Flippin' Eck

They are not heroes. They are not safe.

They are stubborn, scared, loyal, and capable of surprising bravery.

Flippin' Eck focuses on vulnerability, social pressure, fear, and emotional fallout rather than physical attrition. Characters are children and teenagers. They are resilient in strange ways, fragile in others, and rarely in control.

"This is a game about power without control, about loyalty under pressure, and about refusing to break even when the world wants you to."

Core Resolution

When your character tries something risky or uncertain, you roll dice. Each die showing a 6 is a success. One success is usually enough.

Difficulty

Flippin' Eck doesn't use difficulty numbers. Instead:

• Easy tasks don't need a roll—just describe what happens
• Risky or uncertain tasks require a roll and risk Conditions
• Opposed actions (two people competing) compare successes—highest wins

Success with Complications

Not every success is clean. The GM may introduce complications:

• You gain a Condition
• You draw unwanted attention (Heat increases)
• The danger escalates
• Someone gets hurt as a side effect
• Authority takes notice

Failure

Failure never means "nothing happens." When you fail a roll:

• The situation escalates
• Someone gains leverage
• You gain a Condition
• Heat may increase (authority notices, rumors spread, situation worsens)
• Trouble spreads

The GM always introduces a consequence that moves the story forward, even if it's unfavorable.

Step 1: Choose Your Archetype

Each archetype represents a common school character type. You get narrative permission and mechanical benefits tied to your archetype's Talent.

Step 2: Assign Attributes

You have 14 points to distribute among four Attributes. Minimum 2, maximum 5 in any Attribute.

Step 3: Assign Skills

Each Attribute has three associated Skills. You have 10 points to distribute among 12 Skills. You can assign 0-3 in any Skill.

Step 4: Choose Your Gang

A gang is 2-6 kids who stick together. You can be part of an existing gang or form a new one with other player characters.

Your gang has a Reputation – choose one:

• Hard – You fight, you don't back down
• Weird – You're strange, creepy, or different
• Popular – Everyone knows your names
• Invisible – Nobody pays attention to you

Step 5: Create Bonds

Name three people who matter to you and why:

• A friend or gang member
• Someone you care about (family, ally, rival)
• Someone you're afraid of or respect

These are your Bonds. They matter mechanically and emotionally.

Step 6: Create Your Character Sheet

Write down:

• Your name and age
• Your Attributes and Skills
• Your Archetype and Talent
• Your Gang's name and Reputation
• Your three Bonds
• One secret nobody knows
• One thing you're afraid of

Pushing a Roll

If you fail a roll, you may Push it—forcing yourself onward through desperation, stubbornness, or recklessness.

Limits on Pushing

You cannot Push:

• Fear rolls (you either hold it together or you don't)
• Rolls made while Broken (you've already collapsed)
• Rolls where failure has already resolved the situation
• Social rolls once Heat reaches 5 (adults are in control now)

Basic Skill Uses

Conditions replace hit points. They represent physical damage, emotional harm, and social pressure. There are no invisible wounds—if you're hurt, embarrassed, or terrified, everyone can see it.

Physical Conditions

Mental Conditions

Becoming Broken

When you're Broken:

• You lose control of the situation
• You're removed from the scene (physically or mentally)
• You cannot Push or lead actions
• You cannot voluntarily rejoin the scene
• The GM rolls D66 on the appropriate Critical Table
• A friend may spend a resource to help you recover

The Heat Track is a 5-segment mechanical tool that represents how much attention and pressure from adults and authority has accumulated.

What Adds Heat (+1 each)

Reducing Heat

Heat doesn't automatically decrease, but it can be reduced strategically:

• Dispersing/Leaving: If all kids leave before Heat 3, reduce by 1
• Distraction: Successful social roll reduces Heat by 1 (once per scene)
• Time Passing: Between scenes, Heat resets to 0
• Taking the Fall: One kid confesses and accepts punishment (−2 Heat)
• Apology & Repair: Fixing what was broken or hurt reduces Heat by 1

School is scary enough on its own. Some things, though, go beyond detention and bullies.

