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Ma Basics

The document discusses how to determine which abilities and focuses apply to ability tests in a roleplaying game. It covers when a straight ability test is used versus applying a focus, and how players can suggest focuses. It also provides guidance on the consequences of success and failure on these tests.

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Eduardo -
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9 views

Ma Basics

The document discusses how to determine which abilities and focuses apply to ability tests in a roleplaying game. It covers when a straight ability test is used versus applying a focus, and how players can suggest focuses. It also provides guidance on the consequences of success and failure on these tests.

Uploaded by

Eduardo -
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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how to drive a semi doesn’t need to roll to start one up and

Things to Remember About Ability Tests


get it on the road.
Beyond this, don’t require a roll when the story’s progress • Only one focus can apply to a test.
requires success. If the characters need to befriend a stranger • Leave the dice on the table after a roll because the
with critical information, don’t let a blown roll halt the adven- result of the Stunt Die may be important.
ture. Instead, players roll to improve the quality of the infor-
• The Stunt Die only counts for successful tests.
mation, and create a stronger bond. But the basic result—
getting the NPC to talk—succeeds, barring outrageous • In opposed tests, ties are broken by the Stunt Die,
behavior from the PCs. or the higher ability if Stunt Dice are tied.
• For basic tests, assess the situation and assign a
Which Abilities & Focuses Apply? difficulty.
If an ability test is called for, pick the ability and focus that • Circumstances can be represented with bonuses
match the effort required. If a character is trying to force a and penalties of 1–3.
door open, for example, you’d call for a Strength (Might) test.
Sometimes, the right focus is obvious. Trying to sneak down a
hall? That’s a Dexterity (Stealth) test. Other times, the answer of success. A 1 means the action barely succeeded; a jumping
isn’t clear, or no focus applies. In the latter case, it’s just a character makes it, but hangs off the edge of a building by
straight ability test. But if a player comes up with a good one arm! A 6 means the results were spectacular; the leaping
argument for a focus, accept it and add its bonus. character lands on their feet, ready for action.

Two participants in opposed tests may use different abili- What are the Consequences of Failure?
ties and focuses from one another. A character trying to get
past a restaurant’s haughty maître d’ pits his Communica- When a character fails an ability test, what happens? Some-
tions (Etiquette) test against the maître d’s Willpower (Self- times the consequences are obvious: the character is injured
Discipline) test. In fact, Communications (Bargaining) might in an accident, offends an NPC they’re trying to charm, or
work as a different approach. Players may suggest focuses misses a clue. Decide if anything can mitigate the situation.
for their characters to use; if they make sense, allow them. For example, a Dexterity (Acrobatics) might give a falling
character a chance to grab at some crack or windowsill.
Usually any character can attempt to take an ability test, but
some tests require specialized knowledge or skill. When that’s Decide if the characters can try the failed action again. You
the case, you can make a specific focus a requirement to even can say yes, yes with conditions, or no, depending on the
attempt it, such as with an Intelligence (Science required) test. circumstances. If a character has the time and the action seems
A character trying the test without the required focus auto- reasonable, allow another attempt. You might require a new
matically fails. approach, resources, and assistance to try again. But some-
times the moment passes, or the challenge is just too difficult,
How Much Time Does the Test Take? and the character is stuck with failure. You may rule that a
few repeated failures indicate it’s just too tricky a problem.
An ability test can represent seconds, hours, or even days, The main criteria? If repeated attempts slow down play, it’s
depending on what the character is trying to achieve. better to move on.
During narrative time, the increments will tend to be larger.
Sifting through a warehouse for a hidden item might require
1 hour per increment. In action time, however, tracking the Basic Tests
exact time is more important. Each round of action time is
15 seconds, during which a character can take a major action Basic tests are the easiest to resolve because a character is
and a minor action, or two minor actions. When deciding testing against a fixed target number. Unless a character is
how long a test takes during action time, express it using actively opposed by another character or monster, you should
these action types. A long action might take a major action use basic tests. The Basic Test Difficulty table provides bench-
and a minor action, or two of each for something that would marks for basic test difficulty and you’ll probably consult it
stretch across 2 rounds. more than any other table in the game.
Some ability tests are reactions. For instance, some extraor-
dinary powers require targets to make a test to resist certain Basic Test Difficulty
effects. Such tests are considered to take no time, as they Test Difficulty Target Number
usually take place when it’s not the testing character’s turn. In
Routine 7
most cases, they don’t use up the resisting character’s actions.
Easy 9
What are the Stakes? Average 11
If the character succeeds, what happens exactly? These are the Challenging 13
stakes. Usually, the result is obvious, and you’ll find it easiest Hard 15
to make many tests binary: either a character succeeds or fails. Formidable 17
A character trying to jump over a chasm will get across or fall.
Imposing 19
Sometimes, more nuance is required. That’s where the Stunt
Die comes in. Use its result to determine a character’s degree Nigh Impossible 21

Chapter 8: Mastering the Rules 119

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