Running the GameThe task of arbitrating the rules, keeping the story moving, and juggling all the moving parts in a game of Sphere falls to the GM. It's a big job, but one that is incredibly rewarding. While the Adventure section has a wealth of advice for GMing a game along with loads of resources and adventure hooks for doing such, this page is dedicated more to helping arbitrate some of the lesser-known rules associated with each of the four main parts of an RPG.
Every RPG is made up of four major parts. How much time the players spend doing each of these things depends largely on the GM and the kind of story he or she is telling, but at some point or another, the players are likely to spend some amount of time doing each of these things. Likewise, this section is organized to show many of the more obscure rules and guidelines related to these four pillars. They are:
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House Rules
While the rules to Sphere have been carefully thought out and playtested, you and your players are free to tweak any of them to suit the needs of your game and your group. You may even decide to add some of your own House Rules to make the game play differently for your group.
Discovery
Being an adventurer is about, well, adventure...entering a new town and seeing what they have to offer, exploring a new area, and seeing what lies around the next bend in the road are all the hallmarks of Discovery. Discovery moves players from one area to another, unveiling the world the GM has created piece by piece. As players discover new parts of the world, they'll also find new stories, challenges, and rewards waiting for them.
Stealth & Hiding
When you want to hide, you'll need to break line of sight to those you are hiding from. Once they can no longer see you, make a Skill Feat to become Hidden. While you remain hidden or move quietly, the Difficulty to find you is equal to your Skill + Level and Bumps made to locate you are cumulative. Your Hidden status ends after:
When you want to hide, you'll need to break line of sight to those you are hiding from. Once they can no longer see you, make a Skill Feat to become Hidden. While you remain hidden or move quietly, the Difficulty to find you is equal to your Skill + Level and Bumps made to locate you are cumulative. Your Hidden status ends after:
- You are discovered by a creature searching for you
- You move more than 2 meters per Movement
- You finish making an attack
- You cause a creature to Fixate on you
- You make a loud noise or otherwise draw attention to yourself
- You voluntarily stop hiding
Supply
Each character has a Supply rating, which indicates how well-prepared they are for their adventure. Any time a character needs something, be it rations, a compass, a torch, or any other item from the Supplies list, the player may tick an appropriate number of Supply boxes on their character sheet to say the character has it in their pack or on their person, in-hand and ready for use. Once all available Supply boxes are ticked, the character can't acquire any more new items until they have a chance to replenish their supplies, at which point an appropriate amount of Supply boxes are reset (based on what is available and how much coin is spent).
It isn't necessary for players to pre-purchase supplies. This method saves on meticulous book-keeping, inventory management, and keeping up with how much weight everyone is carrying.
Once an item is acquired by expending Supply slots, the character has it on-hand and may use it with impunity. Some items can be used over and over again (a bed roll or a climbing kit) while others are limited use (like rations, which are gone once consumed or an oil lamp which stops working once it runs out of oil).
Characters can replenish (untick) their Supply boxes by hunting/foraging, looting enemies and treasure chests, or purchasing supplies in town (though how many Supply boxes can be reset may depend on what is available). The GM is the decider of how many Supplies are regained through such actions.
Each character has a Supply rating, which indicates how well-prepared they are for their adventure. Any time a character needs something, be it rations, a compass, a torch, or any other item from the Supplies list, the player may tick an appropriate number of Supply boxes on their character sheet to say the character has it in their pack or on their person, in-hand and ready for use. Once all available Supply boxes are ticked, the character can't acquire any more new items until they have a chance to replenish their supplies, at which point an appropriate amount of Supply boxes are reset (based on what is available and how much coin is spent).
It isn't necessary for players to pre-purchase supplies. This method saves on meticulous book-keeping, inventory management, and keeping up with how much weight everyone is carrying.
Once an item is acquired by expending Supply slots, the character has it on-hand and may use it with impunity. Some items can be used over and over again (a bed roll or a climbing kit) while others are limited use (like rations, which are gone once consumed or an oil lamp which stops working once it runs out of oil).
