Page 130 - World of Darkness

time in which to break in, the Storyteller can still rule Here are some guidelines for the amount of time to
that if the required number of successes aren’t gathered in assign per roll in an extended action.
five rolls (the total of her Dexterity + Larceny), she sim-
ply can’t do it. Maybe the lock is jammed, she can’t think Pace of Activity Time per Roll
straight or her hands ache from an earlier accident —
whatever rationale the player and Storyteller can apply Quick 1 turn (3 seconds)
that explains this turn of events. Short 10 minutes
Just because this attempt fails doesn’t mean the effort Long 30 minutes
eludes the character forever. The Storyteller decides how
much time must pass before another stab at the extended Lengthy 1 hour
action can be made. If the effort itself involves a short Consuming 1 day
period of time, such as overcoming a lock, it might not be Exhausting 1 week or month
picked this scene but the character can try again in a sub-
sequent scene. If a project involves considerable time, such Target Successes
as each roll occupying days or weeks, a new attempt at the
The extended actions detailed throughout this book
project might not be possible for a month. all call for a total number of successes required to finish a
If the Storyteller does allow a subsequent effort at the
project, he may impose a penalty on all its rolls. If this is the project. Whenever possible, totals are derived from the
traits of the characters involved. A competition between
second attempt, all rolls might suffer a -1 penalty. If this is a
character’s third attempt, the penalty might be -2. Such characters might require target numbers equal to the op-
ponents’ Speed, Dexterity + Crafts or double Dexterity +
modifiers are akin to those imposed under “Successive At-
tempts” (p. 132) and are the only case in which such penal- Crafts, for example. The goal in choosing these traits and
setting a target is twofold:
ties might apply to the rolls of an extended action.
Example: Marcus attempts to frame in his basement as 1) Using traits to set targets keeps those targets rel-
a shelter, complete with booby traps and secret compart- evant to the people involved or to the activity performed.
2) A target is sought that doesn’t allow an extended
ments. The Storyteller rules that it’s an extended effort, with action to be resolved too quickly, but the task shouldn’t
each roll demanding one day. A total number of 15 successes
is required. Marcus’ Intelligence + Crafts is 6, and he has drag on and on, either. A target should reflect the overall
difficulty of a task, but it should still involve some kind of
some high-quality tools that offer a +1 bonus.
prolonged challenge. Otherwise, it would be resolved as
If time were of the essence, the Storyteller might decide an instant action.
that Marcus needs all 15 successes in four days — in four Ultimately, the Storyteller decides how long an ex-
rolls. If he doesn’t have them in time, the shelter is useless tended action should last, and therefore how many suc-
when that thing in his neighborhood comes looking for food. cesses it requires. If the prescribed target listed in this book
Alternatively, if time is not an issue but Marcus’ own will make for too quick an effort or competition in your
capabilities are, all 15 successes need to be accumulated in six game — it will be resolved in a couple rolls when you
rolls (the total of his Intelligence + Crafts). In six rolls, Marcus want it to have dramatic significance — feel free to in-
has only 13 successes. He hasn’t been able to overcome certain crease the number of successes needed. A number nor-
snags and his basement is cluttered with boards and gear. The mally based on Speed or double an Attribute + Skill can
Storyteller lets him try again in the future, though. It’s decided be turned into an artificial target of 15, 20 or 25, instead.
that the process can begin again in a week. This time, however, Whether the number is based on participants’ traits is ul-
all rolls suffer a -1 penalty because this is a subsequent attempt. timately unimportant. How it’s resolved in-game is what
Marcus stacks the odds in his favor and gets some self-help really matters. An increased number could allow for a
books and even better tools. The bonuses this new equipment demanding effort or an intense creative process, or could
offers helps him get 15 successes in six rolls, despite the -1 heighten the tension of a competition between charac-
penalty that each roll suffers. Had even this attempt failed, the ters (in an extended and contested task — see below).
Storyteller could have allowed a third, but all rolls in it would Here are some guidelines for target numbers that you
have incurred a -2 penalty. can assign to extended actions. These are based on the
It’s also possible in some cases that a character really complexity or sheer scale of the job, or on the drama that
does have unlimited time to work, and his Attribute and you want to evoke.
Skill dots are not necessarily a limit to how many rolls he
can get to finish a project. A character might rebuild a clas- Challenge Target Number
sic car, for example. The old hulk sits in his garage for months
as he tinkers on it on weekends. There is no deadline or Simple/Relaxed 5
imminent threat, and the character does it for pleasure rather Involved/Trying 10
than out of fear or pressure. The Storyteller decides that Elaborate/Demanding 15
each roll represents a week of work, and the character will Ornate/Daunting 20
eventually succeed given enough time and successes.
Intricate/Epic 25

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SYSTEMS- ACTIONS