CORE RULES
Combat resolution, card mechanics, positioning, and resource management — the fundamental systems of Voidmarked.
COMBAT
10Attack
An Attack is any damaging or detrimental action — melee, ranged, voidcalls, or abilities.
- Melee, Ranged, Voidcalls, and Abilities all count as attacks.
- Effects that cause damage, conditions, or combat penalties count as attacks.
- Even non-damaging abilities (like disarming, panicking, or debuffing) count if they reduce the target's combat effectiveness.
Hit
A Hit occurs when a hostile action or attack successfully connects — through a Duel Flip.
- Both attacker and defender flip a card from the shared deck.
- Attacker adds modifiers: stats (e.g. Strength, Dexterity), bonuses, keywords.
- Defender adds: Defence stat, cover bonuses, traits.
- If the attacker's total is equal to or higher, the attack hits.
Critical Hit
A Critical Hit occurs when the final Hit score is at least double the target's Defence, or when a Red Joker is flipped.
- A Critical Hit bypasses all Resistance or Damage Reduction unless otherwise stated.
- Damage dealt is automatically High on a Critical Hit.
- Red Joker critical: automatic regardless of the numerical difference.
- Some weapons, abilities, or enemies may have enhanced effects on a critical.
- Criticals may also trigger special effects based on the weapon or power used.
Defence
Defence is a derived stat added to all defensive flips against attacks.
- This number is added to your Defensive Flips against Attacks.
Health
Max Health is based on your class archetype scaling plus your Physique stat.
- Frontliners (Enforcer, Mutant): 10 + Level × 6
- Balanced (Engineer, Phantom): 10 + Level × 5
- Glass Cannons / Support (Voidstrider, Aristocrat): 10 + Level × 4
- Example: Level 3 Enforcer, Physique 4 → 10 + (3 × 6) + (4 × 2) = 36 Health
- Creatures at 0 Health either die or enter Grasping for Life.
- Overkill Rule: if excess damage is ≥ 50% of Max Health, the target dies outright — no last stand.
Resistance
Resistance to damage halves that damage type (rounded up). Resistance to status effects grants advantages against them.
- Resistance to damage causes damage of that type to be halved, rounded up.
- Resistance to status effects: if the effect has a flip, you gain Advantage to avoid it.
- If the effect has no flip, you instead make a Resilience(tn10) to ignore it.
Trigger
A game condition or event that causes an effect, ability, or weapon trait to activate outside normal action economy.
- Damage Triggers — Moderate Damage Trigger: activates at Moderate or higher damage. High Damage Trigger: activates at High damage (usually 9+). A '+' symbol (e.g. Moderate+) means that level or higher.
- Ability Triggers — automatically activate in response to specific conditions; no Action or Quick Action cost.
- Triggers occur immediately after the condition is met.
- If multiple triggers activate at once, the active player chooses the resolution order unless specified.
- 'On Hit' effects are automatic parts of the attack; 'Trigger' effects may be optional, conditional, or branching.
Turn Order
Turn order determines the sequence characters and enemies act in combat, established by an Initiative flip at the start.
- At the start of combat, each player flips a card and adds their Initiative Modifier.
- Enemies either use pre-set Initiative tiers or flip individually or as groups at the GM's discretion.
- Highest total acts first; play proceeds in descending order.
- Ties are broken by higher Foresight, then player choice if still tied.
- Some abilities allow acting outside your turn (Trigger abilities, Overwatch, Quick Actions).
Start of Turn
A timing window at the very beginning of a character's turn, before any actions, movement, or flips.
- Persistent effects may trigger or expire (e.g. Bleeding, Burning, Withered).
- Duration counters for buffs, debuffs, and summoned creatures are reduced.
- Ongoing conditions are resolved before any decisions are made.
- Any abilities labelled 'at the start of your turn' activate now.
- If multiple effects apply, the affected player chooses the resolution order.
- Effects that end 'at the start of your turn' are no longer active by the time you act.
Natural Flip
The unmodified result of a card flipped from the deck, before any modifiers, cheats, or abilities are applied.
- Some abilities trigger only on a Natural Flip of a specific value or suit.
- Examples: Natural Black Joker for automatic failure; 'on a Natural 2 or lower...' for panic effects.
- Some abilities require only Natural Flips — you cannot modify or Cheat these flips.
