Game Theory

Plot and Map Structure

Player Creation

DICE CHECKS

This section is for the mechanics of checking stats against the dice, as well as suggested numbers for checks that the players will have to face.

RELATIVE PERCENTAGES & SETTING UP CUSTOM CHECKS

Each number difference is a percentage value of roughly 17%; keep this in mind when creating custom checks for players to pass. The percentage values based on point differences are as follows:

Points above Character's Stats vs. Success Rate

1 - 100% (The Dice will always add at least 1 to the base stat)

2 - 83%

3 - 67%

4 - 50%

5 - 33%

6 - 17%

7 - 0% (Impossible)

So if the average stat you wish to check against the group of players is "4" and you want to give them a 50% chance of them passing it, then the check you will want to give them to roll against will be "8". If a person has a stat score of "6" and you want to give them specifically a 50% chance then the check will need to be "10"

The max passable check would be "12" without any modifiers applied. The max possible check against full modifiers (+6) would be "18". As an homage to Dungeons and Dragons, the GM can make "20" as the no pass check.

GAME CHECKS

If the player matches or does better than the check, their character passes. Use the following to get an idea of how well a character might make a pass:

1 - Skin of the teeth pass.

2 - Exhaustive effort required.

3 - Clumsy execution, stumbles a bit.

4 - Good execution, minor effort required.

5 - Easy execution, no effort required.

6 - Dismissible effort, character will not have noticed that a check was even involved.

On the flipside a character may fail by a certain number of points:

1 - Just failed, so close yet so far

2 - Put a good effort

3 - Clearly outmatched

4 - One sided affair

5 - Completely dominated

6 - Mercy rule applies

CONFLICT RULES

Keep in mind that these are all suggestion for your consideration and that you can make alterations as needed to better fit whatever scenario you are running.

Under these situations players are each other's own checks (or a check against your own character in the story as the artist). They will roll the relevant stats against each other; this can be in a form of a debate/discussion—where the "communicate" stat is used—or in the form of a physical confrontation where the "interact" stat is used.

There are several considerations for how conflicts can be managed. They can be a single check to see if one person defeats another overall, or multiple rolls can be made if players are given "Health" that can be depleted.

TIED CONFLICT ROLL

If you are trying to keep the conflict condensed, it is best to simply do a reroll to determine a winner of that particular part of the conflict. Otherwise you can display a verbal or combat standstill for a panel (swords crossed, or two people glaring at each other).

HEALTH STAT

If you want to make conflict a highlight of your combat, you can give players health that can be depleted during the course of a fight. How much health you give players is up to your discretion as the more health the players have the longer conflict will last, and the more you'll have to draw as a result. I recommend people have a starting health of "5", but any number will do.

HEALTH DEPLETION

The difference between the combat rolls will determine the amount of health lost. If equally skilled characters fight and one rolls a 1 and the other a 6, the person who rolled 1 will take "5 damage" and be defeated (if they had 5 health before the fight). This can be depicted in a comic panel as the character tripping and falling into the other character's fist as an example. A tie would result in no health lost.

Keep in mind that you can give conversations 'health' as well, and when that’s depleted the character gives up the argument. A difference of 5 here might be a quip or joke that completely embarrasses the other character into being speechless.

CONFLICT MODIFIERS

For the sake of simplicity include any modifiers in the conflict. If it's a one-time or short-duration use, that can be displayed in how the comic handles the interaction between players. Or if it's something that the player simply decides not to utilize.

RANGED ATTACKS

If a character only has melee attacks, while they can win the roll, that simply means they do not take any health damage. Alternatively if you wish to depict it, the character can throw an object/weapon at the other person or some other way to indicate that the character won the roll. (Perhaps on a natural roll of 6 indicating a 'critical' attempt)

ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFIERS

Depending on the scenario, you can give the environment a bonus or handicap to "Dominant/Helpful/Cynical/Physical/Tech/Magic" and then give a bonus or penalty of 1-3, which may apply to the player. An example might be in a demoralized camp a dominant personality would receive a -3 penalty, helpful would receive +3 and those who are cynical have no bonus. Alternatively, there could be say a powerful thunderstorm that is interfering with technology and magic reducing their rolls by 1 or 2, while leaving the physical rolls unaffected.

DOUBLE TEAMING RULES

If there's a situation where there's two or more people attacking a single target the highest roller will act first, then the next higher; so on so forth. People can only roll against one person unless there's a reason why the character can make a double roll in the situation. As such the second person to strike the single target will do so freely and inflict damage vs. a roll of "0" by the person who was teamed up on. (The attacked player still gets their base bonus). This applies to both conversations and physical combat, though in conversations people are more free to ignore additional people from adding to the debate.

GROUP COMBAT RULES

Each side will always attempt to target the player with the lowest health, likewise people will always try to attempt to protect those with the lowest health (the exception being if a characters have a low behavior score of 0-2 and would probably be too scared to intercept the attack).

COMMUNICATION CHECKS

Whoever is the source of the information, have players roll against the source's communication stat to see if they believe what they are told. If they out-roll the source, then the characters will be able to determine if what was said was true or not to a level of accuracy depending on the score difference.

Mind control rolls are handled as conflicts using the "communication" stat instead of the "interact" stat.

SUGGESTED INTERACTION CHECKS

Climbing a ladder - 2

Hold on to a Surface - 4

Vertical Surface Climb - 8

Catch/dodge a tossed object - 4

Catch/dodge a thrown object - 7

Catch/dodge a high speed object - 10

Dodge a bullet - 14 (Needs modifer assists)

Using equipment/items/opening locks/disabling objects:

Simple devices 3

Complex devices 6

Secured devices 10

When using equipment (physical/magical/technical) provide a usage bonus if the interact stat matches the equipment. (Suggested range of + 1-3)

Jumping Category - These numbers are made with the assumption the character gets a running start. If jumping from a stand halve the distance.

Scores of 4 or less means the character will trip and fall.

5 - 1 meters / 3 feet

6 - 2 meters / 6 feet

7 - 3 meters / 9 feet

8 - 4 meters / 13 feet

9 - 5 meters / 16 feet

10 - 6 meters / 20 feet

11 - 7 meters / 23 feet

12 - 8 meters / 26 feet

Lifting Category - There are no rolls made for lifting objects; whatever score a person has is roughly what they can lift/carry for a short duration. Do not take these numbers too seriously; they are just here to give a rough scale, as some characters are faster as opposed to stronger. This is just a scale based on the assumption that average people can lift up 50kg/100lbs and the strongest weight lifters can bring up 300kg/600 lbs.

0 - 5 kg / 10 lbs

1 - 10 kg / 20 lbs

2 - 25kg / 50 lbs

3 - 50kg / 100 lbs

4 - 100 kg / 200 lbs

5 - 200 kg / 400lbs

6 - 300kg / 600lbs