Skill-Checks
1. Describe the Situation
The game-master explains the situation to the players. The players can ask the game-master questions at any time.
If these questions concern information that the player character does not yet know, the game-master can have the player roll a Perception, Intuition or Intelligence check to determine success. Alternatively, he can refuse an answer, if the player is not supposed to have that information yet.
The most important thing at this point is to give the players enough information so that they know, what they can do. If the players get stuck, they can also ask the game-master for advice or the game-master can give tips on his own initiative.
2. Describe actions
Now the players can either take the initiative themselves and describe what their character is doing, or the game-master approaches the group or individual players and asks them what they want to do.
The game master should make sure that every player has a turn and that the most active players do not simply assert themselves and dominate the game.
When a player takes their turn, they describe what their character wants to do.
Game master: You find yourselves in a gloomy forest glade shrouded in mist. The cracking of branches and rustling of leaves lets you know that you are not alone. What do you want to do next?
Player: I want to try and investigate my surroundings to see if we're in danger.
Gamemaster: You begin to examine your surroundings more closely. Your gaze falls on an old, weathered gravestone sticking out of the fog. You see a rusty sword stuck next to it. Would you like to examine the gravestone more closely or take the sword?
Player: I'll examine the gravestone more closely to see if there are any inscriptions or clues as to who is buried here.
During the action, the game-master must determine if it is so difficult that it is necessary to roll a check to determine if the player succeeds. This leads us to the next chapter.
3. Checks
Checks determine whether a character's action succeeds. In Maschines and Sorcery, 20-sided dice (D20 for short) with the numbers 1 to 20 are used for all skill-checks.
The checks are structured in such a way that players should always try to combine as many of their skills in a creative way. This is the only way to master even the most difficult challenges.
3.1. Basic procedure
A player would like to perform an action whose outcome is not guaranteed. This brings us to the basic process of a trial:
- Game-master sets the difficulty
- Introduce skills
- Player rolls the dice
- Play out the result
This sequence is universally applicable to all actions performed by a player. Whether in battle or around the campfire.
3.2. Set difficulty
The game master must determine how difficult the action the player intends to perform is and then use this as the basis for determining the check-value to be achieved.
The following table provides reference values for the respective difficulties.
| Difficulty | Sample value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Very Easy | 10 | |
| Easy | 15 | These are checks that offer a challenge to a low-level player. |
| Medium | 20 | These checks are difficult for low-level players, but normal for players of around level 20. |
| Hard | 25 | These checks are challenging for a player of around level 20. |
| Very difficult | 30 | This can also be a challenge for players with a high level |
| Custom | >30 | At the discretion of the game master |
The check-value can be increased as desired. So if a player has something absurd in mind, such as lifting a tavern, the game master can simply forbid the player to do so, or give an absurdly high check-value (e.g. 100).
The above values are also not mandatory. A game master can determine sample values between the above (e.g. 17). If the game master realises that the players are having it a bit too easy, he can simply make all checks harder from then on.
Important:
The table is based on checks where it is possible for a player to use skills that make the check easier. There are a few checks where a player cannot really do this, such as perception checks initiated by the game-master. In such cases, the player often does not know what exactly there is to do and therefore does not know which skills to use. For such checks, the check-value should be set slightly lower than in the table.
The game-master does not have to tell the player the check-value, but can keep it secret so that the player is left in the dark later on whether he was successful or not.
Finally, the game-master determines which of the player's attributes is to be checked. The respective attribute is then added to the dice value as a bonus. The player can influence this decision by describing their action in a certain way.
A player wants to pick the lock of a chest.
The game-master knows that it is a simple lock. He therefore decides that the player receives a check-value of 15.
Picking locks is an action that has a lot to do with dexterity. The game-master therefore tells the player to roll the check against dexterity.
3.3. Add skills
Now the player can become active. In this step, they goe through their skills and checks whether one of them can help them with the action. They then asks the game-master to use in the respective skills.
The game master must now consider whether and how much the skill will help with the action at hand. If the skill is not helpful, he simply refuses to use it. If it is partially useful, the game-master can allow the player half the bonus (he also decides whether to round up or down). If the skill is suitable, the player receives the full bonus.
The values of the respective skills are then added to the dice result later when the dice are rolled. At this point, the player can already calculate how big their bonus will be in the end.
A player wants to pick a lock. He has a "lock picking" ability on 4.