Characters can replenish (untick) their Supply boxes by hunting/foraging, looting enemies and treasure chests, or purchasing supplies in town (though how many Supply boxes can be reset may depend on what is available). The GM is the decider of how many Supplies are regained through such actions.
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Overland Travel There comes a point in every adventure where the heroes must travel some distance to reach their next objective. When traveling over open country, the party may choose which of the following speeds they are moving at:
Outdoor Visibility On a clear day, characters can see about 2 miles in any direction, provided there are no obstructions in the way like trees, hills, and buildings. If looking down from a great height (such as from a mountain or high hill), this view is expanded to about 40 miles. Rain cuts visible distance in half. Fog cuts it down to only about 20 meters. Wilderness Survival Navigating through and surviving the unpredictable wilderness requires preparation, caution, keen instincts, and a certain respect for the beauty and danger of the natural world. Those with the Survival Proficiency can perform any of the following actions to make their sojourn through the wilderness easier:
Lore When a player wants to learn more about a place, a magical item, a historical event, or a person of renown and their character has the requisite Proficiency, they may roll Intellect to see if they can recall any stories about it. Depending on the result...
Illumination
While exploring the heights and depths of the Sphere, adventurers are bound to run into some places that are brighter and some places that are darker than others - literally. There are four levels of lighting heroes will encounter on their journey: BRIGHT LIGHT Outdoors on a mid-summer day. Light is abundant, almost blinding. Those with normal vision get a +1 bonus to Feats that rely on vision and visibility. Those with low-light vision or darkvision are Blinded. NORMAL LIGHT Outdoors on a partly cloudy day. Indoors with sufficient lighting. This is the degree of light Mortals are most suited for. There are no special rules for those with normal or low-light vision, but those with darkvision are Blinded. DIM LIGHT Outdoors on a moonlit night. Indoors by torchlight. Light is scarce, but not completely absent. Those with normal vision cannot see further than 10 meters ahead, their non-melee attacks have Disadvantage, and they suffer a -1 penalty to Feats that rely on vision and visibility. Those with low-light vision and darkvision can see normally. DARKNESS A windowless basement. Indoors at night. The bottom of a cavernous pit. Visibility is zero and those with normal vision are Blinded. If you have low-light vision, treat darkness like those with normal vision treat dim light. If you have darkvision, you can see normally. |
Travel Modifiers
Many hardships and hindrances along the road can slow a party's travel time if they are not prepared for them. Conversely, there are a number of factors that can help speed the party along. Increase or decrease your group's travel speed based on the following factors. Even if your speed is reduced to 0 miles per day (or a negative number), you'll still cover 1d6 miles just by sticking it out.
Holding Your Breath A character can hold their breath a number of rounds equal to their Brawn score (or Brawn x 30 seconds). After this, they'll need to start making Brawn Feats for each additional round/30 seconds they go without breathing. A character who Fails this Feat before taking a breath begins Suffocating (see below). The Rule of Threes As a general rule of thumb, a person can survive for 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 hours without shelter from extreme conditions, and 3 minutes without air. After crossing these thresholds, permanent damage and death soon follow. PCs who cross these thresholds suffer whichever of the following Traumas is appropriate for their situation:
Hunting and Tracking
To track a creature to its current location, the hunter will need to find its trail. Unless magic is involved or the being is incorporeal, all creatures leave a trail as they pass. The challenge in finding and following this trail depends mostly on the environment and the skill of the hunter. Following a trail is a Narrative Action whose Difficulty is based on the ground the trail was made in, how old the trail is, and other factors like weather or the tracks of other creatures crossing over the trail. There are three Milestones in tracking
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Social Interaction
In discovering new places, the players will encounter new and interesting people to interact with. These NPCs have lives, dreams, and stories of their own which may put them in alliance or at odds with the players. Social Interaction covers everything from bartering with the local fishmonger to negotiating with a vengeful dragon and it's the perfect opportunity for players to put the quirks and personality of their character on display.
