Thursday, January 28, 2010

Xceptional - A quick look at the system


d5
- a d5 is a roll of d6 where 6 is read as ZERO.

5x5 roll
- A 5x5 roll is two d5 rolls multiplied together.

Ability Scores range from 1 to 4.

Skill Ranks range from 1 to 4 plus UNSKILLED.

Ability Score multiplied by Skill Rank equals target to roll or less on a 5x5 roll.

A roll of ZERO always succeeds.

A roll of TWENTY FIVE always fails.

Skill Ranks can have a +1 or -1 applied as a positive or negative rank shift respectively producing the following range of possible target numbers.

Ability of 1
Ability of 2
Ability of 3
Ability of 4
Weak
-1
0
1
2
Unskilled
0
1
2
3
Skill of 1
1
2
3
4
Skill of 2
2
4
6
8
Skill of 3
3
6
9
12
Skill of 4
4
8
12
16
Skill of 5
5
10
15
20
Weak - This result only occurs when a player attempts to do something as unskilled and the GM has applied a negative rank shift. When attempting a "weak" task roll, the target number is base ability score -2.
Unskilled - If you have no skill for the task you are attempting you must attempt the task as unskilled. When attempting a task roll as "unskilled," the target number is base ability score -1.
Skill of 5 - A skill rank of 5 is only possible when a player attempts to do something with a skill rank of 4 and the GM has applied a positive rank shift.
The 5x5 roll
-1*
1 in 6
17%
0
11 in 36
31%
1
12 in 36
33%
2
14 in 36
39%
3
16 in 36
44%
4
19 in 36
53%
5
21 in 36
58%
6
23 in 36
64%
8
25 in 36
69%
9
26 in 36
72%
10
28 in 36
78%
12
30 in 36
83%
15
32 in 36
89%
16
33 in 36
92%
20
35 in 36
97%
*How do I roll a -1?
It is possible (though rare!) that a character with an Ability Score of 1 (reduced through combat) attempts a task unskilled for which the GM applies a negative rank shift. This would require the character to roll a -1 to succeed at the task. There is a special rule for this. Read the -1 as "roll -1 dice." That is, you must attempt your task roll with only 1d5. Since a roll of ZERO always succeeds, if you roll 0 the task was successful.

There you have a quick over view of how the dice are used in combination with Ability Score and Skill Rank to resolve tasks.

Regards,

Jeff Moore.

1 comment:

  1. No big surprises there and does a good job of teaching times tables.

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