What If Brigade's home brew rules for Cogent - D10

D10 Homebrew Rules for Cogent 

• Ten Scale
• Challenge Levels
• Attributes
• Magic Table
• Healing Table
• Yield Table

On a D10:  6, 7, 8, 9 and 0 get a point.  While 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 don't.

Love the new Cogent RPG!  And while the current rules are simple and accessible as most people have lots of 1D6 dice, I prefer 1D10 for certain reasons.  Since the "points" are pass fail, Cogent can be run with any even number of dice.  But 1D10 has certain advantages in my mind:  The ten scale where under 50% is a failure and over 50% is a success is very intuitive.  For the Challenge Levels, one to ten is a much more natural scale that people would use in everyday life.   If there is a 10% chance you'll die getting hit by a car travelling 20mph then it is Challenge Level 1.   If there is a 50% chance you'll die getting hit by a car travelling 30mph, Challenge Level 5.  And A 90% chance you'll die getting hit by a car travelling 40mph, Challenge Level 9.  This might be somewhat annoying in that players could check the GM's work, but the benefit is also that the GM can use real world information.  

Challenge Levels:

The simplest way to explain this is to add +2 to the normal Challenge Levels (CL).  There are two new lower level CLs, but they can be ignored most of the time unless being done under stress (ie combat).

1.   Repetitive Task:  CL1
2.   Easy Task:  CL2
3.   Common Task:  CL3
4.   Uncommon Task: CL4
5.   Specialized Task:  CL5
6.   Difficult Task:  CL6
7.   Extremely Difficult Task:  CL7
8.   Unrealistic Task:  CL8
9.   Virtually Impossible Task:  CL9
10.   Inconceivable Task:  CL10

Examples:

1.   Repetitive Task:  Washing dishes.  Sorting widgets in a factory.  
2.   Easy Task:  Cannonball dive.
3.   Common Task:  Write a message on a postcard.
4.   Uncommon Task:  Train a dog.
5.   Specialized Task:  Ride a horse without a saddle.
6.   Difficult Task:  Climb a rope 20 meters in the rain.  
7.   Extremely Difficult Task:  Do a triple back flip.
8.   Unrealistic Task:  Catch a flying arrow.
9.   Virtually Impossible Task:  Lift a car.
10.   Inconceivable Task:  Get a "10" in Gymnastics from the Russian judge.

Attributes:

Since I added two new levels to challenges making everything harder, characters get 2 more attribute points for a total of FOUR.  This changes the descriptions of what the level of attributes means.  Zero (0) is now below average.  1 is average, etc.  

Magic Table:

I'll probably just use the Challenge Levels for magic success rates, but one optional rule I think could be interesting is to scale the amount of magical power available by party size.  This rule is designed to encourage magic users to add as many pets, riding creatures and party members as possible.  The animals must be trained, caged doesn't count.  The animals can belong to other party members.  Note that the "until rested" applies to everyone.  If the animals or party members haven't rested, then the additional uses and range are unavailable.  Also, if separated so they cannot hear or see the other the additional range and uses are unavailable.  Bonuses are CUMULATIVE!

1. Alone:  range touch, use once until rested.
2. Animals:  +5 meters per range and +1 use per 100kg of rested animal companions.
3. Teammates (party member or ally in combat):  +10m range and +1 use per rested teammate.
4. Magic users:  can use destiny points to assist other magic users magic rolls.
5. Magical creatures*:  can use two magics simultaneously with a permanently bonded familiar, cost 10 uses.  The character must have two different magic abilities to use this power, these are not the magical creatures powers.  Magical creatures also use this table and gain power based on group/party.  If a bonded familiar takes damage, the bonded character takes one less level of damage.
6. Soul link:  can use two character's magic in combination (range, combined effects, power).  Costs 10 uses from each.  Soul linked characters are permanently connected.  Both must be rested, both take each other's damage & any spells that hit one also effect the other.  If one dies, the other also dies.

Optional:  characters can use magic 1 use past their capacity, but take damage.  1 use=Victory Level 1 of damage.  2 uses= Victory Level 2 damage.  5= Death.

Healing Table:

Healing Challenge Levels:

Notes:  If the roll meets the requirement, the healing may require follow up visits monthly or even weekly.  Delaying treatment may require a CL penalty.  There is a one CL bonus if healing is used as a preventive treatment (e.g. healing to prevent the flu or indigestion), this doesn’t apply to combat damage only to illness.

Challenge Level 1	Heal headache
Challenge Level 2	Heal indigestion	Heal Victory Level 1 damage
Challenge Level 3	Treat allergies
Challenge Level 4	Heal the flu	Heal Victory Level 2 damage
Challenge Level 5	Heal heat exhaustion
Challenge Level 6	Heal depression	Heal Victory Level 3 damage
Challenge Level 7	Heal heart disease
Challenge Level 8	Heal cancer	Heal Victory Level 4 damage
Challenge Level 9	Heal brain damage
Challenge Level 10	Raise the recently dead	Heal Victory Level 5 damage

Yield Table:

This table is for non-player characters (NPCs) to determine how they react to overwhelming odds.  If the players try to intimidate or awe their opponents BEFORE fighting, use a Challenge Level roll (see above), but if combat has begun, you can use the optional Yield Table in addition to Victory Levels, etc.  GM's should feel free to disregard 

Yield Triggers:

1.   Victory Level 2 that isn't reduced by Strength or damage that isn't reduced by armor.
2.   Victory Level 3 reduced by Strength or Armor to level 2.
3.   Multiple Victory Level 2s against same opponent.
4.   Victory Level 3 that isn't reduced by Strength or damage that isn't reduced by armor.
5.   Victory Level 4 reduced by Strength or Armor to level 3.
6.   Multiple Victory Level 3s against the same opponent.
7.   Victory Level 4 that isn't reduced by Strength or damage that isn't reduced by armor.
8.   Multiple Victory Level 4s against the same opponent.
9.   Victory Level 5 reduced by Strength or Armor to level 4.
10.   Victory Level 5 if reduced to a lower outcome.

Yield Table Levels:

This table is for the opponents who were damaged, but for every 20% of opponents who are wounded or killed GM's can have the remainder of opponents roll against Yielding on the Challenge table and use this table to determine the type of yielding.  Can correspond to the triggers above.

1.   Attempts to disengage/create distance.  Can still fight.
2.   Attempts to flee.  Can fight towards getting away.
3.   Attempts to disengage/create distance.  Only defends, won't attack.
4.   White flag:  Asks to parley/conditional surrender.  Wants to leave/keep weapons.
5.   Attempts to flee.  Only defends, won't attack.
6.   White flag:  Conditional surrender.  Will give up weapons.  Goes where told.
7.   Drops weapon(s), flees in panic.  Keeps shield if any.
8.   Drops weapons, shield.  Flees in panic, will crawl or attempt dangerous leaps.  May stumble.
9.   White flag:  Unconditional surrender.  Will accept justice or reparations.
10.   Begs for mercy on knees.  

Gaining Allies, Join Party, etc:

If the Narrator and the player agree any opponent captured with a yield level of 6 to 10 can be recruited into the party or on their side via Challenge Level.  The opponent must beat a Challenge roll, with a penalty for any yield results past 6.   7=1 victory penalty, 8= 2 victory penalties, 9=3 victory penalties, 10=4 victory penalties.  These minions may or may not necessarily be loyal.  They might run away or stab the party members in the back later, but whether from Stockholm syndrome or genuine remorse, some will prove loyal.  The worse their Challenge roll loss, the more loyal they are.  

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