3.0 -- Action Resolution in FUDGE Deryni
Or What Do You Use Those Dice For?
FUDGE Dice
FUDGE Dice are six-sided with 2 pluses, 2 minuses, and two
blanks. To use them, you roll either two or four dice, depending on the type of
action (see below), and add them up. Pluses and minuses cancel each other out.
The result (0, some number of pluses, some number of minuses) is then applied to
the Skill or Attribute being used, moving the level of the characteristic as
indicated.
OPPOSED Action Resolution
Opposed actions are where two people (PCs
and/or NPCs) are contesting for the same thing (like in a chess game) or one
trying to prevent the other from doing something that the first person wishes to
do(like in combat).
Each contestant rolls two FUDGE Dice and adds the result to the Skill or
Attribute they are using in this contest. The highest result wins that
particular action, if it also beats the Difficulty Level.
UNOPPOSED Action Resolution
Unopposed actions are when a character is
trying to accomplish a task that no other character can help or hinder (like
trying to jump a chasm).
Roll four FUDGE Dice and add the result to the Skill or Attribute relavant to
this task. Equaling or exceeding the Difficulty Level results in a success, and
beating the DL by a significant amount may give greater results.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL
The Difficulty Level (DL) is the minimum result needed
in order to successfully complete an action. The DL can be influenced by a
variety of factors involving environment, mental and physical state, and
mystical and divine forces. All actions, Opposed and Unopposed, have a minimum
DL for completion.
RELATIVE DEGREE
The Relative Degree is how much a result of a roll has
beaten the DL or other result in the case of an Opposed action. RD can determine
several things like the degree of success, but is mostly used in combat, where
it determines damage.
ACTION RESOLUTION IN COMBAT
Action resolution in combat works the same
as it would at any other time, except that combat rolls are almost always
Opposed rolls. This is true whether or not they would normally be Unopposed, for
simplicity's sake.
SKILL RESULT CAPS
Results from Skill Checks (whether Opposed or not)
have limits to the results that can occur. No results can go below Abyssmal or
above Superb.
Exceptions: FUDGE Points, situational modifiers, and other
circumstances can allow for a greater range of results, effectively raising the
level that can be achieved.
Example 1: Bob has a Great Skill. He rolls +2. His result is Superb.
Example 2: Bob has a Good Skill. He uses 2 FUDGE Points and rolls +4. He
gets a Legendary result.
STRESSED vs NON-STRESSED SITUATIONS
In any non-stressed situation, a
player may choose to simply use the character'sskill level as the result, or she
may choose to roll the dice. A non-stressed situation is where there is little
pressure on the character to succeed, and the character is confident. The
situation becomes stressed if the character cannot actually perform the task at
hand (Skill level too low), is under pressure, is in danger, or there's
something more at stake than simply missing putting the keys on the counter.
In all stressed situations, the dice must be rolled or FUDGE points spent in
order to determine the results. This is because in stressful situations, there
are greater chances of making a mistake than in non-stressful situations.