Social interaction as back and forth "battle" (Roll to Persuade)
Conversation as a Narrative Action
Social interaction as back and forth "battle" (Roll to Persuade)
Conversation as a Narrative Action
- wherein an introduction or greeting is made and pleasantries are exchanged
- wherein key information is disclosed
- wherein a request is made and concerns/rebuttals are addressed
- All characters in the Scene can contribute by rolling at each Milestone...but only the highest roll is accepted.
- Manipulation: changing someone's mind to want what you want
- Deception: tricking someone into doing or believing what you want
- Intimidation: getting someone to comply using threats or blackmail
- Seduction: using carnal desires to trick or cajole someone into compliance
- Transaction: tit for tat, quid pro quo; a fair exchange of favors for favors
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Bias
When new characters encounter the party of player characters, they'll form a Bias based on their first impression of the group. Bias is a sliding scale from friendly to hostile that indicates how one character treats another, how much they are willing to compromise, and to what degree they'll cooperate. A character's Bias is based on a lot of things; how someone is dressed, what they're doing, who they're with, and so on. But Bias is rarely static and can change over time based on future interactions. A nobleman who starts out despising the PCs may come to see them as useful allies the more they prove themselves. A friendly farmer might turn on the PCs after they accidentally set his barn on fire. It is up to the GM to decide where a character's Bias starts and what it takes to move it one way or another. 
Friendly: You may consider this character a friend and an ally, if not a close life-long companion. Your mutual bond of trust and camaraderie means they are willing to go out on a limb for you, believing that you will do the same for them if they ever need it. It's rare to reach this level of trust with a stranger, but some trusting souls may take you into their confidence right away. Favorable: The character likes you and is willing to help you out without expecting too much in return. They may not consider you a close friend or confidante, but the potential for a strong relationship is there. Whether you've earned a small amount of trust over time or you simply have good chemistry with them, a Favorable Bias means they're willing to give you a chance. Neutral: The character couldn't care one way or another about you. It's not that they're an uncaring person, they just don't know whether or not you are worthy of their time and trust. They're not likely to treat you badly, though they're equally as unlikely to do you any favors without expecting something in return. Contentious: This character does not like you. You may have made a bad first impression, done something to offend them, or started off on good terms only to cause them undue stress and harm. Not only is this character unwilling to do you any favors, they will oppose you when given the chance (though they may not go out of their way to do so). Hostile: This character hates your guts. Whatever you did, you have made a bitter enemy of them. Not only will they oppose you at every turn (and go out of their way to do so), they will seek revenge for every perceived sleight against them, even going so far as to attack you or threaten your life if they become angry enough. To summarize, Bias...
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Combat
Sometimes talking just isn't enough to keep the peace. When talk fails and blades are drawn, combat begins. Combat is a tense and high-risk moment where tactical thinking, luck, and courage are (hopefully) met with victory. Most of the rules in Sphere are associated with combat, for it is in the heat of battle that heroes display their true mettle and in the aftermath of battle, as the dust settles, that great potential for drama and story progression is revealed.
Using a game board
Area of Effect
- Zone vs AoE
Initiating Combat
- Surprise rounds
Running Away and Giving Chase
Mounted Combat
Using a game board
Area of Effect
- Zone vs AoE
Initiating Combat
- Surprise rounds
Running Away and Giving Chase
Mounted Combat
Problem-Solving
In the course of their exploration, battles, and social foibles, adventurers often find themselves in some pretty precarious situations. Whether they're hired to help with someone's dilemma or encounter a puzzle in the depths of some ancient ruin, the players will often be tasked with using their intellect and creativity to come up with a solution to a problem. Problem-solving puts the players in the position to overcome an obstacle not through wit or charm, but by thinking their way to a solution.
Traps
- Spotting
- Triggering
- Disarming
- Example
What if my character is smarter than I am? Hints and clues
Traps
- Spotting
- Triggering
- Disarming
- Example
What if my character is smarter than I am? Hints and clues
