I've been hacking at this for a while, trying to get it working just right.  The core mechanic for a game I'm working on will likely be this or something like it.  So, I figured I'd throw it out here, and let the folks here pick at it a bit.

MAKING A ROLL

1. Difficulty
Sometimes, when you declare an action, the Guide will name a number for you to beat, ranging from zero to eight, (but most often two, three, or four), and a consequence for not beating it (you fail at your action, you get hurt, something else happens)...

2. Roll
 You will roll three regular six-sided dice, and compare the lowest single die result to that number.  If the low result is higher than that number, you have succeeded.  If you have not yet succeeded, you might still manage to make the roll, depending on your "raises"...

3. Raise
For each raise you have, either change your roll up to the next highest die of the ones you rolled, or add one to the result of the die you've got.  There are three possible raises:

• Skill: Being skilled at something gives you one raise.  There are no "degrees" of skill; either you are skilled or you aren't.
• Stuff: Having the right circumstances or gear (or both) gives you one raise.  As with skill, you either have this raise or you don't.
• Strain: Voluntarily taking a point of strain gives you a raise; again, as with skill and stuff, you can only gain this raise once per roll.

Don't worry about naming raises until after you've rolled; if you make it on the dice alone, this speeds things up.

If you beat the number the Guide named, whether on the dice alone or by raising your number, you've succeeded.  You don't suffer the consequences named.  If you don't beat the number the Guide named, then you do suffer those consequences.



...And that's the basics.  Degree-of-success rolls will exist, and typically have low values (for easy mental math on these, just treat the difficulty as a penalty and tell me what you got).

Thoughts?

1. What does this dice system do?  Why this dice system, and not something else?

2. How does one hit a difficulty of eight?  I may be misreading, but I only see a possible maximum of 6.

3. I have an initial turnoff to no variation on level of Skill, but I can understand the desire to keep things simple and only list the Skills most important to the character.

Quote from: Levi KornelsenI've been hacking at this for a while, trying to get it working just right.  The core mechanic for a game I'm working on will likely be this or something like it.  So, I figured I'd throw it out here, and let the folks here pick at it a bit.

MAKING A ROLL

1. Difficulty
Sometimes, when you declare an action, the Guide will name a number for you to beat, ranging from zero to eight, (but most often two, three, or four), and a consequence for not beating it (you fail at your action, you get hurt, something else happens)...

2. Roll
 You will roll three regular six-sided dice, and compare the lowest single die result to that number.  If the low result is higher than that number, you have succeeded.  If you have not yet succeeded, you might still manage to make the roll, depending on your "raises"...

3. Raise
For each raise you have, either change your roll up to the next highest die of the ones you rolled, or add one to the result of the die you've got.  There are three possible raises:

• Skill: Being skilled at something gives you one raise.  There are no "degrees" of skill; either you are skilled or you aren't.
• Stuff: Having the right circumstances or gear (or both) gives you one raise.  As with skill, you either have this raise or you don't.
• Strain: Voluntarily taking a point of strain gives you a raise; again, as with skill and stuff, you can only gain this raise once per roll.

Don't worry about naming raises until after you've rolled; if you make it on the dice alone, this speeds things up.

If you beat the number the Guide named, whether on the dice alone or by raising your number, you've succeeded.  You don't suffer the consequences named.  If you don't beat the number the Guide named, then you do suffer those consequences.



...And that's the basics.  Degree-of-success rolls will exist, and typically have low values (for easy mental math on these, just treat the difficulty as a penalty and tell me what you got).

Thoughts?

I designed such a binary system (you have a skill or you have not, you have the gear or you don't) and found it lacking. To somewhat make up for it, I allowed one additional qualifier that might be used.

So "a sword" would be worth one raise but "an exemplar sword"  would be one raise for each words, if both are appropriate.

Likewise for skills. "master thief" , "tough brawler" and "vast knowledge" might be worth two raises. It's still concise but a little more colorful.

Quote from: C.W.Richeson2. How does one hit a difficulty of eight?  I may be misreading, but I only see a possible maximum of 6.

3. Raise
For each raise you have, either change your roll up to the next highest die of the ones you rolled, or add one to the result of the die you've got.

Quote from: C.W.Richeson1. What does this dice system do?  Why this dice system, and not something else?

2. How does one hit a difficulty of eight?  I may be misreading, but I only see a possible maximum of 6.

3. I have an initial turnoff to no variation on level of Skill, but I can understand the desire to keep things simple and only list the Skills most important to the character.

1. Firstly, because everyone has those dice.  Second, because the scale of numbers fits perfectly with all the other system bits I want, and means that a character sheet will have maybe two actual numbers on it - A full list of traits for a given character is something like ten words long.  Finally, it's fairly simple, but can DO all the weird complicated crap.

2. To beat an eight, roll three sixes and have all three raises.  6+1+1+1.

3. Yeah.  Mechanically, characters are dead simple.

Quote from: Consonant DudeLikewise for skills. "master thief" , "tough brawler" and "vast knowledge" might be worth two raises. It's still concise but a little more colorful.

