Grit System — Complete Reference

Core Vision

A system that balances narrative storytelling with the satisfying crunch of numbers. Combat is short, tense, and always risky — heroes swing until exhaustion, armor matters, and fights end quickly. Characters grow through skill-based progression rather than class-locked abilities, allowing organic development tied to player choices.

The Grit pool represents more than physical toughness: it is the capacity to endure in a close, dangerous scuffle — to land hits, evade, build pressure, take damage, read an opponent, and stay coherent in chaos. When two fighters meet in melee, both can take harm. The attacker is never safe.

Design Goals

1. Melee remains dangerous. Both sides can deal damage — every direct exchange is a gamble.
2. Not only tanks are viable. Grit can be strong through many paths: raw power, toughness, speed, technique, instinct, willpower, presence, or other special qualities.
3. Techniques feel important. Not because they inflate dice, but because they open new possibilities.
4. Essence attributes stay special. Charisma and other setting-defined Essence attributes are not normal combat stats — they typically require origin, gift, mastery, or a special technique to unlock.
5. Math stays controlled. Player pools typically range from 3d6 to 7d6, keeping the system legible and predictable.

Attributes

Eight attributes in three groups. Values range from 1 to 10; human average is 3. Settings may define additional Essence attributes (see Setting Extensions).

Body

Mind

Essence

Settings may define additional Essence attributes (e.g., Blood, Shadow, Magic). Essence attributes are not ordinary combat stats — using them in combat typically requires a special origin, gift, technique, or mastery.

Starting Attributes

All attributes start at 3. You receive 3 points to distribute freely among your attributes (no single attribute may exceed 10). Setting-specific bonuses (e.g. a folk's +1) are added on top of this distribution.

Dice Pools & Exhaustion

Your max pool (number of d6) is determined by the sum of two relevant attributes (see table below). You may switch between different attribute pairs depending on your training (see Attribute Combination Tiers).

Exhaustion is a global counter that starts at 0 and increases when you take damage, push yourself, or suffer attrition. Your effective pool = max pool − exhaustion.

When effective pool reaches 0 for a given approach, that approach is unusable. When all your approaches have effective pool ≤ 0, you are unconscious.

Formula: pool = ceil((sum − 1) / 3)

Monstrous opponents can exceed the 7-die cap.

Attribute Combination Tiers

Which two attributes you may combine depends on your training and access.

Tier 1 — Unlearned

Without a relevant technique, the pool may only be formed from two Body attributes.

Allowed combinations:

Strength + Agility
Strength + Constitution
Agility + Constitution

These represent simple, physical brawling.

Tier 2 — Combat Technique

A relevant combat technique allows one Body attribute + one Mind attribute, or one Body attribute + Charisma.

Strength + Intelligence    Strength + Wisdom    Strength + Instinct    Strength + Willpower    Strength + Charisma
Agility  + Intelligence    Agility  + Wisdom    Agility  + Instinct    Agility  + Willpower    Agility  + Charisma
Constitution + Intelligence  Constitution + Wisdom  Constitution + Instinct  Constitution + Willpower  Constitution + Charisma

These represent trained, technical, or conscious fighting styles.

Tier 3 — Setting Extensions

Settings may define additional Essence attributes (e.g., Blood, Shadow, Magic). These typically require origin, gift, mastery, or a special technique to unlock. When unlocked, they enable Body + setting-Essence combinations.

Tier 4 — Legendary Exception

Mind + Essence or Essence + Essence combinations are only permitted if explicitly allowed by the GM. This tier is reserved for exceptional characters, monsters, or high advancement.

Switching Combinations in Combat

A character who has access to multiple attribute combinations may switch their approach during a fight, enabling flexible fighting styles.

Example: A character with Agility 9, Wisdom 8, Charisma 7, Constitution 5 can fight:

• physically and mobile (Agility + Constitution = 14 → 5d6)
• precise and tactical (Agility + Wisdom = 17 → 6d6)
• socially dominant (Agility + Charisma = 16 → 5d6)

Exhaustion is global — switching approaches does not reduce it. A versatile character with multiple high pools can keep fighting longer as exhaustion rises; a one-trick pony with a single approach runs out sooner.

Fighting Styles

Every attribute pair suggests a combat approach. Some pairs may unlock special effects (full table TBD).

Example: Strength + Agility (Skirmisher) — on a successful Feint, you may also reposition.

Recovery

Recovery reduces exhaustion.

Defeat

• Exhaustion ≥ highest max pool: Unconscious, out of fight.

Combat Resolution

Success Threshold

Two variants:

Fumble rate (heroic): ~8–13% depending on pool size.
Fumble rate (hardcore): ~18–20% depending on pool size.

Turn Structure (Popcorn)

• Acting character gets 2 actions per turn.
• Each action = pick a target → opposed attack roll.
• After both actions, pass the turn to another character (usually an enemy).

