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.
Example
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!