Whenever a Character wants to attempt something with a decent risk of failure, they’ve got to beat a Skill Test to succeed. Skill Tests use a pool of 10-sided dice (thanks Random.org). We roll a number of dice based on the character's Rank's (stars) in two Attributes or Skills related to the Skill Test. Bonuses or penalties change the number of dice, depending on equipment, environment, available facilities, long-term conditions, etc. Note: some tests are impossible without the proper tools or materials, or when under the wrong conditions.
Success and Difficulty:Any roll of 8, 9, or 10 on a Test is considered a Success. Each roll of 10 also "Explodes", granting an additional bonus die to the roll. Having more Successes than the Difficulty of the test means the character was able to do what they wanted to do. Most tests have a Difficulty of 1 star. Some tests are harder than others, such as Contests opposed by another character; during a Contest, the opponent's Successes set the Difficulty for the acting character.
Critical Success and Critical Failure:Any Test with 5 or more Successes is a Critical Success. These represent a particularly good outcome, and may grant additional long-term benefits. On a failed Test, if half or more of the rolls are 1, it’s considered a Critical Failure. This represents a very poor outcome, and may impose additional long-term penalties.
Advantage and Disadvantage:Under particularly favorable conditions, a Character's rolls are granted Advantage. With advantage, a roll of 7 is also a Success, a roll of 9 will also Explode, and a roll of 1 does not contribute to Critical Failures. In particularly harsh conditions, a Character's rolls are penalized with Disadvantage. When disadvantaged, a roll of 8 is not a Success, a roll of 10 will not Explode, and roll of 2 will also contribute to Critical Failures.
Untrained Penalty:If you need to attempt a Skill Test but lack a related Skill, you suffer a -2 dice penalty to the roll for being Untrained. If penalties on your Skill Test ever reduce your Die Pool to 0 or lower, you can still roll a single die on your Test.
Tryhard Bonus:If a Skill Test is very important, a character may exert themselves, spending a point of Willpower, and granting +2 bonus dice to the roll.
Rolls with Advantage:Normal Rolls:Rolls with Disadvantage:Color Key:-Purple: Exploding Success
-Teal: Success
-Orange: Failure
-Red: Critical Failure