Gladius et Aegis: Rolling with the punches

Back to Main Page

Overview

This page looks at how the game is played.

Attribute Tests

The core of the game is your four Attributes these determine your capabilities and potential.

Making a Test

A simple test involves three steps:

• 1) The player declares an action, or circumstances dictate that a test is needed reactively.
• 2) The appropriate Attribute is selected
• 3) Bonus and penalty dice are applied
• 4) The GM declares the difficulty of the action.
• 5) The roll is made
• 6) The GM declares the result.

Declaring an Action

Most often, an Attribute test occurs when the player says that his character is attempting to do something, or when the GM wants an NPC to do something. If the outcome of the action is likely to be variable according to who is doing it and what the circumstances are, then a test is called for.

Knowing when not to call for a test is an important GM skill. Sometimes its best to assume that predictable results will be attained, and to skip the test and just dictate an outcome. Sometimes this will be obvious: you don't need to take a test to start your car in the morning, or to walk across a room. Sometimes (and this is where skilful GM judgment comes in) a reliable outcome to an action serves the story better than slowing it down with a dice roll. For example, if a Magus wants to use his magic to light a candle, the GM should likely just say that it just happens, as the story isn't really served by variable effects or by the magus failing to cast and having to try again. This can be scaled up according to taste - for example, some GMs and player groups might even skip rolling for an entire conflict just to keep the story moving. If a werewolf, a vampire and a necromancer are taking on a teenage thug with a switchblade, then the outcome is pretty obvious: the GM can just describe what happens (based on the players actions) and dispense with dice rolls.

Judgment also comes in when running conflicts that don't run to combat rounds, such as socialization conflicts. The GM needs to work out when is a good time to interrupt roleplaying and to call for a roll. Generally it'll still follow the format of each party getting one "action" on each "round", but in this case, a round might represent ten to twenty minutes of roleplaying.

Reactive Tests

Sometimes the GM may call for a test in reaction to events, rather than because of player action. These reactive tests generally don't take any time in terms of combat rounds, but instead help determine how well a character reacts to something happening.

For example, a reactive Intellect check might be used to see if characters notice a stealthy tracker shadowing them. A reactive Physicality check might be used to see if a character is affected by the antarctic cold of their environment.

Selecting an Attribute

The GM determines which of the four attributes is most appropriate to test. See the character generation section for guidelines as to what each attribute represents.

The character's score in that Attribute is the number of dice he rolls.

For example, if he has a Physicality of 4, he would roll 4 dice and total their scores. A roll of 6, 3, 4, 2, for example, would give a total of 14.

Bonus and Penalty Dice

Before rolling, however, the GM may apply bonus or penalty dice to the roll.

Bonus dice add to the number of dice rolled, but not all of these dice count towards the overall score. Instead, a number of dice equal to the character's Attribute are kept and scored, with the highest dice only being used.

For example, of the character has a Physicality of 4 and 3 bonus dice, he would roll 7 dice and keep the 4 highest ones. A roll of 6, 5, 5, 4, 3, 1, 1, for example, would give a total of 20.

Penalty dice directly counteract bonus dice, on a 1:1 basis. For example, if a character is awarded 4 bonus dice and 2 penalty dice, then he just gets 2 bonus dice.

If the number of penalty dice exceeds the number of bonus dice, then they become additional dice, but now the lowest dice are kept.

For example, if a character has a Physicality of 4, 2 bonus dice and 5 penalty dice, then he would roll 7 dice and keep the 4 lowest ones. A roll of 6, 5, 5, 4, 3, 1, 1, for example, would give a total of 9.

Aspects

The most common sort of Bonus Dice gained will be from Aspects. This works as follows:

If the tested Attribute has a Training Aspect that would help, he gains +1 Bonus Dice. If that Training Aspect also has a Specialisation Aspect that would help, he gains another +1 Bonus Dice. If that Specialisation Aspect also has an Expertise Aspect that would help, he gains another +1 Bonus Dice.

Note that this "Aspect Chain" is entirely sequential. You can't use a Training Aspect which is associated with an Attribute that is not being tested. You can't use a Specialisation or Expertise Aspect unless the preceding Aspect (Training or Specialisation, respectively) has been successfully activated.

For example, a character has Physicality 4, a Training Aspect of Combat Situations, and a Specialisation Aspect within that of Firearms Use. If he is on the firing range, shooting at targets, he's just at 4 dice (with no bonus dice). The Specialisation Aspect doesn't help him, as its dependent on the preceding Training Aspect (which isn't activated).

Other Sources of Bonuses and Penalties

As a rule of thumb, the GM should apply other bonuses and penalties based on things that affect the character and his capabilities, rather than the target of the task. Generally this should be +1, +2, -1 or -2 per circumstance: any more than this, and its probably time to be thinking about automatic success or failure.

An example of things that might effect capabilities include confidence, inebriation, equipment, clothing (such as a nice suit when at a job interview).

Things which affect the task instead don't cause bonus or penalty dice, but instead affect the difficulty.

An example of things that might effect difficulties include range, visibility, size of targets.