Sharing Fate Together: Gameplay Mechanics

Regular Play
At this point, the basis of the game should have happened already in session zero. The players should have a general idea of who the other characters are, and some may even have appropriate, intertwined backstories. The adventure begins with the first session, which is how the GM will introduce everyone into the game world.

Normal game play consists of the characters interacting with the environment around them. Be it speaking to NPCs, asking the GM questions about their surroundings, or performance related skills, normal game play consists of the players developing the story that has been presented to them. The GMs role is to help facilitate (or impede) their progress as the story dictates, as well as react to their actions and immediate goals.

Sometimes a player wishes to perform an action wherein a check is required, such as for using the stealth talent, or lifting a heavy rock. It is constituted of rolling 1d12 of either the appropriate stat or talent as called by the GM. The GM will give a Difficulty Rating (DR) to establish the chance of success or failure by the players.

Generally speaking, the Suikoden world is politically charged and filled with intrigue. Forces all over have their own whims and desires, and often come into conflict. Sometimes they instigate their change, other times they react. Either way, PCs should never play with the expectation that the story cannot take these drastic turns depending on their actions (or lack thereof).

These conflicts can manifest itself in several ways. One of the most common is typical combat scenarios, wherein the PCs must fight various enemies to make progress. However, on a grander scale, large scale war battles are involved. Sometimes, duels happen between two characters. All of these methods are outlined in this section.

The Passage of Time
There isn’t a hard and fast rule as to how time passes in the Suikoden world. The games themselves only talked about time as necessary, shifting from day-night sequences as appropriate.

The tabletop game differs in that regard. Time flows as appropriate; sleeping at an inn or taking a rest should advance the game a day. Training or otherwise leveling up should also represent a passage of time, since it represents growth and additional understanding. Preparations for war should take several days or even weeks. The exterior game world around the players should advance as normal.

Conflicts that arise because of this (video game mechanics versus role-playing time) are handled as best they could in this book and are mentioned. Mechanics that are tied to time are ultimately at the discretion of the GM. Things divided up by game session or by day are mentioned, but a GM can overrule these as a GM sees fit.

Travel and Transportation
In a similar vein, travel operates similarly. There are no explicit rules how travel works, and it is another instance where the video game conflicts with role-playing. Travel should take time as necessary. If the player is traveling on foot, then they should be met with encounters from monsters as they head to their destination over the course of several days. If they’re riding a beast of burden or using some kind of vehicle, then that amount of travel time should be sped up significantly.

There are exceptions. The first is Blinking Magic, a form of magic that allows the caster to warp and transport objects and people. Viki, a major actor in Suikoden, is known for teleporting individuals to their destinations instantly, making travel time non-existent. Another is the Blinking Mirror, a mysterious artifact that allows a user to travel through a mirror and end up at the other side. A combination of these factors allows for “fast travel”.

The Destroyers of Suikoden III (Luc, Sarah, Yuber, and Albert Silverberg) also employed a kind of teleportation magic that seemed to differ from Blinking magic, but it is unclear what sphere of magic that fell under. Gate magic also arguably acts as transportation, though that claim is more contentious. Its sphere is the ability to link and shift creatures and monsters between worlds.

Combat
The most common kind of adventuring encounter is combat-related. Usually this pits the PCs against a group of aggressive monsters or PCs that are trying to get the better of the group.

Movement is designed to happen on a grid, but can be theater of the mind if the GM can keep track most of it in his or her head!

At the start of the round: Establish turn order.

Everyone (PCs and enemies) rolls [Combat Reflexes + d12], with the character having the highest number acting first and going through the list. On a player’s turn, they can move, as well as make a physical attack or cast magic.

Movement: A PC can move up to equal up to their SPD grade. This can happen before, after, or split up during their turn.

On an attack: You must be in the correct range, as determined by your weapon choice during character creation.
 * Short: Must be next to the target
 * Medium: Must be three squares or closer to the target

To Hit: [Combat Prowess + Weapon Level + d12 roll + (other potential modifiers, such as Sharpshooter)]
 * Long: Anyone that the PC can see.

To Defend: If you are getting attacked, determine which armor rating applies: If the to hit roll is greater, then you may deal damage. This is when command runes would normally be used (though there are exceptions depending on the rune). If armor rating is greater, then no damage is rolled.
 * vs Short Range Weapon: Armor Rating
 * vs Medium Range Weapon: Armor Rating + (Parry Talent OR Evasion Talent, player preference)
 * vs Long Range Weapon: Armor Rating + Parry Talent + Evasion Talent

To calculate damage: Roll the number of d10 equal to your weapon level, unless the shield skill changes that number. If that number of dice still equals more than twelve, then simply add 5 for every die over twelve. That rolled value is then subtracted from the receiver’s HP.

