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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 |