight, but it s also used for all other types of scenes. In a chase

scene, for example, Fighting Spirit is what the character calls on to keep up the chase after

barreling through a street cart full of fruit. In a contest of wills, it keeps the character from

cracking under the mental strain.

The basic mechanical application of Fighting Spirit is simple when a player makes a draw, it is

compared against either a Difficulty Level or an Opposing Draw. If the draw is less than the

Difficulty Level (or less than the Opposing Draw), the character loses Fighting Spirit equal to the

amount by which the draw was failed. Specific details on the loss of Fighting Spirit within each

scene and the results therein will be covered, in detail, in Chapter 4 (page 35).

Whatever the scene, FS is what keeps the character going, and when it s gone, it marks some

kind of defeat the character has been knocked out, captured, run out of steam or otherwise

incapacitated. However, Fighting Spirit always refreshes at the beginning of a new scene.

Player Characters start with 30 points of Fighting Spirit. Players may purchase extra points of

Fighting Spirit (to represent particularly tough or strong-willed characters) at a rate of 1 CP per 3

points of extra Fighting Spirit. So 12 points of extra FS will cost 4 CP, etc.

NPC s start with different amounts of FS based on their relative rank. NPC s sergeants or

NPC s slightly less powerful than the PC s should have 20 FS; lieutenants or NPC s on par with

the PC s should have 30 FS; and master villains or NPC s meant to be more powerful than the


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PC s should start with 50 FS or more. Like the Base Defense Number, the Storyteller may decide

to alter these FS values to give his S etting a different flavor.

There are many uses for Fighting Spirit, which we will discuss in a later section (see Chapter 4).

Story Points

Heroes are capable of miraculous feats, sometimes beyond even their own capabilities. They also

have the amazing tendency to be able to fight the crucial battle at full strength. To reflect this, all

characters have a pool of Story Points that they can use to alter the resolution of actions during

game play. Characters can use Story Points in three ways:

To automatically double your ENTIRE draw (including Ability, Skill/Specialization, and any

cards) for resolving a single action, given that the player gives an appropriate description of

why they succeed.

To automatically recover all Fighting Spirit. This use must be after the character has reached

0 FS but before the end of the scene and requires a dramatic trigger, such as the villain

threatening to harm the hero s loved ones, etc.

To use a Skill or Meta-Skill to cause an effect completely different from the normal effect of

that Skill or Meta-Skill. This use should follow the guidelines of comic book logic.

PC s start with 2 story points (for free). Characters may convert any leftover Character Points

from their build into Story Points at a rate of 1 CP per Story Point. So 2 extra Story Points will

cost 2 CP s.


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NPC s may also possess and use Story Points based on their relative rank. Minions and

sergeants have none and may never use Story Points. Lieutenants may have 1 SP. Master villains

may have 3 or more. As with Static Defense and FS, the Storyteller may decide to alter these

values for the sake of the Setting.

Advanced Components of a Character

The previous sections comprise the basic character package the things that all Trump

characters have. This next section deals with some optional aspects that can add additional flavor

to your character.

Meta-Skills

Comic book characters almost always have super-human capabilities, many fantasy characters

have magical or racial qualities, and post-apocalyptic characters often possess strange mutations.

Traits that go beyond those that any "normal" human can do are represented by Meta-Skills. The

exact nature of Meta-Skills will depend on your specific Setting. Sometimes Meta-Skills will

represent super powers, other times magic, still other times mutations. An exhaustive list of

Meta-Skills is not provided in these Core Rules, but we recommend the following general

guidelines for Meta-Skills:

1) Meta-Skills cost 1 CP per rank. They should generally cover a single, specific, supernatural

capability or aspect of your character. A few examples include flying, shooting energy blasts,

turning invisible, having extra arms or gills, etc. Although many selections are obvious, the


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exact benefit your character gains from each Meta-Skill should be worked out between the

Storyteller and Player.

2) In order to maintain balance between Meta-Skills and Abilities, Meta-Skills that augment one

of the four basic Abilities (Clubs, Spades, Diamonds, Hearts) should do so at one-half their

rank. Attack/Defense Meta-Skills should be defined as either Black or Red. Meta-Skills that

cover both Black and

3) Red attack/Defense should cost double.

4) In a similar fashion to Skills, Meta-Skills function off one of the four Abilities for purposes

of draw mechanics, stacking both Meta-Skill ranks and Ability ranks for the action. The

Ability which affects the Meta-Skill will depend upon how the Meta-Skill is being used on

an action-by-action basis. Obviously, this will require a degree of adjudication following the

guidelines for Action Suit.

5) Meta- Skills that affect another character s Meta -Skill(s) should be handled with the Opposed

check mechanics. These may include Meta- Skills that steal or negate other character sMeta-Skills.

6) In general, the effects of Meta-Skills should not last longer than a single scene. The

Storyteller may deem that some Meta-Skills or specific applications of a Meta-Skill present

an exception to this guideline.

7) Meta-Skills can come with some kind limitation that affects how or when they can be used.

Taking a limitation is completely optional and should be considered a Hook. Hooks will be

described in a later section.

8) Meta-Skills CAN be Trump Skills.


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M ETA-SKI LL S I N ANY SETTI NG

M eta- Skills are used to describe capabilities that no normal human could possess. These

can in clude anythin g fr om super-powers and mutations, to magic and r acial attr ibu tes and

everything in between. Ultimately, if its something a normal human cannot do, it is a Meta -

Skill.

Al though the auth ors have purposely left M eta-Skil ls more fr eefor m than normal Skill s, we

would l ik e to categorize Meta-Ski ll s for use with genr e-settings.

Racial A ttr ibu tes: Racial attr ibu tes can be foun d in many genr es. Tr ump assumes the defaul t

species for characters to be hu man. However, characters f rom many of the sour ce materi als

used in creating Trump are of an entirely different race altogether. For these characters, a

given capabil ity may be qui te mundane for members of their race. Since these are not

human qualities, these at tr ibutes should be descri bed as M eta-Ski l ls.