To cast magic: Rather than attack, players may opt to cast magic. They may cast a spell from any rune they have attached and expend the available magic points. Magic damage and defense is calculated appropriately.

This ends the character’s turn. Play proceeds to the next character in the turn order, until everyone has gone. Once everyone has gone, the round ends and a new round starts.

Common Status Ailments
Poison: (Variable) The character is hit with poison. The type of poison is variable, and can be either physical or magical.

Balloon: (Magical) The character has a balloon tied around their neck. Three balloons and the character floats out of battle.

Unfriendly: (Physical) A character has isolated themselves from battle. They cannot receive benefits such as healing from other party members. They also cannot perform unite attacks.

Bucket/Blinded: (Magical) The character has had a bucked dropped on him, making it very hard to see. Increase visual DRs, including to hit rolls, by five.

Unbalanced: (Physical) The character cannot perform any actions at all for an entire round, when they regain their balance.

Berserk: (Magical) The character may only attack, and movement drops to 1. However, they may add half of their weapon level to hit and for rolling damage dice.

Alert: (Magical) Magical berserk. Movement drops to one, but add their MAG grade to all magic casting.

Sleep: (Magical) The character has fallen asleep, and cannot perform until the person is awake. If the character is hit, then they wake up.

Forgetful/Mute: (Magical) The character cannot remember/how to speak and therefore manipulate runic magic.

Dead/Unconscious: Hit points have reached zero. The character has fallen in battle.

War Battles
Another prominent feature of Suikoden is war battles. Specialized fights that encompass hundreds or thousands of fighters, war battles constitute major conflicts that in turn help develop the story. In tabletop form, the mechanics are the GM and the players going head-to-head making dice rolls while dealing with raising stakes.

Pre-Battle
Players will calculate the total of all of their War Strategy grades. This represents the total dice pool for players. Divide this number up between players. This represents the number of dice players have access to.

Part 1: The Face-Off
Part one consists of a face-off between the GM and one of the PCs. Both roll a d12. If a 1 is rolled, that is considered a critical mistake. The round is over, and the loser surrenders a die. If a 12 is rolled, then the stakes are doubled, and the winner can force the opponent to lose twice as many dice. Otherwise, whoever has the higher number is considered the “attacker” and the other is the “defender”.

If both roll a 1, then both lose a die. If both roll a 12, then stakes are doubled for both. If a 1 and a 12 come up, then both take hold: The player that rolled the 1 loses two dice. Ties go to the roller with the higher war strategy talent. If that is tied as well, then reroll, but keep any 12s rolled.

Part 2: The Conflict
Once it is determined who is the attacker and who is the defender, the next phase of the round begins.

Each player rolls with a d10, while the GM rolls with d20s. Whoever is attacking rolls their dice. So, if the players are attacking, everyone who has dice from the pool rolls a d10. If the GM is attacking, they roll [number of players/2, round up] d20, then announces the DR while not telling the players how many dice he or she is committing. From the dice that they rolled, they set the DR that the opponent has to hit. The players deliberate how many dice they wish to commit to the DR.

Once the DR has been set, the defender has to decide how many dice to commit on their own before rolling. Once the defender has committed, they must roll. Note: For this part, the GM must say how many dice they will commit to the roll, attacking is not done in secret.

If the DR was met, the defender wins. If the DR was not met, then the attacker wins. Loser surrenders their committed dice.

If a unit loses all their dice, then they are eliminated from play for the rest of the battle. Play continues like this until one side loses all of their dice. The object for either side is to reduce the opponent’s dice pool to zero. reducing the dice pool to zero represents a victory. Two out of three matches wins.

The War Strategy talent grade determines how many times these bonuses may be invoked in battle by a strategist with their talent. Strategist bonuses only get reset after war battles and not between matches, so any bonuses spent do not get replenished at this time.

Strategist Bonuses for the Face-Off: Strategist Bonuses for the Conflict: Silverberg Advantages: ''Note: Silverberg advantages are inherent. They do '' not represent uses like strategists bonuses. 
 * Force the GM to take a -3 penalty before rolling.
 * Treat a 1 as a regular roll rather than an error.
 * Treat a 12 as a regular roll rather than a bonus for the GM.
 * Inspire a unit (including themselves) to roll with a d12 instead of a d10 for one conflict.
 * May protect a player’s die from being lost when committed to the DR.
 * May flatly add three to their attacking DR.
 * May retreat from battle. If players are facing a total loss, a strategist may successfully guide his remaining troops into retreating.
 * Adds two to their own dice pool.
 * Rolls with d12s instead of a d10 during the conflict.
 * Force the GM to tell how many dice they committed while attacking.

