Learn the foundation of Frame-Shift: how characters are built, how motivations shape play, and how scenes are driven by player choice.
Use the introductory questions to establish what the character wants and what the scene tension will be.
Many actions are contested, either by an opponent or by the world itself. When an action is contested, roll your skill using a number of d6s equal to the tier of the ability. The GM determines a difficulty for the contest, rolling an appropriate number of d6s against yours. Tally the totals and compare. Ties go to the person doing the action in directly opposed contests, or to the GM otherwise.
Skill Tiers & Dice Pools: The tier level of your applicable skill determines the number of d6s in your dice pool (e.g., Tier 4 rolls 4d6).
Quick Contests: Some contests should be resolved even more quickly; set the difficulty of the roll to the DC based on the tier of difficulty. Higher tier actions are relatively more difficult to perform.
| Tier | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quick DC | 4 | 8 | 12 | 16 | 20 |
The math behind contests is fairly strict. Modifiers have a larger impact on the outcome of the contest than you might expect. For an easy/hard roll add or subtract 1 from the Quick DC. For a very easy/hard roll add or subtract 2 from the Quick DC.
A Tier 5 contest with a DC of 20 has about a 30% chance of success. Adding the Very Hard tag lowers that to about 15%, while adding the Very Easy tag raises it to about 50%.
Advantage & Disadvantage: Rolling with Advantage adds +1d6 to your contest roll, while rolling with Disadvantage subtracts 1d6. Advantage and Disadvantage can stack when multiple tactical factors or abilities apply, modifying your dice pool to a maximum of 8d6 and a minimum of 1d6.
Critical Success / Failure: If you roll a DC +/- 6, you get a critical success or failure. Critical successes and failures are narrative and are up to the GM, including confirmation, unless otherwise specified.
Skills represent your character's training and specialized capabilities. Skills follow a branching logic system from broad attributes down to specific actions:
Skill Tiers & Dice Pools: The skill tier number equals the exact number of d6s rolled when taking an action (e.g., Tier 4 Scimitar = 4d6).
Note: These are guidelines and examples.
Basic actions are the foundation of play. They let characters interact with the world, assist each other, and respond to danger.
You use a weapon or natural feature to attack. Each subsequent attack action is less accurate and is made at Disadvantage.
When another character tries to do something, you can assist them as a reaction if you are in a position to help. When you do so, roll an appropriate skill. If any of your dice has a higher value than the person you are helping, you can replace their lower valued dice with yours.
You interact with an object (e.g., opening a door).
You crawl, run, or walk.
You crawl five feet.
You move your speed. The default movement speed is 25 feet but Frames may alter this.
You move ten feet. You gain Advantage when defending against a reaction based on movement.
Designate a trigger and an action, when that trigger happens you perform the action as a reaction.
You bravely hide behind a stack of crates. Sufficient cover from an attack grants you Advantage on your defense.
You do something outside of what is defined here. Your GM may decide that what you are trying to do takes multiple actions, or even rounds.
Complex Actions allow you to modify how a standard action functions based on the situation:
Normally, a standard Attack action spends 1 action to target a single enemy in an opposed contest. A Complex Attack modifies the standard action rules to attempt something more ambitious:
If you face two enemies and want to strike them both in a single fluid move, you declare a Complex Attack. You still spend 1 action, but your attack roll is made at Disadvantage (-1d6) against the defense of each opponent individually.
Combat in Frame-Shift is fast-paced and tactical. At the start of your turn, you gain three actions. Characters will trade blows and actions until the combat resolves. Keep in mind that advantage and disadvantage make a large difference, so seek out ways to gain and inflict them!
When combat begins, all participants roll for Initiative to determine turn order:
Damage values will be determined by the Frame.
Since each setting has different needs, your character sheet will be defined in the Frame.