Editing Umbral Domains: Paltery Bards System (section)

=== Difficulty modifiers to Dice Pools ===
Althought the Paltry Bard system has set the target number for success at 6, not all actions are of equal scope and difficulty.  To simulate the extra challenge or ease of various activities extra dice may be added either to your pool or your opponents pool.  If the action is of average difficulty no dice are added to either pool.  For more difficult activities dice are added to your opponent's pool, while for easier tasks your character may actually get one or two extra dice in her pool.

In cases where a character is attempting an action not contested by another character the Storyteller is still treated as their opponent.  Assuming the role of "the universe" the Storyteller starts out with a pool of 0 dice (assuming a task of average difficulty), but may roll various numbers of dice for a more difficult tasks.  A handy chart indicating these modifiers is indicated below.

The variable target number (refered to as Difficulty in White Wolf books) of the old Storyteller system is also taken into account in the table below for compatability purposes.
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<center>
<table width="85%" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="5">
<td><center><b>Storyteller<br>Difficulty</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Player<br>Bonus Dice</b></center></td>
<td><center><b>Opponent<br>Bonus Dice</b></center></td>
<td><b>Description - Cooking example.</b></td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>1</center></td>
<td><center>n/a</center></td>
<td><center>n/a</center></td>
<td>Typically no difficulties below 2.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>2</center></td>
<td><center>+4</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td>Trivial - Normally you wouldn't even roll this.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>3</center></td>
<td><center>+3</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td>Easy - Making a PB&J sandwich.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>4</center></td>
<td><center>+2</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td>Routine - Cooking a frozen pizza.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>5</center></td>
<td><center>+1</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td>Straightforward - Cooking from a simple recipee.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>6</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td>Standard - Cooking a typical dinner.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>7</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td><center>+2</center></td>
<td>Challenging - Comming up with your own simple recipee.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>8</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td><center>+4</center></td>
<td>Difficult - Cooking a major holiday meal with multiple courses for several people.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>9</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td><center>+6</center></td>
<td>Exceptionally difficult - Inventing elaborate recipes, catering a major event.</td>
</tr>

<tr>
<td><center>+1 required<br>success</center></td>
<td><center>+0</center></td>
<td><center>Previous<br>bonus<br>+2</center></td>
<td>Difficulty verging on impossible (for mortals) - Inventing elaborate recipees <b>while</b> catering a major event (+2)...using nothing but the leftover scraps from a previous meal (+2).  Or feats of gastronomic prowess to tempt the palates of the very <i>gods!</i></td>
</tr>

</table>
</center>
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