The goal of most people who play role-playing games is to experience exciting, stressful, or dramatic situations in another world or time through the eyes of their character. Invariably, the players will want to know how well their characters perform certain actions in these situations. They do this by making tests.
Making Tests
Making Tests
A Test is a d100 roll made to determine whether or not a character has succeeded or failed at a certain action, and to what degree. Characters will be called to make tests in a variety of scenarios, but it’s important to remember that tests are not required for every action. There’s no need to make a test to have your character take a few steps across a room. If, on the other hand, you find your character forced to walk across a tightrope suspended above a lake of molten lava in order to escape angry Dremora (or something equally dramatic), then you will probably want to know if your character manages to cross in time. It is recommended that the GM only require tests if one or more of the following conditions hold true:
- The activity is unusual for the character, and not something they attempt routinely.
- The character is lacking the time and/or tools necessary to complete the task.
- The circumstances and environment impose stress.
- There are meaningful consequences for failing the action. You make tests by making a percentile roll and comparing the result to a Target Number, often referred to as TN, and typically a value between 1 and 100. If the roll is less than or equal to the target number, the character succeeds. If the roll is higher than the target number, they fail.
Link to originalExample
A character is attempting a very difficult task at which they are relatively skilled. After accounting for modifiers, they determine that their target number for the test is 37. They manage to roll a 32, below their target number, so they succeed!
Degrees of Successes & Failures
Sometimes knowing whether or not your character succeeded a test isn’t enough. Each successful test or failed test also produces a number that represents how well or how poorly that character succeeded on the task they were attempting. It is not necessary to calculate degrees on most tests, but certain tests (such as attack and defense rolls) require it, and it can also be useful if the GM wants a measure of roughly how strongly a character succeeded or failed.
Degrees of Success
Degrees of Success
A character’s Degrees of Success (DoS) on a test is equal to the 10’s digit (the first number) of the result of their d100 roll. A character always achieves at least one degree of success if they pass a test, even if they roll a single digit result.
Link to originalExample
A character succeeds on a test with a target number of 47, and they rolled a 32, so they achieved three degrees of success. If the same character were to pass that same test with any roll ranging from 40 to 47, then they would achieve four degrees of success instead.
Degree of Failure
Degrees of Failure
A character’s Degrees of Failure (DoF) on a test is equal to one plus the tens digit of the difference between the result of their d100 roll and their target number. A character always fails with at least one degree of success if they fail a test.
Link to originalExample
A character fails on a test with a target number of 57, and they rolled a 72. So, they failed with two degrees of failure. As characters improve their target numbers for common tasks by increasing their skills, then higher and higher degrees of success naturally become possible for them. A character with a Target Number over 100 adds the 10s digit of their Target Number to their DoS.
Difficulty & Modifiers
Modifiers
Not all tests are created equal! Modifiers are adjustments made to a test’s target number (not the roll itself ), that make the test easier or harder for a character to pass. Bonuses are modifiers that increase the target number and thus make success more likely, while Penalties are modifiers that decrease the target number and thus make success less likely. If a test would be subject to more than one modifier, simply add their values together to determine the net modifier for that test.
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Difficulty
The Difficulty of a test is a modifier applied based on how much more difficult or easy the test becomes due to circumstance. One of the most important jobs of the GM is to determine the difficulty of tests. The test difficulty table below provides guidelines for recommended modifiers given particular levels of difficulty.
Once the difficulty has been decided, apply the Modifiers to the test’s target number and roll the test against the modified target number. GMs who desire more finesse should not be afraid to assign test difficulty in increments of +/- 5.
Example
A character attempts to break down a wooden door in a dungeon. The GM decides that this task would be relatively easy compared to breaking down a normal door, as the wood is aged and rotting, and so assigns a difficulty of Easy to this test. They also tell the player which Characteristic or Skill to use to determine the target number (more on this in the Core Mechanics section). When making the test, the player would increase their normal target number by 20.
