Rolling 2d6
When a risky action needs a roll, add two six-sided dice and the rating that matches your approach. The default result bands are simple on purpose.
| Total | Result | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10+ | Strong Hit | You achieve the stated intent at the established Effect. |
| 7–9 | Mixed Hit | You achieve the core intent, and one consequence comes with it. |
| 6 or less | Setback | The situation turns against you in a way that follows from the established danger. |
Strong hits
A strong hit means the action works. Effects already implied by the action still happen—a loud door is still loud and spent time stays spent—but the GM does not add a fresh punishment because dice were rolled.
Mixed hits
A mixed hit is a success with consequence. If you rolled to get through the closing gate, you get through. The consequence may break a tool, attract notice, close the opening behind you, shorten the result, or advance an active problem. It cannot revoke the success.
Common consequence families are:
- Cost: lose, spend, damage, or consume something relevant.
- Exposure: somebody notices, identifies, isolates, or gains leverage.
- Worse Position: the success leaves your next action more dangerous.
- Reduced Effect: you get less scale, duration, quality, or certainty than intended.
- New Pressure: an already plausible problem becomes more urgent.
- Hard Choice: keep the success, then choose between two costs that both follow from the situation.
Setbacks
A setback turns the situation against you. A door may seal, a witness may walk away, the threat clock may advance, a Condition may become appropriate, or a safer route may close. The GM should reveal what changed and leave a new action available.
A setback need not mean incompetence. Good execution can still lose to circumstances, opposition, or timing.
When not to roll
Do not roll for obvious perception, routine expertise, harmless actions, or impossible actions. If established facts already determine the answer, the GM says what happens or what must change before an attempt could matter.