Sections with a dice icon are mandatory to read to understand how to play
Special Actions
Special unique actions that anyone can take, for decisions more complicated than a simple attack or using an item.
There is an arrow at the top of the page to take you to list of special actions.
Grappling
In order to initiate a grapple or try to forcefully grab on to someone, you need to use the Grapple action detailed in Special Actions. From there, it is your Strength roll against their athletics or acrobatics.
If you win the grapple, then you put them under the grappled condition and get the following privileges:
You and your grappled character now share the same space and the same movement action, they are not able to resist unless they use a reaction of some kind
You can attack them or manipulate them while grappling them as long as you have a free hand or another way of grappling
(Applies to Grapple action and Combat Abilities)
Spellcasting
Spells are a custom move you make with a Path that gives you a Spellmaker of some kind of tier. Spells are also a form of attack.
Creating and casting custom spells requires the use of a Spellcasting Focus, a special tool kit that focuses your magical power and allows it to flow out into the real world. More information on spellcasting focuses can be found on the tool kits page in items.
Unlike other Paths, your Magic Path Custom Moves do not automatically become better. Instead, higher levels of your custom moves or higher tiers of magic are walled off by Mana Point costs, the resource pool of Magic Paths. Doing this is called “Upcasting,” where you can spend more points to cast a spell at a higher tier.
Rules for spellcasting can be applied to other Paths that revolve around making Powered Custom Moves. Including but not limited to Spirit, Mutants, Summoner, etc.
(There are multiple sources to learn even more about spellcasting, there is more information on the Tool Kits page, the Spellbooks page in Magic Items, and there will be information on the Wiki too when it is completed)
Crafting
With the exception of the Path of Smithing, there are Paths whose custom moves involve creating something instead of just attacking in a unique way.
When you use your action or reaction with a Crafting Path, you can choose to create your craft on the spot and use it in the same action. Although, usually it’s better to create your crafts at a short rest.
(Applies to Paths of Tinkering, Alchemy, and Cooking)
Range/Area Of Effect
There are three types of ranges you can use when designing a custom move: Line, Radius, and Cone.
Line: The normal full range detailed by the restrictions of your Path. You can have as many targets as your restrictions allow.
Radius: Half the normal full range of your Path, but instead of a straight path it’s a circular area of effect. Cannot be used for additional targets.
Cone: A third of the normal full range of your path, but instead of a straight path it’s a triangular cone wall that emits from directly in front of you. Cannot be used for additional targets.
Concentration
Most commonly from custom moves, there are times when you apply an effect to something or someone and you need to keep that effect from wearing off. The act of maintaining an effect is called Concentration, you cannot concentrate on more than 1 effect.
When you take damage, it triggers a combo skill check with a stat related to how you applied the effect in order to not lose concentration. If you fail the combo skill check at any point then you lose concentration and the effect you’re maintaining goes away. Concentration can also be dismissed as a free action at any time.
The first time you roll to maintain concentration has a DC of 10. After every success at maintaining your concentration, the DC increases by 5. The DC resets if you start maintaining a new concentration.
DEATH : Death’s Door (DD)
When a player character’s health reaches 0 they take on a condition called Death’s Door, more details can be found on the conditions page. If take any additional damage on DD, then you are put into sudden death where the DM must roll a Death’s Door Survival Roll by rolling a d100.
All characters have a Minimum Survival Number (MSN) of 31, meaning that the DM must roll at least a 31 to survive sudden death. A character’s MSN will increase by 5 every time they survive sudden death. However, a character’s MSN will reset back to 31 after a long rest.
Lethal and Non-Lethal
Whenever a character is at or reduced to 0 hit points, most types of attacks are outright lethal and can cause either immediate death or a DD Survival Roll. However, if you don’t wish to kill a character, there is the option of attacking non-lethally and knocking them out.
Non-lethal attacks can be performed by either using a melee attack or by using a custom move at it’s weakest. Using a non-lethal attack either on someone at DD or to reduce their HP to 0 means you can choose to knock them out and put them under the Unconcious Condition. It’s up to the DM how long they are knocked out.
Losing Limbs
System Shock taken to it’s limits, you are able to try and tear off character’s limbs and body parts. To do this, you need to declare your intentions and trigger a Limb Removal effect. This can be from the Tear option of an inspiration, ability from a weapon, effect of a custom move, etc.
After that, you need to land an attack on the limb you want to tear off, Targeting Limbs rules still apply. Upon a successful hit and all other steps followed, the DM must roll a DD Survival Roll for the character. If the character fails the Survival Roll, then they take a critical wound on that specific limb.
If you try to rip off a character’s head, chest, neck, lungs, back, heart, or brain while they’re still alive it will still be possibly but MUCH HARDER. All of the previous rules still apply, but whenever the DM rolls the survival roll they need to get a 100 on the d100 for the body part to be ripped off. To put it simply, successfully pulling this off is an outright insta-kill unless the character doesn’t need a specific organ to live.
Falling Damage
If you are airborne without a flying or hovering ability, then by the end of your turn you will fall at a rate of 500 feet per round.
For every 10ft you plummet, you will take an additional d6 of physical damage when you hit the ground.
Hand To Hand Combat
When you make an attack just using your bodily limbs, or an unarmed attack, you use a basic strength or dexterity roll to break armor class. If you end up breaking armor class, you’ll end up dealing 1 + STR/DEX physical damage.
This is assuming you don’t have the Martial Arts combat ability or some type of effect that empowers attacks made with your body parts.
Resistance, Immunity, & Weakness
Having resistance to a damage type means you take half of the total damage from an attack or effect.
Having immunity to a damage type means you take none of the total damage from an attack or effect.
Having weakness to a damage type means you take double of the total damage from an attack or effect.
Stealth and Hiding
When you use the Hide action or another move that produces a similar effect, you must roll a stealth skill check against everyone’s passive perceptions and other passive senses. If you manage to roll above everyone’s passives then characters can attempt to locate you with a perception, investigation, or other skill check if the DM deems it appropriate. You lose your successful stealth if someone finds you.
You can’t hide from a character if they have direct eye contact with you, and also making a significant amount of noise can make it easier for others to find you. However, as long as you are successfully stealthed, you will have advantage on your next roll that brings you out of stealth.
A lot of this will come down to what the DM feels will work in a given situation since hiding isn’t the most straightforward strategy.
(More information on the Hide Action can be found in the Special Actions arrow)
Targeting Limbs
Most attacks aren’t targeted anywhere specifically, but since Free Flowing uses system shock, any part of a character can be attacked. All of the body parts that can be targeted are listed on the page for Grievous Wounds and the levels of disadvantage they incur.
Rolling to hit a character’s limb incurs levels of disadvantage for the attacker. Also if you target that limb with a saving throw, then the character has levels of advantage on the saving throw equal to the levels of disadvantage you would’ve had rolling to hit.
Upon successfully landing an attack on a character’s limbs, they get Grievous Wounds according to which body part was hit.
(Go to Grievous Wounds page to see specific disadvantages on specific limbs )