So, I have played role playing games since 1977. While my introduction to RPGs was through the D&D white box edition, I have played and or read many, many other games. All too often I find something in every game that I like, but I never find one game that I like in its entirety. It is of course an endless quest, this search for the perfect game. Yet over all these years I always hold out hope that I will find the Holy Grail of games.
Part of the challenge comes from the very idea of game systems. A lot of games take me out of the role playing experience with
Ruminations about
task resolution (RATeR) 2024
Thinking out loud
here...
I think all existing
systems involve a die (or more) roll against a set difficulty number.
Often the die/dice
involved can create quite the variable range of results.
-
Percentage
games typically have you roll under your skill level (expressed as a
percentage) Modifiers, difficulty, situational, can reduce that
percentage chance of success.
-
D20 has the
player roll a D20 (plus modifiers) to achieve a result that exceeds
a target number. Typically there is also a take 10 or take 20 rule
that allows you to take extra time at the task, not roll the D20 and
instead simply add 10 or 20 points to your other modifiers to beat
the target number.
-
FATE has a
target number & die rolls generating -4/+4 & with
situational modifiers. The stats are typically from 0 to 5 but can
go as high as 10.
-
Dice pools
allow player to roll multiple dice to achieve a result. Often each
die roll has a simple success/fail result, maybe 50/50. To complete
task you will need x number of successes.
-
Dice pools
with unique dice, similar to above but one looks at all symbols on
all rolled dice. Symbols on dice not only show success but also
provide events or positive results that can be carried forward. Dice
pools. Need to roll enough ‘successes’ to complete task. May
spend extra successes to have a more outstanding completed task. May
save some successes as momentum for future tasks. If failed to
complete task may ‘spend’ (remove) dice to boost success. Once
spent cannot use again until refreshed.
-
Apocalypse
system 2d6 rolls plus stat roll 10+ full success, roll 7-9 success
but..., 6 or less fail. Sometimes there are success options that you
can choose , you may choose more or better depending on the die
roll.
All of these systems
have a game mechanic that can take one out of the conversation to
play a game some are worse than others.
Our task is again to
figure out a simple system that allows players/GM to know what a
character can do, rather than to overly rely on random dice rolls.
Assess risk,
difficulty, time and resolve the task.
What is meant by
difficulty number? How does it relate to the players ability/skills?
Most systems have
the difficulty impacting the resolution. It can impact the target
number or impact the skill level. Why? Not familiar with any system
that simply grants success when one compares ability vs difficulty.
Difficulty level
should show the skill level required to treat the task as a common
task.
-
If the skill
level exceeds the difficulty level then the task can be successfully
completed in the normal amount of time. Limited chance of failure
(if any) unless a distraction or some other consideration.
-
If the skill
level equals the difficulty then there is a chance of failure
(increased by distractions)
Skill level vs
difficulty
Skill 2x or more
than difficulty = auto success
Skill is equal to or
higher (but not 2x) = auto success but with chance of random splunge
x2
Difficulty is
greater than skill (but not 2x) = must roll to succeed chance of
critical failure/splunge x4
Difficulty 2x or
more than skill = must roll to succeed high critical failure chance &
splunge x6
Difficulty
more than 2x automatic fail (maybe fate points can help)
Splunge; roll fate
die (-1/-1/0/0/+1/+1) could be bad, good or neither good or bad. This
would mean success but..., or failure but...Splunge does not create
failure or success but creates an effect. So you picked the lock but
made noise, or it took longer or it took less time etc
Distractions/obstacles
These can impact any
skill roll even auto success.
Options