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      The Impossible Dream

    Resolution Mechanics I

*by Hunter Logan*

Mar 11,2003

*Resolution Mechanics I*

The Impossible Dream Installment #4

by Hunter Logan

Intro

Thus far, I have talked about play flow, balance of power, and player

goals. This time, I want to move on and talk about something near and

dear to most every designer's heart: Resolution mechanics.

*/Resolution mechanics/* are the means for getting things done in the

game. When a character searches a room, attempts to run the gauntlet, or

negotiate a contract, resolution mechanics determine what happens. This

is a monster topic, so I will present it in two parts. The first part

will cover the Three Means of Resolution.

The Three Means of Resolution

The Three Means of Resolution are loosely based on Jonathan Tweet's

three means of resolution as presented in the */Everway RPG/* and as

modified by Ron Edwards in his many RPG theory discussions. Tweet's

terms are Drama, Fortune and Karma. Edwards also uses them, though he

applies slightly different meanings. I mention Tweet's terms as

reference, but I've got my own take on them. To avoid the great onus and

inertia of history, I'm not using them. I'm using the terms Chance,

Ability and Intent. This is the way I conceptualize the Three Means.

/*Chance*/ is random determination of what happens. Roll dice, draw

cards, flip coins, and look at the results. They are random and subject

to the laws of statistics. Dice are a common and popular method of

generating random results in RPGs. I like dice because all dice have

similar characteristics in the way they generate numbers. Here are some

examples.

    * A single die generates a linear curve. Roll a d20 and you have a

      flat 5% chance of rolling any particular number. You have the same

      chance of rolling a 1 as you do a 10 or a 20. When you change the

      number of sides on the die, you change the flat percentage chance

      and the range. Roll a d12 and you get a range from 1 to 12 with an

      8% chance of getting a particular result. Roll a d10 and the range

      is 1 to 10 (or 0 to 9) with a 10% chance of getting a given

      result. Roll a d8 and the range is 1 to 8 with a 12-1/2% chance of

      getting a given result and so on.

    * If you roll several dice and evaluate the result on each die

      independently, the curve for each die is still linear.

    * Rolling a pair of dice and adding the results generates a bell

      curve. For example, you may roll two 6-sided dice and add the

      results. This produces a range of results from 2 to 12. At the

      extremes, the player has about a 6% chance of getting a 2 or a 12.

      In the middle, he has about 17% chance of rolling a 7. The actual

      result is random, but the player has a 28% chance of rolling 2 to

      5, a 44% chance of rolling a result from 6 to 8, and a 28% chance

      of rolling 9 to 12. Clearly, the middle is favored.

    * Rolling a pair of unequal dice also generates a bell curve.

      Rolling a d6 and a d4 and adding the results produces a range from

      2 to 10. At the extremes, the player has about an 8% chance of

      rolling a 2 or a 10. In the middle, he has about 20% chance of

      rolling a 6. He has about a 23% chance of rolling 3 to 4, a 54%

      chance of rolling a result from 5 to 7, and a 23% chance of

      rolling an 8 to 10. Again, the middle is favored.

    * As you roll more dice and add the results, the bell curve becomes

      flatter at the top with a greater chance of generating an average

      value and a far smaller chance of generating an extreme value.

      Rolling 3d4, for instance, produces a range from 3 to 12. A player

      has about a 3% chance of rolling either a 3 or a 12, a 15 % chance

      of rolling 3 to 5, a 69 % chance of rolling from 6 to 10, and a 15

      % chance of rolling 10 to 12. Again the middle is strongly favored

      with a 1-in-3 likelihood that the player will roll either a 7 or an 8.

    * Dice can be manipulated to tailor their function.

          o */Curved Results:/* The player rolls dice, but the actual

            result is curved. For example, the designer may have the

            players roll a single d10, but the die roll may actually

            produce results from ö3 to +3. Here's one way it could work.

            *Curved Results* Die Roll	Result

            1	-3

            2	-2

            3-4	-1

            5-6	0

            7-8	+1

            9	+2

            0 (10)	+3

          o */Exploding Die Roll:/* The player rolls the dice and rolls

            again on a designated result. The result of the next die

            roll is added to the first. For example, the player rolls a

            d6. On a 6, the die "explodes." The player rolls the d6

            again and adds the result to his total. So, the player could

            roll a 6 then roll a 4 to get 10.

            If the die roll is open-ended, this goes on as long as the

            player's die rolls meet the condition for explosion. A

            player might roll 6, 6, 6, 6, 2 and get 26 off the die roll.

