The Gods Are Bastards — Quick Rules Reference
Action Economy
Each turn: 1 Standard + 1 Bonus + 1 Movement + 1 Free. Plus 1 Reaction/round.
| Standard | Attack, Cast (1 action), Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help, Hide, Ready, Search, Use Object |
| Bonus | Quickened spells, off-hand attack, class features, drink potion. Only if granted. |
| Movement | Move up to speed (30ft). Split before/after. Difficult terrain 2:1. Prone stand ½ speed. |
| Free | Talk, drop item, draw/sheathe 1 weapon, open door, knowledge checks. |
| Reaction | Opp. Attack (enemy leaves reach), Counterspell, Shield. 1/round, resets your turn. |
Initiative: d20 + DEX mod. Highest first. Surprise = can't act first turn.
Attacks & Damage
| Melee | d20 + STR mod + prof | Nat 20 | Crit (2× dice) |
| Ranged | d20 + DEX mod + prof | Nat 1 | Auto miss |
| Spell | d20 + cast mod + prof | Hit if | Total ≥ AC |
Cover: Half +2 AC | ¾ +5 AC | Total = untargetable. Resistance: ½ dmg. Vulnerability: 2× dmg.
Checks, Saves & Numbers
Roll: d20 + Ability Mod + Prof (if proficient). Adv: 2d20 take higher. Disadv: take lower.
| DC 5 | Very Easy | DC 10 | Easy | DC 15 | Medium | DC 20 | Hard | DC 25 | V.Hard |
Prof: L1-4 +2 | L5-8 +3 | L9-12 +4 | L13-16 +5 | L17-20 +6. Mods: 8: −1 | 10: 0 | 12: +1 | 14: +2 | 16: +3 | 18: +4 | 20: +5
Death, Concentration & Exhaustion
At 0 HP: Unconscious. Death saves each turn: d20, no mods. 10+ success, 9− fail, Nat 20 regain 1 HP, Nat 1 = 2 fails. 3 successes = stable. 3 fails = dead. Dmg at 0 HP = 1 fail (crit = 2). Stabilize: DC 10 Medicine.
Concentration: 1 spell at a time. When damaged: CON save DC = 10 or ½ dmg (higher). Opposing area: disadv. Same area: adv.
| Exhaustion (cumulative, long rest = −1 level) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disadv ability checks | 4 | HP max halved |
| 2 | Speed halved | 5 | Speed 0 |
| 3 | Disadv attacks & saves | 6 | Death |
Conditions
| Blinded | Auto-fail sight. Disadv attacks. Attacks vs you adv. |
| Charmed | Can't attack charmer. Charmer adv social checks. |
| Frightened | Disadv checks while source visible. Can't approach. |
| Grappled | Speed 0. No speed bonuses. |
| Incapacitated | No actions or reactions. |
| Invisible | Attacks vs you disadv. Your attacks adv. |
| Paralyzed | Incap. Can't move/speak. Fail STR/DEX. Melee = crit. |
| Poisoned | Disadv attacks and ability checks. |
| Prone | Disadv attacks. Melee vs you adv, ranged disadv. ½ speed stand. |
| Restrained | Speed 0. Disadv attacks & DEX saves. Attacks vs you adv. |
| Stunned | Incap. Speed 0. Fail STR/DEX. Attacks vs you adv. |
| Unconscious | Incap. Drop items, prone. Fail STR/DEX. Melee = crit. |
Movement & Skills
Opp. Attack: Enemy leaves reach → 1 melee (reaction). Avoid: Disengage. Jump: High 3+STR mod | Long STR score ft (10ft run-up).
STR: Athletics. DEX: Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, Stealth. INT: Arcana*, History, Investigation, Nature*, Religion*, Spellcraft*, Infernallia*. WIS: Animal Handling, Insight, Medicine, Perception, Survival. CHA: Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion.