CARDS & DECK
9Flip
Drawing the top card from the deck to resolve uncertainty — the core mechanic replacing dice.
- Flips resolve skills, hits, damage, defence, resistance, initiative, and more.
- Most flips can be Cheated — replacing the drawn card with one from the Shared Hand.
- Some flips are Un-cheatable (e.g. Void Instability, certain Corruption effects).
Deck
A single shared deck of 54 cards (standard playing deck + Red and Black Jokers) used by all players.
- The deck is shuffled once per Long Rest or full recharge.
- All skill checks, attacks, saving throws, and ability flips draw from this deck.
- Jokers remain in play and are not removed after being flipped.
- Reshuffling does not occur mid-cycle unless caused by an ability, Void event, or when the deck runs out.
Advantage
Flip extra cards and keep the highest result.
- With Advantage, flip 2 cards and keep the highest.
- With Advantage twice, flip 3 cards and keep the highest.
- You cannot flip more than 3 cards from Advantage.
- Advantage and Disadvantage cancel each other out one-for-one.
Disadvantage
Flip extra cards and keep the lowest result. Cannot be Cheated.
- With Disadvantage, flip 2 cards and keep the lowest.
- With Disadvantage twice, flip 3 cards and keep the lowest.
- You cannot flip more than 3 cards from Disadvantage.
- When flipping with Disadvantage, you cannot Cheat the result — no exceptions.
- Advantage and Disadvantage cancel each other out one-for-one.
Cheat
Replace your flipped card with a card from the Shared Hand.
- You may only Cheat once per Flip.
- The chosen card from the hand is discarded and not replaced until the next Long Rest.
- Only the player flipping may choose to Cheat — no one may override the flipper's decision.
- You cannot Cheat on a Disadvantage flip.
- In a Duel Flip, the losing side cheats first.
Shared Hand
A pool of face-up cards held outside the deck available for Cheating flips. Base size 6, expanded by party Foresight.
- All players draw from the same Shared Hand.
- Base hand size is 6 cards.
- +1 card for every 2 total Foresight points across all players (rounded down).
- This number can go negative (e.g. party Foresight of -3 → 5 cards total).
- The hand is drawn at the start of each Long Rest after the previous hand and discarded cards are reshuffled.
Un-Cheatable
The flip cannot be Cheated — you must use the result as-is, even if it's unfavourable.
- Used for Corruption effects, Void Instability, and special conditions.
- You cannot play a card from the Shared Hand to replace an Un-cheatable flip.
Red Joker
Automatic Critical Hit. Cannot be Cheated. Damage is automatically High.
- A Natural Flip of the Red Joker counts as a Critical Hit.
- Cannot be Cheated, replaced, or modified — once drawn, its power is absolute.
- Damage dealt is automatically High, and any hit-based trigger (e.g. Crimson Cut, Moderate+) is fulfilled.
- Narrative outcomes should lean wildly positive or thematically surreal, at GM discretion.
Black Joker
Automatic Critical Failure. Cannot be Cheated unless a specific ability explicitly allows it.
- A Natural Flip of the Black Joker counts as a Critical Failure.
- Cannot be Cheated or overridden unless a specific class feature, species trait, or item explicitly says so.
- Attack flips automatically miss. Skill checks catastrophically fail. Damage flips resolve to zero.
- Enemy reactions, hazards, or Overwatch may activate against you.
- Narrative outcomes should lean wildly negative or thematically terrifying, at GM discretion.
POSITIONING & RANGE
6Line of Sight
Draw a straight unbroken line from the acting creature's centre to the target. Full cover breaks LoS.
- Draw a straight, unbroken line from the centre of the acting creature to the target.
- If interrupted by solid obstacles (walls, debris, full cover), LoS is broken.
- Full cover breaks LoS; partial cover obscures but doesn't break LoS.
- Used for targeting attacks or abilities, perceiving environments, and interacting with visible effects.
- Some powers (Voidcalls, psionics) may explicitly ignore LoS.
Cover
Terrain or objects that block Line of Sight, granting Advantage to Defence flips against ranged attacks.
- Units in Cover receive Advantage to Defence Flips against ranged attacks.
- Cover Proximity: the creature must be within a distance equal to half the height of the cover object.
- Line Obstruction: LoS from the attacker must pass through the cover object to reach the target.
- If LoS does not intersect the cover object (even if the target is adjacent to it), the creature does not benefit.