F or example, many fai ry tales feature anthropomorphi c animal s as characters -- an

anthropomorphic crow would be able to fl y just lik e a normal crow. Even though thi s is a

natural attribute of the character, si nce fl igh t is not somethi ng a normal h uman can do, it

should be noted as one of this characters Meta -Skills.

Super-Powers & M agic: Comic book super h eroes almost always possess extr aordi nar y

powers. Likewise, characters in fantasy & fairy tale settings often wield strange and

fantastical magics. Whatever the origin or special effects of these, since they are not things

humans can normally do, both super -powers and magic are descri bed using the Meta-Ski ll

mechanics.

M utati ons: Post-apocalyptic and oth ers settings fr equentl y demonstrate characters with

mutations. Sometimes these take on outwardly physical manifestations (e.g. fish gills or bird


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wings), and sometimes they are more covert (e.g. modif ied in ternal or gans). Again , whatever

the special effe ct of the mutation, if it is something a human does not normally possess, it is

described with a M eta-Ski ll .

Equipment

As stated in the introduction, characters in source material do not typically change equipment

very often. Additionally, to avoid the need to create exhaustive lists of equipment (in both the

rules and in individual character stats), the mechanics surrounding equipment have been written

to be as lightweight as possible, while retaining a certain RPG feel. As a result, experienced

gamers might find equipping their characters in Trump to be a little different than what they

might be used to.

Equipment in the Trump System possesses a single rank which describes how well it performs.

Equipment is used in conjunction with Skills and Specializations, adding its rank to the totaldraw of a given action.

Generally, a specific piece of equipment will augment one specific Skill and/or Specialization. A

wrench set, for example, would be used in conjunction with the Electronics/Mechanics Skill

and/or the Repair Specialization. If the character does not possess the specific

Skill/Specialization, a given piece of equipment still stacks with the base Ability of the

Skill/Specialization. In other words, Ability, Skill, Specialization and Equipment ranks all stack

together when drawing for an action.


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Players may wish to use a piece of equipment in conjunction with a Skill/Specialization for

which it was not intended. For example, Jim the mechanic wants to use the biggest wrench from

his wrench set to bludgeon a rat. Such unintended uses of equi pment are subject to Storyteller

fiat.

Unless established by the story, characters are assumed to possess, have access to or be able to

approximate the most basic equipment necessary to perform any given Skill/Specialization.

These basic tools of the trade are represented as Equipment 0. This means, unless deemed

impossible or inappropriate by the Storyteller, anyone can attempt any Skill/Specialization at any

time (though success is another story). It is not necessary to note Equipment 0 on the characte r s

statistics.

Exceptional Equipment (i.e. Equipment above rank 0) is given a single rank of 1 through 10 to

describe how well it performs. Equipment 1 through 5, although exceptional, is still considered

normal or mundane. For example, a particularl y well-crafted sword would fall within the

range of Equipment 1 through 5. Equipment 6 through 10 is generally rare and considered

special in accordance with the Setting. To extend the example above, an enchanted sword

would fall within the range of Equipment 6 through 10. Equipment above rank 10 is incredibly

rare and potent Storytellers are encouraged to limit such items.

Equipment may or may not be an intrinsic part of a character. Players may elect to purchase a

permanent piece of equipment, with either CP s at character creation, or with Story Points at

character advancement. Such Equipment should be purchased as a Meta-Skill and considered to


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be an intrinsic part of that character, which can never be permanently taken away without

compensation from the Storyteller. Unless purchased in this way, Equipment is considered H ere

Today, Gone T omorrow (HTGT). This means it can be stolen, broken, run out of fuel/energy or

otherwise cease to function as the Storyteller sees fit.

Vehicles

Heroes (and villains) often possess special vehicles nocturnal, echo-locating, flying, mammal

cars, jet-powered helicopters and the like. Vehicles are considered Equipment, with several

additional provisos for how to handle them. Vehicles can be purchased as either Meta-Skills (if

they are an intrinsic part of the character) or can be HTGT Equipment.

Like all Equipment, Vehicles are given a single rank that describes how well they perform their

functions. This rank describes all aspects of the vehicle, from speed and maneuverability, to

offensive/defensive capability, etc. If the vehicle possesses some sort of weapon, the Vehicle

rank is also used to describe the power/accuracy of the weapon(s). If the Vehicle has a weaponwhich can be used by a gunner that is not the p ilot, the Vehicle ranks stack with the gunner s

stats when using said weapon. For more information on Vehicles, see Vehicles and Mounts in

Action on page 40.

Mounts

Many Settings use Mounts instead of or, possibly, in addition to Vehicles. For most purposes,

Mounts and Vehicles work the same. See Mounts in Action on page 40 for more details.


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I NTELL I GENT VEHI CLES AND MOUNTS

I n some Settings, vehi cles may have some sort of arti fi cial in tell igence and/or the capabil ity of

independent acti on. L ikewise, some moun ts may be capable of i ndependent action . Th ese types

of vehi cles/mounts shou ld be considered min ion s/sideki cks and shoul d be pur chased as

M in ions/Sidekicks ran ks. When the character i s pil otin g the mini on Vehi cle or r idi ng the

mini on M ount, it f ollows the Vehicle or M ount r ul es outli ned on page 40. Only i f i t is acting

on i ts own (or with out active pil otin g/ri ding) does it fu nction as a min ion/sidekick. See page 39

for ru les on Min ions/Sidekicks.

Minions and Sidekicks

It is common for villains to have groups of thugs and lackeys that do their dirty work. Similarly,

heroes tend to take on squires and youthful wards eager to learn the ways of adventure or crime

fighting. These are represented as Minions and Sidekicks respectively. Trump assumes villains

will have minions and heroes will have a single sidekick (and not vice-versa), although this is not

a hard and fast rule. While each has a distinct flavor, mechanically they work almost identically.

Instead of developing individual stats for each minion or sidekick, all their capabilities are based

on the Minions/Sidekick rank. This rank reflects every aspect of the minions or sidekick,

including offense and defense, non-combat capabilities, as well as their overall resilience to

losses. When determining the effect of any action taken by the minions or sidekick, the

Minions/Sidekick rank is added to a draw. Minions and sidekicks don t have Trump Skills or

Abilities, so they never receive a Trump Bonus.


