Task Resolution in Current Campaign

My current campaign is using what I called the hidden non-binary resolution system of D&D a while ago.


When a task is uncertain based on the situation as established by player or DM the DdM may call for a task roll to aid in judging the success of an action. When resolving a task roll 2d6 and any ranks a character may have in the related skill being used, add modifiers for race and ability scores. Some situations may have negative or positive modifiers often as related to level. If you are attempting a task that is 2 or more level then character level apply a -2 modifier to the roll, if a task has a level and you beat that level by 2 or more levels apply a +2 modifier to the roll.




The resolution is non-binary and will depend on player input , DM moderation, and dice roll to resolve. Not all task are immediately resolved and may require increased investment in time or multiple rolls.

	Task Resolution Table
2 or less	Dismal Failure
3-5	Unfavorable, failure likely, additional rolls or saving throws may be called for
6-8	Uncertain, success or partial success likely, additional rolls possible
9-11	Favorable, generally successful but some additional actions may be required to complete task on hand
12 or more	Extremely Favorable, success and more has been achieved

Skills in My Current Campaign

Here are the skills as they are in my current campaign. It isn't very cumbersome and maybe 7 or 8 rolls were made the entire first session among four players with description being adequate to resolve most action. Rolls are necessary when a situation is pivotal or resources are at risk.

Skills
Adventuring will make use of common tasks that are going to be classified as skills. Each character will have 4 skill points to divide among skills as they wish.  Thieves will get 2 bonus skill points per level (including 1st level) while Fighters and Magic users will gain 1 skill point ever even level after 1st.

Skill	Human	Brownie	Ability
Alchemy	T-M	T-M	INT
Awareness	0	+1	WIS
Bushcraft	0	0	WIS
Calligraphy	T-M	T-M	DEX or INT
Craft*	0	+1	DEX or WIS
Climbing	0	0	DEX
Construction	0	0	INT
Healing	0	0	WIS
Language	0	0	INT
Piety	0	0	WIS
Riding	0	T-F	DEX
Runes	T-M	T-All	INT
Searching	0	0	INT
Sleight of Hand	0	0	DEX
Stealth	0	+1	DEX
Swimming	T-all	T-all	STR
Tinkering	T-T	T-all	DEX
Weapon Mastery	T-F/T	T-F	N/A

T-all, only possible if trained, any class may train.
T-T- only possible if trained, only thieves can be trained at initial character creation
T-F- only possible if trained, only Fighters can be trained at initial character creation
T-M- only possible if trained, only Magic-Users can be trained at initial character creation
A rank of 0 indicates training in the skill is possible and anyone may attempt the skill even if they have no ranks allotted.
+1 indicates a bonus to rolls but not a free rank.

Training requires at least 2 weeks per skill rank be spent and may have additional cost in materials or to hire a master (someone with 5 or 6 ranks in the skill). Self study is possible after 4 ranks are gained at a cost of 100 groats per ran begin trained for per week. Successful training requires a training task resolution roll of 6 or better at the end of each week.

Alchemy- the art of brewing potions and other magical substances. The basics are explained in task resolution example above. 5 craft points are required per potion rank to successfully brew a potion. While some magical substances may be mixed in play most have time demands that only make it possible during downtime between sessions.
An alchemy skill roll allows anyone to identify a potion. Only a magic-user may make truly magical potions.

Awareness- how perceptive a character is, this may be used to avoid ambush or thwart stealthy advance. Also used when listening at doors.

Bushcraft- knowledge of a host of smaller tasks in the wild including hunting, tracking, and foraging (among others).

Calligraphy- ability to properly take pen to hand an duplicate and create written works. Required to write scrolls and of advantage when brewing inks (adds to Alchemy skill when brewing an ink). Characters will learn one script per rank in calligraphy and is only able to read scripts known.

Craft- ability to work with tools and supplies in a variety of crafts. Players will be assumed to be familiar with the most basic of handy-crafts but should not particular skills with each rank devoted to this (wood working, pottery, smithing, etc)

Climbing- ability to make difficult climbs in a variety of conditions. The normal rate of movement while climbing is 1/4th normal movement. Some climbs may only be possible with tools.

Construction- knowledge of building methods and materials. May be of benefit while searching for unusual features in constructed environments.

Healing- allows a character to attempt surgery and to apply medicines and antidotes.

Language- general knowledge of common and exotic languages. Humans start knowing the common language. Brownies begin with Common and Low Fairy.
When meeting folk speaking a new language a skill roll to understand what is begin spoken may be made on an Extremely Favorable roll add the language to languages known. Speaking a language does not grant the ability to read the language without knowledge of the script begin used.
Characters with multiple ranks in language may also have the gift for gab and may distract or confuse by blathering.

