House Rules for Planet 28

For context, some of the interpretations made in this article are coloured by a specific finding in playtesting. In the rules as written, it is highly effective to create fast, low-HP Animal characters with power fists, relying on the rules for multiple opponents and free attacks (on leaving combat) to paralyze higher-skilled target characters. Some of the available countermeasures to this strategy are Psychic melee weapons and Explosive weapons, but these are themselves potentially game-breaking exploits.

Contents

Errata

Multiple opponents (p. 13)

“-1 to their Fight skill” should read “-1 to their fight skill”.

Rationale: If the character is using some skill other than Fighting to fight, such as Psyche (with a Psychic weapon) or Shooting (with Gunslinger), that skill should be affected, to close exploitable loopholes.

Movement when broken (p. 14)

“towards the nearest playing area edge” should read “directly towards the nearest available exit”.

Rent asunder (p. 69f)

“If you roll above” should read “If you roll above or equal to”.

Rationale: Consistency with normal skill checks.

Clarifications

The following is ambiguous in the rules as written.

Charging (p. 8)

In a charge, the active character uses only one of their action slots, and that is for the movement alone. This is shown in the official example (p. 8). Ignore the misleading term “charge action”.

Leaving combat (p. 12) versus break tests (p. 14)

Leaving combat as a direct result of failing a break test does not provoke a free attack.

Fluff rationale: In the case of breaking because of damage just received, it is assumed that the fleeing character takes advantage of an implicit pushback.

Crunch rationale: Close-combat horde army nerf.

Movement when broken (p. 14)

For the purpose of choosing their route, but not for the purpose of terrain effects, a broken character will ignore rough and hazardous ground. That is, at the start of each movement of their retreat, they will determine the nearest available exit from the playing area by the shortest navigable path to that point, and then move along that path.

The arcana table (p. 68)

Whenever you roll for an ability on this table, re-roll duplicate results.

Armour piercing (p. 76)

Only direct damage benefits from this rule. Only the personal properties of the target, including iron skin and literal armour, are negated by it.

Example: The “Armour piercing” trait does not affect splash damage from Explosive weapons (p. 76) and does not affect cover, even in a direct hit.

Reload (p. 77)

All weapons with Reload are bought loaded, i.e. containing one unit of ammo.

Changes

Non-linear skill cost

The cost to increase a skill by 1 is not 10 points (p. 23). Instead, it is 3 points × the current value of the skill.

Rationale: Disincentive to minmaxing. More accurate reflection of use value.

Character traits

Brawler (p. 64)

This trait affects Integral melee weapons as well as fists.

Arcane abilities

Shield (p. 69)

Contrary to the core rules, you may target a character affected by this ability. However, when you do so, you must test (AW). If that test fails, the attack is aborted. Any ammunition etc. is wasted.

Crunch rationale: Nerf. More utility for having Awareness.

Dishearten (p. 69)

When a character affected by this ability is activated, if their (A) score is 3 or less, they may perform at most one action.

Crunch rationale: Buff against characters who would probably act last anyway.

Character weapons (p. 74)

In melee, any ranged weapon may be used as “fist”.

Fluff rationale: This weapon profile covers kicks, pistol-whipping, etc.

New rules

Minimum cost

The starting cost of a character (10 points, p. 23) is also the minimum cost of a character.

Crunch rationale: This prevents infinite hordes.

New miscellaneous items

Bags of ammo

For each type of ammo (p. 79), there are extra items available:

• 2 × default cost for a small bag. You may attempt a reload action without any spare ammo of the matching type. Test Awareness. On success, you find one extra unit of ammo and use that. On failure, you need to use a regular unit of ammo, or else the reload itself fails.

• 6 × default cost for a big bag. You can reload your weapons without using up ammo of the matching type.

At the end of each game, every big bag is replaced with a small bag.

A small bag can be upgraded to a big bag by paying the difference in their costs.