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While a single rank is used for de termining all of the minions or sidekick s actions, the player

should work out what their specific minions or sidekick is capable of in advance. For example, a

pet dog is going to be able to do vastly different things than a friendly ghost or a boy wonder.

Players must also select a color (Black or Red) for their character s minions or sidekick. The

color determines the effects produced by the minions or sidekick.

Black color minions and sidekicks are of the physical variety (e.g. thugs with guns or boy-

wonders). Black minions and sidekicks produce physical effects and so draw against Black

Defense.

Red color minions and sidekicks are of the mental/mystical variety (e.g. an army of ghosts or a

magical apprentice). Red minions and sidekicks produce mental/magical effects and so drawagainst Red Defense.

Regardless of their own color, minions and sidekicks are affected normally by both Black and

Red attacks/effects. For more information about how Minions/Sidekicks take actions and operate

in combat see Minions and Sidekicks in Action on page 39.

Standard Minions and Sidekicks can be purchased at a cost of 1 CP per Minions/Sidekick rank.

So Minions 5 costs 5 CP s; Sidekick 5 also costs 5 CP s.


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For double the normal cost, PC s and NPC s may purchase minions and sidekicks that can only

be affected by their own color . This effectively makes these minions and sidekicks single -

color, since they are immune to effects and actions of the opposite color.

For example, single -color Black minions and sidekicks ar e only affected by Black actions and

are unaffected by Red actions. An example here might be an army of mindless zombies

because they are mindless, they are completely unaffected by mental attacks/actions.

Similarly, single -color Red minions and side kicks are only affected by Red actions and are

unaffected by Black actions. An example here might be an illusory monster because it is an

illusion, physical attacks pass through its body without affecting it.

Single -color minions and sidekicks otherw ise act the same as normal ones they only generate

either Black or Red effects (never both).

Single -color Minions and Sidekicks can be purchased at a cost of 2 CP s per Minions/Sidekick

rank. So single -color Minions 5 costs 10 CP s; single -color Sidekick 5 also costs 10 CP s.

Minions/Sidekicks CANNOT be Trump Skills.

Hooks

Characters can gain extra Character Points to spend during character creation by taking on a

Hook. A Hook is a weakness or drawback that should affect the character on a fairly regular

basis. Some limitation on a particular Meta-Skill or other capability would also be considered a


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Hook. Hooks are worth zero to four Character Points, depending on the severity of the Hook, but

they do more than just give the character extra points they should also be consistent with the

character's Motif and add to his flavor. Generally, characters should have no more than two

Hooks. Here are some examples:

Outlaw - the character is hunted by the law and will have to sneak around when he's in town

and civilized areas.

Disabled - the character suffers some malady that means he lacks some capability most

people take for granted. For example the character may be missing a limb or an eye.

Addict - the character needs some substance, or he suffers physical drawbacks. Each day the

character goes without ingesting his addicted substance, he loses one point of Clubs. When

his Clubs reaches zero, he lapses into a coma and may die within a card draw number of

days.

Phobia - the character suffers from some irrational fear. When confronted with the object he

fears, the character must succeed at a Difficult Hearts draw or flee.

Obsession - the character suffers from some irrational desire. When confronted with the

object he desires, the character must succeed at a Difficult Hearts draw to avoid taking action

to acquire the object.

Allergy - the presence of a substance disables the character in some way.

Limitation the character requires some kind of focus to use a particular Meta-Skill. Or,

perhaps the character needs to recharge a particular Meta-Skill on a regular basis. Whatever

it is, be creative and work out the details of your character s limitation with the Storyteller.


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Chapter 3: Actions

There are three kinds of actions in The Trump System : Automatic actions, Unopposed actions

and Opposed actions. Actions will always defer to one of the four basic Abilities (Clubs, Spades,

Diamonds or Hearts). Use the guidelines set out earlier in these rules to determine which Suit fits

the action best. Skills, Specializations and Meta-Skills will tend to fall under the same

predetermined Suit from one action to the next, however, in Trump , any Ability, Skill,

Specialization or Meta-Skill may be used for any action, so long as the player can describe the

character s action in a creative manner that makes sense (according to comic book or

cinematic logic). The Storyteller has final say on whether or not to allow any unusual use of

a given Trait or whether the character is required to use a Story Point to accomplish said usage.

Action Events and the Action Round

Occasionally throughout a story, time becomes critical the characters must act and react to

changing situations quickly, choosing their actions carefully from one instant to the next.

Examples of these situations might include combat, navigating a trap-filled maze, high-speed

chases and more. When the seconds matter, these Action Events are broken up into Action

Rounds.

The exact length of an Action Round (referred to hereafter as a round) is not set in stone; it can

change depending on the situation; but in many cases a single round lasts less than 10 seconds.


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Initiative is an important mechanic to determine the order of actions. To keep things simple, we

recommend team Initiative as opposed to individual Initiative. Whichever team has the higher

Initiative goes first. Alternatively, you can use individual Initiative.

The order of Initiative always goes to the team of the individual with the highest Awareness Skill

and then to the highest Hearts score. In the case of a tie, Initiative can be resolved by an Opposed

Awareness/Hearts draw.

Automatic Actions

Most of a character's day-to-day living takes place in the form of automatic actions. Walking

down the street, eating food, sitting down, etc. are generally things that characters are able to do

more or less effortlessly. As a general rule, if the outcome of the action will not affect the

Storyteller's plot or the

QUICKDRAW AND I NITI ATIVE

Some char acters may have the Qui ckdraw Special ization (especial ly in a Western Setti ng).

Characters can opt to use their Qui ckdraw rank i n place of th eir Awareness/H earts ran k f or

their fi rst round action only. Af ter their fi rst action, their I niti ative defers back to their

Awareness/H earts. I n the case of two opposin g characters with equal Quickdraw r anks,

I ni tiati ve for the fi rst action is resolved by an Opposed check. I f u sin g team I ni tiati ve,

Qui ckdraw characters can opt to take in dividual I ni tiati ve for the fir st round action. Once

again , after their fi rst action, th eir I ni tiative defers back to th eir team I ni tiative.