Test Difficulty Levels
Difficulty Modifier Effortless +40 Simple +30 Easy +20 Ordinary +10 Average +0 Challenging -10 Difficult -20 Hard -30 Very Hard -40 Note that the GM should feel free to impose modifiers on tests beyond +/- 40 if it would be appropriate for the situation. This range is not meant to be limiting, it simply reflects the most common difficulty levels that will likely see use in an average campaign.
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Critical Successes & Failures
Sometimes a character succeeds or fails a test in particularly spectacular ways. Such dramatic successes, or abysmal failures, are referred to as Critical Successes or Critical Failures. A character’s chance of rolling a critical success depends on their five Lucky and Unlucky numbers. A character has a number of Lucky Numbers equal to their Luck Bonus (a concept we will explore in Defining a Character), and a number of Unlucky Numbers equal to five minus their Luck bonus. These numbers are chosen randomly at character creation.
Example
A character with a Luck bonus of 3 might have 7, 63, and 89 as their Lucky Numbers, and 16 and 44 as their Unlucky Numbers.
If a character rolls one of their Lucky Numbers then the test is considered a critical success (regardless of the target number). On the flip side, if the character rolls one of their Unlucky Numbers then the test is a critical failure (regardless of the target number).
Critical Success
Critical Success
A critical success is a dramatic, stunning success. GMs should reward characters with circumstantially appropriate effects whenever they roll critical successes. Though in the case of particularly difficult (or nigh impossible) tests, a critical success might simply represent the fact that the character managed to succeed “normally” against all odds.
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Critical Failure
Critical Failure
A critical failure is an abysmal, terrible failure. GMs should punish characters with circumstantially appropriate effects whenever they roll critical failures. Though in the case of particularly easy tests, a critical failure might simply represent the fact that the character managed to fail “normally” despite all of their advantages.
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Non-Player Character (NPC) Criticals
Creatures and NPCs do not have Luck like a Player Character does; however, they still have the capacity to critically succeed or fail. Unless specified on the statblock, use the following rules: On a roll of 1-3, the roll is considered a Critical Success. On a roll of 98-100, the roll is considered a Critical Failure.
Types of Tests
You won’t always be testing your character in the same way every session. There are four different types of tests that a character can be called to make, each reflecting a different circumstance.
Standard Tests
Standard Tests
Tests without any opposition are known as Standard Tests. They measure how well a character performs an action in a particular situation. Standard tests are handled as described on the previous page: a result less than or equal to the modified Target Number is a success, and a result above the target number is a failure. The GM can call for the character to calculate their Degrees of Success on the roll if it is required by the test, or if they just want to have that additional metric.
Teamwork
Two or more characters can work together on a single task. The character leading the effort is the one who makes the actual test, and as long as having someone to assist them would be productive then they may reroll the test once if they fail initially. The helper(s) do not need to be trained in the skill being used as long as the GM decides that they can follow directions or make themselves useful in some other way.
Group Test
Sometimes the GM may call for multiple characters to attempt to accomplish a task where each member of the group is expected to perform. In these cases the characters who are more skilled can help cover for their comrades. To make a group test, everyone in the group rolls the same test with the same modifiers. If at least half of the group succeeds, then the whole group does. Otherwise the group fails. This can be used to represent things like a group of characters attempting to navigate dangerous terrain or avoid detection by enemies.
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Simple Tests
Simple Tests
In many circumstances there is no chance that a character will fail a particular action, but the GM wants a simple gauge of how well the character performs. In this case, a Simple Test may be employed. This is handled just like a standard test, but rather than determining success or failure, the result of the test determines whether the character succeeds strongly (passes the test) or succeeds weakly (fails the test).
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Opposed Tests
Opposed Tests
Whenever a character’s action is directly opposed by that of another character, the GM can call for an Opposed Test. Both characters make a test against each other, with the result determining the winner. To make an opposed test, each character rolls a standard test as appropriate to the situation. If only one of the characters succeeds, that character wins. If both succeed, then the characters have tied. If both fail, then nobody wins.
Note that both characters do not have to actually roll the same test: characters making different tests for different actions can still be acting in opposition to one another.
Opposed tests that result in a tie (both characters succeed) are typically broken by comparing Degrees of Success, with the character who has the greater success being the winner. Further ties can be broken by having the characters reroll. Sometimes the GM may rule that the test has simply resulted in a tie and the two characters remain locked against each other until one of them gives up or another opposed test is made.
If a character rolls a Critical Success during an opposed test, they automatically win the contest regardless of their opponent’s Degrees of Success (unless both rolled a critical success, in which case the tie is broken by a roll off).
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Extended Tests
Extended Tests
Sometimes the GM may rule that a single task may require more than one test to achieve. An extended test is simply a series of one or more tests made by a character where each successful test adds to the character’s total degrees of success. Once their total reaches a threshold decided by the GM, they pass the test. This can be used to simulate tasks like breaking down a door.
Most extended tests are also performed under some sort of time pressure. With infinite time it is assumed the character could eventually complete the task. However, if the task has a time limit, then “failure” is simply represented by not achieving success in the allotted time.
Link to originalExample
An Imperial soldier is attempting to bash down a door to help their comrade on the other side who is beset by foes. The GM rules that this requires an extended test and that each Turn the soldier can make a Strength test to attempt to damage the door. The GM has decided that 10 degrees of success are necessary to overcome the door. On their first Turn the soldier succeeds with 5 degrees. On their second, they fail. On their first Turn of the second round they succeed with 3 degrees. And on their second Turn of the second round, they succeed with 4 degrees and finally smash the door down. Fortunately their ally is still alive, and at the start of the third round the soldier draws their sword and rushes into the room…
Characteristics & Skill Tests
Until now, we have simplified the concept of tests. Characters are largely defined by their Defining a Character, which provide the base Target Number for almost all tests. Characters also have Skills, which can affect different tests in certain circumstances. All tests (regardless of the test’s type) can be divided into two categories based on whether a characteristic or a skill is used to determine the target number.
Characteristic Tests
Characteristic Tests
Characteristic Tests are tests made with a Target Number based on one of a character’s characteristic scores and modified as appropriate for the Difficulty of the test. These tests are used when a character is performing a task that does not require or benefit from specialized training and relies only on their natural abilities.
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Skill Tests
Skill Tests
Skill Tests are tests made with a Target Number based on one of a character’s characteristic scores and their relevant skill rank. Like characteristic tests, skill tests are also modified as appropriate for the Difficulty of the test; unlike characteristic tests, skill tests also take into account a character’s Skills at whatever task they are attempting. Skill tests are used when a task requires some form of specialized training or skill to perform well.
Each skill has an associated set of Governing Characteristics (listed in parenthesis next to the skill, typically) which are the characteristics upon which that skill relies. Typically the player chooses which characteristic to use, but the GM may require that they must use a particular one if they feel the circumstances dictate it.
Once the governing characteristic has been determined, add the character’s skill bonus (equal to ten times their skill rank) and any other applicable modifiers to the characteristic score. If a character instead has no training in the skill, they suffer a -20 penalty in addition to any other applicable modifiers. This value is the target number for the skill test.
Link to originalExample
A thief attempts to leap delicately between two rooftops. The GM rules this requires an Acrobatics test of Challenging difficulty (-10). The thief has the Acrobatics (Str, Ag) skill trained to the Journeyman rank (+20). The player chooses Agility as the base characteristic for the test as it is higher than their Strength and better fits the task at hand. They apply a net +10 modifier to their Agility score of 43. They then roll a 37, which is a success (with 3 degrees) against their target number of 53.
Limited Skill Tests
Limited Skill Tests
In some circumstances the GM may rule that a character’s Skills in one area is limited by their lack of skill in another. For example, a character fighting while balancing on a moving surface is limited by their ability to balance themself properly. In these cases the character may not take advantage of any of their ranks in the primary skill that would exceed their ranks in the limiting one.
Link to originalExample
A smuggler is dueling with a pirate on the deck of a ship on the high seas. The ship is rocking heavily in the waves, and unfortunately for the smuggler they are not able to balance them- selves well enough to fight to their full potential in this environment. Their Combat Style skill, normally rank 3 (+30), is treated as being rank 1 (+10) because that is their Acrobatics skill rank.