Action is what Nameless does best, but the rules are only half of the equation. To get the most out of Nameless, players and GMs have to give vivid, inventive descriptions of their characters' actions. Stop thinking in terms of rounds and initiative and start thinking like a movie stunt coordinator! Instead of firing off a bullet each round, unload a full clip in a single action. Don't just take a swing at your opponent, sweep their legs out from beneath them and wrest their weapon away. Realistic timekeeping has no place in a Nameless game!
In fact, Nameless doesn't even have an initiative system. It's up to the GM to switch between different parts of a fight as the needs of the story dictate. This is a game of drama, not realism. Fights are far more engrossing when players and NPCs can trade a series of blows before focus switches to another character, rather than limiting each person to one action every ten minutes.
If the order in which characters do things ever becomes important (quick draw contests, interrupting actions, etc), have everyone involved draw a card against their Reflex plus the skill being used. Characters who succeed act in descending order of their draws, with ties happening simultaneously. Everyone who fails acts last, in descending order.
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Optional Rule: Counter-Attacks If the attacker fails their check, but the defender makes a successful Skilled defense (ie. Block), the defender can immediately draw another card using their defense result as the new Target Number. This is called a counter-attack and cannot be defended against. The player chooses the exact result, which can be pretty much anything: a hit for damage, a lock or hold, a disarm, or even a Jedi-style missile deflection stunt. (That's why Dodges don't count: it takes skill to counterattack!) This rule adds a tactical element to combat and can be used to create interesting combination moves. |
To make an attack, add your character's Brawn or Agility to a combat Skill. The target gets a chance to defend themselves with an Unskilled action (aka. Dodge) or Skilled action (AKA Block). Whoever gets the higher, successful result wins. Unskilled defenses just get you out of danger, while Skilled defenses can result in counter-attacks (see sidebar). This pattern can be applied to magical and psychic contests as well as car chases, gunfights, and good old fashioned fisticuffs.
All attacks should be phrased in terms of the desired end result ("Knock him out," "Kill 'em," "disarm," etc). Since Nameless doesn't use traditional hit points, health levels, or damage modifiers, "I try to hit him" is rarely sufficient for determining what actually happens when an attack succeeds. Plus, this game is all about style, so be creative!
If an attacker puts their victim in a lock or hold, they should give the card they drew to the victim's player. Whenever that character attempts something that would be hampered by the hold, their card has to beat that card to be considered successful. This system can also be used for any kind of magic or other strangeness that prevents characters from doing things. Quick and easy.
Every successful attack in a Nameless game can take a character out of a fight. Shot with an uzi, hit over the head with a barstool, elbow smashed in the face... it's all the same in Nameless. Again, this isn't meant to be realistic. It's meant to be fast, simple, and to encourage creative stunts over bigger, badder weapons. In fact, the only real reason to use a gun instead of your fists should be the ability to attack from a distance.
Nameless includes three different methods for handling injury. Try each of them out and go with whatever works best for you.
The Stamina System: Each character gets a number of Stamina Points equal to their Stamina Ability score (big surprise). When they get hit, they mark off a point and "work through the pain." When they're out of Stamina, they're still in the fight, but the next hit will take them down for good. Stamina refreshes whenever the GM thinks it should; it's like when an action movie hero gets his "second wind" after wading through a dozen goons to reach the main villain. Speaking of mooks, minor characters shouldn't even get Stamina points. When they get hit, they stay down.
The Wounds System: When a character gets hit, they have to make an unskilled Stamina check to remain conscious. Even if they succeed, they take one Wound (poker chips work well for these). Wounds make future Stamina checks harder: if the card doesn't beat the number of wounds a character has, it counts as a failure. Severe wounds, like stab wounds or gunshot wounds, take longer to heal and probably require quick medical attention, but they count the same as any other wounds for Stamina checks. Again, minor characters always fail their Stamina checks. (For more grit, make all actions have to beat a character's wounds to succeed!)
The Recovery System: When a character gets hit, they're knocked down and out... at least temporarily. Getting back up requires an unskilled Stamina check... and a dramatically appropriate amount of time. GMs can hand out penalty cards for heavily injured characters, or use the Wounds system (above) to create a steady build-up of injuries. This system encourages good defense and allows a successful attacker to press their advantage: their victims have to recover before they can defend themselves further. As usual, minor characters always fail their Stamina checks.
Nameless does not give damage modifiers for weapons. The reasons for this are: 1) it means less number crunching during the game, and 2) it encourages players to select weapons that fit their characters, rather than just grabbing whatever does the most damage. That's not to say that all weapons are the same, though. Most obviously, some let you make attacks from a distance while others are limited to personal reach. More exotic items might even grant Bonus Cards to certain kinds of actions, like using a whip to disarm an opponent.
However, if the fact that fists are just as dangerous as bullets doesn't fit your style of play, there are ways to make severe injuries more deadly. (Red and blue poker chips work great for keeping track of different wound types, by the way.)
If a character is wearing armor, give them a bonus card on their Stamina checks OR don't charge Stamina points for attacks the armor can absorb. If a character is using a shield, give them a bonus card to their blocks and/or dodges. End of story.