Playing Outrunners

Rules, mechanics, and the systems that drive every session.

Skill Checks

When an Outrunner attempts something risky, the GM calls for a Skill Check. Roll the appropriate Stat Die against a Difficulty Check (DC). The result determines not just success or failure, but who gets to narrate what happens.

DC Range	Difficulty	Example
1–3	Trivial	Tying your shoelaces amidst a slight breeze.
4–6	Easy	Climbing a wall with plenty of handholds.
7–9	Moderate	Convincing a reluctant NPC to share information.
10–12	Challenging	Deciphering a coded message under pressure.
13–15	Difficult	Spotting a hidden figure in a crowded marketplace.
16–18	Very Difficult	Disarming a trap while enemies approach.
19–20	Near Impossible	Leaping between rooftops while dodging obstacles.

Failure as Storytelling: A failed roll isn't the end — it's a chance to push the story in new directions. A failed roll might reveal hidden information, attract unwanted attention, or create an unexpected complication.

Narrative Control

The difference between your roll and the DC determines who narrates the outcome. This is the heart of Outrunners — shared storytelling driven by the dice.

Difference	Who Narrates	Description
+10 or more	Player narrates	You succeed with flair — your adversaries might even applaud.
+5 to +9	Player narrates	You succeed and turn heads while doing so.
+1 to +4	Player & GM	Success with minor complications or unpolished execution.
0	GM, player softens	A close call — you just scrape by.
-1 to -4	GM, player adds detail	A small setback or complication arises.
-5 to -9	GM, minimal player input	A major issue emerges — you're in a tough spot.
-10 or lower	GM narrates	A disaster strikes, with long-term or fatal consequences.

The Hands of Fate

Fate Points are earned through roleplay, risk, and engaging with your Vision. Spend them to invoke powerful narrative abilities.

Destiny's Sacrifice

Sacrifice something meaningful to automatically succeed on a critical roll.

Divine Intervention

Call on a higher power or cosmic force to shift the narrative in your favor.

Shared Destiny

Link your fate to another Outrunner — if one succeeds, both benefit.

Temporal Shuffle

Rewind a brief moment in time to change one decision or action.

Fate's Favor

Gain advantage on your next roll, no questions asked.

Vision Recall

Recall a forgotten detail from your Vision that provides a crucial clue.

Combat

Combat in Outrunners follows the same Narrative Control system as everything else. There are no initiative rolls or turn orders — the fiction drives who acts when. The difference on the Narrative Control table determines injury levels in combat.

Injuries

Outrunners uses a 5-level injury system instead of hit points. Each level stacks penalties and increases the stakes.

Level	Repercussions	Healing	Example
1	-1 to Attacker or Defender rolls	First aid kit or weak magic. Can heal on its own.	Sprained ankle, bruised muscle, eye-strain.
2	-2 to any related physical checks	Moderate DC magic or medical attention. May evolve to Level 3.	Minor burn, minor open wound, minor fractures.
3	-3 physical, -2 mental. Movement limited.	Challenging DC magic or medical attention. May evolve to Level 5.	Broken bone, deep puncture wound, third-degree burn.
4	-5 to all checks. No magic. Movement extremely inhibited.	Immediate professional medical attention. Very Difficult to heal with magic.	Severed tendon, spinal injury, ruptured organ.
5	Auto-fail physical, -6 mental. No Aptitudes.	Will result in death if left untreated.	Infected wound, sepsis, internal bleeding.

Character Death & Endgame

Death in Outrunners is not a failure state — it's the ultimate narrative beat. When an Outrunner falls, their Vision comes full circle. The question was never “will they die?” but “what did they do with the time they had?”

“There are no favors with death.”

Facing the Inevitable

The endgame is when the Harbinger closes in and the Visions sharpen into reality. Players must decide: face their fate head-on, sacrifice for others, or make one last desperate attempt to rewrite destiny. The dice have the final word.