The ideas underneath
Cantica is a game about ordinary people aboard a generational ark ship, held together by paperwork, song and habit. The rules are small on purpose, and they are all built from a few ideas.
The players always roll
The GM never rolls dice. People and powers on the other side of a roll act through a Rating, which is simply how many successes you need.
The target never moves
A white die succeeds on a 7 or better, always. A harder task asks for more successes; it never changes the number you are trying to roll.
Colour is risk
Only two special dice exist. The amber Margin is always rolled: a 10 earns you a Stamp, and a 1 hands the GM Scrutiny. Violet dice are the Bound: easier to succeed with, but dangerous. Everything else is white.
Your flaws are worth something
Whenever a Hindrance is in play, you earn a Stamp, whatever the dice show. Trouble is a resource, and the characters people remember are the ones with a habit they cannot help.
The ship pushes back
Every Margin of Error gives the GM Scrutiny, kept where the whole table can see it. Escalation is earned, not arbitrary: the ship is pushing back, the GM is not picking on anyone.
Seniority is the ship's wealth
You grow by answering three questions at Compline, not by killing things. Tenure buys skills and Traits, and the Tenure you have earned sets your Grade.
Small numbers
Skills run 0 to 2. Traits are rank 1 or 2. A typical pool is 4 or 5 dice and the most you can ever roll is 7, so every die counts and every Stamp matters.
A roll, at the table
- The GM describes the moment and says how hard it is: a Difficulty from D0 to D4, or the Rating of whoever is in the way.
- You choose how you try: the skill that matches your approach, the one Trait that fits best, and perhaps a Trait of the place you're in. A Stamp spent now (Expedite) adds a die.
- You roll the pool: the Margin, plus a white die for each reason you have.
- Count your successes against the Difficulty: Denied, With Conditions, Approved or Commended. Watch the Margin: a Grace earns you a Stamp, and an Error gives the GM Scrutiny.
- Afterwards, you may spend a Stamp to reroll a failed white die (Refile), and the GM may spend Scrutiny to complicate the roll, which a Stamp can cancel.
What you need
A handful of ten-sided dice (white, one amber, and a few violet, if you have them), a character, and a table of people who are happy to be a little unfair to each other in the name of a good story. In the Foundry system, the dice, the pool and all of the Stamps and Scrutiny are handled for you on the roll's chat card.