Combat
4th Trifold Combat is about kinaesthetic battles played out on a hex grid (if
on squares, assume that squares are adjacent to all eight surrounding
squares for all purposes). Each hex has is about 5 in diameter The normal
goal is to reduce the other side to 0 stun points, taking them out - or to get
them to run away.
Actions
Trifold has four types of meaningful action
Standard Actions represent the main thing you focus on - you get one on
your turn and may use as a move action. You can Charge, moving your
speed towards the enemy and making an At Will melee attack
Move Actions are moving around - you get one on your turn
Swift Actions are certain almost incidental things such as drawing a sword
or opening a door - you get one on your turn
Opportunity Actions are for easy opportunity actions. You get one on
each enemy turn, but its their fault if you use it.
Damage and Healing
A character can take a number of damage points up to their stun threshold
(Minions take two hits) before being KOd. In the case of NPCs this might
be a kill - it is up to the PCs.
Movement and Forced Movement
As a move action you may run (or if relevant fly, swim or climb) the
number of hexes on your character sheet - which provokes Opportunity
Attacks. You may also Shift one hex or stand up from Prone, which does
not, and neither do other forms of movement. Difficult Terrain costs 2
hexes per hex by non-forced movement.
When moved by someone else you are Forced that number of exes. A Pull
is a Forced towards the origin, and a Push is Forced away.
If Forced into damaging terrain you may make a Saving Throw to fall
prone in previous hex, and if you fall adjacent to something to grab you
may make a Saving Throw to grab by your fingertips (counting as prone
but requiring you climb to stand up again).
Areas
Areas come in two forms in 4th Trifold for
Balls for have a radius of the number of hexes of the ball (not including the
centre), centred either on the origin or the target hex
Cones for have a side length equal to the number of hexes given and start
adjacent to the origin or target hex
Attacking
To attack someone roll to hit as for Task Resolution then resolve
To attack in Melee you must be in your weapons reach (default 1)
To attack at Range you must be within range (or you miss)
If there is an obstruction so from any two corners you can only directly see
or reach two corners you are at Disadvantage. If from one corner you can
only reach one you are at Major Disadvantage. Invisible creatures cant
be seen, and area attacks ignore not seeing.
Zone of Control
Your Zone of Control is all adjacent hexes to yours. If anyone runs in this
area you may make a free At Will melee attack with a weapon as an
Opportunity Action
Challenge and Task resolution
Task resolution is completing your immediate action - hitting your foe,
picking the lock, leaping the pit. Challenge resolution is doing what you set 4th Trifold
out to do - winning the fight, stealing the loot, getting away from the dragon. 4th Trifold is a cinematic and tactical kinaesthetic adventure
roleplaying game featuring larger than life heroes and enemies. The
Task Resolution pacing is narrative and the game itself is based around large, high
To resolve a task, say what you are doing. If this is exactly in line with one of budget cinematic set-pieces and hair raising improvised plans held
your abilities or powers resolve that as the power says. If not, the DM will tell together through luck, skill, and determination. By default the
you what to roll. Roll 1d20 and add the bonuses from your character sheet and setting is High Fantasy, although other genres are supported.
situational modifiers. If you equal or exceed the target number you succeed at
the task. The GM will tell you the consequences. Pacing
Situational modifiers are known as Advantage and Disadvantage and cancel
each other out, or more rarely Major Advantage and Major Disadvantage. If Because 4th Trifold is intended for cinematic adventures, pacing is
narrative and broken down into scenes (also known as encounters) and
you have Advantage you gain a non-stacking +2 (-2 for Disadvantage) - and if
you have Major Advantage roll twice and take the higher (lower for Major episode. The default length of a scene is five minutes of in-world time,
and of an episode is a day - although this is varies from campaign to
Disadvantage). Disadvantage to a defence is equivalent to A dvantage to an
attack (so you only get one two point shift) and if there is one Disadvantage it campaign. Catching your breath and bandaging wounds takes about five
cancels an minutes by default, and is required to recharge Signature Moves - and a
major break (by default a night) is required to recharge Episode abilities. I
On a natural 1 you automatically fail but you may take a risk and reroll - if you would stick with only one term, episode or daily.
succeed you succeed, and if you fail its a fumble and the consequences will be
bad and up to the DM (e.g. your weapon breaking or hitting the wrong target in Abilities or Powers
combat). On a natural 20 you automatically succeed - in combat this is a
Critical Hit and does maximum damage. All characters in 4th Trifold are assumed to be competent and able to do
anything a normal human can. But they are also expected to be beyond
A Saving Throw is task resolution that requires a 10 or more. the normal and to have special abilities, training, or determination that
leave them a cut above normal people, able to do things almost
Challenge Resolution - Non-combat
effortlessly.
When you come up with a complex plan tell the GM what it is. The GM will
then work out the mechanical representation however they decide - many of Second nature for At Will abilities. Everyone has some things they can do
them will be Three Strikes Plans, with three failures on the way failing the effortlessly even if others would have to really struggle to do them.
challenge - but this is up to the GM and reflects the situation in the world. These are at will abilities
What the players need to do is describe what they are doing in character as the Signature Moves for Encounter or Scene abilities. Everyone has tricks
plan unfolds. Each time a character does something that could meaningfully they are known for but dont do every time for whatever reason, whether
push the plan forward and with a significant chance of failure, the GM will call fatigue, it would leave them wide open, or that the magic works that way.
for a roll then describe how the situation unfolds. These are encounter abilities.