Opposed Attack Resolution

1. Actor and target both roll their effective pool.
2. Self-cancel: Each side counts successes (4+ or 5+ depending on mode) and failures (1s). Net successes = successes − failures.
3. Fumble: If 1s outnumber successes on your side after self-cancel, something goes wrong. The GM narrates a fitting consequence. Optional d6 table:

4. Compare net successes — the side with more lands a hit on the other.
5. Tied (equal net successes): Brief clash, no clear effect. The position remains contested. Some techniques may change this (see Combat Techniques — Rank 3).

Damage & Advantage

The difference in net successes determines the effect:

• 1 excess → gain 1 Advantage token (no exhaustion).
• 2+ excess → gain excess − 1 exhaustion.

Advantage token: Add +1 success to your next attack against that opponent, or (with a relevant technique) pass it to an ally fighting the same target. Tokens do not stack — you either have one or you don't.

Outnumbered / Assists

When multiple characters coordinate against the same target, the fiction comes first — players describe how they attack together.

For each ally beyond the first engaging the same target:

• Cap of 4 attackers unless the GM rules the target is large enough for more.
• Outnumbered characters cannot use Extra Actions (Brace, Feint, Aim, Charge, Desperate Rush) — even on their own turn. Their attention is split.
• Exhaustion: Each round beyond the first while outnumbered, the defender gains 1 exhaustion (added to the global counter). Special techniques can delay or prevent this.

Armor System

Concept

Armor uses an HP die — the die size represents both protection tier and remaining durability. Bigger dice block more excess and degrade more slowly.

Protection Tiers

How a Hit Resolves

1. Opposed attack → winner's excess.
2. Add weapon bonus to excess.
3. Compare to armor's block threshold:
   • Excess ≤ threshold → fully blocked (no exhaustion, no Advantage token).
   • Excess > threshold → subtract armor's DR.
4. If excess exceeded the block threshold: roll the armor's HP die.
   • 4+: holds.
   • 1–3: degrade one step in the chain.
5. Final excess determines the effect:
   • 1 → gain 1 Advantage token.
   • 2+ → gain excess − 1 exhaustion.

Degradation Chain

D20 → D12 → D10 → D8 → D6 → D4 → broken

Armor loses protection as it degrades — legendary plate that once shrugged off hard hits eventually becomes as protective as scrap leather.

Quality Examples

Repair

• Narrative-based: If it makes sense in the story, it can be repaired.
• Gold: Materials always needed.
• Time: Downtime allows repair.
• Skills/Backgrounds: Enable faster or better repair.
• GM discretion: "How do you handle this?" is the mechanic.

Weapons

Concept

Weapons mirror the armor HP die system: a weapon has a tier from W4 to W20, using the same degradation chain (W20 → W12 → W10 → W8 → W6 → W4 → broken).

How a Hit Resolves

1. Opposed attack → winner's excess.
2. Add weapon bonus to excess.
3. Compare to armor's block threshold:
   • Excess ≤ threshold → fully blocked.
   • Excess > threshold → subtract armor's DR.
4. Final excess determines the effect:
   • 1 → gain 1 Advantage token.
   • 2+ → gain excess − 1 exhaustion.

final excess = base excess + weapon bonus − armor DR (if not fully blocked)

A weapon's bonus increases the excess of any hit you land. Against heavy armor, a strong weapon can still push through; against light armor, even a weak weapon can sting. Weapon and armor tiers are fully symmetric — the same die tier provides the same numeric bonus or DR on both sides.

Weapon Bonus

Fully symmetric with armor DR — weapon bonus and armor DR cancel each other directly.

Degradation

A weapon degrades when it lands a hit against armor tougher than itself.

Trigger: You win the opposed roll and your weapon tier is lower than the hit armor's effective tier.

Check: Roll the weapon's HP die. On 1–3, degrade one step in the chain.

A W6 dagger hitting D10 chainmail degrades on a roll of 1–3 (50% chance). A W12 greatsword hitting D10 chainmail never degrades from contact — the weapon outclasses the armor.

Degradation chain and probabilities match the armor system exactly.

Combat Actions

Principles

• 2 actions per turn — basic moves cost 1 action.
• Exhaustion as fuel — powerful moves cost exhaustion on top of the action.
• 2-action moves — consume your whole turn for an extreme effect.

Action List (Draft)

Power Strike is not a default action — reserved for special feats/techniques.

Combat Techniques

Principles

Combat Techniques do not add dice to your pool. Because Grit pools are tight (3d6–7d6), a single bonus die is disproportionately powerful. Combat Techniques do not stack — you cannot combine multiple techniques on the same roll. One effect per roll. Instead, techniques provide:

1. New attribute combinations for Grit
2. Access to maneuvers (alternative uses for net successes)
3. Better use of ties (equal net successes)
4. Control over risk
5. Special narrative combat options

Technique Ranks

Each combat technique has four ranks (0–3). A character progresses through ranks by training and play.

