Enchanted Realms Rulebook
The Simulation
Dice
If one is reading this manual is sequential order, the explanation of character creation is being placed on pause for a moment. As the next part to complete the character is about picking skills based upon one's backstory, upbringing and education (Paideia). However, to best understand what those skills mean and how they perform, the basics of the game mechanics should be explained first. Thus, this part of the book will address the basics.
To determine the result or the timing of something, a statistical formula is used. The mechanic to resolve those odds is with dice. All the standard “dragon dice” are used in Enchanted Realms. However, since the user interface is digital, non-physical dice can be rolled as well, which is helpful when using discreet math. For example, if a rule requires to roll a d6 but re-roll if the raw score is a 1. The write a macro to do this sounds really complicated, until one realizes that this is the same thing as rolling d5+1. There are no loops or recursive functions to write. Just straight up discreet math to solve the problem.
Let’s consider the different cases when one would need the different dice. In that vein, the answer between the difference in terms for “save,” “check,” and “competition” needs to be understood as well.
At the highest view, dice are rolled against a Target Mark, typically just called merely “TM,” to determine if something is successful. However, in this system, the absolute win-or-lose result is not the goal. Admittedly, there are times when that's the only interpretation, but in most cases, the rolls determine the degree of success or possibly the amount of time before success can be made.
The way this is done is a task needs to be accomplished, picking a lock for example. The lock has a TM of 15. Dice are then rolled to check those rolled values to the TM. There will be adjustments to the total score of the dice for a sundry of reasons. These include attribute modifiers, magical bonuses, perhaps the quality of the tools used, and so on. If the adjusted score of the dice meets the TM, then the lock is opened.
Remember, however, that win-or-lose is not the default. So, what do we do that is other than having the lock open? Instead of success, the score against the TM could mean it required the standard amount of time to pick the lock, which is about 12 seconds. Thus, a score of 14 could indicate after the standard time it was not opened but it would be opened after another duration of standard time. On the other extreme of the short side of the Comp, the required time might be a couple of days.
The trick in this method is the player cannot know the Comp or cannot know the result of the roll -- or perhaps both. But by using the API of Roll20, the player can enact the roll and the calculated result using the method above can be sent the GM. Then the answer at the end of the round (if a combat were happening while trying to pick that lock), the GM would say “The lock hasn't opened yet, are you planning to continue attempt in the next round?” Of course, if time wasn't that critical, the 14 would likely be described as “It was a little tougher than expected but you got it open.” But with a 8 roll or so, the GM would respond, “You've worked on it for about a minute and it won't budge. How much longer do you want to keep trying? and what are the rest of you doing in the meantime?
Advantage/Disadvantage
Something else that can affect dice-rolling is advantage and disadvantage. There are circumstances due to the environment, bad results from a previous moments in combat, a curse, and so on, which can place one either in a better or worse situation. These are ruled as having advantage or disadvantage. A more detailed account of the various scenarios will be given later, but the general idea is that a die being rolled either gains another like it for advantage or has one taken from its die pool for disadvantage.
There are certain types of rolls where only one dice can be counted, saves and skill checks for example. Under this condition, two dice would be rolled, but only the better or the worse of the scores would be used. Obviously, advantage would use the better while disadvantage would take the lesser of the two results.
Skills Check
Picking a lock is an example of what would be a skill check. A character who has the pick locks skill, the exact TM of the lock is not known, but the GM has defined this lock to be 15 based a standard iron lock being TM:12+d4. The character will use a d20 and modify the roll with any modifiers from Agility to determine the result.
Time to consider that there are combining skills that can impact the result as well. For example, if that character also has the locksmith skill, then an additional +3 can be added to the roll. However, where the real fun comes to play with having an advanced skill beyond the normal Lock-Picking. If that character also has Lock-Picking II, then when attempting to open the lock, the player would roll 2d20 and each of the dice gain the modifiers. This would work similar to advantage. If one of the d20s met the TM and the other did not, then the better score is used. Likewise, if both fall short, the better of the two scores would be used to determine the duration before success. However, if both score a success, then the time required to pick the lock is cut in half -- or only 6 seconds. Further, Lock-Picking III would work the same way, but by rolling 3d20. For more details, those skills could be reviewed.
Saves
Above we saw how the skills check worked. It is needed when a character initiatives some of his or her own skills to accomplish a task. Saves are essentially the opposite. When a force outside of the character could potentially affect or harm him or her, then there is often a save involved. Also, a save usually only uses 1d20 rather than multiple dice; however, advantage and disadvantage would still use the better or worse of 2d20.
Sometimes saves are that win-or-lose condition, but even saves can have a variance in outcome. A simple example would be a tremor incantation which attempts to knock the victim into a prone position. To determine if one stays on his or her feet, a save if rolled against Agility. If the TM is met, then the quake is experience but has no functional effect on the victim. Rolling under the TM is different. If barely missing the TM, then the victim is not knocked prone but is unable to use movement for a few seconds while recovering his or her balance. Having an adjusted score below 5 would not only result in the target being knocked prone but further would delay recovering to ones feet with a reaction for several seconds.
Competitions
What about that competition roll? These are for when two or more opponents are both attempting an action that are in competition. An example would be when someone is holding a door shut while a monster is trying to break through. This is going to make a comparison of sub-attribute tenacity against the other. Usually, the same sub-attribute will be compared but there are notable exceptions which can be discussed later. In the case of holding the door vs breaking through, Strength would be used on both sides. However, to allow modifiers to have more value for the competition, a d12 will be used instead the dice used in those other methods. Each side will add its sub-attribute modifier to the d12 die roll. Whichever competitor has the highest total score wins the action, such as holding the door or forcing it open. In the event of a tie, then circumstance remains as it was, and the struggle continues (assuming all parties continue). Therefore, the door would remain in a closed state.
While these differences may seem minor while discussing them theoretically, they become very important to game-play and strategy. Consider for a moment about the scene in The Emperor’s New Groove when both Kuzco and Yzma both attempt to grab the potion. While the game probably should not run as comically as that scene -- although it could, what no one wants from a game system is whoever gets the first turn is able to grab the potion without a challenge. This is one of the reasons and strategies for using competition roll. It further means the outcome, simply cannot be predetermined.
Competitions are used in a few other cases, such as moving through an occupied space or grappling an opponent in combat. The mechanics are the same, using the d12 and comparing the results. However, the details of these can be found later when combat is detailed further.