How to Play RED-SHIFT
RED-SHIFT is a game about capable people making decisions under pressure. You describe what your character wants to accomplish, decide how they approach the problem, and roll the dice only when the outcome is uncertain and the consequences matter.
You do not roll to find out whether your character is competent. You roll when a capable person faces an uncertain problem and the result will change what happens next.
1. The Basic Idea
The Referee explains what is happening, what your character can perceive, and any obvious dangers or constraints.
State what your character wants to accomplish and describe how they try to do it.
Routine professional work and actions without meaningful uncertainty normally require no roll.
When failure matters and the result will change the situation, use the RED-SHIFT task system.
2. Your Character
A RED-SHIFT character is primarily defined by Characteristics, Skills, and the circumstances surrounding the character's actions.
Characteristics
Characteristic Ratings
Characteristics normally range from 2 to 12. When a Characteristic applies to a task, use its Dice Modifier (DM), not the full Characteristic score.
| Stat | DM | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | −3 | Severely limited |
| 3 | −2 | Poor |
| 4 | −2 | Poor |
| 5 | −1 | Below average |
| 6 | −1 | Below average |
| 7 | 0 | Average |
| 8 | 0 | Average |
| 9 | +1 | Above average |
| 10 | +1 | Strong |
| 11 | +2 | Exceptional |
| 12 | +13 | Peak human |
3. Skills
Skills describe what your character has learned to do. They represent training, practice, professional experience, procedural knowledge, and practical competence.
The Skill answers: What are you trained to do?
The Characteristic answers: How are you doing it?
Some Skills contain Specialties. Electronics, for example, may include Comms, Computers, Remote Operations, and Sensors. Science contains specialties such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology, and Robotics.
4. The Core Task Check
Compare the final result to the target number. Equal or exceed the target to succeed.
5. When to Roll
A check is normally made only when all three of the following conditions apply:
There must be a genuine question about whether the action succeeds.
Failure must impose a cost, danger, delay, complication, or lost opportunity.
The roll should move play forward regardless of whether it succeeds or fails.
6. Choose the Skill
The character's approach determines the Skill. There is rarely only one way to solve a problem.
Use Electronics to defeat the access system.
Use Mechanic to physically bypass the mechanism.
Use Admin to find an authorization procedure.
Use Persuade to convince someone to open it.
Use Deception to pretend you belong there.
7. Choose the Characteristic
The Characteristic depends on how the character is approaching the task. The same Skill can use different Characteristics.
Understand an unfamiliar technical system or interpret specifications.
Diagnose a strange failure using practical experience and judgment.
Perform delicate physical work where precision is the central challenge.
Keep people functioning and disciplined during prolonged danger or stress.
8. Set the Difficulty
| Difficulty | Target | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | 2+ | Trivial for someone capable of attempting it. |
| Easy | 4+ | Presents little difficulty to a trained character. |
| Routine | 6+ | Straightforward professional work under meaningful pressure. |
| Average | 8+ | A meaningful obstacle requiring competence and attention. |
| Difficult | 10+ | Challenges trained professionals. |
| Very Difficult | 12+ | A severe professional challenge. |
| Formidable | 14+ | Requires exceptional competence, preparation, or resources. |
| Impossible | 16+ | At the limits of credible performance, but theoretically achievable. |
The same damaged system has the same Difficulty whether it is being repaired by a novice or an expert. The expert's Skill changes the chance of success. It does not change the inherent difficulty of the problem.
9. Circumstances
Boon
Use a Boon when the overall circumstances strongly favor the character.
Bane
Use a Bane when the overall circumstances strongly hinder the character.
Numerical Dice Modifiers
Specific rules may also provide positive or negative Dice Modifiers for equipment, injuries, environmental conditions, range, previous actions, or other defined circumstances.
10. Resolve the Check
What are you trying to accomplish?
What is your character actually doing?
Is the result uncertain, consequential, and capable of changing the situation?
What field of competence is being applied?
What personal capability best represents the approach?
Determine the target number based on the task itself.
Determine Boons, Banes, and applicable Dice Modifiers.
Roll the dice, add the Skill and applicable modifiers, and compare the total to the target.
Determine how well or badly the attempt succeeded.
Change the situation and continue play.
11. Effect
| Effect | Result |
|---|---|
| −6 or less | Exceptional Failure |
| −5 to −2 | Average Failure |
| −1 | Marginal Failure |
| 0 | Marginal Success |
| +1 to +5 | Average Success |
| +6 or more | Exceptional Success |
Effect can influence quality, speed, duration, resource use, information gained, evidence left behind, damage, reliability, position, or the severity of consequences.
12. Failure Changes Things
A failed roll should not normally mean that nothing happens and the player simply rolls again. Failure changes the situation.
The attempt takes longer and another problem develops.
Tools, fuel, ammunition, supplies, or replacement parts are consumed.
Security, authorities, opponents, or other interested parties become aware of the activity.
A patient deteriorates, equipment fails further, access is lost, or a hazard advances.
13. Time Matters
Time is a resource. Characters may have to choose between doing something quickly, doing it carefully, finding better equipment, waiting for better conditions, seeking assistance, or accepting additional risk.
14. Working Together
Characters can cooperate when another person can meaningfully contribute to the task. Determine who is leading the action and describe what each helper is actually doing.
15. Opposed Actions
Some situations involve another character or force actively resisting the attempt. Examples include pursuit, deception, hiding, investigation, grappling, negotiation, and electronic intrusion against active security.
16. Consequences
Injury, exhaustion, exposure, pain, or equipment damage.
Lost time, fuel, ammunition, supplies, system degradation, or missed opportunities.
Incomplete intelligence, bad assumptions, lost data, or exposure of your own activity.
Trust, hostility, reputation, obligations, and damaged relationships.
Investigations, legal exposure, permits, corporate action, or government attention.
Debt, contract penalties, repair costs, lost cargo, or insurance consequences.
17. Combat Uses the Same Foundation
Combat is a dangerous application of the same basic task system. Characters describe what they are doing, apply their Skills and Characteristics, resolve uncertainty, and suffer the consequences.
The Combat rules add the specialized procedures for attacks, defense, movement, range, cover, weapons, armor, injury, and other combat-specific situations.
18. Social Conflict Uses the Same Foundation
Social Skills are not mind control. A successful Persuade check does not automatically force another person to do anything the player wants.
Establish what each person wants, what leverage exists, what outcomes are actually possible, and what consequences are at stake. Then resolve uncertainty using the normal task system.
19. Space Operations Use the Same Foundation
Piloting, navigation, engineering, sensors, damage control, jump preparation, emergencies, and spacecraft combat all build on the same core resolution system.
A spacecraft is not a separate game. It is a complex environment filled with interconnected problems handled by people with different competencies.
20. The RED-SHIFT Gameplay Loop
The Referee describes what is happening and what the characters can perceive.
The players decide what they want to accomplish.
The players describe how their characters attempt it.
If the outcome is uncertain and consequential, resolve a Task Check.
Determine success, failure, Effect, cost, and consequences.
Time passes. Resources are spent. People react. Systems respond. New information appears. Problems improve or become worse.
What do you do now?