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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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 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
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 Fendi Spy Bags WHOLESALE@WizardReplica.com
<http://www.rpg.net/pf/read.php?f=110&i=95&t=95> (1) new 	514 
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<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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