Steal this Mechanic: Engagement Rolls
Thoughts on starting your game session in the middle of the action
My kids are awesome.
The moment I finished describing the city of Taremu, they jumped right into a 20-minute argument about what they were going to steal. Hilariously, the loudest voice was the monk. When I pointed out that monks usually forsake worldly things, he immediately replied “This monk is currently a pirate.” Argument over.
From there they split three ways:
the monster hunter headed to the Lion’s Maw to fight golems;
the mage became a wind elemental to scout the Saffron Quarter; and
the bard and monk hit up every tavern they could find until they ran into Mivven Bes.
I didn’t need encounters between locations because there was already enough happening between the three different scenes.
The session ended with them planning to steal the Emberleaf Codex (along with anything else not nailed down) from The Eyes of the Golden Sun.
Next session is the heist, and for that I’m bringing in some mechanics from Blades in the Dark, starting with the engagement roll.
What’s an Engagement Roll?
In Blades in the Dark, the engagement roll is how the GM sets the tone at the start of the Score. It determines how much has gone according to plan before the first scene begins.
Here’s how it works:
Start with 1d6.
Add a d6 for every Major Advantage the crew has (contacts, a target’s vulnerability, an especially daring plan, etc.).
Subtract a d6 for every Major Disadvantage (a very complicated plan, a target’s special defenses, enemy interference, etc.).
Then the GM rolls. The highest result on the dice determines the position the characters are in at the start of the job:
1–3: Things start rough. Begin in the desperate position.
4–5: Things start about as expected. Begin in the risky position.
6: Things start smoothly. Begin in the controlled position.
Multiple 6s: Things start exceptionally well. Clear the first obstacle and begin in the controlled position.
Engagement rolls are a great way to jump right into the action. You skip the prologue and begin at the first challenge.
How to Use It in Other Games
The simplest way to use an engagement roll in other systems is to keep the core roll and interpret the results using that system’s mechanics. But if you want the roll to feel like it belongs in the system, here are a few adapted versions:
Index Card RPG
The GM sets the TARGET for the first obstacle (usually 12 or 15). Then each player describes something they’ve done to prepare. For each reasonable idea, DAMAGE the TARGET by 1.
Optionally, have each player make an ATTEMPT against the TARGET and DAMAGE it by 1 if they succeed, or by 2 on a critical success.
Choose a lead player. They roll against the updated TARGET.
If the team has a major advantage, they roll EASY.
If there’s a major disadvantage, they roll HARD.
Results:
Fail: All rolls begin HARD.
Succeed by 4 or less: Begin normally.
Succeed by 5 or more: All rolls begin EASY.
Critical Success: Clear the first obstacle. All rolls begin EASY.
D&D 5e/2024
The DM chooses an appropriate skill check and sets the DC. Each player either attempts the check or Helps someone else.
This is a Group Check: at least half of the players attempting the check must succeed for the group to succeed.
Results:
Fail: Start with Disadvantage.
Succeed: Normal
Everyone Succeeds: Start with Advantage
Everyone succeeds, plus at least one critical success: Clear the first obstacle, start with Advantage.
Fate
One player will try to overcome the first obstacle. Everyone else tries to create an advantage or invoke an aspect to support that player.
Results:
Fail: Start with a compelled aspect like “Not What We Expected.”
Tie: Start normally.
Succeed: Start with a helpful aspect and two free invokes.
Succeed with Style: Complete the first obstacle and create a powerful aspect like “All According to Plan,” with one free invoke per player.
Any Aspects created during the engagement roll remain if they still make sense.
Final Thoughts
You might notice that I let the players roll in all of these versions, instead of keeping it a GM-only thing like in Blades. That’s because I feel like these systems tend to be more player-facing, and letting them take the lead keeps the same feel.
Engagement rolls aren’t limited to heist-style adventures, or even the beginning of the current adventure. They’re a great way to create a dynamic opening for any session. Think of any story that begins in the middle of some action and you’ll see the kind of opening an engagement roll is meant to support, such as:
Saving Private Ryan
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Most episodes of Alias
Any James Bond movie
Just like in those stories, the engagement roll immediately gets the players’ attention. It clearly signals when the game begins.
Next post I want to steal another Blades mechanic: flashbacks.
Other Thoughts
Engagement rolls in Blades in the Dark: Planning & Engagement
Professor Dungeon Master explains why we should cut anything unnecessary from our sessions:
Hankerin Ferinale at Runehammer advocates for being an “impatient Game Master” and just getting to the good stuff (starts at 16:48):
Professor Dungeon Master takes his own advice and “cuts the shoe leather” from his session intros: