Gamebook Pocket Mod

The following is a fully formed Pocket Mod that can be used for style solo games. Designers can use it to make their own gamebooks, or you can use it as an example for creating your own self-contained Panic Engine Pocket Mods.

This Pocket Mod is written with the assumption that you will not be creating stories that involve Combat encounters that take more than a single, abstracted roll. You can use the Solo and Wardenless Procedures if you'd like to design a solo adventure focused on exploration and Combat.

How do you play?

Read the story and make decisions when prompted. Your decision will determine which passage to turn to.

What do you need?

• Paper and something to write with

• 1d100

• 2d10

• 1d5 (Optional)

  • When asked to roll 1d5, you can roll 1d10 and subtract 5 from the result if it is greater than 5.

  • You can also roll 1d6 and re-roll on a result of 6.

Creating a Character

1. Name your character, including their pronouns

2. Assign your Stats

   1. Roll 2d10+35 for each Check

      • Combat: How well you handle violence

      • Strength: How well you can use your muscles

      • Speed: How quickly you can move

      • Intellect: How well you can use your brain

   2. Roll 2d10+25 for Each Save

      • Fear: How well you hold up to surprises

      • Body: How well you physically react to things

      • Sanity: How well you hold up to strange happenings

   3. Distribute 50 extra Stat points amongst your Checks and Saves

   4. Max Health and Max Stress are both 10

3. Choose 2 Backgrounds or roll 2d10 to randomly choose

   1. Military

   2. Athletic

   3. Mechanical

   4. Computer

   5. Psychology

   6. Academic

   7. Criminal

   8. Corporate

   9. Rural

   10. Religious

4. Stock your inventory

   • Start with 1 Medkit (Heal 1d5 Health) and 1 dose of Anti-Anxiety drugs (Relieve 1d5 Stress)

   • Choose three other items that suit your character and could fit on their person

Health and Stress

You start with 10 Health. You may be instructed by the text to take or heal Damage. If your Health is reduced to 0, you die and must restart the adventure. Track this using a d10.

You start with 0 Stress. You may be instructed by the text to gain or relieve Stress. Once you reach 10 Stress, any subsequent Stress deals Damage instead. Track this using a d10.

You may heal Damage or relieve Stress at anytime using a Medkit (Heal 1d5 Damage) or Anti-Anxiety Drugs (Relieve 1d5 Stress).

Checks and Saves

If the results of a situation are uncertain, the text will ask you to make a Check if you are taking an action or a Save if you are reacting to something.

To successfully make a Check or Save, you must roll less than or equal to a specified Stat on 1d100. If you fail, you gain 1 Stress.

Advantage

If a Check or Save lists an applicable Background, or one of your items could assist you with your task, you gain Advantage. When you have Advantage, roll twice and use the lower number to evaluate your success. Critical Successes and Critical Failures always override any other roll, with a Critical Success always taking precedent, followed by a Critical Failure.

Critical Successes or Failures

When making a Check or Save if you roll a number consisting of doubles (00, 11, 22, etc), then you have a rolled a Critical Success or Failure.

Upon a Critical Success, you relieve 1 Stress. Upon a Critical Failure, you Panic in addition to gaining 1 Stress for failing the Check or Save.

Push Your Luck

You may gain 1 Stress to re-roll, this includes Panic Checks.

Panic

To make a Panic Check (either because you rolled a Critical Failure or the text instructs you to) you roll a d10, and if it is less than or equal to your current Stress Level, you Panic and suffer the corresponding consequence listed on the Panic Table.

Panic Table

d10	Effect
1	CHUCKLE: Relieve 1 Stress.
2	SKIN PICKING: Take 1 Damage.
3	SEE DEAD PEOPLE: Gain 1 Stress.
4	BAD VIBES: Remove a random consumable item from your Inventory.
5	HALLUCINATION: On your next Check or Save reverse the results of the rolls (39 becomes 93).
6	FOCUS: Re-roll the Panic Check.
7	THE YIPS: Lose a random background.
8	TOUCHED THE VOID: Gain 1d5 Stress.
9	POSSESSED: Turn to a random passage.
10	HEART ATTACK: Die.