Simple Tests

What are simple tests?

Usually day to day actions are free for player for example opening a door doesn't require any special checks as long as its unlocked. However for tasks or actions that are not part of regular life; if you want to do something harder than usual, like scaling a sheer cliff, reading Sumerian, or picking the lock on a door. You can make a simple test. Simple tests go like this:

• Describe what your character is trying to achieve and how.
• The Storyteller tells you which of your character’s Traits to use to assemble a dice pool.
• The Storyteller sets a Difficulty. This number may be kept secret, depending on circumstances and playstyle.
• Unless the test is an automatic win (see p. 120), you roll the dice pool and count your successes. Every die that shows 6 or higher is a success. A 0 on the die means a result of 10: a success.
• If the number of successes you get equals or exceeds the Difficulty, you win the test and accomplish that action.

Example:

Juan's character is canvassing the neighbourhood for information on movement in the area. The Storyteller decides this is a simple Resolve + Investigation test with a Difficulty of 2: straightforward. Juan's character has 3 dots in Resolve and 3 dots in Investigation and so he rolls 6 dice, getting three successes – more than enough for a win. The Storyteller gives Juan the info he sought: a clue he might be able to use.