War Battle Example
The following is a mechanical example only, and does not necessarily always highlight best or most strategic game play.

Flik, Lepant, Lotte, and Mathiu are about to participate in a war battle. Flik’s War Strategy grade is C (4), Lepant’s is B- (6), Lotte doesn’t have one (0), and Mathiu’s is B+ (8), so their total is 18. Flik and Lotte take four dice, Lepant and Mathiu take five dice. Mathiu has an additional two thanks to his Silverberg Lineage boon. He also rolls with a d12 instead of a d10, thanks to that same boon.

Lepant faces off against the GM. He rolls a 3, and the GM rolls a 6. The GM is attacking. The GM rolls dice and informs the party the DR to hit is 17. Mathiu’s Silverberg Lineage boon forces the GM to say that he’s committed two dice to total 17. Lotte, Flik, and Mathiu roll their dice: 1, 4, 7. The total is twelve, and misses the DR. Mathiu protects Lotte’s 1, with one of his strategist bonuses (this leaves him with 7 bonuses). Everyone else loses 1 die. Another faceoff, and Flik decides to go for it. He rolls a 1 and the GM rolls 5. His brashness would be punished by losing a die, but Mathiu uses a strategist bonus to simply make it a regular roll (this leave him with 6 bonuses).

The GM says the DR this time is 13, with one die committed. Lotte, Flik, Lepant and Mathiu all roll: 4, 8, 9, 9 for a total of 30. The GM loses the die. Lotte takes a turn. She rolls an 11 to the GM’s 7. The party will be attacking this time and will set the DR. They all roll their dice: 5, 3, 7, 11. Mathiu convinces the party to all commit their dice, and they do, for a total of 26. The GM rolls and announces a roll of 25. The GM loses two dice.

Mathiu goes to bat this time. He rolls a 12 to the GM’s 4. The stakes have been doubled for the party. Their rolls come to 1, 4, 10, and 12. Lepant, Lotte, and Mathiu all commit for a total of 26. The GM doesn’t bother rolling, taking the loss. The GM loses two more dice.

Play continues like this until one side loses all their dice. That gets chalked to a victory. Dice pools are reset (strategist bonuses are not), and play begins again.

Duels
Sometimes, a group fighting a single person is simply unfair. To even the playing field a bit, characters may sometimes prefer the option of dueling.

Dueling consists of two characters fighting head to head. Rather than apply regular battle conditions, a specialized set of rules is applied and uses the player’s Duelist talent is available.

When dueling, there are three choices: Attack, Defend, and Forceful Attack. Players (and their opponents) make their choices in secret. Outcomes: Dueling continues until one player falls.
 * Attack: Make a regular to hit roll, but in addition add Duelist to your attack if applicable.
 * Defend: Prepare for an incoming attack, adding Duelist talent to your defense.
 * Forceful Attack: Forgo the to-hit roll to try and catch your opponent off-guard, adding damage dice equal to your Duelist talent.
 * Attack v. Defend: Attacker tries to hit the defender.
 * Forceful Attack v. Attack: Forceful Attacker wins. Roll damage, adding number of damage dice equal to your duelist talent.
 * Defend v. Forceful Attack: Defender wins. Roll damage.
 * Attack v. Attack: Both players roll to hit. The player with the highest Duelist talent goes first. Roll d12s to break ties otherwise.
 * Defend v. Defend: Both players do nothing.
 * Forceful Attack v. Forceful Attack: Both players will roll for damage adding dice, but the player with the highest Duelist talent goes first. Roll d12s to break ties.

The Headquarters
One of the major points of any Suikoden game is known as the Headquarters. This place serves as a base of operations for the stars of destiny. It is here that stars set up shops, set up various gaming establishments, store valuable artifacts or goods, partake in cultural activities, and reside. It is at the headquarters that the stars plot out their next moves and war strategies.

In a tabletop setting, the headquarters represents the ideal place for the PCs to gather, strategize, or generally role-play their characters. They can perform any number of downtime or in-between actions if time is not an issue, generating revenue, researching subjects, or training up talents. PCs can spend attribute points and train talents appropriately, purchase new equipment, sharpen weapons, or anything that can improve the character – as the resources of the headquarters permits.

The headquarters serves as an invaluable point of gathering for the stars, and may vary in size or shape. The home base in the first Suikoden game was the abandoned Lake Toran Castle, which was made out of pure rock and stone. Suikoden II and III had an entire town as their home base. Suikoden IV had a mobile base of operations; a giant ship was constructed as a floating headquarters. The limits to what could serve as a possible headquarters are almost endless. The headquarters grows and grows as people get wind of it. The more stars that are recruited, the bigger the headquarters expands. More services become available, and more people take up residence. Story events, important NPCs, and legendary items can all eventually pass through the PC’s headquarters.

