Quick Hei$t [v2]
QUICK HEI$T is based, in part, on Jim Parkin's Galaxy Far Away: Ultralight Star Wars (CC-BY 4.0 International License). This game's text has been licensed under CC-BY 4.0 International License as well.
This is the second rendition of QUICK HEI$T, a one-shot, game-night friendly tabletop roleplaying game. You play as con-artists, bank robbers, hackers, or guns-for-hire, looking to accomplish the next big job. Every job begins with an empty square, rectangle, or circle, drawn on a large piece of paper, and this empty shape holds what you want to steal or break free. Every player's characters has their agendas, their motivations--and some of these are going to conflict.
Ideally, this game is perfect for three or more players. The more players, the more exciting things get. One player will serve as the group's referee (REF). Everyone else is part of a small or large team looking to steal something.
The game is a conversation.
Treat the world of QUICK HEI$T as if it were a real place. Lean into what you know from similar settings and situations. The referee is the neutral arbiter, who plays and acts as non-player characters (NPCs), and the REF also plays to see what happens as much as their fellow players do. Reasonable action happens as described by the REF, with help from her fellow players.
Risks and consequences are adjudicated by the REF, with plenty of input from their fellow players. Trust in each other to be fair and respectful. Act in good faith with one another.
To begin playing QUICK HEI$T, players simply need to have some paper, pens/pencils, these rules, some pennies, glass beads, or poker chips, and some dice (ideally three (3) six-sided dice per player, including the REF). For swingier combat, consider bringing along some twenty-sided dice, too.
Much of QUICK HEI$T is about players making judgment calls to resolve situations. In most cases, dice are not needed. Players, with their player characters (PCs), will leverage their environment, use common sense, clearly describe their actions, and offer unique solutions to problems.
Consequences follow accordingly.
If it is unclear as to whether or not the player’s actions will succeed, or if grave risk, such as potential bodily injury or death or being discovered or caught, the REF declares the probable impacts of the actions and rolls three (3) six-sided dice.
The players involved who are most at risk of things going bad will roll three (3) six-sided dice as well, adding in any modifiers required by their referee.
• If the player rolls higher than their referee, their character succeeds.
• If the referee rolls higher, something bad or unexpected happens.
• If the referee and the player tie, the player’s character succeeds AND something bad or unexpected happens.
Whatever the result, the REF describes the impact on players, the surroundings, and the game’s story.
Wounds, injury, and death are meted out according to the real stakes of the fictional struggle. A bullet to the shoulder will hurt—a lot. A bullet or knife to the belly might kill. A frag grenade blast will likely kill or mangle everything within its reach. That badass katana the baddie is swinging around is going to cleave someone in two or cut off an arm or a leg.
A swarm of cops or private security might not be very accurate, but their numbers will overwhelm you. A contractor or SWAT team member is a much more dangerous threat to you and your person.
The more intense the danger, the more obvious it should be.
SWINGIER COMBAT
If you want more chaotic combat, replace 3d6 vs. 3d6 with d20 vs d20 combat.
NOTE ON LADY LUCK & MAVERICK CHAOS
Each player receives two (2) luck tokens (in the form of glass beads, pennies, or poker chips). These can be used to re-roll the dice, stack up bonuses for dice rolls, and even cheat death. However, spend luck with a note of caution. All spent luck tokens can be converted into in-game chaos, to be used at any time, by the group’s REF.
HIT POINTS (HP)
Hit points (HP) represent a character’s finite health. When this resource hits zero (0), the character in question has 1d6 turns before death strikes. Players, with the right rolls and bonuses, can save them.
WEAPON DAMAGE
Weapons deal between 1d6 and 4d6 damage, with explosives, Molotov cocktails, flame throwers, and shotguns, offering spreadable damage. Body armor, by default, absorbs damage before being rendered useless. In some cases, it might be ignored at REF discretion.
CREATING CHARACTERS
The following steps need to be completed before playing QUICK HEI$T:
Each player needs to name their character. This can be a real-sounding name or a nickname.
Each player needs to quickly describe their character in one or two sentences.
Each player is assigned five (5) hit points. Additional hit points come with adding body armor, which maxes HP at ten (10).
Each player needs to decide, with help from their referee, their three (3) bonuses, which offer +2 to dice rolls in certain contexts. These include special abilities (e.g., superhuman strength), special equipment (e.g., computers, lock-picking tools, weapons), and special characteristics (e.g., liquid charisma, unusually calming).
Lastly, each player needs to write down and share with the referee, and the referee only, their player’s agendas motivations. These won’t become public until the referee sees fit.