Dice Rolls

Hellcrashers uses six-sided dice (D6s) in a dice pool system. A player rolls as many D6s as the corresponding quality.

A success is made from any die that results in 5 or 6.

All dice in Hellcrashers explode. This means if the die results in a 6, an additional D6 is rolled and added to the dice pool. This additional die can also explode.

When rolling an inept quality (one whose rating is 0), one rolls a single die, but only succeeds on a 6 (which still explodes). Additional dice from exploding this roll still succeed on a 5 or 6.

If an inept quality is cursed, it does not explode. If an Inept quality is blessed, it succeeds on a 5 and 6, in effect acting as an unblessed Poor quality.

A specialty adds a single die to the relevant dice pool. So a character with Athletics 4 and a Leap specialty would roll 5 dice to jump from one rooftop to another.

If a quality or roll is cursed it can only roll a success on a 6 (which still explodes). Additional dice from exploding this roll still succeed on a 5 or 6.

If a roll is blessed, it can roll a success on a 4, 5 or 6. Additional dice from exploding this roll still succeed only on a 5 or 6. If a quality that is cursed receives a blessing, for the time when both the blessing and curse are active, neither affect this quality.

Bonuses & Penalties
Bonuses and penalties affect a character’s rolls through the addition or subtraction of dice from a dice pool. This is done before a roll is made.

Bonuses are used when a situation is more favorable to a character than a normal roll of their quality would represent. A bonus may be applied because an attacker has surprised an opponent or a burglar is picking an old and feeble lock. Usually a bonus of +1 die is enough to represent a significant advantage, but a GM may choose to apply a +2 if the advantage is impressive enough.

Penalties are used to represent hindrances and obstacles to success. A penalty may be applied because an attacker has a low ceiling and is swinging a large weapon or a burglar is facing an expensive security system on a government facility. Usually a penalty of -1 die is enough to represent a significant disadvantage, but a GM may choose to apply a -2 if the disadvantage is impressive enough.

Cumulative Penalties
Penalties stack upon each other; a character suffering from multiple sources of hindrance adds all the penalties together to determine how many dice are removed from their dice pool.

Legend Kligrapp has suffered enough stress to be Shaken (-1), enough damage to be Bruised (-1), has a sprain wrist (-1) and is trying to climb a rain-slicked (-1) cliffside. He uses a Fortune point (+3) and rolls his Athletics (Climb) total, but with a modifier of –1 die. (-4+3= -1)

Cumulative Successes
Some tasks rely on a number of successes to achieve a goal. The GM assigns a time for each roll and the number of successes necessary to complete the task. Should teamwork be an option, multiple characters can earn successes toward the task.

The team is searching a giant warehouse in Bulgone for a single coffin-sized box. The GM decides each roll costs the team 4 hours of searching and will be found if they accumulate 10 successes. With all five of them searching, they get 9 successes total on the first roll! Unfortunately, members of the Unmerciful Parade return to the warehouse shortly after that. The team quietly sneaks out and plans to return in the morning.

Opposed Rolls
Often the success of one depends on the failure of another. Usually, both roll their opposing qualities and compare the number of successes. If both have equal successes, the opponents then compare the actual totals rolled on the dice, failures included. Should the totals still match, then neither side wins or loses. The victory is usually suspended for the round and the struggle continues next round.

Sneaking from the warehouse, each team member rolls their Streetwise (Stealth) quality because they are in an urban environment. The GM rolls the Perception (Notice) of the Grim Majorette and gets 1, 5, 6 and 2 for two successes. The party all roll 3 or more successes except Grayson, who rolls 4, 6 and 5. Since both Grayson and the Majorette scored two successes, they then compare totals and find that Grayson’s total of 15 barely beats the Majorette’s total of 14.

Learn about:
Character Creation
Fortune
Combat
Insanity
Experience

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