Eventually, the headquarters becomes a centralized place of existence, where commerce, trade, and employment all become prominent features of this new locale, ultimately affecting the world at large. In terms of game mechanics, it is usually (but not always) considered a “safe” place for the stars of destiny. It is their home, after all, and in their free time the stars are allowed to mingle about headquarters as if it were their home town. They can take part in any business exchanges that might go on. There are no reasons why they cannot take place in the community they are now a part of.

It is generally up to the GM and the PCs as to the involvement with the headquarters, though it is highly encouraged. How the headquarters operates is listed below.

How To Build a Headquarters
As with other mechanics in the Genso Suikoden Tabletop Roleplaying Game, the quality of the headquarters is graded. This overall grade represents to the world the power and influence that the headquarters has. As the headquarters is graded higher and higher, it becomes more of a force in the world at large. Determining the grade of the headquarters is an average grade of three factors: Commerce, Civil, and Culture.

Increasing the individual grades means not only building the requisite structures, but also making sure they are appropriately manned and managed. This can be done by the PCs themselves, or they can hire NPCs to do their bidding for a fee as determined by the GM, or recruited throughout the adventure. For every structure and appropriately maintained (as determined by the GM), that category’s grade increases by 1. Increasing the grades of each of the categories increases the benefits of the headquarters.

Rewards:

D Grade: The Stone Tablet of Promise

One of the most iconic of Suikoden staples, the Stone Tablet of Promise is a visual record of every single star of destiny that has joined your cause.

C Grade: Blinking Mirror

Another iconic staple, the Blinking Mirror expedites travel a great deal. Whenever you need to return to your headquarters, you may use this object and teleport instantly. Don’t let it fall into enemy hands now!

B Grade: Homefield Advantage

It’s starting to feel like home. All talents and attributes when in the Headquarters are temporarily raised by a grade, including breaking the S-rank barrier. This stacks with a bath, and a strategist’s Combat Strategy talent.

A Grade: Rare Finds

Those who run businesses in your headquarters will get random rare/unique finds come through their shop. These items will be generated by the GM appropriately.

S Grade: A Visit from Leknaat

You’ve maximized the headquarters, which means your band of adventurers has turned a non-existent place into something for the world to reckon with. Leknaat, the guider of the stars of destiny, is almost guaranteed to stop by.

Headquarters by Aspect
''Note: Item Shop is broken into subsets here. Item Shop in of itself does not give a grade increase, but serves as a prerequisite that must be fulfilled in order to get the grades of “Accessories” and/or “Items”.''

Bonus: For every commerce requirement met, an additional 1,000 potch is generated monthly. ''Note: War Room, like Item Shops in Commerce, is broken into three subsets. In order to get the grades of the subsets, the “War Room” requirement must also be met. '' Bonus: Players may replace their War Strategy talent (or lack of one) with the grade of the civil requirements that have been met. Note: Museum and Tavern are broken into subsets and follow the same rules as established. Bonus: For every culture requirement met, the GM will turn one NPC into an adventuring companion at the request of the PCs. Logistical reasons permit only one additional NPC may adventure with the party at any given time.

Experience Points, Leveling, and Money
For every 1,000 experience points gained, a PC gains a level. Experience points are commonly obtained through fighting monsters and being in battles. A character must survive by the end of the battle to get the experience points. When a character levels, they also get one attribute point.

There are other ways to get experience points that are specific to The Genso Suikoden Tabletop RPG. Experience is also gained in war battles and duels, as determined appropriately by the GM. While the practice of simply handing out experience points is discouraged; good role playing as well as clever thinking should be rewarded. Regardless, GM’s discretion is ultimately the determining factor as to what is experience point worthy.

Tutors, Talents, and New Boons
While you gain attribute points right away when you level, to spend them you must visit the appropriate tutor. Tutors are characters who have the tutelage talents, and can raise your grades and helping you reach new heights. Tutors can only teach you as high as they are able.

Tutors can also teach you new talents if you have the slots available. As mentioned during character creation, purchasing new talents starts them out at F-grade. As always, you cannot raise talents higher than the attribute grade, unless you raise the attribute grade first. Generally speaking, players cannot purchase new boons throughout the course of play. There is no way to generate boon points. However, good role-play, character development, and change of circumstance could make some boons available and could be rewarded to the player. The same is true for drawbacks. Both offer mechanically interesting opportunities for role-play, which should be encouraged. However, the GM has the final say.