Roll for Rocket Boots!

Roll for Rocket Boots – Core Rules

1) The Core Loop

When a player does something risky or uncertain, the GM calls for a Skill Check:

1. Pick the most relevant skill.
2. Roll the dice for that skill level.
3. Add up the total.
4. If the total meets or beats the GM’s Difficulty, you succeed. Otherwise, you fail.

2) Skills

Skill Level	Dice Rolled
Level 1	2d6
Level 2	3d6
Level 3	4d6
Level 4	5d6

Starting Skill

• Everyone starts with Do Anything 1.
• Do Anything can never level up.

Gaining New Skills

• If you succeed using Do Anything, you gain a new skill based on what you did (named however you and the GM like).
• Using the right specific skill usually means the GM sets a lower Difficulty than doing it with Do Anything.

3) Difficulty Scale (GM)

The GM sets a target number based on how hard the action is:

1–4	Trivial
5–7	Average
8–9	Difficult
10–12	Very Hard
12–15	Very Very Hard
16–20	Extremely Hard
20–25	Mind-Bogglingly Hard
26–29	Starting to push the limits of reality
30	Almost impossible; may change reality

4) Traits

Traits are tags the GM attaches to Skills, Items, and Conditions.

How Traits Work

• Conditions only affect skills that share at least one matching trait.
• Items only affect skills that share at least one matching trait.
• If there is no shared trait, the condition/item does nothing for that roll.

GM Creates Traits

• The GM makes up traits when handing out skills, items, or conditions.
• The GM decides how many traits something gets.
• It is recommended to include at least one general trait and one specific trait.

Example (Item): A machete might have: Melee (general), Cutting (semi-specific), Brush-Clearing (very specific).

5) Conditions, Items & Situational Modifiers

The GM can apply bonuses or penalties through conditions, items, and the situation.

Conditions

• Conditions represent things affecting your character (injury, fear, exhaustion, adrenaline, etc.).
• Conditions should have traits.
• A condition only affects a check if it shares at least one trait with the skill being rolled.

Items

• Items are things your character possesses that can alter a skill check.
• Items should have traits.
• An item only affects a check if it shares at least one trait with the skill being rolled.
• Do Anything can be attempted with any item, even without matching traits, but the results are uncertain and determined by the GM.

Situational Modifiers

• The GM may apply modifiers based on environment, timing, positioning, preparation, or narrative advantage/disadvantage.

6) Aiding Another Player

A player can help another player’s check if it makes sense in the fiction.

• The helper contributes half their skill dice (rounded down) from a relevant skill.
• Add those aiding dice into the main roll.

Leveling While Aiding

• When you are aiding, your dice only contribute to a level-up if all aiding dice come up 6.
• Only the person being aided can level up from that roll.

7) XP

Gaining XP

• Whenever you fail a check, you gain +1 XP.

Spending XP

• XP can be spent at any time to level skills, unlock specializations, or buy Luck.

XP Costs to Level Skills

• Level 1 → 2: 2 XP
• Level 2 → 3: 3 XP
• Level 3 → 4: 4 XP
• Level 4 → Upgrade/Specialization: 5 XP

8) Level 4 Cap – Upgrades / Specializations

• Skills cap at Level 4.
• At Level 4, instead of leveling, you unlock an Upgrade / Specialization of that skill.
• You unlock that upgrade by spending 5 XP or by rolling the level-up trigger (see Luck and blow-ups).
• Upgrades are more specific skills, and the GM should usually give them easier difficulties.

9) Luck

Luck lets you push rolls beyond what your skill normally allows.

Spending Luck

• Spend 1 Luck to roll +1d6 and add it to your total.
• You can spend Luck whenever you want, including after seeing the roll.
• You can spend as much Luck as you want, as many times as you want, on the same check.

Luck and Blow-Ups (Exploding Bonus Dice)

• If a Luck die comes up 6, it blows up: roll +1 bonus d6.
• If that bonus die is a 6, roll another. Keep going until you roll something other than 6.
• All those bonus dice are added to the total.

Luck and Leveling

• If you roll a 6 on a Luck die, the skill you’re using levels up (if it’s not Do Anything).
• Luck dice count toward any all-6s thresholds used for leveling and blow-ups.

Refreshing Luck

• At the start of each session, each player gets 1 Luck.
• You can also buy Luck: 2 XP = 1 Luck.

10) Wounds (4 Levels)

Wounds are a condition track. The GM decides when you take wounds.

1. Superficial – Clears with basic first aid or a night’s rest.
2. Seriously Injured – -3 to all checks. Requires advanced medical care to clear. May cause permanent damage.
3. Unconscious / Bleeding Out – You can’t act. Requires immediate advanced medical attention or you die. Causes permanent damage.
4. Death – If you take more wounds after Level 3, you die.