Rank 0 — Unlearned

The character can fight normally but only with Body + Body attributes.

Winning = deal damage
Losing = take damage

No special options.

Rank 1 — Practiced

The technique unlocks new attribute combinations for Grit (see example table below).

Rank 2 — Experienced

The technique allows spending net successes on maneuvers instead of (or in addition to) damage. Each net success normally adds 1 to the excess. With a Rank 2 technique, you may forgo some or all damage to perform maneuvers.

Rank 3 — Masterful

The technique allows controlling ties or limited insurance.

Without a technique: a tie (equal net successes) means no effect.

With a Rank 3 technique, a tie can produce minor benefits:

Or a Rank 3 technique may provide limited insurance once per fight:

Once per combat, neutralize a rolled 1 before self-cancel.

Example Combat Techniques

Full technique list TBD.

Essence Attributes in Combat

Each Essence attribute, when unlocked for Grit, defines a distinct combat feel.

Charisma-Grit — dominance, presence, psychological pressure. "I win because I command the room."

Settings may define additional Essence attributes (e.g., Blood, Shadow, Magic). Each follows the same pattern: a unique combat flavor tied to specific attribute combos.

Non-Combat Checks

Attribute Checks

For any non-combat action, the player and GM agree on two attributes relevant to the task. Sum their values and look up the max pool on the same table used for combat (see Dice Pools & Exhaustion). Your effective pool = max pool − current exhaustion. Exhaustion is global — accumulated in combat affects non-combat checks and vice versa.

• Same mechanic: 1s cancel successes.
• Target Number set by the GM based on the situation (see Difficulty Tiers below).

Difficulty Tiers

Heroic mode:

Hardcore mode:

Contests (Active Opposition)

When two characters directly oppose each other outside of combat, the acting character rolls against a fixed target equal to the sum of the opponent's two relevant attributes for that scene.

• Sneaking past a guard — the guard's relevant attributes (e.g., Instinct + Wisdom) set the target.
• Convincing a merchant — the merchant's relevant attributes (e.g., Charisma + Intelligence) set the target.

Specializations

Backgrounds, professions, or cultures may grant bonuses or advantages on certain types of checks, at GM discretion. Specifics TBD.

Non-Combat Techniques

Just as combat has techniques, characters may learn non-combat techniques that provide extra capabilities outside of battle. These follow the same rank structure (0–3):

• Rank 0 (Unlearned): Basic attribute check, no special options.
• Rank 1 (Practiced): Unlock an alternative attribute pair for a specific type of check.
• Rank 2 (Experienced): Access non-combat maneuvers — spend net successes for effects such as gathering extra information, improving an NPC's attitude, finding a shortcut, or reducing time.
• Rank 3 (Masterful): Insurance or tie-breaking on non-combat checks, similar to combat techniques.

Full list of example non-combat techniques TBD.

Push Mechanic (Universal)

When a character wants to exceed their normal capability, they can push — gain exhaustion to gain an effect. Cost depends on ambition:

• 1 exhaustion — minor push (extra burst of speed, steady a shaky hand).
• 2 exhaustion — moderate push (wield an ill-fitting weapon, power through pain).
• 3+ exhaustion — major push (heroic feats, supernatural efforts).

Push works for physical actions — climbing, jumping, sprinting, lifting, holding breath. It does not work for social, intelligence, or wisdom checks.

Example Characters

The pools shown below are max pools (from attribute pairs). Effective pool = max pool − current exhaustion. For example, a Duelist with exhaustion 3 fights at 3d6 instead of 6d6.

The Soldier

Without technique (Tier 1):

Strength + Constitution = 15 → 5d6
Agility + Constitution = 13 → 4d6

With Brawling:

Strength + Instinct = 14 → 5d6

Feel: simple, direct, relies on raw physical power and endurance.

The Duelist

Without technique:

Agility + Constitution = 16 → 5d6

With Dueling:

Agility + Wisdom = 17 → 6d6

With Duelling Poise (Charisma origin):

Agility + Charisma = 17 → 6d6

Feel: elegant, precise, reactive, controls the fight through poise and timing.

Gaps / Not Yet Designed

Needs Playtesting

• Exhaustion accumulation rate (combat pacing)
• Recovery amounts (per rest type, per max pool)
• Fumble effects
• Outnumbered penalty exact value
• Exhaustion vs. advantage token balance
• Weapon and armor tier balance (symmetric values need table testing)

Not Started

• Full combat technique list per rank
• Fighting style / technique flavor per attribute pair
• Non-combat technique list (effects, costs, ranks)
• Specializations (backgrounds, professions, cultures — specific bonuses TBD)
• Race / folk designs (beyond starting attributes)
• Magic system
• Encounter design guidelines
• Equipment / weapon stats
• How characters earn new techniques

Design Decisions Needed

• How do characters earn new techniques?
• How does movement / range / positioning work in theater of mind?