Resolving Actions

Use of Skills

The outcomes of all actions, combats and tasks attempted by the characters (collectively known as Feats) during the game where there is a chance of success or failure, are determined by means of comparing Skills, Attributes and Difficulty ratings to the rolls of d8s (or else by the expenditure of Wyrd Points).Using Wyrd...Where a character is attempting a Feat against inanimate obstacles the appropriate Attribute or Skill level is combined with a Difficulty rating to generate a Feat level that determines the roll required for success. The GM must establish a difficulty rating and select the PC’s appropriate Attribute or Skill for the action. The Attribute or Skill is deducted from the Difficulty to give a Feat level.

The following table should be used as a general guide to setting difficulty ratings. The difficulty rating and the character’s level are combined to give a single net figure: the Feat level.

The skill modifier exists to give a character the chance to function for any particular task as if they were the next higher Skill level. Skill modifiers are numbers in the range 1 to 99. Thus a character with Skill level 6/76 will attempt 25% of feats as if he were level 7. The lower the modifier the better for the character.

If a character with skill 5/73 attempts a task of difficulty 8, he first rolls a d100 and scores 93 thus adding one to his Skill level of 5. He then deducts 6 (his Skill Level for this Feat) from the Difficulty giving a result for the Feat level of 2.

Thus the Feat level of all feats and tasks is a single figure. This may be – ve, 0 or + ve.

e.g. Consider a task, say climbing a cliff. The GM has given the cliff a difficulty rating of 7 (the climb is one where an average character would be much more likely to fail than to succeed). The climb is attempted by a character with a climbing skill of 6/81 (a climbing ability that is only a little better than the average trained character). The difficulty should reflect the length of the climb as well as the technical complexity. This is the kind of Feat that may take a few seconds or many minutes depending upon the type of climb.

First, the player rolls a d100. If the Skill modifier is equalled or exceeded then the Skill is increased by one for the purposes of this Feat. i.e. in this case, if the d100 result is 81 or more the character attempts the Feat as if he were Level 7.

The character’s modified relevant attribute/skill level is then deducted from the Difficulty rating.

In the example above if the d100 roll is 85 the result for the Feat level is 0. i.e. (7 – [6 + 1]) = 0

For some feats, particularly combats the difficulty rating will be partly given by an opposing character’s Skill or Attribute level.

Where the opposing character does not have skill in the area being tested the difficulty may be arrived at from a relevant Attribute of the opposing character. For example, if a thief with cut-purse skill 6/23 is picking another character’s pocket. The relevant Attribute of the victim is Wit. If the target character has a Wit of 5 the Skill Rank table for a skill of 0 (that is for an inherent skill with no training) gives a skill of 1/99. Both character’s would roll a d100 to determine the effective skill for the attempt. If both fail the Feat Level will be 1 - 6, i.e. – 5. The GM rules that the character has taken no special precautions and that there is nothing to add to the difficulty because of circumstances. This is a very easy task and the Thief would have to roll double 1 with on the first two d8s to fail (see Feat table below).

In using a skill such as Language basic phrases are at a Difficulty of 2 or 3 to understand. A normal conversation will be Difficulty 3. Fluent native speakers will use language between Difficulty 4 and 6. Complex poetry and ideas will be a 7 or 8 to understand.

Using the Feat Table...Once the Feat level has been established the feat table is consulted to establish the outcome.

Use of Attributes

A player should include in their character description some idea of how their Attribute values are manifest. For example, a character with a Vigour of 7 might be very strong but not very agile or vice versa. A character with a Glamour of 6 might be very attractive physically but not a very good communicator whereas a Glamour of 8 would necessarily be exceptional in both areas. A character with a Wit of 6 might be very logical but not very creative.

Vigour

Feat Table...

