Journey: Basics

Here, we'll attempt to cover the basics of Journey. For learning the game, this is the best place to start.

At the end of the section, there will be a glossary, where all bolded terms will be defined. If you need to look up a term, that's the place to do it.

The Core Mechanic

Before we can really get into the basics of the game, we have to discuss what is known as the core mechanic. The core mechanic is the method you use as the basis for attempting actions in-game; it is used for a wide variety of things, and thus an understanding of how it works is essential.

The core mechanic is to use a dice pool, add up all the dice and any modifiers, and compare it to a target number (TN), which may or may not be known.

The primary manner in which you advance your character is by improving the dice pools for specific aspects of your character. If you want a hardy warrior, you may improve your character's dice pools for Strength, Vitality, and his combat skills; if you want an enigmatic noble, you may improve her dice pools for Charisma, Wisdom, and her social skills.

All dice pools in Journey follow the same progression of advancement.

d2 => d4 => d6 => d8 => d10 => d12 => d12+d2 => d12+d4 => d12+d6 => d12+d8 => d12+d10 => 2d12 => 2d12+d2 => 2d12+d4 => ...

If you have any amount of ability or training with a skill, your base dice pool with that skill is 1d2. If you decide to focus on that skill or attribute, or train or study to improve it, it improves one step at a time, following the progression above.

Some skills or other abilities may allow you to call upon other skills or attributes, either to add their dice pool to the skill's dice pool, or to even allow it to replace the skill's dice pool entirely. Something called upon to add its dice pool to what is being rolled, or to replace what is being rolled entirely, is called a base attribute or base skill. Individual skill or ability descriptions explain whether or not you can add to or replace the skill's dice pool with the base's dice pool.

Creating a Character

The first step is to create a character. For sake of the writer's sanity, we'll avoid going over such things as "what is roleplaying" or "how to come up with a character concept" for the time being; we'll get right into the thick of things.

Race

First and foremost, you need to select a race. Race here is not meant in the same way as it is used in normal conversation; here, perhaps a better word would be species. Races include humans, but also include fantasy races such as the lynae, the sidhe, the thran, the isci, the dwarves, the nephilim, and the faerie.

Race determines a good deal about your character. It modifies your starting attributes, which we'll get to in a moment; it also determines some basic things about your character's personality. Your race may also give you access to special abilities, grant you bonuses to skills, or perhaps other benefits.

Attributes

Once you have selected a race, you can determine your character's attributes. Attributes are the core of your character; they determine your basic ability in several different areas.

There are nine attributes, each divided into three aspects and three facets. The three aspects are Physical, Mental, and Spiritual; the three facets are Power, Skill, and Endurance.

These parts of your character are described in more detail on the Attributes page.