*Full casters gain Spellcraft. Magic knowledge: Arcana (arcane), Nature (fae), Religion (divine), Infernallia (infernal).
Four Magic Systems
| Resource | Stat | Recovery | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arcane | Mana pool | INT | Long 100% |
| Divine | Daily/Instant limit | WIS | Long 100%, Short 50% |
| Fae | Spell slots | WIS | Long all, Short ½ lvl |
| Infernal | Tolerance (hidden) | CHA | No daily limit |
Arcane: Base Mana + (INT mod × level). Cost = spell level. No prep.
Divine: Daily = lvl × WIS mod. Instant = prof + WIS mod. Overuse → exhaustion + burns (heal w/ Fae only).
Fae: Half-caster slots. Granted by fey relationships. Safest system.
Infernal: Tolerance = CON mod + lvl (hidden). Overuse → damage, mutations. Pact-based.
Key: 1 spell level = 1 mana = 1 fae slot level
Circle of Interaction
| Opposition | Divine ↔ Infernal, Arcane ↔ Fae |
| Interference ↻ | Divine → Fae → Infernal → Arcane → Divine |
| Enhancement ↺ | Divine → Arcane → Infernal → Fae → Divine |
Opposition (Violent Clash)
Higher spell level wins. Tied = both fail + force dmg = spell level + 10ft explosion (DEX DC 10+lvl). Within 1 lvl: d20, 1-5 fizzle. Adv on saves/dispel/counterspell vs opposite. Area: disadv attacks, DC −2.
Interference (One-Way)
Reaction: conc. check DC 10 + your spell lvl. Disrupts casting only. Best for enchantments (1 min/lvl, safe). Adv on Dispel vs interfered system.
Enhancement (Reinforcement)
Both expend resources. Roll d20 (+2 in enhancement area):
| 1-3 | Catastrophic: 1d6 × combined lvls force dmg |
| 4-10 | Unstable: works + GM side effects / wild magic |
| 11-17 | Success: +1d6 dmg/heal, +1 DC, or +50% duration |
| 18-20 | Spectacular: full enhancement + GM bonus |
Infernal→Fae = SAFE (no corruption). Divine = free (no daily limit). Arcane→Infernal adds tolerance.
Counterspelling
Cost ≥ target spell level. Uses reaction.
| Same Type | Opposed | Interfering | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How | d20 + ability + prof | Energy contest | Conc DC 10+lvl |
| Auto | — | Your lvl ≥ tgt+2 | — |
| Risk | Moderate | V.High (tie=boom) | Low |
| Cast | Moderate | Best (Adv) | Hardest |
| Ench. | Hard (1m/lvl) | Med (1act/lvl) | Best (1m/lvl, safe) |
Resource Conversion
Along enhancement circle. 1 mana = 1 slot level.
| Arc→Inf | Buffer tolerance 1:1. Check remaining infernal only. |
| Inf→Fae | Enhance fae spell. SAFE — no corruption/tolerance. |
| Fae→Div | Slot offsets divine cost 1:1. No daily limit cost. |
| Div→Arc | Enhance arcane spell. Divine cost free (no daily limit). |
Aura & Area Effects
Aura: Casting adds spell lvl to aura. Dissipates 1/hr rest. Short rest purges 1 type. Long rest = full reset.
Opposing mana in aura: Disadv attacks, DC −2, conc. disadv both systems.
Divine + Infernal in aura: Using either → Catastrophic Incident (d20: force dmg + exhaustion + spell fails).
| Area Saturation (DM declares) | |
|---|---|
| Same | Normal (Adv concentration) |
| Opposed | Disadv attacks, DC −2 |
| Interfered | Conc. check DC 10-15 |
| Enhancement | Adv attacks, +1 DC, +2 enhancement roll |
Spell Resistance
Resistance to a system → Adv on saves vs its opposite: Divine res. → Adv vs Infernal. Arcane res. → Adv vs Fae. Vice versa. Does NOT apply to interfering/enhancing.