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37Chapter 3: Actions

storyline in a significant way, when time or resources are not a factor, or if the character may

attempt the action over and over again until they succeed, the Storyteller will probably rule the

action Automatic and the character will automatically (hence the label) succeed at that action.

The Storyteller will generally require the character to make a draw when success or failure of the

action will have an immediate effect on the outcome of the plot. In these cases, the action will be

either Unopposed or Opposed.

Unopposed Actions

Unopposed actions involve anything the character is trying to do against an inanimate object or

something/someone that is not actively resisting. For example, breaking down a door or scaling a

tree (most trees anyway) are Unopposed actions.

Combat follows the Unopposed draw me chanic, using the defender s Static D efense for the

attacker s DL. This is des cribed in detail in (Chapter 4, Scenes, page 35).Action Suit and Difficulty Level

The Storyteller assigns the action a suit (Clubs, Spades, Diamonds, or Hearts) following the

guidelines for the types of actions each suit covers. This assigned suit will hereafter be known as

the Action Suit. The Storyteller also assigns the Unopposed action a Difficulty Level, or DL for

short. DL s range anywhere from 5, for trivially easy actions , to 60, for nigh impossible actions.

Use the Table 2 (on the following page) as a guideline for assigning DL s:


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The Basic Mechanic: The Draw

Once the Action Suit and a DL is determined, the Player makes a draw. This is also referred to as

the basic mechanic . When a Player makes a

draw, he pulls a card off the top of a standard deck of cards (with jokers included). This card is

the Player s Primary Draw card. There are three different things that can happen on the Primary

Draw:

1. The Primary Draw card is a suit other than the Action Suit . In this case, the Player adds the

value of the card to the character s applicable Ability, Skills, etc. and compares the result

against the Difficulty Level of the action. If the total equals or exceeds the DL, the character

succeeds at the action he is attempting. If the draw is less than the DL the action fails.

2. The Primary Draw card is the same suit as the Action Suit . The Player gets a bonus draw,

referred to as an Action Suit Bonus. This bonus draw should be done without replacing the

previous card(s) to the deck. The Player then gets to add both of the drawn cards to the

character s applicable Ability, Skills, etc. and compares the total to the DL of the action. If

TABLE 2: SAMPLE DIFFICULTY LEVELS

Target Draw Difficulty5 Trivial

10 Easy

15 Average

20 Challenging

25 Difficult


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the total meets or exceeds the DL, the action has succeeded. If the total is less than the

Difficulty Level, the action fails.

3. The Primary Draw card is a Joker ., The action automatically fails. Automatic failure for

Jokers applies to the Primary Draw card only. If the character draws a Joker on any bonus

card, it should be considered to have a value of 0, rather than indicating automatic failure.

An important exception to this sequence is if the Player is making a draw for his character s

Trump Ability/Skills. Trump Abilities/Skills receive an automatic bonus draw, referred to as a

Trump Bonus. The Trump Bonus card counts for determining whether the action ALSO receives

an Action Suit Bonus draw. In other words, if a Player is using his character s Trump

Ability/Skills, if either his Primary Draw or Trump Bonus cards matches the suit of the action,

then the Player gets to draw an Action Suit Bonus card. Like the Action Suit Bonus, a Joker

drawn on a Trump Bonus card counts as a zero, NOT automatic failure.

BONU S CARD DRAWS

Bonus cards are always drawn WI TH OUT replacement. Action Suit B onus draws do not

tr igger additi onal draws, but T ru mp Bonus draws do. The most cards a Player would ever

draw for any action ar e 3: Pr imary Draw, Trump Bonus, Action Suit B onus.


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The Action Flowchart Storyteller determines the Action

Suit and Difficulty Level

Player draws Primary Draw card

Is PrimaryDraw card a

Joker?

Action fails

Is the

characterusing a TrumpAbility/Skill?

Player draws a Trump Bonus card

Is Primary Drawor Trump Bonuscard same suit

as action?

Action fails Action succeedsDoes summatch orexceed

Add Ability, Skill, Specialization, Meta-

Skill and card(s) together

Player draws Action Suit Bonus card

YesNo

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No


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To summarize, the basic mechanic uses the following procedure:

Step 1: Draw the Primary Draw card. If the card is a Joker, the action automatically fails.

Otherwise, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: If the character is using a Trump Ability/Skill, draw a second card, the Trump Bonus

card. Then proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: If the either Primary Draw or Trump Bonus cards are the same suit as the action,

draw a third card, the Action Suit Bonus. Proceed to Step 4.

Step 4: Add the character's appropriate Ability, Skill s, etc. and the Player s cards together. If

the total is equal or greater than the Difficulty Level set forth by the Storyteller, the action

succeeds. If the total is less than the DL the action fails.

Step 5: At this point, on a failed action, the Player may decide to spend a Story Point to

double his/her draw, given that the player describes the action to the acceptance of the

Storyteller.

FOR ALL YOU STATISTICS GEEKS

A character with an average Ability (2) and average Skill level (4) on a non-Trump Ability/Skill

will succeed at an Average DL action around 60% of the time. Because a Trump Ability/Skill

adds approximately 7 to the draw, the same character using an average level (4) Trump

Ability/Skill will almost always succeed at an Average DL task.


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FAI LI NG AN ACTION

F ail in g an action might mean somethi ng bad happens. The character tr iggers a tr ap, he sli ps

off a ledge, he barr els th rough a str eet vendor cart , etc. Because something bad happened, it

COUL D mean the hero is less able to contin ue fighti ng on. Where it i s appli cable, Tru mp

simu lates thi s bad outcome by subtr acting f rom the character' s F igh tin g Spir it whenever

he/she fai ls an acti on. I t i s up to th e Storytell er to determine where these special cases apply.

The amount subtr acted fr om Figh tin g Spir it i s equal to the amount by which the check f ail s.

F or example, if the opposin g NPC gets a total of 15 for hi s draw, and the PC only gets a total

of 13, the PC fai led by 2 poin ts and would have to sacri fi ce 2 F igh tin g Spir it.

Opposed Actions

Opposed actions occur whenever a character tries to do something that another character actively

resists. Actions such as fast-talking a guard or sneaking up on someone are examples of Opposed

actions. The procedure for resolving Opposed actions is the same as for resolving Unopposed

actions, except that both characters make a draw. Whichever character has the higher total wins.

In the case of Opposed actions, there are no automatic failures; Jokers drawn for any card count

as 0.


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43Chapter 4: Storytelling

Chapter 4: Storytelling

Collective Storytelling

In our opinion, a good roleplaying game is about collective storytelling, and that attitude has

been used as a basis for the entire Trump System . In collective storytelling, the players of the

game all work together with the Storyteller to create a story. The Storyteller has a basic plot in

mind, and will often direct the action of the story, but the players should have a sense of

responsibility to that story as well, and should aim to add to the story rather than win the game.

To keep with the theme of storytelling, we describe each adventure as a story, which is

composed of a number of scenes where characters interact. This concept of scenes matches up

with actions and Fighting Spirit to create the resolution system for Trump .

Below are some examples of the types of scenes, again based on genre fiction and cinematicstories. These are meant as guidelines the Storyteller is encouraged to create his/her own types

of scenes.

Scenes The Many Faces of Fighting Spirit

Interaction Scenes

The backbone of all the source material used to create Trump is character interaction.

Interaction scenes cover everything from one PC talking to another, to friendly (or not so

friendly) card games, to interrogations, etc. From a mechanics standpoint, interaction scenes are


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fairly simple when the Storyteller determines a draw is required, most of the time it will take

the form of a basic Opposed draw, the principals actively matching Skill against Skill.

To simulate the wearing down of one s opponent in an Interaction scene, compare the draws of

the opposing parties. The character with the lower result loses an amount of Fighting Spirit equal

to the difference between the draws. When an interacting character is reduced to zero Fighting

Spir it, he has lost the Interaction. He doesn t get the price he wanted, is defeated in the debate,

is embarrassed in front of his friends, etc.

The Storyteller may determine that an Unopposed draw is more appropriate for certain situations

within an Interaction scene use your best judgment. However, if PC s are drawing against NPC

Static Defense, the scene has probably developed into a fight scene.

For an example of an Interaction scene, see page 52 in Chapter 5.

Fight Scenes

Almost as important as character interaction, most stories would not be complete without at least

one fight scene. What constitutes a fight in Trump is relatively broad it could mean an all-

out brawl, a magical duel, a contest of wills and more.

Such combat is based on the Unopposed draw mechanics, using standard Initiative order. The

attacker draws against the defender s Static Defense as the Difficulty Level (Black Defense if the

attacker makes a physical attack, Red Defense if the attacker uses a mental attack). If the


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Occasion all y, a character wil l h ave the abili ty to make an area attack (such as thr owing a

grenade at a group of bad guys). F or each opponent over the fi r st, add +5 to the Stati c Defense

of all targets. I n other words, for area attacks, each additional opponent beyond the fi rst is

considered a factor that makes the overall attack more dif f icul t. M in ion s and sidekicks are

considered a sin gle target for ar ea attacks. Al l opponents who were targeted wil l t ake a loss to

F S equal to the amoun t by whi ch th e attack exceeded their respective modif ied Stati c Defense.

Investigation Scenes

Although they may include a great deal of interaction between characters, Investigation Scenes

have a slightly different feel. Many times, these types of scenes will see the heroes trying to

sneak into a facility, disabling security devices and surreptitiously thwarting guards along the

way.

Or, it may be they re trying to find clues in the aftermath of some heinous crime. Detective andSearch Skills are important for these types of scenes. Unopposed draws should be used to find

and evaluate clues. The degree of success or failure for draws like these may yield various

rankings of leads from the Storyteller, including false positives (for stunning failures). The

Storyteller may require that these draws be made by him/herself, in secret, for obvious reasons.

Tr icks and Tr aps

Traps and passive security devices will typically garner an Unopposed draw vs. a set DL

(determined by the Storyteller). Depending on the device, it may require one Difficulty Level to

subvert it, and a higher DL to disable it completely. The Storyteller determines the results of

failed draws, which may include a loss to the character s FS. For devices possessing an artificial


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intelligence or traps actively controlled by a user, an Opposed draw may be more appropriate.

If PC s are reduced to zero or lower FS by a trap(s), it may result in their capture by the

antagonists.

Guar ds and Sentries

Sneaking past guards and active security requires an Opposed draw between the sneaker s

Stealth Skill and the sentry s Search or Notice Skil l (whichever is higher). Most of the time,

guards will be of the minion variety if so, the Minion Rank is used in place of Search/Notice,

but otherwise follows the normal Opposed draw mechanics. Failure usually indicates a Fight

Scene will follow.

BREAKING TH I NGS

Characters often attempt to break th in gs. Ex amples in clude knocking down a door, bending a

steel bar, or punchi ng th rou gh a stack of boards. Br eakin g thi ngs is an Un opposed check, and

the DL depends on the mater ial strength of the object. We recommend usin g the fol lowing

table for materi al strengths:

Sample M ateri al Strengths

0 Paper

1 Cardboard

2 Glass

3 Soil

4 Vegetation

5 I ce


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6 Fiberglass

8 Twine

10 Wood

11 Rope

12 Copper

14 Bronze

16 Aluminum

18 Stone/Concrete

20 Granite

25 Iron

28 Steel

30 Titanium

31+ Super Al loys

Deathtrap Scenes

These types of scenes happen after the heroes have been defeated and captured. For whatever

reason, be it theatrics, a penchant for gore or just plain stupidity, the villains have chosen to get

rid of the heroes with some, usually overly elaborate, device. The Deathtrap Scene is somewhat

specific to the Superhero genre, although you might occasionally see one in other genres (spy

movies come to mind). Even still, it warrants some special consideration from a standpoint other

than mechanics.


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First, consider what failure on the PC s part might mean. Players don t usually like for their

character to be killed outright. Doing so may upset your players and it will definitely turn the

grim and gritty knob on your game way up. If neither of these things bothers you as the

Storyteller, make the difficulty of the deathtrap challenging, and the consequence for failure

actual death.

However, one rarely sees the deathtrap actually succee d in source material because they are

usually the products of more lighthearted stories (typically Four-Color-Superhero). So their

purpose becomes as much about interaction as actually killing the heroes, giving the villains a

chance to monologue and g loat over the heroes. That is usually enough to make the

deathtrap a worthwhile (and entertaining) scene.

The mechanics for deathtraps are fairly simple. Most often, they will require a series of

Unopposed draws (escaping from bonds, swinging from crane chains, hitting the support beam to

close the lid on the vat of acid, etc.). Again, if you re trying to run a lighthearted game, you

should probably make the difficulty for these draws fairly easy. Failure of these draws will not

only prevent the characters from escaping the deathtrap, but should also cause them to lose

Fighting Spirit equal to the amount by which they failed the draw. If the characters reach zero

FS, they cannot escape the deathtrap without external influence.

THROWI NG HEAVY STUFF

Characters wil l sometimes carry thr owing stars, boomerangs, magical ti aras and the li ke,

which they throw in combat. Throwing is usually a Spades action and falls to the characters


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Spades Sui t f or resolu tion . Some times, however , parti cular ly strong char acters wil l pick u p

logs, mail boxes, cars and the li ke and use them as thrown weapons. I n th e case of large, heavy

objects (i.e. objects that normal humans could not throw effectively) players have the option

of u sin g their character' s Clu bs stat in stead of Spades for th e resolu tion of th e action. Th is

essenti all y makes " Throwing H eavy Stuf f" a Clubs-based action .

Showdown Scenes

Mechanically, a showdown scene is not different from a straight fight scene. But since this is the

final fight of the adventure, the feeling should be somewhat different.

There are a couple of ways to give a Showdown Scene that sense of finality. First, a Villain s

minions will be used up in the Showdown meaning that the Villain himself will be taking

direct losses of Fighting Spirit (rather than using the Minions as buffers). Second, all the stops

come out. Both the Villain and the Heroes likely will not be pulling any punches at this point.This probably means one or both sides will expend some Story Points to ensure successes and

maybe replenish their Fighting Spirit. And third, Showdowns are often extra time-sensitive. The

Heroes must stop the Villain in time to defuse the bomb, prevent a missile from being fired, or

destroy the giant ray gun that is going to freeze the entire city.

Try to remember these little details to make the final scene of your adventure feel like the final

scene of the adventure.

Minions and Sidekicks in Action


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Minions defend as a group if one minion is attacked, they are all attacked. Minions Static

Defense = current Minions Rank + Base Defense Number . As with PC s/NPC s, the

minions Static Defense must be overcome in order to inflict losses to the Minions. Standard

Minions are affected equally by Black or Red actions. Single Color Minions are immune to

actions of their opposite color (see page 25).

Minions take losses as a group if one minion falls, the effectiveness of the group is

diminished. The Minions rank describes both the physical and mental toughness of the entire

group of minions (similar to Fighting Spirit for PC s/NPC s). Any action made against

minions which exceeds their Static Defense inflicts a 1-point loss to the current Minions

rank. No matter how much a draw exceeds the minions Static Defense, the current Minions

rank is only reduced by one point. This reflects the fact that minions usually come in large

groups and must be eliminated one at a time. Such losses reduce the effectiveness of the

group, lowering the current Minions rank, which in turn lowers the minions draw modifier

(first bullet) and Static Defense (second bullet). Once the current Minions rank is reduced to

zero, the entire group of minions is considered to be knocked out, shaken, disarmed or

otherwise defeated.

Villains who have minions are difficult to attack directly when their minions are about. To

represent this, the current Minions rank must be reduced to zero before the Villain can be

attacked. Any attack directed against the Villain is automatically deflected to the minions.

The Storyteller may determine special cases where the PC is able to circumvent the minions

and attack the Villain directly.


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vehicle possesses some sort of weapon, the Vehicle rank is also used to describe the

power/accuracy of the weapon(s), stacking with the pilot s draws for attacks made with said

weapon. If the vehicle has a weapon which can be used by a gunner that is not the pilot, the

Vehicle ranks stack with the gunners stats when using said weapon.

Black Defense for the pilot/vehicle = current Vehicle rank + Base Defense Number. In this

way, the pilot/vehicle is considered one entity any draws made against one are made

against both.

The Vehicle rank also describes how much damage the vehicle can take (much in the same

way as Fighting Spirit does for PC s/NPC s). Any action made against the vehicle which

exceeds the Black Defense inflicts a 1-point loss to the current Vehicle rank. No matter how

much by which an action exceeds the vehicle s Black Defense, the vehicle only sustains one

point of damage. This reflects the fact that vehicles can take more punishment than people.

In the case of Red actions taken against the pilot, the pilot s Red Defense and Fighting Spirit

are used to resolve said actions.

Once the current Vehicle rank (or the Pilot s FS in the case of Red actions) is reduced to

zero, the vehicle is considered to be destroyed, disabled or otherwise unable to continue

functioning.

MASSIVE M INI ON/VEHI CLE MAYHEM

M in ions & Vehicles normall y only take a 1-point l oss to the cur rent M ini ons/Vehicle rank for

any successful action taken against them. To account for parti cular ly devastatin g actions

leveled again st mi ni ons or vehi cles, the Storyteller may want to use the fol lowing gui deli ne for


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massive losses. F or any successful action made again st the mini ons/vehi cle, they receive a 1-

point l oss to the current M in ions/Vehicle rank per whole-number mul tiple (rou nded down) by

which th e action exceeds the curr ent M in ions/Vehicl e Static Defense. F or example: an attack

that exceeds the M ini ons/Vehicle Stati c Defense by 1.3 times reduces the cur rent

M in ions/Vehicl e ran k by 1 point; an attack that exceeds the M in ions/Vehicle Static Defense by

2.7 times reduces the curr ent M in ions/Vehi cle rank by 2 poin ts; etc.

Whether a broken down horse or a fire-breathing dragon, Mounts follow similar guidelines to

those of Vehicles:

Mounts are given a single rank that describes how well they perform their functions. This

Mount rank describes all aspects of the mount, including speed, offensive/defensive

capability, etc.

