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.

Sneaking, using the rules that are already there.

I've seen it for years people complaining about old-school dungeoncrawling becasue it lacks essential rules, one area of complaint is the lack of any universal rules for stealth/sneaking. What a lot of people have missed over the years is there is a mechanic built into the game that covers that ground already: The Surprise Check.

Surprise is covered in the combat rules and a lot of folks can't conceive of using it outside of combat but the purpose of surprising someone is to do something unnoticed before others are able to react. So want to sneak past some guards and resolve the situation with game mechanic, make a surprise check against the monster/NPCs if they are surprised you gain the advantage of surprise and if conditions merit no combat happening, there's no combat you have slipped past the guard.

What about thieves, are they being robbed of their skills? Nope, they retain all the abilities they ever did their abilities at hiding and moving silently are enhancements over what other characters can already do. When deployed along with the surprise/stealth roll the seemingly low chances of low level thieves are much improved without knocking the game out of whack.

What about monsters? Use the rules that are there a few monsters are noted as having increased ability surprise PCs or being difficult to surprise, these creatures are simply as perceptive and stealthy as application of the surprise rules would indicate.

There are a lot of rules in place that just need to be applied more often or to a wider range of situations where they fit well. 

Check out this post on using the reaction table in a wider range of applications if so interested.

Hacking a free form skill system: Combat skills

I knew it would happen when my Mog campaign was going to have a free-form pick your own skills skill system: folks were going to pick combat skills, and they sure did.

So the easy hack/kludge/house rule. Players get to roll extra dice on damage but only add the points that are rolled as a 1 or 2 per d6.  The skill system normally allows for a task modifier for ability scores but with combat skills this is ignored as characters already have ability modifiers factored into combat.

Folks with combat skills also get to reduce damage they suffer from others attacking with their combat style if they are parrying/dodging/fighting defensively for the round. The damage they can reduce is the same 1 or 2 per d6.

Haven't seen it in play yet but no crunching doesn't show it will be onerous.  currently skilled characters get to roll 2 dice for normal skill rolls when skilled in a field (legends get 6 dice) I might crank that down to one die when applying combat skills as folks already have rolls in the combat system. I'll be leaving that for play to shake out.

Ex: Blaine is skilled with broadsword. Normally he would attack with a 1d20 and do 1d8 +1 damage (thanks to STR) factoring in the extra skill Blaine get to roll 2 extra six sided dice and any roll of 1 or 2 is added to damage. That works out to rolling 1d8 +2 for damage on average to a maximum roll of 13, pretty sweet for low level but not overwhelming.
the mightiest fighter in the land with a STR of 21  (+6 damage in houserules) and a legendary broadsword fighter will be dishing out 1d8+9 pts of damage most of the time with a max of 26 points on rare occasion, not a game breaker for high level characters.

Skills and the Player Character

Player Characters in/on Mog will have skills allotted to them by class and as selected at character creation.

All PCs will start with 10 skill points and will earn 3 additional skill points per level after 1st level.
Skill points may be saved by the character and need not be spent.
 A player character may only advance skills by one rank per level (may not go from unskilled to legendary all at once by spending skill points).
At character creation a player may spend 3 points to be an Expert in skill as an exception to the rule above.

Skill  Cost per Rank
Skilled................... 1 skill point
Expert....................3 skill points (total 4)
Master....................4 skill points  (total 8)
Grand Master.........8 skill points  (total 16)
Legendary............16 skill points  (total 32)

Costs above are listed per rank. One must be Skilled before they spend 3 points to become expert, and one would have to be a Grand Master before they could be Legendary for 16 additional skill points.

Some skills can only be learned by studying with a Master.

Languages.
characters begin play speaking common and a racial language. Language is a skill that allows a character to learn additional languages in play.
Only Acolytes and Magicians start play literate, other must pay 2 skill points.

