Core Rules deep dive: action resolution checks

This deep dive aims to provide an overview on the base game mechanic of VI·VIII·X the action resolution check, or ARC. This is used in most of the rules, whenever a character is asked to carry out an action: for combat, both melee and ranged, for non-combat actions (e.g. hide, ride, swim and so forth) and for spellcasting, both arcane and divine magic.

In order to perform an action, the character uses one of his skills, the used skill is tied to an ‘unknown stat’ (or US) and the later is tied to a ‘known stat’ (or KS). Therefore, the starting point for the application of this mechanic is the 3-level stat framework of the character (in case here is a deep dive on this topic). Whenever a character needs to succeed a test, the player has to perform an ARC. The ARC is the result of 4 addends:

  • The score of the KS (a value between 1 and 10)
  • The score of the US (a value between 1 and 10)
  • A modifier which is the outcome of the player’s roll for the ARC a value between -3 and +10)
  • Additional (and optional) modifier defined by the GM based on the circumstance (it usually swings between -3 and +3)

The sum is the result of the character’s check. This can be used against a threshold like when a character is willing to hide (the result is against a defined value, according to the level of complexity of the action): this is an ARCT, action resolution check vs threshold. It can otherwise be used against another character’s ARC (like in case of melee when the attacker’s ARC is against the target’s ARC): this is an ARCO, action resolution check vs opponent. The action is successful when the result of the ARC is higher than the threshold or the opponent’s ARC.

If we analyze the result, this can be broken down into the four addends previously explained. The first addend is not a issue, the second addend is, as a matter of fact, the unknown within the formula to the eyes of the player; the ARC can be used by a player to have the opportunity to understand what is the score he doesn’t know. The third addend is a value derived from the ARC table: this is the ‘main table’ within VI·VIII·X as it is needed to derive the modifier in an ARC. The underlying logic of this table is not too complicated: the player toss a die, if the result of the roll is equal or lower of the used ES score, then the modifier is the score of the roll. If the result of the roll is higher the used ES score, then the modifier could be zero or a negative score, up to -3. The die to be used in such a roll is variable according to the score of the related ES.

Lastly, we can consider that the fourth addend is a matter of circumstances and in a ‘standard situation’ it is zero (let me add: the definition of standard situation is not as easy as you could think of and, moreover, being this addend the result of the application of one of more modifiers, the single components might even offset among themselves bringing a final value of zero!). In any case, it is not worth in this context have a further discussion about this item.

At the end of the day, the player misses nearly 1/3 of the total result since the second addend has such weight within this formula. With this lack of information, it is easy to understand that in every check, the player will never be completely aware in advance of the outcome, regardless of the result of the die. This factor can be seen as the ‘KUP part’ within this rule. It is interesting to outline the fact that any player will naturally try to make a reverse engineering for nearly every check with the goal to unveil the US score: this will naturally lead to perform several ARC and this will bring a possible improvement in the US by means of the use of that stat. Therefore a player will be always trying to ‘grab the true hidden score’ while this will evolve and change over time and usage…  

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