The game-master demands a skill check with a value of 15.
The player then asks if he can use his "lock picking" skill.
The game-master comes to the conclusion that "picking locks" is a very suitable ability in this case and allows the player to add the full bonus of 4 to their dice result.
Let's assume that the player does not have the "lock picking" skill, but does have the "clockmaker" skill at 4. He argues that the skills his character has gained as a watchmaker will help him to understand and pick the lock. The game master sees only a slight overlap here and allows the player to use half (i.e. 2) of the bonus.
Any number of skills can be included.
After this step, the bonus of all skill that the game master has allowed is added together. This is then the skill-bonus. The value of the attribute on which the check is rolled is then added to this bonus. The result is then the total bonus for the check.
Remember: negative attribute values reduce the bonus.
Armed with the total bonus, we now come to the next step.
3.4. Roll the dice
A D20 (20-sided dice) is rolled for the check. The total bonus is then added to the dice value. This gives us the check-result.
The check is considered a success if the check-result is greater than or equal to the check-value.
A player must pass a check with a value of 15 for his action "Pick a lock". He receives a bonus of +2 from his "clockmaker"-skill and a further +4 from his Dexterity. The total bonus is therefore +6.
The player rolls a 10. Adding the bonus gives a check-result of 16.
The check-result (16) is greater than the check-value (15). The check is therefore successful.
In this case, the use of watchmaker has saved the success.
Now that the result has been determined, we come to the last step.
3.5. Play out the result
Now we come to the evaluation of the check. If the roll was a success, then the character succeeds with his action. If it was not a success, it is up to the game-master to decide whether to let the player's action fail, or whether to give the player a success with unforeseen consequences (e.g. the lock is picked, but there are visible scratches on the lock).
Last but not least, you must now describe what actually happens. This description can either be done by the game-master himself or he can pass it on to the player. In the latter case, the game master can tell the player how the scene must end, the player can then fill in the details, but must fulfil these constraints. This gives the players the opportunity to show their creativity.
The player wants to pick a lock. The player rolls the dice and is unsuccessful. The game master lets the player play the action, but sets the following condition:
The box remains closed, the lock is scratched and the character's toe is bleeding.
The player now describes the following:
I kneel in front of the massive wooden chest and stare at the lock. It is old and rusty, but I have a lock pick with me and am confident that I can open it. I carefully push the lock pick into the lock and start to turn it. After a few minutes of jiggling and shaking, the lock finally gives way and a satisfied smile spreads across my face.
But when I try to open the lid of the chest, nothing moves. I pull and tug at it, but there is no progress. Then I realise that the lock has broken when I opened it and the metal is now sharp-edged and scratched.
In frustration, I kick the chest and immediately feel a sharp pain in my toe. I've forgotten that I'm not wearing shoes and have opted for sandals instead. Blood begins to ooze from the wound on my big toe, as I stare angrily at the chest, wondering if it was all worth it. Eventually I get up and limp away, holding my foot painfully and savouring the sight of the locked chest.
checks on the same action cannot be repeated 1:1.
3.6. Combo-checks
If an action is so complex that several attributes are required, the player must perform a combined check. The average value of all the required attributes is used as the attribute bonus. Whether to round up or down is decided by the game-master.
For example, if strength, dexterity and intelligence are required for a check and a player has the following values:
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 3
Intelligence: 7
Then the attribute bonus is (5 + 3 + 7) / 3, in this case 5.
3.7. Example Checks
3.7.1. River crossing
The group wants to cross a river. There is a ferry across the river, but it costs money. The thief in the group, "Ludwig Adler", is too stingy for this and would rather swim across the river.
The game-master now considers the following: The river is about 20 metres wide, which is not too far. Getting to the other bank is therefore relatively easy, but there are dangerous currents beneath the calm-looking surface, so you can quickly drift far away from your destination. He gives the player a check-value of 20.
He then asks Ludwig to take a body-check.
Ludwig has had a few swimming lessons in his childhood, which will hopefully pay off for him now. He therefore asks whether he can use his "Swimming" skill, which is at level 4.
The game-master agrees and grants Ludwig the full bonus on swimming.
The thief must now roll the following dice:
He has body 3 in his attributes.