Piety- a characters knowledge of religious procedures and practices. Ranks in this skill are also applied when attempting to turn away the undead.

Riding- ability to ride well. Riding ranks also allow one to add 1d6 per rank to damage on a mounted charge (hit roll required and a successful task roll may be required as well)

Runes- knowledge of magical runes.
Fighters may only use the runes skill to identify runes and lay down wards known to them.
Thieves and magic users may use the runes skill to read a scroll and lay down wards known to them.
Magic-Users may also use the Runes skill to identify magical items and  determine attunenment required to master an item in addition to the abilities noted above. Successful training and a task roll for runes will allow a character of any class to learn how to fashion a ward if instructed by a written work or master of runes. Players do not begin play with knowledge of wards.

Searching- the ability to find the hidden/secreted objects and doors. Description on part of a player may still be required to complete successful searches.

Sleight of Hand- ability to make quick and unnoticed maneuvers allowing one to filtch small items, draw small weapons in an instant, to pick pockets or remove worn jewelry (sentient beings ay be allowed a Awareness roll to note someone stealing from their person if not adequately distracted).

Stealth- stealth is the ability to move unnoticed or remain hidden. Alert foes may still get an awareness chef to avoid begin completely surprised.

Swimming- not everyone can swim or swim well enough to save their lives. This is the skill required to tread water well.

Tinkering- the ability to manipulate and comprehend the purpose of complex mechanical apparatuses of all sorts. It may be of bonus when opening locks and disarming traps.

Weapon Mastery- particular skill in a given weapon. Those with weapon mastery may make task rolls to perform stunts with a weapon (some of which may still require a hit roll).  Fighters gain additional benefits with weapon mastery.

Franken-game go !

Yesterday played the first session of a hopefully monthly "D&D" campaign. I initially wanted to be purist to some extent and use just one set of rules fro the campaign but couldn't settle on which one so I ended up hacking together a Franken-game using Seven Voyages of Zylarthen (authors blog here), Basic Fantasy RPG , Swords and Wizardy, Lamentations of the Flame Princess and liberal samplings from the blog-o-sphere using bits from Trollsmyth, Dungeon of Signs, Goblinpunch, Middenmurk, Elfmaids and Octopi, Sham's Grog and Blog and of course this here blog itself and houserules I've used in recent campaigns.

I've got a simple skill system that uses the "Hidden" Universal non-binary resolution system of D&D. There are about 18 skills including Weapon Mastery that can be applied to a general types of weapons (so there is no exact count really). There are but two races to select from at the start Humans and Brownies and one of three classes from among Fighter, Magic-User, and Thief. The spell list is straight out of seven voyages with a few minor tweaks to individual spells to better fit the franken system. Players got to roll 3d6 seven times and were allowed to assign the scores where they wished with the one exception that a brownie had to have the worst roll assigned to strength. Of the four players we ended up with 2 human Fighters, a Human Magic-user and a Brownie Thief .

The Rabble Weapons from Tom Fitzgerald's  posting on Terrible Weapons and the groat based economy have worked great so far it's made it very clear that the fledgling adventurers are adventuring to better themselves with short term goals being weapons that aren't awful and a good pair of shoes. One player ended up assigning a 13 to Charisma so he could start play with a free militia rank weapon (a perk for starting fighters). The players also avoided fights I would have seen folks attempt in the past. They spent most of the time sneaking and scrounging having "borrowed" a boat someone carelessly left unsecured near a shabby alehouse and a "firefly" lamp left just hanging by the docks at the edge of Gnomeville. The players avoided trouble with a second rate patrol of Harris-men (soldiers of the local Earl Harris)by coughing up a 3 groat per head toll (one PC couldn't' afford it but one of the other party members could). Simply did not engage the patrons in the alehouse figuring it was easier to steal the boat by stealth (one PC had considered trying to win it gambling or in a drinking contest but the other players wisely pointed out they had nothing to gamble with). The party almost ran into disaster when they discovered they had but one torch but they used most of their remaining cash to but 4 more, which still left them woefully short so that gnome "firefly" lamp was just too good to pass up.

One session in, no fighting yet and the 4 players had fun. We have another session scheduled next month. My daughter is still interested in having some of her friends come over and play so i might squeeze in a game with another adventuring party before next month.

Here's a copy of the current character sheet, It's got an embarrassing typo and a silly omission that will need updating but here's what the players had to use: