Native Rules

Quick Reference

The core calls at a glance, with direct links to the fuller procedures. Keep it open beside the map.

If you remember only five things

1Describe what your character does before naming a rule.
2Roll only when the outcome is uncertain and a meaningful consequence is possible.
3Before rolling, know the Skill, Risk, Effect and important consequence.
4Roll 2d6 + Capability. 10+ works, 7–9 works with a consequence, 6 or lower turns the situation against you.
5One meaningful roll per meaningful question.

The roll

10 or higher
Meaning
The character does what they set out to do. Apply the stated Effect.
7–9
Meaning
The character does it, and something else also happens: a cost, a complication, exposure, or lost time. The consequence is separate from Effect.
6 or lower
Meaning
The attempt does not deliver what was wanted, and the situation moves against them. The roll is never simply nothing.

Result	Meaning
10 or higher	The character does what they set out to do. Apply the stated Effect.
7–9	The character does it, and something else also happens: a cost, a complication, exposure, or lost time. The consequence is separate from Effect.
6 or lower	The attempt does not deliver what was wanted, and the situation moves against them. The roll is never simply nothing.

Capability

Familiar
Capability
+0
Trained
Capability
+1
Expert
Capability
+2
Master
Capability
+3

Rating	Capability
Familiar	+0
Trained	+1
Expert	+2
Master	+3

Starting characters: 1 Expert · 5 Trained · 11 Familiar.

Risk and Effect

Low
Failure costs
Delay, noise, suspicion, minor expenditure, lost position or brief exposure. A minor physical hazard may cause Strained, normally not Wounded or Broken. Start here.
Serious
Failure costs
A credible major consequence: Wounded, important equipment lost, separation, arrest, serious exposure, major alarm or dangerous system failure.
Deadly
Failure costs
Clearly present severe or potentially irreversible danger: Broken, established death, catastrophic machinery or Fortera failure, destruction of a critical objective or immediately extreme capture.

Risk	Failure costs
Low	Delay, noise, suspicion, minor expenditure, lost position or brief exposure. A minor physical hazard may cause Strained, normally not Wounded or Broken. Start here.
Serious	A credible major consequence: Wounded, important equipment lost, separation, arrest, serious exposure, major alarm or dangerous system failure.
Deadly	Clearly present severe or potentially irreversible danger: Broken, established death, catastrophic machinery or Fortera failure, destruction of a critical objective or immediately extreme capture.

No Effect
Delivers
Success changes nothing meaningful; usually a sign the roll should not happen.
Limited
Delivers
Partial progress. Marks 1 segment on a clock.
Standard
Delivers
The expected result. Marks 2 segments on a clock. This is the default.
Great
Delivers
More than expected. Marks 3 segments on a clock.

Effect	Delivers
No Effect	Success changes nothing meaningful; usually a sign the roll should not happen.
Limited	Partial progress. Marks 1 segment on a clock.
Standard	The expected result. Marks 2 segments on a clock. This is the default.
Great	More than expected. Marks 3 segments on a clock.

A Setup action is a separate action that helps a later one. A successful Setup grants either +1 Effect or reduces Risk by one step on the action it prepares. Setups do not stack.

Apply all Effect steps before rolling; opposing steps cancel, Great is the maximum, and below Limited is No Effect. Resolve applicable protection after the roll.

Clocks

4 segments
Use for
A straightforward but pressured objective.
6 segments
Use for
A contested objective.
8 segments
Use for
A heavily defended, difficult or multi-stage objective.
10+ segments
Use for
A major operational or long-running objective.

Clock	Use for
4 segments	A straightforward but pressured objective.
6 segments	A contested objective.
8 segments	A heavily defended, difficult or multi-stage objective.
10+ segments	A major operational or long-running objective.

Progress by Effect: Limited 1, Standard 2, Great 3.