Area of Effect
AoE impacts all valid targets within a shape (radius, cone, line, etc.). Line of Sight and Cover still apply.
- Area of Effect impacts all valid targets within a shape (radius, cone, line, etc.).
- Full Cover or Line of Sight blockers prevent the effect from reaching a target.
- Partial cover may reduce the effect, depending on the ability.
- Abilities that ignore Cover or LoS will explicitly say so.
Melee
Close physical combat — adjacent or within 5 feet. Some abilities extend melee range.
- Default melee range is adjacent to the target, or within 5 feet.
- Some abilities or weapons can extend melee range (noted as 'Melee + X ft').
- Being in melee range makes ranged attacks against that specific engaged target impossible, unless an ability allows it.
- You have Disadvantage on ranged weapon attacks against other targets while in Melee range.
Ranged
Ranged combat begins at 6ft beyond melee. Weapons list specific ranges with close and long range bands.
- A Ranged Attack targets an enemy starting at 6 feet and beyond.
- Close Range (within listed range): attacks are made without penalty.
- Long Range (up to double listed range): Disadvantage on the flip.
- Beyond Range: cannot be targeted unless the ability states otherwise.
- Example: a 30ft weapon can be used normally from 6–30ft, at Disadvantage from 31–60ft, not at all beyond 60ft.
- You have Disadvantage on ranged attacks against other targets while in Melee range.
- You cannot target enemies you are engaged with using ranged weapons unless a class or ability allows it.
Stealth
A dynamic state blending movement, cover, and timing — used in both exploration and combat.
- Out of combat: requires at least partial cover or low visibility, plus a Stealth check opposed by Perception if creatures are in LoS.
- In combat: requires Cover or no LoS with any enemy, and either the Hide Action or ending your turn without attacking, moving, or being targeted.
- While in stealth, enemies cannot target you unless they win a Perception check opposed by your Stealth.
- Enemies have Disadvantage on Defence flips against your first attack from Stealth.
- Attacking, casting a Voidcall, or performing a loud action immediately breaks Stealth unless the ability says otherwise.
RESOURCES & RECOVERY
4Void Energy
The resource required to perform Voidcalls. Only Voidcaller-tagged characters can use Voidcalls.
- Only characters with the Voidcaller keyword can use Voidcalls.
- Each race has a base Void Energy amount, modified by Foresight × 5 (can be negative, never below zero).
- Void Energy is fully restored by a Long Rest.
- Certain drugs and foods can partially replenish Void Energy.
- Some items increase Max Void Energy or provide alternative restoration methods.
Long Rest
6–8 hours of uninterrupted downtime in relative safety. Fully restores most resources and resets the deck.
- Requirements: relative safety (no combat or active threats), minimal shelter and food, at most once per 24 hours.
- Restores Void Energy to full.
- Restores Health to max.
- All cards from the Shared Hand are discarded; entire deck and discarded cards are reshuffled.
- A new Shared Hand is drawn based on current party Foresight.
- All abilities marked Once per Long Rest are refreshed.
- In a sanctified or shielded area, may reduce Corruption by 1.
- Weapons, augments, armour, and cybernetics may be restored with a successful Repair check.
Reload
All ranged weapons have a Shot Count. Once empty, they must be reloaded before firing again.
- Standard ranged weapon reload costs a Quick Action.
- Heavy ranged weapon reload costs an Action.
- The Ammo Carrier Rig reduces Heavy weapon reload to a Quick Action.
- Automatic weapons expend 1 additional shot per extra target when making a Multi-Target attack.
- If a weapon runs out of shots mid-turn, remaining attacks for that turn are lost.
- Standard ammunition does not need to be tracked unless the GM rules otherwise.
- Explosive rounds, Void-infused rounds, and specialty ammo loaded by abilities require explicit tracking.
Dual Wield
Wield two one-handed weapons simultaneously. The off-hand attack is a Quick Action with trade-offs.
- Requires two one-handed weapons (melee or ranged); cannot use a shield or two-hander.
- Off-hand attack is a Quick Action: -3 to Hit Chance, and can only deal Low Damage.
- Parrying or blocking cannot be done with either weapon unless an ability explicitly allows it.
- If Disarmed, you choose which hand loses its weapon.
- Cannot be combined with Heavy weapons unless modified by class or augment.