Characters
Skill Choice:
Any task or trade is a valid choice for a skill. overly broad skills may be rejected or reduced in value by the DM.
Some common skills and tasks
Lock Picking, Hiding, Sneaking, Climbing, Open Doors, Riding, Groom (Horse), Skinning, Tracking, Foraging, Herbalism, Healing, Brewing, Alchemy, Smithing, Weapon smithing, Pick Pockets,  Sailing, Courtly Grace, Carousing, Gambling

Edited.

Skills and Task Resolution on Mog

Skill and Task Resolution rules for Mog follow

Attack rolls and saving throws are made with d20's on Mog as they are in most of D&Dish games.

Other tasks that require dice to resolve will have  chance in a dx if being resolved. The more skilled someone is the more dice they will roll.

For common tasks a d6 is assigned.,with progressively difficult tasks requiring a large die.

Ability scores may modify the base chance per die if one has a notable score in a relevant ability.

Abilit modifiers for Tasks
3 or less -2 chance modifier
4-6 has a -1 chance modifier
7 to 14 there is no chance modifier
15-17 there is a +1 chance modifier
18-20 there is a +2 chance modifier
21+ there is a +3 chance modifier.

Skills are ranked by degree:
 Unskilled (no need to record)- 1 die may be rolled (if allowed at all by clever description and DM discretion)
Skilled- 2 dice may be rolled.
Expert- 3 dice may be rolled
Master- 4 dice may be rolled
GrandMaster- 5 dice may be rolled
Legendary- 6 dice may be rolled

Success: for many action a task is successful if a single die rolled is within the chance given.
for some tasks the total of successful rolls may be applied to determine degree of success.
for some tasks successful rolls may add to the success score until a threshold is reached in others if the threshold isn't reached there is still failure.
roll vs roll- success points will be added and the contestant with highest total wins. Most head to head tests have an even chance.

Ex1: Bruggar the Boss has a STR of 18 and wants to kick open a Latched door. The DM sets the base chance at 2 in 8. so the Bruggar's player must roll a 4 or less on 1d8 to open the door.

Ex2: Ned The Noisome wants to sneak up on a Morlock Sentry. Ned is an Expert at Sneaking. It's dark (an advantage for a Morlock) and there isn't a lot of cover so the DM sets the chance to 1 in 10 with wits being more important than nimbleness. Ned has modifier as his Wis is 11. Ned's player will roll 3d10 and will sneak up on the Morlock in any of the three dice come up a 1.

Ex3: Britt the Hag is brewing a healing potion. She's a Master of Medicines and working in her home. She is following a known formula so the chance of success is 4 in 6. Modified by +1 becasue of her INT of 17 so she has a 5 in 5 for success.  Crafting items requires a total score be reach on the successes; Britt is tryign for a 4th level healing potion so she must get 16 points worth of success. Britt will roll 4d6.  If britt rolls a 2,4,5, and a 6 she has 11 points of success; she can keep working at it unless all her rolls fail she will eventually complete the potion.

Ex4: Ned the Noisome is picking a very difficult lock. The DM has assigned 3in12 with a total of 6 required. Ned has nimble fingers (Dex of 16) and may ass one to the chance giving him a 4in12 and since he is an Expert Lock Picker he may roll 3d12 to attempt to open the lock adding up his successes. Poor Ned rolled a 2, 3 and 11 getting only 5 points of success. He can try again but can't add his previous success to picking the lock

Ex5: Bruggar (Str 18) and Ned(Str 14) are arm wrestling. Bruggar is a skilled Athlete, Ned isn't.
the base chance is 3 in 6.  Bruggar's chance is improved to 5in6 and Ned is still 3 in 6. Bruggar can roll 2d6 and Ned but 1d6.  Bruggar can lose if he fails with both dice or doesn't beat Ned's score (which is 3 at best). Bruggar rolls a 1 and 6, Ned rolls a 1.  They tie so  the arm wrestling continues.
Bruggar rolls a 3 and 4, Ned rolls a 3 and is still soundly beaten by Brugar.