Pilot Grit System

Version 3.0 • Campaign Progression Mechanic

Overview

System representing a pilot's mental toughness, pain tolerance, and ability to shrug off injuries through sheer willpower. Veterans develop an iron resolve that lets them "tough it out" when lesser pilots would break.

Core Concept

• Pilots have a Grit stat (0-3, increases with experience)
• When taking Pilot Damage, roll 1d6 + Grit to resist Wound cards
• Higher Grit = better chance to shrug off injuries
• Creates campaign progression (veterans ARE mechanically tougher)

Grit Stat

Grit Progression Table

Grit	Description	Requirements
0	Untested	Starting pilot, 0-4 missions survived
1	Seasoned	5 missions survived
2	Hardened	10 missions survived OR 1 Severe Injury survived
3	Iron Will	20 missions survived OR 3 Severe Injuries survived

Starting Grit: 0 (new pilots are untested, fragile)
Maximum Grit: 3 (veteran pilots cap at battle-hardened)

Grit Checks

When Do You Roll Grit?

WHEN PILOT TAKES DAMAGE (before flipping Wound card):

• Capsule Breach (enemy targets capsule)
• Neural Feedback (5+ Component Damage accumulated)
• Thread Snap (Hand Thread cards damaged)
• Taint Overload (10+ Taint Corruption)
• Casket Destruction (Casket HP reaches 0, pilot must save)

Procedure

1. Trigger occurs (e.g., Neural Feedback from 5 Component Damage)
2. Roll 1d6 + Pilot's Grit stat
3. Compare to Grit Check Table (see below)
4. Apply result (flip Wound card, reduce severity, or shrug it off)

Grit Check Results Table

Roll 1d6 + Grit, compare to this table:

Result	Effect	Description
1-3	Full Wound	Flip Wound card normally (no reduction)
4-5	Tough It Out	Flip Wound card, but treat Severe as Minor this mission
6-7	Shrug It Off	Don't flip Wound card, gain 1 Heat instead (adrenaline surge)
8+	Iron Will	Don't flip Wound card, no penalty (pure willpower)

Example Grit Checks

Gaining Grit

Mission Survival (Passive Progression)

Missions Survived	Grit Level
0-4 missions	Grit 0 (Untested)
5-9 missions	Grit 1 (Seasoned)
10-19 missions	Grit 2 (Hardened)
20+ missions	Grit 3 (Iron Will)

"Mission Survived" = Pilot extracted alive (even if Casket destroyed).

Injury-Based Progression (Fast-Track)

Surviving trauma accelerates Grit growth. Gain +1 Grit immediately when:

• Survive 1st Severe Injury → Gain Grit 1 (even if under 5 missions)
• Survive 3rd Severe Injury → Gain Grit 2 (even if under 10 missions)
• Survive 5th Severe Injury → Gain Grit 3 (veteran of pain)

Why This Exists: Pilots who survive horrific injuries become tougher faster. A pilot with 2 missions but 1 Severe Injury is Grit 1 (trauma-hardened).

Flesh Bargain Grit Bonus

If pilot has undergone a Flesh Bargain (permanent body modification):

• +1 Grit permanently (trauma survived, willpower forged)
• Stacks with mission/injury progression
• Max Grit still 3 (but easier to reach)

Trauma Grit Penalty

If pilot has Trauma Wound card flipped (PTSD, Dissociation):

• -1 Grit on all Grit Checks (mental instability)
• Does NOT reduce Grit stat (still shows as Grit 2 on sheet)
• Only applies to Grit Check rolls

Faction Grit Modifiers

Faction	Grit Modifier
Church of Absolution	Martyrdom Training: Start with +1 Grit at character creation (zealot conditioning). Starting Grit: 1 instead of 0. Max still 3.
Dwarven Forge-Guilds	Stoic Endurance: +1 to Grit Checks vs Severe Injuries only (not Minor or Trauma). "Stone does not break. Neither do we."
The Ossuarium	Already Dead: IMMUNE to Grit Checks (don't flip Wound cards). Use "Decay Card" system instead. "We died once. What's one more wound?"
Elven Verdant Covenant	Fragile Immortals: -1 Grit at all times (emotionally brittle). Max effective Grit: 2 (3 Grit - 1 penalty). "We are ageless, not invincible."

Strategic Implications

High-Grit Pilots Are More Valuable

In campaign, protect your veterans:

• Grit 3 pilots are MUCH harder to permanently injure
• 50% chance to ignore Pilot Damage (rolls 6+ on 1d6+3)
• Worth investing in extraction/rescue if they go down

Rookies Are Expendable

Low-Grit pilots are glass cannons:

• 83% chance to take Full Wound (need 4+ on 1d6+0)
• High risk of permanent injury early
• Some factions "churn through" rookies intentionally (Church martyrs)

Flesh Bargain for Grit

Trade body for survivability:

• Undergo Flesh Bargain early (gain +1 Grit immediately)
• Combine with mission progression for Grit 2 by mission 8 (instead of mission 10)
• Risk: Permanent physical disability, faction-specific drawbacks

Campaign Grit Tracking

Pilot Sheet Example

Advanced Rules: Grit Synergies

Grit + Taint Exploitation

VARIANT RULE: Add Grit to Corruption Save roll

• Grit 0: Roll 1d6, need 4+ (50% chance)
• Grit 3: Roll 1d6+3, need 4+ (83% chance to resist)

Why: Veteran pilots have stronger willpower to resist Engine corruption.

Grit + Pilot Progression

Some Pilot Scars grant +1 Grit:

• Example: "Battle-Scarred" scar (survived 3 near-deaths) → +1 Grit
• Stacks with mission/injury progression

Grit + Support Units

High-Grit pilots command better:

• Support Units gain +1 Morale if commanded by Grit 2+ pilot
• Represents veteran's leadership inspiring troops
• Mechanical benefit: Support Units less likely to flee

Integration with Other v3.0 Systems

Quick Reference: Grit Check Procedure

Designer's Notes

Why Grit Works

1. Campaign Progression: Veterans feel mechanically superior (not just narrative)
2. Risk/Reward: Rookies are fragile but cheap, veterans are tough but irreplaceable
3. Faction Flavor: Church embraces pain, Dwarves endure, Elves shatter, Ossuarium transcend
4. Tactical Moments: Reactive rolls create "tough it out" moments of resilience under fire

Design Philosophy

Grit Mechanics: Passive stat that grows with experience (earned through missions). Rolled reactively when pilot damage occurs (no action cost). Threshold-based system with gradations of success at 4, 6, and 8. Scales from 0 for rookies to 3 for elite veteran pilots.