Introduction
This Module introduces 2 new Simulation Styles (SS) for resolving Creative Actions. In reality, all 4 Styles are a single mechanic just broken down into smaller steps, so they’re easier to learn one-by-one.
A bonus of having these 4 options is it gives the GM the flexibility to choose the simplest Simulation Style for the job at hand to keep the action moving. It’s up to the GM to guide the Players in what rolls to make for each Action they’d like to undertake. Refer to the GM Guide for support on how to dial in the right challenge level and Simulation Style for each Action.
Tackle Difficult Actions (SS3)
As you start rolling multiple dice (due to Advantages gained through items, backstory, collaborators and levelling-up), some more challenging Actions will require more than 1 of those dice to be successful for the Action to be undertaken successfully.
The GM will set the Difficulty Rating (DR) of the Action you’d like to perform. E.g. An easy task might be DR 1 and require 1 successful roll, whereas a big challenge may be DR 4 and require 4 of the pool of dice you’re rolling to be successful.
If you don’t succeed with enough dice to reach the Action’s DR, then you either fail, or you don’t get everything you were hoping for (the GM will guide this).
Perform Mighty Feats (SS4)
For some complex Actions, Success is just the beginning, now we must work out how Impactful you were. These Mighty Feats may even require multiple attempts to complete. For example, you may need to perform several successful ‘chop wood’ actions to completely fell a large tree with your axe.
In these cases, after rolling against an Action, the GM will ask you to roll for Impact. Take all successful dice from your Action and roll them again. Their total values become your Impact Score.
The GM will subtract your Impact Score from the remaining Progress Points (PP) of that challenge, and let you know whether you’ve completed the Action, or that there’s still more to go. Depending on the Feat, the GM may choose to reset Progress Points between attempts. E.g. To ring the bell, you must smash the strength tester game with enough Impact all at once, between attempts, PP resets to zero. Note: A GM can specify that certain Difficult Actions or Mighty Feats can gain additional Advantages from more than 2 Collaborators (to encourage a larger team effort).
In Summary: The 4 Simulation Styles (SS)
Score Bonuses and Boons
At your GM’s discretion, they can grant a Player a Boon to reward them for all-in roleplay: e.g. For creativity, or really getting in character.
- For technical excellence in performance: Award a +1, +2, or +3 bonus to their roll for that Action. e.g. Alongside rolling, they actually delivered a persuasive and compelling argument at the table to convince an NPC.
- For general creativity, passionate roleplay or getting into character: Award a +1 Advantage ‘Boon Token’ they can use on a roll of their choice (at when point they must return the token).
Now go play!
You can run games now that involve more complex Actions and even simple Conflicts—just use Action rolls or Difficult Action rolls to see if you ‘hit’ your enemy, and then roll Successful dice again for Impact (i.e. Damage), then track your enemy’s Hit Points using Progress Points. If you’d like to introduce even richer mechanics, read on with the Levelling Up Module.