Er...  Yikes.  Two raises is scary.  Each raise doubles your chance of success, or more.

Quote from: Levi KornelsenEr...  Yikes.  Two raises is scary.  Each raise doubles your chance of success, or more.

It's a matter of perception. The math may be adjusted, or qualifiers might be extra, extra rare. Making the magical sword  feel truly magic and the master thief truly masterful.

If you don't want to mess with the core engine, the difficulties, etc... it's cool, though. It's just my own bias of adding qualifiers showing here.

Quote from: Consonant Dude3. Raise
For each raise you have, either change your roll up to the next highest die of the ones you rolled, or add one to the result of the die you've got.

Thanks, Consonant Dude!

Quote from: Consonant DudeIt's a matter of perception. The math may be adjusted, or qualifiers might be extra, extra rare. Making the magical sword  feel truly magic and the master thief truly masterful.

If you don't want to mess with the core engine, the difficulties, etc... it's cool, though. It's just my own bias of adding qualifiers showing here.

Okay, a few neat tricks and qualifiers that *are* around.

(This was lifted, busted, and rebuild from Red Box Hack)

In a fight, the battlefield is broken up into areas.  A move action takes you from one area to another.  Each area has a terrain type and conditions.  So, if you are fighting on the lawn beneath the clocktower, the terrain is open, the conditions are placid - some weapons give a bonus here, some armor is better.

If you run inside, among the boxes and stairs and clutter, different gear is the "right" gear.  You might lose the bonus for having the right weapon or armor, or gain one and lose the other, or whatever.

If you skip up the stairs and start fighting inside the clocktower gears, conditions change again, you might gain or lose that bonus - and, the gears are likely hazardous to enter and leave, which means that some maneuvers are better...  Like shoving someone.

Then my concern is how unlikely it is to actually roll a 6.  It's not a problem with the numbers, as such, but suggesting to the GM that an 8 is a viable difficulty since only a Skilled person with the right Tools who is Straining is going to succeed less than 1% of the time.

Do you have ideas in mind of example difficulties?

6 = 1/216 = 0.46% or about half of 1%
5 = 1/27 = 3.7%
4 = 1/8 = 12.5%
3 = 8/27 = 29.6%
2 = 125/216 = 57.8%
1 - 100%

I basically like it, but I'd be REAL careful in how you describe those levels of success! 8 would be EXTREMELY rare!

-clash

Quote from: C.W.RichesonDo you have ideas in mind of example difficulties?

Well, I have guidelines...

Beat a 0:
Automatic; used for situations where there's no danger, just as a pacing thing to see how long something takes.

Beat a 1:
Again, automatic, used for pacing by building successes.

Beat a 2:
Weardown.  A grueling and lengthy task might be well-represented as a few quick rolls to beat a two, where failure means you take a point of Strain.

Beat a 3:
The "default" difficulty.  If you're skilled, properly equipped, and ready to put in extra effort, you will succeed.  If not, it gets chancier.

Beat a 4:
"Hard" tasks require you to beat a four.  Generally, this is used for things that are best done by skilled and prepared people, but, well, we're talking about adventure, so it's gonna happen.

Beat a 5:
Things that even experts can easily bungle require you to beat a five.  Performing field surgery would go here.

Beat a 6:
Ridiculously hard.  In general, one the occasions when it is appropriate, the Guide should use this difficulty not for pass/fail attempts, but for "I want to do something and avoid the almost-inevitable-consequences!"

Beat a 7:
Tasks with this difficulty are usually considered impossible by most people.  Inventing something completely new might require a week of preparation for each attempt, a roll to beat a 7, with the danger of not just failing but needing to prepare all over again.

Beat an 8:
The Guide should only, ever, call for you to beat an eight when your character has the opportunity to change the world by doing something previously considered flatly impossible.  If you've managed to sneak into the laboratory of the infamous Dr. Vermelkampf, and you want to see if you can finish his work overnight before trashing the place?  Go for it.

Quote from: Levi KornelsenOkay, a few neat tricks and qualifiers that *are* around.

(This was lifted, busted, and rebuild from Red Box Hack)

Love that stuff. I'm having similar thoughts lately, trying to adapt some of this for my upcoming fantasy RPG.

I also like the description of the difficulties.

Can people gang up for extra effect? For instance, you're fighting an ogre. What happens if your buddy with "melee" and "longsword" wants to have your back? Does he lend you descriptors or does he go against the ogre?

Or two scientists tackling a problem?

Hmmm, there's an odd shift in the probabilities as the number of dice changes.

Extra dice make a low initial roll more likely, and also increase the number of steps to get a high die. That means more dice reduce the odds of success, but that may be just what you're looking for as you look at allowing up to 2 raises from each type of raise. You'll have a smoother probability curve with the raises, too. I'd suggest 5 dice.

It's an odd system, but workable, I think.

Quote from: Consonant DudeCan people gang up for extra effect? For instance, you're fighting an ogre. What happens if your buddy with "melee" and "longsword" wants to have your back? Does he lend you descriptors or does he go against the ogre?

He can pick a maneuver to help with - Such as Attack, Assist, Guard, or Harass, as appropriate.