He rolls a 15, which (including bonusses) gives him a check-result of 19. The game-master tells the player that he has made it across the river, but that a strong current in the middle of the river is pulling him across, and he reaches the bank about 30 metres to the left of his actual destination. The player then describes the following scene:
So I start my way through the water. But I soon realise that it is more difficult than I expected. The current is stronger than I anticipated, and I'm struggling to fight it. I paddle hard, but the current seems to push me further and further away.
Finally, as I reach the centre of the river, I am caught by a particularly strong current and carried away. I struggle and struggle, but it's no use. I think that all is lost and that I will drown in the deep waters of the river. But suddenly I realise that the current is slowing down and I have a chance to free myself from its grip.
I keep swimming, my arms and legs burning with the effort, but I don't give up. Finally, after I reach the opposite bank after 40 metres and pull myself out of the water. I'm lying on the floor, panting and shaking, but I've made it.
3.7.2. The rhino fight
The group enters a town and at the entrance there is a small scuffle between a few humans and some rhino people. Fatmashosh the old drunkard tries to defuse the situation and moves closer. His attempt, however, is not successful and the tension is turning against him, leading to a fight. One of the rhinos swings wide and strikes.
Fatmashosh tries to dodge.
The game-master asks Fatmaschosch to roll a Dexterity check on 15. The test is easy, as Fatmashosh is difficult to hit as a dwarf.
Fatmashosh has no skills that can help him. To make matters worse, he is heavily drunk and has -5 points in Dexterity. He rolls a 20, so his check-result is 15 and he succeeds.
Fatmaschosch has the luck of his life. He dodges the fist as gallantly as Neo in Matrix, and while the fist flies over him, the provocateur in him emerges. He decides to insult his opponend, by licking his fist, while if flies by.
So there is another check comming.
Action: Licking the fist as it flies past.
The game-master demands a dexterity-check against 25. With all the bonuses added up, it immediately becomes clear that it is impossible for Fatmashosh to pass the check. He doesn't even have to roll the dice. The check is a failure.
As Fatmaschosch has shown audacity beyond good and evil, the game-master decides that the player has made a critical blunder. This means that the failure will have consequences.
So Fatmaschoschs tongue gets caught on the fist while licking it and is dragged along by his tongue. He whirls through the air for a few metres and lands painfully on the nearest house wall. He will have a hard time speaking for the time being.
4. Reactions
A player can react to anything at any time to perform an additional action at that point. To do this, however, they must first pass a reaction-check.
A reaction-check is a combo-check on dexterity and intuition (i.e. the attribute bonus is the average of dexterity and intuition).
The difficulty of this check starts at around "Medium" and becomes more difficult if the player reacts more often in a short period of time.
It is also possible to react to reactions.
Your group is currently travelling through the city. The market is full of people watching a theatre group.
While you are watching the spectacle, Miri, your thief, notices that she is being robbed. Miri wants to react. She has Dexterity 12 and Intuition 7. She must pass a medium reaction check against 20 and has an attribute bonus of 9 ( ( 12 + 7 ) / 2 ).
She rolls a 12, which, adding the bonus, is 19, so she passes the check and can react to the event. She decides to grab the thief's hand.
To do so, she has to pass an easy dexterity-check. She succeeds and manages to catch the thief.
5. Compete-checks
In the game it can happen that 2 or more characters compete with each other. These can be checks in which all players are checked for the same attribute (e.g. arm wrestling tests the strength of both players) or checks in which each character uses a different attribute (e.g. one character wants to convince another, then the charisma of one character competes against the intelligence of the other).
Firstly, you must determine which attribute each character will be tested for. These can also be combo-checks (average between different attributes).
Then each character can add skills that help them with the check.
Finally, each character rolls a D20, adds their attribute bonus and their skill bonuses. The winner is now the character with a higher value.
Fatmaschosch wants to compete with a bear-dyr in arm wrestling in a tavern. The game-master decides that both players will be tested for strength.
Fatmashosh has 5 strength, the bear dyr has 10. However, Fatmaschosch is a sly fellow and has a "sleight of hand" ability, which he wants to use to improve his chances by subtly leaning so that he can use his body weight. He has 5 points in "sleight of hand". The game-master allows him to make full use of this ability.
Both roll the dice. Fatmashosh has a 12 (with a bonus of 22) and the bear dyr has an 8 (with a bonus of 18). Fatmaschosch wins the contest, but only thanks to his little trickery.
The players can be creative in how they use their skills.
Next chapter: Combat.