Whenever a player performs a non-ordinary task, or attempts
to do so, the referee is usually in a quandary — how to
determine fairly whether the character can perform the attempted
action? Normally, the referee gives consideration to the
player’s attributes and then more or less ‘wings it,’ attempting to
be fair — usually giving the player a percentage chance of success.

A more standardized system is needed and the following
guidelines should help considerably.

WHENEVER A PLAYER ATTEMPTS SOME ACTION
WHICH WOULD TAX HIS ABILITY IN ANY ATTRIBUTE:
1) Generate a number from 1-100, and consult the table
below
 

DIE ROLL	TYPE OF DIE FOR DETERMINATION
-	(always add the score in question to the 1-100 number achieved)
01-20	4-sided
21-40	6-sided
41-60	8-sided
61-80	10-sided
81-00	12-sided

2) Using the type die called for, generate a number, and
multiply this number by the amount of the attribute being tested.
THIS NUMBER IS THE PERCENT CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
 

EXAMPLE.: Consider Grod the fighter. His scores are STR-17;
INT-9; WIS-5; CON-14; DEX-14; CHAR-12
Grod’s party has been attacked by a pair of bugbears. Grod wants
three of his minions to hold off the Bugbears while Grod rolls
away the boulder blocking the exit to the dungeon. So — will the
minions fight?

DIE ROLL — 42 added to Grod’s Charisma (12) = 54. So Grod
rolls an eight-sided die, scoring a seven. Therefore, there is a 7 x
12 (the score times Grod’s Charisma) or 84% chance that the
minions will fight.

How about this boulder?

DIE ROLL — 66 added to Grod’s Strength (17) = 83. Grod rolls
a twelve-sided die as called for on the table, but this time, his roll
is a three.

So there is a 3 x 17 (score times Grod’s strength) or 51%
chance that he will be able to move the boulder away this turn.

SPECIAL FOR FIGHTERS — Fighters with extraordinary LOADSTONES
strength use the following table in order to make their scores
compatible —

18.01 - 18.20 = 18;
l8.21 - 18.40 = 19;
18.41 - 18.60 = 20;
18.61 -18.70 = 21;
18.71- 18.80 = 22;
18.81 - 18.90 = 23;
18.91 - 18.95 = 24;
18.96 - 18.99 = 25;
and 18.00= 27.

So if Grod had had a strength score of 1887, he would have
used 23 as his strength when determining his success with the
boulder.

USES FOR ATTRIBUTES:

STRENGTH — Any extraordinary physical exertion.

INTELLIGENCE — Discovering proper method of operating all
mechanical devices, including all magical devices; Discerning
patterns; deducing cause & effect; recognizing types of lairs;
learning new languages and skills; etc.

WISDOM — divining “correct path” of action; recognizing function
of devices; etc.

DEXTERITY — manual manipulation of devices (he may know
what it does, and how to make it work, and still fumble when the
time comes to use it); balance and climbing; tying/untying knots;
etc.

CONSTITUTION — all questions of stamina — swimming, running,
staying awake, going hungry, etc.

CHARISMA — believability; persuasiveness; morale of
followers; etc.

MODIFIERS (Optional)
PER LEVEL -- add the increase in hit probability to their attribute
score. Using this rule, Grod, being a Myrmidon,
would have added four to his Charisma and Strength before
multiplying them by the die number.

PER CHARACTER TYPE -- everyone should have the chance,
for instance, of picking a lock — but since only thieves are
specialists, then all others should have only their dexterity
as the percent chance of success. Grod’s chances would then
be 14% (if using the level modifier — 18%). For activities
further from the character-type’s bailiwick, begin dividing
the required number, and multiplying the chance of backfire.
For instance, Grod attempts to operate a Censor of Air
Elementals, normally usable only by magic-users. There is a
normal chance that Grod would know what it is, but to use
it, he would need to roll a 02% (Grod’s intelligence divided
by four), and there would be likewise only a 2% chance of
maintaining control over the elemental once it was called
out. (Using the level modifiers, Grod’s chances would be increased
to 03% -- still not a very healthy set of odds.  If the
character is attempting to learn a spell, first subtract the
level of the spell from his percentage chance — that per-
centage is also the chance of not going insane upon failure.

LUCKSTONES,
BLESSINGS,
LOADSTONES
AND PRAYER -- Luckstones and a clerical Bless add 1 to all
die rolled; whereas loadstones subtract 1 from all rolls.
Prayer is a loadstone to the other side, and there exist curses
which do nothing but subtract 1-6 from every subsequent
roll or the determination die.

EVERYTHING ELSE — you get the idea.

*    *    *    *
 

I respect Wes Ives’ work and his GMing, but I
wonder if his system puts too much stress on die rolls
and not enough on the players controlling the
characters involved. My philosophy has been to avoid
luck factors whenever possible, and while his system
reduces the judgment load on the referee, it
increases the amount of luck present in the game.
Players are handicapped enough by their ability rolls
as it is.

Sincerely,
Lewis Pulsipher
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