Unless otherwise determined by the Storyteller, Riding draws are considered a Hearts action

for purposes of Action Suit. The current Mount rank is added to any riding draws made by

the rider, including maneuvering, attacking, riding defensively, etc. If the Mount possesses

some form of natural attack, the Mount makes said attack as an independent action from its

rider s action(s), using normal draw mechanics and the current Mount rank as the attack

modifier. For example, a dragon mount may attack with its fire breathing ability

independently from its rider s action(s) and does so at the current Mount rank.

Black Defense for the rider/mount = current Mount rank + Base Defense Number.

Red Defense for the rider/mount is the rider s normal Red Defense.

Except where noted above, the rider/mount are considered to be single entity and take losses

to Fighting Spirit as such. Losses to Fighting Spirit are deducted from the riders normal FS


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TABLE 3: TRAIT COSTS DURING ADVANCEMENT

Trait Cost

Abilities 2 SP x new Ability level

Skills 1 SP x Skill level

Specializations 1/2 SP x new Specialization level

Fighting Spirit 1 SP / 3 Fighting Spirit

Black/Red Defense 1 SP / Black OR Red Defense

Meta-Skills 1 SP x new Meta-skill level

Minions/Sidekicks 1 SP x new Rank for Single Color

will typical have to coincide with something that happened within the previous adventure to

merit such a change in the character.


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59Chapter 5: Examples

Chapter 5: Examples

We want you to be able to get started right away on your own Trump game, and we want to

make sure that everything you just read is crystal clear. So we decided to include some examples.

There are three types of examples in this chapter.

First, each section begins with a brief setting description. These give you a sense of some of the

worlds we have created using the Trump System.

Next, since Trump is all about the characters, we provide some sample character builds for each

setting. Below is a blank character sheet to show how to read them.

Finally, there is a sample scene involving the sample characters, to give you a sense of how thegame flows.

These examples should help you kick start your own campaign using the Trump System.


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Sample Character Sheet

Chapter 5: Examples

Character Nameaka Real Name

"Characters signature quote

Motif: Characters motif

2 2 2 2

Black D: 12 Red D: 12FS: 30 SP: 2

SkillsSkill One 2; Skill Two 2; Skill Three 2; (Specialization) 2

Meta-SkillsMeta-Skill One 2

Hooks1) Hook one2) Hook two

If the Character has chosen a TrumpAbility, it will be highlighted and boxedlike this

If the Character has chosen Trump Skills,they will be highlighted like this

Specializations will be parenthesizedlike this


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Adventures in Metro City

Metro City is protected by heroes. Heroes with great powers and even greater problems. Come

back to the days when heroes were respected for the good they did, despite their idiosyncrasies,

neuroses, or even a little bit of property damage. Back then what mattered was whether or not the

bad guy was caught.

Metro City is a bustling metropolis on an island 5 miles to the southwest of Santa Barbara. The

city is connected to the mainland by a long elevated road known as the Santa Barbara Highway,

which replaced the older ferry system that used to bring people to the island. It is extremely

modern for a city of the 50's, and is seen as an example of successful civil engineering and

municipal design. In addition to a robust public transportation system featuring elevated rail cars,

Metro City is also one of the first cities to maintain its very own nuclear power plant. All of this

makes living in Metro City a grand and modern experience indeed.

The city itself is broken into several distinct neighborhoods. Each neighborhood has its own

flavor and its own unique features and populace. In addition to an assortment of residential areas,

Metro City sports two theme parks, a full service resort, a high-end golf course, and world-

famous shopping. There is also plenty of industry and an active dock area where American-made

products are shipped over seas to places with little manufacturing capacity (like China).

Flying Fortressaka John Jefferson

"What's the boy sayin'?!"


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Motif: Good-natured, slow-witted, growth hero

10 3 1 4


SkillsAthletics 6; Brawling 6; Medicine 2; Connections 3

Meta-SkillsGrowth 20; Flight 2 (Limit: only when grown); Telescopic Vision 1

Hooks1) FF comes up with alliterations because they are easier to remember.2) FF is slightly afraid of fire.

Betty Bazookasaka Holly Hotentots

"What s cookin good lookin ?

Motif: Top-heavy Superior Soldier with trick bazookas

8 12 2 4


SkillsMartial Arts 8; Acrobatics 3; Athletics 2; (Seduction) 4

Meta-SkillsTrick Bombshells 7

Hooks1) Overly patriotic2) Highly competitive with other women


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Doctor Occultaka Andrew Marchings

"Excellent"

Motif: Magically endowed agent for the Order of the Rampant Phoenix

3 3 4 10


SkillsPersuasion 5; Diplomacy 5; Mysticism 5; Awareness 5

Meta-SkillsShadow Magic 15

Kinetic Manaka Walt Greer

"That s Kinetic Man. "

Motif: Young hero trying to prove his worth

4 12 4 4


SkillsAcrobatics 6; Athletics 2; Detective 3; Martial Arts 3; Search 3

Meta-SkillsKinetic Control 10


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T-151aka Tombore Solarus-Terra Quaternarium-151

Your human tongue cannot form the syllables required to pronounce my true name..

Motif: Highly advanced, alien visitor from quasi -space, here to study and protect humankind.

1 6 16 2

Black D: 13(17) Red D: 19FS: 30 SP: 2

SkillsGadgeteering 5; Wealth 2

Meta-SkillsTelepathy 5; Anti-Gravity Field Inducer 1; Ray-Gun 6; Force Field Generator (Black) 4; (Holo-Disguise) 10

Hooks1) Horrific appearance2) Enemy - The U.S. military is searching for T-151

Sample Scene Chase

A group of Metro City super heroes, having just recently met while on patrol, investigate a

commotion at a department store down the street. The group comes upon the scene of a half-

wolf, half-man creature tearing apart a display of manikins. Spooked by the presence of so many

opponents, the wolf-man jumps through a window and runs down the street with a bounding

gate.


