01 Core Mechanics

Welcome to Apprentices. This chapter covers the fundamental mechanics of the game, how to roll the dice, and what your character's attributes mean.

Core Resolution Mechanic

The engine of Apprentices uses a D10 dice pool system focusing on mental struggle and magical precision.

The Roll

Mundane Pool:: Attribute + Skill.
Magic Pool:: Attribute + School Proficiency (see 06 The Magic System).

• Critical Success (10): Every roll of 10 counts as 2 successes.
• Critical Failure (1): Every roll of 1 subtracts 1 success. If your final total of successes is less than zero, you suffer a critical failure—the magic backfires wildly, targets the wrong person, or creates disastrous consequences entirely at the GM's discretion.

Success Threshold (Difficulty)

The GM sets the Difficulty (Target Number) for the roll based on the task's complexity. For non-magical tasks, you generally only need 1 total success to accomplish the action, with extra successes adding potency.

• Standard Difficulty: Usually 6 for most mundane tasks.
• Magical Difficulties: Spell Target Numbers are a static 6. To successfully cast a spell, you need a total number of successes equal to its Tier. (e.g., a Tier 3 spell requires 3 successes).

Narrative Action Flow

Apprentices does not use rigid initiative systems or turn orders (like D&D or Pathfinder). Instead, action flows naturally based on the narrative, similar to Powered by the Apocalypse (PbtA) games.

1. The Conversation: Play is a conversation. The GM describes the situation and asks, "What do you do?"
2. Player Action: A player describes their action and intention. If it triggers a mechanical rule (like casting a spell, making an attack, or leaping a chasm), they roll the appropriate Dice Pool.
3. The Roll Dictates the Flow:
   • Success: The player achieves their goal. The narrative moves forward in their favor, and the GM turns to another player or describes the next narrative beat.
   • Failure: The action fails, AND the GM introduces a complication, consequence, or enemy action (a "Hard Move"). Enemies don't typically roll to hit; they deal damage or cause problems as a direct consequence of a player's failed roll or inaction. (Note: If you ignore an active minion to cast a spell or perform a complex action, the GM will inflict damage or a consequence before your action resolves, representing the opportunity cost of ignoring danger without covering fire).
   • Botch (No successes and a 1): A critical failure. The GM introduces a severe complication.
4. Spotlight: The GM manages the "Spotlight," panning from player to player to ensure everyone gets a chance to act, often cutting between characters during tense, simultaneous moments to build pressure.

Boss Actions

Major antagonists (liches, archmages, powerful monsters) designated as Bosses by the GM gain 1 independent action per round. This action fires at a dramatic moment chosen by the GM, regardless of player results. Boss actions follow the same narrative fiction rules — the GM describes what the Boss does, and the players must respond. This prevents climactic encounters from feeling passive.

Example: "Quatach-Ichl finishes his incantation and a wave of necrotic energy surges toward the corridor. What do you do?"

Attributes & Skills

Characters in Apprentices are defined across four distinct areas of capability. Mental and social skills can be improved through normal study, while physical growth requires dedicated mundane downtime.

Specialization

Each attribute and School Proficiency can have a Specialization — a narrow focus that reflects exceptional mastery in a specific application. Specializations are noted on the character sheet next to the relevant attribute.

Rules:

• A character may declare a Specialization in any attribute or School Proficiency once it reaches Tier 3 (Skilled).
• When making a roll that falls squarely within the declared specialization, add +1 die to the pool.
• When the roll is arguably outside the specialization but still within the attribute, apply no modifier (not a penalty).
• Each attribute may have at most one Specialization.

Examples:

1. Magical Attributes (The Soul's Shaping)

These represent the inherent power and processing speed of the Student's magical mind.

2. Mental Attributes

These represent logical reasoning, awareness, and retained academic knowledge. These can be improved over time.

3. Social Attributes

These represent how a character interacts with, commands, or manipulates others.

4. Physical Attributes

Note: In this setting, physical strength and conditioning require significant downtime to improve safely without magical enhancement.

Survival, Health & The Soul

The Soul and Mind are the primary vectors of permanent consequence in Apprentices.

Physical Health (The Body State) & Mana Burn

Instead of an abstract pool of points, Apprentices uses a Body State track to represent physical trauma. Every character typically has 7 Physical Health Boxes (unless altered by the Physical Frailty flaw or specific merits).

As you take damage from attacks, hazards, or Mana Burn, mark off these boxes from top to bottom. As your body breaks down, you suffer Wound Penalties to all dice pools — Physical, Magical, Mental, and Social. A body wracked with pain cannot reason, persuade, or focus effectively. Physical damage heals naturally over time or through Medical Magic.

• Bruised (0): Barely scratched.
• Hurt (-1): Minor cuts, bruises. -1 die penalty.
• Injured (-1): Significant tissue damage. -1 die penalty.
• Wounded (-2): Severe bleeding, fractures. -2 dice penalty.
• Mauled (-2): Major trauma. -2 dice penalty.
• Crippled (-5): Barely conscious. Can only crawl or speak weakly. -5 dice penalty.
• Incapacitated: Unconscious and bleeding out. Death at the end of the scene if untreated.

Mana Burn: You can intentionally spend Physical Health (representing immense strain) to buy extra successes on a spellcast at a 1:1 ratio. You can use this to meet the spell's required tier threshold if you fail the roll, or to artificially buy Overcharge to augment the spell. Taking damage from Mana Burn marks off boxes exactly like enemy attacks, immediately applying any new Wound Penalties to future rolls. Mental and Soul damage cannot be used for Mana Burn.

Mind Defense

Mind Defense:: Willpower + Highest of (Mind Magic, Divination, Abjuration).

• Passive Breach Threshold:: Attackers using Mind Magic or Illusionism Class must roll more successes than this value to enter your mind.
• The Breach: If breached, your Memory can be altered as far as the caster's skill allows it.

Sanity & Morality

Facing the lethal trials of the Academy and its dungeons is a heavy burden. Sanity measures your character's remaining connection to their own humanity and objective reality.
Sanity Path:: [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] [ ] (10 Boxes)

• Starting Value: 10
• True Madness: At 0 Sanity, your character becomes a "Hollow", a shell of its former self.

Erosion Triggers

When facing trauma or committing atrocities, roll Resist Erosion:: Memory + Willpower.

Failure: Lose 1 permanent point of Sanity.

Tiers of Madness

• Sanity 7 (Detachment): -1 die to mundane Social interactions.
• Sanity 4 (Dissociation): Develop a Derangement (Paranoia, Phobia); -2 to Finesse due to mental tremors.
• Sanity 2 (Apathy): Must pass a Willpower check to take any action (including defending yourself).