Action Rolling
All checks (chk) and saves (sv) are rolled with a d20, they they are rolled against some sort of challenge (C). The C can come from a lot of places, and it can be a characteristic like the target challenge (TC) or it can be the result of another character’s roll.
Checks
It is a roll that you perform as part of an action. The action may be entirely made by the player, or it can be asked for by the GM. In either case, it has the format:
gen(main-action) chk(C) = d20 +M(Insight)
Saves
A saving throw, or save, is something that is imposed on you, and represents either your resistance to an effect, or a reaction to avoid or notice something.
Saving throws are made using a skill or sometimes a technique and pitted against a challenge (C)
gen sv(Insight,C) = d20 +M(Insight)
In adventures the C is often replaced by a number representing the score that the d20 roll needs to overcome. The text might read "characters will need to make a sv(Insight,15) to realise the full extent of Dr Fu Manchu's fiendish plots"
Effects
Most of the time, what follows a check or a save is an effect. How much of the effect is applied can be determined by the degree of success (see Action Results heading below).
Wpn-Pistols Technique Example
If we look at a technique property listing for a weapon specialisation in pistols:
attack(main-action) sub(this for Cbt-Ranged) chk(C)= +M(this) to hit, eff= +M(this)
The keyword "this" is a reference to the Wpn-Pistols technique, because that is the subject of the listing.
The first part of the listing, attack(main-action), names the action as an attack and that its normal duration is a main-action,
The second part, sub(this for Cbt-Ranged), says that the technique Wpn-Pistols replaces the skill Cbt-Ranged when it comes to determining the modifier (M).
The third part, chk(C)= +M(this) to hit, is a normal check statement, like the item under the "Checks" heading above, and is equivalent to writing:
attack(main-action) chk(C) = d20 +M(Wpn-Pistols)
The last part, eff= +M(this), is the effect statement. As this is a technique property, we can't say what the actual damage is going to be (such as 2d6), because that's up to the pistol weapon being used. Instead, we can show what the modifier to that damage from this technique is going to be. Again the "this" keyword, just means the technique, Wpn-Pistols itself.
If you had a Cbt-Ranged skill with a modifier (M) of 1, and you have 2 ranks (R) on Wpn-Pistols, you would get a modifier (M) on Wpn-Pistols of 3, therefore, from the technique property listing, you would get +3 attack and +3 damage.
The damage part is due to the effect part of the listing:
eff= +M(this)
Wpn-Blades-Short Technique Example
If we look at a technique property listing for a weapon specialisation in short blades, we can see the added Strength provision in the effect:
attack(main-action) sub(this for Cbt-Melee) chk(C)= +M(this) to hit, eff= +M(this) +M(Strength)
The only changes from the Wpn-Pistols property listing are the change to the substitution to use Cbt-Melee (as a short blade is a melee weapon), and the added modifier for the Strength skill, +M(Strength) in the effect statement.
eff= +M(this) +M(Strength)
This means that your Strength skill is a modifier (M) on the damage from the weapon as well as the modifier (M) from your technique in short blades.
If you had a Cbt-Melee skill with a modifier (M) of 2, and you have 3 ranks (R) on Wpn-Blades-Short, you would get a modifier (M) on Wpn-Blades-Short of 5, therefore, from the technique property listing, you would get +5 attack and +5 damage. However you also have a Strength modifier of -2, so you end up with +5 attack and +3 damage.
Action Results
If your roll (whether its a chk or a sv) equals or betters the challenge, you succeed, otherwise you fail. In the context of attack rolls this means hit or miss.
However, for most skill rolls (including attack rolls) you can also have critical successes, partial successes and critical fails.
If your skill roll total (including the above) beats the challenge by 10 or more (half the size of the d20 die), it is considered a critical success.
Conversely, if your skill roll total is less than the challenge by 10 or more (half the size of the d20 die), it is considered a critical failure.
Also, many actions allow a partial success (otherwise known as success with consequences). A partial success is possible if your skill roll total is less than the challenge by up to 5 (quarter the size of the d20 die).
The consequences of each of these depends on the skill action being performed. In the case of an attack roll, a critical success means that the effect is doubled (which usually means the damage from the attack). A partial success, usually means a glancing blow, which is half the normal damage, plus some kind of narrative consequence. This could mean collateral damage, damage to something near the target that has a negative consequence to the attacker, or something similar.
All of these results lie on a series of result steps:
- critical fail – a failure that comes with consequences
- fail – a simple failure
- partial success – or a success but… a success that comes with consequences
- success – a simple success
- critical success – a success with a benefit for you or an additional consequence for your opponent.
Result Step Range (RSR)
The d20 skill roll has another feature. The numbers 2 to 19 are used as is, but the numbers 1 and 20 are special.
A roll of 1 means that the result step is 1 worse than it would have been. So if your score on the dice (1) added to your skill would have produced a “success”, it now becomes a “partial success” (1 result step worse). Similarly, if your score on the dice (1) added to your skill would have produced a “failure”, it now becomes a “critical failure”.
A roll of 20 means that the result step is 1 better than it would have been.
We give the fact that only 1 and only 20 produces the rise or fall in result steps, a name: the result step range (RSR). We say that under normal circumstances (as just described) the RSR is 1.
However, a circumstance could increase the RSR on a skill roll to 2. This would mean that 1 and 2 will lower the result step, and 19 and 20 will raise the result step.
Reckless (RSR=2) and Cautious (RSR=0) Rolling
You can also decide to go reckless or cautious with most checks (but not saves). Before rolling, you declare whether you are going reckless or cautious (or neither).
In cautious rolling the RSR becomes 0
In reckless rolling the RSR becomes 2
Zero Rolling (Take 8, Take 10 and Take 20)
If you have ranks in the skill that you are checking (but not saving), and you have more time, then rather than rolling you can:
- take 8 as the roll, by spending the next higher duration;
- take 10 as the roll, by spending 2 durations more; or even
- take 20 as the roll, by spending 3 durations more.
Therefore, if you are allowed to take 10, and an action normally requires a main-action, then you would consume a minute, instead. See action durations for the table of durations.