            If the die roll is closed, the player gets a fixed number of

            additional rolls (usually just one). This way, a player

            might roll a 6 and another 6. He gets 12.

            There is a fault with this method of rolling dice: Some

            numbers may drop out. In the preceding example, it's

            actually impossible to get 6, 12, 18, 24, and so on with an

            unmodified die roll. The counting goes ·4, 5, 7, 8· It's

            possible to mechanically work around that, but I think the

            d10 provides a more elegant solution. The d10 is numbered 0

            to 9. If you count the 0 as 0 and 9 as the maximum value,

            your numerical progression will always be very smooth. If a

            player made an open-ended d10 roll, he could possibly roll

            9, 9, 9, and 0 to get 27.

          o */Counting Victories:/* The player rolls one or more dice.

            Each die is evaluated separately to generate a number of

            victories. The more victories the player gets, the better

            the outcome of the character's action. For example, a player

            might roll 4d6 and evaluate the results against a target

            number. Say the target is 2. If the player rolled 1,3,5,and

            2, the player would get 3 successes. If the target number

            had been 4, the player would have only 1 success.

          o */Mass on Target:/* The player again rolls one or more dice.

            This time, the results are tallied to produce a really big

            number. Well, the player hopes it's a big number. The device

            is usually die roll vs. target. For example, the player

            might roll 3d10. If the player rolled 3, 5, and 8, his

            result would be 16. Of course, rolling dice this way greatly

            increases the chance of getting a mid-range value.

          o */Many More Possibilities:/* I am the first to admit that

            the examples and ideas I've presented here barely scratch

            the surface of what you can do with dice, but I think these

            are the basic building blocks. You can mix and match these

            methods to your heart's content.

    * */A Good Article:/* As it turns out, Shannon Appelcline recently

      wrote a very good article

      <http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/virtually14feb03.html>

      about the nature of random chance. 

*/Ability/* is deliberate determination of what happens based on the

capabilities of the character. If the character has the skill, if the

character has a resource such as hero points, or if the character has a

built-in capability that allows him to do certain things, the player can

use this /Ability/ to resolve an event.

    * /Using skill to resolve an event/: Skill is usually based on

      character attributes or skills. Frequently, a character with a low

      attribute or skill will only be able to do simple, little things

      with that attribute or skill. A character with a high attribute or

      skill will be able to do amazing things. If the character's

      attribute or skill is too weak, the character will fail. If the

      character's attribute or skill is sufficient, the character will

      succeed. It's that simple.

      For example, a character has a skill, Fencing 5, where '0' is

      untrained and '10' is the best on the planet. The character gets

      in a duel with an opponent who has Fencing 7. Using ability alone,

      the character with Fencing 5 will lose every single time.

    * /Using a resource to resolve an event/: Resources are expendable

      units of success that the player can spend during play. They are

      finite. Once used, they're gone, though the player may have the

      opportunity to earn more. A resource like Hero Points may

      temporarily improve character skill to ensure success. The player

      spends the points to get the desired result. A resource like

      Victory Cards may provide the character with instant victory. The

      player plays a single card and gets the desired results. For more

      thoughts on this, I refer you to Eric Brennan's wonderful article

      about Hero Points

      <http://www.rpg.net/news+reviews/columns/chopshop29oct02.html>.

    * /Using a built-in capability/: Capabilities often work with no

      muss or fuss because the rules say so. A character may have the

      ability to cast certain spells or to do certain things without any

      chance of failure. The player says the character is doing it and

      the character does it thanks to Ability.

*/Intent/* is resolution based on what a player wants to happen in the

game. The player makes a declaration. The declaration becomes a

mechanical device for resolving events.

For example, a group of characters surrounded by enemies, running low on

ammunition may make their last stand. Before the end, a player declares,

"·And the cavalry arrives in the nick of time, distracting the enemy and

giving us the chance we need to escape." The GM allows this to happen

because it's in the spirit of the game. But nothing is free, so the GM

replies, "The cavalry assault breaks the enemy line, but they take very

heavy casualties. It will be a long time before they can help you again."

Using Chance, Ability, and Intent

The three methods of resolution are seldom used in isolation. A

resolution mechanic is rarely Chance, Ability, or Intent alone. The

process for resolving events almost always includes a combination of

Chance, Ability, and Intent, especially Chance and Ability.

Consider this common resolution mechanic:

    * Player declares character action.

    * Chance and Ability: Player generates a die result using /Attribute

      + Skill + Die Roll vs. Target Number/. The player must roll over

      the TN for the character to succeed.