As a rule of thumb if its useful but not substantive you Aid Another - a roll at To the Wire for Daily or Episode abilities. Your back is to the wall, and
Medium DC to give someone Advantage if you succeed and -1 if you fail. you are worried this is it. Thats the time to stop any semblance of
holding back and bring out your biggest, most tiring moves and spells. Or
Challenge Resolution - Combat
you just want to crush this obstruction.
A weapon is a device for making your enemy change their mind or making them
unable to oppose you. Who moves when will be handled based on the setting,
and the goal is commonly to either get away safely or to take out the enemy.
 Skill List Skills and Improvisation Condition Summary
Athletics (default skill for strength or endurance) Blind
Climb or Swim for Success = half speed, fail by 5 = fall. Jump for 1 hex A blind creature cant see and anything that would require sight they
horizontally +1 hex if you land prone) or 1 foot vertically per 5 in result, suffer Major Disadvantage and cant flank. Opponents, where
Level Easy DC Medium DC Hard DC Avg Damage
half without run-up. Also lifting, breaking, and endurance. relevant gain Advantage.
Acrobatics (default skill for agility or body control) Competent 9 13 20 8 Damage Reduction
Balancing, climbing, falling safely (subtract half your result from the DR [Num]/[Unless] reduces damage by [Num] unless [Unless]
stun taken), feats of bodily movement Olympic 12 16 24 12 Dazed
Occult One action/turn, cant flank, and opponents gain Advantage
Knowing about magical things, seeing magic Legendary 14 20 28 16 Deafened
Engineering (default skill for problem solving) A deafened creature cant hear.
Building, construction, physics of underground caves Mythic 17 23 32 20 Dominated
Healing A dominated creature is dazed, and the action it takes is chosen by
Heal people, diagnostics, and forensics Godlike 20 27 36 30 the dominator but must be at will.
History (Default skill for general knowledge) Grabbed
Double damage effects or make them ongoing if they are one shot
Knowledge of history, countries, and organisations A grabbed creature is restrained and may be dragged at half speed
or require a standard action. Multiply by 0.75 for AoEs
Nature on a strength vs fort check.
Knowledge of anything natural or wild Helpless
Religion Can take no actions, grants Major Advantage to attacks, may be
NPC Creation
Knowledge of the Gods, Churches, and Divine effects Coup de Graced or Captured depending on the setting.
Average NPC Stats: AC: Lvl +15, Fort/Ref/Will: Lvl +13, To Hit: Lvl+3, +2vs AC
Stealth Immobilised
Stun points for High = (Level+3)*10, Med=(Level +3)*8, Low=(Level+3)*6
How to not be seen. May be used as part of a move action at half Cant move out of the hex its in
NPC Combat Behaviour:
speed to become Hidden from people who cant see any part of your KOd (reduced to 0 Stun)
*Shooter for Low damage, +25% damage at range, -25% in melee, -2AC
square from theirs. If used against PCs, it must beat their Alertness +10 You are KOd when on 0 stun. You are Unconscious.
*Wrecker for High stun, +25% damage in melee, -25% (if any) at range, -2AC
to succeed. Ongoing X
*Blocker for +2AC, -25% damage (if any) at range, +2AC, often marks
A Hidden creature can not be seen (and hence not targeted) by Take X damage at the start of your turn. Save at the end of the round
*Trickster for +25% damage in optimal situation, -25% if not
anyone they are hidden from, and has Advantage against them for to end this effect.
*Assassins for Alternate limited damage and no attack and hard to hurt
anything where being concealed would matter. They are revealed to Petrified
*Militia for Ordinary Stats
anyone who gets unobstructed line of sight on them, or to everyone Turned to stone. Unconscious, Damage Reduction 20/-
when they make an attack. Prone
NPC Rating
Streetwise Knocked over - which makes creatures not on the ground fall. Move
*Mooks are utterly outclassed, and can take one solid hit 1/2 damage, worth
Knowledge of the local environment and ability to gather information at half speed, gives Advantage against melee attacks, Disadvantage
1/4 of a monster. Cant Coup de Grace or Capture
from contacts against ranged.
*Standard are default power and count as 1 monster.
Thievery (default skill for fine motor control /manual dexterity) Removed from Play
*Champions are Experts, worth 2 standard monsters, double stun and damage
Picking pockets, opening locks, disarming traps Cant do anything or be affected by anything.
*Bosses are Worth 5 monsters. Custom craft, *4 stun, *3 damage, protection
Manipulation Restrained
from status effects by monster This makes no sense because theres no
Making people do or think what you want - DC by risk and motivation Cant move or be moved out of hex. -2 to attack rolls and grants
encounter creation/DM rules.
you offer. Advantage to people attacking them.
Rapport (default skill for likability and charisma) Slowed
Convincing people to volunteer to help or take risks for you Move at half speed.
Empathy Surprised
Finding out what individuals want or who they truly serve Cant take actions, grants Advantage, cant flank.
Alertness Unconscious
Looking for surprises, ambushers, or concealed things Helpless, blinded, deafened
Presence (default skill for leadership)
Looking competent or getting people to remember you. Often used for
performances, intimidation or being recognised.