THE MECHANICS
After you create your character, playing Branch Riders is quite straightforward. You'll describe what your character is doing in the scene based on the story. To resolve actions, you build a die pool, which typically consists of three dice ranging from a d4 to a d12.
First, you choose your approach, which represents how you are solving the problem. The approaches available are Creative, Forceful, Knowledgeable, Observant, and Social.
Next, select a Technique, which can be one of your skills or one of your Gifts. Each option is associated with a specific die.
The third die is your Situation Die, which is determined by the current level of Exposure in the mission.
THE RESOLUTION SYSTEM
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Now you have built your dice pool. Your next step is to roll
your dice and count every die that has a 4 or higher as a success.
The real fun happens when we interpret these successes! Did we mention that only the players roll dice in Branch Riders? Even when defending against attacks from the Blight, players make defense rolls using the same resolution system.
3 successes — yes +:
When you roll 3 successes, that is the
best outcome possible for your roll. This means that your character
gets what they were after and they also gain some advantage or benefit going forward (the “+”).
2 successes — yes:
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When you roll 2 successes, this is a complete success, meaning your character gets what they were after or achieves what they set out to do.
1 success — fail forward (no +) or succeed with a cost (yes –):
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With 1 success, the player has a choice to make. The character can succeed, but at some significant cost. Their success demands they pay a price, make a hard decision, or add to their overall problems. The character can also fail, but with some consolation or advantage — they “fail forward.” ​
0 successes — no –:
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When the player rolls no successes, this is the worst outcome. Not only does the attempt fail, but an additional complication results, making the situation worse for the character or better for the opposition. This complication could be imposing a condition.
THE EXPOSURE TRACKER
As a Branch Rider embarks on their mission, it is inevitable that things will take a turn for the worse at some point. Either the Blight or the villain may become aware of their activities, or they might find themselves engaged in a fight with the opposition.
In Branch Riders, we utilize a chart called the Exposure Tracker to illustrate the fluctuations of the mission. As Exposure increases, the Situation Die becomes smaller, reducing the likelihood of success on your rolls. Conversely, Exposure can decrease when players perform well or start defeating the Blight. However, be cautious of Exposure rising too high, as this can tear the curtain between realms. This is one of the most detrimental outcomes, as it links the Blight across realms, complicating our mission!
CONDITIONS
& CONDITION CARDS
In Branch Riders, there are no hit points. Instead, we use a unique mechanic called Conditions to track damage. Conditions serve as a substitute for traditional hit points found in many other games, representing various types of harm inflicted on characters, as well as setbacks and negative effects.
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Conditions describe your character’s situation and impose certain limitations. Additionally, we designed Conditions to be narrative in nature. For example, if a character receives the condition "Hurt," it can refer to physical, emotional, or social harm. Basic Conditions can escalate into advanced Conditions.
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Players also have the ability to gain or earn Edges, which can remove or reduce the severity of Conditions. When using the card version of Conditions, players place these cards on their character sheets, allowing everyone to quickly assess the party's status and discuss damage using narrative terms.