Vuosisata.

What is Vuosisata?

Vuosisata (Finnish for "Century") is a game about history, magic, and the end of the world. It is based on a massive real-world campaign that ran for 114 sessions, spanning exactly 100 years of game time from the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 to the Mayan apocalypse in 2012.

The premise is simple: A cataclysmic event changed the fabric of reality, introducing magic and "gifted ones" to the world. You play as these Gifted, shaping the destiny of the 20th century while a countdown ticks toward the end of days.

This ruleset is designed to let you play that campaign—or your own version of it. It prioritizes narrative creativity over crunch, allowing players to "fast-talk" their way through history using the symbolism of Tarot cards rather than the math of dice.

The Core Mechanic: Tarot

Conflict resolution in Vuosisata doesn't use dice. It uses a Tarot Deck.

When you try to do something meaningful and risky, the GM draws a card (hidden from you). You then play a card from your hand. Your goal is to explain—to fast-talk—how the meaning of your card allows you to succeed in the situation.

• Player: "I play the Two of Cups (Love). I'm not fighting the guard; I'm reminding him of his family to make him hesitate."
• GM: "That works. You succeed."

If your explanation fits the tone and logic of the scene, you succeed. If you can't come up with a narrative reason, you can fall back to a numeric comparison (Your Stat + Trait + Card Value vs. GM's Card Value), but that's the boring way.

Anatomy of a Character

Your character is defined by who they are (Stats), what they do (Traits), and their connection to the narrative (Harmony & Dissonance).

Stats (3 Groups)

You have 9 Stats, rated 1-5. They don't measure "Strength" or "Intelligence" directly, but rather your approach to problems.

• Physical: Brutality, Precision, Persistence
• Mental: Logic, Cunning, Stability
• Personality: Magnetism, Control, Coldness

Traits

These are your freeform skills, jobs, or defining features, rated 1-5. They tell the GM what kind of game you want to play.

• Examples: "British", "Yogurt" (don't ask), "Imperial Assassin Ninja", "Gentleman Doctor".

Harmony (Hand Size)

Harmony represents your sync with the game's flow. It determines your Hand Size. A starting character has 2 Harmony (2 cards in hand). As you understand the world better, your Harmony grows, giving you more narrative options (cards) to choose from.

Dissonance (Magic)

Dissonance is a resource (scales 0-12) that allows you to break reality. Spending a point of Dissonance lets you attempt things that are impossible by the laws of physics—magic.

• The Cost: You must initiate a Conflict. You must justify it narratively.
• The Risk: If you trigger a Catastrophe while using Dissonance, the result is almost always lethal.

Nature: The Trump Card

Eventually, every character gains a Nature—a single word descriptor linked to a specific Tarot card (e.g., "Foolhardy" linked to The Tower).

• When your Nature card appears in play (played by you, the GM, or anyone else), you automatically Succeed perfectly. You get the spotlight. You are awesome.

Dealing with Death

Vuosisata is a lethal game, but it is fair.

Rule of Mortal Danger

The GM must announce when a situation is Lethal. "Use caution. You are in Mortal Danger." If you are in Mortal Danger, any Failure or Catastrophe can result in death.

The 2 Second Breather

If your character is about to die, the game pauses. You get 2 Seconds (metaphorically). You can:

1. Accept Death: Deliver a final speech or perform one last heroic action to save someone else.
2. Fight Fate: Permanently burn a point of Dissonance to try and survive. This requires a Chaos check—if the GM's drawn card matches your intent, you live, but at a terrible narrative cost.