When to Roll Fear

Make a Fear Roll when a kid:

• Encounters something supernatural or unexplained for the first time
• Sees something horrifying: serious violence, badly injured friend, dead bodies
• Is trapped, cornered, or helpless while something dangerous closes in
• Witnesses something that contradicts their understanding of reality

Making a Fear Roll

Fear Roll Outcomes

On Success: You keep your head. You still feel scared, but there's no mechanical effect. You gain +1 success on your next roll against this specific fear.

On Failure: You become Scared and must choose one reaction:

Combat in Flippin' Eck is not tactical or fair. It's messy, chaotic, embarrassing, and often stopped by adults.

Initiative: The Playground Cards

Your Turn

On your turn, you do ONE of these:

Attacking & Defending

Damage = Conditions

There are no hit points. Every successful hit causes exactly ONE Condition:

• Physical attacks → Physical Conditions (Tired, Hurt)
• Verbal cruelty → Mental Conditions (Stressed, Shaken, Hopeless, Scared)

Weapons (Which Adults Hate)

Nobody wins a playground fight. It just stops.

Healing in Flippin' Eck is slow, social, and situational. Conditions don't disappear during chaos—they require time, safety, and people.

Core Healing Principles

• Conditions don't disappear during chaos or active scenes
• Healing requires time, safety, or people (usually all three)
• Physical and Mental Conditions heal differently
• Being Broken always removes you from the current situation
• Bonds matter—your friends can help you heal faster

Healing Physical Conditions

Healing Mental Conditions

Bonds & Healing

A gang is 2-6 kids who stick together. They're a unit—powerful together, vulnerable apart.

Gang Benefits

Reputation

Your gang has a Reputation (choose one):

Gang Cohesion

Gang Risks

Bonds are people who matter to you. They're not just names—they're mechanical and emotional anchors that make the game about why you do things.

Creating Bonds

During character creation, name three Bonds:

1. A friend or gang member (someone close to you)
2. Someone you care about (family, love interest, ally, younger kid you protect)
3. Someone you respect or fear (older kid, authority figure, rival, someone powerful)

Bond Mechanics

Bond Damage

Bonds can be damaged:

• When you betray them (−1 Bond use per betrayal)
• When you refuse to help them in crisis (−1 Bond use)
• When rumors damage their reputation (−1 if you don't defend them)
• When they discover a secret about you (negotiated)

Bond Strengthening

Bonds naturally refresh each session, but they strengthen when:

• You have an honest conversation about something real
• You protect them from danger
• You stand up for them publicly
• You both go through something scary together
• You spend time together outside of crisis
• They help you when you're broken or scared

Scars & Lasting Consequences (Optional)

Rival Gangs & Territory (Optional)

If your campaign includes multiple player gangs:

• Each gang claims a territory (year level, social group, location)
• Encroaching on rival territory adds Heat
• Gang warfare escalation rules (challenges, fights, public shaming)
• Turf can be won/lost through major conflicts
• Alliances can form between gangs

Character Advancement (Milestone-Based)

At the end of significant story arcs, characters grow:

• End of a term: +1 to one Attribute (max 5) OR +1 to one Skill (max 3)
• After major storyline: Gain new gang connection, NPC relationship, or Bond
• After major Broken/Scar: Reroll one die pool per session (learning from trauma)
• After overcoming personal Fear: +1 die on Fear Rolls against that specific fear

Teachers & Adults

Pupil NPCs

Tone Settings

Before the first session, talk about tone with your players:

Session Structure

When to Roll

Consequences of Failure

Failure never means "nothing happens." Always introduce a consequence:

• A Condition appears
• An NPC's intentions shift
• Heat increases
• A door closes while another opens (new problem)
• Complications multiply
• Authority gets involved

Sample Session Structures

GM Tips

"Use Heat visibly—put it on a whiteboard, announce it when it changes. The rising numbers create tension and urgency."

Quick Reference

Character Sheet Template