CPA: Frequently Asked Questions

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This game relies on simple, flexible rules that can change to fit the table and situation. Because of this, most unclear rules areas are intentionally left up to your GM and Group to enjoy. One example of this is the special attacks rule. Is it reasonable for a player character to kick an enemy into a fuel cell, causing it to immediately explode? Or would this instead merely cause a fuel leak that could be ignited later? Perhaps it depends on the height of the roll? It's intentionally left up to you to decide what feels most fun and dramatic.

That said, there are some rules areas that should be consistent in this game, as follows:

1. How many items can I carry?
• A player character in CPA can carry five items plus Athletics.
• That is a hard limit - there is no burdened state, you simply cannot carry more than that on your person.
• Cash held counts as one item per 1000 units.
• CPA characters should therefore look for a safe place to store their stuff.
2. What is a modification for crafting purposes?
   • Custom modifications means, something beyond the chassis or blueprint of the item itself. For example, adding weapons to a utility mech would be a modification since it wasn't designed for fighting, while adding a mining drill to a military mech would be a modification since it wasn't designed for mining, but switching out a mining drill for a loading fork is not a modification since the chassis was designed to support both.
3. What happens when I shoot a firearm (a ranged weapon relying on combustion) in vacuum?
   • Nothing happens, a firearm cannot fire without oxygen.
   • You need a melee weapon, laser gun, plasma gun, magnetic rail gun, magic spell, or other weapon that works in vacuum.
4. What happens when I cast a fire, ice, or electric spell in vacuum, or underwater?
   • Fire spells underwater generally have reduced range and produce boiling bubbles instead of flames.
   • Lightning spells underwater have expanded range in all directions.
   • In vacuum, the effects are similar to atmosphere due to magic.
   • Note, however, that casters receive a penalty to casting in a vacuum suit or underwater (usually by rolling 3d8 and taking the lowest 2).
5. Should numbers and rolls or word choice have more weight in social roleplay?
   • Completely up to your table, but giving them equal weight, or flooring them at the effect of the intent and numbers is a good bet. If the player is much less charismatic than the character, ask the player to summarize the intent of the conversation and go based on that.
   • Remember that in many cases, persuasion/intimidation/trading/deception is not always needed to get a certain result from an npc. They may be convinced to stop fighting or give information or aid simply as a result of sharing information or offering gifts, no social skills needed.
6. Do enemies have to use the same systems and statistics that player characters do?
   • Absolutely not. Enemies and potential enemies should simply have whatever abilities makes sense to be fun and challenging in the moment and have whatever statistics seem appropriate off-the-cuff.
7. I want my character to have a certain super-power that isn't listed here, what can I do?
   • Quest for it! Declare it your goal in-character to achieve that thing, and pursue all rumours about it in-game--if you survive, you will achieve!
8. What happens if multiple conditions interact that would increase a player's skill check die size?
   • If multiple conditions increase die size, the dice cap out at 2d12.
9. What happens if a non-player-character wants to persuade a player character of something?
   1. This is completely up to the player's free choice. They can simply say no, yes, or roll whatever they prefer.
10. What happens if I want to commit a player-vs-player hostile or harmful/negative act?
    1. First, all players must consent to all possible results of this PvP hostility. If anyone does not want any one of the possible results to happen, then no PvP actions are allowed.
    2. Second, roll opposed skills--for example, stealth vs. investigate, melee vs. dodge, drive vs. drive. The higher roll wins, or if tied, then the situation is unchanged.

11. I want to crouch, but not go prone, how do i do this?
    1. Rules-wise, crouching is the same thing as going prone. Same action cost, same effects.
12. Can I specify which way I am facing on a certain combat round?
    1. No. To keep things simple, the game assumes you are looking and aiming in any appropriate direction.
13. An enemy throws a grenade towards me. Can I throw it back or kick it?
    1. If it has not exploded yet, then yes, you can roll to try and do so. Kicking it back is a Brawl action, while throwing it back is an Athletics action.
14. My character is invisible during a battle, how do we run that?
    1. While invisible during a battle, AND if the enemies do not have any magical or technological means of detecting them, the invisible character may roll stealth with 2d10 to attempt to hide at any time, as an action (or bonus action if they have the talent Stalker.)
    2. If the player succeeds on stealth, they are both unseen and unheard. The enemies will generally attack the spot where the invisible character's last attack originated.
    3. If the player succeeds on stealth, then they may move to another location and remain undetected. If they choose, they can wait until the enemies disengage from battle and attempt some other approach to finding the invisible person.
    4. If the player failed on stealth, then the enemy heard them or saw their tracks. They will attack the player's location accurately, but the player can roll 2d10 to defend from those attacks, as a benefit of invisibility.
15. What is a 'biological creature'?
    • A biological creature is a creature made of flesh and blood, fungus, or plant matter that must eat, breathe, etc to survive.
    • Robots and vehicles are not biological.
    • Undead such as ghosts and zombies are not biological.
    • Demons and angels are not biological since, while they sometimes have flesh and blood, they are animated and fueled by emotion.
    • Unknowable horrors such as the luminous horror, saw horror and seething horror are not biological, no one fully understands their function, origin or purpose.
16. The Game Mystic said that an extradimensional god interfered with my spell, even though I have an ability that says it should be risk free! Is that illegal?
    • The GM is within their rights to do this. Magic is dark and dangerous in this system, and its use by mortal humanoids can be curtailed at-will by the entities who create, breathe, and rest in magic.
    • For this reason, try to develop both arcane and mundane skills in your character.
    • If you still aren't having fun, you might prefer a more high-magic game where magic success is guaranteed.