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🎯 Aspect Checks

Aspect Checks are the primary way most challenges are resolved. Whether you're trying to sneak past a guard, decipher magical writing, hit an enemy, or climb a cliff, you’ll roll a number of d4s based on your character’s Aspect value.

Taking Actions is described elsewhere. This section is all about making Aspect Checks outside of the Action Economy.


🧪 Performing a Check

To make an Aspect Check:

  • 🎯 Describe what you're doing and how
  • 🧠 GM identifies the Aspect (e.g., Agility for climbing, Insight for investigation)
  • ⚖️ Calculate your Net Advantage
    • GM will indicate instances of Disadvantage
    • Players might take reactions, interrupts, or Team Actions that add Advantage instances
  • 🎲 Roll a number of d4s equal to that Aspect’s value + Net Advantage
  • ➕ Add all rolled dice together
  • 📏 Compare your total to the Difficulty Class (DC)

✅ If your total meets or beats the DC, you succeed.


🧮 Minimum Dice

If your Aspect Value ≤ 0, you cannot initiate a check using that Aspect.

However, if the GM calls for a roll, you always roll at least 1d4, even if your Aspect is 0 or negative.

📘 Example: Your Insight is 0, so you can’t initiate an investigation. But if the GM asks you to roll Insight, you still roll 1d4.


📈 Degrees of Success (or Failure)

A higher roll can yield stronger results:

  • 🧗 Climb faster
  • 🕵️ Find extra clues
  • 🎭 Impress more people

Failure might still reveal partial info or create a new complication. Make success and failure narratively meaningful.


🤝 Optional Rule: Teamwork

Multiple characters may attempt a task together. Each rolls separately. The GM may:

  • Use the highest roll
  • Add the combined total
  • Grant a flat bonus per helper (e.g., +2)

Some Team Actions allow allies to spend dice on another player’s turn for stronger, more direct assistance.


🎯 Sample Difficulty Classes

Task DC
Easy (e.g., short jump) 4
Moderate (e.g., pick a lock) 8
Hard (e.g., decipher a script) 12
Very Hard (e.g., wet cliff face) 16
Nearly Impossible (e.g., lost lore) 20