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🎲 D4 Dice Pool
Most actions in this system are resolved by rolling a pool of d4s, determined by your character’s Aspects and the situation.
Each Aspect provides a dice pool equal to its value. Your capacity to act is limited during your turn by increasing your 🌀 Action Load, which typically resets to 0 at the start of your turn.
The d4s represent effort, attention, and precision. The more dice you spend, the harder it is to keep acting.
⚙️ Turn Structure and Action Load
At the start of your turn:
- Set your Action Load to 0
When you take an action:
- Identify the relevant Aspect
- Subtract your Action Load from that Aspect’s value
- If the result is greater than 0, you can take the action
- Add up modifiers, including Advantage/Disadvantage
- Roll the dice and perform the action
- Add the action’s Cost (usually 1 or more) to your Action Load
You can keep acting as long as your adjusted Aspect value (Aspect − Action Load) remains positive and meets the action’s cost.
Instead of resetting Action Load to zero at the beginning of a creature's turn, an alternative is to reset everyone's Action Load to zero at the beginning of each round. This will affect when and by how much creatures (characters, NPCs, and monsters) can take reactions.
We will definitely be playtesting this idea.
⚖️ Calculating Net Advantage
What is Advantage and Disadvantage?
Advantage is when something boosts your action. It might be an ability you have from a Feature, because of something in the environment, a friend assisting you, or something else.
Disadvantage is when something is hindering your action.
For each instance of Advantage that you have for a particular action, you can add a d4 to your Action Roll.
For each instance of Disadvantage that you have for a particular action, you subtract a d4 from your Action Roll.
Advantage and Disadvantage stack, unlike in D&D 5e and similar systems. This means you can get multiple d4s added to your rolls, but it also means that you could get multiple d4s removed from your rolls.
🔁 Note: You can only gain Advantage or Disadvantage from a single source once per action. Multiple effects from the same ability, feature, or condition do not stack.
📘 Example: If two allies both use the “Watch My Back” feature to give you Advantage on your next roll, you still only gain +1d4—because both effects come from the same source.
Before making an Aspect Check or other Aspect-based roll, but after determining if the action can be taken, calculate the Net Advantage. This is the number of d4s you add to or subtract from your roll.
Example: A character is trying to disable a trap so the game master has them make a Finesse Aspect Check. Their Finesse value is 4 and their Action Load is 0 - the d4 pool is 4. This trap is in a darkly lit dungeon which gives Disadvantage - the d4 pool is now 3. One of the other characters helps by holding a torch, giving Advantage - the d4 pool is now back to 4. Another character assists by peering over their shoulder and giving advice, giving advantage - the pool is now 5. The player will roll 5d4.
🎲 Rolling the Dice
For each action:
- Roll a number of d4s equal to your Aspect Value, minus your Action Load, plus your Net Advantage (if any)
- Also roll the action’s damage die (if any)
🧮 Add all dice together and declare the total.
The GM then either:
- Subtracts the target’s Evasion (for attacks) → The remainder becomes damage dealt
- Compares the total to a Difficulty Class (DC) → The action succeeds if the total meets or beats the DC
📘 Example: Your Finesse is 6 and your Action Load is 2. You want to use a dagger (1d4 damage). You roll 6 − 2 = 4d4 + 1d4 (damage). Your total is 14. The GM subtracts the target’s Evasion (e.g. 11), leaving 3 damage dealt.
🔚 Ending Your Turn
You can end your turn at any time, even if you have unused actions. Doing so:
- May allow you to take a Team Action later
- Reserves dice for reactions or interrupts
This encourages tactical planning and collaboration.
🤝 Acting on Other Turns
You may act during other players’ or enemies’ turns, if:
- You have remaining dice in a relevant Aspect
- The action is a valid response (e.g., reaction, counter, assist)
These actions:
- Follow the same rules as normal actions
- Use the current Action Load
- Increase the Action Load afterward
Your Action Load does not reset until your next turn, so acting on another creature’s turn means you’ll have fewer dice available later.
📘 Example: A goblin attacks your ally. You still have 3 Control and an Action Load of 1. You use a Team Action (cost 1) to impose Disadvantage. The goblin rolls its attack with disadvantage and you add 1 to your Action Load.
📝 Unlike traditional systems, you are not limited to one reaction per round — act as often as your remaining dice allow.
📝 Additional Notes
- If Aspect − Action Load ≤ 0, you cannot choose to act using that Aspect.
- If the GM calls for a roll, you always roll at least 1d4, even with a negative Aspect.
- GM-initiated rolls may or may not consider Action Load — this is up to the GM.
- Some abilities have a Cost of 0 or 1, enabling small actions even late in the round.
- You may take actions using different Aspects in the same turn.
✅ For a visual reference on how d4s support fast, intuitive math, see the D4 Math Tips Sidebar.