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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>
+
+Go to forum! <http://www.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
+
+ Go to Top <http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110> | New Topic
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+
+ Newer Messages
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&t=98&a=1&> | Older Messages
+<http://www.rpg.net/pf/list.php?f=110&t=25&a=2&>
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+
+ 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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