Ability Checks

When a character attempts to do something could push the story in different direction depending on the success of the action, the GM may have that character make an Ability Check.

Making a Check

The GM will choose a relevant Ability and a Difficulty. The player controlling the character (or the GM if the character is an NPC) then rolls dice based on their score for that Ability (see the table below). Any dice that roll their maximum value explode, potentially several times, adding to the total each time. After the dice are rolled, they add relevant Adjustments (if applicable) and call out the total. If the total is equal to or higher than the Difficulty, the character succeeds, otherwise they fail. Failures should generally put the character into a worse situation than before the roll, depending on the perilousness of the attempted action.

Adjustments

Sometimes you will be given Adjustments to Checks, be it through Feats, Items, or even just the GM's ruling on the circumstances. These Adjustments can be positive or negative, and are added onto the relevant Check.

Added and Removed Dice

Another way Ability Checks may be modified is through Added and Removed dice. For any particular Ability Score, the dice used for Checks are all of the same type. If you are instructed to Remove dice, make the Check with one less of the die type, and for Added dice add another of the same type. If all the dice used for a Check are Removed, treat the Check as though the dice rolled a zero.

Contested Checks

Sometimes a character will make an action in direct opposition to another character. In this case, the GM does not decide the Difficulty, Instead, the opposing character makes a type of Check called a Save, that acts as the Difficulty. The Save must be made using an Ability that could reasonably oppose the action. In a tie, a Save beats a Check. If the GM determines that one character has a significant advantage over the other due to circumstance rather than ability, they may award one character a positive Adjustment to the roll.

Luck Points

Whenever you fail a Check, you gain one Luck Point. When making a Check, you can spend your Luck Points to add 1d4 per Luck Point spent on the Check. You can decide to use your Luck Points at any point before calling out your total. You can only have up to two luck points at a time. If you would gain a Luck Point when you already have two, the extra is lost. Luck Points never expire.

Critical Failure

If all dice used for a check result in ones, then the Check is a Critical Failure. This causes the Check to fail regardless of Difficulty or Adjustments. If a Contested Check results in both parties having Critical Failure, the Save beats the Check, even if the Check had a higher Adjustment.

Ability Score — Dice for Check Table

Difficulty Levels in understandable terms