Combat, Fortera, Load, vessels

Combat
Rule
Alternate one combatant at a time. Normal Activation: one Move and Action, in either order without splitting Move; one Reaction per round. Move 4 spaces, Sprint uses Action for another 4. A 7–9 grants no free enemy attack.
Facing
Rule
Ordinary melee threatens 3 adjacent front spaces; Reach adds the 5 immediately beyond. A Turn Reaction faces an enemy entering an unthreatened adjacent space. Exact opposite Engaged attackers gain +1 Effect against a Flanked target.
Protection
Rule
Applicable armour, Cover or Going Low reduces bodily Harm one step on 7–9. Guard uses a Reaction against threatened melee on 7–9, reducing Harm or manoeuvre Effect. Choose one protection per hit; 10+ resolves normally.
Firearms
Rule
Beyond Normal but within Extended: −1 Effect; beyond Extended normally No Effect. Normal guns become Fired and need one Reload Action, two with Slow Reload. Rigid armour gives no firearm benefit at Contact.
Harm
Rule
Limited typically Strained, Standard Wounded, Great Broken where plausible. Same-severity or worse Harm escalates one step. Standard stabilisation removes Unstable, not Broken; Broken is not automatic death.
Fortera
Rule
Practice grants Capacity 2 and two Workings; Deep Reserve gives 3. Ask whether the target responds, the effect can physically happen and the scale is safe. Roll once for the actual uncertainty.
Overdraw
Rule
+1: Strained. +2: Wounded and local disturbance. +3: risk Broken and a Dead Zone or similarly serious field consequence. +4 or more: catastrophic field consequence.
Embedding
Rule
Known Working and Practice required. Depth days to create, then Depth days of useful life; Depth does not increase power. Tune preservation touches an active item for at least 10 minutes, pausing its remaining life for Depth days without stacking.
Growth
Rule
Per session: 1 participation, at most 1 for a materially influential anchor, and 1 group milestone. Maximum 3; save indefinitely and spend between sessions or in genuine downtime, never mid-Scene or Combat.
Load
Rule
Comfortable carry is 6 Load.
Scale
Rule
Personal or Battlefield, nothing in between. Formations act once per exchange; Cohesion breaks them.
Vessel: Stable
Rule
The relevant system functions normally.
Vessel: Impaired
Rule
The relevant system is compromised. Its condition changes Risk, Effect or available actions when the fiction makes it relevant.
Vessel: Disabled
Rule
The relevant system cannot function meaningfully until the problem is addressed. Other intact systems are not automatically Disabled.

Card	Rule
Combat	Alternate one combatant at a time. Normal Activation: one Move and Action, in either order without splitting Move; one Reaction per round. Move 4 spaces, Sprint uses Action for another 4. A 7–9 grants no free enemy attack.
Facing	Ordinary melee threatens 3 adjacent front spaces; Reach adds the 5 immediately beyond. A Turn Reaction faces an enemy entering an unthreatened adjacent space. Exact opposite Engaged attackers gain +1 Effect against a Flanked target.
Protection	Applicable armour, Cover or Going Low reduces bodily Harm one step on 7–9. Guard uses a Reaction against threatened melee on 7–9, reducing Harm or manoeuvre Effect. Choose one protection per hit; 10+ resolves normally.
Firearms	Beyond Normal but within Extended: −1 Effect; beyond Extended normally No Effect. Normal guns become Fired and need one Reload Action, two with Slow Reload. Rigid armour gives no firearm benefit at Contact.
Harm	Limited typically Strained, Standard Wounded, Great Broken where plausible. Same-severity or worse Harm escalates one step. Standard stabilisation removes Unstable, not Broken; Broken is not automatic death.
Fortera	Practice grants Capacity 2 and two Workings; Deep Reserve gives 3. Ask whether the target responds, the effect can physically happen and the scale is safe. Roll once for the actual uncertainty.
Overdraw	+1: Strained. +2: Wounded and local disturbance. +3: risk Broken and a Dead Zone or similarly serious field consequence. +4 or more: catastrophic field consequence.
Embedding	Known Working and Practice required. Depth days to create, then Depth days of useful life; Depth does not increase power. Tune preservation touches an active item for at least 10 minutes, pausing its remaining life for Depth days without stacking.
Growth	Per session: 1 participation, at most 1 for a materially influential anchor, and 1 group milestone. Maximum 3; save indefinitely and spend between sessions or in genuine downtime, never mid-Scene or Combat.
Load	Comfortable carry is 6 Load.
Scale	Personal or Battlefield, nothing in between. Formations act once per exchange; Cohesion breaks them.
Vessel: Stable	The relevant system functions normally.
Vessel: Impaired	The relevant system is compromised. Its condition changes Risk, Effect or available actions when the fiction makes it relevant.
Vessel: Disabled	The relevant system cannot function meaningfully until the problem is addressed. Other intact systems are not automatically Disabled.

Condensed from Native Rules appendix pp. 89–92. The print appendix includes a longer quick-reference table and separate Character Record sheets.