The Pig Is Sus. Eliminate the Pig.

What is The Pig Is Sus?

The Pig Is Sus. Eliminate The Pig. is a tactical RPG combat prototype designed to test your skill, not just your character sheet. It abandons static turns for a dynamic, time-based initiative system where every second counts.

You play as a "chronomagically reanimated recently deceased corpse", a disposable vessel pilot for a training simulation. Your mission is simple: eliminate a bio-mechanical horror known as The Pig. The world is dead, your body is borrowed, and if you fail, we'll just find another corpse.

This is a game of Skill, Timing, and Anticipation. You aren't rolling to see if you hit; you are managing resources to ensure you hit when it matters.

The Core Systems

The game revolves around two unique mechanics: Action Dice and The Timer.

Action Dice

You don't have a fixed "Move Action" or "Standard Action." Instead, every round you get 5 Action Dice. You can spend these however you want to build your turn.

• Want to run before the enemy catches you? Put 3 dice into Rush and 2 into Move.
• Need to hit hard? Put all 5 dice into a single Attack.
• Want to be safe? Put 1 die into Defend and 4 into Cast.

When you perform an action, you roll all the dice assigned to it and keep the single highest result. This means allocating more dice doesn't give you more actions, but a better chance of that action succeeding spectacularly.

The Timer

Initiative isn't a roll; it's a countdown. The round starts at Beat 20 and counts down to 0.

• The Pig acts on fixed Beats (e.g., it always charges on Beat 15).
• You default to acting on Beat 1 (too slow!).
• To act sooner, you must use the Rush action to place your other actions higher on the Timer.

This creates a puzzle: Do you act slowly with maximum power, risking getting hit first? Or do you spend dice to Rush, acting before The Pig but attacking with less force?

How Combat Works

Combat happens in structured Rounds.

1. The Threat (The Pig's Pattern)

At the start of the round, the Guide announces The Pig's Pattern. You know exactly what it will do and when.

• "The Pig is using the Violence Pattern. It will Smash you on Beat 15, Move on Beat 10, and Stomp everyone on Beat 0."

2. The Decision (Allocating Dice)

Knowing the future, you allocate your 5 Action Dice. You declare your plan: "I'll put 2 dice into Rush to act on Beat 12 (before the Smash), and 3 dice into Attack to hurt it."

3. Resolution (The Timer)

The Guide counts down from 20. When the count hits a Beat with an action, perfectly resolve it.

Dealing Damage: The Grit System

Damage isn't just "HP reduction." It's dice removal.

• The Attacker rolls their Damage Dice (e.g., a 1d6 weapon).
• The Defender has a pool of Grit Dice (e.g., 3d6 rolled at the start).
• To deal damage, the Attacker's rolls must match or exceed the specific numbers showing on the Defender's Grit Dice. Each match removes a Grit Die.

Example: The Pig has Grit Dice showing 1, 2, 5. You attack and roll a 3 and a 6. The 3 eliminates the 1 or 2. The 6 eliminates the 5. Two hits!

If the defender runs out of Grit Dice, they are Dying. If an attack fails to remove any dice, the damage value is added to the defender's Threat Dice, making them harder to hit next time.

Character Creation: Your Vessel

You are a reanimated corpse. You have vague memories of a past life that grant you power.

Step 1: Choose a Role

• The Assassin: Speedy and lethal. You get extra Tricks, move faster (6m), and can reroll 1s on Move/Rush.
• The Berserker: A juggernaut. Your Grit Dice are d8s (tougher!), and you can reroll 1s on Attack/Defend.
• The Magus: A master of spells. You start with 5 Mana Pulses (instead of 3) and extra Incantations. You can reroll 1s on Cast/Rest.

Step 2: Determine Abilities

Roll on the tables to see what your vessel remembers:

• Tricks (1d8): Martial maneuvers like Trip, Disarm, or Hamstring.
• Elemental Bolt (1d4): The type of damage your basic magic deals (Cold, Darkness, Fire, Wind).
• Incantations (1d4): Utility spells like Minor Healing or Misty Form.

For the Guide: The Sus

The Sus (genus of fascist monstrosities) are the enemy. They represent a "Singular Mega Porcine Threat Event." For this training scenario, players face The Piglet, a nerfed version of the real biomechanical horrors waiting outside.

The Piglet Stats

• Grit Dice: 4d8 + 2d8 per character.
• Defense Value (DV): 15 (Players must roll >15 to trigger special effects/crits).

Patterns of Action

The Pig follows a strict script. Choose one each round.