Horror on the Orient Express - Firearms and Combat Rules - Difficulty Levels

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Cipher

A system for resolving horror encounters on the Orient Express, providing an insanity gauge and clear guidance for determining difficulty levels. It defines Regular, Hard, Extreme, and their corresponding success thresholds using opposed percentage rolls. The rules specify bonus and penalty dice, firearms attack resolution by weapon range, dive-for-cover (dodge) limitations, and targeting constraints within 1/5 DEX. Combat procedures cover attack order, choosing to fight back or dodge, comparing results, outnumbering effects, pushing limitations, and close-quarters fighting.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryStory & Novel

FormatPDF

Pages1

Reading Time2 min

AccessFree to download

Indefinite Insanity Gauge

Determining Difficulty Levels

Regular, Hard, Extreme thresholds

Bonus and penalty dice

Bonus die

Penalty die

Firearms

Firearms difficulty levels

Attack procedure and modifiers

Combat

Attack order by DEX

Fight back vs Dodge

Comparing results and fumbles

Outnumbered

Fighting rules for close-quarters

Pushing the Roll

Aiming and firing modifiers

INDEFINITE INSANITY GAUGE | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 Orient Express Staff Determining Difficulty Levels Regular Opposing skill/characteristic is below 50, or the task is a standard one. Roll equal to or below full value to succeed. Hard Opposing skill/characteristic is equal to or above 50, or the task is very difﬁcult. Roll equal to or below half value to succeed. Extreme Opposing skill/characteristic is equal to or above 90, or this task is on the borders of human capability. Roll equal to or below ﬁfth value to succeed. Bonus and penalty dice Bonus die: Roll additional ‘tens’ die alongside the usual pair of percentage dice. Use the ‘tens’dice that yields the better (lowest) result. Penalty die: Roll additional ‘tens’ die alongside the usual pair of percentage dice. Use the ‘tens’ Firearms Firearm attacks are not opposed. 1. Determine difﬁculty by weapon’s range. 2. Apply modiﬁers. 3. Make roll. Target may Dive for Cover (Dodge) but cannot “Fight Back” unless they are within 1/5 DEX in feet. Firearms Difﬁculty Levels Base range = Regular. Long range (2 x Base) = Hard. Very long range (4 x Base) = Extreme. Sample Modiﬁers Scenario Type Where When Item(~~s~~ “Dancers in an Evening Fog” “The Doom Train” “The Blood Red Fez” “Les Fleurs du Mal” “The Dreamlands Express” “Nocturne” “Note for Note” “Love (and Death) in a Gondola” “The Dark Crusader” “Cold Wind Blowing” “In a City of Bells and Towers” “Bread or Stone” “Sanguis Omnia Vincet” “Little Cottage in the Woods” “Repossession” “By the Skin of the Teeth”“Blue Train, Black Night” “The Fog Lifts” “The Simulacrum Unbound” Core Option Option Core Option Core Core Core Option Core Option Option Option Core Core Core Core Core Option London London London Paris Dreamlands Lausanne Milan Venice Constantinople Trieste Dream-Zagreb Vinkovci Constantinople Belgrade Soﬁa Constantinople Across Europe London Istanbul 1923 1923 1893 1923 1923 1923 1923 1923 1204 1923 1923 1923 330 1923 1923 1923 1923 1923 2013 1893 diary Doom Gate -- Left Arm Lovers' Heart Scroll of the Head Torso Left Leg, Devil's Simulare -- Right Leg -- Mims Sahis, Tillius Corvus -- Right Arm Head -- Scrolls: Belly, Legs, R.Hand Scroll of the Left Hand -- Aboard the train, all staff are uniformed. BRIGADIER-POSTIER In charge of the fourgon or van. CLEANER In charge of all clean-up aboard train. CHEF DE BRIGADE The Chef de Brigade is in charge of the dinner staff under the Maitre d’Hotel, and of the sleeping car conductors. CHEF DE CUISINE The magician in actual charge of the kitchen; among the greatest chefs of Europe. CHEF DE TRAIN In overall charge of the train of sleeping cars—the commander-in-chief. CONDUCTOR (CONDUCTEUR) The most famous job on the Orient Express. Conducting is hard work and the men picked by Wagons-Lits for the Orient Express are the very best in the trade. CONTROLLER (CONTROLEUR) Aboard train, he is the Chef de Brigade’s assistant. HEADWAITER (SERVEURRECEVEUR) Managesthemoment-to-momentservicein the dining car. MAITRE D’HOTEL Chief of the dining car. He is responsible for the quality of staff, the orderliness of the car, and the service. WAITER (SERVEUR) Dining car attendant under the Head Waiter. Full / Half / fifth Values Table 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1 7 1 ) recovered Combat 1. Establish order of attacks (High to Low DEX) 2. Resolve each attack in DEX order · Each participant may initiate an attack. · Defender chooses to react (Fight Back or Dodge) . · Both make opposed roll to

FAQs

How are difficulty levels determined for tasks or opposition?

Regular applies when the opposing skill/characteristic is below 50 (or a standard task), with success on rolls equal to or below the full value. Hard applies at 50 or above, with success on rolls equal to or below half the value; Extreme applies at 90 or above with success on rolls equal to or below the fifth value.

What dice are used for bonus and penalty in the resolution system?

A bonus die adds additional “tens” die alongside the usual pair of percentage dice, and you use the tens die that gives the better (lowest) result. A penalty die adds additional “tens” die, and you use the tens die that yields the worse (highest) result.

How do firearms attacks and difficulty work with range and cover?

Firearm attacks are not opposed. Difficulty is set by weapon range: base range is Regular, long range (2x base) is Hard, and very long range (4x base) is Extreme. Targets may dive for cover (Dodge) but cannot “Fight Back” unless they are within 1/5 DEX in feet.

Oct 6, 2026

Upload by Cipher