2 Stats 2 Rolls

2 Stats 2 Rolls

January 2, 2024
ttrpg design

Written for Prismatic Wasteland's "make a new mechanic and give it a name" challenge.

You have two approaches to a situation on either side of a spectrum. For example, let's say... Soundwaves and Emotions. Decide which is "high" and which is "low", then define your Number between 1 and 10, inclusive. A number skewed towards one side means that you'll have high chances of success but also high chances of consequences for the other side, and vice versa.

Whenever you do anything, decide which approach it fits best, then roll two distinct 10 sided dice (distinguish by different colors, etc): one of them is your resolution die and one is your complications die.

  • If your resolution die is on the same side as your Number (lower for the "low" approach, higher for the "high" approach), you succeed at what you're doing! Describe how that approach served you. If it's on the opposite side, you don't. Describe how that approach let you down. If you roll your number exactly, it's a success: you can either remove any complications on the roll or turn it into a crit. Describe how your exact combination of approaches helps the situation.
  • If your complications die is on the same side as your Number as above, something about what you did complicates the situation, or there's a twist you didn't expect! Describe how your shortcomings in the other area tripped you up. If it's on the opposite side, there's no complication. Describe how your expertise in the other approach helped you. If you roll your number exactly, there's no complication on the roll, and increase the resolution result from failure -> success -> crit. Describe how your exact combination of approaches helps the situation.
  • If you roll your number exactly on both dice, it's a megacrit with no complications.
  • [ADVANCED] Once per session you can swap the dice. Describe how you turn the situation around this time, against all odds.

(Not that this uses any text from it intentionally, but Lasers and Feelings, by John Harper, is licensed under CC BY 4.0.)

(Read the original on cohost here!)

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