Page 70 - Chronicles of Darkness

dice. If you have a Specialty (p. 73) that’s relevant to the roll, Circumstance and Equipment
add an extra die to your pool.
Each die that shows an 8, 9, or 10 is a success. Normally, you Sometimes, fortune favors your character. Other times,
only need one success to achieve your goal. It’s always better to she gives it a helping hand by packing the right tools for the
get more successes, though, especially if you want to hurt some- job. The Storyteller should weigh how the circumstances
one, since your successes add to your damage when attacking. affect a character’s chance of success. A slight advantage —
Every die that comes up as a 10 is a success. You also picking an old and damaged lock — might be worth a bonus
roll the die again, potentially scoring another success. If this die, while a stressful situation — trying to pick a lock while
second roll comes up as another 10, count the success and people are shooting at you — might subtract three dice from
roll it again, on until you roll a number other than 10. your pool. Most of the time, the modifier from circumstances
Many rolls have modifiers, either from equipment, will be between +3 and –3, though in very rare cases — picking
circumstance, or someone working against your character. a lock while the room is on fire — it can range from +5 to –5.
Most modifiers are within the range of +3 to -3, though they Bringing the right equipment for a task also gives you extra
can range as low as -5 or as high as +5. Apply the modifiers dice to roll. A sharp suit might give you bonus dice when try-
to your dice pool before you roll. Add all the bonuses first, ing to convince the CEO that your character knows the best
then apply penalties. plan, while a good pair of running shoes will help her escape
If your pool drops below one die, you instead roll a single from the things lurking in the shadows. Most equipment of-
chance die. The chance die only counts as a success if you roll fers a one to three die bonus. A top-of-the-line or custom item
a 10, which you do not reroll. Any other result is a failure. might give a four or five die bonus, but such items often cost
If you roll a 1 on the chance die, your character suffers a more than just money. When a task is impossible without
dramatic failure. some kind of equipment — hacking a computer, or driving
a car — equipment bonuses indicate how far your tools are
Roll Results above the baseline. A beat-up old station wagon might not
Your roll can succeed and fail in a few different ways: add any dice to a Drive roll, but a top-of-the-line sports car
Success: Your character’s action goes off as planned. may add four or even five dice.
Achieved by having at least one success (a die showing 8, 9,
or 10; or a chance die showing 10). Attribute Tasks
Failure: Your character’s action fails. This doesn’t mean
“nothing happens,” just that she doesn’t get what she wants Some actions require no special expertise to perform.
and complications are headed her way. Occurs when you Mostly, these come in the form of Wits + Composure rolls to
roll no successes. notice something that doesn’t seem right, or using Strength +
Exceptional Success: Your character’s action succeeds Stamina rolls to lift something. For these rolls, you add two
beyond her expectations. Achieved by rolling five or more different Attributes together to make your dice pool. If an
successes. Your character gains a beneficial Condition. (See action doesn’t seem to involve any particular Skill, it can be
“Conditions,” p. 75.) Usually, the Inspired Condition is the handled by an Attribute Task.
most appropriate. You can give this Condition to another
character when it’s appropriate to the story. Muddling Through
Dramatic Failure: Your character fails badly, and things
are about to get a whole lot worse. Suffered when you roll a 1 If your character has no dots in an applicable Skill, the
on a chance die. Alternately you can take a Beat in exchange Storyteller may allow you to roll your Attribute as a dice
for turning a normal failure into a dramatic failure. pool. Your character’s dice pool suffers a penalty for being
untrained: if the roll would involve a Mental Skill, you take
When to Roll Dice a three-die penalty, while a Physical or Social Skill applies a
one-die penalty.
For many actions, you don’t need to roll dice. If your
character isn’t in a stressful situation — nobody’s actively Actions
trying to tear his throat open, or demolish the building as he
works — you don’t need to roll. When the dice hit the table, The majority of actions in the game are instant actions.
the Storyteller should have some idea of what will happen They represent acts that only take a couple of seconds. In
if the roll fails, as well as if it succeeds. Sometimes that’s combat, an instant action takes up your turn.
coded in the rules. If you fail on an attack roll, you don’t A reflexive action is the sort of thing you don’t even need
deal any damage. Other times, it’s up to the Storyteller. If to think about doing. Most rolls to resist supernatural powers
you fail a roll to jump between buildings with the prince’s are reflexive. You can take a reflexive action at any time, and
hit-squad on your tail, do you make it but fall on the other it doesn’t take your turn in combat.
side, grab the next building by your fingertips, or plummet When two people fight over a specific goal, they engage in a
to the alley below? contested action. You roll your dice pool and the Storyteller (or
other player) rolls the dice pool for the other party. Whoever
rolls the most successes is the victor. Note that you count the
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Rolling Dice