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At this point, the Storyteller may or may not make an official notice to his players that he intends

for this to be a chase scene. Since this is a chase, the wolf-man is assumed to have first initiative,

regardless of relative statistics. The first Action Round has begun.

Running and leaping are considered Clubs-based action. Since he is a primary villain, the wolf-

man gets Trump Skills, just as a Player-character would, and he just happens to have Athletics as

one of his Trump Skill selections. Therefore, the wolf-man will get to draw three cards for

running away. The Storyteller then makes a draw for the wolf-man, getting a QC, 4D and a 10S.

Since running is a Clubs action and the wolf-man drew a Club on his Primary draw card, he gets

to add the Action Bonus card (10S), making his total for the first round 12 + 4 + 10 + 14 (from

statistics) = 40, a fairly high draw.

The action then shifts to the players for their first-round actions. Since Trump uses team

initiative, the players are all considered to act simultaneously after the wolf-man.

"Leaping Lombardi! The slobbering stray is getting away!" Flying Fortress exclaims. "Come on,

team, we've got to catch it before it hurts anyone else!" FF doesn't bother with a plan, it seemed

like a pretty straight forward chase.

FF sprints for the door, his long strides quickly covering the distance.

Flying Fortress also has athletics as a Trump Skill selection, and so also gets three cards. He

draws 8S, 10C, 6H. Once again, since running is a Clubs action and FF drew a Club on his


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Trump Bonus card, he also gets to add his Action Bonus card. Thus FF s draw for the first round

is 8 + 10 + 6 + 16 (for statistics) = 40!

Betty Bazookas does some acrobatics cartwheels out the window and gives chase. Her total draw

for the round ends up being a 32.

Kinetic Man runs out the front doors, tripping along the way. His draw for the round was very

low, only a 14.

Doctor Occult weaves the shadows around him, appearing instantaneously on a rooftop outside

the store, with a clear view of the wolf-man running down the street. His draw was a 44.

Meanwhile, the alien, T-151, floats along on an anti-gravity bubble as he calmly follows the trail

of saliva left by the creature, an unorthodox, if not effective strategy. His draw ends up being a

35.

Since Chase scenes use Opposed Checks, once all the Player-characters have made their

actions/draws, the storyteller compares their draws to that of the wolf-man. Those who drew

lower than the wolf- man are assumed to have lost ground on the creature in some way. Those

who drew higher are assumed to have made some kind of gain on the wolf-man. These

gains/losses are simulated with losses to Fighting Spirit.


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Since FF drew exactly the same as the wolf- man, he keeps pace with the creature, taking

neither a loss to his own FS, nor inflicting a loss to the wolf-man.

Betty Bazookas and T-151 both drew slightly lower than the creature. They are considered to

have fallen behind a little, taking respective losses of 8 and 5 to their Fighting Spirit.

Kinetic Man drew very low, taking a loss of 26 to his FS (the difference between his and the

wolf- man s draw) . This leaves Kinetic Man with only 4 FS left his trip has caused him to fall

very far behind. If he loses 4 more FS, he will be considered to knocked out of the chase.

Because he actually drew 4 points higher than the creature, Doctor Occult actually makes a gain

on the creature. This is simulated by a 4-point loss to the wolf- man s FS, leaving it with 26 FS.

This concludes the first Action Round. Consecutive rounds will follow a similar sequence untileither the wolf-man or all of his chasers run out of Fighting Spirit.

The Weirdstone Chronicles

Welcome to the town of Weirdstone Gulch. It s a weird, wild west out there, and all thanks to the

strange happenings of two years ago. That would be the year 1885 to you historical types.


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It started with a bright light in the sky, and it ended in a tremendous bang. You see, that light was

what the scientists back East call a meteor, and the bang, well, that was the meteor hittin the

town of Weirdstone Gulch.

Not quite sure why the town was called Weirdstone, cause it was purty much a normal town as

towns go. Big one, too, out in Colorado. Plenty of farmland nearby. Near nuff to the mountains

that prospectors used it as a supply depot. Heck, there was even a river runnin right through the

middle of town.

Weirdstone had just about everything a person would need a couple of good saloons, a

whorehouse, a blacksmith or two, a silversmith, an undertaker, a saddlemaker, a gunsmith, and

even a couple of good saloons. About the only thing they didn t have was a train depot, but there

was one about an hour s ride south.

But all that goodness came to an end two years back. As I said, with a light and a bang.

What happened next? Well, obviously, a meteor that falls out of the sky and makes a big bang

also makes a big hole in the ground. It did that, and practically smack dab in the middle of town.

What buildings did survive weren t really much to look at and were half fallin down to boot. So

the good folks of Weirdstone Gulch did what any self- respectin Am erican would do they

picked up the pieces and they moved on.


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Scattered to the four winds like they was, it get s a little tricky to figure exactly what happened

next. Near as I can tell, though, somethin about that meteor changed folks. They started doin

strange things. At first, it was exciting. Folks seemed to have amazing powers. But then they got

ugly. Not only did the weirdstone (that s what folks started callin the meteor) change what

people could do, it changed how they acted. Folks from Weirdstone Gulch started acting crazy,

and they did a lot of bad things.

What s worse, some people not from Weirdstone found out about the meteor. Some of them are

scientists, wantin to study the thing. Others are businessmen, trying to make a profit. Others a re

just darn crazy enough to see if they can get the stone to give them powers of their own. Most

folk that go into the ruins don t come out, but strange noises can be heard comin from the city at

night.

Bart Radical

"As my old pappy used to say, if at first you don't succeed, try something else.

Motif: Fast-talking card player and all around gambler extraordinaire

2 4 2 8


SkillsLegerdemain 4; Awareness 8; Persuasion 2; (Pistols) 4; (Riding) 2; (Tracking) 2


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Johnny One-Eye

"I lost an eye, but God saw fit to give me a spare.

Motif: Gruff professional gun-fighter who lost an eye in the war

2 4 2 2


SkillsGuns 11; (Quickdraw) 14; (Riding) 4

Pedro Pete

"$%&@! $%##@!

Motif: Foul-mouthed bandito mercenary

4 4 2 2

Black

trump v1.2 manuscript 072411

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