A Simple Dice Mechanic
Thoughts on Task Resolution
I’m trying to design a dice system that
Uses d6, because most people have them in their home already, and
Doesn’t use a dice pool, so players always know exactly what they’re rolling.
The System
If a player’s action doesn’t automatically succeed or fail, the Referee sets a Difficulty level for it. Each Player adjusts this Difficulty for their own character only using their attributes and gear.
Lower the Difficulty by 1 if you have any attributes or gear that make the action easier
Raise the Difficulty by 1 if you have any attributes or gear that make the action harder
Keep the Difficulty level as-is if you don’t have attributes or gear that help or hinder you
After adjusting the Difficulty:
Roll 3 six-sided dice.
Keep a number of dice equal to your adjusted Difficulty level.
Check the kept dice to decide what happens:
Player’s Choice: If all kept dice are 4 or higher, you choose the outcome. If all kept dice are 6, you may also take an extra action.
Referee’s Choice: If any kept dice are less than 4, the Referee chooses the outcome, usually creating a setback for the Player. If any kept die is a 1, the Referee may also take an extra action.
Only used once so far in actual play. It is easy to learn and remember but haven’t used it enough to call it successful.
Other Thoughts
Trevor Devall on common TTRPG dice systems:
Daniel from Bandit’s Keep on non-d20 systems: