nd6?

[David Johansen]

So a thought or perhaps a question has been growing in my head for a while:

Why aren't sixes open ended in the nd6 task system?

That would make failure rare if possible for highly skilled characters at all difficulties and a fixed margin of success and failure could be used instead of three or more sixes.

I'd make a roll of six add five and roll over to avoid the gap created by a standard open ended roll, but other than that, why not?

 

[GypsyComet]

Because it's a "roll under" system?

 

[Supplement Four]

Because it's a "roll under" system?

:rofl:

Cracks me up.

 

[David Johansen]

Because it's a "roll under" system?

No, I want it to make failure more likely, not less. Here exploding is a bad thing. Though that might be the answer people love exploding dice when it means they win more. They might not care for it so much when it seizes defeat from the jaws of victory. Even so, it fixes most of my issues with the system.

 

[GypsyComet]

Fair enough, though your opening statement doesn't really make that clear.

Would this be applicable at all difficulty levels, or kick in only at 2d6? I can see the appeal of a Clouseau-style progression of badly failed mundane activities, but I could also see it getting old very quickly.

 

[Supplement Four]

Even so, it fixes most of my issues with the system.

Interesting. Can you elaborate about those issues and what/how it is fixed?





(Note: In D6 Star Wars, which uses one exploding die in a higher is better multi-dice system has an option for this: Roll a 6, it explodes. Roll a 1, remove that die and the highest die among the others, making the total smaller. That might work, too, depending on what you see as fixed.)

(Note 2: I was going to send you a PM, but I thought it better to say it out here for everyone to see. I was not laughing at you above. I just thought Gypsy's comment as funny. Hope you didn't take it that way.)

 

[David Johansen]

Well, first off a character with a pretty average skill of 3 and stat of 7 can't fail a 1d task and rarely fails a 2d task but worse still a, not too uncommon, character with a stat of 12 and a skill of 6 can't fail a 3d task. The open ended sixes mean that there's always a small chance of failure. Sure you shouldn't have to roll dice to walk down the street and yet, I bet there isn't a person here who hasn't failed catastrophically at it at some point.

I guess it depends on whether you want absolute success in combat tasks or not. In my experience, all too often, PCs can't miss. Personally if there's no risk, why have a dice based task mechanic in the first place?

Second up is the exceptional and interesting success and failure mechanisms. The chance of multiple sixes means that exceptional failure is always on the table. Though I'd probably go to a roll ten less than the target number being a critical success and a roll ten higher being a critical failure.

 

[Draconian]

So a thought or perhaps a question has been growing in my head for a while:

Why aren't sixes open ended in the nd6 task system?

That would make failure rare if possible for highly skilled characters at all difficulties and a fixed margin of success and failure could be used instead of three or more sixes.

I'd make a roll of six add five and roll over to avoid the gap created by a standard open ended roll, but other than that, why not?

In T5 the dice (D) don't have a particular exploding die indicated. All the dice are the same. If they all have the chance to "explode" then the probabilities add up that more than one will explode at least once and that may shoot the failure-rate way up. Do you want just one die to explode?

There is no corresponding method to boost a chance of success for a character with low skill. A person with Skill+Knowledge less than the number of D rolled, and no Jack-of-all-Trades, has the "This is Hard!" rule applied (must roll with one extra die.)

 

[David Johansen]

Okay, I can see that but I think you're looking for another thread on damage. Though exploding dice on damage would sweeten the pot after the bitter pill of them making failure more likely. It would also solve some of the armor penetration issues. That 1d basic pistol - 5 could kill you as dead as a door nail once in a while.