Vigour is the combination of all athletic and dexterous skills. Generally, the innate ability to perform physical tasks. A character may be very strong but not very agile or vice versa, in the use of a weapon one aspect of Vigour may make up for the other giving a net physical ability. A character with the optimum combination of strength and agility will have the maximum overall Vigour score. Vigour is the primary generator of all physical skills. If it is necessary to determine which character reacts first in a situation usually this will be in order of Vigour. If it is important to judge between two characters a Feat roll should be made the feat level being Vigour A – Vigour B where B is the active character making the roll. If a character has an Edge of speed he may activate it in this situation to ensure that he acts first.

Mettle

Mettle is a measure of a character’s determination and resolve both mental and physical.

A character’s ability to overcome fatigue or the pain and shock of a serious injury is determined by a Mettle-based Feat roll. The character’s Mettle is subtracted from a Difficulty rating generated from the circumstances in the case of a shock from an injury this will be 8. If the roll is successful the character continues as the player or GM wishes. If the roll fails the character’s behaviour is a consequence of the circumstances. Typically they will be unable to act as a result of an injury or they will be controlled as a result of a magical attack. Similarly, if the player is pushing a heavily encumbered character to continue physical activity the GM may decide that the character is exhausted and require the player to take a Mettle roll or rest.

A character’s ability to survive a serious injury or an illness is often determined by a Mettle-based Feat roll. The character’s Mettle is subtracted from a Difficulty rating generated from the circumstances, i.e. the level of injury or the strength of a poison. If the roll is successful the character may still be injured or sick but they will have survived. Deductions may be made to Mettle as a result of sickness or injury. Note that if a character’s Mettle should ever fall to 0, the character dies.

Wit

A character’s Wit is his capacity to use intelligence, creativity, cunning and ability to learn. Wit is the primary generator of all mental skills. Wit is also a measure of a character’s ability to make best use of his senses.

Generally a player character must rely upon the player’s own intelligence to guide them i.e. can the player solve a problem in the game from certain clues? However where a problem must be solved in the abstract, for example picking a lock, the Wit attribute may be used. Where a character has a low Wit but the player is intelligent it is difficult to role-play that the character would not be able to solve a problem that the player himself has solved. A player who manages to do this should be rewarded in Wyrd Points by the GM.

A character’s Skills in search and stalking are determined by Wit. If a character is searching for a hidden object the GM must give the level of concealment of the object a difficulty rating and the character must make a roll on the Feat table with a Feat level of Difficulty – Wit. Only one roll should be allowed on the Feat table unless circumstances change.

Glamour

Glamour is a measure of a character’s allure, charisma, oratory, charm and also his ability to intimidate without resorting to violence. How non-player characters respond to the character is dependent upon their Glamour.

A character’s ability to command groups successfully is described in the Engagement Rules and is dependent upon a character’s Leadership skill. If the reaction of a particular individual or group encountered during the game is important the GM may wish to give the desired reaction a difficulty rating and use the character’s Glamour to roll on the Feat table. Success or failure may be interpreted as a more favourable response than expected or a more hostile one.

Movement

Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place.

As explained the GM must determine the appropriate time scale for resolving players’ activities as each event during the game takes place. Some activities may take place over days, some over hours. Where rapid actions are taking place, such as in a combat situation, the action should be conducted round-by-round. A round is equivalent to one second of action. All actions by characters within a round are conducted simultaneously. In complex situations, the GM must establish who is trying to do what at the beginning of each round and determine the results of each action.

The movement of characters is always considered to be simultaneous. The following table gives basic movement rates for unencumbered characters although this will vary according to terrain and particular circumstance.

PCs and NPCs who are racing over short distances and times will make a Vigour vs Vigour Feat roll, over long distances and times they make a Vigour + Mettle vs Vigour + Mettle Feat roll.

Generally hills up to 1:10 will not have an effect on movement. Hills between 1:10 and 1:5 will reduce speed by 1/5 going up, Hills between 1:5 and 1:2 will reduce speed by ½ going up and by 1/5 going down. Hills greater than 1:2 will reduce speed to ¼ going up and ½ going down.

As a guide, the following lists gives comparative times taken for various actions: