Psychromattica

Psychromattica System Reference Document

Foreword: A Layered Learning Experience

Welcome to the Psychromattica system. This System Reference Document (SRD) contains the complete, authoritative rules for the Psychromattica system.

The rulebook is a layered experience, designed to teach the game in escalating steps of complexity. The entire system is built on a single, unified concept: using dice rolls to deplete Clocks.

Document Overview

Layer 1: The Dice and Objectives. Introduces the Standard Roll, Clocks and situation clock, Target Numbers and the Episode Downtime cycle.

Layer 2: The Situation and Actions. Introduces your character's resource Clocks, the challenges you'll face, the actions you can take, and the Situation Clock that tracks immediate progress.

Layer 3: Tactical Modifiers. Adds temporary states and effects that modify the core gameplay.

Layer 4: The Strategic Game. Reveals the full, nested clock hierarchy, details different Situation Types

Layer 5: Entities, Items, and Progression. Provides rules for entity and item stats, clocks, growth, and advanced Karma usage.

Appendices A - B: Full Keyword Encyclopedia and Entity Codex

Appendices C - D: Character Creation and Concept Tools

Appendices E - F: New Player Aid and One Shot for First Time Players

Appendices G - J: The Curator’s Library of Aides and References

Glossary of Core Concepts

The system is built on a few core ideas. Understanding these key terms will make learning the game much easier.

Clock: The central mechanic of the game. A Clock is a resource tracker (like a health bar) that you are trying to deplete to 0. Your character has personal Clocks (HP, SP, EP), and challenges have their own Clocks (Task Clock, Situation Clock).
Standard Roll (SR): The result of your dice roll. You roll two ten-sided dice (2d10), and the result is typically the number on your designated "Main Die," unless you roll doubles.
Effect Value (EV): Your total score when trying to affect another entity. It's calculated as SR + Level + a chosen Stat. Your goal is to have your EV exceed the target's Resistance.
Effort Roll (ER): Your total score when trying to overcome a non-combat challenge. It's calculated as SR + Level + a chosen Stat. Your goal is to have your ER exceed a challenge's Target Number.
Resistance: An entity's primary defense value. It's calculated by adding their three highest stats together.
Target Number (TN): The difficulty of a non-combat challenge. This is the number you need to beat with an Effort Roll.
Keyword: The fundamental building block of all special abilities. Each keyword grants a unique active, passive, or gear-based effect that allows you to bend or break the core rules. Learning new keywords is how you level up.
Tag: A temporary effect on a character, gained from keywords or other abilities. There are two types:
Status Tag: A negative effect (like Weaken or Blight) that is usually triggered automatically.
Boost Tag: A positive effect (like Haste or Ward) that you can choose when to use.
Situation: A single, self-contained encounter or challenge, like a combat, a tense negotiation, or a complex trap. Successfully resolving a Situation is how you advance the overall story.
Animation: A simplified entity, often a creature, minion, or construct, controlled by the Curator or a player.
Karma: A special resource earned through good roleplaying and succeeding in Situations. It can be spent to reroll dice, learn new abilities, or influence the story in powerful ways.
Curator: The person facilitating or running the experience, referred to as the Game Master in other systems.