Dice Pool
Dice Pool is a mechanical and categorical term. It is the collective Die, Results and Bonuses used to determine the outcome of a pending Check, Attack, Save or Test. This is done by comparing the Total of the Dice Pool to a Difficulty or relevant Table.
A Dice Pool is constructed of the following elements:
The various physical or digital, polyhedral math rocks we use to roll and determine random outcomes.
and cause the following:
Dice Pools can also be altered in the following ways:
Primary Die
Primary Die is a mechanical term and type of Die. It refers to either a D20, D100 or a Determination Die each being the central Die of their respective Dice Pools.
- The D100, consisting of 2 traditional polyhedral D10, the Die with double 0's representing the 1's and the Die with Results 10 - 90 representing the 10's, is the Primary Die in Dice Pools used for generating most Tests where a Table is involved.
- Determination Die are the Primary Die when performing Determination Tests and vary depending on the Determination Tests being generated.
Bonus Die
Bonus Die is a mechanical term and type of Die. Bonus Dice are any non-D20 or non-D100 Die that are added to a Dice Pool to increase the Total of a pending Check, Attack, Save or Test.
These Die include, but are not limited to, the D4, D6, D8, D10, and D12. Common sources of Bonus Die include but are not limited to Jobs, Tools or Masteries.
Static Bonus
Static Bonuses are any constant number added to a Dice Pool that is not a Result of a rolled Die. The most common Static Bonuses encountered in play include Skills and Ratings, but can also be found in Abilities gained from Races, Jobs or Items.
Example: Johnny Tutorial is suffering from a few instances of the Poisoned Affliction. At the start of his Turn he performs a Difficulty 20 Fortitude Save. Johnny's Static Bonus for this Dice Pool is 14, due to his 14 Fortitude Rating. Johnny rolls a 12 on his D20, combined with his Static Bonus of 14, for a Total of 26. Johnny Succeeds on his Fortitude Save and reduces his Poisoned by 1.
Results
A Result is a defining term. It is the number showing face up on a traditional polyhedral Die after being rolled.
Some Die such as the D4 may display their Result along the base of the Die touching the rolling surface, whatever the case may be, be consistent and clear on where you are reading your Result from.
Example: Johnny Tutorial rolls 2D6. One D6 is showing a 5 on its face up side and the other is showing a 3 on its face up side, Johnny therefore has Results of 5 and 3 on his 2D6.
Total
A Total is the final number used by the game, calculated by combining all relevant Ranks, Results, bonuses, penalties and other modifiers. The term is used in many places, such as determining a Characters Total Job Ranks or to communicate the Total of a Dice Pool.
The Total of a Dice Pool is the combined number of all Results and Static Bonuses within that Pool. The Total of a Dice Pool is then used to determine the outcome of a pending Check, Attack, Save or Test.
Example: Terrance the Technomancer is asked to take a Tech Check of Difficulty 24.
- Then add the Static Bonuses, in this case Terrance has a Wits Stat of 6 and 4 Ranks in the Tech Skill for a combined Static Bonus of +10.
- Combining these two numbers gives us a Total of 32 for the pending Tech Check which exceeds the Difficulty of 24, allowing Terrance to achieve Success.
Property
Properties are modifiers that specifically impact Dice Pools. This adds additional effects, both positive and negative, based on the Results generated and if they meet the specific requirements of the Property in question. This can cause effects such as Rerolling Die, adding and subtracting Die from the Dice Pool and causing Critical Success or Critical Failure.
Properties can be Upgraded and Downgraded. See the section Below.
A Dice Pool can have multiple Properties. Should a Dice Pool be effected by opposing Properties, as detailed below, the effects of those Properties cancel each other out and the roll is performed without either effect. The Dice Pool still has those Properties, it just doesn't gain the effects.
Example: A Check performed under the effects of both of the Advantage and Disadvantage Properties would cancel each other out, causing you to only roll a single D20 instead of two. However, the Dice Pool would still be under the effects of both the Advantage and Disadvantage Properties.
Upgrading Dice
Die can be Upgraded through the use of certain Masteries, Items or Abilities.
To Upgrade a Die you replace your initial Die in the Dice Pool with the next Die as per the following progression system:
| D4 | > | D6 | > | D8 | > | D10 | > | D12 |
|---|
If you have been granted an Upgraded Die but all of the Die in the Pool are already D12’s, then nothing happens. A Die cannot be Upgraded above D12.
Downgrading Dice
Dice can be Downgraded through the use of certain Masteries, Items or Abilities.
To Downgrade a Die you simply replace the indicated Die in the Dice Pool with the next Die as per the following progression table:
| D4 | < | D6 | < | D8 | < | D10 | < | D12 |
|---|
If you have been granted a Downgrade but all of the Die in the Pool are already D4’s, then nothing happens. A Die cannot be Downgraded below D4.
Reroll
Reroll is a mechanical term. It is the act of taking Die that have already been rolled and rolling them again to generate different Results.
A Reroll allows you to pick up an amount of Dice from a Dice Pool, as determined by the source of the Reroll, and roll them again for different Results.
You cannot Reroll Die that have already been Rerolled.
Please Note: Abilities such as the Lucky Break Action allow for a Do Over, which is distinct from a Reroll.
Do Over
Do Over is a mechanical term. It is a unique method of generating different Results from an already rolled Dice Pool.
A Do Over allows you to pick up an amount of Dice from a Dice Pool, as determined by the source of the Do Over, and roll them again for different Results.
In addition a Do Over allows you to roll Dice that have already been Rerolled.
Please Note: Abilities such as the Lucky Break Action allow for a Do Over, which is distinct from a Reroll.
Determination Die
Determination Die is a mechanical term and type of Die. It refers to any Die used to determine a Total when generating Determination Tests.
Example: [Crafting] D4 Med-Pacs or taking your first instance of Exhaustion would use a Determination Die of D4. Dealing 2D6 Damage would use Determination Die of 2D6.