A more grounded, modern adaptation. Still a work-in-progress!

1. Say what you do and how, then roll a number of d6 equal to your relevant attribute rating.
2. If the sum of your roll with effects beats the target, you succeed.
3. For every 6 you roll, narrate a fact about the outcome.
4. You start with 1 point in each attribute: Body, Mind, and Soul.
5. Distribute 6 more points among your attributes, then points equal to your Mind among skills.
6. Damage reduces the rating of the relevant attribute from its maximum level.

Approaches

When you describe how you approach a task or respond to a challenge, the GM tells you which attribute rating to roll and the target number to beat, based on difficulty:

• 6: Easy
• 12: Moderate
• 18: Severe

Approaches are generally broader than a single action. They should encompass your focus in the whole scene, and most results should place an effect on something in the scene.

If another player is involved in the approach, use their most relevant attribute as an effect: positive if helpful, negative if hindering.

When other character actions target you, roll a reactive approach. Non-player characters don't roll, so the outcome is determined by your reaction outcome.

In a conflict, compare attributes based on its nature. When surprise is not a factor, characters act each round in descending attribute order. PCs act before NPCs in a tie.

Effects

An effect is a modifier (rated 1 to 6) that can be attached to anything, and remains in play while it's narratively true.

When an approach is made, you'll roll the dice, then add the single most helpful effect, and subtract the single most hindering effect, to arrive at your final result.

Equipment and tools function as effects. Your maximum Body determines how many significant items you can carry. Non-player characters have abilities and equipment as effects.

The other major type of effect is skills.
Specific settings will have their own skill lists. Otherwise, the default skills are:
Endure, Fight, Know, Make, Move, and Sway.

Results

The GM narrates outcomes according to your roll total:

• Under the target, you fail your approach.
• Equal to the target, you barely succeed with an unexpected twist.
• Over the target, you succeed.

You get to narrate an aspect of the outcome for each 6 you roll. It can't override the result, and the GM can edit your detail if they feel it's too extreme.

For every difference of 6 between the roll and target, an additional effect can be applied. This can include a point of incidental damage.

Damage

Harmful approaches reduce the relevant attribute by 1. For every difference of 6 between the roll and target, another point can be applied, or an additional effect.

When one of your attributes hits 0, you're knocked out based on the attribute, and can't act until the scene ends:

• Body: you fall unconscious or incapacitated
• Mind: you're incapable of acting in a normal, sane manner
• Soul: you panic and act out incoherently

At the end of the scene, zeroed attributes recover at 1, and characters regain control. After a full scene spent resting, attributes fully recover.

With appropriate equipment, you can heal attributes: on a successful approach, you restore points similar to damage (1 + 1 per difference of 6).

Contacts

Your maximum Soul determines how many contacts you have, which can each provide one benefit per story arc. Examples include:

• A bonus effect; material, knowledge, or otherwise
• Access to a person, place, or resource
• A narrative favor

Advancement

At the end of a story arc:

• Spend points equal to your maximum Mind on skills, new or existing.
• Refresh your contact benefits.
• Increase one attribute by 1.