Here, Intent is a qualifier. If the GM determines the player wants the

character to do something easy, the TN will be low. If the GM determines

the player wants the character to do something really difficult, the TN

will be much higher. Then, the die result is a combination of Chance and

Ability. The character's attribute and skill are both Ability. Small

numbers mean the character has little ability. Large numbers mean the

character has lots of Ability. Naturally, the die roll is Chance. I have

a lot more to say about all this, but that will fill the next

installment. As always, thanks for reading.

      What do you think? <http://trio.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110>

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 Topics 	Author  	Date 	Latest Reply

 cooldog cotangent

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=98&t=98> (1) new

cranial_index  	01-31-2006 20:46  	01-31-2006 20:46 new

  CORONA <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=97&t=97> (1) new

corn_chamomile  	01-31-2006 20:25  	01-31-2006 20:25 new

 Fendi Spy Bags WHOLESALE@WizardReplica.com

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=95&t=95> (1) new 	514 

12-02-2005 10:55  	12-02-2005 10:55 new

 Designer Handbags Wholesale@WWW.WIZARDREPLICA.COM

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=94&t=94> (1) new 	868 

11-14-2005 19:41  	11-14-2005 19:41 new

 REPLICA HANDBAGS LOUIS VUITTON REPLICA WHOLESALE@

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=93&t=93> (1) new 	794 

10-20-2005 21:37  	10-20-2005 21:37 new

 Death/playing style

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=92&t=92> (1) new 	Searcher 

09-22-2003 11:35  	09-22-2003 11:35 new

 Death and actual immortality

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=89&t=89> (3) new 	Cpl Ferro 

07-19-2003 08:53  	01-13-2006 15:22 new

 Non-death death

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=85&t=85> (5) new 	Sérgio

Mascarenhas  	07-18-2003 03:07  	07-23-2003 02:38 new

 Thanks, Hunter

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=80&t=80> (4) new 	Allan

Sugarbaker  	07-16-2003 00:18  	07-17-2003 19:34 new

 Realism <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=74&t=74> (3) new

Robin  	06-20-2003 01:23  	06-25-2003 02:34 new

 Something you might have mentioned.

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=65&t=65> (3) new 	Yamo 

06-19-2003 16:13  	06-19-2003 18:11 new

 BTW, excellent column, Hunter!

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=63&t=63> (2) new 	flyingmice 

06-19-2003 13:11  	06-19-2003 18:13 new

 Armor and Damage Thereto

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=56&t=56> (2) new 	The Student 

06-19-2003 08:45  	06-19-2003 11:44 new

 Armor <http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=54&t=54> (9) new

flyingmice  	06-19-2003 08:29  	06-20-2003 06:12 new

 Death spiral and unconsciousness

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=53&t=53> (7) new 	Torben

Mogensen  	06-19-2003 07:31  	06-20-2003 06:52 new

 lucky or skilled

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=51&t=51> (2) new 	rhyme 

05-12-2003 18:49  	05-13-2003 09:25 new

 Absolute, unopposed and opposed

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=48&t=48> (2) new 	Torben

Mogensen  	04-16-2003 02:19  	04-16-2003 09:26 new

 0-9 open ended = brilliant!

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=31&t=31> (8) new 	Vibropod 

03-12-2003 10:41  	07-18-2003 01:28 new

 Smooth rerolls

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=27&t=27> (10) new 	Torben

Mogensen  	03-12-2003 00:47  	03-16-2003 23:57 new

 Resolution Mechanics

<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=25&t=25> (8) new 	Kyle

Schuant  	03-11-2003 22:14  	03-29-2003 21:28 new

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------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Previous columns

    * #8: True Death </news+reviews/columns/dream17jul03.html> by Hunter

      Logan, 17jul03

    * #7: Assessing Damage </news+reviews/columns/dream19jun03.html> by

      Hunter Logan, 19jun03

    * #6: Putting Theory to the Test

      </news+reviews/columns/dream12may03.html> by Hunter Logan, 12may03

    * #5: Resolution Mechanics II

      </news+reviews/columns/dream14apr03.html> by Hunter Logan, 14apr03

    * Resolution Mechanics I </news+reviews/columns/dream11mar03.html>

      by Hunter Logan, 11mar03

    * Player Goals </news+reviews/columns/dream10feb03.html> by Hunter

      Logan, 10feb03

    * Balance of Power </news+reviews/columns/dream20jan03.html> by

      Hunter Logan, 20jan03

    * Play Flow First </news+reviews/columns/dream01jan03.html> by

      Hunter Logan, 01jan03

      Other columns </news+reviews/columns.html> at RPGnet

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