SURGE! Core Rulebook
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Game Written By:
Greg Allison
Drew Matthews
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Introduction
Introduction
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Quick Reference
Quick Reference
What Is surge! ?
What Is surge! ?
SURGE! is a collaborative tabletop role-playing game set in high-fantasy, modern-day, sci-fi, and everything-in-between worlds. It combines imaginative storytelling with structured mechanics, allowing Players to determine how their characters navigate the challenges of any scenario.
There are two roles in a game of SURGE!: The GM and the Players.
The GM serves as the referee and narrator of the story and has final authority over game rulings. The Players are the protagonists, and the story centers on their characters' adventures.
A typical sequence of play follows a simple structure: the GM describes the environment and situation, the Players declare their actions, and the GM narrates the outcome.
How To Play
SURGE! follows a standard order of play:
1. The GM Describes the Scenario
The GM describes the environment in as much detail as each character can reasonably perceive. This includes the time of day, lighting conditions, environmental theme (such as a cave, outdoor setting, or interior room), structural details, furnishings, and creatures if present. Any obvious points of interaction should be clearly identified to provide Players with meaningful choices.
2. Players Describe Their Actions
After the scenario is established, Players describe how their characters interact with the environment. They may attempt to investigate, manipulate, negotiate, attack, defend, or otherwise influence the situation.
When the outcome of an action is uncertain, it is resolved through a dice roll called a Challenge. A Challenge represents an attempt that may succeed or fail depending on the result.
3. The GM Describes the Results
For each action taken, the GM narrates the consequences. If a Challenge was rolled, the GM determines and announces whether the attempt succeeds or fails, then describes the resulting outcome within the story.
Rolling Dice
Rolling Dice
SURGE! uses six-sided dice (d6) as its standard dice. On rare occasions, the GM may roll other types of dice, but these are not part of the standard Player dice set.
Players should have multiple d6 available, as the number of dice rolled increases with the level of an Attribute or Skill.
When rolling dice:
The number shown on the top face of each die is its value.
All dice are totaled together.
Modifiers are then applied to the total.
Modifiers may come from an Attribute, Skill, other statistics, or equipment.
Dice instructions follow this format:
Xd6 + modifier
The first number indicates how many dice are rolled.
Refer to the Dice Rolling Table (left on PC; above or below on mobile) when rolling for an Attribute or Skill.
The table shows:
Left column: Ability level
Right column: Number of dice rolled and modifiers applied
Example:
A level 3 Strength roll is 1d6 + 2
The Dice Rolling Table is designed to steadily increase both the minimum and maximum possible results as Attributes and Skills improve.
SURGING
SURGING
SURGING occurs when a Player rolls the highest possible value on any die.
When this happens:
That die is rolled again.
The new result is added to the total.
If the highest value is rolled again, the die continues to SURGE.
There is no limit to the number of times a dice can SURGE during a roll.
SURGING applies to all roles unless otherwise stated.
The GM may also grant an additional SURGE die as a reward for exceptional roleplaying or meaningful narrative impact. This should be rare. Overuse diminishes its impact.
Challenges and Contested Rolls
Challenges and Contested Rolls
There are two primary types of rolls during a SURGE! adventure: Challenges and Contested Rolls.
Challenges
A Challenge is rolled against a pre-determined value known as the Difficulty Rating (DR).
If the Player's total meets or exceeds the DR, the action succeeds.
Refer to the Difficulty Rating Table (left on PC; below on mobile) for DR values.
Group Challenges
Some Challenges allow multiple Players to participate.
Each participating Player rolls normally. All totals are combined into a single result. These are referred to as Assists.
Contested Rolls
A Contested Roll occurs when a Player rolls directly against an NPC or another Player.
These may represent physical, intellectual, dexterous, magical, or other forms of opposition as determined by the GM.
The most common Contested Roll occurs during combat.
Attacking and Defending
Each Attack action requires a separate Contested Roll.
The Attacker rolls:
Martial Combat for melee attacks
Marksmanship for ranged physical attacks
The Defender rolls an appropriate defensive stat:
Martial Combat against melee attacks
Dexterity against physical ranged attacks
Spell-specific defenses against magical effects
Tie Rules
Player VS. NPC
In a tie, the result favors the Player.
Player VS. Player
The attacker must exceed the defender's total to succeed. Ties favor the defender.
Rule Deviations
Rule Deviations
Certain elements, such as a creature's stat block, an event, an encounter, or an item, may modify or override the standard rules presented in this book.
When a specific rule contradicts a general rule, the specific rule takes precedence for as long as it remains applicable.
The GM has final authority in determining how and when these deviations apply.
What's next?
What's next?
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